The Test of Love

by Irene Brand

  “I’ll be careful. I can’t handle another fall right now.”

  Their descent to the grassy meadow was made without incident, and after a short rest, they moved onward. They had almost reached the forest when, without warning, it started to rain.

  “What do we do now?” Joseph shouted.

  “Keep walking and get wet. There’s nothing else we can do.”

  Connie had been hot from the walk off the mountain, and when the cold rain pelted her body, steam rose from her clothes. When she reached the cover of the forest, she kept walking for fear of a lightning strike. Soon the rain stopped and the sun illuminated their path.

  Grinning, she turned and faced Joseph, who was shaking water from his cap, and wringing water out of his shirttail.

  “Did you order that little shower?” he demanded.

  “No. But it will help you remember your trek to Faith Mountain.”

  “I wouldn’t have forgotten it anyway.”

  When they stopped for a rest, Connie said, “Since you live in the Fort Collins area, perhaps you’d like to participate in our yearly wagon train trip. For three years, in the last week of August, we’ve sponsored a wagon train trip into Roosevelt National Forest. We could use an experienced rancher along.”

  “I might be able to go. I’ve fished and camped in the forest.”

  “The trip is organized by a commercial camping outfit. They provide the horses, wagons, tents and a few experienced guides. Our people do the rest of the work.”

  “How many usually go along?”

  “Between twenty and thirty. We close NLC for a week, and we take any of the staff and patients who want to go. If staff members don’t like camping, they can have the week free. Some patients are furloughed to their homes.”

  “I’ll think about it and tell you when you come to the ranch next weekend.”

  The joy of achievement gave Joseph added energy, and he kept pace with Connie’s long-legged stride as they returned to the Center. Dr. Alexander and Peggy were leaving the administration building when Connie and Joseph entered.

  “I made it,” Joseph shouted, and Dr. Alexander grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

  Peggy smiled broadly and gave Joseph a hug. “We knew you would,” she said. “Congratulations!”

  Connie and Joseph hurried on down the hallway to share their good news with Kim.

  The following morning Connie watched from her office as Joseph carried his belongings and packed them in his truck. Three months ago, he hadn’t been able to carry his luggage into the room. What a difference those months had made in his life, and hers. She hated to see him leave, the days ahead loomed bleak and lonely. Last night, as she waited for sleep, she knew that she loved Joseph. But as long as he was under suspicion for murder, what future did they have? Until that situation could be resolved, they had to remain friends, nothing more.

  For the farewell dinner, Connie wore an ankle-length, belted khaki twill shirtdress and brown sandals. She wanted Joseph to remember her in something besides sweats and shorts. The kitchen staff had prepared roast turkey, potato casserole topped with corn bread dressing, green beans and garden salad. Instead of the fruit plate that everyone else had for dessert, Rose brought in a large chocolate-pecan pie for Joseph, and in her boisterous manner, she called, “Don’t look, Connie,” as, with a flourish, she placed the pie in front of Joseph.

  Connie joined in the laughter. “I hoped you wouldn’t find that recipe.”

  Taking advantage of the general gaiety, Rose leaned over Joseph. “I found something else, too. Be sure to see me before you leave.”

  Joseph cut the pie into small pieces, and shared the pastry with all the people at his table. When dessert was finished, Connie moved to a podium near the kitchen door.

  “If you’ll come forward, Joseph, we have a gift for you.” It took all of Connie’s willpower to handle this ceremony in an impersonal way. She had considered asking Eric to emcee, but she’d always presided before, and the patients might question why she didn’t.

  Joseph left his chair easily, all trace of his injury gone.

  “Before you leave Joseph, we want to recognize your outstanding achievement by giving you this plaque.” She handed him a topaz-blue marbleized plaque mounted on a walnut-tone board, with yesterday’s date, and an inscription lettered in gold: “On the above date, Joseph Caldwell completed NLC’s rehabilitation program by successfully climbing Faith Mountain.”

