[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
236
COURAGE TO BELIEVE
phone to check for messages. He was having his home phone and his cell phone
forwarded to the house because even though he was officially off duty for another three
days, he needed to stay available for Zander who was in a bit of a panic over the big
announcement about Jacob s retirement, which would take place on January second.
When he heard the message from Mary, his heart stalled.
He punched in the code to listen to it again. She d called. She said she missed them.
Them. Both of them. Hope surged through him. He jerked on his jeans and punched the
code once again for the message, this time listening to the recording of the number that
had called. He hung up the phone, then dialed the number, recognizing the 207 area code
as a Maine number.
He buttoned his jeans as the phone rang. Five...six...seven times. Two Moon Bay
Motel, a gruff male voice answered.
Mary O Toole s room, please, Jacob said.
She ain t in her room, the man said.
But she is staying there?
Yup. So the wife says.
Where are you located? Jacob frantically searched the room for a pen, but it was
too new, too clean.
In Two Moon Bay, the man said.
Jacob stopped his search, frowned. Where are you close to? What bigger town?
The man grumbled something about idiot tourists. Bout thirty miles north of Bar
Harbor on Alternative Route One. Can t miss it. Right across the street from the Two
Moon Exxon station
Thank you. Thank you. And don t let Mary leave.
If n the wife says she s stayin , she s stayin .
Jacob hung up the phone and rushed down the stairs. Angel. Angel, honey, he said,
his heart pounding in his chest. Bar Harbor was about two hundred miles away, on the
windy coastal highway. Mary called.
Angel looked up from where she d been carefully arranging silverware. She did?
Jacob nodded, couldn t keep the smile from his face. She s in Maine.
Angel s eyes got wide. Is she coming here?
Jacob shook his head. But I know where she is. If we leave now, we could be there
in about five hours.
Angel turned toward the clock on the wall and he saw her mentally counting the
time.
237
Leanne Karella
Jacob looked toward Bill who had come into the dining room from the kitchen, then
back at Angel. Babe. We need to talk about this.
I want to see Mary. Please can we go? Angel gripped the napkins in her fist, her
brow puckered into a worried frown. Please?
I ll make you some sandwiches for the road, Bill said, then turned back toward the
kitchen. Can t drive on an empty stomach.
Angel came toward him, looking a little tentative. Please?
Jacob nodded. His breathing was unsteady, he felt a little lightheaded. He knelt down
in front of Angel. Babe. I want Mary back as much as you do. Much more so, he added
silently. He took her hands in his. I don t want her to come back to be your nanny,
though. Angel opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. If I can talk her
into it, I want Mary to come back to be part of our family.
Angel stared at him for a long moment, as if she didn t understand.
I want to marry her. I want her to be my wife.
Angel s grin was sudden and stunning. She d be my mom.
Jacob nodded. But she s really mad at me right now. I did something very bad, and
that s why she left. I don t know if she ll want to come back.
She will. Angel nodded with confidence. She will. She loves us.
She does, huh?
Yeah. She told me so. Angel pulled her hands from his. Let s go, let s go! She
headed for the stairs. Gotta get the present I made for her. And my coat.
Jacob hadn t known Angel made a present for Mary, though he shouldn t be
surprised. Not a day went by that Angel didn t talk about her.
Bill came out of the kitchen with a paper sack and two thermoses. Milk for Angel.
Coffee for you, Bill said. You go get that lady of yours and bring her back, so I can
meet her.
Jacob took the food and drink from Bill. I m going to try.
****
Mary leaned back in her chair, the wide slice of pumpkin pie in front of her only half
eaten, and sighed in contentment as boisterous conversation carried on around her.
Deirdre and Old Willy s family was huge. The ten children and the nearly twenty-five
grandchildren, even a couple great-grandchildren, filled the small restaurant of the Two
Moon Motel to capacity.
