The Courage To Dream and The Power Of Love

Chapter Four

Rebecca heard the back door slam. Peering into the kitchen, she saw Peter go to the refrigerator. He took a jug of ice water out and poured himself a tall glass.

“How was practice today?” Rebecca came into the room, hoping that her son would finally say more than two words to her. She’d never had the talk with Peter because he’d avoided her, and she knew the uselessness of having a conversation with him when he was in a rotten mood.

“Just great,” he mumbled. “One of my favorite things is to run laps around a baseball diamond.” The frown carved into his features belied his words.

“I thought you were the assistant.”

“Yeah, well, it seems the assistant runs along with everyone else, even the coaches. Something that Coach Stone forgot to tell me the other night.”

“I guess you couldn’t very well stand there watching everyone run.”

“Right, and he knew that I’d feel awkward.” Peter’s frown deepened as he trudged to the sink and put his glass in it.

Rebecca looked at her son’s dress shoes. “Where are your sneakers? You didn’t run in those, did you?”

“Yes.” Peter stared at the sink as though he had never seen it before. “I forgot them, but he didn’t believe me. He made me run anyway.”

“Did you really forget them?”

Peter whirled. “Yes, of course!”

“But you never wear your dress shoes to school.”

“Well, I wanted to today.” He glared at her, daring her to disagree.

“Let’s talk, Peter.”

“Now? I’m beat.”

“Then have a seat at the table.” Rebecca gestured toward it. “We’ve put this off too long. We need to talk about Saturday night.” She made her voice firm, no-nonsense sounding.

Peter loudly sighed but walked to the table and plopped into a chair, slouching against its caned back.

“Chief Stone thinks that you’re upset because you feel someone has let you down.”

“He should mind his own business,” Peter mumbled, picking at the bright yellow place mat in front of him.

“Lately you have been his business. When you disappeared the other night, you became his business.”

“Only because you called him.” He stabbed her with a defiant glare.

“I was afraid something bad would happen to you. Nine-year-old boys don’t go out at midnight.”

“I’m gonna be ten soon.” Peter dropped his gaze and began to roll the place mat at the corner.

“Ten-year-old boys don’t, either.”

“I’m not a baby anymore.”

Rebecca grasped his hand. “I know that. Both Josh and I depend on you, honey. That’s why I can’t have you leaving the house late at night. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Emotion welled in her throat.

Peter kept his head down, his shoulders slumped.

“Promise me you won’t do that again.”

He mumbled what she thought was a yes.

“And as long as you’re involved with the baseball team, I won’t extend your grounding. I think it’s important you do something like that.” She realized the second she said those words that she might be dooming Peter’s participation with the team. Lately he seemed to go out of his way not to do what she wanted. “Now, speaking of your birthday, what do you want to do for it? We could have a party and invite—”

Peter’s head shot up, and he yanked his hand from her clasp. “I don’t know anyone in Oakview to invite. All of my friends are back in Dallas.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

Chewing on his lower lip, he glanced away then at her. “I want to go fishing with Dad like we used to.”

The tightness in her throat spread. Her lungs burned. Craig and Peter used to go fishing at least once a month. Her son loved to fish and hadn’t been since Craig had left them. “Then we’ll call him and see what we can set up.”

His face brightened. “We can?”

“Yes, let’s call this evening after he gets home from work.”

“Great!” Peter jumped to his feet. “I’d better go do my homework.”

As he ran from the kitchen, her grandmother came into the room. “My, who lit a fire under that young man?”

“Granny, I’m so afraid he’s going to be disappointed.”

“Why, child?”

“He wants Craig to take him fishing on his birthday.”

“Oh.” Granny sank into the chair that Peter had occupied.

“I told him we’ll call him tonight and see if he can. I shouldn’t have. What if—”

“Rebecca, have faith. Everything will work out for the best. You just wait and see.” Her grandmother patted her hand, then pushed to her feet. “Now, if I don’t get moving, we won’t have dinner tonight.”

“Let me check on Josh and then I’ll be back down to help. I think my little man has finally decided to catch up on all the sleep he missed this past week.”

