His Holiday Family (6 page)

“Kip might be right. She isn't moving. We need to break in and get her some help.”

Gideon came to Kathleen's side. “If she is alive, she isn't gonna like it.”

“Do you think she has a spare key somewhere?”

Gideon looked under the welcome mat. When he rose, he shook his head. “This door is pretty sturdy. I don't think I can break it down without an ax, which I left at work. I'll go around and check the windows and back door. Maybe something is unlocked, and I can get in that way.”

“Hurry. She might have lost consciousness. I'm calling 911 to be on the safe side.”

Gideon started for the back, checking the windows as he went while Kathleen called 911 on her cell. The operator was dispatching an ambulance immediately.

Two minutes later, as Kathleen watched the old lady in the recliner for any signs of life, her white cat came charging into the living room from the kitchen, leaped and landed in the woman's lap. Miss Alice shot straight up at the same time Gideon barged into the room. Miss Alice let out a rip-roaring scream.

Gideon skidded to a stop, his eyes round, his face pale. He said something to Miss Alice, but Kathleen couldn't hear over the yelling. The woman wasn't even looking at Gideon. She stared right at Kathleen, who stood at her window peering inside.

Gideon moved toward her and bent down toward the woman. Miss Alice blinked, clutching her cat to her chest and glaring at Gideon as if he were a total stranger breaking into her house. He backed toward the front door and opened it.

“Kathleen, come in, please.” The stress on the word
please
quickened her pace into the house.

As she passed the mirror in the hallway, Kathleen caught sight of herself and paused. From the occasional rain, her wet hair lay plastered against her head and her mascara ran down her face in a couple of places. And Gideon hadn't said a word to her. She scrubbed the black streaks from her cheeks and kept going into the living room.

“What did you say, young man?”

“We thought you were ill. We knocked on the door.” His voice rose with each word he said.

Miss Alice shook her head and held up her hand. “Wait a minute.” She fiddled with something in her ear then said, “My batteries must be going in my hearing aid. Help me up, young man.”

Gideon did as instructed, and Miss Alice shuffled toward the kitchen, yelling, “I'll be right back.”

When she left, Kathleen came to Gideon. “Why didn't you tell me I looked like a drenched raccoon?”

He looked away, a sheepish expression taking over his face. “I know better than to tell a woman that. I thought Kip would say something and get me off the hook.”

“I scared the poor woman.”

“I didn't think anything scared her. I thought she scared others. At least that's what the boys in my youth group have said when they found out I lived down the street from Alice Beggs.” He put his finger into his ear and wiggled it. “I think my hearing is damaged. There is nothing wrong with her lungs.”

“I heard that, young man.” The woman appeared in the entrance to the dining room. “I should call the police. You broke into my house.”

“Oh, no. I've got to call 911 back.” Kathleen dug into her pocket for her cell.

Miss Alice's wrinkled forehead wrinkled even more. “You've already called 911 on him?”

Kathleen put the numbers into the phone. “No. For an ambulance. For you.”

While she told the 911 operator that Alice Beggs was all right, the older lady shuffled her feet toward her recliner, shaking her head. “I was taking a nap. Can't a woman do that without everyone thinking she's dying? I need more beauty rest than when I was younger.” She held out her hand toward Gideon. “Be useful. Help me into this chair, young man.”

As Gideon took Miss Alice's arm to assist her into her recliner, Kathleen hung up. “We're sorry to disturb you, but my son thought something might be wrong with you. We knocked a long time on the door, but you didn't move.”

“That's because I finally got to sleep after being up most of the night. Why in the world was your son over here trying to wake me up?”

“To see if you needed any help.” Kathleen stuffed her cell back into her pocket.

“Yeah, help sleeping. No thanks to y'all.”

Kathleen sighed, drawing on her patience she had stored up for dealing with her sons. “I thought we could get your house ready for the hurricane.”

“What hurricane? Didn't you hear it's going to hit Florida?”

“No, Miss Alice, it's heading for Hope.”

