The Masterpiece

by Francine Rivers

  Grace felt goose bumps rise all over her body. Leaning down, she put her free hand on his forehead. “What are you saying?”

  “Jesus,” Roman rasped. “He got me out. They were hanging on to me. Ripping at my leg.”

  A nurse checked one of the machines. “He’s under medication.” He came around the bed and injected something into a small port attached to Roman’s IV. He gave Grace an understanding smile. “Another minute, and you should go. He needs to rest.”

  Roman’s body tensed. “She stays.” When he looked up at the IV drip, his expression changed. The heart monitor beeped faster. “What’d you put in it?”

  “Just something to help you relax.”

  Roman’s eyes fixed on Grace. “Don’t let them put me under. Oh, Jesus, don’t let me die again.”

  The nurse frowned. “I guess you can stay with him a while longer.” He made an entry on the computer terminal. “I’ll check back in a few minutes.” He left the room.

  Roman’s grip loosened, but he didn’t let go of her hand. He groaned. “That nurse put something in the IV.” His eyes drooped. He widened them, fighting sleep. “Jesus, I don’t want to die. I’m not ready to die.”

  Grace couldn’t bear it. She cupped his face. “Listen to me, Roman. Jesus would not rescue you from hell and then throw you back.”

  “It grabbed me. It ripped me . . .”

  “Roman.” She spoke quietly, calmly. “Jesus saved you.”

  He looked broken and confused. “Why?”

  What could she say to that? “He’ll tell you later.”

  He was losing the battle against whatever medication had been added to the IV. “Don’t go.”

  “They may not let me stay, but I promise I’ll come back.”

  He couldn’t keep his eyes open. “My mother used to say that.”

  The nurse returned and checked vitals. “He’ll sleep now. You look like you could use some rest, too.”

  “Do you know where I can stay, a hotel with a kitchen? Somewhere I can wash clothes?”

  He suggested an Extended Stay America only minutes away.

  She returned to the waiting room, expecting to find it empty or filled with strangers, but Shanice and Brian were still there, sitting on the sofa together, deep in conversation. They didn’t even notice her come into the room. Grace watched them a minute before she cleared her throat. They both glanced up sharply and stood. Brian met Grace halfway. “How is he?”

  “He’s asleep. He said Jesus got him out.”

  “Wow.” Shanice joined them. “Nothing like a near-death experience to get a man’s attention. I’ll drive you home. You can get a good night’s sleep and—”

  Grace shook her head, decision made. “I’m going to stick around.”

  “Oh, girl, are you sure?” Shanice sounded worried. She glanced at Brian.

  “He wants me to stay.”

  Shanice stepped closer. “Honey, you look exhausted already. I know this whole thing has put you through the emotional wringer, but Roman doesn’t need you. He has good doctors and nurses.”

  Grace understood Shanice’s concern. Some time and distance would help her think more clearly. But right now, she wanted to stay as close as possible. “I gave my word.”

  “What about Samuel?”

  “I’ve already talked with Selah. She encouraged me to stay.”

  Shanice rolled her eyes. “Of course. She would.”

  Her son was happy and safe with Selah. For now, Roman was the one who needed her.

  PANTING, HEART POUNDING, Roman awakened from the nightmare. He’d been back inside the tunnel, surrounded by shadows and monsters. Disoriented, he gasped when he found someone standing beside the bed, a hand on his shoulder.

  “Sorry I awakened you, Mr. Velasco, but you were having another nightmare.” A different nurse, this one a middle-aged woman with a kind face.

  “Oh.” His breathing slowed. “Thanks.” He could still feel the visceral impact of the echoing screams, moans of anguish, the gnashing of teeth of those he’d seen in hell. The heart monitor showed his rate slowing to normal. “Where’s Grace?”

  “She’ll be back soon.” The nurse readjusted the blanket, asked if he needed anything, and left the room.

  It was quieter now that he was out of ICU, but people passed by in the outer corridor: nurses, a doctor, visitors. Roman watched the door for Grace. He lay still, attuned to the sounds around him: low voices, squeaky shoes on a polished floor, beeps. His roommate turned on the TV. A news report and talk of the weather. Roman listened, wanted to forget the memory of demonic monsters and a fiery pit.

