The end begins, p.12
The End Begins, page 12
She didn’t answer.
After a few seconds, Jesse exhaled and dropped his hand. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes glistened, and he kicked himself for making this even harder for her—for both of them—than it already was. “I’ll send some people over to fix your windows and clean up outside.”
“No, don’t. I have friends who can help me. You’ll have enough to do taking care of the damage around town. I’m sure there are a lot of people who are in worse shape than I am.”
“But—”
She touched his arm. “I’ll be fine, Captain. But thank you … for everything.”
Her fingers were warm on his skin, and his resolve weakened. Their eyes locked. What if he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, really kissed her, until all arguments and protests fled from her mind?
A horn sounded outside, her hand dropped from his arm, and the moment was gone.
A pang of loss shot through him as he glanced out the window. “That’s Caleb. I better go.” He brushed the hair back from her face. “Take care of yourself, Meryn. You have my number. I still want you to call me if there’s anything you need or if you run into any trouble. Okay?”
“Okay.”
The door opened behind him, and Jesse dropped his hand quickly and stepped back.
“Meryn?” Kate stood in the doorway, an uncertain look on her face.
Jesse forced a smile. “Hi, Kate. Come on in. I’m leaving.”
She came into the room and stopped by the table, her hand on the back of a chair. “Don’t go on my account, Captain. I just wanted to check on Meryn and make sure she was all right after last night.”
“No, that’s my ride you passed on the way in. I’m on cleanup duty today so I need to get going.” His feet felt weighted down, leaden. He forced himself to walk away from Meryn, push open the screen door, and step out onto the porch without looking back.
Everything he was feeling must have shown on his face, because Caleb nodded but didn’t speak when Jesse climbed into the passenger seat. He rested his head against the window and thought about what had just happened, fists clenching.
Meryn hadn’t denied having feelings for him. In fact, she’d admitted she thought about him like he thought about her. Still, her faith—and his lack of it—was a barrier between them, an insurmountable one as far as she was concerned.
He had to let her go. Or at least stay away from her and watch from a distance to make sure she didn’t do anything foolish to hand Scorcher ammunition. Not that Meryn would. She’d promised him and Caleb she wouldn’t, hadn’t she?
Jesse jerked upright.
Caleb’s questioning gaze turned on him.
Meryn’s words from the night before ran through Jesse’s mind. She hadn’t promised not to do anything foolish, only that she would be careful.
And that wasn’t the same thing at all.
15
On trembling legs, Meryn made her way over to the table and sank onto a chair.
Kate sat down across from her and folded her hands on the tabletop.
The only sound in the kitchen was the ticking of the clock on the wall above the stove.
Finally, Kate leaned forward. “Could you answer one question for me?”
She had a pretty good idea what it was. “Sure.”
“Did the captain get here this morning?”
Meryn met her gaze. “No.”
There was silence again for a long moment, until Kate blew out her breath. “Okay, I’m going to need answers to more than just one question.”
Meryn managed a shaky laugh. “He and the major stopped by last night to talk to me about something. The storm was starting to get really bad, and he noticed I was a little freaked out.”
“Because of the chicken coop?”
Meryn shoved the hair back from her face. “Yes. It felt like I was back in that coop again.”
“So he stayed with you?”
“Yes.”
“Did it help?”
“Not a whole lot, at first. As the storm got closer, and I could hear the thunder and the wind and see that horrible, green sky out the basement window, I got pretty worked up.”
“So what happened?”
“He held me and talked me through it. He was amazing, Kate. Incredibly sweet. I finally calmed down. Too much, actually, because I fell asleep. When I woke up this morning, I was still in his arms, which scared me almost as much as the storm had.”
“So what were the two of you talking about when I came in?”
Meryn propped her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her hands. “He told me he’s going crazy thinking about me all the time, wondering how I am and when he’s going to see me again.”
“And did you tell him you’ve been experiencing the same kind of crazy?”
Meryn’s head shot up, but her indignant reply died at the compassionate look on her friend’s face. “He did get me to admit that I’ve been thinking about him too, a little.”
“A little. So what does he want?”
“I’m not sure. I told him nothing could happen between us before he had a chance to say.”
“Did you tell him why?”
“I told him I couldn’t be with a man who didn’t share my faith, which is the truth.”
“Part of it, at least.”
The overhead light flickered and buzzed on.
Both women looked up.
“Wow,” Meryn said. “I didn’t think the power would be back on for hours.”
“That’s one good thing about the army being here. Things do run more efficiently.” Kate tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’ll make coffee.”
“As much as I could use a cup, martial law is a pretty high price to pay for it.”
“Even so, it looks like they’re here to stay, so we’ll have to appreciate the small mercies.” Kate spooned coffee grounds into the filter and added water before flipping on the switch. “I take it from the way he was looking at you, Captain Christensen wasn’t too happy with your answer.”
Meryn laughed. “How do you know how he was looking at me? His back was to you.”
“I didn’t need to see it. I could feel it as soon as I stepped into the room.”
