“You had a decision to make, didn’t you, Stephanie? You could trust me or him. You chose him.” Ted ran from the house and into the night.
Brody chased after him, but lost sight of Ted in the woods at the rear of the property. He returned to the house just as Stephanie backed her father’s Cadillac out of the garage.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going after him, Brody. You’re still living in the past. I’m not Lisa, and my brother isn’t the sergeant that killed her. You made me change the alarm, but I can’t do things your way anymore. I transferred to Fort Rickman to help Ted. He’s my responsibility.”
“Stephanie, please.”
“I’ve got to do this on my own. Don’t follow me, Brody.”
“I want to help you.”
“You’ve done too much already. Stay away from me, and stay away from my brother.”
* * *
Stephanie raced out of the driveway and through the Estates until she arrived at Paul’s house. She pulled to the curb in front of the three-story structure that was far larger than the Upton home. The grounds were perfectly manicured and decorated with flower gardens and clusters of ornamental trees. In the daylight, the home was a showplace, but tonight it sat dark and foreboding.
She ran up the walk and climbed the steps to the porch. Not wanting to waste time with the bell, she pounded on the door.
“I’m coming,” Paul’s voice sounded from inside the house. Hopefully, she’d find Ted inside and be able to explain what had happened.
Paul’s surprise at seeing her was evident when he opened the door. “I dropped Ted off at your house, Stephanie, not more than ten minutes ago.”
“He ran away from me, Paul. Where would go?”
“The Italian Parlor isn’t far, especially if he takes the shortcut across the golf course. You might try there.”
She hurried back to her car. Paul was right. The pizza parlor was a favorite spot for many of the local kids and an easy hike using the golf-cart paths and nature trails. By road, the trip took longer, but she eventually pulled into the parking lot and raced inside, hit by the pungent aroma of freshly baked pizza. Bowls of peanuts sat on each table, the discarded shells scattered on the floor.
Careful to stay clear of the debris lest she have an allergic reaction, Stephanie scanned the tables and quickly spied Nikki. A guy sat across from her in the booth, his back to the door. They turned as she neared.
“Keith?”
He smiled sheepishly while Nikki held up an open folder. “We’re going over the plans for the Wounded Warrior picnic,” she said.
Keith nodded a bit too quickly. “I wanted Nikki to review everything before I gave you the final copy.”
“You already submitted the plans,” Stephanie said.
“Those were tentative.” He placed a second folder, containing about ten pages of typed notes, on the table in front of her and tapped it twice with his hand. “You’ll find everything in here. Let me know if you want me to change anything.”
She appreciated the work he had done on the project. He seemed to be genuinely concerned about the military and eager that the picnic be a special day for the soldiers. Maybe she had underestimated her cousin.
“Have either of you seen Ted?”
Nikki nodded. “He was here a few minutes ago, out of breath and saying he needed wheels.”
“I volunteered to drive Nikki home,” Keith said. “Which solved his transportation problem. He left in Nikki’s car not more than three minutes ago.”
“Do you know where he was headed?”
Keith shrugged. “He didn’t say.”
“But he did tell us Josh wasn’t doing well and asked me to pray for him,” Nikki shared.
“Really?”
The younger woman nodded. “His squad leader’s been talking to him about God and how much He loves us. Ted’s never been much of a believer, but he’s been listening. I guess some of it rubbed off.”
Stephanie remembered going to church regularly with her mother when she was young. They would sit with Aunt Hazel and Keith. All that changed after Ted was born.
“He also mentioned wanting to visit Keith’s mom,” Nikki continued. “Ted said he hadn’t seen her since he left for Afghanistan.”
After bidding them a hasty farewell, Stephanie returned to her dad’s car and drove toward Magnolia Gardens Nursing Home. The facility sat along a narrow two-lane road on the outskirts of town.
Pulling into the parking lot, she rubbed her free hand over her stomach in an attempt to calm her agitation. She wasn’t ready to face Aunt Hazel, but she needed to find Ted.
Hurrying inside, she approached the receptionist, who pointed her down the hall. “Hazel Allen’s room is 110, the sixth door on the left.”
Stephanie’s footfalls clipped over the tile floor and kept time with the thumping of her heart. She hadn’t seen Nikki’s car in the front lot, but additional spaces were available in the rear, where Ted could have parked.
Stopping outside room 110, she gazed at the sleeping woman who reminded her so much of her own mother. Hazel had the same high cheekbones and warm smile, and even from this distance, Stephanie was struck by the resemblance.
As much as she wanted to draw closer, she didn’t have time. If Ted wasn’t with Aunt Hazel, where could he be?
Driving back to town, Stephanie felt an added weight pulling her down. Her brother had to feel rejected and pushed aside, unwelcome even in his own home, which wasn’t the case, of course.
Brody’s rationale for changing the security code had seemed logical at the time. She never thought how it would affect Ted until the alarm sounded. The sense of betrayal that played across his face revealed the depth of his pain.
