A Side of Faith, Hope and Love: The Sandwich Romance Novella Collection Read online

  A long pause followed. Dave cleared his throat at last. “That sounds like you threw the plan in the hotel fire and watched it burn.”

  “Pretty much. It just all—came out. That’s how we ended up in this mess in the first place.”

  "Did you tell her about—?"

  "No." The thought of saying those words to Tilly made him want to vomit. And he'd done enough of that during chemo. "I don't want her to pity me. If she accepts me back, I want it to be because she loves me, not because she feels sorry for me."

  "And forcing yourself into her house helps your cause how?"

  The sinking sensation of defeat washed over him. "You're right. I screwed it up big time"

  “I guess I need to keep praying, huh?”

  Adam closed his eyes. He’d been running on adrenaline the last few days and hadn’t really stopped to ask for direction. Probably why everything was blowing up around him. “I’d appreciate it.”

  “God’s got this, man.”

  “Thanks.”

  He said his goodbyes and hung up, but instead of going to find an empty room, he stared at the ceiling. How many nights had he done the same thing, with Tilly by his side?

  Dreaming. He’d always been dreaming, caught up in one plan or another. Most of them goofy and outrageous. She’d listened, but it hadn’t occurred to him until much later how one-sided those dreams had been.

  Until the last one that changed the course of his life forever.

  He’d come home from his job as a clerk at a local gas station. He’d always complained about it going nowhere, but that day, it was literally going nowhere. He’d just gotten fired. His boss had blamed Adam's attitude. Adam had blamed everyone but himself.

  On the ride home from work, he’d made a decision.

  No more would they settle for getting by, barely even having enough to eat.

  He had dreams for a reason. Dreams of becoming more. Of doing more. Of making a difference. Ideas had swirled in his head, taking him to far-off places.

  He could go to college. Study medicine, like he’d always wanted. Biology had always intrigued him. The idea of helping people, of making a difference, was invigorating.

  That night, he’d walked into their house with a plan.

  A grand plan. Tilly was going to love it. Surely she was tired of the same old rut, the same customers at The Sandwich Shop. The same paltry tips.

  He’d been so excited to share his plan, he hadn’t noticed the light in his wife’s eyes dim the more he talked. The fear crowded in and anxiety covered her features as she crossed her arms and frowned.

  She’d held up a hand, stopping his slew of hope-filled words. “Wait a second. Are you telling me you got fired today? What'd you do this time?”

  Irritation consumed him. "It wasn't my fault, and you know it. John has always been harping on me about something."

  "Well, maybe if you'd just shut your mouth and listen to someone else for a change instead of spouting off all your high and mightiness, you'd actually keep a job."

  It was their daily fight for the last six months.

  But how was a man to function at a job that demanded everything but didn't even pay enough to make his rent payment every month?

  Tilly had never understood. It'd been okay for the first few years, but enough was enough.

  Brushing aside her anger, he stepped up, grasping her by the arms. “Don’t you see, Till? This is our chance. To get out of this crummy old town. To stop living on next to nothing. To actually live, Tilly-girl.”

  An angry spark lit her eyes. “So you’re saying we aren’t living right now? That you don’t like our life here?”

  He frowned. “That’s not what I said.”

  “Yes. Yes, it is. I love our life, Adam. I love you.” She settled her hands on his chest, then slid them to his cheeks, her eyes begging him to listen. “You’re all I need, baby. You’re enough for me. Am I not enough for you anymore?”

  Indignation burned in his belly as he pushed her hands away. “You’re twisting my words. This isn’t about if I love you. It’s about our future.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “What if I don’t want to move?”

  “That’s crazy. Why wouldn’t you want to go? My parents always said they would help out with college if I decided to go back. I can work part-time. We’ll move to the city and—”

  “Move to the city? No. Absolutely not. This is our home. You agreed. We agreed. Living on love, remember? We don’t need fancy cars or diamond rings or big houses. We just need each other.” She stepped up to him, gripping his shirt with her fists, her eyes begging him to understand. “Don’t you remember?”

