Left Behind, page 18
He nodded. “Pink is the color du jour. Would it be possible to have this delivered to my house around five today? I know this is short notice but…”
“If this is her first cake ever, it’s not short notice. It’s long overdue,” Annie said. “Let me write down your address for the delivery.”
He handed her a credit card, but Annie waved it away.
“This cake is a gift from me and her uncle John. Ava, honey, from now on, you just call me Aunt Annie, like your brothers do, okay?”
Ava looked at Wiley for approval, and when he winked, she knew it was okay.
“I think you probably need a couple of cookies to take with you,” Annie said. “Ava, honey, you pick,” she said, and pointed to the sheet pan in the display case. “Sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cherry drop cookies.”
“I like peanut butter,” Ava said.
Annie scooped two peanut butter cookies from the tray into a little sack and handed them to her.
“I think we need to thank Annie for the cookies,” Wiley said.
“Thank you for the cookies,” Ava echoed.
“Enjoy, and come see me again soon, okay?”
“We will,” Wiley said, and put Ava down.
Ava had the sack of cookies in one hand, and latched on to Wiley with the other as they walked out the door.
“Lord, have mercy,” Annie muttered, then grabbed the order and headed to the back room. “Laurel, this needs to be ready and delivered to Wiley’s house by five.”
Annie’s daughter, Laurel, glanced at the order, and nodded. “Simple enough, but who’s Ava? Is Wiley finally settling down?”
“All I know is Wiley introduced her as his little sister, and he’s taken her to raise. That’s about as settled as a single man can get.”
“Wow,” Laurel said. “So, Clyde Wallace fooled around on Shirley?”
“Obviously,” Annie said.
“Do you think Shirley knew?”
“Oh, I know Shirley knew he wasn’t faithful, but I don’t think any of them knew about this child. I don’t know how this came about, but she looks half-starved and neglected, so she’s right where she belongs, with people who want her.”
***
But back in Jubilee, Wiley and Ava were still making waves. When he pulled into the gas station to refuel before going back to their house, he left Ava sitting in the back seat with Pinky and rolled down the windows so she wouldn’t get too hot. He didn’t notice the driver of the truck on the other side of the pumps, until he heard someone call his name and turned to look, then frowned.
Keith Priddy. He used to work security with him at the Bullard music venue. He hadn’t liked him then, and he didn’t like him now.
“Hey, big shot! I haven’t seen you in a while. I see you’ve recovered from the bank robbery.”
Wiley nodded, but didn’t respond. He was keeping an eye on the pump and on Ava.
Keith moved between the pumps and then leaned against Wiley’s SUV. That’s when he saw Ava sitting in the back seat.
“Well, who do we have here?” he drawled. “This your kid, Pope? I always figured you’d have a woods colt or two out there.”
Wiley turned on him so fast Keith gasped, then choked on his own spit.
“Priddy, if you plan on waking up tomorrow, then shut your mouth.”
“Oh hell, come on, Wiley. Don’t be such an uptight asshole. I didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” Keith muttered.
Wiley was in his face, speaking in a low, quiet tone of voice, but Keith knew that if looks could kill, he would already be dead.
“She’s our sister,” Wiley said. “Mine, and Aaron, and Sean, and B.J. She’s living with us now, so if you want to talk about us, make sure it’s the truth.”
“Yeah, sure, I didn’t—”
“And apologize to Ava for the language you used in front of her.”
Keith swallowed past the knot in his throat and looked down at the little wide-eyed blond staring up at him.
“Say, kid, I’m real sorry I said some bad words. Okay?”
Ava looked at Wiley.
“She heard you,” Wiley said. “Now get on your side of the pumps and stay there.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” Keith said. “Sorry.”
Wiley glanced in the car at Ava again, but she had gone back to playing with Pinky as if none of that had just happened. Only he knew better. Ava had gone quiet. She was hiding from the grown-ups again, and he didn’t blame her.
