Текст книги "Equal Access"

Автор книги: A. E. Branson

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Текущая страница: 18 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.

–Genesis 2:24

When Shad parked the Buick in the Wekenheiser home’s driveway the next morning, his fluttering stomach was just another item to add to his list of ailments. Shad drew that well-practiced deep breath to steady his nerves, and walked up the driveway and onto the front porch.

He was wearing a lime green button-down shirt and blue jeans – because of Shad’s bandaged brow, black eye, and busted lip, Shad figured his face was enough of a distraction people didn’t need to see the scrapes and bruises on his legs, too. Shad knocked on the door.

In a few seconds Karl opened the door. He didn’t try very hard to conceal his surprise when he saw Shad’s face.

“I see you’ve taken up sorting wildcats,” comprised Karl’s greeting.

“Something like that.” Shad nodded. “I came to see Dulsie.”

Karl broke into a grin. “You can do more than that, you can even talk to her.”

Karl stepped aside so Shad could walk into the living room. Karl shut the door behind him.

“She’s in the kitchen.” Karl nodded toward the rear of the house. “Jill took off to get her some things. She’s kinda reckoning Dulsie’s gonna stay here for a while.”

Not if he could help it, Shad thought. “That’s ... nice of her.”

Karl regarded him a bit curiously, and Shad wasn’t sure exactly what that was in response to. “Uh-huh. You know, you’ve always been my favorite son-in-law. I figured on keeping you around for a while.”

Karl almost sauntered through the kitchen doorway, and his voice was cheerful when he spoke up.

“Dulsie, you’ve got a visitor.”

Dulsie was sitting at the small kitchen table that Jill and Karl used for everyday dining. Her left arm was bandaged in a navy blue sling across her chest, and her right hand was resting upon the newspaper she was reading. Dulsie was wearing an untucked button-down blouse and jersey shorts in differing shades of blue. She looked up as Shad followed Karl into the kitchen, and Dulsie raised one eyebrow when she saw Shad’s face. Other than that, her expression remained impassive.

Shad’s heart drummed harder for a few beats. “How are you doing?”

“Not too bad.” Dulsie sounded perfectly normal. “Considering this time I wasn’t faster than the speeding bullet.”

Guilt surged through him again. “How’s the baby?”

“Hanging in there.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to stay longer at the hospital. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to see you again before now.”

Karl suddenly coughed and started heading toward the back door. “I’d better go count the turkeys, make sure they’re all there. It’s gonna take me a while ‘cause I gotta take off my shoes after I run outta fingers.”

One corner of Dulsie’s mouth twitched upward, but Shad knew it was for her dad and not him.

Karl stepped out and shut the door without another word and Dulsie continued to regard Shad with an expression that was so neutral his heart began to hammer harder. She was the first to speak, however.

“Did the dogs drag you out from under the porch?”

Shad stepped closer to the table. “I had a busy day yesterday.”

“Going for the understatement, aren’t you?” Dulsie tapped her forefinger on the newspaper. “They actually got some of your story in here already.”

Shad started to raise his eyebrows, but that hurt just enough to make him quit.

“Don’t worry.” There was something rueful in the slight smile that finally formed on her lips. “They don’t mention you at all. It’s just a little article buried inside about the arrest of the guy who shot me.”

“There’s a lot more that happened.” Shad rested his hands on the back of the chair next to Dulsie. “There’s a lot I need to tell you.”

“Sit down, then.” Dulsie motioned toward the chair where he was standing. “I can tell this is gonna take a while.”

Shad told her everything that happened yesterday, even including his darkest moment when he was ready to reduce Wally to a grease spot on the concrete. Dulsie listened but didn’t say much except to ask a couple of questions for clarification. Shad finished with describing how he comforted Charissa on the riverbank while they waited for law enforcement to arrive.

“I was already back home with Mam and Pap before I realized what had happened.” Shad looked down at his hands clasped together on the table. “I had the wrong feelings about this girl only last week. But nothing like that happened yesterday.” He looked back up at Dulsie. “I know I was exhausted, I know I was in agony, but I would like to think something ... paternal ... asserted itself instead. I’m not gonna claim this thing’s gone back into latency, because it just isn’t that easy. But I have hope again that I haven’t had in many days.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” But Dulsie’s voice matched her expression.

“We know this is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life, but it doesn’t have to haunt you. I’ll go into therapy if you want me to. If we have a daughter and it makes you feel better, we’ll establish some ground rules about what I’m allowed to do. And if you feel comfortable enough to leave her alone with me, I promise I won’t even have so much as one beer. I’m at your mercy. What you say is law.”

Shad reached out to place his right hand upon Dulsie’s left, but as soon as his fingertips touched her, Dulsie pulled her hand away. Shad left his hand where hers had been and stared at Dulsie.

“I came to take you home.” A hush had settled on his voice. “Actually, we’re going back to my parents’ until our house gets cleaned up.”

Dulsie gazed at Shad with his beat-up face and realized she was still having trouble accepting what she had learned about him. What she said next was painful, but it was the truth.

“I can’t. At least, not now. I need more time.”

Shad studied her face for a few seconds before speaking in a calm and quiet voice. “I’m not leaving here without you. We need to talk. We need to work this out. We can’t do this each on our own any more. I know I’m the one in the wrong but we need to start now on patching things up.”

Dulsie’s gaze slid down to the hand she had pulled away ... the one with her plain gold wedding band. Shad was saying all the right things, but she still wasn’t able to shake off or subdue the repulsion that lingered despite everything else she knew and felt.

