The Soldier's Promise

by Patricia Potter

  Josh nodded.

  Nate scrambled up the ladder like a monkey. Josh took his time, pulling himself up the one time his bad leg failed on a rung. Then he was on the roof and inching up until he was next to Nate. He pulled on his work gloves.

  Nate used a tool to scrape under the shingle, working around the edges until it was completely underneath, and pulled. Josh immediately understood why Stokes had said it was hard, dirty work when he tried to do the same.

  He looked over at Eve, who had already pulled one up and was starting on the second. It took him several minutes to pull up the first shingle, then he got the hang of it and was catching up fast. They worked downward as the second group took their place on the rooftop and started on the other side.

  He watched the others carefully aiming shingles at the bin below, calling out a warning first.

  He concentrated on the work and wouldn’t let himself glance at Eve. He was lagging behind the others in his line, but not by much. They waited until he finished the second layer, then they moved down as a group. They were more than a third of the way down when Stokes called for a break. Nate shook his head. “We can go on,” he hollered down.

  Stokes nodded and they continued. Josh’s leg was stiffening but he ignored it. Instead, he concentrated on removing the shingles.

  They worked another hour, then Stokes called them down. They were halfway down the roof.

  Eve was closest to the ladder and went down first. He painstakingly followed her, making sure his good leg landed first.

  He winced at the sudden pain, then moved away for Nate. Eve was looking at him with concern.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “It just needs a minute or so to wake up.”

  Her heart was in her eyes, and he had to turn away. Nate was at his side.

  Stokes gave him a nod of approval. “Get some water,” he said.

  Josh nodded. Although it was midmorning, he was damp with sweat. It was a cloudless day and the sun was bright. He judged the temperature to be in the low 90s. Nothing like Afghanistan, but hot enough.

  All six members of his team made their way to the large water dispenser on the back of one of the trucks. He tried not to look at Eve, but he felt the camaraderie of the group. He felt as if he was back with his guys in the field. He was part of a team.

  He took a long drink. Then Nate splashed some water on him, and they all started to do the same, including Eve, who was grinning.

  Josh suddenly walked away. He’d kept his feelings at bay these many months. The shrink had told him he couldn’t hold them in forever, that someday they would break out and he would be the better for it.

  It had started last night, and now his emotions were streaming out. Not now. Dear God, not now.

  He kept walking, past the trucks and the cars until he reached his Jeep. Then he stopped. He just stood there, and then he was aware of Eve next to him. Standing quietly. Saying nothing. Understanding without being obtrusive. There if he needed her.

  He slipped her hand in his and she moved closer to him, resting her head against his heart. She didn’t care if the world—or everyone in Covenant Falls—saw them.

  “It’s coming back, isn’t it?” she said softly.

  “It never goes away,” he replied. He didn’t want to hide any longer. Not from her. “I think it’s receding, and then something reminds of my team, something like splashing water on each other. And it all flashes back.” He hesitated. “Today was different.”

  “Why?”

  He didn’t know how to put it in words. That he felt he was betraying his friends by feeling part of something again. That he was beginning a life again when they weren’t.

  “Betrayal,” he finally blurted out. It was impossible to keep anything from her now, not when she was looking at him as if her life were his.

  “Because you lived when they died, when Dave died?” she asked softly. “You think they would feel that way? That your living well was a betrayal of them?”

  He was silent.

  “Would you feel that way if it was reversed? Would you not want Dave to have a good life? Isn’t that why he died? Because he wanted you to live. Isn’t it a betrayal to throw it away?”

  He looked down at her.

  “I know a little of how you feel,” she said in a low voice. “When Russ died so suddenly, I felt guilty about being alive. I kept wondering why him? Why not me? Everyone loved him. Only Nick got me through it. You haven’t had anyone.”

  Her eyes told him that he did now.

