“Cool,” he replied. “I’ll be here.”
After she walked away, he returned his attention to the email. With a quick, “Hope it works out,” he signed off and clicked ‘send’.
Amber Gamble flipped open her laptop and clicked on the email tab. Scrolling through some junk mail, her eyes stopped on the subject box that read, ‘Hey.’ An email from Caleb!
She quickly opened it and read through his message. Every time she heard from her son, it made her day. She sat back and smiled. It would be great to see him again. Caleb was the one good thing from a messed up past she often wished she could erase.
At age thirty-one, it was hard to believe it had been seventeen years since she’d given birth to him. Looking back, she could clearly remember the day she’d discovered she was pregnant.
And only fourteen years old.
After bouncing around to a number of foster homes and finally ending up separated from her younger brother, Jack, she’d latched onto her boyfriend, Adam, as the one hope for finding love and a place to belong.
But Adam was only a kid himself. Granted he was older than her. And a high school guy, who seemed to really care about her. Until she got pregnant, that is. And then all he could talk about was how she had to have an abortion.
Amber cringed as she thought back to how she’d believed he would marry her, and they’d be a family—her, Adam, the baby, and Jack.
Ha! What a dreamer she was.
Thankfully she’d confided in her favorite teacher—Mrs. Baron—the only person who seemed to really care what happened to her. Michelle was great. She’d helped Amber through it all and had agreed to adopt her baby boy, even going along with Amber’s choice of names.
“What are you thinking about so seriously,” Will asked, leaning over and giving her a kiss.
Amber closed the laptop and smiled up at him. “Nothing. I just got an email from Caleb.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. He’s just already getting bored with summer.”
“Kids. Wish I had time to be bored,” he added wistfully. “I’ve gotta run, babe. Top will blow a gasket if I don’t have that Benz ready today.”
Amber smiled thinking about Will’s boss, gruff old Hank Topper. The guy could be pretty intimidating, but Amber suspected he was really a softie underneath that tough exterior.
He owned the mechanic shop for high-end automobiles, where her husband worked as a mechanic. That’s where she’d met Will, the day her car quit on her right at the corner where the shop was located. Although it was definitely not a ‘high-end’ vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, Will had spotted her stuck in the intersection while other motorists blasted their horns at her.
She grimaced at the memory. It was her second day on the job as a teacher’s aide, and she was in tears by the time he’d tapped on her window.
“Need a hand?” he asked with that winsome smile of his.
Soon he’d pushed her car into the lot at the shop and was offering her a lift to school. One thing led to another, and soon they were dating. A year later, they married, with Caleb and his whole family in attendance. This month would be their fifth anniversary, and Will still made her heart race. Her only regret was that they’d never be able to have kids together. Caleb had been her one and only. The scar tissue from all the bleeding caused by her placenta previa and the subsequent emergency c-section had caused irreparable damage to her uterus.
Amber stood and gave her husband another kiss. This one lingered as she melted into him.
“Whoa, girl,” Will said with a grin. “Careful or I’ll forget all about that Benz.”
She laughed. “Go to work, dufus.”
“Okay, but we’ll pick up where we left off tonight.” He grabbed his water bottle off the counter and headed for the garage.
As the door closed behind him, Amber sat back down to answer Caleb’s email. Then she remembered she hadn’t asked Will what he thought about her son coming out to visit them. Maybe she’d better wait until later to reply.
Lucy sat on Madison’s bed flipping through one of her bridal magazines. “This dress is amazing,” she said, pointing to a full-page portrait of a bride and groom. “The guy’s not bad looking either,” she added.
Madison leaned over and looked at the photo. “You’d look good in that,” she told her best friend, soon to be her sister-in-law.
“Ha!” Lucy exclaimed. “Right!”
“I’m serious, Luce. You should go for a gown like that when you get married.”
“If, you mean,” Lucy replied. “My prospects aren’t so hot these days.”
“Just because you and Spence are taking a break, doesn’t mean you won’t get married.”
Lucy shrugged. “Let’s change the subject,” she suggested. “Are you getting nervous about the big day?”
“Maybe, a little,” Madison admitted.
“You should see Luke. He’s having all kinds of secret talks with Dad. I’ve never seen him so serious.”
I wonder what that’s about? Madison thought to herself, but all she said was, “Really?”
“Yeah. They go into Dad’s man cave, so I don’t know what they’re talking about. Probably stuff like bills and birth control.”
Madison blushed. “Lucy!”
“What?”
“Sometimes you crack me up.”
Lucy laughed. “Luke’s such a perfectionist. He’ll want to do everything just right.”
“Well, he’s sure not getting a perfect wife,” Madison mumbled under her breath.
“What?” Lucy asked.
“Nothing.”
Lucy’s phone beeped, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Gotta go. Mom made me promise to be home in time to go to the store with her before dinner.” She stood up and handed Madison the bridal magazine. “Have fun dreaming about your prince charming,” she added with a grin.
Madison swatted her on the shoulder with it. “You, too.”
“Wanna shoot some hoops with me?” Caleb asked Madison as he poked his head into her room.
