Then she glanced up at the sky. The sun was hovering just above the horizon.
“
I have to go. Love you both.”
She raced back to her car and drove out as fast as she’d come in. Just as she passed through the gates, the sun gave way and slipped below the horizon, as if it had finally become too heavy to sustain the height. She waved at the policeman who was getting out of his car to lock up, and headed for home.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nearly three weeks had passed before Callie Caulfield was released to come home, and for Justin it was a day for celebration. His daughter had been given such a gift – the gift of life, and through it, was forging a tenuous bond with the people who’d made it happen.
After she’d been moved out of ICU and into a private room, the Tiller family was at her side almost as much as Justin. Callie was no longer uncomfortable with Wade or her new brothers, but the extent of their future relationship was still a work in progress.
She and Justin left the hospital in Charleston in the middle of the afternoon and after a two-hour helicopter flight back to Caulfield, met up with an ambulance at the airport that was taking them the rest of the way home.
The last time Callie had been out of the hospital, the grass was green and flowers had been in bloom. Now, except for some small evergreen shrubs around the old mansion, everything was bare and brown.
The time between had been long and scary and there were many, many days when she believed she would not see it again, yet now she was here. It was nothing short of her miracle.
“
Daddy, I can’t wait to see my room. Did you move all my angels back from the hospital?”
“
I sure did,” Justin said. “Everything’s there, although I think for sure you’re going to need some new clothes. You’ve grown at least an inch through the summer, which is amazing considering how sick you’ve been.”
She giggled. It was almost more than she could stand, waiting to get out of the ambulance.
“
We’re almost there,” Justin said.
Her smile shifted suddenly. “Is Lillian still here? She didn’t leave after... uh, I mean when Nana...”
“
She’s there, and anxious to get both of us home,” Justin said.
Callie reached for Justin’s hand. “I hope she makes me rice pudding. I love her rice pudding.”
Justin brushed a lock of her hair from her eyes. He still thought of her as his little girl, but she was turning into a young lady in spite of him.
“
I believe she mentioned something about it when I spoke to her this morning.”
Callie sighed. “Perfect.”
“
I know you’re going to want to look at everything, but your doctor cautioned you against doing too much at once, so let’s take it easy this evening, okay? I mean, you’ve had such a huge day with all this travel.”
“
Okay, Daddy. I’m not going to argue. I am tired, but in a good way for a change.”
Moments later, the ambulance took a turn and then began slowing down.
“
We’re here,” Justin said.
The back doors opened. The driver and the paramedic who’d accompanied them got her into the wheelchair then wheeled her up to the front door.
“
Welcome home, little lady,” the paramedic said.
Callie beamed. “Thank you. Thank all of you so much.”
Justin opened the front door then held out his hand. Callie grabbed it as she stood and they walked back into the house, a family again. The ambulance was driving away as Lillian came scurrying toward them, talking and crying at the same time.
“
Welcome home, Callie, welcome home!”
Callie hugged her. “Thank you, Lillian.”
“
I made rice pudding,” Lillian added.
Callie beamed. “Yay!”
“
You have some mail. I put it all in your room. Mr. Justin, is there anything I can do for you? Do you want dinner at the same time?”
“
I don’t need a thing now that Callie is home and yes, let’s have dinner at 6:00. She’s going to need some early nights for a while until she gets a little stronger.”
“
This is wonderful, just wonderful,” Lillian said, and then grabbed the suitcase and hurried up the stairs, leaving them to come at a slower pace.
By the time they reached her room, Callie was shaky and after a quick trip to the bathroom, she stretched out on the bed.
“
Daddy, would you help open my mail?”
“
I sure will,” Justin said. “Hey, you even have a package. How about that? What do you want to see first, the cards or the package?”
“
The package!”
Justin turned it end over end looking for a return address, but there was none. He tore into the outer wrap to the box beneath.
“
Hurry Daddy,” Callie said.
He grinned, but when he opened the box, they realized there was more packing around an even smaller box inside.
“
What on earth?” he said, and pulled it out.
They finally got it open to find a red crepe paper flower on top of a small silver angel. Callie reached for the angel, but when she picked it up, quickly realized it was a bell.
“
Daddy! It’s a bell! It’s an angel bell. And look what the engraving says on the inside. ‘Every time a bell rings, and angel gets her wings.’ What does that mean?”
“
It’s a line from an old Christmas movie called ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ starring Jimmy Stewart.”
She frowned. “I don’t know who that is.”
Justin grinned. “Yeah, he’s probably too old to be on your radar.”
She giggled. “Who’s it from?”
Justin looked all through the packing but to no avail.
“
I don’t know. There’s no card.”
“
What’s this?” Callie asked, as she twirled the little flower in her fingers.
“
It’s a flower that military veterans give out to commemorate Veterans Day. Disabled veterans make them and take donations from people they give them to.”
“
The rose is a pretty red color, but it got mashed in the box. See how flat it is.”
“
No, that’s not flat honey, and it’s not a rose, it’s a-“
All of a sudden the hair rose on the back of his neck.
“
It’s a what, Daddy?”
Justin swallowed past the lump in his throat. “It’s a poppy. The flower is called a poppy.”
