Sanctuary (Murrells Inlet Miracles Book 1)

by Larsen, Laurie

  After midnight, she sank back into her couch and let out a deep breath. She instinctively reached for her cell phone to call Patty, but then remembered that she no longer had one. She stood and went to the closet. The apartment still had a land line, she just never used it. In fact, she’d stowed her old telephone away, so she pulled it out and connected it with the cord. It was late, but an hour earlier where Patty lived. Besides, even if her sister was sound asleep, she’d want to hear about this.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Patty. Did I wake you?”

  “No, not at all. Well, yeah. But it must be important. It’s all right. What is it?”

  Nora took a breath and tried to hold off new tears. “I was mugged.”

  “Oh, my gosh! Nora!” Patty exclaimed. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Some thug grabbed my purse while I was walking home from the grocery store, and I was so weighed down carrying grocery bags that I was completely unable to stop him. He knocked me down, took my purse and ran.”

  There was a pause. “Hold on. There are a lot of problems with this scenario, but first: you were walking home from the grocery store?”

  Nora sighed. “Yes.”

  “Carrying grocery bags?”

  “I was trying to turn over a new leaf. No more frozen dinners, just healthy home-cooked meals. And more walking, less sitting.”

  “Hmmm. We see where that got you. Couldn’t you have called the grocery store and had them deliver everything?”

  “I guess. It was sort of a spur of the moment decision.”

  “Okay. Are you injured?”

  “Not bad. I cut up my knee and I’ll probably have a bruised face tomorrow. It could’ve been much worse. He was only interested in the purse, nothing else.”

  “Well, thank God for that!”

  “Yes, I do need to thank God for that. I’ll pray a prayer of thanksgiving as soon as we hang up.”

  “I’m sorry, sis. I wish I was closer. I’d be right over to bandage up your knee and put ice on your face.”

  Nora allowed a small smile. “Thanks. I guess I better get busy doing that myself.”

  “Sweetie, while you’re praying, could you also throw one in about where you’re supposed to be living? I mean, I don’t think there are any muggings in Murrells Inlet.”

  “Crime can happen anywhere, Patty.”

  “Maybe this is a sign from God that you should leave your city life behind. It doesn’t sound all that safe anymore.”

  Nora wanted to argue. She wanted to defend Philadelphia, her city, her lifestyle, her career. But she didn’t have the energy. And to be honest, she had no idea what God’s will for her life was. Where he wanted her to end up.

  “I guess I’ll need to skip work tomorrow and take care of cancelling all my credit cards, getting my new driver’s license, et cetera.”

  “Yep. See a doctor too.”

  “I don’t need to see a doctor, I’m fine.”

  “For me? To make me feel better?”

  Nora sighed again. “Okay, if you insist.”

  Mid-morning the next day, Nora’s doorbell buzzed. She had a visitor. She frowned, unsure of who it could be. Maybe after she’d called and reported her absence for the day, and the reason why, some caring soul from the firm was coming over.

  “Let them up.”

  She hung out by the front door and waited for the knock. She swung the door open … and was completely shocked when she saw … Patty.

  “Oh, my gosh. Patty! What are you doing here?”

  Her sister pushed past her, rolling a small carry-on suitcase. “You can’t drop a bombshell on me like you did last night and not expect me to jump on the first non-stop flight I could find to Philadelphia, now could you?”

  Darned tears pushed their way into her eyes again. She’d become a fountain lately and could do absolutely nothing to stop it. “Thanks.” She held her arms out and Patty stepped into them. She wrapped her sister in a rejuvenating hug.

  “What is wrong with me?” Nora said as she led Patty into the living room. Patty had been here enough times that she knew where “her” room was, and could easily make herself at home. “I can’t stop crying.”

  “You’re justified. Look at all you’ve been through lately. Sometimes I don’t know how you cope.”