Meryn inhaled the smell of brewing coffee. It did nothing to ease the sudden ache in her chest. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over. I’m sure he’ll find another woman soon and forget all about me.”
“Sure he will.” Kate pulled open the refrigerator door.
Meryn walked over to the cupboard and chose two ceramic mugs. They rattled against each other in her hand, and she set them down on the counter quickly. “Where are Matthew and Gracie?”
Kate grabbed the pot out from under the coffee maker. “They’re with Ethan, but he’s bringing them over. I called him when I pulled into the driveway and saw all the damage. He’s rounding up a few guys to come over and help with the cleanup.”
“That’s great, thanks. Is your place okay?”
“Yes, a few branches down in the backyard, that’s all.”
“Were the kids scared?” Meryn sat back down at the table.
“Not really. We all camped out in the basement, so they thought it was an adventure. We prayed a lot, and when it got really bad they ran to Ethan. He snuggled down on the couch with them, and they were fine.” Her eyes gleamed. “There’s something about having the strong arms of a man around you that calms all fears, isn’t there?”
Meryn wrinkled her nose at her friend. “I would have been perfectly fine if he hadn’t shown up.”
“Of course.”
“And I’m sure the praying helped the kids as much or more than Ethan did.”
“That’s true. Still …”
Meryn got up and carried her coffee over to the window. She stared out the glass at the devastation the storm had left in its wake. “What a mess.”
“Love always is.”
Meryn spun around, sloshing coffee over the side of the mug and onto her fingers. “I was talking about the yard.” She set the mug down and stomped over to the sink, grabbed a cloth, and wiped off her hand. After dropping the cloth back over the faucet, she faced her friend.
Kate’s lips were pressed together tightly, as if she was trying not to laugh.
Meryn glared at her. “Don’t you dare.” In spite of the warning, her own lips quivered at the ridiculousness of the situation. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What have I done?”
“It sounds like you haven’t done anything yet. Nothing irreparable, at least.”
“Maybe not physically, but mentally I’m reeling. He’s a good man, Kate. And I didn’t want to know that he, or any of them, were good people.” Meryn rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. “Do you know he actually apologized for taking the Bibles? He said that order didn’t sit well with him. What am I supposed to do with that?”
“I don’t know, Mer.”
Meryn dropped her hands. “I do. Nothing. That’s what. I sent him away and he went. One mess dealt with.” She took her coffee cup and dumped the contents into the sink. “Now it’s time to go deal with the other one. I need to start doing more and thinking less. It’s too much thinking that’s gotten me into all this trouble.”
Kate’s mouth quirked again. “It’s too much of something, that’s for sure. But I’m not convinced it was thinking. Hormones, maybe.”
“Okay, forget I said anything.” Meryn marched across the room and plucked the broom and dustpan out of the closet. She thrust them at her friend.
Kate took them from her. “Attraction, definitely.”
“I’m not doing this with you, Kate.” Meryn headed for the stairs. They could start with the rooms where the windows had broken the night before.
“Fate, destiny, crossed stars …”
Meryn whirled around on the stairs. “What are you doing?”
Kate’s face was innocent. “What?”
“Fate? Destiny? You don’t believe in those things any more than I do.”
“No, I don’t, but there does seem to be something powerful drawing the two of you together. What would you call it?”
“How about temporary insanity? Which, thankfully, I have now recovered from. So can we stop talking and get some work done?”
“Whatever you say, crazy lady.”
Meryn tromped up the stairs. She would never convince Kate of something that, in her own head—and worse, her heart—she was pretty far from convinced of herself.
16
When Meryn caught sight of the boxes on the ground at the back door, she pressed her knuckles to her lips and peered up and down the alley behind the store.
No one was there, even though someone had pressed the buzzer thirty seconds earlier.
That was just as well. She didn’t want to know who had made the delivery, and she didn’t want them to see her either.
Meryn bent down and gripped a box. One by one, she lugged all three into the back room, where there were no windows. It was early yet, just after eight, so the front door was locked, with the Closed sign hanging against the small rectangle of glass at the top. Still, her hands shook as she grabbed a knife and sliced open the top of the first box.
One by one, she pulled out the books. Seven Bibles were mixed in with an assortment of bestsellers. When she’d finished opening and sorting through all three boxes, twenty Bibles sat on the table in the middle of the room. Meryn retrieved one of the long, blue plastic containers she had picked up at the hardware store and set it on the table. She pried it open and carefully placed eight Bibles inside.
Her heart pounded as she replaced the lid and pressed her palms to its smooth surface. God, give me courage. Keep me safe. Show me the people you want me to give the Bibles to. And protect them too. Amen. After filling the other two containers with Bibles, she took the first one and pushed through the doorway into the main part of the store. She’d given this a lot of thought, and a couple of evenings ago—the night after Jesse had stayed with her—she’d sat bolt upright in bed when an idea struck her. She knew exactly where she could hide the Bibles until she was able to smuggle them to people in need of them.
