by D. F. Hart
“I know. But your dad’s been determined to try and stick it out until he can retire.”
“But that’s two more years!”
A sigh from her end. “I know, honey. I know.”
***
Jandy and Tony pulled into Nathan and Bella’s driveway just before seven-fifty p.m. and walked up to the front door with four large bags.
Before they could knock, Nathan opened it.
“Sorry we’re late,” Tony said. “Had to buy some clothes and stuff to get us through the next few days.”
“You guys okay?”
Jandy tilted her head, pondering his question for a brief moment before she replied, “No,” and burst into tears.
The last time I saw her cry was the day Dad died, Nathan thought, and he stepped forward to envelop her in a hug.
“It’s all gone,” she managed between sobs. “All our pictures of the kids growing up, everything.”
Another pair of headlights in the drive caught Nathan’s attention as he attempted to console his big sister.
“Hey gang,” Faith called out as she and Rick exited his truck. “Thought we’d come over and see what we can do to help.”
“Let’s start by having some dinner,” Bella replied from the doorway with Charlie on her hip. “I made a lasagna. Come on in, guys.”
***
Trish and Joe’s waiter cleared away their empty dinner plates and returned with the dessert menu.
“I’m thinking tiramisu and coffee,” she mused as she reviewed the offerings.
“Sounds good to me,” Joe said, trying his best to stay calm.
But both his heart and his brain were racing.
Should I do it now, in the restaurant? Or wait until we get back to her house?
“I’ll be right back,” Trish announced, bringing Joe out of his reverie. “Order me the tiramisu, please.”
“You got it,” he said, and smiled as she stood and walked toward the ladies’ room.
Okay, you can do this, Joe told himself. You just need to be brave and ask her.
What if she says no? the logical part of his brain chimed in. What then?
She won’t, his heart shot back. I know she won’t.
How sentimental. You’ve both been alone a long time, you know. And you’re both fiercely independent, his brain countered. What about that?
“I have to know,” he whispered to himself. “And I won’t, unless I ask.”
The waiter approaching the table gave Joe something else to focus on for a moment.
“We’d like a tiramisu, a cannoli, and two coffees, please.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll be right back with those.”
Trish returned to the table and noticed Joe’s flushed face.
“Honey, are you all right?’
“I’m fine, it’s... just a bit stuffy in here,” he managed, and loosened his tie as he willed his heart rate back to normal.
“Are you sure? You seem agitated,” Trish noted, concern creeping into her voice.
“It’s just that I...” Joe started to say, but the waiter returned at that moment with their desserts and coffee, setting each small plate down with a flourish.
“May I get you anything else?” the young man asked politely.
“I think we’re good for now, thanks.”
“Well then, enjoy. I’ll be back by in a bit to check on you.”
They watched him walk away, and Trish turned her attention back to Joe.
“Now, you were saying?” Trish asked as she stirred cream into her coffee.
“Yes.... well...” Joe stumbled over his thoughts, lapsing into silence.
“Joe, what’s gotten into you?” she asked gently as she reached across the table and took his hand.
One look into her beautiful green eyes was all it took to calm him, and when he spoke, Joe led with his heart.
“You have, Trish,” he began, his voice soft but clear. “Every morning when I wake up, you’re the first thought in my head. And every night I fall asleep thinking how lucky I am that you’re in my life. You make every day brighter, more hopeful. I feel more alive with you, and damn sure more complete. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m in love with you, Trish Sevins. And it would make me the happiest man on earth to spend the rest of my tomorrows with you. Will you marry me?”
The green eyes he loved so much began to shimmer with emotion, and her lips curved into a trembling smile as she whispered, “Yes.”
Joe immediately stood and moved around the table, bent down on one knee, and brought her engagement ring out of his pocket to slip it onto her dainty hand.
“I love you,” Trish managed through happy tears, and kissed him as other patrons in the vicinity began to clap and cheer.
***
Up in Boise, Lizzie and Donny had just gotten settled into their hotel room after dinner when her cell phone chimed with a new text message.
She glanced at her phone, then beamed.
“Check this out,” she said as she showed it to Donny.
The all-caps message from Joe read SHE SAID YES!!! and was accompanied by a picture of the newly engaged and extremely happy couple.
“Good for them,” Donny responded.
“I know, right? He was so nervous about it. He’s been planning this for a week!” Lizzie revealed.
“That’s sweet.”
“I thought so. The big softie,” she agreed as she smiled.
May have to ask the man for help when the time comes, Donny mused to himself while Lizzie went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. After all, he’s known Lizzie most of her life. And I want to make sure the moment is perfect.
He watched her cross the room, climb up on the bed and rearrange the pillows so she could sit up comfortably, then scoop up the remote.
“What are you in the mood to watch?” she asked as she flipped through channels.
“You really wanna know?”
“Of course,” she confirmed.
“I’d love to watch your face by candlelight again,” he murmured in a low growl, and slowly moved her direction.
Lizzie grinned even as a slow blush spread across her cheeks.
“Well, get over here, then.”
***
Three a.m., and all was quiet in Pantego, Texas.
