Andy fumbled in her purse for her ringing cell phone. “Hi Martin. We’re over at the new J House.” Andy listened a moment and answered. “Sure, I’ll stop and get some. We’ll be on our way home pretty quick.”
“We need to be getting back anyway.” Roger called to the others, and they loaded back into the van. “I need to send out a help call for volunteers. This is going to be one busy time.”
“Yeah, and get ready for Christmas.” Hope started to laugh. “Hang on for the ride, folks. Who knows what Big Dad is going to do next?”
“Cyndy, darling, why are you crying?” Julia braced herself as her granddaughter threw herself into her grandmas arms.
“She’s been waitin’ for you to get back.” Alphi’s mom, Patricia, formerly Trish, turned and spoke so only Hope would hear. “Cried most of the time but wouldn’t say nothin’ to me.”
Hope watched as Julia comforted her granddaughter, both of them crying. She pulled some tissues from the resident tissue box on the front desk and crossed the room to hand them out. “You want to go back in the other room so you can talk easier?”
“Thanks.” Julia kept her arm around Cyndy as they followed Hope. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Please, Grandma, I want to go home. He’ll find me if we stay here.”
Julia looked at Hope over Cyndy’s head, tears still flowing. They sank onto the couch. When Hope started to leave, Julia beckoned her to stay.
Big Dad, I can sure see that this is not good news. Please help my sister here.
While Cyndy lay against Julia’s shoulder as if she had nothing left to hold herself upright with, Julia mopped her face again. “May I tell Hope?”
Cyndy nodded, a barely-moving-the-head nod.
“Cyndy went to the free clinic because she thought she had the flu and wasn’t getting any better. They said her blood test showed hepatitis.”
“Oh, dear God above.” Hope closed her eyes and melted into the wing chair. “And you just learned this?”
Cyndy nodded.
“Child, I hate to ask you this, but how long since you’ve turned tricks?”
“Week or two. Gave blood two weeks ago and nothing showed.” Tears continued to trickle down her face, leaving black mascara tracks. She looked like someone had slugged her in both eyes, they were so swollen.
She could be prosecuted for endangerment, transmitting an infectious disease.
Hope left off the thought. “Do you know the names of the johns?”
Cyndy shook her head. “King will kill me if he finds out.”
“You’ve been back with him?”
Cyndy nodded this time.
“Does he know where Julia is staying?” Hope asked the girl.
“Don’t think so.”
“I’m calling the airlines to see when we can get out.” Julia sighed and sent Hope a pleading look. “If Clarice would like to … ”
“If Clarice would like to what?” Clarice walked into the office, back from checking on the girls preparing dinner.
“Stay in my room at the residential hotel. I’m not taking all my things. We’ll just leave now.”
“You mean give up my cot?” Clarice smiled at her friend. “Sure, thank you for the offer. I can catch the bus back here every morning like you’ve been doing.”
“What can we do to help you?” Roger asked.
“A ride would be good.”
“You have it. I’ll be ready whenever you are.” He knelt in front of Cyndy. “If we can get King on dealing, will you testify?”
Panic made her shudder, but staring into his eyes, she finally nodded.
He patted her knee. “Good girl.”
Hope handed Julia the phone and the phone book. “You want something to drink? Have you eaten?” At the girl’s shrug, Hope poured her a glass of orange juice and put crackers and cheese on a plate. “This will help tide you over until … ” Until what? Oh, Lord, while she’d be safer back there, I want Julia here. I am so selfish, I know. Keep them safe. Above all, keep them safe.
Julia stopped dialing and set the phone down. “We’ll be back, my friend. Hopefully in time for Christmas, or at least to help you move.” She dialed again, and after making her arrangements, she turned to Roger. “We’ll be on the red-eye at ten. I’ll go get some things together. Clarice, you want to come with me now?”
“Give me ten minutes?”
“Sure.”
“Fine, I’ll have the van ready at the side door. Even if King has someone watching J House, we’ll get Cyndy out of here safely.”
