Gently lifting her chin, I bent down until our noses touched. “So that I could meet the most intelligent, beautiful, amazing woman, and she could royally fuck up my life.”
She didn’t speak as her eyes searched mine. Just before I released her chin, I gently kissed her lips, and she melted against my chest. I wrapped her in my arms as her body shuddered with silent sobs. Time stood still as I rubbed her back. Finally I looked at my watch. It was after three in the morning at the Northern Light, but that meant it was after seven here. We’d been here for nearly an hour and I’d done nothing to help Micah.
“I don’t know what’s going to be expected of us. Why don’t you lie down and rest while I help Micah?”
She nodded against my chest. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” I asked, once again pulling her eyes up to mine.
“For messing up your life.”
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your doing.” I kissed her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you or warn you. I didn’t think they’d be that cruel.”
“I wouldn’t have believed you.” Her red-blotched neck straightened as she took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about it as we stood here. I think there were clues, but I missed every one. So much for being a kick-ass investigative journalist.”
“Shhh. Don’t even talk about it. I’d suspect the exact opposite. Not only do I believe you were very good at your job, but I believe that’s the main reason you’re here.”
“It just doesn’t make sense.”
I wanted to fix it, to make everything make sense for her. After all, that had always been my role. She was to give her sadness to me and I was to take it. That was Father Gabriel’s teaching. But I couldn’t make this better. Stella needed to deal with it. I just wanted her to do it without bringing attention to her or us. Instead of telling her it was done, as The Light proclaimed, I changed the subject. “I’ll show you where the bed is, and I want you to rest.” When she looked as if she were about to argue, I stood straighter. “Sara?”
Lowering her eyes, she said, “Yes, Jacob.”
“Look at me.” When she did, I continued, “We didn’t talk about your friend Rose?”
Sara’s forehead furrowed as she shook her head. “Rose? No, not Rose. Her name is Mindy, Mindy Rosemont. She goes by Mary at the Northern Light, and all I know is she’s married to a man named Adam.”
“Do you remember when you saw her?”
She nodded.
“What did you do or say?”
“The first time, I don’t remember . . . oh, yes, I told Raquel she looked familiar, but I didn’t know why until—”
Though she was whispering, I touched her lips with my finger. “That’s what you need to do, exactly like that. Please tell me you can do it.”
“I’ll try.”
Holding her hands, I found my even, demanding tone. “No, Sara, you must not try. Tell me you will.”
Through her lashes, she obediently replied, “Yes, Jacob. I will.”
It wasn’t unusual for Micah and me not to hear from anyone up at the mansion when we arrived. Since this was only a landing strip and not a functional hangar, our job had always been to call for the refueling truck and wait. It’d never bothered me before, nor had the cameras I knew were in the outbuildings, but today everything bothered me. My nerves were frayed.
With Micah next door and Sara sleeping, I paced the living room and waited for my phone to ring. A little after eight, Detroit time, it did.
“Hello?”
“Brother Jacob?”
“Yes,” I replied, not recognizing the number or the voice.
“Father Gabriel expects you and your wife at service in less than an hour. A car will arrive to transport the two of you and Brother Micah. It’ll be there in ten minutes. Be ready.”
“We will.”
The line went dead.
My mind filled with thoughts; most weren’t good or even promising. Surely Father Gabriel wouldn’t do this little reunion of Richards and Sara in front of the entire church, not that there were that many people at the Eastern Light—but still.
As I went to wake Sara, I thought about breakfast. There was no way we’d have time to eat much of anything. When I entered the bedroom, she was under the covers, curled on her side. Her light-blonde hair covered part of her cheek. The side with Thomas’s bruise was against the pillow. She looked more peaceful than I’d seen her in what seemed like forever—since before she left.
Part of me wanted to keep her that way, allow her to sleep, and let her remain in whatever dream world she was visiting. Wherever it was, it had to be better than here.
When I sat on the edge of the bed, she turned toward me with her knees still pulled up and reached out for my leg. For only a second, her sleepy eyes opened and a smile graced her lips. And then it was gone. For only a second, she’d felt safe, knowing I was here, but then just as fast the memories and reality had come back. The sleepy blue of her eyes had clouded with doubt and fear.
I smoothed her hair away from her face, revealing her bruise. “It’s time. I just received a call. There’s a car coming to take us to service.”
She nodded.