Leaving Oxford

by Janet W. Ferguson

  ~~~

  Sarah Beth jumped out of the truck, her heart soaring. Vehicles lined the street behind her home, and she motioned toward the pool house. “Looks like Jill and her mom have company. Let’s go give them the good news.”

  Jess jogged behind her. “Wait. You forgot your gigantic bag.”

  The pool house door stood open. Kim, Chris, Nick, and Jill’s mother crowded into the small living area.

  Sarah Beth’s stomach took a nosedive. “Has something happened?”

  Kim broke into a big grin. “No. Everything’s more than all right.”

  “Oh, good, because we have some big news.”

  Nick gave her a curious look. “Big news? We have news, too. Where have you guys been? We tried to call both of you.”

  “My fault.” Jess raised his hand. “I nabbed our phones and turned them off. I didn’t want any interruptions. I forgot to turn them back on in all the excitement.” He pulled Sarah Beth’s phone from his pocket, switched it on, and handed it to her.

  Chris raised an eyebrow. “What excitement?”

  Jess wrapped Sarah Beth in his arms. “I asked Sarah Beth to marry me.”

  “And I said yes.”

  The small room erupted into embraces and congratulations.

  Then Nick knocked on the bedroom door. “Sarah Beth and Jess are here. Are you ready?”

  The door swung open, and Jill emerged in a shimmering off-white dress, her hair styled, makeup perfectly applied. Katie stood at her side.

  “What’s all the ruckus out here?”

  Nick winked at her. “Sarah Beth and Jess got engaged today. He turned their phones off. That’s why we haven’t been able to get them.”

  “Wonderful news.” Jill crossed the room and hugged her.

  Sarah Beth hugged back, then held her friend at arms’ length. “Why are you out of bed? And what’s with the dress?”

  “Nick heard Mom was coming...” Her voice broke.

  Katie hugged Jill’s legs. “Daddy and I asked Jill to be my new mommy.”

  A glow radiated from Nick. “And she was kind enough to say yes. I thought the best time to marry would be while her mother was here. She gave us her blessing, so we were waiting on our best friends to get here to be our witnesses. Now that you are, Chris can start the ceremony.”

  Jill’s eyes fell to the ring on Sarah Beth’s hand. “We had no idea Jess was proposing today, or we would’ve waited until tomorrow.”

  “Don’t be silly. I couldn’t be happier.”

  The short, sweet ceremony inside the pool house brought tears to everyone’s eyes. Except Katie, who could hardly wait to dig into the ivory cake with pink flower petals.

  Sarah Beth lifted a glass of sparkling cider. “I’m so giving y’all a huge party when you’re ready.”

  Nick turned to Jess. “Speaking of parties, did you guys set a date?”

  “We didn’t get that far. I had a time frame in mind, but it’s up to Sarah Beth.”

  Sarah Beth studied him. “What time frame were you thinking? Because on the way here, I was mulling it over.”

  Jess laced her fingers in his and held her hand to his face. “You first.”

  “No. You.”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Please. One of you has to give.”

  “Christmas Eve.” They both spoke at once.

  Sarah Beth’s mouth dropped open. “You were thinking Christmas Eve, too?”

  “I don’t want to wait, but I will if you want to plan a big wedding.”

  “It’s perfect. Mark and Holly are coming for the holidays. They’ll already be here. And I don’t want to wait, either.”

  “Remember with the bowl game, I’ll only have a couple of days off for a honeymoon. Christmas Eve and Christmas. But right after we finish up with that, recruiting starts. We can plan a second honeymoon when you’re ready and I have more time off.”

  Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. “I’m not dying to travel a long way, after all.”

  “Until then, every day with you will be like a honeymoon for me.”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “You are so cheesy sometimes, but I love it.” Her phone rang in her jacket pocket. “It’s Mark. I can’t wait to tell him.”

  “Um.” Jess cleared his throat. “I asked his permission three weeks ago.”

  “But you didn’t know I’d say yes.” She grinned and touched the screen. “Hey, big brother, guess what.”

  “Ms. Sarah Beth LeClair?” Another deep voice spoke, but not Mark.

  Sarah Beth’s heart fluttered. Why did someone have Mark’s phone? “Who is this?”

  “This is David Ward from the Gulfport bureau. I went to college with Mark. You might remember me.”

