Accident Waiting to Happen

by Hart, Trinity

  “You said you’d try. Just lay on my hands as if you’re lying on a bed. Breathe. Let the water carry you.”

  “How deep is this water right here?”

  “Hope…”

  Obviously he wasn’t going to relent, so she gave loosening up her very best, an effort Caleb seemed content with, continuing to soothe and encourage her.

  One minute ticked into two into three. The water bobbed and swished her body. Above her, white clouds glided by lazily. Her protests slipped away.

  “That’s it. Just breathe,” he murmured. “In, out, slowly. That’s it. Remember, air floats.”

  A soothing tranquility washed over her fear. Caleb had her. She was safe. Fine.

  Floating.

  Then with striking alarm she realized Caleb had moved his hands and she was on her own. “Caleb!” Panic struck swift and strong and she folded, instantly caught by him.

  “Easy there. I have you.”

  “Don’t do that ever again!” Lassoing her arms around his neck, she clung for dear life, breathing hard. “You let me go!”

  “But you had it. You were floating. Until you panicked, that is.”

  His words hit her forcibly. He was right. She’d been floating.

  Just imagine! She, Hope the Sinking Rock Lady, could lie upon the water.

  Sudden confidence bolted through her. This dog could learn new tricks, after all!

  Over and over they practiced, the afternoon passing in a wonderful blur of accomplishment, until her fear existed no more and Caleb lay on his back next to Hope, holding her hand as they glided weightlessly on the lake side by side.

  In the distance, the squeals of teens whishing down the waterslide carried through the air.

  For the first time in her life, Hope promised herself, “One day.”

  “What’s that?” Caleb murmured.

  “Nothing.” A giant dog-sized cloud hovered in the blue-and-white sky above them. “Look,” she laughed and pointed to the right, “Samson.”

  The action caused her to sink a bit and she easily regained her buoyancy.

  “Over to the left,” Caleb urged. “A cross.”

  Thankful, Hope squeezed his hand as she made out the shape he spoke of, her heart beating as it had never beat before.

  She might not be able to swim but she could float…gloriously float. It was a start that meant more to her than he’d ever know.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next two days passed without incident and Hope began to wonder if she’d imagined the intruder in her home. If her failed brakes weren’t just some kooky coincidence. If all the surveillance equipment surrounding the cabin and Caleb’s insistence he stand guard at night and sleep while she was at school truly necessary.

  Life settled into a routine. In the morning she woke and fixed them breakfast while Caleb cared for the horses then he delivered her by rowboat to the church. Afterward, they went to the beach. Once she could float confidently, his next goal was teaching her to tread water. He started by cupping her by the elbows, fully supporting her weight and teaching her “jog” in the water. Different ways to move her legs. Then he slowly pushed her toward independence, coaching her on how to move her arms. Before long, Hope could tread a full proud minute.

  What wasn’t routine, however, was the whirling hodgepodge of feelings inside her. Experience had ground certain emotions and distrusts into her. Her daily events operated on a complete one-eighty. Everywhere she turned, she was surrounded by faith. By God. By happiness.

  Contentment she desperately wanted to grasp hold of and keep forever.

  She could trust Caleb. But the Lord? To do so was to take a leap she could not chance. Not in her heart, where she remembered vehemently the pain her mother had suffered.

  Still, the hunger deep in her soul would not be quieted.

  After a pleasant dinner of lasagna—and compliments galore from Caleb—she washed the dishes then with Samson close behind, went outside to tend the flowerbeds while Caleb fed and watered the horses.

  As a child, she’d ridden on occasion but as Hope’s fingers filtered soil, she realized the interest was no longer there. She’d yet to take a horse out. To visit the barn. At first her ankle had been the excuse but not anymore.

  Admittedly, she enjoyed the view from the window. But all those poor beasts and only Caleb to pay them attention? What a shame.

  Momentarily, she considered selling them and immediately dismissed the notion. When he wasn’t so focused on protecting her, Caleb’s job centered on those animals. Already she was stealing his garden work.

  Besides…

  Unbidden, her mother’s hopes for Eden Resort crept into her mind. What if? Not since she’d set eyes on the plans had she been able to readily dismiss the idea.

  Now, drawn to the thought no matter how unsuitable, Hope found herself wiping her hands on her jeans and leaving Samson to chase his rabbit as she marched with indefinable purpose to her father’s office.

  At his big desk, she opened the drawer and removed the folder, reexamining the contents while actually considering putting the proposal into place. The children’s camp appealed the most. They could have one of that huge water trampolines and perhaps Caleb could give boating and swimming lessons. There’d be baseball and volleyball and flag football. In the fall, they could do campfires and roast marshmallows and have hayrides. Even the wintertime, with the moderate weather in this area of Texas, would allow for horse riding and hiking. They could do a Christmas camp, celebrating the birth of Jesus and the kids could make homemade presents for their families. Act out a live nativity.

  Scavenger hunts. Wildlife spotting. Spiritual-focused dance classes. Music groups.

  Hosting weddings. Banquets. Retreats. All Christ centered.

  Suddenly, her mind overflowed with ideas. There was no end to possibilities.

