After All These Years (20 page)

Lia sat quietly, listening for the stillness but hearing only her whiny tone. She clapped her hands over her ears.
Let it
go. Let it go.
“You gave it to me,” she whispered. “It's Yours. I know You love me. I know You love me.”

A distant ringing crept into her consciousness. It was the pharmacy line downstairs. She blinked, then looked around her bedroom, waiting for the business machine to click on and stop the ringing. This was a repeat of the past two nights. The message had been only heavy breathing.

Suddenly her private line rang, the jangling of the bedside phone tearing through her nerves like an electric shock. It rang again and then a third time before she managed to grab it. “Hello?”

“Lia.”

She recognized the deep voice.

“This is Cal. Are you all right?”

“No. Yes. Why?”

“I'm across the street, your lights are still on, and it's after midnight. What's wrong?”

“I'm just…I'm just working on accounting.” She could handle this alone. The loss of the business. The pointless phone calls. She didn't need Cal's help. She had God to lean on. Him and her impressive independence—

“What's wrong?” he repeated.

“Nothing. I'm fine.”

“You don't sound fine.”

“I'm just tired.”

“All right. I won't keep you. Uh, about the pie.”

Lia closed her eyes in disbelief. It was the middle of the night, and he was talking about the pie. She thought of how she had dumped it in the garbage.

“I'm sorry I didn't get over to pick it up.”

“Banana cream doesn't keep long.”

“Yeah, my mom used to tell me that. The thing is…” He paused. “Lia, I feel like an idiot, but I better just say it straight out. Tammy thinks there's something going on
between you and me. So I probably shouldn't pick up any more pies. I don't want to hurt her feelings.”

She searched for gracious words, reminding herself that he wasn't required to receive a gift from her. It wasn't as if he'd asked for it. “Well, tell her that she doesn't have a thing to worry about, Cal. But I can see her point. I mean, if I were involved with you I wouldn't want you going around having dinner with other women.”

He didn't respond.

“Cal, tell her it's just my way of paying you for the doorbell and everything. No big deal. It won't happen again.” She leaned toward the window and peeked through the curtain's edge. The outline of his truck sat across the street. His
truck
, not his cruiser. “Aren't you on duty right now?”

“No. Just driving by. The wrought iron bars over the back window were a good idea.”

“Cal.” She'd used up her supply of good manners. Exasperation inched her voice up a notch. “If I can't make you a pie, then don't check up on me when it's your night off.”

“It's my nature. I'm a cop. I'm concerned. It doesn't mean you have to repay me. Jesus does all sorts of things for us, and He doesn't ask for anything in return.”

“That's true, but I love Him in return and would do anything—” She heard the words flying unchecked and pressed her lips together to stop them.

“But I'm not asking for any—”

“You know, your analogy doesn't work! Just stop cruising by when you're not on duty.”

“Hey, I don't need another woman telling me what to do!” His tone instantly crushed the teddy bear image into a plain old bear.

“Cal, this conversation is going nowhere.”

“You got that right! I'll see you around.”

She heard the click of him disconnecting.

Tony hauled a chair from the back of the pharmacy, set it near the front counter, and plopped onto it, grinning the whole while.

Isabel shut the cash register drawer and frowned at him. “Why are you sticking like glue to me? I'm simply working at the store, ringing up purchases and dusting. It's nothing to write home about.”

“Ha, ha.” He shrugged. “I have a few hours to kill. The Author has gone off to the airport to pick up his in-laws-to-be. Now that's nothing to write home about.”

Hands on hips, she glanced at the ceiling and shook her head. Hadn't she passed inspection yet?

“Besides, you're exceedingly more intriguing to watch.”

“And you're too charming for your own good.”

He hooked his hands behind his head and crossed his legs, right ankle resting on the left knee. He wore his usual jeans and loafers, today with a royal blue crew neck sweater that intensified the color of his eyes. The usual lopsided grin spread across his face.

Isabel felt a tickle, as if the floor had just dropped beneath her about a foot. Stunned, she knelt behind the counter and retrieved the feather duster. “Ward, why don't you go buy us some lattes?”

“Because I'd have to drive into Rockville to get them.”

She fluffed the duster against his nose as she passed him. “Exactly.”

A movement at the back of the store caught Isabel's eye. Lia marched down from the slightly elevated pharmacy counter and toward the back room. Phone pressed to her ear, its long cord uncoiling behind her, she spoke sharply, “No!”

Isabel hurried down the aisle. The three people sitting in the chairs exchanged uncomfortable glances. Two women stood in line to have prescriptions filled, conversation halted. Dot frowned.

“No!” Lia's voice resounded across the store. “I will not allow it!”

Isabel slipped into the back room behind her and shut the door against the telephone cord. It was extended to its limit, allowing Lia only a short distance into the small area.

“I don't care!” Her face was red, her mouth a grim line. “No, you can't!” she shouted and punched the disconnect button.

“Lia?”

Her friend's eyes were large and she shook, speechless. She handed the phone to Isabel, pleading silently, and strode out through the alley door.

Isabel carried the phone into the store and laid it on the counter. “Dot, will you hang this up, please?” Not waiting for a reply, she followed Lia outside.

