by Irene Brand
Laurel looked toward Micah, who stood in the background. “Micah heard them and called me.”
“I sleep with my window open,” Micah said, “and I’m a light sleeper. I suppose the cattle running by my window woke me, but I didn’t realize what it was until I heard the cows bawling. I didn’t actually see them on the lawn until I called Laurel about two o’clock. They’re doing a lot of damage. I’ll help round them up now, if you want to try.”
“I’ll go, too,” Laurel said.
“Okay,” Pete said. “I’ve got some extra lights in the truck.”
“I’ll leave a note on the kitchen table for Debbie, in case she misses us,” Laurel said. “But she’s always so tired when she comes home from work, she sleeps like a log for several hours.”
Although there was a possibility that some of the cows had bypassed the house and were in the wooded area toward the highway, Pete figured they wouldn’t have left the lush grass to graze in the forest. So the four of them fanned out over the lawn and moved steadily toward the pasture. One cow with a calf beside her resisted all of Laurel’s efforts to shoo her toward the enclosure. She’d apparently had a taste of freedom and liked it.
Once Laurel’s feet skidded out from under her and she landed on her fanny. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but she was wet and miserable by the time she prodded the cow and calf into the pasture enclosure. The Howes and Micah were there ahead of Laurel, and when Pete closed the gate behind the two animals Laurel had found, he said, “That’s all of them. I only had fourteen head of cattle in this field.”
While Pete patched the fence to keep the cattle inside, he and Micah agreed that the wire had been cut.
“But I don’t understand it,” Pete said. “This goes beyond some childish prank. Were they picking on you or me, Laurel?”
Too weary to speak, she shrugged.
“I have a buyer coming for these cattle day after tomorrow. I need the money to pay off a note at the bank. It would have been rough for me to lose the cattle at this time. But I don’t know why that’s important to someone else.”
“Somebody might be trying to mess up Oaklawn so it won’t be nice for Debbie’s wedding,” Brenda said. “A few people in the area think Debbie should have married a local man, rather than an out-of-state guy she’d met at a national church seminar she’d attended two years ago in D.C.”
Laurel knew the vandalism was aimed at her, but since she didn’t know the reason, she said nothing.
Daylight came slowly as they walked back to the house. The lawn was in a sorry mess. Each step the cows made had left an indentation, and not only were the petunias ruined, but also a bed of hostas. Fortunately, the animals hadn’t broken through the fence into the rose garden.
“I’ll make good on the damages, Laurel,” Pete said. “Have everything repaired and send me the bill. I think my insurance will cover this.”
Too disheartened at the moment to really care what happened, she said wearily, “I’ll have to think about what I can do, but I’ll keep the expense as low as possible.”
For the next week, a landscaper worked, filling in the holes, planting grass seed and replacing the damaged petunias and hostas. Dozens of the neighbors stopped by to see the damage and offered to help, but Laurel thanked them and told them she had hired a professional to do the work. The landscaper was almost finished when Cousin Kevin came. He didn’t know about the damage to Laurel’s lawn until he drove in and saw the workers.
“What’s going on?” he said when Laurel went out on the portico to greet him. They sat in two of the rockers while she explained briefly.
“Pete needs to keep a closer rein on his livestock. He’s going to pay for this damage, I take it.”
“He said he would, but I don’t know that I’ll accept it. It wasn’t his fault.”
“It’s his place to keep his cattle restricted. I still think you should have a written contract with him.”
This had been a point of contention between Laurel and Kevin. He hadn’t approved when she’d rented the farm to Pete and Brenda. Her anger kindled at his aggressive attitude, and she didn’t tell him that the fence had been cut.
The next day Debbie and Laurel spent several hours in Knoxville making last-minute wedding preparations. When they returned, she saw a muddy footprint on the porch, and inside the house there was a scent she couldn’t identify. The exotic smell permeated the house, and she had the distinct feeling that someone had been inside. It couldn’t have been Micah, because he’d been gone all day.
