Protector's Honor

Tabitha held her breath. Lord, please keep them safe.

Earlier that morning, she had been ready to dismiss her usual Sunday-morning routine and stay in bed. But she remembered her promise to take the girls to lunch after the Sunday service. She smiled inwardly, knowing the sacrifice of a few hours’ sleep had been well worth the fellowship. Fellowship she’d needed as well as provided.

But now Tabitha stood alone on the sidewalk. Her intention had not been to be the last one at the restaurant, but the lunch hadn’t taken as long as she’d planned. She had half a notion to run after the girls and ask for a ride. No. She was being silly. She had to get over what had happened on the mountain yesterday. Put it behind her.

Clutching her purse under her arm, she checked her watch. Sasha would be along soon. Still, a feeling of helplessness washed over her. She hated not having a car or a cell phone.

A small green sedan pulled into the parking lot and Tabitha backed away from the curb as it passed. She told herself not to be so edgy, but for the next ten minutes, each time a car passed or pulled in, she flinched. Every time a patron exited the restaurant, she skittered.

She remembered Rory’s warning for her not to be alone. But he’d meant at home. Right?

She checked her watch again. Sasha was late. She pulled nervously at a lock of her hair. Could her friend have forgotten? She didn’t see how. They’d just seen each other at church. Sasha had said she had a few errands to run. Then she was going to join them at the restaurant. So, where was she? Sasha was never late.

Tabitha shook her head at her nervous thoughts. What could happen to her in broad daylight, two feet from the front door of a crowded restaurant?

Nothing.

And still, she couldn’t shake the strong feeling of unease.

After a few minutes, a large black SUV with tinted windows pulled into the parking lot and with it a deeper apprehension consumed her. Again, she backed away from the curb. The car circled the lot and Tabitha was sure she sensed the driver’s eyes on her. Her tired mind was imagining things. She couldn’t see a thing through the dark glass. But no matter the logic she sought, her panic continued to grow.

The vehicle circled the entire building—a strange thing to do, since there were plenty of empty parking spots in front. Again, Tabitha told herself she was overreacting.

Get inside. The command whispered through her mind and Tabitha heeded. She strode back into the restaurant at breakneck speed. From the windows, she watched the SUV pull to where she had stood at the curb.

No one got out. No one got in.

And she still felt that someone inside the vehicle was watching her. This time, she was sure of it. Tabitha began to shake from head to toe.

Several minutes passed and the big black vehicle finally moved on, turning out of the parking lot just as Sasha’s red MINI Cooper pulled into its place. On weak legs, Tabitha hobbled to the car, jumped in and slammed the door.

“Sorry I’m late. The checkout lines at the mart were heinous.” Sasha glanced over. “Japers! You should have stayed in bed, girl. You look worse than me dead uncle.”

“Thanks.”

“No, really. You look terrible bad. Should I fetch you a doctor?”

“No. I ate too much pizza. That’s all.” Tabitha clutched at her purse to steady her quivering fingers.

“Right. What really happened?” Sasha asked.

“I got spooked. That’s all.” Tabitha took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “I hate not having a car or a phone. I hate all of this. It’s like—”

“Now, don’t get started on all that.” Sasha patted her arm as she drove away from the restaurant. “I know just what you need.”

“Really? Enlighten me.”

“You need a rental car. How does that sound?”

“Yes. That is a good idea.” Tabitha nodded.

“We’ll head out right now to pick one up and on the way, you can tell me all about that spicy agent.” Her roommate grinned. “I tried to ask you last night but you fell asleep before we got to the highway.”

Tabitha pretended not to hear. She didn’t want to talk about Rory. It was bad enough she couldn’t stop thinking about him on her own. “You know, I have a big deposition tomorrow. Once we get a car, I’ll have to head home to get prepared. What are you doing this afternoon?”

“Oh. So, it’s like that, is it?” Sasha smirked.

“Like what?”

“If you weren’t interested, you’d say so. You have eyes for him. O’ course, who wouldn’t?”

Tabitha folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow at her.

Tabitha dropped her arms to her lap. “I don’t have ‘eyes for him,’ as you put it. He just helped me. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” Sasha said doubtfully. “Just helped ya.”

“Look. I don’t want to talk about any part of yesterday. Okay?” She sighed. She didn’t like shutting Sasha out. But what good would it do to talk about Rory Farrell? She wasn’t going to see him again. She’d made that decision last night.

Conversation over, Tabitha reached for the air vent, turning it so that the flow blew directly onto her face. The sleeve of her long blouse meant to cover the red marks on her wrists rode up, exposing her battered arms.

“Good gracious!” Sasha gasped. “I was wondering why you were wearing that blouse in this heat.”

Sasha grabbed Tabitha’s other arm and drew back the sleeve. Deep purple bruises and red skin burns encircled her wrist.

“Those men did that to you?” Sasha could barely get the question out. “What else did they do? They didn’t…It wasn’t like last time, was it?”

“No. No.” Tabitha felt her eyes fill with tears. “That’s all they did. Nothing else. Thanks to God.” And Rory.

After preparing her deposition, Tabitha cooked dinner for Sasha and herself. Grilled steaks and veggies. She’d even eaten some. Placing the last of the dishes into the washer, she tried to settle her mind, still buzzing with thoughts of yesterday’s attack. It was late, though. And while she was tired, she knew that sleep would be a long way off. The phone rang as she wiped the countertop. She picked it up and watched her brother’s name roll across the caller ID window. A sudden sense of hope raced through her veins.

“Max! Where have you been all weekend?”

“Karin and I drove to Annapolis,” he said as if repeating himself for the tenth time. “I left you four messages, Tabs. You should check your cell once in a while.”

She sucked in her breath. Of course, her brother had tried to call her. “It’s hard to check something you don’t have.”

“What do you mean?”

“My phone, my car, everything I took to Hendersonville was stolen.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wish I were.” Without skipping a detail, Tabitha described the attack and events that followed. Afterward, a curious silence followed.

Tabitha held the phone close to her ear and hobbled from the tiny kitchen into the more spacious den, where Sasha sat sprawled over a worn leather chair watching the evening news. Tabitha tucked herself into a corner of the chenille couch. Sasha glanced over, knowing how anxious she’d been to talk to her brother. Max hadn’t spoken so Tabitha merely shrugged, his prolonged silence frustrating her more by the second. “Max, are you there?” she asked impatiently.

“Ye-yeah,” he said. “Of course. Sorry. I was just thinking that I should have gone with you. We could have raced together. And I…” He mumbled more regrets that became less and less audible.

Tabitha dropped her face into the palm of her hand. This was not the response she’d anticipated. In fact, tonight Max’s attitude had none of the usual intensity. He hadn’t even commented about the attackers mentioning his name, nor did he laugh and proclaim that he’d never given her anything. Fear gripped her. The hope she’d held on to, that Max could assuage her anxieties, was slipping away. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?” she demanded.

“What? Nothing—” Max cleared his throat. “Nothing’s going on, I was just trying to think it through, you know. Why in the world would they have used my name like that? But really, I have no idea.” He paused again. “Tabitha, you know I had nothing to do with it, right?”

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. This was not Max. Sure, she heard her brother talking, but this wasn’t the person she knew and loved. Tabitha rubbed her fingers against her temple and fought the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. Had his marriage caused this change? Or was it her imagination that she felt distanced from him?

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