  Below these words, a Bible verse had been inscribed, “Your faith has made you whole.”

  “In addition to the plaque,” Connie continued, “you’re leaving with our best wishes for the future. You’ve made a remarkable recovery, bringing satisfaction to all the staff here at NLC. Thanks for trusting your body to our care.”

  Joseph took the plaque from Connie and they shook hands. He looked at her, and although he spoke to the group, the message his eyes conveyed was for her alone. But she had to guess at the interpretation.

  “I leave here a wiser and healthier man. I’ll always be grateful to Dr. Melrose for recommending NLC to me. At first, I resented the strict curriculum, especially the enforced chapel services, but I soon learned that the spirit must be healed before the body is restored. Here at NLC I’ve rediscovered the God of my childhood, and I’ve renewed my commitment to live as He’d want me to. I appreciate your concern for me, and the prayers all of you have said on my behalf. Thank you.”

  Most of the people came forward to shake hands with Joseph, but Connie noticed that Ray slipped out the door, reminding her that she would have to deal with him the first of the week. When most of the staff and patients had gone, Joseph said quietly, “I’d like to see you alone for a few minutes before I leave.”

  “Okay, I’m going to the office.”

  “I’ll be along as soon as I see what Rose wants.”

  Connie walked back to the office with Kim. “I’ll miss him,” Kim said.

  “We always miss our patients when they’ve been here as long as Joseph has.”

  “But he’s special,” Kim added with a broad grin. “And I have a feeling we’ll still see a lot of him.”

  Connie didn’t respond as she passed on through the reception room and into her office. She tried to work, but couldn’t keep her mind on the papers in front of her. Joseph didn’t come for a half hour, and when he arrived, his forehead was wrinkled with perplexity and concern. He shut the door behind him.

  Coming to Connie’s desk, he reached in his pocket and handed her a newspaper clipping. She glanced quickly at the report of a pharmacy holdup, and a picture of two robbers looting the store, caught by a video camera.

  “Rose found this in those papers she brought from my in-laws’ house. She thinks the person on the left is Virginia.”

  “Your wife?” Connie looked at the picture again. “The images are fuzzy—it would be difficult to recognize anyone.”

  “That’s true, but it could possibly be Virginia. A few people have hinted to me that she was wild and rebellious before I married her, and I know she was away from home for a year, and she wouldn’t talk to me about what she did then.”

  “If the robbery does concern Virginia, would it help your investigation?”

  “Probably. If she had a criminal record, her death might be related to it, but I’ll personally check it out before I give the information to my lawyers. I won’t blacken Virginia’s name without some proof she was involved in this robbery.”

  Connie looked closely at the picture. “There isn’t a date or any indication of where the robbery occurred.”

  “No, and since the picture is blurred, I don’t know how it’s possible to know if one of the people is Virginia.”

  Connie walked to the window and inspected the picture in natural light. “If this picture is enlarged, details in the background might provide a clue to where the robbery occurred. It looks like there’s a name on the window. And you might try the Internet—there’s information about everything there.�
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  “I’m not on the Internet. I wouldn’t know how to go about it.”

  “I’ll do it, if you want me to,” Connie said. “I could enlarge the picture to see if there’s anything that will pinpoint the robbery, and then I could search on the Internet.”

  “I’d appreciate it. I need all the help I can get. I’m desperate to prove I had nothing to do with my wife’s death. Did you ever see that comic strip where a little guy had a black cloud hovering over his head all the time? That’s the way I feel, as if a heavy cloud is floating over my head, ready to dump its contents on me.”

  “If you talk to your brother-in-law, he might be able to tell you about this clipping.”

  “I haven’t seen George since the time he accused me of taking Virginia’s money—and killing her. I doubt he’d appreciate being asked if his sister was a criminal.”

  “Regardless, if we do learn anything that implicates Virginia, you should talk with him. If she had a shady past, he might know about it.”

  “That’s true, for they were confidants and very close. That may have been the reason he introduced me to Virginia and encouraged our marriage—perhaps he thought I could save her from the mistakes of the past.”

