David finally made his voice work. “Doctor—Debbie is my wife. She’s coming home with me as soon as she’s able.”
He watched her arch her brows, much the way his mother always did. “That will probably not be possible right now, Mr. Lambrecht. We intend to keep her at least another day, but you have some serious issues to be worked through. That takes time. With Debbie’s weak heart, disordered eating, and triplets to deal with, I’m sure you can understand she needs a peaceful, supportive environment where she can work through everything.”
“Our home is peaceful—and supportive.”
“Mr. Lambrecht, you know exactly what I mean. You know that Debbie has trouble expressing herself under the best of conditions. She needs to have time and space to process all that’s happened between you. And to make a decision about moving forward.”
David coughed into his sleeve and fought to catch a breath. “We’re moving forward together. We can work things out together. At home.”
Dr. Raich stood. “That’s all I have to say at the moment, Mr. Lambrecht. Please leave a phone number where we can reach you today. I’ll keep you posted on Debbie’s progress.” A sweep of her hand directed him out the door.
He walked back to Debbie’s room in silence. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be the end. He’d protected her from an attack by one of the world’s most feared assassins, Z. He’d shielded her from a shootout with Santoro and his gang. He’d rescued her from her overbearing parents. Now he alone was responsible for taking her away from him? It was laughable.
He was back at the Ross Hotel listening to Cat on the consequences of sin. Lust seemed like such a minor one in his book. How could it end his life with the woman he loved so much? How could he make her understand they both needed each other, more than air itself? How could he make her understand they had to stay together? Didn’t she know she was the only one who could save his soul? Her own dead grandmother had said as much.
He recognized the guard in front of her door. Eduardo had seen to it that Debbie’s room would be secure. He peered in the doorway to see his wife was still asleep. He didn’t know what to do.
Debbie
Nita, Cat, and Cisco came through my door as I was just waking up. They gave me hugs and kisses, and I’m not sure whose tears were whose. Cisco excused himself and shut the door to talk with an armed guard.
Cat looked very pale, and Nita told me she’d had one of her spells again. I hoped I wasn’t the cause of it. But I knew better.
Her blue eyes focused on mine. “I don’t like to interfere with people’s lives and give unwanted advice. I know it doesn’t seem that way sometimes. But there are times when I know God is calling me to take action. This is one of those times.”
I reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. “I know you can help us make the right choices Cat. Will you help me?”
“I hope you realize I love you so much, Debbie. And of course I love David. I think we’ll both agree he can make it difficult sometimes.”
That brought a tearful giggle from the three of us.
Then I burst into sobs. “I told him my insides feel like stone now. I have so much pain, Cat. I feel like I can’t take it. I can’t live with David if he has girlfriends. The pain is too much—and I need to take care of our babies. I don’t want to leave, but I don’t know what else to do. Our babies deserve a good life and—and—a mother that can love them without feeling cold and sick inside all the time. What should I do?”
Cat and Nita hugged me until I cried all the tears I had.
Cat said, “You must know that you’ve shaken David to the core, from the time you met. You’ve impacted him like no one else on earth. Of course, your artwork has saved his life in so many ways. It’s also changed him as a person. Some of the changes are obvious to us—his family and close friends who’ve grown up with him. Some of them are not obvious. But they’re there.”
“What?” I wasn’t positive what changes Cat meant.
“For instance, if you speak to any one of David’s colleagues and most anyone in our family, they’ll tell you that you and David consummated your relationship in Carmel.”
My mouth dropped open. “That’s not true. We did that on our wedding day. That’s when we made our babies, I think.”
Cat smiled. “I believe you. But David would go right ahead letting people think what they want. Especially in regard to his relationships with women.”
Nita chuckled. “You had me fooled. I never in a million years thought you two waited until marriage.”
I was starting to understand. I remembered how Cindy and Glori went on about how “radiant” I was when we got home from Carmel.
“Debbie, I’m sure you know—after all this scandal about David and those women he lived with in California—he has a long history of this behavior. But you are the one woman that changed him. He’s trying to honor God. He now understands what real love is, and he knows the true joy that can come from a physical relationship in marriage. That’s God’s covenant—marriage is a covenant under God—and David is honoring that. Unfortunately, his sinful past continues to confront him, and he’s having difficulty dealing with the consequences of past sin.”
“You mean his girlfriend Gwen? He didn’t take her back as his girlfriend?”
“He did not. Again, if you ask Eduardo, Alain or Jimmy—or even General Pearson—they’d say he did. So I don’t think David handled the situation particularly well.”
My heart was fluttering. “I—I guess it’s that lamp on a stand verse you told me about. I guess David’s trying to cover up the lamp. I suppose that’s what secret agents do.”
Nita stroked my hair, and chuckled. “That’s what they do.”
Cat squeezed my hand. “Your Grammy told you that you had work left to do. David is that work in progress. Just because you’re married with babies on the way—it doesn’t mean that soul work is done. He still needs to learn to trust God. He’s spent a lifetime trusting only himself. It’s a process, and you both help each other—in so many ways. What I’m saying is—please believe him and believe in his desire to be a better person and a better husband. Please give him another chance.”
