by Leslie Gould
Rebekah nodded.
“Where are you with that?”
“Still making phone calls.” Rebekah avoided Pepper’s gaze.
Jamie made a note. “So, at this point, the list is our best bet?”
Rebekah nodded. Maybe. She didn’t want to talk about it in front of Pepper. She didn’t want to talk about the insurance company mix-up either. She needed to call Jamie and speak to her privately about both.
“Mom, can we go by Nordstrom too?” Pepper flipped down the visor of the truck, opened the mirror, and examined her mascara.
“No, we’re only going to Old Navy, and stop looking at yourself. You look beautiful.” Rebekah pulled into the mall parking garage.
“But there’s a Nordstrom here at the other end of the mall.”
“I know Nordstrom is here.” She’d shopped there before she had kids. “I can barely afford Old Navy; I don’t have the time or the money for Nordstrom.” Rebekah parked the truck.
Pepper flipped the visor back into position and opened the door. “Who do you have to call?”
“Call?” Rebekah grabbed her purse.
“About a kidney.”
It sounded so absurd. As if she was going to call Dial-A-Kidney or something. Should she tell Pepper? No. “Oh, I’ve just been talking to the insurance people about stuff.”
Pepper led the way across the parking lot to the sidewalk. “Hey, I found a kidney on eBay last night.”
“It’s illegal to buy human organs—not to mention sell them.” Rebekah had already checked. “How much was it?” She opened the door to the mall.
“Two and a half million dollars.”
“Yikes.”
“Mom?”
“What, sweet pea?” Rebekah led the way into Old Navy, scanning the store for blue and brown tops. At least Pepper’s fashion obsessions narrowed her choices.
“Do you think my birth mom would have been willing to give me a kidney if she had lived?”
“You bet.” Rebekah put her arm around Pepper. Willing yes, capable no. At least Mandy had Pepper before she contracted hepatitis and who knew what else.
“How did the appointment go?” Sandi slipped her scrapbook into her bag.
“Fine.” Rebekah flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“Really?”
Rebekah sighed. “The appointment was fine. Everything else is falling apart. I can’t get hold of Pepper’s birth grandmother, and our insurance company is driving me crazy.”
“Rebekah, I’ve never seen you stressed.”
“I’m not stressed.” Rebekah sank into a chair.
Sandi laughed. “You are. I know these things.”
“You know what would be fun? A retreat. A scrapbooking retreat.” Rebekah put her hands between her knees.
“When?”
“As soon as possible.”
Sandi stood. “I can call the church about the lodge. It’s only fifteen miles from here.” She pulled her cell from the side pocket of her purse.
“In the mountains?”
Sandi nodded as she dialed. “It would be perfect. I’ve done retreats there before. I’ll see if it’s available this weekend.”
Rebekah clapped her hands together. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a small group.”
“What about Midnight Madness? And Saturday?”
“We’ll have Midnight Madness at the lodge, and I’ll just close the shop on Saturday—put a sign in the window. Anyone who really wants to scrapbook over the weekend will be with us, and I’ll take merchandise to sell.”
Sandi held up her hand and began talking on the phone. She nodded to Rebekah. “Great! I’ll pick up the key on Friday morning.” She turned to Rebekah. “We’re all set.”
Elise kicked the tire of the 4Runner. It was flat. The Volvo was back in the shop for a rattle that had showed up the day after the repair work was completed. The mechanic assured her it needed only an adjustment and she would have it back by Monday afternoon. She pulled her phone from her purse on the passenger seat. No service. Rolling farmland surrounded her. A tractor inched along a half-plowed field on a distant hill. She leaned against the 4Runner and exhaled into the cold air. Too bad Ted wasn’t standing here with her; he would be thrilled with the country setting. His experience growing up in a small town had been so different from hers.
She just wanted to get the grocery shopping done and then get home to do chores. Shopping in Forest Falls had become even more of a problem since the article in the paper that had mentioned Ted being deployed. Not only did strangers smile at her in the grocery store, but now they approached her to offer their support. Two women from church had stopped by last week—one with a loganberry pie and the other with snickerdoodles. Both had stayed for nearly an hour.
The boys were still asleep when she left. Michael would get up soon and watch cartoons all morning. Who knew when Mark might pull himself out of bed—probably not until she got home.
She zipped her jacket and pulled the 4Runner’s manual out of the jockey box. Where would the spare be? In the back? Or under the rig? She lifted the hatch and tugged on the carpet. There it was. At least she wouldn’t have to get under the truck to pull it out. Elise unscrewed the bolts and yanked on the tire.
She slumped against the bumper. The spare was flat too.
A horn honked, and a white pickup pulled off the road. It was John.
“What’s the matter?” He slammed his door and walked toward her. He wore a short-sleeved white T-shirt and Levi’s.
Wasn’t he cold? Elise stood up straight. “Flat tire—and a flat spare.”
“That’s not like Ted to leave a spare unfixed. It must have gone flat on its own.” John took the tire and threw it into the back of his truck. Elise headed to the passenger side of John’s truck.
“Not so fast.” John pulled a box of tools from the bed of his truck. “I’ll get the tire off too; we need to get them both repaired.”
