The Soldier's Promise

by Patricia Potter

  But the question eating at him was why Dave had hung on to the cabin, paying the taxes and maintenance all these years, and then why he’d left it to Josh. Of course, it was part of the small estate he’d received, just as Dave would have received Josh’s.

  But there was something different about the cabin. It was as if Dave was prodding him from the grave.

  “Wish I could help you more,” Nate said, finishing off his beer. “He was your friend?”

  More like a brother. Josh nodded.

  “In the military?”

  “Everyone know about that?”

  “I don’t know about everybody, but I know ex-military. I was in Iraq myself. Lot of us in Covenant Falls were. A great adventure,” he added ironically.

  “Was Sam Clark in the military?”

  “Hell, no.”

  “You don’t like him?”

  “Not many people do. He likes to parade that badge and bully people. Wouldn’t have the job if his uncle didn’t get it for him.”

  “The police chief can’t do anything about it?”

  “Al Monroe owns the insurance company, the real estate company and a big share of the bank. You don’t cross him if you want a loan or don’t want your insurance canceled.”

  “Why isn’t he mayor, then?”

  “I think he thought he could control Mayor Douglas.”

  “And he doesn’t?”

  “No, but two other members of the five-member council are his puppets. Truth is, most of the people are with Eve Douglas. She’s done a lot for the town. Singlehandedly started the community center. She has a way of maneuvering people into helping others. I’ve worked on more than a few roofs for no pay. She put the city back in the black without raising taxes. Cut her own staff, never asked for a raise. She’s trying to attract business, but the council isn’t helping.”

  “Maybe there needs to be an uprising.”

  “You volunteering?”

  “Me? I’m an outsider who’s leaving the minute I sell the cabin.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why so curious?”

  “I always like to know the lay of the land.”

  “Okay. Subject closed,” Nate said. “By the way, you do good work.”

  “You learn to do a little of everything in the army.”

  “What unit?”

  “The Rangers. Seventy-fifth. You?

  “The Twenty-fifth Brigade,” Nate said.

  “Strykers?”

  Nate nodded.

  “They did a damn good job.”

  Nate shrugged and took a big sip.

  Josh ordered a second beer. And the last. Now that he seemed to be on Sam Clark’s radar, he certainly didn’t want a DUI. But Nate was proving to be a fount of information. And he liked him. For a few minutes, anyway, it was like being back in uniform.

  They sat and enjoyed the beers, united in the moment by shared experiences but unwilling to talk about them. They didn’t have to.

  “What more are you going to do with the cabin?”

  “New porch. One you can sit on and look through the trees to the lake. I’m painting the other rooms and wallpapering the bathroom.”

  “You need any more help after we finish the floor, I’m your man.”

  “I’ll need you,” Josh said. “I have to order materials for the porch, then I’ll call you.”

  “I know you plan to leave when you finish, but there’s a roofing party Saturday after next. Sort of like an old-fashioned barn raising. Widow lady with a pittance of social security needs a new roof real bad. A bunch of us have volunteered to install it. One of Eve’s projects. She sweet-talks a roofing company into donating the shingles. She’s a hard lady to say no to.”

  “She hasn’t mentioned it to me,” he said. It certainly wasn’t an answer to the implied question, but he wasn’t ready to get involved any deeper with Eve or the community. He was still rankled by the visit by the police chief this morning.

  He tossed down the rest of his beer once he’d finished his food. “I have to get back,” he said.

  Nate stood with him. “Me, too.”

  “See you tomorrow,” Josh said, and headed for the door.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE FUND-RAISER ON Saturday was a great success.

  Drawn by a Little League game, food and craft booths and games for the kids, there was a larger than expected crowd. In fact, Eve thought, nearly every resident of Covenant Falls was there. Everyone but Josh.

  Stephanie’s dog-training session was a huge hit. Nick had his way and had convinced Stephanie to use Fancy rather than Miss Marple and, Eve had to admit, he’d been right. Fancy refused every command Nick gave her until the last thirty minutes of Stephanie’s session. Then a miracle happened. Fancy charmed everyone by obeying every command. The bidding on Stephanie’s dog-training service skyrocketed.

  Nick’s baseball team won a resounding victory without him. But he promised his teammates he would play next week. He was everywhere, looking for Josh Manning.

  “He will be here, won’t he?” he kept asking.

  “I don’t know. He’s working hard on his cabin, and remember he told you he had some deliveries today.”

  Nick looked disappointed as he held Fancy’s leash. But the dog was practically preening. Then a couple of boys came up to see his rattles from the snake, and he got to tell his story all over again. He was a happy boy.

  At the end of the day, there was still no Josh, but they had raised more than two thousand dollars. It was a fortune for Covenant Falls, and it meant five new computers and three printers she’d arranged to purchase at cost. The frosting on the cake was a bin filled with donated books for the library.

  But best of all, the day brought the community together. Not once did anyone mention the robberies. Most were excited about the center offering computers. Volunteers had already been recruited to teach computer lessons. Eve particularly wanted to target older adults.

