by Jayna Morrow
“Let’s go find something to eat.”
“Agreed.”
They didn’t have to look hard for food. Dinner waited for them on the stove. “Where did the food come from?”
“Someone from church dropped it off when they heard what was going on. I don’t see Slade, so I take it you didn’t find him.” Robin was matter-of-fact.
“I think we talked to everyone in town. If not, word will get around quick enough.”
“It already has, but please continue.”
“We went door-to-door and left flyers.”
Robin fixed their plates as they talked. Then they sat down at the table to eat.
“The phone’s been ringing off the hook. The whole town’s probably been notified by now. If you want to leave some flyers, I’ll make sure they get put up at all the businesses in Sweet Home. Y’all can branch out.”
Gabriel sighed. “I have a feeling he’s not anywhere near Sweet Home. It’d be too easy to find him.”
“You’re right, but it’s still good to cover all your bases.”
Robin watched them closely. If she suspected anything between them, she didn’t let on in words. But she didn’t make a move to leave them alone in the house either.
Gabriel ate faster, taking larger bites. He demolished the food and stood. “Can I help you ladies clean up?” he offered.
“Sure,” Sparrow answered.
“That’s all right,” Robin said at the same time.
He looked back and forth at the siblings.
“I need to speak with my sister in private, so we’ll handle the cleanup.” Robin offered a sweet smile. “You need to get your rest for tomorrow.”
He bid them good night and then walked out onto the front porch.
Sparrow was hot on his heels. “Gabriel?” Her voice trembled.
“You better get back inside before the warden comes looking for you.”
Her smile was tight-lipped. “Robin will just have to understand. Besides, I’m about to do something she would definitely approve of.”
“You can check kissing and hugging off the list. So what’s bothering you, Sparrow?”
“I want to pray with you.”
“Pray?”
“Yes. Robin reminded me that I often fail to seek guidance from the Great Counselor, and I believe we both could use a little encouragement.”
“I agree.” He took her hands in his and squeezed his eyes shut. As Sparrow prayed, he listened and absorbed and felt the full power behind the words. He remembered the day he’d walked in on Micara and Garrett praying together. The dynamic moment had stopped him in his tracks. He’d known then that change would come and heal Garrett. At the time, he’d felt sorry for his brother. He never realized that he shared a similar plight, never for a moment believed anything needed changing in his own life.
Until now.
11
Two days later, the search for Slade continued. Gabriel had left the dairy in Irelynn’s capable hands, and Sparrow had joined him every step of the way. Despite her many responsibilities at work, she insisted on accompanying him to every location, even though she received dozens of phone calls and texts a day until it seemed to him the school would surely fail without her return.
“There’s been a wreck involving one of our delivery trucks. That’s all I know at this time.” Irelynn’s shaky voice stopped him in his tracks in the middle of Parks Mall in Bishop. It was late afternoon, and a throng of people traveled the halls like rush hour traffic.
“Is the driver OK?”
Sparrow chatted with some teenagers in the food court area. His gaze followed her as she handed out the flyers. Every time she glanced his way, he was already staring back.
“The rig’s a total loss and so was all the product on board. Glen Church was the driver. He’s in the ICU at Bishop Memorial. They think he had a heart attack while driving. I talked to a family friend who’s there now, and he doesn’t think Glen will make it.”
Gabriel quickly closed the distance to Sparrow in hopes of making it to the hospital in time to see Glen before it was too late. “I’m in Bishop now, so I can be at the hospital in minutes. I’ll call you once I find out more about his condition. Bye.”
Sparrow approached, curiosity fueling her expression.
What did she see on his face? Even he could conceive the dark cloud looming above his head, symbolic though it might be.
“Do you have news about Slade?”
He filled her in on the details. “I need to get to the hospital immediately, but I don’t want to stop looking for Slade either.” For the past two days, he’d pushed himself to the limit. He’d barely eaten, and he’d put work to the side. He now knew what it meant to drop everything for a child.
