After All These Years (17 page)

Isabel reached over and scooped the slice right off of his plate. “You said you wanted meat and no anchovies. Eat your own pizza.”

Everyone stared at her.

Cal deliberately transferred the piece back to his own plate. “Changed my mind.”

“You can't. There won't be enough.”

“You and Tony are going to eat an entire large pizza?”

“Yes. What of it?”

Tony rearranged the pizzas, sliding the anchovy-laden one toward Cal. “Izzy, he's bigger than I am, and he carries a gun. He can eat whatever he wants.”

“Oh, Tony, he's about as tough as Nutmeg and Soot.”

“Mendoza,” Cal growled, “you've never taken pizza from me before.”

She grabbed the piece back. “And you've never taken it from me either.”

Tony rearranged the pizzas again. “Cal, she's got a point. I tried it once. Wet hen comes to mind.”

Cal smiled. “I can see that.”

“Yelling in Spanish.”

Cal chuckled. “Yeah, I heard her do that once, all the way from inside my house. She was mad at a
recipe
.”

Tony was grinning now. “Let's hope she doesn't get mad on the air!”

Isabel swallowed a bite. “Oh, like you guys are perfect. I saw Cal throw a lawn mower once, halfway across his yard. And you, Tony. I seem to remember you swearing at newspapers and magazines. I certainly hope you don't do
that
anymore.”

“Hey,” he protested, “I don't have to be perfect. You three are the Christians.”

Lia exchanged glances with Cal and Isabel and then smiled. “Tony, do you really believe that?”

“Christians are always passing judgment on others, as if they don't lie and cheat, etcetera, etcetera. They're perfect. Supposedly.”

“Have you personally spent much time with Christians?”

He shrugged. “Izzy and Brady.”

“And is that what they do?”

He appeared unfocused, as if he were lost in thought for a moment. “Brady seems to go out of his way not to be condescending.” His eyes flickered toward Cal. “I wonder if it's a show for my benefit.”

Cal shifted in his chair. “It's not.”

“But then, you're his best friend.” Tony's smile softened the words. “I'm just trying to be honest. I'm here because Izzy challenged me to watch Christianity up close.”

Isabel touched his arm. “And what about me? Is my attitude judgmental?”

“No, but you're always surrounded by people who agree with your point of view. What would you be like in a different environment? Say Chicago, for example, where most of the world is blatantly anti-Christian. Valley Oaks obviously isn't without its problems, but it is basically a non-threat to you.”

Isabel nodded and helped herself to more pizza, the one without anchovies. “You're right. I…” She shrugged, a blush creeping across her face. “I've thought about it. I don't know.”

“Tony,” Cal asked, “what was your sister like?”

Tony's jaw tightened briefly. “Good work, Detective.” He took a deep breath. “Ladies, my sister was a missionary, martyred in Colombia two years ago.”

Lia's heart went out to him. “Oh, Tony, how awful!'

Isabel squeezed his arm and whispered, “I'm so sorry.”

Cal added his sympathies.

They sat quietly for a moment. Tony said, “What, no formula explanations? Most Christians have to tell me why.”

Isabel shook her head. “There is no pat reason. It's a terrible tragedy, and we grieve for you and your family.”

Tony bit his lip. “Thank you. Cal, to answer your question, Joanna was messed up with drugs, became a Christian, and headed overseas to save the world.” He gave them a
small smile. “She always was impetuous. Okay. Back to the subject at hand. You're saying you're not perfect.”

Lia explained, “No, we're not. We should be recognizable by our love, not our judgmental attitudes. Do you see love in us? A giving, caring attitude?”

“Yeah. Izzy just proved it. She's eating a piece of the
other
pizza.”

They laughed.

Lia ached for Tony. She knew the unbearable hurt of losing a sister. Unlike him, though, she also knew the comfort of friends who loved her in ways that carried her through the worst of it. She prayed that Tony's heart would be opened to that kind of love.

“I really,
really
hate Scrabble,” Cal announced as he and Tony dodged raindrops and jogged to his truck parked across the alley. They climbed in it and he started the engine, flipping the heat on high. “Especially with people who probably aced every English class they ever took.”

Tony laughed. “Izzy and Lia play for blood.”

“And you don't?” Cal grinned. “Have you played with Brady yet? He's the worst.”

“Not yet. Maybe we'll do that this week.”

He pulled out of the alley onto Walnut. “So how come you haven't interviewed me?”

“You're too close, Cal. I needed a broader view of him. But you know his reputation. Generally speaking, the town adores him. I doubt I'm hearing anything you wouldn't tell me.”

Cal hoped it wasn't a stretch on the truth. Tony was growing on him. He had a sense of humor. He hovered attentively over Isabel without overwhelming her. He seemed like
a regular guy in spite of the sweater. What would Tammy call it? Cashmere, that was it.

“I was wondering, though… Was Brady always so well liked?”

“I'd have to say he earned it. Shoot, you've seen the farm he grew up on. Not many like that around. Things came pretty easy for him, and, yeah, he was kind of a snob as a kid. But in high school, when the sports counted, he was phenomenal and turned into a team player. Town pride is wrapped up a lot in school spirit, and we won plenty of trophies in those days. Now he's got his books. Valley Oaks is proud of him. Have you read his stuff?”

