Journey 0f Grace (Journey 0f Love Book 1) Page 7

  “Maybe Charlie will be understanding about this,” I said, coming closer to the two of them. “It’s not like James lives with you. I know Serenah enough to understand that something like this that is out of your control wouldn’t hinder your role or make you no longer eligible.”

  “Well, the Bible says—” my dad began to say.

  “I understand what the Bible says, Dad.” I cut him off, almost annoyed at his tone with me. “A man must have his house in order. James isn’t here. I don’t think it’s relevant.”

  My father let out a heavy sigh. “I’d better get to bed. I have an early meeting with Charlie at the church to discuss what’s coming up in my first month. I’ll find out exactly where he stands then. If I’m honest, I’m mostly just embarrassed over it.”

  With that, my dad stood, and he and my mother went upstairs to bed. Still in the kitchen of my parent’s house, I looked at the pictures on the fridge. The big family photo from ten years ago hung right above the ice dispenser on the fridge. Looking at it, I smiled as both fondness and sorrow filled my heart. Sure, my dad might’ve been into drinking and drugs back then, but there was a lot of good going on. James was clean, my dad didn’t have heart issues, my sister didn’t have the medical woes, and I hadn’t ever met Harvey. Life was better then, I suggested to myself for a moment. The longer I looked at the photo, though, the more I realized how wrong I was. With all those recent pains came some good things too. Like Dad finding and growing closer with the Lord, Bethany’s family coming into existence, and me meeting Owen after I moved back.

  My gaze drifted to the doorway that led into the living room and I thought of my dad. I prayed for his heart. I didn’t only pray for his physical one, but the spiritual one that couldn’t see the pain and struggle that James was in right now. Glancing over at the kitchen table, I saw a note jotted down on a piece of paper. It was the bail amount for James.

  Chapter 27

  AFTER GIVING MYSELF A FULL night’s rest, I decided to be the one who’d post bail for James. So, the next morning when I woke up, I drove to the jail to pick him up. Not only would I free him from jail, but I’d tell James about dad’s heart problem and Elly’s possible future liver failure. There was only a chance it’d work, but I felt I knew my brother enough to know that something like this could change the course of his life.

  “You still haven’t answered me. Why’d you post my bail, Grace?” His words were pointed and sharp as we got into my car. His eyes were going everywhere, probably not used to seeing the world sober-minded.

  Buckling up my seat belt, I tried to figure out the right way to start. My heart pounded so hard in my chest I could hardly combine the words to make a sentence in my head. It was likened to that bad feeling you get right before you do something wrong. I knew this wasn’t wrong, though. It was right. The only person it’d truly upset was my dad for telling another person about his heart problem.

  Sighing deeply, I turned in my seat and looked James in the eyes.

  “Listen. I’m going to be honest and straight with you, and I need you to really pay attention right now. I know you’re sober at the moment, so it’s a chance to get through to you.”

  He slapped the dashboard. “Are you serious right now? I don’t have time for a lecture, Dad!”

  He started to unbuckle his seatbelt, and I knew my time was dwindling fast.

  “Dad’s sick, James!”

  The words were blurted and un-rehearsed, but they made an impact. He paused and looked back at me with the most serious look on his face.

  “Sick how?”

  Biting my lip as I felt my heartbeat pounding harder, I said, “His heart is bad.”

  Relaxing in his seat, he smoothed a hand over his face. After a moment, he turned to look at me. “How bad is it?”

  “He had a stroke last year.”

  This time, he didn’t say anything but only stared at the ceiling of the car. Though he wasn’t speaking, I could see it having an impact. He was upset. He was hurt.

  Reaching over, I touched his hand. “You’ve gotta stop what you’re doing.”

  He was quiet but nodded in agreement. Reaching back over to his seatbelt, he slowly buckled it and then turned to me.

  “Take me to him.”

  “Please don’t tell him I told you.”

  “Why’s it matter?”

  My eyes watered as I replied. “I don’t want him to be mad with me. I just barely got on good terms with him this last year, and I don’t want anything to mess that up. I already screwed up by telling Bethany.”

