Rocky Point Promise

by Barbara McMahon

  “It happens. Anyway, I wanted to let you know we’re still looking into it.”

  “Thanks. Jenny and Gillian were here earlier to see them. Jenny really wants one of the puppies. If it comes to that, I’ll find them all good homes,” Faith vowed.

  “Sell them, recoup some of your expenses,” Tate suggested.

  “Umm, probably not. Mostly I’d want each of them to have a happy home.” She smiled at him. “You look better today. I mean, pain free.”

  He inclined his head slightly. “And no medicine needed since last night. So I think I am just about recovered.”

  “What happened to the boat driver that ran into you?” she asked.

  “Ah, unhappily for him, he was cited. No way to gloss over it when he slammed into the sheriff.”

  She laughed. “I expect he’ll be cautious from now on. Who would have expected the sheriff in the water?”

  “That was his defense—he didn’t expect anyone in the water. No excuse for going so fast. The wake alone could damage some of the boats moored in the marina. We’ll see if he learned from this.” He turned to leave. “I’ll let you know if we hear anything about the dog.”

  “Thanks, Tate. I appreciate it. Now I’ll keep my fingers crossed that she can be mine.”

  He headed out and Faith went to the top of the stairs to watch him. At the bottom he turned and looked up at her. “Do you like sports?”

  She shrugged. “As well as anyone, I guess.”

  “There’s a pickup basketball game at the high school gym on Tuesday nights during the summer. Want to go?”

  She was surprised at the invitation. “Who plays?” This was the first she’d heard about basketball games in Rocky Point.

  “Mostly teens, but some of them are pretty good. Some of the guys from the church play. Normally, I would, too, but not this week.”

  “Ah, I’m happy to hear that. Maybe I’ll go when you’re playing. Thanks for asking.”

  He gave a short wave and headed to the patrol car.

  Faith entered her apartment thoughtfully. It had been a spur-of-the-moment invitation. She couldn’t possible read anything into it. It would be a fun activity during the summer. Now, if he were playing, that would be a good reason to go.

  Solely to be neighborly, she chided herself. Who was she kidding? She’d love to watch the sheriff play.

  Fantasizing about the sheriff playing such an active sport probably wasn’t the best thing she could do. She wanted to make a wide group of friends. No romantic entanglements. Which he already knew.

  Still, it might have been fun. And who would have suspected the sheriff of playing with a bunch of teenagers? She liked the thought of the men in her new church paying attention to the teens in town. Gave the kids a healthy outlet and they could see men living their walk with God, not just talking about it.

  Was there anything for the girls? She’d ask Gillian or Marcie the next time she saw one of them.

  The next morning at the clinic, Faith entered, fully intending to make the day a wonderful one. She would be as nice as she knew how to Marjorie and hope the older woman would begin to warm up to her.

  By midmorning that resolve was wobbling. Marjorie had been curt to the point of rudeness all morning. Twice Faith had gone to the reception area to call in the next patient and found Marjorie huddled closely with the women patients, talking a mile a minute. About her, she had little doubt.

  Show me the way, Father, to get on her good side, please, she prayed.

  When she left at lunch to go home to walk the dog and check on the puppies, she prayed the entire walk. She needed some indication of what she could do to make the working situation more harmonious.

  Mama Dog was happy to see her, wagging her tail and dying to go outside. Faith laughed. “Okay, but there are going to be some ground rules. You cannot pull me. If I fall, that would be the end of the walks,” she scolded as she put on the leash. The dog ran around in circles in her delight. Once Faith opened the door, the dog took off. This time Faith was ready, and as soon as the leash was almost taut, she yanked on it, pulling the dog off her feet. She looked so surprised Faith burst out laughing. “No pulling,” she repeated, closing the door. The dog seemed more subdued, but Faith kept a careful hold on the handrail as they descended.

  The fresh air and sunshine felt so good. The dog’s obvious delight in being outside buoyed Faith’s spirits. She was happy.

  When she returned to the office, she was in a good mood. Stopping at the reception desk, she picked up the client folders Marjorie had pulled for the afternoon schedule. Underneath them was a pink telephone message slip. Tate had called her and asked him to call back. There was no date or time, but it had to be today.

  Marjorie walked in just then.

  “Marjorie, when did this call from the sheriff come in?” Faith asked.

  “Sometime this morning.”

  “There’s no date or time written in.”

  “Things get busy,” Marjorie said dismissively. “Why is the sheriff calling you?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t called him back yet.” Faith took the message and files and headed back to the small alcove where she had her workstation. She quickly dialed the number Tate had left.

  In only a moment, he answered.

  “I just got your message,” she said. “Anything wrong?”

  “Nope. Remember you told me you were invited to the singles group meeting on Wednesday night?”

  “Yes, Diana Kendall suggested it. I thought I might give it a try. Sounds like a nice place to meet more people.”

  “It’s a good group. I thought, if you were going, I’d go with you, introduce you around,” Tate said.

  “Okay. Thanks. How long does it normally last?”