“I know you’re right.” Dulsie looked back up. “But I’m just not ready. I need more time. I am trying to come to terms with this, but ... it’s not easy.”

They both heard the front door open abruptly. Dulsie could immediately tell that wouldn’t be her dad.

Mom, grasping a few plastic bags filled with various supplies, strode into the kitchen with a scowl on her face that anybody could interpret. She locked her gaze on Shad the instant he came into her line of sight, but for a split second looked startled by his appearance.

“You’re not welcome here,” Mom stated matter-of-factly.

“I know,” Shad replied calmly.

If the situation were only better, Dulsie could have rejoiced that her mother finally spoke to Shad. But there was something else that was different.

“Then why aren’t you leaving?” Mom set the bags on a counter top while never removing her gaze from Shad.

“I’m not leaving without Dulsie.”

Dulsie stared at him. Shad was completely calm and rational. This wasn’t the emotional suppression she had grown used to. There was something almost professional in his attitude, as though he were arguing a case in court.

Mom’s attention snapped to Dulsie. “What’s he talking about?”

Dulsie stammered a bit. “He’s here ... he wants me to go back with him.”

“To what?” Mom’s gaze returned to Shad. “Have you actually changed anything?”

The back door of the kitchen opened abruptly. Dad, breathing just a little hard, glanced around the room as he stepped inside and shut the door. Apparently he really had been out at the barns, and had sprinted to the house when he realized Mom was home.

Mom shot a glare at him. “And what are you doing in leaving him alone with Dulsie?”

Dad’s expression was his usual What? Little ol’ me? response. “They had some things to talk about.”

Mom’s attention returned to Dulsie. “I hope you’re thinking good and hard about this.”

Shad spoke up. “You were right, Jill. You always are.” Mom frowned at him, and Shad continued. “I wound up hurting Dulsie despite my best efforts not to. And I’m very, very sorry. But everybody was wrong about who your warning was aimed at. It wasn’t meant for Dulsie. It was meant for me.”

Maybe it was because Mom still wasn’t used to speaking to him that she remained silent. But her expression became a bit inquisitive.

Shad continued. “You were right that I was hiding something, but at the time I really didn’t realize that was what I was doing. It wasn’t until recently that I realized I was hiding it from myself as well. That was what your warning was. If I had told Dulsie then instead of now I wouldn’t have hurt her like this.” Shad’s gaze moved to Dulsie. “She would have had more time to make a decision about it.”

Dulsie stared at him.

Shad’s gaze remained steady with hers. “God knows I don’t want to hurt her.”

Dulsie felt the proverbial chill go down her spine. God knew. In the tale that Shad recently told her, he had been the right person in the right place at the right time. What often appeared as a bad event had been turned to good fortune because Shad had a part in it. It was true he was flawed, that some of his imperfections were atrocious, but he was able to work miracles and therefore was still a son of God. And if the Almighty could love him without reservation, then who was she to judge what Shad was so ashamed of?

And Dulsie also had to accept that Shad was still in the right place at the right time. Just because she didn’t feel ready yet was no reason to put off what Dulsie knew needed to be done. The road ahead would not be easy, but she had faith it would be rewarding.

Shad turned his attention back to Jill. His heart had started hammering again when she came into the house, but he had already prepared this revelation in expectation of seeing her. He just wasn’t sure if he was getting through to either of the women in the room.

Jill regarded him for a few seconds before returning her gaze to Dulsie. “And what do you have to say about all this?”

Shad realized that Dulsie was looking at him instead of her mom when she said, “I’m going with him.”

Shad’s heart soared.

Jill’s gaze locked on Shad. “Don’t think I’ve let you off the hook yet.”

Shad realized he was smiling. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“We’d better get going now,” Dulsie stated.

Shad’s heart fell slightly. She still seemed a bit distant, but he of all people should understand her reaction. What mattered now was they were making that first step.

He helped with gathering up a few things for Dulsie to take, and Jill was cordial even if she still wasn’t chatty with him. When Shad grasped Dulsie by her good arm he felt her stiffen, but it was only for a second. He helped her with walking out to the car. Karl seemed to convince Jill to stay in the house.

When they reached the Buick Shad opened the passenger side door for Dulsie and helped her to slip into the seat. He took the seat belt and gently guided it under her injured arm to buckle it in place, and then stopped where he was and gazed into her eyes.

Dulsie gazed back at him, and Shad could detect a flicker in her eyes that had been evading him for too long.

“I love you,” he murmured.

Dulsie’s smile was slight but at least it was for him. “I love you too.”

Shad slowly leaned closer and very gently touched his upper lip, which wasn’t split, to her mouth. He was ready to draw back if Dulsie turned away, but to his relief her own lips pressed softly against his.

Shad stepped back to shut the car door. Next he strode around the front of the Buick, and hopped into the driver’s seat.

There was light in his life again. Dulsie was restored to Shad, back in her role not only as his best friend and wife, but now fulfilled as the mother of his child. In spite of his shortcomings, Shad was the lucky one that Dulsie had selected, and that made her the sacred vessel through whom God worked to bring out the best in him.

###

Thank you for reading this book. If you enjoyed it, would you please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer?

Thank you so much!

A. E. Branson

About the author:

A. E. Branson is a native Missourian and farm girl who married a wonderful man and they had two lovable children. Her next story will have a more science fiction slant and it is part one of a four-part series.

Please feel free to visit my blog page at http://truetoone.blogspot.com