He made his way through the stillness to a large display case in the front parlor of the lovingly restored Dutch colonial. He moved carefully and quietly, then eased open the glass panel inch by excruciating inch to minimize noise.
He considered the options before him, mentally weighing the pros and cons of each one; as an extreme enthusiast, he knew several in the collection could serve his purposes admirably.
Then he saw it. The ideal tool to carry out his plans. Excited, he reached out and placed his hands gently around his prize.
It’s perfect, he thought as he slowly removed it from its resting place, savoring the weight, the feel of it in his grip. A beautiful specimen. And so very appropriate... what better than a historical piece for historical places?
Smiling ghoulishly, he set the useless but realistic-looking wooden replica he’d made into the empty spot. He cradled the fully functional Winchester 1873 .44/40 WCF he’d liberated tightly against his chest with one arm as he closed the display case, then slipped back into the darkness.
Let the games begin.
CHAPTER TWO
“How did you sleep?” Bella asked Jandy as she walked into the kitchen on Sunday morning.
“Not bad, all things considered,” Jandy replied, heading for the coffeepot. “Bel, I just want to say again how much I appreciate you guys putting us up. Hopefully it won’t be for long.”
“Nonsense,” came the reply from Bella as she continued making pancakes. “Stay as long as you need to. Maybe I haven’t made it clear enough, but I am really enjoying having a bigger family! I didn’t realize how lonely being an only child was until I met you all. So, although I’m sad about the reason, I’m happy you’re here so
we can hang out more.”
She deftly flipped the last pancake then gasped in surprise as Jandy wrapped her up in a fierce hug.
“Oh, honey,” Jandy murmured. “I sure do love you.”
Bella chuckled and hugged her back. “And I love you! Now, turn me loose, the pancakes are gonna burn.”
Jandy laughed and stepped away. “Mugs still in the cabinet by the sink?”
“Yep, help yourself.”
Nathan strolled in at that moment with Charlie in his arms.
“There’s my sweeties,” Bella announced, and kissed her husband and child. “I didn’t hear him fussing.”
“He wasn’t, that’s the strange thing,” Nathan answered. “I peeked in to check on him and he was standing up in his crib just looking at me.”
“Huh,” Bella said. “Maybe that’s a good sign of things to come.”
“’Andi! ‘Andi!” Charlie squealed, and held out his arms toward his aunt.
“Coffee can wait - there’s no way I can refuse that kind of greeting,” Jandy beamed as she came over and took the wriggling child from his father’s arms. “Hello, handsome boy.”
Charlie put his tiny hands on each of Jandy’s cheeks and began to babble animatedly.
“Is that so? I’m intrigued, tell me all about it,” Jandy prompted, and he shrieked with delight and kept going.
“I knew she’d make an awesome aunt one day,” Nathan observed softly as he stood with Bella at the stove watching Jandy get Charlie situated in his highchair.
“And you were absolutely right. Have I told you lately how much I love your family?” his wife asked him as she smiled. “Because I really, really do.”
***
“So, how far are we going to try to go today?” Lizzie asked Donny as they climbed back into the moving truck’s cab.
“I was thinking stop somewhere around Green River, Utah,” he replied as he gazed at the map. “That’s about an eight-hour drive. Then tomorrow, we can stop in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and be at your house in Pantego by Tuesday night.”
He showed her his planned stops on the map, and she nodded.
“Divides it up pretty evenly. I like your style, Atherton.”
“Oh yeah? Prove it,” he teased, and found himself on the receiving end of a passionate kiss.
“You keep doing that, we’ll go right back inside and get our room back,” Donny warned, wearing a megawatt smile.
“Why, whatever do you mean, dear?” Lizzie batted her eyelashes at him, and he chuckled.
“All right, you. Let’s get going.”
She surprised herself by giggling as she strapped on her seat belt.
Oh, for crying out loud - he makes me giggle. I hardly ever used to giggle – until him, Lizzie realized. I could almost get used to this.
“What?” he asked, eyebrow raised at her puzzled expression.
“Well, don’t let it go to your head, but you make me ridiculously happy, that’s all.”
Donny reached for her hand and kissed it. “Same here, you know.”
“Man, are we sappy, or what?”
“Yep, absolutely.”
She scrunched her nose and sheepishly declared, “I kinda like it.”
Now Donny roared with laughter. “I do too, Lizzie. And after everything we went through, I think we deserve some sappy, don’t you?”
“No argument from me,” she agreed. “Let’s get moving, we’re burning daylight.”
***
“Good morning, fiancée of mine,” Joe whispered in Trish’s ear. “How about some breakfast?”
“Sure,” she murmured sleepily. “Meet you in the kitchen.”
“No need, love,” he answered, and as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, she realized he’d brought her breakfast in bed.
“Oh, Joe, how sweet! What a nice surprise,” Trish exclaimed, and kissed him as he placed the tray across her lap.
He sat on the edge of the bed and made small talk as she ate.
“What would you like to do today?”
She mulled it over for a moment, then said, “I believe it’s supposed to be nice out today. How about a stroll through the botanical gardens?”
“I think it’s a perfect day to do just that,” he replied with a soft smile.
