Trail of Secrets

by Sandra Robbins

  “And my uncle? Have you heard anything about his condition this morning?”

  She smiled. “His pastor came by to see you earlier, right after he had been up to see Dan. He said the nurses reported his vital signs were much stronger, and he showed some response during the night. Maybe after breakfast one of the nurses can take you in a wheelchair to see him. Maybe he’d respond even more to you.”

  “Oh, that is good news. And you say his pastor came by to see me?”

  “Yes. His name is Pastor Walters. He said he’d come back later today.”

  “Good. I need to talk to him about an experience I had.”

  Mrs. Dawtry’s eyebrows arched. “A good one or a bad one?”

  “It was definitely a good one. For the first time I came to know what you and Seth meant when you talked about the peace that God can give us. That was what got me through the whole ordeal with Anthony.”

  Mrs. Dawtry put her hand on Callie’s arm and squeezed. “I’m glad, Callie. I want you to be happy. I want Seth to be happy, too. He’s my son, and I don’t want to see him hurt again.”

  “I know, and neither do I. I think it’s time he and I really talk about my reasons for not marrying him. Maybe after that he can let go of the past and move on with his life. I want that for him more than anything.”

  Seth’s mother stared at her as a small frown wrinkled her forehead. “Callie, that sounds almost like you love my son.”

  “I do, but I’m not going to change my mind about the two of us. He deserves someone a lot better than me, and I intend for him to have it.”

  “B-but if you love him, why...”

  The door opened, and a nurse walked in. She smiled when she saw that Callie was awake. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I was hit by a bus.”

  The nurse laughed. “From what I hear it was a bulldozer, but don’t worry. We’ll have you up and around in no time. Now how about some breakfast and then a bath?”

  “I’d like that.”

  Mrs. Dawtry picked up her purse and smiled at Callie. “I’m going down to the cafeteria for some breakfast, too, but I’ll be back.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Callie protested. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I promised Seth I’d stay until he got here, and I will. See you in a little while.”

  Callie watched Seth’s mother leave and thought about the conversation they’d just had. Then she thought of how she’d prayed when she was alone in that room at the farm. God had taken care of her then, and she knew He would now.

  Telling Seth the truth was going to be hard, but she would do it. She had to give him the chance for the life he deserved. Then as soon as her uncle was able, she would take him with her to Virginia, and she would concentrate on her uncle and her life with him.

  Now all she had to do was convince Seth that her plan was the best for both of them.

  * * *

  Seth stopped outside the closed door of Callie’s hospital room and rubbed his hands over his eyes. His head ached from the lack of sleep, and his stomach growled. The cup of coffee and granola bar he’d eaten early this morning had done little to satisfy his hunger. But sleep and food were the last things on his mind at the moment. Although his mother had assured him Callie was fine, he couldn’t wait to get here and see her.

  Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Callie sat in a chair by the end of her bed. She looked up from the magazine she’d been reading when he entered and smiled. His mother jumped up from her chair and hurried over to him.

  She stopped in front of him and stared up into his face. A worried expression flickered in her eyes. “Seth,” she said, “you look like you’re about to fall asleep on your feet.”

  He chuckled and raked his hand through his hair. “That’s not the first time I’ve heard you say that to me when I’ve come in from a crime scene, but I’m okay today.”

  “I’m glad. We’ve been worried about you.”

  His gaze traveled over to Callie. “It took me a while to get some of the loose ends tied up, but I’m here now.”

  His mother turned and picked up her purse. “So you are, and I think that’s my signal to get out of here and leave the two of you alone.” She walked over to Callie and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re doing so well. I’ll be back. But I want you to know that when you’re released, I expect you to come back to our house.”

  Callie smiled up at his mother. “Thank you, Mrs. Dawtry. We’ll see.”

  His mother nodded and then patted him on the arm as she walked past him to the door. When she’d left, he took the chair she’d been sitting in and pulled it over next to Callie. He sat down and took her hand in his.

  “I could hardly keep my mind on what I was doing this morning because I kept thinking about you and how close Anthony came to carrying through on his plan. I don’t know what I would have done if...”

  He choked up, and Callie tightened her grip on his hand. “Don’t think about that. You were able to save me. How did you find me?”

  She listened as he told her about hearing the gunshot, rushing to the shelter and how everything had happened from there. “Throughout the whole ordeal, I don’t think I ever quit praying that I’d find you alive. Since then, I’ve thanked God over and over for taking care of you.”

  She smiled. “I was praying, too, Seth. I found that comfort and peace in turning my troubles over to God that you and your mother have. I didn’t know whether I’d live or die, but I knew that God was with me until the end. And I prayed for you, too.”

  Her words surprised him. “You did? Did you pray that I’d find you?”

