Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe it but this story has 23 reviews—and since the hits have been rising I promised one reviewer that I would update this weekly so here's the next installment. Thanks to all the readers and reviiewers.
COMING TOGETHER
Sunday, November 16, 1980, 7:30 AM PST
It was a bright, sunlit Sunday morning, the chilled air being warmed by the golden rays of the rising sun. Julie lay in her bed, blinking the sleep from her eyes and stretching her arms above her head. She didn't get up right away though; preferring instead to lay in bed and remember the events of the day before...
It had been Saturday, and Pete suggested that they get out and had asked her out to lunch so he took her to a Mexican restaurant just outside of Salinas where they had decided to just relax and enjoy each other's company, talking and laughing together like they used to. Pete was excited, telling her all about his new beach house and the vintage Dodge Charger he was restoring and then invited her and Melissa to come out to the beach house for a visit, asking all about Melissa. She then told him about raising Melissa, from her first steps, to her first words, to the first day she went to school. She was afraid he might have been just polite when he asked about her but she was pleasantly surprised to see he was really genuinely interested in knowing everything about her daughter.
She could see the yearning in his eyes as she relayed all about the joy she had watching Melissa advance through the different stages of growth. Julie knew that he was missing being a father, and was probably thinking about the child his ex-wife aborted. Julie felt sorry for Pete, for she could tell that he desperately wanted to have a family. She wondered if that was another reason for his insisting on staying with her. She was not blind, for she could see that he was still carrying a big torch for her...he practically had admitted it the other day in so many words...And his actions spoke even louder...
All day yesterday, at lunch, he would gaze penetratingly into her eyes, paying little attention to anything else. Afterward when they went for a long drive, talking about old times... He was warm, affectionate, attentive. He often reached over to squeeze her hand and hold it there as it lay beside her on the seat. But his advances were tentative, always aware of her widowed state and allowing that state to create a boundary that he strictly observed.
In his pursuit of her Pete had always been a gentleman before and that hadn't changed; he still played by the rules. Julie felt her own feelings for him get deeper and more intense, for they always had a warm sense of camaraderie and a deep respect for each other, but she was also rediscovering all the things about him that made her fall for him before. When they were in the restaurant, she surreptitiously glanced at all of the women there who were eyeing Pete admiringly. He looked very attractive in his tweed sport jacket, avocado sport shirt, dress jeans, and boots; his brown unruly curls framing his ruggedly handsome face and those warm summer sky eyes. Julie had felt a little like she did when she first met him; she was quite attracted to him then even when he perfectly fit the description of the Spoiled Rich Kid from Beverly Hills. But considering their vastly different backgrounds, she was also a bit in awe and covered that by trying to appear indifferent and blasé working with him, even when he began to show signs that clearly indicated he was becoming romantically interested in her.
While the three of them were working closely together daily, and even socializing together frequently she had seen that Pete had been attracted to her. There were incidental touches by him when he would open doors for her and how he began to frequently show up at her place alone. Linc would usually join them before long but Pete came first...a lot. And of course when he would call her "angel", it would give her heart a warm glow. Both spent a few years, denying the mutual feelings that had developed between them, both to themselves as well as to each other, seeing other people, even falling in love briefly with other people, but always somehow coming back to each other. They became almost inseparable, mutually concerned for each other's welfare when the other was sick or wrestling with some private problem.
In their last year on the force, they had finally begun seeing each other romantically on a regular basis. Although they didn't sleep together, they became close and their closeness was getting to a point of making a commitment to each other. But it didn't work out that way, they broke up and went separate ways, to lead separate lives. And now, eight years later, here they were again, adults now with adult experiences, yet feeling what they felt for each other as strong as ever. Julie was really struggling with her mixed emotions, for although she missed and still loved Dan dearly, Pete's freely given concern and attentiveness awakened feelings she had not felt since before they quit the Squad.
Suddenly, Julie glanced at the clock on her nightstand and realizing the time, she jumped up out of bed and hurried to the closet to choose a dress. It was Sunday and she knew that this morning she was going to Sunday service at Matt and Debi Henderson's church and afterward, pick up Melissa and bring her back home. She shook out a dove gray dress and a black blazer and then headed out to the bathroom to take a shower.
She was surprised when the guestroom door opened and Pete stepped out, resplendent and fully dressed in an expensive dark taupe suit, cream dress shirt, silk tie, and dark brown dress shoes. He smiled and greeted her.
"Good morning, sweetheart," he said warmly.
Julie took in his appearance with a mixture of admiration and puzzlement, "Good morning to you too. You look quite dashing this morning. Do you have a special errand you have to run?" she questioned.
"No, I thought I'd come to service with you. I could drive us there and we could pick up Melissa afterward," Pete replied.
Julie began to protest, "You don't have to go to service with me, Pete. I thought that you might have wanted to sleep late."
Pete chuckled, "I have been known to get up to attend Sunday services on occasion. I used to go every week with my mother right after my father passed away. I haven't gone too much of late, but I could stand to go today. As a matter of fact, I really want to go," he said persuasively.
"Okay. Why don't you go down and have some coffee or something? I should be ready to leave by nine fifteen. Service is at ten and it takes only twenty minutes to get there. Melissa will be out of Sunday school by quarter of ten and I want to see her before service starts," she informed him as she headed into the bathroom.
"All right, I'll head down to the kitchen for some coffee and meet you in the parlor when you're ready," Pete said as Julie closed the bathroom door. The sound of the shower was heard next as Pete made his way downstairs...
