by JoAnn Durgin
“I don’t follow.”
She breathed out a heavy sigh. “Once he finds out you went to Harvard and are so accomplished, he’ll probably wonder what on earth you’re doing with me.”
Ah, man. That was a tough one. How to answer? Usually self-confident, Cassie now seemed suddenly insecure. What kind of man would make his daughter feel unworthy in any way? If anything, he wasn’t worthy of Cassie.
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. I think we should pray. Pray for direction in the next few days and ask the Lord to bless our plans for a future together.”
The admiration in her eyes as she lifted her gaze to his made everything he’d gone through to get to this point worthwhile. He’d made so many mistakes, but he could offer her his heart, his mind, his body and soul. The thought that Cassie desired him as her husband satisfied his thirsty, weary soul and mended the holes in his heart. He’d spend the rest of his life making her happy.
~~**~~
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Early Afternoon
Cassie’s mind was spinning. Had they really decided to get married on Tuesday? Two days from now? I’m getting married! This was the most spontaneous thing she’d ever done in her life. The craziest, wildest, most exhilarating, fantastic adventure of her life.
The whole drive to Tuscaloosa—all nine hours of it—they discussed their plans. Thankfully, Landon agreed to bring the new plane. He and Amy would make the short flight up to Boston and get Natalie, Marc and Gracie. Then they’d swing down to Philly and pick up Mitch’s mom and Celeste on their way down to Houston.
As Mitch drove them into the outskirts of Tuscaloosa, Cassie tried calling her father. “He’s not answering.” She stared out the window. “Something doesn’t sit right with me. When I talked to Daddy last night, he promised he’d be listening for the phone.”
“Let’s swing by the house first and see if he’s there,” Mitch said. “If he is, we’ll take him somewhere to eat and talk about our plans.”
She directed him through the streets, darting glances his way to gauge his reaction. When they passed over the railroad tracks closest to her house, Cassie felt heartsick. The area was more rundown than ever. “Second street on the left and then the first right,” she said, her voice quiet. Although she tried her best to sound upbeat and positive, this was so hard.
Pulling the car to a stop in front of the small, one-story white clapboard house, Mitch turned to her. “This doesn’t have to be complicated.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and, cupping her jaw with one gentle hand, kissed her. If only he knew the comfort that gesture gave her.
“My heart’s beating so hard I think it might fly right out of my chest.” Taking his hand, Cassie positioned it over her heart. “Don’t get any big ideas,” she said with a nervous laugh. She appreciated how careful he was as he splayed his fingers above the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.
“Your turn.” Taking her hand, he placed it over his heart, pressing against his chest. “I think you’re right. Yours is faster. This will be fine. Come on.” Mitch helped her out of the car and they started up what remained of the front walkway.
Cassie rued every crack in the sidewalk—weeds sprouting between them—and every rotten board in the front porch. Being mindful of where she stepped, and thankful it was still in the light of day, she made her way to the front door. “I’m not sure if I should knock or use my key and go inside. I don’t feel like I belong here anymore. It’s not really my home.” Her eyes filled with moisture, and she blinked hard to stem the tears.
“If you’re looking for your daddy, Cleve’s not here.”
Cassie stepped to the side of the front porch. “Hi, Mr. King.” Their elderly neighbor had lived next to them all her life. She couldn’t ask Clarence the question. She wouldn’t ask. Because she knew exactly what he’d say and she didn’t want to hear it. How many times had her mother gotten the call telling them he was in jail again? He’d started calling it his second home, making a joke out of something that had brought her such shame.
How many times had she and Tagg huddled in his bedroom as they’d overheard Daddy pleading with Mama to give him just one more chance? How many times did she have to make excuses and explanations for either his absence or his negligence? And why, oh why, couldn’t her father stay out of trouble long enough to meet Mitch? Did he even want to escort her down the aisle at her wedding?
“Hauled him in last night,” the older man said.
Sucking in a quick breath, Cassie summoned the strength she’d need to get through this again. Mitch came over beside her and slipped his arm around her waist. “Mr. King, this is my fiancé, Mitch Jacobsen.”
