Abound in Love (19 page)

“Come
on in,” Laura said, stepping aside to allow him inside.

“You’re
off tonight, Dan?” Thomas asked.

He
attempted a smile.  “I actually turned down the O.T.,” he acknowledged.  “I
figured everybody could use a break.  Kids,” he called, “let’s get out of Uncle
Thomas’ hair.”

Dan
appeared to notice Macy and Dalton then.  “Hello,” he said with a nod, and to
Dalton, said, “There’s some overtime Sarge is trying to fill tonight—if you’re
free.”

Dalton
abruptly stood up.  “You know what?  I think I’ll take that shift.  You’re sure
it’s available.”

“Last I
heard,” he said.  “You may want to call in to check.”

“I’ll
do that,” Dalton said, and headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. 

Laura
watched after him.  He just wasn’t behaving like himself, and now, he had
jumped at an opportunity to get out of the house.  Maybe he was getting tired
of the Landers family and their ongoing problems.  Maybe he was getting tired
of … her.

***

Laura
retired to her bedroom early.  She wanted to give Thomas alone-time with his
fiancée in his own living room.

When
she left them, they were snuggled up on the couch, watching a holiday movie. 
Laura sighed.  Christmas was now less than a month away.  Where had the time
gone? 

Soon,
she would be gone…  The prospect caused her heart to give a tumble.  She would
miss her family.

That
reality was a revelation. 
She would miss her family
.  She sighed as she
glanced around the old bedroom.  She decided to occupy herself with her laptop,
which she had studiously ignored for the past several days.  Forcing herself to
check her e-mail, she responded to anything of import, and then shut it down.

She
ignored one e-mail, however.  The one in which her boss had inquired when she
was coming home to her job in Atlanta.

But how
could she leave her family now?  If she flew home now, she would leave them in
the same state of disarray she’d found them in.  No.  She couldn’t go until
she’d gotten to the bottom of Candace’s problems.

In
addition to her big sister’s issues, Thomas and Macy’s relationship was on a
precipice, and Laura couldn’t bear the idea that her brother might lose Macy if
things weren’t restored to some semblance of normal.  She knew full-well that
Macy loved her future in-laws, but everyone had a limit.

And
little Kenny…  Though he seemed to be doing better, she just couldn’t leave him
until she knew the adults in his life had resumed shouldering the adult burdens
that plagued them.  They needed to refocus on the children, in order that they
could resume being little kids.  Kenny and Krissy certainly deserved that much.

And
Dalton…  What were her hopes for him?

She
took a deep breath.  Just the thought of him made her heart go pitter-patter in
her chest, though she was doing her level best to hide her feelings from him.

She
knew now that he thought of her like a little sister—that he felt protective
toward her, just as he did Candace and Thomas and the kids.

But
that’s not what she wanted from him.  It had never been what she wanted from
him.  She wanted so much more, but some things just weren’t meant to be.  She
forced her fondest desires from her mind—and heart.  Dalton viewed her as a
sister.  That’s all the two would ever be—like siblings.

It
would have to be enough.

She
dropped back into the chair at the small desk.  Staring out the window above
it, she noted a lull in the downpour.  Though it was dark, a bright moon shone
in the night sky. 

She
fiddled with the top drawer of the desk and pulled it open.  Was there a pen in
there?  She needed to write herself a note—a reminder to respond to the e-mail
from her boss.  Normally, she wouldn’t forget something so important, but these
days, with her mind so fixated on her family, she might very well forget.

As she
felt around in the drawer for a pen, her fingers touched something—paper, she
realized.  It was the envelope she’d found before.  She picked it up, and for
some reason, vaguely remembered another envelope in that particular desk
drawer… 

Deciding
to open it, she was about to tear into it, but paused.  What if it wasn’t
hers?  What if it belonged to Candace?  It might be personal.  It was blank, so
there was no way of knowing.

With a
sigh, she tossed it back into the drawer.  She’d lived this long without
knowing the contents of that sealed envelope.  It wasn’t exactly crucial that
she know now.

She glanced
out at the night sky again, and made a quick decision.  She was going to take a
walk.

She
went downstairs, calling out a greeting to her brother and his fiancé before
she’d actually descended the stairs.  In the living room, she found them
cuddling on the sofa and watching television.

“Hey,
want to join us watching this movie?” Macy invited.

“No,
but thank you.  I’m going to take a walk.”

Thomas
sat up in the seat.  “Laura, I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”

She
took a deep breath.  “I’m a big girl, Thomas.  I’m sure you’ll recall that I’ve
been dwelling in the big city—all alone—for some time.”

“And I
am compelled to remind you that when you went shopping in the small town of
Battle Ground, you were accosted by a dangerous criminal.”

“I’ll
stay close.  I promise.”

“At
least tell me your intended route.”

“My
intended route?” she repeated with a chuckle.

“Yes.”

She
could tell her brother meant business, and she felt guilt that she was taking
time away from Macy.  “I’m going to walk down our lane, and then walk a ways to
Valerie’s house.”

“What
if Valerie isn’t home?”

“I’ll
do an about-face and head back here,” she said, attempting to be patient with
her over-protective big brother.

“Okay,”
he said grudgingly.  “But take your cell phone.”

“Will I
have service?”

“Laura,
we’re not that backwoods out here.  Besides, would I tell you to take your
phone if you didn’t have service?”

“Wow,
the men around here are grumpy this evening,” Laura directed to Macy, who
smiled in reply.

“There’s
a flash light on the shelf in the closet,” Thomas told her.  “Take it, please.”

