Wheels (Tabor Heights Year Two)

by Michelle Levigne

  Tabor Heights, Ohio

  Year Two

  Book Four

  Wheels

  By

  Michelle L. Levigne

  Tabor Heights, Ohio

  Year One:

  The Second Time Around - June 2009

  Common Grounds - September 2009

  Seasons - A Tabor Heights Anthology - November 2009

  The Family Way - February 2010

  A Quiet Place - May 2010

  Detours - August 2010

  Behind the Scenes- November 2010

  Firesong - February 2011

  Forgiven - May 2011

  White Roses - October 2011

  The Mission - March 2012

  Accidental Hearts - August 2012

  Year Two

  Invitation to a Wedding-- December 2012

  Cooking Up Trouble -- May 2013

  The Wrath of Bubbles -- November 2013

  Wheels -- May 2014

  A Box of Promises -- November 2014

  BWU Stories -- February 2015

  The Teddy Bear Dancer -- July 2015

  Truck Stop Angel -- December 2015

  Due to the unique storytelling style of Michelle Levigne's Tabor Heights, Ohio series, the books can be read in any order. Each book stands alone; however, because you are experiencing the lives of a congregation of people in a small town, their lives continually overlap and intertwine.

  This provides an ongoing view into the lives of every character you come to know and love in Tabor Heights.

  Other Books By Michelle Levigne

  Blue Fire

  That Synching Feeling -- Novella in the Borealis series

  Quarry Hall

  Book One: Joan

  Book Two: Anne

  Book Three: Kathryn

  Book Four: Darcy -- Coming Soon!

  Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

  27305 W. Live Oak Rd #424

  Castaic, CA 91384

  http://www.DesertBreezePublishing.com

  Copyright © 2013 by Michelle L. Levigne

  ISBN 10: 1-61252-416-8

  ISBN 13: 978-1-61252-416-0

  Published in the United States of America

  eBook Publish Date: April 11, 2014

  Editor-In-Chief: Gail R. Delaney

  Editor: Shawna K. Williams

  Marketing Director: Jenifer Ranieri

  Cover Artist: Jenifer Ranieri

  Cover Model: Len Gunn

  Photography by: Charles Paz/Fifth Element Studios

  Cover Art Copyright by Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc © 2014

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information retrieval and storage system without permission of the publisher.

  Ebooks are not transferrable, either in whole or in part. As the purchaser or otherwise lawful recipient of this ebook, you have the right to enjoy the novel on your own computer or other device. Further distribution, copying, sharing, gifting or uploading is illegal and violates United States Copyright laws.Pirating of ebooks is illegal. Criminal Copyright Infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, may be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination, or are used in a fictitious situation. Any resemblances to actual events, locations, organizations, incidents or persons – living or dead – are coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  Dedication

  For my brother, Dean, the foundation for Tommy Donnelly: professional comedian, best buddy, and my hero, who has always looked at life from doorknob level. While Tommy's back was broken in middle school, Dean has had Cerebral Palsy all his life. As time goes on and daily living gets harder, he still manages to make others laugh.

  While there are few perks to being in a wheelchair -- good parking spots, upgraded seats at concerts, first dibs on the elevator at church -- he always manages to find the humorous side of the just plain weird things that happen to him. Just ask about the time the "roadies" dropped him, lifting his wheelchair onto the stage for a performance, or the time he broke his foot and didn't realize it until a week later, or getting caught in a sudden storm that shorted out his electric wheelchair. He's more irritating than NCIS's Tony DiNozzo when it comes to movie and TV trivia, and he would probably clean up if he could get on Jeopardy or The Chase. He is still going strong, working as a Stockade ranger and Sunday school teacher (warping the minds of the next generation) and using his counseling degree helping friends.

  Most of Tommy's material (on stage and just being a smart-alec) is original to Dean, who for a long time had a growing comedy career in the Cleveland area. His first comedy tape was titled, "Living Proof that the Good Times Roll," and he headlined a college performance entitled "Assault of the Nuts."