“Thanks for your prayers. I’ll see you soon.” Julia hugged her friends and, taking her granddaughter’s arm, headed to the door.
The next day, Andy read an e-mail from her mother asking when she was coming home again. While the number of corporate orders had slowed, there were plenty of personal orders, and those took more time in the long run. She and Martin had discussed where and how they were going to spend Christmas and agreed that since Thanksgiving had been such a bust, they would celebrate Christmas in Medford. They planned to fly home on the twenty-second.
She took her mother’s message in hand and went to talk with Martin. The thought of going home earlier thrilled her to the tips of her toes.
“So what do you think?” she asked after laying it all out for him.
“I think we should stay with our original plans.” He checked his calendar. “I have a doctor’s appointment next Tuesday. And the company Christmas dinner is this Thursday.”
“You feel up to going?”
“For a while, at least. I’ll just take it easy.”
Andy felt her resentment rising. But what about all the work to be done on the new J House? The thought dropped her mouth open. She’d be bailing out on the Girl Squad. And all the getting ready for Christmas. Julia had already left, and whether she’d be back in time to help was pretty doubtful.
Martin stared at the calendar. “I’d really like you to be here for the company Christmas dinner.”
“All right. I can leave on Friday then, and you can fly up after your appointment. AES is pretty much closed between Christmas and New Year’s anyway, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “If the doctor will let me fly.”
“Well, if not, you can take the train. He said your heart was doing great. There doesn’t seem to be any residual damage.”
“You’re probably right.”
I refuse to borrow trouble. I’ll send Camden down for him if I have to. “Thank you, Martin.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “You will be all right here by yourself, won’t you?” She flashed through a list of her to-dos. “Oh, and don’t worry about Fluffy. Clarice is looking forward to taking care of him. She’s hoping she’ll get to see the parrots while she is here.” Not that I haven’t been hoping for that since we moved in, and so far, nada.
Andy let her gaze drift lovingly around the family room of their Medford home. The stockings she’d made those years ago, hanging on the mantel, the manger scene with the stable frame that Cam had built in wood shop, her quilted Christmas banner hanging on the wall, the tree lights twinkling in the corner. Every ornament brought back memories. She hadn’t put a tree up in the living room this year, but the eight-foot pine her father had cut and delivered made the whole house smell like Christmas. A continuous whirlwind was a kind description of the last few days. If she thought about it, exhaustion nearly swamped her. Along with signing the papers on the McCauley farm and dealing with lavender orders and decorating, she’d even managed to bake three different kinds of cookies: krumkake, the buttery, paper-thin cones that Bria loved; Cam’s Rice Krispy bars; and thumbprints rolled in chopped walnuts for Morgan. Martin’s favorite divinity filled its usual Christmas can.
The busier she was, the less time she had for missing Martin.
Chai Lai leaped into her lap after dozing along with Comet on the rug in front of the fireplace.
“You’re as glad I’m home as I am, aren’t you?” Andy stroked her fur, and t
he cat’s engine chugged into full purr. “But you know it’s not the same. I want Martin here. Wednesday can’t come soon enough.”
Comet came over and laid her muzzle on Andy’s knee. The dog hadn’t left her side since she came home.
The phone rang, so she set the cat down in the warm seat of the chair and answered it.
“Hi there. Can you come pick me up?”
“Martin, where are you?”
“At the airport.”
“Here?” Her tone flew higher, her grin nearly splitting her face.
“Would be a long drive to SFO, now wouldn’t it?”
“You came early.”
“I changed my appointment.”
Martin never changed appointments. “The doctor said?”
“I could fly, I can go back to work after the first of the year, and would you quit asking me questions and come and get me?”
He was teasing. She laughed and bit her lip. “I’ll be right there.”
She threw the switch that turned off the tree lights, made sure the screen banked the fire, grabbed her coat and bag, and flew out the door. “Martin’s home. Martin’s home. Just us before the kids arrive.” Her words caught her by surprise.
