Wisdom Tree (8 page)

“I’m just following orders—write, write, write.” Corey nodded. “Besides, I think Miss O’Malley likes reading about you.”

“She does, huh?”

“Yeah. You’re worth at least a B—usually an A.”

Jake laughed and wondered if God had sent him Carin O’Malley for a reason he had yet to fully understand. The twist in his gut…the spike in his pulse…made Jake wonder if Corey’s offhanded prayers really were being answered.

There was only one way to find out.

****

Carin poured a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table. Scooter brushed up against her legs and she lifted him onto her lap and stroked his sleek, gray fur while he purred like a well-tuned engine. The scent of tuna from his food bowl wafted, and Carin wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t a big fan of tuna.

Her cell phone sat in the center of the table, and she replayed the latest voicemail message in her mind as her heart raced.

“Carin.” Phillip’s smooth-as-honey business voice came over the line so clearly, that for a moment she froze with the fear he was standing right behind her. She could almost feel his hot breath burning her neck, as it had that awful night of Cameron’s memorial service. A sob escaped her lips, because his speech was slurred, and she knew he was drunk—just like he was loaded that night, when he’d hurt her with his words…his actions. “I know you’re listening to this. You should have never left Nashville…left me. Don’t you know how much your leaving hurt me…and my chance to make Senior Partner? If you say a word to your father about what happened, you know what I’ll do. You’re just as guilty as I am. You know as well as I do that what happened was just as much your fault as mine. You made me crazy, Carin, and you ruined everything.” He paused with a menacing sigh of frustration, and she pictured the storm in his gaze, the tight clench of his fists as he lifted them. “Fine, don’t pick up so we can talk this through. I hope you sleep well tonight. Dream of me.”

Carin tamped the urge to toss her phone into the trash. But instead, let the message replay just long enough to hit the delete button.

It made the fifth message this month—second this week. The calls were escalating. She should have known running away wouldn’t make things go away, too. He’d always be able to find her…nothing would change that.

Carin drew a deep breath and forced tears back.
Her cell phone chimed, startling her so her heart pummeled her ribs. She reached for the phone as if touching it might scald her and checked the caller ID.

She flipped open the phone and pressed it to her ear. “Dad?”

“Hi, honey. How are things there?”

Her voice caught, and suddenly tears pooled in her eyes. “Good…but I miss you.”

“Are you OK? It sounds like you’re crying.”

“No. I just…”
Tell him,
her conscience battled.
No. He’ll be crushed, and then his heart…
”It’s just my friend, Lilly. When I went to visit last night, she had another episode.”

“They seem to be increasing in frequency.” Her father’s voice was crowded with concern. “Do you really think it’s wise for you to keep seeing her? Haven’t you been through enough, losing your mom and then Cameron—both in such a short period of time?”

“You lost them, too.”

“I know, but—”

“Most of the time Lilly’s fine, and I really enjoy the visits.” Carin struggled to steady her voice. “She’s teaching me how to crochet so I can help her with the baby caps.” She sniffled and brushed a tear from her eye. Guilt plagued her. It was wrong to lead him to think Lilly was the reason she was upset.
If he only knew the real reason.
“How’s everything at the firm?”

“Busy as usual. I’m interviewing for another Senior Partner.”

“Good. You need help, Dad. The doctor said you have to lighten your load and rest more. You can’t keep up the pace you’ve been pushing yourself to manage. It’s dangerous.”

“I’m still strong as an ox, so don’t you fret, Carin. Let me do the worrying.”

She sighed. There was no point in arguing with a seasoned attorney like Dad. “Well, are there any prospects for the position?”

“I’ve been considering Phillip, but he seems a bit…out of sorts lately.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but—”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Dad.”

“Well, Phillip has always been my first choice. You know that, Carin. But I’m not sure your mom would feel the same.”

“No?” This was a revelation. “Why not?”

“Nothing she could put her finger on. She just…had a feeling. You know how Mom was.”

“Yes, I do.” Carin’s voice caught. “Why didn’t she ever say anything to me?”

“Because you were in love with him, honey.” Her dad paused. “
Are
you still in love with him?”

