CHAPTER 13

Beau practiced nightly in their newly built room. Cass had set up a table in one corner so she could work on her painted ceramics or whatever craft she was newly into and would laugh as he tried to play certain songs for her. Occasionally she would try to make up words to some of the things he’d play and they always ended up having a good laugh.

He would often snap photos of her at home relaxing and would threaten to send them to her agent if she didn’t stop making fun of his playing. Here she was, one of the most beautiful women in the world, one that had graced nearly every magazine cover out there, every fashion layout, every big show in New York, yet at home she was usually dressed in baggy sweats that seemed to be covered in more glue than most of her crafts. She wore no makeup, her hair was usually pulled back into a ponytail or piled on top of her head with a pencil holding it in place. Beau still found it hard to believe that she was here, with him, that she was his to have and to hold. Often times he found himself wondering how she could have fallen in love with someone as simple as a construction contractor. A guy who was dirty most of the time, hands like sandpaper, unshaven half the time. He never could see what she saw in him, but when she looked at him, he felt her love down to his very core. She loved him with everything she had.

Today she had gotten a call from her doctor’s office. They were calling to let her know that her suspicion was correct, that indeed she was pregnant again. She hadn’t expected it to happen so soon after the miscarriage, but she was more than thrilled. She hung up the phone and twirled around in delight. She picked up Duffy and danced around the room with him. Though he didn’t understand the sudden attention, he adored every moment of it. She set him down and went into the kitchen and threw open the cupboards doors. She took out their good dishes and began to set the table, this time in the dining room instead of the kitchen. Tonight would be a very special dinner, and afterwards when they were comfortably settled in front of the fireplace, she’d tell him the news. She would tell him about their baby.

The house was filled with the smell of pot roast and potatoes. She’d picked roses from the garden and filled several vases, one of which she’d set on the dinning table. Everything was perfect. She’d showered and taken the time to do her hair and makeup and had even opted for a dress instead of her usual casual at home attire. She checked the oven and then turned it dow a little. She checked her watch and realized how late it was getting. She knew Beau was on his way home, because she’d called his office and they said he had left some time ago. She assumed he had stopped along the way to take care of an errand or pick something up at the grocery store, something he often did on his way home.

Another hour passed and still there was no sign of him. She’d tried to reach him several times on his cell phone but it kept going directly to his voice mail. She couldn’t shake this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach as each minute ticked by. She picked up Duffy and stroked his head. She went outside and looked down the road but there was nothing there. Duffy too sensed something and was becoming more restless. Beau usually took him for a short walk as soon as he got home, but that time had come and gone today. A moment later, Duffy began to bark and jumped from her arms. Finally, she thought to herself. She darted back inside, lit all the candles, and then dimmed all the lights. Everything looked perfect. She took one last look at herself in the mirror by the front door before stepping back outside.

“What the hell’s wrong with you tonight?”

The dog continued to bark, and that’s when she realized it couldn’t be Beau because the dog knew the sound of his car and usually stood in quiet excitement, not on alert like he was now. It was too dark by the road to see who was coming at this late hour. As the car left the road and headed up her driveway, Duffy’s bark turned into a growl. Her heart skipped several beats when she realized it was a police cruiser. Maybe Beau had broken down and they had offered him a ride. Rural police often broke protocol when they were not working under a microscope like those who patrolled the big cities. She started down the stairs and headed towards the cruiser. Why wasn’t the passenger door opening she thought. Where was Beau? If he wasn’t in the car, why the hell were the police in her driveway.

The driver’s door opened and the officer got out of the car slowly. Cass topped dead in her tracks. As the officer slowly stepped towards her, his eyes cast towards the ground, Cass felt the first pang of terror. When he was directly in front of her he looked straight into her eyes. She saw the sadness written on his face and she knew, right then, that whatever he was about to say, whatever news he’d come to deliver, was going to change the rest of her life. The officer took a deep breath.

“Are you Mrs. Foster? Cassandra Foster?”

She tried to reply but her throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert. All she could do to acknowledge his question was to nod her head.

“Wife of Beau Foster?”

She nodded again. In all the years he’d been on the force, this part never got easier. He shifted uncomfortably, took another deep breath, then reached out to touch her arm.

“I’ve very sorry Mrs. Foster. Your husband was involved in a traffic accident about two hours ago.”

“Oh my God,” Cass said turning towards the house so she could get her car key’s. But the officer grabbed her, stopped her so he could deliver the rest of what he’d come to tell her.

“I’m sorry, he was killed in the accident. Someone crossed the center divider and crashed head on into him. The paramedics did everything they could to revive him.”

Cass stood there motionless for a second as the information, the verbal blow struck her right in the center of her heart. The last thing she heard was the sound of her own voice screaming against the darkness that was setting in.

She didn’t know where she was when her eyes opened, all she knew was that she was not comfortable. Something was digging into her side, something like a rock. She felt foggy, like someone had drugged her. Her body felt heavy and as she tried to sit up she felt someone’s hand push her back down.

“Just lay here for a minute,” the office said.

Then it hit her again. The wave of fear and panic, and pain spread like a wildfire that was out of control. The sick feeling in her stomach exploded and she threw up. Duffy began to bark again.

“Let me help you up,” the officer said as he gently lifted her up off the driveway. He put one of her arms over his shoulder then slid his arm around her waist so he could help her walk back inside the house. He led her to the couch and gently lowered her onto it.

“Is there someone I can call, someone that can come and be with you right now?”
She raised her eyes to look at him, to see if he was really there. To confirm that this was not just a nightmare she’d be relieved to wake up from.

“I…he’s dead…are you…? No, no no no no…” As her tears fell, she started to rock like a baby, searching desperately for something, some kind of comfort, something to make this not real. “Oh my God. Where is he? Where did they take him?”

“They took him to Center Valley Hospital, but I don’t think you should go there, at least not on your own.”

“I need to call someone…I need to call Liz.”

He turned and saw the phone on the counter. He went over, picked it up, then went back to her and handed her the phone. She hit one button and slowly put the phone to her ear.

“Liz……” was all she could manage before the phone slid from her hand. She began to sob. The officer could hear whoever was on the other end of the phone screaming out Cass’s name. He picked it up and introduced himself. He took a few steps away from Cass then turned his back to her as he quickly and quietly explained what had happened. A moment later he set the phone back in it’s cradle, then went to sit next to Cass on the sofa.

“Your friends are on their way. I’ll stay until they get here.”