Moving On (13 page)

His hand on the knob, he heard Molly’s toenails clicking on the ceramic tile. When he opened the door, she looked at him, gave him a quick nose nudge, and turned back to the great room. Nick heard music playing and subdued voices. “What’s going on, girl?”

While he untied his boots, he heard shuffling, slipper-clad feet approach. “Hello, son.”

“Dad?”

“Surprise! Obviously Herman kept his word by the look on your face. And so did that Anna woman.” Jack walked over and slapped Nick on the back. “Hurry up, there. I have someone I want you to meet.”

“Were you here to welcome the guests?” Nick picked at the knot on his left boot.

“I’m part of the guest package,” Jack said.

“I’m pretty dirty. Can I clean up before I meet anyone, now I know you’ve got it handled? Or maybe I should go out and finish what I was doing before I rushed home like a fool.” Nick could feel his father’s eyes on him, and began to perspire. He remembered the walker at the pool door. Or had he walked it back to his bedroom?

Jack bent down and plucked the offending knot out of Nick’s fingers. “You’ll have to retie it anyway. Do what you like. Either come in and be courteous to my guest or go and finish your work and then come home. Your choice.”

Nick bristled at the old familiar tone of voice but it seemed to have lost its edge. He looked closely at his father in his khakis and striped shirt, a gold chain swirling around gray chest hair. “If your guest won’t mind a bit of mud, I’ll come now and then go out.”

“Great, son. I told her you’d be surprised.”

Her?

Nick stood his boots in the boot tray and followed his father down the hall. Molly hovered close to a fluffy-haired woman who was curled up in the chair-and-a-half. Nick lifted his foot and placed it carefully. His limp was more noticeable when he was tired.

Jack put his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Nick, I’d like to introduce my wife, Sharon Donnelly. Sharon, my son, Nick.”

She held out her manicured hand, and Nick had a sudden flash that he should bend and kiss her fingertips, which was stupid in this day and age.

“Surprised?” Jack howled.

“As Herman would say, gobsmacked. Congratulations.” He shook her hand, then turned and put his arm around his father’s shoulders.

“I know there are a few blanks to fill in, but we’ll get into those after you come back from wherever you need to be. We left some dinner on low in the oven.”

“Wait till I get my hands on Herman.”

“You won’t have to wait long. If he convinced Margaret to drive out here, they’ll arrive any minute. I didn’t want the town discussing Sharon before I had the chance for one of the main newshounds to get the goods.”

“Smart move, Dad. I’ll feel better after I check on the trench, and then I’ll be right back.” Nick headed for his truck.

When he drove past the secured work area, all of the safety lights and barricades were in place. He’d have to work on trusting others to do their job if he wanted to be a team player in life outside of the army.

His father, married. That would change a few things around the place. A woman hadn’t lived in their house since his grandmother died. Nick liked the idea his father wouldn’t be alone.

The Lambs’ car was pulled up to the front door. Nick drove around to the back and went in to clean up before joining them. His stomach rumbled and his shoulders ached. He’d have to do with a hot shower rather than a swim. He didn’t relish the first time his father would see him in the pool.

When he rounded the corner, his hair still damp, Margaret was deep in conversation with Sharon, and Herman seemed to be telling Jack all about the water trouble. Molly gave a quick bark announcing his arrival.

“Here’s the man of the hour,” Jack said. “Come on in. I’ll bring in your plate.”

“Normally I’d argue with you, Dad, but I’m bushed.”

“I know, son. Just relax. We’re family.”

Sharon’s eyes followed Jack and Margaret didn’t miss a conversation beat. Nick thought he overheard Anna’s name. He turned to Herman.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Herman grumbled. “I couldn’t come and see you, or I’d have given it all away. I even had an afternoon nap so I wouldn’t tell Margaret.”

“And what about Anna? She could have told me the guests had arrived safe and sound.”

“Sure, and you would have asked questions about Molly. What was she supposed to say? Do you think Molly would have followed her command with Jack here? Not on your life. You know Annie, she wanted to, but I convinced her otherwise.”

Just then, Jack brought him a plate heaped with mashed potatoes, roast beef, vegetables and a cold cola. Nick was spared from answering.

The evening unfolded with a simple love story in the day of cyberspace. It began in a cribbage game room, progressed to instant messaging, then telephone conversations, and finally a commitment to meet on a cruise. When it came time to separate, Jack and Sharon hadn’t wanted to part, so they had the captain of the ship marry them and they came home together. Coincidentally, Sharon was from Moose Jaw. The conversation progressed to having a wedding party in July at the B&B.

