Cape Light

by Thomas Kinkade

  Finally they pulled up to the hospital, and moments later they were in the emergency room. Jessica was so upset, she could barely see straight. She was so thankful for Reverend Ben, who quickly helped her locate Sam.

  “He’s in intensive care,” the nurse at the desk told them. “Only family members are permitted to visit right now. Are you family?” she asked, looking first at the reverend and then at Jessica.

  “Well, not exactly, no,” the reverend admitted. “But I am the young man’s minister and this,” he said, gesturing toward Jessica, “is his . . . well, his girlfriend. More than that, actually. I’m sure it would do Sam a world of good if he were allowed to visit with her. Family or not,” he added slowly.

  Jessica looked at her hopefully and finally the nurse relented. “All right, you can see him. But only for five minutes,” she warned. She got up from her station and led Jessica to Sam’s bed in a small, curtained-off area. “Remember, five minutes,” she said firmly.

  Jessica just nodded. That would be more than enough time to tell him how much she loved him. She wouldn’t waste another second, she vowed.

  She walked up to the bed, telling herself it would be okay. But when she opened the curtain and caught sight of Sam’s bandaged head, she felt herself go weak with shock.

  Sam’s eyes were closed. Dozens of tubes and wires were attached to his body and connected to an array of bedside machinery. Her gaze traced a row of dark stitches across one side of his head. His face was ashen, with dark circles under his eyes.

  Was he conscious? What if he didn’t hear her? she thought frantically. Or what if he did and still couldn’t forgive her?

  She knew in an instant what she would do. She would stay in Cape Light for as long as it might take for Sam to know how much she loved him.

  At least God had spared his life. She sent up a swift prayer of thanks and felt tears fill her eyes again.

  She reached out and softly touched his cheek with her hand.

  As if sensing her presence, he slowly opened his eyes.

  “Sam?” Her voice was shaking. “Can you hear me?”

  “I have to be dreaming,” he murmured. “Or it’s the painkillers kicking in . . . or else I’ve passed on and am getting my heavenly reward.”

  “No, thank God,” she whispered. “You are very much alive, Sam Morgan.” She leaned over and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I love you so much. So very, very much.”

  The tears filled her eyes and her throat felt thick. She couldn’t speak. She sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand.

  “Do you believe me—and can you forgive me?” she asked him.

  “Of course I do, Jessie,” he whispered, staring into her eyes. “I love you with all my heart. . . . I’m sorry, too. I acted like a complete fool.”

  She shook her head, her vision suddenly blurred with tears. “That doesn’t matter now. You’re going to be all right. And we’re together.”

  With the arm that was free of IV lines, he reached up and buried his hand in her hair, pulling her face down to his. They kissed again, and she felt his strong heart beating under her hand.

  At last she lifted her head. “Where were you going in the rain?” she asked curiously. “You could have killed yourself.”

  “I was trying to see you.”

  “But Digger said you went out to the house.”

  “I did, in the morning, before it got too bad out. But being out there only made me feel worse. Since the day you came out there with me, I kept picturing us living there together when it’s finished. It was too painful being out there, thinking you would never share it with me. I turned around and headed back to town—to your place. I was hoping I could catch you before you left. But then a tree got in the way.”

  She put her hand on his cheek. “Don’t think about that now,” she soothed him. “I wasn’t going to leave without seeing you. I was on my way to find you when the storm got really awful. Emily got the call about your accident, and I came right over.”

  “So you did.” He managed a smile for a moment, but she could see he was in pain. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. There was no need for more words now, she thought. They would have time to talk things through. A lifetime, she thought.

  As if reading her mind, he said, “I don’t want to be away from you ever again. Not even for a day, Jessica. I want you to be my wife, my partner. If you’re still unsure, I can wait as long as necessary.”

  “You don’t have to wait,” she told him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, but this time they were tears of joy. “I know now for sure. I never really wanted to leave here—or leave you. Not for one minute. I just didn’t think I had any choice.” She gave him a tender smile. “It’s almost funny how much that all changed. Now I want to live here—in Cape Light or wherever life leads us. As long as it’s together.”

  Jessica didn’t even notice that the nurse did not return to ask her to leave after five minutes, or even fifteen. Later, though, she wondered if maybe Reverend Ben had something to do with that.

