The traffic was heavy despite the fact that Woodroe was a small, northern Minnesota town of about twenty-thousand people. Maggie couldn't help but sigh again as she followed the parade of parents in minivans and SUVs in a rush to drop their children off at school. It was only the third week of school and she was already tired of the morning traffic in and out of the much-too-small middle school parking lot. There was no doubt at all in Maggie's mind, parents in minivans and SUVs were the worst drivers on the planet. She found herself in near-accidents at least three times daily upon either entering or driving through the parking lot. Everyone acted as if they had somewhere better to be and needed to get there faster than the next person. It was the same old story, year after year.
Maggie followed these inconsiderate drivers in the long line entering the parking lot, waiting her turn to drop Kaia off at the front entrance. Country music blared from the speakers—Kaia's choice. Maggie always let Kaia choose the music when they rode together. It was much easier than fighting over the radio. Soon enough, Maggie would be able to pop in the CD of her choice as she headed home.
"I'm sorry we couldn't get here earlier," Maggie offered as they pulled up in front of the school and stopped.
"Whatever," Kaia said under her breath as she gathered her book bag and tennis racket. "Remind Dad to pick me up after tennis practice tonight," were her last words before slamming the van's door and stalking off. Kaia didn't give her mother time to say goodbye or wish her a good day.
Maggie tried not to take it personally, but her heart felt heavy as she turned AM to CD on the stereo and let Bob Seger sing about escaping down a western highway on his big two-wheeler. Maggie had bought the CD on a whim two weeks ago, remembering how much she'd loved listening to Seger years ago; before kids, before marriage, before life took control of her instead of the other way around. His music had a freeing effect, and she'd been listening to it continuously ever since.
Maggie dutifully followed the line of cars out of the parking lot and headed her van home. She was happy she didn't have to work today. Three days a week she worked at a Group Home with developmentally challenged adults. She enjoyed working with her challenged friends, but sometimes it was exhausting meeting their needs all day and then going home to more needy people. Lately, she'd felt overwhelmed by it all, home, work, and the kids. There never seemed to be a break in everyone's needs and wants.
As Bob sang and traffic crawled along, she let her mind drift back to the morning rush at home. Andrew hadn't even kissed her goodbye. Not even a peck on the cheek. When was the last time he had? She really couldn't remember. Was it a year ago, two years ago? The heaviness in her chest swelled. Their relationship had changed greatly in the twenty-three years they'd been married. She remembered back to when they first began to date in college in Seattle, Washington. He'd moved there for school to experience something new and different from his small-town upbringing. Her father had been stationed there at a military base. Andrew had been a communications major; she had majored in art, mainly photography. He'd been very conservative then, but her impulsive nature had brought out the fun side in him. She'd plan trips on a whim, dragging him along with her and her camera to rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and romantic parks on Puget Sound. Once they'd driven to Lake Tahoe and stayed the weekend without even a moment's thought about it. She'd made him promise on the day they married that they would always allow a little wanderlust in their lives, no matter how conventional they became. And she'd believed him when he said they would.
Maggie pulled up and stopped at the red light where she was to turn north to go home. She hit the back button on the stereo to once again play "Roll Me Away". She didn't switch her right blinker on to turn; she just sat there, looking straight ahead. The lane headed west, just as Bob said he was doing, west, across the plains, over the mountains, to the ocean. She glanced at the back seat where her Cannon camera lay in its case. Beside it, her laptop computer also sat waiting. Wouldn't it be fun, just for a little while, to just drive a different direction and take a few snapshots? Just a few miles, not too far, not for too long. Maggie's heavy heart lightened at the thought and a smile lit up her blue eyes. North or west? One direction meant home, the other, adventure. North or west?
The light changed to green and Maggie didn't give it another thought. She turned up her stereo, smiled wide and said out loud to no one but herself, "Roll me away, Bob." And she rolled clean out of sight.
Andrew Harrison stepped through the back door of their 1890s Victorian home with Kaia close on his heels. It was just after five and he planned on taking a quick shower before he ate and headed off to the County Planning Committee meeting he was expected at by seven. He was a busy man, committed to several area boards and committees along with his full-time job as the Communications Manager at Woodroe Communications, the local television and internet provider. The contacts he made in the area were important to his job, and his volunteering looked good for the company he worked for. Besides, he loved the community they lived in and enjoyed being a part of the many decisions made as it grew. Tonight, the committee would be discussing the possible development of a large parcel of land into a new "upscale" neighborhood, and he was anxious to get there early and feel out how some of the other members felt about the proposal. He hoped Maggie had dinner ready on time so he could leave right afterward.
But when he and Kaia stepped into the back entryway, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Their German shepherd, Bear, slipped past them out the door in a hurry as if no one had let him out all day. The kitchen was dark, only the afternoon sun streaming through the windows, and there was no aroma of food cooking in the oven.
Andrew set down his briefcase and hung his coat on the rack by the door as he called out, "Maggie, we're home. What's for dinner?" to the silent house. Their two mongrel cats, Ollie and Mollie, walked lazily into the kitchen to see who was home, but Maggie was nowhere to be seen.