Nick swallowed a lump in his throat. If he was back at the front line, he wouldn’t be home for yet another celebration of life. He hoped his father would understand. Sharon had a large family. Dad might have what he always wanted; more children.

As the evening progressed, Nick discovered two of Sharon’s sons farmed large land holdings of pulse crops.

“We’d like to go to Sharon’s on the weekend and meet her family as well as pick up some of her personal things. Could you stay on and look after things here?” Jack asked. “I don’t have anyone booked, but I hate to have people drive out on the spur of the moment and be disappointed.”

The weekend. What did that mean? Were they expecting him to move away?

“Feel free to stay as long as you need to,” Sharon added.

He watched them reach for each other.
Oh yeah, I’m going to stay here and watch these two lovebirds. I don’t think so.

The foreman competition was set to close later this week. His physical was booked, too. He could do with a holiday. Sure, he could be gone in no time at all. Why wasn’t he happy about this?

The cola in his glass tasted stale.

If he were a sailor, maybe he’d have a woman in every port, but being a soldier didn’t have the same prestige.

Margaret and Herman hugged Jack and Sharon goodnight, as if they had been longtime friends. Margaret promised to set the facts straight about their relationship. His father was a strategic planner. He couldn’t have had a better ally for Sharon.

Nick felt antsy, wanting to swim and limber up his muscles. “Dad, I know the pool is off the master suite, but would it disturb you if I swam for a while?”

“Sure. How long do you need? Sharon and I love having a swim before bed as well. I think that’s what sold her on the whole idea—my pool.” He rubbed her arm. Sharon tipped her head and smiled.

“I’ll clean this up and change. An hour?”

“We’ll tidy up. You go now. You’ve had a rough day from what Herman has been telling me.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you know when I’m out.”

“That’s all right. We’ll sit on the deck and watch. There’s a full moon tonight.”

He should have told his father about his prosthesis. They’d certainly find out when he hopped out on his walker. There was nothing Nick could change about it now.

Ten minutes later, Nick slipped into the water before Jack and Sharon brought their tea to the deck. They were so engrossed in each other, they didn’t seem to notice the walker in the dark corner.

Finally it was time for Nick to emerge. He swam to the edge and hoisted his body onto the side of the pool. He stretched his arm and snagged the walker, positioning it so he could stand.

“What the hell is that for, son?”

Nick simply said, “They didn’t save the leg, Dad.”

“And this is something you never thought of telling me before?”

“There wasn’t much I could do about it. Then you left as soon as I got home.”

“So I guess your career is over?”

“Well, I’m having my physical on Friday. If I’m as strong as I think I am, I’m hoping to go back to the front lines. If not, maybe I can teach.”

“This changes everything.”

“It changes nothing. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.”

Molly came over and nudged him before she returned to Sharon.

Fickle dog.

Chapter 11

The next morning, the clock flipped to ten before Anna opened one eye. The clouds had kept the room darker than usual and when she came fully awake she heard rain on the roof. No gardening today, but the plants and earth would soak up the water like sponges.

She filled her coffee mug, lit a candle, and lowered herself into the tub. She had made progress last night; received an invitation to join the choir, the dance steps were easier, and her little pieces of furniture were smooth and stained. Today was her day off, her first since moving to Regina Beach. In fact, she might not even see Margaret or Herman today. She relaxed in the tub.

When Murray’s face floated into her mind, her heart didn’t break. She thought about the golf game where they met, finding themselves in the same bush, reaching for the same ball. His blue eyes and quick smile had made her feel special when he had searched her out at the awards dinner and had asked her on a date. They’d had three years together. The memory didn’t hurt.

Anna dressed and jumped into her car. After she checked her mail at the post office and talked about the community dance with postmistress Margi, she decided to drive into the city of Regina. Heading to a mall for some new clothes, perhaps even cowboy boots and a hat, would be a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. She might even drop by the hospital and obtain an application form.

The drive into the city took forty minutes. It was possible to live at the lake and work in the city. She had commuted every day in Toronto, so the difference would be the lack of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

She stopped at a coffeehouse and enjoyed an espresso and biscotti as a treat rather than an everyday necessity like it had been in her former life. Life could be simple. It was up to her to make it that way.

On her way home, she heard the news of more Canadian soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan. Tears for the families flooded her eyes. She didn’t know if she could bear having a loved one on the front line. Anna pulled over onto an approach and looked out over the field. Someone loved these men and women who served as Canada’s peacemakers. Her heart went out to them.

As she watched ravens fly between evergreen trees, she thought about Nick, straight and tall like the trees on this land. She wondered what his reaction had been to his father’s unexpected return last night. He would have acted with integrity. A man with his obvious experience wouldn’t want to be stuck in a small town.

