The Price of Trust

by Amanda Stephan

  "Todd," Joe said before he left. "Do you believe that dreams have meanings?"

  "Well," he said thoughtfully. "I suppose I do. When I dream about food, I'm hungry."

  "I'm serious. Do you think that something bad could have happened to her tonight?"

  "You just had a bad dream. She's fine, just go back to sleep. Good night," he said from across the hall.

  "Sorry I woke you up," Joe said, unable to shake the helplessness he felt.

  He lay back in bed and tried to relax. He tossed and turned, plumped up his pillow, willing himself to think of something else.

  Nothing worked. He was wide awake. He got up and went downstairs into the dark kitchen, leaving the lights off so he wouldn't disturb his parents. He helped himself to some milk and sat down at the table, allowing himself to think about the nightmare he'd had. Was it a sign? Was God trying to tell him something? Was Carly in some danger? Worry gnawed at him. Doing the only thing he could, he lay his head down in his arms and prayed.

  Lord, I don't know if this dream means anything, but I feel a strange uneasiness. I'm afraid for Carly. Will you please keep her safe and let me know what I can do to protect her? I love her so much Lord. I don't want to lose her. Please keep her safe.

  He fell asleep, the unfinished prayer dying on his lips, his milk untouched. But God is faithful, even to the unfinished prayers of his people.

  "Why in the world are you sleeping at the table instead of in your bed?" Tom said loudly the next morning, scaring the wits out of Joe and making him jump. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the kitchen clock.

  "Is it really five forty-five?" he asked groggily. "I didn't think I fell asleep."

  "I guess you did." Tom laughed. "What, were you afraid we would eat breakfast without you?" He slapped him on the shoulder and started some coffee. Soon, the welcoming aroma filtered through the air.

  Joe inhaled deeply. "No." Joe grinned, feeling a little foolish. "I had a nightmare." He stood up and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in his back and neck.

  "A nightmare? Oh I know. You were dreaming about all the outrageous cell phone bills you're going to receive." He winked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Want some?" he asked, offering a cup to Joe.

  "Not yet." He smiled, thankful for the peace God had given him. "I'm just a little anxious for Carly, that's all. I'm going to run up and get ready to do my chores," he said as he trotted up the stairs to his room, passing Todd, who was just coming into the kitchen.

  "Joe's up early," he remarked, opening the refrigerator door and helping himself to a glass of orange juice. "I thought he'd sleep in this morning." He took a big swallow.

  "Yeah, I heard," Tom said thoughtfully, sitting at the table. "I guess he had some sort of nightmare."

  Todd sat down across from him. "That's an understatement. I had to go in and wake him up. I'm surprised you and mom didn't hear him. He was loud. Kicking and yelling. About scared me to death. He dreamed that Carly was dead. It was pretty weird." He took another swallow of his orange juice, emptying his glass and pouring more.

  "That doesn't sound too good. Did he tell you anything else?"

  "Just that someone broke into her apartment and trashed it," he said simply. "But I was too tired to talk much about it, so I told him she was fine and that he needed to go back to sleep. Why?"

  "Yesterday, when he was at Carly's place, that Ian guy called and talked to him. I think it shook him up more than I thought."

  "Ian called and talked to Joe? Why?" Todd asked, dumbfounded.

  "I guess to try and cause problems is all I can figure. He succeeded too. He seemed to know an awful lot about what goes on with Carly. I don't know if he's having her watched or not, but Joe's afraid that she won't be safe where she's at."

  "I don't blame him," Todd said uneasily. "What's he going to do?"

  "I don't know. I haven't got that far," Joe answered from the doorway. Tom and Todd looked at each other, embarrassed. Joe poured himself some coffee and sat at the table with them. "What do you two think I should do?"

  "Do you think he's here?" Todd asked.

  "No. If he were in town, he would have caused a lot more problems than he has. I think he's having her watched." Joe took a cautious sip of the hot liquid.

  "Well, if he's not here, you don't have much to worry about. I'd worry when he was here, if he even comes out this way. I think he's just trying to scare you and Carly. He's all hot air," Todd said confidently, leaning his chair back on two legs.

