“The preacher?”
“The preacher.”
“Yes, sir.” Jeff hurried away.
“Lloyd, you go say your good-byes to Katie and Stephen.” Jake stopped walking and faced his son. “I’m glad as hell they’re okay, Lloyd. Katie did good, real good. You take damn good care of that woman.”
“You know I will. I love her more than ever, Pa. What she did—that sealed it.”
“And that news about your mother…” Jake pressed his lips together tightly.
“I know, Pa. I want to celebrate that too, but there’s no time to think about it now. Just think about the fact that when we get back, she’ll be here, and she’ll be well. She’ll be here to greet you, like always.”
Jake turned away. “I’ve never needed her this bad.”
“She’s already with you, Pa. She’s already with Evie too. And Evie is stronger than you think.” They kept walking as they talked. “And she won’t be scared, Pa, because she knows you’ll come. She knows we’ll both come. And Mom will be counting on us to bring Evie back, but she’ll also be counting on you coming back, so don’t go offering yourself up to Marty Bryant too quick. I know that’s what you’ll do if you have to, but there has to be another way.”
Jake swallowed. “Maybe.” He reached back and Lloyd grasped his hand. “Go talk to Tobe and then get Brian.”
“I will. I’ll round up some extra men too.”
Jake let go of his hand.
“Pa—”
Jake faced his son.
“Katie’s pregnant. That’s a good sign things will work out. I’m sure of it.”
Jake nodded. “Good. That’s good. I’m happy for both of you.” He turned and walked back to where he’d left his horse. People stared and backed away.
Jake mounted up and rode his horse to the house, his heart aching at the sight of the damage…the trampled roses, bullet holes all over the front of the house, windows shot out, the door beat down. He dismounted and walked inside, wanting to weep at the destruction there, as though a tornado had ripped through it. The lamp Randy loved lay smashed to pieces on the floor.
He walked to the bedroom and pushed open the door. To his surprise, everything there was intact. If only Randy were standing there, waiting for him. He could hear her voice, remembered when she was changing clothes and complaining about not fitting into her camisole. If anything happened to her, how could he ever walk into this room again, or ever sleep here again?
He walked over to the bed and picked up a pillow, breathing deeply of the rose scent. He remembered how passionately they’d made love before he left. She was alive! And there was no cancer! What a wonderful day this would be if it weren’t for his Evie being taken, and his precious Little Jake’s life in danger. Would they hurt or kill a little boy? Could they be that cruel?
He squeezed the pillow tight, burying his face in it. “Randy…Randy,” he groaned. He sat down on the edge of the bed and rocked with the pillow in his arms.
Sometimes all I need is your arms around me. He could hear her saying it, feel her in his arms right now, smell her on the pillow.
“Jake?”
He looked up to see the tall, gangly Preacher Zilke standing in the doorway, looking a bit hesitant.
“You sent for me, but from the looks of you, I’m not sure I should come in.”
“Don’t worry. My anger isn’t at you.” Jake laid the pillow on the bed. “Sometimes all you need is to breathe in someone’s scent to feel close to them.”
The preacher nodded wordlessly.
Jake glanced at one of Randy’s nightgowns hanging on a hook on the wall before addressing the preacher. “I felt like I should tell you that I promised Randy that if she got through her surgery and it wasn’t cancer, I’d go to church. But before this is over, Zilke, I’ll have done things that will mean walking into a church is impossible. I already threatened to hurt a woman to get information out of her. I’ve never hurt a woman before, but this one would have risked my family’s lives if I didn’t—” He looked away. “And I just tortured a man to find out where they took my Evie.” He shifted, and the bed squeaked a little. The memory of how sometimes it squeaked a little too much when he and Randy were making love stabbed at his heart like a sword. “Right now, I’m not sure there is a God after all, Zilke. Why would he let this happen to my daughter and that wonderful little grandson of mine?”
“Jake, I know Evie well, and she is the sweetest thing who ever walked. I believe God gave her to you just to show you that there is good in you. It’s not all Randy that has made her the way she is. It’s also you. She feels your love, sees through that outer crust. I am telling you now that whatever has happened to her, evil has not touched her, Jake. Evil can’t touch that young woman, but evil can use her to bring out the evil in you. This could be a reckoning, Jake, a chance for you to once and for all cast out that evil.”