By Summer's End (Christian Fiction) (23 page)

Although
Ryan had intended to speak with Holly about the land issue, he didn’t get the
chance.  He was busy hashing out the details of the sale of the business, as
well as contending with the land development company that had made an offer on
his and Annabelle’s property.  The attorney representing the company seemed
unwilling to take ‘no’ for an answer, upping their bid with each rejection from
Ryan.

Frankly, they were beginning to grate on
his nerves, since his phone was ringing off the hook with requests for additional
meetings.  No meant no, but apparently they felt they could sweeten the pot
enough to change his mind.

As he was driving home from a meeting in
Vancouver regarding the sale of his business, he checked his watch.  It was
nearing six and for a blip of a second, he couldn’t recall what day of the week
it happened to be.  Fortunately, a quick glance at his smart phone told him the
day of the week—Wednesday.

The phone suddenly alerted that he had a
text messages.  Normally, he pulled to the side of the road to check his phone,
but he quickly read the text from Annabelle.  “Did you tell her yet?”

He didn’t answer her.  She wouldn’t like
his answer.  He understood her urgency to get the news delivered once and for
all.  He had overheard her praying aloud in her room the previous evening,
asking God to help Holly and Brianna to forgive them for keeping the truth from
them.  She had prayed urgently and earnestly for God to find a way for
everything to work out.

His heart had broken when he’d overheard
her plead with God to help Holly to forgive him most of all.  She had spoken to
God as if He were a dear friend, asking him to intercede on his behalf—to show
Holly that he had meant no harm and that he loved her.

For a brief moment, he wondered what it
would be like to have such a close relationship with God.  Had he ever?  Ben
had talked to him about relying on God for everything, but his father’s voice
had always drowned out Ben’s softer one.  He realized now it was a shame,
because he suddenly felt lost and alone.

As he approached his home, and Holly’s,
he decided it was time to come clean.  He felt his heart rate speed up and his
palms grow clammy.  Frankly, he was terrified.  There was a lot riding on the
conversation he was about to have. 

As if of their own volition, his hand
drew together at the top of the steering wheel.  His lips parted and he began
speaking softly.  “God, please help me to do what I’m about to do.  Please help
me find the words.  Please, please help Holly to forgive me, because Lord, I’m
in love with her.  I’d like to think that maybe, just maybe, you sent her here—to
Battle Ground—because she’s the person you’ve chosen for me.  I’m opening my
heart to you, God.”  He glanced heavenward.  “Please…”

He was as surprised by his behavior as Annabelle
would have been, but turning to God felt right, natural. 

When he arrived at Holly’s a moment
later, he noticed her car wasn’t parked in front of the house.  She apparently
wasn’t home.  He sighed, and was about to drive past her place when he spotted
Brianna dashing out the front door.

He pulled into the drive and parked.  He
remained seated behind the wheel, but rolled his window down.  Brianna grinned
as she jogged toward him.  “Hey, are you here to pick me up?”

He shook his head, uncertain what she
was talking about.

“Holly has to work late at the daycare
and I have youth group tonight.  We’re starting a little early because we’re
planning an end of summer party…”  Her words trailed off and she grinned
self-consciously.  “Anyway, Annabelle said she’d drive me.”

“Oh, I see.  Well, hop in.  I’ll take
you.”

“Really?  Okay.  Let me lock up.”  She
hurried into the house, to assure she hadn’t left any appliances turned on, and
then came running out of the house.  After climbing into the truck she placed a
quick call to Annabelle.  “Hi,” she said cheerfully.  “Hey, Ryan just stopped
by.”  She drew silent.  “Yeah, to see Holly, I guess.  No, she’s not home yet. 
Anyway, he said he’ll drop me by youth group.”  She grinned suddenly.  “I’m
sorry I can’t be there, but you’ll do great.  Just remember, don’t overcook the
fish.  And what did you choose for a side dish?”  She sat for a moment, and
finally nodded.  “Perfect.  Okay, tell Harrison ‘hi’ for me.”  She laughed. 
“He will too love the dinner because you cooked it for him.”  She laughed
again.  “Okay, oh, what?  Should I ask him?  Okay.”  She turned to Ryan. 
“Annabelle wants to know if you’re going to pick me up from youth group,
because she said she’ll plan on coming by around nine, if you can’t.”

