Nila's Hope (16 page)

Lydia beamed at her. “You've got it.”

Nila's smile dimmed. “But I'm still afraid of what Nick might do.”

Lydia raised one eyebrow but kept silent.

“I mean, I know that if...when I die, I'll be with Jesus,” Nila said. “So I'm not really afraid of dying.” She took a deep breath. “But I feel like I'm just starting to really live. I don't want to die yet. But even more than that, Nick's threats are against everyone I care about.” An image of the box full of hate flashed before her eyes, and she shuddered as though drenched by a cold wave. “If he ever tried to hurt any of you, I don't know what I would do.”

 

****

 

That evening, Will set up a bushy, balsam fir tree in his mother's living room.

Faith and Jason bustled into the house.

“Hey, that's a beauty.” Jason stomped the snow off his boots, slipped out of his parka, and turned to help his wife with her coat.

“Where did you find such a perfect tree?” Faith asked. She stroked the soft needles, plucking one and sniffing it. “Mm-mm, that smells good.”

Will crawled out from under the tree and stood, brushing needles from his hair and shoulders. “Yeah, it does. It also sheds. Sure hope Mom and Daniel like it.”

Nila brought a pitcher from the kitchen. “Hi, you guys.” She knelt and carefully filled the tree stand's reservoir, and when she backed out and stood again, long evergreen needles decorated her hair.

Will was tempted to pick them off, but instead he caught her eye and pointed to her hair.

She blushed as though he'd touched her as she fluffed her hair to dislodge the needles.

“I think I found all of Mom's decorations,” Will said, “but I'm not sure if Daniel had any. Or his mom.” He ignored the questions in Faith's eyes. “Do you know? By the way, where are the kids?”

Faith looked at him sideways. “Jess and Tommy are at Jason's folks. You didn't think we'd bring them, did you? Can't you imagine the mess they'd make? They're the reason we have a fake table-top tree.”

“Oh, yeah. Hadn't thought about that.” Will was surprised at the disappointment he felt, but he brushed it off. “Jason and I could string the lights while you girls search through Daniel's boxes for Christmas stuff.”

“Trying to get rid of us?” Faith's eyes twinkled as she slipped her arm through Nila's. “Well, we know when we're not wanted, right?”

The two women headed for the stairs, whispering something he couldn't hear. Maybe that wasn't such a smart idea. He shrugged and picked up a tangled strand of lights. “This could take a while. Hey, how'd you get that one untangled so fast?”

Jason laughed. “I have kids. They make sure I get lots of experience untangling, fixing, that sort of thing.” He smirked at Will. “You should try it sometime.”

Will plugged in his strand to check for burnt-out bulbs. “Maybe someday,” he mumbled.

He had just started stringing lights around the tree when Faith and Nila returned. “We found some, but they're in a big, old trunk. This woman,” she poked Nila, “figured she could carry one end, but I told her that's why we've got you big, strong men.”

“Well, then,” Will said in a John Wayne drawl, “I guess you two dainty ladies had better take over stringing the lights. Come on, Jason, let's show these girls what real men can do.”

 

****

 

Nila stepped back as Jason and Will headed for the stairs, flexing their muscles and ribbing each other about who was stronger.

Faith apparently didn't allow retreat, though, and pulled her forward. “Those guys didn't make much progress on these lights. Let's surprise them by getting them hung.”

Nila nibbled her lower lip. “You'll have to show me. I've never strung lights before.”

Faith's eyebrows rose almost to her hairline, but she grinned. “In that case, this is going to be extra fun. Here, you take this strand and start at the bottom with this end. I'm taller, so I'll start at the top. When we meet, we plug them together. See?”

She pulled a chair over and stood on her tiptoes to fasten the lights to the top of the tree. “Isn't this fun?”

Nila smiled through the bushy branches. “Yes, it is. Thanks for including me.”

Faith looked at her for a moment. “You wouldn't want me to have to deal with those two guys by myself, would you?” She chuckled. “You're part of this family, even if it is unofficial.” She winked. “So far.”