Debbie apparently didn’t notice anything unusual, so Laurel didn’t mention her suspicions.
After dinner, Debbie went to spend the night with Kaitlyn Howe, so they could prepare bags of birdseed for the wedding guests to throw at the bridal couple. When Laurel was ill at ease as she was tonight, she could calm her nerves by cooking or baking. She’d gotten a basket of peaches at the market this afternoon, and they were just ripe enough to make freezer jam. As she peeled and quartered the peaches before she ground them in the food processor, she made an effort not to think how much she and Debbie enjoyed this succulent jam on ice cream, biscuits and pancakes. She faced a traumatic change in her lifestyle, and she intended to react with a smile on her face, even if she was crying inside. When the jam was prepared, she poured it into pint-size plastic containers, covered them and left them on the kitchen cabinet until the next day when she would put the jam in the freezer.
By the time she finished, Laurel had been on her feet several hours, and she was tired, but remembering the feeling that someone had been in the house, she looked through every room before she went to bed. Finding everything in order, she went to sleep immediately.
When she woke she was sitting up in bed with the quilt close around her. It seemed as if she’d heard someone talking. Had Debbie and Kaitlyn decided to spend the night at Oaklawn?
“Hello, Laurel,” a muffled male voice said. The unfamiliar voice chanted in a monotone, “Death is only a dream.”
The phone receiver was still in place. Her pulse beating erratically, Laurel looked around wildly. Was someone in the room with her? Had someone come in earlier today and stayed in the house?
“Goodbye,” the voice said, and a chilly, tense silence filled the room.
Laurel jumped out of bed, shrugged into her terry-cloth robe and buttoned it as she ran downstairs. She was halfway across the lawn to Micah’s apartment, screaming out his name when it dawned on her that she was barefoot. She had reached the top of the steps, ready to pound on his door when she came to a sudden stop. What would Micah think of her coming to his door in her night clothes?
She hoped he’d understand, because she had to have help. Before she could knock on the door, she heard his footsteps in the room. Clad in his pajamas, his hair ruffled, his eyes heavy with sleep, Micah opened the door. Obviously, he’d been sound asleep, but had wakened instantly at her screams.
She pushed past him into the room, and he hurriedly grabbed a robe from the closet and put it on before he went to her.
“My love, what’s happened?” he said, the word of endearment slipping out, but she seemed not to notice.
She stepped close to him. Her teeth chattered. The night was hot and humid, so she wasn’t cold, but she was terribly frightened. He pulled her into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know if I can ever go back in that house again.”
She looked up at him piteously, and her lips trembled. The tears in her green eyes reminded him of the ocean, and knowing of no better way to comfort her, he leaned forward and kissed her. Laurel stiffened at first, then she yielded herself to his embrace and returned his kiss. Micah felt like he’d been hit by a bolt of lightning, and he kissed her again.
Feeling as if she was forsaking light for darkness, Laurel gently pushed him away, eluding his seeking arms.
Chapter Ten
“I think somebody is in the house,” she said. “I woke up
and a man was talking to me. It sounded as if he was in the room.”
“Was he?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see anybody, but I didn’t stay to find out. I ran downstairs and came over here. When I came home from town this afternoon, I sensed somebody had been in the house, but before I went to bed, I looked around and didn’t see anyone. And nothing looked out of place.”
“Debbie?”
“She’s spending the night with Kaitlyn.”
“What did you hear?”
“I was so scared, I can’t remember for sure, but I think someone said, ‘Hello, Laurel.’ He sang a few lines that said something about death being a dream. Then he said goodbye.”
“I’ll change out of my pajamas and go with you to check out the house. But I’m not a detective. I think it’s time you talked to the police.”
She shook her head. “No, it would ruin everything for Debbie. I’ve put up with it this long, I can manage another week.”
If somebody killed her mother, Debbie’s wedding would be ruined anyway, he thought. “Give me a few minutes to change, and we’ll see what we can find.”
