The Rescuer (11 page)

"Let's talk more in the morning then. I'm ready for a few hours of sleep." He stood and picked up his glass, then paused by her chair to touch her shoulder. "I'm glad you cal ed."

"So am I."

He'd figure out what was going on. He took his glass back to the kitchen and went to find Dave to start some quiet questioning.

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95 Nine

Arizona didn't provide snow for Christmas Stephen took a walk after breakfast on Chnstmas morning, and when he returned to the motel, he decided he would spend the day on the water fishing and reading a book from Lisa It was a depressing day to spend alone, but he had chosen this over being with family He had only himself to blame

The phone rang as he unlocked his room He reached it on the third nng "Hel o?"

"Stephen, Merry Chnstmas1 I wasn't sure I d catch you

"

He rubbed his eyes "Hey, lady" He didn't want to burst Meghan's happiness with his less-than-compel mg company "I'm just heading out, as a matter of fact"

"You sound down"

So much for keeping his voice steady "I'm just tired"

He pul ed out a chair at the table

"I won't keep you I just wanted to thank you for the Chnstmas gift The time you must have invested to carve an entire chess set-I'm honored The queen feels like an elegant lady And the knights, I can feel their armor"

He sank back in the chair, he hadn't been sure how she would take the gift "Finding time to whittle is easy given how many hours I've spent watching a bobber and hoping for a fish to come by I remember you said you loved to play"

"There's no need to downplay the effort I love the gift 111

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practice with Dad, so when you return I'l be able to give you a decent game."

"I'l enjoy that, Meg."

"Is your Christmas Day going okay?"

He looked at the remaining unwrapped gifts from his family stil on the table. He was trying to avoid the bittersweet joy that would come with opening them.

They could wait until tonight when his sadness had worn off. At least he hoped it would. "I'm going fishing.

It's a sunny day here and nice weather to be on the water," he said, trying to convince himself.

"Have you opened my gift yet?"

He moved around the packages on the table. The shoebox- size gift from her had a big red bow on it. "I'l open it tonight. I'm saving it for last."

"Oh, that's sweet. Cal me later when you open it, okay? No matter what the time."

"It could be pretty late, Meg."

"That's okay. You'l understand later."

"Al right. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

"

"Thinking about furniture. I'm buying a house."

His hand stopped twisting the ribbon on her package.

"When did this come about?"

Meghan laughed. "Suddenly. The current owners are moving to Nebraska for a job that starts January 1, and they have to sel quickly. We came to a fair price. It's the house I've dreamed about for years. It's in town, just off Main Street, so I can walk to work at the medical clinic. The house is smal enough that I won't feel overwhelmed to maintain it, but the yard wil be fine for Blackie. There's room for a craft area, an office, and a large bedroom suite. I'm not wild about the basement but I can use it for storage."

"I'm happy for you, Meg. Are your parents comfortable with the idea?"

"Not entirely, but it's time. You've got a standing invitation to

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see it when you come back to town."

"I'l take you up on that."

"Is there anything I can do to help make your day brighter?"

"You already have, Meghan. It was good to hear your voice. I'l cal you later tonight."

"Then I'l let you go. Take care."

He hung up the phone, smiling, and picked up his keys.

The day would pass peaceful y if he didn't let himself think about what he'd lost. He had a conference cal with his family arranged for this evening; he would look forward to that. Jennifer, today I just miss your voice.

Stephen opened the rest of the gifts from his family after dinner on Christmas Day, a cup of hot coffee on the table beside him, a|j

piece of raspberry cobbler for dessert. It wasn't what they sent as much as the fact that they had plastered the wrapped gifts with stickers and al signed the funny Christmas card. He found his favorite salami, hot mustard, an assortment of cheeses, homemade cookies, new fishing lures, two new books, and a stack of prepaid phone cards. He smiled at the phone cards.

He was missed. He was loved. And the gifts were comfort gifts.

