Love Letters from Heaven

by Debbie Peterson

  As the day wore on, she endured several interruptions by elated doctors and nurses who poked, prodded, and asked questions. Various conversations with an assortment of visitors—without any mention of Chad whatsoever—carried on until late afternoon. By then exhaustion had set in. Her mother noticed it, drew everyone’s attention to it, and then shooed everyone out the door. Once they had all gone home, Katie stared down at her cell phone. Her mom had handed it to her with instructions to call if she needed anything. She could only think of one thing.

  She picked it up and for several minutes she did nothing more than gaze at the screen. The joy she had carried since she woke up still hadn’t diminished. If anything, it had inexplicably grown stronger. Would the phone call she had to make change even the slightest portion of that? Regardless of outcome, the task needed doing. Might as well be sooner rather than later.

  Once she placed the call, she waited for him to answer. Just when she thought he wouldn’t, the phone stopped ringing.

  “H-hello?”

  The very sound of his voice nauseated her. At the same time, his obvious fear amused her. She really should call Jared and Justin and get the whole story. “Hello, Chad.”

  “Katie?”

  “Yep, it’s me. Believe it or not, I’m finally awake and doing quite well, they say.”

  “I’m so happy to hear that, we were all so wor—”

  “Don’t, Chad. Don’t even pretend. I’m well beyond it. Now, I’ll make this short and sweet. We need to talk. Now is the perfect time, and here is the perfect place. I promise I won’t take much of your evening. I’m sure you have plans. If not, you should make some.”

  “Are…are you alone?”

  “Yes, I am. You needn’t be afraid of an ambush. There are no monsters, brothers, cousins, or angry father hiding underneath the bed with a loaded shotgun in hand.”

  He paused. “Give me twenty minutes.”

  Katie ended the call without saying goodbye and tossed the phone on top of the bed tray. She closed her eyes and waited.

  Several minutes later, his distinctive footsteps echoed throughout the hallway. Chad rapped his knuckles against the open door and barged into the room without waiting for an invitation. A bizarre mix of emotions marred his face as he did so. She saw belligerence, insolence, cowardice, and curiosity as he gazed at her.

  He stopped at the foot of her bed and gave her a curt nod. “Nice to see you awake. You had your family quite worried.”

  “That’s what being part of a family that loves completely and deeply is all about, Chad. I’m grateful that during the days I spent in the coma, I had their support.”

  Chad dropped his gaze and shoved his hands inside his pockets. He jingled his keys and shrugged away the comment. “Well, you’ve got me down here, what would you like to discuss?”

  “I didn’t call you down here so I can help you name the baby.”

  Heat colored his cheeks and for a moment he had trouble meeting her eyes. He sucked in a breath and held on to it even as he spoke. “The thought never crossed my mind.”

  “I bet not.” She cleared her throat in an exaggerated manner. “I suppose the word ‘discuss’ is a poor choice for what I have in mind. We can blame the weeks I spent in the coma for the inaccuracy of my request. In truth, I asked you for this visit so I could talk and you could listen.”

  He raised a brow. “So speak.”

  “Fine. You should know my lawyer has already prepared the papers for the dissolution of our marriage. If not for my accident, I would already have signed them and you would already have received them. He believes I’ve been more than fair. You can hire your own lawyer and contest the terms if you wish. Even if you choose that route, I don’t think you’ll do better than what I’ve offered. In addition, the quicker you sign the documents, the faster you’ll be able to marry your—uh—present sweetheart and legally give your baby your name. Please remember, I’m not in the same hurry you might be in right now.”

  His eyes narrowed as he launched that annoying tic in his jaw. Finally, he shook his head. “You needn’t worry, Katie. I have no intention of contesting the divorce. I’ll sign your papers as soon as I have them and read them over, of course.”

