Chapter 9
The early afternoon heat was slowly permeating the house, displacing what little was left of the cool air from the night before. Kate loved the way the temperature dropped at night, enabling her to turn off the air conditioner and throw open the windows while they slept. Then, first thing in the morning, she would shut the house up tight, drawing the heavy curtains in order to keep things comfortable as long as possible before turning on the air conditioner. After coming home to discover the break-in the previous day, however, Kate had been afraid to open the windows during the night. As a result, the house was hotter than usual. Even though she was wearing nothing more than a pair of blue shorts and a short-sleeved white blouse, the heat was becoming oppressive. She flipped the switch on the air conditioner and listened to its steady hum, thinking how grateful she was for electricity and all the modern comforts that went with it—and how grateful she was, too, that her father had installed the air-conditioning system before he died. She could still remember how miserably hot the house had gotten on summer afternoons while she was growing up.
There you go again, Kate Ames, she scolded herself silently, as she walked back toward the kitchen to pour some iced tea. Always complaining when it’s too cold, wishing winter would end and summer get here. Now that it’s here, you’re flipping on the air conditioner because it’s too hot. That’s as bad as not knowing whether you want to go to the lake or come home, go back to work, quit your job, find something new....
She plopped some ice cubes into a glass, filled it with tea, and went to the back door to check on Jason. Seemingly oblivious to the heat, Jason, along with his “best buddy,” Mikey, was climbing, swinging, sliding, and squealing with delight on Jason’s swing set. She was about to call them in for a cool drink when the ringing phone shattered her temporary sense of well-being, sending her glass of iced tea slipping from her hand and crashing to the floor.
Instinctively she reached for the wall phone next to the back door, then hesitated, only vaguely aware of the cold liquid that had splashed up onto her bare legs and feet. Visions of a mysterious, dark shadow prowling around the back of the cabin danced through her mind. She shuddered, wondering briefly if that same person might be the one who broke into her home, invading and violating her privacy, and might even now be calling to torment her.
This is crazy, she told herself. I can’t become a prisoner in my own home, afraid to go to the lake, afraid of everything.
She grabbed the receiver from the wall. “Hello?” she snapped.
“Kathryn? Is that you?”
The tension melted from Kate’s neck and shoulders, as she recognized the voice on the other end of the line. “Hello, Lyle,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” he answered. “It’s you I’m concerned with. I heard about the break-in. Are you all right, Kathryn?”
Kate pulled out a chair from the table and sank down into it, as memories of yesterday’s invasion threatened to overwhelm her. For the first time, she noticed the broken glass and spilled tea at her feet. It’s amazing I didn’t get cut, she thought, surprised that she didn’t remember dropping the glass.
“Kathryn? Are you still there?”
Startled, Kate jumped. She had forgotten about Lyle. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I was just...I...I dropped a glass of tea right before you called, and...I should clean it up before Jason comes in.... Oh, Lyle, I really am sorry. I don’t mean to sound so scatterbrained. It’s just that—”
“There’s no need to apologize,” Lyle interrupted. “I can only imagine how upset you must be. Is there anything I can do? Anything, Kathryn, you know that.”
Kate swallowed, disgusted with herself as tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m fine,” she said. “Truly I am. Jason and I were away at the cabin when it happened, and nothing seems to be missing. The police think it was someone looking for drugs or money or something.”
“More than likely,” Lyle agreed. “I’m just thankful you weren’t there. I hope you’re planning to have something done about those locks on your doors.”
“I called a locksmith this morning. He said he’d be over first thing tomorrow.”
“Good.” His voice dropped a notch, and she could imagine the look in his sultry eyes when he spoke. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
Kate squirmed, wanting to end the call. “Thank you, Lyle. I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine—we’re fine.”
“I’m glad,” he said, his voice still soft and husky. “I care about you, Kathryn. You know that.” He paused. When Kate didn’t answer, he went on. “Listen, the break-in was just one of the reasons I called. The other reason was, I wondered if I could talk you into going out for dinner tonight. It would do you good to get out of that house, and there’s no reason to stay home and cook all the time when I’m more than willing to take you somewhere nice. Just you and me. What do you say?”
Kate felt her resentment rising. Why was it so hard for Lyle to understand the word no? How many times had she told him she wasn’t interested and had no intention of going out with him again? She took a deep breath and counted to three before answering. “I can’t, Lyle,” she said, the firmness in her voice surprising her. “I’m sorry, but—”
“Fine,” Lyle interrupted. “Some other time then. Take care of yourself, Kathryn. And be sure to get those locks changed.”
The phone buzzed in her ear, and she sighed with relief, as she hung up the phone and went to the closet to get the broom and dustpan and mop. Just as she finished cleaning up the mess, the back door flew open and Jason and Mikey burst in, announcing that they were “starved.”
Kate laughed as she looked at their smudged, sweaty faces, then sent them to the bathroom to wash up while she fixed tuna sandwiches. By the time they had finished lunch and gone back out to play, Kate couldn’t decide if she was physically and emotionally exhausted, or just feeling listless and at loose ends.
