Changing Fate (Book 3) (Piper Anderson Series)

by Danielle Stewart

  “How old is this business card anyway? Maybe the guy moved away or he’s dead or something,” Jules complained, as she rested her head on the car window.

  “Quiet.” Piper waved her hand at Jules, as someone on the other end of the line began to speak. “So he’s there, he works in that building?” Piper pumped her fist in excitement. “Do I need to set up an appointment to see him?” After excitedly repeating thank you a few times Piper hung up.“I found him.”

  “Great,” Jules groaned. “I don’t care where we go, I just want to get out of this car.”

  Piper could tell Jules was perplexed by the fact that they were now driving to the New York City Catholic Facilities director’s office. Piper hadn’t ever talked about religion, so she figured this had Jules’s mind racing as they approached the front of the building.

  “So we found the priest you were looking for, but you still haven’t told me how you know him or how he’s going to help us.” Jules’s grumpy tone was confusing Piper. Maybe she was just tired or it was hormones, but she had assumed Jules would be happier about the chance at having a place to stay.

  “What’s the matter with you this morning? There’s a chance this might work out perfectly. We could have a place to stay before we ever even get to the city. That could save us a lot of trouble, not to mention money.”

  “If you grew up Catholic you’d understand. I’m living in sin here,” Jules pointed down to her stomach and rolled her eyes. “I just don’t want to be struck by lightning.”

  “We don’t have too many options and it’s not like anyone can tell you’re pregnant.” She pulled the car up to the curb and stepped out, trying to ignore Jules’s glumness. Piper tied Bruno to a pole by the front door and scratched behind his ear. “Don’t go stealing any snacks from people walking by.”

  “I can tell I’m pregnant. My boobs are huge, my pants are too tight and I can’t stop thinking about my next meal. Hungry makes me angry. I think they call it hangry. Speaking of which, when are we going to eat?”

  “We’ll get something to eat in the city once we see if we can figure things out here.” Piper patted her friend’s shoulder and handed her a candy bar from her bag.

  Jules hopped up and down and clapped her hands. “You didn’t tell me you had this. Oh my gosh, I’m starving.” She peeled off the wrapper and gobbled up the candy in a few bites.

  Piper stared up at the building for a moment and crossed her fingers that this risk would pay off. As they pulled open the glass door and stepped inside, Piper took the old and worn business card out of her pocket, grasping it tightly in her fist as if it could give her courage.

  “Hello dears, can I help you find your way?” A small elderly woman sitting behind a much-too-large reception desk smiled warmly at them. Piper found irony in her question, not the customary, how can I help you? It was as if she could spot lost souls and help guide them.

  “I’m looking for someone. I called around, and I think he works here now,” Piper said meekly, not wanting to disturb the quiet of the large echoing entryway. “His name is Father Corbin McCarthy.”

  The woman’s bright-white permed hair bounced as she nodded her head. “Father Corbin does work here, as a matter of fact he is the head of the housing and facilities department. Would you like to see him?”

  “I’m sure he’s busy, and he won’t likely remember me anyway,” Piper trailed off, as she began to second-guess herself.

  “We’d love to see him,” Jules chimed in, reading Piper’s hesitation, and weighing being intrusive against the reality of having to sleep in the car.

  “His office is right down that hall, second door,” the woman said, as she gestured toward a long hallway. “He loves company, go right in.”

  Jules had to tug Piper by the arm and practically drag her down the hall. “Come on, if this guy can help us, let’s get on with it so we can get out of here.”

  “I don’t even know if he’ll remember me. It’s been so long.”

  “Well he certainly won’t remember you if you never go in,” she said, as she prodded Piper forward and into the office.

  Piper froze for a moment in the doorway without making a sound. She stared at a man who barely seemed to have aged in the last fifteen years. His red hair was as bright as ever and the crisp pleats of his black shirt brought Piper right back to the day they had met. “Excuse me,” Piper managed to croak out.

