I Swear

by Sable Hunter

  She gave him a tremulous smile. “I have a job. The teacher they’d hired has resigned. Family emergency. They need me to come as quickly as I can. They’re even going to provide me somewhere to stay until I find a place of my own.”

  “Is this what you want?” Jonah asked, his hands clenched into fists.

  Considering what she’d heard him say, there was only one answer she could give. “Of course it is. My being here with you was only meant to be temporary.” After all, that’s what he’d said.

  The way she answered struck him as odd and he was just about to say so when his phone rang. “Dammit! Another call?”

  John wasn’t saying anything, just watching first one and then the other of them speak.

  “Callan. Hello?”

  Delaney began picking up the remains of the meal. Anything to put some distance between them.

  Jonah gritted his teeth. “Hell. All right. I’ll be there.”

  “What’s wrong?” John asked, rising to his feet.

  “I’ve got an emergency. Wreck on the interstate east of town. Debris is blocking the road.”

  “I want to go with you,” John requested, slapping the hat on his head.

  Jonah was so upset, he almost didn’t respond to his father. Yet, this was the first time in a long time he’d wanted to go – he couldn’t refuse him. “Sure.” He held up one finger to tell him to wait, then he followed Delaney into the kitchen. “I have to go.”

  “Of course you do,” she said evenly without meeting his eyes.

  “Wait up for me. I’ll be as quick as I can.” He wanted to say more, but he didn’t know how to start. Maybe he’d think of something while he was gone. “Okay?”

  “Be safe,” she told him, giving him a look he couldn’t comprehend.

  …As soon as Jonah and John were gone, Delaney straightened the kitchen and living room. As soon as she was through, she went upstairs to pack. Feeling hurt and confused, she just wanted to escape. Part of her wanted to say a heartfelt goodbye, but she didn’t think she could do it without embarrassing herself. Maybe once she settled down, she could write Jonah a letter and tell him what he’d meant to her. After all, it wasn’t his fault she’d fallen in love.

  As she gathered her things, Delaney debated with herself whether or not she should take the things he’d given her. The personal items like the jewelry and the clothes wouldn’t do him any good, so she kept those. The phone was another story, he could get some use out of it. So, she removed the Sim card and left it lying on the dresser. She’d get another phone as soon as she got the opportunity. In fact, she’d pick up a burner phone at the first Dollar General she passed on the freeway.

  Once she zipped up her bag, Delaney sat down on the edge of the bed. The dog and cat were lying on the floor at her feet. “You know something’s up, don’t you guys?” She got on the floor to hug them goodbye. “I’ll miss you. Take care of the Callan boys for me.”

  Rising, she wiped her eyes. With bags in hand, she went downstairs. Delaney was almost about to leave when she decided to write a note. “Just something simple. It would be impolite not to do so.” Going to the kitchen, she found a pad and paper. Quickly, she jotted a few sentences down.

  Jonah

  Thank you for everything. I enjoyed every minute I spent with you and your father. You mean the world to me. You gave me a place to belong when I needed it most. Please take care of yourself and be happy.

  Delaney

  She reread it three times, trying to make certain it wasn’t too sentimental. Did it betray her true feelings? Maybe. Maybe not. Folding it before she changed her mind, she left it in the center of the kitchen table.

  Locking the door behind her, she climbed into her car and left.

  * * *

  “So, what are you gonna do about it?” John asked after the job was finished and they were on their way home.

  “About what?” Jonah knew exactly what his father was asking, he just didn’t know if he had an answer.

  “Delaney. What else?”

  “She wants to go. I’m not sure I should try to stop her.”

  “I think you should. I don’t think she wants to go.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because she told me she didn’t want to leave.”

  Jonah jerked the steering wheel a little sharp, causing them to go off the road momentarily. “When did she tell you that?”

  “At the hospital.”

  Jonah wanted to believe what he said. “I don’t know. Delaney’s had a hard life. She has dreams. She has her reasons to want to go.”

