Now & Forever 3 - Blind love (34 page)

“My knee
is perfectly all right and you haven’t answered my question.”

“Of
course, yes, I’ll marry you.” Sam took the ring out of the box and slipped it
on her finger.

They
agreed to marry quietly at city hall. Sam and Patsy invited all the family to
go out to dinner afterward. Sam took Peter, Lara, Mac and Callie to city hall
for the ceremony before the dinner. He didn’t feel right marrying without his
children there.

Patsy
wore a short, elegant, beige jersey dress with lace trim at the neckline and
hem and small white flowers in her hair. She carried a spring bouquet of soft
pink flowers. During the ceremony, she teared up a few times and Sam offered
his handkerchief. After the ceremony, eating and drinking began in a private
room at La Côte d’Or, where Sam and Pat had their first date.

* * * *

After the talent show, the Caldwell and Maine clans, with Jim
tagging along, went out for pizza. When they returned home, Lara and Peter
stayed up late, talking, making plans for their life together. As Lara was
turning out the living room lights before she joined Peter in bed, she saw the
light still on at her uncle’s house. She poked her head in the bedroom and
interrupted Peter correcting papers on the bed.

“Bear, I’m going over to Uncle Jim’s for a moment.”

She opened the front door and called out.

“Uncle Jim? Is that you?” Lara padded into the kitchen.

Jim Caterson was sitting at the kitchen table, a half-full
glass of scotch on the table in front of him.

“How come you’re still up?” Lara slipped easily into the seat
next to him.

Jim didn’t say anything. He handed her a note.

Lara read it.

Small town life isn’t for me. I’m going to New York with Andres. We’re
in love. This is the best thing for both of us. Thanks for everything.

Fran

Lara’s mouth hung open a tiny bit as she reread the note.

“Fran ran off with Andres? I’m amazed. So sorry, Uncle Jim.”
She tried to sound unhappy.

“Thanks, Lara. Me too…I think.”

“You didn’t really love her did you?”

“I thought I did. When Nancy died, I was so lost…she seemed
like the answer.”

“I miss Aunt Nancy too. She was wonderful. Fran wasn’t a nice
person, Jim.” Lara took his hand in both of hers.

“I suppose she wasn’t. There won’t be anyone like Nancy
again.”

“You never know. Don’t be blind to love when it comes your
way again, Uncle Jim. Look what happened for me, who’d think a blind girl could
win the heart of the best-looking man in town?”

* * * *

Across town in the Marcia’s small house

The phone rang, Marcia picked it up.

“The children want to invite you to color Easter eggs with
them.”

“Rebecca, that’s very kind of you, but I can’t.” Marcia
folded a leg under her bottom and plopped down on the sofa.

“Oh, and stay for dinner. Jakub won’t be here. He is working
late tonight.”

“Even so. I can’t. Please explain to Joey and Annabeth.”

“Marcia, you have to come! Please come and show Mommy how to
make your hot chocolate,” Joey pleaded.

“Put Mommy on the phone.” Marcia said, “No fair, Rebecca.”

“So you’ll come then?”

“I guess so. You’re sure Jakub won’t be there?”

“I promise.”

“Okay. What time?”

“How about five o’clock?”

“See you then.”

At four forty-five, Marcia got into her car. It had been
raining all day and now it was beginning to freeze. Visibility dropped as the
rain turned to wet snow. She drove slowly trying to concentrate on the road but
she couldn’t stop thinking about Jake. Secretly she hoped he’d show up.
Why did I make him leave?
The familiar
ache in her stomach began when she thought about him. Her mind wandered. The
light changed from red to green. She didn’t see the silver SUV come barreling
along, trying to squeeze by on the yellow light. Marcia proceeded into the
intersection, only to be blindsided by the SUV. The cars crashed, Marcia’s car
spun on the slippery road, skidded and hydroplaned into a stone wall.

* * * *

At five o’clock Joey and Annabeth were in the front room at
the window, waiting for Marcia. By five thirty, the children were angry and
disappointed. At six o’clock, they ate dinner. Rebecca shot a glance at the
driveway from time to time but Marcia’s car never arrived. She called Marcia’s
house three times only to get the answering machine.