  “Oh, hello, girls,” Father Corbin said in his singsong Irish accent. “What can I do for you today?”

  “Father, I’m sorry to bother you. My name is, well that’s not important, you never knew my name anyway. You probably don’t remember me.”

  He looked her over, twisting his face and seeming to run her image through his memory. “I’m sorry, I meet so many people in my line of work. I’m afraid I don’t remember you.”

  Piper felt the lump in her throat grow larger. This was a stupid idea, she realized, too good to be true, too easy to have worked out.

  “I’m sorry to have bothered you.” She grabbed Jules by the arm and pulled her toward the door. Her face was bright red with embarrassment.

  “Wait,” the priest called out, jumping to his feet. “Please don’t go. I’m sure if you jog my memory I might be able to remember. Even if I can’t, I’ll try my best to help you.”

  “Piper, we’ve come all this way, spent all this time looking for him. Can you please just tell him why? I’m wondering myself at this point.” Jules planted her feet with a stubbornness that more than made up for her small stature.

  Unable to budge her friend, Piper hung her head and tucked the loose hair behind her ears. “Fifteen years ago you gave me this,” she flashed the business card in his direction. “You told me if I ever needed you, I should call.”

  “I’ve handed out so many of those cards.” He shook his head, looking genuinely apologetic for his lack of memory.

  “I guess it was silly of me to think that day would have stuck with you the way it did with me. Living here, you’ve probably seen a thousand girls with a crazy father slapping them around.”

  The priest tried to make sense of her words while examining her face, and then suddenly he lit with recognition. “Oh praise be to the Lord, child. I know who you are. I’ve prayed for you so many times in the last fifteen years.” He pressed his hands together and spoke to the heavens. “Thank you, Jesus, for answering my prayers. Thank you for letting us cross paths again.” He turned his smile back to Piper and Jules. “Please, please sit down.”

  Piper took a seat, relief filling her body. Father Corbin had made an impression on her all those years ago, and she was relieved to know she had made one on him. Piper turned toward Jules, who tentatively lowered herself into one of the old wooden chairs, and tried to explain.

  “When I was a little girl, Father Corbin came by our apartment with another priest trying to, I don’t know, what do you call it?” she faltered, looking to the priest for assistance.

  “Spread the word,” the man interjected, unable to wipe the smile off his face. He looked in awe, as though he’d seen an angel.

  “Yes, he came by to spread the word in the projects.” Piper turned from Jules back to the priest. “That was a terrible idea, you know that right?” She smiled at him and he snickered.

  “We bring God to wherever He is needed, and, trust me, that place needed Him badly. I was new to this department then, and we had an idea to find people who may need help with their housing situation.”

  Piper continued her story. “Well he had the unfortunate luck of knocking on my door. Let’s just say, it didn’t go very well for any of us. When he left, he handed me his card,” Piper pulled it out, and ran her thumb over the ink as she had thousands of times before. It had become something that had calmed her over the years, a lifeline. It was something she thought she might never use but was glad it was there all the same. Over the years she had almost called him dozens of times, but she never felt worth saving. Now, as her life was starting to
come together, she realized asking for help wasn’t just important, it was necessary.

  “I have fought with myself for years about leaving you there. If I had been a stronger man or a better priest, I would have found a way to help you.”

  “You were young, and that building was full of kids just like me. You couldn’t save us all.”

  “Your ability to forgive is a wonderful testament to your character. You have grown into a beautiful woman. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. The last time I saw you, you were so,” he hesitated on the word, “. . . sad. You don’t seem to carry that around with you anymore, your face is so much more joyful than it was back then. You must have found some peace. I certainly hope you have.” He seemed lost for a moment in the memory of their first encounter. He’d clearly carried it around with him all these years, even if he hadn’t recognized her right away. When he felt the silence in the room weighing on him, he continued, “So what brings you here today after all these years?”