  He looked into her eyes, but all that filled his mind were dreams of something better. Of being free of the struggle. And if he were honest, being free from the guilt of losing his job. Of failing his wife.

  Failure wasn’t an option. He caught her hands and gripped them hard. “It isn’t about you and it isn’t about love. It’s about our future. It’s about thriving, not just surviving. Don’t tell me you want to stay in this dinky town forever, Tilly. You’re better than this. We’re better than this.”

  She snatched her hands back, her eyes hard as stone. “I’m sorry you’re all the sudden so high and mighty, Adam. Because I happen to like this town. I like the people here. I like my job and the quiet. If you have a problem with it—if you’re so much better than all of us—why don’t you leave?”

  “Tilly—”

  “No. I’m serious, Adam. Pick up and go. I won’t stop you. Go, catch all those dreams of yours. Because we’re obviously not worth the dirt beneath your shoes that you’ll shake off on your way out of town.”

  “I’m not leaving without you, Tilly. But I’m not staying here.”

  “Well, I’m not leaving, so I guess you have a choice to make, don’t you?”

  “What do you want me to do? Leave you? No. You’re coming with me. I already talked to my dad on the way over. He said we can go to their house and start looking at colleges—”

  Her hands balled at her hips. “You talked to your father before you talked to me?”

  “I wanted to—”

  “Go, Adam. Get out and leave me then. You have this all figured out on your own and don’t care to even consult me about it. Just leave.”

  She was being impossible and unreasonable. “Come off it. You’re being ridiculous.”

  “No, you are. I can’t believe you’re even thinking about leaving.”

  “I’m not leaving you, Tilly. Remember? No D word. Ever. That’s what we said on our wedding day. Everyone assumed we wouldn’t last. Two teenagers barely nineteen getting married. We’re going to prove them wrong, remember? Please. Come with me, Tilly.”

  “I’m not leaving, and I’m not giving you a divorce. I told you then I don’t believe in it, and I don’t go back on my word. But mark my words, Adam Davis. You leave this house right now, you better never come back. Ever.”

  “Till—”

  “GO!” She screamed and shoved her fists into his chest. He stumbled back a few steps, but she turned and ran to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

  He stood in their living room, if it could even be called that. A few bean bags they’d found at a garage sale lay scattered on the old, nappy orange carpet. Tilly called it eclectic. He called it pathetic.

  Two doors stood on either side of him. One led to his wife. To the woman he loved.

  The other led to freedom, wealth, and prosperity. To dreams. To a future.

  A voice screamed in his head, You’re worth more than this place, Adam. Go. Live your dreams.

  Another quiet voice stated simply, Stay.

  No. No, he wouldn’t stay. He’d go and sleep at his parents tonight. Tilly would come to her senses.

  But she never had. She’d never called, never wrote, never tried to contact him. He had followed his dreams and ended up with everything he’d ever wanted.

  Everything except the one per
son who meant more than all those “things” put together.

  A clearing of the throat interrupted his thoughts. He sat up to find that one person standing in the doorway, a fierce frown that he remembered all too well plastered on her face.

  Five

  Tilly braced herself on the door jamb, the sight in front of her both enticing and infuriating all in the same glance.

  Adam was lying on her bed. Their bed. His dark hair was resting on her pillow, his body covering the exact spot she laid every night. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  He rolled off and stood faster than if fire were licked at his back. “I’m sorry. I just—”

  “You just nothing. My bed. My room. Off limits. Don’t tell me you didn’t realize it was my room.”

  His neck turned a familiar crimson as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I—didn’t realize you kept our bed.”

