Saving Jake

by Sharon Sala

  Jake frowned. “Who hassles you?”

  She shrugged and lowered her voice. “Adam’s family.”

  His frown deepened. “Really? Why? How do they hassle you?”

  She glanced over her shoulder. Bonnie was still talking, but to Brave Bear.

  “His mother is crazy. The day he died, she called me screaming, saying it was my fault. Reason is not her strong suit.”

  “Good lord,” he muttered. “Does this still happen?”

  “Not the phone calls, but periodically, one of the boys dumps something dead in my driveway or in the front yard. I guess they think it will remind me of Adam, as if I could ever get that memory out of my head. I found a dead dog in the yard again this morning. I guess it was there when I came home last night and I just didn’t see it.”

  Jake thought of the wreck and the road on which it had happened. “Do they live nearby?” he asked.

  “Oh, no, they live several miles north of Blessings.”

  Jake glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure Bonnie was still occupied and then lowered his voice. “I drove up on that wreck last night.”

  Her heart skipped. “When we heard about it at the gym, I worried it might be you.”

  That was an admission he had not expected. “Well, thank you for caring. No, it wasn’t me, but Luke Payne and his wife, Melanie, were in one of the cars.”

  Laurel gasped. “No! You aren’t serious?”

  “Yes. The man who hit them was just a stranger who’d gotten lost.”

  “Were they hurt bad?”

  Jake shrugged. “Bad enough. We’ll probably hear all about it at Granny’s whether we want to or not.”

  Laurel leaned back in the seat. Her mind was spinning in a dozen directions, but all she kept thinking was if they hadn’t been trying to hurt her, none of that would have happened.

  Jake reached across the seat and took her hand. “Are you okay?”

  Without thinking, she held on to him, drawing strength from just his presence. “Yes, yes, I’m okay. There was no love lost between us anymore. I guess I was just thinking about karma. You know…sometimes fate deals its own brand of payback.”

  “Mommy, Brave Bear probably needs to go to the bathroom soon.”

  Jake chuckled. “And back to reality.”

  Laurel grinned. “Can Brave Bear wait? We’re almost there. See, there’s Ralph’s station up head. We’ll be at Granny’s restaurant in just a couple of minutes.”

  “Yep, he can wait.”

  “Good news,” Laurel said.

  Chapter 12

  Jake and his guests were already seated and had ordered their food when the after-church crowd began to arrive. Jake was oblivious, but Laurel saw the double takes and knew the Blessings gossip chain would have them dating by nightfall. It didn’t really matter that they were both free to do as they wished. Laurel had been Adam Payne’s wife, and then Adam Payne’s widow, all of her adult life. This would take getting used to.

  Bonnie was so excited to be dining out that she was actually quiet. They never had money for luxuries like this, and their only other place to visit was Granny and Gramps Joyner’s house.

  She was watching every move Laurel made, using the right fork, buttering her bread with the knife, taking small bites, and chewing with her mouth closed, just like Mommy. When a small bite of lettuce fell off her fork and into the napkin in her lap, she gasped.

  “You’re fine,” Jake said. “That’s what a napkin is for. See, mine already has stuff on it too.”

  Laurel patted Bonnie’s leg reassuringly. “Relax honey. This is supposed to be fun. Are you having fun?”

  “Yes, fun,” Bonnie said, as she picked the lettuce out of her lap and put it in her mouth.

  A few minutes later, a family came in and was seated at a table just across the aisle. Bonnie immediately acknowledged a little girl from her class with a giggle and wave.

  The other little girl waved, and then before her mother could stop her, she was out of her chair and leaning on the end of the booth, watching them eat.

  “Hi, Bonnie!”

  “Hi, Judy. I’m having a fried chicken leg.”

  The little blonde eyed Laurel and then stared at Jake.

  “Is this your daddy?”

  Laurel didn’t have time to react before Bonnie straightened her out.

  “No, silly. My daddy’s dead. This is my friend, Jake. He shot a sick possum this morning before it could hurt Lavonne!”

