Far Country (34 page)

           
“Can you forgive us?” Lee Ann sniffed through sad tears, as they learned that,
far from abandoning Sarah, Steve had made regular attempts to circumvent the
standing order he had believed Lee Ann and Richard had set to try and see her
in Wilmington.

           
Steve shrugged, unable to quite keep the bitterness out of his voice. 
“What’s there for me to forgive?” he said. “It wasn’t what any of us wanted,
but it was no more your fault than mine. David arranged it all, and why
wouldn’t we all trust David?”

           
A slightly uncomfortable silence filled the dining room. The Bolton’s looked troubled,
but neither one of them could think of a response.

           
Reverend Graham leaned forward over the now familiar dining room table at the
Bolton’s house. “The past can’t be changed, but we
can
let go of it and
start over.  What’s important is this family. Gracie’s family. All of you
are a part of her, including her Uncle David, whom she loves dearly, I gather.
The question is, what are you all going to do now?” He looked from one side of
the table to the other, waiting.

           
The Bolton’s stared at Steve, and Steve stared back, fighting the desire to
tell them what he had learned from Beth, and just how determined David might be
to get what he wanted. Instead he remained carefully neutral.  Just how
many accusations against their only remaining child would they accept as truth,
coming from him?

           
At last, Steve gave his pastor a wry smile and cleared his throat.  “After
seeing him last summer, it’s pretty clear he is still very angry.  Some
things...” he paused and took a breath to give himself time to choose his words
carefully. “Some things happened last summer between us that were pretty ugly.
I think that I could try to forgive, but I am not sure that he would be willing
to try, at least not any time soon. I guess, the question for me is, what are
you two planning to do?”

           
Richard sighed heavily. “It’s time this foolishness comes to an end.  Lee
Ann and I will have to confront him with the truth, and we will just have to
make him see reason. He loves Gracie, like she was his own child. It may be
rough at first, but I know that he will want the best for her in the end.”

           
Steve wished that he shared Richard’s certainty and optimism.  He
suspected that David might consider totally removing Steve from the picture as
‘the best thing’ for Gracie, no matter what his parents said.  But he
could only wait and see.

           
“So,” he said briskly, changing the subject to something dear to his
heart.  “When do you feel would be a good time to tell Gracie that she has
a real daddy?”

           
Lee Ann smiled at the hopeful look in Steve’s eyes. She glanced toward her
husband for confirmation. “Would now be a good time for you?” She asked, her
eyes twinkling. “She’ll be home in a few minutes.”

           
Lee Ann had just finished setting out the hot fudge, nuts and whipped cream
when the crash of the front door, and the thump of a book bag flung haphazardly
in the hallway heralded Gracie’s noisy arrival.  She bounced into the
dining room, and then stopped short at the sight of so many adults.  Yet
almost immediately, her eyes slid toward the ice cream toppings in front of
her.

           
Lee Ann smiled fondly at Gracie.  “Good,” she said.  “You got home
just in time.  We’re having a little celebration, would you like a hot
fudge sundae?

           
Gracie nodded vigorously. “Can I make it myself?” She asked, accepting the bowl
of ice cream and carrying it carefully to the table.

           
“Whatever you like,” Lee Ann agreed.

           
Steve, Richard, and Pastor Graham each took a bowl that Lee Ann had prepared
and got in line behind Gracie.  When she had trouble with the whipped
cream bottle, Steve helped her squirt a small mountain onto her sundae, and
then he squirted a dab on her freckled nose. Gracie laughed and tried
unsuccessfully to reach the
dollup
with her tongue.

           
She is so beautiful, just like her mother,”
Steve thought as he wiped
the dot of whipped cream from her nose and ruffled her thick black hair. His
heart was pounding with anticipation. They were such good friends, that he knew
she would be excited to learn he was also her daddy.  But first, he had to
get through this bowl of ice cream.

           
They took their seats at the dining room table, where Richard had hastily
draped some crepe paper and taped a cluster of balloons to the chandelier,
while Steve had run home and picked up a worn, blue velvet bag that had been
tucked in the top drawer of his dresser since last summer. He’d made one more
stop at a jewelry store and bought a sturdy yet feminine silver chain. The
velvet bag now sat in front of Gracie’s seat at the table.

           
As Gracie scooped huge spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth, she eyed the
small bag with avid curiosity. “What’s that?” She asked at last, looking from
her grandparents to Steve.

           
Steve smiled with nervous anticipation.  “It’s a gift from me to you,
Gracie. Would you like to open it?”

           
She nodded, and pushed her empty ice cream bowl aside.  Slowly, she
loosened the drawstrings and pulled out Sarah’s ring, now hanging from the
silver chain.  “Dolphins!” She cried happily. “
Gramma
,
look at the dolphins!”

           
Lee Ann
oohed
appropriately and gave the ring back to
Gracie.

           
“It’s on a chain so you can wear it whenever you like,” Steve explained. 
“It’s too big for you because it was a gift I was going to give to your mother
before you were born, but I never got the chance. So now, I would like for you
to have it.”

           
Gracie held it up to chandelier and smiled with pleasure, as the lights created
rainbow sparkles on the tiny diamond.  “Did my mother like
dolphins?”  Gracie asked, turning the ring from side to side to see how
the sparkles glittered and glimmered.

           
“Uh huh,” Steve replied, smiling at her fascination.  Any time we went to
the beach we looked to see if the dolphins were there, too,” Steve told her.

           
Gracie looked at Steve with a new curiosity.  “I didn’t know you were
friends with my mommy.  Was she pretty?”

           
Steve nodded. “When she was little she looked just like you do now. And when
she grew up, she was even prettier, and smart, too.  She loved to
laugh.  I loved your mommy very much, Gracie.  That’s why I bought
her this ring.  I wanted to marry her.”