  Author's Note:

  Wheels began life as a script that came close to selling in the final season of MacGyver. (Yes, that long ago!) The staff gave me permission to revise and re-submit, and then later suggested I turn it into a feature-length screenplay. It just goes to show you that it pays to never, ever, throw out anything. Yesterday's near miss could be tomorrow's published novel.

  Chapter One

  Saturday, February 21

  "How come you're not gonna be funny, Uncle Tommy?" Sammy Hunter said, fidgeting with her bouquet. She tipped her white-blond head back to look up at Tommy Donnelly, sitting stiff and straight in his wheelchair.

  "Out of the mouths of babes," Claire muttered. She stepped up behind the wheelchair, and with the perfect aim and timing of years of practice, slid her hand over her brother's mouth before he could even inhale, much less respond.

  The three of them waited at the door leading into the sanctuary at Tabor Christian Church. The prelude music swelled toward the climax of "Living Together," from the musical, "Lost Horizon." Tommy could think of at least a dozen smart alec quips, just based on the song, and then branch off to the oddness of using songs from a Broadway musical that was popular before he had even been born. More than just his sister's hand over his mouth stopped him. Mostly the big-eyed, solemn expression on Sammy's face was responsible. This was the most important day of his almost-niece's life. He had to treat it seriously -- mostly because if he gave in and let the bubbling feeling inside run loose, he might just get up out of his wheelchair and dance down the aisle.

  That wouldn't be fair -- this was his sister's wedding day. He couldn't take the spotlight off her.

  Besides, if he got silly and exuberant, he would shatter the iron control little six-year-old Sammy had imposed on herself. She might just go running up and down the aisle, turning somersaults, shrieking and giggling until she collapsed. Again, he couldn't let anything take the spotlight off Claire and Paul.

  "Uncle Tommy is going to be too busy doing a lot of other jobs," Claire said, taking her hand off Tommy's mouth and stepping away from his wheelchair. She tweaked the long, straight skirts of her simple, snowy lace wedding dress, as if maybe she was afraid his wheel might have caught the hem.

  Tommy shuddered at even the thought of that kind of disaster. Today had to be perfect. Claire and Paul deserved that. After all they had gone through in the last eight months, they all deserved some celebration and perfection. Or as close to it as he could manage. If that meant not getting up on the stage and getting sarcastic and silly at the reception, that was the sacrifice he would gladly make.

  The truth was that Claire and Paul wanted as simple a wedding and reception as possible. Just fa
mily and friends at the wedding, a reception with cake and punch, and the general understanding that presents were unnecessary. Tommy grinned, which earned a narrowed-eye look from his sister, as he thought about all the behind-the-scenes work he and friends at the Mission had done to make today a blow-out celebration. True, with the combining of the Hunter and Donnelly households into one, they didn't need anything to set up housekeeping, but that didn't mean their friends couldn't give them fun gifts, things they would enjoy, and envelopes with money. Claire would probably protest and feel embarrassed when she saw the pile of gifts that friends from church and the Mission had put together, but she would feel the love. That mattered more to Tommy than being "sensible."

  "Like what?" Sammy challenged.

  "Oh, probably running for my life," Tommy said, as the song neared its final bars, which was their signal to step -- or in his case, roll -- into the sanctuary and prepare to make that long trip up the aisle.

  He just hoped the presence of all the guests, many more people than Claire expected, would keep his sister from perpetrating bodily harm on him. She would know as soon as she saw the full pews that her brother was to blame. After all, he had worked to persuade her to move the ceremony from the church parlor to the sanctuary, claiming the atmosphere was more important, anything to avoid admitting they would need all that extra room.

