by Бри Деспейн
Eager faces nodded, and April actually licked her lips--but she was staring at Jude when she did it, so it may have had nothing to do with the food.
"Who's missing?" Pete Bradshaw gestured to the two empty seats. He and his mother sat to one side of me. I'd felt bad when Pete told me his dad had cancelled their annual Thanksgiving cruise because he had an emergency meeting in Toledo, but I was glad Pete was there to close the distance between my mom and dad-- who threw each other pointed looks when Pete asked this question.
"Don Mooney had to close up at Day's Market," Dad said. "Meredith does not feel like waiting for him."
Mom coughed. "Don did not RSVP, so there is no point in waiting if we don't know if he's coming."
"I'm sure he will be along soon." Dad smiled at her.
I wondered if he was right or if Don was still brooding over his encounter with my father the other day. I actually got this heavy feeling when I imagined him sitting alone in his apartment behind the parish.
"The other seat," Mom started to explain, "is a family tradition of ours--"
Dad grunted. "Meredith has asked me to say a special blessing over the food."
Aunt Carol gave Dad the evil eye, most likely on my mother's behalf.
Dad extended his hands to Jude on his right side and Leroy Maddux on his left. We all joined hands around the table, my fingers slipping tentatively into Pete's. Dad began his blessing. His voice was even, and he sounded like he was speaking words he had rehearsed in his office at the parish or wherever he had disappeared to until dinner.
"We are gathered here, 0 Father, to celebrate thy bounty. Thou art giving and kind unto us, and we wish to share that with others. That is why we leave a space at our table for any unexpected visitors. To remind us to open our home to those in need. And also to remind us of those who should be here: our extended family, my father, and Maryanne Duke." He paused for a moment and then went on. "Let us give thanks for thy blessings--"
The doorbell rang. Mom fidgeted in her seat.
"Let us give thanks for thy blessings. Keep us and bless this food that it will nourish and strengthen us as Thou strengthens our souls. Amen."
"Amen," the rest of us intoned.
My seat was at the end of the table that stuck out into the foyer. I jumped up, went to the door, and flung it open, expecting to find Don. Instead, there was this amazingly attractive guy with shortish, light brown hair, dressed in khakis and a blue button-up shirt, standing on the porch.
"Sorry I'm late," he said.
"Grace, who is it?" Mom called from the dining room.
"Daniel?" I whispered.
Chapter Ten
Unexpected
AT THE DOOR
"I was invited, wasn't I?" Daniel said.
"I didn't expect ... and you look so ... different."
"Compliments of Mishka," he said. "That's why she was there last night. I needed to change it for school. Couldn't strip all the dark out, though"--he brushed his hand through his shorter, brown hair--- "so we settled for this."
The mention of Mishka made me want to slam the door in his face. Oh, but what a nice face he had now that it wasn't obscured by long, black hair.
I shook my head. "You should go."
"Grace, who is it?" Mom repeated as she came to the door. "Is this a friend from school..." She stopped mid-step beside me. "Grace, what is the meaning of this?" She pointed an accusatory finger at Daniel, who stood motionless on the porch. "What is he doing here?" "I invited him."
"You invited him?" she said too loudly. I was sure we had an audience by then. "How could you? How dare you I
"You told her she could invite whomever she wanted," Dad said as he came up behind us. "You must be prepared to deal with the consequences if she interprets your suggestion literally."
"You're right, Grace. I should go." Daniel glanced at Dad. "I'm sorry, Pastor, this was a mistake. I'll leave."
Dad dropped his gaze. "No," he said. "You were invited; therefore, you are welcome."
Mom gasped. I looked back at my father in shock and a hit of awe.
"If we say we're going to do something, then we do it. Right, Grace?" Dad looked at Daniel. "I'm sorry I forgot that."
Daniel nodded.
"He can't stay," Mom said. "There's no room. He was not expected."
"Don't be silly. You set a place for him yourself." Dad turned to Daniel. "Come in then, before the food gets cold."
"Thank you, Pastor."
