Promises to Keep

by Shirley Hailstock

“No, it was.”

  She looked at him, waiting for an explanation, but believing she’d stepped across bounds that should not be breached.

  “We both got married for the wrong reasons. She was defying her parents.”

  “They didn’t approve of you?”

  “That wasn’t it. They liked me well enough. I wasn’t their choice for a son-in-law, but they never spoke meanly or made me feel as if I wasn’t welcome in their family. She just wasn’t ready for marriage, not to me or to the man her parents favored. We were both too young, too immature. We didn’t understand what love was, what marriage meant.”

  “You weren’t in love with her?”

  He winced. “She wasn’t in love with me, either. It didn’t take us long to discover the truth.”

  “Truth?” McKenna frowned.

  “I was in love, but with someone else. It became obvious, and we decided the best thing to do was to dissolve our marriage.”

  How mature, McKenna thought, but kept the words to herself. This was more like the Parker she knew. He’d calculate that it was time to end the marriage and he and his bride would fill in all the necessary paperwork and walk away, as simply as if they’d erased a part of their lives. Still, she was sorry for him. He loved someone else. That must be hard if the feelings weren’t reciprocated. She wanted to ask who, and why he didn’t marry the woman he was in love with, but thought that was a subject even she couldn’t broach. Parker deserved his secrets.

  “I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” she said, feeling the platitude was useless.

  “Don’t be. We recognized our mistake before things got out of hand.”

  “You mean children?”

  He nodded.

  “What happened to her? Did she go back and marry the man her parents chose?”

  “She’s still unmarried. The last I heard, she’d moved to Seattle and opened a bed-and-breakfast.” He grunted more than laughed, although there was a smile on his face. “She was from St. Louis. I suppose moving was her last act of defiance against her parents.”

  “You admire her.”

  “I do,” he said. “She’s intelligent, able to admit her mistakes, unafraid to strike out on her own and try something new. She’s a strong woman, deserving of my respect and admiration.” He glanced at McKenna. “She’s a lot like you.”

  “But you told me I was crazy for going on a trip like this. That I was stubborn and foolish.”

  “I said you were crazy for trying to go it alone.”

  “I stand corrected,” McKenna said. Then she asked. “Did you ever see her after the divorce?”

  “Once. We ran into each other in Minneapolis at the Mall of America, of all places.” Again he grunted the laugh. “I was there for a conference and discovered cologne spilled on my dress shirt. The stain wouldn’t come out, so I rushed to get another shirt. She was visiting a friend. We had a nice long lunch together and that was the last time we spoke.”

  McKenna pictured it in her mind. She could see him heading in one direction and a faceless woman in the other. The two would briefly turn and wave goodbye. Then each would be swallowed by the crowd.

  “I suppose you and Marshall never had any doubts about your marriage?”

  She looked at him straight on. “All marriages have periods when things are not ideal, but no, I never doubted I loved him. And I never doubted he loved me.”

  Parker lapsed into silence at that. McKenna continued to drive, but she couldn’t help wondering who the woman was that Parker had been in love with when he’d married someone else.

  “Why haven’t you ever married again?”

  “Haven’t found the right woman.”

  It was the old cliché, McKenna thought, however, it didn’t sound like a cliché when Parker said it.

  “You haven’t had any serious relationships since her?”

  “I didn’t say that. I just never found anyone I wanted to see from across the breakfast table for the rest of my life.”

  “Hopefully, you’ll find someone you will want to spend your life with.”

  “I guess being in love makes life worthwhile,” Parker said.

  “It sounds silly, but it does.”

  “Maybe the same will happen to you.”

  McKenna instantly dismissed the notion. “I doubt it.”

  “Why? You’re a young woman, beautiful, independent. There must be a thousand guys vying for your hand. You’re not going to hide away for the rest of your life, are you? Marshall wouldn’t want that.”

  Speaking of platitudes, that sounded like one, and McKenna had heard it more than once from her friends. “No,” she agreed. “Marshall wouldn’t have wanted that. But I’m not in the market for a man.” She wanted to say there was plenty of time, but Marshall’s death showed her how quickly life could end.

  Forty miles to Catoosa. McKenna noted the signpost as they passed it. They were going to spend the night there. There was a huge tourist display and they’d agreed to visit it.

  “What’s her name?” McKenna went back to the earlier part of their conversation.

  “Whose name?”

  “Your ex-wife.”

  “Loretta Bellamy.”

  “Bellamy, that sounds familiar,” she murmured, frowning, trying to remember where she’d heard it before.

  “It should,” he said softly.

  “Why?”

  “When we met, she was seeing someone else.”

  “You told me that,” she reminded him.

  “Don’t you recall who she was seeing?”

  McKenna tried to remember. She tried to see the face of the woman Parker was being so obscure about.

  “College. She was in college with us. I was several years behind you,” she said. Then the lightbulb went off. “She was Marshall’s girlfriend.”

  “She was attracted to him. Not the other way around.”

  “He never told me that.” McKenna was sure of it.

  “It probably never occurred to him. Once you came on the scene, he was blind to every other woman.”

