Stardust Miracle (13 page)

At the same instant, the front doorbell rang.

Sarah leaned toward the phone, looking at the Caller ID. “It’s a 218 area code. I think that’s Minnesota. Maybe it’s Marsh. I hope nothing’s wrong with his phone. He’d be lost without all his contacts.”

A ball of tension gathered in Becky’s chest as Sarah lifted the phone, saying, “Would you get the door?”

Chapter Eighteen

“Hi, honey,” Sarah said in the kitchen, her voice sounding far away as Becky looked at her father. Only a screen door and a few inches of air were between them, and she wondered if she should close the door on him.

Instead she just stared.

It all felt unreal. As if she were watching his face on a movie screen. As if she were hearing Sarah speak on her car stereo. As if the Village of Miracle and her life were figments in a crazy person’s imagination.

That meant she was the crazy person. Because who else would imagine her non-exciting life?

Though last night had been pretty hot.

“Aren’t you inviting me in?” Carl asked.

A bright comeback came to her mind, which proved she wasn’t her normal self. She never thought of snappy comebacks unless it was at an inappropriate time. Like in church when Jim was giving his lesson.

Then she remembered she didn’t have to be appropriate anymore. 

The thought freed her. It whisked away the numbness and cleared the shadows hanging over her. At the same instant, the patters of rain stopped, the clouds broke up and sunlight streamed down. 

“Well?” her father demanded. He held himself upright, giving off his I’m-the-man-in-charge vibe. Not yet aware that no man was in charge of her anymore.

“Why should I?” she asked.

“Because I’m your father.” His eyes flickered. “It hurts me to be estranged from my daughters.”

“We didn’t turn our backs on you. You turned yours on us.” As she said the words, she realized that she’d nurtured a tiny hope that he’d come here because he was sorry for the words he’d said the last time she’d seen him.

Sorry that he had been angry at her instead of Jim.

Sorry that he cheated on her mother. 

And really sorry that he slapped her.

“I thought you’d listen to reason,” he said.

“Your reason isn’t reasonable to me.” She remained standing inside the house, looking at him through the screen. Though he stood on the concrete stoop, about six inches lower than the entrance, she was still a couple of inches shorter than him. But for once it
felt
as if they were on equal terms. For once, she wasn’t trying to please him.

“I was hoping you’d come to your senses and go back to Jim,” he said.

“He was cheating on me, Dad.” She heard the thickening of her voice. The throb of anger.

He frowned. “People make mistakes.”

“I filed for divorce. I don’t love Jim. I don’t trust him. I don’t even like him anymore.” She reached for the wooden door behind her. Ready to step aside and slam it shut. “There’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”

“Go back to him and I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars.”

“Really? You’re trying to buy my obedience?” She stepped back, feeling a vein throb in her neck. “Good-bye, Dad.”

“Wait!” 

“Too late.” She started to close the door, and he jerked the screen door open and stuck the toe of his leather shoe in the jamb to stop the door.

“I just want you to listen to me,” he said.

Her hand gripped the round door handle. “How many times did I want you to listen to me and you didn’t?”

“I’m listening now.”

“It’s too late.”

“I don’t believe that. It’s never too late.” The color in his face was elevated and she could hear the harshness of his breaths. She still wanted to close the door, but seeing him so shaken up disturbed her.

“Go on, but it had better be good.”

“I know where you were this morning. I know you were at that place that calls itself a church.”

Her eyebrows shot up. It was lousy luck that he’d seen her drive up with Rosa. But she wasn’t going to discuss this with him.

“You were looking for a job, weren’t you?” he demanded. “I know you bought the
Tomahawk Leader News
.”

She stared blankly at him but her mind was whirling. Linda Wegner must have called him the instant she stepped out of their store. Easy for Carl to guess she was looking for a job or an apartment in Tomahawk. Probably Linda had pressed her face to the window as she’d gotten into Rosa’s car and watched them drive in the direction of her father’s home.

“I don’t want you to work there,” he said.

“I don’t care what you want.” She heard footsteps behind her. Sarah.

“I’ll offer you a better job.”

