Six

“My boss? Why would Mr. Larsen be calling me? Something must be wrong.” Ginny hurried to retrieve her phone. “Hello.”

“Ginny, I have good news. They got him. They want you to come here and make a sworn statement.”

She smiled into the phone. For months she’d hoped and prayed to hear those words. Now that she was hearing them they hardly seemed real.

“Our attorney has set up your time for the day after tomorrow at his office at nine in the morning. It should only take you a day. Can you be away from your aunt for that long?”

She glanced toward Beemer. “I think so. Yes, I’m sure that time will work. Tell him I’ll be there.”

“You have the address, right?”

“Yes. I’ve been there before. I can’t believe this is finally happening. It’s time that man pays for what he did to me and those other people.”

“I wish I could tell you more, but it’d be best if you heard everything from the attorney.”

She thanked Mr. Larsen then snapped the phone shut, cutting the connection.

“I guess that was good news.”

Slipping the phone into her pocket, Ginny smiled at Beemer, then at her aunt. “Yes, but I need to go back to St. Louis. They want me to make a sworn statement. Will you two be okay while I’m gone? It’s important that I go.”

“We’ll be fine, dear. Don’t worry about us.”

“I’ll leave tomorrow afternoon and come back as soon as I can. If all goes as planned, I’ll be gone no more than two nights. But right now I’m going to put our lunch on to cook. It’s already past one.”

Beemer followed her into the kitchen. “Can I help?”

“Not with that sore hand, but you can watch me peel the potatoes. I thought I’d reheat the chicken and noodles I made yesterday. I love chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Once Ginny had set the pot of potatoes on the burner and the temperature to high, she turned toward Beemer. “As soon as those are cooked I’ll mash them while the chicken and noodles heat in the microwave, and our lunch will be ready.”

Beemer eyed her for a moment then leaned toward her. “Ginny, is something wrong? I know what you do is none of my business, and I hate to pry, but is everything okay? You seemed surprised when your boss called, and now you have to make a trip back to St. Louis. You would tell me if anything was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

“Nothing is wrong—now.”

“What does that mean?”

Ginny searched her heart and decided it was time to come clean with Beemer. After all, hadn’t he opened his heart to her?

He shrugged. “We both know how unstable Aunt Margaret’s health is. She’s been going downhill for days and could take a turn for the worse any moment. The way you’ve been so concerned about her, I was surprised you agreed to leave town so readily. Whatever that call was about must be important.”

“It is important, Beemer.” She sat down at the table and motioned toward the empty chair next to her. “I think it’s time I told you the whole story.”

He pulled the chair away from the table and angled it toward her before seating himself. “I’m listening.”

“All my life I waited for that one special man, the one God intended for me. I envisioned him sweeping me off my feet with a wonderful whirlwind courtship, followed by a fairytale wedding, an adorable cottage, the white picket fence, beautiful children, the whole enchilada. But that man didn’t come along.”

Ginny paused. Voicing this to Beemer was even harder than she’d thought it would be. “I dated a number of men from my singles’ group at church; but, even though they were nice guys, our relationships never progressed beyond friendship. Then about two years ago Steve Conrad, one of the top investment counselors at the firm where I work, asked me out to dinner. I knew he wasn’t a Christian, but he was fun and witty and a great conversationalist. I figured there wasn’t any harm in it since we were going with one of his clients and his wife, so I accepted. I had a great time, so when he asked me to go to a musical the next weekend I said yes. He treated me like a queen, showered me with flowers and little presents, and made over me like I was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.” Hoping to relieve the knot forming in her stomach, Ginny drew in a deep breath.

Beemer leaned forward in his chair, a frown on his face. “Go on.”

