A/N: See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer. I also want to take a moment and apologize because I know I haven't updated this story in a very long time now. Rest assured, though, I haven't forgotten about the Horizon series, and Lord willing, I'll be getting a lot more work done on it in the near future. Thank you so much for stopping by. Happy reading, and God bless. :)
Chapter Summary: George is deeply disturbed when he learns that Louise has decided to take a big personal risk to help a friend in need.
Chapter 5: Getting Involved
"Guess what, Mommy?" Angie's adorable little voice asked over phone one warm summer evening in June as Louise anxiously listened at the telephone in her bakery. George was sitting nearby at one of the tables, watching and listening to Louise intently.
"What, baby?" Louise said with a smile. Nothing made her light up more than the sound of her little girls' voices, as George quickly discovered.
"This place is filled with horses! Horses, horses, horses! And they're all so pretty! And they're really sweet, too. They always let me pet them."
Louise laughed and said, "I'm glad you're having so much fun, sweetheart."
"It's loads of fun! I really loved it when Aunt Leah and her cousin, Miss Marie, let me ride my first horse last week. It made my butt sore the next day but it was totally worth it!" Louise laughed out loud at that. "I'm going to ride again tomorrow morning with Melissa and Aunt Leah and Miss Marie and Suzanne and Cindy and Kimmy and I can't wait!" (Suzanne was Leah's daughter and Cindy and Kimmy were her two granddaughters, and Marie was Leah's older cousin who owned the ranch.)
"That's terrific."
"I'm going to go now Mommy because Melissa's standing here and she really wants to talk to you and I really want to go pet the horses again!"
"Okay, baby. I'll talk to you again soon. I love you, precious."
"I love you too, Mommy," Angie told in her adorable little voice, which always warmed Louise's heart, and then she handed the phone to Melissa.
"Hi, Louise," said Melissa, sounding much more cheerful than usual.
"Hi there, honey. You sound so happy."
"I am, Louise. I really am. This place is so beautiful. Miss Marie took us all hiking on a mountain trail today and it was amazing. And going horseback riding with everybody yesterday was even more amazing. I always wanted to learn how to ride a horse. And the horses are just…incredible. I'm like Angie. I could just spend all day petting them and staring at them."
"It sounds like Angie's not the only one who's fallen in love with Colorado."
"Yeah, you're right. I love it here, too. I'm so glad you let Angie and me come. I just really wish you could've closed up the bakery for the summer and come with us. You would love it here. You know, Miss Marie told me that she has a friend who's also in a wheelchair and she's come out to the ranch several times and Miss Marie has helped her learn how to ride a horse even though she doesn't have control of her legs. If you were here, Miss Marie would help you with horseback riding, too."
Louise chuckled a bit and said, "I appreciate the thought, dear, but horseback riding isn't really my thing. I miss you girls so much, but to tell the truth, I'm much happier staying here in my bakery baking birthday cakes and donuts and bread while you two do all your hiking and horseback riding for the summer."
"I understand. Different strokes for different folks. I am having a lot of fun here with Angie and Cindy and Kimmy, but I miss you too. Thanks for letting us come, though. It really is amazing here."
"You're more than welcome."
"How are the kittens doing?"
"They're exactly like the two of you: happy, playful, and growing like weeds."
"That's good. I can't wait to see them again."
"They miss you, darling."
"I miss them, too. Anyway, I probably should say goodbye now since this phone call is long-distance."
"I was thinking the same thing. I love you so much, Melissa."
"I love you too, Louise."
"Enjoy yourself, my princess."
"I will," said Melissa, and then they said goodbye.
As soon as Louise hung up the phone, George smiled and asked, "So what's the latest update from Colorado?"
"Oh, they're loving it," Louise answered as she wheeled herself over to George's table. "They're hiking and horseback riding and petting all the horses and enjoying the mountains and having the time of their lives."
"That's great. I'm glad the kids are havin' so much fun out in Colorado. But what about you, Mama? Mommy should have some vacation time too, you know."
