Part 24 (1/2)

”Edward, wait,” Fritz called after him, but Edward didn't hesitate. ”Edward, I'm sorry. I thought-”

The slamming door cut him off.

Fritz bowed his head for a moment before joining Sam at the kitchen bar.

”I suppose you'd like an explanation,” he said grimly.

”Only if you want to give me one,” Sam replied in a soft voice.

Taking a deep breath, Fritz exhaled slowly. ”At one time, Edward was one of my students and that piece was one of his favorites.” He slammed a hand on the counter, startling Roxy. ”d.a.m.n it, I should've shut it off the moment I saw him standing in the doorway.”

Sam lightly touched his hand. ”Fritz-”

”No, don't say anything. It was inexcusable of me to even inadvertently remind that poor boy of what he's lost.”

”Don't be so hard on yourself. You couldn't have known Edward would drop by.” Sam paused. ”I know Edward was in an accident, but no one has ever said what happened.”

”Car accident,” Fritz answered, his tone short.

”And his arm was injured?”

”Yes, his shoulder. Alone, late at night, out on a gravel road-Edward ran a stop sign and was. .h.i.t broadside. The force of the impact sent his car into the ditch.” Fritz took a step back, leaning against the counter. ”He has never regained use of his arm. Due to the injury, he developed some sort of syndrome that affects his nerves and causes constant pain.” He shook his head. ”I don't have a medical background, so I don't understand what all his condition entails, but I do know he's been tormented by it ever since.”

Sam thought of her own medical problems, slight in comparison to Edward's. She was lucky. She knew that her recovery was possible. Edward would never have that same gift-the gift of hope.

”How sad,” she murmured. ”I wonder how he's kept his sanity.”

”I don't believe he has,” Fritz answered slowly.

Chapter Twenty-four.

What are you doing home?” Caleb called from the living room as Anne walked in the front door. Joining him, she sprawled in one of the chairs.

”Sam gave me the morning off.”

”Cool,” he answered, not looking up from the magazine lying in his lap.

Anne studied him closely. He sat, leaning back against the couch with his long legs stretched out, resting on the coffee table. From her position, she couldn't see the article he was reading, but whatever it was, it was engrossing. She sat forward. With a yip, she jumped up and ran over to stand behind him. Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed the top of his head.

”Oh, Mom,” he said, ducking to the side. ”It's just a catalog.”

”For St. Michael's University,” she exclaimed as she peered over his shoulder at the brightly colored pages. ”It's an excellent school.” Moving around the corner of the couch, she sat next to him and propped her feet on the edge of the coffee table. She leaned close and tapped the page. ”Just look at the campus. Isn't that beautiful? And there,” she said, pointing to another picture. ”Those dorm rooms look really comfortable.”

”Here,” he said with a lift of his eyebrow, and handed her the catalog. ”Would you like to look at it?”

”If you insist,” she replied with a wry grin and quickly began to thumb through the pages. ”Caleb, are you seriously considering St. Michael's?”

Leaning his head back against the couch, he closed his eyes and sighed. ”I don't know. A state university would be cheaper.”

Dropping her feet, Anne curled her legs under her as she did some swift calculations in her head. She'd hoped her job with Samantha would last all summer, but the way it was going, she doubted it. Sam had been making remarkable progress, both mentally and physically, especially since she'd stood up to her father. Eyes focused on the pictures, Anne couldn't help but wonder how much one played into the other. Had Lawrence Moore's tight control over his daughter's life been impeding her recovery? Shaking her head, she returned her attention to the catalog. Att.i.tude, it was all about att.i.tude.

As she flipped to the last pages of the catalog, her eyes widened at the sight of the cost per college credit. She'd managed to keep Caleb's college fund intact, but that payment to the bank was looming. If Caleb was set on St. Michael's, even with her paychecks from Sam, it wouldn't be enough, and she wanted to avoid applying for student loans. She needed to get a second job at the care facility in Hankton. She could work for Sam during the day and the night s.h.i.+ft part-time in Hankton.

A knock at her front door startled Anne out of her silent planning session.

”Caleb, answer the-” she began, turning to where he'd been sitting. He was gone. When had he meandered off? With a sigh, she uncurled her legs and, rising, crossed the room. Through the door's window she spied a Scott County sheriff's car sitting in her driveway, and Duane Parker, one of the deputies, standing on her front porch. Her stomach instinctively clenched only to relax at once when she remembered that Caleb was somewhere in the house.

Holding the door open, she smiled. ”Hey, Duane.”

”Anne,” he said, twisting his hat nervously in his hands. ”Miss seeing you at the hospital.” He peered over her shoulder into the house. ”Is Caleb around?”

Her stomach tightened again. ”Yeah,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder toward the kitchen. ”Come in. I'll get him.” Letting the door swing shut behind him, she turned and strode toward the kitchen. Caleb was in his usual position, hanging on the refrigerator door and staring blindly at its contents.

”Caleb, Deputy Parker is here to see you,” she hissed. ”What have you been up to?”

Caleb shut the door, his eyes widening in surprise. ”Nothing.”

”Then why does he want to talk to you?”

”I don't know.”

”You'd better be telling me the truth,” she replied in a low voice.

”I am. I swear.”

She sighed and jerked her head toward the hall. ”Let's go see what he wants.”

With Anne right behind him, Caleb shuffled out of the kitchen and into the hall, where the deputy waited.

She cast a narrow glance at Caleb as she motioned him and Deputy Parker toward the living room. ”Shall we go in there?” she asked, trying to keep her voice bright.

Once Deputy Parker was seated on the couch and Caleb had plopped into an armchair, Anne seated herself in another chair and waited for the deputy to begin.

”Quite a thunderstorm last night, wasn't it?” he asked, directing his question to Anne.

”Sure was,” she replied, leaning back in the chair. ”Why do you want to talk with Caleb, Duane?”

He tugged at his collar as he pulled a small notebook out of his jacket pocket. Scanning it quickly, he cleared his throat. ”Ah, Caleb, we've had a complaint last night from a Dr. Jackson Van Horn-”

Anne drew back. ”Dr. Van Horn?”

The deputy nodded. ”I know you work for his fiancee, Anne.” He glanced down at his notes. ”As he was leaving his cabin last night, he saw two kids running down the road in the storm. Then, when he stopped at Dunlap's to get gas, he noticed someone had keyed the pa.s.senger side of his car.” He snapped the notebook shut. ”Anything you'd like to tell me, Caleb?”

”No.”

”Okay-well, when one of the boys pa.s.sed under the neighbor's yard light, Dr. Van Horn saw he was wearing a red sweats.h.i.+rt.” He paused. ”Still don't have anything to say?”