One Month Later
Harvey and Jennifer spent Saturday wallpapering the room they had decided would be Travis’s. They’d had a week to recover from Eddie and Leeanne’s wedding, and Jennifer was beginning to get used to the idea. Leeanne had called her three times, and Harvey had shown her the one text Eddie had sent him: C’est bon, mon ami.
Harvey’s tension had evaporated since he received that and learned that the district attorney was confident they would see convictions of both Brad Lyons and Bob Marshall. He’d spent a lot of his free time planning the study corner he would set up for Travis in the refurbished guest room. They’d been to a used furniture store that morning.
“It’s a really neat desk,” he said, smoothing a strip of the blue-striped wallpaper. “Do you think he’d like it?”
“I think you would like it,” Jennifer returned. “Admit it. You’ve always yearned for a roll-top desk with dozens of little pigeon holes and a secret drawer.”
Harvey smiled sheepishly. “Too old fashioned for Travis?”
“I think he needs a computer desk and a file cabinet.”
“How about the computer?”
“Oh, yes, you take care of that. Of course, if you want the roll-top desk downstairs, we could give him your computer desk,” Jennifer said.
“Where would I put my computer? You can’t put electronics on an antique oak desk.”
Jennifer smiled. “You know what, honey? With Connor’s crib upstairs, I think there’s room for a roll-top desk in that huge bedroom of ours. Meanwhile, I’m thinking it’s time we had a dining room.”
Harvey’s eyes widened as he cut the next strip of paper. “Really?”
“Yes. We do so much entertaining, and it’s always a scramble for enough chairs.”
“So, where will you have your desk?” Harvey asked.
Jennifer frowned in concentration as she wiped the sticky wall. “Well, with Connor and Travis up here, if we use the green room for a study, there’ll still be one guest room after Leeanne moves out.”
Harvey laughed. “And you thought this house was too big for us.”
“I know. Isn’t it strange how things change?”
“I suppose in a couple of years, you’ll want Randy to come down here and stay while he’s in school.”
“Unless he wants to go away,” she agreed. “If he’ll go to a Christian college, I won’t be sorry to see him go. But he wants to study criminal justice.”
“I’d like to see him go to Harvard.”
She glanced at him to see if he was serious. “Do they offer criminal justice?”
“Yeah. But if he wants to work in Maine, it might be better for him to go here.”
“Maybe he can apply for the Joey Bolduc Scholarship. And can you imagine a better mentor for him than you?”
Harvey chuckled. “You think too highly of me.”
“Never.”
He moved the step stool a couple of feet along the wall. “Almost ready for the border. Where is it?”
She held up a small roll of creamy paper with dark sailing ships chasing each other along its length. “Here. I’ll soak it. Where should we start it? In the corner?”
“You think Trav will like this?”
“Do you?” Jennifer asked anxiously.
“Sure, it’s fine.”
“I got a round mirror that looks kind of like a porthole, and some old prints of clippers.”
“That’s great.” He arranged his tools on the stool.
“I don’t know. Maybe we should have gone with a sports theme. So, things have calmed down at the police station?” She handed him the dripping roll of border.
“Yeah, pretty much. Mike’s keeping Cheryl on the day shift, and she’s happy. Chuck Norton went to him and resigned as liaison officer. He said he had no clue all these women were having problems and didn’t dare to tell him. Mike’s decided it should be an appointed position, and he’s naming Cheryl.”
“Good. The women ought to feel comfortable with her now.”
“I hope so. Mike’s got her working out a system for having a heart-to-heart with each female officer every three months. We don’t ever want a repeat of what happened with Brad.”
“Mike’s good when it comes to women’s issues. He’s tough, but he’s sensitive.”
Harvey climbed the step stool carefully. “I think he must have discussed all this with Sharon. There’s something about his love for her that keeps him respectful of all women.”
“She makes a good chief’s wife.” Jennifer shrugged. “She’d make a great first lady.”
Harvey laughed. “Don’t suggest that. She’s doing her hardest to get him retired. The last thing she wants is Mike in politics.”
“Do you think Jack Stewart will do a good job when Mike retires?”
“Oh, I think so. I told Mike to make sure he’s aware of every wrinkle. I think Jack’s capable of running things smoothly, and he’s quick-witted.” He smiled down at Jennifer. “You ought to hear him pray, Jenny. I don’t think you’d have doubts about him if you were in the office during our morning break, when we all pray together.”
“Still, it will be the end of an era when Mike goes.”
“I know. He’s made a lot of changes for the better during his short tenure. But I think Jack can keep on in the same direction.”