Going into to the kitchen, he picked up the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Seeing the glass covered tray of muffins but deciding to pass, Pete took his coffee and headed into the parlor. He sat down in an oversized easy chair, took a swallow then settled in to wait for Julie...
While waiting for her to make her entrance, he let his mind wander… First to memories of sitting and waiting for her in her little loft apartment as he and Linc picked her up for socializing or work. Sometimes, it was just Pete himself and at those times waiting for her he actually had the same kind of thoughts that any man had thinking about a woman he had a hidden but deepening attraction to. Along with that train of thought his mind wandered to the memory of a certain case...
They had not been in the force long...but, it was long enough for the three of them to begin to bond. It was maybe their ninth assignment but in this particular case they had to pose as a young newlywed couple, honeymooning at a vacation trailer park, while Linc got a job as the maintenance man. The case was to track down the death of an important informant in an upcoming narcotics bust...
Pete and Julie had just met Linc, who came ahead and secured the job as the maintenance man. They had discussed some of the things that Linc had observed and planned to do later when Julie asked what she as a new bride should do, Pete handed her the camera and told her "blush a lot...and take pictures." He then turned around and entered the cabin of the trailer... Where he immediately saw the blanket stretched across the sleeping section, separating it. Julie followed him inside and he addressed her in disbelief...
"You gotta be putting me on."
She responded, "It worked for Clark Gable."
"Julie, we're cops," he protested.
"I'm a girl cop and you're a boy cop," she pointed out.
"Wait...if you think for one minute that I-," he retorted, feeling mildly outraged but a lot more guilty.
Julie put a hand on her hip and met him with a saucy smirk. "With the moon in the trees and Mother Nature, you bet I think."
Pete, now surrendered to her wisdom and the fact that she had figured him out. "Hmmm," he grunted, thoughtful.
"And what's that supposed mean?"
Now exposed he met her head on. "It means," he chided. "You could've waited until you were asked."
Sensing victory her smirk widened. "I know a woman with five kids who's never been asked."
"Uh-humm." Nodding, Pete grunted again...then met her smirk with a sly one of his own...
Pete shook his head in irony Boy she really had me pegged and that was one hell of a night. I could hardly sleep with her on the other side of that damn blanket... Good thing Linc and I had planned to do some snooping around. Linc even once mentioned in passing how she tortures me. He was kidding then but he was right, I've been thinking that way about her ever since. Twelve years later nothing's changed...
After I took her out to lunch yesterday I really wanted to take her over to my beach house and show her. For now I think it was a good idea that we didn't go, because the way I was feeling spending time with her and just being with her had me very turned on. All my great attempts at being noble would've been shot straight to hell. He noted wth a touch of self-disgust I'm no better now, thinking about these things just before going to church. He took another deep swallow of coffee and picked up a magazine to otherwise occupy his mind as he waited...
Forty five minutes later, Julie emerged from her room dressed in a sedate dove gray silk dress with long sleeves, a black belt, black pumps, and a black wool blazer. She wore no jewelry, save her watch and rings and her hair was pulled away from her face with a black barrette. She also wore little makeup, but that didn't detract from her delicate beauty, in fact, it made her loveliness stand out even more so.
She carefully made her way downstairs and to the parlor where Pete was waiting. He smiled his approval of her appearance.
"You look lovely, honey. Are you ready to go?"
"Uh-huh," she answered. "We should go now so I can see Melissa before service," Julie took her clutch purse and Pete offered his arm. They headed out the front door to climb into the Mercedes and drove to the service. . . .
Emmanuel Chapel was a non-denominational Christian church that was just on the outskirts of the southeastern section of Salinas. It was a modern styled lodge building, which sported a large sanctuary, and along with the pastor's office, had three large rooms that served as Sunday school classroom, a nursery, and a kitchen. Outside adjacent to the building was an enclosed playground for the children of the attendees to play after services and during fellowship gatherings. Emmanuel Chapel had a vast membership body, and its ample parking lot was usually completely filled every Sunday.
Matthew Henderson was a gifted preacher as well as a compassionate and caring servant of God who spent his time running a soup kitchen and homeless shelter in Salinas while fulfilling his duties as pastor. His wife Debi ran a women's ministry and was administrator of the Sunday school as well as playing piano, occasionally soloing with her beautiful soprano voice. The Hendersons were much beloved by their congregation and the surrounding community.
Pete pulled into the church parking lot and found a space about twenty yards from the front door. He parked the car, turned off the engine and then opened the door to climb out. He headed toward the passenger door to help Julie but she had already exited the car by herself, locking and closing the door. He gave her a perplexed look as he reached for her elbow but she pulled away to put distance between them.
"Are you upset with me, Julie? You were pretty quiet on the ride here," Pete wanted to know as they began walking toward the front door of the church.
She stopped and looked at him, "Of course not, Pete. It's just that Dan and I attended here regularly with Melissa and I don't want anyone here to think that there could be anything improper going on."
Trying to not feel hurt, Pete said, "There isn't anything improper going on." Yet his inner voice added, reflecting on his previous thoughts but he ignored it.
"A lot of people here knew Dan long before we were married and they held him in high esteem. They accepted me because I was his wife. Some might wonder what I am doing coming here with another man one month after my husband's death," she admitted a little reluctantly, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
"You could tell them we're just old friends… It happens to be the truth."