When Meryn had bought the store, one of the things she had loved the most was the old hardwood flooring. She didn’t mind the creaking sound as people browsed around the room. In fact, she found it comforting and familiar, probably because she’d grown up in an old farmhouse with hardwood flooring. There was one spot, however, over near the fireplace, where the creaking was particularly loud and would occasionally get on her nerves. One day she had pounded on the spot with the heel of her shoe, hoping to drive the board more securely into place. Instead, the other end of the board had lifted slightly. Meryn had dropped to her knees and pried it up.
Below the wood floor was about a foot of space and then a hard-packed dirt surface. With a shiver, she had lowered the board back down, not wanting to know what kinds of creatures might be scuttling around down there, and then solved the problem by dragging a forest-green armchair near the fireplace and settling it in place over the spot. As the years had passed, she had forgotten about it, but trying to think of a good hiding place for the Bibles had brought the space back to her mind.
She glanced toward the window at the front of the store before walking behind the bookcase that shielded the fireplace area from the view of anyone passing by on the street. When she reached the spot, she set down the container and went back for the other two. As soon as all three were piled up in front of the fireplace, she shoved the chair over a few feet and stepped on one end of the board. She grabbed the other end and lifted it as high as she could, then reached for one of the containers, turned it onto its side, and slid it into the hole.
When all three were safely lined up on the dirt floor, she dropped the end of the board, pressed it down hard, then stood and wiped the dust from her knees.
With a grunt, she pulled the chair back over the board and dropped down onto it to catch her breath.
A tapping on the glass of the front door brought her head up sharply. Who is that? The army couldn’t have seen someone dropping a delivery off at her door and gotten here that fast, could they?
The major had told her someone was watching her. Had she been discovered already?
Calm down, Meryn. It’s probably a customer. Go answer the door. Her knees weak, she made her way to the front of the store.
Drew’s head, light brown hair slightly tousled from the wind, hovered on the other side of the glass. The tight knots in her stomach loosened as she turned the lock on the handle and pulled open the door.
“Drew! What are you doing here?” Nerves sharpened her tone.
“Is this a bad time? I was passing by and thought I’d stop in and say hi.”
Meryn pushed her hair back from her face. “Of course not. It’s good to see you. Come on in.”
Drew stepped inside and closed the door. “What have you been up to this early in the morning?”
“Nothing. Why?” Seriously, she was the most hopeless criminal in the world. Even in the presence of a friend who had no authority over her whatsoever, her voice shook. From the way Drew was staring at her, she figured guilt must be written all over her face too.
He reached out.
She flinched.
Drew pulled back his hand, forehead wrinkling. “I was just going to brush some dirt off your chin.”
“I’m sorry.” Meryn rubbed at the spot. “I got in a new shipment of books and was going through them. There must have been something on the box.”
“Need any help?”
“No, that’s okay, thanks. There aren’t that many and”— she gestured at his suit and tie—“I wouldn’t want you heading off to the bank covered in dust and dirt.” How long was he planning to stay? She needed to get to the back and cut down the boxes so she could throw the evidence into the Dumpster in the back alley. But she had been rude enough to Drew the other day at church. “Do you have time for coffee?”
Surprise flashed across his face.
A different kind of guilt flowed through her.
“I wish I did.” He tapped his watch. “Gotta keep those banker’s hours and get to work by nine.” He paused. “I could come back after, though, and take you to dinner.”
“Drew, you know I don’t date.”
He held up a hand. “It’s not a date. Just two friends who have a lot of catching up to do, eating at the same table. I’ll even let you pay for your own meal.”
Captain Christensen’s face flashed through Meryn’s mind, but she shoved the image away. Maybe it would be a good idea to get out, lighten up a little, and take her mind off … other things. “You know what? That sounds like fun. Let’s do it.”
“Great. I’ll be back at six.”
Drew stepped outside and turned back to face her. He reached out again. “You still have a smudge here.” He rubbed her chin gently with his thumb before dropping his hand. “So I’ll see you tonight?”
“Sure. See you tonight.”
Meryn locked the door behind him and forced herself to walk slowly to the back. If anyone happened to pass by and glance through the big front window, nothing could look out of the ordinary. Within minutes, she had flattened the boxes and carried them to the Dumpster that was already half-filled with cardboard. Should she toss them into one of the containers behind another store farther down the alley, in case there was anything on them that could possibly link them to Lynne’s company?
She shook her head. If anyone went looking for them, it would only look more suspicious if she appeared to be trying to hide them.
Meryn tossed the flattened boxes into the Dumpster, then, with a sigh, went back in to open the store and begin a new day.
17
Jesse tossed another branch onto the growing pile in one of the city parks. Caleb hadn’t been exaggerating about the mess around town. Trees were down all over, and although they’d worked nonstop on the cleanup for three days, the sound of chainsaws still filled the air around him. He was almost glad. The soldiers had been going a little stir-crazy lately. Rumours that massive clampdowns were coming abounded as several anti-Christian bills continued to be rammed through various stages in Parliament, but nothing big had happened since the night they’d raided the Christians’ homes for Bibles weeks ago. Everyone was getting a little tired of patrolling quiet neighbourhoods and keeping an eye on people who were doing nothing more than going about their business and making the best of the military presence in the town.
