by Robin Janney
Hopping out of the cab, he met Angela at the end of the truck and caught her in his arms.
Tears were streaming down her face; he could feel the wetness against his neck. “Please,” she begged. “Please take me with you.”
“Oh Angel,” whispered Craig. His hand smoothed her hair as he kissed her neck and then cheek. “You’re safe here, honey. I won’t be able to focus on your safety if I’m worrying about my Dad. That’s all I meant when I said that you’d complicate things, nothing more. Angela, I need to know you’re safe.” He didn’t go into further details. Knowing she was safe was one of his biggest needs. He prayed she would sense his need and not push it.
Tears running dry as he held her, Angela took a deep breath and gave up the fight. “Alright, if it’s that important to you. But you will take me some other time, won’t you? And you will keep me updated on your dad, right?”
“I promise.” When she pulled her face back to look at him, Craig pressed his lips to hers. “I have to go Angel, but I promise I won’t be gone long. I’ll talk to Dad about maybe going out for Christmas. Does that sound like a good plan?”
“Yeah. Call me like you said?”
“I will.” He kissed her again, glad to see some semblance of a smile on her face. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
She gave him one last squeeze. “I have things I need to talk to you about Craig, so don’t be gone long. I’ve been trying since we got home, but it just never…please, just hurry back as soon as your dad’s going to be alright.”
“I will try my best. Whatever it is, Angel, you know I love you.”
“I know, it’s just…hard. Fly safe.”
“Goodbye Angel.” He ran his fingers across her cheeks, wiping away the last trace of her tears.
“Bye,” she whispered.
“Just to let you know, I’m taking a camera with a microphone with me. I don’t think she’ll try anything, I’m hoping her therapy is working, but I want you to feel secure about it too.”
“Good,” she said firmly, her head nodding. “Thank you.”
“Are you going to stand here and watch me go?”
“Yeah, I am.” Her smile wobbled, but she kept smiling. “I always do…I’m just letting you see it this time.”
He smiled at her and kissed her one last time before pulling away. Once back in the truck, his eyes were on his mirrors, watching her stand there. He hardened his heart and told himself she’d be fine.
T he truck dwindled in the distance, disappearing from her sight and everything in Angela wanted to melt down and sob right there in the middle of the driveway. Not the constant trickling weeping she was doing now…but a full-blown crying jag. Princess rubbed against her legs.
But Angela knew she couldn’t do any such thing. Not with Jared here. If it wasn’t for him, she’d race into her home and upstairs to her bedroom. Nan would understand and leave her alone until she was ready to come out. But her brother wouldn’t understand, and he’d be concerned, and he’d probably call their parents. She didn’t need either of their parents’ input right now.
Was she going to stand here until her husband returned?
Seriously Angela, get a grip!
Wiping the tears from her face, Angela turned and walked back the way she had just run. Walking back into the stables, she headed back to Belle’s stall and began to saddle the horse. Princess sat in her usual spot just outside the stall, watching.
“Couldn’t convince him to take you?” Jared asked, appearing from nowhere. He leaned in the doorway nonchalantly.
“No,” she answered shortly. How could she tell her brother it was the first time her husband had ever told her no? It would make her look like a spoiled brat. She wasn’t, was she? Her heart was pounding in shame. “Now’s not a good time for you to be like Mom.”
Jared didn’t rise to her bait. “Can’t a brother be concerned for his sister?”
Angela sighed. “I just can’t take it right now, okay? Can you just give me an hour on Belle?”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be riding yet.”
“Are you going to stop me?”
He gave an unamused laugh. “I learned a long time ago not to get in your way.”
Angela sighed again. “Jared, I don’t mean to be bitchy. Please, I promise I’m going to be careful. I’m not going to do any jumping or anything.”
Without another word, Jared stepped out of her way as she led her sleek horse out of the stall. He didn’t move as she mounted the horse with smooth motions and walked her out into the riding yard. He admired the way his sister kept her back straight, even though there was the faintest slump to her shoulders.
Drawing a deep breath, he turned and walked back to the ranch house. He had already had his riding lesson for the day, and from the way Gary talked he was as quick of a learner as Angela had been. It wouldn’t take many lessons for Gary to approve him to ride on the job. Rick was being lenient so far and hadn’t given him too much to do yet.
Once inside, Jared found his way to the kitchen which seemed to be Nan’s usual haunt. The woman was more than just a cook, she cared for the entire household, so she must come out of the kitchen from time to time.
Even now, the slim woman was at the counter mixing something in a large plastic bowl. She looked up at his arrival and favored him with a smile. “Hello Jared. Can I help you?”
He shrugged. “Is it always this dramatic when Craig goes on a trip of some kind?”
Nan’s expression grew thoughtful. “Do you mean the tears, or running after the truck? Which part precisely?”
“All of it. Tears, pouting, chasing the truck.”
Nan chuckled somewhat sadly. “Not all of it, no. There are usually some tears, but nothing like what we’ve had today. I wouldn’t say she pouts, it’s more of a brooding. I’m not sure what’s going on with this trip, I don’t need to, but I gather there’s been some sort of disagreement over this one and those have begun to bring a certain amount of…dramatic flair recently. Few and far between thankfully.”