He arrived home at night, only to shower and fall into bed, neither of which could be put off, even in a time like this. He felt ragged and exhausted and looked the part. Each night, Sparrow told him to take care of himself so he wouldn’t become useless to the cause. At first, he thought her admonishment uncalled for, but then Robin and Garrett had separately chastised him for the same thing.
Though she meant well, Sparrow was guilty of the same crime. The circles under her eyes grew darker each day, but she still looked beautiful. Her hair was clean but not styled, just thrown up into a loose bun atop her head. She sported mismatched sweats, but they smelled of fresh detergent. He couldn’t remember the last time she wore heels.
All this stress wasn’t good for either of them. They’d talked to some people who had seen Slade, though no one knew where he was right now. Gabriel refused to allow fear to dampen his hope. They had to find his son eventually.
“You can’t be in two places at once. Why don’t you go to the hospital, and I’ll continue the search?” Sparrow didn’t hesitate.
He shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you running around the city by yourself. Some of the places we’ve visited have been less than desirable.”
“I won’t go around the city. We should touch base with people in Sweet Home again, so I’ll head back that way. If no one at the hospital can bring you home, then I’ll come back and get you. Just call me.”
~*~
The ICU floor smelled like antiseptic, but he knew the smell was actually the natural scent of sterile air. Church family members filled the waiting room. Glen’s wife, Cherie, slumped in a chair in the far corner, elbow propped on the armrest, her head resting on her hand. Tissues filled the other hand. He crossed the room and patted her hand.
“Cherie, I’m so sorry about this.” His throat tightened. He’d suffered through the deaths of both his parents. No one could prepare for the loss of a loved one.
Glen’s wife wept into a tissue, her son’s protective arms wrapped around her.
As owner of Hearth Dairy Farms, Gabriel’s duties were many. Visiting employees in the hospital was necessary for those he employed. Their work family was filled with trusted and loyal people, because Gabriel’s father set the precedent of being friends, too. Gabriel continued that tradition.
Eyes filled with tears, she looked up at him. “Thanks for coming, Mr. Hearth. This has been so hard for the whole family. We didn’t even know he had heart problems.”
Spring flowers dotted the hospital hallways in recognition of the season. They reminded him of funeral bouquets.
A doctor approached with a file in hand. “Mrs. Church?”
“Yes?” Her face went white.
“Could I speak with you a moment?”
Gabriel moved to the other side of the room to give them privacy. A few minutes later, Glen’s son joined him. Bradley also drove a truck for the dairy.
“What did the doctors say about your father’s condition?”
Bradley shook his head. “It doesn’t look good. They don’t think he’ll make it with all of his injuries, plus a weak heart.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I always thought I’d have more time with him, you know?”
The sound of Cherie’s loud sob
s across the room drew their attention. She dabbed furiously at her eyes and nose with the tissues. Bradley was at his mother’s side in seconds.
Gabriel stood with a stiff back, uncomfortable in this type of situation. What was a person supposed to say…or do? It was a waiting game for the doctors and the family. They’d all learn a good, hard lesson in patience and prayer. He stayed in the waiting room as long as he could and then took a break for some air. He’d been listening to a couple of relatives discussing how sad it was for them to lose Glen so close to their wedding anniversary and how awful that the family didn’t have life insurance. They didn’t know how Glen’s family would make it without his salary.
As he stood out front of the hospital, Gabriel thought about the Church family. He genuinely felt for them. But his son was missing. A part of him just wanted to send up a prayer and walk away. With that thought, he dialed Sparrow’s number. “I’m ready. Could you pick me up?”
She was at a local discount store, handing out flyers. Nobody had any new information to offer. When she arrived a little later, he was sitting on a bench and feeling hollow.
