Faithless

“Breakfast ready?” Eddie bellowed, the front door slamming behind him.

Cathy’s grin turned into a scowl as she turned back to the stove. “Your father thinks I’m ru

Eddie padded into his room, his toes sticking out of his socks. Jeffrey was behind him with the dogs, who promptly came to the table and settled on the floor, waiting for scraps.

Eddie looked at his wife’s stiff back, then at his daughters, obviously sensing the tension. “Car’s cleaned,” Eddie offered. He seemed to be waiting for something and Sara thought if he was looking for a medal, he had picked the wrong morning.

Cathy cleared her throat, flipping a pancake in the skillet. “Thank you, Eddie.”

Sara realized she hadn’t told her sister the news. She turned to Tessa. “Jeffrey and I are getting married.”

Tessa put her finger in her mouth and used it to make a popping noise. The “Woo-hoo” she uttered was far from ecstatic.

Sara sat back in her chair, resting her feet on Bob’s belly. As much crap as she had gotten from her family over the last three years, she thought she at least deserved a hearty handshake.

Cathy asked Jeffrey, “Did you enjoy the chocolate cake I sent you the other night?”

Sara stared down at Bob as if the meaning of life was writ large on his abdomen.

Jeffrey drew out the word, “Ye-ah,” giving Sara a cutting look that she felt without having to see. “Best yet.”

“I’ve got more in the fridge if you want it.”

“That’s great,” he told her, his tone sickly sweet. “Thank you.”

Sara heard a trilling sound, and it took her a moment to realize Jeffrey’s cell phone was ringing. She dug around in his jacket pocket and pulled out the phone, handing it to him.

“Tolliver,” he said. He looked confused for a second, then his expression went dark. He walked back into the hall for some privacy. Sara could still hear what he was saying, but there weren’t many clues from his side of the conversation. “When did he leave?” he asked. Then: “Are you sure you want to do this?” There was a slight pause before he said, “You’re doing the right thing.”

Jeffrey returned to the kitchen, making his apologies. “I have to go,” he said. “Eddie, do you mind if I borrow your truck?”

Much to Sara’s surprise, her father answered, “Keys are by the front door,” as if he hadn’t spent the last five years hating every bone in Jeffrey’s body.

Jeffrey asked, “Sara?”

She grabbed his jacket and walked with him down the hall. “What’s going on?”

“That was Lena,” he said, excited. “She said Ethan stole a gun from Nan Thomas last night.”

“ Nan has a gun?” Sara asked. She couldn’t imagine the librarian having anything more lethal than a set of pinking shears.

“She said it’s in his book bag.” Jeffrey took Eddie’s keys off the hook by the front door. “He left for work five minutes ago.”

She handed him his jacket. “Why is she telling you this?”

“He’s still on parole,” Jeffrey reminded her, barely able to control his elation. “He’ll have to serve his full term- ten more years in jail.”

Sara didn’t trust any of this. “I don’t understand why she called you.”

“It doesn’t matter why,” he said, opening the door. “What matters is he’s going back to jail.”

Sara felt a stab of fear as he walked down the front steps. “Jeffrey.” She waited for him to turn around. All she could think to say was, “Be careful.”

He winked at her, as if it was no big deal. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

“He has a gun.”

“So do I,” he reminded her, walking toward her father’s truck. He waved, as if to shoo her away. “Go on. I’ll be back before you know it.”

The truck door squeaked open and, with great reluctance, she turned to go back inside.

Jeffrey stopped her again, calling, “Mrs. Tolliver?”

Sara turned around, her foolish heart fluttering at the name.

He gave her a crooked smile. “Save me some cake.”