Dad took my mother by the shoulders and steered her back to the table. I think she was too shocked to protest. I gestured Daniel inside and closed the door behind him. He followed me to the table, and I pointed to the empty seat across from mine.
Everyone sat there staring at him, probably trying to figure out what the big deal was.
"Is that that Kalbi guy?" Pete whispered to me.
I nodded and he turned and whispered something to his mother.
Daniel tentatively prodded the golden fork next to his plate. He looked up at me and winked.
Jude rose from his chair. "This is ridiculous. He can't stay. He doesn't belong here."
"He stays." Dad put a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes on his plate. "Pass this to Daniel," he said, and handed the bowl to Leroy.
"Then I'm leaving," Jude said. "Come on, April, let's get out of here." He held his hand out to her.
"Sit!" Dad said. "Sit, eat, and be grateful. Your mother made this fabulous meal, and now we--all of us--are going to eat it."
April shrank into her chair like a scolded pup. Jude looked for a moment like he was going to do the same. He clenched his fists and then relaxed into his sullen shell.
"I'm sorry, Mother," he said in an even tone. "I just remembered that I volunteered to serve dinner at the shelter. I should get going so I won't be late." He sidled his way past the dining room chairs.
"What about our dinner?" Mom called after him.
But Jude kept going. He took a set of keys off the hook and headed for the garage. "Let him go," Dad said.
Mom smiled to her guests. "You know Jude. Always thinking about others first." She grabbed the bowl of cranberry sauce from Aunt Carol. "Eat up," she said to everyone. But as she shoveled cranberries onto her turkey, she shot me a look that made my heart shrivel with guilt.
I stared at the lump of green bean casserole on my plate. It didn't look right to me. Too soggy--I'd overcooked it for sure.
Pete brushed my arm. Warmth crept up my face.
I felt someone's foot nudge my leg. I looked up at Daniel, and he raised his eyebrows and smiled like he was completely innocent. My face got even warmer when I noted how much I liked the way his sandy hair flopped above his dark eyes as he raised his golden goblet to me. I scowled and turned back to my food, feeling like a silly little kid.
The meal went on in awkward silence for another ten minutes or so. I literally jumped when there was a loud bang on the front door. The banging got louder, and the doorbell rang several times. Everyone looked at me like I was also responsible for this mysterious interruption.
"Who did you invite now, the Ringling Brothers Circus?" Mom asked as I got up from the table.
Aunt Carol chuckled. She always got a kick out of our Divine little family.
"Pastor? Pastor?" a loud voice shouted from behind the door. The second I pulled it open, Don Mooney came barreling into the house. He almost knocked me flat.
"Pastor D-vine!" he shouted.
Dad shot up from the table. "What is it, Don?"
"Pastor D-vine. come here quick. You have to see."
"What's going on?"
"There's blood. Blood all over the porch."
"What?" Dad flew out the door, and I followed. There was blood--a small pool of it on the porch step and several drops around it.
"I thought maybe one of you was hurt," Don said. "Maybe the monster--"
"We're all fine," Dad said.
I followed Dad as he followed the trail of blood. Our porch wrapped around the
side of the house, and so did the trail--little red gems of blood instead of bread crumbs.
It led to the outside of the study's open window. There was a spattering of blood there, like someone had shaken a wounded hand. Or paw. Dad crouched to inspect the mess. I looked inside the study. James's Portacrib was on its side next to my father's disheveled desk.
"Mom!" I whirled around, almost smacking into Daniel, who was suddenly behind me. "Mom, where's Baby James?" I couldn't remember him being at dinner.
"He's still asleep," Mom said. She'd appeared on the porch with most of the dinner crew. "I'm surprised he didn't wake up with all that racket..." She looked at the blood at her feet. Her face went white. She bolted into the house.
Dad, Carol, and Charity followed. I didn't have to. Mom's screams were enough to confirm my fears.
Daniel inspected the window frame. "Was the screen missing before?"
"Yes. Jude broke it out a couple of months ago. We locked ourselves out of the house. No one knew how to fix it."
