Chapter 16

The next morning started the same for Heath and Debbie as the last two had. He got up and ordered the water and breakfast and steeped her tea. Then he came and woke her and she got dressed and drank the tea so that it would settle her stomach enough to eat breakfast when it came later. Then they’d started talking about what they were going to do for the day when Heath’s phone rang with the distinctive tone that all the Gladstone’s had set for his dad. Heath frowned because his dad wouldn’t be calling unless it was an emergency. Of course, what Hal thought was an emergency, they might not. “Dad, what’s up?”

“Heath, this is Mom. Dad is driving and asked me to call you. You need to come home.”

“What’s wrong?” If his mom was telling him to come home, then it was a genuine emergency.

“It’s your Uncle Henry. Apparently, he and the deacons asked Reverend Begley to step down as the pastor at Greatest Endeavor. And then Reverend Cayden Senior and the board pulled his ordination, and censored him for the way he’s been acting the last few months.”

“What’s that got to do with us coming home, Mom?”

“Honey, Begley went to the grocery this morning and started harassing your uncle. Your Uncle Henry collapsed. Heath, they think he had a heart attack. He’s on his way to the hospital now. Begley went to the grocery this morning and started harassing your uncle. As a result, your Uncle Henry collapsed, and they think he had a heart attack. They are taking him to the hospital, and the whole family is heading there.”

Heath’s face blanched. Would they think Debbie was responsible for her father’s actions? “Okay Mom, we’ll get everything packed up and head that way. Keep me informed, will you?”

“Sure son, just come home. If he makes it, they are probably going to insist on that surgery he’s been putting off.”

“I understand, Mom. Debbie and I will pack and head home now.”

“Okay, I’ll let your dad know. Come straight to the hospital when you get in town, okay?”

“We’ll be there as quick as we can.”

“Just drive safe. We don’t need you and Debbie getting in an accident and making things worse.”

“I’ll be safe, Mom. Tell Aunt Emily we’re praying and heading that way.”

“She’ll know. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

He hung up and saw that, without even hearing the entire conversation, Debbie had already gone to the room and started packing up her bags. He picked up the phone and called the front desk. “Yes, this is Heath Gladstone. I need an emergency check out. There’s a family emergency back home. Could you send up a porter with a luggage cart, and have the valet pull my car around and get my bill ready for check out? Thank you.”

He entered the room and started packing up his stuff as well. He carried the things they needed taken to the car into the front room by the door, so when the porter arrived, they could load quickly and get out of there.

Debbie looked up at him. “What happened?”

“Long story short, my Uncle Henry has been putting off a surgery to his heart. He was told without it, he could suffer a massive heart attack. Some things happened with your dad and he confronted Henry at the grocery about it. Henry collapsed. They think it was a heart attack. He’s on his way to the hospital now.”

Debbie sucked in a breath. “Oh, no! Poor Mysti and Samantha. Maybe you should drop me off at the cottage before you go to the hospital.”

He shook his head. “No, they don’t blame you. You had nothing to do with this. Besides, you’re one of the family now. I want you with me, and they’ll want you there too.”

“I don’t know, Heath. I mean, my dad caused this to happen. They will not want me there.”

Heath stopped and pulled her into his arms. “You’re a Gladstone now. We draw together in times of trouble. Trust me, they’ll be more upset if you don’t come.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she just nodded. Heath let it go for now. They had the long drive back to talk about it and she’d see when they got there.

Just then, the porter arrived, and they started loading the luggage cart and then headed to the lobby. Once there, Heath had to quickly explain to Gina what was going on and she asked that the family let her know how things went. He promised they would and then he and Debbie climbed into the Trans-Am and headed for Phantom Horse. All the while praying his uncle was okay.

On the way back to Phantom Horse, Heath told Debbie in detail what had happened. The news that her father had been asked to step down from the church and that they had pulled his credentials surprised her. She’d never heard of that happening to a pastor in the denomination. To hear that it had to do with kicking her out of the house was even more surprising. She didn’t think anyone outside of Heath and his family cared what happened to her.

It appalled her that her father’s reaction was to publicly berate Henry Gladstone at his place of business. What was wrong with her dad? He used to be a much kinder man and less intense. Nowadays he seemed to be caught up with shining a spotlight on every minor mistake or sin that he thought others were making. He’d taken to calling himself God’s messenger to Phantom Horse. It had started with Mysti, but seemed to have grown until it included the whole town. The only person he seemed to think was obeying God was himself.

She had a growing suspicion that he was going crazy. If only someone would convince him to see a psychiatrist. Before he kicked her out, she caught him in his office talking to himself as if he was having a conversation with someone who wasn’t there. It had worried her, but when she asked him about it, he’d told her he was praying and she’d misunderstood what she was hearing. Now she wasn’t so sure. As she was thinking about that, as often happens nowadays, she slipped off to sleep.