  Heat prickled at her cheeks. She'd gone to the mattress store more than once to buy a new one, but that bed held memories of both the highest and lowest times in her life. Making love to her husband for the first time, and sobbing for days after he'd left her. The thought of hauling it to the dump wasn't something she could grasp. “I’m not a huge fan of change. Surely you remember that.”

  “I remember.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come in here. It won’t happen again. But—you’re home early. I didn’t expect you until late tonight.”

  Neither did Tilly. In fact, she'd hoped to stay late to buy her more time before she had to see him again.

  But she’d been so tense after she’d fixed her stupid pants that she’d yelled at two waitresses for no good reason and had been on the verge of telling an irritated customer where he could shove his perfectly cooked steak sandwich he’d complained about when Reuben had intervened. He suggested she take the rest of the day off. She’d refused until he’d turned his suggestion into a demand.

  He was right. Customer service was her forte, and she’d never been curt to a waitress before. She’d been one for so many years, she knew the tough job they had.

  But no way would she convey all that to Adam. “I left early to make sure you got settled okay.”

  His eyebrows hiked an inch. “Is that so?”

  Great. Now he thought she cared or something.

  Which she didn’t. Not at all. “Why are you up here anyway? I don’t have any furniture in the spare bedrooms.”

  “I was going to drop my bags in one of the rooms so they’re out of the way. That okay with you?”

  No. She really wanted him to take his bags and leave before her heart went and did something stupid like fall for her husband. She could not let that happen. “Fine. I’ll be downstairs. And”—she pointed to their—her—bed—“Stay out of my room.”

  She walked back down the stairs and with shaking fingers, picked up the phone.

  It was barely noon, and the thought of spending the rest of the evening with her husband was downright excruciating. She needed girl time and, even though she really wanted to stick her head in the sand and pretend her house hadn't been taken over, she could use some advice as to how to handle all this. Lord knew she was failing on her own.

  Beth and the other girls were at the alley tonight and were probably well into their game, which left only two others.

  The phone rang and a peppy voice answered. “Hey, Tilly!”

  “Maddie, I need to ask a favor.”

  ***

  Tilly balanced a plate of pizza in her hand while she kicked off her loafers. She tucked her feet under her legs and settled onto Maddie and Reuben’s couch. Thank you, Lord, for Maddie. Her friend had cheerfully announced that she had no plans for the evening since Reuben was working. She’d ordered Tilly to come over for dinner and even invited Allie, Maddie’s sister-in-law, along too. “Ordering in was a great idea.”

  Maddie settled beside Allie on the love seat and set the plate on her growing belly. “You’re just saying that because it means I didn’t cook.”

  Definitely. The woman’s cooking was bad enough to make Betty Crocker cry. “Your words, not mine.”

  Allie patted Maddie on the arm. “Girls, girls, we’re here to talk about Tilly’s surprise marriage, not to discuss Maddie’s inability to cook.”

  Maddie glared at her. “The moment I’m not pregnant anymore and can actually, like, walk normal, you better run.”

  “I’ll have one of your babies in my arms. You won’t touch me, I promise.”

  Tilly shook her head, a grin tugging at her lips. They acted more like sisters than sisters-in-law. They talked big but loved bigger. “Uh, hello? My marriage? Any takers?”

  Allie pointed the tip of her pizza at Tilly. “Spill, girl. I remember Adam a little from school. But wow, that was like, twenty-some-odd years ago, right? What happened?”

  “He left eighteen years ago.” The day seemed like just yesterday. She remembered standing at the bedroom window, watching her heart back out of the driveway, praying, begging God to make him stop and come running back.

  But Adam hadn’t even glanced back. His car had disappeared, leaving only exhaust fumes from his rarely working muffler littering the air.

  Maddie put a hand to her swollen belly. “But you’re still married?”

  She sighed. “On paper, yes. I was young and in love with him, but Sandwich was my home. He wanted more, to move away, go conquer the world. I’m not a big world conqueror, if you hadn’t noticed. We had a big fight about it. I told him I didn’t believe in divorce, so he could leave, but I wouldn’t sign a paper even if he tried, and that he’d better never come back.”