Ten minutes later they were on the road to Salem, listening to country music. John turned the volume down.
“Where were you headed?”
“Grocery shopping.”
“They have stores in Forest Falls.”
Elise changed the subject. “Where are you off to so early on a Saturday morning?”
“To measure a kitchen in Salem for cabinets. It’s going to be my fall project.”
A line of quail scooted across the road and then floundered into flight at the last moment. John neither slowed nor swerved.
“How about if we drop the tires off and then I’ll drop you off at the grocery store.” John took a hairpin curve with ease, crossing one hand over the other. “There’s one close to the house where my appointment is.”
Elise held a latte with one hand and the handle of the shopping cart with the other as she waited for John outside the store. He pulled to the curb.
“Want a coffee?” she asked, placing hers in the cup holder.
“A plain, black coffee would be great. None of that foamy stuff.” He jumped out of his truck and began loading her groceries, placing them inside the large plastic tote in the back of his truck.
Five minutes later John pulled onto the freeway toward Forest Falls and took a drink of his coffee. He swallowed quickly and said, “Ted called last night.”
Elise nodded. John didn’t have e-mail. That was one of the reasons they had purchased a satellite phone.
“He said that you and the boys are going to Germany for Christmas.” John kept his eyes on the road. “I haven’t talked with Ted about this. I wanted to run it by you first.”
Elise’s lower back tightened.
“Please be honest.”
She put her coffee in the cup holder.
“What would you think if I went too?”
Elise forced a smile. What was the chance that he would really go? “I think that would be great.” Her back began to hurt.
“Think about it. Talk to Ted and the boys.”
Elise leaned against the seat and
closed her eyes. She had never been alone with John, without Ted or Maude. She had no idea how to tell him she wanted the trip to Germany to be a family vacation, just her and the boys and Ted. Besides, would they need to book another room if John joined them? She couldn’t imagine him bunking with the boys.
“Here we are.” Fifteen minutes later John had the tire back on, the spare secured in the back, and the groceries transferred to the 4Runner.
Elise waved as she turned the key. She turned it again. Nothing. She opened her door as John started to pull away. He stopped and jumped out of his truck.
“The battery’s dead.”
“Did you leave the lights on again?”
“I don’t think so.” She checked. “Yes.” Her hand flew to her face.
“I’ll come back with the charge box.” He eyed the narrow shoulder. “It’s too dangerous to pull my truck up here. Let’s get the groceries back in my rig.”
“No, it’s okay. Just call Triple A for me when you get into town.” Elise hopped back in the 4Runner. “You’ve done enough already.”
“Elise, don’t be ridiculous. Help me with the groceries.” John opened the back of the 4Runner. “You might need a new battery.”
Elise nodded. “I’ll take it in on Monday, after I get the Volvo back.”
Michael greeted her at the kitchen door. “Mom, can we go play football with Reid and his dad?”
“Go grab a bag of groceries.”
Michael stuck his head out the door. “How come Grandpa is here?”
“The 4Runner broke down.”
“You have the worst luck with cars.” Mark yawned and pulled on the drawstring of his pajama bottoms.
“Go help.” Elise nudged him as she pulled chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice cream from the bag.
“So can we go?” Michael hurried back into the kitchen.
“Go where?” John put two bags on the counter.
“To play football with the Grahams.” Michael pulled a loaf of bread from a bag.
“We have to go back out and jump Dad’s truck. I’m tired now, but by then I’ll be exhausted.”
“Please,” Michael begged like a four-year-old.
“How about if I take them, Elise?” John stood in the kitchen doorway, a bag in each arm. “You and I can go get the 4Runner, and then I’ll pick them up and meet Patrick. I’ll stop and get them some lunch”—he looked at his watch—“a late lunch on the way to the field.”
“Are you sure? I’ve taken up most of your day already.”
John slapped Michael on the back. “I’d love to do it.”
“Thanks.” Michael hugged his grandfather.
“You’d better get dressed.” John pointed at Mark.
“And call Reid. And put the groceries away.” Elise closed the freezer. She would have some peace and quiet this afternoon or maybe time for something she wanted to do. “I wonder if Rebekah plans to ride this afternoon,” she said out loud. “It looked like the shop was closed when we drove by. Maybe she took the day off to work on the farm.”
“I don’t think so.” John dangled his keys. “She’s at that scrapbooking retreat.”
“Retreat?” Elise turned toward him. “What retreat?”
“Oh, a bunch of the ladies got together at the lodge to scrapbook or whatever it is that they do,” John said casually.
“Well, I guess horseback riding is out.” For once Elise was glad that John was so oblivious to her feelings. She couldn’t hide the hurt in her voice.
Elise rummaged through the box of photos, too tired to read or do housework. Too hurt, really. Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the rejection she felt every time she thought of the Forest Falls women at a retreat she wasn’t invited to. She had wasted her day without the boys, and they would be home soon. John had called to say he and Patrick were taking the boys out for burgers. That was two hours ago.
The front door swung open. “I still can’t believe that pass, Mark!” Michael flung his sweatshirt onto a dining room chair. “You should have seen it, Mom. I went up for the pass, and the ball just dropped into my arms. They didn’t stand a chance against the Shelton boys!”