At seven o’clock, Jakub came home.

“Your girlfriend stinks, Grandpa!” Joey said.

“What?” Jakub raised his eyebrows

“We hate Marcia,” Annabeth said, hurt and anger showing on
her face.

Rebecca explained about the invitation Marcia agreed to but
never honored. “She stood up the kids.” Rebecca couldn’t keep a tinge of
annoyance from her voice.

“Not Marcia. If she say she coming, she comes.”

“Not today, Dad,” Johnny said.

Jakub’s brow creased.

“I’m going to her house. Maybe she sick.”

“I’ll come with you, Pop.” Johnny took his coat down off the
wall hook.

The house was dark when the men arrived and there was no car
in the driveway.

“Where’s her car?” Jakub asked.

Johnny used his key to let the men inside. Jakub felt himself
grow more panicky with each empty room he visited. Johnny saw the message light
blinking on the answering machine. He hit the button. The first one was from
Rebecca, the second was from the hospital, looking for Jakub.

“Oh my God!” Jakub exclaimed, sinking into a chair at the
kitchen table. Tears clouded his eyes, “Marcia, my love…”

“Come on, Dad. I’ll drive,” Johnny said, shepherding his
father out the door and into the car.

At the hospital, Johnny spoke to the person in charge, then
relayed the information to his father.

“She’s in surgery, Dad. We might as well go home and wait for
their call.”

“You go. I wait here. This should not have happened. I should
never leave. Stubborn, stupid old man.” Jakub rubbed his forehead.

Johnny waited for another hour, then he went home to his
family. Jakub waited in the waiting room, praying silently. He had been blind
to his good fortune. Now he may lose her for good.
Stupid, proud old man.
He finally fell asleep in the chair.

Three hours later, Dr. Cho came out.

“Mr. Novacek?”

Jakub looked up.

“You are Marcia Wilton’s next of kin?”

“Yes, yes.” He got up, looking nervous.

“Ms. Wilton is out of surgery.”

“How is she?”

“She has a concussion…”

“What is that?”

“It’s a head injury, but it’s not serious. Her knee was
broken but we operated on it and it should heal fine. She’s banged up with some
bruises and abrasions, but she’ll be okay,” Dr. Cho explained.

“Can I see her?”

“Sure. She’s a little woozy from the anesthetic, so only stay
a few minutes. She’s in room 105, right down the hall and the second right.” He
pointed the way.

“Thank you so much, Doctor.” Jakub shook Dr. Cho’s hand.

Jakub hurried down the hall, but stopped at the door. He was
not very nice to Marcia the last time they met, yelling and swearing, pleading
and threatening to get her to relent about the baby, to no avail. He had regretted
it almost immediately.

He opened the door carefully. Marcia was asleep in the bed
with her knee bandaged, her head was stitched up and she had two black eyes.
Jakub started to cry. His beloved was hurt and in pain. He walked over to the
bed, picked up her hand gently, kissed it and held it. She opened her eyes and
looked up at him.

“My love, so sorry. I never should have left you. Blind,
stupid old man.”

“This wasn’t your fault, Jake,” she whispered.

“I love you, so much.” A few tears escaped down his cheeks.

Marcia graced him with a small, stiff smile.

“Marry me and we have a baby. Please, please.”

Marcia nodded a little. Jakub leaned over and kissed her
gently.

“Ah, my love. Thank you,” he murmured.

A nurse came in and told Jakub he’d have to come back in the
morning.

Johnny was waiting for him when he came out of Marcia’s room.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“She has broken knee, something with her head, black eyes,
bruises, aye! But Dr. Cho said she be okay. Thank God.”

“That’s good news.”

“We get married and have a baby. She agree.”

“It’s about time, old man.” Johnny clapped his father on the
back.

“Yah. Blind, stupid old man not blind and stupid anymore.”

* * * *

Within a few weeks, Marcia was well enough to walk into city
hall on crutches and get married. She and Jakub brought Johnny and Rebecca as
witnesses on Jakub’s lunch hour. They were married in a simple, quick ceremony.
Marcia and Jakub had matching gold bands. He was reluctant to wear his, but
Marcia insisted.