  “They called you Super Dave. I remember. Did Mark lose his phone?”

  “No.” A sigh crackled the line. “Mark was down here helping me with a case, and he’s been injured.”

  Sarah Beth’s vision blurred. A bitter taste rose up her throat and into her mouth. What awful thing could’ve happened?

  “You’re not driving a vehicle right now, are you?”

  The question kicked her in the diaphragm, expelling all the air from her lungs. She forced out her voice by sheer will. “No. I’m home. How bad?”

  “He’s in the ER at Memorial in Gulfport. He’s been shot.”

  Chapter 43

  “No.” Sarah Beth’s posture crumbled. “He’s not going to die, is he?”

  “Haven’t heard anything from the doctor yet. I’ll call you when I have an update. By the way, I couldn’t get his wife on the phone. He’d told me when he got down here she and his son were on a Disney cruise with the in-laws. An early Christmas present or something.”

  “That’s right. Please, Lord, let him be okay.” Her voice broke, and she ended the call.

  Jess placed his hands on her cheeks. “Tell me.”

  “Mark. Shot. Gulfport.” Her chest quivered, and she fell into him.

  “Oh, baby.” He pulled her head close. “I’ll make a quick trip down to check on him. Maybe go to Memphis and fly standby tonight.”

  “No.” Sarah Beth ripped from his hold and rushed out of the pool house. “We need to pack. I’ll find a pilot and charter a small plane right away.”

  Jess caught up to her. “What do you mean we?”

  “I’m going with you. I don’t care what kind of medicine I have to take to get there, we’re going to Mark. You’re not leaving Oxford without me.”

  Chapter 44

  An hour later, Sarah Beth white-knuckled the handrail to the plane’s entrance. Rain pelted the tarmac. Wind blew from the north, sending an icy chill through her veins.

  Jess’s hand rested on the small of her back as she willed herself to put one foot in front of the other. At last she made it inside the small aircraft and took a seat. With shaking hands, she attempted to strap herself with the unwieldy seatbelt.

  Jess reached across and guided the buckle. “Let me help you. I’m right here, and we’re fine.”

  She buried her head into his shoulder and held his arm as if bracing for the next hurricane—waiting for the next storm surge to wash through her life.

  The pilot turned back. “You scared of flying in a small plane?”

  “She gets anxious about traveling.”

  “You sure you want to go tonight? It’s going to be a bumpy ride, but I’m ready for takeoff.”

  Sarah Beth pushed air through clenched teeth. “I’m good. Let’s go.” She sat motionless with her face tucked into Jess’s shirt as the engines bellowed. The plane taxied down the runway, her stomach lurching the whole way.

  Strong arms tightened around her as they took flight. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Sarah Beth. Maybe I can help you replace bad thoughts with good ones.”

  Ugh. Her thoughts did need replacing. “I see myself as a little animal trapped in a flying tin can, and I want to scratch my way out, run back home, and hide.”

  “That wouldn’t be good for any of us at th
is height.”

  “You asked.”

  “Kind of wish I hadn’t now, but let’s think about how we can replace it.” He paused and rubbed her back. “Maybe picture yourself as a Canadian goose soaring in a V formation with your family, the feel of the wind beneath your wings.”

  “A goose bit me at a petting zoo in Florida, and I’ve never liked them since.”

  “How about this? We’re on our second honeymoon. We’re on the way to Ireland to where the McCoy clan originated. We can see the land beneath our plane, green with rolling hills.” He shifted around and lifted her chin up. “I hold your face like this, and then I kiss you like...”

  Though her eyes were shut tight, she felt his lips brush hers. Softly at first. Then deeper. Maybe this was working. A little. The sounds of the plane and the wind faded.

  When at last he let her go, she opened her eyes and gave him a partial smile. “That wasn’t really a visual.”

  “Part of it was.” His mischievous brown eyes locked on her own.

  The plane jolted, but she swallowed back the fear. “Do you really want to visit Ireland?”

  “Definitely. We could go to France first, if you’d rather, and look up the LeClair ancestry. Any place with you.” He pulled her close again.

  “If only Mark...” Her brother had to be okay.

  Jess pushed her hair back from her face. “He’s strong. He’ll make it.”

