Penny answered after a few rings. "Hello?"
"Hi, Penny," Carly said shakily, her stomach doing a flip-flop.
"Carly! How are you? We were worried about you when you didn't show up this morning!"
"I'm sorry, I was going to call earlier, but I couldn't make it. I had a pretty hard time making it to the bathroom," she said, holding her head up with her hand.
"You've got the flu," Penny said matter-of-factly. "I knew it when you didn't make it this morning. Oh, honey, do you need anything?" she asked kindly.
"No, I'll be fine," she said quickly, not wanting to put Penny out. "The phone was ringing, so I thought it might be Joe."
"No, Joe and Tom are gone. I thought they were coming into town to check on you. Are you sure you don't need me to come help you?" Penny asked, concerned.
"I'll be all right. I'm going to let you go now. I've got a date with the bathroom," Carly said miserably, clutching her stomach.
"Good-bye! Hurry!" Penny said quickly so Carly could leave. Slamming the phone down, Carly rushed as fast as she could to the bathroom at the back of the store. She wasn't a minute too soon.
She was shuffling out of the bathroom when she heard a knock on the door. Cautiously, she peered around the corner to see who it was.
Joe. Her knees buckling and wobbly, she walked as quickly as she could to unlock the door and let him in.
"Carly!" he said anxiously, peering at her face. "You look terrible! Here, let me help you up to your apartment." He gently took her arm and led her upstairs and into her bed. He tucked her in and took a look around.
"This is the first time I've ever been up here," he said quietly, trying not to disturb her. "It is pretty small, but I think I could handle it for a little while," he said, grinning.
Carly moaned, drawing her legs up to her chin to get more comfortable. "Yeah right. There's no way you could handle this," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too," he said, sitting next to the bed, brushing her hair away from her face. "We kind of figured you were sick when you didn't show up this morning, so Dad brought me into town. Dad! I forgot he was waiting! I'll be right back," he said, jumping up and hurrying downstairs to let his dad know she was all right. He was back up in a few minutes, breathing hard as if he had run all the way.
"He's going to do some things in town for a little while, then he's going to come back by and pick me up, so I don't know how long I'll be here," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting beside the bed.
"Thanks," Carly said quietly, rocking slightly on her side to ease her pain. "How are you feeling?"
He grinned. "A lot better than you by the looks of it."
"You know, if we ever get married, you don't have to share your illnesses."
"If? What do you mean 'if we get married'?" Joe asked, his eyes wide. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" He glared at her.
"Yes," Carly said, smiling faintly.
"You're lucky you're sick, or I'd get you back for that one," he said saucily.
"Oh really? And what do you think you'd do to me?" she asked faintly, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I'd kidnap you and take you to the pastor's house and get married right away." He laughed. Carly moaned. "Can I get you something?" He asked anxiously, ready to do whatever was helpful.
"I think…never mind," Carly said hastily, jumping up and running to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Carly," Joe said through the closed door, trying to ignore the sounds coming from inside. "How can I help you if you shut the door? Come on, let me in. I can handle it."
"No way," Carly said weakly. "You're not supposed to see me like this until after we're married."
"Okay, I'll shut my eyes then. Come on, let me in," he coaxed, leaning on the door.
"Nope. You'll have to wait," she said, flushing the toilet.
"Are you okay?" he asked, listening for her to be finished. "Carly?"
She sat on the floor for a moment, too miserable and weak to move.
"Are you all right?" Joe asked, wiggling the doorknob impatiently. "Can I come in?"
"Yes." She sniffled, wiping her face with a cool washcloth. She leaned her head against the wall.
"Come on," Joe said, taking her arm and supporting her back to her bed. He helped her lie down, tucking the blankets in around her.
"Thank you," she said softly, trying to smile at him. He sat down next to her, smoothing her hair away from her face. "What are you going to do now?" she asked, curious to see how he would handle the tiny space. He fidgeted a moment before answering.
