Waiting for Dusk (32 page)

Katie was happy to have the final piece to
her puzzle. Her father did see her at the canyon. For awhile, this
story kept her mind off Drew and what was happening right now.
“Mom, do you think Dad will find him?”

“If anyone can, it will be your father. Now
let’s turn off the lights and call it a night.”

Chapter Forty-One

Katie was flying
down the rapids being tossed around like a rag doll in the boat.
She hung on for dear life. Only one thing was important to her,
finding Drew. She kept calling out his name as she clung to the
boat. Then the boat flipped over and she struggled to hang on to
the side of the boat. She felt herself going under but was able to
scream for Drew one last time.

“Katie, wake up! Are you alright?” Her mother
shook her. “Katie, please, you must be having a terrible
nightmare!”

“Drew!” Katie sat up in her bed and looked
right through her mother.

“No, honey, you’re here with me at home. I’m
sorry to say, you have to get ready for school.”

Katie sunk back in her pillows. The dream was
so real. She felt like she was going to drown and never see Drew
again. In a way, she was glad she was at home.

Katie couldn’t believe it was Friday already.
Her father had been gone a week. She tried to focus on school but
it was hard. Lindsey was trying to help her through the best she
could, even using a little humor. “Earth to zombie,” was now one of
her favorite sayings.

Katie spoke to Anna every day after school.
Last night Katie decided to finally ask her about their last
conversation at the boardinghouse.

In a way, Katie still needed validation that
this was all true. If the Anna from the past told Katie in the
present what the secret was, she’d know for sure this is all one
hundred percent real.

“Anna, do remember our talk in the barn? The
one when you saddled the horse so I could find Andrew?”

“Yes, you said that Jack Woods was your
father which didn’t make sense at all. Now it does. You said not to
tell anyone, not even you, until you asked. That’s why I bought
those books and took an interest in him. I was thrilled to be able
to pass those books along to you. I was conflicted because I knew
you’d read the journal and find out about Andrew. Then I decided if
anyone could stop him, it would be you.”

Katie thought about that phone call over and
over now as she got ready for school. Anna thought she would have
the powers to stop Andrew. Well, obviously not. Plus Anna didn’t
know Katie would have a huge fight with Andrew, and he would feel
he had to let her go to find herself.

Find myself! I didn’t find myself until I met
you! If only she could tell him.

Katie went begrudgingly off to school. At
least it was Friday. As she entered her first class, American
History, she saw Mr. Dallas getting a DVD ready in the player. Good
old Coach Dallas was reliable. Every Friday the class watched a DVD
or a television show. She knew he was getting ready for the Friday
night football game instead of being interested in teaching the
class. She appreciated the truthfulness of it.

Everyone loved having Coach Dallas for a
teacher. He didn’t care where they sat in class and they were free
to have juice or a breakfast bar. Katie headed for the last seat in
the middle row. It had become her new favorite spot. The teacher
couldn’t really see her and everyone else seemed to know to leave
her alone. She put her head down on her books until class
started.

“Class, we’re getting a new student today. He
should be here shortly,” Mr. Dallas announced. “Looks like he might
be a good quarterback for me next year.”

The class laughed. They knew that coach loved
football. His team was in the playoffs, and he was preoccupied with
that.

Great, Katie thought, another jock. He can be
friends with Tyson.

There was a quiet tap on the door. That got
Katie’s attention, and she sat up. The school secretary and a tall
young man entered the class. He was wearing a sweatshirt with the
hood up over his head and jeans.

Typical. That hoodie is either designer or
has his old high school’s name on it.

The secretary introduced him to Coach Dallas
and the class. “This is Andrew Kelly, everyone.”

Andrew? Why did his name have to be Andrew?
Katie moaned a little too loud.

Mr. Dallas looked around. “Miss Roberts? Is
that seat open on your left?”

“Yes,” she answered and put her head back
down on her books.

Mr. Dallas gave a short speech about how he
liked to follow up his lesson from the week with the DVD he was
about to show—the same speech he gave every Friday. As he went to
turn out the lights, he turned back and said, “Mr. Kelly, we don’t
wear hoods in my class. Please be so kind as to remove it from your
head.” The lights went out and the show began.

Katie couldn’t help herself. She just had to
look at the newest jock. His dark hair peeked out from until the
hood. He raised his hand to his head and pulled back the hood. He
looked at Katie and smiled.

She gasped. It couldn’t be true. He looked
just like Drew. She just kept staring as tears filled her eyes. It
was Drew. Her father rescued him and brought him here. She just
couldn’t believe it.

“How?” she started to say.

“It was because of you, Kate,” Drew
whispered. He scooted his desk a little closer to hers. “I started
to read your letters when I got to the bottom of the canyon. I
couldn’t stop, and the time got away from me. I had to wait until
the next day to leave. When I got in the boat, I had such a
peaceful trip—being one with nature—but my mind just kept going
back to the letters. I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I wanted
to finish reading so when I got to the first camp I went ashore. I
unloaded everything and tied up the boat or so I thought I did.
While I was reading your letters, the boat drifted away and I was
stranded. I knew that the men would come looking for me, especially
Jack. Jack’s great, but I suppose you already know that.”

Tears welled up in Katie’s eyes as she
nodded. Her wonderful father always had her back; he never let her
down.

“I spent my time reading your letters over
and over. That’s when you came back to me.”

“I never left,” Katie put out her hand.

“The moon and the stars...” Drew looked down
at her bracelet.

“You already gave them to me,” she
smiled.

Andrew took Katie’s hand. “I love you—across
the miles, across time. Those words brought me home.”

The End

About the Author

After a great career in teaching, Nancy found
a second calling as a writer. Her debut novel, Waiting for Dusk,
was a surprise to her as much as it was to her family. Watching a
PBS series on National Parks, her mind wandered to another place
and that is where the characters of Katie and Andrew were born.

Nancy's called Ohio her home for all her life
but loves to travel the U.S. She enjoys reading and writing young
adult novels with a good cup of tea nearby.

Blog:

nancypennick.wordpress.com

Facebook:

www.
facebook
.com/
nancy
.
pennick

Other works by Author

Call of the Canyon,
coming August 2013

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