The Texan’s Bride(71)
When the mass ended, the priest took his seat and the children moved in front of the altar with Teresa instructing them. She noticed that black lace covered Teresa’s head, and the girls’ were also covered. She hadn’t seen that earlier. All the women in the church had something on their heads and the nuns wore black veils.
An organ played and the children began to sing. Once again Jessie was mesmerized as the young innocent voices rang out with a message of faith, hope and love. She didn’t need to understand the words; the sound was universal and it moved her in a way she hadn’t expected. As the lovely notes filled her, her broken heart began to beat again and her closed mind opened. In the old, old church she admitted something to herself that she thought she never would.
I lost my child.
I lost Cadde’s child.
Cadde.
Tears clogged her throat and she wanted to cry. She needed to cry. But she couldn’t.
CADDE SAT ON THE FRONT PORCH, with Mirry in his arms, waiting for Jessie. It was Christmas Eve. She’d come home tonight because they had to decorate the tree. A cool breeze reminded him that the weather was getting colder. At 2:00 a.m. he went inside.
In his mind he knew Jessie wasn’t coming home, but in his heart, he would never ever give up hope.
On Christmas Day he sat in the living room, staring at the tree. He talked to Aunt Etta, Chance and Kid and they begged him to come to High Five, but he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate anything.
Myra came for lunch with her parents and she gnawed on him, too.
“Cadde, the tree is dying. I’ll get Papa to take it out.”
“Don’t you dare.” His stern voice stopped her in the doorway.
“You have to snap out of it.” She walked back into the room. “Go upstairs, shower and shave.”
He looked at her. “How come you haven’t found Jessie?”
“The investigator is working on it, but it’s a big holiday and a lot of people are off, including the investigator.”
“Can’t you twist his arm? Aren’t you the fire and brimstone lawyer?”
She heaved a breath and he could see she wanted to say more than she did. “I got a court order to search airline records. We’ll probably know something tomorrow.”
“Fine.”
Cadde leaned his head back on the sofa. This Christmas was going to be different—special. It certainly was different, all because of him and the traits he’d inherited from his father. If he’d just told Jessie how he felt, they would be together. They’d be sad because of the baby, but they would have dealt with it as husband and wife. Now Jessie was gone and he felt responsible, inadequate and angry.
Kid arrived in the late afternoon with a piece of coconut pie in his hand.
“What are you doing here?”
“Aunt Etta sent your favorite pie.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”
Kid placed the pie on the coffee table, sat on the sofa beside Cadde and propped his boots on the table.
Nothing was said for a few minutes.
“You do know that tree is almost dead?” Kid remarked. “You haven’t watered it.” Kid swung his feet to the floor. “I’ll throw it into the back of my truck and get rid of it.”
“Don’t touch it.”
“Come on, Cadde, you’re killing me here.” Kid flung out his arms. “Do something. Don’t just sit there and stare at that tree.”
“Go away, Kid.”
Kid got to his feet. “I’m not going anywhere until you shave that stubble off your face.”
“Go away, Kid.”
“With you it’s always the easy way or the hard way,” Kid told him. “You can either go upstairs on your own or we can fight all the way. Your choice.”
“Okay. Okay. Anything to get you out of my hair.” He lifted Mirry and went upstairs. Ten minutes later he came down in jeans and a T-shirt, cleanly shaven. Kid had his feet propped on the coffee table, eating Cadde’s pie.
For a brief moment, a note of laughter pierced his numb heart. Kid was Kid, and his brother always had a way of making him laugh. The moment didn’t last long.
“Thanks for the pie.”
“Uh…” Kid swallowed a mouthful. “You said you didn’t want it.”
“I don’t.” Cadde resumed his seat. “Didn’t you eat at High Five?”
“Yeah, but I’m not letting Aunt Etta’s pie go to waste.”
Cadde just shook his head.
“Let’s watch a movie,” Kid suggested. “You got any movies around here?”
“Yes, but I’m not in the mood, and don’t try the easy or hard way again. It won’t work.”