"Well." He hesitated. "I thought I'd just sit with you until Dad came back for me. Unless you needed me to stay with you longer." He looked around, stood up and went to the window, peered outside, shuffled back to his seat and sat down. "Honestly, I really don't know what to do now that I'm here." He grinned sheepishly. "What did you do while you were sitting with me?"
"I fell asleep." She smiled thinly, enjoying his discomfort. "Admit it. This place would drive you batty in fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes?" he asked in mock indignation. "At least give me the benefit of the doubt. Make it twenty." He grinned and took her hand in his. "But if I could marry you right now, I'd make myself endure this place." He rubbed her fingers tenderly. "Why don't you go ahead and go to sleep. I'll wake you up when Dad gets back."
"And miss seeing you so uncomfortable? No way, buddy. I'm enjoying this."
He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. "You're rotten, you know that?"
"Hey, I'm good at it; what can I say? Are you hungry? You'll find some fruit in the kitchen if you want any. Just help yourself."
"I am getting a little hungry. Do you think you could tell me the way? This place is so huge I might get lost," he said as he walked to the kitchen and helped himself to an apple. "I'd ask if you wanted anything, but I'd be afraid that I'd have to clean it all back up!"
"Ha ha." Carly groaned, trying to glare at him. "What are you going to do today?"
"I think Dad and I were going over to the city to pick up some things for the house, but he might have changed his mind. It's pretty cold out today, so I don't know if he'd want to help me work on it. If we go, is there anything that you might need me to pick up for you?" he asked as he walked over to the window to check for Tom.
"Can't think of anything."
He sat back down next to her, petting her forehead. "I guess Kelly's pretty sick too," he said, trying to take her mind off her stomach. "Mom called her this morning, and her aunt told her about it. Is that the phone?" he asked, surprised. He stood up to go answer it.
"Don't answer it, Joe. The only phone calls I've been getting have been from Ian, and I have no desire to talk to him."
He stopped at the door to look at her. "Maybe I should answer it then," he said heatedly, opening the door and taking the steps two at a time.
Carly struggled to get out of bed to follow him, praying he wouldn't make things worse than what they already were.
"Who is this?" she heard him ask as she came to the bottom of the stairs. "Ian, she doesn't want to talk to you, so just let her alone."
Silence.
Carly stood next to him now, watching his face anxiously. "Oh really? Well, I don't think that's going to happen. Thanks for calling." He hung up quickly, his face red with anger.
"Well?" Carly asked nervously. "What did he have to say?" He stared at her blankly as if he didn't see her. "Joe?" She shook his arm.
"What?" he asked, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "What are you doing out of bed?" He took her arm as if to help her back upstairs, but she shook it off.
"What did he say?" she said, extremely agitated.
"He said a lot of things," he answered evasively, trying to help her back upstairs.
"I'm not going back up there until you tell me what he said," she said, crossing her arms. "Just tell me."
"Well, he knew that you're sick, that
I was here, and that he really wanted to talk to me." He stared at her oddly for a second. "He said that you told him that our wedding was off and you two had patched things up. He also said that you knew now that I couldn't ever give you the things he could or take you the places he could and that you didn't think you could live on a farm with a hick like me."
"Do you believe him?" she asked weakly, her face pale.
"Should I?" he asked, looking at her squarely.
"No." She groaned, afraid that he wouldn't believe her. "He's just trying to break us up and make you think that I don't love you." She looked at him helplessly. "Please, Joe. You've got to believe me." Weakly, she put her hands on his chest, desperate to know what he was thinking.
He pulled her gently into his arms. "Will you do me a favor?" he asked, gazing down at her. She nodded. "Don't answer this phone anymore. Don't even call out on it. I want him to wonder if you're gone, okay? Will you promise that?"
"Okay," she said shakily. "But…"
He put his finger over her mouth, hushing her. "I'll take care of it," he said quietly, hugging her. "I'll buy you a cell phone when I'm in the city today. That's the only phone I want you to use for now, okay?"
