Broken Things (Faded Photograph Series)

by Andrea Boeshaar

  “Simmer down, you guys.” He didn’t say more until they quieted. “Okay, I’ll tell you what. Since you’re all so interested in marriage, let’s see what God’s Word has to say about it. Take your Bibles and turn to Ephesians chapter five.” The rustling sound of pages being turned filled the room. “I’ve studied this subject in great detail, and it’s my opinion that the Lord gave men some tall orders. That’s why it’s important not to run headlong into marriage. You’ve got to think it through. Pray about it. And, not just the guys, but the girls too.”

  Logan read verses twenty-two through twenty-five, emphasizing the word “sacrifice.” He went on to explain how God’s idea differed from the world’s self-centered, “what’s in it for me” view of marriage. Then he wrapped it up by challenging the teens to prepare for their future roles as husbands and wives, should the Lord desire them to be married, by putting others first in their lives now. And to those who might remain single, he added that such a fate was not worse than death―especially if it’s God’s perfect will.

  “Think about it. Singleness has its blessings. There are a lot of ministries a person can’t be involved in if he or she has a spouse and family.”

  Feeling like he might be talking himself into some trouble, Logan glanced at Marilee and sent her a sheepish smile. “Except this ministry. It’s been pointed out to me numerous times that I need a helpmeet.” He cleared his throat, glad to see she laughed along with some of the kids.

  “But whether you end up single or married,” he continued, “our faith demands our time, talents…our lives. So next time, instead of doing what you want,” Logan suggested, “try doing what your parents and teachers ask. Instead of insisting on having your way, let your friend have his or her way. And, most importantly, let God have His way in your lives. You might think you’re giving up your rights, but you’re not. You’re opening yourself up to blessings.” He closed his Bible. “Let’s pray…”

  * * *

  Marilee bowed her head and prayed along with Logan. It still seemed as though she walked on rainbows, her head in the clouds. The man she loved had finally asked her to marry him. They were engaged and he’d given her the diamond ring of her dreams. Marilee could hardly wait until she got it back from the jewelers. What’s more, Logan had agreed to give her some time to plan the sort of wedding that she and her mother fantasize about when Marilee was a girl. She and her mom had always been close, while her sister Joy had been the ultimate “daddy’s girl.” Even so, Joy’s wedding had been gorgeous, and Marilee wanted nothing less.

  When Logan finished praying, he dismissed the kids. Several girls crowded Marilee and interrogated her about the wedding plans. Marilee divulged the few decisions she’d made in only four short days since Logan proposed. She’d selected two of her colors―teal and ivory―and she bought her wedding dress, all satin, pearls and lace. She had actually purchased it years ago while shopping in New York with her mother, but she didn’t tell the girls that. She didn’t even want Logan to know that she’d had the gown and all she’d needed was the guy. But the truth of the matter was, when she first met Logan Callahan, she knew in a heartbeat that he was the one for her.

  The girls chattered on like magpies until another of Logan’s infamous shrills put an end to their conversation.“If you ladies don’t have anything to do, we could use some help cleaning up.”

  “I gotta go,” one gal said. “My parents are waiting.”

  Several more agreed, and left. Only two girls stayed with Marilee and volunteered to help.

  Youth Group Hall emptied and Marilee watched with disappointment as Veronica Callahan slipped quietly out the door. They would be family soon, and Marilee wanted to be close to Logan’s cousin.

  Maybe she’d ask Ronnie to stand up in the wedding. Though, that would make six bride’s maids. Too many? Marilee mulled it over.

  “I hope he’s not going to whistle for you like that after you’re married.” Joan Oliver’s hazel eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “What?” Marilee shook herself from her musings.

  “I can see it now,” the girl said. “Pastor Callahan will be like the captain in The Sound of Music just after Maria arrives on the scene. He had certain whistles for each of his kids―and for her too.”

  Marilee smiled, recalling that part of the story. “Like Maria, I’ll have to put an end to all of Pastor Callahan’s bad habits.”