“Where's your mother? She told me yesterday morning we were safe, that it's going the other way.”

“It changed its course.”

“Why in the world can't it make up its mind? Re
minds me of some women I know. No wonder men don't understand us. We don't understand ourselves.” Miss Alice leaned back in the chair, fumbling at the side to lift the leg rest.

Gideon stooped and did it for her. “You're perfectly right.”

Miss Alice swiveled her attention toward him. “You live down the street, don't you, young man?”

“Two houses away.”

“Ah, yes. I've admired you when you've gone jogging.”

Gideon's face reddened.

“Miss Alice, your windows need to be covered and—”

The older lady swung her gaze toward the picture window, jerked back and screamed.

Kathleen and Gideon pivoted to see Kip's face pressed against the pane.

Kathleen relaxed and waved him toward the front door. “Sorry, that's my son who was worried something was wrong with you.” The one who didn't follow instructions to stay put.

She strode toward the front door to tell him to go back to Nana's, but the second she opened it, Miss Alice shouted, “Have him come in here.”

Kip heard the words and shook his head, whispering, “No way, Mom. She's gonna yell at me.”

Kathleen took Kip's hand. “I'll be with you.”

He took baby steps toward the living room, hanging back from Kathleen. “My friends say she hates kids.”

“What did you say, young'n?”

Kip's eyes widened, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

Miss Alice tried to turn her body to glimpse Kip,
but she couldn't all the way. “C'mon in. I can't see you from there.”

Kip moved forward a few more paces but dropped his head and stared at his feet as he dragged them across the floor.

“So you are Ruth's grandson. I've seen you a couple of times with another little boy. Who is he?”

“That's my other son, Jared.”

Miss Alice ignored Kathleen and said to Kip, “What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

Kip kept his eyes on the floor.

“Can't you speak for yourself?” Miss Alice's lips thinned and almost disappeared completely. “Where are your manners? I'm here, not on the floor. Look at me when I talk to you.”

Slowly Kip lifted his head, but his gaze focused on her chin, the lower part.

“That's better. I'm perfectly fine, but thank you for caring enough to go get help when you thought something was wrong.” She flipped her hand toward the door. “Now you can git.”

Kip didn't wait for another word. He whirled and ran out the front door and off the porch.

Miss Alice chuckled. “He's braver than most. But that's no surprise since he's Ruth's grandson. Where is your mother?”

“Getting gas because of the hurricane.”

Gideon glanced outside, then back at the woman. “Miss Alice, can we board up your windows for you?”

“Don't have any boards. Haven't had a hurricane in years that amounted to much. Not like back in sixty-nine.”

“Then we can tape most of them, and I can see if I can get a piece of plywood for your picture window.”
Gideon turned to Kathleen. “Unless your mom has a tape measure, I'll need to get mine.”

Miss Alice twisted her mouth into a thoughtful look. “Who's going to remove all that after the hurricane? I certainly can't.”

“I will,” Gideon answered before Kathleen could reply. “We'd better leave and get your mom's house done, so we can come over here.”

“When is this hurricane coming?” Miss Alice pushed the lever down so her footrest dropped, then she scooted to the chair's edge. “I haven't got all my supplies. I'm not prepared at all.”

“Kip knows where the tape measure is. Go have him get it for you,” Kathleen said to Gideon, then she put her hand under Miss Alice's arm. “Let's go look at what you have. We'll make a list of what you need, and I'll go get it for you.”

“Bless you, child. Hurricane Naomi kept dancing around out in the Gulf, playing with us, that I just forgot about her after a while. Same thing happened a couple of years ago and nothing occurred. Thought that was what would happen this time. Don't keep up with things like I used to.”

As Gideon left, Kathleen escorted her mom's neighbor toward the kitchen. The thought of the shutters on the second floor windows in the back of her mother's house still needing to be closed lent a certain urgency to her steps until she realized Miss Alice only moved in slow motion. Contrary to what she'd heard, Hurricane Naomi was finally doing in the Gulf.