"Yeah it is," she agreed. "But I found out with Dan brought me here, this is a very close knit community… Not just a bunch people coming to church. They look out for each other and they care for each other and they included me in this because I became part of Dan's family... A family that has been around here for years. For weeks after the funeral, the ladies came over...bringing meals and even offering to take Melissa to give me a break." She sighed and went on. "I know that there are some that might have some questions when, a month after Dan's passing, I come here with you."
Pete eyed her with a slight frown. "I didn't even think of that. I'm sorry, honey," he said, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Julie patted his hand, reassuring him, "I didn't say that to make you feel guilty. I'm just trying not to look or feel guilty."
I'm used to this… People always want to judge me because of who I am. But she doesn't need this, not now Presently, he felt a bit resentful of the potential of people coming at her with their intrusive and judgmental opinions. Trying to assuage her guilt (and his) Pete took her aside. "Look, Julie, we've done nothing to feel guilty for. I'm an old friend; no make that family and I'm just here to help out at this difficult time." Besides," he added curtly, "it's really nobody's business."
"That's true," Julie said sheepishly. "Forgive me?"
"Always," he said with an engaging smile. He took her arm, "Shall we go?" She nodded and they headed for the front door of the church.
A young couple in their late twenties dressed in their Sunday finery, were greeting the throng of people filing into the sanctuary. They smiled warmly as Pete and Julie entered and handed them each a church bulletin, welcoming them to the morning service. Pete and Julie returned the smiles and politely thanked them. As they headed over to enter the sanctuary, their progress was interrupted by a petite, vivacious strawberry blonde who rushed over to them.
"Julie!" she cried delightedly as she hugged Julie tightly. "I'm so glad to see you here today. Melissa told us that you were coming this morning to service and pick her up. You know Matt and I would've brought her this afternoon if you didn't feel up to it," she chattered.
"I know Debi, but you and Matt have done enough. Besides, I haven't been to Sunday service since Dan died, it was just too painful and I needed to come," Julie replied. "Is Melissa in children's church now?"
"No, she's with the children's choir. They're going to sing this morning, I just came from there and they're going to be wonderful," Debi said with a bright smile.
Suddenly remembering that Pete was standing there politely observing the exchange between the two women, Julie included him into the circle by saying, "Oh Debi, let me introduce you to an old and very close friend of mine, Pete Cochrane. Pete, this is Debi Henderson. Her husband Matt is the pastor here and an old friend of Dan's."
Pete courteously offered his hand, "I'm glad to meet you, Debi."
Debi's hazel eyes twinkled with genuine warmth as she shook his hand, "Same here, Pete. Welcome to our service. I hope you enjoy it." She suddenly realized the time and said hurriedly, "Please forgive me, I have to get ready, service is about to start. Go find some seats, the two of you," Debi said as she took off in a flurry of energy.
Pete shook his head in amazement. "Wow, what a dynamo. She seems like quite a lady," he said taking Julie's arm and leading her into the nearly full sanctuary.
"That she is. She and Matt are a great couple. They have two terrific girls and they put love in everything they do," Julie stated with admiration. They spotted a space big enough for two people on a pew about four seats down from the front on the left. Pete allowed Julie to precede him, resisting urge to rest his hand on the small of her back and then took the seat next to her.
At the head of the sanctuary, there was a platform that had about five dynamic mikes suspended from the ceiling. In addition, there were four mike stands to the front of the platform. A large maple wood lectern with a microphone stood off to the right as well as about three chairs. A baby grand piano was to the left and a guitar rested against the front leg of the piano. A tall young man with reddish hair in a turtleneck sweater with a tan sport coat walked over to the guitar, picked it up, and attached a cable to an amplifier that was on a raised stand behind the piano and strummed a few chords. He took one of five music stands and placed it perpendicular to the piano so he could stand behind it while he played.
Debi Henderson scurried up the stairs of the platform and seated herself at the piano where she began to play a medley of traditional hymns in an upbeat orchestration. The fellow with the guitar joined in providing harmony.
Matt Henderson then walked up to the platform and retrieved a microphone. He smiled warmly to the congregation and welcomed them as one would welcome an intimate circle of close friends, then bowed his head in prayer to begin the benediction. At the conclusion, he directed the congregation to join in the worship by singing, but to Pete's surprise, the songs weren't traditional hymns, and they were made up of energetic, modern music with verses from the Scriptures. The lyrics were projected onto a screen that hung down the middle of the platform. The entire sanctuary erupted into song and joyful praise.
Pete was amazed, for he was used to worship of God being stodgy and tedious, as the older more mainstream denominations tended to be. This was a different experience for him, for the joy on the faces of the members of the congregation was genuine. The whole scene reminded him of a large camp meeting...a retrograde back to the Jesus movement of the late '60's with everyone enjoying the warmth and camaraderie that enveloped the place. He found himself joining in with the unusual style of worship and felt that if worshiping God could be like this, he wouldn't mind attending church services on a regular basis. He had no idea that churches like this existed.
As the worship concluded, Matt Henderson spoke to the congregation again, "Are there any special requests for prayer this morning? Philippians 4:6 says 'Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.' So let's bring our requests to God this morning, knowing he loves us and wants to supply our needs."
Hands came up, scattered throughout the sanctuary with specific requests, which Matt repeated and mentioned to the group to remember as they went to prayer. This too was new to Pete, for prayer in the church he had attended with his family was silent and private, not like this, with everyone praying for each other's needs. He was extremely impressed by the format.