  Hell existed. He’d been there. Every time Roman tried to talk himself out of what he’d experienced, he felt the pain in his leg. He’d seen it when the nurse changed the dressings, and he remembered the doctor asking about the injury. Emotionally raw, Roman said a demon had dug talons into his leg and tried to pull him back down to hell. Jesus told the creature to let go, and it did. The physician stood silent, looking at him the same way Roman must have looked at Grace when she told him about the angel who came to her when she was a child.

  “I’m sure there’s a rational explanation, Mr. Velasco.”

  “Great. Tell me. Please. I’d like to hear one.”

  The doctor thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  Roman had felt the demon’s claws. He remembered the weight pulling at him. Jesus Christ whispered a word and Roman was set free. Had he been a soul outside his body, or had he been flesh and blood? He tried to wrap his mind around what happened and couldn’t.

  The doctor had asked about family. The condition was often hereditary. Maybe his father had passed down the heart problem. There was no way for Roman to know, no way to find out. Was his father still alive? Maybe he was in that seething pit of fire and darkness. Was White Boy in the outer darkness, too, gnashing his teeth in agony?

  The curtain slid back. “Good morning, Roman.” Dr. Ng had a chart in his hand. “Still having nightmares, I hear. Do you want to speak with a psychologist?”

  Roman pressed a button, raising the head of his bed. “No.” He told the truth once and wasn’t believed. Better not to mention it to anyone again.

  Where was Grace? What was taking her so long?

  Dr. Ng checked the site of the defibrillator. “Looks good. Working perfectly. Swelling is gone. No sign of infection. Helps that you’re so healthy.”

  Dr. Ng tapped something into the computer terminal. “We’ll get going on the paperwork and have you out of here tomorrow. The nurse will make an appointment for a three-month checkup.”

  When Grace entered the room shortly after the doctor left, Roman’s pulse kicked up. Thankfully, the heart monitor had been removed, along with IVs and all the other tethers that had kept him tied down. How was it possible for a woman to soothe and stir him at the same time? Their relationship had changed subtly over the last few days. He saw something new in her eyes and welcomed it.

  Grace had stuck by him through the entire ordeal. She even read to him when he couldn’t sleep. He’d awakened once and seen her asleep in the chair, one of her textbooks open on her lap. When he woke later, she was gone, but she’d left her Bible on his tray table. Paging through, he found passages she’d underlined in different colors, notes she’d written in the margins, names beside certain passages. Was his written somewhere?

  Relieved she was back now, he smiled. “We can leave tomorrow.”

  “Isn’t it too soon? You’ve only been here three days.” Her eyes were the color of dark honey.

  “My heart is working just fine.” Pounding like a jackhammer right now.

  Grace dug into her backpack and handed him a leather-bound Bible. “I wanted to have it engraved, but wasn’t sure what name you’d want on it—Bobby Ray Dean or Roman Velasco.”

  Her phone jingled in her purse. She took it out and read the text. Thumbing a quick answer, she dropped it back in her purse. “Samuel has an earache.”

/>   His situation had probably made things more difficult for her. “You missed your weekend with your son. You can have time off when we get back.”

  “I’ll take you up on that.”

  Jasper appeared around the curtain. “Here you are, hiding out with Grace.” He shook his head. “You’re always causing trouble, aren’t you?” Jasper greeted Grace before grasping Roman’s hand. “Has the boy been cooperating?”

  “He hasn’t had much choice.” Grace got another call. Talia, this time. She handed the phone to Roman. Talia was relieved Roman sounded so good. She’d been worried she’d be attending his funeral. Why hadn’t he told her he had a heart problem? She wouldn’t have pushed him so hard. What did he mean he didn’t know? How could he not know? Maybe he needed a vacation. He should go to Europe. Or lie on a beach in Tahiti. Roman let her talk until she noticed his silence.

  “Are you still there, Roman?”