Stephen picked up the large flat box from Jack. He tugged out a painting, and his laughter echoed around the room. Jack had sent him the fish painting. He should have predicted it; he'd given it to Jack five years ago. It had been passed around among the O'Mal eys as the white elephant gift and had final y come ful circle. Stephen took down a painting on the wal and hung the fish for its one day of the year on display.

He gathered up the wrapping paper and fil ed a garbage bag, then straightened the gifts on the table.

Taking a couple homemade peanut butter cookies with him, he stretched out on the bed and picked up the phone. He dialed from memory "Hel o, 98

Meghan. What am I interrupting?"

"I'm curled up in the chair between the fireplace and the Christmas tree, listening to the quiet house. I'l probably fal asleep here before I make it to bed."

He could see her there enjoying the fire. "A nice picture."

"Hmm, it is. Did your day turn out okay?"

"I had a good day fishing." He shifted to look at the shoebox beside him. "I opened your gift. I don't know what to say. I'm overwhelmed." The box was ful of cassette tapes made by Meghan, recording her favorite songs and providing her own intros to the artists.

"I enjoyed being the deejay. I didn't want you fal ing asleep when you drove, so now you can have me for company."

"I wish I had been a better friend to you over the years."

"Would you stop? You're going to make me al teary tonight."

"The gift is great."

"You're very welcome." A comfortable silence stretched between them. "I wish I could take away the loneliness that comes with today, Stephen."

"Your voice helps."

"Has it helped, getting away for a while?"

He thought about the myriad ways he could answer that and couldn't put al the emotions into words. "Yes."

"Then I'm glad you went."

Life goes on. It was about the only thing he'd real y learned, but it would do. "I think I might come home in the spring."

"Whenever you come I imagine you'l get quite an O'Mal ey welcome home party," Meghan final y replied.

She hadn't tried to lock him down on a return date. He relaxed. The idea had formed and been spoken in the same breath. "Wil you come to the party?"

"Am I going to be jealous of a great tan, big fish tales, and general y wishing I could have seen al the sights you've seen?"

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"Absolutely."

"Wel in that case..."

It felt good to laugh with her. He thought of al the majestic sights he had seen and al the places he had visited. "Someday I'l take you to the Tetons. You'd love the way the wind blows through the canyons and words echo against the mountains. You need a vacation too."

He'd probably have to haul her up the path when they got to the high altitudes, but she'd get a taste of a mountain so intense she'd almost be able to see it as she climbed those paths and encountered snow at the higher elevations.

"I'd like that."

"So would I." Silence stretched. "I should let you go. It's late there."

"If you can't sleep, try tape eight."

He leaned over the side of the bed and shifted cassettes. "I found it. Good night, beautiful."

"G'night."

She was the first to hang up. Stephen held the receiver, thinking a minute, smiling, then set it down. He'd been blessed in his friends.

He slipped the tape into the cassette player he carried with him when he went fishing and turned it on. "It was the night before Christmas and al through the house, not a single person was moving, except for a smart blind mouse." Stephen laughed and shut it off to listen to later. She was priceless. She'd known the silence of this place would get to him, and she solved it m a unique way.

There was one box yet to open. He glanced at it on the table occasional y as he prepared to turn in early. The box was square and heavy. It wasn't the desire to have one last package left that delayed him. The tag on the box said it was from Jennifer's husband Tom.

He final y sat at the table and picked up the accompanying envelope.

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Stephen, Jennifer asked me to give you this after a year passed. After some thought, I decided you should have it for the holidays. - Tom

Stephen opened the envelope, his name written in Jennifer's familiar elegant script. The fragrance in the letter was faint but one he immediately associated with his sister. She loved lilacs.

Stephen, it's hard to write a note knowing it wil he words from the grave. I love you. I know how hard this last year must have been for you. I'd like to help with a gentle nudge. You have so many facts about God, but you've never let yourself get to know Him. Please meet Him. Jesus is someone you can trust, and He's the only one who can help with the hurt you're feeling now. I miss you, my friend. With al my love, Jennifer.

The note was her voice.