  “My entire life has changed. What I used to love, now I don’t. And what I used to think was just a bunch of memories, now I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  Patty eased onto the couch beside her. “Maybe God’s trying to shake things up. Maybe he’s suggesting that you need a change in your life.”

  Nora turned her head to look at Patty’s face. “Is that how you interpret this? He would let me get mugged as a way of letting me know I need to leave? I’m not very experienced at this faith stuff, but that seems like a brutal way of getting through to me.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. God wasn’t responsible for your mugging. But I do know he uses the bad things in our lives to show his presence with us. He’s not just with us in the good, sunny times.”

  Nora nodded and her mind drifted to Shaw. He would probably have some insight on what had happened, and what God was trying to tell her, if anything. Shaw knew the Bible, had a comfortable way of praying to God, and probably knew how to listen to God’s messages. If she could talk to Shaw about this, he’d probably make her feel better about what that message was.

  Then she shook her head. No. She would not be talking to Shaw about this. Shaw was the last person she would contact about anything, especially about where God wanted her to settle.

  She said to Patty, “I don’t want to put more importance on this incident than is there. I mean, I don’t want the mugging to chase me away from my life here. I’m not fond of running scared away from anything. I’d rather run to someplace, than away from somplace.”

  “You’re right, oh wise one.” Patty smiled at her and Nora laughed.

  “I’m glad you’re here, sis.”

  “Me too.”

  By the end of the day, Patty had helped her cross off every item on her list. She’d gotten a new driver’s license. She’d gotten a new phone. She’d cancelled all the credit cards in her wallet and ordered new ones. She’d gone to the PromptCare and confirmed that she had no long-lasting medical conditions from her injuries. When they returned, the doorman presented her with a new key to her apartment door that had a brand new lock.

  They were relaxing in the living room when Nora’s stomach growled. She looked over at Patty and got an idea. “Patty, will you teach me how to cook?”

  A smile popped onto Patty’s face and she nodded, slowly at first and then faster. “Yes, big sis. I certainly will.” She reached out her hand to Nora.

  In the kitchen, Patty took on the role of teacher as she instructed Nora on the art of cooking. They prepared one of the recipes she had gone shopping for last night, chicken breasts with chopped vegetables in a savory broth. Nora cooked the chicken in a buttered skillet, turning them often so they wouldn’t burn. Taking the chicken out, she chopped celery, carrots and onions, and cooked them in the chicken grease. With Patty’s help, she prepared a gravy with whole milk, chicken broth and spices. Nora was surprised how easy and relaxing the meal prep was. She wondered if it would ever be as effortless for her without Patty beside her.

  Later, they sat at the table and talked over the delicious steaming plates. After oohing and aahing over the flavor, Nora’s mind went back to the question that had been plaguing her mind non-stop. “How do you know when God is trying to tell you something? I mean, I can pray and pray and ask for his guidance. And I do, more than I ever have before. But how do I know what his answer is?”

  Patty chewed her bite, then sank into thought. “I think there are several ways. Sometimes God will lead you to a Bible verse or section that speaks to you, and places a conviction on your heart that this was his answer.” Nora nodded. He’d done that with Shaw.

  “Sometimes he just uses that still, small
voice that they talk about in the Bible, and you feel a peacefulness with a certain decision.”

  “I definitely don’t feel a peacefulness about my decision to return to my life here. I’m downright restless, second-guessing myself all the time.”

  Patty raised her eyebrows at her. “You’ll know when it’s the right time to make a change. God will make it clear to you.”

  “How do you know? Just because you feel good about something doesn’t mean God sent you there. I could feel right about, I don’t know, stealing something I couldn’t afford that I really wanted, but that wouldn’t make it God’s will.”

  Patty laughed. “There’s something in the Bible about, a human parent knows how to give good gifts to their children. And humans are sinful by nature. How much more will your father in heaven give you good gifts if you ask him? In other words … if you earnestly ask God for help and guidance, he’s not going to trick you. He loves you. He’s going to make sure you know what his answer is, when the time is right.”

