by Karen Malley
“Why don’t you start, Steve?” Mark nodded to the man.
“This is a hard thing to talk about.” Steve‘s wife took his hand and nodded. “Monica and I want to be parents. We’ve been trying for almost a year. This week we’re going to the doctor. We’d appreciate prayer for that.”
“Absolutely, Steve. Monica? Anything you’d like to add?”
“No, I’d like prayer for the same thing.” A tear traced a line down her cheek.
Anne was quick to hand her a tissue.
“We’ll be covering you in prayer. Derek?”
Derek gave Mark a weak smile. “My grandmother’s health is failing. She helped raise me. I want to be there with her, but she’s back in China. My heart tells me to go, but I can’t leave my job here.”
“You do good work at the Kids of Hope Club, but family is important. Can you get away for a while?”
“I’m not sure. I ask for prayer God will tell me what He wants me to do, and also that He would heal my grandmother.” Derek’s shoulders sagged. “She doesn’t know the Lord yet.”
Mark read back from his notes. “Doctor appointments for the Carsons’, God’s will in Derek’s life, and salvation for his grandmother.”
Derek nodded.
“How about you, Susan?”
“Well, we’ve talked about this before.” The woman with the bright red curls looked pensive.
“Adam’s new here. You can give him a little background.” Mark nodded with encouragement.
“Yeah, OK. My niece Claire and I are close. Her mom, my sister, is a lot older than me. Anyway, I worry about her. She’s in high school now, and there are a lot of choices and temptations facing her. Please continue to pray for her salvation.”
Mark made a note and turned to the petite woman sitting next to Adam. “Julie?”
“Prayers for my sister that she would learn to trust God again.”
“Got it. Ok, that leaves the new guy.” Mark smiled. “Adam, how can we pray for you?”
Adam glanced around the room at the mix of faces. A warmth he hadn’t experienced since leaving Africa passed through him. A room full of people wanted to pray for him. “I’m struggling with finding God’s will for my life. He’s been clear on some things, but others are a bit murky. Please pray for me to walk the path He has for me.”
“Will do.” Mark turned to his wife. “Sweetheart, how can we pray for you this week?”
Anne gazed at her husband, adoration evident on her face. “Please, everyone, keep praying for Katie.” She turned to Adam. “My brother was killed a in a car accident a few months ago. He and his wife were married for seven years.”
“I’m sorry, Anne,” Adam said. “Did they have any children?”
Anne’s features darkened, but only for a moment. “No. No children.” Her voice was thick with emotion.
Mark patted her hand. “And I ask you to continue to keep Anne and me in prayer. Losing her brother has been tough on our family. The kids loved their uncle.”
All around the circle, the group nodded or voiced their promises to pray.
After Mark lifted all the prayer requests to the Lord, the little group broke up.
Anne and Monica carried the glasses and dessert plates to the kitchen.
Adam found himself in conversation with Susan, Derek, and Julie.
Susan cocked her head at the others. “Think the new guy can handle hanging with us?”
Julie and Derek laughed.
Julie turned to Adam. “As much as we love this Bible study group, there’s kind of a split between the singles and the couples.”
Derek patted Julie on the shoulder. “True. Those old married folks can’t quite keep up with us. We usually hit Funworks after study on Friday nights. Want to join us?”
Adam’s brows knit together. “Funworks?”
Susan punched Derek’s arm. “He’s new in town, you dope.” She turned to Adam. “Funworks is an entertainment complex about 5 miles from here. They have arcade games, bowling, pool tables, and food.”
Adam nodded. “Ahh, I see. In that case, I’m in.”
Later, at Funworks as they approached the pool tables, Susan narrowed her eyes at Adam. “Care to make a little wager?”
Julie grabbed a cue stick from the rack on the wall. “Don’t do it. Don’t let her hustle you.”
Derek leaned in toward Adam. “Consider yourself duly warned. Susan is amazing at pool. We’ve never beaten her.”
