Spencer brushed his hand
tenderly over her face, drying her tears. Bending down, he kissed
her cheek goodnight. "Have it your way."
After showering, Belle settled
herself in Duke's room, first shutting off the overhead lights and
then switching on the lamp next to the chairs. A soft hue lit her
little corner.
Logically, she believed the
doctor's report that he would recover. Emotionally, she felt scared
and isolated. Today's incident reminded her that life is precious
and fleeting.
A gentle knock on the door
roused her from her pondering. She glanced at her watch as she
replied, "Come in."
She expected the night nurse,
making her rounds, to check her father's vitals. But instead,
Burke's sincere face peered around the door.
"
What are you doing here?" she asked, too weary to be angry
with him anymore
He raised a brown paper
bag, and the smell of burgers wafted through the air. His intense
blue eyes pleaded with her as he spoke. "Two Charlie's
cheeseburgers, one all the way, one with no tomato. Two large fries
and chocolate shakes."
Charlie's burgers were one of
her favorites, and her stomach rumbled as the heady scent of the
hot food wafted across the room.
"
I can't believe you remembered," she said, motioning for
him to set the burgers on the table.
"
How could I forget?" he said, handing the milkshakes to her
before reaching into the bag.
They ate in silence for
the first few minutes, Belle savoring the burger's taste. She
washed it down with a long slurp of her shake. Looking askance at
Burke she confessed, "I blamed you for this, you know."
Burke finished chewing and
swallowed, nodding his head. "I heard."
She chuckled nervously.
"How ridiculous for me to accuse you."
"
Well, I thought so, but hey, I've done worse."
One eyebrow shot up as
Belle said, "Don't I know it."
"
How long is it going to take for me to live it
down?"
Belle eyed him, a slight
grin on her lips. "You've only just begun, Benning."
He rolled his eyes and
curled his lip. "I figured as much."
Her face became serious
and her eyes snapped at him. "Twelve years, Burke, twelve years of
stuffing everything I wanted to say to you."
"
Guess I got it coming to me."
"
Thank you for what you did for Daddy," she said, changing
the course of the conversation.
Burke glanced over at her
father, sleeping a few feet away, before peering at her. "Any time,
Jamison, any time."
Belle shook her head. Her world
had flipped upside down since their chapel encounter earlier that
evening. A few hours ago she balked at the idea of carrying on a
conversation with him. Now, they shared dinner and the night watch
over her father.
"
Why'd you come?" she asked.
"
I thought you might need some company."
She stared at him for a
moment. "Thanks for being here."
He popped up the leg rest
on the recliner and stretched out. "I wasn't sure I'd be
welcome."
"
Another day, another time, you wouldn't have
been."
"
I thought Spencer might stick around," he said, his tone
wrapped with suspicion.
Detecting his undertone,
she answered honestly. "We're just friends, Burke." She swirled her
shake with a long straw.
"
I see," he said.
"
When do you head back to Colorado?"
Burke pillowed his head
with his hands clasped together and fixed his eyes on the ceiling.
"No time soon."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"What? Pre-season games start in a month or so."
He sat up and threw his
legs over the side of the chair. "I retired."
Belle leaned toward him.
"Retired?"
He launched into his story, and
she listened intensely, staring at him as if seeing him for the
first time.
"
Wow," she said with a low whistle. "I never thought I'd see
the day. I figured you'd die running in for a
touchdown."
"
Me too, but the Lord has other plans for me. I'm at peace
with my decision."
"
What are you going to do?"
Burke's husky laugh
resonated through the room. "Coach."
"
Coach? Where, at the University?" The pitch of Belle's
voice rose with speculation.
"
High school."
"
High school," she echoed, modulating her tone, not wanting
to disturb her father.
Burke spread his arms as
if to say "ta-da". "Meet Haskell High's new head football
coach."
Belle's mouth dropped open
as she slapped her hand on the cold vinyl of the recliner. "You're
kidding."
"
Anderson is retiring, too. He asked me to consider taking
the job. During prayer at the chapel this evening, I got the green
light from the Lord to accept the position."
Belle flopped against the
back of her chair. "I'm speechless."
"
I'm excited."
"
I'm speechless," she repeated. "The great Burke Benning now
a high school football coach?"
He frowned. "What are you
implying, Belle?"
"
From fame and fortune to Haskell High? You gotta admit it's
an extreme change."
He nodded, agreeing.
"Maybe, if you have the world's perspective. But from a heavenly
perspective, it makes perfect sense."
"
I'm impressed."
"
I'll be living here again," he said, searching her
face.
Belle slid off the
recliner and walked over to the window. Several stories below,
amber colored lights burned in the nearly empty parking lot,
fighting back the night. "Are you asking me if I mind?"
Burke joined her at the
window. "Do you? I feel like I'm moving in on your
territory."
She turned to him, his
nearness both comforting and disturbing. "I suppose this town is
big enough for the both of us."
He reached for her,
brushing her arm lightly with his hand. "I hope we can be friends
again."
