The Price of Trust

by Amanda Stephan

  "New guy I've never seen before. He's gone now, but he was sitting right over there next to where Billy sat," she said, sticking her thumb in the general direction of the counter.

  "You've never seen him before?" Joe asked, immediately suspicious.

  "Nope, but I wouldn't mind if I did see him again. Good-lookin' fella. You don't see the likes of his type in out-of-the-way diners like this one. Good tipper too." She grinned, picking up the tip Joe and Todd left for her, counting it expertly and slipping it into her apron pocket, all within a matter of seconds. "Y'all have a good night."

  Joe was quiet on the drive back to Kelly's place, deep in his thoughts as the rest were talking and laughing. He pulled into the driveway and turned off the truck.

  "Kelly," he said suddenly, taking them all by surprise. "Has there been anyone new that checked in since yesterday?" He took Carly's hand in his, holding onto it as if for dear life.

  "Not that I know of, but I was sick yesterday, and Auntie gave me the morning off today. Why?" she asked, her curiosity aroused.

  He scratched his chin. "Just wondering."

  "What are you thinking?" Todd asked, watching his brother closely.

  "Nothing really. Something's just not right. It doesn't add up. Why would someone we didn't even know want to buy our lunch? Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

  Carly watched him uneasily, a chill running up her spine. When she had those feelings in the past, she had never ignored them, knowing that an unpleasant surprise always followed. Joe squeezed her to him, giving her comfort.

  "Do you want me to check before you leave?" Kelly asked, getting out. "It won't take me long."

  "No, that's okay. I'm sure it's nothing. Thanks," he said quickly, not wanting to put her through any trouble.

  "Well, I better get inside. Thanks," Kelly said, giving Carly a quick hug. Todd walked her to the front door, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, making her giggle. Running, he jumped back into his seat, slamming the door shut behind him. He waved as Joe started down the road to Carly's place.

  "So are you going to tell me what you're thinking?" Todd asked quizzically, leaning forward to see Joe's face.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Don't even try it," Todd groaned. "I know you too well. I know when something's bothering you. Spill it." He waited patiently.

  "I just have a feeling, that's all," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

  "What does the feeling have to do with?" Carly asked as he pulled into a parking space in front of her apartment.

  "It's just a feeling, nothing to worry about," he said, not meeting her gaze.

  "Todd," she said, turning to his brother for support. "We may have to hurt him. Will you help me?"

  "Of course." Todd gleefully rubbed his hands together. "I would love to." He laughed madly, making Carly giggle. Joe smiled, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

  "Joe, please. Just tell me," Carly said, placing her hand on his arm. "I know it's about Ian."

  "It just doesn't make sense," he said quickly, turning to face them both. "I don't even remember seeing anyone sitting at the counter, do you?"

  "No, but we were all laughing and having a good time," Todd said for them both. "So, you think Ian's in town?"

  Joe frowned, irritated that he hadn't paid better attention. "I don't know."

  "Is that who you think paid for our lunches? Why would he do that if he hates you so much?" Todd asked skeptically.

  "I don't know. Did you notice anyone at the counter when we walked in?" Joe asked Carly.

  "No. I didn't pay attention to anyone except for us," she said forlornly, looking down at her hands, which were clasped tightly in Joe's.

  "I'm sure it's nothing," he said hurriedly, noticing Carly's distraught expression.

  "Every time I've felt uneasy, there has always been a nasty little surprise behind it, so I can't just dismiss it like you can. What am I going to do?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes.

  "Pray," Todd said decisively. "That's the only thing I can think of."

  Joe nodded, pulling her close and giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

  "I don't like leaving you alone here," he said after they had finished praying. "Maybe we could have you stay with Kelly tonight," he said hopefully, looking at Todd for agreement.

  Carly shook her head. "I wouldn't feel right doing that. Besides, what would I do in the morning when she had to work? I don't like putting people on the spot like that."

  "Well, we could see if Mom and Dad would let her stay in the spare room at our place," Todd said halfheartedly.

