Forever My Hero, page 25
She laid out some clean clothes for Patty and then headed downstairs to start the coffee. The hum of the generator had become the heartbeat of the home. Alice knew all too well how fortunate they were not to have been without city water, without sewers, and without heat or lights for all these days.
She wondered, as she measured out the coffee, how the family was doing who’d taken shelter in Elliot’s garage apartment. They had no home, and they’d lost all of their belongings. Normally, the people of Blessings would have come together as they always did and donated food and clothing to get them back on their feet. But there was no way to know if this was even possible until Blessings regained power. There was no way to know how many people’s homes had flooded and how many people besides Lovey Cooper had been injured. It was a frightening time for the whole town.
Dan came into the kitchen with a smile on his face and kissed the back of her neck. “You smell good,” he said. “Like lavender.”
“Your nice bath soap,” Alice said, and then turned to face him and gave him a proper good-morning kiss.
“My sweet Alice, you tempt a man beyond good sense. I’m going to check the fuel in the generator. I’ll help make breakfast when I get back.”
Alice put bacon on to cook because they had it, and then mixed up some pancake batter and set it aside.
Charlie came into the kitchen with Booger on a leash. “I’m taking him out. Be back in a jiffy,” he said.
“Is Patty awake?” Alice asked.
“I heard her singing, so yes, she’s awake. Is she getting dressed? I have no idea,” he said, and then loped down the back hall with Booger on his heels.
Alice started making pancakes, and each time she had a stack ready, she put them in the warming oven. Charlie came back and put out Booger’s food in the utility room.
“Did you make pancakes?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’ll go get Patty,” he said, and gave her a thumbs-up as he loped out of the kitchen.
Alice rolled her eyes. “Walk, Charlie. Once in a while, it’s okay to walk.”
Within a few minutes, the kitchen was full of chatter and laughing. Alice was still making pancakes as fast as she could, and eating from her plate in between flipping them over.
Dan got up to refill his coffee and then set it down by the stove and moved Alice and her plate to the table. “You sit. I’ll finish cooking up the last of the batter.”
“Thank you,” she said, and added some syrup to her short stack, then finished it off.
“Who wants more?” Dan asked.
Elliot held up his hand, and so did Charlie. Patty happened to look up, saw their hands raised, and shot hers into the air, too.
“Patty, you still have pancakes on your plate. Why did you raise your hand?” Alice asked.
The look of indignation on her face was hard to miss. “They did,” she said, pointing. “Why can’t I?”
Alice grinned. “Do you know why their hands are up?” she asked.
Patty frowned. “No.”
“They were asking for more pancakes.”
Patty gasped and then began waving her hand back and forth above her head.
“What’s that mean?” Alice asked.
“I’m erasing my yes,” Patty said.
Dan laughed.
Elliot reached over and patted her head. “Delightful child, but I’m not erasing my request.”
“I’m not either,” Charlie said.
Dan set the platter on the table between them. There were three pancakes. “That’s the last. Figure it out between you,” he said.
Charlie reached for the platter first, and just when Alice was about to scold him, he handed it to Elliot. “You first, sir,” Charlie said.
Elliot smiled. “Why, thank you, Charlie.” He took one and handed the platter back to Charlie, who immediately slid the remaining two onto his plate.
“Mama, can I go play now? I’m full.”
“Wipe your mouth, and yes.”
Patty swiped and then jumped up.
“Patty! Wait!” Alice said. “Do you remember what we talked about yesterday afternoon when I was giving you a bath?”
Patty nodded her head, but Alice had seen that ruse before. “What did I say?” she asked.
“Not to play on the railroad tracks again?”
Dan laughed before he could stop himself.
Alice stifled a giggle. “No, I said…do not ever go into that secret room again, and you know it.”
“And you said it was a railroad under the ground, too,” Patty said. “I promise! I will not go there again.”
Alice frowned. “Charlie—”
“I’m going, Mama. I’m going. Come on, squirt. Want to play Chutes and Ladders again?”
Patty nodded and took her big brother’s hand as they left the room.
Dan was still smiling when Elliot brought a stack of dirty dishes to the counter. “I’m going to go to my room for a bit and listen to weather updates. It really sounds like today is the day that it finally fizzles out here. And none too soon, I say. Miss Alice, thank you for that wonderful breakfast. I am going to be so spoiled that by the time I get back into my own house, I won’t want to lift a finger to help myself.”
As soon as they were alone, Dan and Alice took one look at each other and burst into laughter.
“Oh my God…the railroad tracks. I’m sorry…but I lost it.”
“Yes…my lesson about the Underground Railroad might have been a couple of years too soon,” Alice said, wiping her eyes. “You have no idea how hard it is to keep a straight face with that kid.”
Dan wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug. “All this time I’ve been thinking I would never be happy again if you weren’t falling for me like I was for you, and now that I know you are, I also realize what a bonus your kids are, bringing so much joy into my life.”
Alice’s vision blurred, her voice just above a whisper. “I can’t believe this is really happening.”
