At two o’clock in the afternoon on August 15th, Lily, Helen, and Mindy stood beside Jenna, and David with his cat stood by Parker as those two repeated their vows and exchanged rings in a brief ceremony. Immediately followed by a shift and Parker and Jenna stood behind Gabe and Agatha as they were married. Gabe stood proudly on his new legs.
It was a small crowd of less than thirty people that then filed into David’s house and the pleasantly cool air. The outdoor thermometer read one hundred nine degrees, and still climbing.
“And the scholarship board turned us down,” Lily was saying.
“—because we had missed school time over the winter,” Helen finished.
“That’s just not fair,” Jenna said. “Would it help if I talked to them?”
“No, it isn’t fair,” Parker interjected before Jenna’s question could be considered. “And, girls, I’m going to cover your tuition and living expenses. It isn’t right that you should lose out on your education because of circumstances beyond your control!”
Lily and Helen’s parents gasped at Parker’s offer, knowing they could never afford to pay for both girls to go to college.
“Marcus,” Parker called his attorney over to the group. “Can Tucker Investments set up a trust or some kind of fund to put the girls through school? I’d also like to find a large house near campus where they can live and set up a monthly allowance for them so they can study and not have to work.”
“That’s really generous, Parker.” Jenna slipped her arm into his. “What about Mindy? Would there be room for her too? She wants to go to cosmetology school.”
“Of course, whatever she wants to study. Education, especially practical education, is what’s important.”
“I will start the paperwork when I return to my office,” Marcus said, smiling. “And Parker, your parents would be very proud of you and what you’re doing.”
“And even though I haven’t talked to him about it yet, include David in that. I owe him a great deal, and want to thank him,” Parker said, watching David put his frightened cat in another room away from all the unfamiliar people.
David started up his sound system and played some soft music. Gabe led his bride to the center of the big living room and danced slowly, still a bit unsteady on his new legs. Parker took that as his cue and danced with Jenna.
The mood was high among all the guests until Tom Callahan noticed some smoke and shouted, “Fire! Everyone out!” and all the guests poured out the front door and congregated on the front lawn under the wilting oak tree that provided the ceremony shade.
Parker looked around and then took off running for the side of the house, removing his tuxedo jacket as he disappeared out of view.
“Parker! NO!” Jenna cried out and attempted to follow him. Gabe grabbed her arm and held on tight.
Unseen, Parker shoved his jacket into the near-empty rain barrel to quickly soak it, and draped it over his head while kicking the back door in and disappearing into the smoky house. He pushed open the master bedroom door that had been recently replaced and closed it behind him to keep the increasing smoke out.
Sheriff Callahan grabbed two fire extinguishers from the trunk of his scout car, thrusting one at Jonathon.
A few minutes later, Parker staggered out the front door, clutching his jacket to his chest, and collapsed at Jenna and David’s feet. He coughed and rolled to the side, letting a dazed Pythagoras loose from his grasp.
“You risked your life for my cat?” David yelled at Parker, scooping the cat up.
Parker gazed up at him from where he sat on the ground with red and watery eyes. “Yeah, I did. Don’t look at me like that, he’s my friend too,” was all he said and coughed. He saw the sheriff coming toward them. “The fire is on the buffet table,” he said before yet another fit of coughing.
David sat on the ground beside Parker and cuddled his bewildered cat. “Thank you. That was a brave but foolish thing to do.”
Callahan and Jonathon stopped at the front door, took a couple of deep breaths, and then burst in, aiming for the right side of the room where dinner had been laid out. Through stinging eyes, Tom saw the brighter light of the fire and started spraying blindly in that direction. By the time both canisters were empty, the fire was out.
Later inspection from the fire marshal would reveal a canned-fuel heated chaffing dish had ignited the tablecloth and that most of the minimal damage was from smoke … and the fire extinguisher propellant. David and Pythagoras moved back in with Parker and Jenna while the repairs were being made to his house.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Once you found that house for the kids, Marcus moved really fast to get the deal closed! I got a call from Mindy asking for some help to move her few things, and the twins have already moved in,” Jenna said, pouring them each a cup of freshly perked coffee.
