Amongst The Flames: A Contemporary Christian Romance (Embers and Ashes Book 1) (13 page)

Amanda let out an inappropriate laugh. “Seriously?” she said. “Obviously there was a fire…”

“What is wrong with you?” Megan asked with tear filled eyes.

“Sorry…” Amanda replied.

I continued, “And he was saving a little girl…” I paused for a moment as I wiped a few tears from my cheeks. Clearing my throat, I continued, “And he did save that little girl…” My words got choked up as I forced myself to continue. “But on the way out, part of the building collapsed… and a support beam came down, pinning him to the ground.”

Both Megan and Amanda were sobbing quietly. I stood up and draped my body over Megan and I hugged her while I rubbed her back gently. Amanda laid her head against Megan and I wrapped my arms around her also. We all wept together.

Once we regained our composure, I sat down as Amanda asked, “How’d the girl get out?”

“Well, after the beam pinned him down, I hurried inside to rescue him. I didn’t even know he found the girl at that point… and when I found him…” I stopped again and shook my head trying to fight the tears away.

Megan stood up and put her arm around me, letting her head rest against my shoulder. I found the strength to continue. “When I found Tom… he was still alive and he had the beam held up with his arm to protect the girl. I was able to pull her to safety, but another part of the house was about to collapse. I tried to free him, but he told me to run.”

Amanda leaned in, tears streaming down her face. “So you were there in his last moments on earth…”

I nodded.

“What did he say?” Amanda asked.

I rubbed my face with both of my palms as I took a deep breath in and said, “He told me to take care of you girls.”

Megan looked over at her sister.

Amanda leaned back and said, “Wow… I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“Me either,” Megan said.

“He didn’t say anything about Mom?” Amanda asked.

I shook my head. “He told me earlier in the shift that he was worried about you two.” I glanced at Megan as she raised her watery eyes from my shoulder and then my eyes shifted to Amanda. “You two were bar hopping or something? Mike called him about it.”

Amanda nodded as she sniffled a little. “Yeah… I talked to my dad about it.”

Megan took a step back from me as she looked into my eyes. “You knew about that? And you still came here?”

I nodded. “I didn’t like hearing about you bar hopping… but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I love you Megan.”

Her eyes watered more as she grabbed onto my neck tightly hugging me. She began crying harder into my shoulder and then she kissed my cheek. “I’m so sorry, Baby… I should have never left you. I was being stupid.”

“Megan…” Amanda said.

Megan turned to her. And Amanda’s eyes grew even wider at Megan.

“But right now I need to be here for my sister…” Megan said, looking back at me, letting her head dip to her chest. “I shouldn’t make a decision right now about us… I’m too emotional.”

“But you just said you made a bad decision originally,” I said. My eyes narrowed on Amanda, “What did you remind her of?” I asked. She just shook her head at me and looked away.

“I know what I said, Cole. But I need time. It wouldn’t be fair to you if I just come back because my dad died… would it? You would doubt my reasons for coming home. I want to come back for the right ones.”

I nodded lightly, but I remained suspicious.

“When’s the funeral?” Amanda asked, standing up. “Wait, when did this even happen? You just showed up on our doorstep this morning.”

“I don’t know about the funeral. Your mom is handling the arrangements. This happened yesterday morning…” I replied.

“Why didn’t our mother call us?” Amanda asked as she stepped up next to Megan’s side. Her eyebrows were furrowed and I sensed a little hostility in her voice.

“She was distraught and I told her I wanted to fly out and tell the both of you. Especially after what Tom had said, I felt it was best.”

Shaking her head, Amanda asked, “What is it you are trying to do, Cole? You won’t replace our father!”

I felt uncomfortable sitting and stood, putting my hands up and taking a step back. Megan stepped in front of her and said with a sharp tone, “Stop it Amanda. He’s just trying to help.”

Amanda shook her head. “You didn’t even like him, Cole… And now you’re honoring his dying wishes? We don’t even know if that’s what he said!” she shouted at me over Megan’s shoulder.

“Stop,” Megan said, putting her hands around Amanda. “Cole wouldn’t lie about that.”

Amanda turned and went out the back slider, slamming it behind her.

“I’m sorry… I don’t know where all that came from,” Megan said looking into my eyes.

“I understand… she’s just upset right now.”

Megan nodded as she grabbed one of my hands and placed it between both of hers. “Thank you so much for being here for me, Cole.”

I pulled my hand back and wrapped my arms around her as I said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, my love.”

Suddenly a crash came from outside on the porch. Megan and I both glanced out the slider and Megan said back to me, “I think you should go. I need to be alone with her. Maybe you could check into the hotel a few blocks down from here?”

I nodded. “I agree. You two should have some time to talk, maybe call your mother.”

