Her thoughts turned to Chad. Sometime before tomorrow evening, she’d stand here and promise to trust him. The fear those words once enveloped her in was gone. Uncertainty crept in at times, but for the most part, Willow felt a soothing sense of confidence when she thought of a life with Chad.
The memory of nightmares and his comforting arms around her bolstered her nerves until she remembered the occasional unexpected twisting in her stomach at his touch. Was he right? Was fear not the cause?
“I love him, Lord. I don’t know what ‘in love’ means really. People talk about it and books expound on it like it is some mystery that reveals itself to you. Well, I don’t feel very enlightened so I doubt I am but—” She hesitated. Praying for something so unfamiliar was a terrifying proposition, but Marianne’s flashing eyes at Willow’s foolish ideas, her gentle expression as she assured Willow that love was worth it, and Chad’s assertion that things would be as wonderful as they allowed them to be spurred her onward. “—please teach me to love him as he should be loved. Please eradicate my fears and give us whatever we need to develop a relationship like Marianne and Christopher’s. Chad deserves no less.”
She stood, brushed off the wet grass from her robe, and started back toward the house. “Oh, and Lord, please let him like his gift. I can’t forget to wrap it in the morning.”
Chapter 102
Birds sang in trees outside the window. A cool but fresh breeze ruffled the curtains and sent her hair dancing around her face. The faint sound of the lowing of a cow hovered around her sub-consciousness. Chickens squabbling in the yard finally woke her.
Sitting up abruptly in bed, she smiled. The wedding—it was today. Tossing the covers aside, she raced from her room, across the hall, and exclaimed, “Wake up—” Her voice faded into a whisper. “Willow?”
A voice from her parents’ room called, “She got up hours ago. Get dressed, there’s work to do.”
“It’s only eight! How many hours are we talking?”
Christopher opened the door. “She sent me back to bed at six and said to get some more rest. I think she’d been up for at least an hour then.”
“Where’s Chad?”
“I don’t know, getting dressed?”
“Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggghhhhhhh.” The wail was infused with a seemingly endless groan. “I’m going to go crazy, I’m sure of it.”
Marianne’s voice echoed through the door. “I want Willow around when Cheri does this, or we’ll all go insane.”
Cheri whirled and raced to throw on yesterday’s jeans and t-shirt. She’d need a shower soon anyway. It was time to find Willow and see what needed to be done. Why hadn’t she done a normal church wedding with normal church things?
Downstairs, Cheri hardly recognized the house. Every surface was full of daisies and lilac sprays in mason jars. She opened the front door and then retraced her steps to the staircase. How had she missed swags of tulle heading upstairs? The porch looked beautiful. Tulle and flowers seemed to scream ‘it’s a Wedding today!’ until it made Cheri’s heart ache.
A small table draped with one of the tablecloths Willow had hemstitched was loaded with the gift boxes of lemon marmalade. It looked like one huge present waiting for the bride and groom but Cheri shook her head. No one had told Willow that the boxes should have gone at each place setting, and it was too late now. The potential for someone to say something to get Chad on all of their cases as Willow overreacted to things wasn’t worth it.
A work truck unloaded a pile of boards that Cheri could only assume would be the dance floor. Tables were set up under semi-sheer tents. The catering truck arrived, and Willow emerged from the greenhouse to direct them to the kitchens.
Cheri hurried inside and was surprised to see extension cords running from outlets to the stove. Chafing dishes sat across the covered stove waiting for food, and the table was covered with dishes. How Willow had accomplished so much in so little time was incomprehensible to her.
Christopher and Marianne arrived in the living room just as Cheri decided to call for help. “She must be working like a mad woman. She’ll be exhausted, and I saw this guy walking around everywhere taking pictures. Is that the photographer?”
“Probably.”
“Well he left!” Cheri’s voice was a cross between dismay and incredulity.
“He’s probably going to take pictures of Chad getting ready.”
“Chad is really getting ready at his house? Are you serious? Doesn’t he know how much work is left?”
Marianne led her daughter out the front door, down the steps, across the yard, and to Willow’s side. “Ok, what can we do?”
Without a word, Willow flipped through her ever-present clipboard and handed a sheet to them. “I had to stagger the bathroom. I will need in there by nine forty-five.” She glanced at Cheri. “You did bring the hot air blower right?”
“Air blower?”
“For drying your hair. You said you were bringing it?”
“Oh sure. I brought it.” Cheri shook her head. Air blower. What next?
Willow turned to give directions to someone that neither Cheri nor Marianne could identify and then turned back and smiled. “In the meantime, I have a list of things you can do if you need something to keep you busy until it’s your turn in the bathroom.”
“What time are you getting ready?
“I’ve planned for an hour or so. It shouldn’t take that long, but you never know what Cheri has planned for me.” Her wink in Cheri’s direction softened her words.
Before they knew what happened, Willow disappeared into the greenhouse, exited near the barn, and followed several people into the summer kitchen. Marianne and Cheri stared at the list divvying it up quickly. By the time Christopher found them after his morning cup of coffee, they were busy covering tables with cloths, napkins, and Willow followed with jars of daisies and lilacs. It seemed like there were flowers everywhere.
