A Soldier Finds His Way (27 page)

“I think—”

Heavy footfalls stopped outside the tent. Zook and Stanley’s voices interrupted the relative quiet of the night. Cigarette smoke wafted in through the tent flaps.

“When I get home,” Zook said, “I’m going to Shiner’s, throw down a couple of brewskis and find me a girl who’s interested in a meaningful overnight relationship, if you catch my drift.”

“I’m with you, man.” Stanley chuckled. “Even a marginally pretty, single-use, disposable girl sounds good. Real good.”

They bellowed with raucous laughter.

Edward bolted outside, ripped the cigarette out of Stanley’s lips and ground it into the dirt. “Go stink up someone else’s airspace, why don’t you. Go on, move it. And shut up while you’re at it.”

The men vanished between the tents.

Hearing Stanley parrot the phrase he’d coined himself was a mirror into the filthy recesses of his inner man. Single-use, disposable girl. It didn’t sound clever, or funny any more. It picked at the scab of guilt that covered his heart, exposing a raw spot. The thought of someone sidling up to Audra with those intentions made his stomach quiver.

He turned back into the tent and came face to face with Marcus. “What?”

Marcus kept his voice low. “Do you realize you curled your lip when Zook and Stanley were talking?”

“So what?”

“It wasn’t too long ago you’d have laughed along with them, maybe even joined in. But what they said just now disgusted you. And it should have.” A small smile lifted Marcus’s lips. “I see changes in you, LT. Small, but good changes. God is answering my prayers.”

Edward huffed. “If I got on my knees and asked God nicely, do you think He could arrange a little quiet reading time for me before I go to sleep for the night?”

* * * *

Unable to read or sleep, Edward sat and looked over at his tent mate by the dimming light of the lantern whose battery was giving up the ghost.

Marcus slept on his back with his hands folded on his belly like a corpse. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, his face void of emotional expression. The man was at peace.

Edward turned off the light and stared into the darkness.

Am I a good man?

“Hi, Mom.” Audra kissed her mother’s cheek. “I knew I’d find you in the kitchen. I smelled the marinara as soon as I walked through the door. Need help?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got it under control.” Mom minced cloves of garlic on the wooden cutting board on the counter. A loaf of Italian bread and a stick of butter lay nearby. “How was school today?”

Audra sighed. “Not good. I’m going upstairs. I have some papers to grade.”

“
Cara mia
, I’m sorry to see you so unhappy.” Mom set down the knife and wiped her hands on her apron. “Perhaps a letter from a handsome soldier would brighten your day?” She picked an envelope off the counter and displayed it in her outstretched hands.

Audra rushed around the counter. She took the envelope, kissed it and threw her arms around her mother. “Thank you, Mom.”

The embrace lasted longer than she’d expected. A kiss pressed her cheek. “I love you, Audra.”

Such tenderness. Audra’s eyes moistened. “I love you, too, Mamma.”

“Now, off with you.” Her mother smiled. “You’ve got a letter to read.”

* * * *

Audra dropped her purse and the folder full of student papers on the dresser. A letter opener sliced through the envelope in one quick zip. She took out the lined yellow paper and unfolded it.

Dear Audra,

Early that morning, while you were still sleeping, your father told me you were engaged to Bradley Warren, and that you would be married in September.

“What?” Her hands trembled.

He said I was distracting you from your fiancé, and he asked me to leave.

She doubled over and shrieked. “Nooo!”

Dizziness rocked her. She fell onto the desk chair. Tears blurred her vision. She blinked several times, and the words came into focus.

I should have spoken to you in a more civil manner and verified that what your father said was true. For that, and for lying about the call of duty, I give you my sincerest and deepest apologies.

The doorknob jiggled, and someone knocked. “Audra, what’s wrong? Let me in. It’s me, Rachael.”

Nothing mattered except Edward. And his letter.

My feelings for you are genuine. I never led you on. Your letter gives me hope that your father was somehow mistaken about your commitment to Mr. Warren.

Edward.

A long, tortuous scream filled the room.

“Audra?” Rachael knocked again.

A second voice spoke. “It’s Robin, too. Please open the door for us.”

Letter grasped in her fist, Audra unlocked and tore open the door.