  “I kept the words short and simple enough. You should understand them without too much difficulty. I’m not worried either. Not in the least. I just thought I’d give you the heads up. The papers will arrive no later than week’s end. See that you’re around to sign for them. Oh, and uh, tell Heather I wish her the best of luck. She’s going to need it.”

  As he spun around on his heels, Katie stopped him.

  “One more thing before you go.”

  He turned around to face her. “What now?” he asked between clenched teeth.

  “The doctors are kicking me out of here in the next day or two. Please have all of your things out of my house by the time I get home. Anything I find at that point will go in the trash.”

  “You can rest easy, Katie. I’m already gone.”

  “Good. I think the less we see of each other from here on out, the better off both of us will be. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  “Goodbye, Chad.”

  The minute he strode out of the room, Katie looked down at the wedding ring on her left hand. With a smile on her face, she tugged it off, and tossed it into the garbage can next to her bed. The sound it made as it rattled against the bottom of it made her laugh. Who knew such a small, insignificant thing could make her feel this good?

  Chapter Four

  Month in and month out after her release from the hospital, William had steadfastly watched over Katie’s progress. When she needed help over the rough spots, he held her in his arms as he kept her company. He supposed he carried a hope that somewhere along the way something would spark the memory of the letters he shared with her. So far though, nothing had. He found it obvious she didn’t remember a thing. In his opinion, the further away from the dreams, the more likely they’d never be recalled. That caused him a great deal of anguish. So much anguish in fact, he finally sought the advice of his grandfather. In his mind, no one was wiser than Isaiah Griffin. Perhaps he could somehow help him through this? The hope took him to his grandfather’s front door.

  Isaiah welcomed him inside. “Well this is a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the honor?”

  “I need to talk to you,” he said, coming straight to the point.

  “All right. I’m listening.”

  Once he had shared his torment and uncertainty, Isaiah leaned back against the sofa and for a time, he did nothing more than gaze into his eyes. William waited out the silence.

  “William, what you need is far more patience than what you have right now. You must keep in mind that Katie is still mortal,” he said. “She sees things through mortal eyes and with a mortal’s perception. The thoughts and dreams you share with her, she believes are her own. In her mind, how could they be anything else? Of course she’ll dismiss anything she doesn’t understand. She’ll wonder where the absurd thoughts come from and then pay them no heed.”

  “Well, isn’t that just dandy,” he groused.

  Isaiah chuckled. “You did the same thing when I told you about the ultimate sacrifice you would make after you enlisted in the army. Do you remember?”

  William nodded as those mortal memories flooded his mind. “Yes, I remember and point well taken.”

  “So, there you go.”

  “Then you’re telling me that things will stay the way they are right now until she dies?”

  As he leaned forward, he shook his head. “No, I didn’t say that, boy. Listen to me again. I said you need patience. One day you’ll find a way to get through to her. Especially if you’re persistent and try any number of ways to make that happen.”

  “I don’t know what else I could possibly do that I haven’t already done.”

  Isaiah grinned. “I’m sure if you keep thinking on it, you’ll come up with some
thing new. Keep in mind, there’s only one key that fits any given lock. Remember, no one knows Katie as well as you do. So take what you know and find the key that works.”

  Easier said than done.

  William left his grandfather’s home, deep in thought. Moments later, he stepped into Katie’s realm. Once again he found her at her mother’s house. The family had just finished a fine dinner of pot roast, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes and gravy. They topped that off with her mama’s homemade apple pie. The sweet aroma of apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon still lingered. She and her parents weren’t in any hurry to leave the table. Then again, they never were on nights like this. This time though, a secret smile passed between Andrew and Diane. The exchange piqued his interest.

  Diane dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and then set it on top of her plate. She turned toward Katie. Only a fool wouldn’t see the twinkle in her eyes. “We’ve got some news,” she sang out.

  Katie giggled. “Good or bad?”

  Diane bobbed her head from side to side. “Well, Daddy and I think it’s pretty darn good.”

  Katie’s gaze darted back and forth between them. “Are you going to share this news or are you going to make me guess?”