“So generally, they’re a happy couple?”
“Very much so.”
“Good,” murmured Jared.
“You sound as if you weren’t sure.”
He smiled widely in chagrin. “It’s always good to have your beliefs confirmed.”
Nan quite clearly was confused at his comment, but apparently she wasn’t going to pursue it. “Did Miss Angela say how long she would be riding?”
“How’d you know she’s riding?”
“She always does after he leaves.”
Jared sat at a barstool at the island in the long kitchen. “She requested an hour.”
Nan checked the time. “Good. I’ll have time to have the brownies baked then.”
“What is for dinner?” The scent of the batter was making him hungry.
“Steak with mashed potatoes, honey glazed carrots and a garden salad.”
“Sounds good.” Jared watched the woman work, thinking he ought to at least offer to help. It was her job, so she’d probably refuse but he decided to give it a try. “I’m not much of a cook, but is there anything I can do to help?”
Nan shot him a surprised look, but then it faded, and she smiled. “I think I can find something for you to do.”
Jared sprang back up to his feet. “Good.”
b east was nervous.
He sat perched on the fence watching the Little Angel ride her horse. It was a beautiful horse but considering the true nature of the being inhabiting the horse, he wasn’t surprised. Craig had spared no expense when his wife had asked for a horse and had gotten far more than he knew. At the bottom of the fence next to him sat Princess.
The shaggy dog wasn’t nervous; Beast was no longer comfortable of thinking of her fur as yellow, rather the color of golden wheat. She was never nervous. She always had this calm expectation that things would work out exactly as she expected them to. It never failed to irritate him.
“This isn’t go
od,” Little Beast said to the creature of light in canine form. He dropped down to sit on the ground next to her.
“You worry too much,” Princess replied. The dog’s tongue flopped out as she panted happily. Her ‘voice’ was light and fairylike, like the silver tinkling of bells on the wind.
Beast made a disgusted sound. “I’ll avoid the cliché and won’t say how you worry too little.”
Laughter echoed in his ears. “I’ll consider it not said.”
He watched as Angela and Belle soared over jump after jump. Beast wondered how Angela would justify the jumps to her brother later; she had said she wasn’t going to do any. Fear brought out her recklessness. “She has always understood the nature of their dreams, even if she doesn’t remember. She’s scared.”
“She is,” agreed Princess. “It’s my job to see that those fears remain unfounded. Not yours.”
Little Beast looked at her in surprise. She had sounded almost angry with him. It was not a new sensation. Since his departure from the heavenly gathering, she’d always harbored anger against him; he missed her laughter. She’d never forgiven him for leaving her and the King. Just like he’d never quite forgiven her for not coming with him.
“Some of the plans against her were of my own formation. I can help you stop them.”
“Are you switching sides then?” The dog stretched out on the grass, her eyes on her mistress but her tone betrayed her hope.
“No,” he replied firmly. “I’m just trying to undo what I started.”
“It is arrogant to think you can help and remain as you are.” Now there was familiar derision in her voice. “You cannot serve two masters.”
“I serve myself!” he declared angrily.
The dog sniffed the air, her tail twitching angrily. “You should go now. Your presence upsets her.”
Little Beast looked back to the human. The Little Angel seemed no more distressed than she had been before he’d drawn near. Granted, he wasn’t as attuned to her as Princess would be, but he wondered exactly who he was upsetting more. It was the dog’s tail which lashed back and forth angrily.
“I won’t be far,” he said at length.
“I expected as much.”
The small demon took to the air, his size growing the farther away he flew. But as was usual of late, the change brought him no pleasure.
15
N ew York City.
It was night in the city that never slept, but it was far from dark.
As the taxi drove him away from LaGuardia Airport, Craig relaxed in the seat. At least he tried to. The taxi cut out most of the noise of other traffic, but that didn’t mean Craig wasn’t aware of them.
Amongst the cars and trucks, large buses and other yellow taxicabs were all jockeying for position. He was aware of the bright lights illuminating the night. It seemed to Craig that as the lights became brighter the deeper into the city they went, the darker his depression grew.
Craig’s worry about his father hadn’t lessened and had only increased as he traveled. He hadn’t talked with his stepmother since before he had boarded his plane. The report then had been that his father was out of surgery and in recovery. Veronica had said that she was spending the night at the hospital, so he was going to an empty penthouse tonight. Thank God for that small mercy.
Watching the city streets pass slowly by, Craig was struck with a wave of homesickness reminding him he hadn’t called his wife yet. Pulling his iPhone out of his pocket, he turned it back on and waited patiently for it to boot up. Traveling across times zones was always rough, and in this instance as late as it was here, it would still be pushing eleven in Montana. Even without a concussion, Angela was hardly ever able to stay awake this late, and he worried about waking her.
But, he had promised to call. And his wife would no doubt be sleeping with the phone next to her, so she could hear when he called. Pressing her name on his favorites list, he put the phone to his ear and waited. Angela would have been fascinated by the city which bored him, and he found his promise to bring her here for Christmas lacking. He knew one of her missing memories was of a shortened school field trip to the city. But it was too late for regrets, in more than one way.