  Correction: Tommy and the amazing, insistent, powerhouse little girl who could finally legally claim her as Mommy in about twenty minutes. Sammy was the reason the simple, quiet, just-our-closest-friends wedding had expanded from fifty-some guests to nearly four hundred. Tommy hoped Claire would be too stunned to think about how the four-layer wedding cake and four gallons of punch and two urns of coffee she and Paul had arranged for could expand to feed all those people. Of course, that was taken care of, thanks to Audrey Hathaway and Joe Horse handling the catering, and Nikki James' amazing organization and stealth skills.

  Claire put her hand on Tommy's shoulder and gestured for Sammy to lead the way. The little girl stopped fidgeting, the roses paled in her cheeks, and she turned to walk in front of them from the doorway to the back of the center aisle of the sanctuary. Claire's hand tightened on his shoulder, and Tommy knew the exact moment his sister saw all the guests waiting in the candlelight and shadows. He kept rolling forward, and she was forced to move with him or be totally out of step with the timing and rhythm of the procession down the aisle.

  At the front of the sanctuary, Paul followed Pastor Glenn onto the platform, followed by Brock Pierson, his best man. Even in the dim lighting, Tommy could clearly see his soon-to-be brother-in-law slowly scanning the sanctuary, his mouth dropping open as he visibly took in the number of guests. In front of him, Sammy skipped two steps and a giggle drifted back, loud enough to be heard through the music. The little girl obviously saw the stunned look on her father's face and she was delighted.

  "Why do I have the feeling this was a team effort?" Claire murmured, her voice pitched just loud enough for him to hear her, but no one else. They had perfected the technique after years of just the two of them against the world.

  "Hey, what my favorite niece wants, my favorite niece gets," Tommy said, and tipped his head sideways just enough to see his sister smiling at him. The relief that swept through him made him feel hollow, and he cracked a grin as he realized once again, he was glad to be permanently affixed to his wheelchair. Now was not the time to feel weak in the knees.

  The trip down the aisle took less time than he remembered from rehearsal the night before. He wasn't sure if it took forever for Claire, or if it passed in an instant. All he cared about was the smile she kept focused on her groom, and the answering expression of joy on Paul's face.

  Please, God, if You ever listened to me … Tommy sighed as he wheeled his chair to the left side of the sanctuary where he would be out of the line of sight to the platform. How many times over the last few months had he caught himself trying to make a deal with God, to let his sister finally be happy? Maybe the problem was that he couldn't believe that their estranged brother hadn't struck back to punish them. Not only had they refused to accept his latest false protestations of wanting to let bygones be bygones, and be a family again -- short-circuiting any attempt to use them for his own benefit -- but their friends had stood with them and countered every lie Jarod told. That was a humiliation Jarod couldn't let stand. Yet he hadn't struck back. Yet.

  Lord, please, make him go away and stay away and never darken Claire's door ever again. Hasn't she earned some happiness without the threat of that slimedog trying to take it away from her?

  Claire climbed the shallow steps to the platform and Paul stepped up to take hold of her hands. Just like they practiced, Sammy took the bride's bouquet. Beaming, she skipped over to Tommy, and with the ease of many months of practice, she climbed up onto his lap and turned around to watch the ceremony. She carefully tugged the hem of her pale pink flower girl dress down over her knees and crossed her ankles. A few chuckles filtered through the sanctuary.

  *****

  "How come Uncle Tommy won't be funny?" Claire murmured, and leaned down to wrap her arms around Tommy's shoulders from behind him, and hug him hard. They were alone for the moment in the T-intersection of the social wing of the church. "You are in so much trouble, but I can't punish you without equal treatment for your partners in crime."

  "Can you blame us for letting people show how much they love you?" Tommy retorted. When Claire let go of him, he pivoted his chair around and saw Paul coming out of the reception in the church parlor to join them.

  "We should have realized something was up when you gave in and didn't make everybody miserable, insisting on doing comedy for your only sister's wedding," Paul said. He slid his arm around his new wife's waist, snuggly drawing her up to his side with ease that delighted Tommy.