“Nice to meet ya.” Clarence gave Mitch a nod. “I’d shake your hand, but as you can see, I’ve kinda got my hands full right now.” He’d been working among the bushes at the side of his house and clutched weeds in both his hands. Somewhere there was a sweet irony in that picture.
“Honey, if I were you, I’d turn around and go straight back to Houston. Forget about your daddy. He ain’t worth all that worry he causes you.” His gaze moved to Mitch. “You look like a good man. Cassie’s a fine woman, but she deserves better than her old man.”
“He’s still my daddy,” she said. “We’re getting married and I was hoping he’d want to be there.”
Mitch laced his fingers with hers. “May I ask what the charge is against him?”
“Disorderly. Not drunk, but Cleve caused a ruckus down at Bernie’s Bar last night. Got some out-of-towners all riled up by hurling stupid insults.”
“Thanks, Clarence. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Best of luck. You make a real nice couple. Wish you a lot of happiness together.”
“We should probably forget it and head back to Houston,” Cassie said, her shoulders slumping.
“Nope.” Mitch opened the passenger door and escorted her inside the car. “I didn’t come all the way here only to turn around without meeting your father. At least he’s not in the hospital. Point me in the direction of the jail and then we’re off.”
Cassie blew out a breath. She could give him the directions in her sleep. “Turn right at the end of the street.”
~~**~~
The Deputy Sheriff’s reaction when Mitch entered the jailhouse with Cassie was borderline comical. As soon as he glimpsed her coming inside the building, he whacked his knee on the desk in his haste to scramble to his feet. “Why, if it’s not Cassandra Thorenson.” A wide smile creased his lips. “I swear you get prettier every time I see you.” He whistled under his breath.
“Unfortunately, we usually see each other here in this jailhouse.” She squared her shoulders and attempted a brave smile. “How are you, Tyler?”
“Still pining away for you.” Deputy Tyler eyed him up and down like he was bait for a bull. “Tyler Rainier.” He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here. Mitch Jacobsen.” The guy pumped his hand up and down a few times. “I’d like to post bail for Cassie’s dad.”
“Mitch and I are getting married,” Cassie said. “I’m hoping we can keep Daddy out of jail long enough to walk me down the aisle.” Although she sounded calm, he detected the tiniest hint of nerves.
Tyler’s brown eyes narrowed and he grunted. “Seems congratulations are in order. Tell you what. Your dad’s one of our regulars. Seeing as how he didn’t cause any trouble since they brought him in last night, I’ll give you and Rich here—”
“It’s Mitch.” Cassie’s tone was quiet but firm.
“For you and Mitch, I’m gonna give your dad a get out of jail free card. Call it my wedding gift or whatever. You two gettin’ married here in town?”
“In Houston. Sorry to be abrupt, Tyler, but would you mind releasing him now?”
“Oh, sure. Sorry. Give me a few minutes. Why don’t you go down and see Wanda in the office and sign the paperwork while I go bac
k and get him. I’ll bring him out in about ten minutes.”
Cassie nodded. “Thanks, Tyler. I appreciate it, and it’s good to see you again.”
He nodded and shot Mitch a look. “You’re a lucky man. Take good care of our Cassie.”
“I will,” Mitch assured him. Cassie seemed to inspire loyalty in people everywhere. What a woman. And she’s all mine. Thank you, Lord.
At least Cleveland Thorenson hadn’t acted belligerent and seemed genuinely pleased to see his daughter when Deputy Tyler released him into Cassie’s care. He shook his hand and made small pleasantries but was otherwise a quiet man.
And now, a few hours later, Mitch wasn’t even sure where they were parked for the night. Somewhere off I-59 South in Mississippi. He glanced over at Cleve, sprawled across the width of a double bed in the motel room. He mumbled under his breath and smacked his jaws a few times. Hard to believe this man was Cassie’s father. With his weathered face and etched lines around his eyes and mouth, Cleve’s appearance evidenced he’d fought life’s battles and come out on the losing end. A tall, lanky man, his thinning gray hair had once been red as he’d seen in the photos Cassie had shown him during their road trip to Tuscaloosa. Fully clothed, he wore a plain white T-shirt, stained black work pants and, curiously enough, steel-toed boots on his feet.
