Bay Hideaway (2 page)

Judi glanced at the clock. Ten fifteen! There was still time to get her morning work done. Situating the computer keyboard just right, she began typing again. The July calendar of events seemed filled to the brim this year, and she took special care to make sure every detail was correct. One mistake and the self-appointed editing patrol of the church would let her know—lovingly, of course. She didn’t really mind. They thought their assistance was a service to Judi. Maybe it was! She grinned at the thought and hit the SAVE icon.

Satisfied the calendar was perfect, she copied the file to a disk. She’d learned the hard way about fickle church computers and lost data. Ouch! She wouldn’t let that happen again. With three clicks of the mouse, she shut down the computer and gathered her pouchlike purse.

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes if anyone’s looking for me,” Judi called over her shoulder. “Pastor’s out for the morning, so lock up if you two leave.”

Larry and Becky looked up from the drawings. “Muffin run?” they asked at the same time.

A smile passed between the three. The Red Hat ladies had begun with five women, not one of them less than seventy years of age. It wasn’t long before the live-wire set of old ladies had gained half the island within the group—young and old alike.

“A muffin run it is!” she answered back. With a quick wave, she disappeared through the door and into the parking lot.

Nathan Whithorne snapped his briefcase closed, his fingers lingering thoughtfully over the clasps. He took a deep breath and let his gaze stray to the aging metal casement window overlooking the front porch where an old wooden swing bobbed gently in the late-June breeze. The island did hold a certain charm, which he might be inclined to enjoy under different circumstances.

Suddenly exhaustion claimed his thoughts. His stomach churned at the prospect of what lay ahead, a situation he hadn’t a clue how to handle. If he’d thought his heart had been ripped into shreds over two years ago when Judi died, it was now minced like crushed glass to think she was still alive. He’d loved Judi with everything he possessed. If Thomas was correct—and it blew his mind to believe it—everything in his life was about to change.

The explosive possibilities seemed mind-boggling.

Another sigh escaped as he grabbed the briefcase and shoved it into the corner. He turned to look over the quaint cabin with its smattering of easy chairs and one small sofa sitting before the dark and empty fireplace. A window air conditioner hummed steadily from the living room, providing coolness throughout the small sitting area, kitchen, and dining room. Another air conditioner was cooling the bedroom.

Nathan hadn’t taken the time to look over the cabin when he’d arrived the evening before by a small commuter plane at the island airport. An earlier flight hadn’t worked out, and Thomas obviously hadn’t been able to secure a decent rental car deal, either. Nathan was just lucky to find any transportation to the cabin. All he wanted was a car, but the place seemed overtaken by golf carts. Traffic control, the portly man had said. But golf carts hardly seemed appropriate if it should rain, even if many of the carts were equipped with snap-on plastic windows. Who was the rental manager fooling? Plastic windows!

The small, two-door rental car he eventually found wasn’t much better than the golf carts when it came to squeezing his long legs into the cramped compartment. It reminded him of days long ago when his only method of travel was his younger sister’s bike—complete with a banana seat and sissy bars. There’s nothing quite like pedaling in the knees-to-chest position on a girl’s bike.

Now they were adults, each choosing different paths. His sister, Laurie, was the managing editor for a newspaper in Pittsburgh, and the youngest, Jeffrey, was becoming a very rich computer guru. As the oldest, Nathan had chosen to use his law degree in politics. All his desires revolved around making the world a better place. Easier said than done, he’d soon learned. Politics slowed the course of progress with enough roadblocks to discourage even the most valiant men and women.

Then there was Judi! She’d served as his legal assistant for a year while he worked for a prestigious attorney group, handling the nuisance business law cases no one else wanted. Not long after, he’d acquired favor with one of the partners and landed several challenging cases—and respect within the legal community.

It wasn’t the media-covered cases he’d won nor the notoriety soon gained that he remembered most. No, his memory always ricocheted straight to Judi. Within that year, they’d fallen madly in love. Both anticipated a less than enthusiastic welcome from his family, but neither was prepared for their volatile reaction.

“The woman’s not of your station!” his mother claimed with all the sensibilities the patrician lady could muster. It didn’t seem to matter that their own family hadn’t always been so upper-crust. Truth be told, they weren’t technically wealthy, anyway. Well-off, maybe, but not influentially rich. That was a pipe dream.

Judi, though, had come from a less-than-desirable-lineage, and Nathan’s entire family seemed bent on convincing him the mismatched marriage could never work. Even his meek and mild father seemed convinced Judi would never fit into the political circles of which Nathan wished to become a part.

“You’ve got your sights set on being a congressman, son,” his father reasoned. “We like the girl, but she is not made from hearty stock. The press will pulverize her, and you by proxy.”

Not to be thwarted, the couple eloped. The strategic move proved to be disastrous—for they might have won the battle with his family, but not the war. Irreparable damage was the result. His family felt betrayed; hers disappointed. No matter what Judi or Nathan did to restore family harmony and blessing, the two did not fit comfortably into either world. Judi’s father had been somewhat forgiving, but not Nathan’s. An evident cool chill prevailed during the Whithorne family gatherings and when given the chance, obvious slights. Even the Christmas spirit failed to relieve the tension. Nathan could still see the hurt in Judi’s eyes when the family Christmas card arrived in his name alone with the expensive gold address label pronouncing his family’s verdict of judgment.

Judi claimed her faith would see her through and often went to church to find solace. Repeatedly she urged Nathan to come with her and he did, but not regularly. He just couldn’t make a connection with God the way she did. It wasn’t until her death when he’d felt totally devoid of purpose that he chose to seek God. Then Nathan dove in headfirst to erase the pain of his loss. Between his election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and church, he had little time to dwell on what might have been.

