The Road Home: A Dual Timeline Contemporary Christian Fiction Redemption Story (eBook)

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Deercrest, Wisconsin
The second time Audra changed her name was a disaster. The first? Well, she had wiped it from her memory. But you know what they say about the third time. She hoped never to change her name again or need to disappear at midnight. Audra smiled in the mirror and checked her teeth for bits of breakfast.
“Good morning, Cadence,” she said to her reflection.
She tied her brown hair into a messy bun low on her neck and rubbed moisturizer onto her pale, freckled cheeks.
While escaping the mess from name change number two, Audra stopped in the tiny Northwoods town of Deercrest, Wisconsin. She planned to move on, but the “for rent” sign on the little white cottage changed her mind. Deercrest offered her a fresh start, so if it helped her blend in, she would live a dull, quiet life.
The little white house reminded her of the last place she belonged—Grandmother’s. She loved everything about the cottage: the crooked gate, the flower beds, and the feeling of safety. She filled it with vintage treasures she found on her trips to the thrift store and made it her home.
In Deercrest, Audra was Cadence—the quiet barista and thrift store queen. She knew her quirkiness made people scratch their heads, but she must blend in. So her past—and her name—remained secret.
Her phone rang. “Cadence, can you come in for the Cowcrest Festival? I know you do your antique shopping on Saturday, but I need you for the noon shift.”
“Of course, Laura. I’ll come right over.” She had just enough time to run through her favorite antique store before work if she hurried.
***
“Morning, Cadence.”
Cadence scooped up a shopping basket. “Gotta hurry today. Laura needs me at the café for the festival.”
The clerk nodded, “New stuff at the top of the stairs.”
Cadence took a deep breath. Dust and age—mmm, her favorite.
Who knows what I’ll find?
She touched laces and linens and scanned book titles. She checked a set of old china for chips and flipped through bins of old photos.
Oh. You poor people. You’re like me—unwanted.
She grabbed a photo of three children. A pudgy boy with a mischievous grin stood in front of his siblings. His round tummy strained the jacket buttons. Cadence laughed out loud at his sweet expression. “You’re going home with me, little guy. I want you even if no one else does.”
She spied a red metal box labeled “Recipes.” Cadence popped the lid open and held her breath.
Bingo! Handwritten recipe cards.
She flipped through the cards and whispered the titles: “‘Salmon Salad Surprise,’ ‘Republican Dessert,’ ‘Apple Stack Cake,’ ‘Kilt Lettuce,’ ‘Biscuits,’ ‘Kentucky Blue-Ribbon Pie,’ and a bunch of those awful mayonnaise gelatin salads. Poor box.”
Why do people discard things so easily?
She grabbed a pair of naughty Christmas choir boy figurines at the checkout counter. Both wore white choir robes with red bows tied under their chins. One sported a black eye, and the other one’s pocket held a slingshot. She chuckled while the cashier totaled her purchases.
***
City officials change highway and road signs for the two-day festival. “Welcome to Cowcrest” and “You are leaving Cowcrest” signs greet tourists and locals as they enter or exit town on Highway 10.
The two-day festival features a genuine Wisconsin kickoff for June Dairy Month. Grab your favorite dairy treats and enjoy a family-friendly day in Cowcrest. Bring your best moo for the cow calling contest or enter to win the best cow costume prize. Plenty to do for all ages at Cowcrest Days.
—Deercrest Daily Digest
***
Deercrest’s streets buzzed with traffic. Cows hung from the light poles, and cows or cow print curtains hung in every window along Main Street. A teenager in a cow costume took selfies with children. Music drifted from the park where food trucks sold dairy treats. Cadence sniffed the air for deep-fried cheese curds—she would grab some after her shift.
Chalk drawings of cows and barns covered the sidewalks. Children with painted cow-print faces licked large cones of frozen custard. Wisconsin loved dairy, and Deercrest loved June Dairy Month. The town became Cowcrest for the weekend festival, and people came from all over to celebrate.
Cadence smelled coffee and vanilla when she opened the door of the busy café. “Sorry I’m late!” she hollered.
“Did you stop at the antique store?” Laura called from the cash register.
She shrugged. “Sorry. Couldn’t help it.”
“No worries,” Laura said, laughing. “Grab an apron and get me another tray of cream puff bars.”
Laura’s cream puff bars won an award from a local travel magazine, and every customer purchased one with their coffee or took several to go. Cadence and Laura baked hundreds of bars every day last week. The freezer racks held trays of cream puff bars ready to top with rich honey-sweetened cream.
Laura’s daughter, Allie, waved her spatula when Cadence hurried past. “Morning, Cadence. Mom stuck me on whip cream duty today.”
“You’re doing great. I love your cows in the window.”
“Chalk marker!” Allie hollered over the noisy mixer. “Did you find cool stuff this morning?”
“A recipe box.”
“I’ll peek at it whenever Mom lets me take a break, okay?”
“Sure. I’ll leave it on the desk.”
The hours flew by while Cadence served guests. She pulled bars from the freezer, cleaned tables, and chatted with customers. Her feet ached, but her heart was happy.
She loved Cowcrest Days, but she wanted to get home to clean out the weeds in her garden and practice her knitting lesson. She whistled while washing dishes and swept the back room.
“Cadence,” Allie called. “I Googled the name in that recipe box for you. The woman’s daughter lives in town, so I wrote her address on a card. Wonder if there’s a reward if we return it.” Allie raised her eyebrows and made a silly face. “The Case of the Missing Recipe Box sounds like a good mystery novel, doesn’t it?”
Cadence smiled. “Definitely. You write it, and I’ll read it.”
“Will you try to return the box?”
Cadence shrugged. “Maybe.”
Allie fancied herself an Internet sleuth, so when Cadence found labeled vintage items, Allie searched for family members. She and Cadence worked together to return the treasures to the families. Cadence wondered if people viewed her hobby as strange, but it brought her joy.
I hope someone sends me a message when they find something of Grandmother Miggs’.
Cadence cleaned the bakery area and clocked out. She hummed a cheerful tune, excited for the evening ahead, when a woman’s voice drifted to the back room.
“I’ll take a caramel latte, half-caff, soy milk, no whip, extra drizzle. Not too hot. Hurry up.”
“No!” Cadence’s stomach knotted, and her hands shook. She leaned on the counter to gulp air. “No. No. No. Why is she here?”