He’d been a factory worker for nearly thirty years, assembling parts for air conditioning units and appliances until he’d fallen on the job and taken a short-term disability leave which had extended from months into years. Surprisingly, before then, he’d somehow been able to keep his job in spite of frequent visits to the county lockup.
“You sleepin’ with my daughter?”
Ah, he was finally awake. Mitch lowered his book from where he reclined on the other double bed. “No, sir, I’m not. If you’ll recall our earlier conversation, I’m in love with your daughter and intend to marry her. Cassie and I are taking you back to Houston with us. We’re hoping you’ll walk her down the aisle and give her to me in marriage so then I can sleep with her.” He probably shouldn’t have stated it in such blunt terms, but he didn’t seem to think this man would mind.
Cleve roared. “You’ve got a good sense of humor there, Mr. Jacobsen. I like that in a man. It’ll get you through the bad times.”
“I hope you’ll call me Mitch, sir.”
“Tell you what. You don’t call me sir and I’ll call you whatever you want.”
Mitch eased into a smile. This man was more agreeable than he’d expected. Might as well bring up the painful subject of Tagg now. Get it out on the table. He wanted to know some things for his own satisfaction but also to help him understand Cassie a little more.
“Do you know that Cassie has blamed herself for Tagg’s death all these years?”
That caught Cleve’s full attention. “What are you saying?”
“She jumped into the water that day and called for Tagg’s help. She’s been riddled with guilt, thinking she’s the reason he died and took him away from you and her mother.”
The other man stared at him for a full minute. “I never blamed her, if that’s what you’re thinkin’.”
“I’m not thinking anything, but I’m glad she told me about it so I could try and help her.”
“Losing that boy and puttin’ him in the ground was the hardest thing I ever done. You ever lost someone like that, Mitch?”
Mitch nodded and sat up to face Cleve, planting his feet on the floor. “I lost my best friend on 9/11. He worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He’d invited me to breakfast, but I turned him down. If I’d gone with him, he might have been spared. I’ve blamed myself ever since.”
Cleve whistled under his breath. “That’s tough. I’m sorry, son.”
Mitch warmed at the term. “I’m sorry for your loss, too. From everything Cassie’s told me, Tagg was her world and a great big brother. She loved him very much.”
“That’s all you need, you know. Someone to love you and watch over you. Cassie’s all the family I got left in this world. I ain’t done right by her.”
“Cassie loves you, and it’s not too late to make things right. I know she’d like that. But it takes both of you willing to meet each other halfway. Love doesn’t come with strings, doesn’t come with demands. It’s unconditional, the same as our heavenly Father’s love for us.”
Cleve nodded slowly. “I had faith a lifetime ago, you know. But when you get beaten down one too many times, a man can lose his focus, lose sight of what’s most important.”
“What’s most important is in the next room and she’s waiting to get reacquainted.”
“You really love her, don’t you?” Cassie’s father met his gaze and held it steady.
“I wouldn’t be here with you now if I didn’t.”
Cleve broke out in a wide smile. “I like a man who speaks his mind and gets to the point. You seem like a good man and I can see Cassie loves you.”
In spite of his otherwise disheveled appearance, the man still had good teeth. He couldn’t be much older than his early fifties, but he looked much older. But when he smiled, he seemed much younger. Years were erased in that smile.
“How about we get you cleaned up and then we’ll all go get something to eat? Cassie and I will tell you all about it. It’s quite the story, but it takes more than a few minutes.”
“Sounds good.” Pulling himself up to a sitting position, Cleve cleared his throat and rubbed a hand over his grizzled jaw. When he glanced his way, Mitch was struck by the intensity of his light blue eyes. Cassie had her father’s eyes. From what he’d heard of Cassie’s mother, Anna Thorenson had been a gentle, loving woman until her alcohol addiction had grown all-consuming. Cassie had inherited a number of her mother’s better character traits, it seemed. Cleve’s mother, Cassie’s Grandma Thor, had been a godly woman and taught Cassie the value of finding her self-worth and confidence in a personal relationship with Christ.