Dan’s heart skipped a beat. “What are you talking about? I adore you. I adore your kids. What did I say wrong?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Before you came here, I was the woman whose world went up in smoke. I buried my husband after he burned down everything we owned, and within a week, we were abandoned on a street corner here in Blessings by his family with not even enough money to make one month’s rent. And it was still cold weather here. We had no clothes but what we were wearing. No food in the house, and I was sick. I thought I was going to die and leave my children orphans.”
Dan just put his arms around her and let her talk.
“Charlie saved us. He put out flyers all over town about having a dog for hire. ‘If you lost it, Booger can find it,’ the flyer said. And he was charging twenty-five dollars for the service.”
A cold chill ran up the middle of Dan’s back. “You aren’t serious.”
“Yes. I am. He was twelve years old, and he took it upon himself to become the man of the house. As fate would have it, the police chief had seen the flyer, and when an old woman went missing from the senior citizens center, he came after Charlie and his dog.”
“Did they find her?” Dan asked.
“Yes. She lived a day or so afterward, but then she passed. But that called attention to us and our situation, and before we knew it, we began receiving food and clothes, and the chief got our utilities turned on, and Peanut Butterman got us signed up on welfare. I enrolled the kids in school and on my way home saw a Help Wanted sign in the window of Bloomer’s Hardware, and you know the rest. What I’m getting at is I went from a hardship charity case to now…and all this…and you.”
“I see you as so special. I see you as a woman who didn’t quit on herself or her kids. I see a woman so easy to love. You are what my mother would call a woman with ‘don’t quit’ in her blood. I admire everything about you.”
“Thank you,” Alice said. “You are my knight in shining armor. I dreamed of them as a little girl, but never knew one…until you.”
Dan put his arm around her shoulder. “My work here is done. Shall we sit among the court jesters, m’lady?”
Alice laughed, which was exactly what he wanted her to do, and she was still smiling when he turned the light out in the kitchen and they went to find her kids.
* * *
The hurricane winds were waning by the hour. The rain was no longer blinding, and there was a hint of clearing skies in the south.
Big Tom opened the front door and walked out onto the porch. He could hear the rush of water in the flooded creek and winced.
Albert rolled his wheelchair to the open doorway and looked out. “What are you thinking, Daddy?”
“I’m thinking it’s time to go notify the county sheriff about what happened to Junior. That way people can be looking for him downstream.”
“Can I go with you?” Albert asked.
Before, Big Tom would have insisted his younger son stay behind. He wasn’t healed. If Tom had troubles, Albert might not be able to walk out, but yesterday had turned Big Tom’s way of thinking. He’d seen Albert as a man, not just as his son. And if Albert believed he could handle the ride, then that was enough for him.
“You sure can,” Big Tom said. “We might not be able to get all the way through, but we’re gonna try. I promise I won’t drive into any deep water. There’s no telling whether the road is washed out beneath it or not, but let’s give it a go.”
“I’ll go get my things. I won’t be long.”
“I’m going to get the old four-by-four dually out of the shop. It’ll ride higher, which might come in handy,” Big Tom said. “I’ll wait for you at the kitchen door. It’s easier to get you and the chair loaded up there.”
“Yes, sir,” Albert said, and wheeled himself down the hall to his bedroom.
Big Tom grabbed his things, got the keys that went with the Dually, and headed out the back door to the shop. He checked the fuel, then drove the truck out of the shop to the big tanks of farm fuel and filled it up with diesel, the same fuel he used for his tractor. He stopped by the barn to check on the calf. It was bawling. It ate the same feed he fed the others, and it was big enough to be weaned.
“Tough way to get weaned, little buddy,” Big Tom said, then put some feed in the stall and got a bucket of rainwater from the barrel outside and left it in the stall as well.
He stopped up at the back door and helped Albert into that high-riding rig, folded up his wheelchair and put it on the back floorboard between the seats.
“You good to go? Need pain meds or anything, Son?”
“I took some this morning. I’ll be good until evening.”
With that, Big Tom jumped in behind the wheel. The windshield wipers were whipping back and forth like the hips of a hula dancer. It was a risky trip, but there was a big reason to make it, and Albert wasn’t about to let his daddy make it alone.
Their first roadblock was a tree down over the road, but Big Tom was prepared. He got out, pulled his chain saw out of the truck bed, and dealt with the blockage before moving on.
They passed a side road with a sign that read Bridge Out. It occurred to Albert that the water that ran under that bridge came down from the creek on their farm. When he looked at his daddy, he realized the thought was in his head as well.
As they topped a small hill, they could see water across the road below.
“It doesn’t look deep,” Big Tom said.
“At least drive down. We can tell once we get there,” Albert said, so they did, and realized as they got closer that it wasn’t deep, just moving swiftly. They drove right through it.
One mile ran into another and then another, until they were in Hinesville, the county seat of Liberty County. Hinesville looked deserted. There was flood debris along the curbs, and all kinds of storm debris lying about.
“Wait here and let me see if they’re even open,” Big Tom said, but before he could turn around, they both watched a man come out of the building, get in his truck, and drive away.
