Always Dakota - Debbie Macomber [46]
Bob kissed him, then handed him back to Merrily.
She clung to the boy, sobbing uncontrollably. Axel squirmed in her embrace, not understanding.
The social worker advanced into the room. “I’m Beth Graham from California C.P.S.,” she said softly. “I’m here for Axel.”
Bob merely nodded.
“No…no! God, please don’t take my baby from me! Please!” Merrily screamed as the woman approached.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Carr.”
“Somebody, please…Bob, don’t let them do this.” Merrily was crying so hard it was difficult to make out her words.
“We have to give him up for now,” Bob said as gently as he could. “It’ll only be for a little while.”
“You promised me it’d never come to this. You promised….”
“I’m sorry.” Surely she could see this was just as hard for him.
In the end, Bob was forced to pry Axel away from Merrily’s grasp. Thankfully, the social worker left almost immediately. Merrily ran out of the room, and Bob collapsed in a chair, burying his face in his hands. He felt Pastor Dawson at his side, Maddy and Hassie, too. Through blurry eyes, he squinted at the Christmas decorations in the bar, so at odds with the way he felt.
Somehow they made it through the evening, and that first night. Bob didn’t sleep and he knew Merrily was awake, too, but they didn’t speak. Their emotions remained raw, confused.
Come morning, Christmas Eve, the sun woke Bob. He was surprised to discover he’d drifted off, but he didn’t feel he’d gotten any real rest. His heart ached for Axel and for Merrily, who’d placed her trust in him. Difficult as it was, he’d done what he believed to be right.
Rolling onto his side, he reached for his wife and discovered her side of the bed empty. Thinking she’d decided to sleep in Axel’s bedroom, he went to look for her. Merrily wasn’t there, either.
Nor was she downstairs.
A sick sensation came over him. Hurrying up the stairs, he ran back to their bedroom. The closet door was half open and he could see at a glance that Merrily’s clothes were gone.
His wife had done what she always did. She’d run away.
Rage filled him, and with a wild shout Bob plowed his hand into the wall. His fist slammed into the plaster and as luck would have it, he hit a stud. The last thing he heard before he crumpled to the floor in pain was the sound of cracking bones.
Seven
When Calla arrived in Buffalo Valley on Christmas Eve, she was shocked by how different the town looked after six months away. Christmas lights were strung across Main Street and although it was still daylight, they glowed a festive red and green. The pharmacy windows were painted with a cheery winter scene, and at Maddy’s Grocery the entire parking lot was decorated with strings of glittering rope and blinking lights. Even the new beauty shop and the catalogue store had an inviting display of Christmas joy.
Never in her life had Calla seen the town look prettier. She was excited to be back but wasn’t admitting it, at least not out loud. In fact, she’d decided to stay cool and impassive and not let anyone know how she felt about being home.
“What do you think?” Jessica asked as they pulled onto Main Street. She’d ridden along with Calla’s grandfather to collect her from the Grand Forks airport. Although Calla was curious as to why her mother or Dennis hadn’t come, she wasn’t about to complain. Actually she was so glad to see her friend that nothing could ruin her good mood.
“The town looks all right,” Calla said noncommittally. In reality she thought it was delightful—like driving through a Christmas card. A fresh snowfall had dusted the road and frosted the buildings, and the nostalgic beauty of the scene brought her close to tears.
“You aren’t going to get this kind of cozy feel in Minneapolis,” Jessica murmured, wrapping her arm around Calla’s.
Calla nodded, blinking rapidly.
Jessica couldn’t possibly have any idea how glad Calla was to be away from the big city. Phoning her mother had been the hardest