Andrew rolled his eyes as he looked around the kitchen and saw that the breakfast dishes were still sitting, unwashed, in the sink. There was nothing cooking in or on the stove and it looked as if Maggie hadn't come home yet.
"Great," he said under his breath, running his hand through his thick dark hair in frustration.
Andrew's aggravation didn't go unnoticed by Kaia. "Maybe Mom is at work and will be home soon," she offered as she laid her backpack on the kitchen table. "Sometimes she brings food home if she works late."
"Did your mom work today?" Andrew asked. He didn't keep track of Maggie's work schedule and rarely asked her about it. She was usually home before he was, because she usually picked Kaia up from school except on practice nights.
"How would I know?" Kaia shot back. She walked past him and opened the refrigerator to rummage for a snack.
Andrew eyed Kaia one long moment but held his tongue. He hated her smart mouth, but Maggie always told him to be patient before reacting. Besides, right now he was more annoyed with Maggie for not being home on time.
"I'm going to shower. If your mom comes home, remind her I have to leave soon," he told Kaia. Kaia shrugged as she grabbed an apple from the bottom drawer and shut the refrigerator door.
It was after six o'clock by the time Andrew came down from his shower and Maggie was still not home. Kyle had come home by then and was asking where Maggie was.
"Who knows," Kaia answered, irritably. She was in the middle of her Algebra homework and didn't want to be disturbed.
Now Andrew was even more annoyed. He couldn't believe how irresponsible it was of Maggie to not be home.
"Maybe Mom's van broke down and she's stranded," Kyle offered through a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie. There were always homemade cookies in the house and he tended to go for those first when he was hungry.
This off-handed remark caused Andrew to stop a moment and Kaia to look up from her homework. Neither of them had thought something might have happened to Maggie to delay her from coming home on time. Andrew pondered this a moment
, then picked up his cell phone and clicked on her number.
"I'll try her cell phone," he said. Although part of him realized that if she had broken down, she'd have called him by now.
The phone rang several times before the voice mail picked up. Andrew didn't bother to leave a message; he hung up and stared at the kids. "No answer, just her voice mail," he reported. But all three of them knew that there were areas around town where there was no phone reception.
They continued staring at each other, each pondering their own thoughts when Kaia finally broke the silence. "Do you think Mom is okay?" she asked, her voice growing nervous.
Andrew wasn't sure how to answer that, because the truth was Maggie was never late getting home. Not once in the twenty-three years of their marriage had he ever had to worry about where she was or what she was doing. And he certainly knew that she couldn't say the same about him. But seeing the worry in Kaia's eyes made him want to reassure her.
"I'm sure your mom is okay," he said, glancing at Kyle after he said it.
"Sure," Kyle agreed after seeing the look in his father's eyes. "She might be in Wal-Mart or at the grocery store waiting in a long line. Cell reception is lousy in those places. Or she may have left her phone in the car. There could be a thousand reasons why she's not answering."
Andrew nodded his appreciation to Kyle for coming up with some very good reasons Maggie wasn't home yet. The more he thought about it, the more he believed that those might be the exact reasons she was late. Looking at his watch, he realized it was getting late and he had to leave soon.
"Listen, kids, I have to get to my meeting," he said as he pulled out his wallet and handed Kyle some money. "Maybe Kyle can take you for a bite to eat, Kaia. I'll leave my phone on so you can call me when your mother gets home, okay?"
Kaia didn't look pleased with his leaving, but didn't say anything. Kyle said they would call him.
By the time Andrew arrived at his meeting, he had convinced himself that Maggie would be home any minute and there was nothing to worry about. The meeting grasped his attention and for the next two hours he thought only of property prices, taxes, and zoning permits. It wasn't until after the meeting ended that he realized it was nine-thirty and no one had called to say Maggie was home.
Memories
Deanna Lynn Sletten
Description:
Miguel DeCara came home from the Vietnam War a wounded man, both physically and emotionally. He tried putting his life back together, but found civilian life difficult after all he’d experienced in Nam. Raising his young daughter, Vanessa, by himself after his wife left, he found it difficult to commit to one job or one woman for any length of time. Then he met a young woman who made him feel good about himself again and who fell in love with Vanessa as well. But one day his life changed drastically and he left without a word to the girl, believing he was doing what was best for her. Now, years later, she has walked back into his life and he believes they may have a second chance at love–except she hates him and he doesn’t understand why.
Danielle Westerly fell in love when she was only eighteen and her heart was broken when he left her without a word. Her heartache was increased when she made a fateful decision that would alter her future, and she blamed him for her loss. Years later, she is single and has built up a successful career when she accidently runs into the man who was responsible for her past pain. Yet, their chemistry is unmistakable. Can Dani get past her anger at the past and fall in love again with the man she has hated all these years?
Memories is available on Amazon Kindle, Audio Book, and in Paperback.
