24
Wade slung his rucksack over his shoulder, closed the door to his truck, and followed Cole into his apartment in Sperry’s Crossing. Leaving Emma in Whispering Creek at the motel with Sam had him unsettled and with enough restless energy that he could punch a wall. Reinjuring a hand wouldn’t do him any good. He’d made his feelings clear to Emma, and now she had to decide if she wanted to stay in Tennessee or eventually return to Wisconsin. Owning a family business kept him tethered to Nashville.
Cole flipped on the lights. The clock on the oven showed that it was after eleven.
Nine long hours until he would see Emma again. He and Cole had agreed to meet the girls for breakfast and to deliver boxes of candles to the elementary school. Leave it to Emma to help local children after being shot. He missed her spunk and her big heart. He missed her kisses, too.
“I’ve got a futon in my den . ” Cole stretched his arms toward the ceiling and let out a short yawn. “I doubt you want to bunk with me.”
“You’ve got that right. I need to get a good night’s sleep.” Wade dumped his rucksack on the sofa. Since when did his brother have pillows and a quilt on his couch?
“Are you driving back tomorrow?”
Wade collapsed on the couch. “I’m clear through Monday.”
“Monday?” Cole’s features awakened like he’d downed a double espresso. “How’d you manage that? I can’t remember the last time you were gone from the company for four days. Well, except for when you were in the hospital or immobile.”
His brother didn’t need to know that the news of possibly losing Emma to a gunshot had him calling home and almost losing it on the phone with his mom. Mom had volunteered to cover the office and oversee the temporary help, a rarity since his mom had sworn off working with her husband years ago.
“The temp agency is sending someone for Friday.” He glanced at his phone. “In an hour it will be today. Mom is going to cover the weekend with dad’s help.”
“Mom is?” Cole shuffled to the kitchen and opened a cupboard. He pulled out two glasses and started filling them with water. “That’s a shock.”
“She wanted me to be here with Emma.” Wade drummed his fingers on the soft quilt on top of the couch. Definitely a Sam addition. “Mom also quipped that she’d like grandchildren before age seventy.”
Cole handed him a glass of water and sat on the other end of the couch. “Seems like you and Emma are starting something.”
Something. “Sam told me to look for an opening. Emma getting attacked and shot is a gaping hole.”
“So, she’s staying in Tennessee.” Cole eyed him over the lip of his glass.
“I don’t know.” He’d gone all in leaving work, driving to the hospital in Whispering Creek, and buying a gift that was as unique and special as Emma. He prayed it was enough to show her how he felt. His life had been a carnival twisty ride for months. The end of the thrill ride had been the goal of walking without a cane and driving a service van. Now he wanted more. He wanted life to settle down. He wanted to settle down. Settle down with Emma. She made work fun. “I hope so.”
Cole ran a hand through his hair, tugging on his scalp. He must be wiped as well. Sam had been leaning on him for support at the hospital.
“Ya know, after my last break up, when I wasn’t speaking to you or Dad, I came out to Whispering Creek to see Ted. Only to find out he had passed away.”
Wade took a sip of his water. “Is this a pep talk?”
Cole laughed. “Possibly. Mom had given me a devotional and wrote Philippians 4:13 on the cover. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”
“She repeated that to me in the hospital.” Over and over. Thank you, Mom .
“Well, I met Sam right before your accident, and that’s working out well.” Cole relaxed against the side of the sofa. “I’ve been praying for you bro, and I’m not going to stop.”
“I don’t know what else I can do but pray.” Wade downed his water. “I just got over rehab from my accident. I don’t think I have the energy to rehab my heart.” He leaned his head back against the quilt. “Hear that Jesus, I need some help here. How do I get a woman to love me enough to stay? And can I get the answer by Monday night because on Tuesday I have to get back to running a company.”