“I realized I was doing the very thing I’d said I’d never do—getting involved with someone who didn’t share my faith—so I tried inviting him to church. He kept saying he’d come sometime, but that sometime never arrived. He always had one excuse or another to keep him away. But just the promise that he’d eventually go with me kept me encouraged, and I let our relationship go further and further. Three months later he asked me to marry him and slipped the most beautiful engagement ring I’d ever seen onto my finger. I was convinced that once we were married I could lead him to the Lord and everything would be fine. So I ignored God’s still small voice, and we became engaged.” Ginny rose, pulled the big glass bowl of chicken and noodles from the microwave, and gave it a stir.

“But you didn’t marry him, right?”

She gave her head a shake. “No, Beemer. But if what I am about to tell you hadn’t happened I might have married him. At the time I thought I was in love with Steve. Now, looking back, I realize I was in love with love, not with him.”

Ginny returned the bowl to the microwave, closed the door, and punched the timer, then checked the pot of potatoes boiling away on the range’s front burner before settling down in her chair again. “Being an only child, when my mom and dad passed away I inherited everything they’d built up over their nearly fifty years of marriage, which came to a sizable amount. Especially after I sold the big house they’d built on prime land. You would have thought that since I worked for an investment firm I would have invested it with them, but I hadn’t. Instead I’d left everything in a savings account in the same bank where my parents had kept it all those years. Since Steve was going to be my husband, I confided in him about the money. He said he had no interest in it. As far as he was concerned, I could leave it there forever. He claimed he had made a number of wise investments over the years and would be able to provide everything we’d ever need or want. He even said we should have children right away. And he wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom, which was another one of my dreams.”

Beemer leaned back in his chair and straightened his long legs. “You make him sound like a great guy.”

“I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Everyone who worked for the firm, including Mr. Larsen, loved Steve and respected him. He’d been there for years and had a list of clients three times as long as any of the other investment counselors. Top salesman every month. Everything was going along fine. I’d purchased a beautiful wedding dress, selected the bridesmaids and their dresses, and the tuxedos had been fitted—everything. The wedding was only a week off when Steve came over to my apartment one evening all upset.”

She paused. This was so hard to talk about. “At first he wouldn’t tell me why—just kept pacing about the room raking his fingers through his hair. When I begged him to tell me what had him so upset, he told me he had a problem but didn’t want to burden me with it and started to leave. I’d never seen him in such a state, and it worried me.”

Dreading what she had to say next, Ginny hurried to the refrigerator, pulled out the pitcher of iced tea she’d made for their supper, and filled two glasses, setting one before Beemer and the other at her place at the table before sitting back down.

“What was wrong with him? Don’t tell me he had some terrible disease.”

“No, nothing like that.” Ginny took a sip of iced tea and let the cool liquid slip slowly down her throat. “It took a bit of convincing, but I finally talked him into telling me. It seems he’d gotten an insider tip on a stock that was going to go over the roof in value the next day. So he’d not only taken every penny of his own money he could get his hands on and invested it in the stock, wanting to make a great showing for his clients, but he’d also, without their permission, invested their money as well. It turned out his insider tip was a fluke and the rise in the stock didn’t happen. In fact, the value plummeted, taking all of Steve’s money with it and his clients’ money, too. What he’d done was unlawful, and he was in big trouble if he couldn’t cover his clients’ debt.”

Beemer rolled his eyes. “So he asked you for your money to cover it.”

Ginny hung her head, avoiding his gaze, the stupidity of what she’d done still ripping at her. “No, he didn’t ask me for it. I volunteered it.”

Beemer’s eyes widened. “Why, Ginny? Why would you do such a thing? Your parents had worked nearly fifty years for that money!”

His accusatory words angered her. “You’ve been in love, Beemer. What right do you have to criticize me? You trusted your fiancée and your best friend, and look where it got you!”

“But I didn’t lose my shirt,” he countered. “I hope you’re going to tell me he refused to take it.”

“After much convincing on my part, he agreed to take it. We went to the bank the very next morning, and I drew it all out, even the certificates of deposit—and had to pay a penalty on them for early withdrawal. Steve promised to pay it all back as soon as he could sell some valuable commercial property his parents had left him.”