As I thought about what Cat said, she dropped into a chair beside my bed. Her head was propped on her hand, and her hair fell onto her face, but I could see her eyes were open. It was like she was in a trance. She must have been in prayer.
I turned to Nita. “Is there an angel in the room?”
She squeezed my hand. “I don’t know, but this happens on a regular basis. Sometimes it goes on a while, and other times just a brief moment. Personally, I believe she’s in communication with Jesus or His angels. She never tells us, but she usually knows something important when she comes out of it.”
We waited patiently until Cat rose from her seat a minute or two later like nothing happened. “Debbie, let’s get a wheelchair. Will you come with me?”
David
“Here you are! I’ve been looking all over creation for you. Why don’t you answer your damn phone?” Eduardo knelt on the floor and looked at him like he was insane. He probably was.
“What are you doin’ down here? If you’re gonna kneel down to pray, get outta the doorway of the chapel. The benches are right here.” Eduardo pulled him up, and dragged him to a seat. “What’s the matter with you?”
David sat and put his head in his hands. “Thank you for arranging security for Debbie. I’m obviously not even capable of thinking of that.”
“Right.”
“I can’t lose her, Eduardo. I can’t.”
“Well, you should’ve thought of that before you started screwin’ that bitch Gwen.”
Eduardo’s voice was so loud he thought the entire hospital heard him. What difference did it make? That’s what everyone thought, including the most important person—his wife.
He turned to Eduardo. “I know how it looked, but I did not. I—I thought about it—I thought it might take the physical strain off De
bbie.” He put up a hand to stop Eduardo’s coming interruption. “I know. I know! I know I’m crazy. I know. But that’s what went through my mind.”
Eduardo shook his head. “Yeah. By now, I sure do know you’re crazy. But how the heck did Debbie figure out about you and Gwen? Even Pearson was terrified with the two of you on the same continent together. But Debbie’s so naive. Don’t tell me she did another painting?”
Debbie
I sat in a wheelchair between Cat and Nita in the open door to the small chapel. David and Eduardo—the only occupants—sat in the very last bench, unaware we were there. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt like Ebenezer Scrooge as he observed a scene from his life with the Ghost of Christmas Present.
“David!” My voice was stronger than I expected.
Startled, Eduardo practically fell into the aisle. Cat pushed me toward them, and David was in front of me in an instant.
I wrapped my arms around him, and he picked me up. The IV caught his attention, so he landed back in the wheelchair with me in his lap, kissing me. The others wandered off to give us privacy.
I heard Eduardo say, “I guess I don’t need to ask how you found us.”
I heard laughter from Nita and Cat.
***
We sat at the back of the chapel for a long time, silently holding each other. His body was trembling, and our faces were wet.
“Sweetheart, I—I love you—more than life itself. Please understand, I never, ever intended to hurt you, and I’m so sorry that I did. I never intended to betray you. I didn’t think that I did—”
I put my hand to his face. “I understand now, David. I understand.”
“Please give me a chance—another chance—”
I wiped the dampness around his eyes. “I know we both have holes in us, David. From a long time ago. And I know God’s the only one who can fill those holes. And I know we need to trust God. And with both of us loving each other and God, I know we can be happy and healed—at least eventually. There’s no one else I could ever want to take this journey with, David. I love you. Only you.”
“I love you, Sweetheart. Only you. I’ll do my best to trust. You know it’s all because of you that I know there is a God.”
I smiled. “I can tell you do, because you came here and turned to God today.”
“I finally realized there wasn’t anywhere else to go.” He kissed my cheek.
“And you’re early for Mass—for the first time ever, I bet,” I said.
“Really?”
“Yes, the sign says the next service is tomorrow at noon.”
He smirked, and we kissed that kiss that always melts me.
“Perhaps I should get you to your room before I get too carried away here. I promise to get you back in plenty of time for the next service.”
“Okay.” I giggled.
David
Debbie slept much of the afternoon and ate a reasonable dinner. Dr. Raich seemed amazed by the turnaround. She promised them David could take her home Friday afternoon if Debbie continued to improve.
They settled in for the evening in a large comfortable chair. “Debbie, I spoke with Dr. Raich, and I’ve been thinking about what she said. I know I’ve done things in the past that any wife would find hard to forgive. You’ve always loved me unconditionally. I know all those things must be buried somewhere inside you. I suppose I’ve buried lots of things, too. But I can’t let the past threaten our life together, the closeness we have. You’ve changed my life so completely, Sweetheart. I can’t imagine living without you. It’s like I was dead inside before I knew you. You switched on the light, and I won’t let go. Whatever I need to do, I’ll do it. I want you to know.”
“I know, David. It’s like Dr. Raich said. We need to be completely honest with each other. I know that’s not so easy. But she’s right. When you take me home tomorrow, we can snuggle in front of the fire. And talk. And this weekend is supposed to be wonderful weather, David. We can spend time outdoors and paint.”
