The Book of Joby (107 page)

“Hawk!”
Rose screamed joyfully, lunging through the door to wrap him in her arms.
“You came!”

“Rule one,” he said, tentatively returning her embrace. “Never miss a party.”

“Oh, I’m so glad to see you!” she said, stepping back to take him in. He wore a long gray overcoat, slacks, and dress shoes, which she thought awfully heavy for the season, though it did make him look sophisticated and more handsome than ever. It seemed he’d even gotten taller, though she doubted that was possible in just five months. “Come in! My folks’ll be so glad to see you.” As she grabbed his hand to drag him through the door, she saw the small red sports car at the curb.

“You like it?” Hawk asked coolly when he saw her looking. “Rule two. Image counts.” He punched her shoulder lightly, as if she were his little sister. “I’ll take you for a ride in it. You won’t believe the way it corners.”

Rose was spared having to respond by her mother’s arrival. “Hawk? I thought I heard your voice!” She came out and hugged him almost as fiercely as Rose had. “Tom’s up in his office.” She smiled. “I’ll go up and tell him that you’re—” She stopped, staring at the red Miata. “Is that yours?” Hawk nodded, and she gasped, “How beautiful! Did you win the lottery or something?”

“No,” Hawk sighed wistfully, “I’m making payments, but someday I’ll write even better cars off as business expenses.” He offered Rose another self-congratulatory smile.

“Well, do come in, Hawk,” said Rose’s mother, glancing one more time at Hawk’s new car. “I hope you’re staying for dinner. I’ve just started fixing it, and we’ve got chicken coming out our ears.”

“Sounds painful,” Hawk laughed, grabbing Rose by the hand. “Come on,” he said, as if inviting her to dinner too.

“Are you sure?” Joby asked, handing Franklin the contents of his wallet without even checking to see how much it was.

“Had to take a second look.” Franklin nodded. “Got a shiny red sports car now, and clothes like a TV star, but it was Hawk, all right. I figured you knew he was comin’.”

“No,” Joby said, suddenly ashamed to look Franklin in the eyes. “Hawk doesn’t . . . we’re not on close terms these days.” His son had been back in town for at least two days, if Franklin was correct. That Hawk had not let Joby know he was coming was painful enough, if not surprising, but that no one else had told him either hurt even more. “Did you talk to him?” Joby asked.

“I waved, and he waved back, but we didn’t talk.”

“Well, thanks, Franklin,” Joby said, taking his bag of nails and turning to leave.

“Got some change here,” Franklin said. “ ’Less this is a tip,” he added wryly.

“Oh,” Joby replied quietly, taking the twenty-plus dollars and change from Franklin’s outstretched hand. “Thanks. I’m easily distracted lately.”

“Big money, Rose,” Hawk said in grim, paternal tones. “That’s what ruined Taubolt. And the only way to fight big money is with
bigger
money. I’m going to make more money than God and use it to smash people like Ferristaff and Hamilton.”

Somehow Rose had imagined that if Hawk would just come home, she’d
find a way to fix whatever had taken him from her. Now she saw that only his absence had made such thoughts possible.

“You make it sound so easy.” She smiled as best she could.

“Nothing mysterious about money,” Hawk said. “It’s all just math and attitude. You learn the right equations, make the right acquaintances, the rest will follow. I’ve already got my foot in several very useful doors back east.” He turned to give her one of his new soulless smiles—the ones that never touched his eyes. “I’m a very charming fellow, Rose. And thanks to Solomon, I know how to talk without sounding like a hick. That’s all you really need, besides a magic trick or two, and the willingness to say ‘money’ without blushing.”

It hardly even seemed like his voice, Rose thought bleakly.

“Too bad the old guy’s never gonna see me do it.” Hawk shrugged. “He was always big on justice.”

“You mean Solomon?” Rose said, appalled at the callousness of Hawk’s remark. He’d loved that man once! “Maybe he will. While he’s alive there’s still room for hope.”

“Hope,” Hawk said tonelessly. “That’s one idea I may never be able to afford.” He turned to her with something in his eyes at last; sadness, which was better than the vacancy. “Maybe I should hire you to hope for me. Want the job, Rose?”

