Tomorrow's Sun (34 page)

She couldn’t turn it down.

But what if there was a future for her right here?

She’d know by the end of the night. She would not say good night to Jake without telling him everything he needed to know to decide if there’d be a second date. Even the slightest hesitation on his part and she’d know. And she’d program her GPS for Sausalito.

As she rolled another swath of hair onto her brush, her phone rang. She answered it without looking at it. If it was Cara, first she’d say “Sorry” then she’d say “I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”

“Emily? It’s Blaze. I’m calling for Jake. He’s on his way out the door and he couldn’t find his phone. Evidently he double-booked without realizing it. Lexi has a ballet rehearsal tonight, and I guess he promised to take her and a couple of friends out afterward. With all that’s been going on lately, it’s no wonder he can’t keep things straight. Anyway, I’m so glad you’re coming here. I know I’m a really poor alternative, but I was wondering if you’d like to come over early and hang out with me tonight. I’m looking for a reason to laugh and can’t seem to come up with one.”

“I’d love that.”

“Good. I’ll set out a picture of Jake and you can pretend you’re with him.”

With a hollow laugh, Emily said good-bye. Blaze was one sweet but pushy mama.

Maybe she’d have an extra picture she wouldn’t mind Emily keeping.

She could pack it away in the Conestoga.

S
ettling back in the end of the couch, Emily let out a sigh. She felt so relaxed here. As long as she kept her eyes off the eight-by-ten glossy in the middle of the coffee table.

Blaze had a flare for decorating and color. Gold walls, upholstered furniture in burnt orange, gold, and splashes of cobalt blue, and a perfect balance of stripes, florals, old, and new. “You have the coziest living room.”

“Thank you.” Blaze tucked her legs beneath her on the opposite end of the couch. “Abby helped.”

“You must miss her so much. I can’t imagine what that kind of loss feels like.”

“I hope you never have to.”

Emily sipped her coffee and looked away. Her gaze landed on the one spot she needed to avoid. Redirecting brought her to a wall of black-and-white family pictures. One showed Abby seated in a rocking chair. Blaze’s arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind. Her face nestled next to her daughter’s. “Imagine living in a time before photography.”

Blaze nodded. “Memories fade. I’m so glad I have these.”

The silence that enveloped them was peaceful and reflective. After several minutes, Emily nodded toward the wall. “There aren’t any pictures of Jake the way he looked when I met him nineteen years ago.”

“They don’t exist. He burned them all when he ‘turned cool.’ His words, not mine. Believe me, there was nothing cool about him from my perspective. I was reeling from losing my husband and all I could do was sit back and watch as my sweet boy morphed into Dracula and then woke up one morning convinced he was Brett Favre.”

“You seem to have a good relationship now.”

“We do. I wouldn’t have made it through Abby’s death without him. He’s a good man.” The look she jabbed at Emily seemed laden with meaning. Smile lines sprouted at Blaze’s temples. “There aren’t any pictures of Topher when you first met him, either.”

Emily put her hand over her face. “Jake told you.”

“No.” The lines deepened. “Topher told me. I practically raised that boy. He calls me Mom Two. He tells me way more than my own son ever has.”

Emily shook her head. “I wish he’d quit acting like we were star-crossed lovers meant to be together for eternity.”

“That’s pretty much what he’s been telling Jake at every opportunity, I think. He’s harmless. He makes my boy laugh and I love him for that.”

“And I’m supposed to be making you laugh.”

Blaze closed her eyes, sighed, and stared down at Jake’s picture. “We got word about Ben today. He only has to serve twenty-eight days altogether. They charged him with disorderly conduct.” Blaze ran fingertips over her lashes. “We did some research. With the kids so close, and shooting across the highway, they could have slapped him with so much more. He could have been behind bars until after Adam and Lexi were out of high school.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I guess we need to be thankful for temporary guardianship. Every day we can keep that man away from those kids is a gift.” She grabbed a box of tissue from an end table as tears started in earnest. “Did you know that seeking permanent guardianship was Jake’s idea?”

“I gathered that.” She gave herself permission to linger on the framed picture. “You’re right. He’s a good man.”

“I’m so proud of that boy. He’s given up so much already.”

“For the kids?”

Blaze nodded. “He’d just finished remodeling his own house when we found out Abby was sick. He had a girlfriend I think he could have gotten serious about. He was on his way to having everything a guy could want. When Abby died, he sold the house dirt cheap and moved back home. At the time, we thought the kids would be living here.” She picked up her mug. Her lips lifted in a halfhearted smile. “In case you’re wondering, none of us are heartbroken that his relationship ended. On the one-to-ten scale of maintenance, she was a twelve.”

“Did he break it off?” The question put her at a thirteen on the scale.

Blaze gave an overly understanding smile. “Yes. Another reason I’m proud of him. To my knowledge he hasn’t dated in months.” She turned toward the window. Emily was sure she was fighting to keep the smile tame. “Anyway, a friend of his from high school is a lawyer. He’s agreed to cut way back on his charges, but if we ever get to court and Ben decides to fight dirty, I have no idea what it could end up costing.”

“Why is it taking so long?”

“There hasn’t been enough evidence. The kids claim he’s never hurt either one of them.”

“You don’t believe them, do you?”

Blaze shook her head.

“Won’t this latest incident help?”