  “You gave me this card and told me if I ever needed any help I should call you. I’ve recently learned that the person I always believed to be my father, the man you met at my house, isn’t. Now I’m back to look for my real dad. I’ve been away for a few years, and I’d like to stay out of some of the rougher areas I know. We need a place to stay, somewhere that will allow dogs.” She thought of Bruno tied up to the pole outside and hoped he was staying out of trouble. “I’m not sure how long it will take to track him down or if I’ll even find him, but I was hoping you could help.”

  “I’ve waited many years to right that wrong. Walking away from you that day has haunted me. I will help any way I can, and I’ll consider it a penance. I have a facility just on the edge of the city. It’s a support home for young, unwed mothers-to-be.”

  Jules twisted her face and looked uncomfortably at Piper, hoping she’d chime in. When she didn’t, Jules knew she’d need to. “We can’t stay at a place like that. That doesn’t seem right to me, Father.”

  “I can assure you it isn’t the same place it used to be years ago. This isn’t where you send your daughter when she’s in a bad way. It is truly just a support house now. We help the girls learn a trade, prepare for delivery, and teach them how to care for newborns. You’d have your own apartment, and the girls would probably be delighted to have a dog around. The grounds are large enough for him to get plenty of exercise, and he wouldn’t be lonely while you are out trying to find the answers you seek.” He scribbled an address on a piece of paper and slid it across the desk to them. “I’ll give the Sister Benine call and let her know you’re coming.”

  Jules still looked uncomfortable with the idea, but Piper snatched up the paper and tucked it in her pocket. “Thank you so much, Father,” she said, extending her hand to him. He shook it graciously and smiled, his eyes watering slightly.

  “The Lord really does have a plan. I know at times it can seem as though He’s forgotten us, but I can assure you He hasn’t. He has a plan for both of you,” he said, smiling at Jules. “I’m reminded of Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

  Jules let out an audible huff as one rogue tear fell from her eye. “Thank you, Father,” she murmured, leaving the room quickly.

  “Jules, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a place to stay,” Piper called, catching up to her as they left the building.

  “I’m fine, I’m just . . .” she waved Piper off as she wiped more tears from her eyes.

  “I wish we had other options, but I don’t know what else to do. This is going to be a free, safe place to stay. What if we go do something fun? Something you can only do in New York. Will that take your mind off it?”

  Jules smiled, patting her cheeks dry with her sleeve. “Yes. I need a distraction.”

  Piper pulled her keys from her pocket. “Let’s go to Central Park. We’ll let Bruno run and play.”

  Jules untied Bruno from the pole and opened the car door for him to jump in. “Can we get a coffee at Central Perk?” she asked, clapping her hands playfully in excitement.

  “You want to get coffee at the fictional coffee shop from the television show Friends?”

  “It’s not a real place?” Jules cried, deflating like a balloon. “Are you sure? On the show it looked like a real place.”

  “We’ll look for it.” Piper smirked, not wanting to be the one to keep smashing all Jules’s fantasies about the magic of this city, a place full of adventure and opportunity. Piper knew that, in reality, it was much harsher.

  “I thought the city would be bigger than this,” Jules said, as they started heading back down the road.

  “We haven’t reached the city yet. We’re not far, but trust me, you’ll know when we’re there.”

  As they made their way from the quiet neighborhood of Father Corbin’s office toward Manhattan, Piper watched as Jules experienced the unique New York City driving style: honking, unfriendly hand gestures, and weaving in and out of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

  “What in the hell is this?” Jules demanded, ducking her head as they entered a tunnel.

  Piper giggled at the question, “It’s just a tunnel. They’re everywhere in this city. Just be glad this one doesn’t go underwater, a lot of them do. We’ll be out in a minute.” Piper grinned a little, knowing how driving into a dark cave-like tube with a bunch of maniac drivers might unsettle someone. Jules’s response to the tunnel was not nearly as amusing as her reaction to the Brooklyn Bridge: white-knuckled hands clenching the door handle and beads of sweat gathering on her forehead.