"Mommy doesn't have time for a vacation. Mommy has to stay home and run her bakery so she can pay all her bills."
"Now you see? That's why you need to get together with me. As long as I'm the man in your life, I'll make sure all those pesky bills are taken care of so that you can just relax and take it easy and enjoy plenty of well-earned vacation time."
Louise rolled her eyes at George while barely hiding a smile, and a moment later, she asked, "Are you on that again? You've hardly been here for two weeks, and practically ever since the first moment you started staying in Haven Lake, you've been trying to convince me to start dating you."
"Come on, Louise," said George as Mark entered the bakery. "You know I'm everything a woman could want. Handsome. Brilliant. Generous. And let's not forget the best part: filthy rich!"
"You forgot modest," Louise teased, and Mark laughed in the background.
A moment later, Mark came up to them and asked, "Louise, George, how are you two doing this evening?"
"Good," Louise answered.
"I'm doin' good too, although I would be even better if Louise would stop bein' so stubborn and agree to be my girl," George flirted, which got him another eyeroll from Louise.
"He never stops," Louise told Mark, just barely concealing her laughter.
"Well, I can't really blame him. Any fella in his right mind would try to make you his girl, Louise. You're just going to have to face the cold, hard facts: you are a beautiful, priceless gem. Shoot! Because of you, I'm always having to beat men away from this bakery with a stick!"
That got George's attention really quick, as he immediately jumped up out of his seat, looked at Mark, and asked, "How many men?!"
"George, he was joking," said Louise.
"No, I wasn't!" Mark insisted. "Three weeks ago, Owen Smith was in here trying to talk you into going out with him to see that movie, remember?"
"Oh, please! Owen is a great big silly goofball and nobody takes him seriously, least of all me," Louise told George.
"Who is this Owen Smith?!" George cried out at the top of his lungs. "I wanna know who this chump is and I wanna know now!"
"He's just some guy that lives a few blocks down," Mark said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"He just turned fifty last month," Louise explained. "He's never been married and the last time I checked, he has about seven girlfriends. And I have absolutely zero interest in becoming girlfriend number eight."
"Good. You keep it that way," said George.
"I don't have any interest in being your girlfriend either, George," Louise reminded him. "I am gloriously single and unattached and I am keeping it that way, thank you very much."
"We'll see about that," George said with a small grin.
Louise shook her head, again barely suppressing her laughter, and then she looked up at George and asked, "Uh, George, was there anything more you wanted? Because closing time was over an hour ago and I'm about to close the bakery for the night."
"Oh no, no. I didn't want anything else. I, uh…I guess I'll be goin'," George said hesitantly.
"I'll see you later, George," Louise told him with a kind smile. "Have a good night."
"You too, Louise," said George, and then he very reluctantly began to walk out of the bakery.
"Oh, George?" Louise called just as George's hand touched the doorknob.
George instantly turned and said, "Yeah?"
"There's something you should know. After this weekend is over, I'll be closing the bakery all next week." It was a Friday evening, and to say that George was looking forward to coming back to the bakery that coming Monday was the understatement of the century. He yearned, he ached, for every possible moment he could have with Louise, so learning that she was closing the bakery for a week – that he couldn't come see her for a week – was quite painful for him.
"How come?"
After a pause, Louise told George, "A situation has come up that I need to deal with. It's personal."
"Is everything alright?"
"It will be."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Just say a few prayers for me next week. That'll help me more than anything."
"Right. Of course," George said quietly. Then after realizing within the next few moments that he wasn't going to get any more information out of Louise, he said, "Well, I…I guess I should be goin'."
"Don't worry, George. We'll see each other again soon," Louise reassured him.
"Of course we will," said George, and then he (very reluctantly) walked out of the bakery. In the next moment, Louise turned the sign in the door from Open to Closed.
As soon as George was gone, Louise began wheeling herself to the kitchen in the back of the bakery and Mark followed. As they were going to the kitchen together, Louise said, "I already know what you're going to say, Mark. Don't."