"Joe, I can't ask you to do that for me. It's not right."
"For what? Taking care of you? You better get used to it, dear. That's my job now, and I'm going to do the best I can."
"Joe," she began.
"I'm not going to change my mind, so you might as well get used to the idea. You already promised, remember?" he said, teasing her.
"What did I promise?" she asked innocently. "I don't remember a thing. It must have been the flu talking."
He led her toward the stairs to her apartment. "Yes you do and you know it. You might as well get used to it."
"I know. I just don't feel right letting you do this. Are you sure it's the right thing to do?" she asked, stopping stubbornly in front of the stairs.
"Would you rather keep getting phone calls and take a chance that it might be Ian, or would you like to know exactly who is calling?"
"There's your dad," Carly said, interrupting him. She walked with him to the front door.
"Don't try to change the subject, girl," he said, allowing her to lead him. "And you're not really 'letting' me do anything. If I remember correctly, you're arguing with me as much as you possibly can." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Now, get back upstairs. You're burning up."
"Tell your parents I said hi. Thanks for coming by," she called weakly as he walked out the door. She locked the door behind him, waved good-bye, and shuffled back upstairs, feeling better just because he had been there with her.
"Well, did I give you enough time?" Tom asked jovially, waving to Carly as Joe shut the door behind him. "How's she doing?"
"Yeah, you gave me enough time. She's pretty sick, but she's handling it well. She doesn't complain and cry, but I can tell she's not doing too well. Thanks for stopping by today," Joe said, preoccupied with his thoughts.
"You're welcome," Tom replied. He glanced at Joe. "Everything okay? You seem a little worried over there."
"Are we going to Billings today?" Joe asked suddenly, taking Tom by surprise.
"I thought we were heading that way, unless you've changed your mind."
"No, I really need to go. I've got to make a stop at the mall though if you don't mind."
"Sure," Tom said simply, knowing Joe would tell him what was bothering him when he was ready. It wasn't long.
"She got a phone call today," Joe began a few minutes later, looking out at the frozen world. Tom looked at him in surprise. He hadn't expected that to be the problem. "It was Ian. He said that he wanted to talk to me, not Carly." He turned his attention to Tom. "Dad, he knew I was there. He knew that you dropped me off and that Carly was sick. How does he know so much?"
"Sounds to me like he's either having her watched, or he's here in town."
"I thought the same thing. He told me that they had patched things up and gotten back together, but she just hadn't told me yet," he said glumly, looking out his window again. "And that I could never afford to give her everything she wanted."
Tom let out a low whistle. "So that's what's bothering you. Well, that might be partly true."
Joe looked at him in surprise, a scowl firmly in place. "You think they got back together?"
"No, I don't think she's like that. She loves you, and she's very happy with you. What I meant was that I don't think you'll be able to give her everything that he could. Did you tell Carly what Ian had to say?"
He looked uncomfortable for a moment before answering. "I didn't tell her exactly what he said, no."
"Why not?" Tom asked gently, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.
Joe turned his attention back to the window. "I was afraid of her answer."
"You were afraid that she was going to tell you that everything was all over?" Joe nodded silently. "Why do you think she'd go back to a guy that beat her and controlled her every movement? Do you think she liked that kind of attention?"
"No," he answered after a slight pause. "I'm afraid that it's just too good to be true."
"What's too good to be true? Your relationship with Carly? Do you think that God, the Creator of the universe can't make a woman that will love you with all her heart? Do you think that God can't make a woman that's happier with her soul mate than with material things that the world has to offer?" Tom asked kindly.
Joe was silent.
"Joe, when Amy treated you the way she did, she hurt you so deeply that you seem to think that all women are like her. That's just not true."
Tom glanced sideways at him and clapped him on the shoulder.