Mom's voice grew shriller from the other side of the window. Dad tried to calm her.
"Perhaps James wandered off," old Leroy said. "Everyone, let's go search the yard." Leroy hobbled off the porch. "James?" he shouted as he went around to the back.
Pete and April followed.
Dr. Connors, Mom's friend from the clinic, handed his tiny baby daughter to his wife. "Stay here. I'll go down the lane." He and most of our other guests fanned out into the yard. They all shouted for James.
"Do you think it was the monster, Miss Grace?" Don asked. "If only I had my knife ... I could kill it ... hunt it down like my great-great-granddad."
"There's no such thing as monsters," I said.
Daniel winced. He'd found the nail I'd almost snagged myself on earlier. His finger was stained with blood--but not his. He brought it to his nose and sniffed. He closed his eyes, as if to think, and smelled the blood again.
Don made a blubbering noise. He sounded just like my mom.
"Is there anywhere James loves to go?" Daniel asked me.
"I don't know. He really likes the horses at the MacArthurs' stables."
"Don," Daniel said. "Go get as many people as you can and search the route toward the Mac Arthurs farm."
I knew I should go, too, but I waited for Daniel.
He wiped the blood on his sleeve. "Pastor," he called into the open window.
Dad held Mom to his chest. "He'll be okay," he said, and cradled the back of her head with his hand.
Mom was usually so on top of things. Seeing her act so helpless made me shake with anxiety.
"Pastor," Daniel said.
Dad glanced at us. "One of you go call the police. They'll organize a search party." I started to move.
Daniel grabbed my arm. "No." He looked at my dad. "The police can't help us." Mom whimpered.
Daniel let go of my arm. "I'll find him for you." Dad nodded. "Go."
Chapter Eleven
Revelations
INTO THE WOODS
Daniel launched himself over the porch railing and flew around to the backyard. I stumbled down the steps and went after him. Pete and Leroy inspected the wood fence Dad had had installed after Daisy was killed. It shielded our yard from the encroaching woods. Daniel stopped where the fence ended in a narrow gap. It was the same section that blew down whenever there was a windstorm like the one this morning. He scanned the ground as if searching for tracks. I didn't see any.
Daniel squeezed through the gap. "Go help Don search the way to the Mac Arthurs'," he said through the fence. It sounded like a blanket order to all three of us.
I started after Daniel. "Grace?" Pete asked.
"Go call the shelter," I said. "Tell them to send Jude home as soon as he gets there. Then take Leroy and help Don." Pete nodded.
I slipped through the fence.
Daniel was up ahead. He scratched at the dirt near the hiking path we used to explore as children. I rubbed my arms for warmth, wishing I'd grabbed my coat. My thin sweater and cotton slacks would have to do.
"You really think he's in the woods?" I asked.
Daniel dusted off his hands and grunted. "Yes."
"Then why did you send everyone down to the farm? Don't we need them here?"
"I don't want them mucking up the trail."
"What?"
Daniel grabbed my hand. "Doesn't this path lead to the creek?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes."
Daniel wrapped his fingers around mine. "Hopefully, it's dry by now."
We jogged down the trail for what felt like half a mile. The farther we went into the forest, the muddier the path became. And the more my feet sank into the earth, the more I doubted that James could have toddled this way.
Daniel stopped. He turned in a small circle like he'd lost his bearings.
"We should turn back." I pulled off one of my flats, and thanked my lucky stars I hadn't worn the stupid kitten heels Mom had wanted me to wear to dinner.
"This way." Daniel stepped off the narrow path into the brush. He drew in a breath and closed his eyes, as if savoring the taste. "James is this way."
"That's not possible." I flexed my foot. "He's not even two yet. There's no way he could have come this far."
Daniel stared into the dark of the woods. "On his own, no." He rocked up on the balls of his feet. "Stay," he whispered, and bolted into the thicket of trees. He was there and then gone.
"Wha ...Wait!"
But he kept moving.
And I'm apparently not very good at doing what I'm told.
"He's my brother!" I yelled, and crammed my foot into my shoe.