  "Hey, time is at a premium and I happen to be busy as master of ceremonies. Besides, this is way too important for me to get silly." He popped up on his back wheels and pivoted from side to side several times before dropping down onto all four wheels again. Then he tugged on the lapels of his tux jacket. "Besides, this stuff doesn't lend itself to my usual mind frame. Too stiff."

  "Whatever your excuse, thanks for making today perfect," Claire said.

  "Not quite yet." He snickered when the newlyweds seemed to lean back a little and their eyes narrowed just slightly in suspicion -- or maybe that was bracing themselves for a late-hour humor bomb? "Your limo should be arriving any second. Thanks to Nikki's connections and Internet wizards at her beck and call, we canceled your flight tonight. You now have a room at that incredible B&B you were gushing about, and a flight at noon tomorrow."

  "If you weren't my favorite brother…" She leaned down and brushed a kiss on his forehead.

  Tommy caught the slight hesitation, where she waited for him to break in with his usual, "I'm your only brother!" retort. With all his bad dreams lately about their un-missed brother, the joke wasn't that funny anymore.

  "Is that it?" Paul asked, gesturing down the hallway to the door outside, where a flash of white movement turned into a long, sleek vehicle pulling up to the sidewalk.

  "Nothing to stop you from going. Brock moved your luggage over from your car before it came up here." Tommy gestured at the door. "Get going before the rug rat knows you're going."

  "She's too excited about sleeping over at Stacy's to care."

  "True." He tipped his head toward the doorway. "Run for your lives."

  Laughing quietly, Claire and Paul picked up their coats, conveniently waiting in the coat rack thanks to another co-conspirator, and hurried out the side door. Tommy watched until they got into the limo, then he turned his wheelchair and headed back into the parlor. Now that the newlyweds were gone, he could finally let loose with his standard repertoire about marriage and the joys of being single. Making Sammy laugh until she fell down might just make up for what he had to look forward to when he went home -- totally alone in the house for the first tim
e in years. He didn't feel any of the anticipation and glee he had teased Claire about, when she and Paul decided Sammy would stay with Stacy Belmont during their honeymoon. More than anything, Tommy wanted their family to be completely assembled and together in the big house. Now, if not sooner.

  *****

  Three hours later, Tommy had gotten home, changed out of his tux, and headed for the living room to watch two movies he had DVR'd during the wedding. Rolling down the hall, a smear of bright pink and neon green caught his attention and he paused in front of the ajar door of the room that was now Sammy's. Smiling with an odd ache in his chest, he pushed the door open and rolled forward enough to lean against the doorframe and study the room.

  The old house had twice as much room as he and Claire had needed, but it had been a steal at the time and his sister had plans to totally renovate the place, one room at a time, as a way to relax. It only made sense for Paul and Sammy to move in with them, instead of finding a new house for their new family to share. Tommy had offered to move out and get a place of his own, but Sammy had loudly protested. Uncle Tommy had to live with them, no excuses or substitutions allowed. Downstairs held his bedroom and Sammy's -- formerly his workout room -- kitchen, dining room, and living room. Upstairs belonged entirely to Paul and Claire now, with the extra rooms usually used to house visiting missionaries or other church guests now turned into the household library, a study for Paul as he pursued his degrees, and a guest room. There wasn't much rearranging to do. It wasn't like Paul and Sammy had brought an entire household's worth of furniture, dishes and belongings with them. Tommy admired how they had lived so unencumbered by material things.

  He planned on changing that. Looking around the room fitted out to fulfill his new niece's wildest dreams, he planned on filling those neon green shelves with all the books and toys she wanted, and covering that cotton candy pink canopy bed with stuffed animals. He had promised her they would do exactly like in a book they had read together, where the ten-year-old hero attached skateboards to the back of a truck and rode them like water skis down the street -- only for them it would be one skateboard attached to the back of his wheelchair, and they had to wait until summer. He and Sammy had enough plans for mischief together to fill all next spring and summer. The only obstacle was making sure Paul didn't find out about their adventures ahead of time, to stop them.