LISA WOKE TO SILENCE. No sound of heavy trucks passing or the blaring of a horn. It took her a moment to realize where she was.
The flower print on the wallpaper was not the comforting light blue of her former bedroom. New house. New town. New job. She should be excited. She wasn’t. She was too worried about Gordon.
She looked at the clock. A little after seven a.m. That was late for her. She thought about the day ahead, mostly about Gordon.
Gordon had appeared at dinner yesterday and shoveled down his share of a casserole Lisa had found in the fridge along with eggs, milk, cheese, bacon and other basic items.
Although he ate well, he did it with a scowl and grunts when she’d asked him whether he’d met anyone his age yesterday afternoon. Then, completely ignoring both his sisters, he disappeared into the bedroom with his phone and tablet.
She’d checked on him at ten before she went to her own bedroom. His light was off.
She’d gone to sleep then. She was exhausted from the long drive yesterday, then unpacking most of what they’d brought with them. Some items still remained in the trailer.
So much to do today. First on the schedule was a meeting with Dr. Bradley, who was back home in Covenant Falls. Then she intended to drop by the clinic to look over scheduled appointments for the next several days and familiarize herself with the office.
Also on the “to do” list was a visit to the veterinarian’s office to look at adoptable dogs. Kerry, along with Gordon, had gone through two terrible years. They both deserved more than she’d given them. She was intent on remedying that.
Kerry, she knew, would be easier than Gordon. Her sister loved animals and reading. She was a good student, though her grades had also fallen in the past year.
Gordon was more difficult. He had been a strong student until their mother became so ill. He was good with his hands and had built a fort in their backyard when he was twelve. It was still sound. He could also look at any puzzle and solve it in half the time it took someone else. But since their mother died, everything had been different.
Lisa rose, put a robe over her nightshirt and headed toward the kitchen. To her amazement, she smelled the aroma of coffee and was even more surprised to see Kerry at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal.
Kerry turned around, sensing her presence. “I made coffee,” Kerry said.
“I smelled it. Thank you.” Lisa made a beeline for the pot on the counter. Coffee was her lifeblood.
“Can we go over to the veterinarian clinic and see if they have dogs for adoption?” Kerry asked after Lisa dropped two slices of bread in the toaster.
“Maybe this afternoon if she’s there. I have to meet with Dr. Bradley this morning and go over records.”
“What will I do this morning?” Her voice was plaintive.
“What about going to the library? You can ride your bike. Maybe you’ll meet some kids there.”
Kerry shrugged. “Gordon says they’re all weirdos.”
“And what, pray tell, qualifies someone as a weirdo?”
Kerry nibbled on her cereal and shrugged, ignoring a question she probably couldn’t answer. “Will you call the vet this morning and see if we can come this afternoon?” she persisted.
The eagerness in Kerry’s face warmed Lisa. She hadn’t seen it in far too long. She located the list of phone numbers Eve provided and found Dr. Stephanie Morgan’s number.
Lisa looked at her watch. It was eight a.m. “She might be in now. Maybe Gordon will come with us and help pick one out.”
“He probably won’t even be around,” Kerry said dismissively. “And it’ll be my dog, anyway. Will you call now, Lisa?” she begged.
To Lisa’s surprise, Stephanie answered on the second ring and must have recognized her name on phone ID. “Hi,” she said. “Dr. Redding? Eve said you might call. What can I do for you?”
“Eve said you might have some dogs available for adoption.”
“Music to my ears,” Stephanie said. “I have a couple of really good rescues. Would you like to come over today?”
“That would be great. My sister’s very excited.”
“What about noon?” Stephanie said. “I have a break between appointments then.”
“I’m meeting with Dr. Bradley at nine but lunchtime should be fine.”
“I’m really glad Doc found someone to fill in for him. His doctors told him he shouldn’t be working at all, but he’s insisted on seeing patients since there’s been no one else.”
“I’ll try to make sure he doesn’t need to see them now,” Lisa said.
“Good. I’ll expect you and your sister at noon.” The phone clicked off.