"Louise, as you've said yourself many times over the years, I'm your best friend," said Mark as George quietly opened the bakery door and tiptoed through the bakery near the kitchen. Louise may have turned the sign in the door from Open to Closed after George left, but she had forgotten to lock the door, and her oversight gave George the perfect opportunity to do what he was yearning to do most now: sneak back into the bakery, eavesdrop on any conversation Louise might be having with Mark, and find out what in the world was going on with her. "And as your best friend," Mark continued, "I have to tell you the truth. This is crazy, Louise. This is utter insanity!"
"Mark, I don't need to hear this right now. I need your support – which you did agree to give to me when we talked about this yesterday, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah," Mark sighed. "But Louise, why does Tiffany Brock have to stay in your apartment next week? You know she could come stay with me and Estelle for a little while."
"You know why, Mark. We've been through all this. Tiffany's husband has been beating her to a pulp every day for the past eight years, and because of that and because of all the abuse she also suffered from her father as a child, she's terrified of men. She only feels comfortable staying with a woman. Tiffany and I have been friends ever since she first joined our support group two years ago. She feels comfortable with me. She trusts me. And now that the girls are out of the house, I have the perfect opportunity to help her to finally take her first steps towards freedom."
"Louise, Tiffany is married to a maniac. To a monster. He's violent. He's dangerous. He's put Tiffany in the hospital only God knows how many times over the past several years. He's even broken her bones. And if, after Tiffany leaves, he somehow finds out that you're the person she's staying with and he decides to come after you…Louise, this could end in disaster. For both of you. You know that. You could really be hurt by this maniac. Louise, you could be killed. And if that happens, what are your baby girls supposed to do? Those babies need their mama."
"It's because I'm a mama that I'm doing this. It's my job to set an example for my girls, Mark. It's up to me to teach them how to be women someday. And I don't want to teach my girls to be cowards. I don't want to teach them to give into fear because of their gender. I want to raise them up to be strong. Strong enough to do the right thing, even in times like these when doing the right thing is frightening and difficult and risky."
"I don't know about this, Louise."
"Well I do know, Mark. I know how it feels to get beaten to a pulp over and over and over again. I've been there. So have you." Tears came to George's eyes the instant he heard Louise say that. "After everything I've been through, it would be inhuman of me to refuse to help Tiffany now."
Mark let out a long sigh, and then finally, he looked at Louise and said, "You're right. I don't like it, Louise. I don't like it one bit. But, I know you're right."
"Well I'm glad we finally got that settled. So, are we still on for tomorrow afternoon at the shooting range?"
"We're still on."
"Good. You know, I never will forget the last time that I was this scared. It was when Saul Donaldson escaped from prison. I was in the middle of rehab. Angie was just a baby at the time. I remember all those nights that I woke up with nightmares and spent hours crying in your arms. I was just paralyzed with fear. And as always, you were right there for me. When I was terrified and defenseless, you helped me deal with my fear, and you helped me learn how to defend myself. I wasn't always a big fan of guns. Well, I'm still not, really. But I've got to admit that back when I was so petrified of Donaldson, back when you taught me how to properly handle a firearm and made me capable of defending myself, even from a wheelchair, you really did give me an important gift."
"Well now, I'm not so sure that it's such a great gift. I'm not so sure I did the right thing by teaching you how to shoot all those years ago. If you didn't know how to shoot and you didn't own a gun, you probably wouldn't even consider getting yourself into this."
"Well it's too late to turn back now. And anyway, I need to go to the shooting range with you this weekend. It's been quite a while since I've gone and if Tiffany is going to be staying here with me next week, then I need to keep my shooting skills sharp. I'm not anticipating any trouble, but you know the old saying: hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I hate to close the bakery next week. I hate to lose an entire week of business because of a worthless, abusive bully, but it is possible that he could come around to the bakery while Tiffany's here, and I do have a responsibility to protect my customers."
"That's true. You do have a responsibility to your customers. Just don't forget that you also have a responsibility to yourself that's just as important."