  “Not if you gave her a better reason to stay.”

  His father’s statement stole the air from his lungs. He was finally able to speak. “I plan on talking to her as soon as we get home.”

  “Well, good. You need to. She doesn’t need to be traipsing off on her own. Not when she’s already where she belongs.”

  “I agree.” Jonah gripped the steering wheel hard, rehearsing in his mind what he was going to say to Delaney. If he could just get her into his arms, he thought he could convince her to stay. Jonah didn’t believe he’d imagined the bond they shared. Each time they’d made love, he felt it. Delaney was home to him, and he had to believe she felt the same way.

  When they arrived at the house, he’d parked and was walking across the yard next to John when he realized the Camry was missing. “She’s gone.”

  “Well, dammit. She is.” John hurried along behind him. “What are you doing?” he asked as they headed inside.

  “I don’t know. I just need to see for sure.” As he stepped across the threshold, he called her name. “Delaney!”

  “She’s not here.”

  Jonah knew that, but he was calling her name more in anguish than expecting an answer. Moving through the living room, he came to the kitchen and spotted the note. Grabbing it, he read the words, sinking down into a chair as their impact hit home.

  You mean the world to me.

  “Then why did you leave me?” He threw the note down, watching his father pick it up as he left the room. Running upstairs, he headed to her room. As he threw open the door, he hurried to the closet. When he found it empty of her things, he wanted to throw up. Desperate, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to call her. He needed to hear her voice so badly he couldn’t see straight. After he pressed the button next to her name, he was startled to hear a buzzing noise behind him. Pivoting in place, his heart sank to see her phone lying on the dresser. Running to it, he picked it up. She’d removed the Sim card, but an android didn’t need one to ring. “Oh hell, baby. Why didn’t you take your phone?”

  Right now, he didn’t have the good sense to come up with an answer. Heading downstairs, he found his father. “She’s out there without a cell phone. I have no way of getting in touch with her.”

  “Well, I may be the one with the foggy brain but even I know we need to go after her. And if you don’t, I will.”

  John started for the front door and Jonah fell in step with his Dad. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

  …Delaney checked the clock. The hour was growing late. She’d only been gone for a couple of hours, yet she was exhausted. Not sleepy, exactly. She was too upset to sleep but too tired to drive safely. Delaney hated to spend the money, but she didn’t feel like she had a choice. At one point in her life, she would’ve pulled over in a rest area to catch a quick nap. Not anymore, not after what she’d gone through with Hoyt and Trey. Now more than ever, she realized there were people out there who lived to hurt others. As far as she was concerned, she’d been hurt enough for one day. The money Jonah gave her would pay for a room and have some left over. Soon she’d be earning a paycheck, and since she didn’t have to pay for a hotel room once she got there, Delaney felt okay about spending the money now.

  Seeing a sign ahead advertising a motel in Sonora, Texas, she checked the mile marker. It was close, she decided to see if they had a room. As s
he passed the billboard, she noticed it was one that belonged to Cletus. The realization made her so homesick she could’ve cried. Taking the next exit, she found the motel. Delaney was glad to see it was the kind where you accessed the rooms from inside rather than outside. Luckily, they had a vacancy. She paid the price, drove around to the entrance nearest her room, and pulled out one of her bags. This would be all she’d need tonight.

  Using the keycard to get through the double glass door, she made her way down the long hall to the room she’d rented. In a few seconds, she was inside the room. The only light was what filtered through the curtain. Quickly she flipped on a lamp, relieved when the glow illuminated the strange place. For a moment, she hugged herself. Never had she felt so alone. Kicking off her shoes, she dropped the handle of the suitcase. After visiting the restroom, she laid down on the bed fully clothed. Curling into a fetal position, she stared at the passing car lights on the wall until she could hold her eyes open no longer.

  * * *

  “How far are we from El Paso?”

  “About six hours or so,” Jonah muttered, keeping his eye on every car they passed and every car they approached.

  “I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea.”