~*~
Emma shimmied higher against the headboard in her hotel room bed. She couldn’t sleep. Adrenaline streaked through her veins every time she relived the moment of Annette’s arrival. All the what ifs played in a loop in her mind. When she remembered Wade’s lips on hers, the drama and trauma disappeared. That man could kiss! Ugh. Sleep was impossible.
“Sam,” she whispered.
“What?” Sam rolled her direction in the queen bed opposite Emma’s. “There’s a patrol outside. We’ll be safe.”
“I know. I just can’t sleep. Will you come next to me?” By the light from the alarm clock on the nightstand, she could see Sam sit on the edge of her bed.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll bump your leg?”
“Nah, I scooched over.” Emma flung the sheet and blanket open for Sam to slide in.
Sam settled in beside her. “Are you in pain?”
“Some.” A throb reminded Emma of her scorched skin. “I don’t want to take any pain pills. I can’t think straight afterward.”
Giggles erupted from Sam’s side of the bed. “Because of Wade?” The laughter morphed into kissing sounds.
“Oh, please. I’ll never get any rest.” A tear threatened to stain her cheek. Why was she emotional about Wade? Or was her body short circuiting after the stress. She lay flat and snuggled into her pillow. “What am I going to do about Wade?”
“Move to Nashville.”
“That’s easier said than done.” The weight of being an only child pressed down on her chest making breaths difficult. “What about my parents?”
“They’ll manage.” Sam repositioned herself in the bed. “Mine are adjusting.”
Emma could see her friend’s silhouette. The psychiatrist was beginning a session.
“You came here to spare your parents any blowback from Ron’s fraud. You did that. They don’t know about the shooting or Annette’s apprehension. They’re blissfully happy. Why can’t you be?”
Sam understood the weight of being an only child. Parents didn’t stay young and healthy forever, but Sam’s parents knew Jesus. They went to church and talked openly about their faith. Emma had shared about Jesus with her parents, but the words fell on hard bricks not softened hearts.
“You know why.” Emma gripped the thin bed sheet. “Who’s going to share the Gospel with my parents and help them if they get sick? Besides, it takes money to break a lease and pay a deposit on a new apartment. A girl’s got to eat.”
“But I have…”
“I’m not taking any money from you. My pride has taken enough of a beating lately.” In a matter of weeks, she had been swindled, fired, and threatened with death.
“I know. When I came to Whispering Creek, I had been through cancer treatments, and Carlton had dumped me. I had lost Mr. Ted. He was one of the most important people in my life. God had a plan that I didn’t even know about, and here I am, looking forward to what God has for me in the future. I’m not looking backward.” Sam grasped her hand. “Is Wade worth a new beginning?”
A vision of her endearing former boss had a thrill of energy rallying her insomnia. “You know he is. I should be racing toward Nashville, but I have one leg stuck behind the cheddar curtain.”
Sam chuckled. “I could go for some fried cheese curds.”
“Stop it. After eating chocolate, crackers, hospital gelatin, and a soggy sandwich, I can’t wait to get to Lucinda’s café for breakfast.”
Sam gave Emma’s hand a squeeze. “We’ll keep praying. God should have opened a direct line for us by now. And trust Him with your parents’ salvation. You’ve planted a garden of seeds. Maybe it’s time for someone else to do the watering of their faith.”
“Ah.” Emma rested her head on Sam’s shoulder. “You’re the best friend ever. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now, we have to get some sleep. Enjoy the weekend with Wade, and let your attorney handle all the fallout.”
“I’m seeing Zach on Monday. Wade is driving me.” Would that be one of their last days together for a while or the beginning of an exciting tomorrow? She had been praying for the Lord’s direction. “I never thought I would say this, but perhaps there’s a chance my lawyer can help me sort out my future. After Jesus, of course.”
Sam laughed again sending Emma’s face jiggling.
“That’s the first time I have heard the name of Jesus associated with attorneys.”
“Well Sam, you and I have had a lot of firsts in the past few months.” And just maybe Jesus would give her the strength to embrace one more.