  Laurel glanced at Jake, hoping this wasn’t embarrassing him too much and was relieved that he seemed intrigued by little-girl talk.

  But Judy’s father, Trent Samuels, knew Jake, and when he heard the possum story, he asked Jake outright. “Hey, Jake, how sick was it? Is it what I’m thinking?”

  “It was sick alright, but it was a big boar coon, not a possum.”

  “I called the vet,” Laurel said. “He sent someone to pick it up. They’re going to run a test to confirm.”

  Trent frowned and then shook his head. “I hate to hear that. Once rabies gets started in an area, it can spread fast. If it tests out, I’d appreciate a call so I can safeguard some of my animals.”

  “If it is, I believe the veterinarian is required to report it to the health department. The Tribune will put a notice in the paper.”

  “Okay then,” Trent said, and pointed a finger at his daughter, Judy. “You. Back in your chair, and stay there, please.”

  Judy waved to Bonnie, and then frowned at her father as she sat back down.

  Harold and Willa Dean Miller were sitting in the booth behind Laurel and had been unashamedly listening in on the conversation and quickly turned around to offer Laurel condolences. “Laurel, I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said.

  Laurel frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Willa Dean flushed, certain she’d just committed a horrible faux pas. “Oh my. I’m sorry. I thought since you were part of the Payne family, you would have heard.”

  “They no longer consider me family,” Laurel said. “So what are the condolences about?”

  “Are you talking about the wreck last night?” Jake asked.

  Harold piped up. “I heard it was terrible. Bodies were everywhere. They announced her demise at church this morning.”

  Jake’s heart dropped. There was only one female there—the one he thought had not been seriously injured. “I was the first one on the scene. There were three people involved. You said, she? Are you saying Melanie Payne died?”

  Willa Dean nodded. “From a brain injury.”

  He thought about the woman who’d been standing in the road last night—the only one mobile and the first one dead. Injuries were unpredictable, like war. Nothing was what it seemed. An ordinary road going through a desert becomes a minefield of IEDs. A car ride at night turns into a death knell for a family.

  Jake frowned. Poor Melanie. Poor Luke. Their world just blew up.

  Laurel felt sorry for the family, and most especially, the three children who’d just lost a mother. “I knew about the wreck through Jake, but I didn’t know that anyone had passed. That’s so very sad.”

  Before anything else was shared, the waitress arrived with their food and then gave Harold and Willa Dean their tab. Another waitress was at the Samuels’ table taking orders, and the afternoon progressed.

  Bonnie had her fried chicken leg along with mashed potatoes and gravy, but Laurel and Jake had settled for fried catfish dinners. The food was good, but it was the companionship that mattered most. Laurel found herself relaxing more by the minute. Yes, their presence raised a few eyebrows, but for the most part, people just waved and went about their business.

  Peanut Butterman came in just as they were paying and getting ready to leave. He took keen notice of the couple and smiled to himself. There were two lonely people who
needed somebody to love. It would be great if this dinner together were the first of many.

  It didn’t bother him that he was in the same boat as Jake. Peanut had his eye on a certain woman and had for some years. He was just waiting for her to see him as more than a customer. It would happen in its time. Until then, he was fine.

  “Did you save me any fried chicken?” Peanut asked, as they passed by his booth.

  “I only ate one piece,” Bonnie said.

  Peanut grinned. “Then there should be plenty for me, right?”

  She shrugged. “I only asked the cook for one piece. If that chicken is all gone, it wasn’t me,” she said, and slid most of herself behind Laurel’s leg.

  Jake laughed. “Yeah, cut her some slack, Peanut. She’s a little kid. She only ate one little piece, right, honey?”

  She giggled as Peanut wiggled his eyebrows at her. She hid her face.

  “Enjoy your meal,” Jake said. “I better get these two home.”

  Bonnie fell asleep before they were out of Blessings.