Louise smiled and said, "I won't forget, Mark."
"Good."
After a long pause, Louise asked, "Mark…would you do something for me?"
"Of course. What is it, sweetheart?"
"You haven't kissed me in weeks, and I am really stressed out right now because of all of this, and I could use some affection. Kiss me, would you? Just kiss me."
The instant Louise said that, George almost completely went out of his mind. In the following seconds, absolutely certain that he just couldn't bear it any longer, he started to walk into the kitchen and tell Louise the whole truth. However, just before he could enter the kitchen, his spirit basically got slammed into an invisible wall. Suddenly, his spirit was filled with the indisputable certainty that if he did go into the kitchen and tell Louise that he was her husband, he would lose her for good.
She isn't ready, an inaudible voice told him. Now is not the time, the voice continued. You have to be patient.
George had not been a born-again believer in Christ for long, but in those moments, he was able to recognize that those thoughts were coming to him from the Holy Spirit, and he knew he had to listen, even though he didn't like what he was being told.
"Sweetheart, I would love to oblige you. Believe me. But I just don't feel right about us kissing anymore."
"Why not?"
"It's nothing personal. It's just that…I've really been missing Becky here lately and…well…with Becky on my mind so much, I just don't feel comfortable kissing another woman," Mark explained. And in fact, he had been missing his late wife a very great deal over recent weeks, so it was a half-truth.
"Oh. I understand. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable by asking, Mark. I didn't mean to."
"Oh no, hon. You didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. Listen, why don't I just kiss your forehead instead? Will that do?"
"Of course," Louise answered with an understanding smile, and then Mark planted a warm kiss on Louise's forehead while George fumed inside…not at Mark, but at himself.
"Hang in there, sweetheart. Hang in there. I know the next several days are going to be scary, but we'll get through it. We've gotten through much worse things than this and we'll get through this, too."
"I know that. But thanks for reminding me."
"Sure thing," Mark said with a kind smile.
It was in that moment that George was just completely at his wits' end and he couldn't take it anymore, and he left the bakery both quickly and quietly.
After talking to his father well into the night, trying in vain to calm him down, Lionel actually took an early morning flight from Dallas to Boston the following morning and walked into George's room at the B&B at exactly twenty minutes after ten.
"I can't take this, Lionel," George told his son without even bothering to say hello, frantically pacing. "I can't take this, man. I can't handle this."
"Relax, Pop. Relax. Just take it easy and calm down."
"Your mother's about to put her life in danger and you expect me to calm down?!" George yelled.
"Well getting all worked up into a frenzy like this isn't going to solve anything," Lionel said sensibly.
"She asked him to kiss her, Lionel! Weezy was scared and stressed and she needed affection and she…she asked Mark to kiss her. Not me. Mark. Weezy tells me all about the girls' summer vacation in Colorado, but when she's got a friend that's bein' abused by her husband and she decides to get involved, lettin' that big heart of hers run away with her like she usually does, she don't say a word about it to me. She goes to Mark. There was a time when your mother couldn't keep anything from me, Lionel. Not a single thing. It used to drive me crazy. Weezy always had to tell me everything that was on her mind whether I wanted to hear it or not. And when she did go on and on and on about all those endless little details I didn't care nothin' about, it got on my nerves. But now? Now, I would give anything if your mother would come to me and tell me every detail of her life like she used to. Anything."
"I know, Pop," Lionel said sympathetically. "I know."
"It's like…I'm stuck on the outside lookin' in, like I'm some stranger or somethin', and it's killin' me."
"Pop, I know it's hard, but you've got to stop looking at this from your perspective alone. You've got to start looking at things from Mom's point of view, too. From Mom's perspective, she didn't even know you until a few months ago, and during most of that time, to her, you were just some jerk trying to take away her home and her business. As far as Mom is concerned, you've only been her friend for two weeks. It's understandable that she wouldn't feel comfortable confiding in you about this yet."