Family history, stories and camaraderie abounded throughout the long afternoon of
great food and happy chatter. Along with the turkey and basic American holiday fare,
238
COURAGE TO BELIEVE
Deirdre made sure their Polish heritage hadn t been forgotten by serving cabbage rolls, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
236
COURAGE TO BELIEVE
phone to check for messages. He was having his home phone and his cell phone
forwarded to the house because even though he was officially off duty for another three
days, he needed to stay available for Zander who was in a bit of a panic over the big
announcement about Jacob s retirement, which would take place on January second.
When he heard the message from Mary, his heart stalled.
He punched in the code to listen to it again. She d called. She said she missed them.
Them. Both of them. Hope surged through him. He jerked on his jeans and punched the
code once again for the message, this time listening to the recording of the number that
had called. He hung up the phone, then dialed the number, recognizing the 207 area code
as a Maine number.
He buttoned his jeans as the phone rang. Five...six...seven times. Two Moon Bay
Motel, a gruff male voice answered.
Mary O Toole s room, please, Jacob said.
She ain t in her room, the man said.
But she is staying there?
Yup. So the wife says.
Where are you located? Jacob frantically searched the room for a pen, but it was
too new, too clean.
In Two Moon Bay, the man said.
Jacob stopped his search, frowned. Where are you close to? What bigger town?
The man grumbled something about idiot tourists. Bout thirty miles north of Bar
Harbor on Alternative Route One. Can t miss it. Right across the street from the Two
Moon Exxon station
Thank you. Thank you. And don t let Mary leave.
If n the wife says she s stayin , she s stayin .
Jacob hung up the phone and rushed down the stairs. Angel. Angel, honey, he said,
his heart pounding in his chest. Bar Harbor was about two hundred miles away, on the
windy coastal highway. Mary called.
Angel looked up from where she d been carefully arranging silverware. She did?
Jacob nodded, couldn t keep the smile from his face. She s in Maine.
Angel s eyes got wide. Is she coming here?
Jacob shook his head. But I know where she is. If we leave now, we could be there
in about five hours.
Angel turned toward the clock on the wall and he saw her mentally counting the
time.
237
Leanne Karella
Jacob looked toward Bill who had come into the dining room from the kitchen, then
back at Angel. Babe. We need to talk about this.
I want to see Mary. Please can we go? Angel gripped the napkins in her fist, her
brow puckered into a worried frown. Please?
I ll make you some sandwiches for the road, Bill said, then turned back toward the
kitchen. Can t drive on an empty stomach.
Angel came toward him, looking a little tentative. Please?
Jacob nodded. His breathing was unsteady, he felt a little lightheaded. He knelt down
in front of Angel. Babe. I want Mary back as much as you do. Much more so, he added
silently. He took her hands in his. I don t want her to come back to be your nanny,
though. Angel opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. If I can talk her
into it, I want Mary to come back to be part of our family.
Angel stared at him for a long moment, as if she didn t understand.
I want to marry her. I want her to be my wife.
Angel s grin was sudden and stunning. She d be my mom.
Jacob nodded. But she s really mad at me right now. I did something very bad, and
that s why she left. I don t know if she ll want to come back.
She will. Angel nodded with confidence. She will. She loves us.
She does, huh?
Yeah. She told me so. Angel pulled her hands from his. Let s go, let s go! She
headed for the stairs. Gotta get the present I made for her. And my coat.
Jacob hadn t known Angel made a present for Mary, though he shouldn t be
surprised. Not a day went by that Angel didn t talk about her.
Bill came out of the kitchen with a paper sack and two thermoses. Milk for Angel.
Coffee for you, Bill said. You go get that lady of yours and bring her back, so I can
meet her.
Jacob took the food and drink from Bill. I m going to try.
****
Mary leaned back in her chair, the wide slice of pumpkin pie in front of her only half
eaten, and sighed in contentment as boisterous conversation carried on around her.
Deirdre and Old Willy s family was huge. The ten children and the nearly twenty-five
grandchildren, even a couple great-grandchildren, filled the small restaurant of the Two
Moon Motel to capacity.
Family history, stories and camaraderie abounded throughout the long afternoon of
great food and happy chatter. Along with the turkey and basic American holiday fare,
238
COURAGE TO BELIEVE
Deirdre made sure their Polish heritage hadn t been forgotten by serving cabbage rolls, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]