Autumn Dreams (29 page)

Cass linked her arm through her mother’s. “I’m going to walk Mom to her car.” She looked at Jared and Paulie who looked innocently back. “In the meantime, you guys set the table and put on beverages for everyone. Don’t forget the napkins.” She smirked. “It’s the least you traitors can do.”

Dan grinned at the unenthusiastic boys. “It’ll all be done before you return,” he promised. “Right, guys?”

“Right,” Paulie said. Jared just shrugged.

Cass and her mother closed the door and walked companionably to Mom’s car, parked in front of Cass’s garage.

“He’s a wonderful man, Cassandra Marie.” Mom kissed Cass on the cheek. “I’m so happy for you.”

Cass merely nodded. She still had no intention of talking about Dan with her mother. Anything she said would be family fodder well before bedtime tonight. She shuddered when she thought of Mom’s version of the evening’s earlier conversation zinging over the phone lines from here to Colorado. Tommy and Rhonda would get an e-mail version.

Mom slid into the driver’s seat. “It’s a good thing I’ve got my spies to tell me what’s going on, that’s all I can say.”

“Thanks for the applesauce and pie. Nobody does it better than you.”

“When Jenn’s over her pique, I bet she’ll be an even better source.”

Cass hesitated a minute, then caved in to the inevitable. “Mom, he’s wonderful, all I could ever want. But he’s not staying.” She waved her hand at SeaSong. “And I’m not going.”

Mom looked thoughtful but said nothing.

Cass shrugged. She felt brittle, fragile. “I’ve lived without him for forty years, and I—” She swallowed and forced herself to say it. “I can live without him for forty more.”

Mom looked at her with much too much understanding. “Cassandra Marie, the question isn’t
can
you live without him. Of course you can. People live without those they love all the time due to illness or catastrophe or death. You are very competent and have proven yourself many times over the past forty years. You can live without Dan. The real question is do you
want
to live without him.”

Cass gave a weak smile. “What I want isn’t really the issue either. We’re not talking about a unilateral decision. Besides, Jesus is everything I need, right?” She hoped Mom didn’t hear the wobble in her voice.

“Oh, my dear.” Mom climbed out and gave Cass a hug. She stood back and looked at Cass. “Listen carefully, Cassandra Marie. What I’m about to say is very important. Of course Jesus is enough in one sense. He’s enough spiritually, providing salvation, offering peace of heart and mind, surrounding us with His grace. He never leaves us or forsakes us.” Mom smiled slightly. “He’s not about to move to New York City and leave you behind.

“But—and it’s a big but—He’s put us in families and Christian community because He knows we need each other. We need people to talk to, to hug, to do things with and go places with. We need people to encourage us and worship with us, to tell us off when we need it, and cry with us when we sorrow. Why do you think the Bible is full of verses that tell us to take care of one another? Jesus has chosen to let us represent Him to each other.”

Cass nodded.
Hopefully when Dan goes back to New York City, the family will be there to sorrow with me. I’ll certainly need them
.

Mom climbed back into the car. “Don’t be afraid to admit that you need another human being, in this case a special man.” She shut the door and rolled down her window. “More prayer,” she said, looking directly at Cass. “Don’t you worry about anything. I’ll tell the girls.”

The brothers’ wives. Family fodder. But the aching yearning in her heart made Cass glad for the spiritual intervention on her behalf, especially since she knew she’d never have dared to ask for it. Her feelings about Dan were almost superstitious, though she was definitely not a superstitious person by any stretch of the imagination.
If I talk about him, he will go
. Ridiculous, but there it was.

“Pray for courage for me, Mom, whatever happens. For God’s will.”

“Right.” Mom slipped the car into reverse. “God’s will.”

Cass knew the prayers would be much more explicit than the generic, “God’s will.” Cass knew for a fact that Mom had prayed very specifically about the brothers when they started dating their wives.

“Lord, she’s just the right woman for Hal,” or Tommy or Will or Bud. “You know, Lord, that I started praying for all my children’s spouses before the children were even born. I asked for just the right mate to help make them the best people, the godliest people they could be. I think he’s finally found her. Let’s bring her home, Lord.”

Cass always thought it sounded like reeling in a nice, fat fish.

Now Mom’d be praying, “Let’s bring Dan home, Lord.” Let’s reel him in.

