Glory Falls

by Janine Rosche

  “Gross?”

  “Exactly. But I’m used to it.”

  “At least you have Val.”

  Thomas quieted and looked relieved when the barista called out his order.

  “My, my, Cecelia Walker.” The booming voice turned the head of everyone in the surrounding area. Teddy Woodward walked hand in hand with his wife, Angela.

  “You better hold this.” Blue held her cup out to Thomas. He cradled the latte between his arm and his side to free up his hand. He took the cup from her moments before she was crushed in the couple’s embrace. Teddy planted a kiss on her forehead at the exact moment Angela pecked her cheek.

  “Your parents didn’t tell us you were coming back here. I’m going to lay into them next time I see them.”

  “It was a last-minute decision.” Blue wrenched herself free and motioned between the Woodwards and Thomas. “Thomas, these are my godparents—”

  “Your godparents?”

  Angela introduced herself and then placed a hand on her husband’s chest. “Theodore Woodward.”

  Thomas’s typically olive skin looked a bit ashen. “We’ve met.”

  “I forgot what a small town this is,” Blue said, taking her cider back.

  “Thomas, have you thought any more about my proposition?” Teddy asked.

  “What proposition?” Blue squared her shoulders to Thomas. He squirmed in response, his eyes flickering to hers, then up to the Ferris wheel.

  “I want to turn his life into a movie. Thomas has a reputation for being a hero in these parts.”

  A hero? Blue’s mouth fell open as the word tugged at her deepest longing. “That’s . . . great. For your cable channel?”

  “I’m thinking the big screen, with future airings limited to Seek. But he told me no.”

  Blue sidestepped to the spot on Thomas’s right. “You have to understand. Thomas hates for the focus to be on him.”

  “Quite the shame, because I have some big names in mind for production.” Teddy and Angela exchanged looks. “I’d have you write the screenplay, Blue.”

  A fluttering spread through her, throwing her brain into a tizzy. Her eyes stung, and she blinked back the tears. A chance. After all the terrible things of the past two years, God—and Teddy Woodward—was finally giving her another chance. She could salvage her career.

  But Thomas . . .

  His expression twisted worse than she’d ever seen. The hope she’d allowed herself to taste dropped to the ground like a child’s ice cream cone.

  She let the cider soothe her tightening throat. “That’s nice of you to think of me. Thomas has his reasons, I’m sure.”

  Teddy clapped his hands together. “The offer’s still on the table. I haven’t met a person yet who couldn’t use a few more dollars in their bank account. You think about it, Mr. Beck.”

  “And Blue, join us for dinner soon,” Angela said.

  “I will.”

  The Woodwards said goodbye, leaving Thomas and Blue standing beneath the Ferris wheel’s shadow.

  “I’m sorry, Blue. I can’t do it. I’m no hero.”

  The memory of Thomas carrying her lifeless daughter in his arms triggered a shudder down her spine.

  “Goodness, Blue. How long was the line for coffee?” Ryann’s voice cut above music from the main stage and the whir of the nearby spinning ride. She dragged Shane along, but he seemed distracted by the roller coaster. Behind them, Keira and Robbie each held the hand of a little girl. Her long curls glowed orange in the sunlight. The same type of curls that Ella had, though hers were shorter and white-blond.

  “Oh, good. You found Thomas. We found Val.”

  At once, Thomas went to Val and handed over her latte. Then, as a group, they walked through tents offering candle melts, homemade crafts, hand-sewn clothing items, and jars of various food products. Thomas was right. Ryann and Shane, as well as Robbie and Keira, were the ultimate PDA offenders with their frequent kisses, hugs, and handholds. At least they had the class to avoid the public tickle-fights.

  Robbie nudged his hand into Keira’s side, and she almost folded in half. She struggled, laughing, and had nearly fended him off until Anabelle joined Robbie’s team.

  And there it is. Blue forced herself to look away. Once, she and Hunter had been that happy. He’d been a busy husband, but he’d been a good one. They’d been the picture-perfect family, until the day the glass shattered.