Gabriel’s body was shutting down. He could no longer feel the muscles in his face, and he just wanted to crawl into his bed and go to sleep. Everything around him seemed so far away. Everything except sound and light. Those two things were heightened and hurtful. He wanted to block them out. He didn’t get the opportunity.
His house was full of people, looking for an update and expressing their concern for both tragedies in his life. He managed the short version. Then the guests left group by group until only Garrett, Micara, and Robin remained. Robin’s kids were at home with their father. Sparrow’s canine son was curled up on Gabriel’s couch, fast asleep and snoring.
“I’m starving.” Sparrow held a hand over her stomach.
Now that Gabriel thought about it, he was pretty hungry too.
“No one in this house has an excuse to go hungry.” Robin nodded toward the kitchen. “Check the fridge. I organized it the best I could, but there’s so much food.”
Gabriel’s plan to spend an evening alone with his pillow slipped further away. “This is unbelievable.” He held the fridge door open and gaped. Every shelf held stacks of dishes. “The town really outdid itself this time. I don’t know where to start.”
“Just pick a dish at random and be surprised. That’s what we did. Garrett, Micara, and I all helped ourselves earlier.”
“Good thing. I’ll never be able to eat all this food before it spoils.” He motioned for Sparrow to look.
She peered inside. “You weren’t kidding.”
As Gabriel looked at the stuffed refrigerator shelves, a letter he’d recently received from a land developer came to mind. Drawn up by an attorney, the missive indicated he had only to sign, and he’d become an instant millionaire. Right now, he wouldn’t trade all that money for any of the casseroles in this fridge. Not because Marisol Stevens’ chicken surprise casserole or Annette Rich’s rhubarb crumble or Chelsea Foster’s spinach frittata was worth that much money, but because they represented something worth ten times what those developers would ever offer him.
Sparrow pulled a dish from the top and handed it to him. He peeled back the foil and revealed a colorful concoction that included meat, veggies, and pasta. It would do. He placed servings on plates and heated them up.
Sparrow took the one he handed her to the table.
Micara eyed them with concern. “You two look plumb worn out.”
“I think it’s the stress of the situation getting to us.”
“Two days and counting. I imagine it feels like two years.” Micara reached across the table and laid one consoling hand on Sparrow’s arm, the other on Gabriel’s.
“Slade’s run away before,” he began softly. “But this time it feels different, and he hasn’t been to any of his usual hangouts.” He dropped his fork onto his plate and pushed it away from him.
Micara pushed it back. “You should eat a bit more. You need your strength to continue the search.”
Sparrow had scarfed down half her food already. She swallowed and pointed her fork at his chest. “Listen to Micara. Eat. We won’t make it another day on empty.”
Garrett’s stare bored into him, and he nodded toward the plate of food.
All Robin had to do was give him one of her mommy looks.
Gabriel didn’t dare take her on. He’d seen her in action and knew she meant business. He picked up another bite with his fork, and, in the process, caught Sparrow’s smile. Gabriel was comforted in the knowledge that her smile had become as familiar to him as his favorite pair of boots.
When they were done eating, Robin and Micara whisked their dishes away to wash them. “We’ve got this.”
“Thank you.” He captured Sparrow’s hand and squeezed it. “And thank you for everything, too.”
Garrett and Micara left.
Then Robin walked Sparrow home.
And he was alone. He got ready for bed in silence. This was too much quiet for him. He wanted his son here. He wanted Sparrow with him too. It might be a little fast for him to be thinking about Sparrow in this way, but he couldn’t imagine anyone better suited. He sat on the edge of his bed in a t-shirt and a pair of lounge pants. His elbows rested on his knees, and his hands cradled his head. His chest ached, and he knew why. He was feeling real emotion. He’d gone through life thinking of himself as an important and powerful man but never stopped to think about what that meant. After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, he’d become aware of his own shortcomings. He had responsibilities all right, and they started with himself. He drew in a deep breath. It hurt his lungs and brought tears to his eyes, but at least he was feeling.