  "No, they wouldn't allow that before we were married. Too tempting." Joe grinned mischievously at Carly. She blushed and punched him in the arm. "The only thing I can think of is get married right away. Like this weekend. Then we could stay together in the apartment, and you could come with me when I went to work in the mornings and spend the day with Mom."

  "Don't you think she'd get tired of me?" Carly asked, wrinkling her nose doubtfully.

  "It wouldn't be very long," he said excitedly. "Just until I got some more of the house finished. What do you think?" He looked at her hopefully, squeezing her hand expectantly.

  "Well," she said slowly. "It sounds okay to me, but I think we should definitely ask God's will to be done. I wouldn't want to drive your mom crazy too fast." Joe hugged her so tightly she thought she was about to burst.

  "All right." He grinned, glancing at Todd. "You heard her. She said we could get married this weekend." Todd laughed.

  "I said we need to ask God's will to be done. And if he leads us to this weekend, then okay," she said, smiling broadly.

  "Sounds fair to me," he said, bursting with joy, kissing her. "We'll both pray about it, okay?"

  "Okay, okay, okay. Knock it off," Todd said disgustedly, trying to hide his smile. "Don't you think we should be getting home now?"

  "He's right," Carly said, pushing away from Joe for a moment. "I'll see you later." She waved to Todd as Joe walked her to her door.

  "I'll call you tomorrow. Early," he said, kissing her before he ran back to the truck.

  Carly watched them leave before she went inside, locking the door behind her.

  Chapter 24

  "What in the world?!" Carly exclaimed, sitting up in bed in fright. She listened fervently for the sound that had awakened her. Unsteadily, she squinted at her alarm clock, trying to make out the time.

  Almost 2:30 a.m.

  She lay back in bed, listening for creaks and groans that weren't usual in the old apartment.

  There it was again! What is that? Is someone trying to drill the lock in my door? she thought.

  Terrified, she flew out of bed and ran to the kitchen, grabbing the first weapon she laid her hands on. Her frying pan. Holding it like a baseball bat, she tiptoed cautiously to her front door, ready to throttle anyone who stepped through. She waited, holding her breath, her heart pumping wildly.

  The sound came again, this time directly behind her. Screaming loudly, she turned around and smashed the frying pan down onto the terrifying noise. Shaking uncontrollably, she sat limply on the floor, trying to regain her composure so she could see what had caused her so much alarm. After a moment, she switched on the light and glanced under the pan.

  "Oh my goodness," she said, laughing hysterically as she picked up her cell phone. Somehow it had been switched to vibrate and had caused the awful sound she had mistaken for a drill. Wiping tears from her eyes, she switched it on to see if she had broken it.

  No dial tone.

  "Hello?" she heard a voice say faintly.

  "Hello?" she said, surprised to hear someone talking, and even more surprised that it still worked.

  "Carly," Joe said, sounding relieved. "What happened? I didn't think you were ever going to answer."

  "It's a long story." Carly laughed shakily. "I know you said you would call me early, but don't you think this is taking it a little too far?"

  "I'm
sorry. I know it's early, but I've got bad news."

  "What is it?" she answered, knots in her stomach. "Did you change your mind about getting married?"

  "No way. You're not going to get out of it that easily. No, we got a call that my aunt Ruth is really sick and they don't expect her to last past the weekend."

  "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" she asked, concerned.

  "Well, that's why I'm calling. We won't be able to get married this weekend like I was hoping." Her heart plummeted, matching the disappointment in his voice.

  "That's okay. There's always next month," Carly said, turning off her lights and lying back down.

  "I don't think so," Joe replied firmly. "Next weekend, Lord willing. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe you and Kelly could stay out here while we're gone."

  "Sure, I don't mind, but does Kelly know?"

  "Todd's talking to her right now. I'd feel a lot better if you were out here rather than in town."

  "Are you still worried?"

  "Just uneasy, that's all. Would you mind taking care of the animals and house for us?" he asked hesitantly.