  But still, she, like Nick, had looked for Josh all day.

  The depth of her disappointment frightened her. How had she become so involved in a total of two weeks? She packed up the paperwork, sealed the money and checks in an envelope after asking the city clerk to count it with her. Now that she suspected Al Monroe might run against her, she was going to be careful every step.

  After she finished, she looked for Nick but didn’t see him. Nor did she see Fancy.

  She had brought his bike in the pickup. He wanted to bike with the other boys, and he had been so cooperative all week she’d said yes since he couldn’t play in the baseball game. But he was supposed to stay within the five acres of the community center and park.

  She went inside the community center. No Nick. She started to panic. How long since she last saw him? An hour, maybe. Nick was usually responsible. But he was only ten years old.

  Her heart pounded faster. She was too raw from last week. And Nick should have known that. She looked for his bike. And for Fancy. No trace of either, and immediately she knew where he had gone.

  Josh’s cabin was little more than a mile down the road. But there was traffic on that road, especially Saturdays. She reached Miss Mollie and turned onto the street, fighting to keep her speed under the limit. But what if she were wrong? What if Nick hadn’t gone to the Hannity cabin?

  What if. There were a million what-ifs running through her head. Nick didn’t have a cell phone, nor did she know Josh’s number. Please, please, please let him be there.

  * * *

  THE FLOORING IN the kitchen had been completed late Friday, and the fridge and stove were delivered and installed Saturday morning. The other furniture had been stored in the second bedroom until he and Nate finished the flooring in the main r
oom Monday.

  Josh regarded his new possessions with mixed feelings. No more refilling the cooler with ice, and he looked forward to going to the grocery store to stock the fridge. That part was good.

  What wasn’t so good was what having new things here represented. Permanence. Sure, he had bought materials to make the cabin sellable. But this felt different. He’d realized there was a time he would finally have to settle down and supplement his savings and army disability pay, but he hadn’t been ready for that. Not until he’d met a pretty mayor who was a bundle of energy and good works.

  But then the police chief had dropped in, and his opinion of the town had plummeted. Time to talk seriously with a real estate agent about listing the cabin when he finished. The police chief’s visit had spurred that idea, as did the growing attraction between the mayor and himself. He was bad for her and her reputation. She was bad for him. Sticking around would only hurt them both. And Nick.

  Still, he had considered going to the fund-raiser, mainly, he told himself, for the kid. Or maybe he would just take today off and sort through the boxes of books sent from his base in Georgia.

  He had just started sorting the books when Amos barked.

  Amos was barking?

  He went to the door and saw Nick leaning his bike against a tree, holding a small animal. Josh opened the door as Nick mounted the steps, cradling what resembled a dog but a decidedly homely one.

  “Who is this?” he asked.

  “This is Fancy. She was the star of Aunt Stephanie’s class. She and me, too. We did good.”

  “I bet you did,” Josh said as Amos sidled out the door and sat next to Nick. Josh couldn’t help but smile at the way Amos sniffed the little dog, then licked her.

  “What is Fancy?” he asked with real curiosity.

  “Mom says she’s a little bit of everything, including Mexican hairless. I think she’s beautiful.”

  “Then she is,” Josh said. “Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and I think she’s quite fetching.”

  “Mom says that, too. The part about the eye of the beholder. Not that she’s fetching. What does fetching mean?”

  “It means... Where is your mom?” Josh suddenly realized the boy was alone.

  “She’s at the community center,” Nick said. “She’s real busy.”

  “Does she know you came here alone?”

  The eagerness in Nick’s face faded. “No,” he said, ducking his head, “but I wanted Amos to meet Fancy.”

  “Come inside,” Josh said. He opened the door for Nick, who still held the little dog. Amos followed. Josh located his cell phone and asked Nick, “What’s your mother’s number?”

  He punched it in, and she answered immediately. “Nick’s here,” he said. “He rode over on his bike.”

  He heard her let go of her breath. “Thank God,” she whispered. “I thought he might be coming your way. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  She hung up, and he put the cell on the table, sat down on the sofa and looked Nick in the eyes. “She sounded worried sick about you,” he said. “It wasn’t fair you didn’t ask whether you could come here. She was really scared last week when you were bit by the snake. She hasn’t recovered from that, and now you’ve put her through that kind of fear again.”

  Nick hung his head. “I didn’t think about that. I ride my bike all the time.”

  “But your mother, or your grandparents, know where you’re going, right?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You’re old enough now to be responsible, and that means not scaring the hell out of your mother. If you were in the army, I would have to write you up for disciplinary action.” The minute the words left his mouth, he knew he shouldn’t have said hell and probably should have left out that last comment.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not the one you need to say that to,” Josh said, feeling like an ogre. “I like you, Nick. I’m happy to see you, but only when you have your mother’s permission.”

  Nick looked up at him. “I can still come here?”