“T
his will teach me to keep my gas tank filled when there's a hurricane out in the Gulf.” Kathleen's mother stood up after scrubbing the bathtub out and making sure the stopper was secured before turning on the water. “There, that is the last one. Both tubs will have water in them.”

Kathleen took the cleaning supplies and put them back under the bathroom sink. “I wasn't able to fill Miss Alice's order totally, but I think she'll have enough batteries for her flashlights and radio.”

“At least you didn't sit in line at the gas station for three hours only to be told I get five gallons and that is it. Of course, it seemed like half the people in Hope were in that line.”

“I didn't have to stand in line because there was little left on the shelves at the store. The other half of the town must have struck the grocery stores.”

“Nope. They're on the road evacuating. Are you sure you don't want to take the boys and go to Aunt Cora's?”

“I can't. I have to go to the hospital right after it passes. You could take the boys.”

“No, she only lives about fifty miles north of here.
This house sits up on a hill and has never gotten any water. The wind wouldn't be much less than here. But I can go if you want. I'll probably have enough gas to get to my sister's.”

“If you don't get caught up in traffic. I can't take the chance of you running out of gas, and I wouldn't trust my car on the road the way it's acting up.” All morning Kathleen had wrestled with whether to send her children away with her mother to Aunt Cora's. Jared had flat out told her that he wanted to stay and see the hurricane while Kip told her he wouldn't leave her.

Her mother left the bathroom. “You need to take my car to the hospital when you have to report to work after the hurricane. I'm certainly not going to be going anywhere.”

Kathleen headed back to the kitchen where the boys were helping Gideon fill jugs and other containers with water. “Mom, will you ask Miss Alice to come here to stay this evening? I hate her being by herself, but she wouldn't come when Gideon and I tried to get her to.”

“I'll try. But she is a stubborn old lady.”

Kathleen clamped her teeth down to keep from replying, “Kinda like you.” She went into the kitchen to find the water containers all over the counter.

While her mother shrugged into her rain gear and rubber boots, Kip and Jared faced Kathleen with big grins. “We did this,” Kip said, gesturing toward the jugs. “Gideon supervised. We did the work. Three gallons of water for each person a day. Isn't that right, Gideon?”

“You've got it. I think y'all are set.”

“Did you get yours done when you went home a while ago?”

“Yep. My house is battened down and as secure as
it can be. I have my supplies and enough water for a couple of weeks.”

Kathleen scanned the kitchen. “The same here.”

“Are we staying at Nana's tonight?” Kip started carrying the jugs of water to the pantry on an inside wall.

“We don't want Nana to be alone,” Jared added while lugging his share across the room.

“Yeah, we're staying.” Kathleen helped her sons store the containers.

“How about Miss Alice?” Kip asked when he came out of the walk-in pantry.

“I'm going right now to see if I can convince her to come over here.” Her mother put on her rain hat and tied it down.

“Can I go, too?” Kip crossed the kitchen to his grandmother.

“It's okay with me if your mom says okay.”

Kip spun around and asked her, “Can I?”

“Fine. Wear you raincoat and stay with Nana. It's starting to get windy out there.”

Jared came out of the food closet. “You're gonna go see Old Lady Beggs? She yells.”

“I didn't say anything the first time I heard that name, but I don't want to hear you two call her that. Either use Miss Alice or Miss Beggs. Understand, Kip?” Kathleen peered at him, then turned to her younger son. “Jared?”

They nodded.

As Kip left with her mother, Jared took another jug to the pantry. “I've got to make sure Bubbles has enough water. Can I go check and fill the bowl up?”

“Sure.”

When Jared left, Gideon asked, “Bubbles? I didn't know you had a pet.”

“A goldfish. The boys want a dog for Christmas along with a whole list of other things, the top of the list being bikes that are not girl ones like Mom has.”

“Christmas? That's two months away.”

“Yeah, I know, but they are already thinking about it. Their idea of Christmas is so commercial, and no matter how much I tell them this year that we'll celebrate on a smaller scale, they don't listen.”

