Looking For You All My Life Part 28

counter. Staring in horror at the front-page expose' about TS

Development, she suddenly realized that she'd never had a

chance to warn Mr. Westerly about the story yet. After

quickly explaining to the kind but curious druggist that

Spencer and Daniel were both okay (another reminder to her

of how news travels like wildfire in a small town) she called

Audrey to quickly explain her further delay.

"Don't worry, honey," Audrey said soothirigly. "Spencer

doesn't even need any more pain medication until tonight.

Take all the time you need to explain everything to that dear

old man. Spence is perfectly fine stretched out on the sofa in

front of the TV He's having a bowl of homemade potato soup

right now, and he asked me to make chocolate chip cookies."

Maggie smiled. "Thanks so much, Mom. I really appre-

ciate it." Then she grabbed up the prescription and crutches

and rushed straight over to Mr. Westerly's farm, praying

along the way that his newspaper hadn't been delivered yet,

although she knew that was unlikely.

48Melody Carlson

She wondered if he'd read the paper as she hurried up the

front porch steps. Perhaps he was one of those people who

didn't look at his paper until after supper-she hoped so. She

knocked on the door and waited impatiently, then knocked

again louder. Lizzie barked sharply from inside, but the door

stayed firmly shut. Maybe Mr. Westerly was outside put-

tering around. She walked around the back of the house,

loudly calling Out his name, hoping he might be somewhere

close by, and willing to search every acre of his property just

to find him. But as she called and looked, she continued to

hear Lizzie barking frantically from inside the house. Sud-

denly it occurred to her that if Mr. Westerly was outside,

surely he'd have taken the dog with him. So she went around

to the backdoor and tried knocking again. She rapped on the

window of the door; carefully, for the gla.s.s pane rattled

loosely. Then she cupped her hands over the reflective sur-

face and peered inside. There, slumped motionless over the

kitchen table, was old Mr. Westerly!

Trying the door handle, she discovered it was unlocked

and she went inside, her legs shaking as she approached the

table. "Mr. Westerly?" she said weakly. "Are you okay?"

Lizzie moved nervously around her feet as Maggie reached

out to touch his arm. She watched in horror as it slid limply

from the table and fell loosely to his side. Her heart pounded

louder than Spencer's drum set as she touched her fingers to

his old, wrinkled cheek. Cold as marble. She held her hand

by his nose and mouth. No breath. No pulse. And there

crumpled beneath him was today's newspaper!

"Oh, no!" she cried as she backed away from the

dreadful scene. "Oh, dear G.o.d, no! Please, no!"

Maggie never remembered calling 911 or her mother. But

somehow Jed's pickup miraculously appeared shortly after