  “I think that’s up to your mother,” Josh said. Then, looking at Nick’s crestfallen face, he added, “You’ve been very good for Amos. He hasn’t been very happy because he doesn’t know where he belongs, and he lost someone he loved. You’ve helped him care again.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. You’re a natural dog man. It’s a fine thing.”

  Nick beamed.

  “That doesn’t mean I approve of you worrying your mother. You’re very lucky to have one who cares so much about you,” Josh added. “I guess sometimes it’s difficult to understand the why of rules, but I would have given anything for a mom like yours.”

  “Don’t you have a mom?”

  “No.”

  “Did you ever?”

  “Not like yours.”

  Josh didn’t know if Nick understood. But the boy tipped his head to one side. “I really am sorry about today,” he said, and this time Josh knew he meant it. “I didn’t think. I just wanted Amos to meet Fancy.”

  They heard a vehicle outside, and Josh struggled to his feet. His leg was particularly painful this afternoon after so many hours working on the kitchen floor.

  Nick went out to meet his mother, and Josh limped to the door and watched.

  She leaned down and gave Nick a huge hug, then an obvious scolding. She came to his door. “I hope he didn’t bother you.”

  “He’s one visitor who doesn’t. I told him, though, it wasn’t a good idea to come without telling you.”

  “Thank you.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were warm. She looked both vulnerable and lovely. He fought the longing inside him. “You’re welcome,” he said coolly.

  “We have to get home. Nick is going to be grounded for years.” But she didn’t move.

  Neither did he. “Sorry I didn’t get there today, but the fridge and stove finally came.” That wasn’t the entire truth.

  “It went well. We made enough to buy new computers.”

  “I’ve had more company,” he said after a pause. “The police chief. On Thursday. He invited himself inside to look around. Is that common practice for a new resident?”

  Her gaze met his, and he knew immediately that she had known about the visit, maybe even in advance. Maybe approved it.

  He wasn’t quite prepared for the kick in the gut he felt. He had hoped the police chief had acted on his own.

  “I have some errands to do,” he said in a voice that went from cool to frigid. It was a clear invitation for her to leave.

  She looked as if he’d slapped her. “Thanks again for looking after him,” she said in a strained voice. She took Fancy from Nick and took her to the truck. Nick slowly followed her. She then went for the bike.

  Josh limped out and picked it up before she could and carried it to the back of the pickup.

  “Thank you,” she said, “but I could have done that.”

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  They looked at each other for a moment. So much passed between them. Regret. Anger. And still...that damnable attraction. He swallowed hard, nodded and turned back to the cabin. He knew she was watching his every step.

  Then as he reached the front door, where Amos waited, he heard her engine start. When he went inside and looked through the window, the truck was gone.

  * * *

  SUNDAY MORNING AND it was time for church. Usually Eve looked forward to it, but not today. She’d had a sleepless night.

  Josh had been distant yesterday, but then she’d been every bit as cool toward him. She’d been angry and upset and scared to death for the second time in two weeks. And the underlying cause of both instances was one Josh Manning.

 
To be fair, neither time was really his fault. He didn’t lure Nick out of Miss Mollie when she’d stopped by with the a copy of the deed. And he hadn’t invited her son to bike over to his cabin. But he was like the Pied Piper to Nick.

  And she hated to admit, to herself, as well.

  She hurried Nick, who was taking his time finding his good pants and a clean shirt. Jim and Abby would be at church, too, and then they usually went together to Maude’s for chicken and dumplings, as did so many other Covenant Falls residents. Sunday was Maude’s busiest day.

  She wondered what Josh was doing today. More work? He never seemed to pause for a break. A man on a mission.

  So he could sell the cabin and leave?

  She thought about her conversation with Tom, and guilt racked her. Nick had told her what Josh said to him yesterday, and he had apologized to her again and swore never to disappear without telling her. Evidently Josh, with a few words, had made an impact that she hadn’t been able to make.

  “Do you think Josh will be at church?” Nick asked.

  “I wouldn’t expect it,” she replied.

  He sighed. “I want him to meet Captain Hook and Miss Marple. Maybe we can ask him for dinner.”

  She had to stop this. Josh was becoming all too important to him.

  She sat down and pulled Nick to her. “Hey, guy,” she said gently, “Josh has made it clear he doesn’t plan to stay in Covenant Falls. I don’t want you to get too attached to him. I don’t want you hurt.”

  “I know, Mom.” But she saw the hurt in his eyes. How had this happened so fast? She knew he missed his father. But why did he have to latch on to a laconic loner?

  Why had she?

  She hadn’t. He was just different. Unlike the other men who had asked her out or expressed interest. There was a strength in him that reached out to her. And gentleness. She had seen it in his interaction with Nick. A gentleness he went to great lengths to conceal. “Come on, let’s go. We’ll be late for church.”

  When they arrived in Miss Mollie, Nick met some friends and sat with them. She found a seat next to Jim and Abby and tried to concentrate on the service. On leaving the church, several people came over and commented on the fund-raiser and how much they enjoyed it. June took her aside. “Sold out of my brownies and pies. You get those computers and I might try my hand at this World Wide Web thing.”