  Again the smile passed between her parents. As Diane shifted her gaze back to Katie the smile broadened. “I suppose you could toss out a few guesses if you’d like. I’ll let you know if you’re getting warm.”

  “Mom—”

  “Okay, okay. Here we go. Are you ready?” She glanced at Andrew and nodded.

  “Austin is getting married!” Her parents shouted out at the same time.

  Katie’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she sucked in a breath. “You’re kidding. My brother? The king of all matrimonial aversion and evasion?”

  Andrew’s nod coincided with a huge grin. “Yes indeed. I’ve never heard him more serious in my life. He says he can’t live without her, so I guess that’s that.”

  “Well who would ever have believed? Let me guess, is it Judy Weaver?”

  “Nope,” Andrew said.

  “Then it has to be Sophie.”

  Diane shook her head. “No, it’s not Sophie either.”

  Katie huffed out a breath. “Well then, who’s the lucky girl? Anyone he’s mentioned in any of his emails or phone calls?”

  “No.” Her mother’s smile grew ever broader. “Since you’ll never guess, I’ll just go ahead and tell you. The lucky girl is a lovely woman named Lucina Neumann.”

  Katie’s eyes sparkled with humor. “How do you know she’s lovely?”

  “Because I’ve talked to her, of course. She has such a fun and warm personality. I think she’s everything Austin needs and then some. Not only is she a good fit for this family, she and Austin will be so great together. Wait and see.”

  “Then that’s good enough for me.” She pushed her plate off to the side. “So when and where will this miraculous event take place?”

  “The sixteenth of next month, and in Germany,” Diane said. “They said they can’t wait a moment longer than that. We’ve been invited to attend of course, but I’m afraid Daddy won’t be able to make it on such short notice.”

  Katie gazed at her father. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” Andrew replied. “There’s no way around it. Austin and I have talked at length about it and he’s okay with that, trust me.”

  Diane dismissed the comment with a wave of her hand and once again turned her attention toward Katie.

  “Anyway, in his place—” She paused as she moved the mysterious envelope in the middle of the table toward her. “I’m taking you with me. You’ll find our itinerary and your ticket inside, so don’t lose it. I also hope your passport is up to date and your calendar is clear for an entire month. If not, you better get them that way. If you have trouble with your job, let me know. I know the boss personally.” She winked at Andrew. “He owes me a favor or two.”

  Andrew laughed. “More than that, I’d say.”

  Katie glanced at her dad and then settled her gaze on her mom. “A month? We’re going for a whole month?”

  “I figured we might as well. After all, I’ll probably never get that way again. Therefore, I thought we should enjoy everything the country has to offer the tourists while we’re there, don’t you think?”

  “Oh, you bet I do.” Katie snatched the envelope. She clutched it to her breast and leapt to her feet. Her eyes filled with tears and as she hugged her mom, she cried. “Oh wow! I can’t believe it—I really can’t. I’ll never be able to thank you guys enough for this—”

  “Oh, sit down.” Diane patted the table. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

  “No, it really is. Don’t you understand? Austin getting married is nothing short of a miracle, and I get to see it happen. On top of that, if I’m to maintain a shred of family honor and decency, I need to hand over the twenty bucks I’ll owe him right after he says I do. If I hand it to him in person, he can’t play stupid and say he didn’t get it.”

  Her mother gave her a sideways glance. “You didn’t bet on that, did you?”

  An impish smile matched the amusement that danced in Katie’s eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I gave him until the ripe old age of thirty-five, mind you. However, it’s one bet I’m so happy to lose.”

  Her mother let out a sigh. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “No, you shouldn’t—and the sixteenth did you say? I’ve got to get home and see what all I should pack for a month’s excursion.” She looked over at her dad. “You’re going to be okay with both of us gone for that long? I promise I’ll make sure everything is caught up to date before we leave.”

