by Terri Reid
Henry pivoted so the branch came up along George’s side. Pawing the ground, George shook his head and then moved a few steps to the side to avoid the branch. Henry had successfully moved him so Stacy was no longer in the middle, but Henry was still in danger.
“Hand me an apple,” he said to Stacy.
With a trembling hand, she handed him a slice of apple. Holding the branch in one hand and the apple in the other, Henry leaned forward and offered it to George, moving his hand so George had to walk forward along the barrier in order to get it. Once George had the apple, Henry pushed the limb slightly forward against the animal’s haunch, urging him past Stacy and towards the open gate.
“Go on in, George,” Henry called. “Go in and stake your claim.”
With his eyes on the other bison, George bellowed and galloped into the reserve towards the other animal. Instantly, several members of the crew jumped forward and secured the gate. Henry breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. “I can’t believe I just did that,” he said with an astonished smile. “Hey Stacy—”
But when he turned, Stacy was already jogging across the green and back to the concessionary.
Chapter Forty-four
Henry had nearly caught up with Stacy when Ed came running out of the concessionary, the radio in his hand. “Hey, Stacy, you’ve got a call,” he said. “It’s Sam, and he says it’s an emergency.”
Stacy raced the final few yards and took the radio. “Sam, it’s Stacy. What’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s Addie. We can’t find her.” Even through the grainy audio of the radio, Stacy could hear the worry in Sam’s voice. “I thought Melba was with her, and Melba thought I had her. Stacy, I’m sorry. We’ve looked everywhere around the house and the neighborhood. I’m calling the police, and I think you ought to come home.”
“I’m leaving now,” she said.
She disconnected the call, handed to phone back to Ed and turned to Henry, who was standing behind her. “Addie’s missing,” she said.
“I’ll drive you back to your car,” he said immediately.
She took an unsteady breath and nodded. “Thank you.”
Grabbing her purse and keys from the counter of the concessionary, she ran to the truck that Henry had already started and driven around. She climbed in and quickly put on her seat belt.
“Do you want me to drive you home?” he asked as he accelerated down the narrow road.
She shook her head immediately. “No, but thank you,” she said. “I’m going to need my car to search.”
“I’ll be searching, too,” he said.
“You don’t need…” she stopped when she met his angry glance.
“This has nothing to do with you and me,” he said sharply. “I care for your grandmother. I will be searching for her, whether you like it or not.”
She nodded slowly. She knew he was right. She was letting anger and pride not only cloud her judgment but also put her grandmother’s life at risk. “I apologize, Henry,” she said softly. “Thank you for helping me find her.”
He pulled into the parking lot and drove directly to her car. “Once she’s found, we will continue with our conversation,” he said.
She climbed out of the truck but stood by the open door for a moment. “I found out what you wanted to tell me,” she said slowly. “I guess I’ve always known it was a possibility. I just didn’t want to believe it. We don’t need to talk about it, Henry. You were right to stop us. I can’t be in a relationship with you.”
She closed the door before he could say anything and hurried over to her car.
Henry felt like he had been punched in the gut. He leaned forward, placing his forehead on the steering wheel, and let the pain wash over him. He didn’t blame her. How could he? But he thought that she would at least let him explain. He thought that she would remember that he’d been a boy, a careless child, who hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. But most of all, he didn’t realize how much her rejection would hurt and how empty his future looked without her.
He lifted his head and watched her turn out of the parking lot and drive towards the highway. He grabbed his cell phone and called the main building. “Hi, Dora,” he said when she answered. “Sam just called to let us know that Stacy’s grandmother is missing. She’s got Alzheimer’s, so it’s a fairly serious situation. I’m going back into town to help with the search. If you could direct the clean-up, I’d appreciate it.”
Henry pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards the highway. He needed to focus on Addie, not Stacy, for the time being. If he were Addie, where would he go? He glanced at his still-open phone and looked at the date. The spark of an idea formed in his head and he increased his speed. It was only a hunch, but he had a feeling he was right.
The Prairie Grove Cemetery was on the far side of town. It was hilly and tree-covered, with views that overlooked farm fields and the city creek. It was a nice area for a final resting place. Henry slowed the truck down and maneuvered around the curving lane until he came to the place he’d sought and breathed a sigh of relief. There, on the bench he’d purchased himself, Addie sat looking down at the headstones of her son and daughter-in-law.
Picking up his phone, he called Sam. “I found her,” he simply said. “She’s fine. I’ll bring her back to the house in a few minutes.”
Parking the truck, he climbed out and walked over to join her there. “Good morning,” he said, sitting next to her.
She looked up and smiled. “Oh. Hello, Henry,” she replied. “You know it’s the anniversary.”
He nodded. “Yes, I come here every year and visit with them,” he confessed.
“You do?” she asked. “Why?”
He sighed. If Stacy already knew the reason, Addie must know the truth, too. “Because,” he said, his voice hoarse, “it was my fault they died.”
“What nonsense,” Addie replied. “You had nothing to do with it.”
