So Dark the Night

by Margaret Daley

  “There are people in the world who sadly are. Often they get by fooling everyone around them. But usually it catches up with them. Like Brandon. He’ll pay for his crimes.”

  “So it’s finally over. Really.”

  “Yup. You have nothing to worry about. You’ll be safe and can put your life back together.”

  Without you, she thought, a throbbing ache causing her heart to pulsate slowly. “Yes. According to my assistant, everything was put on hold because my clients wanted me to do the photo shoots, not someone else.”

  A half smile curved his mouth. “It’s nice being in demand.”

  And so busy I might not have time to miss you. She hoped so, because already she dreaded the thought of not seeing him every day. “I have a lot of work piled up, that’s for sure.”

  Colin bent down and grabbed the handle of the piece of luggage. “I’ve got a present for you.”

  As he started for the hallway, Emma asked, “What?”

  He peered over his shoulder. “It’s a surprise. You’ll have to wait.”

  She hurried after him, following him to the foyer where Tiffany, Amber and Grace were lined up waiting for her. On the table was a gold-and-white-wrapped gift with a huge bow. Colin picked it up and gave it to her.

  “You shouldn’t have,” she said, tearing into the present. She’d always loved doing that at Christmas and her birthday. She didn’t want gift bags, but presents wrapped with paper. When she glimpsed the Bible with her name engraved on the front, tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, I love it.”

  “I thought you needed one of your own.”

  She tucked it against her heart. “Thank you all—for everything.”

  She turned to Tiffany first, giving her a hug and kiss. Next came Amber then Grace. Finally she stood in front of Colin. She looked down at the floor for a moment, her mind blank. How did you tell someone who had saved your life three times goodbye? How did you tell someone you loved goodbye? Words didn’t express what she felt—the confusion, the heartache, the fear of what lay ahead without Colin. He’d given her the tools to piece her life back together. With God’s guidance, she could figure out who she was and where she really belonged.

  Colin tilted up her chin and searched her face. “We’ll miss you.” He brushed his lips across hers, fleetingly, then backed away.

  She wanted to capture him and hold on to him. She wanted a kiss that branded her his. She wanted…to stay? How could she know for sure that was what was best even if he had asked her to—which he hadn’t? No, she was doing the right thing, returning to New York and her old life.

  The ringing of the doorbell told her it was time to leave. That would be her father, and staying any longer would only prolong the hurt. Taking her bag, she strode to the door and opened it, greeting her father with a smile.

  He said a few words to Grace and Colin, adding his thanks, then relieved her of her piece of luggage. She walked beside him to the limousine waiting in the driveway.

  “I thought about driving myself, but this will give us some time to get reacquainted before you have to catch your flight. Your car will be waiting for you in New York. I’m glad you didn’t drive back by yourself.”

  Emma slid into the backseat, refusing to look toward Grace’s house. Her throat closed, she poured herself a glass of ice water and downed half of it.

  As the limousine pulled away, her father asked, “Are you sure you want to leave?”

  Another deep gulp of her cold water and she thought she could answer her father without faltering. “Yes, it’s for the best. I can’t picture myself living in a small town.”

  “Sugar, it’s been six months. Don’t you think it’s about time you went and saw her?” Grace asked, sitting next to Colin at her kitchen table.

  Colin took a sip of his coffee. He’d asked himself that very question ever since Emma had left last May—an eternity ago. He knew how she was doing because she and Amber e-mailed each other and kept in touch on a weekly basis. But he hadn’t seen her—unless he counted the pictures he’d seen in the newspaper and magazines—or talked to her in six months. A clean break, he’d told himself when she’d left. She’d needed to sort out her life without him complicating it, and he’d needed to start the healing process all over again. His heart still bled, though, and he dreamed of her every night. He wasn’t being very successful in that department.

  “Colin! Did you hear me?”

  His aunt’s voice urged him to answer her question when he had no answer. “Yes. I was thinking.”

  “Duh. You do that a lot lately. At least, call her. The holidays are coming up. Thanksgiving is next week.”

  “Amber said she was spending it with her father.”

  “She’ll be in Chicago? That’s great. That’s not far away.” Grace drank from her patriotic mug. “Okay, I’ve pussyfooted around this long enough. Do you love her?”

  With all my heart, he thought, not wanting to say it out loud for fear any inroads on healing would be undone.

  “Do you?”

  His aunt wouldn’t give up. That was what he liked about her—and disliked at times. “Yes.”

  “Then go see her. Tell her how you feel. Knowing you, you didn’t say anything to her about how you felt.”

  “How could I? That wouldn’t have been right. She needed to grieve for her brother. For that matter, she needed to grieve over losing a friend.”

  Grace snorted. “McDonel was no friend.”

  “Yeah, but she didn’t know that. They dated. Might have gotten married.”