“Yeah, David was anxious to move in too even though all the damage to his house is fixed now. Then again, school is already in session and it’s much easier for them all to get to classes now,” Parker replied. “I think he also wanted us to have our privacy back.”
“And Mindy said to say thank you for the new bike. All of them were really surprised at the gift they each got. Those bicycles sure will make it easier and quicker for them to get around campus. You’re a very generous man, Parker.” She leaned over and kissed him.
“For what all of them have been through in the past year, they deserve a break, especially Mindy. I still don’t know how she survived that ordeal.”
“She’s a tough one,” Jenna agreed. “Even so, I’m sure the counseling she’s getting is going to help her a great deal.”
“They are a great bunch of kids … make that young adults, and I’m really happy I could help them.” Parker left his cup on the table while he checked the outdoor temperature. “I know it’s still early September and it’s been really hot for most of the summer, but have you noticed how cool the mornings have been these last two days?”
“I have, and it’s been a relief to finally be cool again!”
“I don’t know if there is any place that’s cooler than here, Jenna,” Parker said. The cabin itself had been cooled by the now silent large window air conditioner that had been installed at great cost. Most of that cost being the larger generator that ran almost constantly fueled by the second propane tank that was delivered. “We are as about far north as we can get within the States, except for Alaska, and I hear they aren’t fairing any better.”
“I don’t care where we are as long as we’re together. With having power now, are you going to hook the well up so we have water in the faucets?” Jenna asked hopefully.
“No, I used to think the hand-pump was an inconvenience, now it’s the best feature of the house. If fuel is hard to come by for the generator, we wouldn’t have water, would we? And water is the most important thing,” Parker reminded her. “Maybe we could drill a new well though, but this one is staying like it is.”
“I will admit this well water tastes great and I wouldn’t want to lose it,” Jenna said. She moved into the kitchen to pump some water for dishes and looked out the window. Fear clenched her heart. “Parker, it’s snowing …”
He came up beside her to stare out the west window at the gently falling snow and felt a deep anxiety in his gut. Then he laughed.
“I don’t think this is very funny, hon,” Jenna said, frowning at him. “This is how it all started and this is even earlier than last year!”
Parker pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. “Yes, this is how it all started and look at how it all ended.” He smiled down at her and kissed her. “Now, I suggest we get dressed and go shopping!”
Acknowledgments
So many, so many. As always, thanks to my beta-readers: Sherry, Eric and Tom; your ideas and comments have made th
is work very special.
To the Art Department at Permuted Press, you always come up with the perfect cover, and this time was no different; you’ve never let me down.
To my special friend, Larry S. and his first-hand knowledge for the airline scene, H&K’s, you’re great!
And of course, to my readers: I wouldn’t be anywhere without you.
About the Author
Born and raised in Detroit, the kid of a cop, Deborah was instilled with right and wrong and with the respect for what weapons can do in the right or wrong hands. Her mother was an avid reader, and instilled that in her too. Her first End of the World book was Earth Abides. It really shook her. The next one was Alas, Babylon. That not only shook her deeper, but fascinated her. Deborah was only 15, and knew she was meant to be a survivalist. Isolated because of her views, Deborah turned to writing to have friends that really didn’t exist.
Many, many years later, Deborah has lived the life. Her dream home was in the middle of 240 acres, ten miles from the nearest power lines, 35 miles from the nearest town, and deep in the woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Totally off grid, she would have been self-sufficient with some help. There is nothing more frustrating than to have a goal that takes two, and only one is committed to it. Seven years of living there taught Deborah a great deal. The do’s and don’ts, the must do and should have done. Experience is said to be the best teacher, and while this is true, it’s also a very cruel taskmaster. She hopes to circumvent some of the harsher lessons for her readers.
Polar Storm Page 21