Noble Pursuits Read online

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “It’s now twelve days before Christmas. Let the fun begin.”

  Grace’s laughter sang out over the telephone lines. “What are you talking about?”

  “Open your front door.” Nolan sat in his house watching through the window as her door opened. Rolex scampered out of the house, barking furiously at the package that Nolan had left on the mat. Before she could pick up the box, the dog dashed across the yard and over to Nolan’s house.

  “I’ve got him. Open your gift.”

  “Are you nuts! Out here? It’s cold!”

  Grace’s incredulity amused him. “Ok, go inside, but open it in front of the window. I want to watch this.”

  “Do I open the card first or last?”

  “Umm, I guess so. Yes. Open it first.” Nolan’s voice grew certain as he decided the best order of opening.

  The sounds of an envelope opening sparked a boyish eagerness. He’d always loved giving gifts. Christmas and birthdays were his favorite days of the year. The planning, purchasing, and even the wrapping of the gifts brought much excitement and pleasure to him. However, nothing was as wonderful as the carefully executed presentation of a gift. He smiled at the metallic tinkle of a musical card playing “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

  “Do you like that song?”

  “I do now. I love it now! Can I open the box? Hey… Twelve days of Christmas… does that mean that I get twelve presents?”

  Her eagerness encouraged him. He’d had some concerns about whether or not Grace would enter the spirit of the game. “That’s right. This is day one.”

  “But the twelve days of Christmas are after Christmas!”

  “And I wanted to do it before. Sue me,” Nolan laughed.

  Grace tore open the box eagerly. Nestled in the bottom and surrounded by shredded Christmas paper sat a box with “Partridge Farms” stenciled on the top. Grace opened it to find the most delicious smelling pears she’d ever seen. The fragrance permeated the room.

  “Yum! How did you find a place called Partridge Farms?”

  “Well… Melanie said she knows how to stencil, so I…”

  “Well, come on over, bring back my escape artist, and get some. These are good!”

  ~*~*~*~

  Grace smiled as she watched Nolan’s long strides across the street. He held a gaily-wrapped box and wore a goofy smile. The gifts weren’t nearly as fun as watching Nolan’s delight in giving them. It had slowly become apparent to her that some of his frustration with her inability to accept help stemmed from his own love of giving. They were very similar in that manner.

  She met him in the front yard. Arm in arm, they walked up her steps. “Paige should be here any moment. She phoned from behind your house. She’s really getting into this whole spy thing.”

  “Really? She’s coming here first?”

  Grace nodded. “She went by Craig’s office to thank him. Did I tell you?”

  “No, how did you convince Craig? He won’t tell me.”

  A trace of guilt crossed Grace’s features. “Well, I started by giving him a fake ultimatum, kind of like I did you, but he knew I was bluffing.”

  “What kind of crazy threat did you have for him?”

  Shaking her head, Grace pled the Fifth Amendment. “If you want to know, ask him.” With a wink, she continued. “Anyway, I finally asked him if he thought that Christ was strong enough to protect me. Then I asked if he thought you were an adequate protector. Then I suggested that he be in the house as well. I finally got through to him. I think he’ll be glad when Paige can identify the guy and get him off the streets. The police are close, but identifying him outside a lineup would help, I think.”

  He handed Grace her package and gestured for her to open it. She unwrapped a candy dish filled with chocolate turtles and Dove chocolates. Grace set the dish on her dining table after sampling the chocolates. “These are wonderful. Turtle-doves—cute”

  Before he could reply, Paige crept in through the back door. “No one saw me! Nathan is over at your house, Nolan. I’m going to sneak across in a bit, and then he’ll openly come out and help you with the computer stuff.”

  Lunch came and went but no packages came. Nolan fiddled with wires and set up programs as slowly as possible. The extra linen closet next to her coat closet made a perfect mini-office. Everyone grew antsy. Finally, the familiar brown truck pulled up in front of Grace’s house. As she signed the receipt, she glanced at the man’s face. It wouldn’t be him. He was too tall, too heavy set, and he was dark haired.