  “If her brother hadn’t stepped in.”

  “She wasn’t ready to hear my declaration of love.”

  “You might be right, but she’ll be now. Amber says she’s doing great. She’s in such demand.”

  “That’s another reason. How can I ask her to marry me and give up all that because I won’t move my family to New York?”

  “She’s a photographer. She can be based anywhere. Her reputation is established. People come to her, not the other way around.” Grace pushed her chair back and rose. She went to the coffeepot and refilled her mug. “I’ve never known you to avoid a situation. What are you afraid of?”

  “Emma saying no. When Mary Ann died, I thought a part of me had died with her. Now I discover I’m very much alive and hurting all over again. If she said no, my hope that I’ve harbored this past six months will die.”

  “Colin Fitzpatrick! I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You’ve always gone after what you’ve wanted. If Emma is what you want, then you should be on the next plane out of here. I’ll take care of the girls.”

  Colin stared at the coffee in the bottom of his cup, his heart pounding against his chest as though it were going to escape.

  Was six months long enough?

  There was only one way to find out.

  Staring out her apartment window, Emma caught a glimpse of Central Park as the sun set, a brilliant yellow-orange streaking through the darkening sky. The color reminded her of the flames that had destroyed the cabin at Crystal Springs. That thought brought her to the call she had received from the district attorney in charge of prosecuting Brandon for her brother’s murder.

  She would have to go back to Crystal Springs after the new year and face everything again. The prospect scared her, and yet she was ready to put that part of her life behind her. She’d mourned Derek’s loss for the past six months and would for the rest of her life. Along the line, she had come to terms with the picture she had of her brother and the one he’d presented to the rest of the world. Studying the Bible in detail had helped her to forgive.

  Now what did she do? Keep working and going through the motions of living? Or do something radical like leave New York and return to Crystal Springs, not for the trial, but to live? Since she had returned to the city, none of the previous joy of living in New York satisfied her. She wanted something different. She was different. She wanted Colin. She wanted a loving family—the kind in storybooks where everyone lived ha
ppily ever after.

  The phone ringing startled her. She hurried to answer it, pleased to hear from her father.

  “I’ll pick you up at the airport next Tuesday. I’m glad you’re coming for Thanksgiving. I haven’t had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in years.”

  Her father’s deep, gravelly voice filled her with renewed hope that their relationship was moving in a good direction. It hadn’t been easy. He still liked to dictate, but now he was willing to compromise and listen to her. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again. Your visit last month wasn’t long enough.”

  “You can always stay longer than five days. You could move here.”

  For the first time she said, “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? Did I hear you correctly?”

  “Dad, I’m not ruling out anything at the moment. We’ll talk more when I get there.”

  “Are you going to drive down to Crystal Springs while you’re here?”

  Emma released a long sigh. A good question. She loved Colin, but she really wasn’t sure how he felt. Six months before, too much had been up in the air to push forward in a relationship. Now though, she had a grasp on who she was and what she wanted.

  “Emma?”

  “Sorry, Dad, I’m debating with myself on that one.”

  “He’s a good man, Emma. You could do a lot worse.”

  She laughed. “That’s quite an endorsement coming from you.”

  “What can I say? He saved your life in more ways than one.”

  “Yes, he did,” she murmured, thinking of her growing faith in Jesus and the peace it brought her, a peace she’d never felt before.

  The doorbell chimed. “Dad, I’ve got to go. My dinner is here.”

  His chuckles floated to her. “Still haven’t learned to cook.”

  She smiled at her father’s comment as she rushed toward the foyer. She was cooking more, but she would probably never be like Grace. Swinging the door open, she gasped. Next to the pizza delivery guy stood Colin with a huge grin on his handsome face.

  He paid the young man, took the pizza box and came into her apartment while all she could do was stare at him. Her mind swirled, but no thought would come to the foreground. She stepped back as she closed the door and looked toward Colin.

  “It’s good to see you again, Emma. This is a nice place.”

  She planted her hand on the table in the foyer to keep herself from collapsing to the marble floor. He looked every bit as wonderful as she remembered. Every part of her screamed to throw herself into his arms, but she remained where she was, standing on trembling legs.

  “Do you want to eat before we talk?” He held up the pizza box.

  She blinked, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t think it would stay down.” Her stomach flip-flopped at that very moment to prove her point.

  “Good.” He tossed the box on the table and held out his hand for her.

  She took it, the warmth of his touch searing his presence in her mind. This wasn’t one of her dreams. He tugged her forward into her living room, which sprawled before the large floor-to-ceiling windows across one wall. Darkness fell behind the glass panes, lights from the city glittering in the blackness.

  He pulled her down on the white couch and settled her next to him. “I’ve been rehearsing my speech the whole way here and I’ve forgotten every word I was going to say—a man used to memorizing pages of a sermon. Guess it’s the company I’m keeping.”

