and then.
Why was his father back in Gabe’s life? He had no business interfering after all these years. He didn’t deserve the chance.
Joe groaned. What if Wayne Michaels had stepped back into Gabe’s life to get at Joe? to twist the family purse strings and
see if he could wring out something for himself? The thought made Joe nauseous. All his years of dusting the trail behind
him could be obliterated by one well-placed phone call.
No, Wayne Michaels had been writing to Gabe for four years. If he wanted to cause Joe trouble, he would have done so already.
Still, the urge to escape flooded over him and nearly put action to his feet. He had to move on. It was the only option he
could see from his perch on the rocks, as he stared into the rapidly darkening sky. A few faint stars twinkled.
Regret formed a jagged lump in his throat. Leaving meant he would have to abandon Mona. And he didn’t even want to think about
what it would do to his future. His last chance for redemption slipping through his hands like jelly.
Both realities made his chest tighten.
“Joe?” Like an apparition, Mona appeared. Joe blinked at her, gaping. She smiled and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are
you okay? You look pale.”
Joe couldn’t speak, his tongue locked somewhere in his foundering heart. He shook his head.
She frowned, her green eyes flecking with concern
.“Wanna talk about it?”
The tenderness in her voice threatened to make him cry. He shook his head again.
She considered him a moment, then settled next to him anyway. She began to flick through the rocks. “I saved you some pizza.”
He swallowed, cleared his throat, forcing pleasantness through his agony. “What kind?”
“Canadian bacon, green peppers, and mushrooms.”
“Thanks. That’s my favorite.”
Mona gave him a strange look. “Brian hates it. He and Liza got pepperoni.” She continued her rock hunt for a moment, then
stared at the sky. The wind pushed through the trees, sounding like a muted waterfall.
Joe didn’t fill the gap with conversation; instead he searched for the words to tell her he had to leave.
“I told them I wanted to take a walk,” she finally continued. “Stars calling, you know.” She glanced at him, and Joe caught
the sparkle in her eyes. He broke her gaze and looked woodenly across the lake. The sun had left a crimson fire simmering
along the horizon, painting Lake Superior flame red.
He closed his eyes, fighting the pain stabbing at him .Why, God? Why is life so difficult? Now, just when he wanted to stay, when he’d let Mona and her dream into his heart, when he’d found the hope for his despair,
self-preservation drove him away. But hadn’t it always been that way? Joe Michaels, founder of the “save thyself” society?
Expert at evasion, patent holder of “pack and run”? Why couldn’t he, just once, summon the inner chutzpah to plant his feet
in one place?
His one-word answer? Gabe. It all came back to his brother. Even now, Gabe was the reason the past had risen like a phantom,
haunting. Joe felt tears forming and pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes to drive them back.
“The Footstep is shaping up,” Mona said, oblivious to the emotional warfare being waged beside her. “I planted flowers today.
Tomorrow I’m going to paint the windowsills. And Ernie down at the bowling alley said I could have his old bar. He’s putting
in a new one. I thought it would be a great place to serve coffee.” As Mona’s words rolled out, Joe found her presence oddly
calming. He began to relax into her plans. The rushing urgency of retreat slowed.
“I’m renting a floor polisher on Monday. I’ll buff the floor and then add a coat or two of varnish. My wallpaper order came
in today also. I’ll slap it up next week.”
Her ideas bubbled over, and it was easy to crawl inside them. Her gentle voice, the way the wind played with her hair, and
her subtle fragrance of
Why was his father back in Gabe’s life? He had no business interfering after all these years. He didn’t deserve the chance.
Joe groaned. What if Wayne Michaels had stepped back into Gabe’s life to get at Joe? to twist the family purse strings and
see if he could wring out something for himself? The thought made Joe nauseous. All his years of dusting the trail behind
him could be obliterated by one well-placed phone call.
No, Wayne Michaels had been writing to Gabe for four years. If he wanted to cause Joe trouble, he would have done so already.
Still, the urge to escape flooded over him and nearly put action to his feet. He had to move on. It was the only option he
could see from his perch on the rocks, as he stared into the rapidly darkening sky. A few faint stars twinkled.
Regret formed a jagged lump in his throat. Leaving meant he would have to abandon Mona. And he didn’t even want to think about
what it would do to his future. His last chance for redemption slipping through his hands like jelly.
Both realities made his chest tighten.
“Joe?” Like an apparition, Mona appeared. Joe blinked at her, gaping. She smiled and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are
you okay? You look pale.”
Joe couldn’t speak, his tongue locked somewhere in his foundering heart. He shook his head.
She frowned, her green eyes flecking with concern
.“Wanna talk about it?”
The tenderness in her voice threatened to make him cry. He shook his head again.
She considered him a moment, then settled next to him anyway. She began to flick through the rocks. “I saved you some pizza.”
He swallowed, cleared his throat, forcing pleasantness through his agony. “What kind?”
“Canadian bacon, green peppers, and mushrooms.”
“Thanks. That’s my favorite.”
Mona gave him a strange look. “Brian hates it. He and Liza got pepperoni.” She continued her rock hunt for a moment, then
stared at the sky. The wind pushed through the trees, sounding like a muted waterfall.
Joe didn’t fill the gap with conversation; instead he searched for the words to tell her he had to leave.
“I told them I wanted to take a walk,” she finally continued. “Stars calling, you know.” She glanced at him, and Joe caught
the sparkle in her eyes. He broke her gaze and looked woodenly across the lake. The sun had left a crimson fire simmering
along the horizon, painting Lake Superior flame red.
He closed his eyes, fighting the pain stabbing at him .Why, God? Why is life so difficult? Now, just when he wanted to stay, when he’d let Mona and her dream into his heart, when he’d found the hope for his despair,
self-preservation drove him away. But hadn’t it always been that way? Joe Michaels, founder of the “save thyself” society?
Expert at evasion, patent holder of “pack and run”? Why couldn’t he, just once, summon the inner chutzpah to plant his feet
in one place?
His one-word answer? Gabe. It all came back to his brother. Even now, Gabe was the reason the past had risen like a phantom,
haunting. Joe felt tears forming and pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes to drive them back.
“The Footstep is shaping up,” Mona said, oblivious to the emotional warfare being waged beside her. “I planted flowers today.
Tomorrow I’m going to paint the windowsills. And Ernie down at the bowling alley said I could have his old bar. He’s putting
in a new one. I thought it would be a great place to serve coffee.” As Mona’s words rolled out, Joe found her presence oddly
calming. He began to relax into her plans. The rushing urgency of retreat slowed.
“I’m renting a floor polisher on Monday. I’ll buff the floor and then add a coat or two of varnish. My wallpaper order came
in today also. I’ll slap it up next week.”
Her ideas bubbled over, and it was easy to crawl inside them. Her gentle voice, the way the wind played with her hair, and
her subtle fragrance of
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