by Mary May
Sabrina hugged her former father-in-law warmly. “Congratulations! Is the baby alright?”
After hugging Evan and Catherine, Carl grew somber. “We knew the baby would probably have some problems from the tests that were run during Keelie’s pregnancy. We won’t know the full story until they run a few more tests.”
Sabrina touched Carl’s arm. “Carl, you know that Keelie told me about the baby having Down Syndrome, but I just told mother and Evan a few minutes ago. I hope that was okay.”
Carl actually looked relieved that he wouldn’t have to explain everything. “No, I tried to get her to talk with the family about it, but I think she thought that you would blame her. That you would think she caused this because of her age. I told her that was crazy; this wasn’t her fault!”
Sabrina grabbed his hands. “Of course not! We would never think that! Whatever the doctor’s report is, we will be right here to help you both through it. We will raise this child just like we raised Charlie, as a family!”
Carl smiled and brushed at his eyes.
“So, we have a beautiful girl! Do we have a name for her yet?” Catherine asked with a beaming smile.
Carl’s smile got even bigger. “Yes, we do… her name is Kinsley Renae Blakely, and she is so beautiful she will take your breath away!”
Gideon watched as the events unfolded in the waiting room, it reminded him of when Charlie was born, the excitement and the joy of bringing a new life into the world. He understood that this little one would face challenges, but he couldn’t think of a better family to help her overcome each challenge that she would face. He knew about Down Syndrome. It was almost like the Lord had given these little angels extra big hearts to love the world with. Even while still in the heavens the little bundles that carried a Down’s baby had a little more sparkle! Yes, this baby girl was most definitely special, but not in the way they were thinking.
Two hours later after she had come out of recovery, the family was allowed in to meet the newest member. Keelie was lying propped up in bed with a pillow on her tummy, and nestled in that pillow was a soft pink blanket. Sabrina held her breath as she approached the new life. Keelie looked tired but was beaming from that pure joy that only a new mother can understand.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Sabrina whispered.
She smiled then nodded and shifted the blanket a bit.
Sabrina looked into the eyes of an absolute angel. “Oh, Keelie, she is stunning! So, so beautiful!”
Keelie smiled. “I know! I can’t get over how gorgeous she is!”
Carl sat on the other side of the bed so he could look at his new daughter, too. “Of course she is a beauty. With you as her mother she didn’t have any other choice!” Keelie blushed and Carl reached and kissed her forehead. Kinsley Renae had a head full of dark hair that most decidedly came from her mother and, of course, the typical newborn blue eyes. They would have to wait and see about that. Sabrina could see Charlie’s stubborn little chin, which, of course, came from Luke, who had obviously gotten it from Carl. After everyone had seen the baby and offered the new parents their congratulations, they all went home to allow Keelie to rest and to give the parents time to bond with their daughter. On the way home Sabrina tried to explain to Charlie just how the new baby was related to her. All Charlie really wanted to know was when would she be big enough that they could play together.
Chapter 18
It was approaching Charlie’s fourth birthday. Sabrina would find herself checking the mail and her text messages, thinking that Devon would surely contact Charlie to wish her a happy birthday. After another unsuccessful trip to the mailbox, she firmly scolded herself. “Stop looking for him in the mailbox! He is gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! Move on, girl!” She stood looking at the estate. From the road she could hear Charlie’s laughter and Moppet’s barking followed by Edgar scolding the both of them for some transgression. She looked up at the afternoon sky and could feel the coolness in the air, signaling the change of seasons. She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a one long whoosh!
“Devon Lane, I love you, but I have to let you go now. I wish you all the joy and happiness in this world, and I pray that you will one day come to know Christ as the Savior that He truly is. Lord, I pray Your protection over Devon that he may one day come to You and live the life You have begun in him. Lord, I know that whether or not I ever find another husband that I will be okay. You are more than enough for me, Lord.” Sabrina walked slowly back to the house, leaving behind her the remains of what she had hoped would be a forever love…
“Mama, mama, mama!” Charlie came screaming down the stairs with a bounding Moppet nipping at her heels. Sabrina and Cleo came out of the kitchen where they were fixing some snacks for Charlie’s birthday party the next day.
