A Promise to Remember (32 page)

Several hours later, she saw a woman waving at her from the
far end of the beach. Christi. She groaned and walked toward
her friend.

Christi put her hands on her hips. "About time. I looked for
a good half hour before I found you. Had me worried you'd
run off."

"Just thinking."

"Get your bags together. You're thinking at my guesthouse
from now on. Even Scott agreed."

"He'll tell Blair where I am."

"Oh, please. Scott can keep a secret better than anyone else
on the planet."

The two women started back toward the cabin, although
Andie preferred to stay on the beach. "Maybe so, but if Blair
goes looking for me, that's where he would start."

"Even if he did, what's he going to do-break down the door?
Come on, Blair's not the type. Eventually you're going to have
to let him know where you are, anyway."

"Maybe."

"Maybe, nothing. I'm right and you know it. Get your bags
and let's get moving."

Christi took a few steps before realizing Andie was not following her. She turned, puzzled.

Something in the way Christi demanded her obedience had
finally pushed Andie too far. "No." She took a deep breath and
straightened her shoulders. "Thank you for your offer. But I've
paid for three days, and I plan to use them."

Christi cocked her head to the side. In spite of the fact that
she bit her lips together, they still curled up at the corners. "Listen to you. Who is this, and what have you done with Andie?"

Andie smiled. She liked this newfound independence.
"Thanks for checking in. I'll be in touch. Be careful driving
home."

Christi's mouth actually dropped open. "I do believe I've
just been invited to leave. My, my." She held up her hand to
flag an approaching golf cart. "Why, Bruce. How nice to see
you again." She smiled back over her shoulder. "Call me when
you're ready."

Andie watched her friend drive off, and could hear her clear
laughter over the hum of the electric engine. The renewed burst
of adrenaline could best be put to use by making some calls
now. Maybe she could set a few other things in order, as well.
She dialed Carolyn Patterson's number.

"Hi, Carolyn, it's Andie."

The other end of the line was silent for just a second too
long. "Oh. Andie. I was planning to call you later."

"Well, here I am."

"Yes. Here you are." She paused. "The board met this morning,
and it was determined that you should relinquish your duties
for the Fair-for this year only, of course. Next year we hope
to have you back on board."

"But, Carolyn, I"

"I know this is your baby, Andie, but you of all people should
understand that we don't want to do anything that will hurt the
effort. The majority of people who participate in the Fair are
families of middle income. That demographic is strongly sided
with the Johnston family and will do whatever it takes to show
support. You understand that, don't you?"

Andie felt the morning's coffee churning inside her stomach.
She climbed onto the porch and collapsed into a chair. "Yes. I
understand. Thank you, Carolyn." She managed to flip shut her
phone and jump to her feet in time to vomit over the rail.

Voice mail answered before the first ring. As usual. "Andie,
turn on your phone!" Blair threw his handset against the wall
and watched a chunk of plastic break free and skitter across
the floor.

He kicked over the stools from around the kitchen counter.
She was not going to simply run out on him. Who did she think
she was?

He shoved through the door into the garage, fired up his car,
and skidded down the driveway. After his spending the last two
days leaving humble, apologetic messages, she hadn't even bothered to return his calls. This was going to end. Right now.

He crossed Marina Drive and nearly hit an idiotic tourist. The
fool was walking backward into the street, camera on his face
turned toward the ocean. Blair blasted his horn. Why they didn't
gate off this entire neighborhood, he would never understand.
Tourists ruined everything.

He took the next turn, and then the next, until he pulled
into the Baurs' driveway. He didn't know the gate combination.
He'd have to buzz.

"Yes?"

"Christi, it's me. I need to talk to you."

"What do you need?"

"To talk to you in person. Now!"

"Don't think that's such a good idea. You sound a little upset."

"Of course I'm upset. I know you know where Andie is. Tell
me or I'm going to break this gate down!" As soon as the words
came out, he realized he had lost his best chance of gaining her
help. She'd keep it from him for pure spite. "Look, Christi, I'm
sorry. I'm just worried, that's all. All I want to do is talk to her."

"Maybe you should have been thinking about that on Saturday
night, hmmm? If you had, you wouldn't be having this problem
now. Would you?"

Control freak.

Unwilling to listen to her condescending tone one more minute, he shoved the car into reverse and stomped on the pedal.
There was work to do, anyway.

He drove to his office, his veins burning with increasing indignation at his ungrateful wife and her hoity-toity friend. Yeah,
he'd forgotten to call, but was that a crime worth this? He had
been working his backend off, trying to save the company, their house, what was left of their lives, and this was the thanks he
got. He slid his card key into the parking garage, but by the time
the gate lifted, he had thrown the car into reverse.

Work was not what he needed. He needed some comfortand knew just where to find it. He whipped the car around and
made tracks.