  On the far side of the group, Thomas and Val walked side by side, sharing occasional words and smiles but no affection whatsoever.

  Blue chuckled to herself. Boy, she could teach him things. Flirting 101. Not that she’d known anything about flirting until she met Hunter, the actor cast as Glory’s older brother. Hunter had rocked her world with teases that drew out her smile when she was an intimidated twenty-two-year-old screenwriter on a movie set. His breathy whispers tickled her neck in the most unprofessional way. And his constant praise and adoration were addictive. The cast and crew of Mississinewa Glory had respected her because Hunter Dean Lawrence told them to.

  Funny how the same relationship was what now soiled her reputation in the industry. Once again, her thoughts returned to Teddy’s offer to Thomas.

  “Hey!” Val’s sweet voice and pleasant smile were enough to coax cotton candy from a sticky toddler if she tried. She held out a tall bag of popcorn. “Thomas said you love kettle corn. Consider this my welcome home gift.”

  “Thanks, Val. That’s thoughtful. Want to share it?” Blue snuck a peek at Thomas, who was pretending not to watch them.

  “Sure.”

  Blue worked to loosen the tie sealing the bag. Once she got it open, she offered Val the first handful.

  With a flick of her chin, her glossy dark ponytail fell behind her shoulder. She seemed to be a no-frills girl. No makeup. Modest attire. Sort of like Blue in high school.

  Val nodded to the crew. “Ever since I started hanging out with Thomas and his friends, I’ve heard tall tales about you. I swore you were seven feet tall and radiated sunshine.”

  Blue grinned. “Yeah, well, fiction is way different than reality.”

  “Not in your case. I saw you that night at Ollie’s joking around with everyone. You light up a room, which is pretty impressive considering what you’ve been through.”

  Blue’s chewing stilled.

  “Thomas told me about your sweet girl. I’m sorry.”

  A popcorn kernel caught in Blue’s throat. She coughed to clear it, but it was there to stay, it seemed. “You weren’t one of the first responders, were you?”

  “No. I only moved here last year. I’m just saying that in most cases, trauma changes people. I see it in my job every day, especially living in a small town where I’m constantly running into the loved ones of people I couldn’t save. Some people never move on from their tragedy.”

  “You should’ve seen the wreck I was the past two years.” Enough of a wreck to drive away her husband.

  “I can only imagine how hard it has been. Thomas said Teddy wants to tell his story. I’m trying to convince him to do it.” Val’s hazel eyes darkened. “There are so many bad men in the world. People need to know good ones like Thomas exist. People love a good hero story.” With a blink, the dimness disappeared.

  “Teddy wants me to write it,” Blue said.

  “Even better.”

  “But if he did agree to it, and I was contracted to write his story, I’d be spending a good deal of time with him. Doesn’t that bother you?”

  Val’s smile dimpled her cheek. “I like Thomas a lot, but I’m not interested in settling down anytime soon. Neither is he. Besides, we still have a lot to learn about each other. Is he my soul mate?” She scrunched her nose. “Jury’s still out. But one thing I know. If what we have isn’t stronger than what you and he have had since you were kids, then I have no right to h
im.”

  Shane nearly ran Blue over as he tugged Ryann’s arm. “Ry, please ride the roller coaster with me. It’s a little one.”

  “No way. That thing took about one hour to assemble, and it looks like the nuts and bolts are made out of Cheetos.”

  “What? You don’t think I can protect you?”

  “Aw, honey. I think you’d die trying . . . alongside me . . . in a tangle of metal.” Ryann looked around. “Someone else please ride the roller coaster with my fiancé, so I don’t have to?”

  “I’m game,” Robbie said.

  “You’re not going to let your baby brother show you up, are you, babe?” Shane asked.

  Ryann groaned.

  “I think I’ll take Anabelle over to the kiddie rides.” Keira began to pull away from Robbie, but he gently tugged her back to him. He whispered in her ear.