  Laurel glanced at Jake as he drove, thinking how normal he’d made this seem. Bonnie’s childhood chatter didn’t seem to bother Jake, and she hadn’t felt nearly as uncomfortable as she’d expected.

  “Hey, Jake?”

  “Yeah?”

  “This was wonderful. It was a really special time for Bonnie and I. Thank you so much.”

  Once again, he reached for her hand. “Honestly, it was my pleasure. I haven’t felt this much at ease in years. Maybe when I get back, we can do it again?”

  She heard the question, but it wasn’t a question for her. “Yes, we can definitely do this again.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?” she asked.

  He couldn’t go into details for fear his voice would break. “Just thank you, that’s all.”

  “Then you’re welcome.”

  * * *

  Truman woke up Sunday morning with a smile on his face. This house was a far cry from a palace, but it beat a jail cell all to hell. He’d been released with the news that Nester refused to file charges, and May said as long as he never came back, she’d let him off the hook too.

  He threw back the covers and walked naked to the bathroom, scratching as he went. He was in such a good mood that he decided to wash some clothes, starting with his sheets. They still had a lot of squirrel hair and nest material stuck in the cloth. He’d sleep better tonight if he didn’t smell squirrel every time he turned over in bed.

  * * *

  So while Truman was turning over a new leaf, Adele and her family had gathered in Luke’s hospital room to give him the news about his wife’s death. Luke was sleeping when they came in, but woke when he heard the sound of so many footsteps.

  Adele went straight to his bedside, claiming her right as the mother to break the news. David and Beverly followed, moving to the opposite side of the bed.

  Luke saw their faces. He felt the tension. Something was wrong. When Adele patted his cheek and began to weep, his heartbeat accelerated to near-panic mode. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Oh, Luke! As your mother, it has fallen upon me to deliver news that will be a crushing blow to your life.”

  Beverly rolled her eyes at her brother and then glared at Adele. “Mama! Really?”

  Luke grabbed Adele’s hand and yanked it away from his face. “Save your preaching and say what you came to say.”

  Adele wiped her eyes and blew her nose, then delivered the news in a weird, penitent tone. “The hour after you came out of surgery, your beloved wife, Melanie, passed from this earth.”

  Luke gasped like he’d just been hit in the belly. “No,” he said, and looked frantically at his siblings, waiting for one of them to tell him that she had lied. “It’s not true! It can’t be true.” He grabbed Beverly’s hand. “Sister, tell me that she lies.”

  “I’m so sorry, Luke, but she’s gone.”

  Luke’s gaze moved to his brother. “David?”

  David nodded. “She fell into a coma soon after you were both brought in. She had a brain bleed they couldn’t stop. I’m so sorry. Just know that Beverly and I are taking care of your boys. We had to tell them about their mama because of the funeral arrangements.”

  The sound Luke first began to make sounded like humming, but it kept getting louder. All of a sudden, he grabbed the plastic water pitcher by his bed and flung it at the wall.

  The lid popped off on contact, and water went all over Adele’s hair, her face, and her clothes. She was gasping and bawling and screaming at him that he’d gone and lost his mind when Beverly grabbed her mother and slapped her hand over her mouth.

  “Be quiet! Do you hear me? There are sick people in these rooms. You can’t scream at us in here like you do at home!” Adele was pushing, trying to get out of her daughter’s grasp. “I’m not letting you go until you promise you’ll keep your mouth shut!” Beverly hissed.

  Adele’s shoulders went limp. Water was dripping from her hair into her eyes. Her mascara was running, and her lipstick was smeared all over her chin. She stared at Luke as if she’d never seen him before.

  “Why did you do that?” she whispered.

  “If it hadn’t been for you wanting revenge, Melanie and I would not have been on that road. I take responsibility for letting you rule my family like they were your own, but you’re gonna have to live with the fact that Melanie is dead because of what you wanted done.”

  Beverly gasped and then stared at her mother in disbelief. “What is he talking about? What did you do?”