The door flew open, bringing in rain and wind as Kathleen's mother and Kip entered. “Whew. It's starting to get nasty out there,” she said as she untied her rain hat and hung everything on a peg in the mudroom off the kitchen. “We ran back. I've had my exercise for the month today.”

“Where's Miss Alice?” Kathleen leaned back against the counter next to Gideon.

“She doesn't like crowds. Told Nana she would be just fine at her house. She planned on turning off her hearing aid and sleeping through the whole thing.”

Her mother emerged from the mudroom, fingering her damp hair. “Actually, I don't blame her. It's getting wet out there, and she moves so slowly.”

Gideon released a long breath. “I'd better head home then. Butch doesn't like loud noises.”

Kip giggled. “Butch is a funny name for a girly dog.”

“Hey, he'll take offense if he hears you say that.”

“Yeah, and he might nip my ankle if he did.” Kip covered his mouth to keep his laughter inside.

“Why don't you bring Butch and come ride out the hurricane here with us? I personally don't like being alone in a storm.” Her mother averted her head, suddenly sliding her gaze away from Gideon.

But Kathleen didn't need to see her expression to know what her mom was up to. Gideon was an available
bachelor, and her daughter was available now. Bingo. Why not get them together? As that went through her mind, Kathleen said without really thinking about it, “I agree. You shouldn't be alone. You're injured. I wouldn't want you to do anything to strain your cracked ribs.”

“Right, Kathleen has a point.”

“Yeah, Gideon, please stay and bring Butch.” Kip took his hand and dragged him toward the mudroom where the rain gear was. “I'll come with you and carry your dog.”

“I think I'm being bulldozed by all of you.”

“If that means we're ganging up on you, yep, we are. I don't want to be the man of the house. I've never been in a hurricane.”

Hearing Kip say that twisted Kathleen's heart. Ever since his dad had died last year, he'd tried to be the man of the house because some of their friends in Denver had said that the job was his now that his father was gone. Although he'd only been eight, he'd taken the role seriously to the point of even bossing Jared around right after Derek's death. That was what had started the fighting between them that had escalated when they'd moved to Hope.

Gideon captured Kathleen's gaze and held it for a long moment. For a brief time a connection between her and Gideon sprang up, taking her by surprise in its strength. They had spent the whole day helping each other and neighbors get ready for the hurricane. Even with his broken arm, he'd managed to participate fully in the preparations and get her sons involved, without any arguing.

“Is it okay if Kip helps me bring Butch?”

Kathleen's throat swelled at the emotions sweeping
through her—seeing the eagerness on Kip's face, the compassion on Gideon's as if he knew how much her sons needed a man's influence. “Yes, but hurry.”

 

The clash of thunder boomed as Gideon unlocked his front door. The forty-mile-per-hour wind whipped his poncho about him. Kip huddled close, letting the house block some of it. The second the boy could he charged into the foyer, dripping water all over the tiles.

He glanced down at the puddle forming on the floor. “Sorry.”

“If that is all this place gets, I'll be happy. Butch!” Gideon headed toward the back.

His bichon frise yelped, the sound coming from the den. When he entered, he saw the white curly tail sticking out from under the couch. “Butch, come on. We're leaving.”

The dog whined, trying to burrow deeper under the sofa.

“What's wrong?” Kip moved toward Butch.

“He's scared. Loud thunderstorms really bother him.”

Kip stooped and bent down to look under the couch. “It's okay, Butch. I'm scared, too. We can take care of each other. I won't let anything happen to you.”

His coaxing voice held a soothing quality that Gideon's dog responded to. He shifted until his face pressed against Kip's leg. The boy stroked him, continuing to murmur reassurances.

“I'm going to grab a couple of things. I'll be right back.” Gideon left the two to bond and went down his hallway to his bedroom.