  When Sam’s father and mother arrived a short time later and found Jessica and Sam holding each other, they didn’t seem surprised. After making sure that their son was going to be fine, their attention turned to Jessica.

  “Have you been here very long?” Joe asked her gently.

  “Long enough to decide we’re getting married,” Sam cut in. His mother laughed, but Jessica saw tears in her eyes.

  “I had a feeling about this,” Joe said to his son. “You’ve been walking around like a loon for weeks now.”

  Marie just smiled and hugged Jessica. “Welcome to the family,” she said sincerely.

  “Thank you,” Jessica said. She did feel welcomed.

  She felt as if she were about to start a whole new life. A beautiful adventure with the man she truly loved, an endless sail on a bountiful sea.

  Her mother would object of course. She might not even speak to her. But someday she would come around, Jessica was almost sure of it. Emily, of course, would be thrilled for her. She could hardly wait to share the news with her sister.

  Jessica smiled down at Sam. His dark eyes were shining with love, warming her like the sun. She knew she had never been happier.

  AS LILLIAN PREDICTED, THE STORM LEFT THE TOWN in havoc. But the friendly spirit on Main Street was a heartening sight as shopkeepers helped each other, bailing out flooded basements and restoring damaged storefronts.

  The workmen in town were overwhelmed with repair jobs and busy night and day. Harry Reilly had his hands full, dredging up boats that had sunk in the harbor. Digger was in his glory, feeling very much in demand as he helped out with many of the repairs.

  Out of the storm-swept debris Charlie Bates had dredged up new campaign issues—repair of the outdated storm drains, which Emily had opposed when it was raised last year, and purchasing more emergency vehicles for the police and fire departments. There might be even more before he was through, he thought happily. He believed he might win on this. Then where would Lucy be with her going-back-to-college plans? Charlie had a feeling there were more negotiations in his future.

  Right before the storm, Lucy presented him with a list of expenses and a plan for how she was going to manage her time. She had been accepted at the community college in Southport, so it was hard to hold the line. Seeing how much it meant to her—not that he really understood—he had to relent and agree that she could try it. One course, to start.

  At that rate she would be ready to retire by the time she earned her nursing degree, she argued. Well then, she would have something to do in her old age, after they sold the diner, he countered. That was his final offer, take it or leave it. So she had taken it. At least life at home was more livable now. And though he would never admit it, he was actually getting a kick out of seeing Lucy look so happy.

  Charlie knew that if he won the election, that would change everything. But they would cross that bridge when they came to it, he told himself.

&n
bsp; The Bateses were both glad that Sara Franklin was staying awhile. Charlie didn’t get it. A girl with her education waits tables for a living? He couldn’t figure that one. She was an odd duck if you asked him, but a hard worker. They needed her now, so he tried to be nicer to her. At least nicer than he usually was to the waitresses.

  He had done his best during the storm to help the town and more during the cleanup. People would remember that on election day, he was sure of it.

  Emily, on the other hand, tried not to turn the storm into an issue. It had been, after all, an act of God. A freak occurrence for this time of year, which no one had been prepared for, and which no one—except Digger Hegman—had expected.

  She was going to take this campaign one day a time, focusing on her present job as mayor, not on her future term. If she wasn’t reelected, so be it. She had her health, her own home, and two cats who didn’t have names yet. Her sister would be living here, marrying Sam, and soon giving her a niece or nephew, she had no doubt. Emily counted her blessings and knew she had many. The big storm seemed to clear the dank air in her mind and spirit, and she anticipated autumn with a fresh outlook.

  There had not been much damage at all to Bible Community Church, despite its close location to the waterfront. Ben was watching a glazier replace a few broken sections of a stained-glass window when the mail carrier handed him a bundle of letters.

  Ben leafed through them with only half his attention. Then a postcard caught his eye, a desert scene, eerily beautiful and as different from the coastal landscape of Cape Light as the surface of the moon.

  He quickly turned over the card, stretching out his arm to read the close, clear script without the delay of finding his glasses. It was from Mark. He had a new address in Arizona, but no phone number. He said he was doing fine. He said he would write a much longer letter or call soon.

  Well, that was good news, Ben thought, looking up. Thank you, Heavenly Father, he silently prayed. Then he checked the address at the bottom of the card and finally patted his pockets for his glasses. He couldn’t be reading this right, could he? With the glasses in place, Ben tried it again. He felt his heart skip a beat as he reread the return address on the card. Mark was now staying in a Buddhist ashram. What could this mean?