A wide, happy grin spread on Callie’s face. “I know who it’s from! It’s from my sister, Poppy. I wonder how she knew I liked angels? I’ve been praying she would quit hating us, maybe this is a sign.”
“
Oh you have, have you?”
Callie nodded, hesitated a moment, then added. “I talked to her.”
He didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “When? What about? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Callie gave him a quick glance then had to look away for fear she’d start crying.
“
It was before my transplant. I called her just in case I died. I wanted her to know what a really good dad you were, and that I hoped she would change her mind about us. I told her that you would be very sad if I died and that she needed to let you love her.”
Justin heard what she was saying, but he’d had no idea her fears about the transplant had included both her healing and his welfare.
“
Oh honey, I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m very glad you’re mine.”
“
Me, too,” Callie said. The tears in his eyes made her sad so she handed him the flower. “Here Daddy, the angel is for me, but I think this should be yours.”
He put it in his pocket without comment and began opening the rest of her mail, but the weightless little flower was as heavy on his heart as the burden of his guilt. He’d done so many things wrong in his life. If he could just make peace with his first child, he would die a happy man.
It was later that night before he finally went to bed. He took the small red flower out of his pocket and fastened it to the lapel of his suit.
He was going to wear that paper flower every day until Poppy Sadler found a way to forgive him, or until it fell apart - whichever came first - and moving out of this house was going to be the first step in making that happen.
****
While Justin and Callie had been in Charleston, a logging crew had begun cutting a road up through the trees leading to the hill overlooking the Little Man, and when that was done, another crew had gone on to clearing the actual building site. People in Caulfield noticed the fresh cut on the hillside, but had no idea what was happening. All they knew was trees were down and concrete had been poured for some kind of foundation. Progress was slow-going during winter weather, and when inclement weather swept through, progress came to a halt.
Like most everyone else in Coal Town, Poppy had seen what was happening in increments - from the first trees going down to make way for the road, to the larger site cleared away on the hill.
She had no idea Justin Caulfield was building a new home and would have felt somewhat cornered if she had, because once they took up residence, he would be able to see the entire front of her house from any river-facing window in his house.
****
John came through Caulfield the week before Thanksgiving to celebrate the holiday with her, albeit a week early. They spent the time he was there playing catch-up.
It didn’t take him long to realize the relationship between his sister and Mike Amblin had undergone quite a change. There were little signs, like razors and men’s aftershave in the bathroom, even a couple of extra shirts in the closet that were far too big for her.
“
Hey little sister, is there something you want to tell me?” John said, holding up the razor.
“
Not really.”
He grinned. “Is it Mike?”
“
Yes.”
“
I’m cool with that.”
She smiled. “So am I.”
“
Is he coming to eat turkey with us?”
“
If nothing happens to change the plan, yes.”
John frowned. Something about the way she answered told him that issue was of some concern.
“
Does the plan change often?”
Poppy shrugged. “He’s a cop. It happens.”
“
Are you okay with that?”
“
I’m okay with him and all that comes with him.”
“
How’s it going with Justin?”
She frowned. “It isn’t.”
“
Did he quit?”
“
No. He calls regularly.”
“
And...?”
“
I listen. I hang up.”
John nodded. “Okay, it’s your business. Did you make a grocery list?”
“
Yes.”
“
You made sure we’ve got everything we need to make Mom’s cornbread dressing for the turkey?”
Thankful he’d shifted from the personal inquisition to worrying about what went in his belly, she handed him the list and then he was gone.
Mike showed up an hour later with a pecan pie he’d picked up at the bakery and a bouquet of yellow roses.
“
Those are beautiful,” Poppy said.
“
So are you,” Mike said, and kissed her soundly. “Oh my God, you even taste good.”
She laughed. “It’s the cranberry jelly. I tasted it to see if it was sweet enough.”
He kissed her again for good measure and then cupped her backside and pulled her close.
“
So I’m guessing John’s not going to be gone long enough for any fooling around?”
“
You’d be right.”
“
Damn,” he said, and then grinned. “You know me. I had to ask.”
“
I adore you,” Poppy said.
“
I love you,” Mike said, and then took pleasure in the shocked expression on her face. He’d never said it before although he’d been thinking it for weeks. “You know how I am, always gotta one-up somebody.”
Poppy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I adore and love you back,” she said softly.
Mike hugged her. “Such a teaser,” he said softly. “You finally tell me this with your brother on the doorstep. So what am I going to do about this overwhelming desire to make mad crazy love to you?”
“
Put it on the back burner for another day?”
He grinned. “I can do that.”
“
I knew I could count on you.”
“
Just don’t forget the cop motto. We always get our man, or woman as the case may be.”
Poppy laughed. “That’s not your motto. It belongs to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”
“
But think how good it sounded,” Mike said, and then laughed, which made his eyes crinkle at the corners.
After John returned with the groceries, he and Mike spent a total of two minutes sizing each other up.
Mike sensed John’s concerns and decided to allay them before it became an issue.
“
So, John, I think it’s only fair to tell you that I have the best of intentions of bugging your sister until she breaks down and marries me, no matter how long it takes.”