  “Maybe I’m just not ready to know yet. Maybe the time isn’t right.”

  Patty shrugged. “I believe there are a lot of verses in the Bible about patience, too. God’s sort of big on that.”

  Nora took another bite of dinner made with her own hands. “Did I ever tell you, you’re my very favorite sister?”

  “Not much competition on that one.”

  They finished dinner and cleaned the dishes. Patty prepared easily warmed up leftover dishes that would leave Nora with healthy options for lunch or dinner.

  “Have you heard anything about the property? Any bids yet?”

  Nora shook her head. “No, not yet.”

  Patty grinned. “Interesting.”

  The next morning, Patty took a cab to the airport, and Nora returned to work. She set her mind to completing her merger work to the best of her ability, developing the people around her to their fullest potential, and introducing the healthy aspects of eating and exercise to her daily life. It was enough, she told herself. It was a meaningful way to spend her days.

  In the afternoon, Tony came to her office and closed the door behind him. She looked up, then back down at her file. “Did we have an appointment?” she asked absentmindedly.

  He chuckled. “No, we did not, but I have a feeling you’ll pardon the interruption when you find out why I’m here.”

  She closed her eyes to clear her head of the pages and pages of black print on white paper she’d been studying. She took a breath, let it out. “Sure, go ahead.”

  Tony sat in the chair facing her desk. “We need to make some partner decisions.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, ever since you were promoted to partner, we’ve run this place with two senior partners and one junior. Henry’s gone. And let’s face it, he’s not coming back.” Tony gave a smirk that sent a jab to Nora’s loyal heart. Tony no doubt meant it disrespectfully to their imprisoned partner, and sure, Henry probably deserved it after what he’d done. But she still couldn’t ignore years and years of Henry’s mentorship and support, which had helped her get where she was today.

  “So, I think it’s time that we show to the associates and the rest of the world that this law firm is back on steady ground, with committed leadership and a bright future.”

  Nora agreed. “That certainly sounds good.”

  Tony’s face broke out into an excited smile. “So, congratulations, Nora. You are our newest Senior Partner. I just got the approvals back from the advisory board. They all agreed with my recommendation with not a single concern.” He stuck a hand out and she came to her feet and shook it, shocked.

  “W-w-what?” she stammered.

  “We’re no longer Gibson, Monroe and Ramsey. We’re Monroe, Ramsey … and, that’s the next bit of news. Keeping with our pattern of two seniors and a junior, I recommend that we promote Tim Kingston to Junior Partner to replace your spot. What do you think?”

  Her head was swimming but she forced herself to focus on the business at hand. “Yes. I like Tim. He’s hard-working, loyal, and a darn good lawyer.”

  “Great. Do you think he’s the best we’ve got? The best candidate for Junior Partner?”

  She scanned her brain quickly and couldn’t come up with a more qualified candidate. “Yes.”

  Tony slapped his palms onto her desktop and she shuddered. “All right then, Monroe, Ramsey and Kingston, it is.”

  Nora smiled. “It’s got a ring to it.”

  His mind on business, Tony ticked a list of action items off his fingers. “Okay, we need to get Tim in here to tell him, make sure he has no concerns. Tomorrow, we’ll call an impromptu All Hands meeting with the entire firm and make the announcement. Maybe we’ll celebrate with bagels and coffee, or cookies and soda if in the afternoon. Then, we’ll prepare a press release to the city newspapers. New letterhead, new website, what else?” He looked at her. “Nora? You with me?”

  She gave her head a shake, forced a positive expression. She was. But what was wrong with her? She’d just got a promotion to Senior Partner! How long had she worked for this? Dreamed of this day? This was the pinnacle of the success she’d always worked for. It was what was expected of her.

  And yet here it was and she could barely muster up a shred of excitement.

  “Yes, sorry. Just taking it all in.”

