Into the Fire

FRIDAY

Hutch opened his eyes to the illuminated red numbers on his clock reading 2 AM. He could hear sirens somewhere and rain drops outside his window. “Geez,” he groaned and contemplated getting any more sleep now that he was awake. So tired of waking up in the middle of the night . . . and always with Susan on his mind.

Without any warning he began to sob simply unable to hold back the sorrow any longer. The pain seemed to eat him from the inside out. After fifteen minutes of the gut-wrenching emotion, he wondered if his wife still cried over them, if she gave him any thought at night when she was all alone like him. Did she still love him as much as he loved her?

He knew she kept busy. She’d quit her job at the track after the incident with Marilyn, the humiliation too great. Now she drove for a van service doing the 2-horse shuttles. Bacie was lucky to have her—she’d work her tail off for anyone who employed her. Great help, and she’d been driving horses around since she was 16 years old. An amazing girl. Dom Bacie knew it, too. Too old to be hustling her, but Dom would take her in a heartbeat if she gave him the slightest inkling of interest. Good-looking Dom managed all the charm he needed to get whatever he wanted. And had the money to do it if that’s what it took. But Susan would never go for him. She had too much class to play the seduction game.

Hutch sat up and grabbed the telephone next to his bed. He got his outside line and made the long distance arrangements. Slowly, he dialed her number. The sound of the ring startled him, and he quickly hung up the phone. He dropped back into bed and let the tears pour out again.

The solitary ring startled Susan out of a not so sound sleep, and she quickly picked up the phone to hear a dial tone. Had she actually heard the phone ring at all?

(Excerpt from For His Glory; sequel to Hope Of Glory)