  Connie went into the outer office, made an enlarged copy of the newspaper clipping, and returned the original to Joseph. He put the paper in his pocket and stood close to Connie.

  “I can’t tell you now how much you’ve meant to me in these few months. You’ve given me hope, as well as a desire to love again. I can hardly bear to leave you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, but we knew this day would come.”

  His hand caressed her hair. “After our little interlude on the mountain yesterday, do I still have to ask permission to kiss you?” Shaking her head, she put her hands on his shoulders.

  His arms pulled her close, and his lips caressed hers. Trembling, she clung to him when the kiss ended, dreading seeing him go, but thankful that she’d been given the opportunity to know and learn to love Joseph. Knowing what real love was would fortify her for the ordeal she faced with Ray.

  “I’ll telephone you often,” Joseph promised as he left.

  Chapter Seven

  Connie telephoned Ray on Friday evening and arranged an appointment at nine o’clock the next morning. Her sleep was restless, due partly to the approaching unpleasantness with Ray, but also because Joseph was no longer around. She was accustomed to his absence on weekends, but she knew she’d start looking for him on Monday morning.

  When she joined Peggy for their early-morning run, the trails reminded her of Joseph and the time she’d spent with him. After her hurtful experience with Ray, she wasn’t completely comfortable with the idea of marriage, so, even if he wanted to marry her, she wasn’t ready to accept. Besides, she didn’t believe he would consider marriage until the mystery of his wife’s death was unraveled. She could understand why he felt that way, but nonetheless, she contemplated a bleak and lonely future. Did Joseph still love his wife? Connie suspected that he did, and that it would be a long time before Virginia’s memory would give room for another woman in Joseph’s life.

  Ray and Eric were already in the office when Connie arrived. She sat behind her desk, hands clenched in her lap. When she spoke, her calm voice surprised her. It seemed a small miracle, considering her heart pounded like a jackhammer.

  “I’m sure you’re aware of why I called this meeting,” Connie began, “for Laura would have reported to you immediately.” Ray answered with a smirk. “Your moral principles are your own, and I can’t dictate them. However, your behavior isn’t in the best interests of my patients. I’m asking for your resignation.”

  Ray laughed loudly. “I didn’t think you had the guts to fire me,” he said. He reached in his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “I’ve waited a month to have you kick me out.”

  “If you felt that way, why didn’t you resign?”

  “I figured you’d sue me for breaking my contract, but since you’ve asked for my resignation, here it is. I already have an offer from a big gym in Denver. Suppose you’ll have a hard time replacing me?”

  In spite of his attempt to annoy her, Connie said sincerely, “You’re a good therapist, and I wish you could stay, but under the circumstances, it won’t work. If you didn’t already have a job, I’d be happy to give you a recommendation. It’s your moral character that I can’t accept.”

  “You’re a good one to talk about moral character, when you jumped from my arms into Joseph Caldwell’s. You’d have come back to me if he hadn’t shown up at NLC.”

  She shook her head. “No! Joseph had nothing to do with it.”

  Ray stood rapidly, and his chair fell backward. “We’ll meet again, Connie. You might change your mind.”

  He walked out the door, and Connie’s shoulders slumped as she turned to Eric.

  “Do you suppose he’ll continue to annoy me?”

  “I’m afraid so, but I doubt he’ll attempt to harm you. He’s just angry.”

  “Now, the big job starts. Where will I find a new manager? I have to keep the gym open—it’s one of the few programs around here that actually pays its way.”

  Joseph telephoned that night. Kim and Eric had gone into Denver for the evening, so Connie was alone in her apartment.

  “This is Joseph,” he said when she answered. “I’ve been anxious to know how you got along today.”

  “Well enough, I suppose. Ray’s gone, and that gives me some relief. He could have stayed for two more months, but he’s already gotten a job. I’ll have to look for a new manager in the gym.”

  “Will that be a problem?”