Rachael reached for her. “Audra?”

Her heart jabbed her ribs with heavy beats. She pulled away from the hand that touched her and flew down the stairs. “Daddy!”

Her feet skidded on the tiles at the bottom of the steps. She regained her balance and turned down the hall. “Dad!”

Mom ran toward her from the direction of the kitchen, tossed a dishtowel aside and grabbed Audra’s arms. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Where is he? Where’s Dad?” Panting, her eyes darted in a frantic search.

The twins’ cries followed her down the stairs.

Dad stepped out of his home office at the end of the hall. Paperwork in one hand, pen in the other, he peered over half-glasses perched on the tip of his nose. “What’s all this screaming and carrying on about?”

Audra broke away from her mother and stepped around her.

“This.” She held the crunched letter in front of her father’s eyes. “All this screaming is about this. How could you?”

Mom’s hand rested on her back. “Sweetheart, what—”

“Liar!” Audra shouted into her father’s face. Her body shook with sobs.

“Don’t you ever speak to me that way, young lady.” Dad ripped off his glasses, his face twisted in anger. “I don’t know what you’re—”

“This is a letter from Edward.” Shaking, she stepped close again. “You told him I was marrying Brad. You asked Edward to leave. How could you to do this, Daddy?”

Mom’s glance bounced between her and her father. Lines creased her forehead. “Joe, is this true?”

“Well, I, he—”

“Joe, did you tell Edward that Audra was getting married? Did you ask him to leave?”

Dad’s voice went up a notch, “I never—”

Audra gasped and slapped her palm to her forehead. Her mind instant replayed Edward’s final moments on the porch. “Edward shook your hand that morning and said, ‘Thanks again for fixing my truck.’ Remember?”

“I suppose I do remember him saying that. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Edward didn’t have a chance to thank you on Sunday. I was with him all day Monday. He never had a chance to thank you for fixing his truck. Not Sunday. Not Monday. Not ever. Yet, he said, ‘Thanks again.’”

Dad swallowed hard.

“You did talk to him early that morning. Everything in this letter is true, isn’t it?”

Dad straightened and lifted his chin. “Brad is a good Christian man. Can you say the same about Edward?”

She exhaled sharply. “I don’t believe this.”

“Answer me. Is this soldier of yours a Christian?”

“You lied to Edward, and you lied to me.” Tears ran down Audra’s cheek. “So, where does that leave you, Daddy? Are you a Christian?”

Dad threw his papers and pen to the floor. “As long as you live under my roof, you’ll not attach yourself to an unsaved man and gallivant around like a common trollop. Do you understand?” His face reddened, and his eyes flashed with rage.

“Joseph, stop it!” Mom wedged herself between them.

The twins wailed.

Audra backed away. “A trollop?” A slap couldn’t have hurt worse.

With slow, mechanical movements she made her way to the base of the stairs and touched the banister. She looked back at her father. “I love you, Dad. But, I’m not your little girl anymore. I’m a woman. I’m the one who decides who I’ll attach myself to.”

She lifted a foot onto the step. “I’ll pack my things. I can’t live under your roof anymore.”

* * * *

The first suitcase filled up fast. Favorites, everyday stuff, shoes, and purses. Audra pulled a second bag from the closet shelf, tossed it on the bed and stuffed it to the brim.

Someone knocked. “Audra, may I come in?” Mom called from the other side of the door.

“It’s not locked.”

Her mother’s gaze fell on the luggage that stood upright on the floor. “Don’t leave, Audra. Not like this.”

Audra couldn’t hold back her tears. “A trollop? Dad made it sound like Edward and I spent the day rolling around between the sheets in a cheap motel. It wasn’t like that, Mom. It wasn’t like that at all.”

“I know. What your father did was wrong beyond words. I’ve no explanation for his behavior. But, make space in your heart to forgive him, Audra. Push the bitterness and the anger aside, and give him room for repentance.”

“I will, Mamma. But, for now, I have to go.”

* * * *

Audra drove to a nearby convenience store. She gave herself a quick cleanup with a couple of wet wipes from the glove box and ran a brush through her hair. It would have to do for now.

Inside the store, she grabbed a bottle of iced tea and picked up a bag of pretzels on her way to the register. She added a newspaper to her order, paid, and went back to the car.