Anna pulled her car back onto the highway and heard the rustle of her new purchases. She had lost a lover and Nick had lost a leg and a mother from the information Herman had given her yesterday. The losses seemed to help them understand each other.

Dreams of their futures had changed in an instant. They could grow to be friends, then build on that foundation and achieve more. It said in all of the books she’d read over the years how friendship was the foundation of love. And what was a foundation made of but rocks? She had plenty of those and so did Nick.

Nick had awoken to rain against the window. What was on his agenda today?
Wait for the health reports, check the trench, and do up the time sheets
. Not much. Oh yeah, there was the filtration plant that needed checking. He wondered who had applied for the town foreman position.

The mayor and the council didn’t realize the vastness of his water systems knowledge. Ever since Walkerton, the governing bodies had been trying to hire educated personnel. He had opportunities; if he couldn’t return to his troop, he could educate staff of small communities around Saskatchewan.

When he was at the service station, he saw Anna’s car accelerate onto the highway. Here was a woman around his age who was starting a new life. He guessed by the occasional sadness that passed across her face, she’d had her fair share of pain. If she could do it, anything was possible for him, too. He just had to find the right moment to ask her about her relationship to John Good.

At the freshly packed trench, he found some unique shaped rocks. He threw them in the truck box. Anna might like them for her garden. He still wondered where she was finding her rocks. Herman, the sly old guy, was keeping secrets. His dad’s was the biggest, but then again, not telling his father about his leg was pretty significant, too.

Maybe people didn’t talk about the important things. They gossiped about who was new in town and speculated about why they might have come. They wondered if the old gramophone they had sold at the garage sale might have been their ticket to financial freedom. But who talked about their loneliness or their loss of the loved one or, for that matter, the mechanic’s son who was in jail?

When he went into the coffee shop, Hank called out, “New stepmom, I hear.”

“You heard wrong. Dad has a new wife. After she adopts me, she’ll be my mom,” Nick replied.

“Be a whole new experience for you, won’t it?” Fred nudged Hank.

“You bet. As long as she doesn’t tell me to clean up my room, we’ll be in good shape.” Nick grabbed a seat at the counter.

“I heard he had to meet her on the Internet, even though she’s from Moose Jaw,” Cliff interjected.

“Strange world.” Nick sipped his coffee. “Makes it a lot easier to visit her family, though.”

“I heard she has farmer sons. Maybe he won’t rent the land to the colony anymore,” Red suggested.

“I’ve learned not to second-guess my dad. Land is important, whether it’s here or Afghanistan.” The guys nodded in agreement as he spoke.

“When are we going to know about the water situation, hot shot water-boy?” Hank dipped a donut into his coffee.

Nick drained his cup before answering. “You’ll know when I know. We’ll put up signs on Center Street and around town. I’ll ask you to call your friends. Has anyone else been sick since they’ve been boiling water?”

“Nah, and I don’t know if what most of them had was from the water. Could have been from the potluck supper.” Chuck jerked a chin toward a fellow crony. “Joe brought his cowboy beans again,” he chuckled.

The guys who hung at the coffee shop were like the stereotype of grumpy old men.

“Too bad old Jack didn’t come down here every day. We would have known something was up when he started driving to the city to have his hair styled.” Hank lifted his cup toward the server.

Fred pointed his cane at Nick’s left foot. “Hey, soldier, now the old man’s home, you can have a holiday for the rest of your leave. How’s the leg? I see you still have a bit of a limp.”

“It’s coming along, thanks. The council’s hiring your new foreman soon, and you can pull someone else’s leg. I have a feeling this year’s going to be good for you all, watching the comings and goings.” Nick had grown up while these men were still running their own operations.

“Sure will. Two new women in town and it ain’t even school holidays when all the other cottage renters and day trippers come.” Hank grinned.

“See you all around.” Nick placed his cup on the counter along with a couple of dollar bills.

“Not if we see you first,” someone in the back hollered.

Nick smiled as he consciously centered his body, picked up his left foot, and placed it. He hadn’t realized his limp had been noticed. These guys had no idea. They thought it was a healing wound. They didn’t know about the phantom leg pains he had at night, when the perspiration bubbled across his chest and he grabbed onto the headboard to stop from reaching down and trying to rub away the pain where there wasn’t a leg to touch.

The office was quiet, except for the phone which rang every few minutes with yet another inquiry about boiling the water. Perhaps he should plan an information session about boiling water. No, he would suggest the new town foreman hold an information session. Boiling water wasn’t a hardship on modern kitchen ranges. Everyone was used to a safe water supply. When it became unsafe, they didn’t know what to do, and if they did, they certainly didn’t want to do it for very long.