  Something in Parker’s tone had her looking at him. He didn’t seem to be talking about Marshall. His voice was quieter than she was used to hearing it. His tone was caressing and it did something to her that wasn’t at all unpleasant.

  “So, in a way, you were both on the rebound.”

  “She was.”

  “Not you?”

  “You have to have been in a relationship to rebound from someone. You can’t do it all by yourself.”

  So it was unrequited love, she concluded, feeling sorry for Parker. But she couldn’t help wondering who the woman was that could crack Parker’s shell.

  “Watch out,” Parker shouted.

  McKenna saw the deer too late. She swerved the car trying to get out of its path. The deer raced across the road in front of her. She swerved back to the correct lane, but another deer came at her, following the first. Biting down on her lip, she knew she was going to hit it. There was nothing she could do to stop the collision.

  Unconsciously, her arm came out and crossed Parker’s chest, pressing him back in the seat, instinctively protecting him. Jerking the steering wheel left at the very last second, she managed to avoid a direct hit. The car clipped the deer’s legs. It faltered, fell on the pavement, but got up and ran on. The roadway was broken and the car bumped and jumped as it hit potholes. She heard the squeal of tires and smelled burning rubber as she tried to maintain control of the small vehicle. It ran over the dirt shoulder and into a field. Brush sounds replaced the skidding as the car mowed over long grass.

  Thirty yards off the road and five feet from a tree, the car came to a stop. Momentum forced her forward, but the seat belt kept her in the car, wrenched her backward, her head making a hard impac
t on the non-standard head rest. Her hand was still protecting Parker.

  The engine hissed and smoke bellowed from under the hood. McKenna took a deep breath and studied Parker. Releasing the seat belt, she opened her door and fell out of the car. She tried to get to her feet but her legs felt like rubber. She took in great mouthfuls of air, forcing it into her lungs as she tried to stand again.

  Strong hands caught her around the waist and pulled her up. Parker. She still couldn’t stand on her own, though. If he wasn’t holding her, she’d have fallen into the grass again.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. The concern, almost panic, she heard in his voice reached her.

  Giving herself up, she slumped against Parker’s solid frame. He hugged her close, whispering in her ear and holding her tight. She felt his mouth kiss her forehead and she began to breathe easier, but she still clung to him. His hands caressed her back, moving in circles as he held her securely against his chest.

  McKenna wasn’t sure how long they stood like that. Eventually Parker released her, yet was keeping her close to him, probably until the shock wore off.

  “I’m okay now,” she said, pushing away. “I need to check the car.”

  “Give yourself some time. You’ve had a shock.”

  “So have you.”

  He nodded. “We kept each other together.”

  McKenna knew he was giving her some credit, though he was stronger than she was. He’d offered soothing words until she was back to normal. Whatever normal was after an accident.

  “I never even saw those deer. They came out of nowhere.”

  “The trees obscured them. It was impossible to see either one coming. But you kept the car from flipping over. It could have been worse—much worse.”

  “It’s getting dark. We won’t be able to see much in a few minutes.”

  “We can look at the damage in the morning. The last sign we passed said it was forty miles to Catoosa. Too far to walk anywhere. And in the darkness no one will expect us to be walking on the road. It’s too dangerous to try it. Like it or not, we’re going to have to spend the night in this field.”

  Darkness fell quickly and soon they could see nothing except the stars overhead. No moon hung in the sky.

  “When I was ten, I wanted to sleep outside like this,” Parker said, seemingly out of the blue.

  “Really?” McKenna asked.

  “It’s so freeing out here. I remember that night, the same feeling, when my brother and I came up with the idea.”

  “Camping out in your backyard?”

  “Yep,” he replied. “My brother and I tried to talk my father into letting us do it, but he said no. ‘A silly and unnecessary idea,’ he insisted. I guess I’ll get my chance tonight.”

  Parker burrowed down into the grass. McKenna’s attitude toward him softened. It was the first time he’d said anything that led her to believe his childhood might not have been as idyllic as she’d assumed. McKenna’s childhood had been almost perfect. Until her parents’ death, she’d grown up loved and supported in whatever she wanted to do. Her father had driven her to sporting events, piano lessons. Her mother handled soccer, tennis and horseback riding. Both attended the school plays, parents’ nights and cheered for her on the school’s basketball team.

  She knew there were more unfortunate kids, people with real problems like drugs and neglect. She could sympathize with Joanna’s situation, but that wasn’t how she had grown up. She was lucky.

  McKenna knew she shouldn’t infer anything about Parker’s childhood on the strength of a single comment, but the tone he used had her curious. Had his home life been like hers or more difficult? McKenna was unsure.

  Thoughts of Joanna came back to her. Had Parker recognized a need in her because he worked with teenagers all the time, or was it something more personal in his makeup that had alerted him?

  * * *

  AFTER A FEW MINUTES of looking at the sky, Parker got up and headed for the car.

  “Where are you going?” McKenna asked.

  “To get the blankets. You’re getting cold.”