She nodded as tears started up again. She wiped them away and said, “I’ll call you or something here in a bit.”

“Okay. Did you want me to take the boys for a bit?”

She shook her head. “No, that’s okay… They need lunch and a nap soon.”

I nodded. Megan proceeded out the sliding glass door and I made my way to the base of the stairs that went up to the bedrooms where the boys were.

“Boys,” I shouted up the stairs. “Come give me a hug and a kiss.”

Justin and Bradley came barreling down the stairs with grins on their innocent faces. Picking them both up in my arms, I kissed both of them. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

“Da-da, go bye?” Bradley said, his smile falling away from his face.

“I’ll be just down the road, okay Buddy?” I kissed his cheek again and then Justin’s before setting them back down. They were about to burst into tears, but thankfully their little cousin Ivy called them back to the room. Grabbing my suitcase, I went out the front door and onto the sidewalk. Glancing up the road, I could see the corner of the hotel only a few blocks away and started on my way.

W
alking into my hotel room, I tossed my suitcase into the corner and collapsed onto the bed. Rolling onto my back, my eyes fixated on the ceiling above me. The grief that lingered over the day robbed me of any sense of joy I had captured of reuniting with my family. My cell phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. It was a message from Megan, asking if I’d take the boys for the night.

Of course I would take my boys for the night. I had missed them like crazy. Replying back to Megan, I told her I’d gladly take them. She then pushed for me to take the cousins –Amanda’s kids— also, but I declined.

A knock came from the door of my hotel room around three o’clock in the afternoon. Opening the door, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelming sadness when I saw Megan. The matted Mac n’ Cheese was gone from her hair, but that same sad expression from earlier when I broke the news hung on her face. Seeing her pretty green eyes swollen and red, pained me. It hurt seeing her in such misery, and I could barely stand the fact I couldn’t fix it.

“Did you talk to your mother yet?” I asked.

“No…” Her words trailed off as she turned away. She began crying as she kept her eyes fixated away from mine and said, “I’m so scared to talk to my mom… she just lost Dad and I don’t know what I can do to help her.” Megan let out another cry as the boys peered up at our faces with looks of concern.

I kept my strength and composure for the boys, and giving her a simple nod, I said, “Come inside, let’s talk.”

She shook her head, “I can’t. I told Amanda I wouldn’t be long.” Bending down to the boys, she wiped her tears and forced a smile out as she kissed each one of their foreheads.

“Mommy loves you so much!” she said, hugging them as she couldn’t help but start in on another round of tears.

“Got owie?” Brad asked, patting Megan’s head.

“Nope… I’m just sad,” Megan said, looking him straight in the eyes. “You boys be good for your daddy!” she insisted as she stood up. Looking at me in the eyes, she said, “Try to do something with them, Cole.”

Her words stung as I recalled the few times I had watched them in the past. I’d toss on a cartoon for them in the living room and then go back to watching my westerns in my bedroom. It almost felt as if God himself was peeling back and revealing the truths of my actions in small doses and glimpses. I think He didn’t reveal everything at once so I wouldn’t die from how shocking my behavior had been. Seeing the seriousness in her request, I nodded softly.

“I promise that won’t happen. I plan on taking them swimming here in a little bit at the hotel pool and then dinner.”

“I didn’t bring bathing suits,” she said.

“That’s fine. I’ll get some at the store a block up from here.”

She nodded. “I better go. Thanks again for taking them.”

“They’re my kids. You don’t need to thank me for watching them.”

She nodded as she turned and headed to Amanda’s car that was parked just a couple of stalls down from my hotel room. Watching as she got in, I saw her look up at me for a moment. Her eyes spoke to my soul in that brief moment, saying to not let go of this marriage.

At dinner that evening at a local fast food joint, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from running in a continual loop. Megan, our marriage, Tom, the family, the boys and the fire station back home. Round and round my thoughts went while Justin and Bradley went round and round the playland at the restaurant. My phone suddenly rang, interrupting my thoughts.

“Hello?” I answered.

“How’d it go with Megan?” Micah asked.

“She’s upset…”

Justin came up to the table, crying.

“That your boy I hear?” Micah asked.

“Yep, hold on…” I set the phone down. “What’s wrong?” I asked Justin, searching his body for some sort of injury.

“Brah hit me!” he shouted with furrowed eyebrows pointing to his arm. I picked him up and kissed his arm.

“There. All better,” I said. I set him back down and he returned to the other kids in the playland. Picking up my cell phone, I said. “Anyway…”

“Is Megan with you?”

“No, I took the boys. She’s at Amanda’s house and I’m staying in a hotel. But it went good with Megan… well it went as good as telling someone their father died can go, I guess. Amanda got a little crazy at the end, though.”

