An Eternity in a Moment

by K Carothers

  “Yeah, we’ll have to stay here tonight. So far we haven’t got a clue where those boys are. Wayne’s car was parked at a rest stop outside of town, and the woods are pretty thick around there, so we’re going to do a more thorough search with a K-9 unit tomorrow. Wayne’s got some family in town we’ve interviewed, but no one’s talking. And as far as we can tell, Jesse hasn’t shown up at any of the hospitals or urgent care clinics around here. What do you think? Can the kid survive without medical care?”

  “He was in the hospital for two days with a chest tube, so his lung might have healed enough that he could get by without it. And Wayne probably knew how to close the chest tube incision site by tying up the stitches that were in his skin to hold the tube in place. But if air starts building up in his chest cavity again, he’s in big trouble.”

  “Well, if we find the kid rotting in the woods tomorrow, I can’t say I’ll feel sorry for him.”

  “I don’t know much about wilderness medicine,” Erin said thoughtfully. “But if you do find Jesse alive, and he looks like he did the day he got shot, the first step would be to put your ear against his chest and listen for air movement on the right side. If you don’t hear anything, I suppose as a last resort you could take a knife and cut through his skin at the same spot where I inserted the needle before. I’m sure you’ll still be able to see the wound. Then push the barrel of a pen through there until air comes out. He’s thin enough, so it might work.”

  “Shit,” Luke responded.

  Erin couldn’t help but laugh at his lack of enthusiasm for the idea. “It would be pretty ironic if you had to do that. At least you watched the procedure once—and on the same kid, too.”

  “God, I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Luke said. “And now I need another drink to get the thought out of my head.”

  “You’re drinking on the job?” Erin asked in amusement. “Is that allowed in your profession?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, we’re off the clock right now. Scott and I just stopped at a bar near the hotel for a drink before we call it a night. And I needed something to help me sleep since I’m not there with you—although I probably wouldn’t get much sleep if I was with you, either.”

  “No, you probably wouldn’t, Detective,” Erin said, using her best sexy voice. “And I’m getting warm just thinking about how much I’d like to be the one investigating you right now.”

  Luke groaned. “Okay, now it might be two more drinks. And I’d better get off the phone before this conversation goes any further, or I won’t be sleeping much at all tonight.”

  Erin chuckled. “I’ll have to read a few very boring articles myself.” But her expression quickly sobered, knowing their conversation was about to end. “Be careful, Luke.”

  “I will,” he assured her. “Have a good night. I love you.”

  “You too,” Erin whispered back.

  But he’d already ended the call.

  * * *

  At the bar in Eagle River Scott stared at Luke incredulously. “Jesus Christ, you’re already telling her you love her? Man, you are totally screwed.”

  “That sounds good to me.” Luke grinned and tossed back the shot of whiskey in his hand, feeling the heat travel down his chest and settle into his stomach.

  Scott slowly shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re giving up, Luke. You don’t have any responsibilities, no one to nag you constantly and make up those goddamned honey-do lists. You can do whatever the hell you want. Why would you mess that up?” He took a long swig of his beer. “The best advice I can give you now is to run. Run like hell.”

  “What’s going on with you?” Luke asked, his brows furrowing with concern. “You haven’t been yourself lately.”

  Scott let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his thinning, dark blond hair. “My life is a clusterfuck, that’s what’s going on. Nothing’s what I thought it would be. Marriage, kids…Shit, I’ve got four kids and none of them are even completely out of diapers yet. The house is always a mess, and if one kid’s not crying then another one is…It’s madness. And just to go out to eat we have to pack up like it’s a week-long goddamned vacation. Not that we can afford to do either one much anyway.” He grimaced, finishing off his beer. “I have no idea why we didn’t quit while we were behind after the first IVF. We knew there was a good chance we’d end up with twins again.”

  “Scott, I think you should talk about all this with one of the EAP counselors.”

  “Hah! If they’ll change some diapers, clean my house, and put some money in my bank account, then yeah, I’ll go.”

  “If money is a problem, I’ll loan you whatever you need.”

  “No, I made my goddamned bed and I’ll lay in it.” Scott stood up, his blue-gray eyes sparkling with anger, and turned to leave. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Luke shook his head wearily and headed to the hotel with Scott, completely baffled by his friend’s behavior, but too exhausted to think much more about it.

  Chapter

  17

  Luke didn’t make it back the next day either. They still hadn’t found any signs of the boys and were staying another night to continue the search—which could take even longer depending on what they did find, and where the trail might lead them.

  By the following morning Erin had run out of ways to distract herself from the anxiety that was relentlessly gnawing at the pit of her stomach. And before it drove her crazy, she thought about following her new resolution to drive it away instead—literally this time—by driving up to Eagle River with Jenna. At least she would get to see Luke in person for a little while, and maybe he’d let them help out in some way, such as rechecking hospitals and urgent care clinics. But then she’d laughed at herself for even considering such a ridiculous idea. She could just imagine the look on Luke’s face when she showed up, having dragged Jenna along with her to boot. He would probably tell her that she really had lost her mind.