“So? Was he able to sell it? Did you get your money back?”

Ginny swallowed at the emotions that threatened to choke her. “I don’t know if he ever sold the property or not. As soon as I gave him all that money, he kissed me, then headed out the door to cover the investments he’d made, with the promise he’d meet me at my apartment at six and we’d have a nice, quiet dinner at home, just the two of us.”

Beemer rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You came out on the short end of the stick, but at least his clients must have been able to get their money back.”

“No, they didn’t. And neither did the firm or a number of other people he’d swindled. None of us has seen or heard of him since that day I gave him the money. When he didn’t show up for work and I admitted to Mr. Larsen what he had done, my boss searched the files on Steve’s and the company’s computers. He found Steve had been doctoring files and swindling money for over five years, transferring it to several banks in other states. They checked with those banks and discovered he had drawn out all the funds and closed the accounts. Counting what he took from me, the amount was well over two million. The SEC and the authorities figured he’d left the country.”

“Did he?”

Ginny shrugged. She was so excited when she received the call from Mr. Larsen that she hadn’t asked. In fact, she hadn’t even asked about the money. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out when I go to St. Louis. That’s what the call was about. They’ve found him, Beemer. They’ve found Steve! That’s why I have to go to St. Louis. For over a year I’ve waited for this news. I was beginning to wonder if they’d ever find him.”

A huge smile blanketed Beemer’s face. “No wonder you were excited when your boss called.” He reached out and took her hand. “Don’t worry about Aunt Margaret. I’ll take good care of her. You go to St. Louis and do whatever you have to do to make that guy pay for what he did to you and those other people. Guys like that need to be locked up for life.”

Ginny suddenly remembered her cat and the new kittens. “I’ll call the vet. Maybe I can leave Tinkerbelle with him until I get back.”

Beemer grinned. “What’s the matter? You don’t think I can take good care of her? That cat and I have bonded, which is probably why she had her kittens in my closet.”

“In your closet! Oh, Beemer, I was going to help move Tinkerbelle off that quilt and into the bathroom so you could take it to the cleaners. With Mr. Larsen’s unexpected phone call coming as it did, I completely forgot.”

Beemer stood and pulled her up with him. “I have an idea. Since Tinkerbelle seems to enjoy my closet, and it’s nice and warm and protected in there, why don’t we take the quilt out from under her and her babies? We can put an old blanket in its place and leave her there until you get back. That way I can keep a closer watch on her. I think she’d much rather stay in my room than go to the vet’s.”

His unselfish offer surprised her. “You’d do that? You wouldn’t mind?”

He cuffed her chin playfully with his good hand. “Not in the least.”

“What about your hand? Can you manage doing everything for Aunt Margaret with one hand?”

“It’ll be a little awkward, but I’ll get along. Several restaurants in the area deliver. We’ll do fine. The doctor said I should be able to get rid of these cumbersome splints today or tomorrow. I think I’ll call him and ask him if I can go ahead and take them off myself.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?“ She gestured toward the range. “I think the potatoes are done.”

“Ginny, I’m glad you confided in me,” Beemer told her once lunch was over and the kitchen cleaned up. “I know it was hard talking about it, but what you told me explains a lot about you. When you arrived here, it was pretty obvious you’d been hurt. I just didn’t realize how deeply. You deserved so much better. No wonder you’re afraid to trust anyone.”

“I was pretty stupid.”

“I prefer to call it naïve. You’re anything but stupid.”

“I was out of the will of God.”

“You really think He expects you to toe the mark? I’ve heard it said that no one can keep the Ten Commandments.”

Ginny gave him a smile. “You’re getting pretty biblical on me.”

He slipped his arm around her shoulders as they exited the kitchen. “I know a thing or two about the Bible.”

“Then you know everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of God? Even you?”

A playful, unexpected kiss landed on her cheek. “Let’s go get Tinkerbelle off that quilt. Then we’ll fix Aunt Margaret’s lunch tray.”

