hallucinating?
Jenks continued in a calm voice. “She was planning
to jump. Please take care of her, Sir. She needs your
strength.”
“I don’t understand…” Mike wasn’t sure if he spoke
to the dead soldier or himself.
Jenks gave him a quick salute and vanished.
The dispatcher’s voice jerked him back from
confusion. “Major? Are you still there?”
“Yes. The woman’s name is Cynthia Jenks. Is an
ambulance on the way?”
“Should arrive in less than fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you.” Mike disconnected the call and
concentrated Cynthia’s pale face. Her eyelids fluttered a
few times, and then stilled. She was beautiful and so
damn young to be a widow.
His brain raced with the implications of seeing a
dead man. He’d never given ghosts and spirits much
consideration, although he always kept an open mind. He
had no doubts about what he’d seen. Peter Jenks had
been as real as the woman lying at his feet.
Why would Peter make him responsible for his
widow? They barely knew each other. Peter had sat in on
his intelligence logistics classes before deploying, but
5
Pam Champagne
they’d shared no personal friendship.
Ten minutes later sirens blared in the distance. He
picked up Cynthia’s limp hand. “Help’s on the way. You’ll
be fine.”
Her eyelids fluttered. “Who are you? Where’s Peter?”
So she, too, had seen her husband. No wonder she
ran in front of his Jeep. “No, Cynthia. He’s gone. I’m
Major Spencer…call me Mike.”
Her loud moan of distress sounded like a wounded
animal. She struggled to rise. “Did you see him? It wasn’t
just my imagination…was it?”
Mike gently pushed her down. “Lie still. The
ambulance is here.” She ceased struggling and began to
cry. Her wrenching sobs stabbed him deep. He knew all
too well the pain of losing a loved one.
Two EMTs rushed toward them carrying a stretcher.
“Is she conscious?”
“Awake and crying. I think she’s fine, but she should
be checked out.”
Cynthia grasped his arm. “No hospital. Please, Mike.
Don’t leave me.”
Mike tried to break eye contact and failed. Against
his better judgment he said, “I’ll follow the ambulance to
the hospital. We’ll see what the doctor has to say. If he
says you’re okay to leave, I’ll take you home.”
Her gaze never left him when the EMTs lifted her
onto the stretcher and pushed it into the ambulance. It
drove off, siren blaring. Mike tossed the wool blanket into
the backseat and drove to the picnic area ahead where
Cynthia had parked. He put the Jeep in neutral, hit the
emergency brake and let the engine idle.
She drove a fairly new pickup truck. A brown suede
purse lay on the seat; the keys dangled from the ignition.
A folded piece of white paper stuck out of her purse.
Mike snatched it and read the one sentence written
in blue ink. Everything is too much for me. The words
confirmed Peter’s words. Cynthia Jenks had no intention
of driving her truck home this night.
6
Bridge of Hope
Mike rested his forehead on the window, trying to
control his anger. Mary Jo had fought like a lion to live,
knowing her chances were slim to none. He’d lost his wife
to cancer, and this young woman was anxious to throw
her life away. He slammed a clenched fist against the
door at the unfairness.
7
Pam Champagne
Chapter Two
Mike grabbed Cynthia’s purse and keys, and hurried
to his Jeep. Remembrances of Mary Jo drummed in his
head as he maneuvered the roads to Watertown. He tried
and failed to imagine coping with the loss of his wife
without his daughter’s help. For the first year, Katy had
been the reason he’d gotten out of bed in the morning,
when all he’d wanted was to drag the blankets over his
head and sleep forever.
What gave him the right to judge Peter Jenks’ wife?
Get off your high horse, Spencer, and show a little
compassion . The spirit of a young soldier had asked him
to keep an eye on his
Jenks continued in a calm voice. “She was planning
to jump. Please take care of her, Sir. She needs your
strength.”
“I don’t understand…” Mike wasn’t sure if he spoke
to the dead soldier or himself.
Jenks gave him a quick salute and vanished.
The dispatcher’s voice jerked him back from
confusion. “Major? Are you still there?”
“Yes. The woman’s name is Cynthia Jenks. Is an
ambulance on the way?”
“Should arrive in less than fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you.” Mike disconnected the call and
concentrated Cynthia’s pale face. Her eyelids fluttered a
few times, and then stilled. She was beautiful and so
damn young to be a widow.
His brain raced with the implications of seeing a
dead man. He’d never given ghosts and spirits much
consideration, although he always kept an open mind. He
had no doubts about what he’d seen. Peter Jenks had
been as real as the woman lying at his feet.
Why would Peter make him responsible for his
widow? They barely knew each other. Peter had sat in on
his intelligence logistics classes before deploying, but
5
Pam Champagne
they’d shared no personal friendship.
Ten minutes later sirens blared in the distance. He
picked up Cynthia’s limp hand. “Help’s on the way. You’ll
be fine.”
Her eyelids fluttered. “Who are you? Where’s Peter?”
So she, too, had seen her husband. No wonder she
ran in front of his Jeep. “No, Cynthia. He’s gone. I’m
Major Spencer…call me Mike.”
Her loud moan of distress sounded like a wounded
animal. She struggled to rise. “Did you see him? It wasn’t
just my imagination…was it?”
Mike gently pushed her down. “Lie still. The
ambulance is here.” She ceased struggling and began to
cry. Her wrenching sobs stabbed him deep. He knew all
too well the pain of losing a loved one.
Two EMTs rushed toward them carrying a stretcher.
“Is she conscious?”
“Awake and crying. I think she’s fine, but she should
be checked out.”
Cynthia grasped his arm. “No hospital. Please, Mike.
Don’t leave me.”
Mike tried to break eye contact and failed. Against
his better judgment he said, “I’ll follow the ambulance to
the hospital. We’ll see what the doctor has to say. If he
says you’re okay to leave, I’ll take you home.”
Her gaze never left him when the EMTs lifted her
onto the stretcher and pushed it into the ambulance. It
drove off, siren blaring. Mike tossed the wool blanket into
the backseat and drove to the picnic area ahead where
Cynthia had parked. He put the Jeep in neutral, hit the
emergency brake and let the engine idle.
She drove a fairly new pickup truck. A brown suede
purse lay on the seat; the keys dangled from the ignition.
A folded piece of white paper stuck out of her purse.
Mike snatched it and read the one sentence written
in blue ink. Everything is too much for me. The words
confirmed Peter’s words. Cynthia Jenks had no intention
of driving her truck home this night.
6
Bridge of Hope
Mike rested his forehead on the window, trying to
control his anger. Mary Jo had fought like a lion to live,
knowing her chances were slim to none. He’d lost his wife
to cancer, and this young woman was anxious to throw
her life away. He slammed a clenched fist against the
door at the unfairness.
7
Pam Champagne
Chapter Two
Mike grabbed Cynthia’s purse and keys, and hurried
to his Jeep. Remembrances of Mary Jo drummed in his
head as he maneuvered the roads to Watertown. He tried
and failed to imagine coping with the loss of his wife
without his daughter’s help. For the first year, Katy had
been the reason he’d gotten out of bed in the morning,
when all he’d wanted was to drag the blankets over his
head and sleep forever.
What gave him the right to judge Peter Jenks’ wife?
Get off your high horse, Spencer, and show a little
compassion . The spirit of a young soldier had asked him
to keep an eye on his
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