“Charlotte Marie! Why are you screaming like that?” Charlie skidded to a stop in front of the door. She reached for the handle and was pulling on it trying with all her might to open the massive oak door. Sabrina hurried over and took her hand. “Charlie, what is it?”
Charlie looked up at her with sparkling eyes. “Devon’s back!” Sabrina felt her own heart leap with joy, but why didn’t she hear his Harley? Sabrina opened the front door and sure enough there was a tall blonde man getting out of a gray sedan, but it wasn’t Devon.
“Charlie baby, that isn’t Devon. Look closer at him.” Charlie looked confused but then did as her mother asked and turned to look at the man that was now climbing the steps to the estate. This man, though tall, wasn’t anywhere near Devon’s staggering height, and his hair was a dark blonde cut close to his head.
He smiled at Sabrina as he reached the door. “Hi there, are you Sabrina Blakely? I’m Evan’s friend Eric from L.A.”
Sabrina’s eyes widened. “Oh, my gosh! Yes, I’m Sabrina! It’s so good to meet you! Evan didn’t tell me you were coming out for a visit.”
Eric smiled. “He didn’t know, well, I didn’t know myself until yesterday that I would be in the area. I didn’t mention that I was here because I wasn’t sure I would get a chance to get out here to speak with you.” He turned to look at the front of the mansion and the front yard. “This place is really beautiful. Is this the location you want to use for your center?”
Sabrina nodded. “Yes, it is. Please come inside and I will give you the tour. It’s huge!”
They came into the house and Eric smiled down at Charlie. “I’m guessing you must be Charlie?” Charlie nodded, hiding behind her mother’s knees.
Eric squatted down so he was eye level with the little girl. “Do you know how I knew that you were Charlie?”
She shook her head, still peering out from around her mother’s legs. “Your grandpa Evan described you as a little curly-haired angel with big blue eyes. He was right; you are gorgeous! It looks like you have something in your hair; can I get it out?”
Charlie smiled and nodded her head again. Eric reached and pulled a pink carnation from behind Charlie’s ear. “Oh, a pretty pink flower! Mama, look! He pulled a flower from my hair! I didn’t even know it was there!” Charlie reached and took the flower from Eric’s hand and went to show Cleo.
Eric stood up with a smile, watching the little girl race to the kitchen.
Sabrina smiled at him. “Wow, that was a neat trick. She loved that.”
Eric turned and looked down at her with a smile. “It works on big dark-haired angels, too.” Then he reached and pulled a red rose from behind Sabrina’s ear.
Sabrina gasped with surprise. Then she laughed out loud. “Just how many flowers do you have up that sleeve of yours anyway, mister? That was very impressive.”
Eric chuckled, “Just the two today. It helps to know ahead of time just who I will be meeting so I know how many and what kind of flowers to have handy.”
Sabrina smelled the rose then offered it back. “Do you want this back for your next show?”
He held up his hand. “No, ma’am, that’s yours. I’m done with the magic show for today.”
/> They walked on in the kitchen and Sabrina made the introductions. “Cleo, this is Eric…” She turned to the man standing beside her. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your last name.”
Eric reached his hand out to Cleo. “Eric Knight, ma’am, and its good to meet you. I’m Evan’s friend from L.A.”
Cleo gave Eric her trademark megawatt smile. “Yes, sir, I’m just as pleased to be knowing you. Are you going to be the one that helps Miss Sabrina open her rejuvenation center?”
Eric nodded. “Yes, I plan to do my best to see that it happens. I can’t make any promises, you understand.”