“I’ll pick you up,” he said. 
“Hopefully, Holly will be home by then.  I need to talk to her.”

“Oh, okay.”  She turned her attention to
her phone, and Annabelle on the other end.  “Ryan says he’ll pick me up.”  She
gave a mischievous laugh.  “That’s good.  It’ll give you more time with
Harrison.  Oh, what about desert?  Did you make anything?”

Ryan reached over and took her phone.  “Bye,”
he said, and then tapped the screen to end the call.  “She needs to stand on
her own two feet,” he said drolly.

“But, she really wants this dinner to be
perfect.”

“She always wants her dinners to be
perfect.  Thanks to you, she may have finally achieved her goal.”

“But … she may have questions for me…”

“She’s fine.”  He took a deep breath. 
“How’s your sister?”

“Fine.”  She turned in the seat and gave
him a cheeky grin.  “You’re in love with my sister.”

He kept his eyes fixed on the roadway
ahead.  “Oh, yeah.  You think so?”

“I know so.”

“You’re pretty perceptive.”

She gave a squeal of delight and then
subsided into the seat.  “You two are so perfect for each other.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“I know so.  You’re such a good guy and
she’s such a wonderful person…”

“Don’t forget my dark good looks.”

“Well, that’s a given,” she said without
pause.  “You are hot.”

“Your sister is beautiful,” he said,
smiling.  “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“She’s beautiful, all right.  Inside and
out.”  She suddenly stabbed a pointed finger in the direction of his face.  “If
you
ever
hurt her, you’ll be answering to me, young man.”

He bit back a smile, but suddenly
remembered that his stupidity about the land had likely set him up to hurt
her.  “Hurting your sister is the last thing I want to do,” he said sadly.

She watched him quizzically, reading
something in his tone.  “Is something wrong, Ryan?”

He didn’t answer, but pointed out the
church was just ahead and that several kids were milling around out front. 
“Oh, and Jim is there too,” he added.

 “He’s been helping out a lot with the
youth group,” she relayed. 

He pulled into the church lot and
parked.  Brianna reached for the door handle.  “See you at nine.”

He nodded and she hurried out of the
vehicle.  He watched after her as she joined a group of kids near a covered
area in front of the church. 

After shifting into drive, he was about
to pull away when Jim spotted him.  He gestured for him to stop and came
jogging toward the truck. 

“Hey, good to see you,” he said with a
wide smile.  “Do you have a minute?”

Ryan shut down the truck.  “Sure, what
do you need?”

“Could you come inside?”

Ryan followed him into the church.  He
waved at the kids, many of whom he knew, as he strode past. 

Jim led him into a small room just off
the entrance.  “What’s up?” Ryan asked.

Jim smiled.  “I heard you sold the
business.”

He nodded.  “In the process, but yes.”

“I’m really glad for you,” he said. 
“And I also heard you’re going to hang onto the property.”

“For now anyway.”

Jim nodded and folded his arms across
his chest.  “Good.  Good.”  He gave his friend a knowing look.  “Could these
big decisions have anything to do with Holly?”

Ryan couldn’t fight the smile that
tugged at his lips. 

Jim laughed.  “I thought so.  Well, good
for you then.”  He measured him with a glance.  “Have you … filled her in about
the property yet?”

“I went by there tonight, to do just
that, but Holly is working.”  He sighed.  “I’m afraid she’s going to be so
furious she’ll never speak to me again.”

Jim considered that.  “To be honest, I’d
be angry with you.  You know, that house means everything to her and Brianna. 
It represents security for both of them and you’re about to tell her that the
land beneath it belongs to you.  She’s going to be…”

“I know,” Ryan cut in.  “I know.”

Brianna
felt her legs go wobbly beneath her.  She had overheard Jim and Ryan’s
conversation when she followed them into the church to ask a question of Jim. 
She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but it happened.

She couldn’t believe her ears.  Had Jim
really said that the land on which her and Holly’s home sat didn’t belong to
them, but instead belonged to the McGraws?  It couldn’t be. 

If it was true, why hadn’t Ryan, or
Annabelle, told them?

Brianna felt tears spring to her eyes. 
Jim was right about one thing.  That home, and property, represented security
to her and her sister. 
It was their home
!

She couldn’t bear to hear another word
and spun on her heel.  She ran out of the church, past her friends, across the
parking lot, and to the sidewalk parallel to the church lot.  Lungs bursting,
she continued running down the block and to the end of the street.  Her friends
watched after her, unsure what was happening.

