Chapter 17 #3
Patti stopped, dropped to her knees, then covered her face and began to weep. “You’re not much older than my sons, but your gift…my God. It puts you in a whole other bracket of humanity.”
Tate felt her sadness and wrapped his arms around her.
Sobbing in that quiet soundless way that only the brokenhearted can weep, she collapsed against his chest.
The men came scrambling back, talking loudly on their walkies, giving the rangers at the trailhead specific GPS locations as to where to send the helicopter and recovery team.
The deputy gave Tate a weird look, almost as if he was afraid of what he’d say next, while one of the rangers was urging Patti to leave.
“You need to go home now, Mrs. Wilson. This will take a while, and you can’t be down there. We’ll handle it from here.”
Patti swiped away tears and lifted her chin defiantly.
“You didn’t ‘handle it’ when he was lost. And you aren’t responsible for finding him now either.
My husband was alone down there for a week, waiting for someone to find him, and Tate Bandy did it in minutes.
I’m not leaving him alone again until he’s off this godforsaken mountain. ”
“It’s okay. I’ll wait with her,” Tate said.
Clearly chastised, the ranger ducked his head and headed back to the trail to catch up with the others, while a second ranger stayed on-site to watch for the chopper.
Tate shed his backpack, then pulled a blanket out and spread it on the ground.
“Sit here, ma’am,” he said, and handed her a bottle of water.
Patti crawled onto the blanket, then looked up. The sun was in her eyes and all she could see was a halo of light behind him. “Are you an angel?” she asked.
“No, ma’am. Just a Bandy.” He sat down beside her, folded up his long legs, and waited.
Patti was there when the chopper arrived. They couldn’t see the actual recovery, but when the chopper was leaving, they saw the body basket swinging in the air as it was flying away.
Tate pointed. “There he is, Miss Patti. He’s okay now. See?”
“He’s okay, but I’m not,” she said, then swallowed a shaky sob and stood up. “I’m ready to leave.”
Tate folded up his blanket, packed it away, then held out his hand.
She clasped it tight and let him walk her down.
Her sons were right where she’d told them to be, but the sullen expressions on their faces had turned to sadness, and the chopper to take Tate home was inbound.
“Phillip. Jake. You will apologize to Tate for the doubt.”
“There’s no need, ma’am,” Tate said. “It happens all the time.”
“How do you do it?” Phillip asked.
“Got no idea how it works. I was born this way,” Tate said.
“It must feel weird,” Jake mumbled.
“Not really. It runs in the family,” Tate said.
“Wait here,” Patti said, and walked across the parking area to her car. Tate’s ride home was landing as she returned. “Put this in your pocket before it blows away, and know you earned every penny of it.”
Tate looked down at the fifty-thousand-dollar check, then pulled out his wallet and tucked it inside. “I’m sorry we met under sad circumstances, but I am blessed to be able to help.”
They stood back as Tate ran to the chopper and were still watching as it flew away. Then Patti pointed at the car.
“Get in. Both of you. Phillip, you’re grounded until your grades come up, and you, Jake, will end this ridiculous relationship today…
with a phone call to the bitch, and you will do it in my presence.
There will not be ‘one goodbye fuck’ either.
If some angry husband shoots your ass and I have to bury two people I love, you will break my heart.
I can’t believe you thought scratching an itch with a married woman was a good idea. I raised you better than that.”
Both sons’ steps were dragging as they followed their mother to the car. Their dad was dead. They’d hurt their mother at the saddest time of her life, and Tate Bandy was the hero they hadn’t seen coming.
* * *
Briar’s last test was over. Her grades had been posted.
She’d earned a straight-A average for four years of college and was graduating with honors.
She’d had three different roommates in four years and was leaving no close friends behind.
She’d never put down roots, because she’d always had Tate.
He was the anchor of her world. And, once she moved out of the dorm, she was moving in with him.
They’d already discussed it and were celebrating the chance to finally be together like normal people.
They still weren’t taking their relationship public, but Tate was confident that the routine he’d built over the past four years was secure enough to keep their lives private.
Locals called him the lost-and-found man.
Lots of others believed he got his information from ghosts and spirits.
But this was New Orleans, a city built on shipping, slavery, and voodoo.
One man with precognition wasn’t all that big of a deal.
Tate didn’t care what they thought. They didn’t live in his head.
The graduating ceremony for the School of Business was being held today, and when he asked her if her parents were coming, she shrugged.
He frowned and lifted a curl away from the corner of her eye. “Did you send them an announcement?”