She laughed, hearing the hollow sound. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Anger flashed across his face. “I should’ve gotten rid of her long before this.”

Sarah made a surprised sound and stepped to Becky’s side. “Are you talking about me?”

Carl’s ruddy complexion paled. “Of course not.” 

“It’s Elsa.” Becky half turned to Sarah. “Elsa Hahn. I talked to her about a job today.”

Sarah stared at their father, her head slightly forward like a curious cat. She frowned and her lips parted, her tongue touching her upper lip...as if trying to make sense of what he’d said.

“Get rid of her? You mean kill her?”

“No!” He stepped back, removing his foot from the front entrance. “I’ll get rid of her legally. That’s not a real church. It’s not affiliated with any religion. They don’t even worship Jesus.”

Becky’s anger spiked again, along with a river of sorrow. “It’s too bad she’s not as virtuous as you.” Even as she said it, she knew it was a waste of breath. He didn’t realize how pompous he sounded.

“Dad,” Sarah said, “you’re a piece of work.”

His face flushed. “Don’t you—”

With a surge of disgust, Becky slammed the door shut. 

“No!” he howled from the other side of the door.

Becky turned, her back to the door, adding another barrier in case he tried to break it down.

“I wish Marsh were home,” Sarah said, and her strained expression reflected the horror and anger and longing that churned inside Becky.

“You got the good one with Marsh. All these years I thought I was the lucky one, but you were.” Becky’s voice cracked, and she stopped to get herself together.

“I can’t imagine life without him.” Sarah smiled but there was no joy in it.

Becky shuddered. There was no joy in her, either. Not after that talk with their father. She’d always known what he was like. She just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it.

The pounding began on the other side of the door. Becky flinched and Goldie barked. Becky heard small cries and at first thought they came from the puppies. But looking at Sarah’s horrified face, she realized they came from her own throat.

Sarah held out her arms. “Oh, Becky.”

Becky fell into them. They held each other tight as tears finally leaked from Becky’s eyes. Not for the end of her marriage, or even because of all the years she’d let her father rule her life. She cried because this must’ve been how Sarah had felt when she married Marsh. Becky’s eyes were now open to the manipulation. To their father’s need to control. And Becky realized that when it happened to Sarah, she hadn’t been there to comfort her sister.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m sorry.”

“You did the best you could,” Sarah said.

Becky didn’t think they were talking about the same thing, but the tears stopped and so did the pounding. Her father had given up...for now.

But not, she knew, for forever.

Chapter Nineteen

By the time Cody came home from school, Becky and Sarah had picked up the branches on the lawn that the wind gusts had blown off. Too bad the damage from the biggest wind gust – Becky’s father – wasn’t as easy to gather and burn.

But Cody’s grin and happy wave went a big way toward shrinking the clump of unhappiness in Becky’s chest. He hugged his mom then her. His thin arms wrapped around her waist for just one second, but Becky closed her eyes and imprinted it in her heart. Though she’d like to, she didn’t cling to him. She wasn’t going to be that kind of aunt. That kind of person.

Cody let go and darted to the fridge, eager to chug down a glass of milk before going to see the puppies. And he had another purpose. Between gulps, standing in front of the sink, he demanded for at least the hundredth time that Sarah keep the black one, because he wanted a dog of his own.

Sarah told him that the kitten slept with him and would be jealous of the puppy, but he said there was room in his bed for all three of them. Sarah laughed and told him three in a bed were too many.

Becky watched them, not really a part of it, but feeling residues of their closeness circling out to touch her. The ache started in her chest again. A good ache this time, because she knew she still could have and
would
have something like this. Somehow, some way, she would have this in her life.

Cody darted into the puppy room as Becky’s cell trilled. She grabbed it from the counter and saw Derek’s name. Her gaze went to the clock. Trey wasn’t coming for another hour and a half. The phone trilled again.

“Trey?” Sarah asked.

“Derek.”

“Ah.” Sarah grinned.

Becky stuck her tongue out as she put the phone to her ear.

They talked about the weather and he told her that electrical storms affected Elaine physically. Elaine thought her increased pain had something to do with the atmosphere, but her doctor told her that she was imagining it and her pain must be mental.