  “Okay. I’ll blame Beth.”

  “Oh, please don’t. That’s another thing. Elly is on the verge of liver failure.”

  “Little Elly? If anyone in this screwed up family deserves liver failure, it’s me, not our niece!”

  Through the tears, I laughed. Wiping them away, I said, “No one deserves it. You can tell Dad I told you.”

  Chapter 28

  LOVE IS A FORCE THAT cannot be contained. It’s often reckless and it’s frequently messy. It makes those who have it do things they never fathomed they would do. Those who don’t have love want it, crave it, desire it more than anything else on earth. It was the day of the picnic at Riverfront Park. Anticipations were high, and expectations along with them as I prayed everything would go smoothly.

  “You can put that on the dessert table. It’s on the end after the chips and sides.” My instructions were for Kirk and his beautiful wife, Jessica. Kirk was the youth pastor at the Church on the Lake and had once been a bodyguard at WIN bodyguard agency, which is how Jessica and he rekindled their friendship and eventually, love.

  The two of them nodded and headed down the row of tables with their green Jell-O, barely able to keep their eyes off each other.

  The shelter up on the sloping grass hill in the park was filling up fast, and there was still no sign of my handsome plus one—Owen. That was okay, though. I had more than enough to do as I had taken the reins from Bethany and was the one in charge. Hurrying over to the coolers near the picnic table where my parents were sitting with Beth, I greeted them and then opened each cooler. There were plenty of sodas but only one case of water.

  “Thanks again for taking over, Sissy.”

  Looking at Beth, I flashed her a smile and said, “You’re welcome.”

  “It’s really turned out great,” our father said, surveying the surroundings and people. He stood up with our mother, and they began to head toward the swings across the way to let the grandchildren swing.

  “The decorations were all Bethany’s, Dad,” I hollered at them as they left. “I hardly did anything.”

  Beth cut me off. “Why do you gotta be like that? Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are rocking it.” Suddenly, Easton face-planted in the gravel and Beth jumped up from the picnic table. “I’d better get over there.”

  “Love you,” I said, and whipping around, I left the table to figure out how to handle the soda to water ratio crisis. Surveying the crowd that had already gathered, I looked for someone who could possibly run and get more water. Then I saw my brother. He stood near the Pastor of Church on the Lake, Pastor Charlie. Charlie was working on grilling the meats.

  Getting over to James, I leaned into his ear. “I need you to go get a few cases of water.”

  “Sure thing. Consider it done.” He kept looking around as if he was waiting for someone.

  “Thank you.”

  Turning around, I was pleasantly surprised to spot Owen. He was near the food tables and looked to be in search of a place to put his Lasagna dish.

  “Hey, Owen. Let me help you with that.”

  He smiled warmly and handed it to me as I came closer. “I should’ve guessed I was doing it wrong.”

  Smiling, I took the dish to the next table over. “Just the wrong table. No biggie.”

  I set the dish down and peered into Owen’s eyes.

  “Perfect.”

  As soon as the words rolled off my tongue, my gaze lan
ded on a face I never wanted to see again. He was wandering down one of the paths in the park and up toward our shelter.

  It was Harvey.

  My stomach knotted.

  He had that stupid over-sized pair of sunglasses on and his black leather jacket. When his head slightly shifted my direction, I moved sideways to put Owen between us in order to hide.

  “What’s going on?” Owen asked, turning ever so slightly to look behind him. He somehow knew who it was and turned back to me. “Is that Harvey?”

  “Yes.”

  Owen swallowed hard, then his jaw clenched. I noticed his right hand ball into a fist. Surprise coursed through me. I hadn’t seen one hint of violence from Owen until this moment. My heart pounded, seeing Harvey walking up to Owen and me. I grabbed hold of Owen and said, “Don’t do anything, please. Just don’t.”

  Chapter 29

  “I’M HARVEY JENSON, GRACE’S HUSBAND. Who are you?” Harvey asked, sticking out a hand to shake Owen’s. My heart pounded so hard now I could hear it in my ears, feel it in my bones. This wasn’t going to end well for anybody, I knew it.