  In the emergency kit in the trunk were two blankets. McKenna must have added a second one for Lydia. He loved that she planned for unexpected contingencies.

  Closing the trunk he saw she’d twisted around to watch him. She was changing toward him. Not long ago, she wouldn’t even look in his direction. Now she had a smile on her face.

  Going to her, he placed a blanket around her shoulders and spread the other one on the ground. McKenna leaned against a tree. Parker stretched out and watched her.

  “Are you enjoying this trip?” he asked.

  “Absolutely,” she said without hesitation.

  “Even this part? The car breaking down and us stranded in the middle of nowhere?”

  He could barely see her with the light fading so quickly, but he thought her face was glowing. She’d pulled her hair free of the band she used when driving to keep it out of her face. The frame softened her features.

  “Even this.” She glanced around, then brought her attention back to him. “Have I told you I’m glad I’m not alone?”

  “Once or twice.” He laughed.

  “Have you thought about home? What’s going on back there?”

  Until she’d asked, Parker hadn’t considered anything in Chicago. Often he thought of her. She was with him. This was the trip of a lifetime in his eyes. Nothing mattered if she wasn’t there.

  “I’m sure everyone back there is fine,” he said. “They’re probably wondering what we’re doing.”

  “Wouldn’t they be surprised to find out we’re going to sleep in a field and that we’re no longer fighting?”

  The sun was totally gone now and the night was pitch black. “Do you still want to fight with me?” he asked.

  “No,” McKenna said.

  Her voice was disembodied, but not unnatural. Parker faced her, getting a little closer as the darkness enveloped them.

  The universe grew larger overhead, but his world sat only a few feet from him. Coming on this trip had been a good idea, despite his misgivings. McKenna was getting to know him. He wanted her to know him. Not the person she’d avoided in the past, but who he was today.

  Still, each time she mentioned Marshall it seemed she pulled back.

  By now, he thought she’d have realized the truth of Marshall’s death and Parker’s role in it.

  CHAPTER TEN

  MCKENNA WAS AWED by the number of stars overhead. She could see only a few in her Woodbine Heights neighborhood. The spillage of light from Chicago bled the sky so white it obscured the stars. But here in this field, miles from the concrete jungle, she appreciated the heavens.

  Glancing sideways, she saw Parker had his eyes closed. The wonder of the universe was playing out above his head and he chose to sleep. Was he really sleeping, or had the events of the last couple of hours taken a toll on him and he was hiding it from her?

  “Parker, are you asleep?” His eyes opened and she breathed a sigh of relief. “How’s your neck?”

  “It’s a little sore.”

  The car had seat belts, but no shoulder harnesses.

  “I was afraid you might have a concussion.”

  “I didn’t hit my head that hard. It’s all right to go to sleep. Things will be clearer in the morning.”

  The night sounds disturbed her. She was used to hearing police sirens, street traffic, but the cicadas and crickets made her think of spiders and other crawling insects. Besides those sounds, the place was absolutely silent.

  McKenna’s day had been traumatic. She was glad Parker was with her, she had to admit. She didn’t want to be alone and facing uncertainty. She concentrated on the stars, trying to find the Big Dipper and the other constellations that she could identi
fy from their proximity to them. But they blurred. She wiped her eyes and tried again. It was too hard and her neck did hurt. She didn’t tell Parker, because he would worry, maybe even insist they use his cell phone to call help. The last things she wanted was to end this trip in a hospital emergency room.

  Closing her eyes she practiced a relaxation technique Marshall had taught her to reduce or shut down an ache without medication. After a while, her mind cleared and she drifted off to sleep, only to be awakened by a burning pain.

  * * *

  THE NOISE JOLTED PARKER. Opening his eyes, he immediately searched for McKenna. She was writhing, her hands working feverishly over her arms as she sat in the early dawn light.

  In seconds he was beside her. He saw what caused her distress. Red ants were making breakfast out of her skin. Without thinking, he started scraping his hands down her body, pushing away the insects. She was covered in them. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her away from the apparent nest.

  Still, they were all over her. Ripping his T-shirt over his head, Parker used it to brush away the offending creatures. She did the same with her shirt before throwing it toward the disabled car. Her shorts followed the shirt. Her body was covered in red welts.

  “Don’t scratch,” he said. “You’ll make it worse.”

  Her face contorted and she grabbed his upper arms. Hanging on for support, her fingers dug into his bare skin. Her head fell back as agony showed on her face. He felt the heat of her hands. His skin burned where she touched him. “We need to get you something for the pain and itch,” he growled.

  There was a first-aid kit in the car. He wanted to get it, but McKenna had her arms imprisoning him. He broke her grip, even though he was reluctant to do so. He was unsure what red ants would do to a person. Were they poisonous? His heart beat faster at the thought that McKenna might be in danger.

  He used some anti-itch medication on the red welts that marred her back and legs. Working as if he were a doctor, he spread the cream down her back and over her arms and legs. Parker applied the stuff liberally. They would have to get more at a drugstore as soon as the car was working. He hoped there were no permanent aftereffects, but he would feel a lot better if she saw a doctor.