  Several days later Ben had to admit he was still fairly stunned by the news. He hadn’t even mentioned it to Carolyn. He was thinking about the problem as he sat on a bench in the green, an unread newspaper open on his lap.

  Ben looked up to see Luke McAllister walking toward him. He raised his hand in greeting and smiled. He had not seen Luke since the storm and wondered how he was getting on.

  “Hello, Luke. It’s been a while,” Ben greeted him. “I never did get to congratulate you on buying Dr. Elliot’s land. I want to wish you the best of luck.”

  “Thanks.” Luke nodded. “I think it was the right thing to do. I feel pretty good about it, though I still have no idea what I’m going to do there.”

  He sat on the end of the bench and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I keep thinking about what you said to me that night on the beach, Reverend. How one thing leads to another?”

  Ben nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

  “Well, it’s true. Taking that first step was a good thing. And now I want to take the next step. I feel as if I want to do something good in the world . . . but I don’t know what. Or even if I’ll do it here in Cape Light.” He met Ben’s gaze. “Sounds pretty lame, right?”

  “No, not at all. From small seeds mighty oaks grow.”

  Luke nodded. “That’s what people say. I’m still at the seed stage, that’s for sure.”

  Ben smiled and touched his beard. “Come by and talk to me sometime if you like. I’m always in my office, or not very far away.”

  “I will. Thanks.” Luke nodded and rose to go.

  “I’ll pray for you, Luke. For the fruition of your good intentions.”

  “Thank you, Reverend. I’ll pray for you,” Luke replied. He looked perfectly serious, Ben thought, though a smile danced in his gray eyes.

  Ben laughed. “Thanks. One always needs prayers. Even in my profession.”

  ON THE DAY THAT SAM WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, Jessica drove them out to Sam’s house in his truck. The narrow dirt road leading down to the house was still muddy and wet in patches.

  Sam gave a low whistle. “Ten days later, and you can still see traces of the storm,” he said.

  Jessica knew he was worried about what kind of damage they would find at the house. They walked around the outside first, checking for loose shingles and broken windows. But they soon realized that Sam had managed to secure the house well before the heavy winds hit, and little had been disturbed.

  It was a bright sunny day, and Jessica coaxed him to take a walk to the pond before they went in. She felt so content with his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the overgrown path, there was no need to speak.

  When the path opened again, Jessica gazed out at the pond, remembering the time Sam had taken her here. That seemed so long ago now, though it wasn’t really. She would be very happy living here with him, she thought. She could hardly wait.

  He turned her face up to his and gave her a slow, sound kiss. “I love you,” he said quietly. He had told her this about a million times since his accident, but she could never hear it enough.

  “I love you, Sam,” she answered. “We’re so lucky. So blessed, it’s hard to believe it.”

  “Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I can’t wait until the wedding, though. Three months seems a long time. I wish it were sooner.”

  “Three months?” Jessica echoed. This was the first Sam had mentioned an actual date, and his time line was a bit of a shock. “Three months isn’t very long to plan a wedding,” she told him. “It’s no time at all!”

  He smiled at her indulgently. “Don’t worry, it will all turn out fine. I can’t see how it couldn’t be the happiest day of my life if I’m marrying you. And don’t worry about the house,” he added, glancing back over his shoulder. “It will be done in time. At least enough to live in comfortably.”

  “I wasn’t worried,” she assured him.

  “I realize it’s not the house you may have wanted,” he acknowledged. “Maybe someday we’ll get another more to your liking.”

  She turned her head to one side, looking at him, then back at the house.

  “You’re right, it’s not the house I imagined. And you’re not the man I imagined,” she added, looking back at him. “But both are much more wonderful than anything I ever wished for or could envision. I can see now that God had some very special plans in mind for me.”

  A slow warm smile spread across Sam’s face, warming her heart. “So do I,” he said, pulling her close again.

  Jessica melted into his embrace, feeling his strength and love surround her. Sam was all she ever needed, all she ever wanted. No one else would ever replace him in her heart.

  Jessica knew now she would always feel cherished and protected in his arms. And she would always be happy here, in this house and in Cape Light.