Chapter Twenty-Nine
Attending Jenna’s baby shower is the last thing I want to do while I nurse a broken heart. Mom is applying her makeup when I beg her to go in my place.
She takes the mascara wand out of the tube. “Trish, Dad’s transferring the law office over in six weeks. We have so much to do. You have the store under control. You can handle the party.”
I want to hold my breath and stomp like I did as a toddler. “I’m not good company.”
Mom holds still while she puts on her eye makeup. “That’s your choice. Your father and I have tried to get you out of the house since your breakup. Jenna’s called you. Instead, you mope around.”
“It isn’t moping. I’m afraid of missing Ed Sterling’s call. I doubt my cell service would even work if he tried my number, so landline’s his best bet.”
She shoots me a narrow gaze. “I don’t have time to argue, and neither do you.”
Yeah, I’m not going to win this one.
An hour later I force myself to walk into the fellowship hall at the church. The place is decked out in gender neutral balloons and streamers. Carla stands at the entrance, and thankfully doesn’t lose her smile when she sees me. “Hi, Trish. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem. I appreciate being invited. My mom sends her apologies. She’s at work with Dad.”
Carla hands me a ticket and puts another in a baby bottle bank. “He’s retiring soon, right?”
I nod and spot Jenna near the gift table. “Early July. They’re transferring the practice over to a new lawyer in Syracuse. I hardly see them.”
She rips another ticket. “They deserve a good retirement. You’re also worthy of a happy ending. I hope you get it.”
My jaw lowers. “Do you mean with work or Wayne?”
Carla winks. “Yes.” She moves on to greet Ben’s grandmother, Sara Bivins.
I take a deep breath and glance at my seating options. Most of the ladies from the senior center are already at tables. Shirley waves and calls out my name. “Trish, come on over!”
I know I’m the only Trish in town, but I want to turn around and see who she’s talking to. Instead, I saunter over, raffle ticket and gift in hand. “Hi, everyone. Can you believe Jenna’s almost ready to have the baby?”
Shirley’s practically glowing. “We’re so excited for her. She’s going to be an excellent mom.” She pulls out a chair. “Sit with us.”
“Are you sure?”
She rolls her eyes as the other ladies coax me to join. “As certain as I am you and Wayne belong together.”
Oh, boy. That’s hard to interpret.
Once seated, I place a napkin on my lap and turn to Shirley. “Wayne and I broke up. For good.”
She glances at the others, and they smile. “Trish, we know he dumped you. We also believe this story isn’t over. Don’t lose hope.”
“That’s sweet, but I don’t see how. I hurt him and his trust in our future.”
Retired realtor Mabel Coffey pours each of us a cup of ice water. “Honey, you did that to all of us when you left the senior center for that job. Now look. Here we all are, friends.” She picks up her drink. “And ready to take guesses on whether Jenna has a boy or girl.”
I sit with the group and enjoy catered food from Frosty’s, and Carla’s silly baby games. Jenna’s all wrapped in toilet paper when her sister, Meg, announces it’s almost time to eat cake. The mom-to-be ambles over to us.
Her breathing sounds like she climbed the mountain that is her driveway. “This table looks like a rowdy group of ladies.”
I stand and give Jenna my seat. “I’m trying to keep them under control.”
She giggles. “Funny, I had you pegged as the leader.”
We all laugh, but Jenna sobers. “Trish, Meg told me she saw you a few weeks ago in Lake Schroon.”
I look over to Meg, who is at the cake table with Carla. “Yes, it was nice to talk to her. She seems interested in making a life for herself here. That chat with her has helped me.”
She nods, but her expression darkens. “Meg also seems insistent on making Kyle her entire agenda.”
“He was at the altar talking with Pastor Reynolds a few weeks ago. That has to be good.”
Carla’s voice booms over the microphone. “Jenna, time to cut the cake.”
Jenna pats my arm. “I hope so. I know I’m hormonal, but I can’t get over the two of them together. I’m not sure I want to.” She sighs. “That’s a vent for another time. Let’s have some chocolate.”