Prologue
Today
Danielle Westerly-DeCara stood stoically, clutching the folded American flag to her chest as the minister said his final words over the casket. She neither saw the minister nor heard his words; her mind only registered the fact that she had to get through this painful day, one moment at a time. The sun in the autumn sky belied the bleakness she felt inside. She was burying the man she loved and no amount of sympathy or prayer would comfort her today.
Dani lifted her eyes to look at the group of people surrounding the gravesite. Her dearest friend, Catherine, stood only a few feet away from her next to her husband, Richard. Dani knew Cathy was trying to be strong but tears welled in her eyes. Kevin Lindstrom, a dear friend of the family and Michael’s best friend, stood with the other veterans from the American Legion in his dress uniform looking very serious and sad. Other veteran friends of Michael’s, as well as employees, neighbors and business associates, huddled around the gravesite, all dressed in black with somber faces.
“Oh, Grandmom.” Dani’s twenty-one year old granddaughter, Michelle, came up beside her and slipped her arm around Dani’s waist. Dani did the same and the two women who loved Michael DeCara the most held onto each other as the last prayers were said.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen. Dani heard the words being repeated by the group of family and friends but did not repeat them herself. She and Michelle held each other tighter as the coffin was slowly lowered into the ground. As it was lowered inch by inch, Dani’s heart sank with it.
The minister nodded to Dani and Michelle and the two women stepped forward. Dani bent and lifted a handful of dirt and let it slowly fall through her fingers onto the coffin now resting deep in the earth. Michelle kissed the single red rose she was holding and dropped it into the open space. It landed softly on the center of the coffin. So, this is what it all comes down to after eighteen years of happiness, Dani thought. A prayer, a handful of dirt and a single rose. One lone tear trickled down her cheek as she reached out to embrace Michelle, and then the two women slowly made their way back to the small crowd of people.
The minister handed Dani a snowy-white handkerchief to wipe the dirt from her hands, then hugged her gently as she thanked him for the lovely service. In turn, she thanked the veteran members from the American Legion for participating in the military funeral. She knew that the playing of Taps and the twenty-one gun salute would have made Michael very proud. She hugged Kevin, thanking him for arranging for the military funeral for Michael. Cathy came up to Dani and hugged her friend close, the flag pressed between them. A quiet invitation to come back to the house for lunch was passed around the group as Dani held out her hand to Michelle and they walked slowly back to the limousine with Michelle’s boyfriend, Alex, following close behind.
All Dani wanted to do was go home, draw the shades and crawl into the bed she and Michael shared for the past eighteen years, but she knew it wouldn’t be possible for several more hours. There was lunch to be served, people to commiserate with and sympathetic nods and words to endure. It was all well-meaning, but draining nonetheless, but she steeled herself to make it through the rest of this heartbreaking day. As the limousine made its way through the curving roads of the cemetery, Dani took one last look at the now deserted gravesite on top of the hill. She wouldn’t remember Michael this way, nor the way he looked just before cancer took his last breath. Her memories would always be of him exactly as he was the first time she loved him and the second time they found each other again. She reached for Michelle’s hand and looked into her green eyes, so much like her mother’s, and it brought all those memories flooding back to her.
Chapter 1
Eighteen Years Earlier
Danielle Westerly cruised along the Wisconsin Interstate in her royal-blue Grand Am as the radio played softly from the back speakers. The midday sun felt glorious on her arm perched outside the window as the spring breeze whipped at her golden-blond hair. She had chosen to take the extra time to drive instead of fly to Chicago, and as she viewed the lush scenery around her, she was pleased with her decision. Although she had already been driving eight hours, and still had several to go, she felt happy and carefree sailing along the highway on this beautiful May afternoon.
Dani's boss had thought her crazy when she said she was going to drive. "That's too far to go alone," he’d said seriously. Dani had shrugged
off his protests. At thirty-seven, she was used to doing everything alone and a drive from Minneapolis to Chicago didn't seem far to her.
She also appreciated the time away from work, even though the trip was work related. As Sportswear Buyer for Chance's Department Store, one of Minneapolis' largest department stores, she worked long hours keeping on top of the latest trends, marketing the purchases, consulting with the department managers and salesclerks, setting prices and everything else her position entailed, that she rarely took time off. And now, since jewelry had been added to her buying activities, she was busier than ever. But she loved her work and all the travel that went with it. After all, it was her entire life.
Seeing that the highway she wanted to continue taking veered off to the left, Dani checked her rear-view mirror and moved into the left lane. She noted a van as it passed her on the right and saw a small face look out at her, then a little hand wave as the van took the road to the right.
Dani smiled at the young child's face until he disappeared from view. Children. She had once wanted children, two, maybe three. But all that was decided for her when she'd made the mistake of falling in love with the wrong man. Because of one bad decision made in her youth, she would never have children of her own. And even though she had accepted that fact many years ago, it still came back to haunt her, especially lately, ever since her friend and coworker, Janette, became pregnant with her first child. Throughout the months, Dani had watched Janette grow large and heard nothing but talk about babies. Janette complained about being fat and clumsy but Dani knew that deep down she was enjoying every precious moment, every kick and wiggle inside her.
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