His hand shook as he opened the box. After reading her words, he wasn't surprised at the contents. He picked up Jennifer's diary. It was dated in gold on the cover with last year's date. He remembered Tom had given her this new one at that last Christmas. Beneath the diary was her Bible. He carried the two items with him and stretched out on the bed. He couldn't open the diary, not yet. Whatever she had been feeling those last few weeks before she died would be so hard to read. He picked up the Bible instead. She'd left a bookmark in the fourth chapter of Luke.

Religion had always felt like false hope. He'd been disappointed too many times to want to put his faith in something tangible. But belief in God had become an important part of his siblings' lives. The topic would be there when he returned home whether he tried to run from it or not. He owed Jennifer. To ease the pain of how he'd disappointed her, he took her note to heart and accepted that he couldn't run anymore from the topic of God. He started reading at her bookmark.

101 Ten

CHICAGO

This is the most depressing New Year's Eve party I've ever attended." Kate glanced up from her Diet Coke, wondering if it was the crabmeat crackers or the lobster rol s that were making her queasy tonight.

Great. She just got over the flu only to give herself food poisoning eating questionable hors d'oeuvres. She tugged out the chair beside her with her foot. "Sit, Jack. You're bored."

Her brother dropped into the chair, tugging at his tie. At the invitation of her captain, they were crashing a New Year's Eve party sponsored by the Police Retirement Association. She was on the job, but about the only crisis happening on New Year's Eve so far was an attempted shooting and barricade at a hotel down the block, which she'd settled in an hour. "Cassie wil be here soon."

"I should have just gone to pick her up."

"Give her a chance to get beautiful. The night wil be better when she arrives." Kate looked at her watch.

Where was Dave? He got off at ten, and it was half an hour past when she thought he'd be here. She rubbed a headache growing worse with each hour. How much grief would Dave give her if she admitted red 102

spots were dancing in the edge of her vision now? She was ready to go home.

"I heard Marcus is coming to town in a couple weeks.

Maybe we can get a family basketbal game in?"

How long had it been since they last gathered as a group to play some bal ? The schedules for couples were never as easy to coordinate as the spur-of-the-moment games they used to have when everyone was single. They hadn't played in months. The night of Jennifers funeral they had played a pick-up game, using it to wear off the stress of the day. But after Stephen left, it felt strange playing without him. Kate forced a smile, pretty sure she'd be flat on her face if she tried to run on a basketbal court right now. "We'l do that."

She spotted Jack's fiancee walking across the hotel lobby "There's Cassie."

He spun out of his chair before she finished the words.

Kate watched him reach Cassie and sweep her up in a greeting. It was good for the O'Mal eys now to be couples. Jack and the others were happy; she was head over heels in love with her husband. But the price of their happiness was higher than she thought.

What was Stephen doing tonight? He was being left out as the family transformed itself. When he set out on his drive she should have gone with him, should have stopped him from leaving. She drank her Coke and brooded.

Kate shoved scrambled eggs onto two plates next to some toast. "Stephen spent New Year's Day helping a guy hang cabinets. We've got to get him, Marcus, and drag him back here. He isn't grieving; he's stuck in a hole and making a motel in Arizona his home. What does he think, that we don't want him here?" It was the middle of January, and she felt like she'd lost a brother as wel as a sister. It had been wrong to let this go on so long.

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Marcus took the plate she handed him and pul ed out a chair across from hers. "It's more than grief over Jennifer and the memories from his past the funeral stirred. He absorbed the pressure of working in this town for years without a break. He needs some time to decide what he wants to do. That's not a crisis, Kate.

It's just his way of figuring things out. You know he's a runner."

She scowled. "I remember." She had tried to tail him during one of his attempts to run away from Trevor House, and he intentional y lost her by doubling back through the school yard. Stephen had looked after her over the years; it was time she looked after him. "How much longer?"

"A few weeks."

She looked at Marcus and final y accepted it with a nod. She'd be one of those going after Stephen. She wanted so badly to get a hug from him and know they were okay "Like some more coffee?"