The Day Will Come (6 page)

Alexander smiled at this.

Willard didn’t.

Chapter Seven

After Willard and his sidekick left, my anger kept me so motivated I pounded around the fences for another hour and a half. The thought of Jordan masterminding a bomb scare and a murder—perhaps even the kidnapping of Bobby Baronne, if Alexander had his way—was so outrageous that twice I almost cut off my finger instead of a broken wire. Fortunately, I realized before it was too late that I’d better take a break. I made it back to the house without any missing body parts, and found Lucy sliding a loaf of bread into the oven.

“They interrogate you, too?” I asked.

Her brow furrowed. “Bunch of strange questions, asking about Jordan’s demeanor and anything I know about him and Genna. I had no idea there was anything
to
him and Genna, other than knowing each other, and him looking for her last night. Was there?”

I slumped onto a kitchen chair and put my feet up on the one across from me. “Not that he told me. All I know is I felt the vibes when we saw her backstage. She did her best not to look at him, and he ignored her, except for telling us her name. Of course, after the bomb scare he was practically hysterical looking for her. But the biggest thing…” I stopped, trying to put my mind around it.

“What?”

“Jermaine told me Jordan had set himself up at the police station saying he was waiting for news on his
fiancée
.”

“Fiancée? But wasn’t that drummer guy her boyfriend?”

“Um-hmm.” I leaned back and studied my fingers, thankful they were all there. “I didn’t tell the annoying detective any of this, since it’s all stuff I don’t really know. I’ve never heard it from Jordan.” I glanced at the answering machine. “I take it none of the Grangers has called? Or Nick?”

“Nope.”

I checked the clock. Nick should’ve been home by now, but I supposed it could still be a while before he had any answers from his doctor.

I leaned back on my chair, trying not to overbalance as I reached for the phone. Lucy, rolling her eyes, walked over, grabbed the phone, and handed it to me.

I took it. “Thanks.”

She went back to the counter and began cleaning out the breadmaker, where she’d let the dough rise before taking it out and putting it in a real bread pan.

I tried calling Jordan at home, but had no luck. Then I called all the Grangers, but none of them had heard from him, either. Jermaine told me Ma was about ready to take off down to the city herself if she didn’t hear anything soon, and they were all trying to talk her out of it. I reminded him to let me know if he heard anything, and gave him a heads-up that the cops were looking at Jordan as a suspect. Needless to say, this didn’t go over well. He gave me Jordan’s cell phone number, and I called it without getting any response.

I pushed myself off the chair and hung up the phone, realizing I’d better get back out to the fences if I wanted to finish them that day. “I’m headed out. Can you come get me if somebody calls?”

“You bet.”

I was more under control now, and fence mending went quickly enough that I was back in time to help Lucy with milking. She usually took the evenings, but it was a routine I enjoyed, and I wouldn’t have felt right sitting in the house doing nothing while she was putting in the hours. By the time we were done, though, I was ready for my supper and my bed. Lucy’s bread was warm and soft, and the roast chicken she’d cooked in the crock pot went down easy.

My stomach and I would be in mourning once next Saturday arrived.

By the time I’d taken a shower and put clean sheets on my bed, Nick still hadn’t called. I said goodnight to Lucy, who’d sent Tess upstairs an hour earlier, and picked up the phone in my room. Instead of Nick, I got a computerized message telling me the cellular phone customer I’d dialed was not available, along with some numerical code. I hung up and tried again, hearing the same recorded message. Strange. Nick never turned off his phone. Maybe the battery had died in all his traveling and fatigue. Or he’d been told to turn it off at the doctor’s office and had forgotten to turn it back on. Or it had fallen out of his pocket and gotten run over by a bus.

I hung up, not believing any of the excuses I had created, and snuggled under the covers, feeling colder and emptier than I had in some time.

***

Sunday dawned clear and chilly, and I pulled a flannel shirt on to head to the barn. The news over breakfast held nothing helpful about Genna, the bomb scare, or the disappearance of Bobby Baronne. At least they didn’t announce that they were looking for Jordan to “help with their investigation.”