  Everyday—not just a couple weeks in the summer—would be filled with songs and laughter and joy.

  Craziness.

  Even if she wanted to, the money for such a venture did not exist. The mere fifty-seven thousand she’d inherited would hardly make a dent in the upstart. Building cabins and halls and a chapel would cost big money. Maybe she could get a loan but that would involve huge risk.

  Not that she was the person for the job. Not even close.

  Closing the folder, she tapped her fingers on the cover and forced herself to stuff it back in the drawer. As she did, the journal filled with her father’s sermons caught her attention. She pulled it out and flipped to the last page he’d written on.

  Blue ink flowed with his gracious handwriting, spilling truth onto the page and with tear-filled eyes, Hope read her father’s last words.

  “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29: 11-13

  Her mind skipped back in time to the aftermath of the awful night she was attacked on the stairs. I know the plans I have for you…

  While she’d been questioning God’s decision to save her after so many let-downs, the bible quote had jumped into her mind, though she had no idea at the time it was just that.

  Had God been answering her?

  Compelled by the possibility, she read on.

  Why?

  It’s a question many of us ask. Why? Why did I lose my job, Lord? Why did that accident happen, Lord? Why can’t I have what I want, Lord?

  Hope could just imagine her father’s voice booming the words in the manner only he could deliver.

  Why…

  As many of you are aware, I lost my wife to cancer. Witnessing the pain she lived with was nearly unbearable but in my human way, I refused to believe we she could actually die. I prayed. I preached. I convinced myself she would make it through.

  Yet she did not.

  Today I find myself thinking of the parent who loses a child and in the wake of such pain, manages to become an advocate. The rape victim that becomes a leader of woman’s rights. The cancer survi
vor who passionately raises funds and awareness.

  Big or small, helpers. Doers. Heroes.

  If nothing bad ever happened to anyone, the truth is, we’d be missing out on an awful lot of good.

  God has a bigger plan.

  So what did Emma Jean Pearson bring to this world? I could not have asked for a better, more supportive wife. I truly believe God sent her to me, to be my friend, my comfort.

  And then he took her from me.

  And so I ask again, why Lord?

  I found this folder three weeks ago. Emma’s. Filled with plans and hopes for a dream I’d once long ago dismissed. You see, Emma wanted to open a Christian camp and retreat, while I wanted to reach greater and wider on nationwide television.

  Now I’ll admit to you, until finding this, I’d selfishly forgotten about her dream. Sweet Emma, my wife, felt a strong duty to stand by me in my calling and never uttered a word more about this dream of hers.

  It is now my duty to stand by her in her calling.

  While I wish life had gone any other way, I realize God is using me. The outreach I now have. The resources.

  And so it is. His will, not Emma’s, not mine. Groundbreaking on Eden Retreat will occur—

  He’d never finished. The announcement just hung there, waiting to be finished. Waiting perhaps, if one followed her father’s logic of “why”, for Hope to complete his words, as she felt so called.

  I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

  Maybe there had been a reason for everything. A reason that still remained. Maybe she’d been destined to lose herself so she could come here and find herself again.

  Once again she told herself building the camp wasn’t possible. Wasn’t attainable.

  Told herself she’d no business even entertaining such wild ideas. No place in the Christian community, even if she wanted to be.

  And she didn’t, did she?

  But no matter how much she denied the inward pull or grasped at the outward facts, Hope knew something in her had changed while reading that sermon.

  Why? She’d asked that question for a long time and her mind spun at the idea of finally having an answer. That perhaps her mom’s death hadn’t been some horrible wrongdoing but God’s plan for greater good.

  But believing that meant believing. Trusting in a manner that was all-inclusive. Though the good times and the bad. Through thick and thin. Even through pain.

  The idea was so overwhelming Hope abandoned the desk as if it’d suddenly caught fire.

  * * * *

  It was funny how quickly life could change. Used to be Caleb drug himself out of bed every morning, hungry for the cold, awakening rush of a long swim like others craved coffee. He needed that swim, the stretching of his muscles. The knowledge that physically, he still had it. Often, he did an extra lap in the afternoon just to prove he could.

  But this week, his workouts had fallen to the wayside like a child’s once favorite, now forgotten toy.

  This morning, as in the past few, the clock struck seven a.m. and he separated himself from the duty of sitting guard all night, anxious for only one thing.

  Hope.

  Out of necessity, his life had begun to revolve around her. At night, he watched over the property, listening over the baby monitors and performing several patrols. Then he rowed her to church and while she taught, he slept. In the afternoon, he woke, inspected the camera’s memory and the house then fetched her for her daily swim lessons.

  All of which he could claim was his obligation.

  But setting eyes on her in her pajamas, with her cute sleepy smile and adorable ruffled morning hair, was anything but.

  He looked forward to breakfast with Hope as he’d once looked forward to his swims. He hungered for it. Craved it.

  Somewhere deep inside himself needed the interactions.

  On the same note, despite never getting much more than five or six hours sleep, he often left for the church earlier than necessary just to stand in the wings and watch her with the children. The way she glowed when with them. Her sweetness, her loving heart, her patience.

