A Fine Mess (2 page)

“Oh, Dad!”

Annie leaned forward, throwing her arms around the broad shoulders she’d leaned on for as long as she could remember. Why hadn’t he told her about this in the beginning? Maybe between them they could have figured out another way.

Instead, he had panicked-and done something he despised. As though reading her thoughts he said,

“I can’t tell you how much I hate myself.
For not trusting God enough.
For being a thief.
I keep asking Him for forgiveness but I don’t see how He can. I can’t even forgive myself.”

“Don’t say that!”

“I have to. It’s the truth.” He cleared his throat and gently extracted himself from her embrace, going to sit back down at the desk. “I’ve got some stuff here for you to look over.”

“What?”

“The deed to the house, some CD’s that will mature in three years.
My IRA information.
When your mother is either cured or-” He couldn’t bring himself to voice the alternative. “You sell the house. And when the CD’s mature, cash them in and give the money to my boss. Those two should be enough to cover my debt, including interest. If not, cash the IRA in, too.”

“No!” Annie gasped at his matter of fact tone. “
No!
We’ll figure out something else, Dad.”

“There’s no time, Honey. It’s only a week until everything comes to a head. There’s no way to come up with that kind of money between now and then.”

“Sell the house now. Or get a second mortgage. Cash in the CD’s now. Maybe Pastor Caldwell can think of something-”

“No. I’m not going to air my dirty laundry to him.”

“Well, don’t you think he’ll figure it out if you’re
arrested?
” she pointed out in frustration.

“Him and the whole town,” Paul sighed, slumping over in dejection again. “I deserve what I get, Annie. I broke the law. I broke God’s law.”

“But-”

“Our church isn’t that big? What’s Pastor Caldwell going to do? Ask everyone to clear out their savings accounts to help out a thief?”

“Don’t call yourself that!”

“Why not?
That’s exactly what I am.”

This couldn’t be happening, Annie thought, frantically trying to figure out a solution to their problem.

“What about your boss? Couldn’t you explain things to Mr. McCann?” Her father actually laughed at that suggestion.

“Mr. McCann? He‘d have me arrested before I could blink. You know what he’s like.”

Annie let her head drop against the back of the chair. He was right. Ian McCann was one of the most heartless people she’d ever met. Not only wouldn’t he be
understanding
of her father’s predicament, he’d use it as an example to his other employees, prosecuting Paul Blake to the fullest extent of the law.

“I’m trusting that you’ll keep this information from your mother. I’ll tell her, somehow, in a few days. I just want this last long weekend with her. Okay?”

“I-”

“Annie, please. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you’ll have to bear the brunt of my crime, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.
Except give my wife this last thing.”

“All right, Dad, I won’t say anything.” But how she could pretend that everything was okay was beyond her.

“Thank you. Now I know you’ve had a shock. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for awhile? I’ll be here in case your mother wakes and needs something.” Annie thought it over for a moment,
then
agreed. Her head was beginning to ache.

“I think I will, Dad.”

“I love you, Sweetie.”

“I love you, Dad.”

~~~~

Swallowing a couple of ibuprofen before heading upstairs to the room that hadn’t been redecorated since she’d moved out eight years ago, Annie laid down on the full size canopy bed wishing she were a kid again.

Back when cancer, parents dying, or being arrested, never crossed her mind. When her biggest worry was whether she’d pass math, something she still struggled with today.
Which was kind of funny given that her father was a top notch accountant for one of the most prestigious investment firms in town.

Obviously she didn’t take after him at all, because once she got past multiplication and division, she was lost.

But then he wasn’t that great at it either. It couldn’t have been that long since he’d embezzled tens of thousands of dollars and he was, essentially, caught.

 
Her father, the thief.
Annie curled into a ball on her side and cried.

What was she going to do? The odds of her mother surviving this cancer were not all that great. So she could lose both of her parents.
In the same year.

They were all she had. No grandparents. And her two aunts, her father‘s half-sisters, lived in Arizona. She didn‘t relish the thought of moving out west to be near family anyway.
 
Lansing was the only home she’d ever known, her father having moved here before she was born to take the job he’d be fired from next week.

Because he was going to be arrested and sent to prison.

She flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling through her tears.

Maybe he didn’t want her to contact their pastor, but what choice did she have? He wasn’t really a thief. Not in the strictest sense of the word. He hadn’t stolen for selfish reasons.

Well, some might argue that not wanting to lose his wife was a selfish reason. But he’d done it because he couldn’t bear to see the woman he loved die.
In an effort to save her life.

Now she had to save his.

Quickly she flew off the bed and dropped to her knees beside it, praying for mercy and guidance.