  "No, I wouldn't mind a bit. I'd be glad to help out. It's a good thing you taught us what to do!" Carly laughed, putting him at ease. "I'll miss you though."

  "I'll miss you too, babe. I know this is going to sound mean, but I’m really disappointed about this weekend. I can hardly wait to be married."

  "Me too, but I guess this is God's will in the matter, right?"

  "Yeah," he said, his voice low. "I wish you could go with us."

  "I wouldn't feel right doing that. This is good the way it is. What time do you plan on leaving?" she asked.

  "We were going to leave around six thirty in the morning."

  "Okay. I'll see you when you come back."

  "When I come back? You're not going to see me off?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.

  "I'm teasing." She laughed quietly. "How's Kelly going to get there?"

  Joe was silent for a moment. "I hadn't thought of that. Let me see if Todd is still talking to her. Just a minute." Carly heard a muffled conversation as if Joe had put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Carly," he said, coming back on the line. "He's still talking to her. They haven't gotten that far yet."

  "Tell her she can ride with me if she wants. I'll come pick her up at five." Muffled conversation again.

  "She said that sounded good. She'll be ready." Joe sighed. "I'm sorry to put you through so much trouble."

  Carly yawned. "It's no trouble. I don't mind. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

  "Thank you. I love you," Joe said softly. "Sorry I woke you up."

  "I love you too. By the way. This phone is pretty tough. It can really handle abuse."

  "Abuse?" She could tell he was confused.

  "I'll tell you about it later. I just wanted you to know that you paid for a pretty good phone!" She laughed. "I love you, and I'll see you in a few hours. Good-bye."

  "Good-bye. I love you too," he said, hanging up.

  She pulled into Kelly's driveway promptly at five the next morning. She leaned over to open the passenger door. "Hey, girl, how are you this morning?"

  "Extremely tired." She smiled, putting her suitcase next to Carly's in the back seat. "How are you?"

  "Same here. Are you ready?" she asked, putting the truck in reverse.

  "Yep, let's go. Todd scared me out of my wits when he called so early. How about you?" Kelly asked, leaning back in her seat.

  "That's putting it mildly." Carly smiled ruefully, relating the story of someone drilling her lock to Kelly while driving to the farm. They were still giggling hysterically when they pulled into the driveway and parked.

  Joe and Todd came out to help them with their suitcases.

  "What are you laughing at?" Todd asked, ready for something to smile about.

  Kelly laughed, wiping tears from her face. "You have to tell them, Carly."

  Carly groaned good-naturedly.

  "Sounds like a good one already." Joe laughed quietly, setting her suitcase down on the kitchen floor.

  "It is." Kelly giggled, hanging up her coat.

  "What's good?" Penny asked, filling Tom's cup with coffee. Her face was red and blotchy, like she had just gotten done crying.

  "Good morning," Carly said quietly, unsure of how to act.

  "Good morning. We didn't expect you two here so early." Tom's boom was softer than usual as he greeted the two girls.

  Carly smiled, winking at Joe. "Joe made it sound like it would be a capital offence if I didn't see him before you all left."

  "It would have been," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "How do you think I would have survived?" He kissed her ear.

  "Oh I don't know. Food. Water. Sleep. Just to name a few of the essentials." She giggled as he pinched her arm.

  Penny continued bustling around the kitchen, making sure the last minute items were taken care of. "Have a seat, girls. Would you like some coffee or breakfast?"

  "No thank you," Carly said quickly, not wanting to be a bother. "Is there anything I could do to help you?"

  "No, I've pretty much got everything taken care of. Anyway, you're both doing us a huge favor by staying here and taking care of the animals. It's a load off our minds, and we really appreciate it," Penny said softly.

  Tom got up and went over to her, giving her a big bear hug to comfort her. Carly, Joe, Kelly, and Todd were all silent.

  "Here," Joe said, getting to his feet. "I'll take your suitcase to my room if you want." He quickly grabbed her suitcase and walked upstairs before she could say anything. She looked over at Todd, who was holding Kelly's hand so tight his fingers were turning white.