Mabel speaks, but Jenna’s already on her way to Carla. “Wait! We didn’t get to find out if it was a boy or a girl.”
The party wraps up after a good ninety minutes of unwrapping gifts. The senior center members blessed her with a crib, mattress, sheets, and the works. Jenna’s family gave her a stroller and car seat. The smaller gifts like burp cloths and onesies were mostly yellows and greens since not even Jenna knows if they’re having a boy or a girl. As I gather my raffle prize of a box of chocolates, Ben and Will enter the hall. Jenna greets her husband with a kiss. “I hope you both brought your trucks.”
Ben raises his eyebrows. “That many gifts? Wow. Will’s truck is at the shop.”
Will steps forward. “I talked to Noah a bit ago. Wayne is off today. He can help. I’ll text him.”
Jenna’s gaze is on me. “Is that okay?”
I pull keys out of my purse. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m leaving.” I look at the six boxes of diapers stacked in a corner. And the stroller, with gift bags piled on top. Then the high chair, with bibs, the crib mobile, wipes warmer and pacifiers. “Unless you need me.”
She reaches over for an awkward hug. “Thank you.”
Ben’s truck and Jenna’s car is full in fifteen minutes. When Wayne pulls in, we’re starting to place gifts in Carla’s SUV. My heartbeat rockets as soon as he saunters over to the parents-to-be.
Wayne chuckles. “Do you two need another house for all this?”
I retrieve my keys, hoping for a quick getaway.
Ben shakes his head. “We’re blessed. I don’t think there’s an item left on the registry.”
I side-step away from the vehicles to make my way to my car, but Wayne notices and can’t keep silent.
“Hey, Trish. Looks like it was a fun party.”
I stop, praying I can avoid his kind eyes. “It was great. It looks like everyone has everything under control, so I’m going.”
The air is as still as when a storm’s about to hit, but Wayne breaks the silence. “I hope you’re doing okay. I’ve been thinking about you.”
Chapter Thirty
The day after her baby shower, I’m watching a cardinal visit Mom’s feeder when Jenna calls.
“I’m having a moon cookie craving.”
With Wayne’s mixed messages and still no phone call from Ed Sterling, I’d eat a dozen of my favorite cookie if that’s what she needs.
I turn from the patio and head back inside, in search of my keys. “Do you want me to grab a box?”
Jenna sighs. “Yes, but there’s more. I’m being a pest, I know. I have to go to the hunting cabin, Sara left her favorite blanket and wants it back at her house. Do you mind getting the cookies? You could join me at the cabin.”
I remember visiting the Bivins family home before building their current one. Calling it rustic is a generous description, and I hated going there when I dated Ben. “We aren’t eating there, are we? Who knows how many hungry mice are waiting.”
She laughs. “I’ll probably have the package devoured before we even get to the paper trails.”
An hour later, I pull in front of the breathtaking log home Ben and his late grandfather built. Jenna’s waiting on the wrap-around porch with her face to the rare, summery feeling May sun.
Once I close my car door, with a box of cookies in my other hand, I amble towards her. “Sugar alert.”
Jenna lowers her gaze and her smile brightens. “You’re a lifesaver. Ben doesn’t underst
and the cravings. I’m sick of vegetables.” She punctures the wrapping with her nail and retrieves the sweet cookie iced with half-vanilla, half chocolate. “This is a need.”
“It’s been my go-to since I was ten. Ben’s grandpa had them ready for me every time I came into JB’s.”
She gestures for me to follow her inside. “Let me get the keys to the ATV.”
My mouth opens but no words come out. “Jenna, you can’t be serious.”
“What? You do remember trucks can’t make it all the way to the hunting cabin, right?”
I nod. “Back when I dated Ben, we walked the last half mile. I thought that was your plan. You’re having a baby next month. The last place you should be is on an ATV.”
Jenna shrugs. “If it were muddy and full of ruts, I’d agree. It’s flat. I’ll drive slowly. Promise.”
I can see Ben’s tomato-colored face when he realizes I went ahead with her plan. “If you show any signs of labor, we turn around and go right to the hospital.”
She rolls her eyes. “You worry too much. Let’s put a couple cookies in a baggie for the road.”
