tomorrow?”
With his mouth sealed, Eddie closed his eyes and nodded slightly.
“And after that, we’ll see,” Everett said.
“Honey,” Karen peered at Everett, “can we pray?”
“Yeah.” Everett glanced at his brother, feeling a bit awkward. “Okay with you, bro?”
Eddie shrugged.
Keeping his hand on Eddie’s back, Everett closed his eyes. “Thank you for sparing Eddie’s life tonight, Lord, for protecting him from worse. We pray You’ll help end this relationship with the bookie and whoever he’s hooked up with. And that You’ll free Eddie of this problem.”
During a brief pause, Everett raised his head slightly to find Eddie staring wide-eyed at the dogs, mouth closed tight. They made eye contact for a fleeting second, and Everett dropped his head again.
“Lord, please also heal Eddie’s marriage to Sheila and his relationships with Wesley and Madison. Help them to be a loving family.”
Everett heard Eddie stand and cross the room. He opened his eyes and watched his brother tilt open the top slats of the plantation shutters and look out at the darkness. “I’m sorry, but you don’t know how bad I don’t want to hear that right now.”
Everett shot a helpless glance at Karen and got the same in return.
“Eddie—”
“When you’ve lost your seventeen-year-old son,” Eddie’s voice overtook his brother’s, “ lost your marriage of twenty-three years, lost your children’s hearts—and lost everything you’ve worked all your life to build…” The emotion rose up and choked him midsentence.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. I’ve just seen God do so much in my life—”
“Don’t get me wrong. I believe there’s…something bigger out there.” His laugh was strained and crazy as he seemed to fight for breath. “But I also believe you play the cards you’re dealt. And it looks like you just got a better hand than I did, little brother.”
7
BY THE TIME THE white Yukon crept down Old Peninsula Road, past the driveway and well-lit house at Twin Streams, it was approaching 11:50 p.m. Tony sat tight-lipped and beady-eyed in the passenger seat, glaring back at the Lester estate while Wesley’s heart thundered beneath his old green army jacket.
The white lines on the narrow weathered street were barely visible, and there were no streetlights, nothing but New York night. The darkness didn’t faze Wesley. The meth they’d smoked made him feel like a Navy SEAL on a midnight operation, wearing infrared night goggles, with caffeine coursing through his veins.
“Turn around,” Tony mumbled.
Wesley swung the Yukon into the next driveway, nearly bashing into a shiny black gate he hadn’t seen until it was two feet in front of the SUV. Heading back up the sloping road toward Twin Streams, Wesley slowed the vehicle to a crawl as they approached the house again.
“Old Uncle Everett’s up late.” Tony peered through Wesley’s window toward the cozy house. “Aw, ain’t that purty. They got the Christmas lights goin’. Tree all lit up. And the manger scene. Stop and turn out the lights, Wes.”
“Here?”
“Yeah, here. Just for a minute. Ain’t no cars out here. This is Boonesville.”
The Yukon crunched to a stop on the frigid street. Wesley glanced over at Tony, who was opening his door.
“Shhh.” Tony held a gloved index finger to his lips. “Come on.”
Nudging his door shut just enough to douse the dome light, Tony crossed in front of the SUV. His shadow expanded several hundred feet as he passed one headlight, then the next. He scampered down through the ditch toward the house, waving for Wesley to follow.
Wesley looked in all directions and cursed Tony under his breath. He was stoked about spooking his uncle but didn’t exactly plan on getting caught, either. He put the Yukon in drive and pulled into the dirty snow at the side of the road. Clicking the lights off, he quietly opened the door, endured the shock of the cold night, and closed the door behind
With his mouth sealed, Eddie closed his eyes and nodded slightly.
“And after that, we’ll see,” Everett said.
“Honey,” Karen peered at Everett, “can we pray?”
“Yeah.” Everett glanced at his brother, feeling a bit awkward. “Okay with you, bro?”
Eddie shrugged.
Keeping his hand on Eddie’s back, Everett closed his eyes. “Thank you for sparing Eddie’s life tonight, Lord, for protecting him from worse. We pray You’ll help end this relationship with the bookie and whoever he’s hooked up with. And that You’ll free Eddie of this problem.”
During a brief pause, Everett raised his head slightly to find Eddie staring wide-eyed at the dogs, mouth closed tight. They made eye contact for a fleeting second, and Everett dropped his head again.
“Lord, please also heal Eddie’s marriage to Sheila and his relationships with Wesley and Madison. Help them to be a loving family.”
Everett heard Eddie stand and cross the room. He opened his eyes and watched his brother tilt open the top slats of the plantation shutters and look out at the darkness. “I’m sorry, but you don’t know how bad I don’t want to hear that right now.”
Everett shot a helpless glance at Karen and got the same in return.
“Eddie—”
“When you’ve lost your seventeen-year-old son,” Eddie’s voice overtook his brother’s, “ lost your marriage of twenty-three years, lost your children’s hearts—and lost everything you’ve worked all your life to build…” The emotion rose up and choked him midsentence.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. I’ve just seen God do so much in my life—”
“Don’t get me wrong. I believe there’s…something bigger out there.” His laugh was strained and crazy as he seemed to fight for breath. “But I also believe you play the cards you’re dealt. And it looks like you just got a better hand than I did, little brother.”
7
BY THE TIME THE white Yukon crept down Old Peninsula Road, past the driveway and well-lit house at Twin Streams, it was approaching 11:50 p.m. Tony sat tight-lipped and beady-eyed in the passenger seat, glaring back at the Lester estate while Wesley’s heart thundered beneath his old green army jacket.
The white lines on the narrow weathered street were barely visible, and there were no streetlights, nothing but New York night. The darkness didn’t faze Wesley. The meth they’d smoked made him feel like a Navy SEAL on a midnight operation, wearing infrared night goggles, with caffeine coursing through his veins.
“Turn around,” Tony mumbled.
Wesley swung the Yukon into the next driveway, nearly bashing into a shiny black gate he hadn’t seen until it was two feet in front of the SUV. Heading back up the sloping road toward Twin Streams, Wesley slowed the vehicle to a crawl as they approached the house again.
“Old Uncle Everett’s up late.” Tony peered through Wesley’s window toward the cozy house. “Aw, ain’t that purty. They got the Christmas lights goin’. Tree all lit up. And the manger scene. Stop and turn out the lights, Wes.”
“Here?”
“Yeah, here. Just for a minute. Ain’t no cars out here. This is Boonesville.”
The Yukon crunched to a stop on the frigid street. Wesley glanced over at Tony, who was opening his door.
“Shhh.” Tony held a gloved index finger to his lips. “Come on.”
Nudging his door shut just enough to douse the dome light, Tony crossed in front of the SUV. His shadow expanded several hundred feet as he passed one headlight, then the next. He scampered down through the ditch toward the house, waving for Wesley to follow.
Wesley looked in all directions and cursed Tony under his breath. He was stoked about spooking his uncle but didn’t exactly plan on getting caught, either. He put the Yukon in drive and pulled into the dirty snow at the side of the road. Clicking the lights off, he quietly opened the door, endured the shock of the cold night, and closed the door behind
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