  "I don't know," Tom shook his head. "I think you're right to be concerned. This guy knows too much to just be hot air. If he wasn't interested in her anymore, he wouldn't have her watched. No, I think he's a threat. Maybe you two should get married right away."

  Joe shook his head, discouraged. "She doesn't want to get married without having a place to stay. I thought I could stay at her place for a little while, but to be honest, it would drive me crazy. Anyway, she'd be left alone in town while I came out to work on the house. I need to get more of that house done so we can get married and move in, then he won't know where she is."

  "Why is this guy so obsessed? I'm not trying to be mean or anything"—Todd looked apologetically at Joe—"but she isn't the only woman in the world. I'm sure he could find another woman, especially one that likes his money."

  "That's probably why he wants her so bad," Tom interjected. "Carly's the only one that doesn't want him, and that bothers him. It's like a hunt. It's not necessarily that he loves her; it's just that she got away. In fact, if she would have stayed and married him, they would probably be divorced right now. Sounds to me like nobody's ever said no to him before."

  "That's pretty much what Carly said," Joe said, finishing his coffee. "He doesn't like to lose. She's pretty sure that he's got another girlfriend, but he just won't give her up and leave her alone."

  "So that's it then. Your plan is to just work on the house," Todd said flatly, looking him squarely in the face.

  Joe set his mouth in a grim line. "No, I'm going to work my butt off on that house. She said she'd marry me when the bedroom, bathroom, and part of the kitchen were done, so that's where I'm concentrating."

  "I'll help," Tom said, standing up and taking his coffee mug to the sink. "I'm ready whenever you are."

  "I'll help as much as I can too," Todd said. "As much as you've helped me get my place ready, I figure I owe you at least an hour's worth of work." He laughed as Joe punched him in the arm.

  Joe swallowed the lump that was in his throat and grinned.

  "Thanks. I appreciate it."

  "Dad, I'm finished! I'm going to run into town to check on Carly," Joe said, wiping his hands on his overalls when the chores were finished. "Do you need anything?"

  Tom glanced up from the horse he was brushing. "I don't, but you might want to check to see if your mom does. Drive careful, the roads are pretty slick."

  "I will," he said, heading out the door.

  "Joe!" Todd said, following close behind him. "Can I hitch a ride with you so I can see how Kelly's doing?"

  "Sure, just be quick," he said shortly, trying to hurry. As much as he tried to hide it, he was still pretty worried about Carly and could hardly wait to see her.

  "I will," Todd said, hurrying to his room to change his clothes.

  Joe hung up his overalls, washed his face and hands, put on his baseball cap, and waited impatiently for Todd to reappear.

  "Hi, Mom," he said, sitting down at the table. "I'm going into town today, so if you need anything, let me know."

  "I can't think of anything really. Well—oh, never mind. Are you going to eat lunch here, or in town?" she asked kindly, busy about the kitchen.

  "I was thinking about eating in town, but I don't know now. Todd's coming along, so I don't know what he had planned." He drummed his fingers on the table.

  "We'll eat in town," Todd said quickly, coming into the kitchen and grabbing his coat. "See you later, Mom." He kissed her on the cheek and followed Joe
out the door.

  "Bye!" Joe said before Todd shut the door.

  They rode into town in silence, Joe preoccupied with his worries, and Todd was unwilling to interrupt.

  "Do you want me to drop you off at Kelly's?" Joe asked edgily. He wasn't sure which he wanted to do first. He really was anxious about Carly, but he also knew that Todd wanted to see Kelly.

  "I'll go with you," Todd said simply. "If she's feeling better, we can all go to get Kelly and then to lunch, if that's okay with you."

  "Sounds good," Joe said, grateful for Todd's concern and loyalty. He pulled into a parking space and turned off the truck. He grabbed the cell phone he had bought for her and climbed out of the cab. Todd got out on his side, ready for anything that Joe might need him to do. Joe knocked on the door and peered inside, covering his forehead to cut the glare on the glass. Irritated, he knocked on the door a little harder.

  "I will be so glad when we don't have to do this anymore," he said crossly as Todd took a step back to look up at her window.

