Bay Hideaway (20 page)

Mutely, she nodded and once again sent up a prayer for guidance. Nathan got out of the car and walked onto the porch stoop and rapped on the door. She saw the front door open and a second later Nathan disappeared inside. Nervously, she clenched her hands together, feeling the tremors of apprehension coursing through them. Her emotions were seesawing with joy from Nathan’s affirmation of love and God’s mercy to exonerate her from criminal litigation, to despair over her father’s behavior—and over seventy-five thousand dollars in debts she had no idea how to pay.

Suddenly Nathan appeared at the front door, beckoning her to come. As she opened the car door, she caught a glimpse of her father trying to see around Nathan. When she reached the front steps and then the door, she heard his surprised intake of breath.

“It can’t be true,” her father sputtered as he hurriedly skirted around Nathan and embraced her with a fierce hug that threatened to break her ribs. He pulled her back to look into her face. “It’s you. It’s really you!” Once again, he held her close, and she felt him shudder, a sob reverberating against her shoulder.

“I’ve missed you, Daddy,” she exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes as she looked questioningly at Nathan. The old man seemed genuinely overcome with elation at her return. How could he be the one who’d sent her such hateful letters? “Can we talk, Daddy?”

Reluctantly, her father released his hold and stepped back, wiping his face against the sleeve of his worn shirt. His thinning gray hair looked unkempt and wild, a scraggly three-day beard prickled over his jowls.

“Let me straighten up a little so we’ll have a place to sit,” her father said, immediately setting about to clear strewn newspapers from the couch. He dumped the papers behind a chair and turned to the couple, thrusting out an anxious hand indicating for them to sit. “When Nathan told me you were alive, I just couldn’t believe it. I’m not sure I can believe it now even though I see you.” He dropped into a chair and shook his head as if to clear his mind. “What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?”

Judi sat on the edge of the sagging couch within easy reach of her father. “I’ve been living on an island off Lake Erie for the past two years. The drowning accident never happened. It was all a fake.”

Stanley Porter cradled his forehead with one hand. “A fake? But why?” Then he turned to Nathan. “You knew about this?”

“Listen to me, Daddy,” Judi intervened, touching her father’s knee. “Nathan didn’t know anything about it until last week.” She waited until her father looked at her again. “I left because someone was sending me threatening notes. I feared for my safety and yours.” Contritely she gave Nathan a look. “I mistakenly thought Nathan had sent them. I was wrong!”

“You faked your own death because of those letters?” The old man’s face paled. “That can’t be!”

Judi pressed on, her heart thumping wildly. “Did you write those letters?”

“Me!” A haunted look pierced his eyes.

“I need to know the truth.”

The old man seemed winded, his eyes darting riotously. “It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this.”

“Like what?”

“You were supposed to come back home to me,” he blurted breathlessly, “not kill yourself.”

Judi looked at Nathan, who shrugged his shoulders and nodded for her to keep talking. “I don’t understand. Why was I supposed to come home?”

There was agony on the man’s face. “Don’t you see? Nathan didn’t love you, and his family was killing your spirit day by day with their uppity snobbery. I could see how unhappy you were.”

“But the letters were so… hurtful.” Judi had to pause a moment to gain control of her voice. “How were those awful notes going to help me be happy?”

“By coming home where you belong!” her father answered, one shaky hand resting on his knee. “I wanted you to come to me for help, but when you didn’t come, I figured you might have gone to Nathan about the notes. That just wouldn’t do. He didn’t care about you. He only cared about making money and being a famous politician.” He looked accusingly at Nathan. “You know it’s true!”

Judi closed her eyes for a second. “Oh, Daddy!”

“Don’t you see? I had to change tactics. That’s when I stuffed the chimney flue with a bird’s nest after sending you the letter about the carbon monoxide. I thought for sure if you believed Nathan was trying to harm me, you’d have to come to me then.” His voice cracked. “But you died instead! I assumed you’d been so distraught that you committed suicide.”

“Is that why you’ve treated Nathan so badly?” Judi asked. “You thought he was ultimately responsible for making those threatening letters necessary? That was wrong, Daddy, no matter what your reasons were.”

The old man nodded. “He’s no good for you, Judi.”

“Daddy, he’s the man I love.” Her voice was gaining strength. “You shouldn’t have tried to come between Nathan and me. We would have worked it out.”

Nathan rested a comforting hand on Judi’s back and began to speak. “Sir, I do take partial responsibility. You were right about the fact that I should have been a better husband and not let my family treat her with disrespect. I plan to change all that.” He stared back at her father’s wide-eyed expression. “We can’t alter what’s already happened. We can only move forward. In light of that, Judi and I have agreed that it would be of no use for anyone else to know that you wrote those notes. We would like to clear the slate.”

“He’s right, Daddy,” Judi chimed in. “We want you to be part of our lives.” She grew serious. “But you have to promise not to interfere with our marriage again. That’s between Nathan and me.”

“But what are you going to do now?” her father asked, consternation on his face.

“I don’t know!” Judi answered truthfully.

Stanley looked at Nathan. “You don’t have any plans?”

“We have a lot of details to work out with our attorney, families, and my career,” Nathan told him. “My first priority, however, is to protect Judi, and I’ll do what it takes to accomplish that. In the meantime, we’re going to go wherever God leads us.”

“God?” The word sounded foreign on her father’s lips.

For the next few minutes, Judi expressed how God had miraculously changed their lives. “God can help you as much as He’s helped us. You need Him.”

The old man shook his head. “I don’t have time for no religion.”

“I’m not talking about religion, Daddy,” she said with a rueful smile. “I’m talking about a personal relationship with Christ.”

Her father took a deep breath. “Another time, Judi.”

