Chapter Twenty-Three

The next morning, moving like a sleepwalker, Gloria lowered herself into the lounge chair by the fireplace. She was definitely not a morning person. Laura, seeing her mother without makeup for the first time in many years, felt jolted into a brief sense of her own mortality. Gloria always epitomized glamour, yet now seemed older than her fifty-two years.

Her mother accepted a cup of steaming coffee with a nod of her head and Laura hesitated, reluctant to broach the question on her mind. She knew the answer, yet felt it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“We’re leaving for church in an hour. Would you like to go with us?”

Gloria raised her eyebrows and gave Laura a pained look. “I’ll pass, darling. You two run along. I’ll just stay here and get myself together.”

Laura returned to the kitchen. Beth evidently heard and put a hand on Laura’s arm as she sat down.

A little while later, as Laura and Beth started out the door, Gloria glanced up from perusing a magazine. “Oh, darling, how long will you be gone?”

Laura shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe an hour and a half to two hours.”

“Oh, fine. You two run along now, I’ll fix a piece of toast or something.”

This time Laura drove and when they were almost to the church, Beth glanced over. “You’re a real conversationalist this morning.”

“Oh, sorry, Beth, I don’t know. I just have this feeling and I don’t know why. I’m not sure what’s wrong.”

“Consider what you’ve experienced in the last few days. That would be enough to give anyone pause to think.’

“That’s true. I’m probably still a little jittery over the break-in and this cousin, Deke.”

“He’s a weird one all right. I hope he doesn’t come back to the house.”

“That’s what bothers me, Beth. I’m almost sure he’s going to turn up again, maybe thinking that with you gone I’ll be by myself.”

“But you’re not by yourself, your mother is there.”

“What if he comes while we’re gone?”

Beth snorted. “I think your mother can handle Deke.”

“What if he’s convinced we know where the money is and comes with a gun or something?”

They pulled into the church parking lot and as Laura stopped the car, Beth turned and faced her. “Laura, stop letting your mind go amok. Mr. Howard said he didn’t have a record and knows you don’t know where the money is. I think he wants to search the house for himself. You and your mother just need to do it first and call the police if you find anything.”

As the young women entered the church, Laura saw Sam standing in the Lobby with his back to her, talking with an older couple. The woman smiled and nodded at Laura causing Sam to turn around. Their eyes met and Laura felt again the intensity of his gaze.

“Hello, Sam, it’s nice to see you this morning.” Suddenly she felt that strange warmth in her chest.

“Good morning, Laura, Beth.”

Not knowing what else to say to him, Laura started towards the sanctuary. Sam stepped forward. “Laura, can I speak with you a moment?”

Beth smiled benevolently. “I’ll save you a seat, Laura.”

As Laura followed Sam to a far corner of the vestry, her mind whirled. What could he want to talk to her about?

Sam glanced around and then lowered his voice. “I hope you won’t think I’m sticking my nose in where it isn’t my business, Laura, but I hope you’ll be careful around your cousin, Deke. I don’t think he’s all he appears.”

“That’s kind of you to be concerned, Sam. I don’t know if I’ll see him again before I have to leave, but I will be careful.”

“Good.”

He glanced around the vestry again and then, “Would you be free for dinner one evening before you return to San Diego? I’d like to make up for my rudeness the other day. Would your fiancé mind?”

Laura hesitated. It was innocent, just a kind gesture. “I’m sure that would be all right, Sam.”

“All right, I’ll call you.”

With a feeling somewhere between panic and euphoria, Laura gave him brief smile and went to join Beth.

Beth had on her ‘cat that ate the cream’ expression. “He asked you out.”

Laura ignored her and opening her hymnal to the first song, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God’, added her voice to that of the congregation.

As the pastor spoke of commitment and pursuing goals, Laura thought of where her life was headed. She believed in serving God, but balked at taking on so many tasks at Alan’s church. She liked her job at the college, yet had the distinct feeling she was being pulled away. Why did she feel that her real life was somehow tied up with her aunt’s ‘house of the forest’? She could probably live in Big Bear with the money from her aunt’s estate, but she was too young to retire and do nothing. Then there was Alan. She was getting married in the spring. Her life would take another direction. Did she really love Alan like she thought she did? Why was it then, when Sam Matheson turned the power of those blue eyes on her, it did something to her insides?

Before she knew it, the service ended and they were singing, “Amazing Grace”. She shook hands with several people she recognized from the day before including Jake and Alice Matheson. She nodded to the Morgan’s and the Devers who were across the church from her and smiled. She didn’t see Deke anywhere and felt relieved, but then realized that he probably just came to the church the day before to meet her. She hoped he’d gone back to Los Angeles, but she had a gut feeling he hadn’t, that he was still around somewhere. When would he turn up next?

As they got in the car, Beth couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. “Are you going to tell me what Sam wanted or not?”

Laura sighed. “He wants to take me to dinner to make up for his behavior the other day.”

Beth shrieked. ‘I knew it! What did you say?”

“I said that would be nice and he said he’d call me.”

Beth grew serious. “I know I’m a tease, girlfriend, but how do you feel about that? I mean, you are engaged to Alan, remember?”

“I know, but it seems harmless. In a few days I’ll return to San Diego and never see Sam again. I’ll be in the middle of putting the wedding together.”

Beth gave her a skeptical look. “If you say so, girlfriend, but I think you’re playing with fire. What would Alan say to going out to dinner with a very handsome, eligible bachelor?”

Laura huffed in irritation. ‘Really, Beth, you’re making too much out of this. We’ll just have a simple dinner and that will be that.”

Beth chewed on her lip and took another tack. “You have to do what you feel is right. Maybe I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. Would you want Alan to go out to dinner while you are gone with a beautiful eligible woman?”

“I trust Alan and I believe he trusts me.”

They pulled into the driveway and as Laura moved to get out, Beth put a hand on her arm. “We’ve been friends for a long time and have prayed each other through some hard times. I’m sensing that if you go out to dinner with Sam, something is going to change in your life.”

“I appreciate your words, my friend, more than you know, but don’t worry, I’m not in love with Sam Matheson.”

“That may be so, Laura, but he’s in love with you, he just doesn’t know it yet.”