“Don’t you worry about things. Now, good-bye, Cassandra Marie.” Mom glanced over her shoulder, checked the alley for traffic, then stepped on the gas. Nothing happened. She opened her door and stepped out. “Am I up against something?”

Cass walked behind the car. She shook her head. “There’s nothing here.”

Mom frowned. Then, “Ah. I put on the emergency brake. I usually don’t because the handle is broken off. You have to lean under the dash to release it.” And she reached below the dash.

“No, Mom!” Cass lunged to stop her mother, but she was too late. The car, still in gear, began to move backwards as soon as the brake released. With amazing speed, the open door slapped Mom in the side and knocked her facedown right in the path of the accelerating car.

M
OM!” CASS SCREAMED
. She fell to her knees and reached out, as if she could stop the car with her bare hands or pull her mother from danger. Of course, it was too late to do either. She watched in horror as the front wheel of the car moved inexorably toward her mother, then rolled right over her. “Mom!”

The front fender brushed Cass’s hand with surprising force as it slid past, knocking her off balance. She fell on her side, her elbow scraping across the tiny pebbles and sand that lay in the drive, her hip slamming hard against the cement. Vaguely she felt her turtleneck sleeve give way under the force of her fall and knew the sting of a colossal brush burn.

Her mother lay unmoving, her head turned toward Cass, as the car continued to drive itself, rolling down the alley and out into the street, stopping only when it came up against the curb on the far side.

Cass scrambled to her knees, fear a cold hand about her heart. “Mom!”

Oh, God, please! Please!

She reached a trembling hand to her mother’s neck to check her carotid artery. The thought that she might find no pulse made it difficult to draw a breath. She glanced frantically around, but there was no one in sight, no one to help her. She was on her own.

Oh, God! Oh, Lord! Please!

She didn’t know whether she meant please let Mom be alive, or please help me do the right thing, or please send someone to help me, or all three. Probably all three. She placed her fingers lightly on her mother’s neck below the ear. She went weak with relief as she felt a faint but steady heartbeat.

Still, the possibility of internal injuries scared her spitless, and she needed to get help and fast. The house, the phone, and Dan were just yards away, but how could she leave Mom long enough to avail herself of that help? What if someone whipped around the corner of the alley and didn’t see her lying by the garage?

Her mother groaned.

“Mom!” Tears pooled in Cass’s eyes as she lay on the ground beside her. “I’m here, Mom. I’m here.” She was afraid to touch her, afraid not to. She laid a tentative hand over Mom’s, flung out to the side. She gave the lightest of squeezes.

Mom groaned again, and Cass jerked her hand back like she was recoiling from the touch of a hot iron. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She pushed to her knees. “I’ve got to go get help, Mom.” Cass stood. “I’ll be right back.”

Had Mom heard? Who knew? She turned and ran for the house, aware of a sharp twinge in her hip from her fall.
Please, Lord, don’t let her think I’m deserting her
.

Breathless with haste and fear, Cass yanked open the back door and burst into the kitchen. “Call 911! Call 911!”

Dan, Jared, and Paulie froze where they were. Paulie had one of his chocolate chips submerged to his fingertips in a glass of milk. Jared had his hand in his cookie bag, pulling out one. Dan had his coffee mug raised to his mouth. On the table sat dinner, waiting only for her appearance to get the meal started. Poor roast. Who knew when it would get eaten now.

She turned back toward the alley, calling over her shoulder as she ran, “Mom’s hurt! We need an ambulance.”

“Jared!” she heard Dan order. She glanced back and saw Dan was right behind her. Jared, who had been running after her too, stopped in the doorway, reached back, and grabbed the phone off the wall.

When she got to the alley, she skidded to a halt, astonished. Dan bumped into her, his hands going to her waist to steady both of them. Cass barely noticed. She was too busy staring at her mother.

Mom was sitting up, leaning against the garage.

“Mom!” Cass knelt before her mother. “You shouldn’t have moved.”

“I’m fine,” Mom said, raising a shaky hand to brush back her hair. “Just help me stand up.”

Cass put a gentle hand on her shoulder to prevent her from moving any more. “Don’t you dare think of standing. It’s bad enough you’re sitting. We don’t know how badly you’re injured yet.”

Mom rested her head against the garage and shut her eyes. “I’m fine. Just a little winded, a little tired. Now give me a hand, and help me up.”