Lisa looked at her watch. Nearly eight. She needed to take a shower and dress. She had no idea what to wear in town. Black pants and a short-sleeved fitted blouse would probably do. She would take one of her white coats and drop it off at the clinic.
She went upstairs and knocked on Gordon’s door. He’d been far too quiet since he went to his room last night. He had a backlog of movies on his tablet along with games but...
No sound inside.
She opened the door. He was still sleeping. She looked around. To her surprise there were no clothes on the floor. She closed the door, then knocked. Hard.
Mumbling came from inside. “Just a minute.” Finally, Gordon appeared. His long hair was a mess. He was blurry-eyed as if he hadn’t had any sleep. “Wh-what do you want?” he asked rudely.
“I have to leave to meet with Dr. Bradley,” she said. “I may not be back until noon, and then I’m taking Kerry to look at some dogs. Want to go with us? Maybe help Kerry pick one?”
“You gotta be kidding. We’d never agree. She’ll want some little prissy thing. Besides, I have things to do. Going on a hike with a kid I met.”
“Where to?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t live here. Just going to show me around.”
Lisa swallowed hard. Nothing had changed. “You’re supposed to check in with the police department.”
“Tomorrow,” he said.
“I’ll make an appointment for you.”
“Whatever,” he said, and closed the door.
She wondered if he’d ever forgive her for bringing him here. It didn’t matter that she was trying to help him—help both of them. She’d hated to take them from the house they’d lived in all their lives, but it had become a house of ghosts.
She went back downstairs and took a hot shower, trying to erase all the doubts she had, the failure she felt. She washed and dried her hair and pulled it back, fastening it with a clasp. Not very fashionable or stylish but fast and practical.
She checked her watch again. Seven minutes until nine. The doctor’s office was just six blocks away but she was running late. She grabbed her white coat, the car keys, her laptop and stopped by the living room where Kerry was watching a talk show. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back but I promise it will be before noon. Try the library or maybe just explore this morning, okay?”
She gave Kerry her allowance in case she wanted to go into town. She knew from her own teenage years how important it was to have at least a few dollars for a soft drink or emergencies. She hoped Gordon would find a part-time job as she had as a teenager.
* * *
JUBAL TRIED SLEEPING inside the cabin but woke up drenched in sweat. He’d been in the hut again. No light. No air. Only half a cup of filthy water to drink. His wrists were bound with rusty chain that tore into the skin, and he bled from several gashes inflicted by one of his captors.
Forcing the images from his head, he glanced at the clock. A little after four a.m. He knew he wouldn’t go back to sleep. He stood and walked to the bathroom, turning on the light. He looked at himself in the mirror with disgust. Why in the hell had he bargained with that kid last night? Maybe he wouldn’t show up.
Or, Jubal thought, he could forget about it and leave now. He hadn’t promised Clint anything but a quick visit, and he certainly didn’t owe the juvenile delinquent anything.
He swore as he took a shower, washing away the sweat. He couldn’t take enough showers these days after two years without. When he’d reached civilization six months ago, he had a beard halfway to his chest and layers of dirt.
Jubal was too awake now to try to sleep. He always thought better when running or swimming, and the shock of cold water should clear his mind. He considered skinny-dipping since he doubted anyone was awake. But then Clint was his host; it probably wouldn’t help his job as police chief if his guest was reported for indecent exposure.
He resisted the urge and pulled on his swimming trunks before jogging out to the dock. He plunged into the cold water and his thoughts strayed back to the kid. Even if he did show up, what would he find for him to do?
Hell, he kept questioning himself. Why did he let himself get involved? The kid had a nice house from the look of it. Yet Jubal couldn’t escape seeing himself years ago. He’d lived in a nice house, too, but he’d been filled with resentment and bitterness. His mother had taken him away from the father he adored, the father who died a year later with no one to mourn him but a son who lived two thousand miles away.