"I know that," George sighed. "I know that Weezy don't remember me. I know that she ain't comfortable with me yet. Definitely not as comfortable as she is with Mark. And I know it's my fault. That's what makes this whole thing so hard. It's my fault Weezy got beaten to a pulp over and over and over again in that hellhole. It's my fault that she's turnin' to Mark and to guns for protection and support and not me. It's my fault that she's got so many burdens on her shoulders now, and it's my fault that I can't step in to help her like a husband ought to."
Lionel looked at his father sadly and told him straight up, "You're right, Pop. Mom is carrying a lot of burdens on her shoulders right now, and it is your fault. You know, when Jenny and I were in church last Sunday, the pastor got to talking about how the Lord deals with His born-again children when they sin against others. Just like all earthly parents have to discipline their own children when they misbehave, God has to discipline us, too, when we misbehave. When a child disobeys a parent, he loses certain privileges. And when we disobey God by being selfish and hurting the people around us, God has ways of taking away our privileges, too. Your selfishness hurt Mom for years, Pop. I don't say that to try to put you down or make you feel bad; it's just the truth, and it's a fact you have to face whether you like it or not."
"I know," George said quietly, really taking in everything that his son was saying.
"With all due respect, we both know that when it comes to Mom, you have been a very selfish man for a very long time. All my life, you have constantly put yourself ahead of Mom, and she has always paid the price for it inside, and I think that maybe after all these years, God has finally had enough. Now, for the first time in your life, it's finally you who's paying the emotional price for all your selfishness and not Mom, and you're freaking out because you've never had to do that before. You've never really had to hurt inside the way Mom has all this time because of you. You've always been the privileged one, at Mom's expense. But now, you've lost all your privileges. All your privileges as a husband have been revoked, and you have to earn those privileges back, and that's not going to happen in a day or a week or a month. It's probably going to take years, Pop, and the sooner you make your peace with that and accept it and learn to be patient, the better."
George sighed then and said, "You're right, Lionel. You're right about everything you said. I know that. I know that I really put Weezy through a lot in our marriage. I know that all these years, I really have been selfish, childish, and stupid. Weezy never should have had to put up with all that. She deserves better, and I know it. She really was incredible to put up with me the way that she did for so long. And now, she…she's more incredible than ever. Weezy ain't backin' down. She's really takin' a stand to help somebody who's in trouble. I admire her so much for that. I admire her strength and her courage so much. Your mother's an extraordinary woman, Lionel."
"Yes, she is," Lionel agreed.
"But she's puttin' herself in danger, grave danger, and there ain't nothin' I can do about it, and it's killin' me, Lionel. It's killin' me."
"I know, Pop. I know. I know that it's not easy being on the outside looking in. I know that seeing Mom putting herself at risk like this and her not feeling comfortable enough with you to tell you about it is really hard on you. I understand why you're so upset."
"If only you couldda heard the way your mother and Mark were talkin' to each other last night. You know what they sounded like?"
"What?"
"Like two people who have been married for years. Like two people who have known each other forever."
"I know it's not easy seeing them interact like that, but does it really surprise you that much? Look at everything they've been through together. And just think about it from Mom's perspective. Mom only has six years of memories to go on, and Mark has been right there by her side every second of it. Mark's been there from the very beginning. You can't really blame them for being close; for having a connection."
"I don't blame them. I certainly don't blame Weezy for anything. And I don't blame Mark either. Mark saved Weezy's life when they were in the hellhole together. He took so many beatings for her. He took as much rape for her as he could. I owe Mark my life many times over because of everything he did for Weezy. I know that. I was so mad at him when I first saw him kissing your mother last month, but now that I know all about everything he went through to keep Weezy alive when they were in the hellhole, I can't ever be mad at him. I'm the one I'm mad at. I'm the one to blame for all of this, not Weezy and Mark. This ain't their fault; it's mine, and I know it. When Weezy told me yesterday that she had a personal problem that she had to deal with and that she was closin' up the bakery all next week, I asked her if there was anything I could do, and she said she wanted me to pray for her. I don't wanna just pray for her, Lionel. I wanna be there for her in times like these. I wanna protect her. I wanna keep her safe. I want her to depend on me. But now, in her mind, she can't, and I know I can't blame nobody for that but myself."