Dan came down beside Cass. “Charlotte, Cass is right. You can’t stand, not until the paramedics check you out. In fact, you probably should lie down.”

“Paramedics?” Mom looked aghast. “I don’t need paramedics. I just need my own bed for a nice nap. Do you hear me, Cassandra Marie? No paramedics. I mean it.”

Cass ignored her mother’s foolish order. “Where do you hurt? Can you tell me?”

“I don’t know.” Mom frowned as she thought about the question. “I can move everything.” She flexed first one leg, then the other, twirled one hand at the wrist, then the other. She winced slightly, glancing up to see if Cass had noted. “See? All okay.”

Cass, who had not missed the flinch, bit back a sarcastic
yeah, right
.

“What happened, Charlotte?” Dan asked. “Cass?”

“The car door slapped Mom and knocked her down. Then the car ran over her.”

“What?” Dan looked at Mom with incredulity.

Mom made a disgusted noise. “I ran over myself. How’s that for stupid? When Lew hears that, he’ll never let me have the car keys again.”

“It was an accident,” Cass said as Jared, Paulie, and a very pale Jenn appeared from around the garage. “Dad’ll understand.” In fact, he might be relieved since this incident had nothing to do with dementia.

Paulie clutched a throw that he’d grabbed from the back of the love seat. “Put this around her so she stays warm,” he said as he handed it to Cass. “You need to keep her warm.”

“Thanks, Paulie. That was good thinking.” Cass draped the covering lightly over Mom’s shoulders.

“I took a first aid class over the summer,” Paulie said. “Always keep the victim warm. It’s important to help prevent shock.”

“Thank you, Paulie.” Mom pulled the edges of the throw closed. “You’re a good boy.”

Paulie flushed with pleasure, his red face visible even in the low light of the alley. “I took the class because I hate to be in a situation and not know what to do, you know?” He glanced toward Jenn. “It makes me feel weird.”

As she adjusted the throw, Cass felt the tiny shivers that seized Mom. She looked into her mother’s eyes to see if she was fading into shock. Both pupils looked normal, but her level of expertise at assessing such things was nil.

Jared cleared his throat, doing his best not to look scared. “The ambulance is coming. The 911 people tried to get me to stay on the line, but I didn’t. I had to see how Grandmom was.”

“Grandmom,” Jenn whispered and started to cry. “Is she going to die?”

“Don’t ask your aunt,” Mom said in an amazingly strong, tart voice. “She doesn’t know the answer. Ask me.”

Jenn sniffed, her eyes wide with fright. “Are you?” she breathed.

Jared socked Jenn in the arm, knocking her off balance, and Paulie said in an appalled voice, “Jenn!”

“Let her be,” Mom said. “It’s a legitimate question to ask when someone’s hurt.” She looked at Jenn. “I’m not going to die, not for a good long time, and certainly not from this foolishness. So you can dry your tears.” She patted the ground beside her. “Why don’t you come sit beside me and help keep me warm?”

“Oh.” Jenn looked at Cass for guidance, and when Cass nodded, she gingerly lowered herself beside her grandmother. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t. It’ll take a lot more than you to do me in.” With her left arm Mom reached to pull the corners of the throw more tightly about her neck and gasped.

“Mom?” Cass felt the blood drain from her face.

“Something’s wrong with my arm.” Mom studied the offending limb. She moved all her fingers carefully and again twirled her
wrist. She shook her head. “That wasn’t bad.” She tried to lift the arm again and gasped at the pain.

A police car drew up to the curb, lights rotating but siren silent, and Greg Barnes climbed out. He strode to the group huddled around Mom, and Cass felt great relief that help was here. Almost immediately they heard the siren announcing the approaching ambulance.

Mom heard the ambulance too and frowned. “I told you. I don’t need to go to the hospital. Just take me home.”

“No, ma’am,” Greg said as he knelt beside Mom. “You’re going in the ambulance. Police orders.”

Mom shook her head vigorously. “Greg Barnes, you’re a very nice young man, and I’m certain you’re a good cop, but I don’t have to take any orders from you.”

“Care to debate that?” he asked, a slight smile on his face.

Before Mom could muster her arguments, the ambulance pulled into the alley. A pair of paramedics climbed out. Tactfully but firmly they moved Cass, Dan, and the kids back and went to work on Mom.