  “I won’t. I promise.” When she placed a kiss on his lips, Robbie’s hand trailed across Keira’s lower stomach.

  The exchange made Blue’s heart tick an extra beat. Other than her, only Thomas caught the interaction. His eyes found Blue’s. Val said Thomas wasn’t ready to settle down yet. But he’d never wanted to settle down at all, thanks to his parents’ example. Shane had a better chance of getting Ryann on a rickety roller coaster than Val had of getting Thomas into a marriage. Then again, a lot had happened in their years apart. Would he really marry Val?

  “Earth to Blue,” Robbie said.

  Goodness, how long had she and Thomas been staring at each other?

  “What?”

  “You in?” Robbie asked, looking between the two of them. “For the roller coaster?”

  “Why not?” Blue said.

  “I’m out. The kiddie rides are more my speed,” Val said. “Blue, I’ll hold your popcorn for you if you want. I may steal some more, though.”

  “Have at it.” Blue handed it over, then wiped her hands on her jeans. “Thomas?”

  He shook his head.

  Blue sighed. “You certainly say no a lot more these days. What would Huck Finn say?”

  Thomas’s brows shot up.

  “Let’s go, Robbie.”

  Shane was still tugging Ryann by the hands.

  “No, no, no,” she said.

  Shane stepped to her, meeting her in an embrace. “And here I thought you said we could handle anything so long as we’re together.”

  Ryann might as well have melted into the grass. She lifted her gaze to meet his. “Just once.”

  “Woo-hoo.” Shane swooped Ryann up before she could change her mind and carried her in the direction of the roller coaster, with Blue trailing a few steps behind.

  This roller coaster, with its highs and lows, twists and turns, had nothing on her past two years.

  * * *

  * * *

  Thomas watched Blue walk away at Robbie’s side. Instantly, he was back at her fourteenth birthday party. They’d been playing that dumb Seven Minutes in Heaven game when Robbie and Blue disappeared into the closet. Seven minutes had never felt so long in all of human history.

  “You should go.” Val popped a piece of kettle corn between her lips.

  “I’d rather spend the time with you.”

  She hugged his side. She felt like cool silk on hot skin. But like always, something wasn’t quite right. His spine morphed into an iron poker at her affection. Like always, he cursed himself for it. And, like always, she took a step back.

  “Is this about the movie?” she asked.

  How would it feel to share his thoughts, his fears, his hopes with a woman? He could trust Val with them. She was not his mother. He was not his father. But it felt unfair to pour his cementing thoughts on someone as kind as her.

  She took his hand and clasped it. “I know you don’t want all the attention on you, but this could help restore her career.”

  The group disappeared behind the roller coaster to where the line formed. Ryann was right, like she usually was. The ride was a rickety thing. The kind that promised cheap, momentary thrills, and aches that would lead to a chiropractic appointment. And yet, some people—like Robbie, Shane, and Blue—were eager to experience it, regardless of the risks. There was a time when all Blue had to do was look at him, and he’d have swan-dived off the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. The same way Felix would have done whatever Glory said. But grown-up Blue—the one who’d been scraped clean of everything good that life was supposed to offer—would not ask him to do this.

  “If it’s the paycheck you’re worried about, give it away. You didn’t have a problem selling your plane to help out your father. How many people are even more deserving of your goodwill? That money could make a big difference in someone’s life.”

  “I don’t know who I’d give it to.”

  “What about that family you saved from the fire? They could certainly use it. But that’s beside the point. In every story you’ve told me about your childhood, Blue Walker was the main character and catalyst all rolled into one. If there was any chance that you could help her reclaim her life, her happiness, would you do it?”

  Two minutes later, Thomas pushed his way past the exit gate for the roller coaster. The young worker at the helm did a double take but waved Thomas on. Robbie sat in the first of the three linked cars, barely fitting into its confines. Behind him, in the second car, Shane held Ryann’s chin with his forefinger and spoke quietly to her, ignoring the rest of the world.

  Thomas plunked down into the third car, next to Blue.