  “It won’t be easy to replace him. In spite of his other faults, he is a good trainer, but Kim has advertised in town and on the Internet, and we’re expecting to be barraged with applicants. Choosing one will be the problem.”

  “I’m missing you, Connie.”

  “Life has been rather dull around here today, too. But I’ve already been assigned a new patient.”

  “A female, I hope.”

  “No, as a matter of fact, he’s a tall, handsome male with a charming personality.”

  Joseph groaned.

  “And he’s fifteen years old,” she added.

  A loud whoosh filled Connie’s ear. “What a relief!”

  “It’s the Cartland boy who was hurt in a sports accident. He has quite a lot of nerve damage, so I don’t know how much I can do for him.”

  “You’ll do great—just think how much I improved. I’m looking forward to having you, Kim and Eric visit. Are you still planning on it?”

  “As far as I know, unless something happens around here. I hope I’ll have time before then to trace that picture on the Internet to find out the name and location of the publication.”

  “I’ve wondered if there aren’t some clues here in the house. I haven’t gone through Virginia’s things, and I didn’t want my sister to do it unless I was here. The police snooped around, and as far as I know they didn’t find anything, but other than that, her room is just as she left it.”

  “We’ll keep searching until we find something,” Connie assured him. She wasn’t keen about checking out Virginia’s possessions, but it might come to that. She cared about Joseph, and she intended to fight to clear his name.

  Joseph’s call boosted Connie’s spirits, and Ray’s departure ended the tension she’d experienced since the broken engagement. His absence made life much easier for her, but she soon found Ray had made problems so she couldn’t easily forget him. Two of the exercise machines, the double-arm bench press and the double-arm pull, broke down on Wednesday, and although there was no way she could prove it, she believed Ray had deliberately sabotaged the equipment. Repairing the machines would be expensive and the parts couldn’t be delivered for two weeks, which meant a loss of income for Connie, as well as an inconvenience to her customers.

  After worrying over the financial crisis these problems would generate, Connie was relieved
to get away for a few days when they left NLC on Friday evening. Her parents had arrived shortly after noon and moved into the apartment she and Kim shared, and she wasn’t concerned about leaving the property, for no trouble would escape Bill Harmon.

  Joseph’s directions were easy to follow and Eric’s car covered the miles easily. In two hours, they drove through an open gateway with a stock barrier in the pavement. At the entrance, a large board shaped like an ox yoke and supported by two large cedar posts indicated they’d reached the right place. Flying Arrow Ranch, Joseph Caldwell, Owner, was painted on the sign.

  Admiring the large white cattle grazing on knee-high wild hay, they drove for a mile on a limestone road before coming to the ranch buildings. A two-story buff brick house, facing south, nestled against a low hill that protected it from winter’s northerly winds. Level plains surrounded the ranch to the east and north, but westward, majestic mountains loomed like guardians over Joseph’s property.

  A curved driveway brought them to the front of the house, and Joseph rose from a chair on the porch and hurried toward the car, followed by a tall brunette of regal bearing. Shaking hands with them, Joseph said, “This is my sister, Jean, she’ll be my hostess for the weekend. She doesn’t think I can entertain visitors without her help, and she’s probably right. Jean has a ranch ten miles away, and she’s been looking after my property for the past six months.”

  “Come in,” Jean said. “We’re pleased to have you visit. Joseph has nothing but praise for the staff at NLC, so I’m happy to finally meet you.”

  They entered a large room with a cathedral ceiling supported by round cedar beams, from which a brass chandelier, fashioned like a wagon wheel, was suspended on a long chain. A huge mural by a famous Western artist, featuring a roundup scene, hung over the stone-faced fireplace. Large andirons supported several logs in the fireplace, and beside it was a five-foot bronze sculpture of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco.

  When Eric commented on the sculpture, Jean commented in an aside to Kim and Connie, “That was one of Virginia’s romantic notions. She said the statue reminded her of Joseph when he rode in the state fairs. It might have been better for her if she hadn’t bought it.”