He retrieved a duffel bag out of the closet and stuck in a high-powered flashlight and then went to
the garage for some tools he might need right after the storm. As he gathered his supplies, he thought back to that moment in the kitchen when he and Kathleen had looked at each other. For a moment he saw a future with her. Until he remembered that anyone he had really loved had been taken from him. Usually he could suppress the pain of a loss, but locking gazes with her made him remember the last time he'd seen his baby brother or his parents right before the fire that had taken their lives. His shoulders slumped and his head dropped as the memories washed over him.

“Gideon, Butch is ready to leave,” Kip said from the kitchen door to the garage. “I told him I would hold him tight and not let the wind get him.”

Gideon sucked in a deep breath, zipped up his duffel bag and rotated toward the boy, forcing a look of reassurance on his face. “First, I need to disconnect some appliances since there's a good chance the electricity will go off.”

“That happened in Denver to us during a snowstorm. It got cold in the house. We didn't have electricity for a day.” Kip cradled Butch against his chest.

“It might be off longer than that here.” Gideon made his way through his house and unplugged various items like his computer and television set. When he was finished, he strode toward the foyer. “Let's get back to your grandma's.”

“How long?” Kip stepped out onto the porch, shielding Butch from the wind.

“Could be a week. Could be shorter than that, but it could be longer.”

“Longer?” Kip shouted over the howl of the wind and another clap of thunder.

“That's why we have supplies for a couple of weeks.
To be prepared.” Gideon hurried his pace, crossing Miss Alice's yard and glancing toward her boarded front window. Light leaked out of the slits around the edges of the two-by-fours he found to cover it.

When they reached Ruth's porch, Gideon glanced down at Kip. He chewed his bottom lip and clutched Butch tight against him. Gideon put his bag down and clasped the boy's shoulder. He lifted his gaze to Gideon's.

“It's always wise to prepare for the worst, but that doesn't mean it will happen. Worrying won't change what is to be. We'll deal with whatever happens. The Lord is with us.”

“Mom used to say that. She doesn't anymore.”

The front door swung open, and Kathleen stood in the entrance. “I was beginning to worry about you two.”

Kip entered, saying, “I had to coax Butch out from under the couch. He's scared.” He kept going down the hall to the den.

Gideon moved into the house. “Sorry. I also decided to turn off some of my major appliances in case there were electrical surges.”

“Is everything all right? Kip was frowning.”

“He's concerned about the electricity going out for a long time.”

“Then I'd better not tell him I am, too. I try to reassure him as much as possible, but he worries about everything. It has gotten worse since Derek died. Whereas Jared is fearless, Kip is the opposite.”

“I went through that as a boy when my parents died. I cried all the time. I didn't understand why they weren't coming back for Zach and me.”

“When anything changes, he freaks out.”

“I did, too. That's probably why I didn't do well in
a lot of my foster care homes. Things changed all the time. When I couldn't control my life, I acted out. It took me growing up and getting to know the Lord to change that reaction. I'm trying to let Him control my life. But it isn't always easy to do.”

“I used to feel that way and look what happened. My husband died and left me with a ton of debt to pay off. To top that, my boys are hurting with everything that has happened. To make ends meet, I had to move here, and they weren't happy about that.”

“Because it is a change. Kids depend on stability.”

“I wouldn't mind it, either.”

He stepped closer in the foyer. “Whether we want it or not, chaos is coming in the form of Hurricane Naomi.”

Jared came out of the den. “Kip won't let me hold Butch. I should get a turn, too.”

“Ah, I wondered when Kip and Jared's truce would end,” she whispered to Gideon then walked toward her son.

He'd wanted to ask questions about her situation, but this wasn't the time. There might never be a good time. It wasn't his business, but he cared about her and beneath her words he heard the pain she carried.

 

Wind and rain slashed at Kathleen's childhood home as though beating its fists against the exterior and demanding entrance. Sitting in a chair that Gideon had brought into the laundry room—the only interior room in the house—she watched her sons play Go Fish in the glow of the flashlight. Seated in the corner, her mother listened to the radio for any news concerning the hurricane raging outside. The howl of the wind continu
ally pulled Kip's attention away from the game, to the frustration of his little brother.