  She slanted a look at him. “Thanks, I think.” The grin that split her face had to be silly if it reflected the giddiness she felt.

  “So I’ll get right to the point. I love you, Emma St. James. I’ve left you alone long enough.”

  “Why did you?”

  “You needed time to grieve, to decide what you wanted. Me hanging around would have complicated that for you.”

  “Then what I felt developing between us in Crystal Springs wasn’t a figment of my imagination?”

  He slowly shook his head, a gleam in his eyes. “Not one bit. You don’t know how many times I almost chucked my noble intentions and came to see you.”

  “I wish you had.”

  “Do you really?”

  She chuckled. “Well, maybe it was for the best you stayed away. Truthfully, it’s only been recently that I’ve come to the place I want to be.”

  “Which is?” One of his eyebrows rose.

  “Your wife.”

  His mouth fell open. She leaned forward and kissed him.

  “I love you, Colin Fitzpatrick. I knew that when I left Crystal Springs. I just didn’t know if I was right for you or if you were right for me.”

  “And you do now?” He hauled her up against him.

  She wound her arms around him. “Oh, yes, most definitely. You showed me my way out of the dark.”

  “I hope you don’t want a long engagement. I’ve waited long enough.”

  Her laughter bubbled from her throat and gratified her with such peace. “I’m ready, anytime, anywhere.”

  EPILOGUE

  “Pass the ham, please,” Amber said to Emma.

  She lifted the large platter and gave it to Amber, who sat on her left. “Dad, are you going to be able to stay a few days this time?”

  “I’ve cleared my calendar. You’ve got me for the whole Christmas week.”

  Colin took her hand and held it between their chairs. “You’re always welcome in our home, William.”

  Our home, Emma thought, scanning the dining room where they were gathered for their first Christmas meal as a family. The first one she’d ever really had in her life.

  She’d been married exactly three wonderful weeks. In that time she had gained a family, a congregation and a home. Even with the trial coming up the next month, she would have Colin beside her the whole time. She would be able to face anything with him and the Lord on her side.

  “Maybe you’d like to come watch me cheer at the basketball game on Thursday night. Our team is first in its division. My boyfriend plays forward.” Tiffany brought her hand up, waving it with fingers splayed. “Did I show you the bracelet Brent gave me for Christmas?”

  Colin choked on the water he was drinking. Emma patted him on the back while Amber said, “About fifty times.”

  “You’re just jealous,” Tiffany fired back.

  “Girls.” Grace rose and went into her kitchen. When she came back out, she said, “Emma, you forgot to put your green bean casserole on the table.”

  She sank lower in her chair. “No, I didn’t. I took a taste of it and decided we had enough food already.”

  Colin laughed. “Good thing Grace gave you those cooking lessons for Christmas.”

  The good-natured ribbing that commenced only strengthened Emma’s love for each one at the table. This was what family was all about. The dark veil over her life had been lifted when she met Colin and gave herself to the Lord.

  Dear Reader,

  This story was a very emotional one to write. What would happen if something precious such as my eyesight was taken away from me? So often we take our eyesight for granted. That is one of the premises of this book. I have worked with students who are visually impaired and seen their perseverance and determination to make their lives as normal as possible. My mother-in-law, who loves to read, has been dealing with low vision because of a disease. It changed her life. She has had to adjust to doing everyday things differently. Writing this book made me take a good hard look at taking for granted something such as my eyesight. This story was a journey for me as well as Emma, who had to learn to put her trust in God to see her through her ordeal.

  I love hearing from readers. You can contact me at P.O. Box 2074, Tulsa, OK 74101, or visit my Web site at www.margaretdaley.com. Sign my guest book for a chance to win a free autographed book and sign up for my quarterly newsletter.

  Best wishes,

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  How would you deal with losing your eyesight suddenly? How would that impact your life?

  Hav
e you lost a loved one? How did you cope? Did your faith help you through the loss?

  Colin felt responsible for Emma’s accident. Have you ever felt responsible for hurting another? How did you handle it?

  Who did you think was behind Emma’s brother’s murder? Why?

  Emma had to put her trust in the Lord to make it through an ordeal. Has that happened to you? How have you dealt with it?

  Trust is so important in a relationship and is a theme in So Dark the Night. Can you think of a Bible verse that would help Emma learn to put her trust in the Lord and Colin?

  Emma’s parents were divorced and put Emma in the middle of their fighting. If you were put in the middle of a conflict between two people you loved, what could you do to make the situation better?

  Who was your favorite character? Why?

  Colin had to harm a person in order to protect himself and Emma. How far would you go to protect someone you loved?

  Emma had to learn to negotiate a strange house without her eyesight. What have you learned lately that is totally alien to you?

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-4554-3

  SO DARK THE NIGHT

  Copyright © 2007 by Margaret Daley

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.