  Then it all happened at once and in a blur.

  Owen cocked his arm back and unleashed a fist to Harvey’s jaw, sending him crashing backward and onto the ground.

  I screamed and backed away as I ducked, lowering myself to the side of a nearby picnic table. My heart pounded harder and faster as my nightmares played out in front of my very eyes. Why did he come? He had a new girl, I heard through the grapevine from an old friend. I thought filing the papers would make him happy. The thoughts pressed against my mind as everything around me moved in slow motion.

  Harvey recovered from Owen’s punch quickly and got up. Then he grabbed Owen by the shoulders, a move he’d done to me a million times in the past. He threw Owen to the ground like a rag doll. Then Harvey let out a string of curse words and spat on Owen. Then he got down on top of Owen and started railing against his face, left fist, right fist, left fist.

  “Harvey! Stop it!” My voice finally came to me, and then I screamed.

  Kirk jumped in and slammed Harvey to the ground. He tried to take a swing at Kirk, but Kirk caught his fist in an instant, demobilizing him and the situation quickly. Owen, bloodied and bruised, staggered to his feet and tried to come after Harvey, but Winston wheeled up and blocked his way. Winston was the owner of WIN bodyguard agency and also an active member in the Church on the Lake.

  “Settle down, kid.” Winston shoved Owen backward and away from Harvey.

  My eyes were moistened with sorrow and my heart panged. The soft feeling of a hand suddenly grazed my shoulder from behind me. I was startled. Still in a crouched position beside the picnic table, I glanced up to see who it was—it was Serenah.

  “You okay, Grace?” she asked gently, bending at the knees.

  My lips couldn’t move and all I could do was cry more. Shaking my head, I hoped I’d wake up from the nightmare I seemed trapped in.

  Owen came stumbling over to Serenah and me. He tried to reach a hand out to me, but I recoiled. I didn’t want him to touch me. Sure, I was glad he didn’t get hurt too badly, but I didn’t like the fact that he’d punched Harvey, basically starting the fight. I knew what Harvey did to me in the past was terrible, even horrific, but to return wrong for wrong wasn’t something I ever wanted.

  “She’s still shaken up, Owen.” Serenah rose to her feet and stepped between us to block his access to me. “Maybe you should go get cleaned up and be ready to talk to the police when they arrive shortly.”

  Wiping his lip with his hand, Owen spoke softly. “I’m sorry, Grace.” Then he turned around and walked toward the bathrooms.

  Serenah turned around and bent at her knees again. “Can I pray with you?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Bowing our heads, Serenah led me in a prayer.

  “Lord, we are coming to Your altar in a moment of great distress and heartache. We bring before You our hearts, our hurts, and all of our cares. We lift up everybody who has been here today, and we ask You, Lord, to somehow work this out to Your glory. We know You can and do work all things together for the good for those who love You. I pray for Grace right now. I pray that You help her heart right now as she finds herself in a dark place. Let her know You are near. Let her feel Your presence. We love You. Amen.”

  Chapter 30

  EVERYBODY THERE GAVE A STATEMENT to the police, and the cops ended up leading Owen away in handcuffs. The police officers also agreed to escort Harvey from the party since he was unwelcomed. My pulse had settled by the time everything was over, yet my nerves were still rattled. As the last of the police officers cleared out from the shelter, Jenny showed up. She came walking up to the picnic table I was sitting at. Bethany and most of the other guests had already left.

  “What on earth happened here?” she asked as she eyeballed the cop leaving.

  “Harvey.”

  “What? Wait.” She reached a hand out and touched mine. “Shut up. Not your ex from New Mexico?”

  “Yep, that’s the one. He showed up and Owen . . .” Pausing, as it hurt to say his name, I gave myself a moment to breathe. Unfortunately, that moment only gave way for the replay happening all over again in my head. I started to cry. “Owen punched him and now Owen’s going to jail.”

  “Owen hit him?” She smiled as she raised one of her eyebrows. Nodding, she said, “Good for him. That’s a bummer he’s in jail though.”

