Saving Grace (12 page)

              He was flown out to the nearest VA hospital, where it took a month to re-cooperate before finally getting home.  In that month’s time, his wife came to visit twice. 

Essentially, Burke received a medical discharge from the Corps, and although the thought killed him – he was resigned to make the best of it.  He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do with his time or the rest of his life – but at least he had Melanie.

              After arriving at the MSP airport, Burke waited at the pick up area for quite some time with no success in reaching his wife. He’d forwarded her his flight info, so he knew she was aware of his arrival date.  When she didn’t answer the home line, or her cell, his gut began to slowly burn.  Something was wrong.

Being the optimist he was, he gave her the benefit of the doubt, grabbed his gear, and caught a taxi to their small hometown of Isley, Minnesota.

              As the taxi pulled into his driveway, lights shone from his living room window that illuminated the path to his front door. 

Whew,
he thought. 
She’s home. 
A calm peace centered into his chest, as he happily paid the taxi driver, and grabbed his gear.

              “Thanks, man.”  He hollered to the driver, and grabbed for the doorknob, expecting it to turn.  It didn’t.

              He rang the doorbell, and hollered through the door.  “Mel, I’m home!  Open up.” 

There was no answer.  He tried a second time to no avail.  Heavy hearted, he dropped his bag and dug through it for his house key.

              Once inside, he gently pushed his doubts to the corners of his brain.  After all, the table was set.  She was expecting him.  She had even lit candles.

              “Melanie?”  He called and rounded the corner to drop his bag by the stairwell.  “Melanie?” He called upstairs.  A heavy silence greeted him.

              In walking over to the dining room table, he saw three telling signs, which gave him little hope or reason to keep pushing his doubts away.

Although there were two lit candles on the dining room table, they had melted down like they’d been unattended for some time.  There was one place setting … with a small envelope, laid on the plate.  His eyes skipped from candle to candle and finally dropped to the note.  He knew what it meant.

              His hands shook as he reached for the envelope with his name on it.  He pulled out the note and read.

Dear Burke,

By the time you read this, I’ll be gone.  Please know I’m so very sorry.  I never meant to hurt you.  These last twelve months have been hard.  And after you got hurt, I knew this life wasn’t for me anymore. You deserve someone better than what I could be for you.

I’m sorry, Melanie

              He dropped the note to the floor, and stumbled back against the wall.

              “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!”  He mumbled, raw from emotion. 

He rubbed his hands along his jaw, which fell open from the shock. 
I can’t believe she left me!

              Burke slid down the wall, and sat there through the rest of the night.  He let the candles burn down and finally extinguish.  He watched the smoke trails from both waft and weave their way up toward the ceiling, which held up his master bedroom above him. 

As he stared up toward where he and his wife used to sleep in peace, he felt like he was sitting in a hole, to which he couldn’t climb out of.

              At the break of dawn, by sheer force, he dragged himself up to figure out how to get his wife back and get himself out of his crap situation. He would find Melanie and change her mind.  After all, he wasn’t active duty anymore.  He’d be there for her now … at home.

He knew well enough to know that she wouldn’t answer if he tried calling her cell, so he climbed the stairs to get cleaned up.  Next on the agenda was to head to her sister’s house across town. 

Janette Mills heard Burke pounding on her door, and jumped from her bed.  Any other day, if a man was yelling on her front porch at 6:00 a.m. she’d call the police, but this was Burke, and her heart broke for him.  He was a good man … too good for her sister.  She’d always thought that, and after what Melanie did – it just cemented her views.

Janette wrapped her robe around her, and ran down the stairs to answer the door.  Burke was yelling loud enough that every neighbor on her block was liable to hear.  Although in the small town of Isley, they all probably knew why was yelling for her to answer.  News in this town traveled fast.

Janette threw the door open.  “Get in here.  You’ll catch your death out there in this cold.”

“Where is she?”  He bombarded in, eyes darting around her home.

“She’s not here.  You could have called.”  She pulled her robe tighter and walked to the kitchen. “Coffee?  You look like you could use some.”

“I could use something stronger.  Where is she, Janette?  I’ve always loved you like a sister.  I’m not sure what I did, but I’ve got to get her back.  She’s the reason I survived all that time over there.  I knew I had her to come home to.”  His voice cracked.

Janette rushed to him and embraced the man, who was like her younger brother.  He had always been there for both she and Melanie through all the rough times in their lives. 

He pulled back and shook Janette softly by the shoulders.  “Are you going to tell me?  Is it someone else?”

Janette’s misty eyes were full of sympathy.  “I’m sorry.  I tried to keep her on the right path.  You were just gone so long.”

“Who is he?  Is she there?”

Janette had never seen him so hardened, and wondered how he would react if he found out who her sister had betrayed him with.  She shook her head, not wanting to say.

“Who?  Janette, you know I’ll find out.  I’d rather find out from someone I trust.”  He stared her down until she broke.

“Jake Saunders.”

“What?  He’s supposed to be my best friend!  How could he?  How could they?”  He dropped his shoulders and sat down on the nearest kitchen stool.  He felt like the wind had been knocked from his lungs. 