Now looking back over the past two days, he had begun to reevaluate what these events meant. For if Judi’s death was a farce, maybe this God-thing was a farce as well. Real Christians didn’t fake their deaths and leave loved ones behind to flounder in their grief. The woman had a brokenhearted father to consider. The idea of anything so heinous was beyond his grasp.

Even now, like a vivid on-screen movie, he could see the riverbank where Judi often went to read or meditate. That horrible day she disappeared, the only thing left on the bank was a set of house keys, a half-empty bottle of water, and a book, facedown on the pages she’d been reading. Her purse and every other personal possession remained untouched in the house.

Police had noted the area where she slipped in, marking every gash in the mud where her bare feet and clawing fingernails failed to stop the fall. A piece of torn cloth from her favorite green skirt was found snagged on a nearby tree branch protruding from the broken wall of rocks. To make matters worse, several days of rain had produced rising waters and swift currents.

Authorities questioned Nathan concerning Judi’s ability to swim. Oddly, he didn’t know. He should have known, but the subject never came up and they’d never been in a pool deeper than three feet. Couples in love weren’t interested in swimming laps.

Rescue teams dredged the Susquehanna River for two days.

“I’m sorry,” the sergeant had said to Nathan. “We’ve not been able to find your wife.”

Reliving those words still caused his chest to burn. The police presumed Judi’s body would eventually surface. It never did!

But Judi’s presence didn’t feel lost. Wouldn’t he know if she were dead—wouldn’t he sense it? Family and friends assured him the reaction was natural, especially since there was no physical evidence to touch and hold. Healing would come, they promised.

It wasn’t until months later when he went through her jewelry that he discovered the missing heirloom brooch. The multistoned ruby pin had been one of Judi’s most cherished belongings—besides her 1972 sunflower-yellow Volkswagen Beetle. How they’d argued over that car and the high cost of maintenance the old rattletrap generated. When faced with her death, though, the arguments suddenly proved to be frivolous and stupid. Unable to part with this close link to her life, the car remained unmoved in his garage.

A seed of doubt, however, was planted the day he realized the missing jewelry piece was nowhere to be found. Riddled with suspicion, Nathan eventually asked his trusted aide to make a search. Nathan had to find closure and smother these uncertainties.

Instead, his fears became real!

Nathan glanced up at the rooster clock in the kitchen. Ten forty-five! Time to go. If Thomas was correct, Judi would be arriving at Bette’s Bakery in twenty minutes. Pulling the keys from his dress pants, he smoothed his tie and gave one last look around the room before opening the door. Sun spilled into the doorway and he casually slipped on his sunglasses. He was determined not to give in to the dread streaming through his body.

The drive was short to the lakeside shops called Levitte’s Landing. Tourists were crawling all over the place, and Nathan found it difficult to find a parking space.

“Plenty of time!” he said aloud, pulling the small car into a tight end spot toward the back of the lot.

Quickly, he made his way up the long aisle, his leather shoes scratching across the hot pavement. Finally, he reached the concrete walkway. Bette’s Bakery was straight ahead. One shaded bench beckoned as the perfect perch from which to watch. Nathan slowed his pace and sat down, pinching up the pleats of his pants as he did so. Leisurely, he rested his back against the painted wood and waited.

Several customers entered the bakery, and he almost missed the lady in the bright pink flared skirt and white silky blouse. Her smooth strawberry hair bounced as she walked briskly by the retail shops and headed for the bakery. Nathan leaned forward.

He was tempted to remove his glasses but dropped his hand when he realized she was looking his way, her own hand trying to block the bright sun in her eyes. For a moment she hesitated and seemed to take notice of him, but eventually turned away.

Nathan’s heart began to pound with full force. It was her! The squeezing sensation in his chest made it hard to breathe. He let his eyelids close tightly for a second and quickly snapped them open again. When he looked up, the door to the bakery was closing behind her and the pink of her skirt vanished inside.

Several minutes passed and he wondered if time ever crawled as slowly as it did now. Then she reappeared, once again looking his way. He stood quietly and smoothly slid his sunglasses off in one fluid motion.

The eyes of his wife suddenly locked with his.

“Long time, no see,” he remarked with impressive airiness. His head tilted defiantly. “Surprise, darlin’!”

Judi Rydell tensed and immediately felt her hackles rise when she spotted the well-dressed man sitting on the bench outside the bakery. Plagued by an earlier uneasiness, her level of alertness was rapidly escalating.

Something wasn’t right! Prior to entering the store, she had taken time to momentarily scan the crowd of tourists to find the source of her apprehension. What had she seen or heard? Nothing appeared amiss throughout the contiguous sun-drenched walkways.

Even the nearby bench had been empty when she’d glanced about—or had it? Panic made her stiffen as she glanced back at the man now sitting there. In a split second, the stranger stood resolutely to his feet, and alarm coursed through her every nerve ending. Her eyes opened wide.

Like fast-drying concrete, her feet abruptly stopped and the three shopping bags full of boxed muffins slammed painfully against her legs. Her breath stuck solidly between her constricted lungs and throat.

There was no mistaking the identity of the strikingly tall man as he effortlessly removed his sunglasses and spoke. “Long time, no see.” His mouth twisted determinedly. “Surprise, darlin’!”

Nathan!

The prickle of terror churning within rapidly turned into an outbreak of sweat droplets across her forehead. Paralyzed, she could only stare back at the pair of defiant gray eyes. She stiffened again.
Help me, Lord!
The whispered prayer barely squeaked past her lips.

Nathan stepped forward and she began to jerk back, but her feet remained firmly planted. She couldn’t even let go of the bags clenched so tightly in her hands.