As soon as he got back in the car, he turned on the air-conditioning and rolled the windows back up.
“Ava, honey. Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’m sorry that man was rude.”
She looked up. “What’s rude?”
“When someone says something mean on purpose.”
“Why do they do that?” Ava asked.
“Because, when God was handing out manners, they were picking their nose instead, that’s why.”
She giggled.
Wiley grinned, then winked. “That’s my girl.”
“Are we going home now?” she asked.
“Yes, we are,” Wiley said. “You’re gonna play, and I’m going to straighten up the house and get ready for the party.”
They were leaving the station and about to turn left when he saw Linette coming out of an office building. He honked and waved, and she waved back, then blew him a kiss. Wiley had the strongest urge to stop the car, get out, and kiss her senseless in front of God and everybody, but since that couldn’t happen, he just kept driving. He was, however, still smiling when he pulled into their driveway.
He opened the garage door with the remote, drove inside, then lowered the door before getting Ava out of the back seat and into the house.
“You can go play now. And if you want to watch TV, come tell me and I’ll find your cartoons for you.”
“Okay, Bubba. Can I take off my shoes and play barefoot?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” he said.
She nodded and skipped off down the hall with Pinky under her arm.
Chapter 12
Carey Eggers received the news at breakfast that she was being released today. They were getting her release papers ready, and all she needed now was a ride out of town. She was so excited she quit her food and called Johnny immediately to give him the news. When he answered on the first ring, the familiar rumble of his voice was in her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Johnny, it’s me. I have good news. I can go home this morning.”
Johnny let out a whoop. “Best news ever, sweetheart. It won’t take us long to pack up and check out. I can’t wait to get you out of here.”
“Me too,” Carey said. “Love you. See you soon, and thank you for the new going-home clothes you brought me yesterday.”
“You’re welcome. See you soon,” he said, and disconnected.
An hour later, she was finally dressed in blue shorts and a blue and white T-shirt with Jubilee written across the front. As she waited within the silence of her room, the gravity of her situation fell in on her again.
She was going home to a brother in the morgue and the hopes that there was no one left who wanted her dead. Being hunted down like a wild animal had shaken her to the core. Detective Gardner had assured them again that he’d publicly announced Billy Eggers’s sister had neither seen the person who shot him, nor had any idea who’d tried to kill her. She couldn’t identify anyone, or know anything of value to the case, and that was all the reassurance she had that she was off the shooter’s radar. She also knew that they’d issued an arrest warrant based on DNA found under her brother’s fingernails during the fight, so she had no reason to doubt Gardner’s word, but the whole debacle was still horrifying.
Then the door to her room opened, and Tom and Johnny came in. She eased herself down from the bed and hugged the both of them.
“You two are my angels. Tommy, I will never be able to repay you for all the days you’ve sacrificed for us. And Johnny never quit believing I’d survive. I just want to go home, talk to Billy’s lawyers to see what I have to do, and find out when I can bury him.”
“He’s still in the morgue, but I think they’ll release him for burial now that you’re able to claim the body,” Tom said.
Her eyes welled. “He wanted to be cremated. I’ll have to find a funeral home for that. I’ve been so focused on me that I haven’t had time to grieve his absence in my life, but I will. I will miss him. So much. He was the last of my family.”
Johnny took her hand. “We have each other, and good friends like Tom. We’ll make our own family, baby. Just don’t cry. Not today. Today is pure joy that you’ve healed enough to leave.”
She nodded. “I’ll have to check in with my regular doctor once I get home. They’re sending my medical records to his office so that he’ll have the full picture, but it’s standard practice until I’m released to go back to work.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Johnny said. “Together, we’re unstoppable, darlin’.”
Then an orderly came in with a wheelchair, followed by a nurse with Carey’s release papers and prescriptions.
“Look at us,” Carey said as she settled into the wheelchair. “We have our own handicap convoy. Breaker, breaker, Cowboy Cop. Take us home.”