  "Carly," he called, cupping his mouth. Looking at Joe, he said, "Maybe she's still sick and can't hear us."

  Joe's face was gray with worry and frustration. He walked around to the back of the store to check the back door. Locked. He banged on the back door, knowing that would get her attention if she were able to hear him. After a few minutes, he walked back to the front where Todd was continuing to knock.

  "Nothing?" Todd asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. Joe shook his head grimly, getting back inside the truck.

  "I think I'll take you over to Kelly's now." Starting the truck, he backed out and turned toward Kelly’s place, throwing slush and muck up like a rooster’s tail behind them.

  They were just passing Sam and Sue's house when Joe had an idea. Hastily, he pulled into their driveway, put the truck in park, and jumped out before Todd could ask what he was doing.

  He stalked up to the side door and knocked. Almost immediately the door opened and Carly walked out, wrapped in her heavy winter coat. Todd breathed a sigh of relief. Without a word, Joe grabbed her hand and pulled her into the truck, placing her between him and Todd.

  "Hi, Todd," Carly said, a bewildered look on her face. She looked at him questioningly. He shrugged, not wanting any part of the situation.

  "What's wrong, Joe?" she asked, turning to look at him.

  He didn't answer.

  "Joe!" she said, tugging a hand away from the steering wheel as he drove over to Kelly's place. Still no answer. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes," he answered evenly, not looking away from the road.

  "Okay," Carly said uneasily. "So how are you today, Todd?" she asked, her voice catching.

  "I'm good," he said kindly, wishing to ease the tension in the truck. "How are you feeling?"

  "Better," she said quietly as they pulled into Kelly's driveway. Joe turned off the truck.

  "Uh, I'll go on in and check on Kelly if you don't mind," Todd said, already out the door, closing it hastily.

  They sat in silence, unsure of what to say. Carly sighed and scooted over to Todd's side, opening the door.

  "Where are you going?" Joe asked roughly, grabbing her arm. She pulled her arm away from him.

  "I'm going to see Kelly."

  "You can stay with me," he said hotly, grabbing her arm again and pulling her to him tightly.

  Angrily, she resisted and tried to pull away from him. "Joe, let me go!" she said furiously, straining against him. "You're hurting me!" Immediately he relaxed his grip on her, giving her enough room to breathe but not letting go of her entirely. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, her face red with anger.

  "What's wrong with you? You can't stand to be with me now, is that it?" he said bitterly, letting go of her completely.

  She sat next to him in stunned silence. "What are you talking about?" she asked, all the anger gone out of her. "What is bothering you?"

  Silently, Joe looked out the window. Gently, she put her hand on his arm. "Joe, what is it?" She leaned over to look at him, trying to catch his gaze.

  "Are you going to stay with me even though I can't afford to buy you everything?" he said suddenly, taking her by surprise. All the jealousy and anger and helplessness he had felt came rushing out in a torrent of emotion.

  "Joe, what did Ian say to you yesterday on the phone?" Carly asked gently, turning his face toward her. "Did he tell you that I wouldn't be happy with you?" He nodded, unwilling to talk. "You don't need to be afraid. You can give me everything I've ever wanted. I love you with every fiber of my being. Other than Jesus, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't ever want to lose you." She kissed him. He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly.

  "Are you okay now?" she asked quietly, stroking his face tenderly.

  "Yes," he said, still holding her close. He kissed her palm.

  She grinned, pulling away slightly. "Good, because you really had me worried!"

  "Worried? Do you want to talk about worried?" he said, looking at her warmly, pushing some hair out of her face.

  "Well, where should I start?" he asked, grimacing. He proceeded to tell her all that had happened to him the night before, starting with his conversation with Ian and finishing with the panic that had overtaken him when she didn't answer her door. "That's about it. How was your day?"

  "Better than yours." She smiled regretfully. "I'm sorry that you couldn't find me, but I didn't think you'd be in town. I thought for sure that you'd still be doing your work."

  "Can we come out now, or are you two still fighting?" Todd asked, opening the door and leaning inside the truck.

  "Fighting?" they both said innocently."We don't know what you're talking about," Joe said, his arm snugly around Carly's shoulders.