  “We’re almost over the bridge,” Piper said reassuringly. “Just try to focus on the view.” She pointed out the window at the New York City skyline. Buildings stood like iron gatekeepers—soldiers protecting not a place, but a way of life, an idea.

  “It’s beautiful,” Jules whispered, her hand loosening its grip on the handle and her shoulders relaxing. “I suppose you have something to say about it though? Is the bridge on the verge of falling down? Haunted?”

  “Do I really sound that bad? Sorry. I think it’s more about me than New York. I just don’t have any happy memories here. I’ve seen so many bad things happen, it’s hard to look at it through rose-colored glasses.” Piper knew she should leave it at that, but she couldn’t fight the urge to go on. “But since you asked, there have been hundreds of people who have jumped to their deaths from this bridge.”

  “This place brings out the worst in you,” Jules growled, pouting and gripping the door again as they came up over the crest of the bridge.

  Piper stared at the city looming before them. “This place brings out the worst in everyone.”

  They navigated the rest of the city streets and circled for almost thirty minutes to find a place to park. But it was worth it. Just as Piper had assumed, Jules and Bruno thoroughly enjoyed Central Park. There were moments when Piper couldn’t tell which one of them was more excited. Even though the wind was cutting across the park and the temperature was much colder than Jules was accustomed to, she was still managing to enjoy herself. She and Bruno were crunching through the fallen leaves, sharing a pretzel, people watching—like kindred spirits all of a sudden.

  Piper hated to break up the fun. “We should get going. I want to get to the place Father Corbin arranged for us before it gets too late.”

  “I’m glad you haven’t had anything negative to say about Central Park,” sighed Jules, “because this place really is perfect. Do you remember that movie? You know, the one with that guy who is rich and the girl who is poor and they meet in the park. What was it called? I can’t remember, but I swear the scene where they kiss was taped right under that tree. I love it here.” Jules spun whimsically, staring up at the sky.

  Piper raised her eyebrows doubtfully, but held her tongue. “I’m going to get a couple bottles of water. Keep an eye on Bruno for me. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Piper had to smile, even if just a little bit,
as she watched Jules spin around like a child, a skip in her step. Maybe she was being too cynical. Maybe this city did really hold some enchanted qualities, at least for people who hadn’t grown up here.

  With two overpriced bottles of water in hand, Piper began making her way back to them through the crowd. Jules was normally easy to spot as her hair was a shade of red that lit up like a flare in a crowd, but now, as Piper searched the sea of people, she didn’t see them anywhere. Panic flashed through her. She shouldn’t have left Jules alone. That was what these tourist attractions did to people: it lulled them into a sense of safety in numbers. But that was not the case; it was the opposite—the danger was more acute, anonymity easier.

  When Piper finally pushed her way back through the crowd, she saw Jules chatting with a homeless man, Bruno asleep by her feet. Piper rushed up, stepping in front of Jules who was just about to hand over a ten-dollar bill.

  “Piper, what are you doing?” Jules asked.

  “Put your wallet away, Jules,” she murmured over her shoulder as she smiled at the homeless man whose hair was as wild as his eyes.

  “He’s diabetic, Piper, just like my neighbor. If he doesn’t get something to eat he could be in real trouble.”

  Piper reached into her pocket, pulled out some change, and handed it to the man. He tipped his head and smiled a yellow smile at her, but as he walked away he growled over the larger sum he had missed out on.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? You don’t go pulling out a full wallet of money in front of a panhandler.”

  “His wife died last year and—”

  “Jules,” Piper cut in, “there are a lot of really kind homeless people in this city, but there are also just as many bad ones. The unfortunate thing is, it’s not like they walk around letting you know which category they fall into. Pulling out a bunch of money is like hanging a steak in front of a tiger. There’s a good chance they’ll snatch it and you’ll be bitten in the process. And that isn’t a metaphor, I had a friend who actually was bitten.”