Lucy came out to help with the clean-up after milking, since Zach didn’t come on Sunday mornings, and by eight-o’clock we were watching our herd with anticipation. They’d been inside for several long winter months, and they were more than ready for the outside. Since I’d repaired the fences the day before and we’d readied the barnyard, it was time to set them free.

“Give me a minute to try Nick again?” I said.

Lucy smiled. “Sure.”

But Nick still wasn’t answering, and I set the phone down with care. I was tempted to call one of his sisters, or his mom, but really wanted to hear his voice, not theirs. I assumed that if he hadn’t made it home they would’ve called me, since I’d gotten to know them at least a little bit during my once-a-month visits to Virginia. They wouldn’t leave me hanging.

Like Nick was.

No one from the Granger clan had called, either, which made me feel even more out of the loop. I wished somebody would think to keep me informed about some aspect of my life.

Back in the parlor, Lucy had unclipped the herd and was waiting by the back door.

“No news?” she said.

I shook my head. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Each grabbing a handle, we slid the doors along their tracks, letting in the sun. Nala, the cow closest to the door, perked up her ears. Slowly, she shifted her body out of her stall and made her way to the door. In a sudden burst of understanding—well, instinct, probably—she burst from the barn, kicking her heels and swishing her tail like a calf.

Lucy giggled, and I could feel the laughter bubbling up in my chest, too. I let go with a chuckle.

One by one the closest cows realized what was happening and backed out of their stalls, crashing into each other and wrestling to be the first out the door. It was turning into a mini stampede, and Lucy and I edged out of harm’s way.

Once they’d all exited, prancing and kicking, Lucy and I stood in the doorway surveying the scene. The cows ran back and forth, tossing their heads, holding their tails up. Some were racing to the fence at the far end of the pasture and back, working out the kinks in their winter legs. I glanced at Lucy and recognized the joy in her face.

“It’s like they have a new lease on life,” I said.

She smiled. “It is.”

“Kind of like you. Getting married again and all.”

Her smile grew. “Yeah. My second chance. Although I hope Lenny and I don’t run over each other in the process.” She pointed out a pair of cows fighting over a particular patch of grass in the pasture, like there weren’t a few acres of the green stuff surrounding them.

“Think we’ll get them back in for tonight’s milking?” I asked.

She laughed. “Gonna be a chore.”

“Eh. They’ll be ready once they feel their udders filling up.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

We were still standing there when we heard Lenny’s bike thundering up the drive.

“Goodness,” Lucy said. “What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty. He’s early. The poker run doesn’t even start till ten, and we only have to get down to Norristown.”

“Even so, we’d better get ready.”

Lucy’s Sunday morning “getting ready” would be different from usual. Where she usually got herself and Tess in church clothes, today they’d be getting dudded up in jeans and leather for a HOG outing. We’d heard about it a couple of weeks before and had been looking forward to the ride.

We walked back through the barn and met Lenny in the driveway, where Lucy gave him a kiss. “Give us a few minutes, hon. We were just letting the cows out.”

“They pretty happy?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Mornin’, Stella,” Lenny said.

“Same to you. Bart not coming?”

Lenny shook his head. “He thought about it, but it’s a busy time of year at the store, and he didn’t want both of us to be gone, especially since next Saturday’s a wash.”

“I hear you.” Bart, Lenny’s business partner at the Biker Barn, their Harley-Davidson dealership, would be serving as Lenny’s best man at the wedding. I wondered if it had crossed Lenny’s mind to be concerned about what Bart would be wearing.

“So are we gonna freeze today?” I asked. “Was it cold on the way over?”

“Nah. You’ll be fine if you wear your chaps.”

A half hour later I was wearing them, and Lenny had Lucy decked out in a pair from the Biker Barn. We didn’t have any small enough for Tess, so she wore two pairs of jeans and her winter jacket, along with a good pair of gloves. Her helmet and its face shield would keep her head warm.

“You get your scooter fixed up okay for Tess?” Lenny asked.

I pulled my bike out of the garage. “I put blocks on the foot pegs for her. She should be able to reach those no problem.” I pointed out the chunks of wood I’d secured where Tess’ feet would rest. I’d also attached a seat Lenny had loaned me with a wider pad and a back rest. “She’ll be good and comfy.”

Lucy and Tess came out, and Lucy eyed my bike. “You’re sure she’ll be all right?”