When prayer was finished, Matt announced to the congregation, "We are blessed to have a special musical selection sung this morning by our own children's choir, doing their own rendition of a medley of 'He's Got The Whole World' and 'This Little Light Of Mine.'"
The entire room broke out in applause as two dozen children, between the ages of six and twelve filed up to the platform before the four microphone stands. A young girl of eighteen dressed in a burgundy dress with raven hair stood before the gathering of children and directed them as the piano and guitar provided a backdrop for their sweet voices. They sang in perfectly blended unison with a special energy only children could have. All across the congregation parents beamed with delight and watched as their offspring presented their own praise. Pete glanced at Julie and her eyes shone with love and pride as she had them trained on Melissa raising her voice to sing in unison with the other kids.
He looked at Melissa and was feeling a measure of pride as well, even though she wasn't his biological daughter. She was such a beautiful little girl; a mirror image of Julie with her mother's delicate features and golden hair as she stood there and followed the choir director's lead carefully, her eyes focused on the rapidly moving hands. Pete was totally enchanted by the song and by the children in their simplicity of interpreting the message of the song. He couldn't help feeling a small tinge of envy as he watched Julie and all the other parents with their eyes transfixed on their children, glowing with approval. He knew then without any doubt in his mind or heart that he wanted to be a father. When the song was over, the entire congregation gave a standing ovation as the children trooped off the platform and out the back of the sanctuary.
Matt said heartily to the still applauding group, "That's going to be a tough act to follow but with the Lord's help, I'll try."
The clapping began to die down and the congregation took their seats. The collection was taken and when the bag came to him, Pete pulled a $50 bill out of his wallet and tossed it in. Matt then stepped up to the lectern to begin his sermon. He read from the book of Ecclesiastes, the third chapter, verses 1-8; the passage that spoke of different seasons. Pete was somewhat familiar with the text, not because he had memorized it as a boy, but because they made up the lyrics of the popular Pete Seeger song covered by the Byrds, "Turn, Turn, Turn." But after he read the passage, Matt's sermon took the text and explained each verse in a manner that enabled the listeners to apply it to their daily lives...
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."
When Matt spoke of the time to die, he began, "This part especially touches me at this time. Just over a month ago, I lost a dear friend who died suddenly. Most of you knew him as well, Dan Bennett. I've had to admit though, that I've been spending a great deal of time questioning why a loving God as I know would allow my good friend to be taken away from me. But, let us not forget that he was taken from his wife and daughter as well."
At that statement, Pete glanced at Julie to see how she was taking the words and noticed a tear that trickled down her cheek as she focused her full attention to the message. He reached to squeeze her hand comfortingly, but she paid no heed, just continued to listen raptly.
Matt continued, "I've also been quite angry with the Lord about taking Dan away, but I also realized that the Lord loved Dan as He loves you and me, as He loves Dan's widow Julie and his daughter Melissa. The point being that the Lord loves us all and He's there to help us bear the burden of pain and grief. And one day, I'm going to see my friend Dan again in Heaven. That's my comfort and it should be yours as well, for everyone who truly believes in Christ as their Savior will see their loved ones again if they too, believed."
Matt went on to take each verse and paraphrase it in easily understandable parables. He made it a point to let the congregation know that no matter the season or circumstance, positive or negative, good times or bad; that God was constant, never changing, and always there to help bear the burdens of life.
Parts of the sermon caused a titter to spread among the congregation, for Matt used the illustration of being a packrat who kept things far beyond their use as well as other amusing anecdotes. The message as a whole was relevant and Pete found himself examining his own life and past circumstances in light of the illustrations Matt eloquently presented. Pete again was deeply impressed by the sermon, as he was with the entire service.
As the service drew to a close, Matt invited all those who were visiting the church for the first time to meet in the Sunday school class with him and Debi for coffee and fellowship. As they left their seat and made their way to exit the sanctuary, Pete and Julie were discussing the sermon.
Pete started by remarking, "That was really very good."
Julie agreed, "Matt is a very powerful speaker...He always makes sure that the message he brings can be applied to daily life." She added, "He's also not afraid to speak the truth, even if it goes against traditional beliefs."
"A radical, huh? I like that."
When they got to the crowded hallway, they both headed for the Sunday schoolroom. Wending their way through the crowd prove to be a bit difficult. Several of the women stopped Julie along the way to inquire about her and how she was doing… Sometimes casting a curious eye toward Pete, which required an introduction. As they discussed before going into the church, they were vague...keeping to the fact that he was an old friend, come to offer support at this very difficult time.
In the Sunday school classroom, Melissa immediately spotted Julie as she and Pete arrived. She raced up to Julie and threw her arms around her as Julie knelt to receive her daughter's ecstatic greeting. Melissa nearly knocked both of them flat as she affectionately tackled her mother and Julie was there, loving every minute of it. Pete couldn't suppress the grin that spread on his lips as he witnessed the touching scene before him.
Melissa cried, "Oh, Mommy, I'm so glad you're here! I missed you so much!"
Julie stood up and picked up Melissa to hold her tight, "Oh baby, I missed you too! And I'm so glad you're coming home with me. We're going to spend some time together, doing special things." She nestled her face in Melissa's hair, savoring the smell and feel of her only child, "Did you have fun with Lydia and Rebeccah?" she wanted to know as she moved her face back to look into Melissa's cornflower blue eyes.
"Uh-huh. We went to the woods to gather pinecones. I'm gonna make a wreath for us to hang on our door at Christmas. Mrs. Henderson says she's gonna teach us how at our Honeybee meeting this week," Melissa chattered breathlessly. She hugged Julie again and then over her shoulder, she saw Pete standing there for the first time.