Soon Slade would be grown and out on his own. Gabriel’s siblings had their own lives. Where did that leave him? He didn’t want to end up alone, a hardened man who’d wasted his life controlling others and married to his job. That kind of life wasn’t for him.
The time had come to let God take control.
~*~
Gabriel had intended to watch television awhile, but sleep overcame him and the hours slipped by. His cell phone awakened him. His bleary gaze made out the name of the detective in charge of Slade’s case, and he answered quickly.
“Mr. Hearth, I hope it’s not too late to call?”
Too late to call? He pulled back his bedroom curtains to see nothing but black. This couldn’t be good if the detective was calling at night.
“Not at all. Did you find Slade?” In a panic, he slipped on a pair of sandals and started looking for his keys.
“I wish I had some good news for you, but we haven’t been able to locate your son.”
“So you’re just checking in?” He sat down on the edge of his bed. “It’s so late I thought it was bad news.”
“I apologize if I made you worry. I’m behind on my phone calls today, so this is the first chance I’ve had to touch base with you. Do you have anything new you’d like to share?”
Gabriel sighed. “I’ve been to all the places he frequents. Several people saw him the first day, but nothing after that. I don’t think he’s in Bishop.”
“I agree,” the detective said. “Does he have any connections anywhere else?”
“None that I know of. We’re pretty isolated out here.”
He heard the detective click his pen. “We’ll keep working the case on our end. Please let us know if you hear anything new.”
He nodded, even though the man couldn’t see him. “I will, Detective Davis. Thank you.”
At the sound of footsteps on the front porch, Gabriel clicked the phone shut. Several loud knocks followed. He looked out the window, but the porch light was off. A dark figure stood with arms crossed on the other side of the door. Even without the benefit of color or detail, Gabriel recognized Sparrow’s silhouette, and his heart responded with a joyful leap. But why had she come back after Robin escorted her home? Gabriel threw the door open, flipp
ing the porch light on as he did so. “Is something wrong?” His gaze flicked across the path that led to her house.
“Just bringing another dish of food someone dropped off. Also, I wanted to let you know that Detective Davis called to see if I had any new information.”
He shut the door, and Sparrow walked straight to the kitchen.
“He called me too. Guess he’s making follow-up phone calls.”
“That’s what he said. It worried me that he was calling after business hours, but I was relieved that it wasn’t bad news.”
“No good news either.” Gabriel took the dish from Sparrow and tried to locate a spot that didn’t exist in the fridge. Before he could damage the other food, Sparrow caught his arm and pulled him back.
“It’s just cornbread. You can leave it out on the counter.”
“Thanks.”
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Sparrow picked up a dish towel and wiped at invisible crumbs on the counter.
“Why are you cleaning my kitchen?”
“Nervous habit, I guess.”
“I think it’s more than that. You’ve delivered something that could have waited until tomorrow and given me a report that could have easily been expressed in a text message. I think you wanted to see me and now you don’t want to leave. What’s going on between us, Sparrow?” He placed a hand on each of her upper arms so that she had no choice but to face him.
She didn’t fight him, but she didn’t answer his question either.
“Do you care about me?” He tried to keep from growling the words.
She sucked in a short, shaky breath and let it out, but said nothing. She nodded ever so slightly. The edge of her mouth twitched as if she was fighting back a smile. Something flashed in her eyes before she looked away.
“What’s the matter, Sparrow?”
“I heard you’re a man not capable of loving a woman. I’m worried that whatever you’re feeling for me is only because I’m helping you with Slade.”
“Guess again.” The words shot out. “I may not tell the world what I’m feeling, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel. And I may be a hard-nosed businessman, but I’ve never used anyone for personal gain. I can’t put what I feel for you in words right now, but I have taken into consideration the fact that you’re working with me on a very personal matter.” Gabriel let his hands slide away from her arms and leaned against the counter for support.