  "Good. We're hungry," Todd said, motioning toward Kelly, who was waiting patiently at the front of the truck. Kelly climbed in behind Carly, giving her an awkward hug and smiling from ear to ear, Todd getting in beside her.

  "Ready?" Joe asked happily, pulling out of the driveway.

  "I sure am glad you two made up. I wouldn't want to ride home with Joe if you hadn't worked everything out," Todd said, leaning forward to glance at his brother. Joe laughed, unruffled.

  "It's good to have a little fight before you get married," Kelly said, smiling wickedly at Todd.

  He frowned. "No way! I don't like fights, so don't pick any."

  Carly laughed, snuggling closer to Joe. "But it keeps things in perspective!"

  They talked amiably on the way to the diner, halting only to find a seat together.

  "I hear congratulations are in order for both of you!" Sandy said loudly as she came to take their orders. "When y'all getting married?"

  Carly and Kelly looked at each other and giggled, unsure of how the men would answer.

  "We haven't picked a date yet," Joe said finally, trying to stall for time. Todd laughed. "How about you, Todd?" he asked, putting Todd on the hot seat.

  Todd turned red. "I'm not really sure either."

  "You mean to tell me that you're engaged and you don't even have a date picked out yet?" She laughed brashly, causing quite a few of the customers to turn around and stare. "I wouldn't let them get away with that if I were you two," she said to the girls, who were trying heroically to hide their faces in their menus, not coming out until she had gone to get their drinks.

  "That was embarrassing," Todd said, his face still pink.

  "Are you embarrassed about getting married to me?" Kelly asked petulantly, winking at Carly. "I see how it is. I'm supposed to be your little lap dog now, is that it?" She turned away, lifting her chin toward the ceiling. Carly giggled while Joe pretended not to hear a word.

  "What are you talking about?" Todd asked, trying unsuccessfully to get her to look at him. "Did I say I wanted a lap dog?"

  She ignored him.

  "If you hold your nose a little higher, you'll scrape the ceiling." Nothing.

  "Kelly," he whispered, nudging her in the sid
e. Kelly continued to ignore him, perusing her menu with dedication.

  "Do you see what you got me into?" he asked, frustrated. "If you two wouldn't have been fussing, she wouldn't think it was all right to fuss with me now. Kelly," he took her hand in his. "I'm not embarrassed of you. I was embarrassed that she was being so loud."

  "Okay," Kelly said happily, grinning. "That's all the fussing I want to do."

  "Praise the Lord," he said morosely as Sandy brought their drinks. She took their food orders without further embarrassment, and they went back to their playful banter.

  "Hey, Sandy," a gruff voice called, the door jangling open. "Got anything good to eat here?" Randy Pruitt said as he, Billy, and their father came inside. Randy and his dad guffawed as if that were the funniest thing in the whole world, Billy standing quietly beside them, his eyes riveted on Joe and Carly.

  "Wassa matter wit you?" Randy said, elbowing him in the side.

  Carly looked up, catching Billy's intense gaze. She smiled and waved at him, trying to be friendly. He stared at her without smiling for a moment, then turned his back on her, making it known that he still wasn't happy about their engagement.

  Joe leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Darlin', I believe you've just been snubbed."

  "Did it just get really cold in here?" Todd asked sarcastically, rubbing his arms. "What'd you do to him?"

  "I guess he's just not in the mood to wave," Carly said flippantly, trying not to be annoyed.

  "He's just jealous," Kelly said softly, squeezing her arm affectionately. "He'll get over it."

  "Why does he always come in here when we're here?" Joe asked thoughtfully, glancing at Todd.

  "Yeah, it's almost like he knows where you're at," Todd said, catching Joe's meaning. "Like he's watching you." He winked meaningfully at Carly, who stuck her tongue out at him. They joked around for the rest of their meal, not noticing when Billy left the diner.

  Joe leaned back and patted his full stomach. "Sandy, we're ready for our bills."

  "Y'all don't have any bills," she said, walking toward them. "They've already been paid."

  "Paid?" Todd and Joe said simultaneously. "Who paid them?"