She wandered back into the living room and flopped down on the couch, stretching her lightly tanned legs out in front of her. What’s wrong with me? she wondered. Why can’t I find some direction for my life? Why do I feel so disconnected, as if I don’t belong anywhere? Would I feel better if I went back to work? Or maybe I should look for something different? Or go back to school or...
She sighed and picked up a throw pillow from the couch, hugging it tightly to herself. “I just don’t know,” she said aloud. “I don’t know what I want to do.” She thought again about her job at the bank, the long, dull hours dragging by as she carried out her duties mechanically, smiling at the customers and longing for Friday afternoon.
Her dad had loved it—every bit of it, even the occasional rankled customer who blamed him for turning down a loan application. According to Richard Waters, it just “went with the territory.” But Kate had never shared his devotion or enthusiasm for that particular territory.
“No,” she exclaimed suddenly. “No, I do not want to work there anymore. I may not know what it is I do want, but I certainly know what I don’t want, and that’s to go back to the bank.”
She picked up the phone from the end table and dialed quickly, anxious to talk to the bank’s manager, John Mansfield, before she lost her nerve.
“Kate, so good to hear from you,” John’s voice boomed into the phone after his secretary had put Kate’s call through. “How’s it feel to be a lady of leisure? I hope this call means you’re ready to come back. We miss you here.”
Kate took a deep breath, determined not to let John’s warm, fatherly demeanor weaken her resolve. “Actually,” she announced, trying desperately to keep her voice from shaking, “I’ve decided not to come back at all, John. I...I’m not sure yet what it is I want to do with my life, but...well, you know I only took the job because of Dad and... Oh, John, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but...”
“I understand, Kate,” John answered, his tone affirming his words. “I truly do. And, yes, I
know you took the job originally to please your father and to be near him. But I think maybe you’re right. Maybe this is the time to do a little soul-searching, try to find what’s right for you, something fulfilling and satisfying. No one should spend their life working at something they don’t enjoy if they have a choice. And you have that choice, Kate, thanks to your father. We’ll miss you, but I can’t say that I’m surprised. You always did a great job, but I knew you weren’t really happy here.”
Kate’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you, John,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “It feels so good to have that part settled. Now if I could just figure out where to go from here.”
John chuckled. “You will, Kate. I’m sure of it. Just give yourself some time. You’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
Do I? she wondered. Do I really? Or is it already behind me, buried in the cold, hard ground with my parents and Tony?
Out loud she said, “Thanks for understanding, John. You’ve been a good friend.”
“Hey,” John said, “let’s don’t make that past-tense. Just because you won’t be coming back here to work doesn’t mean you can’t stop in now and then to say hello.”
Kate smiled. “I’ll do that,” she said. “I promise.”
She had barely hung up when the doorbell rang. Frowning, she got up slowly, the now familiar uneasiness rising once again within her. How long was this to go on, she wondered. How long until she quit expecting to find mysterious strangers behind every door or at the other end of every phone call?
Peering through the peep hole, she was surprised to see Mark Thomas standing on her porch, carrying some sort of large metal box in one hand and a brown paper sack in the other. Confused, she couldn’t decide if she was pleased or annoyed by his unexpected visit.
Patting her short curls into place, she reached for the doorknob, wishing she had taken the time to put on at least a touch of make-up that morning. Oh well, she thought, if he’s going to drop in unannounced, I guess he’ll just have to settle for the real me.
Mark didn’t seem to mind. Kate had no sooner opened the door than his blue eyes lit up and his warm, contagious grin spread across his face.
“Hi,” he said shyly, shifting from one foot to the other. “Sorry I didn’t call first, but your line was busy and…apparently you don’t have call-waiting or voice mail.”
“You’re right,” Kate said hurriedly, returning his smile in spite of herself. “I don’t know why I just never bothered to add them. And I’ve been on the phone quite a bit today, so… Anyway, would you...like to come in? I’ve got some iced tea in the refrigerator.”
Mark looked relieved. “Thanks,” he said, stepping inside. “It’s really hot out there. Your air conditioning feels great.”
“Please, sit down,” she said, indicating the couch. “I’ll be right back with the iced tea. Or would you rather have it in the kitchen?”
“Oh, well, no, I just...” He flushed and looked at Kate apologetically. “Actually, I was just wondering if you’d had a chance to have your locks fixed yet, because if you haven’t... Well, I noticed when I got here that you haven’t, so I’d like to do that for you.” He held the bag out in front of him. “These are the new locks,” he explained quickly. “And this is my tool box. I hope you don’t think I’m being too forward, but I was concerned about you and Jason. I know how hard it is to get a locksmith to come right out and...” His voice trailed off, as if he had suddenly run out of words. He looked at her expectantly.
Why? she wondered, feeling an unreasonable anger and resentment rising within her. Why does everyone feel the need to protect me? Is it because of my size? Because I’m a woman without a man, is that it? Do I really appear that helpless and unsure of myself? First Lyle, now Mark. I suppose I should feel flattered. I know they mean well, but...