Nila felt her cheeks burn. She slid behind the tree, placing each light bulb with extra care as a thumping sound signaled the men's return.

“Don't you dare mark up the floor with that,” Faith called. “Put one of Mom's old quilts down first.”

Nila slipped out from behind the tree and spread out the quilt from the back of the couch.

“Thanks.” Will grunted as he set his end of the large, metal trunk onto the quilt. Jason followed suit, and Faith climbed off her chair to inspect the treasure trove.

Nila held her breath as Faith raised the heavy lid and removed the top layers of bubble wrap and tissue paper.

“Ooh!”

“Nice.”

Brother and sister spoke in unison. Jason stared, and Nila clasped her hands to her heart.

Resting against multiple layers of tissue paper was an exquisite angel. Its beautiful face was neither masculine nor feminine, but it somehow expressed both power and peace. Its gown of white satin was decorated with pearl beads and lavish golden embroidery announcing,
Joy to the world!
Gossamer wings stretched wide on invisible wire.

“That's no department store angel,” Jason finally said.

“I'll bet that belonged to Daniel's mom. It looks like something she'd treasure. I wonder if it was a gift from one of her missionary friends.” Faith gently touched the embroidery. “It's stunning.” She carefully lifted the angel and inspected it thoroughly. “Look at this mark. It was made in Germany. I'd love to hear the story behind it. I wonder if Daniel knows.”

“That sure beats Mom's store-bought star,” Will said. “Let's see what else is in here.”

An hour later, the evergreen branches couldn't hold another ornament. The foursome stood back and admired their handiwork, especially the angel reigning at the top of the tree.

“Perfect,” Faith said. She put one arm around Nila's shoulders and the other around Jason's.

Will stepped closer to Nila but kept his hands at his side. “It does look great. Good idea you had, Faith. And yes, I'll remember to water it every day until the folks get home.”

Faith wrinkled her nose at her brother. “You'd better.”

 

****

 

“Before you go,” Will said, “did you want to see what Daniel made for Mom? It's pretty impressive.”

Jason and Will strode down the hall into the master bedroom, while the women followed at a slower pace.

Faith entered the room and gasped. “Oh, my goodness. That's incredible.” She traced the intricate design with one finger. When she faced Jason and Will, tears shimmered. “Mom's going to love this.” She blinked rapidly and wiped her eyes with her fingers. “We should make the bed, though, so Mom doesn't have to when they get home. Want to help, Nila?”

Nila stepped forward. “Sure. Let me see if I can find the lace-trimmed sheets they got for their wedding.”

Something in Will's gut stirred at the thought of watching Nila make the bed. He touched Jason's arm. “Let's get the mess in the living room cleaned up while the girls do that.” He turned on his heel and walked back down the hall.

Jason chuckled as he followed. “She's got you tied in knots, hasn't she? Oh well, pink cheeks are in these days, I hear.”

They'd barely made a dent in the piles of tissue paper when Nila and Faith joined them.

Faith put her hands on her hips. “I didn't realize what a mess we made in here. We'd better get this stuff cleaned up and go rescue Jason's parents.” She glanced at her watch. “I sure hope they got the kids to sleep.”

Jason closed a box and grabbed his boots and coat from the closet. “I just about forgot to bring in our Christmas gifts. Will, you want to help me?”

Faith patted Will's back as he walked toward the door.

“Don't forget your coat, kiddo. And thanks. The presents will be safe from little hands here. That Jessie-girl gets into everything.”

 

****

 

As they closed the trunk and boxes, Faith cleared her throat. “You are babysitting for us this Friday, aren't you?”

Nila froze. “If you still want me to. I forgot to tell you…”

Faith frowned. “What?”

The front door opened with a whoosh of icy air. Nila shivered. A lump of apprehension lodged in her throat. She coughed and swallowed hard, unable to meet Faith's eyes. “Nick is out of jail, and he's been threatening me.”

Jason stopped short in the doorway, his arms full of wrapped gifts. “No way.”