“I left the storm door unlatched when I ran back outside to get my mitt,” he said, shaking his head. “It was just a damn mitt. I should have left it.”
Addie’s wrinkled and fragile hand reached over and took Henry’s hand in her own. “I locked the door after you came back in,” she said softly.
“What?” he asked, hope burgeoning in his heart. “What did you say?”
“I saw you run out, and I locked the door after you,” she replied. “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”
“No, it wasn’t yours,” Henry said, shaking his head. “You were helping. I remember.”
She looked at the gravestones and sadly shook her head. “I had to look,” she whispered. “Paul always said my curiosity would be the death of me, but I didn’t ever think it would be the death of my children.”
She looked up at him, tears slowly trickling down her face. “I thought it had passed,” she said. “And I wanted to look, just peek and see it.” She shook her head. “I thought it had passed.”
Henry put his arm around Addie and hugged her. “It wasn’t you, and it wasn’t me,” he said. “It was the tornado. It was a terrible tragedy. We have to let it go.”
Addie leaned against his strong shoulder. “It’s a lovely day for a walk, isn’t it Paul?” she asked.
Henry looked down at her. The sadness was gone, and her face was calm and happy.
“It’s a lovely day for a walk,” he replied. “But I’m afraid we’re needed at home.”
With a soft sigh, she stood up and he joined her. She slipped her fragile arm through his, and he escorted her to his truck. “Thank you,” she said. “I rarely get to go out and just enjoy myself like this.”
He helped her up and then fastened her seat belt securely. “Well, anytime you would like to go out for a drive, you just call me,” Henry promised. “Perhaps next time we can get some ice cream.”
She smiled at him. “Oh, no,” she teased. “I’m afraid that would make Stacy very jealous.”
Chapter Forty-five
As soon as Henry pulled
his truck into the driveway, the door to Stacy’s house flew open and everyone rushed to greet them. Henry got out of the truck and hurried to the other side to help Addie get down.
“Is someone having a party?” Addie asked as she looked at all the people standing around. “Is it someone’s birthday?”
Melba put her arm around Addie’s shoulders and led her towards the house. “No, dear, we’re just all so happy to see you,” she said.
Stacy, Sam and a police officer stayed outside and waited until Addie was in the house. “Thank you for finding her,” Stacy said. “Where was she?”
He looked at the tracks of tears on Stacy’s cheeks and felt even more regret for the pain he’d caused her that morning. “She was at the cemetery,” he said.
Covering her mouth as she gasped, her eyes widened in understanding, and she nodded. “Of course,” she said. “I totally forgot what today was.”
“I’m sorry,” the officer interrupted. “What is today?”
“The anniversary of the Friday the Thirteenth Tornado,” Stacy said. “The day my parents were killed.”
The officer looked at Henry. “And you knew to go there because?” he asked.
“I was in their house on that day,” Henry said. “I watched it happen, and I go back to the cemetery every year, too.”
Stacy turned to him. “You do?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“She mentioned visiting the cemetery yesterday morning,” Sam said. “But I totally forgot.”
“Thank goodness you remembered,” Stacy said to Henry.
“Well, I guess this problem is solved,” the officer said. “I’d suggest you get one of those tracker bracelets for your grandmother if she tends to be a wanderer. It will save us all a lot of grief.”
“Thank you, officer,” Stacy said. “I’ll look into that.”
They watched the officer walk down the driveway and get into his squad car. Then they stood together for a few moments in awkward silence.
Finally, Henry nodded his head and stepped back towards his truck. “I better get back. There’s still a lot of clean-up to do,” he said. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? I think Addie needs to be around her family.”
“Thank you,” Stacy replied, torn between gratitude and pain. “I will.”
Henry turned and opened the truck door.
“Wait,” Stacy called.
Henry’s heart soared for a moment. He turned to see Stacy pulling Sam in his direction.
“Sam, I want you to tell Henry whose idea it was to sue Adventureland,” Stacy demanded.
“It was my idea,” Sam grumbled.
“And what did I say about your idea?” Stacy insisted.
“She said she wanted nothing to do with it,” Sam replied. “She said she felt it would be dishonest. And she felt that Adventureland had been good to her and that would be no way to repay their generosity.”
“So, you had absolutely nothing to do with it?” Henry asked, his heart sinking as he recalled the accusations he had thrown at her.
She shook her head. “No, nothing,” she said. “I thought you would have known I would never do something like that. I thought you would have trusted me.”
Henry inhaled sharply. She was right. He’d just assumed the worst of her. “I apologize, Stacy,” he said. “And since we’re clearing the air here, I need to let you know it’s been me in the bear costume, not Sam.”
Stacy looked from Sam to Henry. “You?” she stammered.
He nodded. “For the most part,” he said. “I was going to tell you—”
“Have you ever told me the truth?” she interrupted.
He thought about the years he avoided her because he was afraid of the truth and shook his head. “Not as often as I should have,” he said, and with nothing left to say, he got into his truck and drove away.
