Father, Son & Grace by Cindy Hiday

Author:Cindy Hiday
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: friendship, forgiveness, road trip, grief and loss, down syndrome, nonstop action, american road story, contemporary american southwest
Publisher: Cindy Hiday

15: Preacher Man

Dear Lord, give me strength to be honest and forthright with my man, Grace prayed as she lifted the pay phone's receiver and began pushing buttons. Please let this be the right number.

"Grace? Honey, is that you?"

Relief whooshed through her, followed close by guilt at the worry she heard in her husband's voice. "Yes, dear, it's me."

"Praise Jesus, where are you?" Then, "You've been gone since Sunday."

"What's today?" she asked, before thinking how it might sound.

"Tuesday." Ed's voice went flat and careful. "Grace, what's going on?"

Tuesday?

"Grace!"

"I'm here," she said in a rush. "I be fine."

"Why'd you call sister instead of me? She said – "

"I couldn't remember our phone number," Grace cut in, her tone impatient.

The line went quiet for a few seconds. "Do you know where you are?"

"Madrid, New Mexico," she said, then answered before he asked, "I'm on my way to Las Vegas."

She heard an abrupt grunt and exhale, as though he dropped onto one of their kitchen chairs hard enough to knock the wind out of himself. "Is this about the Stardust casino?"

"You found the newspaper article."

"I did."

"Remember the story I told you about Papa and me?"

"Of course I do."

"I don't." She shook her head, rubbed at the sharp twinge in her temple. "I mean...I didn't. Until I read the headline. Eddy, I have to see the Stardust 'fore I forget again...'fore it's gone."

"You could have talked to me about it instead of running off."

And he would have talked her out of going, most likely. But that didn't matter now. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"Did you have one of your attacks?"

Doctor Medford and his panic attacks. She didn't much care for the idea of being a panicky old woman, but how else could she explain her erratic behavior?

Her husband didn't wait for an answer. "Do you know anything about Leeta's car?"

"I borrowed it and it broke down on the Interstate. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't hold that tongue of hers long enough to get a word in edgewise."

"They found it west of Conroy. How'd you get to New Mexico? How're you getting to Vegas?"

"These nice folks stopped to help and offered to give me a ride."

"Nice folks? Gracie...?"

"Oh, Eddy, you'd understand if you met them. Ray's a widower, wife died sudden in her sleep, left a boy with Down syndrome missin' his mama something awful. You know how the Lord works in mysterious ways, honey. It's like God put me in their path so's I can help them through their grief." It was the best she could do over the phone.

She heard him draw in a long breath, giving himself time to think before speaking, a habit she knew well. A habit she respected in her man. "'God works for the good of those who love Him,'" he said, pulling a passage from the bible. Another brief pause. "I trust your judgment, honey. Do you know how you're getting home?"

"I'll buy me a bus ticket and call you when I know my schedule. I love you, Eddy.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.