  As the man drove away, Paige and Nathan walked across the street in deep conversation. Grace and Nolan felt the disappointment keenly but weren’t surprised. They couldn’t expect to catch the man on the first try.

  The couples played games and chatted through dinner. She had planned to make a meatloaf, but Nolan and Nathan begged for pizza. As Paige and Nathan left to make a soda run, Nolan and Grace sat on opposite ends of her couch in deep conversation.

  Nathan had spoken of wanting an even number of children and subsequently had sparked a discussion of desired numbers. Nathan and Paige had held quite a heated debate over even vs. odd numbers and large vs. small families. When the other couple left for the store, Nolan asked Grace what was on her mind. “You’ve been so quiet. What is bothering you?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about ‘how many.’ I just didn’t give it a second thought. Have you?”

  “Well, no. I did pray once for a half a dozen little Graceannas, though.”

  A small smile tugged at the corner of Grace’s mouth. “Would that happen to have been after a dinner with Melanie when she tricked you into holding Gracie?”

  “Yes… she was so dear and tiny. I wanted to take her home with me.” The wistful sound in his voice was very endearing to Grace’s heart.

  “Well, how do you decide how many children to have? You can say, ‘I want two, or four, or five, or twenty,’ but how do you know how many you should really have?”

  Nolan shook his head. He’d never considered the idea. “I don’t know. I don’t remember the Word talking about choosing the number of children, but they probably didn’t have birth control then either.”

  “True. So, with birth control available, how do you use it to God’s glory? What does God consider to be right? One child? Two? How do I know what His will is?”

  The couple continued their discussion until the pizza and drinks arrived. Grace tried to rally above her troubled thoughts as she suggested a game of Hearts. Long after her guests left for the night, Grace sat in prayer and study over the evening’s topic of discussion.

  The phone rang next to her, and she answered it absentmindedly. The distant tone to her voice when she said ‘hello’ told Nolan that she was still troubled with her thoughts. “Can’t sleep?”

  “I’m studying. I can’t find anything. I only read positive things about children and families. When people like Rachel and Hannah couldn’t have children, they found it very disturbing. They became distraught. Rachel wanted more than one, but was that because her sister had more, or because she truly wanted children? And Jacob. He’s a doozy.”

  “How’s that?” Grace’s earnestness pulled Nolan from an exhausted stupor.

  “Well, Rachel pleads with him to ‘give her children.’ You know what he said?”

  “I think I remember that story, he said it wasn’t in his hands or something.”

  She nodded at the phone. “That’s right. He said—here, let me find it.”

  The pages of her Bible rustled as she tried to find her place again. “Here, Genesis chapter thirty. It says, ‘When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?’” She gasped. “Hey, I just noticed something.”

  Nolan finished Grace’s sentence in the familiar manner
that close friends do. “Rachel said children. Plural. She didn’t just want a child, she wanted at least two.”

  “I wonder why. I mean, most people today, if they were infertile anyway, would be thrilled for just one child. Why wasn’t Rachel asking for a child? Didn’t Hannah ask for a single child?”

  Nolan didn’t know how to answer her. “Maybe Rachel’s feelings about children weren’t rational. Her sister goaded her constantly. Maybe that had something to do with it.”

  “That’s true. What did Mary do?”

  “Grace,” Nolan sounded concerned, “why is this so important to you?”

  Her voice broke as she spoke. “I don’t know. It’s just bugging me.”

  “Can you trust the Lord with it? Can you turn it over to Him?”

  Grace nodded. She didn’t realize how often she spoke with gestures rather than words. “I guess I’ll have to.”

  “I’ll be praying for a peaceful rest for you.” He hesitated before adding, “And Grace?”

  “Hmm?” Grace’s mind had already turned to prayer.

  “I love you.”