Well, that’s one good idea she has.
With a five mile per hour pace, the ATV crawls to the cabin. Jenna’s right about it not being bumpy, but the further we press into the woods, the darker it gets. With the sun playing peek-a-boo, I wish I brought my sweater.
Jenna stops in front of the cabin and turns off the machine. “We might need Sara’s blanket to stay warm on the way back. It cooled down.”
I look up at the sky and my throat constricts. The clouds aren’t visible because the atmosphere is as black as charcoal and the air thick with mystery. “I hate to say it, but I think we need to snack inside. I don’t think there’s time to make it back to your house.”
She furrows her brow. “You think it’s going to storm? I won’t melt with a little rain.”
Ugh, the city-girl. “I don’t think this is a gentle rain heading our way. I think we’re going to get a decent thunderstorm. Find your cabin key and let’s get in.”
Jenna reaches in her pocket and produces the key. As soon as she jiggles the lock, a crack of thunder breaks the eerie silence in the sky. “That sounds close.” The door opens, and she shuffles inside.
I follow, and the smell of must and pine invade my senses. It’s so bleak outside that the lightning dances past the side window. “It is. I’ve been through a lot of storms with my parents. Listen to me and we’ll be fine.”
Her nod is slow and her hands shake as she grabs the blanket. “Okay. Ben’s going to be furious with me.”
Oh, that’s an understatement, but we have bigger problems. Thunder and lightning bring on a third partner to their party---wind. Not a breeze, or even a gust. John Bivins told me years ago what a bad wind sounds like, and this freight train noise is it.
I close my eyes for a second. Father, help us. Keep us safe. Be with the baby. “Jenna, I’m moving the couch out, and you’re going to bend down behind it.”
The storm increases in strength and volume to the point we’re shouting.
Jenna has tears rolling down her face. “I can’t bend! I’m too big.”
I race over to the couch and move it away from the wall, and then grab her wrist. “You have to try. Now!”
Once she’s safely tucked behind the couch, I jump next to her and roll into a ball. Neither of us speak as the winds whip through the forest. I can’t tell if the cracks are more thunder or trees falling, or both. I reach out for Jenna’s hand and she squeezes so hard I wince, but it’s the right thing to do.
The weather calms in probably twenty minutes, a fragment of light peeks through. I open my eyes and lift my head. Jenna’s entire body shakes.
“It’s okay. The worst is over.” I remove my hand from hers and stand, offering her a lift up.
It takes some maneuvering, but once she’s next to me, she speaks. “Was it a tornado?”
I peek out the window and shake my head. Trees are down all around us. “I think it was a microburst. Feels like a tornado, but the wind goes in a straight line. You can tell by how the trees fall.”
“We need to get out of here.”
I bite my lip as I gaze at the damage. I’m not even sure the door will open. “Let me look around first.” The door opens, a blessing. My eyes zero in on the ATV. The root of a hemlock rests squarely in the middle of our only motorized way out of here. I turn around and head back inside, Jenna’s wide eyes focus on me.
“How bad is it out there?”
I take a deep breath. “It isn’t good. A tree fell on the ATV.”
Bitterness laces her words. “Oh, great. Now we have to walk home.”
“Jenna, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Trees are down everywhere. More will fall. I think we’re safer here.”
She rocks back and forth as she wraps herself in the blanket. “No one knows we’re here.”
I want to fall on the couch and cry. If she wasn’t pregnant, I’d be tempted to eat both the cookies. “We’re in Speculator Falls. People will figure it out fast, it’s not a big place.”
“These woods are.”
I don’t want to debate her, and as I look around to find anything that might help, I see a two way radio. “Hey, I found something.”
I dash over to the table and hold it up for her to see.
She sits up. “This is good. Ben has the other one at work. He has it in case Sara comes here. It’s top of the line. I can increase wattage, so if the trees are interfering with a good signal, I think we can get a boost.”
My breathing starts to even. “Great. Let’s turn it on and let him know we’re okay.” I march to the couch and hand the device to her.