Mark and Michael high-fived each other.
Elise stood. “Did you guys have fun?”
“We had a great time.” John slapped Mark on the back.
Mark nodded.
“And the boys were no trouble at all.” John smiled broadly. “No back talk, no fighting, and no sulking.”
“Thanks.” Elise crossed her arms. “Boys, what do you tell your grandfather?”
“Thank you,” they chirped in unison.
“You’re welcome. I hope we can do it again sometime.” John started to walk out the door and then turned back toward Elise. “See you at church tomorrow.”
She nodded. Maybe. Why should she go to church and try to get to know people better when the women she did know hadn’t invited her on their retreat? She turned toward the boys. “It’s after nine. Both of you need to go to bed.”
“I want to e-mail Dad first. Tell him about the pass I caught.” Michael headed to the family room.
“You mean the pass that I threw.” Mark ran after him.
“Why can’t you do that in a game?” Michael grinned.
“Whatever. I get the computer first.” Mark slammed his hand down on his brother’s head, and they both fell to the floor of the hallway in a heap and began to wrestle.
Elise stepped over them, thinking of the scene in A River Runs Through It when the mother pushes her way between the two fighting brothers. “You can e-mail tomorrow.” Elise’s boys were already too big for her to break them up, even when it was a friendly wrestling match. “Get ready for bed.”
Mark jumped to his feet. “Mom, I’m not going out for basketball.”
“Why?”
Mark shrugged and headed to the kitchen.
Was it his grades? Or Ted’s being gone? She had better check in with Mark’s teachers soon. She stepped into the study and opened Outlook. One e-mail from Ted.
Sorry I couldn’t call tonight. I got delayed at work. Lots of surgeries. Have you bought tickets for December? Make sure to get travel insurance with them. Love, Ted
She e-mailed back.
I did buy the tickets. I’ll e-mail the info tomorrow.
Of course she had purchased travel insurance. But she didn’t want to think about travel insurance; she wanted to think about sleigh rides, nutcrackers, and castles covered with snow. She added:
The boys will e-mail tomorrow. Right now they’re wrestling in the hallway. Are you missing home?
And then:
P. S. What did you say to your dad about us going to Germany?
She was too hurt to tell him about not being invited to the scrapbooking retreat. So much for Ted’s optimism about the women of Forest Falls.
“You idiot. You almost tore my ear off.” Michael came running toward the study. Mark’s laugh followed.
Elise stepped into the hall. “Michael, go to bed.” He dashed up the stairs.
Mark sat down in the middle of the hall.
“I just got an e-mail from Dad. He’s looking forward to us coming to Germany for Christmas.” She wanted to give Michael a minute to get ready for bed before another ruckus ensued. “Brush your teeth,” she yelled up the stairs.
“I hate flying,” Mark said and started up the stairs.
Elise walked to the table and cleared the photos. She needed to do laundry, unload the dishwasher, and decide about going to church. She longed for some time of worship, but she knew now for sure that she was not accepted in Forest Falls. She hated to give up the horses, but she would not interact with Rebekah again. She counted the months on her hand. Eight. Eight more months until they moved to Seattle and left Forest Falls for good.
Rebekah unpacked a box of paper, the phone tucked under her ear. Pepper sat on the balcony watching Arthur on the little television her grandmother had given her last year for Christmas; she had begged to bring it t
o the shop. D.W.’s whiny voice was getting on Rebekah’s nerves, but she was happy that Pepper still watched her childhood shows. She was at that wondrous age between girlhood and womanhood.
Rebekah dialed the number. The phone rang seven times. She would let it ring twice more.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Elise. Rebekah here.”
“Hi.”
“Want to ride up to Portland with us? I need to take Pepper to a doctor’s appointment.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Please? Sandi told me that both of your cars broke down again.”
Elise didn’t answer.
“Look, Elise. I feel really bad about the scrapbooking retreat. Sandi thought I had told you, and I thought Sandi had. We both just assumed you didn’t want to—or couldn’t—go. You know, that you didn’t have anyone to watch the boys.”
“Oh.”
Oh. Lovely. She was ticked, and Rebekah didn’t blame her. It was a low blow. She and Sandi hadn’t figured out the mix-up until Sunday morning.
“We would really like to have you come along.”
“To go to the doctor’s appointment?”
“We’re going to stop by the Western Store. I know you need boots for when you ride with us.” Rebekah stifled a yawn. The retreat had been a lot more work than she’d expected.
“When do you need to leave?” Elise sounded resentful.
“Fifteen minutes.”
“I could use some boots.”
Rebekah smiled.
Elise walked toward the pickup, her suede jacket in one hand and her purse in the other. “Hi.” Her voice had a scratchy, sleep-deprived sound, and her hair was damp. “Hi, Pepper,” Elise said as she climbed into the front seat.
“How are you?” Rebekah asked.
“Tired, that’s all.”
“How come?”
Elise shrugged. “I stay up too late when Ted is gone. It’s hard to get to sleep.” Elise seemed to be interested in the willow trees along the creek as they crossed the city limits.