  The phone clicked before Grace could respond.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Three French Hens. Wonder what he’ll have this morning? We can’t have poultry on this side of the street. Cross that highway and he’d be ok, so it won’t be that. Maybe he’ll give me Cornish Game Hens to make dinner for him. He sure is having fun…”

  She continued to ramble through her morning preparations. Today she planned to list her first boutique outfit on Etsy. Would it work, or not? Not allowing herself to ‘take heed for tomorrow,’ Grace prayed for wisdom in how much time to spend on each listing and for help in getting her pictures just right. She’d spend her morning learning how to use the photo software that Nolan had installed on his computer.

  The phone rang and Grace pounced on it. “Morning!”

  “Well, good morning, sweetheart. You’re chipper this morning!” Holding the digital camera he’d purchased the day before, Nolan debated deliberately scratching it so she wouldn’t notice it was new.

  “When is Paige coming today?” She seemed anxious to get the plan on the road.

  “Nathan said they’d be over by noon. Are you going to work with that program this morning?” Nolan looked at the camera in his hand.

  Upon hearing her affirm her intention to learn how to use the computer programs in order to begin her Etsy ‘career,’ Nolan decided to jump in and see how she handled his purchase. “I’ve got something for you. I’ll be right there.”

  Grace waited in anxious expectation as Nolan came across the street with two boxes in hand. One box was wrapped in gold paper and tied with a silver bow looking elegant and tempting. The other appeared to be some kind of appliance. Waving at Verily sweeping his sidewalks across the street, she welcomed him with a brief hug. Nolan almost forgot the gifts he’d brought in his surprise at the warm greeting.

  “Hey, if I go home and come back, do I get another hug?” His eyes twinkled with mischief as she gave him a playful punch in the arm.

  “You can have a hug anytime you want one. You just have to ask.”

  “Ah, but I liked the spontaneous hug that you offered.”

  “Not too brazen for you?” Grace eyed the package in Nolan’s hand.

  “Like you could ever. You wouldn’t know how. Want your third day gift?”

  “Yes!” She jumped up “trying” to grab it as if he held it over her head and caught the package up in her hands. “It’s so light! It could be a gift certificate for a poultry farm, but I kind of doubt it.”

  Nolan’s voice was low and wheedling. “Open it, Grace. I’m dying to know if you like it.”

  Grace unwrapped the simple little box and found she was partially right. “Nice—I’ve never eaten there. And if I order some kind of poultry, it’ll make me completely right. When are we going?”

  The couple discussed the best time to make reservations at the elegant French restaurant, while Nolan showed Grace how to operate the camera. They took pictures of the dress from every angle and Grace worked hard to manipulate the pictures to look as nice as the other listings. Paige and Nathan arrived bearing a large submarine sandwich, chips, and sparkling cider. “We’re celebrating the soon-to-be capture of our elusive attacker!”

  “Paige, you’re crazy but you’re fun!” Grace immediately began cutting the sandwich and setting the slices on plates laden with chips and fruit.

  Nathan left for work as Paige settled herself in Nolan’s house. Nolan and Grace went to work trying to create Etsy listings that looked as professional as the ones doing well on eBay and Etsy both. The UPS driver came and Nolan signed for the box while Grace continued to get the lighting just right.

  Five minutes later, Nolan noticed that Paige hadn’t come over or called. “Hey, Grace, I think something’s wrong. Paige hasn’t called and she’s still at my house. I’m going over there. I’ll call you if there’s a problem.”

  She followed him to the door, praying. She hadn’t really expected today to be “the day.” It was only day two. She was certain that it would take the whole week, if not longer, before they saw the man they hoped to identify.

  The phone rang. Instead of answering it, she ran across the street and flung open Nolan’s front door. “Where are you guys?”

  Grace followed the sound of Nolan’s voice down his hallway to a front bedroom. Paige sat on the floor of the doorway, paralyzed and clutching her cell phone in her hand. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. She’s just sitting there. She won’t answer me, and I can’t get the phone from her.”