  “You skipped the line.”

  “What line? No one else wants to ride this clunker,” he said.

  The cars jolted forward, and five seconds after leaving the station, the ticking of the coaster ascending the first big hill plucked each one of Thomas’s vertebrae.

  “I’ll do it,” he said.

  Her expression showed either confusion or hope. He couldn’t tell with his internal organs dissolving into chaos inside him.

  “The movie? Are you sure?”

  “If anyone’s going to tell my life story, I want it to be you.” His coffee threatened to reappear all over him, her, and the festivalgoers below them. Why did he do this stuff for her?

  They neared the top of the climb. From here, Thomas couldn’t see the drop, but he could feel the tremors of steel beams long past their prime. He grabbed the lap bar, although his palms had grown slick with sweat.

  “Thomas.” Blue’s tone was low and steadying, like the hum of a classic country station in the dark of night. It was familiar. It was home. “We’ll do it together.” She held her pinkie out next to his hand.

  He linked his pinkie to hers. As the car raced earthward, all breath dissipated, and Blue leaned against him. For one brief roller-coaster ride, he pretended he was a man she could depend on.

  Chapter Six

  Two weeks later, Blue filed away her signed screenwriting contract with Seek Media Corporation into a folder marked Blue’s Career. She closed it and weighed the pathetic feather lightness of it with her palms. This was a start. And if she did Thomas’s story justice, she might be accepted back into the Hollywood fold. She would reclaim her status as a rising star. Perhaps, this movie might have the potential for an award or two. No longer would she simply be Hunter Dean Lawrence’s wife. She could return to Los Angeles, buy a cottage somewhere just big enough for her, with a filing cabinet of her own and a shelf for her awards.

  Her first go at life had been a bust, but she’d been given a chance at a sequel.

  Blue leaned back in her father’s office chair. The skylight in the ceiling showed a crisp and clear early-October sky. It was her first look at the outside world all day. She stood, stretched, then exited the office where her father had written countless scripts. It had been her dream to do the same for as long as she could remember.

  Some little girls dream of becomin
g a movie star. Not Blue. She longed to give those stars the words to say, the adventure to take, and the hero to love. As she climbed the rocks behind this home and splashed in the creek, dreaming up stories all the while, the first hero she’d ever imagined was Thomas. In fact, he was the only hero she’d ever imagined. Why hadn’t she written another screenplay after her first smashed records? Simply put, she could never write another hero. They were all the same. Even when she was married to Hunter, every hero she tried to pen had Thomas’s loyal spirit, quiet demeanor, and noble heart. But now that should work in her favor. How hard could this be?

  I was working at the dam the day Ella drowned.

  Blue shook off Thomas’s guilt-laden words as she descended the front stairs. If she was going to write his story, she needed to believe in him. And she did. Breaking her heart once and working at the wrong place at the wrong time didn’t negate his lifetime of goodness.

  She walked down the hallway, passing the wall of family portraits. Several spots were vacant, the picture frames since removed. Blue’s fingers skimmed across the cool, smooth paint that was once concealed by her wedding portrait. They zigzagged between her high school and college cap and gown pictures to the next open square that had displayed the photograph of her family, taken in Switzerland for Ella’s first Christmas. Finally, she dragged her fingertips to the nail hole in the very center of the wall. If only looking at her daughter’s chubby cheeks and rosy lips didn’t tear her heart out all over again, maybe she could have kept this one up.

  In the family room, Blue turned on the lamps flanking the sofa table, otherwise this section of the house was morbidly dark. Thomas would be here soon to answer some questions for her, and he was already spooked enough. He didn’t need to worry about whether she was writing his life into the next Twilight.

  Centered on a shelf, a small four-by-six frame faced down. Without looking, she knew what it showed—Blue, holding her award for the Best Original Screenplay at the Clyde Irving Awards while dressed in a lavender high-waisted ball gown that showed off her pregnant belly just slightly. That night, after her speech, she felt Ella kick for the first time, as if to say, “Good job, Mama.”