Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) (50 page)

* * *

Deputy Markenson
’
s cruiser drove up the driveway, and the children all raced out of the house and surrounded William, chattering about the day
’
s excitement. Aggie
’
s,
“
Oh, nooooo,
”
sounded like a wail from a small child who found her favorite doll left out in the rain.
“
Who let the baby have the phone this time?
”

Luke looked at Aggie and said,
“
Honestly, I had Ian with me the entire time you were gone. There is no way he could have called. The phone was in my tool belt.
”

Aggie sighed and followed the children outside, after instructing Tavish to stay on the couch and rest. Luke watched the little group for a few moments and then turned back to his pr
oject of converting the dining r
oom into a
makeshift
kitchen. Had he known what was coming, he would have either followed the family out or jumped in his truck and driven home. Instead, he overheard Aggie talking to the deputy.

“
How did that child call you
this
time?
”
William
’
s face registered surprise, and Luke set his wrench back down and walked over to the window.
“
Ian was with Luke all afternoon, and Luke had the phone in his tool belt.
”
Irritation was bubbling into fury.
“
Tell me how this happened. Is this just some joke you guys play on the new people? Are you going to tell me that he really hasn
’
t been calling? I wouldn
’
t sug
--
”

William held up his hand, and her words stopped mid-sentence. Aggie wondered how policemen did that. She couldn
’
t stop a five year old for five seconds to hear herself think.

“
No one called the station; I just heard about your accident when the clinic called
--
”

Aggie exploded. She wasn
’
t prone to fits of temper, but even Aggie had her limits. The last four months had been difficult and stressful, and the idea that half the town knew her business was more than she could handle. She was used to the anonymity of larger towns, but this town was so small it seemed that they called a local officer to chitchat about their patients!
“
What happened to HIPPA anyway?
”
William, watching the storm brewing on Aggie
’
s face, didn
’
t understand the problem.

“
That
’
s it. This is an invasion of privacy. If you aren
’
t here on official business, I think it is time that you go home. I don
’
t need to offer you more fodder for your gossip mill, thank you very much!
”

William held up his hand to silence her again, but Aggie erupted in a bigger ball of fury.
“
Your poor wife!
”
Confusion spread across William
’
s face, and he started to speak, but Aggie continued her tirade.
“
Will you do this to your
wife
when you finally marry some unfortunate soul? Treat her like an errant car that must be stopped at your bidding? Boy, you have some nerve!
”

Turning to the children, she ordered them back into the house to get ready for supper. She followed, but at the screen door, Aggie turned back to the shocked officer and pointed to his car.
“
Go make someone else miserable, and don
’
t come back here, unless you have official business.
”

Luke was silent as Aggie ignored dinner and banged different things around trying to set up the pantry. Slowly, the thumps and bumps ceased, and Luke heard her humming softly. He wasn
’
t sure what song she was humming at first, but eventually she started singing the chorus softly.
“
Love one another, thus saith the Savior. Children obey the Father
’
s blest command…
”
Luke heard her sniff and wondered what to do about it.

Minutes later, Aggie said in a very small voice,
“
I lost it, didn
’
t I?
”

Luke simply nodded. For once, his silence didn
’
t annoy her. Aggie briefly wondered if it was because she was
“
all angered out,
”
or if it was because she was grateful for not being lectured. They worked in companionable silence for a while, until Luke looked up at her and said,
“
Mibs, you need to apologize. I understand the strain you
’
ve been under, but it still doesn
’
t make it right.
”
Aggie
’
s silent nod seemed to spur him on.
“
I think you
’
ll feel better the sooner you take care of it. I was about to go home before this all happened, but if you need me to stay, I can.
”
Aggie shook her head and went upstairs.

In Laird
’
s room, she heard Luke
’
s truck start up and pull away from the house. She spent the next thirty minutes getting herself right with her Lord. After calling her mother and getting advice on how to apologize, Aggie picked up the phone, and for the first time since Geraldine Stuart threatened her, Aggie called the sheriff
’
s station and requested that Deputy William Markenson stop by her home. Having a few moments to herself, Aggie booted the computer and smiled as it logged into her messenger service.

Aggie says:
You there? I really did it this time!

Tina says:
Uh oh… what
’
d you do?

Aggie says:
Well… You see… There was an accident and Tavis
h
had to go to Urgent Care…

Tina says:
What happened?

Aggie says:
Well, the kid was reading and walking again…

Tina says:
Hee hee… kid after my own heart.

Aggie says:
Soooooo anyway, William heard about it from the clinic. Someone told him.

Tina says:
And…

Aggie says:
He came out here to see if everyone was ok.

Tina says:
How kind of him!
Makes you wonder who he really came to see!

Aggie says:
Oh, PLEASE.

Tina says:
So, why the histrionics?

Aggie says:
I blew up at him. Badly.

Tina says:
YOU?

Aggie says:
We all have our limits.

Tina says:
What I would have given to see that.

Aggie says:
Hmmm. Well… it wasn
’
t pretty.

Tina says:
So… what happened.

Aggie says:
Well, after I let him have it…

Tina says:
For showing concern for you and your family…

Aggie says:
More for my privacy being invaded and him playing traffic cop.

Tina says:
Traffic cop?

Aggie says:
He kept holding his hand in my face and trying to shut me up! I lost it.

Tina says:
Uh oh…

Aggie says:
You got it!

Tina says:
You apologize?

Aggie says:
I
’
ve got a call in now. Hopefully, he
’
ll check his message
s
when he gets home. The girl at the desk was very helpful. :P

Aggie says:
Whatever possessed me!?

Tina says:
Hee hee… we all knew it
’
d happen someday. Yo
u
never let anything ruffle you.

Aggie says:
Yeah, well kids have unearthed many ruffled feathers in my house!

Tina says:
Well, smooth them down, wash your face and put on your brightest smile and apologize.
ASAP.

Aggie says:
That
’
s basically what Luke said.

Tina says:
He
’
s helping William?
I
’
ve been picturing two testosterone-laden men fighting each other off like in that old Jane Wyman movie we liked about the three guys… remember?

Aggie says:
Nope, far from it. I
’
m no Jane Wyman, that
’
s for sure.

Tina says:
Well, it
’
s not a good time in your life for masculine interruptions.

Aggie says:
AMEN to that one.
I like having the support though.
I can tell you that just knowing another pair of eyes is around helps.

Tina says:
Well, I can understand that… Uh, oh!