Adam laughed. “You mean that sweet Bible-study girl thing is all an act?”
Susan drew herself up to her full height, a mere two inches shy of Adam’s. “For your information, I never act. I am a sweet, Bible-study girl. These two just happen to be terrible at pool.”
By the time Adam’s head hit the pillow that night, his outlook on Pine Springs clicked up quite a few notches. It was good to have friends again.
11
Sunday morning, Kathryn showered quickly, dressed in a pair of jeans and a fitted T-shirt and ran a brush through her hair. If she happened to run into Adam at the coffee shop, there was no point looking like a slob again. She took the same walk through the neighborhood and ended up at the coffee shop the same time as the previous week. As she scanned the shop, she couldn’t hide the disappointment that welled up inside. What was the matter with her? She was merely hoping to have a friend to talk to. As she ordered a coffee and banana nut muffin, she heard a familiar voice over her shoulder.
“We must stop meeting like this.” She whirled around and narrowly missed pouring her hot coffee all over Adam’s clean yellow shirt. He jumped back and gave her yet another reason to flush. Why did this guy make her so clumsy?
“Do you have time to sit and talk for a few minutes?”
“Sure, I’d love to. I’ve got 20 minutes before I need to head to service.” Adam placed his order at the counter. “What’s on your mind? Want some advice on the proper way to remove a lug nut?”
Kathryn glowered at him.
Adam spread his hands. “Sorry, kidding. Truce?”
“What do you do, Adam? What brings you to Pine Springs?”
“I’m a construction worker. My crew is building the new mall downtown.”
Kathryn blinked in surprise. She shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but Adam didn’t fit her stereotype of a construction worker. He was too refined, too intelligent in his way of speaking. She was sure he’d gone to college.
“It’s honest work, and that’s where God has me right now.” Adam turned back to the counter, picked up his coffee, and they made their way over to the tables by the windows.
Kathryn dove right in to what was on her mind. She could talk to Anne or Mark, but she’d shut Anne down the last time she’d tried to talk to her about God, and she was still afraid Mark would bring up her past. That left Adam.
“This might sound like a weird question, but since you obviously go to church every Sunday, I thought you might have some insight.” Kathryn paused, stirring her coffee. “Do you believe God talks to people?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard God speaks through the Bible to people. Do you think that’s true? How can that be if it’s a book from thousands of years ago?”
“Kathryn, I’m no expert, but I can tell you what I’ve experienced. The Bible is an old book, but it’s not only a book. It’s God’s Word to His people. It is not a collection of stories written by men, it’s written by God Himself. I’ve read the same passage in the Bible different times in my life and it’s meant something different to me each time. So yes, I do believe God can and does speak to people through His Word if you’re willing to be open to what it says. Does that help?”
Kathryn chewed on her lip. “Ok… What happens if you don’t want to listen to God?”
“It’s never a good idea not to listen to God.” Adam took a sip of his coffee. “Did you ever hear the story of Jonah?”
“I think so. After my dad left, my mom worked weekends a lot. I stayed with my gran
dmother. She always took me to Sunday School.” She scratched her head. “Didn’t he get swallowed by a fish?”
Adam nodded.
“That’s just it. Stories like that make it hard for a serious person to believe the Bible.”
“If God created the universe and everything in it, why couldn’t he do all of the things He has recorded for us?”
Kathryn shrugged. “I guess.”
“God gave Jonah a job to do he didn’t want to do. He ran as far away from God as he could. God stopped him in his tracks and brought him around to do the job. Lots of people don’t want to listen to God, but there is no other way to find peace.” Adam paused for a moment and gave Kathryn a penetrating gaze. “Would you like to come to church with me?”
“No, thank you.” Kathryn cut him off. It was one thing to ask questions in a nice, safe coffee shop, and another thing entirely to go to church, where everyone seemed too good for her. Adam didn’t seem to be like that, and Anne and Mark weren’t like that, but she still resented how they all seemed to have it all figured out when she didn’t.