“No. I…don’t want to talk about it.” Carin dropped a tea bag into a cup and drowned it in boiling water from the teapot, then stirred in a spoonful of sugar as she watched it steep. “When are you coming for a visit, Dad?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“I can’t. I’m just settling into teaching here. I’m covered up in work.” She had no desire to return to Nashville. There was a good chance she never would…if she could help it.

“Me, too.”

“You should consider a vacation. Or you could come to East Ridge and stay with me for a while, and work from here. There’s so much you can do over the Internet. It would be just like working at the office.”

“Honey, I’m just getting ready to go to trial with a big case. I can’t leave now.”

“But I miss you, Dad. Mom would have wanted…” She caught herself. Guilting her dad into coming for a visit wasn’t the answer, no matter how much she missed him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s OK.” He sighed, and then redirected. “Tell you what. As soon as this case is done, I’ll take a break and come to see you. Give me a couple of weeks—a month, tops.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“That would be great, Dad.”

Carin removed the teabag from the cup as an awkward silence ensued. When her dad finally spoke, his voice was low—the voice he used when sharing important, confidential information with a client. “Carin, did you leave here because of Phillip…because of whatever happened there?”

“Please don’t ask, Dad. I don’t want to discuss it. Not now, at least. Maybe when you come to visit?”

“Can you wait that long, honey?”

“I…um…” She choked, sputtered, and bumped the cup so tea sloshed over the side to stain the counter. She quickly changed the subject. “I—I have to go now. I’ve got papers to grade and Hailey’s waiting for me to call.”

“Well…OK.” She heard the catch in his voice, and it tore her heart just a bit. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too. Come soon, OK?” She pressed the end button and laid the phone on the counter.
Oh, how I wish Mama was still here. She’d listen and know what to do.
Why hadn’t her mother shared what she sensed about Phillip? It would have made things so much easier in the long run.

She remembered Cameron’s funeral, and it felt like a dream. Phillip was there, and he portrayed himself as the doting boyfriend, bringing her water, holding her hand. She’d felt comforted, felt like she had an ally as she struggled to keep her dad from collapsing under the stress of losing his only son so soon after losing his wife.

Then Phillip disappeared, and when she went to the parking lot for a gulp of fresh air—to ease the ache from her heart—she heard his voice carry on the breeze. He was laughing, mocking her voice, nasally with grief-filled tears. As she rounded the corner, she saw the raven-haired woman, too—an intern from her father’s office.

The two were locked in an embrace, Phillip’s cheek nuzzled in her dark hair. The words he spoke slashed like a knife. “I’ll tell her I’m heading back to the office to finish up some work for her father. She’ll never know the difference. Then I’ll meet you at your place. Give me an hour.”

The intern giggled as she slipped a hand beneath his suit jacket. “I’ll be waiting…”

Carin eased back around the corner, caught between staying and fleeing. Phillip appeared suddenly, plowing into her, and bile leapt into her throat.

“In a hurry?” she asked.

“I…um…” It was a rare occurrence of speechlessness on his part. “I was coming to look for you.”

“Oh, I’m sure you were.” And she spun on her heel, marching back toward the building as tears blinded her. “Go to your
meeting
, Phillip. Your work here is finished.”

She’d foolishly believed the pain that ripped through her at that very moment was the worst she’d ever feel. Little did she know the months to come would deal even more excruciating blows.

The grandfather clock in the living room chimed the hour, drawing Carin back. She reached for the delicate floral teacup from the set that used to belong to her mom and held the warm cup in both hands as she sipped chamomile tea. Her thoughts drifted to Jake…his easy smile and quick humor. Somehow, his gentle demeanor calmed the storm of doubts that swept through her. Could it be that God had brought them together for a purpose she had yet to fully understand?

7

“I don’t know why I let you talk me into this,” Carin grumbled as she helped Hailey move a landscape timber to the far side of the church playground. The earthy scent of mulch mixed with the crisp odor of pine needles that had fallen from bushes outside the playground fence. Maple leaves from trees in the side yard covered rich green grass in a blanket of gold and crimson. In the pasture beyond, rolled bales of hay dotted a horizon filled with smoke-hazed mountains. The air was mild and a slight breeze offset the heat of a warm early-October sun. “I have a stack of essays to grade and an evaluation first thing Monday morning.”