Nathan cautioned her with a nod. “I think he’s been through enough for one day. He’s still in shock by your appearance.” He looked at his watch. “And we need to get back to the house before my family comes.”

“You’ll be coming back, right?” There was alarm in her father’s voice.

Judi stood and gave him a big hug. “I’m not going anywhere. I already promised Nathan I’d never run off again.”

It was a promise she planned to keep!

Nathan rounded the street corner and spotted three cars in the driveway. That could only mean Laurie had spilled the beans and the family was already gathered. Great! Just great! The day had been extremely draining, and he wondered if he would be able to keep pace on the last leg of the relay.

The visit with Lindsey had taken a toll on him. She had gone from being devastated and angry one minute to cajoling and pleading the very next. Just when she seemed accepting of the inevitable, she would beg him to reconsider what he was doing. Nathan was torn by her grief, but no amount of pain could keep him from making the decision he knew God wanted—the one he himself desired. Judi’s response to him confirmed he had made the right choice.

“Nathan, your family is already here,” Judi said with dismay.

“I know.” Nathan parked the car behind his parents’ luxury sedan and shut off the engine. He saw the living room curtains move and felt several pairs of eyes on them. “Laurie never could keep a secret.”

“I was hoping to have time to talk with you before meeting them,” Judi remarked jadedly, clutching her purse.

“I know! There’s so much we have to discuss.”

“Before we go in, I want to show you something.” Judi rummaged around inside her purse and brought out a velvet bag. Tipping it up, a glimmering diamond ring and band spilled into her hands.

Nathan looked at the jewelry. “Your wedding rings.”

“I brought them with me, hoping…” The color heightened in her cheeks. “I thought maybe, if you didn’t mind, I’d like to wear them again.”

Taking the rings from her trembling hand, he placed them on her finger. “I was hoping you still had them.” He gently kissed her, feeling the warmth of her lips. She tasted so sweet.

The sound of the front door opening caused him to sit back with a sigh of exhaustion and look over at his parents standing impatiently in the doorway. He unsnapped his seat belt.

“Be brave,” he instructed, squeezing Judi’s hands.

Utter chaos reigned for the first five minutes when they entered the house. Questions began flying back and forth until Nathan’s head ached.

“Quiet!” The loud reverberation of his voice instantly had an effect and a hush settled over the room. “I can’t answer twenty questions at one time. I’ve already explained that Judi’s drowning did not happen, and I’ve told you about the threatening letters that caused this whole chain of events.”

“Have you seen these notes?” his normally soft-spoken father asked, throwing a suspicious glance Judi’s way. “You say she knows who wrote the letters, but you won’t tell us. How do you know these letters even existed?”

Nathan gave his father a stern look, a rush of anger coming over him at his father’s tone. “Yes, I have seen the notes, and yes, I know who wrote them. It will serve no purpose for you to know the identity of this person.”

“But—” His mother began to interrupt, holding up her delicate hand.

“Let’s get something straight.” Nathan’s voice grew harsh as he looked from face to face. “Judi has been treated shamefully by this family, and I will not let it happen again. It’s time I stood up and acted like the man of this house. Maybe we were wrong to go off and get married without anyone knowing, but that doesn’t give anyone in this room the right to bully or slight her. She is my wife, and we come as a package deal. You’ll treat her as you treat me.”

Nathan’s mother drew a delicate handkerchief to her mouth. “But we’ve always treated her well.”

“Please don’t deny what I already know.” Nathan’s features refused to soften as they usually did when addressing his mother. “Everyone in this room has been disrespectful to Judi in one way or another. Again, I want you to know I love Judi and we are still a married couple.”

“But what about Lindsey?” asked Laurie, a worried expression intensifying across her brow.

“I’ve already explained the state of affairs to Lindsey and although it’s been an unfortunate situation for her, she will come through this.”

Once again questions began. Nathan fielded each subject as best he could, explaining the complexities of the circumstances.

“What about your elected seat in the statehouse?” his father asked, still giving sour looks to Judi. “You can’t just give it up.”

“I already have!” Nathan heard Judi’s quick intake of breath, and he ruefully turned to her. “I’m sorry. I had hoped to discuss this with you before the family arrived.” Judi’s quick smile of understanding gave him courage to continue. “Although it is possible for me to retain the seat, it would mean a media circus that would inevitably hurt all of us and work against my fellow lawmakers.”

“You’re throwing away all your hard work,” his father charged, the color deepening across his already ruddy face. “All you have to do is tell them Judi suffered from amnesia and recently got her memory back. It might even gain you points.”

“Maybe it would,” Nathan responded. “But spinning the story won’t gain points with God. There will be no lies or deception. The people I serve have supported me because I gave them what they wanted—honesty and a genuine interest to see our state grow. Lies have no gain.”

“Honesty has its place, son,” his father continued. “But you’re going to lose everything, and I don’t think you’re going to like living on the other side of the money belt.”

Nathan smiled. “I’m not trying to build an empire. It’s more important to lay my treasure with God where it belongs. The book of Matthew tells us to seek God’s kingdom first.” He looked at those gathered in the room. “No, I can’t say that I want to live in poverty, but if I don’t like it here, I’m certainly not going to like living like a pauper when I reach heaven because I have nothing to show for my life.”

Jeff stood and shook Nathan’s hand. “I’ll support you, brother, in whatever you do. And if you need help searching online for a job, I’m your man.”

Nathan smiled and gripped his brother’s shoulder. “I appreciate that.” He turned to Judi. “But I already have a job, if Judi is agreeable.” There was uncertainty written across her face, and he gave her a reassuring grin. “I’ve been offered a partnership in a law firm in Cleveland with a new branch office on Bay Island.”

“Nathan, when did this happen?” Judi asked, excitement in her voice.