  “I’m breathing, but my ears are getting sore with all this motherly concern.”

  “I don’t know why I put up with you!”

  “The 50 percent commission.”

  “Yes, there is that.” She chuckled. “When are you going home?”

  “Tomorrow, but don’t expect any paintings anytime soon.”

  “Whenever you’re ready, you know where to find me. Put Grace back on.”

  Roman handed the phone back to Grace. She went out into the hallway to finish the conversation.

  “Chet and Susan send their love.” Jasper picked up the Bible. “Are you becoming interested in something other than art?”

  “Grace gave it to me.” He hesitated and then decided to confess. “I have no doubt Jesus exists. Not after what I went through.”

  “And what was that?”

  “I doubt you’ll believe me. So far, Grace is the only person who does.”

  “Try me.”

  Roman told him the whole story. He couldn’t tell if Jasper believed or not. He waited, but Jasper just stood there, grim and silent. “Are you going to say something?”

  “I’m glad it wasn’t me on the receiving end of that lesson.”

  “The last person I told thought I needed to talk to a psychiatrist.”

  “I’m a Christian, have been for years. I stopped going to church after my wife died.” His mouth tipped. “Went back when I got cancer.”

  “How is it I never knew this about you?”

  Jasper sat in the chair by the window. He stretched out his legs as though making himself comfortable. “You never asked, and anytime I brought up spiritual matters, your eyes glazed over. There’s a time for everything under the sun, Bobby Ray. The time never seemed quite right with you.”

  “I’m still having nightmares.”

  Jasper gave a slight laugh. “Not surprising. I may have nightmares just hearing about your experience.”

  “I’m still trying to figure out why Jesus rescued me.” He expected Jasper to make a joke.

  “Apparently, He’s not done with you.”

  Roman had the same feeling, but he had more questions than answers. “Any idea what He’d want from me?”

  “You’re asking the wrong person. All I can tell you is faith is just the beginning of a long, difficult journey.”

  Grace returned briefly and said she’d leave them alone to talk. Roman told her to stay. They weren’t talking about anything she didn’t already know. She said she had things to do since he’d received word he’d be sprung from his prison tomorrow. “Okay, okay.” He waved her away.

  Jasper raised his brows. “Has Grace been with you the whole time?”

  “Where do you think she’d be?”

  “Home. It’s only an hour away. The girl has a life of her own, you know.”

  “It was her choice.”

  “Really?” Jasper drawled, a cool smile of reprimand.

  Roman frowned. Had he made her promise to stay? He thought about Grace missing time with her baby. “I could send her home, but she doesn’t have a car.”

  “Loan her yours. You can arrange a limo ride home. Or don’t you trust her with your keys?”

  “I trust her with my life.”

  “Then give the girl a break.”

  “She’ll probably call Brian Henley.”

  Jasper gave a soft laugh. “The fact that Grace stayed with you through all this should tell you something. The girl cares.”

  Roman liked hearing that, but how deep did her feelings go? And how long would they last?

  Jasper brought their conversation around to spiritual matters. They fell into an easy exchange as Jasper told him about his childhood, his parents’ religious beliefs that built a foundation for his own, his wife’s faith. He even told Roman what to expect if he ever decided to set foot inside a church. Roman couldn’t picture himself doing that anytime soon. Jasper said it was a good place to learn. It’d be easier to take that first sojourn into foreign territory with someone he knew.

  “Someone like Grace, for example.” Jasper gave him a taunting smile. “Who knows? She might take you to Brian Henley’s church. Pastors know a whole lot more about Jesus and the Bible than I do.”

  “I’d rather figure things out on my own.”

  “You’ve always done things the hard way, Bobby Ray.”

  Grace came back before Jasper left. Jasper said he’d stay in touch and probably come down for a visit when Roman was back home. He wanted to make good use of the nice guest room again. He kissed Grace’s cheek before leaving.

  Roman decided to take Jasper’s advice and let her know she was free to leave if she wanted to. “You should go home too, Grace. There’s nothing for you to do, but sit around and wait.”

