I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Francis Ray Page A

picked up a silver picture frame from an end table and removed the picture. “Her parents. It will save you the trouble of having them paged.”
    Zachary looked down at a good-looking couple on either side of Madison, who wore a wedding gown and a big smile. Zachary remembered the day and how happy she and Wes had been. “Do you think you should call a doctor to give her something?”
    â€œI hope it doesn’t come to that,” Gordon said, his voice tired. “Sooner or later she’ll have to deal with Wes’s death. A sedative might knock her out, but when she wakes up, she’ll still have to face the problem. Madison is stronger than she looks.”
    Zachary hoped Madison was as strong as Gordon thought. She’d need to be in order to deal with the loss of her husband, his betrayal, and his child by another woman. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    Opening the door, he stepped out into the night. Overhead, the moon shone; he could hear the faint sound of traffic several streets over. Life went on.
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    Zachary arrived at DFW International Airport thirty minutes before Madison’s family was due to arrive. Finding a quiet corner on the concourse, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed. His mother answered before the second ring.
    â€œHello.”
    Her warm voice caused his throat to sting, moisture to form in his eyes. He could picture her sitting at her sewing machine or curled up on the sofa with a book. His father would either be sitting next to her reading the newspaper or at his scrupulously neat desk doing paperwork. They were as much in love as they had been when they married twenty-seven years ago, and, when possible, were never far apart. “Mama.”
    â€œZachary.” With a mother’s instinct she knew something was wrong. “What is it? Is it Wes?”

    Closing his eyes, he rubbed his hand across his face. “He … he didn’t make it.”
    â€œOh, honey, I’m so sorry,” she said, her soft voice filled with love and sympathy. “I’ve been praying since you called this morning. I know how close you two had grown in the past few years.”
    â€œIt’s hard to believe he’s gone,” Zachary said, unable to keep the hitch out of his voice.
    â€œDo you want us to come?”
    â€œNo.” He reached for his handkerchief to wipe his face and remembered giving it to Madison. He used the back of his hand. “I’m all right, Mama. Daddy has to finish the renovations on the Stevenses’ house by this weekend so you can go on vacation next week. You’ve planned too long to miss your cruise.”
    â€œThere’ll be other cruises. You’re our only child.”
    So simple. Yet so profound. The vise squeezing his chest eased. “I’ll be home this weekend to see you before you leave. Can I speak to Daddy alone for a minute?” He needed to talk and his father, who, as far as Zachary knew, was the only other person besides him who knew about Manda.
    â€œShould I worry?” she asked.
    â€œNo, ma’am.”
    â€œI suppose I can find something else to do. Here’s your daddy.”
    â€œHello, Zach,” his father greeted. “She’s going to worry until she sees you.”
    â€œI’m counting on you not to let her,” Zachary said, positive his father would do everything within his power to keep his wife happy. Jim Holman had come into their lives when Zachary was eight years old. He had become a father to Zachary, and a husband to his mother six months later. There wasn’t a finer man on earth in Zachary’s opinion. “Before it happened Wes told his wife about Manda.”
    â€œYou probably think that was commendable. I don’t,” his father said, making no attempt to keep the displeasure out of his voice. “It shouldn’t have happened and he shouldn’t have involved you.”
    His father was right,