“Sounds good to me.” He kissed her.
***
David left his wife at the hospital in the care of Cindy and Glori, and arrived early at the office on Friday. He reviewed the files and papers on his desk, and found Gwen’s note from Dr. Raich. Agent Gwen Munroe was the inept secretary with the treacherous red lipstick. Inept wasn’t the word. Evil was the word. Disgusted, he threw the note in the trash and proceeded to the conference room for the morning meeting.
He saw Gwen alone in the room, perusing a file. He closed the door behind him.
She looked up and gave him her dazzling smile. “Good morning Agent Lambrecht.”
It was merely her smile that had always triggered his usual reaction and today was the same. He squelched that with thoughts of her cruel joke that could have cost him his wife and three unborn sons. Rage replaced lust. Wordlessly, he took his seat across the large oak table.
She removed a small knife from her pocket and opened it, toying gingerly with the serrated blade. “I love knives,” she mused aloud and met his eyes with a deadly seductive gaze. “This is the perfect one. It slides in oh-so-easily and kills on its way back out. Knives are so—intimate. They’re great for surprises. I love surprises—so much fun. Guns are so—impersonal. Funny how we choose our favorite—weapons.”
His blood ran cold. “What you did was most certainly personal. And unforgivable.”
“Unforgivable?” She feigned shock.
“Yes.”
Her perfect smile broke into fake laughter. “David, I took a message and left the note on your desk. General Pearson called me in for a conference call with the powers-that-be in the Middle East. I forgot to ask you if you got the message. Forgive me, but I think that call was a bit more urgent than your wife forgetting to eat her breakfast again.”
He wanted the pleasure of killing her. But that damn boat Forgiven was back in his head, and it was probably his angelic wife that put it there. Trusting God would be a herculean task. But he had no choice. He didn’t want to spend eternity without Debbie. The consequences of sin.
But how could ridding the earth of Agent Gwen Munroe be sinful? He did know he wasn’t always rational where women were concerned. At least he knew he was crazy. He’d need time to come to the correct decision. Time was on Gwen’s side.
Otherwise, Gwen’s blood would have spilled all over the conference room—knives or guns or bare hands—he didn’t care.
General Pearson came through the door with his men. “David, how is Debbie today?”
“Much better. Thank you, Sir.”
The General dropped a folder on the table in front of Gwen. “Agent Munroe is leaving this evening for the Middle East. I’m sure we all wish her good luck on her assignment.”
Jimmy winked at Eduardo and turned to Pearson. “I’ll order the cake, Sir.”
“Perhaps arsenic flavor,” David volunteered.
Chapter Twenty
David
Friday evening David arrived in his wife’s hospital room to find her in conversation with Dr. Raich. Debbie was holding some of the roses from a bouquet he’d sent, and sprung into his arms when she saw him.
Dr. Raich smiled. “Mr. Lambrecht, Debbie is feeling much better today. We’ll allow her to leave now. I hope you two will take some time together this weekend to work through some of these issues that have come up. If you need me for any reason, you have my number. Don’t hesitate to call.”
David took his wife to dinner at her favorite restaurant at the Monchsberg Hotel. They lingered over a candlelit dinner and ended the evening with a brief waltz.
***
Saturday morning David opened the French doors that led from their bedroom to the second floor terrace. It was a brilliant autumn day, and the warmth of the sun invited the couple outside for a leisurely breakfast. Draped over his lap, Debbie ate a hearty meal and entertained him with her descriptions of the colors and textures of the pastoral landscape and blue sky in front of them. Later she promised to
turn it into an oil painting.
“But first, David, we should talk about—everything.” Debbie didn’t seem thrilled with the prospect of this discussion either.
“I’ve been thinking about what Dr. Raich said about working through issues, being honest. I’m not convinced dredging up the past is the best idea, Sweetheart, but if you have something you want to discuss, I’ll do it.”
“Well, David, yesterday Cindy gave me an invitation General Pearson sent to everyone in the family. It says we’re invited to attend a ceremony next Friday, and you’ll be getting a medal from Israel. Can you tell us what happened? Is that a secret, too? That’s kind of strange that you get a medal and have to keep it all secret.”
David grinned. “It is rather pointless.” He tickled her ear with a kiss. “But I will tell you about this one—and I’m going to swear you to secrecy.”
“Okay.” Debbie nodded in her usual fashion, and he had to smile.
He sat her facing him, and took a moment to admire her sweet face. “You remember that night in Carmel when we were so rudely interrupted.”
Debbie nodded. “That was an unforgettable one, David.”
“Unforgettable—yes. I know you never discussed it with anyone outside our organization, and that so impressed me—how you handled it all.”
Debbie looked pensive. “I knew it must have something to do with your work, David, and that’s very secret. So I wouldn’t say anything unless you told me to.”
Fame, Fortune & Secrets (The Redemption Series: Book 2) Page 19