  Grace sprang into action. Sitting next to Paige, she wrapped her arms around her friend and began rubbing her arms. “I need a blanket, and you need to call Todd Mercer now. Did the guy at the door have red hair?”

  “No, it was brown, why?”

  “Get Todd over here and get me a blanket. I think you should call 9-1-1 too. She’s very cold and not responding. I think she’s in shock.”

  Todd and an ambulance were on the way, and Nolan carried Paige into his living room, laying her on the couch. “Do you think it just shocked her, or did he see her? Why is she like this?”

  Grace shook her head. “I don’t know. I really don’t understand it, but she was unusually strong after the attack. Maybe she just collapsed in relief.”

  The sound of the ambulance siren grew louder as it approached the house. Paramedics rushed in followed by Todd and his partner Rick Marlowe. In moments, the paramedics had Paige loaded and on her way to the hospital. Todd turned to Grace and smiled.

  “She’s going to be fine. She identified him; I’m sure. She’s not talking yet, but I am sure that’s what it is. Which one of you saw him?”

  Nolan held up a hand. He wasn’t happy to see the officer standing in his living room. Despite his better knowledge, he couldn’t forget the picture of Grace walking down the street talking earnestly to the ruggedly handsome officer. “I did.”

  “Did he have red hair and a mustache?”

  “No. Brown hair, no mustache. What can that mean?”

  Grace looked up from her seat on the couch where she’d been praying. “Maybe he uses one of those twenty-four hour hair dyes?”

  Todd nodded. “Probably. We’ve got a call into the local UPS yard. They’re going to tell me who delivered the package that Nolan signed for. I need the tracking number from that package.”

  Before Todd could continue, Rick spoke up. “What you people did today was brave but very stupid. You may have injured your friend’s health, you could have put her in danger, and you could have interfered in a police investigation, which is a felony.”

  Grace nodded. “I realize all of that, but Paige wanted to, and she has the legal right to watch and see if someone delivering packages looks like the man who attacked her. She’s stronger than she looks. She’ll be ok.”

  As the two officers left, Todd winked at Grace. Nolan watched the exchange
with a frown. Grace, noticing the look of irritation on Nolan’s face, misunderstood and grew angry. “Nolan, if you weren’t convinced, you shouldn’t have agreed. I’m not really in the mood to discuss this right now. I’m going home.”

  Nolan stood watching Grace move swiftly toward home. His mother’s voice echoed in his head as he watched Grace enter her house. “Son, don’t let a friend walk away from you angry. Confront the problem before it grows too big to handle.”

  He jogged across the street, knocked on her door, and entered without waiting for an invitation. Rolex bounced and danced around his legs as Grace sang of Scotch lassies coming over the ocean to be with their true love. “Grace?”

  She jumped, dropped a plate, and whirled around to face him. “Aaak!”

  “I’m sorry, Grace. That’s a beautiful song. Would you leave your homeland and move across the ocean to be with the love of your life?”

  She tossed him a mock glare before rolling her eyes and saying, “Well, living in America, that means I get to go to Scotland. Land of the crags and the sheep and thatched cottages… Oh, yeah I’d go. I’ve always wanted to see Scotland.”

  “Why were you angry? What did I say?” His tone showed Grace that she had been wrong.

  “I’m not. I thought you were sorry we’d helped Paige today. The look on your face when Rick and Todd left—”

  Embarrassed, Nolan sighed. “That wasn’t anger. You saw pure, unadulterated, jealousy. I noticed Todd’s interaction with you, and when I remembered the last time I saw you two together—”

  “What last time?”

  “Well, several weeks ago, I think it was the day after Paige was attacked, I saw you and him outside of that little coffee shop on Warner Street.”

  Slowly, her head nodded as she remembered. “That was the day I found the mustache and took it into the police station. Todd and I had coffee and caught up on each other’s lives.”

  “I know, and I know he has some kind of online friend, but—”

  Grace interrupted eagerly. “Actually, I introduced him to Marci, and I think they are hitting it off.”