Looking up from her email, she replied, “I’m kind of busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Email, dummy. Can’t you see?”
“Come on, Mad. You can do that anytime.”
“Like I can’t shoot hoops with you anytime?” she asked, glancing his way.
“Not for long. Pretty soon you’ll be an old married lady living with Luke.” He paused and then added, “Just fifteen minutes. And I promise I won’t ask Luke when he comes over tonight.”
“Okay, okay. If you promise not to try to snag him into a game, I guess I can shoot a few hoops with you. But just fifteen minutes. Then I’ve got to get some stuff done.”
“Fine,” he agreed with a grin.
As they bantered back and forth on the court out back, Caleb said, “So can you believe you’re really getting married?”
She paused before answering. “Yeah, I guess.”
“You don’t sound very excited. Should I tell Luke you’re changing your mind?” he teased.
Madison hit the ball out of his hand and bounded to the basket, sinking the first shot.
“Nice!” Caleb exclaimed. “Seriously, though, Mad, is there something wrong? Just tell your little brother.”
She laughed. Caleb might be five years younger than her, but at six foot one, he towered over her.
“I can deal with Luke if he’s giving you any grief,” he added.
“Oh really?” Madison said with a smile.
“Sure. Just let me know.”
“I’ll be sure to do that,” she replied, and then added, “So what’s new on your secret search?”
Caleb shot her a look and then glanced over at the house.
“Mom’s gone,” Madison reassured him. “She’s going over to see Grams.”
“Okay. That’s good. Don’t forget—you promised not to say anything,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, yeah. Your secret’s safe with me,”
she said reassuringly. “So have you done anything else?”
“I emailed Amber to find out about going out there.”
“And?”
“She hasn’t answered yet. Probably needs to check with Will.”
Madison nodded. “When would you go?”
“As soon as I can.”
“Did you mention this to Mom or Dad?” she asked.
“No. Not until I hear back,” he replied. “And don’t you go saying anything either,” he warned.
Madison held up both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Mums the word.” Her cell phone rang, and she pulled it out. Looking back at her brother, she said, “It’s Luke.” Then she tapped the accept button and started walking to the house as she answered.
Michelle headed over to pick up her mother on the way to her grandmother’s house. With all the busyness of wrapping up another school year of teaching, as well as working on planning Madison’s wedding, she hadn’t been able to spend much time with either her mom or her grandmother. It would be nice to have an hour or two to catch up.
Sheila was waiting on the front porch when Michelle pulled into the driveway. “Hi, Mom,” she said as her mother settled into the front seat beside her. Sheila looked a little flustered. “Everything okay?” Michelle asked.
Sighing, Sheila nodded. “I guess. Rick’s pretty upset. The dean asked him to teach a different course next term. Apparently his curriculum has been too pro-Christian for the board. They’d like to have him move away from the religion subdivision of anthropology and shift to more of an evolutionary angle on culture.”
Sheila’s husband, Rick, was Michelle’s anthropology professor back when she was pursuing her teaching credential. He’d been very antagonistic to Christianity at the time, but now he was passionate about his faith. Although he and Sheila had only been together for about ten years, a second chance at love for Michelle’s mom after her first husband’s death, the entire family had embraced Rick. Now Michelle had grown to love him as a father figure and the grandfather of her two kids.
“What did he tell the dean?” she asked.
“He hasn’t said anything yet, but I think he’s going to consider leaving the university.”
“Really? Like retiring?” Michelle asked.
“Possibly. Or he may also look into positions at Christian universities or high schools.” Sheila turned to Michelle. “He loves teaching. You know how that is,” she added with a smile. “It would be a shame to give it up.”
“Yeah. He’d probably love teaching in a Christian school. It’s too bad, though, because he was reaching some kids that weren’t hearing about God from anyone else.”
As they pulled up to Shoreline Manor, Michelle asked, “Mom, have you noticed Grandma’s starting to struggle more with her memory? She repeats herself quite a bit when I talk to her on the phone.”
Sheila nodded. “Yep, the phone is the worst. She does better in person.”
They walked along the paved path from the parking lot to Joan’s apartment, the cool breeze overriding the warmth of the sun. It was a clear day—the first in weeks. And Michelle took a moment to pause and look out over the ocean. “Grandma’s very blessed to live here,” she remarked as they approached her front door.
Sheila pulled out the key to her mother’s door and inserted it into the bolt. It was already unlocked. Peeking inside, they saw Joan asleep in her rocking chair. “Mom,” Sheila said softly, reaching over and placing her hand on her mother’s shoulder.
Joan opened her eyes and looked up with a confused stare. “Sheila?”
“Yeah. Michelle and I are here. Remember, we made plans yesterday to come by.”
Joan nodded, but her face revealed no memory of their planned visit. Turning to Michelle, she said, “Hi, dear. It’s good to see your face.”
“Good to see you, too, Grandma,” Michelle replied, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss.
“Well, goodness me,” Joan piped up, gathering her wits about her. “Let me put the teakettle on. And I think I still have some of those shortbread cookies we picked up at the market last time.”