  He gave her a curious look. “Okay. I’ll work with Pam to schedule the All Hands and order the refreshments. Be thinking about what you want to say for your acceptance speech. We’ll handle the rest of items tomorrow.”

  She nodded. He took a few steps to the door. He turned and leaned toward her, holding out his hand. “Congratulations again. Well-deserved, Nora.”

  She shook and thanked him. When he left, she sank into her chair.

  Nora arrived at work the next morning with her stomach in knots. She’d spent the night telling herself that she should be happy. The promotion was further evidence that she was a success. The firm appreciated her. They respected her. They had done an investigation on her to find out if she’d been involved in wrongdoing, but they’d put it behind them, forgotten. She was their top choice for Senior Partner. She and Tony would work together to provide leadership for the firm into a bright and successful future.

  This was exactly her motivation for becoming a lawyer. For working harder than anyone should have to. For spending the long days and empty nights on her work. How come she felt sick every time she thought about it?

  She fired up her laptop and saw that the All Hands had been scheduled for nine o’clock this morning. Well. She’d get it over with and get on with her day. This was probably just a case of nerves, that’s all it was.

  At nine, all the associates gathered in the mini-auditorium, the only room in their office space that could hold everyone at once. Nora entered from the door in the back of the room, then saw Tony in the front. He caught sight of her and motioned her down. She nodded and ventured down the tiered classroom steps till she was standing beside Tony, and all the associates were getting seated, facing them.

  “About go time,” Tony murmured close to her ear. She nodded.

  “May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen?” Tony announced. He clapped his hands and everyone settled into seats and quieted quickly. “Nora and I have some exciting news to announce, so we’d like to get to it. First, we’d like to thank you for your loyalty and dedication as Gibson, Monroe and Ramsey weathered the storm earlier this year. Every firm will face adversity. Every firm will be tested. No one escapes life’s challenges. But, it’s how we deal with those adversities and challenges that shows what we’re truly made of, people. It’s how we get past the difficulties and move on with integrity that’s important.” He paused and moving his head, gazed at the rows of associates, everyone silent with anticipation.

  “I’m happy to announce that our family of lawyers has not only survived, we have thrived. We have gotten through the hard times and we are in a position of strength to face tomorro
w. And we have all of you to thank for that. Let’s give all of you, our associates, a round of applause.”

  The room suddenly filled with uproarious clapping, along with a few hoots and hollers. Tony clapped, smiling and exaggeratedly nodding.

  “And now, I have a few announcements to make as we move our firm into the future. First, I have a promotion to announce. A lawyer who has given her heart and soul to this firm, who has provided excellent leadership, and led the most successful corporate merger in firm history. You all know her, you all respect her. And she will officially become Senior Partner … Nora Ramsey!”

  Applause filled the room again, and as Nora looked up at the graduated rows of seats, she was taken aback to see that associates in the front two rows got to their feet. They were giving her a standing ovation. Then, the third row, the fourth, and soon, every person in the room was on his or her feet, clapping loudly, showing their approval of her promotion. She remembered to smile and soak it in.

  “That’s for you, Nora,” Tony murmured in her ear, before he held his hands up in the air. “Thank you all, thank you. Oh, but that’s not all. Quiet down and I’ll tell you the rest,” he said with a chuckle as the associates all took their chairs again. “One more promotion, this time from lawyer to Junior Partner and that would be Tim Kingston.”

  More applause, although, Nora noticed, not as hearty as hers had been, and no standing ovation, but Tim sidestepped from where he was seated to the steps of the tiered room, running down to join her and Tony at the bottom, waving his hands in victory. When the three of them stood together, Tony raised his voice to practically shout over the noise, “This firm is strong, moving forward. How about this leadership team, huh? We’re in good hands!”

  They joined hands and raised them up while the associates continued to clap. When it started to dim, Tony said, “Well, you’ve heard from me. Now I’d like to turn the floor over to both of our newly promoted partners. Starting with Nora.”