Stephanie would give anything to change what had happened, just as she wanted to change that afternoon on the lake. If only mistakes could be corrected with a wave of the hand. Instead, they often festered, causing long-term pain and deep divides that tore families apart.
Arriving back in town, Stephanie headed toward the town square. On the way, she passed the brick church on the corner of Freemont Road and Third Street. Surrounding the church were a number of alleyways where the congregation parked on Sunday mornings. Stephanie didn’t want to lose precious time circling the neighborhood in hopes of spotting Nikki’s car. Instead, she pulled to the curb and hurried toward the church.
Pulling open the massive door, she stared into the dimly lit sanctuary and empty pews. An overwhelming need to talk to the Lord drew her forward. She walked down the center aisle and slipped into the front pew.
Brass candelabra graced the oak altar, which was draped with a linen cloth. Although the candles weren’t lit, the smell of beeswax hung in the church like a sacred scent, bringing back memories of services in her youth.
In the stillness, she remembered her mother’s laughter, the sound like music that made tears stream from her eyes.
“I tried to love him like you did, Mama.” Stephanie dropped her head into her hands. “I wanted to fill the hole in my own heart, but even more so, I wanted to knit together his brokenness. I...I tried to be you.” She swiped her hand across her cheeks. “Ted didn’t want me. He needed you and Dad, but you know how that went. I thought Dad might change after...after your death. But he’ll never change, I finally realized.”
Her own voice broke as she thought back to her mother’s funeral and then Hayden’s.
“I’m...I’m sorry for what I did. For my anger at Ted. For waiting too long and for not getting there in time.”
Stephanie shook her head. She couldn’t let her brother down again. His well-being depended on her just as it had three years ago. Regretting the mistake she had made then, she had to find Ted. Not knowing where to turn, she turned to the Lord.
Dear God, I f
eel so hopelessly lost. Help me find my brother.
SIXTEEN
Driving back to town, Brody called the Warrior Transitional Battalion, hoping Ted had returned to his barracks. The squad leader had questioned Ted’s roommate and others on his floor, but no one had heard from him.
The second call was to the chief of police. Brody filled him in on what had happened. “If anything develops, call me.”
“Anything meaning what?” Palmer asked.
“A vehicular accident, a soldier walking alone along the river or getting drunk at some hole-in-the-wall bar. Ted Upton shows symptoms of PTSD. He’s balanced on a tightrope that could be dangerous to himself or someone else. Just tell your officers on patrol to keep their eyes open.”
Brody also informed CID headquarters and the military police on post. He wanted to be proactive and ensure Ted’s situation didn’t become more severe. And he didn’t want anyone else hurt.
Stephanie’s bitter words played over in his head. She didn’t want him interfering with her brother, but she failed to realize the terrible consequences of what could happen.
Once again, he recalled the carnage, and Lisa’s body lying in a pool of blood. Tonight that memory seemed so raw.
Then, instead of Lisa, he saw Stephanie with her blue eyes, the color of a clear sky on a summer’s day, and her hair like stands of silk that caressed his cheek when he held her close, which is what he wanted to do now.
His cell rang. He grabbed it from the console. “Special Agent Goodman.”
“Sir, this is Sergeant McCoy from the WTB.”
Ted’s squad leader. Brody felt a surge of euphoria. “Did PFC Upton return to the barracks?”
“Negative, sir, but the guys said he likes the Italian Parlor in town. This time of night, he often stops in for pizza and a couple of beers.”
“Bowls of roasted peanuts on the tables?”
“That’s the place.” The squad leader gave Brody directions.
Pulling into the parking lot, Brody spied Keith and Nikki leaving the restaurant.
Rolling down his window, he quickly asked about Ted.
“Stephanie stopped by right after Ted left,” Keith said. “She may have gone to the nursing home. It’s located north along the Freemont Road.”
He handed Brody a manila folder. “She left in a hurry and forgot to take this file on the Wounded Warrior picnic. You’ll see her before I will.”
With a quick thank-you and a sigh of relief, Brody tossed the folder on the passenger’s seat and then increased his speed as he headed toward the nursing home. Halfway through town, he spotted the Uptons’ Cadillac parked in front of a small, brick church on Third Street and pulled into the parking lot.
Taking the steps two at a time, he raced inside, overcome with relief when he saw Stephanie sitting in the front. Unwilling to interrupt her conversation with the Lord, he stood shadowed in the rear and watched as she heaved herself up from the pew and turned toward the door.
If only she would accept his help. Almost afraid of what she would say, Brody pulled in a deep breath and stepped into the light.
She gasped. Her hand clutched her throat. “Were you watching me?”
“I was waiting until you stopped praying. I want to help you find Ted.”
He could see the tears that filled her eyes and the puffy redness to her cheeks even in the half light.
She shook her head. “I told you, I have to do this alone.”
“I’ll follow you, just to keep you safe.”
“Didn’t you hear me earlier? I’m not Lisa.”
Of course, she wasn’t Lisa. Lisa had been gone for so long that he hardly remembered what she looked like. Stephanie was real and warm and sweet and soft every place she should be, and being with her made Brody feel whole again for the first time in so very long.