The only thing missing was Chad.
Chad’s phone rang at five forty-three. One glance at the number, and he flipped it open. “Yeah?”
“I need you in here now.”
“Um, chief, that wasn’t funny.” Chad rubbed the sand from his eyes.
“I am not joking. Get your sorry backside in here now. I’ve got Joe on a transport, Judith isn’t picking up, and Brad hasn’t reported for duty. I need help now. There’s no one on duty.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It’s just until Joe gets back. That wedding isn’t until eleven. He’ll be back before seven. Does it really take you four hours to primp?”
Grumbling, Chad grabbed his uniform and hurried into the bathroom. “You’re lucky I still had a uniform here. It’s dirty, by the way.”
“I don’t care. Get over here.”
By the time he emerged, Todd was awake, staring at the door in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“That’s what I told the chief. I’ll be back around seven. Call the house at eight if I’m not back by then, and make sure they don’t need anything.”
“Yes, sir!”
Chad ignored the salute and jogged down the steps to his truck. Normally, he’d walk on such a nice morning, but the chief’s voice still rang in his ears. At the station, Varney tossed Chad the keys to the cruiser and insisted he drive. “I’ll get someone on beat when Waverly arrives. I just checked the schedule again, and he’s not supposed to be here until ten. I don’t know how that happened.”
Chad hardly acknowledged Varney’s words. He couldn’t have—or wouldn’t have allowed himself—to imagine a bigger nightmare. If he was late to his own wedding, he’d shoot something, even if he had to settle for his paintball guns to do it.
His fingers drummed on the steering wheel as he cruised up and down the main streets, main side streets, and then did a super quick pass to see if things were buzzing at the farm. If the Chief didn’t like it, Chad would be happy to offer his resignation. For the first time, he truly was appre
ciative of Willow’s money.
He whipped the car around and zipped back to town before it was obvious where he’d gone. The town slowly awoke with tourists arriving for the Coventry’s famous buffets and for picnics by the lake. He waved at Alexa, who flagged him down in surprise.
“What are you doing in that car, Chad Tesdall!”
“It was just the chief in the station—Joe had to do a transport, so I’m all that’s left.”
“Where’s Judith or the new guy?”
Chad shrugged. “I don’t know. No one does. This is insane.”
“At ten o’clock, you drive out there regardless. I’ll watch the station if I have to.”
Her feisty demeanor made Chad relax. It’d be ok. Something would make it work. The Lord wouldn’t let his day be ruined. Solari was dead, Lynne was in jail—no new threats on the horizon. It’d be ok.
“Thanks, Alexa. I needed to hear you say that.”
“Judith is usually so punctual. Did anyone go over to her house?”
“No, but I will. Not sure why I didn’t already.” Chad waved and sped toward Judith’s duplex near the lake.
His knock produced no answer. Her car was gone, the lights out. Maybe she was at the station, and they just hadn’t called him yet. Chad called. “Chief, is Judith there yet?”
“No. It’s only six forty-five. She’ll be here—or Joe will. Calm down.”
“But she’s never late, and she’s not home. Something seems odd.”
The chief’s voice sounded strained. “She’s not home? Is her car there?”
“Nope. I don’t know where she is, but she’s not here, and she’s not where she should be, and that isn’t a good combination for someone as steady as Judith.”
“Come in.”
Chad sighed and stuck his phone in the dashboard holder. He debated calling his mother and rejected the idea. She’d flip, and then Willow would have more to handle. Finally, he called Todd.
“Hey, we’ve got a situation here. One of our officers isn’t home, didn’t show for work, and isn’t answering her phone. I might barely make it if we have to start looking for her.”
“Don’t you have to wait twenty-four hours before you can do the missing person’s thing?”
“Just listen!” Chad wasn’t in the mood for Todd’s jokes. “I’m sorry. I just am frustrated, a little concerned, and time is racing. Take my suit to the farm. I’ll get dressed there. When you get there, tell my father, and then tell Willow. Don’t say anything to anyone else. If they ask when I’m coming, tell them to remember I’ll be there in time for ‘I do.’ It should shut them up.”
“You are seriously playing in dangerous territory. I don’t think even someone like Willow will appreciate being stood up at the altar.”
Chad laughed. “But since we’re partying first, the ‘altar’ can happen anytime, so no worries.”
“Like I said, you are seriously playing with dangerous territory. There are two things you don’t mess with on women. One, their wedding; two their weight.”
“See you later.” Chad hung up the phone before Todd made him truly nervous.
Christopher’s eyes widened as Todd explained the situation. “Thanks. I’d better find Willow. Let me tell her.”
“Mr. T?”
“Yeah?”
Todd sighed. “I’m really sorry. I don’t want to put a damper on anything but—”
“But you think this is going to be bad.”
“Call him. Talk to him. Maybe you’ll get a different sense than I did.” Todd’s voice was laced with pain. “I know how important this day is to him, and he’s going to miss it.”
The phone dropped to the counter before he realized he’d what he’d done. This wasn’t going to go over well. Not. Well. At. All. He found Willow in the cellar of all places, covering bowls of cut fruit. “Need something—” she hesitated. “It’s almost wedding time; can I just call you Dad now?”