  But even so, an hour later she tried to convince Jenna that it wasn’t such a ridiculous idea after all.

  Fortunately, before her arguments took them down a road that had trouble written all over it, Luke called to let her know they’d given up the search and were finally heading home. He had a pile of work waiting for him at the police station when he got back, but he promised that their next kiss would happen before sunset, come hell or high water. And he planned to stay with her all night this time instead of throwing rocks at her bedroom window later when he couldn’t sleep alone.

  Smiling at the thought, Erin looked out the kitchen window as she washed dishes from lunch. James Burnett had just finished building the ramp out front—which he hadn’t been able to get done on Monday because of the storm—and was now tossing some scrap wood into a bonfire he’d started near the shed.

  He was a small man in his late thirties, she guessed, with a wiry frame hardened by years of manual labor. She’d seen for herself in the last few days what a tireless worker he was. And even though he didn’t say much, he also clearly had a crush on Jenna.

  Erin glanced at the latest batch of cookies he’d brought and laughed softly. The man sure did like making cookies. But then her expression sobered when she recalled what Jenna had told her about his past.

  James was originally from Springfield, Illinois. His mother was Father Burnett’s sister, and he’d moved to New Dublin several years ago, after his wife and son had been killed in a gruesome car accident. Jenna said he never talked about it, though. She’d gotten the details from Father Burnett.

  James had been working as a carpenter in New Dublin ever since. But then last year he’d fallen off a ladder and sustained a serious head injury. He’d developed significant brain swelling as a result, and medical treatment hadn’t been effective, so he’d needed to have part of his skull temporarily removed—a decompressive craniectomy—until the swelling resolved a few months later. But afte
r going through intense rehabilitation, he’d made a remarkable recovery. And now he was helping Jenna.

  Erin winced when she thought about the long surgical scar on his head, extending from ear to ear over the top of it. He was going prematurely bald, and his remaining thin brown hair didn’t do much to hide it. At least her own scars weren’t there on the surface for all the world to see. But then again, maybe it would have been better if they were.

  “A quarter for your thoughts,” Jenna said, walking into the kitchen. “Since a penny doesn’t buy much these days.”

  Erin looked at her in surprise. “I thought you were taking a nap?”

  “I was about to, but I forgot to drink something first.” A slight smile pulled at Jenna’s mouth. “You’ve been a bit of a drill sergeant about that—and the fruit and veggie shakes. And the high-protein snacks. Before I know it you’ll have me in the gym lifting weights.”

  Erin chuckled. “That’s not a bad idea.” Then she dried her hands off and filled a glass with lemonade. “I’ll bring this into the living room for you.”

  She followed Jenna out of the kitchen and down the hallway, glancing at the open doorway to her friend’s bedroom near the end of it. “I just don’t get why you won’t take naps in your room, Jen. If your bed isn’t comfortable we should get you a new one. And I’m also going to pick you up an assist rail. That should make it easier to get in and out of bed.”

  “I never thought of that, and it would be helpful,” Jenna said vaguely.

  Erin came to a halt outside the living room. “What’s really the problem?”

  Jenna reluctantly stopped and turned around, letting out a resigned sigh. “Oh, it’s just that the bedroom is so dark. There’s only one window…And—it used to be my parents’ room. I remember how it was for my mom, and I figure I’ll be spending a lot of time in there myself soon enough.”

  “Oh, Jen,” Erin whispered. “Let’s go see what we can do.”

  “Really, Erin. It’s not that big of a deal. I don’t mind the couch, and at night it’s dark in there anyway.”

  Erin went into the living room and set the glass of lemonade on the coffee table, then marched back to Jenna. “You know I’m going to keep nagging you about the bedroom until I can fix it, right? That’s just how I am, so you might as well give in now.”

  Jenna reluctantly smiled. “Okay, fine. I was pretty impressed when I watched you install the shower sprayer. But I seriously doubt there’s much you can do in there.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Erin walked into the bedroom and was immediately assailed by many long-forgotten, painful memories. She hadn’t stepped foot into this room since the day Shannon died…Then she mentally shook herself. She wasn’t going to remember Jenna’s mom like that. She was going to remember her just as she’d seen her in the dream: beautiful and radiant with so much love and happiness.

  Feeling her heart lighten with the image, she thoughtfully surveyed the room. The small window on the far wall looked out into the backyard. There was a closet along the wall to the right, so another window couldn’t be installed there, and a bathroom was on the other side of the wall to the left.

  Jenna came in as well, glancing around with a grimace. “Do you see what I mean? It’s kind of a dungeon in here. Maybe I should’ve asked you to pick up an extra lamp last weekend.”

  Erin smiled wryly and continued her inspection of the room. “We could make the window bigger, or add a second one on that wall.” Then an even better idea struck her. “Or we can just build you a new bedroom.”

  Jenna immediately burst out laughing. “Where, pray tell, would we build that?”

  “The back patio. The hot tub is going in one corner, but there’s plenty of space to add a small sunroom off the kitchen, which could be your new bedroom.”