Jake sat at the desk in his office, planning what he might say to
the boys tonight. He was supposed to be their spiritual mentor,
guide them in the right ways. Yet he had abandoned his own
children. Abandoned.

Yes, he had thought it was for the best at the time-maybe
it was. Truth was, though, he had no idea. He had signed away
his rights without any concept of where his daughters might
end up or what man might enter their life. He had prayed for
them over the years. Wasn't that all he could do?

A burning guilt told him there was more, that he should go
look for them. But another voice told him, "No, they're over
eighteen now-they can find you if they want to."

He realized then there was a new direction he should be taking his prayers. Not only about keeping his children safe and
drawing them to God, but also about whether or not he should
seek to make contact. Could he even get that information if
he wanted to?

He looked down at his notes for the group and realized he
had nothing left to give the boys in his group. It was time he
stepped down from his position. He was too old.

"Hey.

The voice behind him startled him, and for just a second
he thought it might be Melanie. When he swung around he
realized why. Sarah Johnston leaned against the doorframe, her
arms folded across the oversized sweatshirt she often wore.
He hadn't realized how alike they sounded. "Afternoon, Miss
Johnston. What brings you here?"

Sarah slumped into a chair without being invited. "My
mom.

A spark of hope ignited. "Your mom sent you to talk to
me?"

Sarah's lips scrunched together on one side and she appeared
to be trying very hard not to roll her eyes. "Are you kidding? You
obviously don't know my mom very well."

"Well, that's definitely true. What then do you want to talk
about?" He tried to put on his best Sunday-go-to-meeting smile.
He was a leader for the youth group-he couldn't afford to let
them see that he struggled with doubt and pain. If they realized
how poorly he handled things, how could he possibly be the
example they needed?

"I know you two had a fight. She won't tell me what about,
but I'm sure it was something to do with Jeff's legacy." She lifted
both hands and made air quotation marks as she said the words,
as if she were tired of hearing the phrase.

"Jeff's legacy?"

"Yeah, that's all she ever thinks about. She has this idea cooked
up in her head that the only way Jeff's life will have mattered
is if she makes a big deal of all this stuff in court."

"I take it you don't agree."

"No, I don't." She bit her bottom lip and stared at the floor.
"In fact, I think Jeff would hate that she's doing all this. I think
he'd tell her to go on with her life and remember the good
times. He'd tell her not to dwell in the past 'cause it won't
change anything."

"I understand what you're saying, but what does any of that
have to do with me?"

"She likes you. She'll listen to you."

"Likes me? I hardly think so. Sarah, it was more than a fight.
I told her some stuff about my life, and she hates me now."

Sarah shook her head. "I don't buy that. She wouldn't be in
the terrible mood she's been in for the last three days if she
hated you. Nope. She likes you, but she's mad."

"Regardless, I don't see what all this has to do with me. She's
not speaking to me-she's not going to listen."

"You're planning the memorial for spring break, right?"

"I don't know. I was just sitting here thinking about canceling
it. I thought it might be easier for her."

"Don't you dare. She needs to hear from the other kids what
Jeff meant to them. She keeps saying he'll be forgotten, but we
both know dozens of people who couldn't if they tried."

Jake studied the eyes across from him, pinched in earnestness, still gleaming with moisture from the mention of her
brother's name. Sarah needed his help, and he was going to
give it as best he could. "Okay, I won't cancel it. Do you think
your mom will still come?"

"Are you kidding? She wouldn't miss something honoring Jeff
even if Jack the Ripper was hosting it. No matter how mad she
might be at you, I'd say you're still a step or two above him."

"I'm not so sure."

Sarah sprang to her feet, seemingly brightened by the idea
of the memorial. "Thanks. You're the best."

"Where are you hurrying off to?"

"Girls' group. We're meeting a little early tonight."

~
"Why.„

She grinned and looked at him, her head tilted. "Promise
not to tell?"

Jake put his hand over his chest. "Cross my heart."

"We're going to hide, then throw water balloons at the boys
when they come for their meeting." She giggled as she turned
to go.

Jake watched her sashay out the door and thought about the
poor guys who would arrive at his shop in the next forty-five
minutes. Okay, he'd promised not to tell, but that didn't mean
he couldn't help them fight back.

He walked to the back of the shop, unlocked the cabinet,
and began to assemble the arsenal of assault water rifles he'd
accrued over the years. He'd get these babies loaded and ready
for action. After the boys took the first round like gentlemen,
they would be ready to go on an all-out offensive. He took the
first weapon to the sink and began to fill it.

There were probably some church members who would be
upset at the frivolous use of youth group time, but he believed
a little frivolity was one of the things that kept them coming
back. It wasn't all fun and games, but it wasn't all study and
rules, either. He suddenly felt ashamed of himself for his earlier
thoughts about giving up this job he loved. The job God had
called him to do.