okay?”
“Yes, I will,” Emily promised, stepping back from the car.
Jessica drove off and Emily headed for her Jeep. She and her sister were already working hard to manage their mother, and it had barely been an hour since Sara and Luke had left town.
That was not a good sign. Not at all.
CHAPTER THREE
D AVID KNEW THEY WEREN’T MAKING NOISE ON PURPOSE. THEY weren’t intentionally trying to drive him crazy. But how long did it take for three people to eat breakfast and leave the house, for goodness’ sake?
He lifted his head and peered at the clock on the nightstand. Half-past eight. If he were still in the army, that would be . . . the middle of the afternoon.
But he wasn’t a soldier anymore. He wasn’t running on the army’s schedule. He wasn’t on any schedule. All he wanted to do was sleep, to sink into blessed, unconscious oblivion.
Was that so much to ask?
Obviously it was, he realized as the door opened a crack, and his father stuck his head inside.
“Oh, you’re awake. I thought you were still sleeping.”
“I want to be,” David mumbled.
“Sorry. I just wanted to see if you needed anything before we leave for church. There’s some coffee left. Want a cup?”
“I can get it for myself later, Dad. Thanks.”
His father paused and glanced at his watch. “The service doesn’t start till ten. Want to come? We can wait for you.”
David shook his head. “No thanks. I’m just going to hang out here.”
“Okay, sure. See you later.” Jack nodded and closed the door.
David sank back into the pillows. A few minutes later he heard the sounds of the front door closing and his dad’s pickup driving away.
He was glad his father hadn’t tried to persuade him. It was funny how fighting in a war zone had made him more inclined to think about spiritual things, to even say a prayer from time to time. But less inclined to go to church. Maybe it was because he just didn’t like the idea of struggling with the walker, everyone turning to look at him.
He wasn’t ready for that.
The house was so quiet. He could hear squirrels running around on the flat roof above his room, and water dripping into the kitchen sink.
He didn’t think he would fall asleep again, but he did. Then suddenly, he woke up.
Someone down at the tree farm was ringing the bell for service. It had been ringing a lot this weekend, ever since his father put it back together the day after Thanksgiving.
David checked the clock. Ten thirty. The family wouldn’t be back until at least noon. The customers would have to wait until then. He sure couldn’t run out there to sell Christmas trees.
The bell stopped. Then started again. David pulled a pillow over his head, but it was impossible to block out the noise. Finally, he gave up. The ringing had stopped but it was too late; he couldn’t sleep anymore.
He sat up and flipped off the covers, feeling a sharp pain in his hip that radiated down his entire leg. He took a deep breath, then leaned over and grabbed the support he always had to wear now on his right leg due to the numbness in his foot. He strapped it on grudgingly. He knew it helped some, but he hated it, a daily reminder first thing in the morning that his body was damaged—probably irreparably.
The custom-fit device was state-of-the-art, made of two thin, light plastic pieces that fit the front and back of his foot and lower leg, secured with Velcro straps. A thin layer of plastic covered the bottom of his foot, holding it at the proper angle. Since the nerves in that foot had gone numb after his last hip surgery, his body was no longer able to do this. So if, and when, muscle control in that area came back, his foot would not be damaged by dragging it.
The house felt chilly. He pulled sweats over his boxers and T-shirt, then peered at his face in the bathroom mirror. He needed a shave but didn’t feel like bothering. He splashed his face with cold water and brushed his teeth. His army buzz cut had grown out,
“Yes, I will,” Emily promised, stepping back from the car.
Jessica drove off and Emily headed for her Jeep. She and her sister were already working hard to manage their mother, and it had barely been an hour since Sara and Luke had left town.
That was not a good sign. Not at all.
CHAPTER THREE
D AVID KNEW THEY WEREN’T MAKING NOISE ON PURPOSE. THEY weren’t intentionally trying to drive him crazy. But how long did it take for three people to eat breakfast and leave the house, for goodness’ sake?
He lifted his head and peered at the clock on the nightstand. Half-past eight. If he were still in the army, that would be . . . the middle of the afternoon.
But he wasn’t a soldier anymore. He wasn’t running on the army’s schedule. He wasn’t on any schedule. All he wanted to do was sleep, to sink into blessed, unconscious oblivion.
Was that so much to ask?
Obviously it was, he realized as the door opened a crack, and his father stuck his head inside.
“Oh, you’re awake. I thought you were still sleeping.”
“I want to be,” David mumbled.
“Sorry. I just wanted to see if you needed anything before we leave for church. There’s some coffee left. Want a cup?”
“I can get it for myself later, Dad. Thanks.”
His father paused and glanced at his watch. “The service doesn’t start till ten. Want to come? We can wait for you.”
David shook his head. “No thanks. I’m just going to hang out here.”
“Okay, sure. See you later.” Jack nodded and closed the door.
David sank back into the pillows. A few minutes later he heard the sounds of the front door closing and his dad’s pickup driving away.
He was glad his father hadn’t tried to persuade him. It was funny how fighting in a war zone had made him more inclined to think about spiritual things, to even say a prayer from time to time. But less inclined to go to church. Maybe it was because he just didn’t like the idea of struggling with the walker, everyone turning to look at him.
He wasn’t ready for that.
The house was so quiet. He could hear squirrels running around on the flat roof above his room, and water dripping into the kitchen sink.
He didn’t think he would fall asleep again, but he did. Then suddenly, he woke up.
Someone down at the tree farm was ringing the bell for service. It had been ringing a lot this weekend, ever since his father put it back together the day after Thanksgiving.
David checked the clock. Ten thirty. The family wouldn’t be back until at least noon. The customers would have to wait until then. He sure couldn’t run out there to sell Christmas trees.
The bell stopped. Then started again. David pulled a pillow over his head, but it was impossible to block out the noise. Finally, he gave up. The ringing had stopped but it was too late; he couldn’t sleep anymore.
He sat up and flipped off the covers, feeling a sharp pain in his hip that radiated down his entire leg. He took a deep breath, then leaned over and grabbed the support he always had to wear now on his right leg due to the numbness in his foot. He strapped it on grudgingly. He knew it helped some, but he hated it, a daily reminder first thing in the morning that his body was damaged—probably irreparably.
The custom-fit device was state-of-the-art, made of two thin, light plastic pieces that fit the front and back of his foot and lower leg, secured with Velcro straps. A thin layer of plastic covered the bottom of his foot, holding it at the proper angle. Since the nerves in that foot had gone numb after his last hip surgery, his body was no longer able to do this. So if, and when, muscle control in that area came back, his foot would not be damaged by dragging it.
The house felt chilly. He pulled sweats over his boxers and T-shirt, then peered at his face in the bathroom mirror. He needed a shave but didn’t feel like bothering. He splashed his face with cold water and brushed his teeth. His army buzz cut had grown out,
Similar Books