  “I suppose I did. But my main prayer for you was that you would have a good life. That’s what I’ve always wanted for you.”

  A warning triggered in his mind and radiated through his body. She’d said she had things to tell him, and it seemed she was about to do it. The tone of her voice, though, made him realize he might not like what he was about to hear. He tried to pull his hand away, but she held if fast.

  “Is that why you wouldn’t marry me? So I could have a good life?”

  “Yes.”

  He’d expected her to deny it, and her answer stunned him. “That makes no sense. The reason you didn’t marry me is because you didn’t want to be married to a policeman.”

  She sighed and bit down on her lip for a moment. “I knew you thought that, and I let you believe it. But there was another reason.”

  “Then tell me what it was.”

  She took a deep breath. “I thought someone else could give you the life you deserved. I couldn’t do that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because...”

  “Answer me, Callie.” She flinched from his stern tone.

  “Because I...I...”

  His head pounded, and he groaned. This had dissolved into a repeat of what had happened between them two years ago. He had pressed her for an answer, and she had refused to give him one. He’d promised himself he’d be patient with her, but he was exhausted and strained to his last nerve. Unable to stop himself, he pushed to his feet and glared down at her.

  “I told you last night at the farm how I feel about you, and I had hoped that you might feel the same way. I’m not going to go through this again. Tell me now what is so hard for you to say or I’m out of here for good.”

  Tears gushed from her eyes. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

  Seth whirled and strode across the room, needing to leave before he said something he’d really regret. He’d just grabbed the doorknob when her agonized cry stopped him in his tracks.

  “I can’t have children!” she sobbed.

  For a moment he couldn’t move, then he thought he must not have heard her right. He turned,
walked back and dropped into the chair. “What did you say?”

  Her shoulders shook. “Two weeks before you asked me to marry you, I went to the doctor and found out I can never have children.”

  “B-but why?”

  Fresh tears slid down her face. “I told you about the car hitting me on my bicycle when I was a child. I had severe pelvic injuries, and the scar tissue that developed makes it impossible for me to get pregnant.”

  A box of tissues sat on the table beside her. He reached for one and wiped at the tears on her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She looked up, a stricken expression on her face. “Because I knew you’d insist it didn’t make a difference, but it did—it does. You deserve to be a father, and I couldn’t steal that from you.”

  He leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “So you decided to make a decision for me that should have been mine to make.”

  “No, I wanted to help you. I wanted you to find a woman who could give you children. It’s what would make you truly happy—happier than I could ever make you. I saw you at the hospital the other day with that boy you coach, and I saw how you acted with Brad and Laura’s son. If we had married, you would have come to hate me because I can’t give you what you deserve.”

  She shoved her clenched fists into her lap and stared down at them. “Callie,” he said. “Look at me.” He waited, but she didn’t look up. He spoke louder. “Callie, I said look at me.”

  She glanced up. “What?”

  “Do you love me?” She started to speak but hesitated. “Tell me the truth. Do you love me?”

  She exhaled a big breath. “Yes. I thought I’d gotten over you until I came home, but I hadn’t.”

  He leaned forward and covered her fists with his hands. “I love you, too, and I want you in my life. I want more than that. I want you as my wife.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand...”

  He placed his finger on her lips. “No, you’re the one who has it all wrong. You think I can’t be a father unless it’s a child of my own? Have you forgotten how Dan has been the father I always wanted? Don’t you think I could do that, too?”

  She frowned. “How?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “I always thought you were the smartest woman I’d ever known, but I’m not so sure anymore. There are a lot of options available to couples who can’t have children. Adoption, foster parenting, in vitro fertilization and who knows what else. Those are things to be explored in the future. First off, we have to decide how we feel.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He took a deep breath. “Well, you wanted me to be happy so badly that you walked out on me, and I lived through the two unhappiest years of my life. From what I guess, yours haven’t been that great, either. Am I right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we have to do something about that. I think I heard you say you love me. Do you?”

  She nodded. “I do, Seth, but I want you to be happy.”

  “Then marry me and take away all the unhappiness I’ve had for the past two years. I love you, and I promise you, we’ll face this problem together. How about it?”

  Her lips trembled, and more tears filled her eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “More than I’ve ever been about anything in my life. Please marry me, Callie.”

  “Nothing would make me happier.”

  His heart soared as he pulled her to him and pressed his lips against hers. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as if to seal the commitment they’d just made to each other.

  A discreet cough behind them brought him back to the present, and he pulled away to look over his shoulder. A smiling nurse stood just inside the door. “It seems you’re feeling better than the last time I checked.”

  Callie laughed. “It’s the best I’ve felt in years.”

  “That’s good to hear,” she said. “I came to tell you that your uncle has regained consciousness and is asking for you. Would you like to go see him?”