  Andrew grinned. “I think we can manage without too much difficulty. If not, you’re only a phone call and a computer away, right?”

  “Right—”

  The rest of their excited chatter escaped William. Given her excitement, he accompanied Katie all the way home. After all, for the joy of the moment, he didn’t want her driving off into a ditch or something. Yet, all along the way he centered his thoughts on the upcoming trip and what it could mean to him. The vague idea at the back of his mind had taken root and sprouted in every direction possible. The more he thought on it, the more plausible the idea sounded. Try as he might, he found it difficult to subdue his excitement over something that might not happen. Nonetheless, Isaiah said but one key fit a lock.

  One key only.

  Did the possibility exist—even remotely—that he’d find his elusive key while Katie visited her brother in Germany? After all, Austin didn’t live all that far from the French border. If he could get her that far, it shouldn’t take more than a nudge to get her all the way to Normandy.

  Chapter Five

  Katie gazed toward the window as the jet taxied down the runway and took off. A few wispy clouds dotted the blue skies above. Below them, the wonderful colors only a New Mexico summer could offer. She had no doubt the scenery would change the closer they got to Frankfurt. The notion sent an exhilarating thrill down her spine. She still couldn’t believe she’d soon be in Germany for an entire month. A year ago, it never entered her mind she’d ever travel anywhere outside the continental United States again. Circumstances changed all of that.

  Diane gave her leg a little pat. “Are you excited, dear?”

  “I am!” She gave her a smile. “Thank you so much, Mom. I still can’t believe you invited me along.”

  “Well, you certainly didn’t think I’d run off to Germany all by myself, did you?”

  “Nah, you’re too much of a coward for that,” she teased. “Actually, I just figured Dad would change his mind at the last possible minute.”

  “Not with the calves coming. You and I both know all the hands are quite capable of carrying on in his absence. Despite that fact, he believes no one can run the ranch with the same care and competence he does. Besides, it devastated your brother when he couldn’t come home after your accident. Therefore, he practically o
rdered me to pack your bags and bring you along whether your dad came or not.” A slight smile touched the corners of her lips as she gazed at her. “You didn’t know that part, did you? I suppose Austin wants to see with his own eyes that you’re okay—really okay.”

  “That’s sweet of him, all things considered. Still, you’d think Dad would want to witness the miracle of his oldest child getting hitched. More important, you’d think he’d want to meet the woman that accomplished the impossible.”

  “We’ll have a video to show him when we get home. He’ll make do with that. Keep in mind, it’s just a quiet, simple ceremony and without any fanfare whatsoever. As you know, they’ve invited only a handful of friends and family to witness it. From all reports, the ‘I do’s’ shouldn’t take more than five minutes at best. Especially if Austin has his way.”

  “Speaking of the nuptials, just who does an army chaplain get to perform a wedding ceremony when said chaplain is the groom?”

  Diane laughed. “Good question. I guess we’ll find out shortly.”

  Katie dropped her gaze to her left hand. Even under the current circumstances, the missing ring didn’t cause an ounce of pain or regret. Indeed, it only added to the sense of freedom and liberation that filled her when she finally took charge of her life. As time went on, and task by task, she put all the ugliness behind her. She did it without the difficulty she had imagined. The end result? She could now make decisions without fear of someone standing in her way. Decisions such as pursuing a college degree and attending her brother’s wedding for instance. Chad would never have let her go back to school. He would’ve said they couldn’t afford it. He would never have let her make this trip either.

  ****

  The wedding itself passed in a lovely, short but sweet blur, as promised. Bouquets of beautiful orange lilies and edelweiss adorned the cozy living room. Lovely golden ribbons were tied to the stairway railings. Mini white lights adorned the tops and sides of the rustic fireplace. In addition, scented candles, decorated with silver and gold filigree, made the chosen venue quite festive. Austin, dressed in his army finest, had never looked so handsome. Lucina looked absolutely radiant in her lacy, form-fitting white gown.