"You've got to let Amy go. Get her out of your mind. Forget her and ask God to help you trust Carly and give you two the best marriage possible. He can do it, but you've got to ask first. Just look at your mother and me. We weren't always as happy as we are now. In fact, we were headed for a divorce, but then we got saved and gave it all to God. He turned everything around and did a better job than I ever thought possible. Now I couldn't live without your mother, and she feels the same about me. We're best friends. God's just waiting for you to ask and believe him, but you have to make that choice first."
"I never knew you and mom had marital problems," Joe said softly, looking at him. "You both always seemed so happy together."
"Every marriage has problems; it's just how those problems are dealt with. If you try to take care of everything on your own, you're going to lose. You've got to give it to God and ask him to help you both be who he wants you to be. I wasn't always worried about being a good husband, in fact, I was pretty selfish. But after I got saved, there was a big difference in the way I handled things and in who I was, but I still had to give all my problems to him. Just because I got saved, all my difficulties didn't just magically disappear. In fact, some of them got worse."
Tom smiled ruefully at the memories. "Not everyone was happy that we got saved. Most of your mom's family accused us of becoming 'Jesus freaks,' and my parents weren't too happy about it either, but when they saw the difference in our lives, they wanted to know more about God. They both received Jesus as their Savior before they died."
"I'm afraid," Joe said honestly. "Amy was sneaky at the beginning of our relationship, and I don't want to make the same mistake."
"Do you think Carly's not afraid of you?" Tom asked simply. "She's been through quite a bit with this guy Ian. He's treated her very badly, and she's probably wondering if you're going to end up like him. But she seems to be willing to take that chance. She knows that God can and will take care of everything. Now it's your turn."
"I never thought of it that way," Joe said thoughtfully. "You're right. I love her too much not to trust her."
Tom smiled. "It'll make your marriage a whole lot better too."
Chapter 23
"Carly!" Joe shouted desperately, shaking her vigorously as she lay motionless on the bathroom floor. "Ca
rly! Can you hear me? Wake up!"
He tried to pick her up and carry her to her bed, but she was too heavy. No matter how much he strained, he couldn't seem to even lift her arm. What was wrong with her?
He looked around wildly at the apartment, noticing for the first time that it wasn't the same neat and tidy apartment he had left earlier. This place was trashed. The refrigerator door hung on one hinge, the oven door was cracked, and the kitchen table had been broken in two. The door to the apartment looked as if someone had kicked it in. Why hadn't he noticed that when he came in?
"What happened in here?" he asked, still trying to shake her awake. Frantically he felt for a pulse. Not finding one, he ran downstairs looking for the telephone. Someone had ripped it off the wall, leaving just a wire hanging where it should have been.
Why hadn't he brought the cell phone to her earlier? Why had he waited? He ran to Sam's office, hoping to find a phone in there. It too had been smashed into tiny pieces. He had to get help for her, but everything seemed to go in slow motion. He couldn't run fast enough, he couldn't find a phone, he couldn't help Carly. What was wrong?
"Joe!" Todd said loudly, shaking him awake. "Joe! Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"
Joe sat up, scanning the room for Carly's lifeless body. Instead, he saw his own disheveled room, the blankets and sheets strewn on the floor, his pillow beside them.
"What? What are you doing in here?" he asked dazedly, still trying to get his bearings.
"You were having a nightmare," Todd said shakily. "You were hollering and yelling, nearly scared me to death. I'm surprised Mom and Dad didn't hear you." Todd sat down next to him. "What was it about?"
"Carly was dead." Joe shuddered involuntarily. "Her apartment was all tore up like someone had broken in. I've never been so glad to be awake before," he said thankfully. "What time is it?"
"Twelve thirty," Todd said. "Sounds like a pretty bad dream. You okay?"
"Yeah," he said quietly, rubbing his eyes. "I hope she's okay."
"It was just a dream. She's fine; you'll see. Try to get back to sleep," Todd said, getting up to go back to bed.
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