The Runaway Pastor's Wife (15 page)

“I tell you all that to say this—just try to
ignore his little digs and do your best in his class. However, I
don’t
expect you to have to fight my battles for me in his classroom. If you think
his attitude bleeds over into unfair grading on your papers or tests, you let
me know about it. I’ll have a talk with him and settle that before it gets out
of hand. Sound fair enough?”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll be so glad to get out of
that class once this semester is over.” Max’s voice became noticeably more
quiet. “Hey, Dad, what’s going on with Mom? Gran tried to make some kind of
explanation to us at dinner last night, but I didn’t exactly buy it.”

David walked over and sat down on the large
brick hearth. Max followed, sitting beside him. He pressed on. “I mean, Jess
and Jeremy might not put two and two together, but I can see something’s up.
Mom would never
just up and take off without saying good-bye to us. And
it’s obvious you’re really upset about something too. I mean, look at
you—you’re
never
home, let alone the middle of the day! I just wish
you’d give me a little credit and stop treating me like I’m five years old. If
something’s wrong, I want to know, Dad.”

David patted his son on the knee and rested his
hand there. He smiled, stealing a sideways glance at the young man beside him.
“I wish you could understand how hard it is to sit back and watch your son
becoming a grown man right before your eyes. It can be a little overwhelming at
times. Doesn’t seem like that long ago that you were splashing around the pool
with those bright orange floaties on your little arms.”

Max rolled his eyes and laughed. “Dad, give me a
break. I’m almost seventeen. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“You can say that again.” He squeezed his son’s
upper arm. “Get a load of these now, will ya’? Move over, Schwarzenegger.” His
weary smile did little to answer Max’s questions. “No, seriously, Max—I know
you’re old enough to have a better explanation than what you heard last night.
I suppose I should have spoken to all three of you. The problem is, I don’t
even really understand it.”

David was up again, adjusting books here, a
slightly crooked picture frame there. He took a swipe of dust off the armoire
that housed the television, then wiped his hands together. “Max, you mother is
going through a rough time right now. From everything she’s said, it sounds to
me like she thinks she’s about to have some kind of emotional breakdown.”

“Mom? No way. You’ve got to be kidding! She
seems fine to me. Maybe a little more tired than usual, but that’s no shock. We
keep a pretty hectic schedule around here. Not to mention all the stuff at
church. But she’s never let on that anything was wrong. Are you sure, Dad?”

“Unfortunately, yes. She left me a note. She—”

“A note? You mean, you didn’t
know
she
was leaving?”

“No, I didn’t know. She left without telling me.
I didn’t know until last night when I got home and found the note she’d left
me.”

“So where’d she go? Have you called her?”

“That’s just it. She doesn’t want to tell me
where she is because she knows I’d try to find her, and she’s right. It’s
killing me to sit around here when I know she needs me. I can’t stand this! But
she made it very clear that she needed some time away all to herself. Like it
was something she had to do.
And as much as I want to go to her, I don’t
seem to have much choice.”

Max jumped up. “I don’t believe this! You mean
to tell me she just took off? Why was she so upset? I mean, c’mon—maybe it gets
a little nuts around here at times, but hey, we survive!” He stopped, looking
directly at his father. He paused a moment. “Dad, are you and Mom having
problems? I mean, has something happened between you guys? You don’t think
she—”

“No Max, don’t even think like that. We’re
fine.” He stopped, locking eyes with his son. “Well, at least I thought we were
fine. I had no idea. That is, I didn’t know she was—”

“Dad?” Max stiffened. “What are you trying to
say?”

David began pacing, rubbing his hands together
again. “I’m never home. I know that. Of
course
I know that! It’s just
the way it is. There’s always too much to do, and never enough time and never
enough help and—” He stopped, searching for Max’s eyes again. He dropped his
shoulders. “Who am I trying to fool? She’s absolutely right. I’m never home.
I’m
never
here for my family. I’ve been so blind . . . such
a blind fool.” He fell onto the sofa.

“So she left because of you? Is that what you’re
telling me?” Max asked quietly. The expression on his face daggered David’s
soul.

“Max, what I’m telling you is that she needed a
break. She needed time to herself. She’s upset with me, she’s tired of the rat
race, tired of all the stuff that goes on at church . . . But
mostly, tired of having to do it all herself.” He stared at the floor. “I’ve
blown it. I pushed her away and now she’s gone.”

“But she’s coming back, right? She didn’t just
pack up and leave for good, did she?”

David heard the panic in his son’s voice. “No.
No, it’s only for a while. She’ll be back. I don’t know when, but she’ll be
back. As mad at she may be at me, or whatever else is bugging her, I know
Annie. She would never walk away from us like that. Trust me, son.” He tried to
smile. “I promise she’ll be back.”