  She looked taken aback. “All right.” She took the BMW fob from her purse and put it on his tray stand.

  “That didn’t come out right.” He’d meant to sound self-sacrificing, not dismissive. “Keep my car.” She’d been using it to get back and forth from the hotel. “Pick up your son. Go home. Take a few days off.” That brought a look of surprise and relief.

  “Are you sure?”

  He realized how thoughtless he’d been. “You’ve been babysitting me for days, when you should’ve been with your son. I’ll call a limo service when they check me out of this hotel.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  Roman said he was fine, then missed her the minute she walked out the door.

  Grace sent a text to Roman. Let me know when you’re close. I have your house key.

  Her phone beeped with a new message just as she finished changing Samuel’s diaper. Roman. Be there in five.

  She pulled Samuel’s blue- and white-striped onesie down and closed the snaps. “Come on, little man.” She swept him up and planted him on her hip.

  A black Lincoln Town Car pulled around the circle and stopped beside the main house. Her heart quickened when Roman got out. She met him on the front walk, noticing how he relied on the cane. “It’s good to have you home.” She passed by him, heading for his front door, keys in her hand. Unlocking the door, she handed over the fob and house key. His fingers brushed hers, and she stepped back, holding Samuel closer. “It just occurred to me there’s probably nothing edible in your refrigerator.”

  “I can always microwave a frozen dinner. It’ll probably taste about as good as hospital food.”

  Grace couldn’t help herself. “You can come over for dinner, if you’d like.”

  He grinned. “I knew if I sounded pathetic enough, you’d invite me. What time?”

  She gave a nervous laugh, wondering if she was about to make a mistake. “Whenever you’re hungry, I guess.”

  “I’m hungry now.”

  Something in his tone made her put up her guard. “You’ll have to watch Samuel while I fix something.” She figured that would make Roman run for the hills.

  “As long as I don’t have to change his diaper.” Roman closed the front door and walked alongside her. The cottage felt smaller the moment Roman walked in. He left his cane by the
door. She put Samuel back on the blanket she’d spread on the carpet and strewn with toys. “Keep an eye on him. He can cover territory faster than you might think.” Roman sat on the edge of her sofa and leaned forward, seeming to take his duties seriously. Grace hesitated. “I haven’t started dinner, but I could make you a sandwich to tide you over.”

  “What I’d really like is a cup of your coffee.” He picked up a stuffed rabbit and jiggled it. Samuel reached up and grabbed hold. “Is he trying to eat it?”

  “Everything goes in his mouth right now. He’s teething.”

  “Teething?”

  “Don’t worry. He hasn’t drawn blood yet.”

  Samuel sent the rabbit flying, surprising himself. Limbs stiffening, he screamed. Roman looked on the verge of panic. Grace took pity. Turning Samuel on his stomach, she patted his bottom. “Go get it, little man.” Calm again, Samuel pushed himself up. “He’s fine.” Grace returned to the adjoining kitchen. “I guess you haven’t been around babies that much.”

  Roman gave a hard laugh. “I’ve done everything possible to avoid ever having a kid.”

  Well, that told her more than she wanted to know. “How very responsible of you,” she muttered as she measured coffee.

  “He’s sort of cute.”

  Sort of cute? “Gee, thanks.” She poured water into the machine. “I happen to think Samuel is the most beautiful baby ever born.” Opening a cabinet, she took down a Raiders mug. “But then, I suppose every mother feels that way.” Samuel rolled over and managed to grab the rabbit. “He’s also very smart.”

  Roman was still stationed like a bodyguard on the edge of the sofa. “If you say so.” Samuel lost interest in the rabbit and rolled over again, grabbing hold of the hem of Roman’s jeans. He started to fuss. Roman looked distressed. “Should I move him?”

  “If you want.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I want. What does he want?”

  “He wants you to pick him up and hold him.”

  Roman made a couple of tentative moves before he took firm hold and sat the baby on his lap. They stared at each other. When Samuel swung his arms around, Roman laughed. “I think he’s throwing punches at me.” He pretended to dodge. Samuel let out a baby giggle, which made Roman laugh.