Camden had flown into Seattle and was driving down with Bria and Morgan, all scheduled to arrive sometime on the twenty-third. Everyone would be home for Christmas. “Thank You, Father. Thank You!” She shouted out the words. If some other driver thought she was nuts, so be it.
When she reached the airport, Martin was already standing at the curb with two huge suitcases waiting for her.
She leaped out of the car and threw her arms around him. “Merry Christmas.” The kiss he gave her warmed her clear to her toes, already plenty warm in fur-lined boots.
“Merry Christmas.” He cupped his hands along her jaw line. “That house was miserable without you there.”
“Really?” She kissed him on the chin. “Welcome home.” She pulled away, slowly, watching his eyes. A smile crinkled the edges. “Here, I’ll get the bags.” She popped the rear door open, and together they lifted the bags in. “You’re not supposed to be lifting heavy things.”
“I didn’t. We did.”
He filled her in on all the news of AES, said Clarice and Fluffy became instant friends … “That cat doesn’t know a stranger.”
“Neither does Clarice.”
“Roger dropped by a couple of times. You didn’t sic him on me, did you?”
“No, I think he enjoys talking with you.”
“He’s a good friend. Wish I could help with the moving, but I’m sure there’ll be other things I can do later.”
Andy bit her tongue to keep from shouting praises aloud, although she was singing inside. Instead, she said calmly, “Good. God sure worked some miracles there.” She reached over and took his hand. “I’m so glad you are here.”
“Me too.”
Comet greeted him like her long-lost best friend, dancing in the frosty air, yipping, and even a getting out a bark or two.
“She’s been so happy with me back.” Andy slid his suitcases out on the ground. “What all did you pack?”
“I went shopping online early this year and had given them that address.”
“I bought everyone gift certificates. They’ll have to do their own shopping, other than the little stuff I’ve been picking up.”
He stopped just inside the doorway, clicked on the lights for the tree, and nodded. “You did it, made it be Christmas here, but then I knew you would.”
“Thank you. I could sleep for a week.”
“Andy, we need to talk.”
“I know.” I know what you are going to say Please don’t say it now. Can’t it wait until after Christmas?
Love him and accept him for who he is. The voice sounded firm, as if not brooking any argument.
Are you going to trust Me?
Yes, Lord, I trust You.
“You want some eggnog or spiced cider?”
“Cider.” He leaned over and picked up Chai Lai, petting Comet, who had glued herself to his ankle. “I’ll throw some more wood on the fire.”
Andy poured the cider she’d made earlier into two mugs, set cinnamon sticks in them, and set them in the microwave. While the cider heated, she fixed a plate of cookies. “You had dinner?”
“Yes, at the airport.” He dusted off his hands and settled back in his chair. “Ah, this feels so good.”
Then let’s stay here. Or … And this was what she wanted the most.
She set a tray on the hassock and handed him his cider, the cookie plate in her other hand.
“Thanks.” He sipped and ate one cookie in two bites. “Did you have a good drive up here?”
“Sure. The roads were clear in the mountains. There was plenty of snow, good thing. We need a heavy snowpack to refill Lake Shasta.”
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Me too.”
“I really missed you.” Martin held her gaze, steady and warm.
“Me too.”
“So here’s what I’m proposing. I turned in my resignation.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “What? Martin, are you serious?”
“I am. I saw how important your business is, and its growth potential. I’m hoping you can put a fairly good salesman to use.”
Andy left her chair and knelt by his. “Martin, darling, what brought this about?”
“The meeting with Brad. When he said twelve more people on my team, I could feel my whole body clench. All I could think was more hours, more travel, more everything. When the doctor said ‘Change your life,’ I thought I couldn’t do that, but somehow God made me see what is really important. You. You and me.” He traced her jaw with a gentle fingertip. “I don’t want us to be apart for long times again. I used to think that was okay, but not anymore. I guess this heart attack made me stop and think. And then when that house felt so empty without you … Our marriage is more important to me than anything else.” His voice caught, and he cleared his throat and blinked several times.