  Logan frowned. “I don’t have any bad habits.”

  “That you know of,” Melissa Chandler quipped. “My brother and my dad don’t think they have bad habits either, but they do. They don’t put the cap back on the toothpaste, and they leave their smelly shoes in the middle of the living room.”

  “My dad sleeps on the couch all the time,” Mark Pershing, a rail-thin, freshman, divulged. “My mom gets really mad cuz he rumples everything up and makes the couch sag.”

  Logan chuckled. “Hey, now, a man’s home is his castle and he can sleep wherever he wants and he can leave his shoes wherever he wants.”

  “That’s what my dad says too,” Joan replied as she and Marilee began folding up chairs and stacking them against the wall, opposite the doorway. “But my mother says she’s like Queen Esther and she can sweet talk the king into anything.”

  Marilee laughed and watched Logan. He stood on the platform wearing black pants and blue shirt. His tie was askew from moving furniture and his chestnut-brown hair was slightly mussed. Placing his hands on his waist, he pursed his lips, furrowed his brows, and after a wink in her direction, Marilee anticipated a smart aleck remark.

  He didn’t disappoint her. “Queen Esther, huh? So that’s what it’s all about. Marilee, I think I’m finally beginning to understand the male-female thing. And it took a bunch of teens to help me figure it out.”

  “He’s just figuring it out now?” Melissa looked at him with wide, sarcastic eyes.

  “Anything else you need help with, Pastor, just ask.” Jason Edwards wore a mischievous grin. A stocky young man with thick glasses, it was apparent that he adored Logan and would try to lasso the moon for him. Being raised by a single mom, Jason appeared to crave the role model Logan provided.

  “I was kidding, okay?” Logan gave the teenager a playful shove. “Wise guy.”

  Jason hiked up his glasses while his shoulders shook with laughter.

  Marilee smiled at the scene. She had to admit, the clowning around made the cleaning up rather enjoyable. Should Jason also stand up in their wedding? Wouldn’t that encourage the young man? Or perhaps he could be the ring bearer…

  Once the room was sufficiently tidy, Logan jumped off the platform and walked towards Marilee. Her heart quickened its pace.

  “Want to get something to eat?”

  She’d already had dinner, but she wasn’t going to pass up the chance to have Logan’s undivided attention. “Sure.”

  “Good.”

  She couldn’t resist the urge to straighten his tie. “I’m crazy about you, Logan.”

  “That’s what I hear.” He searched her face, a smile playing across his lips. “How come you were so late tonight?”

  “Oh, I had to take my wedding gown to the seamstress and while Mom and I were there, we started looking through patterns for the bride’s maids’ dresses.” Marilee grinned. “I think we found one, too!”

  “Couldn’t that have waited until tomorrow?”

  Marilee didn’t miss his hint at a frown. “No, Mrs. Avery, that’s the seamstress, is going out of town and won’t be back for two weeks. Mom and I wanted to hurry and get over to her shop because Mrs. Avery said her schedule is full until Christmas and filling rapidly for next year already.”

  Logan rolled a shoulder, a dip in his brow. He obviously wasn’t pleased with her explanation.

  “Look —” She prayed he’d understand. “—I don’t usually plan things for Wednesday nights. My responsibilities here come first. But this couldn’t be helped.”

  “Not a problem.” Logan grinned and Marilee
sensed, much to her relief and satisfaction that the discussion was over.

  Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he turned to the remaining four kids who were horsing around on the platform. “Hey, everyone. Time to go.” He guided Marilee toward the doorway. “Thanks for your help tonight.”

  The kids walked out with them. Stepping inside the elevator, they all rode up to the main floor. When they reached the lobby the teens scattered and Marilee and Logan made their way to the front doors.

  Logan waved to his aunt and uncle who were conversing with Allie Littenberg.

  “I’m worried about Ronnie.”

  The serious note in Logan’s voice captured Marilee’s attention as they walked through the parking lot.