On the verge of telling him off, she saw the longing in his eyes and realized that he was asking her in earnest, the only way he could allow himself to do so. It was the only time he’d asked for her help in any way since coming home, and her intended retort dissolved unspoken. “If that’s what you need, Hawk,” she said quietly, “I’ll try.”

The day had dawned bright and breezy; perfect weather for an outdoor party. Taubolt needed something joyful now, Rose had argued, something to bring the whole community together and remind them what it felt like to celebrate life as friends. As Ian Kellerman and his band set up their platform, and coolers full of food and drink began to trickle down the stairway to the beach, Michael watched from the bluff tops in his guise as Jake. He was not alone in questioning the wisdom of so conspicuous an event. But the fact that everyone, even tourists, were invited might make it less suspicious to the ever-present enemy, and, in her determination to organize this fete, Rose had pointed out that, precisely because the threat
was
“ever present,” there would be no better time. In the end, Michael had been unable to dissuade her or
fault her motives, so it was going forward, with all the mundane and mystical protections they could muster.

Since Merlin’s so-called stroke, the fine line Michael had been trying to walk between protecting Taubolt and staying out of Joby’s trial had become almost too fine to find at all. Only recently had the angel admitted to himself how much he had depended on the old man’s willingness to rush in where obedience forced Michael to refrain. Merlin’s courage, however ill fated, no longer merely troubled Michael, it shamed him.

There were at least two hundred people on the beach, laughing around the barbecues, flying kites, throwing Frisbees, chasing dogs, wading in the small spring surf with children by the hand, and dancing on the sun-warmed sand to the raucous music produced by Kellerman’s Celts. It was everything Rose had hoped for, and more. She’d been moving around the beach for hours, saying hello to friends and strangers, and meeting friends of theirs, receiving kudos, and enjoying the celebration, when she saw her parents standing hand in hand beside a cooler full of beers and sodas, smiling and laughing like young lovers. She hadn’t seen them look so happy and relaxed for . . . well, maybe years. She smiled and went to join them.

“Hey there, honey!” her father enthused as she arrived. “Finally got a moment for your old man, huh?”

“You don’t look so neglected.” Rose grinned, glancing at her mom.

“We’re having a wonderful time, Rose!” her mother said. “And we’re both so proud of you. What a marvelous thing you’ve put together, dear.”

“Thank you,” Rose replied, leaning in to hug her mother, “for all your help and for supporting the idea.” She smiled at her father. “I know you weren’t so sure about it.”

“Rose,” he said, joyfully embracing her in turn, “the older you get, the more I learn from you. I’ve decided that when I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

Rose had hardly ever felt so happy. “I love you both so much,” she said. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am—for everything you’ve always been and done for me.”

“You tell us all the time,” her mother said, “just by being you.”

“Okay,” Rose laughed, feeling tears gather in her eyes. “Let’s not get all sticky right here on the beach.”

“There you go,” her father said, winking at her mother. “We’ve embarrassed her now. It’ll be three
more
hours before she comes to talk with us again.”

“No it won’t!” Rose protested playfully, then looked around them at the crowd, and teased, “But there must be
someone
here I haven’t talked to yet.”

That’s when she saw Hawk coming down the beach path, and her smile faded. He’d come for thirty minutes that morning, then disappeared for hours. She had begun to wonder if he meant to come back at all. Following her gaze, her parents saw him too and seemed to understand. They smiled their farewells as she hugged them each again before rushing up to keep Hawk from going off a second time.

Hawk saw her coming well before he reached the beach, and almost turned to flee again. No doubt she’d think he didn’t understand how much this shindig meant to her, or just didn’t care, or even wanted to avoid her. But none of those was why he’d fled the first time. A beach full of people from his maudlin past, half of whom he’d probably offended before going east, had been uncomfortable enough. Then he’d seen Joby walk from underneath the bridge and hurried back up into town as fast as dignity allowed, wanting nothing less than to come face-to-face with his—that man.