With the real estate section of the paper draped over the steering wheel, she scanned the listings for apartment rentals and circled ads that interested her. She sipped her tea and nibbled a pretzel. What would she do tonight? Surely she couldn’t find an apartment, have the utilities turned on, and move in today. No, that wasn’t realistic.

First things first. Call Edward.

The call went straight to voicemail. She left a message then dialed Hank’s number.

He picked up with a “hello.”

“Hi. It’s, it’s Audra.”

“I know. Caller ID. You sound upset. What’s up?”

“I heard from Edward. A letter. You were right, there was a reason he left the way he did.”

“What’d he say?” She detected eagerness in his voice.

“He said…”
No, don’t cry
.
Breathe
. “He said my father told him I was getting married to someone else. He left because my father told him to. Hank, I’ve never been engaged. Ever. I can’t believe my father would fabricate such a preposterous story.”

Hank cursed. “Sorry ’bout that. It slipped.”

“I tried to call Edward, but I got his voicemail. I left a message telling him what I just told you.”

“Don’t get upset if he doesn’t call right away. They don’t always have access to voicemail when they’re in country.”

“I confronted my father. We had a terrible fight. I moved out. My car’s packed with most of my stuff, and—”

“Where are you?”

She broke into tears. “Parked at a convenience store.”

“Which one?”

“A few miles from my house. Near Finnegan’s Nursery. The one with the big fountain out front.” Silence filled her ears. “Hank, are you still there?”

“Yeah. Hold on a sec.” After a short pause, he said, “Meet me at the Walmart down the road from where you are in forty-five minutes. Park in the row that faces the street in front of the lawn and garden center.”

“But, Hank—”

“Forty-five minutes.” He hung up.

* * * *

The sight of Hank getting out of his vehicle calmed her frazzled nerves.

“You made good time.” Audra glanced at her watch. “Thirty-five minutes.”

“I gunned it.” Hank kissed her cheek. “You look like you’ve been crying. You okay?”

“I will be, once I know Edward understands what happened.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe my father—”

“I don’t give a—” He pressed his lips together and looked down at the pavement for a moment. “Let’s not talk about your dad right now. I’m here for you. Eddie would want that.”

Dear, sweet Hank. His brotherly love seemed to be spilling over onto her.

She showed him the newspaper. “I’ve circled some apartment ads that look okay.”

“Audra.” Hank’s huge hand touched her arm. “Are you sure this is what you want? It’s a big financial commitment. Just getting into an apartment can be expensive. First, last, security, not to mention utility deposits. Do you have a good handle on your money situation?”

“I think so.” Uncertainty gnawed her gut. “This is what I want, Hank. I should have done it sooner.”

“All right, then. Let’s go take a look. We’ll take the Jeep. Where do you want to go first?”

Audra gave directions and soon they rolled into the Misty Oaks Apartments. Almost immediately, three teenage boys stepped out from between parked cars and walked in front of the Jeep. The boy in the lead passed a smoke to the one behind him and shot an evil glance in Hank’s direction. They appeared to be dragging their feet on purpose.

Hank lowered his window and stuck his head out. “Excuse me. Would you guys mind moving out of the way, please?”

The tallest kid answered, “Yeah, we do mind.” The look he gave Hank could only mean trouble. Something in his eyes didn’t look right.

Hank shifted into park and reached for the door handle. “Stinkin’ dope heads.”

“Hank, don’t.” Audra grabbed his arm. “I don’t think I’d want to live here with kids like that hanging around. Can we just go? Please?”

He turned around and headed out of the complex. “Where’s the next one on your list?”

“Not far. King’s Haven Apartments.” She directed him.

Audra’s eyes grew wide as they drove by the place. Trashcans overflowed onto the sidewalk, the grounds were unkempt, and loud music assaulted her ears.

She crossed out the ad. “King’s Haven’s a misnomer if I ever heard one. Keep going, Hank.”

“Next?”

“I’m not sure where this one is. Let me call them.”

A man answered. “Crow’s Nest Apartments, Vincent speaking.”

“Hello,” she said. “I’d like to take a look at the one-bedroom apartment you have listed in the paper. Can you give me directions, please?”