           
“But she got hurt and couldn’t wake up,” said Gracie in a sad little
voice.  She slipped the chain around her neck and looked down at it
admiringly.

           
Richard cleared his throat.  “Sarah Grace, what do you say when someone
gives you a gift?”

           
Grace blushed and gave Steve a winning grin.  “Oops.  Sorry, Mr.
Steve.  Thank you very much for my dolphin ring.”

           
“Gracie, honey,” Lee Ann said with a nervous little smile. “The party tonight
is a special celebration for you and for Mr. Steve. Can you listen to me while
I tell you why today is special?”

           
Grace looked up from her ring and fastened her eyes curiously on her grandmother.

           
Lee Ann took a deep breath.  “We have known Mr. Steve for a very long
time, Gracie.  In fact, he wasn’t much older than you when he became Uncle
David’s best friend. He was friends with your mommy, too, and when they grew
up, they fell in love.

           
Gracie wrinkled her nose and giggled at the thought. “Yuck,” she said.

           
Lee Ann sighed.  “Honey, Mr. Steve was in the same accident that hurt your
mommy, only he did get better after a long time.  He thought we were mad at
him because he was driving the car, so when he left to go to school, we never
saw him again until that day that you found him at the doctor’s office!

           
Gracie grinned up at Steve. You signed my arm and I signed your knee!” She
reminded him.

           
“He was surprised when he saw you, Gracie, because he never knew about
you.  You were born after he went away. So meeting you was a very special
day for him.”

           
Gracie was getting bored.  She slid the ring over two of her fingers,
where it still hung loosely. She wiggled her hand to pretend the dolphins were
diving through waves. “Why was it so special?” She asked looking up.

           
Steve was sitting beside Gracie. He turned to face her, so that he was at her
eye level. He took her hands in his. “Gracie, that was the day I found out that
I was a daddy. I am your daddy, Sarah Grace!” Steve’s eyes shone with expectant
light, as he watched her face for her reaction to the wonderful news.

           
He was not prepared at all for what happened next. For a moment, there was an
awful silence.  Then Gracie’s face crumpled and a wail of terror filled
the room.  She snatched her fingers out of his, and clawed frantically at
the chain around her neck as if it was suddenly burning her skin. It snapped
and the ring flew across the room as she flung it far from her. In moments she
was burying her face in Lee Ann’s arms sobbing hysterically on her shoulder.

           
Lee Ann rocked her helplessly, stroking her head. “What’s wrong, baby?” She
pleaded with the child. “Why are you so scared?”

           
“He killed her!” Came the muffled reply. “He murdered mommy! Uncle David told
me so!  Now he wants to hurt me too!”

           
Richard had joined Lee Ann, and both grandparents sought to soothe the terrified
child. “No, Gracie!” Richard tried to assure her. “You know Mr. Steve.  He
would never hurt you. He loves you, sweetie.”

           
But Gracie was hearing none of it.  “I want my Uncle David!” She wailed.
“He promised to protect me!  Where’s my Uncle David!”

           
Steve remained in his seat staring in stunned silence as his daughter screamed
in terror at the sight of him. He had no idea what to do.  A firm hand
squeezed his shoulder. “Steve, let’s go to the den, and give them a chance to
get her quieted down,” Reverend Graham, said compassionately. Steve nodded
dumbly and followed Robert Graham down the hall to the office by the front
door.

           
He leaned miserably against the wall as he listened to Gracie’s loud sobs. “She
thinks I killed her mother!” Steve said aloud to Reverend Graham, his voice
filled with shocked incredulity.  “David’s even managed to infect
her
mind
with his lies!” Steve’s head began to throb as his anger nearly overwhelmed
him. He pounded his fist in frustration against the wall.

           
“Lee Ann and Richard will sort it out,” Reverend Graham said soothingly. “Just
give them a little while to talk with her.  Sit down, now.”

           
“And do what?” Steve growled furiously.

           
“Pray for peace and the Spirit of Truth to reign in this house at last,” he
admonished Steve. “Pray for your own peace to return, too,” he added, as he
walked to the office door.  “She’ll believe the lies all over again if she
sees your face looking like that.”

           
“Where are you going?” Steve asked anxiously, suddenly not wanting to sit in
the room by himself.

           
“Just to get some coffee,” he replied grimly. “We could be here awhile.”

           
When he returned with the steaming mugs, he set them on the coffee table and
joined Steve on the sofa.  “I think,” he said slowly, knowing his words
would not be well received at the moment, “that we need to pray for David.”

           
Steve’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I can do that right now,” he answered in
a heated voice.

           
“All the more reason to do it now,” Reverend Graham replied, not at all
dissuaded by Steve’s angry refusal. “But we’ll work our way up to it. Let’s
start by praying for Gracie.  She’s had quite a shock tonight.”

           
Steve didn’t feel much like praying at all at the moment, but he could hardly
refuse to pray for his own daughter. He bowed his head, and allowed his pastor
to lead them. Almost against his will he felt his spirit soothed by the calming
words of worship. Twenty minutes passed as the two men bowed their heads in
prayer for each member of the house, including David Bolton.  As Reverend
Graham had promised, by the time they placed their requests for David in front
of Jesus, Steve was able to add his own prayer for reconciliation and harmony
in the Bolton family.  They were still praying when Richard appeared in
the doorway.  Slightly embarrassed to be interrupting a sacred moment,
Richard cleared his throat.  Steve looked up, and Richard could see that the
hurt and anger had drained away.  Steve’s eyes were tired but peaceful.

           
“We’ve talked to her,” he told them.  “I think that she’s ready to speak
to you, if you want to try again.”