“Hi!” came her tired voice after the second ring.
“Hi,” Craig answered back, smiling at the sound of her voice. Something in him unwound. “I landed.”
“Safe and sound.” She yawned. “It’s so weird when you travel back to the east coast.”
“I know. It won’t be long, I promise.”
“You shouldn’t make promises you don’t have any control over.” He could hear rustling sounds that told him she was stretching in their bed. Unbidden his mind pictured her lean movements, how her feet would press against the mattress and her back would arch slightly as her arms reached above her head. “New York could be swallowed by an icy tidal wave any moment and then where would you be? Stranded in the library burning books to keep warm!”
He laughed lightly. “What did you do?” he asked. “Watch ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ again?”
She joined in with his laughter. “Not since last time. But you get my point.”
“I do. Do you get mine?” Craig asked her, his voice sobering.
“That you’ll do everything in your power to keep your promise? Yes.” She yawned again. “Are you at your dad’s yet?”
“No, I’m still in transit.” He looked out the window to orient himself. “Should be going into the Midtown Tunnel shortly. I’ll probably lose you. Anyway, it sounds like you need sleep.”
Angela made that quiet sound of hers, the one letting him know he was right and she didn’t want to admit it.
“Let’s hang up, honey. You can call me back in the morning.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
There was the sound of silence that had plagued their phone calls from the beginning, the moment where neither wanted to be the first one to say goodbye and hang up.
“Count of three?” asked Angela, a smile in her voice.
“One,” he answered.
“Two…”
There was the moment of final hesitation which always made him smile.
“Three…” they said as one.
Lowering the phone away from his ear, Craig hit the red ‘end’ square on the bottom of the touchscreen. The peace and happiness he had felt while talking to his wife disappeared. He went through this each time he traveled back to Tyler’s Grove as well, although their arguing before this trip had him missing her even more.
Sliding the phone back into his pocket, the lonely man rubbed a hand across his face.
“Please God,” he whispered in prayer. “Get me through this. Protect my wife while I’m gone and please let my father have pulled through with no serious injury, so I can go back home to her.”
He spent the rest of the ride in quiet contemplation and prayer.
Even at this hour, there was a doorman outside his father’s building. As the taxi came to a stop, the doorman stepped forward to open his door. Craig pulled his bags out with him.
“Mr. Moore?” the man inquired.
“Yes. It’s just Craig.” He shouldered the duffle bag, adjusting the strap on his shoulder.
“Your mother warned us you’d be arriving late.” The unnamed doorman shut the limo door and walked with Craig to the large doors gracing the front of the building. “Do you know your way, sir?”
“Stepmother. And unless things have changed drastically in the past decade, yes.” Craig allowed the short man to open the door. The last time he’d been here had been shortly after the 9/11 attacks, although he hadn’t stayed long and then he’d stayed with his Aunt Meg ten levels higher than his father’s. He’d lost a few family members and old friends, but his dad had been fine.
The doorman smiled good-naturedly. “Some redecorating perhaps, but nothing in the layout.”
“Thank you.” Craig pulled a twenty out of his pocket and handed it to the man. “Have a good night.”
&nb
sp; “I will sir, thank you.”
As he had been doing since landing, Craig paid little attention to his surroundings including the details of the plush lobby. The part of him still feeling guilty for leaving his wife behind ignored the soft looking couches and chairs sprinkled around the wide lobby.
Inside the elevator taking him to his father’s level, Craig could feel the late hour wearing on him. He had napped on the airplane but was far from rested. The elevator doors opened to reveal the small foyer that was the entrance to his father’s level. He walked the few steps to his father’s doorway and entered.
Flipping on a light, Craig could see there had been fewer changes in the decorating than he had seen in the bottom lobby. His father was never keen on change and Craig knew it to be a source of continual disagreement between his father and stepmother.
Motivating himself to move again, the tired man carried his bags through the large open dining room and down the short hallway to the bedrooms. He took a moment to look in his brother’s old room, across the hall from his. It was as if Tim had never slept there. Gone were the Mets pennants and baseball paraphernalia.
Turning around, he opened his old door. It was far from the same as when he’d been a teen, but it still hurt stepping into this room. He cursed silently into the darkness and flipped on the light. Shutting the door quietly behind him, he let out a breath. Why had he thought this was a good idea?
Tossing his duffle bag and his laptop on the bed, he took a deep, steadying breath. Then another. Would it have hurt as much if he’d brought his wife to this room? He’d never shared much of his childhood assault with her, aside from the fact of it happening. There were things she was better off not knowing.
In a few minutes, he had his laptop set up and was placing the small camera he’d brought along. It was a large bedroom, with sizeable windows showing a bright New York skyline. The thick curtains pulled to the sides were the color of Angela’s eyes. God, he was missing those blue eyes right now.
It would be impossible to capture the whole room, especially since he’d only brought the one camera. But after a moment’s inspection, he decided on the far corner. The angle from there would capture most of the room, just not the doorway.