  “No, Erin, that’s too much,” Jenna protested. “And I wouldn’t be using it long enough to—”

  “Too late, you already said I could fix the problem,” Erin interrupted, giving her a grin. “James can build it. I’m sure he would jump at the chance. And he’d probably bring you more cookies since he’s so sweet on you. We’ve already gotten chocolate chip and oatmeal. Maybe the next batch will be peanut butter.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “We’re just friends.”

  “If you say so,” Erin teased. And after a contemplative pause, she said, “But the more I think about adding a sunroom, the more I like it. He can build it level with the kitchen so there won’t be any steps, and another set of patio doors can lead out to a deck.” She snapped her fingers enthusiastically. “That would solve another problem, too. We’ll have James build the deck around the hot tub. And I’ll order a swimming pool lift so we can lower you into the water. Then it will be even easier to get you in.”

  Jenna shook her head. “Now you’re going completely overboard, Erin.”

  “No, it really won’t be that hard to do. And I want the roof to be made of plexiglass so you can fall asleep watching the stars at night.”

  Jenna’s expression softened, and her eyes misted with tears. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “All right then, it’s a done deal,” Erin said, fighting off her own tears at the look on Jenna’s face. “But first thing’s first: Let’s get you into the living room so you can drink your lemonade and take a nap. Then I’ll talk to James about the project. I’d like to get it started right away.”

  Erin turned toward the door with those objectives in mind. But she stopped in her tracks when a painting she hadn’t noticed before caught her eye on the back wall. It was clearly another piece that Adam had done for Jenna, with a poem superimposed on an outdoor night scene.

  Intrigued, she went over to take a closer look. And much to her astonishment, she saw that it was a watercolor of Jenna’s backyard, painted exactly as it had looked for real the other night, her magical night with Luke, complete with the fireflies, the pond, the moon and stars, the wildflowers…

  She reverently touched them and read the poem:

  Fireflies

  This field full of fireflies

  Makes me believe in magic again,

  A glowing gift sent to the earth,

  A thousand lights from Heaven.

  They’re flickering little stars

  As they fly around,

  A capricious constellation

  Right here on the ground.

  And if they wouldn’t mind,

  I’d like to take one home with me,

  A memento from tonight,

  A miniature starlit memory.

  But the magic of the night

  Can’t be captured in a jar,

  So I’ll hold on to the fireflies

  Contained within my heart.

  —Jenna Godfrey

  “Adam’s never been here, in case you’re wondering,” Jenna said, coming over to stand next to her. “I gave him some pictures of the backyard, along with the poem, and asked if he could paint a scene with the fireflies. None of the actual pictures I took of the fireflies were very good, so I was surprised at how well the painting turned out anyway.”

  “Yes, it’s amazing…Perfect.” Erin pointed to a spot amongst the wildflowers. “We were dancing right there when Luke said he loved me.” And she would never forget how completely in tune with the universe she’d felt right there as well.

  “I’d meant for you to have this one,” Jenna said. “And now it looks like it will be the perfect gift for both of you.”

  “I’ll cherish it always.” Erin brushed a tear from the corner of her eye and smiled. “It will look really good in the sunroom too, so I need to get James cracking.”

  “Okay,” Jenna chuckled, heading for the door. “And I think I’m ready for that nap now.”

  Erin helped her get settled on the couch with the glass of lemonade. Then she went outside and found James standi
ng by the bonfire.

  “Sure, I’ll build a sunroom for Jenna,” he quietly said after she explained the project. “It’ll probably take me a couple of weeks to finish, but I might be able to start working on it tomorrow if I can get the go ahead from the building inspector. He’s usually at the golf course every Sunday morning, and I don’t mind interrupting his tee time if it means I can get the room built sooner for Jenna.” A slight smile crossed James’ face and he threw the last of scrap wood into the fire. “I’ll take a few measurements and draw up some plans right now.”

  Erin remained by the fire after he left, watching sparks fly as the wood crackled and popped. But she soon got a little too warm and stepped away, looking around indecisively for something to do. She had about an hour and a half to kill before the hot tub arrived.

  It was another beautiful summer day, so she headed down the driveway. A peaceful walk in the countryside would be the perfect way to occupy her time. And maybe afterward she would take a nap too.

  At the end of the driveway she went left and started walking down the road. But it wasn’t long before she realized there was something else she needed to do if she was ever going to have peace of mind. And without letting herself think twice about it, she turned around and went the other way instead…It was time to face another demon.

  She walked about a quarter-mile past the woods and at first hesitated to lift her eyes from the road when she reached the gravel driveway that led to her grandparents’ old farmhouse. But with a deep breath she finally looked.

  She expected a lot of emotions would hit her right then: anxiety, fear, anger, disgust. But none of them did. The first thing she felt was surprise. And the second thing was, of all things unimaginable, admiration.

  It was the same place in some ways, and yet totally different. The house was still white, but had been freshly painted. Cute, maroon-colored shutters now adorned the windows, and the front porch didn’t look like it was about to collapse anymore. Someone had put a lot of care into the yard, too. The grass was thick and green, and brightly colored shrubbery had been planted in various places, along with flowers. Lots of flowers…