“I’m worried about your brother and his safety, but I’m also worried about you.” He hoped she heard the sincerity in his voice. “I can’t separate the way I feel about you from the job I do in the military, a job that is at the heart of who I am, Stephanie. I won’t get in your way unless you’re in danger.”
The look on her face told him she was softening. He remembered what he and his friends had said when they were kids.
“I won’t get in your way,” he repeated. “Cross my heart.” He raised his right hand and made a small cross over his heart. The childlike promise took on a new meaning in the church with the larger cross hanging behind the altar.
His heart had opened somewhat to the Lord, but he wasn’t willing to put Stephanie’s safety solely in God’s hands. He needed to be with her to ensure she wasn’t in harm’s way.
She didn’t have a choice. Neither did he.
Brody would die himself rather than let anything happen to Stephanie. He’d made a horrific mistake with Lisa. She was in the past, but he wouldn’t make a second mistake that would cause another woman to lose her life.
Especially when that woman was Stephanie.
A woman he now realized he loved.
* * *
Stephanie glanced into her rearview mirror and spied Brody’s headlights. True to his word, he’d followed her as she had driven through town looking for her brother. He had also alerted the military police who were searching for Ted on post.
Brody assured her law enforcement wouldn’t do anything to threaten Ted or cause his fragile mental health harm. She’d already done enough by changing the security code.
She shouldn’t have listened to Brody. Not long ago, she had hoped something might develop between them, especially in the weeks to come, when Ted’s condition improved.
How silly to think anything good could come from knowing Brody.
He saw everyone—especially her brother—as a threat. Stephanie wanted to heal Ted’s pain and help him move forward. Her brother and Brody were polar opposites that would never be reconciled. No matter how much she was attracted to Brody, Ted would always stand between them.
A lump filled her throat, but she refused to cry. She’d cried too many tears already. Now she needed to be practical and think of where her brother could be holed up.
Flipping on the radio, she turned the knob until the static cleared and the weather report came on. The sky looked clear, but this time of year storms blew in without warning.
Her thoughts turned again to that stormy night so long ago. She saw the angry waves pounding the side of her father’s cabin cruiser. The rain, the wind...
The marina.
Why hadn’t she thought of it earlier?
Pushing down on the accelerator, she headed south and then west, toward Big Island Lake where her father kept his boats.
She shivered. Surely Ted wouldn’t take The Upton Queen or The Princess out onto the water. Not when he was so mixed-up with the turmoil bubbling around him.
“Oh, please, God, keep him safe.”
Surprised by calling on the Lord again this evening, she turned on her high beams and raced along the back roads. Brody followed behind her.
Her phone rang, but before she could answer, it went to voice mail. The call was probably from Brody, wondering where they were headed.
A second call came in.
She raised the cell to her ear. “Brody?”
“Ah, no, Steph. It’s Paul.”
The soldier’s voice sounded thick with alcohol.
“I called a minute ago and left a voice mail. Then I thought I’d try you a second time. I just got your message about the appointment with the shrink tomorrow.”
“It’s at two in the afternoon, Paul. Actually, she’s a social worker, not a psychiatrist. But she’s good at what she does and she wants to help.”
“I don’t want help, Steph. You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not having any problems.�
��
“Paul, you’ve been drinking. Where are you?”
“I’m home.”
“Go to bed and get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning. You haven’t seen Ted, have you?”
“He wants to be alone. Ted told me he doesn’t need you.”
“Maybe not, but I need him.”
Hopefully, in the morning, once Paul had slept off the effects of his night of drinking, he’d realize counseling would be helpful.
Her mother always said things happened for a reason. Maybe it was good that Ted had run away this evening; otherwise, he might have been drinking with Paul.
As she neared the marina, a bell tolled in the night, the bell on her father’s boat. She parked and stepped to the pavement as Brody pulled to a stop beside her.
“Stay here. Ted’s by the water. I don’t want him any more upset than he already is.”
“He could have a gun, Stephanie.”
She shook her head, tired of Brody’s incessant attempts to make Ted into a killer. “He’s my brother. Let me talk to him alone.”
“I’ll be waiting at the entrance to the dock.”
“I don’t need your help, Brody.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“That’s your choice, but don’t interfere.”
She stomped off, angry that he was so intent on staying put and yet grateful he was there. Her father had scoffed any time she had been afraid. Having someone who put her safety first was a good thing. Just as long as Ted didn’t see Brody as a threat.
She hurried along the wooden ramp. Ted stood beside the cabin cruiser and stared into the water. His right hand was wrapped around the rope attached to the bell. Every few seconds, he yanked on the cord.
“Ted.”
Hearing her voice, he turned. “How’d you find me?”
She eased forward. “I went everyplace else first. The marina was the only place left to look. I should have known you’d be here. That day on the lake, I...I was mad at you.”
“You forbade me to go out on the water. I told you I was spending the day at Paul’s house. Only that was a lie.”
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