“Hang in there,” he said.

“Yeah,” I replied. Watching Bradley climb up the blue stairs with a little girl next to him, I continued, “I think she’ll come around. At least that’s what I’m hoping for…”

“It’s quite the odd situation you’re in. She’s going through a big thing right now and you’re right by her side. Supporting and loving her through it.”

“You’re right. I’m just trying to be here for her. That’s all I can do.”

Justin dashed over from the toys and snatched up a single chicken nugget from the tray. As I watched him eat at the table I spotted Megan pull up just outside the window. “I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up the phone and rose to my feet.

Her steps quickened as she made her way through the restaurant. When she came into the playland, she spotted me and hurried over to me. She wrapped her arms around me and let her head fall onto my chest. Bringing my arms up, I hugged her. As I held my wife in my arms, I felt like I was doing something to help ease the pain.

“Mike’s over at the house… do you want to get the boys and we can all head over there?” She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

I nodded softly. “Sure. But I thought I was taking them for the night?”

“I want you to be there… and Amanda is calm now.”

I nodded. Turning to the playland, I called out, “Justin… Bradley… come get your shoes on. We’re leaving.”

As I helped the boys with their shoes, I looked over my shoulder at Megan and caught her smiling. Finishing up with Bradley’s final shoe, I picked the boys up into my arms and headed out to the car with Megan.

When I arrived at Amanda’s house, Mike was in the kitchen at the table, and he stood up to shake my hand. “Been a long time, Cole,” he said, taking a seat.

“It has,” I replied as I sat down at the table with him. The boys ran up the stairs to the bedrooms.

“Where’s Amanda?” Megan asked.

“She’s out on the back porch. She’s upset. Your mother called and told her they weren’t able to change the date of the funeral and procession, so she has to go pick Lexi up from camp early.”

Megan nodded and stepped out onto the back porch.

After the sliding door shut, Mike leaned across the table and said in a loud whisper, “I don’t know what to do for Amanda… She asked me to come over, but I’m just sitting here.”

“You didn’t want to come over?” I asked.

Shaking his head, he replied, “No… after that other night, I wrote her off.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“They went bar hopping…” He began to say.

“Oh, I heard about that,” I interrupted.

“You did?” He asked as his eyes widened. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Well… It’s just bar hopping and I want my family back. I have to put them first. I know God will help our marriage work out.”

He scoffed as he shook his head. “It wasn’t just bar hopping, man…”

Fear nipped in my chest. “What do you mean?” I asked, sitting up a little bit more in my seat.

He looked towards the back slider where the girls were and shook his head as he looked back at me. “I don’t know if I should be the one telling you…”

“Come on, Mike! If it’s about my wife, I need to know!” I insisted, leaning across the table.

“Okay,” he said with a nod. He took a deep breath and continued. “Well… They met a couple of guys at the bar and then brought them back to the house. They sent me packing, and…” His voice got quiet and his words trailed off.

“What is it?” I demanded, smacking the table.

“Megan took one of the guy’s up to her room as I was on my way out the door.”

Paralyzed, I felt my entire body go stiff as a nail. It felt like I was in a fire and someone was tossing gasoline on it. It wouldn’t let up, wouldn’t back down and would not cease until I was dead.

Mike’s lips tightened as he kept his quiet. I looked up at him and processed his gaze. It was true. Every word he said. I smacked the kitchen table again, this time with more force causing Mike’s diet soda to topple over and spill.

Rubbing my chin as I felt an immediate desire to shoot out of the front door of Amanda’s house, I sighed heavily. “She didn’t say a word about that… and neither did Tom.”

Mike said, “Not an easy thing to tell someone.” He grabbed a paper towel from near the sink to clean up his soda. As he began wiping up the spill, he shook his head and said, “These women these days… You just can’t trust them.”

Peering over to the slider, I saw Megan look over at me. That once beautiful rose I saw when I looked at her was no more. Instead, all I could see was a woman who ripped my world apart and stole my happiness. Standing up, I began to make for the front door.

“Wait. Don’t go. She’ll know I told you!” He pleaded.

“There’s no sense in me staying,” I said making eye contact with Megan as I spoke the words over my shoulder to Mike.

“Cole!” she shouted as she rushed through the kitchen and down the hallway attempting to stop me. Ignoring her, I continued on my way, opening the front door. “Please don’t go! The boys will be devastated!”

I paused for a moment and looked at her. “You took them away from me and didn’t care. Now I’m leaving and it’s a concern?” I laughed under my breath as I stepped out onto the porch. “It’s always about whatever suits you for the moment.” Continuing down the steps of the porch and onto the broken cement path, I kept my pace to leave.

As I began my walk up the street towards my hotel, I could hear the faint sound of Megan crying back on Amanda’s porch.