Tom laughed and wheeled Johnny into step behind the orderly who was pushing Carey, and as he did, he realized he hadn’t laughed once since learning of her disappearance. It felt good to do it again.
***
It took over an hour for Tom to get them home, and then he helped them inside. The house was hot and musty. Most of the food in the refrigerator had gone bad, and he spent a few minutes cleaning it out while Carey made a list of what they needed. After Johnny forked over some of the money from Billy’s gift, he took off to do their shopping.
Word had spread among their friends as to what had happened to Carey, and they’d all donated enough money to get their truck repaired and out of the garage. It was sitting in the driveway, washed and detailed and ready to ride.
They found the truck keys on the floor when they walked in the house. Someone had shoved them through the mail slot, along with a get-well card to both of them, a sympathy card for the death of Carey’s brother, and an envelope with three hundred dollars in cash.
Carey cried. Johnny wanted to. But they were home and Carey was upright and mobile, and Johnny was getting there. He still had the cast on his leg, but it was due to come off, and they didn’t know if the police were anywhere near closing the case of Billy’s murder.
Tom returned about an hour later with fresh groceries and put them up. “I hate to leave you two like this,” he said.
“We’ll be fine,” Carey said. “Tomorrow I’m contacting Williams and Williams, the lawyers you mentioned, to see where I stand, but today, Johnny and I are going to just take it easy and rest.”
“I’ll talk to Detective Gardner and let you know what I find out, and I’ll swing by after I get off work every day to see if you need anything, okay? If you have doctor appointments, use that extra money you were given and call an Uber. Do not try to drive until your doctor releases you, or you’ll be liable if you have an accident, understand?”
They both nodded.
Then Tom patted Casey’s shoulder. “And no walking a freaking mile to get somewhere, either. This time, you ask for help, girl.”
She sighed. “Message received.”
“Okay then. I’m headed home, and then I’ll probably be back on duty tomorrow. I’ll call when I know something,” Tom said, and then gave Johnny a quick hug. “You’re the toughest guy I know. You bit the bullet for your girl, and dealt with a level of pain I can’t imagine, just to be near her. Now figure out what your next move is going to be, because your days as a lineman are over.”
“They’ve already offered me a desk job,” Johnny said. “It will be an adjustment, but I’m not going to be unemployed.”
“Good deal, buddy. So, I’m leaving now, but promise you’ll call if you need me.”
“I promise,” Johnny said, and then Tom was gone.
Johnny turned his wheelchair toward Carey. “Well, we’re home, darlin’. Nobody said life would be easy, but neither of us ever saw this coming. What you need to know is that I’ll never quit you. You’re my girl, now and always. I thought I’d lost you, and I will never take life for granted again.”
Carey moved across the room, then leaned down and kissed him.
“The drive home was exhausting. I missed our bed. I missed lying beside you and listening to you sleep.” Then her voice broke. “I thought I would never see you again.”
“I can’t make love to you yet, but I can hold you in my arms. Come to bed with me, love. You need to rest, and I want out of this chair.”
She wheeled him into their bedroom and steadied the chair as he moved himself onto the bed. Then she laid his cell phone by the bed, pulled off his shoes, then kicked off her shoes and eased herself down onto the bed beside him, and groaned.
“Home at last,” she said, and reached for his hand. His fingers curled around hers.
“Love you,” Johnny whispered.
“Love you more,” she said, and closed her eyes.
***
It was a quarter to five when the cake from Granny Annie’s Bakery was delivered to Wiley’s house, and the food he’d ordered from the local caterer was already on the counter and in the refrigerator, just waiting for guests to arrive.
Ava was playing in her room and didn’t know the cake was here and that it was what was in the big box on the counter when she came into the kitchen.
“Bubba, is it time?”
He glanced up at the clock. “They should be arriving soon. I need to change my shirt. Wanna come with me and help me pick out a good one to wear with my jeans?”