“It started with him stopping by to check on her from time to time, to make sure she was okay.  And it just took off from there.”  She saw his jaw clench as his face turned a new shade of red.  “I’m not defending them.  I think it’s horrible!”

Burke stood and gave her a clipped nod.  He blinked once, and spun around leaving Janette praying that he wouldn’t kill Jake when he found him.

Chapter 17

Grace’s hand brushed against his as she took a few shopping bags from the trunk.  He blinked at the feel of her soft skin next to his, and realized he’d been reliving a past he’d rather not focus on.

He hated recalling what happened between he and his ex-wife, but Grace’s comment about ‘him saving her’ took him there whether he wanted it to or not.  His ex used to say the same thing.

Grace noticed how withdrawn he was for the rest of the afternoon and wondered what she’d done wrong.  Although he was practically a stranger, she still felt connected to him and didn’t like seeing him this way.

Burke grabbed the rest of her packages, and walked her into his home.  As they set her purchases in his room, he smiled at her for the first time in over two hours. 

“You realize what a sacrifice this was for me?”  

“Is that why you were so quiet?  You hate the mall that much?”  

Grace wrinkled her nose.

He let go of any anxiety he’d been holding on to, which was associated with the memory of Melanie.  It wasn’t fair to Grace.  And besides … one cute facial expression from Grace is all it took to bring him back to the present and the peace she brought him.  She was good for him.

“No.  I just was stuck in my past for a bit.”  He explained.  “It had nothing to do with you.  I promise.”

Grace nodded, completely aware of how one’s past could haunt you.  Although she wanted to know more, she didn’t pry.  Instead she walked across the room, put her arms around him, and gave him a tight bear hug. 

Burke’s arms easily drew her in, and as she stepped into his embrace the top of her head fit perfectly under his chin.  He lowered his nose in her dark hair, and was greeted by the smell of coconut shampoo. 

You’re killing me woman.  We’re in my bedroom! 
He thought. 

Instead of letting his mind go where it wanted to, he focused on the sentiment behind her actions.  She was trying to make him feel better, not come on to him.  And it was sweet.

Grace looked up to him, and kissed him on the cheek before letting go and walking back to her shopping bags.

“What was that for?”  His voice was almost a raw whisper.  She had gotten to him.

“Because you looked like you needed it.  And as a thank you for all you’ve done for me.” 

As she began unpacking her new clothes, she turned back with a grin, saying, “And… for waiting patiently in a mall, of all places, while I tried on a million things to find the perfect outfits.” 

He let out an animated sigh.  “It was a sacrifice.”  He winked and turned to leave.  “I’ll be outside on the back patio with a beer if you want to join me after unpacking your loot.”

She nodded and watched him walk out. 

Stuck in his past? 
Grace’s eyes narrowed, but figured if he wanted to talk about it later … he would.  Maybe she could get him to loosen up after a few beers.

He brought a couple of bottles with him and sat on the back lanai, in hopes Grace would join him soon.  After a full day of shopping, he was exhausted.  He didn’t know how women did it.

How can one girl shop so much?  And, who carries that kind of cash on them?
  He couldn’t get over how much she kept pulling from her bag, to pay for her new clothes. 

It’s a good thing I got her purse back, or the kid, who tried to steal her bag, would have been living large for a while.

He took a swig of his Corona, and pondered some more over his mysterious houseguest.  He hoped he could get her to open up some and finally tell him about her eye, and her cash flow.

Chapter 18

Grace unzipped her new backpack, and began neatly packing her new belongings inside.  If she packed them tight enough, she thought she could fit everything in her carryon and the two new bags she’d purchased.

On any other given trip, packing up meant going home, but Grace was unsure what that meant anymore. 

This time she wasn’t planning on going home, and if anything, at this moment as each tightly rolled top was slipped inside her bag, she felt like she was leaving her comfort zone … or where she had felt the most at home. 

She hated the thought of leaving him, and dreaded her goodbye.  What words would be enough … thank you wasn’t enough to cover how she felt. 

He had given her so much peace in such a short time.  She had truly loved spending time with him, but this wasn’t her home, and she didn’t belong here.  It was time to go.

              Grace sat and stroked the pillow on Burke’s bed. Images of the way his eyes lit up when he truly smiled flashed before her, along with the memories of his warm laugh.  Her chest tightened at the thought of how he looked on that first day they met.  Was that only last week?

              She lifted her head and stared at the ceiling.  She didn’t want to go, but didn’t want to outstay her welcome either. As comfortable as she was here, this was his home.

Earlier, when Burke was out running errands, Grace donned her new running shoes and jogged down to the local Safeway and bought three prepaid Visa cards. She didn’t know if they would work to register at a hotel, but

she thought she’d try.  

              She tried not to worry about them rejecting her cards, because she had no back up plan. All she could do was take this one step at a time. 

For her entire life, every detail had always been planned out for her. Now, for the first time, she had to figure out her life one detail at a time, and trust that she could do it.