She looked left, then right, and was
about to cross the street when a car pulled up.  “You want a ride?” a deep
voice inquired.

Tears streamed down her face, obscuring
her view of the driver.  She didn’t care what he looked like.  She was angry,
hurt, and needed to get away fast.

As she eased into the seat, she turned
toward the driver.  He began rummaging between the seats and pulled out a
napkin.  “Here, wipe your face.”

She did as instructed and finally
realized that she recognized this guy.  He was the same kid who had shown up at
her home and asked if they needed any work done.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She shook her head.  “No.  I’m not.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Where to?”

“I don’t care.”  She took a deep,
steadying breath.  “Wait, can you drive me by my house?”

“Where do you live?”

She pinned him with a skeptical glance. 
“You know where I live.”

He grinned in response.  “Yes, I do. 
Your sister home right now?”

“No, and I need to get out of there
before she gets home.”

He gave her a speculative glance this
time.  “All right.”  He smiled and focused on driving.

Soon after, they arrived at the little
manufactured house that had become the only real home Brianna had ever known. 
She felt her eyes well up with tears when she realized that she and Holly had
been living a fairytale, that their little corner of the world didn’t belong to
them after all. 

Forcing back her tears, she turned
toward the driver.  “Can you give me a minute?” 

“Sure.  I’m Matt, by the way,” he said,
extending a hand to her.

She shook his hand.  “Brianna.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

She hurried into the house and to her
bedroom.  Dashing to her closet, she pulled open the door.  She stood on
tippy-toes and began running her hand along the shelf above her.  Finally, she
felt it.  The envelope containing several of the twenty dollar bills Holly had
given her.  She’d hidden them for safekeeping, in the event they needed ready
cash.

She hurriedly counted the bills and then
stuffed them into her jean’s pocket.  Next, she spun toward the pile of
clothing folded neatly on her floor and grabbed a couple tops, as well as
shorts and jeans.  After stuffing them into a duffle bag, she hurried into the
great room.  She did a slow circle, imprinting the cozy space in her memory. 
Her eyes lit on both chairs and she felt a shooting pain in her heart.  She and
her sister had refurbished those chairs together…

She forced away the sentimental
thoughts.  She was being ridiculous.  Soon, Holly would know the truth about
their home and once again, her world would be turned upside down.  She didn’t
deserve it.  Holly had been through enough.  A father who had abandoned her,
the loss of her stepfather and mother, a pile of debt she’d assumed
responsibility for, and later—most difficult of all—she taken on the role of
guardian to her.

Brianna felt a crushing weight on her
own shoulders imagining how devastated Holly was going to be when she
discovered they had a home, but nowhere to put it. 

Where did one put a manufactured home? 
In a mobile home park?  She had no illusions the process would be cheap.  Where
would they get the money? 

They wouldn’t get it, that’s what.

She shook her head, to clear away the
cobwebs.  She needed to think…

She would leave.  If she wasn’t around,
Holly would be free to sell the house and move on.  She wouldn’t have to deal
with a teenager and all the aggravation that came with trying to provide for
her.  Maybe she could get enough money from the sale of the home to pay off her
debt.         

 Holly was still young.  She deserved a
chance…

Brianna left the house and climbed into
the car.  “Can we make one more stop before we go?” she asked.

“Sure.  But where to after that?”

She glanced off into the distance. 
“Could you drop me at the bus station in Vancouver?”

“I guess.  Where you going?”

“California.  Hollywood,” she clarified.

He wordlessly started up the car and
backed out of the driveway and onto the country road behind them. 

“That way,” Brianna directed. 

“Where?” he asked, furrowing his brow. 
“We need to head south.”

“I need to stop by the McGraw’s place
first.  There’s somebody I need to say goodbye to.”

“Annabelle, right?”

She felt her heart tug.  Annabelle was
her friend.  But friends didn’t withhold critically important information from
their friends.  Friends told the truth.  No.  Annabelle was no friend of hers.

***

Brianna crept into the barn where her
beloved horse, Cover Girl, was waiting.  The beautiful brown mare seemed to
sense Brianna was near.  Her head popped over the door to her stall and she
turned in Brianna’ direction.  She whinnied a greeting.