“And Mike wants to be in Churchill now,” Jennifer said. “His heart is there.”
“He wants us all to go up next month for some hunting.”
“Are we going?”
“Do you want to?” Harvey asked. “Mike Junior and his family are going up opening weekend, but Mike thought maybe the next week we could go. Eddie and Leeanne will be back from Montreal.”
“Oh, they’re going with us?”
“Mike wants them to. I think he was disappointed they turned it down for the honeymoon.”
Jennifer smiled up at him. “They turned down your offer, too.”
“That’s okay. Eddie really wanted to take her to Montreal, and he was able to work it out, so I have no complaints. I told him if they want to go to Churchill with us, I’ll fix it with the chief for him to take an extra week without pay. Mike won’t be a problem.”
“Mike’s got the plumbing done, right?” she asked anxiously.
“He’s got four completed guest rooms on the second floor now, with full, working baths.”
“Just checking.” She stood back and surveyed his handiwork. “Hey, this looks great. You ought to go into the painting and papering business.”
“No, thanks.” He climbed stiffly down from the stool. “As long as I only do it once in a while and have a gorgeous helper, it remains an enjoyable hobby.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her, and she twined her arms around his neck.
“Listen, maybe we ought to take a little trip ourselves,” he said.
“I thought we were going to Churchill.”
“I meant, just you and me. Not the whole family.” She pushed back a little to look at him, and he said hastily, “You know I’m crazy about your family, but Mike’s talking about a big house party that week. He’s asking Abby and Peter, and Jeff and Beth, everybody.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, he thought it would be neat, and it would. But I was thinking, maybe after that we could get away someplace … you know … room service and maybe a night at the theater. I’ve got tons of vacation time stacking up. Jack’s telling me to use it so the city doesn’t owe me.”
“You want to go away?” She was surprised. “I thought 137 Van Cleeve Lane was your favorite place on earth.”
“It is.” He pulled the covered elastic from the end of her braid and began unweaving her hair. “I just want to be someplace where there aren’t any clocks or phones for a couple of days. Before we get Travis here, you know?”
“No privacy when college kids are living with us,” she agreed.
Harvey nodded. “I hope he’ll bring his friends here. If he doesn’t, I’ll start to worry.”
“So, do you want to leave Connor with somebody?”
“Well, that could be a problem,” he admitted. “He’s not completely weaned yet. I guess we’d have to take him.”
“You’re really tired, aren’t you?” She put her hands on his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. It was the first time he had ever suggested leaving the baby overnight.
“Maybe we could just turn off the phones here and put a no visitors sign on the door,” he said.
“And hide the clocks in the basement.” Her enthusiasm was rising. “If you really want to go away, we can, but—”
“No, let’s stay here. I’ll take a whole week off in December. We can take Connor out to see the Christmas lights and buy a tree.”
“Dad will want us to come up there and cut one.”
“All right, but let’s get two or three.”
“Christmas trees?” she asked.
“Sure. Let’s put one in the sunroom and one in the living room—”
“And a little one in the new dining room.”
“Okay, gorgeous. And you have to pick out the decorations and a dining room set. Not a heavy, gruesome one like the Baileys had in there.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll help you set it up,” Harvey said. “We’ll have a ball. And if Beth or Leeanne will babysit, I’ll take you to the opera.”
“You hate opera.”
“Not hate, but … well, I’ll put it this way: I’ll take you anyplace you want to go.”
Jennifer smiled and laid her head on his chest. “You used to say that when we were dating. Anywhere but bungie jumping.”
“I mean it.” He kissed the top of her head.
“This is where I want to be. But no wallpaper or anything. Just you.”
“Maybe you’ll want to have a little tree trimming party?” he suggested.
She shook her head, burrowing into his shoulder. “Just you and me and Connor.”
“One big night out?” he coaxed.
“All right, find a musical or a Shakespeare comedy.” She raised her head. “I hear Connor.”
“Go get him,” Harvey said. “I’ll clean up here.”
Jennifer eyed the tools, buckets, and wallpaper scraps that cluttered the room. “Pretty messy.”
“Not for long. Go get the boy.”
She smiled and turned away. “I hope the next one’s a girl.”
She hadn’t thought he heard her, but his hand came down gently on her shoulder, and she turned.
“I hope she looks like you. And you pick the name this time.”
“Phoebe,” she said without hesitation.
“Really? Grandma Lewis’s name.”
“I know. I like it. You love her so much, and she got you started, thinking about the Lord.”
He smiled and dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “Phoebe Larson, then. Soon.”
THE END