there, yet she shiveredin response to the contact. Hoping he hadn’t noticed, she backed away with a simple “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Good night, Maya.”
Pausing at the door she turned, smiled and said, “Good night…Greg.”
The scariest aspect of that small utterance was that it had felt good, felt right. In the space of a single day, she and Gregory Garrison had apparently progressed from the formal relationship of boss and employee to that of friends. How unbelievable was that?
Chapter Eight
T he following morning passed in a blur. Maya had used Gregory’s—Greg’s—phone to try to reach her other brother, Clay, after she’d dug her personal phone book out of the mess in her living room and had found his work number. Disappointingly, she’d been forced to leave a message for him. His boss had informed her that Clay was out in the Canadian wilderness, guiding a hunting party, and was therefore incommunicado.
Greg had made four trips with Maya to her house to pick up furniture and anything else she wanted to move. They were in his pockmarked SUV, stopping in front of the Garrison building with their final load, when his cell phone rang.
He answered, spoke briefly, then turned off the motor as he held out the phone. “It’s your brother.”
“Clay? Already? They told me he wouldn’t get my message for weeks.”
“No. This is Jesse. He says it’s urgent.” Lowering his voice and covering the mouthpiece Greg added, “He sounds terrible.”
Heart in her throat, Maya took the instrument. “Jesse? What’s wrong?”
She waited while he struggled to speak. Finally, he blurted it out. “Marie’s dead.”
Maya was glad she was seated because she suddenly couldn’t draw a breath. All her strength vanished. Her hands began to tremble. “What happened?”
“An accident. Chief Ridgeway just came by to tell me. Marie was driving and…and…a tree…”
“Take your time, Jesse.”
She heard him cough to try to cover his raw emotions before he continued. “A tree was knocked over by the storm. As near as they can tell, Marie had pulled over to wait out the tornado and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“They’re sure it was her?”
“Positive. Somebody has to make an official identification, for the record. They can’t tell by her wedding and engagement rings because she left them behind on the kitchen table, like I said, and the tornado blew everything away, but the chief says there’s no doubt in his mind. It’s her, all right.”
“Oh, Jesse. I don’t know what to say.”
“Neither do I. And it gets worse. I still have to notify Marie’s parents. I’m really dreading it.”
“I can understand that. They never were very friendly to any of us.” She paused, then mustered her courage and asked, “Do you want me to do it for you?”
“No. It’s my job. Just say an extra prayer for me, okay? I’ve tried to reach them at home and all I get is an answering machine. I refuse to leave them a horrible message like that.”
“Of course not. And if there’s anything I can do, anything at all, just give a holler.”
“Do you have your own cell phone yet? I tried your house again and the call didn’t go through this time, either.”
“Just keep using this number for a while. I’ll get back to you when I locate my cell or buy a new one.”
“Okay. Thanks for listening. I feel better just having talked to you, Maya. You always were the level-headed one.”
“And you were the good one,” she countered. “Mama always said so.” She sighed slowly, deeply. “So, what’s next?”
“I’m heading for the hospital. I just want to be with the babies. Right now, I hardly know if I’m coming or going.”
“I wish I were there to give you a big hug.”
“I can feel it over the phone,” her brother said.“Tell—tell Reverend Michael to be ready to conduct a funeral soon.”
Maya heard his breath catch in a muffled sob before he managed to bid her
“You’re welcome. Good night, Maya.”
Pausing at the door she turned, smiled and said, “Good night…Greg.”
The scariest aspect of that small utterance was that it had felt good, felt right. In the space of a single day, she and Gregory Garrison had apparently progressed from the formal relationship of boss and employee to that of friends. How unbelievable was that?
Chapter Eight
T he following morning passed in a blur. Maya had used Gregory’s—Greg’s—phone to try to reach her other brother, Clay, after she’d dug her personal phone book out of the mess in her living room and had found his work number. Disappointingly, she’d been forced to leave a message for him. His boss had informed her that Clay was out in the Canadian wilderness, guiding a hunting party, and was therefore incommunicado.
Greg had made four trips with Maya to her house to pick up furniture and anything else she wanted to move. They were in his pockmarked SUV, stopping in front of the Garrison building with their final load, when his cell phone rang.
He answered, spoke briefly, then turned off the motor as he held out the phone. “It’s your brother.”
“Clay? Already? They told me he wouldn’t get my message for weeks.”
“No. This is Jesse. He says it’s urgent.” Lowering his voice and covering the mouthpiece Greg added, “He sounds terrible.”
Heart in her throat, Maya took the instrument. “Jesse? What’s wrong?”
She waited while he struggled to speak. Finally, he blurted it out. “Marie’s dead.”
Maya was glad she was seated because she suddenly couldn’t draw a breath. All her strength vanished. Her hands began to tremble. “What happened?”
“An accident. Chief Ridgeway just came by to tell me. Marie was driving and…and…a tree…”
“Take your time, Jesse.”
She heard him cough to try to cover his raw emotions before he continued. “A tree was knocked over by the storm. As near as they can tell, Marie had pulled over to wait out the tornado and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“They’re sure it was her?”
“Positive. Somebody has to make an official identification, for the record. They can’t tell by her wedding and engagement rings because she left them behind on the kitchen table, like I said, and the tornado blew everything away, but the chief says there’s no doubt in his mind. It’s her, all right.”
“Oh, Jesse. I don’t know what to say.”
“Neither do I. And it gets worse. I still have to notify Marie’s parents. I’m really dreading it.”
“I can understand that. They never were very friendly to any of us.” She paused, then mustered her courage and asked, “Do you want me to do it for you?”
“No. It’s my job. Just say an extra prayer for me, okay? I’ve tried to reach them at home and all I get is an answering machine. I refuse to leave them a horrible message like that.”
“Of course not. And if there’s anything I can do, anything at all, just give a holler.”
“Do you have your own cell phone yet? I tried your house again and the call didn’t go through this time, either.”
“Just keep using this number for a while. I’ll get back to you when I locate my cell or buy a new one.”
“Okay. Thanks for listening. I feel better just having talked to you, Maya. You always were the level-headed one.”
“And you were the good one,” she countered. “Mama always said so.” She sighed slowly, deeply. “So, what’s next?”
“I’m heading for the hospital. I just want to be with the babies. Right now, I hardly know if I’m coming or going.”
“I wish I were there to give you a big hug.”
“I can feel it over the phone,” her brother said.“Tell—tell Reverend Michael to be ready to conduct a funeral soon.”
Maya heard his breath catch in a muffled sob before he managed to bid her
Similar Books