Brianna hurried toward her and wrapped
her arms around her neck.  “I have to leave, girl,” she said softly.  “I just
wanted to say ‘goodbye.’  Be a good girl,” she finished sadly, and then kissed
her on the nose.

“We should go,” a voice said from beside
her.

“I know.”

“Someone might see us.”

“Yes.”  She ran her hand along Cover Girl’s
face, kissed her again, and then turned.   “Let’s go.”

***

Ryan and Jim left the small conference
room and headed outside—Jim to tend to the youth group kids, Ryan to head home
until it was time to pick up Brianna from the church.

Several kids were congregating out
front.  Ryan glanced around.  He didn’t see Brianna anywhere, but wanted to
confirm with her the time she needed a ride home.

Jim seemed to notice she was missing
about the same time.  “Where’s Brianna?” he asked of the group.

“She took off that way,” a boy
volunteered.

“What … do you mean, ‘she took off’?  Took
off, where?” Jim said.

He shrugged.  “I don’t know where.  She
came out of the church—looked kind of upset—and ran off toward the end of the
block.”

Ryan glanced at Jim and back to the
boy.  “You said she came out of the church?”

“She followed you guys,” a girl spoke
up.  “She needed to ask you a question, Jim.”

“A question…” he mused.

Ryan stepped away from the group and Jim
followed.  “She heard us,” Ryan said, feeling sick to his stomach.  Brianna had
overhead them talking about the house and the property.  His heart sank.  The
teenager probably felt horribly betrayed. 

He looked off into the distance, hoping
to spot her.  She was nowhere in sight.

“I’ll
go after her,” he said.

A girl overhead and walked toward the
two men.  “Brianna left with some guy.”

Ryan spun toward her.  “What?”

“Some creepy guy kept driving past the
church earlier.  Anyway, when she took off running, he pulled up beside her at
the end of the street.”

“Where?”

“There,” she directed.  “She got in the
car with him.”

“What kind of car?” Ryan demanded.

“I … don’t know.”

“A Dodge Dart,” a boy said.  “I
recognized it, because my brother has one.  Of course, my brother takes care of
his…”

Ryan felt as if he’d been punched in the
gut.  Had Brianna gotten into the car with the same guy who had been by her
house looking for work? 

No, she wouldn’t have.  He had told
Holly about the guy’s rap sheet.  Surely she had warned Brianna to steer clear
of him.

Brianna wouldn’t do something so
reckless as to get into a car with a stranger, would she?  A sharp pain sliced
through his temple.  She had apparently done exactly that.

He ran both hands along the sides of his
head and he spun toward Jim.  “Jim…”

“Ryan, what is it?”

Ryan grabbed his arm and pulled him
several yards away from the kids.  “Jim, the guy’s bad news.  He did time for
improper conduct with a minor…”

“Oh, God,” Jim cried, his face rife with
fear.  “We have to find her.”

“I’m calling the police,” Ryan said.

“What do you want me to do?” Jim asked.

Ryan sighed.  “Send the kids home, and
if you could go with me to…”

“Where?”

“To see Holly.  To tell her what’s
happening…”

“Is she at work?”

He nodded.

Jim turned and hurried toward the kids. 
In the meantime, Ryan called his friend Devin at the police department and
filled him in on what had transpired.

“How long ago did this occur?” his
friend asked.

“Eight, ten minutes,” Ryan said.

“Long enough for them to get out of
Battle Ground,” he mused.  “Just the same, I’ll dispatch my guys to the major
thoroughfares.  I’m calling Clark County for help,” he added.

“Devin,” Ryan said, “find her, please. 
She’s…”

“You care about her?”

“She’s like a sister to me,” he said,
realizing it was true.  He loved Holly, but he also cared about her kid
sister.  If something happened to her…

Jim was suddenly beside him.  He read
the misery on Ryan’s face.  He clutched Ryan’s hands.  “Pray,” he ordered. 

He was surprised when Ryan didn’t
object, but began praying in earnest.  He asked for Brianna’s safe delivery
from evil.  He prayed that both Holly and Brianna would forgive him.  “And God,
please, please, speak to Brianna.  At the first and safest opportunity, tell
her to jump out of the car.  Please, please,” he implored.

Jim nodded.  “Let’s go to Holly.  I’ll
drive.”

Beside Jim in his car, Ryan continued
praying aloud.  “
Lord, tell her to jump out of the car.  Please, talk to her
and make her listen…”