  “You’re probably right. I expect she didn’t try to drive straight through. Even though I have no idea how to find her, I hope she stopped for the night.”

  “She probably did, Delaney’s a smart girl.”

  “She’s the only one. I’m sure not very bright.” Jonah slowed down, prepared to turn around and go home. “I’ve lost her.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “I have.” He pulled off the road and slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “I had countless opportunities to tell her how I felt, and I didn’t. Oh, I said nice things. Romantic things. I just never committed myself. I was scared, I guess.”

  “Let’s just keep driving. Let’s go to that damn school and just wait for her.”

  Jonah groaned in frustration. “I don’t know where it is. I don’t know the name of the school. She said it was in a town near El Paso. I don’t know what direction or how far away.”

  “Just hold on. Don’t panic.” John grasped his head. “Just let me think.”

  Jonah kept his eye on the road, just in case a blue Camry passed by. “Might as well go home, there’s nothing I can do.”

  John stared down the road, his gaze landing on a brightly lit billboard in the distance. “I got an idea.”

  “What’s that?” Jonah was desperate. He’d grasp at any straw available.

  His father smiled and held out his hand. “Give me the phone. I need to call Cletus.”

  “Why? It’s late. He’s probably asleep.”

  “He won’t care. My old buddy will be happy to save the day.”

  * * *

  Back in Comfort, the clock struck midnight as Cletus showed Jonah how to change the images on the billboard and how to add words to form a message. “Since we don’t know where she is on the interstate, we’ll concentrate on those located on the last half of the distance. If you’re assuming she stopped for the night, she’s got at least another five hours on the road. Between Sonora and El Paso, I have six billboards. You can put the same message on each one or different ones, that’s up to you. And if you have any pictures on your phone or want to take a photo, we can even download those and use them as a background for the message.”

  Jonah looked at Cletus as if he’d grown two heads. “This is wild. Thank you. I had no idea such a thing was possible. Won’t this interfere with your paid advertising?”

  “Ah, I’ll just give ‘em an extra few days for what they’ve already paid. No big deal. Same thing I’d do if the electricity went out.” He checked his watch. “If you can get this loaded within the next two hours, you can head on down the interstate and be pretty close to her by the time she reads these messages. Hopefully.”

  “Yea, hopefully. If she reads them.” Jonah couldn’t help but worry.

  “Oh, she will. Billboards work, especially if you spot your own face on one. She won’t miss it, believe me.” He called up a map of the area. “If you’re going to tell her to stop somewhere for you two to meet up, I’d suggest the rest area just out of Fort Stockton.” Cletus tapped the screen, pinpointing a location. “Or the one close to Fabens, right here. It’s just outside of El Paso.”

  “Well, since I don’t exactly know where she’s headed, the one in Fort Stockton is safer I think.” He envisioned what would happen. “If I get there and she’s not waiting on me, I could call, and you could change the remaining messages for her to meet me in Fabens.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  As Jonah settled on the couch with the laptop, John brought a platter piled high with hot link sandwiches into the room. “Eat up, Cletus.”

  “Thank you.” The big man’s eyes brightened. “Don’t mind if I do.” He stood up to grab a couple of sandwiches. When he returned to the recliner, he let his weight go and sat down a little too hard. Before he knew it, he’d tipped the recliner over backwards. “Whoa!”

  “Oh, my Lord.” John hurried forward to where his friend lay in the chair on the floor with his legs kicking in the air, his sandwiches still in his hand. “Are you okay?”

  “Back Rufus!” Cletus roared at the Catahoula as the dog ventured near. “Don’t let that hound get my sandwiches, John!”

  Despite his worry, Jonah couldn’t help but laugh to see the extra-large man helpless on his back like a big snapping turtle, waving a hot link sandwich in the air. Intent to not let an opportunity pass, the Catahoula Leopard was sniffing the treat within his reach. “Hold on, let me help.” Lying aside the laptop he rose to grab Rufus’s collar before the dog made a grab for the food. Seeing that wasn’t where his strength was needed most, he tugged the hound to the screened in porch and coaxed him outside. Hurrying back, he found John tugging on his three-hundred-pound friend and making very little progress. “Here, I got you. Dad, take his sandwiches while I pull him up.” John did as instructed, and Jonah managed to right Cletus and his chair. “There you go.”