She nodded and ran ahead to his bedroom.
The simple sight of her curls bouncing and the fact that she felt comfortable enough to lead the way gave him hope that she was happy, or at least trusting that he wasn’t going to give her back.
“Do you have pink shirts?” Ava asked, when he pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it in the laundry.
He grinned. “No. Pink’s not my best color.” He opened a dresser drawer. “These are my good T-shirts. I’ll wear any color you choose.”
She leaned over, eyeing the array, then picked a pale-blue one. “I like this, Bubba. It’s the color of the sky.”
“Good choice,” he said, took it out of the stack, shook it out, and pulled it over his head. “How’s that?”
She studied his appearance seriously, then nodded. “You look pretty.”
“Girls are pretty. Boys are handsome,” he said.
“My Bubba is pretty,” she stated, and crawled up on his bed to watch as he went to the bathroom to comb his hair. “Are you gonna wear the good smelly stuff, too?”
He laughed. She paid more attention to what was going on than he realized.
“A little, okay?” then he sprayed a little cologne into the air and walked through the mist and picked her up. “Do I smell good now?” he asked, and kissed her cheek.
She giggled. “You smell pretty.”
He grinned. “You’re something else, Miss Ava. So, pretty it is.” He swooped her off his bed, carried her across the hall and into her bedroom, and plopped her down on her bed. “Now you need to put on your shoes.”
“For the party,” Ava said.
“Yes, baby. For the party,” and he picked up her sandals. He was fastening the last Velcro strap when their doorbell rang.
She gasped. “Is that company?”
“I think so. Let’s go see.”
She slid off her bed and grabbed his hand, but as they were going down the hall, she went quiet.
“Don’t be scared, baby,” Wiley said.
“If they don’t like me, will you still keep me?” she whispered.
“Nobody can take you away from me, so stop worrying. Besides, I know my brothers. I know my mother. They will love you, like I do.”
She looked up at him, but said nothing, and then they were at the door. Wiley swung it open to see his entire family standing on the porch.
Ava took one look at the giant people before her and froze. This was where she usually made herself disappear, but Wiley was here, and so she silently moved behind Wiley’s leg instead.
Wiley didn’t react other than to welcome in their guests. “Come in, everyone. Let’s sit for introductions. Ava thinks I’m a giant. Four of us is probably a little intimidating. Right, sugar?” he said, then scooped her up in his arms and held her while everyone walked in carrying gifts.
Ava felt safer in Bubba’s grasp, but she was silently staring at all of the bows and colorful wrapping, almost in a state of disbelief that they could be for her, but everybody who walked past said hello and said her name.
As soon as they were seated, Wiley shut the door and headed for the spot they’d left for him on the sofa. He sat, still holding her, then put her down. She backed up between his knees, still watching.
But it was Shirley who broke the ice. She was looking at a beautiful little girl who was half the size of what she should be, obviously in a state of fear and flight. In that moment, she felt the bond every mother feels when they look upon their child’s face for the very first time. Ava Dalton might not belong to them by blood, but she already belonged in Shirley’s heart.
“Ava, I’m Wiley’s mother, and I brought a present for you, but I have a cast on my foot that makes walking a little difficult.”
Ava eyed the soft cast.
“I can walk,” she whispered.
“Thank you. That is so helpful,” Shirley said, and held out the package.
Ava glanced at Wiley. He nodded his okay, and she left the shelter of his presence to cross the room.
Shirley handed her the gift.
“Thank you,” Ava said, and clutched it against her chest as she scurried back to Wiley, then sat down at his feet. “Bubba, can I open this?”
“You sure can,” he said.
Ava ran her fingers across the shiny white paper with a perfect yellow bow, and just sat there. It was almost as if the box could have been empty and she wouldn’t have cared because the wrapping alone was more than she’d ever had and would have been enough.