  Allie cocked her head to the side. “And did he? I mean, try to file for divorce?”

  “No. A few days after he left, I regretted it. I would stand at the living room window, staring at the driveway, praying his car would turn in, or even for him to just call me. But he never came back." She'd cried for weeks, missed way too many days at work, until finally her mom had sat down with her and told her in no uncertain terms that she couldn't let a man ruin her life. That Tilly was better than that. So she'd pulled herself together and put one foot in front of another, day after day.

  Never, though, had she forgotten. "A few years of being single, and I started to pray he would file papers and get it over with. I wanted to be done. To move on. But he never did. I thought about doing it myself, but I could never get up the courage. His parents moved away not long after that, and I never heard from him until yesterday.”

  Allie leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “Why yesterday?”

  The question of the day. He said it was for a job. But deep in her heart, Tilly knew that wasn’t it. Even though it’d been almost two decades, she could still see the look in his eye that said there was something he was hiding.

  But she wasn’t ready for her friends to go all sleuth on her. “He got a job. He works in Maternal Fetal. He’ll be working with Dr. Jones, handling high risk patients.”

  Maddie let out a gargling noise, her face turning an odd shade of red. Tilly tossed her plate aside and flew across the room. How did one go about doing the Heimlich on an overly pregnant woman?

  She jerked Maddie out of the chair as she gasped a deep breath.

  “Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”

  Maddie waved her hand and shook her head, still working on breathing normal. “No, I’m—” She inhaled and exhaled, her face slowly returning to its normal beige. “Just swallowed wrong. I’m fine now.”

  Her nerves were drenched with relief. “You scared the tar out of me.”

  “Well, we’re even, because you surprised the tar out of me. I do believe your hubby is going to be my new doctor.”

  Tilly furrowed her brow. “How do you know that?”

  “We talked to Dr. Jones last month. He felt better having us followed by a specialist, but the dude he sent us to in Naperville was not my favorite. Had the personality of a rock. He kept taking my sarcas
tic jokes as serious issues. I told him I thought the kids had a serious case of sibling rivalry since they rolled around in here so much. Do you know what the guy said?” Her voice lowered to mimic the man. “‘Well, twins sometimes do require creative parenting. I can refer you to a few child life specialists who can help advise you.’ I mean, who says that? I refused to go back, and Reuben got mad. So I talked to Dr. Jones and he told to me about this new guy starting— Now that I think of it, he did say Dr. Davis. I wouldn’t have thought—”

  “Of course not. You had no idea. Heck, I had no idea he was even a doctor until yesterday. He always said he wanted something more. I never thought he’d choose medicine.” Although she should have. He’d been a science wiz in school, with an abnormal love of biology and dissecting things.

  Maddie lowered herself into the chair, taking a big breath once she settled in. “Okay, so tell me more about my new doctor.”

  Tilly shook her head. She had to know more to tell more, and to know more, she had to actually talk to him. And talking meant being in his presence on purpose, something she planned to avoid as much as possible. “I haven’t seen him in almost two decades. Anything I know is dated.”

  “Well, I’m going to call Dr. Jones on Monday and tell him this won’t work. Any guy who would hurt my friend is not laying one finger on me.”

  Part of her wanted to cheer Maddie on. If he didn’t have patients, he couldn’t stay, right?

  But in her heart, she knew.

  Adam was a fantastic doctor.

  He’d always been larger than life. Loved people to the fullest. He’d always taken care of her with the tenderest of hands when she’d been sick.

  It was part of why she fell in love with him in the first place.

  As much as she wanted him to leave and let her life go back to normal, she couldn’t smudge his reputation. She just couldn’t. “No. Adam is—Adam is probably a great doctor. And besides, he’s also going to be living with me.”

  Maddie and Allie’s jaws dropped in unison.