I could barely see Daniel as I followed. Only flashes of his back in the distance as he wove through the trees. He was like an animal, running on instinct without even looking where his feet landed. I, on the other hand, lumbered and crashed into trees that seemed to leap right in front of me. Branches cracked under my shoes, and I stumbled over rocks and roots as I tried to catch up to him.
It seemed like he'd picked up on a scent or something. Was that even possible? All I could smell with each stabbing breath were decaying leaves and pine needles. Those smells reminded me of only one thing--it was nearly winter. And if Daniel was right, Baby James was out here somewhere.
The temperature fell as the sun sank below the tall pines. Looming shadows made it even harder to pick my way through the woods. I caught my heel in the root of a large pine and toppled forward. Pain slammed up my arms as i hit the ground. I pushed myself up and brushed my hands off on my slacks, leaving a bloody smear on the fabric. i looked around. Daniel was nowhere. And another few steps would have taken me down a deep ravine. If I hadn't stumbled, I would have fallen a sharp thirty feet. Was that what had happened to Daniel, or did he veer left or right? i grabbed a branch of a nearby tree and leaned out over the steep slope. I could only see more rocks and dirt and thick ferns at the bottom.
"Daniel!" I shouted. All I got in return was my echo. Wouldn't I have heard something if Daniel had fallen? Wouldn't I be able to make out his path if he'd climbed down?
A half-moon would rise soon to replace the sun. I didn't have a flashlight, and I'd never ventured this deep into the woods before. How would I find James, or Daniel, or even my way back now? Maybe I deserved to be lost. It was my pie that had burned, and I was the one who had opened that window. It was so stuffy in the house from the two ovens going all day; Charity wouldn't have noticed that it was still open when she put the baby down for his nap.
How can I go home without James?
A howl filled the void below, echoing off the walls of the ravine. Only an animal could have made that noise. But it was like a shout of frustration. Like a wolf anxious to capture its prey. I had to find a way down. I had to find my brother before that animal did.
Parts of the ravine wall were much steeper than others--a sheer drop-off in some places, but where I was seemed like a somewhat doable incline for climbing down. I grabbed at the roots protrudi
ng in the eroded hill and climbed, with my back to the open air, over the side of the steep slope. The toe of my shoe slipped in the mud, and my chest hit the earthen wall, knocking a scream right out of me. I slid several feet before I was able to claw my hands into a tangle of roots above my head. I held on with desperate force, the roots searing like lightning in my injured hand. I tried to determine with my dangling feet how far I was from the bottom. Please be only a couple of yards. I couldn't hold on much longer.
"You're safe," Daniel shouted from somewhere below me. "Push off and let go, and I'll catch you."
"I can't," I said. His voice sounded too far away-- too far to fall. I couldn't look.
"It's just like jumping from the gate in the Garden of Angels."
I panted into my shaking arms. "I almost killed myself then, too."
"And I caught you then, too." Daniel's voice seemed closer now. "Trust me."
"Okay."
I pushed off and fell. Daniel whipped his arms around my chest, stopping me before I hit the boulder-strewn ground. He pulled me tight against him.
I couldn't breathe.
"So what part of 'stay' did you not understand?" he whispered. His warm breath brushed down my neck like caressing lingers. Heat encircled my whole body.
"Well, since I'm not a golden retriever ..."
Daniel set me down gently. I turned toward him. My legs wobbled as I moved. His blue shirt and slacks were still spotless. Only his forearms, where he caught me, were smeared with mud.
"How did you ... ?"
But then I noticed what was in his hand. Small, brown, fuzzy, and all too familiar. One of James's Curious George slippers.
"Where did you find this?" I asked, snatching it out of his hand. Strangely, the slipper was almost completely clean, not caked with mud like my shoes from wandering in the forest.
"There," Daniel said. Pointing to a heap of decaying ferns between two boulders about twenty feet from where we stood. "I thought for sure ..." Daniel backed away, looking around at the ground as if searching for some kind of trail.
"James!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the ravine like hundreds of desperate cries. "James, are you here?"