Max sat still, frozen in thought, his eyes
searching those of his father. David could tell from the seriousness registered
in his eyes that his son’s thoughts were running in a thousand directions.
“Everything is going to work out okay, Max. We just need to give her some space
right now. You know, like a chance to emotionally catch her breath, I guess you
could say. She’s probably very, very tired and needs a vacation, that’s all.
What we
all
need to do is pray for her. Ask God to help her get some
rest, clear her mind. Restore her energy.”

He paused. “And try to find it in her heart to
forgive me.” David swallowed hard. “Then before you know it, she’ll be back
home and back to her same old self.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah, I really think so.” He knew he had to
reassure his son that the situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed. He was also
suddenly very restless. “Hey, have you got a lot of homework or do you have
time for a little one-on-one hoop?”

“Are you kidding? The homework can wait. Let’s
do it. I’ll clean your clock, old man!”

Eagle’s Nest

As if emerging from a time capsule, Annie
suddenly noticed her surroundings. It was dark outside. The hands on the
grandfather clock clicked into place and the chimes rang their announcement. Six-thirty
.

I can’t believe it. Where did the day go?
She
shook off the doom surrounding her and made her way into the kitchen. At some
point in her emotional rounds she had evidently turned off the burner beneath
the pot of chili. Realizing her hunger, she dished up a bowl and put it in the
microwave.

And then she remembered. She needed to call
David. Despite everything else, she would not make him worry.

Annie pressed each number on the phone then
hesitated. She hung up the receiver.
You can’t call home like this. Get a
hold of yourself. It will only make matters worse and upset David even more if
he hears you in this state of mind.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to
calm down. She put another log on the fire before sitting back down.
A
few moments later, she gently touched the numbers on the phone.

Annie was surprised to hear her own voice
responding on the other end of the line.

“. . . 
and if you will leave
your name and number at the sound of the tone, we’ll be more than happy to call
you back. Thank you and God bless you today.”
Beep.

“David? It’s Annie. I . . .” She
paused, unsure what sort of message to leave. “Well, I just wanted to check in.
I’m fine. Really. I’m okay. Give my love to Max and Jeremy and Jessica. And
please thank Caroline again for me.”

She rolled her eyes to keep them from tearing.
“I guess that’s all. I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night.”

It was just as well. David would have picked up
on her frustration in a heartbeat.

Seminole,
Florida

“Oh no,” Caroline sighed. She had stepped
outside only for a moment to deposit the empty milk carton into the recycle
bin. As she walked back into the kitchen she noticed the flashing red light on
the answering machine.

Jeremy slid across the kitchen floor in his gym
socks toward the refrigerator at full speed. “Hey, Gran. Who called?”

“What do you mean who called? Why didn’t you
answer it?”

“Me and Jessie are watching TV and I figured
you’d probably get it,” he answered casually, pouring himself a tumbler full of
orange juice.

“Jessie and I. And why aren’t you two in bed
yet?” Caroline asked.

“’Cause
Jessie and I
are watching a
movie. Can I have some popcorn?”

“No, Jeremy, you can’t have any popcorn. I want
you to march out there, turn off that television, and you and your sister go to
bed. Right this minute!”

As her grandson flew out of the room just as
he’d entered it, Caroline replayed the message on the machine. After another
post-dinner game of basketball, David and Max emerged through the back door
just as Annie’s message was ending. The expression on David’s face said it all.

“I’m so sorry, honey,” Caroline apologized. “I
stepped outside for just a moment and the kids assumed one of us answered it.”

“That’s okay, Mom.” He gave her a passing hug
and made his way upstairs.

“Is he okay?” she asked Max.

“About as okay as the rest of us, I guess. I
gotta get back to my homework. G’night, Gran.” Max kissed her cheek and
followed his father up the stairs.

“Why isn’t that at all comforting?” she mumbled.

CHAPTER 10

Houston
,
Texas

“No, Amelia, I haven’t heard from him either,”
Michael’s executive secretary responded. “He called in after his golf game at
the club yesterday and said he wouldn’t be in the office until today, but
that’s all I know. If he checks in, shall I have him call you?”

Amelia Dean tapped perfectly manicured nails on
her desk. “Oh, Jane, I don’t mean to be a pest. I just need a quick answer from
him on this fundraiser and I haven’t had any luck tracking him down on his cell
phone. But sure, go ahead and have him call me if you hear from him. I’d
appreciate that.”

“No problem, Amelia. Happy to help.”

“Thanks, Jane.”

How embarrassing
.
Amelia couldn’t decide if she was more embarrassed, worried, or just plain
angry with her elusive husband. In the wee hours of the morning, she had
glanced at the clock when Michael finally came home. It was
4:00 a.m.
Before
her thoughts could accelerate down the usual irritating path, she had rolled over,
retreating into the familiar escape of slumber.