  “Whew, that was close.” Cletus panted for a second or two before reaching for his food. “Rufus Puddens almost got lucky. What kind of a fool name is that for a dog anyway?”

  “A good one,” Jonah said as he reached for the laptop. “Rufus Puddens was a Roman Senator who married a princess from the British Isles during the time of Christ. Actually, there is speculation he was the half-brother of the Apostle Paul.”

  “Really?” Cletus looked amazed. “Well, butter my rump and call it a biscuit. Who would’ve thunk? I guess it’s my turn to be surprised. How did a country boy like you come to know some highfalutin information like that?”

  “His mother, that’s how.” John smiled at the thought. “She was something.” He pointed at the books lining the walls. “All those books belonged to her. She was so smart. The light of my life.” He pointed at Jonah. “Delaney reminds me of your mother. Never forgets a thing she reads. That’s why I’m getting better, Cletus. Delaney did this for me. We’ve got to bring that girl home.”

  “I’m working on it, Dad.” Jonah said as he entered the message for the first billboard. ‘I’m working on it.”

  * * *

  As dawn broke, Delaney forced herself out of the bed. Even though a new life awaited her with the job she thought she’d always wanted – she felt like her world was ending. While Delaney showered and dressed, she considered how she’d changed. Once, all she could think about was escaping responsibility. Being on her own. Having a career that would get her out of the house and away from the day in and day out drudgery of housework and caretaking of the needs of others. Now, she’d give anything to be able to spend her time taking care of the man she loved. And his father. Yes, she loved them both. During their time together, she’d come to consider herself a part of the Callan family. If she dug in her purse, she’d probably find a scrap of paper wher
e she’d practiced writing her name coupled with Jonah’s.

  Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Callan

  Jonah and Delaney Callan

  Mrs. Delaney Callan.

  Yea, she’d daydreamed. They’d lived together. Slept together. Loved together. For Delaney, those things had been a sure sign they would continue to be together. Forever.

  Oh well, that’s what she got for assuming.

  Leaning on the bathroom door holding a towel to her body that still glistened with water droplets, Delaney remembered the moment when Jonah was trying to coax her into his bed. He’d said she would regret it one day if they didn’t. By all rights, she should be feeling regrets now. And she did, but not about loving him. Her only regret was that it ended.

  As she dressed, Delaney’s heart ached so much that it was a physical pain. She sat on the bed, doubled over with her arms clinched around her middle. As hurt as she was, Delaney didn’t feel any anger. The more she thought about it, wrestling with her emotions and her memories – the more convinced she became that Jonah felt something for her. There was no way he could’ve acted the way he did, loved her the way he did if he didn’t. She didn’t think the man was that good of an actor. Yes, she knew men needed sex – but there was much more to their relationship than sex. No one could tell her they hadn’t bonded, connected – yes, fallen in love. So, why had he let her go?

  Sick at heart, she had no answer for her question. If she were face to face with him right now, Delaney knew she’d beg him to let her stay. And that was why she needed to continue on her journey.

  …Less than a half hour later, she was ready to hit the road. After gassing up, she found a McDonalds and bought a coffee from the drive-through. Now, she was headed west on the interstate traveling between two semis.

  Needing a distraction, she flipped on the radio, but the song reminded her of Jonah, so she turned it off. As she drove, Delaney couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing this morning. What were they having for breakfast? How was John doing? Did Jonah miss her? She tried to imagine how he slept without her. Hopefully better than she’d slept without him. Several times during the night she’d awoken crying. Reaching for him when he wasn’t there. Even now she felt tears come to her eyes. Delaney missed him so much. She wondered how long this heartache would last.