Will pushed past Jason, shut the door with his foot, and set down his armload. “Afraid so. But the police have been notified, so I doubt he'd dare try anything. And if it makes you feel better, I'll stay at your house with Nila.”

Faith smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. “Thanks.” She turned to Nila. “I've been looking forward to this party for months, and you're our first choice for a babysitter. We trust you.” She looked from Will to Nila. “Both of you. I know you'd protect our kids with your lives.”

Nila shivered again, even though the door was closed.

 

 

 

 

18

 

“Gerard.” Nila woke up in a cold sweat as realization dawned. The name claimed by Hayley's new friend belonged to Nick's father.

The mean drunk who had beaten Nick daily until he was big enough to fight back. The man Nick had sent to the hospital. Nick's first abuser and victim.

It had to be Nick. What kind of warped game was he playing? And how did Hayley fit in?

Nila looked at her alarm clock. Three o'clock. Too early to phone Hayley, and what would she say, anyway? What if she was wrong? She didn't think so, though.

She slipped out of bed and onto her knees. “Dear God, please keep Hayley safe from Nick. I don't know what his plans are, but I know they're not good. I don't know what to do. Show me, Father.” She picked up her Bible and turned to Psalm 1. She kept reading through the book of Psalms until she heard Dave and Lydia moving about upstairs. Wrapping a robe around her, she climbed the stairs as though walking into an ancient Roman arena.

An hour later, fortified by coffee and prayer with her landlords, Nila made her call to Hayley. The phone rang several times. Nila was preparing to leave a message when a groggy voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Hayley. I'm sorry if I woke you. It's Nila Black.”

“What do you want? What time is it?”

Nila glanced at the clock on the stove. “It's eight o'clock. I need to talk to you about your friend, Gerard.”

She heard some shuffling sounds as though Hayley was sitting up in bed.

“Good grief, what's so important that you had to phone at this time of day?”

Nila took a deep breath. “You may be in danger, Hayley. I remembered where I'd heard the name Gerard. My ex-boyfriend, Nick Parnell, is a dangerous man, and his father's name is Gerard. I think Nick might be using his father's name for some warped reason.”

She heard a loud huff on the other end. “You are some piece of work, Nila Black. You already stole Will from me, and now you woke me to tell me some wild story about your ex-boyfriend taking his father's name? Why? Why would he, and what is it to you anyway?”

“Hayley, please listen to me. I'm afraid for you. Do you ever watch the news?”

An exaggerated sigh sounded through the phone. “Why would I? I've got a life, you know.” Another dramatic sigh. “Have you seen a doctor about this anxiety issue of yours?”

Nila bit her lip in frustration. “Just humor me, OK? Look up Nick Parnell on the Internet. Check for news reports from the last four months. I'm sure you could find a photo of him from the trial. If your friend is Nick, you have to get away. He's dangerous. Go back home early, if possible. Do whatever you need to save yourself. Please.”

Hayley was silent for several heartbeats. Finally she yawned loudly into the phone and said, “Nila, I feel sorry for you. That's one pathetic story, and I'm going back to sleep now. Good-bye.”

The line went dead.

 

****

 

Will struggled to focus. He'd promised to phone Nila once he had the first coat of mud on the wall, but at the rate he was going, it would take him all day. He yanked off a crumpled piece of drywall tape and threw it on the floor. It wasn't working. If only he was more experienced at finishing drywall. He didn't want to fail at this, too.

The dream that had kept him tossing and turning all night resurfaced. He leaned against the wall and gave in to its torment.

He wiped the sweat from his brow as he went back in time to the British Columbia Rockies where he'd been hired to plant seedling trees on logged and burned-out sections of the mountains. Sweat was the norm there. While he'd battled steep slopes, pouring rain, and rocky ground, he'd fallen hard for a girl who wouldn't even trust him with her real name.

She called herself Vixen. He'd known she was a flirt, but it didn't matter. That one time she'd let her mask slip, he'd identified with the deep pain in her eyes. He'd wanted to save her. He'd offered his heart, but it wasn't enough. He wasn't enough.