  David was shaking. He knew. He’d been standing beside Luke when she gave them the orders. “Mama told us to keep bothering Laurel,” David said.

  Beverly stared at her brothers as if she’d never seen them before. “What do you mean, keep bothering her? What have you been doing?”

  Luke leaned back in the bed and closed his eyes, too weak and sick at heart to face his sister.

  David sighed. “Ever since Adam’s death, we’ve been throwing dead animals in her yard or leaving them in her drive.”

  “You haven’t! Please say you haven’t been doing this!” Beverly cried.

  “She told us to, so we did it,” David said. “And don’t get so high and mighty all of a sudden. We all harassed her because Mama told us to.”

  Adele took a hand towel from the sink and began drying off her hair and face. Her clothes were going to be wet until they dried, and there was nothing she could do about that.

  “She killed your brother! She doesn’t deserve to live in peace.”

  David pointed a finger at her from the other side of the bed. “Shut up, Mama. Just stop talking. Adam killed himself. I’m sure Laurel has suffered enough, and Luke’s right. Melanie wouldn’t be dead if you hadn’t kept at us. Luke, get well. We’ll figure the rest of it out after you get to go home.”

  “I’ll help, too,” Beverly said. “We’ll figure it all out together.”

  “What about me?” Adele cried. “I can take care of my own grandsons just fine if need be.”

  “You won’t take care of my kids,” Luke said.

  “Or mine,” David said.

  “Or mine,” Beverly added. “I think you are about to find out what it’s like to be Moses wandering in the wilderness, Mama.”

  Adele’s expression said it all. She picked up her purse and walked out of the room without looking back.

  Beverly turned to her brothers. “What do you think she’s going to do?”

  David shrugged. “Whatever it is, she’ll do it alone.”

  Luke was crying. “Have you all set a day for the funeral? Do you think they’ll let me go?”

  “Today’s Sunday. We told the funeral home Wednesday afternoon. If the doctor will let you leave for a bit, we can take you in a wheelchair,” David said.

&nb
sp; “I want to see my kids,” Luke said. “I need to make sure they know I’m gonna be fine, and that I’ll be there for them.”

  “I’ll bring them tomorrow. We’re keeping them out of school this coming week.”

  “I agree,” Luke said, and then swiped the tears off his cheeks. “Mama’s not the only one who’ll have to live with this. I took her with me. She wanted to go, but I should have insisted she stay home with the kids. If I had, she would still be with me.” Then he started crying again in earnest. “God in heaven, how am I gonna get through life without her?”

  Beverly hugged him. “One day at a time, Luke.”

  * * *

  Because Jake’s plane left Savannah so early in the morning on Tuesday, he drove into the city on Monday and got a room at one of the airport hotels. He thought about all that he was leaving behind and then had to trust everything and everyone would be safe until he returned. He walked around the city for a while, but the constant movement of people and traffic was stressful, and he finally went back to the hotel, ate an early supper, and went to bed.

  DeSosa was sitting on the fender of a transport truck, sharpening his knife.

  “Better be careful you don’t cut yourself,” Jake said.

  DeSosa was grinning as he looked up. “Don’t be silly, Georgia boy. I cleaned my fingernails with one bigger than this back home.”

  A fire truck drove past the hotel with sirens screaming.

  Jake rolled over and sat up, remembered where he was, then laid back down and closed his eyes.

  Jake was hunkered down in a shallow ditch with his rifle trained on the horizon less than two hundred yards ahead. His ghillie suit was the same color as the sand. They knew a sniper was somewhere on the ridge, and they’d sent Jake in under cover of night almost eight hours earlier. He had slithered down into the hole and pulled a sand-colored tarp in over him. Once he’d located the sniper’s position with the scope on his rife, he had been lying in wait ever since.

  He could still hear faint radio chatter in his earpiece and was intently focused on the faint glint of sunlight that had suddenly caught in the scope on the sniper’s rifle when he heard someone on the radio yell, “Sandstorm.”