  He held her tight, as if his life depended on it. He didn’t care if anyone watched. After a minute he let her go. He still wasn’t free of memories. He didn’t think he would ever be free, but now maybe he could relive the good as well as the bad.

  He swallowed hard and looked around. No one had followed them, and they were shielded by cars and trees and fences. He touched her cheek, then kissed her lightly.

  “Let’s go back,” she said. “I haven’t had breakfast.”

  “Then you haven’t had Mrs. Byars’s cinnamon rolls.” His voice was hoarse.

  “Oh, I have. Many times. She’s a regular on the do-good circuit.”

  “As are you.”

  She shrugged. “I’m mayor.”

  “I doubt many mayors work on their constituents’ roofs.” His voice was getting back to normal.

  “I want to get reelected.” She reached in one of her pockets and came up with a phone. “I meant to call Tom and tell him Sam is here.”

  “Better here than at my place.”

  “Still, he should know.”

  She phoned Tom. When she hung up, she said, “He’s sending Ryan to watch your place. As far as I can tell, Sam’s just wandering about, not doing anything but getting in the way.” She was distracting him, easing him back into the present, and she was doing it very neatly. He smiled, and her mouth stretched into a wide grin.

  “Mom! Josh!”

  Josh turned around and saw Nick running toward them. Eve hugged him when the boy reached them. “Where’s Amos?” he asked.

  “Staying with Sherry today,” Josh said. “A little dog together time.”

  “Look,” Nick said and held out a digital camera. “Grandpa gave it to me to take pictures for your campaign. He said to take one of you on the roof.”

  She raised an eyebrow and turned to Josh. “He’s worried Al will win the election and chase out what people are left here.” She turned back to Nick.

  “That’s a very good idea. I think you should take pictures of everyone and send them to the newspaper since I haven’t seen any of the staff here today.”

  “Okay,” he said happily.

  “But don’t go close to the house without one of us,” Eve warned him. “There could be nails and flying shingles. We don’t want another trip to the hospital.”

  “Okay, I promise.”

  “What about something to eat,” she said to Nick.

  As they walked in front of the work site, Nick took a photo of the men on the roof, then the three of them walked over to the tables in the neighbor’s yard. Mrs. Byars was still there, along with a growing number of women. “My mother-in-law, Abby Douglas,” Eve said. “And this is our newest resident, Josh Manning.”

  “Mrs. Douglas,” he acknowledged.

  “Good to see you, Mr. Manning,” Mrs. Douglas said, and her gaze went from him to Eve and back again. Josh wondered if their relationship was that obvious.

  “Coffee, young man?” Mrs. Byars said, then whispered, “I saved you and Eve my last rolls. And Nick, of course. I keep some back for my favorites.”

  “I’m glad I’m one of your favorites,” Josh said. He took a cup of coffee and a roll, as did Eve, who gave a sigh of appreciation as she bit into it. “I love you, Mrs. Byars,” she said. Nick was to
o busy eating to comment.

  A huge plate of sandwiches suddenly appeared on the table. Then came potato salad and baked beans. More ladies were appearing with other dishes. “That’s quite an army,” Josh said. “Nate told me there would be good food, but he understated it.”

  “So you’re Mr. Manning,” another woman said. She thrust out her hand. “Mighty nice of you to join us, I’m Sue Harris. I teach at the school. My husband is up on the roof now. Bob Harris.”

  Two weeks ago, he would have felt crowded by all the interest in him. He would have been suspicious of it. Now he saw Eve’s friends through her eyes. Good, sincere, friendly people who wanted a better community and were willing to work for it.

  Nate came up to him. “They are almost ready for our group,” he said. “It’s getting pretty hot up there and we don’t want anyone up there for more than an hour. We should be finished then with the old shingles. Then an eight-man team will replace the boards. They will need us back after that to nail on the new shingles.”

  “Clark still here?” Josh asked.