Melissa eyed him with curiosity, "Who are you?" she asked boldly as Julie put her down on her feet.
Pete smiled charmingly, "Hi, Melissa, I'm Pete," he replied as he offered his hand. "I'm an old friend of your mother's."
Julie said, "Honey, I told you that I had a friend who came to see me. That's who Pete is. He's a very old friend of mine."
Ignoring his outstretched hand, Melissa examined Pete with her hands on her hips, "You knowed my mommy a long time?" she inquired.
Pete withdrew his hand but continued smiling down on her, "Yes, sweetheart, I've known your mommy a long time. I heard about what happened to your daddy and I came here to help her...to help you both," he added, kneeling down to look right at her.
"I don't need any help. I know my Daddy's in Heaven. So how are you going to help me?" Melissa demanded with a wary look in her eyes.
Pete thought for a minute, his face a study in concentration. His expression brightened as he came up with an answer, "When you have trouble and your mommy can't help you, I can."
"My mommy and me help each other. And she's real smart. Are you as smart as her?" Melissa asked him pointedly.
Pete nodded gravely. "I know she's very smart. I'm as smart as she is in some things, not as smart as she is in others," he admitted sheepishly.
Melissa looked at him doubtfully. "Well, I guess you can't really help me then, can you?" she declared.
Julie gasped, shocked because she had brought Melissa up to have manners...especially towards adults. "Melissa Bennett, you apologize to Pete for being so rude! You know better than to speak to grown-ups like that!" she admonished sharply.
"Yes, Mommy," Melissa put her head down, "I'm sorry," she said meekly, avoiding Pete's eyes. She retreated over to Julie's side and watched Pete with a guarded look.
Pete said comfortingly, "That's okay, honey."
He rose up as Matt and Debi Henderson came up to them with their daughters Lydia and Rebeccah right behind them. Melissa detached herself from Julie's side and joined her friends, surreptitiously watching Pete as he stood there.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything. We wanted to come and talk with you sooner but we had a whole crowd come in for coffee and they just began thinning out," Debi said brightly. "Pete, this is my husband Matt," she introduced with her hand on Matt's broad shoulder. "And these," she added gesturing with her other hand, "are our daughters, Lydia and Rebeccah."
Matt put forth his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Pete. My wife tells me that you and Julie are old friends,"
Pete shook his hand warmly. "Yeah, I've known Julie for almost thirteen years. We used to work together."
He grinned at the two girls who smiled shyly at him, "Hi girls, it's nice to meet you."
He addressed Matt, "I was very impressed with your sermon this morning, Reverend. I admit that your service is not like any church service I've ever attended before. I really enjoyed it."
"Please, call me Matt," he directed in a friendly manner. "I'm glad you enjoyed it and you liked the message. Where are you from, if I may ask?" Matt inquired.
"I live on the beach on Monterey Bay now but I was born in Beverly Hills. I still work there during the week and spend the weekends at my house in Monterey," Pete informed him.
Matt couldn't help but be impressed, "Beverly Hills? You were born there? How did you meet Julie? She told us that she grew up in San Francisco," he pressed.
The three girls, Melissa, Lydia, and Rebeccah had taken off to play outside. Pete glanced at Julie and seeing no sign from her to say nothing then told the story, "We worked together undercover for the LAPD. When I was a kid, I got in trouble with the law, stealing a car. I did some other things that got me in even more trouble."
Matt nodded and remarked, "Back in the 60s we were all rebelling in one way or another."
Pete went on. "My parents kicked me out because it was the last straw for them. I had up to then pretty much did everything I could to make their lives miserable. I was one very spoiled, rich brat. One day, the LAPD, specifically Captain Adam Greer approached me and asked if I wanted to work undercover to help with the increased number of kids getting into trouble. That's where I met Julie and me, her, and our friend Linc Hayes made up a special squad where we all worked undercover," he finished.
Matt and Debi looked surprised. Debi glanced at Julie, "I never knew you were a police officer, Julie. Why didn't you tell us?" she asked, curious.
Julie put her head down appearing somewhat embarrassed. "I became a police officer when I ran away from my home in San Francisco. You remember how things were like in the late 60's? It was a bad scene at home with my mother and I took off with some friends for L.A. I got picked up for vagrancy and then released."
Debi and Matt listened intently as she went on...
"After that, I was working as a carhop when Captain Adam Greer called me into his office and asked me to work for him undercover, with Pete and Linc. We all worked together for five years, then we quit and went our own ways." She sighed, "I guess I wanted to put that part of my life behind me when Dan brought me up here to start our life together because I wanted a life that was different from the life I had growing up," she told them, a shadow dulling her eyes.
Pete gazed sympathetically at her, reaching to squeeze her hand secretly, knowing that the shame of her childhood still affected her deeply.
Matt looked kindly at her, "Did you ever tell Dan about the past?" he asked, his eyes full of compassion.
Julie smiled with loving reminiscence. "I told Dan everything. He was always so very understanding and wonderful about it, I never held anything back. He even encouraged me to improve relations with my mother. He insisted that she be informed of our wedding, Melissa's birth, and any other major family function like birthdays and holidays. He even called her the night Melissa was born to tell her she was a grandmother."
Debi reached and patted Julie's hand, "Did you call her and tell her about Dan's death?"