He went into the bedroom and hurriedly put on shorts and a shirt, his mind rioting. He buckled on a pair of sandals. That kiss had proven that he did love Laurel. He’d lived fifty years without more than a passing interest in women, but Laurel had changed that. What kind of marriage could he anticipate when he was well into middle age? But he had to put his latent romantic feelings aside for the time being.
His immediate task was to see if there was anybody in Laurel’s house, and to find out who was harassing her. But everything was on hold until after Debbie’s wedding, since that was of primary interest to Laurel at the moment.
When he came from the bedroom, Laurel was leaning on the breakfast bar, her head pillowed in her arms. He wondered if she was asleep, but she stirred and stood wearily.
“Why don’t you stay in the apartment and lock the door while I search? You can lie on the couch and rest.”
“That’s nice of you, but I’m going with you. I feel mean enough to involve you in my difficulties—I can’t let you search alone. I wouldn’t have bothered you, but I was scared witless.”
He put his arms around her shoulders. “I’ve told you to call if you needed me. You’re a brave woman, but you can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
As they went downstairs, she said wearily, “That’s the way I’ve been feeling for years. I don’t mean to complain, because God has supplied every need I’ve had. And I should have trusted Him to find the way out of this predicament rather than to have bothered you.”
“The pastor said last Sunday that God uses people to accomplish His will. I’m happy I came to Oaklawn so I can help you.”
She squeezed his hand. “So am I.”
As they walked from the apartment to the porch, he asked, “Didn’t you turn on any lights?”
She laughed slightly, ashamed of how she’d panicked. “If you’d seen how I bolted out of bed and ran downstairs, you’d know I wouldn’t have had time to turn on any lights. I had a flashlight, and with the security lights, I could see well enough. In case you do decide this is a matter for the cops, let’s wear gloves so we won’t contaminate the evidence.”
Laurel got a package of “one-size-fits-all” gloves she’d bought for yard use from a cabinet on the back porch, put on a pair and handed another pair to Micah.
Turning on all the lights as they went, they started in the basement and covered every room, and by the time they reached the attic, Micah was convinced there wasn’t anyone in the house. Nearing exhaustion, Laurel sat on the narrow flight of stairs while Micah checked the attic.
He sat beside her when he came back, and their shoulders touched. “There’s no one in this house, but the house may be bugged some way. Let’s look in your bedroom for a hidden microphone.”
They looked in the dresser drawers and the closets without finding anything. But when Micah crawled under the bed, using a flashlight, he found a small tape recorder, apparently activated by a timer. He sat on the floor by the bed and pushed Rewind and Play, but there wasn’t any message. Apparently, the device was set to erase as it played.
“Whoever planned this is pretty clever and knows how to cover his tracks. Why don’t you put this with the other things you’ve collected this summer? It might be used as evidence if you ever have to prove what’s been happening.”
She showed him the letters she’d received and put the tape recorder in the box with them.
“Thanks for helping tonight,” she said. “Go on back to your apartment and get some rest.” She took a blanket from the linen closet. “I’m going to sleep on the couch the rest of the night. I know I won’t go to sleep in here.”
Laurel detained Micah a moment longer at the foot of the steps to find out something that concerned her.
“I know your research work is about finished. When will you leave, Micah?”
“My research is finished, and I’m already working on my article. But your trouble is my trouble. I won’t leave until you have this situation resolved. I can write the article here as well as anywhere.”
His words reassured Laurel, but she didn’t expect Micah to neglect his work.
“Besides, there’s something I haven’t told you. I’ve been invited to join the staff of Walden College. I’ve hesitated to tell you until I’d made a decision.”
Her eyes brightened with pleasure. “Then you might stay here permanently?”
“The word ‘permanent’ scares me! I’ve been moving around the world for a long time, and I don’t know if I’d be happy to stay anywhere all the time. I’ve enjoyed being here in this quiet atmosphere this summer, but will I eventually get bored? I’ve taught many college seminars, which I enjoyed, but never more than three weeks at a time. I won’t agree to more than a part-time professorship to see how I like it. There’s a book I want to write, and I might combine the two things.”