  “Strutting around not doing a damn thing,” Nate said. “I asked him if he wanted to work, and he said he was working, that there needed to be an officer around because of the traffic.” Nate grinned. “He keeps glaring at you.”

  “Personality conflict,” Josh said.

  “He has a lot of those,” Nate replied. “See you over there.”

  Josh was ready. His mind was running amok. Too many emotions warring against each other. Work was a good way to slow them down.

  Eve told Nick to stay close to his grandmother, then walked to one of the pickup trucks where the equipment was. She took off the shirt she’d worn over her T-shirt and strapped on the tool belt. It looked well used. “It was my dad’s,” she said with pride.

  He had always thought her pretty, but never so much as at this moment. The belt emphasized her curves and she had a dark smudge on her nose. The bill of her baseball cap framed her remarkable eyes.

  They watched as the group of men came down, their shirts drenched in sweat. Then, as before, Nate climbed the ladder, followed by Josh and Eve. Then three more came after them, moving to the left side of the roof.

  He felt more confident now and was able to keep up with the others. They had three more lines of shingles to dislodge. The sun bore down on them and sweat rolled down his face. He looked over at Eve, and she was concentrating on a particularly stubborn shingle, then with a triumphant cry she tore it off.

  The sun was straight above when they finished. Eve was first to go down, the damp T-shirt hugging her. He went down next and almost stumbled as he reached the ground. Her hand caught his. Two weeks ago he would have felt humiliated. Now he appreciated the warm hand clasping his.

  She continued holding it as they walked back to the equipment truck. “Let’s get some water and a sandwich,” she said.

  They were walking over to the food table when her mother-in-law met her. “I can’t find Nick,” she said. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”

  Eve’s face paled. “How long has he been gone?”

  “About forty minutes. Not that long, but I told him to stay close. After you and Mr. Manning went over to the house, he wanted to take pictures of you going up the ladder and some while you were up there. I saw him there, then he just seemed to disappear. I started looking for him. No one has seen him.”

  Eve turned to Josh. “It really isn’t like him to wander far when he’s been told to stay around. Last Saturday was the exception and he promised never to leave again without telling me.”

  “He’s always been interested in my Jeep,” Josh said. “Maybe he walked down there to take a picture.”

  “Josh parked on Oak Street,” she said to Abby. “Has anyone looked there?”

  “I didn’t go that far,” her mother-in-law said. “We went a block in every direction. Probably nothing to worry about. He might have seen a stray dog or...”

  “Abby, why don’t you take your car and drive around? Josh and I will go down Oak Street. I have my cell with me if you find him. If I do, I’ll check in with you.”

  Josh hurried over to Nate and told them they couldn’t find Nick. “Would you ask some of the guys who aren’t working to look?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks.”

  Josh and Eve jogged down the street and turned on Oak toward his Jeep. It was there. Nick wasn’t. Josh looked around the car. Grass had been trampled, but then he and Eve had stood here an hour earlier.

  He heard Eve cry out and he ran over to her. She held remnants of a camera in her hand. The one her son had carried earlier.

  He saw raw fear on Eve’s face then.

  And he felt it, too.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “WHERE WAS IT?” Josh asked.

  “In the street, against the curb,” Eve replied, her voice shaking. She couldn’t stop shaking. It didn’t make sense. Maybe it had fallen from Nick’s pocket. Maybe he was looking for it now. But then why hadn’t he returned? Nick knew how she worried, especially after last week. Maybe she was overprotective, but with what had happened to Russ...

  “Is the memory card still in there?”

  Why hadn’t she thought of that? She looked inside the wreckage and found a battered card.

  She passed it to Josh, who took a look and swore. “We need to find the same brand camera,” he said. “Or maybe a laptop.”

  “I’ll call his grandfather,” she said. “He gave him the camera, and I’m pretty sure he has more at the drugstore. He’s just three blocks away.”

  “Call your chief of police, too,” Josh said in a tight voice.