Maybe that was why he inserted himself in someone else’s life, something he’d never done before. He remembered his own pain when his father died, the rebellion he felt against his mother whom he’d blamed for his father’s death. Wouldn’t have happened if he had been there, if his father knew he was looking on. This kid had not only lost a father but a mother as well. He didn’t know the whys or hows, but he recognized the hurt and loss inside and the urge to strike out.
It was obvious the boy was headed for trouble.
After returning to the cabin, he did his usual quota of push-ups, showered again, and at eight decided the hour reasonable enough to call Clint.
“Hey,” he said. “I’d like to meet the owner of the cabin.”
“Josh? Sure. He’d like that, too.”
“Can we make it just him and me?” Jubal asked.
“Sure. Either Josh or I will call you back.”
That was one of the reasons Jubal had always liked Clint. No questions. No explanations needed.
The phone rang within minutes. “Jubal? Josh Manning here.”
Short. Jubal liked that. “Thanks for the use of the cabin.”
“Happy to have you there. Clint suggested it was time to meet. How about lunch?”
“I don’t want to interrupt anything.”
“You won’t,” Josh said. “Eleven okay? I’d like you to see the town’s main attraction, then we’ll go to Maude’s. Great diner.”
Jubal had planned to stay around the cabin to see whether the kid turned up early, but hell, it was the kid he wanted to discuss with Josh. “Sure.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up.”
“Thanks,” Jubal said.
Jubal made coffee and toasted several pieces of bread from the full larder. He had more than a few thanks to give Josh Manning in addition to his questions.
With another three hours to kill, he checked his laptop for recent news, particularly about the Middle East. Friends were there. He wished he were there, as well. He felt like a fish flopping on land in this peaceful town in the middle of nowhere.
One website led to another until he heard an approaching vehicle. He closed the laptop and went to meet his temporary host.
The top was down on a Jeep and his visitor was accompanied by a Belgian Malinois. Jubal recognized the breed from his SEAL days. It was the service’s dog of choice because of intelligence and size.
Even if he hadn’t known Josh Manning had been a soldier, he would have instantly recognized him as one. Although there was a slight limp, Manning walked with an assurance that came with being a career warrior.
They shook hands, each sizing up the other.
“This is Amos,” Josh said. “He’s also a veteran.”
The dog lifted his paw politely and Jubal leaned over and shook it. Jubal knew instantly he was going to like both his host and the dog. “Thanks again for the use of the cabin,” he said.
“Glad to have someone here to take care of it.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Jubal replied.
Josh raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Let’s talk while I show you around. Maude’s a great diner but it’s not a good place for private conversation. News and rumors travel with the speed of light.”
“I discovered that when one of your officers stopped while I was running and knew me by name.”
“Drove me crazy when I first came here,” Josh said. “Now I just accept it. People here are interested in what’s happening in their universe, and Covenant Falls is their universe. But there’s no malice about it.” He paused, then asked, “You walk up the mountain yet?”
“Yeah. Right after I arrived.”
“Me, too.” He turned a corner. “I thought I would show you the falls. It’s our main attraction. It’ll take a little more than an hour going and coming. We can talk, then stop at Maude’s for lunch. I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t take you there.”
Jubal mostly listened as Josh drove through town. They passed what looked like an old, rustic saloon with a dozen cars in the parking lot. “That’s the Rusty Nail,” Josh said. “It’s our watering hole. The owner is a vet and makes sure we feel welcome. He’s also a member of our Monday night vet poker game.”
They passed an inn with a sign portraying a whimsical camel that looked toward the mountains. “The Camel Trail Inn?” Jubal asked.
“My pride and joy,” Josh said. “My partner—another vet—and I finished rehabbing the inn two months ago. We’re getting tourists, but unfortunately we don’t have enough activities to keep them here more than a day or two. We want to start a wilderness adventure business but we have to have the right person.” He glanced at Jubal. “Would you be interested?”
“Thanks, but I don’t plan to stay more than a few days.”
“Heard and understood,” Josh said. “I’ll say no more.”
After a few more miles, Josh saw a large sign: The Falls of Covenant Falls. Josh turned left and followed a winding road through a virgin forest. Then he stopped in a parking area. “The falls are just beyond the bend.”