  “She seems kind of down about everything. Pessimistic. Cynical.”

  “She’s having a difficult time with things right now. From what Ronnie told me on Labor Day, she’s struggling at her public high school. She and her friends have been open about their faith so they get snubbed and ridiculed by the other kids sometimes.”

  “I wish my uncle Steve would have put her in our academy.”

  “Kind of late now.” Marilee stepped in closer to Logan. “Ronnie’s a senior and she wants to graduate with her friends. And just remember, kids can be mean even in a private school. You know how it is with some of the teens in our youth group, and the situations that arise.”

  “Good point.”

  Marilee smiled as they reached her car. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Logan about including Ronnie in their wedding party, but she decided to wait until they were seated at the restaurant. “Where do you want to eat?”

  “How ‘bout that family restaurant just up the street? Seems convenient for both of us.”

  Fishing her keys out of her purse, Marilee nodded. The establishment sat just blocks from the townhouse she rented and close to the interstate, which Logan took back to Oakland Park.

  “I’ll meet you there.” Logan placed a quick kiss on her cheek. His tangy cologne smelled quite appealing.

  Happiness rained over her as Marilee got into her car. She closed the door and fastened her seatbelt. Slipping the key into the ignition, she started her vehicle’s engine and the tape in her cassette player sounded a lovely wedding waltz. Excitement enveloped her once more. Planning her own wedding was the most fun she’d ever had!

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sunshine streamed into Cynthia’s room. Who had opened her draperies? With her head swimming from medication, she glanced around, but didn’t see her angel. Only Angel would have allowed the light in. Whenever Angel was in her room, it seemed brighter―even with the curtains drawn.

  I’m not an angel. My name is Allie.

  The words echoed in Cynthia’s mind, along with everything else she’d said. Had it been yesterday? The day before?

  For God so loved the world…

  Cynthia searched her memory for the connection between the name and the passage of Scripture. In her mind’s eye, she rummaged through a man’s black wallet that contained the picture of a woman with long blond hair, parted in the middle, and hanging straight down past her shoulders. It was a professional snapshot―a high school senior wallet sized portrait, and seeing it caused a jolt of jealousy to shoot right through Cynthia. But who was she? One of her daughters’ friends? Whose wallet? One of her ex-husbands’?

  The subject of men’s wallets, caused her to think of the men she’d married, each time hoping she had hit the jackpot―in more ways than one. But each marriage proved more disastrous than the one before. Out of her four husbands, two were Hispanic and lived in the Southwest―and Cynthia had lived there too, until she met and married Bill Matlock. Patti was in high school and Kelly in junior high when he and Cynthia tied the knot.

  Ironically, Bill hailed from Chicago, just like her first husband. She only wished that she hadn’t allowed him to talk her into coming back here. Things might have been different had they stayed in Oklahoma. Bill might not have lost his job, started drinking, and molested Patti and Kelly. Her daughters might not hate her for “letting it happen,” as they claim.

  Cynthia’s thoughts turned bitter. Stupid girls I didn’t let it happen. And I divorced the jerk right after I found out. My lawyer saw to it that he got jail time. Wasn’t that enough?

  “Wasn’t that enough?”

  Someone touched her arm, and Cynthia realized she’d been thrashing about. She opened her eyes and blinked, focusing on the male nurse standing at her bedside―the one named Nate.

  “Do you need more pain medicine? Another Coke?”

  “Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?”

  “I was always nice, Mrs. M―even though you tried to take a bite out of my arm.”

  “Sorry,” she muttered, just in case her angel stood nearby.

  “Apology accepted, especially since your lab work came back A-OK. That means you’re tamer than a rattlesnake. Now, what’s it going to be?”

  “Can you give me something…something to stop the…the dreams?” Cynthia rasped.

  “Not legally.” Nate chuckled. “I can get you some more pain medicine.”

  “Can you get my angel?”

