Love Will Find a Way (33 page)

Emily was confounded by the audacity of such a statement. “The twins are waiting for us.” She stepped to one side.

Robert stepped with her. “You had to do this, didn't you?"

The heels of Emily's sandals dug into the soft earth. “If you didn't want me here you should have said so. One word from you and I would have stayed away."

"That's not what I'm talking about. You have every right to be here. What I object to is you bringing your lover. Is this my payback for showing up at Larry's graduation with Susan?"

The memory of that terrible night swept over Emily, leaving her feeling weak and fatigued. “What you did then was none of my business, just as what I do now is none of yours."

Dennis ran a finger around his cleric's collar. “Get out of her way, Franklin."

Dennis was an inch taller than Robert and ten pounds heavier, but that didn't faze Robert. With a belligerence born of sheer arrogance he asked, “Do you want to move me?"

"I think if you stop to consider where you are and the consequences of an altercation between you and me, you will, of your own volition, get out of the way."

"Such a pretty speech from the righteous Reverend,” Robert mocked. “Tell me, preacher, does your congregation know that you're an adulterer?"

Dennis bristled, as every muscle in his body tensed. “I beg your pardon!"

"It would be a shame,” Robert intoned with feigned piety, “if some sorry sinner like me decided to call it to their attention."

From the periphery of her vision, Emily saw Kevin approaching, taking long steps across the soft ground, his arms swinging at his sides as he hurried forward. “Stop it, Robert, now.” Once again she tried to step around him.

Once again he moved with her. “Not until I get what I have to say off my chest."

Kevin arrived, panting and out of breath. He laid his hand on his father's shoulder. “Dad, Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for you."

Robert shook Kevin's hand free. “Get out of here. This doesn't concern you."

By now, Larry and Stacy had caught up to Kevin. Larry came to stand on the other side of Robert. “Let's go, Dad."

Stacy moved to her father's side. “Daddy, are you all right?"

Dennis nodded. “I'm fine.” He took Emily's arm and led her around the group that had assembled in front of her. “Why don't you walk us to our car?” He led Emily away. Stacy trotted along by his side.

They cut across the cemetery, literally walking on graves in their headlong move to safety. The three of them were winded by the time they reached the station wagon. Dennis opened the door and helped Emily inside. “Thank you, Stacy. We will be fine now."

Stacy asked, “What got into Mr. Franklin?"

"He's grieving his loss.” Dennis opened his door and slipped into the car. “People often react uncharacteristically when they are under stress."

Stacy leaned down and stared into the car. “He sounded so angry and violent. I've never seen him that way before, but of course, I don't know him very well."

Dennis started the car's motor. “It's nothing for you to worry about. The sooner we all forget it, the better.” He pulled the station wagon into gear. “Kevin is waiting for you."

As they drove away, Emily shook her head. “Robert doesn't make idle threats. He meant every word he said."

With a wave of one hand, Dennis dismissed Emily's fear. “What can he do?"

"For starters he can go to members of your congregation and accuse you of being an adulterer.” That word left a bad taste in Emily's mouth.

"Actually, if what he says were true, adulterer is the wrong term.” Dennis made a wry face as he pulled onto the freeway. “When two unmarried adults engage in illicit sex, they are fornicators."

Despite her heavy heart, Emily smiled. “Your congregation might not appreciate that fine distinction."

Dennis seemed serene and unruffled. “There's a very simple solution to the whole matter."

Emily turned to stare at him. “There is?"

"Of course, you can marry me as soon as possible. That will lay all Robert's vicious rumors to rest for good and all."

"Marry you?” Emily echoed inanely.

Dennis looked both ways before changing lanes. “I hadn't planned on such a rushed wedding, but why not?"

Emily turned to study the profile of the man who sat beside her. He was everything any woman could ask for in a husband, but she couldn't marry him, not now, not ever, because she didn't love him and in that revealing moment, she knew she never would. “I'm honored that you want me to be your wife, but I can't marry you."

Dennis kept his eyes on the road. “You're in no condition to make a decision now."

"I don't love you, Dennis and you don't love me."

"That's not the real reason for your refusal.” Dennis turned to stare briefly in her direction. He did have a way of cutting to the heart of the matter.