Jubal heard the roar ahead and walked with Josh around the corner to a picnic area. It was empty. The falls were grander than Jubal had imagined. Torrents of white frothy water cascaded over rocky outcrops into a gorge below. Water vapor hung in the air forming a rainbow.
“Impressive,” he said. He’d seen a lot of waterfalls, but there was a pristine beauty about this one that touched something inside him. He understood now why Josh wanted him to see it. “I would think there would be more visitors.”
“The locals come here on the weekend and special events,” Josh said, “but we’re trying to attract more out-of-town visitors and new residents. For a long time the majority of the town leaders didn’t want change or growth, but that policy resulted in a town that was dying off. My wife and others are trying to reverse that.”
“A new mission for you?” Jubal heard the longing in his own voice.
“Something like that. I didn’t know how much I needed one until I came here. But that’s not why you wanted to see me. I gathered from Clint that you have something on your mind.”
In the short time they’d been together, Jubal sensed he could trust Josh’s discretion. He told him about the kid.
Josh listened without commenting until Jubal finished. “He’s probably the brother of Lisa Redding, the new doctor in town,” Josh said. “I understand he got into some trouble back in Chicago.”
“It’s your property,” Jubal said. “I thought you should know.”
“And you want my input?”
“It’s your town. Your cabin. Your dock. I don’t want to do anything that would put you in a bad spot.”
“Can’t see how unless you intend bodily harm.”
“Other than throwing him into the lake?”
Josh chuckled. “Haven’t heard anything about it this morning so I think your kid is keeping silent.”
“He’s not ‘my’ kid.”
Josh met his gaze. “I would have done the same thing—except maybe throwing him in the lake. I don’t like cold water.”
“Yeah, but he’s the brother of your new doctor, who, I’d imagine, is important to the town.”
“She is. We’ve been looking for a doctor for months and Dr. Redding is said to be a very good one.”
“And,” Jubal continued, “according to the kid, she considers the military ‘fascists.’” He paused. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for her leaving because of this.”
“Well, I get the impression she’s made of stronger stuff than to turn and run. She also has a contract. As for the ‘fascist’ comment, I met her several weeks ago and she seemed perfectly fine with me, and I’m pretty sure she knows I’m ex-military. Eve did say Lisa was concerned about Gordon and it was the main reason she moved here.
“As for the kid himself,” Josh said, “he may not show up. If he doesn’t, I would forget about it. You probably scared the hell out of him. And if you didn’t, the lake probably did.”
“And if he does?”
“It would be a step in the right direction.”
“What could he do around the cabin?”
“Maybe build a bench on the deck?” Josh suggested. “I’ve always kinda wanted one.”
“And say nothing to the sister?”
“We probably should,” Josh said with a wry smile. “But then he might get defensive and act out more.”
“I know,” Jubal said. “Been there. Done that.”
Josh chuckled. “Me, too.”
“What will your wife think about this? I hear she’s the mayor.”
“Truth be told, I’m not sure. She keeps surprising me. She has a devious soul underneath an innocent facade. She can be more concerned about the end rather than the means. I think she would approve, unless we lose the doctor. Then there will be hell to pay.”
Jubal didn’t answer. He felt trapped in a spiderweb but then he was the one who decided to reform the kid on his own. He just damn well couldn’t figure out why he cared as much as he did.
Josh looked at him sympathetically. “Just don’t become a cause with my wife. You’ll never know what hit you. When I came here, I was a confirmed loner, mad at the world. Now I have a ranch, a wife, a son, five dogs, two horses and a crazy cat. And, God help me, I’m a businessman with a huge bank loan.”
Jubal had no idea what Josh had been like before, but now his eyes were alive with humor and, obviously, love. For the slightest sliver of time, he felt envy.
Josh interrupted the thought. “Now it’s time to introduce you to Maude’s steaks.”
* * *
LISA KNOCKED ON Dr. Bradley’s door. A kind-looking woman who appeared to be in her seventies opened the door.