  "He'll be okay," he said more confidently than he felt. "We just don't know what to expect when we get over there to see Aunt Ruth."

  "How far away is it?" Kelly asked quietly.

  "It'll take us about three hours to get over there if traffic is good. Lord willing, there won't be any traffic jams or road construction in our way."

  Carly stood up to follow after him. "Excuse me." Quietly, she walked upstairs into Joe’s bedroom and found him sitting at his desk, his head in his hands, her suitcase beside his dresser. She stood behind him and rubbed his back, trying to console him. He took her hand in his, not turning to face her.

  "Are you all right?" she asked, leaning her chin on the top of his head.

  "Yes," he said, his voice muffled. "I just hate doing this."

  "Doing what?" she asked, hugging him to her.

  "Dealing with the memories. The pain of losing someone. Leaving you behind. I wish you could go with me and at least meet her. She was a great person."

  "Is," Carly corrected softly. "She's still here. Who knows? Maybe she'll get well. God still performs miracles, you know." Joe was silent.

  "Look at us."

  "What do you mean 'us'?" he asked, turning around to face her. He pulled her onto his lap.

  "Joe, I had no intention of getting to know you better. I didn't want to. I was so afraid. I tried to keep myself from liking you, but God made it impossible. I couldn't help but love you," she said, looking into his weary face. "And now, for the first time in a long time, I'm not even considering running away if Ian shows up. I'm happy and content and I don't want to be anywhere but with you."

  "And now I'm going away," he said regretfully, kissing her hand.

  "But you'll be back," she said confidently. "And when you're back, we might actually have a wedding." She smiled and kissed him lightly, as he pulled her into a hug.

  "Joe," Tom said, his voice travelling up the stairs. "It's time to go." Joe sighed resignedly, burying his face in her neck.

  "I'll walk you down," Carly said, pulling him out of his seat.

  "There's really nothing that you have to worry about today. The animals are all fed, watered, and milked. The chickens may lay a few more eggs during the day. Just keep an eye on them, and there's nothing else really to do,"
Penny said, as they walked into the kitchen.

  "Mom, they'll be okay," Todd said, giving Kelly one last kiss.

  "Help yourself to whatever you want. I didn't have time to make any casseroles or dinners, but there's plenty to eat," she said as if she didn't hear him.

  "We'll be okay," Kelly said reassuringly.

  "Everything will be fine," Carly said, letting go of Joe's hand as he put on his coat.

  "Do you have your cell phone?" he asked. She nodded, trying to smile. "Good. I'll be calling you."

  She winked, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in her heart. "Maybe you could make it a little later than two in the morning this time."

  "Maybe." He smiled sadly, wrapping a lock of her hair around his finger. "I love you, Carly."

  "Lord willing, we'll be back in no time," Tom said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

  The girls walked them to the door and stood on the porch, waving until they couldn't see the truck anymore. Hurrying inside from the cold, they walked listlessly to the table and sat down.

  "Well," Kelly said resignedly. "They're gone."

  "Mm-hmm," Carly said sadly. "It's not nearly as nice with them gone, is it?"

  "No, it's not. I miss them."

  "Me too." They were silent for a while, preoccupied with their own thoughts. Kelly broke the silence first.

  "Is there anything you want to do?"

  "I hadn't really thought of anything, to tell you the truth. I'll probably go out to the barn and check on the animals, then come back in and work on Joe's room. How about you?" Carly said, getting up to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Would you like some?"

  Kelly nodded. "What about going shopping later?" she asked, accepting the cup with a grateful smile. "Thanks."

  "That sounds like fun. We could shop for our weddings!"

  "Yeah! When do you want to go?" Kelly asked excitedly.

  "It's way too early now, so what about after lunch?"

  "That'll give me plenty of time to work on Todd's room. Goodness knows it needs it!"

  "Well, if you need any help, let me know. I'll be right across the hall."

  A few hours later, Carly stepped into Todd's room to see how Kelly was getting along.