He drove around before heading home. At the stop sign before crossing the highway, he saw Anna, turning into town. With her back in his area, he felt grounded again.

They had something in common, and he would bet she lost something or someone that changed her future, too.

He wondered if she ever canoed or drove an ATV or even fished. Maybe he could show her where the fish swam over the road heading back to their spawning ground. Maybe they could hang out together.

The rocks rolled when he accelerated. He could take them over right now. If she didn’t want them, he could just dump them on the pile on his way home.

That was what he’d do. He really wasn’t too interested in going home to the newlyweds and his fickle dog.

When he arrived at Anna’s, she was struggling up the walk with bags, the hatchback open and revealing more filled shopping bags.

“Need a hand?”

She turned. “I need more than one, but I’ll take it if you’re offering.”

“Something sure smells good.”

“Must be my roasted chicken. Margaret told me about them and I had to have one. Want to join me for dinner? I’m starved.”

“How big is the chicken?” he asked.

“I have buns and salad, too. There will be enough.”

“All right. I figure you owe me anyway, letting me walk in on my dad and his new bride without even a hint, and a fickle dog who looks at me with a sneer because Dad doesn’t make her wear the collar.”

“I checked her yesterday. The wounds looked healthy, so I’m sure she’ll be fine without the collar. But I know what you mean. Molly has a personality all of her own.” Anna started up the steps, keys in hand. Nick followed and waited while she opened the door.

The muscles in Nick’s arms rippled as he placed the remaining grocery bags on to the floor. For an instant, Anna longed to be a hottie, someone Nick would look at with half-closed eyes, someone he’d wrap his steel-band arms around and crush to his chest. There must have been more caffeine in her espresso than she’d been used to in a very long time.

When he smiled at her, she wanted to dart to the bathroom and freshen her lipstick; her fingers itched to crawl up and undo a button or two on her blouse.

He cleared his throat. “Anything else?”

She sprang into action. “No, of course not. Come in. Dinner will be on the table in no time.”

“You’re sure it’s no trouble? You’ve had a busy day.”

“No, I’d love it.” Heat bloomed across her cheeks in a flush.

She looked up to see him considering her. “You’ve done something different with your hair,” he observed. “I like it.”

Her hand fluttered up and tugged at her relaxed curls, which felt more like herself than before. “Thanks.”

“I’ll wash up as payment for my supper.”

No dog, no neighbors, no family. Just the two of them. How did adults become friends? It seemed like a long time since she consciously thought about being one.

He came into the kitchen in his work socks, opening the cupboard and drawers for dishes and flatware. “You put things away. I’ll set the table.”

Unexplained tears misted her eyes. The small things were where you began.

“Did you ever find out more about the photographs?” His hip bumped into her while he moved the glasses to the table.

“No. I Googled John’s name.” She paused.

He looked at her. “And?”

She chewed the inside of her lip. “His obituary stated he didn’t have any living relatives.”

She reached for a bottle of white wine and held it up. He nodded to the wine and spoke in a hushed breath. “So you’re not a living relative?”

She turned her back. “No, I’m not.”

She heard his breath whoosh out.

“Even though I’m adopted, I know he’s not my biological father. Margaret says he was a ladies’ man. And Herman suggests he has living children.” She turned around, the wine clutched in her fist. “I’m not ready to tell you how I came to be here. Can you accept that?”

He would accept anything because now he knew for certain she wasn’t his half-sister. But when she handed him the wine and the corkscrew, he smacked his forehead. “I just realized I shouldn’t drink, I haven’t heard from the health department, and I want to be ready for any and all occurrences. But don’t let me stop you.”

She brought out a bottle of sparkling water. “Would you pour this into our glasses, please?”

The radio station played some country rock. She did a little two step when she put the salad on the table.

“You’ve been practicing,” he said with a smile.

“It’s fun. I went to the dance last night. I’m getting better. I didn’t even step on Margi’s toes too often.” She took a seat across from him.

“Margi, the postmistress?”

“She asked.” Anna giggled.

“I think Margi makes up her own steps. I have to be careful with this false foot. I can do some damage to her old bones in her good dance shoes.” It felt good to talk about some of his challenges. “Watch your toes under the table. I wouldn’t want to crush them.”

She didn’t shift away. Their knees continued tapping together every few minutes as she said, “When I picked up my mail, she promised to teach me some of the fancier steps.”

“Good luck. I think the only person who ever danced with her without stepping on her toes is her husband.”

They briefly talked about the weather.

“That was a great dinner. Thanks.” Nick tipped his chair back. “You won’t recognize this town after July first. You’ll have to line up for groceries and your gas. The restaurants will be bulging at dinner hour.”