"No,” Emily admitted on a sigh. “It's not."

A sudden twitch along his jaw line was the only sign of Dennis's emotional upheaval. “It's Robert isn't it?"

She couldn't lie to him. “I can't stop loving Robert. It's as simple as that and as complicated.” She laid her hand on his leg and felt the muscles quiver. “Can we still be friends?"

Dennis's Adams apple moved up and down. Finally he answered. “Yes. I think we can manage that."

They drove the rest of the way home in uneasy silence.

Chapter 17

"I don't think you should be alone.” Dennis pulled into Emily's driveway and stopped his station wagon.

Emily was as concerned for Dennis as she was for herself. This afternoon couldn't have been easy for him. She laid her hand on his arm. “Are you all right?"

"I'm going to be fine.” Dennis opened his car door.

Emily protested, “Don't get out. I can...."

Before she could complete her statement, Amy burst through Emily's front door and raced toward the car, her long hair flying behind her as she ran. “I thought you'd never get here."

Before Emily could collect her wits and open her door, Dennis was out of the car and bounding toward his daughter. “Where's Kim? What happened?"

Amy collapsed in her father's arms. “We can't find Boo. Kim's out looking for him.” She began to cry.

Dennis soothed, “We'll find him. He wouldn't go far."

Emily hurried to stand by Dennis's side. She smoothed Amy's hair. “Maybe someone took him."

Amy wiped at her tears as she pulled herself from her father's embrace. “That's what we thought when we came to take him for his walk and found he was gone. But Kim talked to some of the neighbors. Mrs. Callaghan saw him dig under the fence and follow a gang of dogs down the alley toward Main Street."

Emily gave the child a reassuring hug. “Don't worry. We'll find him."

Amy gulped and stepped back. “Ted Hammonds says that the Gentry's bitch dog is in heat again. Sometimes she gets out and all the dogs in the neighborhood follow her around. Do you think that's what Boo did?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Emily's eyes sparkled with humor. “I wouldn't doubt it."

Dennis put his arm around Amy's shoulders. “Let's get inside."

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway caused Emily to turn. Larry came to a sudden stop and set his brake before jumping from his car and racing toward the three people standing on the lawn. “What's happened now?"

"Boo's missing,” Emily said. “Kim's out looking for him now."

Larry asked, “Which direction did she go?"

Amy pointed south. “That way, we think Boo went toward Main Street."

"Go inside,” Larry told his mother. “I'll start looking, too. We'll find him. Don't worry."

"Wait,” Amy called after Larry. “Which direction are you going?"

Larry pointed as he ran, “North."

"Then I'll go east.” Amy took off down the sidewalk.

Dennis said, “That leaves west. I'll go that direction. You stay here and wait, just in case Boo decides to come home of his own accord."

Emily sat on the edge of the porch swing and watched Dennis hike off in a westerly direction. If she had been a little more attentive to Boo, he might be home now instead of following some bitch off into the unknown. The similarity between Boo's disappearance and Robert's sudden departure from her life hit Emily with sudden, ironic force. Her mouth tightened before relaxing into a mocking smile.

Thirty minutes later, she was pacing the living room floor and chewing her nails. The sudden ringing of the telephone sent her scurrying to answer. Maybe someone had found Boo. He was wearing a collar and identifying tags. She almost shouted into the receiver, “Hello!"

The harsh baritone on the other end of the line demanded, “Let me speak to Larry!"

Emily questioned, “Robert?"

"I don't want to talk to you. Put Larry on the phone."

His arrogance sparked an answering surge of anger. “Larry isn't home."

"Don't lie to me. Let me speak to my son.” There was an expectant pause. When Emily said nothing, he added, “And do it now!"

His harsh command was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Emily began to cry. The tears she had held in check for weeks gushed from her eyes. “I am not lying,” she choked out between sobs. “Larry isn't here."

Robert's voice lost some of its harshness. “He was supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago. We were going to have dinner before he went back to Austin."

"He won't be there.” Robert hadn't even waited a day to launch his campaign to discredit her with her sons. “Boo has disappeared. Kim, Amy, Dennis and Larry are all out combing the neighborhood, looking for him."