  She didn’t question him. She punched a button and Tom’s voice came on immediately. “Tom, Nick is missing. I found a camera he’d been using. It was smashed against a curb. I’m afraid something’s wrong.”

  “When did you last see him?”

  “About two hours ago. Abby was looking after him. Said he disappeared an hour ago. People have been looking everywhere.”

  “I’m on my way over. Is there anything else?”

  “We have the card from the camera. There might be something on it. I’m calling Jim now to see whether he has another camera in stock.”

  “Good. I’ll alert our people and be over there in ten minutes.”

  She called Jim and hurriedly explained. He did have more of the cameras and would bring one over immediately.

  Eve and Josh went back to the roofing site and found Stokes. He’d already been alerted by Abby and had sent those not working to search the nearby areas.

  Josh looked around. Sam Clark had been here earlier, but he didn’t see him now. “Where’s Clark?” he asked. “Is he out looking for Nick?”

  “Haven’t seen him for a while,” Stokes said. “Guess he got tired from doing nothing,” he added with a snort.

  Tom arrived and behind him was Jim Douglas. He had a camera with him. “We got a good deal on these cameras,” he said. “They’ve been flying off the shelves. Lucky we had one left. I checked and the battery’s good.”

  He handed it to Tom, who inserted the card. He turned the camera on and flipped through the photos. He stopped and swore. Then he handed it to Eve, who then gave it to Josh.

  Josh looked at a photo of Sam Clark using a tool to break into his Jeep. A second one showed him reaching inside with something in his hand. “Clark must have seen Nick taking the photo,” he said.

  “You think he took Nick?” she asked.

  Silence met the question.

  “But then wouldn’t he have taken the camera with him rather than leaving it in the street?” Eve asked.

  “Maybe he didn’t see the camera,” Josh said. “Maybe he just saw Nick watching him.”

  Tom swore. “Based on th
e footage from the cameras at Josh’s cabin, I finally got a judge to sign off on a search warrant for Sam’s house today, and we were getting ready to serve it. It was supposed to be confidential. Maybe he was tipped off and decided to plant evidence. He wasn’t on duty today, so I couldn’t keep Ryan on him.”

  Josh looked at Eve. Her face was pale. He put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find Nick.”

  “Damn right we will,” Tom said. “Anyone see what Sam was driving?”

  “I drove up the same time Sam did this morning,” Eve said. “He was driving his green Chevy. He looked agitated, but then he often does. But it was really unusual for him to attend the roofing.”

  “Good,” Tom said. “We can track the car.” He turned and explained to Josh, “We have police radios in all the officer’s private cars in case of an emergency.”

  “Wouldn’t he know that?”

  “The radios are fairly new. We’ve never used them except for testing. Our officers know the radios are there, and they may be called to help in an emergency, but I’ve haven’t mentioned we can use them to track where they are.”

  “But he could know?”

  “He could,” Tom admitted. “I’m going to the office and get everything organized. Eve, you stay here in case we’re wrong and Nick shows up.” He moved quickly to his car and drove off.

  Eve shivered as she watched him go. She wanted to run after him. Josh’s arms went around her.

  She looked up at him. “Why would Nick go with him without screaming his head off? Nick’s watched enough police shows to know never get into the car with...” Her voice stopped.

  Anyone except for a police officer.

  The fear grew worse.

  Eve felt helpless. “I have to tell Abby, and Craig Stokes. He’ll have to find someone to...replace...” She paused, then said in a voice she didn’t recognize, “There’s a chance we’re wrong, and Nick returns on his own. Maybe he saw Sam breaking into the car and just started running....”

  Josh held her closer. “We’ll find him. I promise.”

  She had gone from shaking to cold. She was so cold. His arms weren’t a comfort, they were a prison. She had to find Nick. She broke loose and started walking, then running back to the work site. Nick would be there, snitching a sweet and keeping the ladies entertained with tales of Miss Marple and Captain Hook.