With a fleeting yet enigmatic look Julie shook her head. "No, I haven't. There isn't anything she could do, anyway. She was beginning to get confused about things, and when I've called her to tell her about other things like Melissa, her reaction showed that she didn't really understand what I was saying." Getting uncomfortable with the conversation, she turned around to look for Melissa and seeing she was gone said worriedly, "Where's Melissa?"
Pete said reassuringly, "Take it easy Julie, she just went outside with the other girls." He took her elbow and guided her to the windows and showed her the playground where Melissa, Lydia, and Rebeccah were playing. "See, honey?" he pointed out.
"Oh...right." She seemed oddly distracted...and he picked it up.
Murmuring in her ear, he asked, "Is there something bothering you...are you okay?"
Julie nodded and replied, "Uh-hum."
Pete examined her closely. "Are you sure?"
She nodded again feeling foolish... The mention of her mother brought back a memory that she didn't want to deal with now by explaining to Pete and the Henderson's the real reason behind her reaction. Matt and Debi came over to the windows to observe the trio of little girls, laughing and playing.
Matt turned to Pete and Julie and asked, "What are you folks doing for dinner?"
"I promised Melissa I was going to take her to lunch before we went home," Julie began but Pete cut in...
"I'm going to take Julie and Melissa out to lunch in Salinas."
Matt glanced at his wife and she nodded. "We'd like you to come back to the parsonage and have dinner with us. Debi's got a pot roast in the crockpot at home and there's plenty for us all. Besides," he added, "the girls are having such a good time, it's a shame to break up the fun. So what do you say?"
Julie glanced at Pete questioningly but he just shrugged then nodded. She smiled at the Henderson's, "Sure we'll be glad to come, it's lovely of you to invite us."
Matt said with satisfaction, "It's settled then. Just go wait in your car while we lock the church up and then you can follow us to the house."
"Okay, Matt, will do," Pete replied. He took Julie's elbow, led her outside and told her, "I'll go get the car, and you can get Melissa, sweetheart."
"Okay, I'll meet you over by the playground fence," Julie said as she headed in that direction.
Melissa, Rebeccah, and Lydia were swinging on the swing set and giggling as they swung higher. Julie came over and called out to Melissa, "Melissa, we have to go now."
"Aw Mommy do we have to? We're having a contest to see who can swing the highest," Melissa said with a pout.
Julie enjoined, "Yes, we do. We're going to go over the Henderson's' for dinner so come on," she reached for Melissa's hand.
"Oh boy! You and me?" Melissa squealed.
"You, me and Pete," Julie informed her as they headed for the gate.
Melissa stopped in mid-stride. "Does he have to go with us?" she asked in an annoyed manner.
Annoyed, Julie knelt down to look right at her. "Now you listen to me, young lady. All of us were invited and that includes Pete. You have been very rude to Pete since you met him and I don't like it, not at all. He's our guest and like it or not, wherever we go, he goes. You are going to be polite to him and right now or I'll tell the Henderson's that we're going home. So what will it be?" she demanded, looking directly into Melissa's eyes.
Melissa lowered her head in shame, "I'm sorry, Mommy. I'll be nice to him from now on, I promise," she said in a low voice.
Julie stood up, "Okay, I'm going to make sure you keep your promise," she declared as she took Melissa's hand and hurried her to the gate where Pete was waiting in the Mercedes. "Let's go," she added crisply.
Cowed, Melissa followed as Julie led her to the car. Pete had gotten out of the car, held open the passenger door and pushed forward the seat so Melissa could climb in. She threw a glance at him and jumped into the back seat.
"Melissa, what do you say?" Julie prodded.
Melissa looked directly at Pete and answered primly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, honey," Pete replied courteously as he pushed the seat back for Julie to slide in. He closed the door and made his way to the driver's side to climb behind the wheel. The Henderson's' station wagon pulled along side the Mercedes and Matt Henderson rolled his window down to call out, "Everybody ready?"
"Uh-huh. Lead the way," Pete answered as he started the engine and shifted the car into drive to follow the departing station wagon. Both cars headed out of the now deserted church parking lot...
Dinner at the Henderson's' was a casually enjoyable time. The food was wonderful and Julie ate more than she had been eating of late, which pleased Pete greatly. Melissa, however, picked at her plate, while watching Pete all the time with an almost resentful look for most of the meal.
Conversation at dinner was light and flowed with ease. Matt shared about his deep admiration for Dan Bennett, yet with the children at the table, the adults tactfully avoided talk about the accident. Pete began to wonder if Matt Henderson had any information to add to his growing collection, since it became evident during the dinner conversation that Matt had been close to Dan. He was searching for a way to get Matt alone to discuss the accident. It was at this time that Pete discovered that he and Matt had a mutual interest, tinkering on and restoring old cars, so when Matt invited Pete to the garage to see the car he was working on, Pete seeing an in, readily agreed.
The three girls finished their dessert and then went out to the spacious back yard to play on another swing set, to continue the contest they started at the church playground and Julie offered to help Debi with clearing the table and doing the dishes...
Matt opened the door that led to the garage. He flipped the light switch on and the two men descended the short staircase to where a 1959 Buick Invicta, body covered with gray primer was parked. Matt and Pete went over to the front of the car where the engine was stripped. At a bench right in front of the car, there were pistons, rings, valves, and other parts of the V-8 mill that powered the classic vehicle. Matt picked up a piston and showed it to Pete. He looked at the flawlessly bored out piston, and was impressed by the expert workmanship.