Ginny spent the better part of the afternoon with Aunt Margaret, giving her a good bath, massaging her back, arms, and legs, and rubbing her dry, wrinkled skin with a wonderful, lemony-scented lotion. After that, she made her aunt’s favorite gelatin salad and chocolate cake, hoping Beemer would remember to give them to her during the time she was gone. After supper she spent over an hour reading the Bible to her aunt. Then, before retiring to take her shower and prepare for the trip to St. Louis, she sat on the floor with Beemer in front of his closet, watching Tinkerbelle care for her kittens.

“I’m going to miss you,” he told her, giving her shoulder a gentle nudge. “I’ve kinda gotten used to having you around.”

She smiled up at him. “You’d be crazy to miss me, after all the trouble Tinkerbelle and I have caused you.”

He glanced at his watch as the doorbell rang. Bracing himself with his good hand, he stood and hurried to answer it. He was back in less than a minute. “It’s Dora and Mitzy. They want me to go to a movie with them.”

“So go.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Why would I mind? I have plenty to do if I’m going to drive to St. Louis tomorrow. I want to leave by nine. It’ll take only about five hours, but I want to get in early enough to stop by my office and see how things are going. Catch up on what’s been happening since I’ve been away.”

“Okay, then I guess I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll check on Aunt Margaret and make sure she takes her medicine before I go.”

“I’ll give it to her.”

He shook his head. “Naw, I’ll do it. She’s kinda used to me kissing her good night. I’ll see you in the morning before you leave. I’d better get back to Dora and Mitzy.”

Ginny waited until she heard the giggling in the living room stop and the front door close before giving Tinkerbelle one more pat and rising to her feet. It had been a long day, and she still had to pack her overnight bag and take a shower. The best part of the day had been the phone call saying they’d found Steve. The worst part was having to admit her stupidity to Beemer, but at least she’d told him. She’d gotten the whole sordid thing off her chest and felt better because of it. It was as if a wall had come down between her and Beemer, and it felt good. Really good. She hated secrets.

Ginny rose early the next morning, taking care of last-minute details before making sure Aunt Margaret had a good, nourishing breakfast and had taken her morning round of pills. She shuddered as she thought of what might lie ahead for her aunt. The doctor had told them the time would soon come when hospice would take over and she’d have to be on morphine, something they all had dreaded. But for now the pills seemed to be doing the trick. That, or Aunt Margaret wasn’t telling them how bad the pain was getting.

“You will be careful driving, won’t you, dear?” Aunt Margaret asked as Ginny peeked into her room for one last good-bye. “I wish you had flown here instead of driven. There are so many weird, irresponsible people out on the road.”

Ginny smiled at her, grateful for her concern. “I could have flown, but last-minute airfares are so expensive. Besides, it’ll be nice to have my car there since I’ll be spending both nights in my apartment.”

“Beemer said the two of you had a good talk yesterday.”

“We did. We talked about many things. We know each other a whole lot better now.” Ginny wondered how much he’d said. For fear of worrying her, she’d never given her aunt all the reasons why she hadn’t married Steve or told her how he’d absconded with her money and so many other people’s. Just that there had been problems between them and he’d broken her trust.

“I’m glad. I want the two of you to get along.” She gave Ginny a dismissive wave of her hand. “Run along. I don’t want you driving fast. And don’t worry about me. I’ll be in good hands with Beemer. He fusses over me even worse than my husband did. And don’t be concerned about Tinkerbelle. I think Beemer has taken a real shine to that cat.”

Ginny planted a loving kiss on her aunt’s warm cheek. “Are you running a fever?”

“Don’t be such a worrywart, Ginny. It’s probably from the hot tea I drank for breakfast. Now go.”

Still concerned but accepting her aunt’s reasonable explanation, she smiled, waved good-bye and headed toward the front door. Beemer was waiting for her in the living room, her overnight bag in his good hand.