She stiffened at his
touch, but resisted the urge to move away. "We'll see, Burke. Let's
just get through today's ordeal, okay?" She left the window,
pretending to check on her father who still slept. Burke's touch
rattled her, threatening the thin wall that still guarded her
heart.
"
He'll be out riding ol' Pepper before the end of summer,"
Burke said.
She smiled at the idea.
"For so long it's just been Daddy and me."
"
You've been blessed with a good father."
"
Can't argue that," Belle said, suddenly feeling very weary.
Returning to her recliner, she said with a sigh, "He never missed
your games on TV."
"
Really?"
"
He'd pop a big bowl of popcorn, settle in his chair and
cheer you on."
"
I wish I'd have known."
Belle faced him, her
expression determined. "You have to know you hurt him,
too."
"
I do," he answered, his words muffled with regret. He moved
to the window again and stared out, thumbs hooked in the pocket of
his jeans.
"
I never knew how hurt he was until the other
day."
"
I'm sorry, Belle," he whispered.
"
Don't tell me, tell him."
"
First chance I get," he said, a genuine affection wrapping
his words.
The door pushed open, and
the nurse came in pulling a cart. "Need to take his vitals," she
said, crisp and professional. "Kindly step outside."
Once in the corridor, Belle
suggested some cafeteria coffee. Burke agreed.
"So, how about you?" he
asked, when they'd paid for their coffee and pulled up to a
table.
"
What about me?"
"
Did you watch any of my games with your dad?"
Avoiding his gaze, she shook her
head no. She'd tried a couple of times - once during his rookie
year, then again a few years later. But the memory of what should
have been came crashing down on her, rekindling the heartache she
desperately needed to overcome.
Burke stared into his coffee,
sadness shrouding his eyes. Belle stared at the wall.
"
You were an integral part of my football
journey."
"
I wasn't the one who put an end to that, Burke."
He sighed. "Yeah, I
know."
An intern passed by the
cafeteria door and recognized Burke. Boldly, the young man
approached, pulling a pen and prescription pad from the pocket of
his stiff white lab coat, and asked for Burke's autograph. Burke
scribbled his name while carrying on a brief conversation.
"
You've lived quite a life," she said when the intern
left.
"
I suppose. But, you know, somehow I think the best is yet
to come." He took a sip of his coffee. "So," he started, his
question low and tender. "Our chapel conversation ended rather
abruptly."
"
What do you mean?" Belle asked.
"
Have we said all we want to say?"
"
About how you broke my heart and ruined my life?" Belle
downed the last of her coffee and tapped her cup on the
tabletop.
"
In a word, yes."
"
What else is there to say?"
He shrugged. "You were
upset when you left. If you have more to say to me, I'd like to
hear it."
Tears stung in her eyes
again. "Not now, Burke, I don't have the energy." She let her gaze
fall on his face.
"
I understand," he said. "This has been a rather chaotic
day."
"
That's an understatement," she said.
Burke said, "I know we
can't deal with the last twelve years in a few short
conversations."
"
Not even a few long ones," she said wryly.
"
Can I ask a question?"
"
Sure."
Burke dipped his head, and
his hands fiddled with his empty coffee cup. "What'd you look
like?"
Belle glared at him. "Look
like?" she repeated.
He shifted nervously in
his seat. "I always wondered what you looked like in your wedding
dress."
She reared back surprised,
absently chewing on the rim of her Styrofoam coffee cup. Her heart
raced.
"
What an odd question, Burke," she finally said.
He brushed his head with
his hands, still staring at the floor. "Well, it's one of the odd
things I've thought about over the years. I always remember how
excited you were about the gown you found. I regret I didn't get to
see you wear it."
Belle asked with cynical
edge. "Is that all you regret about that day?"
He frowned and said with
passion, "Of course not."
She answered him. "I
really can't remember." She tapped her fingernails on the side of
her cup.
He looked into her eyes.
"I imagined you were the definition of beautiful."
Her heart fluttered at the
sincere compliment. "Thank you, but Burke, we can't get that day
back."
He glanced away and nodded
once. "The core of my regret."
She reached across the table and
touched his hand briefly, realizing his dilemma that dreadful day.
Not wanting to hurt her, yet too full of doubts to make the
commitment. The turmoil must have been incredible.
The conversation stalled.
After a moment, Belle said in a soft, reminiscent tone. "The dress
was white satin with a wide skirt and a long, flowing train. The
bodice was off the shoulder and trimmed with thousands of pearls
and lace. I wore my hair down. My veil, well…" She stopped and
motioned around her head with her hands. "It was big and poofy."
She looked at him with a slight grin. It felt good to speak the
memory out loud.
"
Sounds beautiful," he said with tenderness.
"
Yeah, well…" Her sentence trailed off as the reality of the
day she wore the dress quickly resurfaced. She fidgeted nervously.
Suddenly, she lifted her empty coffee cup. "Think I'll go for a
refill."
"
Sounds good."
As they walked across the
cafeteria to the coffee machine, Burke said, "Belle, I want to fix
the porch."