"I'm boring out the pistons so I can fit them with new rings. After that I plan to install new valves and a double-barreled carburetor. The block is 256 CCs, so I want to get as much power as it had originally," Matt said like a kid with a new toy. "I've loved working on cars since high school."
Pete nodded, "Me too. I used to spend time with my parents' chauffeur and he taught me the basics. When I was thirteen I'd help him with tune-ups and oil changes because my parents were too involved in their own things to care." He smirked and added, "He even taught me a few other things... Like how to hotwire a car. But I'm sure when he taught me he didn't intend for me to use it so I could get busted for car theft one day." Wanting to change the subject he said, "That's quite a project you've got going there. How do you find the time between your church duties, soup kitchen duties, and family responsibilities to work on this?"
Matt grinned, "When I want to be inspired, I come down here to work on the car. And the Lord never fails to give me the message He wants me to deliver, usually while I'm working down here." He pointed to the portable cassette tape player, "With a little help from my tapes."
Pete went over and examined the collection of gospel music tapes piled by the tape player next to a disassembled ignition. He commented, "I'm restoring a '71 Dodge Charger, with a 327 block and duel carburetor. I'm about done with the new electrical system I'm putting in. I still have a lot to do, it needs a new exhaust system and the manifolds are shot. It's going to take a lot of work that I plan to do this winter, when it's too chilly to go on the beach," he added.
Matt smiled, "I'd like to see it when you're done. Dodge had some real 'muscle cars' with a lot of horses under the hood." He pulled a stool over from the workbench and invited Pete to sit down, "But, I get the feeling that you didn't come out here to talk just about cars. What's on your mind, Pete?" he asked sagely.
Pete grinned sheepishly, "You're quite an expert in human nature aren't you, Matt?"
Matt carried another stool over to sit down. "I've done my share of counseling over the years. It's part of my job. So what's up?" he wanted to know.
Pete took a deep breath and asked, "Do you know David Slade?"
"Yes, I do," Matt replied. "Why do you ask?"
Pete pressed on, "How has he seemed to you? I mean, has his attitude toward you been hostile in anyway?"
Matt looked down from Pete's eyes and pondered the question, "David's attitude has always been changeable. He's had a very tough life. His mother walked out on him when he was a kid, his father gambled away any money they had then committed suicide. He's been very defensive about everything in his life, but his attitude towards me hasn't been what I consider hostile. Maybe that's because I'm a pastor and he doesn't feel threatened by me. Or maybe he's afraid of some divine retribution if he acts out his bitterness toward me," he finished looking up at Pete.
"So you do see a negative attitude from him as well," Pete persisted.
"Yes, I do at times. Why?" Matt asked, his curiosity piqued.
Pete answered, "I have reason to believe that he might have had something to do with Dan's accident." He went on, "He has been acting very strangely. I was told that he's been acting very aggressively toward the workers at the ranch. He nearly ran over Julie and thought nothing of it. And," he added for effect, "he's been skimming the books."
"Those are very serious accusations, Pete. Do you have solid evidence that supports them?" Matt asked directly.
"Not completely yet. But I'm looking to see if I can find the missing pieces," Pete said with conviction.
Matt looked at Pete with a thoughtful frown, "You are very sure that there's something there to investigate, aren't you?"
Pete nodded.
Matt replied, "Well, I have one thing to say. Be careful. David can be a difficult person to deal with."
"Matt, you're not the first to tell me that. I've had my own first hand experience with him. He's been very difficult to deal with ever since I came up here. And I've wanted to take him down a couple of pegs but haven't done anything, yet," Pete admitted grudgingly.
"Violence doesn't solve anything, Pete. But you're an intelligent person and a former police officer so I don't have to tell you that. All I'm saying is move with caution, be aggressive but don't go looking for trouble," Matt warned.
"I know. Be crafty as a serpent but gentle as a dove," Pete answered.
Matt looked pleased. "You know the Scripture."
"I've been known to crack open the Bible every now and then. Actually, when I was helping my father as he was dying, he had requested that I read different passages from the Bible to him every day. He knew he was dying and he wanted to be sure he was going to be able to make amends for his life and go to Heaven. And I did attend service with my mother every week for a while after he died. It did help me too, as my marriage fell apart," Pete admitted, surprised by his own willingness to open up.
"You're divorced?"
"Uh-huh. I never should have married her to begin with, but I was blind and stupid. I thought that she and I wanted the same things but as my life changed, my desires changed, too. Spending all the time I spent with my father as he fought cancer changed my priorities. I didn't want kids when I married Donna and neither did she so it worked in the beginning, but as I rebuilt burned bridges with my father, I began wanting a family. But Donna still didn't want kids, so we were in constant conflict. We did try to work it out but couldn't so I left. Then my father finally died and I felt it was my duty and obligation to take his place at the business and take care of my mother," Pete told him.
"You've had a hard time yourself, haven't you? So maybe you can use that to understand David more," Matt said.
Pete gave him a cryptic look. "With all due respect Matt, I'm afraid I'm not like you. I've been on the receiving end of his animosity since I came. It's kind of hard for me to have any other kind of feeling except for distrust."
Matt agreed, "Considering his attitude towards you it's to be expected. But, I sense you're a good man and being that, I think you could have more grace."
"More grace?!" Pete was incredulous and shook his head vigorously. "No way... When he tried to run over Julie, any meager patience I might've had toward him vanished."
"So because he allegedly threatened Julie, which may have been an accident, you feel he should be condemned."
Pete faced Matt directly. "Do you think I've made this up?"