Adam changed the subject. “So, do you come here every day, or only on Sundays?”
“Only Sundays, so far, why?”
“I like talking to you, and I’d rather not rush every time. If I come here around the same time on Saturday, might you be here?”
Kathryn gave a small smile. “Maybe.” It wasn’t a date. She wasn’t dating. Meeting a friend in a coffee shop was OK with her, though.
~*~
As Adam hurried over to church, late for the second week in a row, he mulled over their conversation and the surprise on Kathryn’s face when he told her he was in construction. Under construction was more like it. After graduating college and law school with honors, maybe he was wasting his potential, as his parents put it. Still, for the first time in a long time he was where God wanted him. He couldn’t ever go back to the stresses of his previous life. Not after what happened.
He chuckled at God’s sense of humor. He’d been waiting to hear the Lord’s voice ever since he’d come back to the USA, and all he’d heard was Him directing him to pray for Kathryn. Now here she was asking him about running away from God. Oh, what irony. He sent up a silent prayer for her. There was a lot more going on in her than he would be able to figure out any time soon.
~*~
The following month flew by. Kathryn kept busy at work, as usual, but now had something to look forward to on the weekends. Each Saturday morning, she met Adam at the coffee shop. Each week they seemed to stay longer and longer, talking about life and God. She opened up more and more each time, but still never mentioned Robert. She told herself it was because she didn’t want Adam to feel sorry for her, but another part of it was because she couldn’t deny her growing attraction for him.
It terrified her, but she couldn’t stay away. Robert died only five months ago. How could she think about being with another man? Adam wasn’t an ordinary man, though. He would listen to her like no one else, drinking in every word. Still, she suspected there were things from his past he wasn’t telling her, which was only fair. There were things she wasn’t telling him. Robert was only a part of it.
She’d never told anyone what she’d been involved in back in graduate school. It was part of her past, and she intended to keep it that way. As long as no one ever found her, she’d be safe. If she were a praying woman, she’d be talking to God about that. For now, though she’d settle for getting her spiritual lessons along with her Saturday morning coffee.
~*~
Adam strolled into the coffee shop that he now thought of as “theirs” and stared at her. Her hair flowed over her shoulders like pools of honey. She looked up, smiled that smile that melted his heart, and crinkled her brow.
“What?”
“Your hair.”
Kathryn’s hand reached to her head. “What’s wrong?”
Adam laughed. “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve never seen it down before.”
A hint of pink touched her cheeks. “Oh, well, it’s getting cold. I only wear it up in the summer. It keeps my neck warm in the cooler months.”
Adam gazed at her approvingly. “I like it.” He reached as if to stroke it, but thought better of it, and dropped his hand to his side. “I’d better go order some breakfast. I see you beat me to it.”
He walked to the counter and placed his order. He could feel Kathryn’s gaze following him the whole time.
The bell on the door jangled, and a cold gust of November wind brought a few leaves into the shop. Adam glanced back at Kathryn huddled into her turtleneck sweater as she took another sip of the hot coffee. Fall was in full swing now, and winter wasn’t far behind.
“What are your plans for Thanksgiving?” she asked Adam after he sat down. “Are you heading back to Buffalo to be with your family?”
“No, I’ll go for Christmas. I’ve already broken the news to my mom. I’ve got to work the day before and after. I’m spending the day with some friends from church. How about you?”
“I’ll be spending the day with my sister’s family. They live near here. I’m in charge of the sweet potato casserole. I hope I don’t mess it up.”
“I love sweet potato casserole,” Adam said, his mouth watering at the thought of it. “But only if there are marshmallows on top. That’s one thing I missed in Africa. No Thanksgiving dinners.”
They talked more of his time in Africa, and he stopped when he noticed the expression on Kathryn’s face.