"Hang in there, Pop. I know it's hard to wait. I know it's hard to be patient. But it'll be worth it in the end. I believe that; I really do. And I know you want to do more for Mom besides pray, but I've recently realized that prayer actually can be a very powerful thing."
"Yeah, I know you said that you and Jenny went to church last week. What's up with that? Your mother always went to church but you ain't never liked it."
"Well to tell the truth, Pop, ever since Mom came back into our lives, I've changed my mind on church. I guess the really important thing is, I've changed my mind about Jesus. I didn't really believe in Jesus or take Him all that seriously before, but when Mom showed up in your office last month, it changed everything. I prayed every single day for so long that we'd eventually find Mom, just in case there actually was a God up in heaven and He actually was listening to me. I wanted to try everything, and at the end of the day, after so much time passed and the authorities weren't able to find Mom, prayer was the only thing I had left to try. I didn't know for sure that God existed but all these years, I sure was hoping that He did. And God may not have answered my prayers as quickly as I would've liked Him to, but I know now that all this time that I've been praying, my prayers didn't just go in one ear and out the other. God was listening. And I believe that if you ask Jesus to keep Mom and her friend safe next week, He'll hear you, just like He heard me."
"Thank you, Lionel. You know, son, you're much smarter and much wiser than your old man. You keep it that way. Don't be a fool like I was. Don't take your wife for granted like I always did. You treat your wife like a princess, son, because that's what she is."
"A princess? I thought Jenny was a zebra."
"Come on, Lionel. You know I never did mean none of that. I may be really stupid sometimes and I may run my big mouth and say a lot of stupid things that I don't really mean, but you know how much I care for you guys."
Lionel knowingly smiled and told his father, "Yeah, Pop. I know." He then gave George a big hug, and after their embrace finally ended, he said, "Hang in there. I know this is really tough right now, but hang in there. Everything's going to work out. Mom's going to be fine."
"I hope you're right, son," George said soberly. "I hope you're right."
That Sunday night, Tiffany's husband left the house at about eight o'clock that evening to go out drinking with his buddies, and she knew he'd probably be gone for many hours. A couple of minutes after he pulled out of the driveway, she called Louise and let her know it was time. They had agreed several days before that Sunday night would probably be the best time for her to attempt to leave, and when Louise arrived at Tiffany's house in her van with Mark that night, Tiffany was already anxiously waiting for her outside, sitting on the step of her front porch with a suitcase she'd packed long in advance. As soon as the short, slim, amber-haired lady saw Louise's van, she stood up and picked up her suitcase. A few seconds later, an armed Mark got out of the van and went up to Tiffany, and he quickly escorted her to the van. The instant she and Mark had fastened their seat belts, Louise got them all out of there as fast as she could.
A little while later, after Tiffany had unpacked some of her things and gotten settled in, she came out of the girls' bedroom where she would be sleeping for the next several days, and she came up to Louise and said to her, "You know, Louise, I've told you this about a thousand times already, and I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but…thank you. Thank you so much for doing all this for me. I know you're taking a big risk to help me." Tiffany had been "lucky" this past week – no bruises – but two nights ago, her husband had scratched her left cheek and she was wearing a band-aid over it.
"I'm more than glad to do it, sweetheart," Louise said kindly. "Nobody wants to see you get away from that vicious bully more than I do."
"I've been thinking about what I'm going to do next. I have an old friend who lives in Ontario now. We were best friends when we were growing up together. We were practically like sisters in high school. But then she moved away after college and I went and got married to that monster and we just lost touch with each other. I don't know if she'd be willing to help me now or not."
"Well don't worry about that tonight. We can start figuring all that out later. Just relax right now, honey. Just relax."
Tiffany chuckled bitterly and said, "I haven't been able to 'just relax' for a single day in eight years."
