A Message for Julia

by Angel Smits

  Oscar Hudson, the town’s only mailman, drove up just then and Linc went to the curb to accept the stack of envelopes. One of the benefits of living in a small town was that everyone had the same mailman and knew him on a first-name basis. He also knew all of them.

  “Having a party?” Oscar smiled as he craned his neck in curiosity.

  “Something like that.” Linc headed back to the porch, sorting through the stack. A postcard caught his eye. Arizona. The bright blue sky above stark red cliffs was beautiful. Jace’s now-familiar scrawl wrote a few lines across the back. Jace had promised to stay in touch and this was his way of keeping his word.

  The postcards that arrived every few days were a brand-new start.

  The sound of a car engine distracted Linc from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Gabe and Shirley arriving, their arms laden with food they weren’t supposed to bring. Linc shoved the envelopes into his back pocket and took a casserole from Shirley. She never arrived without a dish of one kind or another, so why he’d expected today to be different, he didn’t know.

  Robert’s SUV pulled up to the curb. He hustled around to open the door for Mamie. The tiny, white-haired woman was dwarfed by the truck, but Robert easily lifted her and set her down. With a practiced hand, he unfolded her walker. Linc met her at the end of the walk and accompanied her while Robert parked the truck.

  They’d just settled Mamie in the recliner by the fire when Zach, Tricia and Casey arrived together. The twelve-pack in Zach’s arms nearly made Linc laugh out loud.

  Casey hobbled in, his crutches now well-worn. He’d been fitted with his temporary prosthesis and was still unsteady. But it was good to see him standing, nonetheless.

  Finally, for the first time since the fifty-four hours they’d spent underground, they were all together.

  Linc hesitated, suddenly nervous. He sought refuge with Julia in the kitchen. As she turned from stirring the spaghetti sauce, he slipped his arms around her. She fitted so well in his embrace, and eagerly leaned against him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.

  “Nothing. Just be here for a minute.”

  “I’m here for always.” She snuggled in closer.

  “Hey, you two, cut it out,” Gabe called from the other room, as if he knew exactly what was going on.

  Linc’s laughter was infectious, and Julia rejoiced in the fact that she’d heard it more in the past few months than in years before. As he left the kitchen, she noticed the letters in his back pocket and playfully yanked them out. Out of habit, she flipped through them, knowing he’d already seen the postcard from Jace.

  They were all pristine and dry. Unlike the letter she’d found in Linc’s pocket at the hospital. He’d written her a goodbye letter while he was underground and had tried to save it in a plastic sandwich bag. It had gotten wet despite his efforts and only a few snatches survived. The rest were blurs of ink. Still, she’d treasure it. A tangible reminder of what he’d survived and that he loved her.

  These envelopes were nothing more than the usual credit-card offers, a couple of bills, a flyer advertising mining equipment and a business letter. She absently glanced at the return address. Fielding Fertility Clinic. Her heart stopped. What’s this?

  She tossed the rest of the stack on the table, the intriguing white envelope still in her hand. She followed Linc to the living room and stopped in the doorway. He was talking to Robert and both men were frowning. Linc looked up then and met her gaze.

  Still frowning, he said a couple of words to Robert, then headed toward her. “What’s up?”

  His eyes searched her face, and she knew her emotions were clear in her expression. He saw the envelope in her hand and took it.

  She saw him swallow hard before looking at her again.

  “I don’t think now—”

  She put her hand on his arm. “Please.” She backed into the kitchen and he followed.

  After the rescue, she and Linc had talked and for a week at the cabin, they’d talked more. For the first time, they’d listened to each other and now understood. They hadn’t made any concrete plans for a family, but they’d agreed to keep trying—and hoping.

  “I saw Dr. Fielding a couple of weeks ago,” he admitted.

  “Is that…test results?”

  “I already know what they are,” Linc admitted. “He called yesterday. That’s just the formal report.”

  Julia couldn’t ask because her throat had closed up. They were only a few inches apart, speaking softly, and she was sure he could hear her heart beating in her chest.

  “My sperm count’s low. But there are some…things we can do.”

  “Do?”

  “To make a baby?”

  She tried to read his expression but was having enough trouble figuring out her own. Fear and excitement kept getting in the way. “You’d do that?”

  “Yeah.” He reached up and caught her chin with his hand. “I want a baby.”