“I reckon they’re open, Daddy,” Albert said.
“Yes. Sit tight. I’ll get your chair out of the back.”
Albert unlocked his seat belt, then opened the door to wait. Moments later, his daddy had the chair set up and ready.
Big Tom lifted Albert out, settled him into his chair, and then locked their truck. “Hang on,” Big Tom said, and pulled Albert and his chair up onto the street backward, then pushed him toward the police station.
The moment they were inside, Big Tom’s demeanor changed. He was teary and nervous again as he had been at home. Albert guessed it had to do with having to tell the story again.
“Sit down, Daddy. I can do this much,” Albert said, and rolled his chair up to the counter.
“Good morning, how can we help you?” the clerk asked.
“We need to speak to the sheriff.”
“What is your name?” she asked.
“I’m Albert Rankin, and this is my daddy, Big Tom Rankin.”
“What is your business?” she asked, and then added, “Sorry for being so slow. Our computers are still down, so we’re taking all information by hand.”
“We’re here to report a death.”
The woman looked up, first at Albert, then over his shoulder to the big man behind him.
“What’s the name of the deceased, and what was the cause of death?” she asked.
“We called him Junior, but he was named for Daddy. His name was Thomas Ray Rankin. The cause of death…he fell into a flooded creek while they were looking for our cattle. He went under and never came up.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” the clerk said. “Please wait here. I need to see if Deputy Sheriff Terrell is available.”
“What happened to Sheriff Ryman?” Big Tom asked.
“He had surgery before the hurricane. He’s still recovering at home. One moment, please.”
She hurried down a hallway, then returned almost immediately. “Follow me,” she said.
Big Tom got up and pushed Albert down the hall and into the second office on the left.
“Deputy Terrell, this is Tom Rankin and his son, Albert.”
Hunt Terrell got up and came around the desk to shake their hands. “I’m Deputy Sheriff Hunt Terrell. My sympathies on the loss of your son. Take a seat, sir. Since we’re operating on small generators, computers are down. I’ll take down the pertinent info on paper, so bear with me. Now, tell me what happened.”
Big Tom’s head dropped.
Albert laid his hand on his daddy’s arm and gave it a squeeze. “You can do this, Daddy.”
Big Tom nodded, then took a deep breath and started talking.
Chapter 19
By midafternoon, the wind was blowing at less than thirty miles per hour and the rain was intermittent. Elliot wanted to go home, and then Dan reminded him he’d be there without power.
“Ah…that’s right,” Elliot said. “I’ve been so comfortable here that I forgot. So, I’ll gladly accept your hospitality until Blessings gets power again.”
“Good,” Dan said. “We’ve been inside your home since all this began, but Alice has not checked on hers, so we’re going to see if we can get to that part of town. There’s no way of telling if the streets are clear, but either way, we won’t be long.”
Elliot nodded. “Then I’m going up to rest a bit. If I fall asleep, wake me when supper’s ready.”
Alice smiled. “We won’t forget you,” she said, then went to check on the kids. Charlie was on babysitting duty until they got back, and happily so, because Dan had popped some popcorn for them and they were sharing another Pepsi as they settled in to watch a Disney movie.
“We won’t be long,” Alice said. “Patty, you be good for Charlie, okay?”
Patty nodded. “I’m always good for Charlie. I love him so much,” she said.
Charlie’s cheeks flushed, but Alice could tell he was secretly pleased.
“No going outside.”
“It’s okay, Mama. I got this,” Charlie said.
Alice gave them both a thumbs-up and then followed Dan out the side door to the portico. He settled his Stetson firmly on his head, helped her up into the passenger seat, and buckled her up. As he did, Alice leaned over and kissed the side of his cheek.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for days,” she said.
“Then I’m really glad you followed through,” he said, and kissed her squarely on the mouth. “That’s my contribution to impulse.” Then he circled the truck and got in. “Here goes nothin’, darlin’. Let’s go take a look at Blessings.”
“I’m nervous,” Alice said. “I’m praying the house didn’t flood and that our belongings are okay. I so don’t want to have to start over again.”
“There’s no starting over going on around here. No matter what happens, we’re not going back, we’re moving forward, right?”
She glanced at his profile—dark hair, that big cowboy hat, a straight nose, a strong chin, and very kissable lips—and thought, Damn straight we’re moving forward.
They hadn’t driven more than five blocks when Dan glanced to his right and then pointed. “Hey, look, that whole house is destroyed. Trees fell on it from both ways.”
“I wonder if the house belongs to that family who’s staying in Elliot’s garage apartment. Didn’t he say they lost everything when trees fell on their house?”
“Yes, he did. That’s rough,” Dan said, eyeing the remnants of shredded curtains hanging out of a broken window and glimpses of a sofa, and beyond that, what was left of a kitchen.
“They’re fortunate that didn’t kill them all,” Alice said, and rode in silence, contemplating what might await her, until they were close to her neighborhood. That’s when she scooted to the edge of her seat.