Taking a deep, unsteady breath, Stacy watched his truck until it turned the corner, holding back the onslaught of tears. “Come on, Sam,” she said. “We should go in and see Addie.”
“There’s something more here,” Sam said, turning to Stacy. “There’s something more here that you’re not saying. You look like you just lost your best friend, and that boy looks like his heart has just been yanked out and stepped on.”
Stacy shook her head. “No, Henry’s heart is just fine,” she replied sadly. “And I didn’t lose my best friend. I just grew up a little today.”
Chapter Forty-six
It had been six weeks since the day Addie disappeared. From that time, Stacy had worked with Charlene Guthrie, Henry’s mother, on the plans for the reserve as well as the gala. Both women had gained new respect for each other, and a budding friendship had developed.
“Okay, we have a new shipment for the gift shop,” Charlene said as she struggled bringing a large, cardboard box through the door.
Stacy jumped up from where she was organizing a display rack and ran to Charlene’s side. “Here, let me help you with that,” she said, grabbing hold of the other end of the large box.
They carried it to the large, folding table Stacy had set up for just such a purpose, and Stacy picked up her box cutter and sliced through the packing tape. Pulling open the flaps, she looked into the box and laughed. “Oh, I am so glad he made it in time,” she said.
“Who?” Charlene asked, mopping her brow with a paper towel.
Stacy reached in and pulled out a three-foot-tall toy bison. “George Junior,” she announced.
“Oh, he is adorable,” Charlene said, running her hand over the plush fur. “And so soft.”
Nodding, Stacy glanced around the room and pointed to a large shelf over the new checkout counter. “I thought we could put a red ribbon around his neck and position him there, over the desk,” she said.
“Perfect,” Charlene replied. “So everyone can see him.”
“And…” Stacy began.
Rolling her eyes, Charlene laughed. “Yes? You have another one of your great ideas?”
“Well, I thought it might be fun to offer one of these to every donation over $500.00,” she said. “That way, donors have a cute reminder of the good work they’re doing.”
Placing her hands on her hips, Charlene shook her head. “Stacy, I don’t know what we’d do without you,” she said. “You have pulled this whole project together with such speed and creativity; you’ve really taken my breath away.”
“Thank you, Charlene,” Stacy replied. “That really means a lot to me.”
“I can’t wait to set you loose on the other projects in Adventureland,” Charlene added.
Stacy’s eyes widened with delight. “Really? A new project?” she asked.
“Well, don’t lose focus yet,” Charlene warned. “We need to get this one completed.”
“Right,” Stacy said, picking up the clipboard on the table. “Tomorrow we have the caterers arriving at three to set things up. We have the band arriving at six, but I have a thumb drive with some soft music prepared for before they get here and after they leave. The wait staff is being supplied by the caterer, and they will get here at six, too. I’ll have the displays in order by tomorrow morning, and all the signage up by tomorrow at noon. The florist will come in the morning, too, so we can decide where we want everything to go.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay, I think we have it covered,” she finished.
“I really want you to be there,” Charlene said, her voice thoughtful. “You’ve put so much work into this reserve; you ought to be here to enjoy the glory.”
Stacy shook her head. “I’m sorry, Charlene,” she replied. “I just can’t come, but I’ll be with you in spirit.”
“Well, if for some reason you change your mind,” Charlene said, “you have an open invitation.”
Smiling, Stacy nodded. “Thanks, I’ll remember that.”
Charlene walked slowly around the room, her hand gliding from display to display, taking in everything that had changed in the concessionary. And she r
ealized that everything was due to Stacy’s hard work and vision. She also knew that something had happened between her son and Stacy that had changed them both.
“You know, Henry’s not coming either,” Charlene said, glancing over her shoulder to watch Stacy’s reaction. She hid her smile when she saw Stacy’s quick blush at Henry’s name.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Stacy finally replied. “Is he going to be out of town for business?”
Henry and Stacy hadn’t spoken for six weeks, and even though she occasionally caught a glimpse of him in the main building, she had hurried away to avoid his company.
Charlene shook her head. “No,” she said, pretending to be perplexed. “For some reason he thought it might be uncomfortable for him to attend.”
“He should be here,” Stacy urged. “If it wasn’t for his support, all of this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Yes, the two of you are like the parents of the new Wildlife Reserve,” Charlene added with a practiced sigh. “Too bad it will be an orphan tomorrow night.”
Stacy turned to Charlene and laughed. “Well, at least it will have its grandma there to watch over it,” she teased.
“You’re not going to change your mind and arrive at the gala at the last minute?” Charlene asked.
“No. Sorry,” she said. “But try to convince Henry to come. He really should be here.”
Charlene shrugged. “I’ll do my best.”
Chapter Forty-seven
The next evening, Henry pulled his new truck into the driveway and parked behind his mom’s black, Mercedes sedan. He grabbed his briefcase filled with financial reports and climbed out of the pickup. He was planning a nice, quiet evening at home with an energy drink and a calculator.
“Hi, Henry,” Lorraine called from across the street. “Aren’t you excited?”
He turned and walked towards her. “Excited?” he asked.