Andy laid her cheek on his hand. “Oh, Martin, what can I say? I used to like being here alone, my lavender and all the busy things I did, but not anymore. No matter how busy I stayed, this house is lonely without you, and talking on the phone or e-mail just isn’t enough.”
He stroked her hair and along her chin. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What?”
“About putting a pretty good salesman to use—if you want to build more business, that is.”
Andy grinned up at him, then tilted her head, watching him from the side of her eye. “Can you plant lavender, answer the phones, fill orders?”
He sighed, a pretend sigh, she could tell by the light in his eyes. “If I must.”
“Till fields, move sprinklers … ”
“I thought that was your father’s province.”
“Learn the properties of the different lavenders, practice your French, take your wife to France … ”
“I’ll do my best. You drive a hard bargain. However, I must inform you that I will not be available for work until the first of March, and I really had hoped for some vacation time with my favorite woman before I start my new position. Oh, I forgot to ask, do I get paid vacation and shares in the company?” He kissed her on the tip of her nose; then his lips found hers. “I love you, Andrea Taylor.”
A bit later, Andy looked up into her husband’s face, where the firelight flickered and love glowed. “What about our house in San Francisco?”
“Well, we need to live there until I leave the company, and then I was thinking that if Julia comes back by then, perhaps she’d like to lease it from us.”
“What a good idea. She’d love having Fluffy. I don’t think he’d do well here. Chai Lai wouldn’t like him.”
“And I thought we might take Comet along. She just might like the city. There are plenty of places to walk her.”
“Martin, you mean it?” Comet heard her name and raised her he
ad, staring at him.
Martin leaned over and patted her. “Other people have dogs in the city, so why not us? After all, it won’t be for long.”
“More cider?”
“Sure.” He smiled at her, an older version of the smile that used to set her heart to fluttering. It still did. “There’s a package for you. J House fudge. Roger brought it over. He’s a good guy.”
“Yes, he is.”
“I told him I’d like to help on the restoration of that old house. Several of the AES employees are planning to volunteer.”
“Really?”
“Hope said to tell you to hurry back. She’s missing the Girl Squad.”
“Me too. We’ll be there after January first.” She leaned against his arm. “Funny, I never dreamed I’d be looking forward to going back.”
That night in bed in her black nightie, Andy let her thoughts rove. God had answered so many of their prayers in such interesting ways. She’d always thought that home was here in Medford, but home was really where she and Martin were together. And if God could put together friends like the Girl Squad once, wouldn’t he do so again? Of course, He could keep the group together, even across lots of miles. After all, planes flew back and forth every day. Hmm. Something to talk to Hope about.
Epilogue
April 1
“We ready?” Celia shouted.
“Yes!” The response chorused from vendors, those on the street blocked off by traffic barricades and those on the once-vacant lot, which now wore the lawn and sculpted look of a minipark. Customers lined the sidewalks, waiting for the ribbon cutting. City officials, Social Services representatives, folks who’d been blessed by J House, AES employees, and all the friends of J House mingled outside the perimeter ropes.
The Girl Squad stood with arms around one another as Roger handed Alphi the huge scissors. The press and a local television station had their cameras, audiotape recorders, and camcorders running.
Roger raised his arms for silence and beckoned to his wife. Hope handed her baby to Andy and stepped forward to take the mike.
“Let’s pray.” She waited a moment for silence, started, then cleared her throat. “Father God, our Big Dad, we thank You and praise You for all the work You’ve done to bring this day into being. Only You could have worked this all out … ” A heartfelt “amen” came from someone in the crowd. “We dedicate this place to be used for Your glory and to share the love You so freely give each of us, to those who need it. May all who shop here, live here, and worship here feel Your unending love and presence. We thank You and praise You for all who gave of their time and goods to make this happen. And everyone said … ”
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