“The papers can wait, and you’ll do just fine on your evaluation. You’re a great teacher, Carin. You’ll earn a glowing review.” Hailey dropped her end of the timber onto a pile and crossed the playground to haul another. They’d need at least two-dozen pieces of the heavy wood to box in the area around the jungle gym that a few of the men had just finished repairing. Then a healthy layer of mulch would be added to cushion any falls kids might take from the equipment. “Besides, you love the outdoors, and it’s a beautiful day.”

“I suppose.”

“
And
”—Hailey winked and tilted her head toward the back doors of the church—”look who’s coming this way.”

Carin followed Hailey’s gaze…
Jake.

Her heart did a little two-step as he tugged a ball cap low over his eyes while he crossed the yard. His T-shirt clung to a terrain of muscles across his chest, and long, powerful legs were clad in faded blue jeans torn at one knee. He seemed much taller than she remembered, since she was wearing tennis shoes instead of her usual spiky sandals. As he neared, she inhaled clean soap and the scent of something purely masculine.

“Hello, Hailey…Carin.” His gaze swept over her as he strode through the playground gate and pulled a pair of worn leather work gloves from the back pocket of his jeans. While he tugged them on, Carin remembered how she’d confused him for East Ridge Church’s caretaker. Looking at his dark, shaggy hair tucked beneath the Tennessee Titans baseball cap and his scuffed work boots, it was easy to see why. “You’re doing a great job whipping the playground into shape.”

“We’ve barely put a dent in things.” Carin smoothed wisps of hair that had escaped an elastic band she’d used to gather the curls into a tail. “There’s still so much to do.”

“All in good time.” Jake reached for a box of long, oversized nails. “Would you two like to help me pound stakes into these timbers so we can form the box and lay some mulch?”

“Ahh…Carin will.” Hailey backpedaled toward the fence as she ran a hand through spiky cinnamon hair. “I promised to help prepare lunch, and then I need to check on my kids in the nursery. Greg got called in to work at the fire hall last night, so I had to bring Noah and Zachary with me this morning. Anyway, I’ll be heading…into the kitchen now.”

“I see.” The gleam in Jake’s eyes said he understood her tactics all too well.

A school of jellyfish darted through Carin’s belly as a splotch of heat crept up her neck. “In that case, will you put on an extra pot of coffee?”

“Sure. Consider it done.”

As Hailey turned and scurried away, Carin’s gaze swept the play area. Where were all the other volunteers, anyway? The grounds seemed suddenly deserted since the men had finished their repairs of the equipment and gone inside to work in the children’s classrooms. Carin stood to brush dirt from the knees of her jeans. “Maybe I should help in the kitchen, too.”

“No need. Mrs. Doran is in there heading up the team. And she has plenty of help.”

“Well, I guess the work won’t get done on its own.” Carin forced down a sense of uneasiness and surveyed the pile of landscape timbers. The playground area would be much more aesthetic—not to mention much safer—as soon as they got the work finished. “Where’s the hammer?”

“Here.” Jake drew a large mallet from his tool belt. “How good is your aim?”

“That depends. How steady is your hold?”

Jake smirked. “I guess we’ll find out.”

“We’d better get started then.” Carin reached for a handful of spikes. “This looks like as good a place as any.”

Working together, they slipped the timbers into position. After a few poorly-aimed swings of the mallet, one that nearly crushed Jake’s thumb, Carin conceded that Jake would do a better job hammering, so she held the spikes in place while he took aim with the mallet.

“So,” Jake said between blows. “How’s the journal writing going?”

“Corey’s a natural.” Carin gnawed her bottom lip as she lined up the oversized nail with a pre-drilled hole. “I must admit, he
has
provided quite a nice little window into your world.”

“How so?” As Jake hammered, the box surrounding the play area took shape. He slipped another timber easily into place. “What do you mean?”

Carin laughed. “Well, I know your favorite candy is mini peanut butter cups, and you like to be early for everything, which drives Corey insane.” She held tight as the timber shook while Jake hammered. “
And
you like corny vintage horror movies and have read every book ever written by Max Lucado—twice over.”