goodbye. She closed the phone and handed it back to Greg. Although he didn’t ask, his inquisitive look prompted an explanation.
“Jesse’s wife, Marie? The one who left him? She was killed by the tornado.”
Greg’s jaw gaped. He gently covered Maya’s hand with his own. “I’m so sorry. I heard you ask if there was anything you could do but I thought you were just talking about the cleanup. Is there anything he needs? Any help we can give him?”
“He says not. I suppose there will be once he starts coming to grips with it and has to arrange her funeral. He wants me to alert Michael.”
“I’ll do that for you, if you want,” Greg said.
“Thanks. I appreciate the offer but Jesse asked me to do it. Besides, Layla’s in day care and I suddenly want to see her again. To give her a big hug and thank God she’s okay.” Maya managed a wan smile. “I suppose you think that’s silly.”
Greg started the car. “Not at all. I would have been surprised if you hadn’t wanted to. There are some heartbreaking situations that only being with loved ones can fix.”
As he drove, Maya mulled over his comment and wondered who he yearned to be with during trying times. Judging by what she’d observed in the past few days, Gregory Garrison felt and acted as if he were totally alone in the world.
That conclusion made her almost as sad as hearing about her brother’s loss.
Michael was in the church basement with his niece, Avery, and a group of other young people, sorting donated clothing and bedding, when Maya and Greg arrived.
“Sorry to bother you,” Greg said, leaning in the doorway and addressing his comments to his cousin. “Maya just got some bad news and she needs to speak with you.” He eyed the teenagers who were obviously listening to every word with interest. “Privately.”
“Of course.” Michael excused himself and joined Maya and Greg in the hallway. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Jesse’s wife,” Maya said haltingly, softly. “She was killed in the storm.”
“Oh, no.”
“I thought maybe Chief Ridgeway had told you already.”
“No,” the pastor said, “I haven’t seen Colt since last night when I visited him in the hospital. I didn’t even know he’d been released.”
“He was out at Jesse’s ranch this morning, bringing him the bad news. Jesse was terribly upset. I’m so worried about him.”
“That’s not at all surprising.” Michael glanced back at the teams of youth working to sort disaster relief supplies. “I’ll drive up there to counsel him as soon as I can get free.”
“Don’t worry about it right now,” Maya said. “Jesse’s going to the hospital in Manhattan to see his daughters. He wouldn’t be home if you did go to the ranch. He just wanted me to ask you to preach at Marie’s funeral.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday. Perhaps I’ll see him in the morning, as usual. If not, I can make arrangements to drive out his way in a day or so and we can discuss what kind of service he would like.”
“I was really hoping he would come to High Plains for church, even if he has to go way around to get here,” Maya said. “I think it would do him good to be with his church family at a time like this.”
“So do I,” the pastor replied. “But we should let Jesse make that choice. Not everyone grieves in the same way. He may not be ready to accept too many condolences, no matter how sincere they are.”
Greg was watching Maya’s expression and was relatively certain when she made the decision to refrain from elaborating on her brother’s marital problems.
Her lips pressed into a thin line and she scowled. “There’s a bit more to it than what I’ve told you, Reverend Michael. You’ll need to speak to Jesse in person.”
Michael took her hand. “All right. I’ll get in touch with him as soon as possible.”
Greg could see unshed tears in Maya’s pretty brown eyes. She stepped back. “If you’ll excuse me, I really need to go
“Jesse’s wife, Marie? The one who left him? She was killed by the tornado.”
Greg’s jaw gaped. He gently covered Maya’s hand with his own. “I’m so sorry. I heard you ask if there was anything you could do but I thought you were just talking about the cleanup. Is there anything he needs? Any help we can give him?”
“He says not. I suppose there will be once he starts coming to grips with it and has to arrange her funeral. He wants me to alert Michael.”
“I’ll do that for you, if you want,” Greg said.
“Thanks. I appreciate the offer but Jesse asked me to do it. Besides, Layla’s in day care and I suddenly want to see her again. To give her a big hug and thank God she’s okay.” Maya managed a wan smile. “I suppose you think that’s silly.”
Greg started the car. “Not at all. I would have been surprised if you hadn’t wanted to. There are some heartbreaking situations that only being with loved ones can fix.”
As he drove, Maya mulled over his comment and wondered who he yearned to be with during trying times. Judging by what she’d observed in the past few days, Gregory Garrison felt and acted as if he were totally alone in the world.
That conclusion made her almost as sad as hearing about her brother’s loss.
Michael was in the church basement with his niece, Avery, and a group of other young people, sorting donated clothing and bedding, when Maya and Greg arrived.
“Sorry to bother you,” Greg said, leaning in the doorway and addressing his comments to his cousin. “Maya just got some bad news and she needs to speak with you.” He eyed the teenagers who were obviously listening to every word with interest. “Privately.”
“Of course.” Michael excused himself and joined Maya and Greg in the hallway. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Jesse’s wife,” Maya said haltingly, softly. “She was killed in the storm.”
“Oh, no.”
“I thought maybe Chief Ridgeway had told you already.”
“No,” the pastor said, “I haven’t seen Colt since last night when I visited him in the hospital. I didn’t even know he’d been released.”
“He was out at Jesse’s ranch this morning, bringing him the bad news. Jesse was terribly upset. I’m so worried about him.”
“That’s not at all surprising.” Michael glanced back at the teams of youth working to sort disaster relief supplies. “I’ll drive up there to counsel him as soon as I can get free.”
“Don’t worry about it right now,” Maya said. “Jesse’s going to the hospital in Manhattan to see his daughters. He wouldn’t be home if you did go to the ranch. He just wanted me to ask you to preach at Marie’s funeral.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday. Perhaps I’ll see him in the morning, as usual. If not, I can make arrangements to drive out his way in a day or so and we can discuss what kind of service he would like.”
“I was really hoping he would come to High Plains for church, even if he has to go way around to get here,” Maya said. “I think it would do him good to be with his church family at a time like this.”
“So do I,” the pastor replied. “But we should let Jesse make that choice. Not everyone grieves in the same way. He may not be ready to accept too many condolences, no matter how sincere they are.”
Greg was watching Maya’s expression and was relatively certain when she made the decision to refrain from elaborating on her brother’s marital problems.
Her lips pressed into a thin line and she scowled. “There’s a bit more to it than what I’ve told you, Reverend Michael. You’ll need to speak to Jesse in person.”
Michael took her hand. “All right. I’ll get in touch with him as soon as possible.”
Greg could see unshed tears in Maya’s pretty brown eyes. She stepped back. “If you’ll excuse me, I really need to go
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