Laurel experienced the first ray of hope she’d had since Debbie had told her she’d be moving to Colorado. She’d gotten so accustomed to having Micah next door that she dreaded his leaving almost as much as she did Debbie’s. As the days had passed, especially with all the bad things happening at Oaklawn, Laurel doubted that she could ever stay here alone. More than once she’d considered selling the property and wondered if Cousin Kevin might want to buy it. She wouldn’t sell it to anyone else without giving him the opportunity to buy, because his ancestors had lived there, too. But when she remembered his atrocious proposal, just to get hold of Oaklawn, he probably wouldn’t take the property unless she went with it.
Micah watched the play of emotions on Laurel’s face, trying to decide how she felt about his staying in the area.
“If I decide to stay, may I continue living in the apartment or do you have it promised to someone else?”
“It isn’t promised. I’ve had inquiries but I haven’t rented it yet.”
“I’ll make up my mind soon. I don’t want to keep you from having a renter.”
After her first joyous response to his announcement, Laurel hadn’t looked his way. He gently touched her chin and turned her face toward him.
“By the expression on your face a few minutes ago, I gather that you wouldn’t be displeased if I decide to stay. Am I right in thinking that? Or am I just another tenant to you?”
Her lashes drooped until he couldn’t see her eyes. “You know better than that. I don’t know how I would have survived this summer if you hadn’t been nearby.”
“But I don’t want to be considered a safety valve—someone who’s handy to have around in an emergency. I need to know if you harbor any deeper emotions for me?”
Her lashes lifted, green eyes connecting with his blue eyes, and a rosy hue tinted her cheeks. She suddenly realized that the emotion she felt for Micah was more than mere friendship. Almost in a whisper, she said, “I have deeper feelings for you than I’ve ever experienced
before. But with this mystery hanging over me, you can understand why I don’t feel ready to explore those feelings.”
Disregarding her last statement, he persisted. “Then you’d be pleased if I decide to stay in Tennessee?”
“Yes,” she said quietly, but the simplicity of her reply was all the affirmation he needed. There was a future for him with Laurel if he decided to stay in Tennessee. But would her feelings change if he wanted to live elsewhere?
The long-awaited wedding day had finally come—one that Debbie had excitedly anticipated with pleasure, but one that Laurel had dreaded for months. As she lay in bed waiting for daylight, Laurel gave a last-minute mental check to see if everything was ready.
She’d heard nothing from her tormentor since the night she’d been scared and had run to Micah. Considering the emotional toll Debbie’s marriage was taking on her, Laurel would be glad when the wedding was over. That way she wouldn’t have to dread it anymore.
The rehearsal had been held at five o’clock the night before. Several members of Dereck’s family had come from Colorado, and his parents had hosted a rehearsal dinner at a four-star restaurant in Knoxville. Cousin Kevin acted as Laurel’s escort to the dinner. Debbie also had asked him to sit beside Laurel at the wedding, because she thought Laurel would look lonely sitting by herself. Micah took pictures at the rehearsal, but he declined an invitation to the dinner that followed.
Laurel got up and looked out the window, and through the mist-shrouded morning, she saw the reception area. A meteorologist on a Knoxville TV station had predicted that the day would be clear and hot. Laurel could put up with the heat as long as it didn’t rain. The tents were in place, and the workers were coming at nine o’clock to set up the chairs and tables. The florist would be there at the same time, as would the caterer to assemble the cake. After that, someone would have to be on guard all the time to prevent accidents.
She wasn’t as sad as she’d expected to be, and Laurel wondered how much Micah’s interest in her, and the promises she’d read in his eyes, had contributed to this attitude. But Laurel believed she’d arrived at the point where she could have a fulfilled life regardless of the circumstances. She’d already asked God to forgive the doubts about His love for her that she’d experienced a few weeks ago. Although she couldn’t see why now, she was convinced that in the future she’d realize that there was a reason for the trials she’d endured this summer. If nothing more, this time of doubt and testing had caused her faith to be stronger than it had ever been.