  “A couple of hours. There’s visiting time, a dessert and then Bible study. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

  When Tate hung up, he smiled. Then frowned. It seemed the friendly thing to do—take her to the meeting and introduce her to the other singles. The members of the group, some of them longtime members, would be welcoming, but it didn’t hurt to know at least one person when you were going to a gathering for the first time.

  He hoped she wouldn’t read anything more into his offer than that of a friend.

  He rose. The day was beautiful. He’d spend an hour or so cruising around, checking on things. He wished she’d agreed to come to the basketball game. But he could understand that with her not knowing anyone, she might hesitate to attend. He knew all the kids and the men who played. Had known most of the families his entire life.

  Again he thought about how gutsy Faith was to leave the town she grew up in to venture forth into a completely new community and to start a new life.

  He’d done that moving to Boston, but he’d always had family and friends behind him, supporting him however they could. He tried to imagine being alone in life.

  “Not as long as the Lord is there,” he reminded himself as he got into the patrol car. He was glad to know Faith had accepted Christ at her darkest hour. That had to be comforting.

  His own walk with the Lord had been shaky for a short time after Mandy died. Then Tate had acknowledged that God was in charge. Tate didn’t know the complete plan the Lord had for him, so he accepted the heartache and loss and prayed for the end of grief.

  Perhaps it had been in the plan to make the way easier for him to return home, to help his parents, take this job. Maybe even work with kids from church to keep them from getting into trouble. He laughed at that idea. He’d been a rowdy kid himself. Maybe that’s why he related so well to some of the restless teens in town. The Lord could take anything and make it to His glory—even Tate’s wild past.

  He hoped Faith would like the singles group. Maybe, once summer ende
d, he’d start going again, too.

  Faith smiled when she hung up the phone after talking with Tate.

  “Things are looking up,” she murmured, opening the first patient’s folder to familiarize herself with his medical record.

  She began to look forward to the next evening. She’d get to meet new people at the singles group. And the best part was that Tate was taking her.

  Which then had her thinking more about the sheriff. He’d looked amazing yesterday in his uniform. There must be some truth to the old adage that men were more appealing in uniform. Though she found him pretty appealing in a T-shirt and jeans. And the flannel shirt he’d worn Saturday. As well as the dress shirt at church.

  Oops, too much thinking about him. He was merely one of a bunch of new friends. She knew he didn’t intend to fall in love again. Fear of loss kept him wary of any relationship. She felt the same way. After Allen’s betrayal, it would be a long time before she was ready to risk her heart again.

  Still, it’d be good to have him as a friend.

  Wednesday Tate showed up at the clinic at nine. He was seen quickly and the doctor pronounced him almost recovered, except for the stitches that still had another five days to go.

  “I know I have to be healing—the stitches itch like crazy,” Tate said, winking at Faith as she stood by the doctor’s side. She grinned but didn’t say anything.

  When he was leaving, he asked if she’d walk out with him. Once in the reception area, he stopped. “David, one of my deputies, got hold of the owner of the rental. He confirmed that his summer tenants had a dog. Following up on it, we located the family. They’d had a dog matching the description of Mama Dog, but the husband’s saying she ran away.” His eyes narrowed. “When David told him she’d been found, with puppies, he stammered and then said they couldn’t keep a dog in their apartment and asked if we would take care of it.”

  “So saying she ran away lets them off the hook? They never even asked about her?” Faith asked incredulously.

  “Sometimes people get a dog for the summer. Everything changes when it’s back to their normal routine. The dog’s better off if that’s the kind of folks they are. David had the owner fax over a release and if you still want her, the dog’s yours. They called her Maggie.” He paused. “She’s two years old, not a pure golden, but enough. And they say they don’t know who the father of the puppies is. Seeing that they look like their mother, and if they have her gentle disposition, you’ll have no trouble finding them homes.”

  “Oh, Tate, thank you! So she’s mine? Maggie. That’s a cute name. I appreciate your finding this out for me. I can’t wait to tell her.”

  “Hey, that’s what the sheriff’s office is for—helping people. And I’m sure Maggie will be delighted with the news.” He laughed softly.

  “I’m still annoyed they just turned her loose and in the rain and that you can’t do anything about it,” she said. “There ought to be a law against that.”

  “Ah, but maybe it’s another God thing—your finding her and opening your home to her and her puppies just at the time you were looking for a pet.”

  She nodded. “Maybe so. I really like her. I’ll go home at lunch to tell her she’s mine. Thanks.” Spontaneously she gave him a quick hug. Then, aware of where they were, of the curious eyes of the patients waiting in the reception area, she backed off. “Thanks again.” Turning, Faith quickly went to the back of the clinic. Surely Tate had been hugged before by grateful citizens. She certainly hoped so. What had possessed her to do such a thing? And in public!

  Still, she was almost giddy with happiness. Maggie was hers!

  Later, when Faith hurried to her apartment at lunch, she wondered again about Tate saying it was a God thing to so easily get the dog. “Did You send Maggie to me, Lord? Am I supposed to have her? She’s so sweet and it’s nice to have her there when I’m home. I don’t know, though. It seems like too small a thing for You to be bothered with.”

  She passed an older woman on the sidewalk who looked at her quizzically. Faith smiled, realizing she’d murmured her question out aloud. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” she said, picking up her pace to escape the embarrassment.