"Then you're long overdue. Listen, sweetie. Mark is still downstairs, and I'm going to go down and say goodnight to him. While I'm down in the bakery talking to Mark, you just make yourself at home. There's plenty of food, and the TV is all yours. You just relax and unwind; get yourself something to eat if you're hungry. For the next week, my home is your home."
"Thank you," Tiffany said with a small smile, and then she bent down and kissed Louise's cheek.
"You're more than welcome," said Louise. And while Tiffany went into Louise's kitchen, Louise wheeled herself out to the elevator in the hall and went down to the bakery where Mark was.
A couple of minutes later, Mark got up from one of the tables he'd been sitting at as Louise wheeled herself into the bakery.
"How's Tiffany doing?" Mark asked.
"She's settling in. Hopefully, being with me over the next few days will give her a chance to really relax and get her bearings."
"I'm sure it will."
"Now that Tiffany's all unpacked and everything, I wanted to come down and thank you for coming with us tonight."
"Actually, I want to thank you. You got me out of the house tonight – away from Estelle – and that's always a huge favor!"
"Oh Mark, you never stop!" Louise said with a big laugh, and Mark laughed with her.
"Louise, I really wish you would reconsider and let me stay down here in the bakery tonight and every night during this week. I really think you should have someone down here, just in case the worst should happen and that maniac comes around here."
"Mark, you know how much I appreciate it, but it's really not necessary. I have my gun upstairs. If Tiffany's husband should happen to come around here any night this week, I am perfectly capable of defending myself."
"I know that, but I still think it would be a good idea to have somebody staying downstairs too. That way, if he does show up around here, you and Tiffany will have an extra line of defense."
"Like I just said, I appreciate that. I really do. But I don't want to get you involved in this."
"Louise, I'm your best friend, and if you're involved, then I'm involved, too. No ifs, ands, or buts."
"I appreciate that. But I really don't want to put you at risk, too. And besides, if you stayed down here in the bakery, there wouldn't be any place for you to sleep."
"I brought my old Army cot with me. It's in the trunk of my car."
Louise knowingly laughed and said, "Mark Moore, what am I going to do with you? You are the most stubborn man on this earth!"
"And proud of it!" Mark responded with a big, proud, smart-alecky grin.
"You're just not going to let this go, are you?"
"I most certainly am not. And we both know that if the tables were turned and I was the one putting myself at risk, you would do the same thing, no matter how hard I tried to talk you out of it."
"You're right; I would," Louise said knowingly. She sighed then, and in the next moment, she said, "Alright, Mark. Alright. You win. If you've really got your heart set on staying here in the bakery this week, then you can stay."
"Thank you," Mark said softly, and then he and Louise smiled at each other for several long seconds.
"You know, honey, sometimes, I don't think I tell you this enough, so I want to say it now. I love you, Mark."
"I love you too, sweetheart," said Mark, and a moment later, he took Louise's hand and kissed it.
Louise and Mark talked with each other for about another minute or so, and then they said goodnight and Louise went upstairs while Mark went out to his car to get his cot.
About an hour later, Tiffany said goodnight and went to bed, and Louise went into her bedroom and got ready for bed as well. After she had changed into a nightgown, she unlocked the drawer of the nightstand beside her bed, took out her gun, and loaded a clip into it. Then after she put the loaded gun back into her nightstand drawer and closed it, she pushed herself up out of her wheelchair into her bed. In the next moment, she got under the covers, said a quick prayer, turned off the lights, and closed her eyes.
While Louise had been loading her gun and getting settled in bed for the night, George was sitting on an outside bench across the street from the bakery. He had managed to get a picture of Tiffany's husband, so George knew what he looked like. And if Tiffany's husband dared to show up at Louise's bakery at any time during Tiffany's stay, George was more than prepared to rip him apart with his bare hands. Even though he couldn't be there for Louise the way he yearned to be right now, he was determined to do everything in his power to protect her, even if it meant spending every night that week sitting on an outside bench, watching Louise's bakery from across the street.