“She’ll be fine, sweetheart.” Lenny put his arm around her. “Stella’s been riding for years. And Tess don’t hardly weigh a thing. Won’t change the balance much at all.”

“And you’ll hang on tight, right, Punkin?” I said.

Tess grinned and nodded.

“We ready, then?” Lenny asked.

I hesitated and looked toward the house, wondering if I should give Nick’s phone another try.

“You want to call him one more time?” Lucy asked, reading my mind.

I pulled on my riding gloves. “No. He’ll call when he’s ready.”

“Okay, then,” Lenny said. “Let’s head out.” He swung a leg over his Wide Glide and turned the key in the ignition, ready to push the Start button.

I sat, too, and Lucy gave Tess a hand getting settled behind me.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked. “You hang on tight to Stella.”

Tess groaned. “Oh,
mooooom
.”

The morning was clear and beautiful as we headed down 363 toward Norristown. We met other groups of bikes on the way, probably headed toward the same event. When we arrived at Montgomery County Harley-Davidson the parking lot was crowded with bikes and leather-clad riders waving and calling to friends. We dismounted and waited in line a few minutes to register for the ride.

“See that guy?” Lenny asked Tess. He pointed at a photo of a smiling man on a Road King. The photo sat front and center on the registration table. “He got hurt at his job, and can’t work any more. The money from this ride is going to help his family pay the bills.”

Tess frowned. “Does he have kids?”

“Three, I think. Around your age. Little younger, maybe.”

Her lips pinched together as she took in the information, and Lucy patted her shoulder.

“That there’s Mike,” the lady at the table said, gesturing toward the picture. “We sure appreciate you coming out for him today, and so does he.”

“Glad to help, ma’am,” Lenny said.

He forked over our fifteen-dollar-a-person charge (with a little extra tucked in, if I saw right) and we received our poker sheets. During the ride we’d travel to four more spots they’d outlined on a map, all with tables manned by members of the Montgomery County chapter. At each spot we’d pick a card from a deck and write it on our sheet, and at the end of the day, whoever rode in with the best “hand” would win a prize.

“Go on over to that table,” the lady said, “and pick your first card.”

We followed her directions to a card table where a man in a chapter T-shirt sat with a deck of cards spread out before him.

“Choose a card, any card,” he bellowed.

Lenny went first, emitting a growl at his four of hearts. Lucy picked a jack of spades, which Lenny threatened to steal. She smiled and tossed it back onto the table, where the man shuffled it back in with the rest of the deck.

“Go ahead, partner,” I said to Tess.

She reached out tentatively, her lips twisted to the side in concentration. When she finally made her pick, she held out an ace of diamonds. “Is that good?”

Laughing, we assured her it was. I took my turn, pulling out an unremarkable eight of spades.

The guy at the table initialed our sheets and sent us on our way. I tucked my paper into my jacket pocket and helped Tess put hers away in her jeans.

“Here we go,” Lenny said.

The trip was well-marked and pleasant, and with our multiple layers we all were able to stay warm. At first Tess kept such a tight grip on my jacket I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to unclench her fingers once we got to the final stop, but by the time we pulled into Valley Forge Beef and Ale a couple hours later she was much more relaxed, and enjoying herself.

We meandered over to the final card table, stretching and trying to slap some life back into our rear ends.

“Ready for your cards?” the lady at the table asked. She waved us over.

“Not that it makes much difference,” Lenny muttered.

“Oh, poor baby,” the lady said, looking at his sheet. “Didn’t get nothing, did you?”

And he didn’t this time, either, pulling a ten of clubs.

Lucy ended up with a pair of jacks, which at least was something, but Tess was the one to watch.

“Ooo, two aces and two nines,” the lady said. “Come on, darlin’, see what you can do.”

Tess’ fingers hovered over the cards, until she plucked one from the bottom of the pile.

“Ah, darn it,” the lady said. “A queen don’t help much, does it? But you’ve still got two pair, aces high. Wouldn’t surprise me if you got a prize.”

Tess grinned as the lady initialed her sheet.

I got another eight, but seeing how the pair was joined by three completely different cards, I didn’t think I’d be receiving much of anything.