“Well,
since you asked so nicely…” she said drolly.  She retrieved her coat and the
flashlight from the closet by the front door.  She tugged on her coat, and
stepping outside, was immediately struck by the cold.  But, it stood to reason
the weather was temperamental.  It was nearly winter in the Pacific Northwest
and Laura knew even colder weather might very well be on its way.  But then,
they could also have a mild winter, with little or no snow and ice.  There was
just no telling in this part of the country.

“Be
careful!” Thomas called, as the door closed behind her.

Laura
tugged her collar around her chin, and followed by shoving her hands into her
pockets.  She began walking down the lane and to the main road.  When she
reached it, she glanced left and then right.  Finding the road clear of
traffic, she turned on the flashlight and crossed the roadway. 

Since
there wasn’t a sidewalk, she took care to stay to the far right and off the
road.  Fortunately, she knew the biggest portion of it was lined with gravel,
and that her friend lived a short quarter mile ahead on the right.

She
picked up her pace as she thought about Valerie.  Despite being twenty years
Laura’s senior, the two had been close friends, bonding over their love of
horses.

Since
Laura’s parents hadn’t been able to afford the expense of keeping horses on
their property, Valerie had allowed her to ride hers.  Laura had been
particularly fond of an old mare named Tillie.  Valerie had taught her to ride
on the sweet, docile horse, and Laura had spent a lot of time with Tillie.

Laura
had always loved animals.  She suddenly wondered why Thomas didn’t keep a big
dog on the property.  The family had always had a devoted companion running free
on the acreage.  But then, he had enough on his plate, caring for his sister’s
children.

Remembering
dogs, and specifically an Australian shepherd mix she had adored when she was a
child, she revisited the idea of acquiring a pet of her own.  In Georgia,
however, she lived in a small condo that didn’t lend itself to keeping
animals.  No, it wouldn’t be fair to an animal to be cooped up all day while
she was at work.

As she
walked along, she pulled to the far right when a car sped by her.  She jumped
at the sound of the honking horn, but took a calming breath.  She was nearly to
her friend’s house.

Perhaps
she should have called first, but she spied the lane to Valerie’s just ahead. 
Like her brother’s home, her place was also set back from the road.  But unlike
the old farmhouse, her home was newer, having been built about fifteen years
before.  It was a well-kept ranch, situated amongst the trees.  A barn at the
back of the property housed the horses, while the remaining property was fenced
for the animals.

As
Laura trudged toward her friend’s home, she couldn’t help smiling.  She hoped
Valerie was home and wouldn’t mind an unexpected guest.  As she turned down the
lane and drew closer, she spied Valerie on the porch, looking eagerly toward
the front of her property.

When
she spotted her, she left the porch and practically ran toward her.  “Laura! 
It’s so good to see you.”

She
greeted her friend with a hug.  “You too.  I guess Thomas called ahead for me…”

She nodded. 
“I’m glad he did.  I’m so happy to see you!  Come in.  Come in.”

Laura
followed her into the tidy home and shed her coat.  An informal person, Valerie
took it and draped it on the back of a chair.

“Sit,
sit,” she urged, smoothing a hand through her reddish, blonde hair.  “Tell me
what’s been going on in Georgia.  I want to hear everything about your job.” 
She pinned her with a look and clasped her hands with delight.  “But first, are
there any young men in your life?”

Laura
answered the latter question with a brisk shake of her head.  “I’m too busy for
romance, I’m afraid.”

Valerie
saw right through the remark.  “Left your heart in Battle Ground, didn’t you?”

Laura
didn’t bother denying it.  She was well aware that Valerie probably read her
better than anyone in her home state.  Of course, Laura had often confided in
her, as the two had ridden horseback in the pastures behind the house.

“Oh, I
was a little kid then,” she said, and gave a self-deprecating smile.  “But it
is nice to see Dalton again,” she added neutrally.

Valerie
wasn’t fooled.  “Nice,” she repeated.  “He certainly grew into a handsome man,
didn’t he?”

Laura
nodded.  “He’s always been easy on the eyes.”

“But
that’s not what drew you to him, is it?” Valerie remembered.

“I’d
like to think not,” Laura said, chuckling.

“Anyway,
how are things going over at the old homestead?”  Valerie abruptly sobered.  “I
heard Candace isn’t doing very well.  I’m so sorry about her miscarriage.  I
know it hit her hard.”

“I am
too,” Laura said sadly.  “And it did hit her awfully hard.”

Valerie
frowned.  “Is it true she and Dan are splitting up?  I know that sometimes
couples have a difficult time surviving a loss.  I just hope they hang in.”

“They’re
separated, I guess you could say.  Although they are living in the same
house…”  Laura frowned.  “You know, that hadn’t really occurred to me until
now—that they’re still living in the same home.  I know they avoid one
another—or I guess Candace avoids Dan, anyway—but surely it’s a good sign that
they’re still under the same roof.”

“That
roof, and the structure beneath it, is for sale,” Valerie said.

Laura
nodded.  Dan had told her that.  She sat quietly, considering their continued
co-habitation in the house, but then realized they were probably staying in the
same home out of financial necessity.  Dan had confided in her their financial
troubles.

Valerie
gave Laura a shoring smile.  “With God, all things are possible,” she recited.

“That’s
what I’m counting on,” Laura told her friend.

“If
there’s anything I can do to help out, please let me know.”

Laura
watched her friend thoughtfully.  She wasn’t certain how much to divulge.  She
hated the idea of betraying a confidence, but she suspected she could benefit
from a neutral point of view.

“Valerie,
do you remember how Candace used to treat me?”

Valerie
gave a weary sigh.  “I do.  And as you know, I couldn’t abide that girl’s awful
behavior back when she was a teenager, but…”  She raised a clarifying finger. 
“Candace has changed.  I’ve seen it myself.  I mean, well, before all the
sadness…”