  She clasped Seth’s hand and smiled. “Oh, Seth, this is the best day of my life.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Mine, too.”

  “I’ll get a wheelchair and be right back,” the nurse said as she scooted out the door.

  Callie reached up and trailed the tip of her finger down his cheek. “I never dreamed we could get back together. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “With all my heart.” He was about to say more, but his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and pressed it to his ear. “Hello.”

  “Seth, this is Brad. I wanted to call you with some news.”

  He pushed to his feet and frowned. “Bad or good?”

  “Good news. They were able to uncover Hope’s car and pull it out of the hole where Anthony had buried it. There was a suitcase in the trunk, and it had all her identification in it.”

  “That is good news. What is her name?”

  “Her name is Valerie Traywick, and she’s from a little town in West Virginia. There were several pictures in the bag of her with a small boy who we think must be her son. We’re hoping the lab can come up with some more DNA from her clothes so it can be entered in the national database. In the meantime, we’ve got people in touch with the West Virginia authorities trying to locate any family she might have.”

  Seth closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Dan has searched all these years, and the answers were so close. Keep me posted.”

  “Okay.”

  Seth disconnected the call and smiled at Callie. “Her name is Valerie Traywick, and she’s from West Virginia.”

  Before Callie could answer him, the nurse entered, pushing a wheelchair. “Here we are. Ready to go see your uncle?”

  Callie held out her hand, and Seth helped her to her feet. “Thank you for not giving up on Valerie or on me. Uncle Dan is going to be so happy.”

  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s go tell him together.”

  SIXTEEN

  Two weeks later Callie spooned the last bite of applesauce into her uncle’s mouth and smiled. “I think your appetite is improving every day. Keep this up, and you’ll be out of here in no time.”

  He scowled at her and shook his head. “The next stop after this is the rehab center. It’s going to be weeks before I get to go home.”

  Callie laughed. “At least you have a place to stay for a while until we decide where we’re going to live.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean we? You’re going to live with Seth after you’re married, and I’m going to get a small apartment. I don’t need to be taking care of a big house anymore.”

  She sighed and put the empty applesauce bowl back on the hospital tray. “We have lots of time to decide all that. Seth wants us to rebuild the house where the other one burned, and the three of us live together. I think that’s a good idea.”

  He shook his head. “We can rebuild the house, but you and Seth will live there alone. I’m going to an apartment.”

  She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You can sure be stubborn when you try.”

  He laughed. “Who’s trying? I’m naturally this way all the time.”

  She was about to reply when someone knocked on the door and then pushed it open. Seth stuck his head into the room. “Are you up to some company?”

  Her uncle motioned for him to come in. “You’re not company. You’re family.”

  Seth glanced over his shoulder and then pushed the door open wider. A young man who looked to be in his early thirties stood in the hallway behind Seth. He smiled as Seth ushered him inside. They stopped at the foot of her uncle’s bed.

  “Dan, Callie, this is Michael Traywick. He’s Valerie’s son, and he’s come to Memphis to take his mother’s body h
ome for burial.”

  Callie sucked in her breath and pushed her fist against her trembling lips as she stared down at her uncle. Tears slipped out of the corners of his eyes, and he held out his hand to Michael. “Come here, son.”

  Michael walked around the end of the bed and clasped Uncle Dan’s hand in his. “I’m so happy to meet you. I can’t believe that you have tried for twenty-five years to find out who my mother was and where she came from. How can I ever thank you for answering the questions that have haunted me since I was six years old?”

  “Seeing you here and knowing your mother is finally going home is all the thanks I need. But I want to know what she was doing here. Callie has told me what happened after she arrived in Memphis, but we don’t know anything else.”

  Michael pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed. Callie drifted over to where Seth stood, and he put his arm around her. All three of them listened as Michael began his story.

  “I was five years old when my parents divorced. From what my dad’s told me, she’d always wanted to get out of West Virginia. When I was six, she convinced him to let me stay with him until she could go to California and get a job. Then she would send for me. She left home and was never heard from again.”

  “That must have been hard for a little boy,” Uncle Dan said.

  “Yes, it was. I cried many nights when I was growing up, wondering why my mother didn’t love me enough to send for me like she’d said she would. My father told me she didn’t care about me, or she would have written. After a while I believed him and began to hate her. Then when I got married and had a son, I began to think about my mother, and I wanted to find her. I entered my DNA in the national database three years ago, but I’d never heard anything until last week when I received word there had been a hit. I finally found out the truth, thanks to you.”

  Uncle Dan looked up at her and Seth. “And to those two also. They found the missing pieces and pulled everything together. I just kept the interest going all these years.”

  Michael reached over and squeezed her uncle’s hand. “You buried her and placed a tombstone on her grave. I’m forever in your debt.”