“I’ll walk you to the car,” he told her, slipping his arm about her waist.

“I’m only going to St. Louis. The way you and Aunt Margaret are carrying on, you’d think I was off on a six-month safari.”

Beemer placed her bag in her backseat then stood staring at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He wrinkled up his nose. “I’m trying to decide.”

Not having any idea what he was talking about, she frowned. “Decide what?”

A slow grin crept across his face. “If I should kiss you on the cheek like this”—he bent and lightly touched his lips to her cheek—“or if I should—”

Without warning Ginny found herself gathered up in his arms, his lips pressing against hers. Her brain told her to plant her hands on his chest and push away from him, but her heart told her to enjoy his kiss, to respond.

Her heart won out, and Ginny found her lips pressing against his, her arms circling his broad shoulders, her fingers touching the short stubby hair at his neckline.

When they finally parted, Beemer uttered a low growl, then added a whispered “Wow. I’ve been wanting to do that ever since you walked in that front door.”

His kiss had not been a cousinly kiss. The one he’d given her had sent her heart into orbit and back again. She found herself speechless and not sure what to do next.

Beemer solved that problem by kissing her again, and again her heart went into orbit. She’d never felt this way before. Not even when she’d deluded herself by thinking she was in love with Steve.

When Beemer backed away, his gaze locked with hers, and he smiled at her. “I could make a habit of kissing you. You’d better get out of here before I do it again.”

“You—you have my phone number if you need me, and I’ll be calling to check on Aunt Margaret and Tinkerbelle.” Her hands were shaking, and she felt as if her words were slurring. “Don’t forget Aunt Margaret’s medicine.”

He pulled her into his arms again, and this time she went willingly. “Don’t worry about us,” he whispered into her hair. “Just come back as quick as you can.”

“I—I will,” she murmured, her mind in a whir. Lifting her face toward his, she closed her eyes and waited, her heart doing a marathon, as the kiss she hoped would come fell softly on her lips.

Pulling herself back to reality, Ginny slowly backed away. “I–I’ll see you in two days.”

“I don’t want to let you go,” Beemer said in a low, husky voice as she turned and walked toward her car.

She wanted so much to forget her trip, run into his arms, and stay there, but she held her breath and resisted the temptation. “I’ll be back—soon.” Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she walked to her van, climbed in, and started the engine.

What am I doing? I can’t let myself get involved with Beemer, she told herself as she took the 386 ramp onto Vietnam Veterans Boulevard and merged into the traffic. In her confused state she’d almost forgotten Vietnam Veterans Boulevard was actually I-65. I let myself get involved with Steve, knowing full well he didn’t share my faith. Thank the Lord I didn’t marry that man. Even if he hadn’t run out on me with my money, what kind of life would I have had with him?

Taking her eyes off the road for only a second, she punched the button for her favorite inspirational radio station, and the car was filled with music.

More important, what kind of life would I have with any man who didn’t put God first in his life? She had seen women like that. Women married to good men who loved their families and provided well for them but refused to go to church with them or have anything to do with Christian activities of any kind and certainly not pray with them. Women like that had attended her home church in St. Louis, sitting alone with their children on Sunday mornings, no husband by their side. She had seen them wipe the tears from their eyes when the pastor talked about godly homes and the importance of raising their children to love the Lord.

The palm of her hand came down hard on the steering wheel. No! That kind of life is not for me. I’d rather spend the rest of my life alone than have a husband who refused to share the most important thing in my life with me. Beemer was a wonderful man. She could so easily fall in love with him, but, no matter how much she cared for him, she couldn’t let herself succumb to his charms and ignore the fact that he openly claimed he wasn’t a Christian and had no interest in having God in his life. Unless he acknowledged he was a sinner and in need of a Savior, there could be no future for them.

She blinked hard at the tears begging to be released. Who am I kidding? I’m already in love with the guy.

Please, God, help me to be strong.