  ~~~

  While they waited for David at the Biloxi airport, Sarah Beth took deep inhales and exhales like her counselor had taught her. With each breath her chest trembled, her tight muscles refusing to release their hold.

  “Let’s pray while we wait.” Jess took her hand and squeezed. “God, heal Mark, and please keep us covered with Your protection. Calm Sarah Beth’s heart and mind.” He kissed her palm before letting it go.

  Sarah Beth studied him. If only she could absorb his courage.

  Moments later, a hulking dark-skinned man with closely shaven hair approached. “Sarah Beth? You made good time getting down here.” David’s large hand grasped Sarah Beth’s shoulder. “I remember Mark’s kid sister who tried to go everywhere with him. Funny thing was, he let you.” His deep voice lowered. “I’m sorry to see you again under these conditions, but I’m praying we’ll have good news soon. I have my prayer warriors on it.”

  They entered the sedan. Her hands shook, and her heart drummed in her ears. As they headed out of the lot, Sarah Beth fidgeted with the handle of her bag. The air seemed stale, and her head swam. She lay back against the seat. Not Mark, too. Please, God.

  The overcast sky and fog helped as they pulled onto the main road. The less she saw, the better.

  At first she wrapped her arms around herself, then shifted and pulled her blue handbag into her lap and rummaged through it.

  Though the roads were flat, her stomach twisted as if she were riding a monstrous roller coaster. Her heart rate accelerated, and she covered her eyes, turning away from the car door.

  Jess squeezed her hand. “Don’t jump out or anything. We’re fine, and we’re together. We got this.”

  Minutes passed as David raced through the low-lying streets. Her heart kept up the thrashing against her chest. He glanced at her. “Girl, you’re shaking my whole car with your knees bouncing against the seat like that. Don’t worry. We’re almost there.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry.” But it was taking forever. She felt as though she could run to the hospital faster. Or back to Oxford. Her feet refused to quit tapping, and her clenched fists shook.