~~~~

An hour later her hand was shaking so badly that she decided mascara wasn’t necessary after all. Unless her goal was to look like a raccoon, and it wasn’t.

Glancing at the full length mirror, she decided the mint pink skirt and white summer sweater weren’t dressy enough to raise a red flag with either of her parents.

Neither was saying she was going for a drive anything to make her dad suspicious. No matter that she had a definite destination in mind. He didn’t have to know that. Not right now, anyway.

He’d probably figure she did need to get away for awhile, given the bombshell he’d just dropped in her lap.

“Father, help my unbelief,” she murmured, slipping into a pair of strappy white sandals then heading back downstairs.

Annie was ninety-nine percent sure she’d gotten an answer to her prayers. It was just that there was this
little one percent of doubt
that was making her almost sick to her stomach.

And if she
were
wrong and her desperation had conjured up a solution that wasn’t really there, her father wouldn’t have this last long weekend with her mother, much less the opportunity to explain.

He might never forgive her if that were the case.

“Please, God,” she thought, despondent, “if this isn’t what
You
want me to do, show me clearly before I get there.
Please
. Don‘t let me make things worse than they already are.”

~~~~

“Well don’t you look pretty this afternoon,” Maddie Blake said cheerfully from the recliner where she’ spent so much of her time these past weeks.

She still sported the bright green stocking cap, which clashed mightily with the turquoise sweater she wore. Annie would have liked to blame her unusual color coordination on the cancer, but her mother had always worn outrageous clothing. And she saw no reason to stop at this late date.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said, bending over to kiss her cheek. “You look rested.”

“I had a good nap. And it’s good to know your father is home already. Did you know he left work early today so we could have more time this weekend? Wasn’t that sweet of him?”

“I’m sure that given a choice between endless columns of numbers and
you
, it wasn’t a tough decision,” she said, forcing a smile. She saw a pleased flush creep into Maddie’s pale cheeks. “Please, God, let this work!” she begged silently.

“What a nice thing for you to say!”

“Well,” Annie told her with a chuckle, “it’s the truth.”

“So where are you headed off to this afternoon?” her mother wanted to know.

“I-just feel like taking a drive, I guess. It’s such a nice day-”

“And you’re stuck at home with me,” Maddie murmured.

“No, Mother, I am not
stuck
home with you. But Dad is home and I get the distinct feeling that he’d like to spend some time with you.” That much was the truth. “Three can be a crowd, you know.”

“But-”

“But nothing.
The stroganoff is in the crock pot. I’ll be back in plenty of time to get the potatoes and noodles ready for supper.”

For some reason her mother’s favorite meals consisted of ‘comfort foods.’
When she could keep them down, anyway.
And today being a good day, she would be plied with one of her favorites, stroganoff with noodles over homemade mashed potatoes.

No, she wouldn’t eat a whole lot, but at least Annie would have the satisfaction of having provided her with a rib-sticking meal. And if she had room, there was even hot fudge cake waiting to be warmed in the microwave.

There were two especially nice things about giving up her job and moving back home. One was spending more time with her parents. The other was being able to indulge in her love of cooking and baking on a daily basis.

When she’d been working, and living in her apartment, she’d often resorted to frozen meals during the week because there simply hadn’t been enough hours to spend in the kitchen creating culinary masterpieces.

She wished there weren’t now. She wished her mother was healthy and taking care of her home and her husband while Annie slaved away in an office eating TV dinners alone at night.

“Okay, I’ll give you some time alone with Dad. See you in a bit,” she said, stealing a glance at the clock. If she didn’t leave now, there might not be enough time. “I love you.

“Drive carefully, Honey.”

“I will.”

If she’d thought to escape without her father knowing about it, it had been a vain hope. He cornered her at the front door, asking too casually where she was going. Annie sighed mightily.

“Dad, I need to get out for awhile, okay? I’m going for a drive. I won’t be long.”

“Annie-”

“Dad, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. But I need to know that you are.” She hung her head for a moment before replying.

“I want to tell you that I am, but I’d be lying. I’m trying to be, but I’m scared.” She walked into his open arms for a much needed hug.

“I know. So am I.”