“She needs a new doctor,” Becky said.

“He’s the only one around who specializes in this.”

Becky didn’t say anything, though a hundred thoughts came to her. This wasn’t her road; she wasn’t here to fix him and Elaine. Derek was a smart man. He knew he had alternatives. And just because she’d had hot sex with him didn’t mean he’d become perfect.

The kitten that Sarah had adopted curled around Becky’s ankles. Becky bent forward and scooped it up, then she sat and plopped the kitten gently on her lap. It immediately began to purr and knead with its sharp little claws.

Even kittens weren’t perfect, though this one was close.

“I should research and find someplace that will help her.” The words sounded as if they were dragged out of Derek by her silence. “Maybe the Mayo Clinic.”

“Good idea.”

“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

She had an ‘oh shit’ moment. The kitten meowed a complaint, obviously responding to her tension. She reached to pet it, but it jumped off, leaving her lap empty. She sat up straight and crossed her legs tightly. She felt as if she were at an interview. “I’m going out to dinner.”

“With Sarah’s family?”

“No.” She took a deep breath. Too many people had lied to her, and she wasn’t going to do that to Derek. Even if she did, she’d probably get caught. Someone would see her driving out of town with Trey. “I’m going out with someone I knew from high school.”

“Someone in Miracle?”

“He’s from Tomahawk.” The words came out, and it was as if flood banks crumbled and she vomited out more words. “You probably don’t know him. He lived in California for a while, but now he’s back. He’s a picker like Marsh. He specializes in old motorcycles and cars.”

“Oh.”

There was a silence, and she clamped her lips together to keep her mouth from running again, like a computer that wouldn’t shut down. As if her own brain fired up, she remembered Derek was at the board meeting when Earl talked about selling the old Chevy dump truck to Trey.

A hand landed on Becky’s shoulder, and she jumped. Her clamped lips kept her from squeaking. She looked up at Sarah’s sympathetic gaze.

Still Derek?
Sarah mouthed.

Becky made a face and nodded, realizing her head was shrinking into her neck like a turtle trying to go into its shell.

Sarah patted her shoulder and mouthed
Good luck.

“What about tomorrow?” he asked. “Would you like to go out for dinner tomorrow?”

“Um, I think I should stay home with Sarah tomorrow.”

He didn’t reply right away, and she bit her lower lip. She thought of things she could say about why Sarah needed her. A cleaning project. Helping to paint an old dresser. Even something to do with sewing, though everyone in the village probably knew she was the world’s worst sewer and he’d know she was lying.

“I’ll call you, then,” he said.

She grimaced and said good-bye, then put the phone down and turned to Sarah. “That was awful.”

“I’m so glad I’m not single. Dating sucks.”

Becky wrinkled her nose. “Sometimes being married sucks worse.”

“True. Even when you love ’em. C’mon, let’s get you ready. A quick shower first. You’re covered with bits of leaves and puppy hair.” Sarah sniffed and made a face. “And you smell like puppy pee.”

“Are you sure that’s not an aphrodisiac?”

Sarah wagged her finger. “No joking. Dating is serious business.”

Becky got off the chair and started toward the bathroom. “I thought it was supposed to be fun.”

“Are you kidding?” Sarah surged past her, purpose in every step. “Dating is a form of war. You need all the artillery you can find.”

“What if I’m just on reconnaissance?”

Sarah turned around. “You can’t count on that. You never know when it will turn into the real thing and you’ll need the heavy weapons.”

Becky groaned and put her hand on her head, her fingertips rubbing her scalp, her hair flying over her hands. “Why do we do this?”

“Did you miss the biology class in high school? Now, go clean up. Change into something that doesn’t smell like dog pee and make you look like you’re about to teach Sunday school. You got curves, woman. Show them off!”

“You’re scaring me.”

“Because I’m normal. I know old ladies who dress sexier than you.” Sarah shot her hands in the air. “Have fun for a change. Go a little wild. Have an affair with two men. After being the perfect minister’s wife for so long, you deserve a couple flings.”

“You’re insane. I’m going for that shower now before you get worse.”