  Nate chuckled again. “Nope. Your angel is busy handing out pink slips. Now, do you need something or not?”

  Cynthia closed her eyes. “I wish I had some company.”

  “Can’t help you there. Your angel’s got us filling out productivity reports.” Nate slid the call button into her palm. “But if you need something―something reasonable―you know what to do.”

  “Yeah, I know what to do.” She felt sleepy again. “I know what to do…”

  * * *

  As was his habit whenever life became too complicated, too painful, Jack busied himself at work, picking up extra shifts in addition to his own. He’d learned long ago that his thoughts couldn’t plague him if he was too tired to think. Unfortunately, when he was tired, his leg bothered him and it obviously disturbed the police chief too. Consequently, the axe fell first thing Thursday morning.

  “The department has a new policy about paying out vacation time to retiring officers,” the chief told him. “It’s all a part of the city’s attempt at cutbacks.” The younger man who, in Jack’s eyes, resembled a new recruit straight out of boot camp, flipped open a file. “According to the report out of payroll, you’ve got six weeks coming, Callahan. You either take ‘em or lose ‘em. Those are your options.”

  Options, yeah, right.

  Jack recalled those words and the entire scene encompassing it as he pulled his SUV into the garage, attached to his apartment. He knew the chief just wanted him gone and the sooner the better. Well, he opted for taking his vacation, but he wasn’t happy about it and he let all the higher-ups know it. Little good that did.

  Muttering, Jack climbed out of his vehicle and walked to the side door. After pushing the button to close the garage, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He found Logan at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and reading the morning paper.

  “Hi.” He glanced in Jack’s direction.

  Jack murmured a greeting.

  “Tough night?”

  “You might say that.”

  Logan set down the newspaper. “Want to talk about it?”

  “No, I don’t want to talk about it! Why does everything have to be discussed and analyzed?”

  “Hey, forget I asked, okay?”

  Clenching his jaw, Jack made his way down the hallway to his bedroom, intent upon changing his clothes.

  * * *

  Logan watched his father and noted the limp. Dad had worked long hours the last couple of days. Suddenly Logan wished he’d come up with a more spiritual reply.

  A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

  Logan closed his eyes. Lord, please forgive me. Lately it didn’t seem like he could do anything right when it came to Dad. Was it pointless to stay here? Maybe he ought to move out.

  Hearing the refrigerato
r open, Logan swung his gaze across the room where his father now stood in only a T-shirt and boxers. He pulled out a beer, looked at it, then threw it, along with what remained of the twelve-pack, into the trash. A good move, although he wasn’t sure what it meant. Could be Dad just didn’t like that brand of beer.

  “Listen, I’m sorry for biting your head off.”

  Another apology? Second this month! “Sure, Dad, no problem.”

  “I got canned today…well, not exactly canned. Same difference, though. I’m being forced to take my vacation time before I retire. So, to sum it up, my career as a police officer has come to a screeching halt.”

  “That rots.” Logan tried to imagine how he’d feel if he were ousted from the ministry. Hurt. Angry. Disappointed. Scared.

  “Yeah, well, that’s why I’m in such a foul mood.”

  “I appreciate your telling me.”

  Dad opened one cupboard after another. “Why don’t we have any food around here?”

  Logan grinned. “We’re two bachelors who work all the time, that’s why. Hey, I’ve got an idea. How about if you take up cooking, now that you’re retired, so we don’t starve to death.”

  Dad sent him one of his you’ve got to be kidding glares, and Logan laughed. “How about you just hurry up and get married and I’ll conveniently show up at mealtime?”

  “Works for me.” Logan suddenly remembered the message lying by the phone. “Someone named Colleen called for you. She left a message on the answering machine, asking if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow night.”

  Dad walked to the phone and read the message.

  “She said she invited Allie.”

  “So I see.” Dad read the message. “Thanks.”

  “Are you going?”

  “I don’t know. I’m too tired to think about it right now.”

  “At least you’ll get fed.”

  “You got a point there.”