“Not yet. How about you?”

“Sure. You gonna read them?”

“I can't write an article about an author without reading his books. Do you think the girls will be all right tonight?”

Cal didn't answer right away. They had left Isabel at Lia's to spend the night. He offered to stay, but they didn't want to put him on the spot with Tammy, not to mention Dot, which meant half the town. Now, he second-guessed his decision. He didn't like abandoning Lia, even with Isabel for company. She still seemed pretty strung out, practically jumping out of her skin when the doorbell rang. The first time they looked through the kitchen window and saw Isabel's car. The second time it rang they expected the pizza delivery, but it still startled Lia. He had dismantled the ringer before leaving. “I don't anticipate a repeat performance. They'll be fine.”

“Did you and Izzy ever date?”

Cal laughed. “Nah, my type is tall and blonde. Isabel's like one of the guys. You know, if I need a hand at the house, she's right there, little as she is. Comes from her having a bunch of brothers, I guess. You dated her, right?”

“Right. We…” He paused. “We were tight for a short time, until I graduated.”

“What happened?”

“Neither of us were ready to settle down. I moved on. We lost touch with each other. She's grown into quite the woman.”

Cal glanced at Tony's face in the light of a passing street lamp. “Are you dating now?”

Tony barked a laugh. “No way. She can't wait until I'm out of here. I represent the youth she wants to forget. Besides, my type is also tall and blonde.”

“Remind me not to introduce you to Tammy.”

“Like I said, you're bigger than I am
and
you carry a gun.”

Cal smiled. “Just keep that in mind, Ward, and we'll get along fine.”

“Don't worry, Cal,” Lia spoke into the phone, smiling at Isabel across the bedroom. “Thanks for feeding Nutmeg… Yes, now go to sleep. Goodbye.” She hung up the phone. “Cal is such a teddy bear.”

Isabel nodded, impressed with Cal's thoughtfulness toward Lia. “He reminds me of my oldest brother.”

“I don't know about that. He's too good-looking to be thought of as a brother.”

“Cal? A heartthrob?”

“I didn't say heartthrob!”

“It was in your tone.”

“You want to talk about tone,
Izzy?
”

She groaned. Tony's nickname was catching on.

Lia laughed. “Anyway, thank you for staying.”

“You're welcome. I know
I
wouldn't have wanted to stay alone.” She had invited Lia to spend the night at her house, but Lia insisted she needed to face her fears. She was jittery, though, prompting Cal to offer to stay. “We certainly couldn't let Cal spend the night, despite his big brother/teddy bear status.”

Lia dug through a dresser drawer. “No way. Here, these should work.” She pulled out a pair of silky pajamas, a lime green with tiny multicolored flowers. “They're kind of small on me.”

“They're so pretty! Lia, I sleep in sweats or shorts.”

“Me too. It's not like we have to impress anybody. Sometimes, though, I like to feel pretty, just for myself. A little pampering is okay. If those fit, keep them. They're only polyester.”

Isabel, in the armchair, hugged the pajamas, speechless for a moment. “Thank you.” She watched her friend crawl onto the bed and sit cross-legged. “Lia, do you mind if I ask you something personal?”

She shook her head.

“Do you want to impress anybody in that way?”

“What you mean is, am I lonely? Do I want a husband?”

Isabel smiled. “I guess that's probably the issue.”

“I think it would be best for Chloe to have a mom
and
a dad, which is asking for the moon. And I know the moon is possible with God, but the guys I dated disappeared in about 30 seconds flat after they understood my situation.” She lifted a shoulder. “I've put the thought aside for so long. I wanted to be a pediatrician and marry one. I wanted us to live in a small town and take care of people. Then Chloe turned three, Kathy died, my parents had their careers. Mom's a librarian and Dad's an econ professor, both at Northwestern University. Kathy and I were always close. Chloe was like a daughter to me from the day she was born.
I really wanted to raise her. So I went into pharmacology. With the science and math I'd already had, it didn't take me too long to catch up. We lived with my parents until this summer. They encouraged me to go ahead and find my small town. The Valley Oaks Pharmacy fit the bill. Part of my dream came true.”

“And so your answer would be?”

“Do I want a husband?” She grinned. “Oh, why complicate matters? No. How about you?”

“Why complicate matters?” Isabel repeated, laughing. “Seriously, I've been happy as a lark, living in Valley Oaks, working at the station, singing in the choir, leading the high school girls' Bible study. Then Grandmother died and—” She paused. “In Mexico I felt this ache, like I belonged there. I'm not so content anymore. I've been looking into short missions trips. And now Tony has been pointing out what a sheltered life I lead.” She inhaled deeply. “
Short
missions may not be the answer.”

They stared at one another for a moment. Isabel stood. “It's too late for this heavy conversation. Your eyelids are half closed.”

Lia followed her down the hall. “I think I'm finally ready to sleep. I'll turn off the lights. Cal said the deputy on duty tonight would drive through the alley often.”

“Well, you can count on Cal being out there, too. Please wake me if you can't sleep. Are you sure Chloe won't mind if I use her room? I can sleep on the couch.”

“Chloe won't mind. Soot might though.”

“I hope not. I've got to show off my new jammies to somebody!”