The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope - By Rhonda Riley Page 0,123
had the most connections. The mountains were an option. Adam knew them well and could vanish there on his own. But the six of us roughing it? And for how long? My cousin Pauline was still in Florida, my only relation living more than a hundred miles away. Adam and I hadn’t been back to her house since our honeymoon, and she hadn’t been to Clarion in a couple of years though we exchanged Christmas cards. Every spring, I sent her the kids’ school pictures. I trusted her. She didn’t live on the lake anymore. But her little town south of Gainesville—Micanopy—was easy to find on the road map.
Under the watchful eye of a bank teller, I withdrew most of our money from the savings account. I doubled Wallace’s salary, paid him three weeks in advance, and threw in fifty dollars for him to hire extra help. I made him swear that he would not tell any police or doctors that we’d left, but would call Joe if there was an emergency or anyone came looking for us and would contact Cole if anything happened to the horses. He agreed, but I saw the doubt in his face. There was no time, nothing I could say to convince him, but I knew he would do as he’d promised.
With the six of us in the car, we wouldn’t be able to take much more than clothes. I filled the back of the station wagon, throwing in the dirty clothes I had been sorting when the doctor showed up. I packed all the things I could think of that the girls might want—small things that might make them feel at home—favorite pictures, cups, books, pillows, my best skillet, the paint set we had given them for Christmas.
Half an hour before the girls would be home from school, I was as ready as I could be. I stopped, suddenly exhausted, and walked slowly through the house. All I knew of my strange husband, marriage, birth, and death had come to me within those walls and on that land. I listened as hard as I could, hoping for wisdom. But I heard only the urgency of adrenaline and my own conviction. What the doctors wanted to cut away was vital. Getting him safely away was the important thing; everything else had to wait.
I put on a fresh dress and set biscuits and milk out for the girls. It would be their last fresh, home-grown milk.
As soon as they strolled into the backyard, Rosie, Lil, and Sarah circled the loaded-up car. Gracie took one quick look and dashed up the porch steps. “Momma, is Daddy okay?”
“Yes, he’s sleeping. Bring your sisters in. We’re taking a trip. A little vacation!”
Lil and Sarah clapped and jumped up and down, chanting, “A vacation! A vacation!” Rosie went straight to Adam’s side. Gracie followed me back out to the car. “Why are we going anywhere now? Daddy’s hurt!” She was not a child anymore.
“Gracie, I know this seems sudden, but I want it to be a surprise for your daddy. A little trip will be good for all of us. My nerves are shot—first Jennie, then Momma, now this with your daddy. I need your help now.”
Her tears started at Jennie’s name, but she did not cry. I needed to keep her moving and not thinking. I sent her in to collect the food I’d packed while Wallace and I checked the ropes holding the boxes and luggage on top of the car.
I went inside for more boxes and found Gracie dialing the phone. I took the receiver from her. “I don’t want anyone else to know for now. You can call your friends after we get there.”
She looked at me in amazement, then her face changed to confusion. “Momma, you’re scaring me.” Her chin quivered.
My own smile of reassurance felt like it would crack my face.
Rosie elbowed up beside us, one eyebrow pressed down in the consternation that would soon be sullen resistance if she thought she was being left out of anything.
I pulled them both out onto the porch and I held them by the shoulders. “Your daddy is a good man and he works very hard. But he hasn’t been himself lately, you both know that.” I took a deep breath. “Right now, we’ve got to make sure he doesn’t get kicked by any more horses. We need to help him and the best way to do that is to take him away for a little