❧

It was nearly three o’clock when Ginny reached the investment firm’s offices. After warm greetings from the members of the staff, Mr. Larsen motioned her into his office. “I didn’t know much when I phoned you, but since then some things have come out that I knew you’d want to know. They found Steve living in Galveston. One of his clients was on vacation there, saw him in a restaurant, and called the police. He gave up without a struggle. When they searched the beachside cabin he’d leased, they found about half of the missing money stuffed under his mattress. Smart guy, huh? So, rather than deal with a lot of legal ramifications and the embarrassment of facing his accusers, he agreed to tell them where the rest of the money was if they’d offer him a plea bargain. I received a call a few minutes before you arrived, saying he’d taken them to a shed not far from his cabin where he’d buried a steel box. When they opened it, there was the rest of the missing money. Apparently he’d spent very little of it. Isn’t that amazing? He’d worked so hard to cover his tracks all those years, duping you and me and people who trusted him, then didn’t even spend the money.”

Ginny stared at Mr. Larsen. How many times had she dreamed Steve had been caught and the money had turned up, only to wake up and find it was all a figment of her restless mind? Now it had happened. It had really happened!

“Ginny, did you hear what I said? You’re going to get most of your money back.”

She shook her head to clear it, the reality finally soaking in. “You have no idea how hard I’ve prayed this would happen.”

He rose, smiling. “Well, I guess God heard your prayers. The lawyer tells me they’ll still want your statement in the morning, but that should be the end of it. Now go visit your coworkers. I’m sure they’re glad to see you. We’ve all missed you and are looking forward to your return.”

Ginny felt as if she were walking on air when she left the office and drove toward her apartment. Thank You, God. Only You could have made this miracle happen. Steve’s finally been found, and he still has the money!

Once she reached her apartment, she phoned Beemer with the news.

“I’m thrilled for you, Ginny,” he told her, but something in his voice didn’t sound thrilled.

“What’s wrong? Is it Aunt Margaret?”

“She hasn’t felt good all day. I’ve never seen her this weak.” Ginny’s heart clenched. “Have you called the doctor?”

“He stopped by on his way home from the hospital. We may be losing her sooner than we expected. He said it’s time to call hospice and get her started on morphine. She’s been in more pain than she’s let anyone know.”

“Oh, Beemer, I wish I was there. They still want me to do the sworn statement in the morning. I’d planned to stay in St. Louis again tomorrow night, but I’m not going to. As soon as I’m finished with the statement I’m heading back there. You will let me know if there’s any change, won’t you?”

“You know I will. Ginny, be careful driving. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

“I will. I’ll call you first thing in the morning to see how she is. I hope Tinkerbelle isn’t being any trouble.”

“No trouble at all. All she has on her mind is those kittens. She’s a good little mother. You’d be proud of her. Good night. Try to get some sleep and don’t worry about us. We’re doing okay.”

Ginny’s hand was shaking as she hung up the phone. She should never have left Aunt Margaret. She glanced about the room. Maybe it’d be best if she just hopped in her van and took off for Hendersonville. She could be there in a little over five hours. But it was already after nine. It’d be nearly three in the morning by the time she got to Aunt Margaret’s house, and she hated driving alone on the highway at night. Besides, she was already exhausted. She’d not only made the five-hour drive to St. Louis, she’d been up since before dawn. It’d be dangerous to drive when she was so sleepy. If she could finish her sworn statement and get on the road by ten o’clock, she could be in Hendersonville by three in the afternoon.

Though she wanted desperately to get back to Aunt Margaret’s as soon as possible, she opted for staying, giving her statement, then driving back in the morning.

She had expected to fall asleep immediately, but it didn’t happen. She watched as the hands of the clock ticked their way to eleven, then to midnight, tossing and turning, praying and feeling very much isolated from those she loved in Hendersonville. The last time she looked at the clock before drifting off, the hands were nearly at one o’clock.

The ringing of the phone wakened her five minutes later.