Her words tore at Christopher’s heart. This was going to hurt. “You can call me anything you want, but I’ve got some very bad news.”
“The cake is ruined.”
“Worse.”
With a twinkle in her eye that Christopher thought he wouldn’t see for some time, Willow turned it into a game. “Cheri twisted her ankle”
“Worse.”
“Germany opened Auchtwitz again.”
His chuckle sounded strained even to her ears. “Not quite that bad.”
“Cheri slapped Todd.”
“Not that funny.”
“Well,” she conceded. “Unless you’re telling me that Chad changed his mind and has run off with Judith to Bermuda—” The look of horror on Christopher’s face stopped her. “What is it?”
“Well, it’s not that, but it’s nearly that bad. Judith didn’t show for work, Joe is out of town, there wasn’t anyone to help the chief so he had to call Chad in to work.”
“Oh. Well, it’s not good of course, but hey, we don’t have a time schedule or anything. We’ll just do whatever we like until he gets here. If it’s time for wedding by then, then we’ll do the vows. If it’s not, then we’ll party some more and then do the vows.”
“It’s a little worse than that. Judith is missing, so he could get tied up all day.” At the look of dismay on her face, he hastened to add. “I don’t think it will happen! I really don’t. I just had to be honest with you.”
“Forget about the wedding! A woman is missing! Do they need people to help look?”
Without waiting for an answer, Willow raced upstairs, up to her room, and if his ears picked out sounds correctly, shut the door—obviously to call Chad. Christopher stared at the light streaming down into the cellar and shook his head in amazement. “Wow.”
Judith banged her phone again. The battery must be shot because it’d been fully charged when she left the house. It was cool, she was cramped, and according to the car clock, she was late for work. She’d been sitting in the ditch for hours. The shuttle to Rockland would be coming along in about ten minutes. She planned to use her badge to get a ride. It wasn’t exactly protocol, but being late to work on Chad’s wedding day was enough justification in her book.
Thirty minutes later, she walked through the streets of Fairbury, jogging every few minutes, and burst into the station. “Chief! I’m here! I’m so sorry.”
“Where’ve you been!” The chief’s voice thundered from his office sounding nearer and more angry with each step until he stood in the doorway glaring at her. “I’ve got Chad combing the streets for you, Joe diverted to the lake to look for you, and I’m sitting here thinking the worst.”
“You know how I’m never late for work? Ever?”
“Mmm hmm.” Varney’s voice stated that he wasn’t impressed.
“Well, just keep that in mind when you sentence me to something horrible. I went to Rockland last night to get a gift for Chad and Willow, and my car broke down on the way home.” Judith held up a bag. “Scored a cool gift though. Chad’ll love it.”
The Chief was already on the phone with Chad. “She’s here, safe, and just needs a ride to go home and change and then back again. We’ve got the rest.”
The rest of the morning passed in somewhat of a surreal trance. Chad lived it, and yet part of him remained detached as though watching from the outside. At the sight of Wes snapping a picture of his suit jacket hanging over the breakfast bar, Chad realized that part of the feeling probably came from seeing moments as if through Wes’ camera lens.
At ten o’clock, they stowed the final box from his apartment into the back of his truck, and he and Todd took off for the farm. It would be a wonderful day if it killed him. Judith’s gift, still stuffed in a plastic bag and tied with a knot for the ‘bow’ sat next to him on his seat. He wanted that on Cheri’s “gift table,” and he had already asked Wes to get a good picture of it.
Matt suggested that he park his truck on the far side of the goat pen for easy get-away if the occasion arose. Ditto bleated her congratulatio
ns and the chickens ran around as though bereft of heads as Todd shouted greetings. Yep. Just another crazy day on Walden Farm.
“They found her?” Christopher met Chad at the back door.
“She walked in a bit ago. She broke down on the side of the road.” Chad paused. “Oh, I forgot. There’s a gift on the seat of my truck. Can you get someone to put it on the gift table? I really need to see Willow.”
“Your mother isn’t going to let you go anywhere near her.”
Chad glanced at his watch. “It’s ten fifteen. When will she be ready?”
“I’ll go ask. Anything else you need to know?”
“Anything need doing? I’ve got thirty or forty-five minutes.”
Christopher’s hand swept the yard. “She’s got a well-oiled machine going on here. I’d go sit down and relax. You won’t get to do that again until after you kick us out.”
Chad strolled leisurely through the house and onto the porch, to rest on the swing. Still holding his jacket over one shoulder, he stretched out on the bench, leaned his head against the chain, and closed his eyes. The heady scent of lilacs filled the air, and occasional giggles from Willow’s room drifted down to his ears.
A gentle knock interrupted the curling frenzy going on in Willow’s bedroom. “Willow?”
“Yes?” She didn’t attempt to open the door. Any sudden movement would ensure second-degree burns.
“Chad’s here. Everything’s good.”
A sigh of relief escaped. “Send him up.”
“Nuh uh!” Cheri’s indignation was only slightly more vocal than Marianne’s “I think not!”
Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Volume 3 Page 33