“Let me do that, Mom,” Sheila said. “You and Michelle can visit while I get us a little snack and some tea.”
“That would be lovely,” Joan replied, sitting forward in her rocker and gesturing to the overstuffed chair near her. “Relax a spell and catch me up on your sweet family.”
Michelle sank into the soft cushions, suddenly realizing how bone tired she was. “Everyone’s fine, Grams.”
“And are the wedding plans coming along?”
“Yep. We met with the photographer this week. We need to finalize the flowers and get the invitations out.”
“Woo wee!” Grandma Joan exclaimed. “Such a to-do these days! When your grandfather and I got hitched, we just had a small ceremony in the chapel with our families, and then a little punch and cake in the fellowship hall.”
Michelle smiled. “That sounds nice, Grams. I’ll bet you were relaxed and able to enjoy the day.”
“Well, I don’t know about relaxed, sweetheart. After all, I was starting a whole new life.” She rested her head back and gazed off into space. “Oh, your grandfather was such a handsome fellow! I can still see him in that blue suit of his, lanky frame and all, watching me walk up the aisle on my papa’s arm to meet him.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, Michelle not wanting to break the spell.
“Mom, do you have any more of that cinnamon tea?” Sheila’s voice came from the kitchen.
“I don’t think so, dear. Madison and I had some the other day, and I think I finished off the last of it yesterday morning,” Joan called back.
“Madison was here?” Michelle asked.
“Yes. We had a lovely visit. I’m surprised you didn’t know,” Joan replied. “She was full of questions, that one was.”
“Really? About what?”
“She wanted to know if I ever had second thoughts about marrying your grandfather,” Joan said.
“Probably just pre-wedding jitters,” Michelle said, but she made a mental note to talk to Madison. They really hadn’t had much of a chance to just talk lately. Everything was about wedding plans.
“She asked me if I ever wondered if I was the right one for Phil or he was the right one for me.” Joan laughed softly, shaking her head. “That one’s always second guessing herself,” she mumbled.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Finally, Caleb thought as he opened his email account and spotted a reply from Amber.
Hi Caleb! I was so happy to get an email from you! But I admit I was a little surprised that you’d want to come out here to the heat. It’s been over a hundred and five degrees daily all week. Wish I could come out there instead!
Will and I discussed it, and you’re welcome to come out for a week or so. Money’s a little tight these days, so I can’t send you a ticket or anything. But if you can work out the flight on your end, just let me know when you’ll be coming and I’ll be at the airport to pick you up.
You talked to your parents about this, right?
Love,
Amber
Caleb sat back in his chair and smiled. He was good to go to Arizona. Now he just had to convince his mom and dad to let him go. There was enough money in his savings from his part-time job at the Coffee Stop to pay for the ticket.
Leaning forward again, he began his online search for a non-stop flight. Sweet! There was a special on for the next two weeks, but he’d need to fly out within the following five days. He could stay for up to five days. Less time than he wanted, but the price was hard to pass up.
Tonight he’d talk to his mom about it. Dad would drill him about missing work, like his part-time job was such a big deal. But Mom—she had a soft spot for Amber, so if he played his cards right, he could make it sound like Amber got the idea of him coming out.
Just then Madison stuck her head in the door. “What’re you doing?” she asked.
Without thinking, he snap
ped, “None of your business.”
“Whoa. Sorry I asked,” she replied.
Caleb turned around in his chair. “Wait a sec,” he said. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. Come on in.” As she walked in, he added, “Close the door.”
“Uh oh. What is it?” she asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.
“I got an email from Amber.”
“And?”
“And she said it’s fine to go out there for a week.”
Madison looked at him with her eyebrows raised.
“What?” he asked.
“You know how I feel about this. You’re only going out there to try to get information on that guy.”
“If by that guy you mean my father, then yes that’s the main reason. But I also want to see Amber and Will.”
“Right.” She stared at him, and Caleb starting wishing he’d never confided in her at all. Before he could say another word, she said, “Your father is right here in Sandy Cove.”
“That’s what I’m wondering,” he said, knowing full well she was referring to their dad and not his biological father.
“You know what I mean, dummy.”
He turned back to his computer and muttered under his breath, “Whatever.”
“You are really selfish. You know that, right?” She shot back, starting to leave. “All you’re going to accomplish by this is to upset Dad.” Walking out, she slammed the door behind her.
“What was that about?” Steve asked as Madison nearly collided with him in the hallway outside of Caleb’s room.
“Caleb’s being a jerk, as usual.”
Steve put out his hand and gently took hold of her arm. “Hold on,” he said. “Tell me what’s happening.”
Madison balked. She didn’t want to be the one to tell her dad about Caleb’s crazy notion of finding that loser of a father from the past. “Why don’t you ask your son?” she said, pulling away.
“Okay, I will. But is everything alright with you, honey?” he asked. “You seem really edgy lately.”
She took a deep breath. “I guess it’s just all the wedding stuff.”
Above All Else (Sandy Cove Series Book 7) Page 5