  “Maggie?” Faith called when she reached home. The dog jumped the chairs and came running to the door, barking, tail wagging. “So that is your name. What a good girl.” Faith knelt down to pet her and cooed as she greeted the dog. “Tate said you can be mine. Your other owner’s faxing over a paper to make it legal. So once I have that, we can make plans. You need shots and a license and a microchip. If you ever run away, I want to get you back right away. And we’ll have to find your puppies good homes.” She gave the dog a hug, then stood to go into the kitchen to check on the puppies. It was a small thing to get a pet, but her heart was full.

  Tate drove to Faith’s apartment that evening. It was warm enough to walk to the church, but he wasn’t sure how cool it might be later. Rocky Point was a small, compact town—normally he walked as much as he could. But it wouldn’t hurt to drive, just in case. He parked near her steps and checked his watch. He was early. Rolling down the window, he relaxed. Lord, I hope Your hand’s in this. Faith seems really nice and it seems as if she got a bad deal from her fiancé. I hope You bring friends her way. Show her Your love, please, Father, and let her find a place for herself here in town. And me, too, come to think of that.

  He thought he’d live in Boston most of his adult life. But the events of the past several years changed that. He didn’t even want to visit, though he did from time to time. Mandy was buried there. There was so much they’d wanted to do together. Would he ever stop wishing things had been different?

  Now he was going to a singles group with someone else. He hoped his bringing her wouldn’t give rise to speculation. Every time he even spoke to another young woman, his mother thought he’d moved on and was looking to date again. People didn’t seem to understand. He knew his parents only wanted him to be happy. Of course, they might also want some grandchildren. He hoped one day he would find someone else to make a life with. But it wouldn’t be the same as with Mandy. A shattered heart was hard to make whole again.

  Chapter Four

  Entering the fellowship hall some time later with Faith, Tate felt self-conscious. It wasn’t something he was used to. Men and women he’d known his entire life greeted him. He made introductions and was relieved that no one made a comment about his bringing Faith.

  Tate was glad to see everyone warmly greet Faith and quickly draw her into the group. He stepped to the side to watch for a bit. He didn’t normally attend and didn’t want others to think that had changed.

  Pastor John was there to open the meeting in prayer.

  “Welcome, Faith,” he greeted her. “Everyone, Faith’s recently moved to town and works as a nurse in the clinic. Some of you might have met her already. Faith, we hope you’ll make a lot of friends here and never want to leave.”

  She smiled and nodded, glancing at Tate. He nodded back.

  “While this is primarily a social gathering of friends, we also have projects we work on together. We’re in the planning stage of our upcoming rummage sale, which’ll take place in late September. We’re forming teams to scour the neighborhoods for donations, then we’ll need staffing for that weekend and a cleanup committee. All the money goes to the children’s fund.”

  Tate watched as several members volunteered to head up a team. Then Pastor John looked at him. “What about you, Tate? You know the area better than most.”

  “Why not? Okay. I’ll lead a team.” Most of the work for the sale happened after the summer crowd had gone. And he did know the area well.

  “Faith, Janette and Peter can work with you. Charlie, how about you? If we have two more teams, we’ll be set.”

  Plans were made for each team to cover different areas, maps were distributed and s
uggestions for future team meetings were finalized. Conversations were lively the entire time. Then after the group savored a delicious trifle for dessert, the official part of the program began with Bible study, led by Pastor John.

  Tate kept an eye on Faith, but he needn’t have worried—she was quickly drawn into the group and seemed to be enjoying herself. One of the older men approached him after the meeting ended.

  “Say, Tate, you need to do something about those bonfires down on Carlisle Beach at night. They’re getting out of hand,” he said.

  No matter where he went, it was hard to escape being on duty. He discussed the situation with Warren and agreed to have some deputies swing by the rest of the summer to make sure the fires didn’t pose a threat. And that the partying that went on didn’t get too rowdy.

  Faith came over, her face beaming. “I’ve had such fun. I hope I can remember everyone’s name.”

  Tate introduced her to Warren and then asked if she was ready to leave.

  “I am. This was a great idea… I’ve already met so many people. Pretty soon I’ll know everyone in Rocky Point.”

  He smiled at her enthusiasm. The town and the surrounding area weren’t that small.

  “And I love the idea of teams foraging for rummage sale items. It’ll help me learn about our section and meet even more people. Timing’s perfect. So when shall we plan our attack?”

  “I’m off next Saturday. Want to grab a bite of lunch at Marcie’s and talk about scheduling?”

  “With Janette and Peter?”

  Tate had not planned to include the other members of their team, but he could hardly tell Faith that. “Sure, I’ll check with them.”

  “Okay. I work until one on Saturdays. I can meet all of you after that.”

  Tate and Faith sought out Janette and Peter and the four agreed to meet at one-thirty at Marcie’s on Saturday.

  When Faith said goodbye to Tate a short time later, she ran up the stairs to her apartment, already anticipating seeing him again on Saturday. She was not going to read anything into his offer of lunch, because Janette and Peter would be there, as well. Still, the anticipation couldn’t be denied. She liked being with him.