Robert's tone moved from accusing to assuring. “Boo wouldn't run away from you, Emily."

"Yes, he would. He has."

"Stop crying,” Robert ordered. “I'll be there in five minutes."

"There's no point in you coming all the way over here...” Emily began.

"I'm not two blocks away. I'm calling from the Italian restaurant on Main Street.” Robert hung up the phone.

Emily stared into the dead receiver before dropping it into its cradle. Then with a mixture of dread and joy, she went outside to wait for Robert.

She had scarcely set foot on the front porch when he came wheeling into the driveway and stopped behind Larry's car. Jumping from his automobile, he hurried up the walk asking as he advanced, “Are you all right? You sounded frantic.” Coming onto the porch, he stood beside her. His anger seemed to have converted into concern.

All the confusing events of this long day came crashing down. “I am frantic. Boo is gone.” Emily batted her eyes to blink away tears. “He ran away and I can't blame him. I haven't spent much time with him lately."

Robert's lips twisted into a cynical smile. “Must you blame yourself for every misfortune that befalls you?” He reached out as if to touch her and then let his hand fall to his side. “Tell me what happened."

Slowly and between sobs, Emily related the story Amy had told her. She ended by asking, “What if he never comes back home?"

"He will come back.” Robert stood and rammed his hands into his pants pockets. “Dogs don't disappear into thin air."

Angered by what she perceived to be indifference, Emily jumped to her feet. “
Boo is gone
.” She dropped down on the top step of the porch. “And I have to learn to live with that fact.” Past events had taught her that it was better to accept the inevitable than to keep holding onto false hope. She dropped her head, causing the heavy fall of her hair to swirl around her neck.

In the west, a summer sun had begun to slide toward the far horizon. Robert said, “When it starts getting dark, Boo will head for home. Larry should be back by then, too."

"You can't wait to talk to Larry, can you? And I know what you're going to say.” Emily pushed her hair back from her face. “After all I did to help you reconcile with your sons you're repaying me by deliberately trying to turn them both against me."

A muscle flicked along the angular line of Robert's jaw. “I haven't said one word against you to either Kevin or Larry."

His sullen words brought her to her feet. “But you're going to. Why else would you be having dinner with Larry?” She turned on her heel. “I don't want you here. Go home, Robert."

"I'm leaving, but I'm not going home. I'm going to look for Boo."

She paused and drew a long breath. “Don't do me any favors."

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Boo."

Emily looked at him with a wretched mixture of hope and dejection. “Dennis and the twins know every inch of this neighborhood. If they can't find Boo, you certainly can't."

"You're overlooking one very important fact.” Robert brushed past her. “I know Boo.” He hurried down the walk. “I'll be back and I'll have Boo with me."

Once again, Emily dragged herself inside to wait. Robert's vacillating behavior sent her mind spinning off in all directions. One minute he seemed angry and annoyed, the next minute pensive and compassionate. She would worry about Robert later. Right now, her main concern was Boo.

Another half-hour passed before Kim returned. Her heavy steps coming up the walk sent Emily rushing to the door. Flinging it open, she cried, “Did you find him?"

"You're home.” Kim quickened her pace. “Where's Amy?"

Emily held the door open. “She's out looking for Boo. So are your father and Kevin. Even Robert has joined the search."

Kim came inside and sat on the couch. “Maybe one of them will find him. I walked all the way to Grant Street and Pine Avenue. I found the Gentry's dog and all her friends. All, that is, except Boo."

Emily's heart lurched. “Boo wasn't with the other dogs?"

"No.” Kim stretched out on the couch. “I'll rest a minute and then start to look again."

"There's no point in that.” Emily tried to resign herself to the inevitable. “Amy, your dad, Larry and Robert are all looking for him. They'll find him if he's anywhere around."

Mostly because she couldn't bear to be idle, Emily brewed coffee and made sandwiches. “It's past dinner time. Every one will be starved by the time they get back."

Then with Kim for company, she sat in the living room and waited and waited.

One by one the other searchers began to drift back, first Amy, then Dennis and last of all, Larry. Each one brought the same sad report, no Boo.