  Oh yeah, Caleb had it bad.

  Boots already on from when he’d fed the horses, he splashed his face with cool water at the kitchen sink, dried his cheeks with the inside of his t-shirt and waited with pulse-laced anticipation for the moment she pulled the curtains to the sliding doors.

  Minutes passed before the white drapes slid left and right, revealing her shadowy figured gazing out over the lake. His very heart flipped at the vision she made but Caleb refused to acknowledge what such a feeling could mean.

  Instead, he told himself he was simply glad to have a new friend in a world that’d become very lonely and monotonous.

  Such eagerness pulled at him he almost didn’t stop from bolting out the door when the phone began to ring. But sensing it could be important, given the early time of day, he rushed back inside and nabbed the portable from the end table. “McBryde here.”

  “Caleb, we got him.”

  The single best four words he’d heard in years.

  “Highway patrol picked Neil up last night for DUI and he’s being held for questioning but the sand is dumping out of his twenty-four hour hold. I’m heading out now. You coming along?”

  “Yeah, I’ll meet you in town in twenty.”

  The response was inborn instinct. He couldn’t question Neil himself but he fully intended to be there to observe. Offer his insight if needed. After all, he’d intimate knowledge of the events that’d led up to the attacks.

  “I’m at the station now, so try and hurry.” Excitement triggered in Noah’s voice and Caleb was pretty certain it was the first time his brother had been called upon to do more than cite a drunk teen or haul an unruly husband in. “Looks like ole Neil boy had himself a highfalutin’ time last night. Nothing like a headache to make something slip. What about Hope? She coming?”

  Hope.

  She’d bible school to teach. Was depending on him to take her to town as much as the church was counting on her to show.

  More than that, this was going to upset her. Drudge up old pain and worries.

  It hit Caleb then how much more this was than just another case. His cases had always meant something to him but not quite so personally. It was as if he were on the inside looking out, seeing matters in a whole new light.

  “I don’t think that’s best. Or necessary.” Hope was in a vulnerable spot right now. The last thing she needed was a reminder of things gone bad. A reason to take two steps backward when she’d barely gained an inch. “Look, let me off the phone and I’ll see you soon.”

  “All right, man. Drive safe.”

  “Right.”

  Caleb hung up, hand resting on the receiver. This was good news. Awesome, so long as they managed to flip Neil on something.

  So why did he feel as if someone had just come along and messed up his little world?

  Worried she’d react badly but needing to get the news over with, he trudged up to the cabin with his truck keys in hand.

  Letting himself in the backdoor, he found her flipping pancakes in the kitchen as she hummed, a delightful, sensual sound unlike anything he’d ever heard. “Hey. Knock, knock.”

  “Hey!” Already dressed, she wore another of her strikingly feminine outfits—a bright pink floral spaghetti-strap dress that gathered just above the waist and fitted snug around her bodice. “You hungry?” Then she laughed, so joyous and full of life. Caleb’s pulse gained speed. “Who am I kidding? You’re starving, right?”

  Did she realize the transformation in herself? The change teaching bible school had breathed into her very spirit? How happy she sounded. Lighthearted and carefree, so different from the woman who’d crash-landed in his life.

  Clearing his throat, he reconsidered telling her anything until charges were in place and final. Why weigh her down with details?

  Onto a platter heaped with pancakes
, she flipped the final two. “Well, are you just going to stand there and stare? Sit. I’ll bring you a coffee.”

  Man, his mouth was watering.

  “Gonna have to skip breakfast but thanks anyway.” In protest, his stomach rumbled loudly. Bacon, eggs, the works. And he had to miss it. “Look, I’ll have to call Brian to drive you into town this morning. I can’t do it. Something came up.”

  He might as well have just told her there was a dinosaur in the backyard.

  “Caleb?” Worry hitched in her voice as she flicked back her bangs and her gaze met his, locking there. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. You know me, always glowering.”

  “No…” Setting the spatula on the counter, she approached him with wariness written on her expression. “You may not smile much but I can see when your happy.” She motioned to her own huge, worried eyes and he witnessed her point exactly. “I can also tell when you’re concerned, like now.”

  “It’s nothing that’s a big deal.”

  “It’s Neil, isn’t it?”

  So much for saving her the upset. “Yeah. He’s been arrested on DUI. This is our chance.”

  “Oh.” Contemplating that, she swallowed. “Okay, great.” There was another pause then she gave a surprised little laugh. “I’d almost forgotten about it all.”

  “Yeah, I know. Been quiet around here the past couple days. But this is good,” he offered.

  “It is.” But her smile didn’t quite reach as she waved her hand, like she could brush the entire issue aside. “Look, you don’t need to call Brian. I’ll be fine. I’ll take the boat myself.”

  “I don’t know…you sure about that?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” Heading back into the kitchen, she busied herself assembling eggs and bacon and cheese onto bread. “I feel safer since you’ve been helping me learn to swim. And Neil’s certainly not a worry, right?”

  “Right.”

  With a flurry of brilliant pink, she marched over and handed him two sandwiches wrapped in foil and travel mug of coffee. “You shouldn’t start you’re day on an empty stomach.”