Page 22 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
He’d soothed him, making the pain bearable somehow. As old as he seemed, he’d lifted off the worst of the impact – the wall crushing him so he could hardly breathe. “It’s going to be alright, son. You’ll be fine now that I’ve found you.”
“I’m so thankful you’re here. Don’t leave me.”
“That I won’t be doing. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
“Your name, what’s your name?” Jack had to know – it seemed incredibly important that he have his helper’s name.
“It’s Lucas. And I’ll always be here for you, Jackie my boy. Remember this, the doctors will put you back like new, see if they don’t. You’re a strong lad. And when the time comes, you’ll choose a fine life.”
Why he still remembered those words, Jack never did figure it out, but he knew one thing. Those words spoken in that soft, male voice came back to him time and again when life was at its worst, when the blackness wanted to suck him under, and he clung with barely a string of strength to his resolve.
Why he couldn’t see the older man’s face bothered him. But without a doubt, he knew Lucas was older. He’d never forget his voice, the words that reverberated, giving him the will to do what he knew was right.
After he came out of the hospital and strived to get a clean bill of health from the therapy clinic where they’d gotten him back on his feet, helping him build his muscles so he’d be able to live a normal existence, he’d looked for the old fellow.
Had asked about Lucas at Army headquarters and had searched out the medics who’d arrived that night, but no one remembered anyone with him at the scene. In fact, they’d looked at him strangely, knowing the soldiers anywhere in the vicinity were much younger than the older man he described.
To this day, he still searched. He wanted to shake the old man’s hand and thank him. To try and explain the importance of his words at the worst moment in his life, what they’d meant even later when the temptations had eaten away his willpower.
Hopefully, one day…
Arriving at his destination, Jack pulled into the sweeping circular driveway towards the sprawling white Mediterranean masterpiece. Angie’s property featured a fountain nestled under large palm trees; the incredible masonry formed into three levels was some of Jack’s finest work.
The red tiles over the many roof stages were another of his prideful accomplishments that made this custom home eye-catching, warmly inviting, and Angie’s pride and joy.
In fact, those two jobs were the first of many he’d taken on for Angie when he’d gotten a clean bill of health and could moveon with his carpentry career. Building stuff had been his dream from the time he was a lad. Not just the ordinary work but finishing and specialty projects that he found interesting.
He pulled up and saw a sight that ripped out his heart. Rather than Angie waiting for him on the steps as usual, she lay at the bottom in a heap.
He dove from the vehicle, palmed his phone, yelling instructions for an ambulance and rushed to her side.
“Angie, what happened?” Shattered, he felt the fear wash through his system.
Closer now, he could see that she wasn’t conscious. He reached for the pulse in her neck to see if she still lived and found it weak and barely there. He ran up on the veranda and grabbed the fuzzy blanket she kept folded on the back of her chair. There waiting, sat her tray with his requested drink still frosty cold, tea for her and some homemade cookies she baked that were his favorites.
Returning to her side, he slid in and carefully arranged the cover over her body to keep her warm. Her hand lay close to his knee, and he picked it up, placed a kiss on the knuckles and whispered, “Come on old girl, you’re too ornery to let a little fall on the stairs keep you down.” Praying it was a fall and not a stroke or a heart attack, he smoothed the curls from her forehead and gazed at her with all the affection he felt in his heart for his precious friend.
She’d come through for him from the beginning. She’d known he needed to be occupied, kept busy so the need for drugs wouldn’t get control. They’d met at the hospital where she’d been a patient recovering from a knee replacement, and he’d teased her about her crutches and had given her rides in his wheelchair.
They’d become chums, and she’d followed through with many promised jobs. By bragging to her friends, she’d been theimpetus for him to start a small construction business that now employed over a dozen workers.
But any work that needed doing on her house was always done by the boss himself. She was his surrogate mom, his close pal and his angel. He’d do anything for her. Right now he was praying but the words didn’t come easy.
Last time he’d called on the big guy above for help, he’d been sent the old man, Lucas. He could almost hear that same voice in his head telling him to calm down and stay close. She might not be awake, but she heard every word… so keep talking.
Maybe she could hear him. He didn’t know but waiting was driving him nuts, and so he began to talk.
“Awww, Angie, my darlin’. You can’t end it now. Stay with me. I need you in my life, my friend. You and me, we’re pals. You’re the only one who can beat me in chess. You’re sneaky and devious, and I’m pretty sure you cheat, but you’ve taught me so much. What’ll I do without your special jobs to keep me gainfully employed, as you like to say so often?”
The words he’d used resonated. “Christ, don’t leave me.” His voice broke. To his consternation, he found tears were threatening. The world without his Angie would be a lonely place for sure.
“I don’t cheat,” Angie coughed and moaned slightly before continuing. “And you’re a brat to infer such a terrible thing.”
“Angie! Lord, you’ve scared ten years off my life. What happened?” Jack again brushed the hair from her cheeks and knelt closer. Her voice was hard to hear.
“I don’t know. I was going to come down the stairs, and that’s the last thing I remember.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Don’t move. I can hear the ambulance now.”