She was bracing herself, palms against the brick wall, head down.

“Lia?” Isabel said again.

Her shoulders heaved. She didn't speak for a few moments. “That was Chloe's dad. Nelson Greene.” She muttered something under her breath and then gulped a breath. “Oh, why can't I
handle
this?”

Isabel touched her back. “Handle what?”

“He wants to see her. He has no right to see her!”

Matter-of-fact sentiments came to mind.
He is her biological father. Chloe may have a need to see him. You could work something out.
Isabel rejected them. Now was not the time for reasonableness. She pulled Lia away from the wall and hugged her. “Take some deep breaths, hon. Dear Jesus,” she prayed, “comfort Lia. Take away the fears.”

They held each other silently.

“Amen. Lia, you've got customers in there. Only you can fill their prescriptions.”

She nodded and wiped tears from her face. “Okay. Okay. I'm fine.”

“I'll keep praying today. We can talk later if you want.”

Lia nodded again and gave her a thumbs-up sign. “Thank you.” Her face had gone from beet red to drained of all color.

Isabel followed her back inside, pasting on a smile to hide her astonishment. Hatred wasn't too strong of a word to describe what she had just seen on Lia's face.

Cal rang the doorbell of Brady's log cabin house, thinking about the conversation he had just finished with Isabel. They still were still being careful with each other when it came to Tony. At least she hadn't accused him this time of playing cop.

What was it with women? Ever since he'd begun trying to take Jesus seriously, his relationships with them had gone haywire. He used to have female friends, some of whom he was attracted to in a romantic way and dated, though never one at a time. Now Tammy insisted on one at a time or forget her. And she pouted over his friendships with other women like Isabel and Lia, which made him feel guilty and off center when he talked with them.

The door opened. Brady grinned. “Hey, bud, what are you doing ringing the bell? Come on in.”

“You've got company.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward cars he recognized as belonging to Tony Ward and Gina. “I need to talk to you privately. Only take two minutes.”

“Brady,” Gina's voice grew louder, “who is it?” She came into view. “Cal! Come meet my parents.” She pulled on his arm.

Brady smiled. “Only take two minutes.”

It was a sunny, early fall day. Everyone sat on the screened porch that overlooked a pond and rolling acres of huge oak and walnut trees. He and Tony greeted each other, and then Brady introduced him to Maggie and Reece Philips.

“My best man,” he said.

Cal felt a rush of gratitude, maybe even pride. Who needed women?

Maggie and Reece were a striking couple in their mid-50s, California-tanned, and undoubtedly Gina's parents. She resembled her dad with her athletic good looks, olive skin tone, and dark hair. Her smile and bright green eyes, though, were her mother's.

Cal declined iced tea and settled in for two minutes of small talk. “I heard you just got back from Italy.”

Maggie laughed. “Don't get me started. I've just met Tony, and even he must be weary of our stories. It was an incredible experience. Almost indescribable, but I keep trying. And this man, here,” she nodded toward her husband, “proposed to me while we were riding on a gondola.”

They laughed as she held out her left hand for all to see a flashy diamond ring.

Tony said, “It sounds as if there's a Mr. Romance contest going between Reece and Brady.”

Reece shook his head. “No way. He wins, hands down. He's years ahead of me in that department.”

“But, Dad,” Gina winked at Brady, “four weeks in Italy sounds like the ultimate honeymoon.”

“Too bad Brady can't afford it. He spends more on flowers for you in a week than I've spent in 30 years.” Reece turned to Tony. “So, you were telling us about Brady's books, which you haven't read yet.”

Cal suppressed a grin and made his exit. Brady was in good hands. His friend followed him outside to his truck. They leaned against the hood, arms crossed.

“Brade, we might have a problem. Ward was in Los Angeles at the end of August. I found a record of his ticket bought the day he left Valley Oaks.”

He didn't immediately respond. “Los Angeles is a big place.”

“Isabel just told me about a conversation she had with Tony this weekend, about his sister.”

“You already told me about her. Tragic story.”

“But I didn't know the circumstances. She went down there with some Christian rock group. Isabel said Ward got really bent out of shape talking about the musicians' influence on his sister. Now even she's concerned he has ulterior motives, and she
likes
the guy.”

“Cal, you know firsthand I'm not perfect. I never pretended to be.”

“The thing is, Brade, you look perfect. Man, you've always been the role model. Your one lapse into stupidity will get blown all out of proportion.”

“Comes with the territory of being a public figure, bud. Territory I didn't choose, by the way. If it makes me look more human to the entire world, then that's for the best.”

“I wasn't thinking of the entire world.” They exchanged a knowing glance. “Did you tell her yet?”

Brady pulled on his chin.

Cal punched his arm. “She deserves to hear it from you. She shouldn't have to read about it in some newspaper.”

Much to his surprise, Tony was enjoying his visit with Gina's parents. Not only were they from California, land of the fruits and nuts, they were Christians. Reece, evidently a Johnny-come-lately to the fold, had been challenging Tony's beliefs nonstop, more so than Brady had. All this, and still he found them delightful. The source of Gina's character was evident.