“I want everyone to know you belong to me, Jake.” She kissed
him.

He couldn’t argue with her possessiveness, in fact he rather
liked it. He insisted she change her name. They went to a local resort for the
weekend for their honeymoon, where they spent most of the time making love. Now
Jakub felt totally at ease. She was his wife and there was no reason to be
ashamed of anything.

Nothing much changed in the Novacek senior home, except
Marcia threw her birth control pills out and Johnny and Rebecca often came over
for Sunday dinner or Jake and Marcia went to their house. The two families were
reunited. Joey and Annabeth visited frequently and were happy to have Grandpa
back in their lives.

At the end of April, Marcia found out she was pregnant.
Despite all his reservations about having a baby, Jakub was proud he
impregnated her and excited about the baby. He strutted around like a peacock
for a while, making Marcia laugh.

Jake and Marcia bought their own house, one that needed
fixing up but had a big backyard for the children in their lives.

“Maybe we should get a dog for Annabeth and Joey…and the
baby?” Marcia touched his rough cheek.

“Dog? No dog. I’m too old for a dog.”

“We’ll see.” Marcia smiled.

C
hapter
Twenty-three

Mac ushered Dave Williams and Eliza into his office. Jonesy
brought Dave a cup of coffee and closed the door on her way out.

“Any news?” Mac sat back in his chair and crossed his long
legs.

“We know who killed Deena but we can’t prove it. The
investigation is stalled because we haven’t been able to break our number one
suspect’s alibi.” Dave blew on his cup of hot coffee.

“Huh, and I think my life is frustrating dealing with college
kids,” Mac replied.

“What about Jenna Walker?” Eliza asked.

“We’ve finished combing her room. No evidence of a crime.”

“So I can tell her dad he can pack up her stuff?” Eliza took
a sip from her mug.

Dave nodded.

“Seems like a simple suicide…over-achieving kid breaks and
ends it.”

“Think so, Dave? I knew Jenna. She didn’t seem the type,” Mac
responded.

“I agree with Mac. Jenna and I finished finalizing her
schedule for next semester only last week,” Eliza added.

“Without evidence, there’s nothing I can do.” Dave gulped
down the last of his coffee and stood up.

“Thanks, Dave.” Mac stood and shook the police chief’s hand.

Dave nodded to Eliza and left the office, shutting the door
behind him.

“I hate these situations.” Mac returned to his chair.

“I’ll deal with Mr. Walker, Mac.”

“I’m not happy with the police walking away from this. Let’s
take a look at her transcript again.”

“I’ve got it up on my computer.” Eliza stood up.

“Let’s go.”

Mac pushed to his feet and joined her as they walked across
the hall. Jonesy was in Eliza’s office watering her plants when the two deans
joined her.

Mac stared at the screen. After studying it for a few
minutes, he noticed something.

“Did you see this?” Mac asked, pointing to the screen.

“I haven’t had a chance to look it over yet,” Eliza
responded, sitting down at her desk.

“It looks like her grade was changed after the grades were
posted. Maybe even after she died. This isn’t the same as the paper transcript
found in her room.”

Jonesy peered at the screen over Eliza’s shoulder.

“Looks like it. Jonesy, can you get the date and the person
who changed it?”

“I can try.”

Jonesy went out to her computer and punched in some
information. She had been at it for about an hour when she came to Mac with a
piece of paper.

“Mac, this is the person who changed that grade,” Jonesy
said.

Mac looked at the name and then at Jonesy in surprise.

“I’m going over to talk to him. There must be some mistake
here,” Mac said.

Jonesy nodded. After Mac left, she picked up the phone and
called Callie’s cell.

Callie was on her way to the English department with a basket
of food to meet Danny and his little son, Casey, for lunch. She hurried so
she’d arrive before Mac. She showed up only moments before he did, went into
Danny’s office and closed the door.

“Mac is coming to meet with Professor Littleton on something
important. Can we listen in?”

Danny’s office was down the hall from Alan’s. They listened
until they heard Mac’s footsteps, then they cracked the door open quietly.
Little Casey was asleep.