"No, I don't." Matt just met his stare. "Is that what you think?"
Following that, There was a standoff of sorts...a period of silence. The air between both men became thick with tension. After a suspended several minutes, Pete shook his head but tried again...
"You don't understand-,"
When Pete began to protest, Matt held his hand up and added quickly, "I'm not condoning his stealing and anything else you think he's done and I know you wouldn't make things up. I'm just saying that you shouldn't allow him to push you into doing something I know you'll regret."
Pete sighed and nodded admitting, "You're right, Matt, I know," he said grudgingly. "But, I won't let him hurt Julie or Melissa in any way," he added with a stubborn glint.
Matt agreed, "Of course not, but go through the proper channels. As a former police officer you know that's the best course of action. Have you talked to the police about these things that you've uncovered?" he inquired.
"Yeah, I have. Lieutenant Rafferty and I have discussed this and he wants to know if I find anything else,"
"Good. I know Lou and he's a good man and a good cop. He'll pursue the situation if the evidence is there,"
"Uh-huh. He suggested we team up, in football terms."
Matt grinned, "You played football?"
Pete nodded. "I was a halfback in high school."
Matt responded, "I was a wide receiver."
Pete asked with a grin, "Are you joining the team, Matt?"
Matt replied, "Dan was a good friend. More than that, he was a good man and if his death came at the hand of another, I want to see justice done," he said distinctly.
Pete assured him, "Believe me, Matt if there's any solid evidence that implicates David Slade in Dan's death, justice will be done. I'll personally see to it."
While the men were in the garage deep in their discussion, Julie and Debi were busy cleaning up after the dinner. They too were in discussion, but not exactly about what the men were talking about. Debi wanted to know more about Pete so she not so subtly pumped Julie for information.
"Julie, your friend Pete seems like a very nice man. He's staying at the ranch with you?" Debi asked casually as she washed a dish and handed it to Julie for drying.
"Uh-huh. He's a terrific person. He's always managed to be there for me when I need someone most. He just showed up at my door the other day right after you left with Melissa. His insurance company covered Dan's life insurance policy and when he found that out, he came out personally to give me the check," she replied, piling the clean dishes for storage.
Debi nodded as she scrubbed the crock, "You've known him for a long time, huh?"
"Yeah, we've been as close as family for most of the time. He and Linc were the only real family I had for a long time. Then we quit the force and all went our separate ways. We stayed sort of in touch, I mean Linc and I did, but Pete and I, well, we kind of lost touch," Julie admitted ruefully.
"How come?" Debi probed.
Julie sighed and put aside her towel after drying the crock. She leaned against the kitchen counter and began, "Pete and I were very, very close at one time. As a matter of fact, I really loved him and he loved me. I thought that we were going to eventually get married and have a family. But Pete didn't want kids at the time so he broke it off with me."
Debi said sympathetically, "That's too bad. So how did you meet Dan? I never heard the story."
Julie smiled, "Dan and I met one day when I literally ran into him. I was upset and I rear ended his truck on Sunset Boulevard in L.A. He took pity on me, took me out to lunch and the rest was history," she finished with a flourish.
"That's a great story. But how are you feeling right now, with Pete showing up after Dan died?" Debi asked gently.
Julie sighed again, "To tell you the truth, Debi, I'm really torn. I mean, you and Matt know how much I loved Dan, Matt married us, for goodness sake but Pete was someone who has meant a great deal to me and he has always cared for me."
"What happened to Pete when you split up? Did he ever get married?" Debi wanted to know.
"Uh-huh. But it didn't work out. He's divorced now."
"Divorced huh? That's interesting how circumstances brought him back into your life. Are the feelings still there for the two of you?" Debi inquired with a speculative gleam in her eyes.
Julie was taken aback, "Debi, my husband has been gone for only a month. I'm not looking for anyone now, even for lack of a better term, an old flame," she replied somewhat defensively.
"I didn't mean to imply that you were, Julie, but you know as well as I do that Dan would've wanted you to continue living. And Pete seems to be a man of integrity as well as being quite good-looking. Also, you two do have a past and I can tell that you both still care, I could see it in the way he is so solicitous of you, that he still cares deeply for you," Debi pointed out.
"Well, Debi, it looks like you're drawing quite a conclusion," Julie sniffed, a bit put out by Debi's observations. She turned away and Debi, noticing her attitude was immediately repentant. She reached her hand for Julie's shoulder, eager to make amends.
"I'm sorry, Julie, really I am. It's just that Matt and I have been really worried, with the way you've been isolating yourself. We care so much for you, and we have seen how devastated you've been by Dan's passing, we just want you to experience joy again. And you know that Dan would want that too. Nothing happens by coincidence you know, God's hand is in everything," she declared.
Julie smiled, "I know. Maybe God is allowing Pete to help me for now. He's been so great, really a comfort to me. And Linc and his son are coming out for Thanksgiving, so we're going to have a reunion, the three of us," she added, brightening up.
"Really? I think that's what you need, to have the people who love you there with you. You know, Melissa has been very worried about you, she wanted to call you everyday, but I told her to let you have some time alone. I know that you've been keeping your grief to yourself to be strong for Melissa, but you need to let it out or it will kill you," Debi stated with concern in her hazel eyes.
"Pete's been saying the same thing to me. He's really been seeing to it that I release, that I let it all out," Julie admitted gratefully.
"Good! I knew there was something about that guy that I liked," Debi said with satisfaction.
NEXT….ACCEPTANCE