Jenna turns some buttons and knobs, then presses down on the side. “Ben? Ben? I’m at the cabin with Trish. I’m ok.”
She waits and a static-filled response filters through. “Jenna? Cabin? Coming. Wayne.”
We exchange looks, and Jenna pushes the button again. “What? Yes, I’m at the cabin. What about Wayne?”
His answer is faint, but we get the message. “Wayne and I are on the way to the cabin.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Jenna opens up the baggie and hands me a cookie. “Our heroes are on the way.”
My throat’s dry, but I’m not rejecting the treat. “Yours is. Wayne isn’t mine.” Not anymore.
She brushes the crumbs off her grandmother-in-law’s blanket. “Oh, stop. You two will get back together. I can feel it.”
I roll my eyes. “Like you felt the storm coming?”
She tilts her head toward the window. “It’s bad out there, isn’t it?”
There’s no way I’m pointing out that I can still hear trees falling. “It might take the guys a long time to get here. My guess is they will have to chainsaw their way.”
Jenna glances at the clock on the table. “It’s late afternoon. When do you think they will arrive?”
“Tonight.” Maybe.
She struggles to stand and waddles over to the small kitchen area, pulling out a can of deodorizer. “This place smells terrible. If they aren’t going to be meeting us right away, I guess we need to make ourselves at home.”
Great.
The first thing Jenna does to waste time is take out the Bivins/Regan journal. John and Sara Bivins started the tradition when they moved in as newlyweds, writing something every day. Once it became a hunting cabin, guests wrote an entry each visit. I have several entries from high school dates with Ben.
I sit on the couch next to her. “Do you really want to read that?”
Jenna turns a yellowed page without looking at me. “Yes. This is where Ben and I had our first kiss.”
I cough. “It’s also where Ben and I kissed for the first time.”
She scowls and tosses the book on the floor. “What do you suggest we do to pass time? It’s not like we have electricity here. No television. And don’t mention playing cards, because I don’t want to.”
I wra
p my arms around my bended knees. “Let’s talk about your sister and Kyle.”
Jenna reaches behind her back and tosses a crocheted pillow at my face. “Not interested.”
“C’mon. They really seem to like each other. I think Kyle’s changing, Meg, too.”
She picks at the fringe on the blanket. “He hurt Ben deeply. You know the things he’s done.”
A stab of regret pierces my heart. “I do. I’m among the victims, too. You sit in the same church services that preach grace and forgiveness. Can’t you give him a second chance?”
“She’s my only sister. This is the first person she’s dating after college. I’m afraid.”
Another pang. I never enjoyed being an only child. “I’m no expert given my choices and how I can’t make up my mind lately, but God has Meg, and you. He knows all her days. You need to let God take care of her.”
Her laugh sounds sarcastic. “That’s my fear. What if His answer is Kyle stays part of her life?”
I stand and walk to the kitchen in search of some soup cans. At least with a camp stove around I can make some soup for dinner. “Pray.”
Our girl talk continues through a shared can of beef vegetable, and past sunset. Jenna’s eyes have dark circles around them, and mine probably do, too.
I reach for a faded yellow blanket that Ben probably used when he was in elementary school. “It looks like the guys might not get here until morning. You take the couch, and I’ll go up in the loft.”
Jenna sits up. “The loft is so small.”
“It has a single air mattress up there, or at least it used to. I’ll be fine.”
She peeks at the window. “What if a tree falls?”
I shrug. “How about we pray together? I’ll start, and you finish.”
Her eyes close, and I fear she’ll fall asleep. After a slight pause, her bold prayer wafts through the cabin. “Heavenly Father, thank You for Trish and her friendship. We give You praise for keeping us safe, and ask that You continue to. Help Ben and Wayne arrive soon, and keep them from danger. In Christ’s name, Amen.”
“Thank You, God, for knowing what’s best for us. We trust You with our trip home. The timing, and transportation. Keep Jenna and the baby safe. Help Wayne and Ben. Give Meg and Kyle Your wisdom and understanding. May Your hand be on everyone in Speculator Falls. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”
Engaged: Surrendering the Future (Surrendering Time Book 3) Page 15