Rebecca climbed the stairs to the second floor. She peered at Peter’s bedroom door and noticed that it was open. Lately he always closed it when he was in his room. She started to look in, to see if everything was all right with her eldest son, when she heard his voice coming from her bedroom.

She paused in the doorway. Peter had Josh on the bed, changing his diaper and making funny faces at him.

“Okay, big guy, that ought to fix ya right up. Tonight we’ll practice extra hard on our walking. Don’t want to slack on the job. I want ya chasing me around this house before the year is out. Think of all the things I can teach ya to do.” Peter lifted Josh high in the air, then swung him from side to side.

Josh’s giggles blended with his older brother’s laughter. The sound pierced Rebecca’s heart. She cleared her throat.

Peter whirled, surprise evident in his expression. “I heard Josh and thought I’d better check up on him.”

How could she tell Peter his dream wouldn’t come true for his little brother? The pain in her heart expanded. “Will you watch Josh while I help Granny with dinner?”

“I guess,” Peter said, replacing the surprise on his face with his usual sullen expression. But he held his little brother close as though protecting Josh from the world.

Crossing her legs, Rebecca smoothed her black calf-length skirt. Her heart pounding against her chest, she clasped her hands tightly in her lap.

“Chief Stone will see you now,” a short, gray-haired woman announced when she appeared in the reception area of the police station.

Rebecca rose, took a deep, calming breath and entered the office the older woman indicated with a wave.

Gabriel came around his desk, offering his hand for Rebecca to shake. “I’m glad you applied. Since the pay isn’t much, I wasn’t sure you would.”

“How could I refuse? Your offer is the only one I’ve had.”

He grinned. “I have to admit there aren’t many jobs in Oakview, but we aren’t too far from Tulsa where I’m sure you can find a better-paying job.”

Warmth flowed through her at his smile, warmth meant to put her at ease, and it did. Her tension evaporated as she responded to his compassion. “I can’t spend anymore time away from Josh than is necessary. Driving to and from Tulsa would add an extra hour and half to my work day as well as eat into my salary.”

“Who’s going to take care of Josh?”

“Granny, until I can come up with a more permanent solution. Peter will help when school is out in a few months and Ann, next door, has volunteered to help Granny until then.”

“Josh is welcome here if you get in a bind.”

“Then I have the job?”

“Yes. I wish it were more.”

“It’s a job, and as you know, I need one.”

Gabriel sat on the corner of his desk, his stance casual, openly friendly. “When can you start?”

Rebecca noticed him absently twirling his wedding ring on his finger and marveled at the depth of love he must have had for his wife. What would it be like to have a man love her that much? “Tomorrow if you need me,” she finally answered after clearing her throat.

“Jenny hasn’t been gone more than a day, but her work is already stacking up. If you can start tomorrow, that’ll be great.” Gabriel rose and headed for his office door. “How’s Peter today?”

“Limping around. He hasn’t done that much exercise lately, and his muscles are protesting.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he was so out of shape.”

Rebecca recalled her eldest groaning as he descended the stairs that morning for school. “Don’t be. This will be good for him. I don’t think he was too upset by the sore muscles. I didn’t hear a word of complaint from him at the breakfast table this morning, and he took his tennis shoes to school today. Believe me, lately he’s the first to complain if he’s upset about something.”

“Good. I know it wasn’t comfortable for him running around the baseball field in loafers, but everyone who shows up participates. I didn’t want him to be any different.”

Gabriel brushed against her as he reached to open the door at the same time she did. Rebecca stepped away, nonplussed by the casual touch. Their gazes linked for a few seconds before Gabriel swung the door open and called, “Mabel, I believe you’ve already met Rebecca Michaels. She’s our new file clerk. Rebecca will be starting tomorrow at eight. You’ll be working closely with Mabel, helping her with her job.”

“Welcome aboard.” Mabel pumped Rebecca’s hand several times.

“She used to be in the Navy,” Gabriel whispered so loud everyone within a few feet could hear.

“And proud of it. I run a tight ship.” The older woman’s hair was pulled back in a severe bun, her clothes crisp and clean and her stance ramrod straight as though a board were stuck down her back.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mabel.” Rebecca resisted the urge to rub her arm after its vigorous workout. Even though she hadn’t had a job since high school, she knew it was important for her to start out on the right foot with a co-worker. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Eight sharp.”