  She swallowed hard. “And I’m okay with whatever happens,” she said. Her heart pounded, reminding her of old wishes, old hurts. She slid her arms around him and he held her tight, finally kissing her.

  Hoots and hollers broke them apart yet again, but not before he whispered, “We can still try the old-fashioned way, too.”

  He pulled away with a wink that had her face burning. She knew that if all these people hadn’t been here, he’d have carried through with that promise. Right here. Right now.

  The front door banged, and she heard her father greet their guests. Julia knew her mother would be right behind him.

  “Everyone’s here now,” Linc said from the doorway, and she turned around to see him grinning at her.

  “Is it time to let your secret out?” she asked.

  Linc nodded. Julia had been supportive, but even she didn’t know what he had in mind. She’d gone along with all his plans for tonight, no questions asked, though she’d been dying to know.

  With a deep breath, he stepped forward and grasped her shoulders, guiding her into the living room.

  “Sit here.” He set Julia on the arm of Mamie’s recliner.

  “I need to check—”

  “This won’t take long.” Linc returned to the kitchen and she heard the fridge open. Everyone in the room shared curious glances. What was he up to?

  Julia looked down at Mamie. The older woman laughed and shrugged. Finally, Linc returned. In one hand, he held the basket she kept by the sink for her linens. He’d stacked it with wineglasses. In his other hand was the twelve-pack Zach had brought and under his arm was the bottle of champagne.

  “Gabe, if you’d do the honors.” Linc handed Gabe the champagne. Julia watched as Linc proceeded around the room and gave each man a beer. She laughed. The men weren’t having any of this “sissy” drink as Linc called champagne.

  “What are you up to, buddy?” Robert grinned. He really was a handsome man, with his muscular shoulders and salt-and-pepper hair. He should smile more often, Julia realized.

  “You’ll see,” was all Linc said. He stopped when he got to Ryan and Missy and with a grin he handed them each a soda. Ryan grumbled in disappointment as Missy punched his arm.

  Finally, everyone had a drink in hand. Even Mamie consented to a small glass of champagne. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

  “Be careful, Mom,” Robert teased. “I wouldn’t want to have to answer to the staff at the facility if you get drunk.”

  Everyone laughed. Finally, Linc managed to plant himself at the center of the group. Julia felt her heart gallop in her chest.

  He’d never looked more excited or handsome—or so alive. She sent up a prayer of thanks for letting her keep him—and for all the other wonderful people in this room.

  “So much has happened since last April. I know that only you, Robert, have been able to go back underground.” The sacrifice had been difficult for them all. Mike and Rachel were the hardest hit, but Casey with his medical bills was a close second. Julia knew it had kept Linc aw
ake nights worrying about these men he’d grown so close to.

  “Today, I have an offer for you all. Including you, Robert.”

  “What?” several of them asked at once.

  Linc simply grinned. “As of today, I’m the CEO and owner of Seven Bells Consulting.” He looked over at his father-in-law who raised his beer in silent salute. What were they up to?

  “My father-in-law, Raymond Alton, has offered to finance this operation. The information Robert just told me only strengthens our position. Those ceiling pins were intentionally removed. That’s what caused the cave-in.”

  A collective gasp went up.

  Robert broke the pained silence. “No one was trying to hurt us. They just got a little overzealous. The team ahead of us didn’t think anyone would follow. They moved the pins to the next section, trying to cut costs.”

  Linc nodded. “That’s where we come in. Seven Bells will train miners to protect themselves, as well as to be more aware of what’s going on. Then maybe they won’t remove equipment without thinking about the consequences, and if anyone else is trapped, they’ll know how to survive.”

  The applause surprised him. When they finally quieted, he spoke again. “You all have jobs if you want them, except you.” He aimed the neck of his beer at Ryan. “You’re going to college first.” Ryan ducked his head and smiled as Missy hugged him.

  Julia raised her own glass. None of the women spoke, but the tears were eloquent enough. They drank a silent toast to themselves for surviving and to the men who were here and alive with them.

  Then Linc circled the room. In a toast to friendship and survival, he clinked his own beer bottle against that of each man who’d survived with him. Like the seven taps they’d spent hours banging on that pipe, the glass pinged in the crowded room.

  When he’d finished making the circuit, Linc returned to Julia’s side and raised his beer. “May we never hear that sound again.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7648-6

  A MESSAGE FOR JULIA

  Copyright © 2010 by Angel Smits

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