“Am I out of line?” Mark asked suddenly, a frown of concern creasing his forehead. “Because if I am, just say so. I’ll understand, really. It’s just that—”
“No,” Kate interrupted him. “No, Mark, you aren’t out of line. In fact, it was sweet of you to take the time to do this. I appreciate it, really.” Which is the most annoying of all, she thought. I really do appreciate it, even though I resent the inference that I can’t take care of myself and Jason. I don’t know the first thing about installing deadbolt locks, and it will certainly be a relief not having to go through another night without them. I’ll just call the locksmith and cancel the appointment for tomorrow….
“Then you won’t mind if I go ahead and get started,” Mark was saying, his frown gone and his smile back in place. “I can work on the front door while you get that iced tea you mentioned.”
The back door slammed just then, and the sound of running feet pounded through the kitchen toward them. “Hey, Mom,” Jason called, charging into the living room with Mikey hot on his heels. “Can we have some ice cream—”
He stopped so quickly that Mikey ran into him from behind, knocking him over with the force of the impact. They both fell to the floor in a surprised heap. Jason was the first to untangle himself and jump up.
“Mark,” he exclaimed, his dark eyes shining with surprise and excitement. “Wow, Mom didn’t tell me you were here.”
Mark laughed. “That’s because I just got here,” he explained. “She hasn’t had time to tell you yet.”
Mikey still sat on the floor, looking up shyly at Mark from beneath a thick shock of bright red curls.
Before anyone else could say anything, Jason announced, “This is my best buddy, Mikey. He lives down the street.”
Mark reached down to shake Mikey’s hand, then helped him up onto his feet. “Hello, Mikey,” he said. “I’m Mark Thomas, one of Jason’s other buddies.”
“Hi,” Mikey mumbled, dropping his eyes and focusing in on his dirty, untied tennis shoes.
“Hey, Mom,” Jason said, “can we have some ice cream? All of us, I mean.”
Kate looked at Mark and raised her eyebrows questioningly. “Do you want to stick with tea, or does ice cream sound a little more tempting?”
“There’s only one thing in the world that I like better than pepperoni pizza,” Mark said with a grin. “And that’s ice cream.”
Mikey forgot his shyness, as both he and Jason let out a whoop and headed for the kitchen. Mark and Kate trailed along behind.
“I’ve tried to teach him not to run in the house,” Kate said, laughing. “But I think it’s a losing battle.”
The boys were on their second bowl of chocolate chip ice cream when Mark looked across the table at Kate and asked, “So, how are you doing on your books? Had time to do any more reading since you got home?”
“I’m afraid not,” Kate answered. “With the break-in and all, you know.”
Mark nodded. “Sure. Well, maybe with the new locks on your doors you can relax and get back into the books. They’re really excellent, especially the way the author so subtly weaves in a Christian message.”
“You mentioned that,” Kate said abruptly.
Mark flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...” He stopped and took a deep breath. “So, have you thought any more about going back to work?”
Relieved at the change of subject, Kate answered, “Actually, yes, I have thought about it. And I’ve decided I don’t want to go back to the bank—at all. I called my manager and told him just before you got here. He was very understanding. The trouble is, I don’t know what I want to do instead.”
“Have you prayed about it?” Mark asked softly. “God will give you guidance in that area if you ask Him, you know.”
There he goes again, Kate thought. I’m not going to let him get me into another one of his discussions about God.
“Thank you for the suggestion,” she said coolly, standing up to clear the bowls from the table. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Mark stood up, too. “Well,” he said, his voice suddenly strained and formal, ?
??I suppose I’d better forget about inviting you two to the church picnic on Sunday and just get in there and fix those locks. Excuse me.”
He started toward the living room, but Jason jumped up and grabbed his arm excitedly. “What church picnic?” he demanded. “Why would you want to forget about it? I love picnics, and so does Mom.” He looked from Mark to his mother. “Don’t you, Mom?”
“Well, I...of course I like picnics,” she stammered. “But...”
“All right!” Jason cried, turning back to Mark. “When do we go? Is it going to be at the park? Can we have hot dogs?”
Mark laughed and tousled Jason’s hair, then looked at Kate questioningly. “The picnic is after church on Sunday,” he said. “And, yes, it’s going to be at the park. I don’t know yet about hot dogs, but I could pick you two up for church Sunday morning at eight-thirty—Mikey, too, for that matter—and we could all go right over to the picnic after the service. Would that be all right?”
Three pairs of eyes—brown, blue, and green—zeroed in on Kate imploringly. She felt trapped and more than slightly resentful of the situation. Although she had continued to pray with Jason since Tony and her father died, she hadn’t set foot in church since Richard Waters’ funeral. And she had no intention of going back now. But, in all fairness to Mark, she knew that Jason had forced the issue. Now it was up to her to settle it.
“All right,” she agreed. “Although I’ll have to check with Mikey’s mom first.” She held out a hand to silence the boys, who were jumping up and down and cheering. “But,” she added emphatically, looking directly at Mark, “only for the picnic. If we can skip church and meet you at the park, then I guess we have a date.”