Rebecca smiled, but she was worried. She knew the value of being on time to a job, especially a new one, but with two children, plans and schedules didn’t always work out as she wished. She would just have to get up earlier tomorrow morning. She was determined that Gabriel’s faith in her would pay off.

“Mom!” Peter yelled from the top of the stairs. “I can’t find my tennis shoes. I have to have them!”

Rebecca hurried out of the kitchen, carrying Josh in her arms. “Where did you put them last?”

“If I knew that, I would know where they were.”

She stopped at the bottom of the steps and tried to think where Peter would have put his shoes. Nothing came to mind except the fact she only had twenty minutes to get to work. She was not going to be late the first day. “Okay, retrace your steps yesterday when you came home from practice.”

“Mom, I’ve already done that. I can’t remember. I was so tired—” Peter’s face lit up, and he spun on his heel and raced for his room. A minute later he reappeared, wearing his tennis shoes. “I kicked them under the bed.”

“Why?”

“I was angry at Coach Stone.”

“Why?”

“Just was.”

Her son’s expression closed, and Rebecca knew she wouldn’t get an explanation from him. That left Gabriel. She intended to ask him when she got to work on time.

Rebecca hurried into the kitchen to finish feeding Josh his breakfast. She propped her youngest in his high chair and started to spoon some cereal into his mouth.

“Here, let me do that, Rebecca. You still have to get ready for work.”

Rebecca looked at her grandmother, then at the clock on the wall. She had fifteen minutes to get to work.

Rushing into the small bathroom under the stairs, she ran a comb through her hair and then raced out. Only seven minutes to get to work. She hoped all the police were at the station, because she found herself pressing her foot on the accelerator more than she should. She could imagine the headline in the local newspaper—Newest Member of Police Staff Caught Speeding.

She brought the car to a shrieking halt in a parking space right in front of the building, happy some things were going her way. Hurrying inside, she glanced at her watch and was glad to see she was only two minutes late. She had made it on time—well, practically on time—for her first day of work.

“You’re late, Mrs. Michaels. Try to be here on time in the future. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.” Mabel stood behind her desk outside Gabriel’s office, her expression stern, her stance reminding Rebecca of a drill sergeant.

Rebecca stopped halfway across the room, aware of Gabriel to the side, talking with one of his officers. He turned toward her, a scowl on his face, and her heart sank.

A smile transformed Gabriel’s face almost immediately. He said a few more words to the officer, then headed toward Rebecca, his eyes warm with a welcome. “I wanted to be here to greet you your first day at work.”

Everything would be all right, Rebecca thought, forgetting other people were nearby while she basked in the warmth of Gabriel’s greeting.

He slid a glance toward Mabel, who stood behind her desk watching them, and lowered his voice. “She’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Give her time.”

Rebecca eased her tense muscles and returned Gabriel’s smile. “I didn’t think I should get a speeding ticket my first day on the job. Probably wouldn’t look very good.” She peered at Mabel, who was tapping a pencil against her desktop. “But then, maybe I should have.”

“Just between you and me, no one’s out patrolling at the moment so you’d have been safe. In fact, trying to catch speeders isn’t a high priority for this department. But I don’t condone that kind of behavior, so don’t let anyone know,” Gabriel said in a tough voice while merriment danced in his eyes.

“Wild horses couldn’t drag it out of me.” Rebecca pressed her lips together to emphasize her point, caught up in Gabriel’s playfulness. He had a way of wiping away her worries, of making her see this job was a start to a new part of her life.

“Now don’t be alarmed, but Mabel is heading this way with a look of determination on her face. I realize her nickname is Dragon Lady, but I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s been here so long that she knows where the skeletons are buried.”

Rebecca turned toward the Dragon Lady, who came to a halt right behind Rebecca. Smile, she told herself, and forced her mouth to curve upward, drawing comfort from the fact that Gabriel was next to her. He made her feel she was capable of doing anything. He made her want to lean on him when she knew she couldn’t.