Mitch needed to respect and honor this man. No matter what he’d done in the past, no matter how he’d treated Cassie, he needed to accept and forgive the man so they could move forward.
~~**~~
Cassie hadn’t spent so much quality time with her father in years. Maybe she never had.
They hadn’t bothered going back to the house after they’d left the jailhouse. Too many memories awaited her there, both good and bad. They’d bought her father new clothes, a suitcase and the toiletries he’d need for the trip to Houston. Coherent and alert, Daddy asked Mitch to tell him about himself and—as she’d predicted—his eyes about bulged out of his head when he’d heard her husband-to-be had a medical degree from Harvard.
“You mean that fancy university where presidents graduated?” Cleve choked out.
“The same, sir.”
“Well, now, ain’t that something? How come you’re not a doctor then?” Her father nodded, listening to Mitch’s brief explanation. Then Mitch told him about his career on Wall Street and the recent turn of events. Cassie held her breath, wondering how Daddy would react to that one.
“So, let me get this straight.” Cleve finished the steak dinner and pushed aside his empty plate. His gaze zeroed in on Mitch. “You got an M.D., but you don’t use it. Then you had a solid job on Wall Street and walked away from it. What are your plans to support my daughter?”
“That’s a fair question, sir—Cleve.” Mitch took her hand, squeezing it beneath the table. “Cassie and I haven’t even discussed this yet, but what I’d like to do is work from home and set up a private investment practice. Bottom line, I enjoy helping people. By working independently, I’ll be able to make a good living, but it would also give me the flexibility to continue my short-term mission projects with TeamWork. I’m able to put my medical training to good use on the missions.”
Cleve nodded and drained his water glass. “What about your place? You got a mortgage to pay?”
“The townhouse where he lives was his grandfather’s and he left it to the family in h
is will, Daddy. His grandfather was Eric Carlisle, the famous actor.”
Cleve whistled under his breath. “No kidding? No wonder you looked a little familiar, Mitch. I reckon that’s why. My mom, God rest her soul, loved his movies. Well, I’ll be.” His focus moved to her. “And what about you, Cassandra? You gonna start having babies?”
Mitch shifted in his chair and nudged her. She ignored him. “I might go back to school. I’d like to get a teaching degree. There’s a counseling ministry for women called Tam’s Place in Queens that Mitch and his sister and brother-in-law founded, and I think I could be of use there.”
Tapping his fingers on the table, Cleve appeared to ponder his next words. “I have one more thing to say.”
“Anything,” Mitch said while Cassie straightened in her chair.
“Don’t you ever treat my daughter wrong or walk away from her and any children you might have together. If you do, you’ll have to answer to me. That might not sound like much of a threat, but I assure you it is. But more than me, you’ll have to answer to God for everything you do, and you don’t want to fight the Almighty.” His eyes clouded and he lowered his gaze. “I’ve been fightin’ Him too long and it’s time to get straight. Seein’ you two together and how happy you are does my old heart good.”
“I fought the Almighty for a couple of years, but I’m done.” Mitch’s voice was firm, and he kissed her cheek. “You have my word I’ll make your daughter deliriously happy, and I hope to give her many children.” She blushed while Mitch turned back to her father. “I hope you’ll give your blessing for our marriage, sir.” It wasn’t really a question, and how she loved the confidence in Mitch’s voice.
Cleve chuckled, and what a great sound it was. Good for her heart. “I sure hope so, considerin’ you’ve kidnapped me and you’re takin’ me to Texas. Welcome to the family, son.”
Chapter 45
Monday, July 19, 2004
Returning to Houston, Cassie felt like she was floating in a fabulous but wildly fanciful dream. So much was happening all at once. Mitch and Daddy were getting along well, and much better than she could have hoped. She’d almost burst into tears the night before when he’d called Mitch “son.”