But the cell phone on his hip began to ring, and his smile faded as he remembered it was his Sunday to be on call.
“Wallace,” he answered, then listened for a minute before saying, “What’s the address?”
A pause, then Joe said, “I’ll be there in fifteen.”
He hung up and looked at her.
“Rain check on that stroll?”
“Absolutely. See you later?”
“You bet.”
“Be safe, sweetheart.”
He paused at the doorway and looked back at her. “Hey. Be thinking about where and when you wanna get married. I’m good with anything you decide, I just want to marry you.”
“The wheels are already turning,” Trish confessed, and he grinned.
***
As he ate his cereal, Grant checked his emails, and was delighted when he saw Edward Baker had already responded.
Good morning Mr. Forrester. I would be happy to walk you through Fort Concho’s history! When would you like to come down to San Angelo?
Grant set his bowl aside and composed a reply.
That’s great to hear, Mr. Baker. I’ve already booked accommodations for next weekend. My plan is to interview you, but also experience ‘Christmas at Fort Concho’ firsthand so that I can highlight the event in my article. I’m scheduled to arrive mid-morning Sunday. When might we meet?
He added his usual signature block and hit ‘send’, and by the time he’d returned to his home office from putting his bowl in the dishwasher, Baker had replied.
The festival kicks off at ten a.m. Monday, so, let’s meet at the library at noon Sunday. That gives us plenty of time to walk the fort and cover the historical significance beforehand. I look forward to meeting you.
Baker had also included the address to the library in his email, and Grant dutifully noted it in his binder before confirming their appointment.
***
They’d just finished breakfast and Jandy was helping Bella clear the table when her cell phone rang.
Jandy glanced at the number and took the call, listened for several minutes, then fired off several questions.
When she hung up, she looked at the group.
“That was the fire chief. We are not allowed to go back in yet. It’s partially collapsed, and he wants city engineers to sign off on its stability first before he lets us wander through it. He says it may not be safe to try to go back in at all, and if that’s the case, we’ll just have to raze it to the ground completely. But he was able to determine the origin of the fire. It wasn’t the oven, like I thought.”
“What was it?” Tony asked.
“An electrical fire. We had a short-circuit in an outlet,” she revealed. “And from what he described it sounds like the fire traveled along the wiring to spread really quickly to the rest of the place.”
“Covered by your insurance, I hope?” Nathan asked.
“Should be,” Jandy answered. “I need to call our agent back and get him to meet us onsite at some point. He’s going to need to document the damage before anything else can happen.”
She dialed and waited. “Hey, Jason, I just heard from the fire chief.... Yes, he told us.... Really? Oh, all right.... Yes, thanks, Jason.”
“Huh,” she said. “Evidently Jason’s already done his assessment. Total loss, and one hundred percent covered – after the deductible, of course.”
“Well there’s some good news, at least,” Bella pointed out. “And look at the positives here – no one got hurt, and if you ever wanted to make any changes to your house, now’s the perfect time.”
Tony’s eyes lit up.
“She’s right, honey,” he exclaimed. “We could have a brand new, open layout with that kitchen island y
ou’ve always wanted.”
“And a great big garden tub in the bathroom! I’ve always wanted one of those, as well. Hey! We could make the den bigger! Get rid of that formal dining room that we hardly ever use,” Jandy responded. “We’ve talked about remodeling for years, but we just never got around to it.”
“I think this is gonna turn out to be a blessing in disguise, honey,” Tony announced as he crossed the room to hold his wife. “I know we lost some things that cannot ever be replaced, and I know how sad that makes you. But we have each other, Jandy, and that’s really all we need.”
***
By the time they reached Ogden, Utah, Lizzie and Donny were past ready for a break. They stopped to refuel the truck, then scouted out a place to have lunch. By mutual agreement they lingered over dessert, taking as much time as possible to relax before reluctantly climbing back into the cab.
“These seats,” Donny began, and grimaced. “Can you imagine if we had to drive this thing all the way to Virginia?”
“I know, right?” she quipped as she tried to adjust the driver’s seat so she could reach the pedals more comfortably. “The good news is, we just have to get to Pantego in this damn thing, and we can unload it and then turn it in. The seats in the SUV are like heaven compared to these.”
She frowned, then growled. “Is that as far forward as it goes?”
“I think so,” he confirmed. “Sorry. Want me to keep driving?”
“No, that’s not fair to you,” she pointed out. “We said we’d take turns, and that’s what we’re gonna do. Even if it means I need to strap blocks to my feet like that little kid in the Indiana Jones movie.”
He snickered. “That’d be quite a look.”
“Whatever works,” she said, beginning to chuckle. “I’ve been the same height since eighth grade. Trust me, I’ve learned a few workarounds. Maybe I won’t need blocks. Grab my body pillow out of the SUV, will you? I have an idea.”
Three minutes later Lizzie was smiling. Wedging the pillow behind her lower back and hips had moved her just far enough forward that she could safely operate the truck but still wear her seat belt.
“Much better,” she proclaimed. “Let’s roll.”
“Hang on a second, I have an idea of my own. Can’t believe we didn’t think of this before,” he said, and returned to the passenger seat moments later with a grin.