Rebecca stuck her hand out to Mabel. “I’m so glad to be here—”

“Mrs. Michaels,” Mabel said, ignoring Rebecca’s outstretched hand, “we have a lot of work to do today. With Jenny gone these past few days, things have been piling up. If you’re through chitchatting, come with me.”

“Yes, Mrs….” Rebecca realized she didn’t know Mabel’s last name, and somehow she was sure the woman wouldn’t want her to call her by her first name.

“Ms. Preston.” Mabel pivoted and marched toward a desk in the far corner.

Rebecca threw Gabriel a helpless glance, then followed Mabel, all the while eyeing her new desk, which faced a wall with old brown paneling. A pile of folders threatened to topple. Papers scattered across the battered desktop mocked any sense of order.

The older woman waved her hand toward the papers. “I don’t like to talk ill of anyone who isn’t here, but as you can see, Jenny didn’t work much these past few months, ever since she started dating her new husband. I won’t tolerate that from you.”

Dating or not working? Rebecca wanted to ask, but diplomatically kept her mouth shut. “How long did Jenny work here?”

“Not long, and frankly, even if she hadn’t left for Oklahoma City, she wouldn’t have been here much longer.” Mabel gestured toward the pile of folders. “These cases haven’t been filed in a month. This wouldn’t have happened if Gabriel hadn’t made me take a vacation. I don’t tolerate slackers on the job. It’s just you and me keeping this place running. And a police department must have order and efficiency to work properly.”

Rebecca wondered what the woman did tolerate, but kept her mouth shut. She needed this job, and even though Gabriel was the police chief she suspected Mabel ran things around the station. “I’ll do my best.”

“You better, or…”

The unfinished sentence hung in the air between Rebecca and Mabel. Rebecca swallowed past the sudden constriction in her throat.

“Now.” Mabel placed her hand on top of one stack of folders. “The first thing you need to do is log these into the computer under complaints, then file them over there.” She pointed across the large room to a bank of file cabinets. “When you’re through with that job, I’ll explain what else you need to do.”

After Mabel gave her the password to get into the computer files, she strode away. Rebecca released a slow breath while she scanned the messy desk, so out of place in the orderly station. She heard a cough behind her and looked to see Mabel waiting for her to get busy. Rebecca scrambled into the hardback chair and switched on the computer, hoping she knew the software program. She didn’t want to ask Mabel for help. She only had so much bravery for one day. Thankfully the computer was similar to the one she’d had in Dallas.

As she checked the hard drive, trying to find a place to log in cases, she couldn’t help feeling like a fish out of water. She looked up from the computer and stared at the brown paneled wall in front of her. It must have been part of the station since the sixties. Noticing at least a dozen nail holes in the paneling, she thought about bringing some pictures to hang and maybe some flowers from home to brighten her work area.

“Mrs. Michaels, is there a problem?”

Wincing, Rebecca clicked on an icon and found what she was looking for. “No, Ms. Preston. I’ve got everything under control.”

Two hours later Rebecca regretted saying she had anything under control. She frowned at the offending computer screen, wondering what Mabel would do if she threw it at the brown paneled wall.

“It can’t be that bad.” Gabriel leaned against the desk, gripping its edge, while he stared at her.

The minute Rebecca saw his face crinkled in a grin, a sparkle in his eyes, the past few hours’ troubles vanished. She relaxed in her chair.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been staring at that computer for the past hour as though you’re gonna do bodily harm to it. I have to remind you, ma’am, we’re in a police station, and that kind of behavior is frowned upon.”

“Did anyone bother to check how competent Jenny was with the computer?” she asked with a laugh. “Nothing’s where it should be. I’ve spent the past hour moving files from one folder to another. I haven’t had a chance to log in any of these yet.” Rebecca trailed her hand up the foot-high stack taunting her. “And to make matters worse, Ms. Preston has been coming over here every fifteen minutes and watching what I do over my shoulder. I can feel her breathing down my neck. I’m sure I have scorch marks on my flesh.”

Gabriel’s grin widened. “Mabel’s just trying to make sure another Jenny doesn’t happen.” He bent forward, invading her personal space. “You see, Jenny is the mayor’s daughter, and we sort of had to hire her. But I don’t think Mabel has forgiven me for that yet. Everything will work out.”