  Furrowing my eyebrows, I pulled my hands off the table and set them in my lap as she sat down directly across from me. “Not good for him, Jenny. Not good at all. I don’t need another person in my life who uses violence to solve things.” Shrugging as I felt overwhelmed with emotion, I looked into my friend’s eyes. “I’m tired of it, Jenny. Tired of the violence around me. I thought Owen was different from Harvey, but today, I learned I was wrong.”

  “Oh, please. Owen is not Harvey. Owen defended you today.”

  “Sure, that might be true. He might have been doing what he thought was right, but guess what? That doesn’t change the fact that he turned to violence. God hates violence in the heart of men. I can’t deal with that. Not right now, not ever again.”

  Sighing, I looked away from Jenny and spotted my brother, James. A smile broke through my sadness as I watched him head for the parking lot. He had been so helpful today, so different since our talk about Dad. He looked so much like the brother I knew, loved, and appreciated growing up.

  Jenny rose from the picnic table. “I wouldn’t be so fast to write Owen off. I’ve been single for a while, girl, and I’m telling you right now, if you found a good Godly man like you told me you did, don’t be so sure he’s bad because of your past experience with a guy. We all fall short, Grace.”

  Nodding, I stood up from the picnic table and came around to hug her. As we hugged, I said, “I’m not writing him off, just giving us some space for now. Okay?”

  “Okay. Take care.”

  Jenny left and I went to find James. I took a path to the parking lot and then crossed over when I spotted James’s back as he was leaned against the side of a van. “Hey, James,” I said as I came closer. “You were awesome today with everything that happened.”

  Harvey suddenly came into view as the two of them came out from the side of the van.

  My heart dipped into my stomach.

  I took a step back.

  “What’s he doing here?” I asked frantically. “What is this?”

  “I was the one who helped Harvey find you. He came over to Mom and Dad’s house yesterday when you were at work and they were in town. He wanted to talk to you and hand-deliver the divorce papers. I thought you’d be happy.”

  I took another step back, my heart stopping momentarily as I felt betrayal sink into my bones. “Happy? How could you do this to me, James? After all that he did to me?”

  Harvey smiled and opened his palms wide as he took a step in my direction. “Second chances, baby. Don’t I deserve even one?�
�

  James grabbed his arm to stop him. “Come on, dude. Don’t freak her out. You said you just wanted to talk to her. Give her the papers. Don’t be a jerk.”

  He turned around and shoved James backward and into a car. My brother’s head slammed against the car beside the van and then he slid down the side of the vehicle to the pavement. He appeared to be knocked unconscious.

  I backed up more, then bumped into a body behind me. I turned around and saw my father standing tall and staring Harvey down. I grabbed hold of his waist and instantly felt safe. “Dad.”

  “Watch out, honey. Nobody threatens my daughter.” He moved me out of the way and approached Harvey. “Go tell your mom to call an ambulance.”

  “Yeah, you’re going to need one after I’m done with you, old man.” Harvey laughed, then walked toward my dad as he pulled his arm back to swing.

  My dad moved out of the way to miss his swing and then gave Harvey one clean punch to the face. Waving his hand as Harvey hit the pavement below him, my dad looked at him on the pavement. “No, you’ll be the one needing the ambulance.”

  Chapter 31

  MY BROTHER ONLY SUFFERED A minor concussion, but Harvey, on the other hand, had bigger issues. The punch my father landed wasn’t the worst of it. It turned out that Harvey had been dealing drugs out of his van to a few too many kids in the park that day. One of the parents of one of those children tipped off the police only minutes before the incident with my father and brother in the parking lot. They picked him up and within the week would send him back to New Mexico after learning of all the charges against him there and the warrants that resulted. Brody informed me that he’d be gone for a while and made sure to have him sign the divorce papers before he shipped him off.

  As for me and Owen, I decided to stick with what I told Jenny in the park and give the two of us some space. Two months flew by, and Owen would call me once a week on Friday afternoons to leave me a voicemail. Each time he would call, he would let me know he was still available and interested in dating me. Then two weeks ago, he suddenly didn’t call anymore.