  At last the massive red brick hospital loomed before them. “There it is.” Sarah Beth unhitched her seatbelt as David pulled near the emergency entrance. As soon as he hit the brakes, she sprang from her seat and out of the car, sprinting for the glass double doors.

  ~~~

  Jess ran after Sarah Beth as she rushed down the sidewalk. Bits of conversation drifted from pedestrians along the dark street. Drizzle soaked the cool air while white lights created a cheery glow in contrast to the worry enveloping him. Not the way he thought the night would end. One minute he’d been ecstatic about the celebration of his engagement, and then the next, their world reversed. Somehow, no matter what, he’d protect Sarah Beth through all of this. She didn’t deserve any more grief.

  Chapter 45

  At the window, Sarah Beth obtained Mark’s location, ran in, and swept back the blue curtain dividing the area. The empty hospital bed brought her to her knees.

  “He’s not here.”

  Jess kneeled down beside her. “Probably running tests. Come sit down.”

  The wrenching in her midsection tightened up a notch with the antiseptic smell and the moans coming from behind another curtain.

  His arms encircled her, giving her strength. “David stopped to find out Mark’s status.”

  Forty-five of the longest minutes ever passed before David approached with a doctor beside him.

  “Are you family of Mark LeClair?”

  Sarah Beth scrambled to her feet. “I’m his sister. Where is he? What’s happened to him?”

  “We cleaned and stitched his gunshot wound. Luckily, it missed the bone. He’s bruised and sore from a fall, but overall, doing exceptionally well. I’d say he’s a lucky man.”

  “Thank you, God.” Sarah Beth lifted both hands.

  “We’ll move him into a regular room as soon as possible. There’s a waiting area down the hall to the left. I’ll have the nurse at the desk let you know when he’s settled in.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  More waiting, but the news had been good. Sarah Beth repeated silent thank-yous to the Lord over and over while a television droned on about how to redecorate on a budget. Jess and David talked football and the latest news, but she couldn’t concentrate on either.

  An hour later, the nurse sent them down a maze of tan walls and fluorescent lighting.

  David pointed. “Here’s the miracle boy, now.”

  An orderly rolled a groggy Mark into the small room as they approached. He reached out his hand to Sarah Beth. “You’re here?”

  “Yes.” She brushed his dark curly hair from his forehead. “Of course I’m here.”

  Mark’s heavy eyelids closed again.

  David clasped Sarah Beth’s shoulder. “God’s at work. Mark looks good.”

  The doctor appeared in the doorway. “You may be right. He should be able to go home in a couple of days.”

  Sarah Beth squinted her eyes and studied the long-faced doctor. “He’s not going to be able to drive home, is he?”

  “Not with his shoulder injury. He’ll have significant pain. One of you should plan to drive him.”

  “Can he fly?”

  “The risk of blood clots makes flying out of the question.” He made a note on an electronic pad and turned back toward the door. “I’ll check on him again in the morning.”

  A sinking feeling tore at Sarah Beth’s gut, but she pushed it away. Mark would need a ride and someone to take care of him until Holly returned from the cruise. And she knew what had to happen. After the doctor left, Sarah Beth turned to Jess. “You should fly home now. You have practice in the morning, and I know how important the bowl game is to your career.”

  “You are more important than any career.”

  “I love you, too, but...” She swallowed back the boulder in her throat. “I need to... I’ll drive Mark to my house.”

  “What?” Mark’s eyes fluttered opened, his voice scratchy. “Am I still on the coast?”

  Sarah Beth let out a small laugh. “This was some big plan to get me to leave Oxford, right?”

  Mark gave her a weak smile. “It worked.”

  His pallid complexion and the IV in his hand left him looking so frail, so human. He’d always seemed so solid and strong. Larger than life.

  As Mark drifted off to sleep, Sarah Beth joined Jess on the plastic couch. “Call the pilot and see if he can take you. You’ve practiced with me, I’ve been taking the medicine t
he doctor prescribed. We’ll make it back.”

  “Are you sure?”

  No. Yes. Maybe. “Positive.”

  Jess pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I am so proud of my girl.” He held up her chin. “Beautiful and strong. You did what you had to do by coming down here. Hire a driver, phone a friend, but whatever you do, make it back up to Oxford. And to me. You hear?” He planted a kiss on Sarah Beth’s forehead as he had done so many times before. “I love you.”

  “I miss you already, Jess McCoy.”

  Chapter 46

  At least she’d slept a few hours. Sarah Beth lay motionless on the couch trying not to disturb Mark. His chest rose and fell under the white sheet. Strands of dark curls stuck to his forehead, and he needed a shave. Holly would have a duck when she found out he’d been shot. How did she manage the anxiety of having a husband in such a dangerous profession?

  Mark shifted his weight and groaned.

  After pushing to her feet, Sarah Beth stepped to his side. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I took a bullet, fell at least twenty feet, and miraculously lived.” His weak voice was raspy.

  “I think you’ve earned the privilege of being called the needy sibling now.”

  David stepped through the door carrying two white sacks. “I see Sleeping Beauty awoke.”

  “Very funny, my friend.” Mark smirked, but worry crinkled his forehead. “I’d shake your hand or hug you, but my shoulder hurts too much. Anyone else injured in the pursuit?”

  David kinked his neck from side to side. “I have a tension headache and could use a massage.”

  “Advil and a gift card, on me.”

  David passed Sarah Beth the smaller of the two bags. “Jess told me that you might need some of these.”

  She looked in the sack. “Yay, sour gummy worms. Thank you.”

  “The other bag has a couple of shrimp po’boys. You can’t come to the coast without at least a little real food.” A grin filled the big man’s face.