Her eyes widened, as if she had a sudden alarming thought. “Do you think you’ll go back there? How can you be sure you’re not supposed to still be there?” She chewed on the end of her plastic spoon, concern etched across her face.
“God used me while I was there, but I am convinced I was not meant to stay there. I’m not sure I was supposed to even go there in the first place.” Realizing he said more than he intended, he stood. “I need some more caffeine. Refill?”
She shook her head, and he made his way back to the counter. He couldn’t help looking back at her. That hair. She had no idea how beautiful she was.
12
Thanksgiving morning, Kathryn worried her way through the sweet potato recipe. Robert always made it before. He was the cook in the family. Still, she had his recipe, and with all she’d accomplished in the lab, she was sure she could figure out things in the kitchen.
When she finally put the marshmallows and pecans on top, she thought of Adam. Hopefully he’d be able to eat some at his own Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe she’d save some for him and bring it on Saturday just in case. She wasn’t sure how many people she was making it for, though. Thanksgivings at the Campbells’ place always held a different crowd. Anne and Robert’s mom Eileen, Robert, and Kathryn were the regulars, but there were always what Robert affectionately called the “strays,” the people with nowhere else to go on Thanksgiving.
Kathryn met some interesting people over the years at their Thanksgiving dinners. It would be different this year without Robert. He knew several of the “strays,” since they were often members of the church, but Anne had been known to invite the cashier at the grocery store, the lady at the dry-cleaners, even the tow truck guy the year her car broke down three days before Thanksgiving.
Kathryn and Robert used to try to make up stories for each of the guests before they were told the real ones. She’d didn’t have the heart to make them up on her own this year.
As she entered the house, smells of turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie filled the air. She brought her foil-covered casserole into the kitchen and went upstairs to add her coat to the pile on Mark and Anne’s bed. She came back downstairs, in search of her niece and nephew.
It was amazing how many people could cram into this tiny house at Thanksgiving. Mismatched folding tables and chairs stretched from one corner of the living room all the way through the dining room. She counted chairs. Thirteen plus Emma’s high chair. That meant besides Anne’s family, Eileen, and Kathryn, there would be e
ight strays this year. That might be a record.
Amidst the chatter, the door opened again, and Kathryn froze as she heard a familiar voice. It couldn’t be, could it? She risked a glance. Oh, no! What was Adam doing here? She tried to duck away, but Anne called her over.
“Katie, come here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
All of a sudden, Ben came bounding over. “Mr. Adam, Mr. Adam, come see my tower. I built it all myself!”
Even Ben knew Adam? Adam grinned at Kathryn, obviously pleased she was there.
“Katie,” Anne said. “This is Adam Harrison. He’s been coming to Faith Community for a while now, and last month he took over as the Sunday school teacher for the 3 and 4-year olds. Benny loves him, as you can tell.”
She turned toward Adam. “Adam, this is Katie. She was married to my brother Robert.”
Kathryn paled.
Adam stared at her and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Katie.”
Kathryn gained enough composure to murmur “Kathryn.”
Anne apologized. “Right, sorry. It’s Kathryn. I can’t get used to that. We’ve known each other since I was thirteen, and she was always Katie then. Anyway, I need to get some food on the table. Adam, be a dear and introduce Katie, I mean Kathryn, to some of the other folks from church.” She scurried away into the kitchen.
Adam turned to Kathryn. “I’m sorry, Kathryn, I didn’t know.” His words fell on deaf ears.
Kathryn ran back upstairs and hid herself in Emma’s room. She hated the pity in his eyes. That was how everyone looked at her for weeks after the funeral. Now she lost the one person who treated her like a normal person. She stayed there, leaning against the crib for several minutes, breathing heavily until she was sure she could face everyone without bursting into tears. That was the last thing she needed Adam to see. He’d feel even more sorry for her. She went into the bathroom, washed her face, and sneaked downstairs before Mark called everyone to the table.