Sabrina put her rose in a vase of water after adding an aspirin to help it last longer. “I understand, Mr. Knight; any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.” Sabrina turned to Cleo. “I’m going to show Mr. Knight around the estate. Do you mind watching Charlie for me?” At Cleo’s nod the two headed down the hallway.
“The former owners were the ones to design and build this house. It is very unusual. You will find rooms with gigantic fireplaces and some rooms with no fireplaces at all. The windows are all really tall and you can close the shutters during hurricane season, although we are miles from the coast. I assume that was the reason for them. This place has thirty-six rooms total. They are divided into three wings branching off from the main house. I was thinking of using the eastern facing wing for the center; it is more separate from the main house and would give the patients more privacy. What do you think?” Sabrina stopped, turning to look at Eric, who had been quiet during the tour. She found him studying her with a bemused smile on his face. “What did I say?” she questioned.
He shook his head. “You really are passionate about this center, aren’t you? I can tell by how excited you get.”
Sabrina laughed then nodded her head. “Yes, I guess I do. I find myself walking these hallways imagining the people that I would love to help. I know the Lord gave me this estate for a bigger purpose than just to provide shelter for me, Charlie and the rest of my family. She paused then looked at him seriously. I don’t know what your spiritual beliefs are, Mr. Knight, but in this house we follow Christ, and the example that He set.”
Eric placed his hand on Sabrina’s elbow to turn her around to face him. “First off, I’m Eric; no more Mr. Knight. I’m only that man in the courtroom. Second, I have had a close relationship with Christ since I was twenty-two, so I completely understand the conviction that you are under, and I admire your determination to fulfill this calling in your heart. I plan on doing everything in my power to help you with that.”
Sabrina felt like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She didn’t even realize she had been so worried. She gave Eric a huge smile. “You don’t know what that means to me, Eric. Thank you so much!”
He smiled and winked. “I haven’t done anything yet, but you’re welcome.”
Sabrina and Eric toured the rest of the estate, going from room to room and walking the grounds. They discussed the different options and what they might encounter with trying to obtain the building permits. When they finally ended the tour in the den, Sabrina turned to him, asking if he thought they had a shot in getting the permits they needed.
Eric thought for a moment before he answered. “I think we stand a decent chance. I hate to give you a solid yes or no, because I don’t have all the information that I need, but I do think we stand a good chance.”
Sabrina sat on the couch. “Ok, I can accept that answer. Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it.”
She watched Eric eyeball the fireplace. “I told you it was huge, but you just have to see it to truly get the picture.”
Eric glanced at her. “Yes, you do. But that wasn’t what caught my eye. I think I know what this was used for.” He walked over to the hearth and ran his finger across the mantle, stopping about mid-way. Sabrina heard a click and then a scraping sound. Then the massive fireplace started to rotate. She jumped to her feet. “Oh, my gosh! You have got to be kidding me! A secret room?”
Eric turned and smiled at her after sticking his head in the yawning cavern that was behind the fireplace. “Nope, not a secret room. How do you feel about tunnels?”
Sabrina walked up to the empty space behind the fireplace and she could feel the cool air and dampness from the packed dirt floor and the large rocks that the house was built out of. Eric reached in his pocket and brought out a Zippo lighter and flipped the lid. The light illuminated the space directly in front of them but didn’t do a thing to dispel the inky blackness that was beyond the light.
“I can’t believe this! A secret tunnel! That’s way cooler than a secret room! Wonder where it goes.”
Eric flipped the lighter shut. “I don’t know, but I’m not going exploring with just my Zippo. Do you have a flashlight?”
Sabrina turned and ran to the kitchen, digging through the drawers until she came up with a functioning flashlight. She then told Cleo to be sure and keep Charlie out of the den until she returned.
“Return from where, Miss. Sabrina?” Cleo called out. Sabrina didn’t answer; she grabbed the flashlight and some extra batteries; then she ran back to the den.
“Here, I found this and extra batteries in case these were old.”