“We’re pretty sure Ben lied to the police about how close the kids were when he shot Pansy. The neighbor didn’t actually see it happen, and the kids would go along with Ben’s story.” A shaky sigh rattled from her throat. “Ben’s threatened them with something to keep them from talking. I’m sure he has all along. If I press it, they both get mad. Too mad. They’re hiding something.”

“If Jake got guardianship, does he plan on living here or—”

The front door burst open. Adam bounded in, looked at Emily, and stopped in his tracks. His head cocked to one side like a puzzled puppy. “What are you doing here?”

“Having coffee with your grandma.”

“I thought you and Jake were going out.”

Blaze pointed to his shoes. “He forgot he’d promised Lexi to take her and her friends out after rehearsal.”

“Huh? I thought Mrs. Benner…” He kicked his shoes off and into the corner, shaking his head as he did. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Wait here.” He ran toward the back hall.

Emily smiled. “What I wouldn’t give for just an ounce of that energy.”

“You and me both. And a few of his brain cells.”

“He’s amazing.”

“He’s in advanced classes at school. That’s hard on Lexi. She gets good grades, but she has to work for them. Adam has almost a photographic mem—”

Adam bounced in, brandishing the thick pamphlet Emily had glimpsed in the van during their Pansy stakeout.

“Let’s do this. Right now.” He plunked onto the middle of the couch and put Jake’s picture facedown on the floor. Emily’s mood lightened. The pamphlet unfolded to the size of a road map. “The other side has all the stuff in Burlington.”

The BuR SPUR of Wisconsin’s Underground Railroad. The Burlington, Rochester, and Spring Prairie Underground Railroad Trail
. Emily’s eyes traveled from the map labeled “Out-of-Town Driving Tour” in the center to the pictures of buildings and numbered paragraphs framing the page. “There are thirty-two sites on this. If we start now, we’d be lucky to make it to the last place by breakfast.” She ruffled his hair. The crazy waves invited it, and there was no sister around to get jealous.

Blaze shook her head. “It’s suppertime. Let’s wait till morning. I have a friend who volunteers at the museum. He’s working on a book, so he’s there on Saturdays. We can start as early as you want.”

Adam didn’t hide his disappointment.

“Well…” Emily stretched the word like a drumroll. “I suppose this means we should let your grandma in on our little secret.”

“Cool. But not till tomorrow. She’s making us wait, so we’ll make her wait.” He scrunched his nose and stuck his chin in the air. “I’m going to pack my camera and my digital recorder and my…” His voice trailed off as he ran down the hall.

Emily stood and picked up her cup. Blaze stretched to one side and then the other. “You asked about what would happen to the kids.” She bent down slowly, picked up Jake’s picture, and set it on a shelf. “I can tell you
my
plan for those kids.” Her hands folded and pressed to her chest. “I plan to find that boy a woman who can love him and those kids with all her heart.”

Lips parting, face warming under the direct stare, Emily froze.

With a loud whoop, Blaze clapped her on the back. “Told you I needed something to make me laugh! Your face did it!” Her arm slipped across Emily’s shoulder, and she drew her close in a one-armed hug much like the one in the picture on the wall. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Unless you’re
the one.”

On Saturday morning, Lexi crouched in the corner of her bed and grimaced at her friend Naomi. The door handle rattled. “Lex! Open up.”

Naomi, sitting on the floor holding Pansy, held her index finger to her mouth.

“Alexis! What’s going on? You hid my phone, didn’t you?” Something banged against the door. “Mrs. Benner just called.
She
was planning on taking you to the recital last night. What’re you trying to pull?”

Her door was locked, but all he’d need to open it was a paper clip. Pansy yowled and hobbled off Naomi’s lap. How could the poor cat know that the man on the other side of the door wouldn’t lay a hand, or foot, on her in a million years?

Lexi leaned over the bed and picked up Pansy. The bed groaned and she flinched. She should answer Jake. But she didn’t have an answer. When she’d heard he was going out on a date with Emily, she’d had to act fast.

“You’re grounded.”

She heard footsteps. He’d given up easily. “He won’t follow through.” With his head full of Emily, he’d forget he’d grounded her.

The plan was Naomi’s idea. Before Mom got sick, Lexi had never lied about anything worse than saying she forgot an assignment so she’d have an excuse to call Naomi. But even in the Bible people lied to protect somebody. Rahab lied to protect the two spies. Sara lied to protect Abraham. Where would the world be now if those men had killed Abraham? Her Sunday school teacher said those were “special circumstances.”

So was this. Lying to protect your family was a good thing.

She remembered how she’d felt the first time she didn’t tell the truth. Mom was in the hospital again and Ben was in charge. He made Lexi fix supper. Adam read to her while she cooked and she forgot about the macaroni. It burned on the bottom and Ben got crazy mad, madder than they’d ever seen him. He hit Adam with the back of his hand and Adam banged his head on the corner of the cupboard. It bled all over.

That was the first time Ben said if they told anyone he’d call the social workers and they’d split them up and put them in different foster homes.

Jake had come over after supper to get Mom’s hairbrush. He saw a streak of blood Lexi had missed on the white cupboard. She’d grabbed a napkin behind her back and wound it around her finger. “Cut myself grating cheese,” she’d said. “It’s not deep, but it sure did bleed.” She felt like an actress. Jake believed her. That was as good as applause at the end of a school play.