“You must be Dr. Redding,” the woman said. “I’m Gloria Bradley and I’m so pleased you’re here. A physician who has been filling in for him had to leave three weeks ago. Janie can handle a lot of the problems, but my husband took several calls. It worried me to death.”
She led the way into a comfortable-looking living room. Dr. Bradley sat in a wheelchair next to a table piled high with folders.
“’Bout time,” Dr. Bradley groused as she was shown a chair next to him. “Thought you were going to be here three days ago.”
She would have been had there not been complications in Gordon’s court case. There was no qualified probation officer in Covenant Falls. An arrangement was worked out with the office in Pueblo whereby the local police in Covenant Falls would keep in contact with Gordon and report any probation violations. But she didn’t want to go into all that with Dr. Bradley. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We had last-minute complications.”
He turned then to the stack of folders on the table. “These are the records of our chronically ill patients. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer.” He discussed each case, often adding a wry comment about personal quirks of the patient.
She took notes on everything and silently vowed to do more research on ailments specific to the community. “I was thinking about holding an open house,” she ventured.
He raised a bushy white eyebrow. “Don’t know if that would be a good idea,” he warned. “The entire town would come to meet the new doctor. And if you had a series of them, you would have to figure out a way to string out the invitations as to not offend anyone. And they would expect to be fed.”
“Maybe not such a good idea?” Lisa winced.
“Don’t think so. If you want to get to know people, go to the churches. You’ll meet a lot of our patients there. You’ll be invited to a lot of homes, but again, people will be unhappy if you go to Mrs. Smith’s house and not theirs.”
She was getting a headache. This country doctor thing was more complicated than she’d thought.
“One more thing,” he said. “A lot of people here don’t have much money, but they have a lot of pride, so my billing system might seem a bit peculiar to someone who hasn’t been in private practice. Janie can fill you in on that.”
She nodded. They had already worked out the terms. She was to receive a salary, not rely on income. The salary wasn’t high but it was better than a resident’s salary and even the fellowship’s. And she had free rent and what looked like a very low cost of living compared to Chicago.
Dr. Bradley looked tired, too tired.
“I’d better go,” she said. “I promised my sister a dog today.”
“Great idea,” Dr. Bradley said. “It’s amazing what they can do in reducing stress.”
Maybe she needed two—or more—dogs. She nodded, even as she wondered whether he meant more than the words indicated. “Thank you for giving me this chance. I’ll keep in close touch.”
“Good. Don’t hesitate to call me if you have a question.”
But she would hesitate. He didn’t look well at all. He skin looked pasty and pale, and his breathing was labored. She’d already stayed too long.
She said goodbye and left.
Kerry was waiting for her when she arrived back at the house.
“Where’s your brother?” Lisa asked.
“He didn’t say.”
Lisa didn’t press her. She didn’t want them tattling on each other. That, she knew, was no way to build trust, which was already sorely lacking.
“Did he eat anything?”
“Some toast, then took off.”
Lisa closed her eyes. Secrecy had become a way of life with him.
At least he couldn’t get in trouble in a town this small. She suspected she would hear about it instantly. She comforted herself with the thought that he was exploring the town, not huddled in his bedroom with his cell phone.
Still, she called him. To her surprise, he answered almost immediately.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Just hanging around.”
“Meet some kids?”
Silence.
“When will you be back?” she tried again.
“Don’t know exactly.”
“What about lunch?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
“Not since you made me leave Chicago.” Bitterness was thick in his voice.
She ignored the dig. “I’ll be at the clinic this afternoon,” she said. “And home by five. I want you there for dinner.”
“All right. Gotta go.” He hung up.
He gave up too easily. It worried her.
Lisa looked at her watch, noted the time. She ran a brush through her hair and added a touch of lipstick. Then she went into the kitchen. “Let’s go see about that dog, kiddo,” she said.
The delighted look on her sister’s face lightened her heart. She hoped they could find a suitable dog. At least her sister would have some happiness and maybe her brother would, as well.