Eric reached for the flashlight. “Good girl, smart thinking!” They entered the tunnel after Eric had wedged a brick in place to keep the fireplace from shutting them in there. Sabrina followed closely behind him, feeling shivery with excitement. She couldn’t believe this was in her house all this time! They traveled a ways, making several twists and turns and picking which tunnels to explore before they noticed they were definitely going downhill.
“We must be getting close to the end because I can see a sliver of light ahead.” Eric moved to the side and pointed ahead. “Do you have any idea what part of the house we are in right now?”
Sabrina cocked her head and shot him a bland look. “Seriously?”
Eric laughed. “Ok, guess not. Let’s keep going.”
As they reached the end of the tunnel, Sabrina could hear what sounded like traffic rumbling over her head. “Is that cars I’m hearing?”
Eric looked up and reached his hand up to touch the roof of the tunnel. “I think so. If you reach up, you can feel the vibrations. We are under a street somewhere.” Sabrina reached the end of the tunnel and was running her fingers around the edges of the seam of light coming from the other side. “Here, hold the light. Let me see if I can find the latch.” Eric moved up beside Sabrina and she watched as he carefully and lightly ran his fingers over the seam of light. “Bingo! I found it! Move back because I don’t know how big this wall is or if it will swing in or out.”
Sabrina stepped back and heard the familiar click and scraping sound, watching as the wall started to turn outward.
Devon had been working at the Last Chance Bar & Grill for a couple of weeks now. He was hired on as a bouncer and general peacekeeper, but it didn’t take Austin long to figure out that Devon was capable in other areas as well. For one, he was an expert in security and surveillance, so he had taken over the numerous video cameras and installing several more in key areas. He also weeded out the employees that had their hands in the cookie jar. Austin then made sure he was in on all interviews for the new hires. Now the cash shortages had stopped altogether. Austin was grinning at the end of each night as business had picked up and he had the profits to show for it.
It was now Saturday night and the place was packed. Devon was walking the bar looking for any trouble before it started. After he had “demonstrated” his brand of peacekeeping, most of the folks that hung out now minded their manners. He had fired the redhead that had come on to him his first night there and hired the blonde he hired as her replacement. Once she had understood that Devon was not interested in her, Kacie actually turned out to be a first-rate waitress and bartender. Devon walked up to the bar now, and without saying a word Kacie slid a cold bottle of water his direction. Devon nodded his head in thanks and kept crui
sing the room. He took a long swallow of the cold water. The only down side, well, one of the down sides to working in a bar was he stayed thirsty all the time from the smoke in the air. The up side to working in the bar was it made him quit smoking…again. He made his circuit then he slid back into what was now known as Devon’s booth. The same one he took the first night he stopped in. He was going over a few invoices when a new group came into the bar. They were loud and wound up, but Devon didn’t say anything. Being loud and wound up didn’t bother him as long as they behaved. He kept going over the invoices but he kept one ear focused on the new group. They ordered drinks and then got a booth just a couple down from his. They probably thought the distance and the music that was being pumped out at decibals loud enough to make your ears bleed was enough to keep Devon from hearing their plans…they were wrong.
Punk number one: “He is big but I bet he isn’t so tough. Most guys like that can’t actually handle that big frame in a real fight. I could take him!”
Devon actually cracked a smile at that.
Punk number two: “I don’t know, man, did you see what he did to Hank last weekend? He still ain’t exactly right.”
Devon nodded his head; it seemed at least one of the crash pack had some functioning brain cells.
Punk number three: “I’ve heard he has done time…hard time…real hard time, if you know what I mean. I heard he has killed a lot of people. I’m not messing with him!”
Back to punk number one: “You can’t believe everything you hear, Tony, and Hank will tell you himself that the guy got in some lucky punches that caught him off guard was all.”
Devon wondered just where they got their information. They were not wrong on all of it, but some of the facts were a little…off. He stood to his feet, deciding to nip this future problem in the bud. He walked down to the booth where the troublesome trio sat knocking back their drinks.
