by Karen Malley
“I might need to do that.”
He pulled into Kathryn’s driveway and walked her to the door.
“Do you want to come in and say hi to Bandit? I can make a cup of coffee.” Kathryn didn’t want the night to come to an end yet.
Adam grinned. “Do you think coffee is something you can handle?”
Kathryn gave him a punch on the arm. “I may not be able to cook much, but I can brew a mean cup of coffee. And, since I don’t need to go to Boston anymore, I don’t have to worry about it keeping me up.” A strange mix of emotions overcame her. The idea of not having to deal with the Boston job any longer was exhilarating, but the uncertainty of the future was a bit scary.
“I’ll be at the Kids of Hope Club by 8:30 AM if you want to do some volunteer hours.” Adam said.
Kathryn smiled at the idea of spending the day with Adam. “I’d love to do that. Everyone there is so friendly. I do need to talk to the department chair over at the college, but maybe I can meet you there in the afternoon. I’ll be able to help with the after-school program.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Kathryn was suddenly aware of Adam’s gaze on her. She finished loading the coffeemaker and turned to meet his eyes. The intensity there surprised her. She felt his presence, strong and comforting as always, but something shifted in their relationship. She was all too aware of what she’d confessed to him when she thought he was asleep. Until now, she was never sure he felt the same way. The look in his eyes was unmistakable. He took her hands in his and drew her toward him.
“Kathryn, I…”
The phone in his pocket rang. He ignored it.
“I want you to know that…”
The phone rang again.
“Adam, please. It’s OK if you want to answer it.”
“No. Let me silence it.” Pulling the phone out of his pocket, he gave it a quick glance. “It’s my dad. He never calls. Excuse me for a minute. I’m sorry.” He took the phone out into the living room.
Kathryn stayed in the kitchen, not wanting to eavesdrop, but it was clear from Adam’s side of the call something was wrong. She waited until he hung up, and walked out to meet him.
His face was strained. “It’s my mom. They think she had a stroke. I need to go to Buffalo. I’m sorry, Kathryn. I enjoyed being with you tonight.”
Disappointment flooded Kathryn. “I understand. Are you driving there tonight? It will be awfully late when you get there.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll run home and throw a couple things in a bag and call the club and tell them I’ll be away for a few days. Hopefully things won’t get out of control while I’m gone. Thanks for understanding. I’d say I’ll call when I get there, but you better be asleep. It will be close to three in the morning by that time.”
Kathryn nodded. The coffee maker beeped, and she poured coffee into a travel mug and handed it to him. He pulled her into a hug, and she breathed in the smell of him.
“Good night Kathryn. I’ll call you tomorrow.” With that, he was out the door.
Kathryn fought a sense of emptiness that didn’t make sense. She’d see him in a few days. Why was this so hard now? She poured the rest of the coffee down the drain. She didn’t need anything extra interfering with her sleep.
She lay in bed thinking about Adam’s family. From all their late-night talks, she knew he was close with them, even though he didn’t get there often. His parents and his brother visited him while he was in the hospital, but she’d been in Boston at the time. The more she thought about the people who shaped Adam’s life, the more she wished she could meet them. With thoughts of a happy family surrounding her, she finally drifted off to sleep.
42
The next morning, Kathryn awoke to find a text from Adam.
Mom’s doing OK, but will need lots of therapy. Hope you slept well, beautiful.
She hugged the phone to her chest and couldn’t help smiling. She sent off a quick reply.
Glad she’s OK. Wish me luck, I’m heading over to the college.
She set her phone down to pray. God, I’m trusting You are guiding me on this journey I am taking, but I have to admit, I’m scared. I know You gave me this job, and I do believe turning myself in was the right thing to do, but I’m afraid it will cost me the job. Give me strength.
With renewed courage, she made the short drive over to the community college. Students with back packs flung over their shoulders wandered across the footpaths between the red brick buildings. She found a parking spot and made her way over to the chemistry building.
She found Dr. Clark sitting behind his desk, but he rose to greet her as soon as she entered. “Welcome, Kathryn. Good to see you. Glad you could make it back in so soon.” Her hand disappeared in his enormous one. He shook it enthusiastically and offered her a seat.
Kathryn was struck again at the contrast between this man and the handful of others she’d worked with in Boston. “It’s good to see you again as well.”
“I have some papers for you to sign.” Dr. Clark shuffled them on his desk.
“Dr. Clark, before I sign the papers, there’s something you should know.” Kathryn waved a hand to stop him handing over the documents.
He looked at her over the piles of paper on his desk. “Is something wrong? Have you changed your mind?”
“No, no, of course not. I would love to work here. I want to make sure you won’t change your mind.”
“Now why would I do that?” he asked.
Kathryn rubbed her sweaty palms on her pants and quickly launched into the story of her trials in California. Dr. Clark’s eyebrows knit together as she described the events of her past. When she reached the part of the charges being dismissed, he visibly relaxed. Kathryn was encouraged but puzzled by his reaction. She twisted her palms in her lap as she waited for him to speak.
After a moment’s pause that felt as if it stretched to an hour, he looked straight into her eyes and declared his verdict. “Kathryn, if I weren’t sure you were the woman for the job before, I am now.”
Kathryn blinked, confused. “Sir? I don’t understand.”
“What you did showed extraordinary courage and honesty. You didn’t need to turn yourself in, and you didn’t have to tell me. When you filled out your employment paperwork, you answered honestly. You didn’t have any convictions at the time you filled in the forms. A later background check might have uncovered this information, and I’ll be honest with you. If I found out about this any other way, you would’ve been fired. But the fact you had the courage to do what was right and turn yourself in shows me you’re a woman I will be proud to have on my faculty.”
Kathryn let out her breath. “Thank you, sir. You won’t regret it, I promise.” Relieved beyond words, she filled out the paperwork and accepted her first teaching position.
Driving away from the college, another burden lifted. Following God’s leading and Adam’s advice gave her freedom she’d never thought possible. Now here she was with a new life ahead of her. She no longer needed to worry about the consequences of her past. She had planned to spend the afternoon at the Kids of Hope club, but Adam wouldn’t be there. Still, even without Adam, this was something she needed to do. The DA was right. There were a lot better ways she could serve God than by sitting in jail. She could serve God by serving those kids. She pulled out onto the highway and drove into the city.
The building in front of her appeared friendly, inviting. In the midst of the neglected neighborhood, the Kids of Hope Club stood out like a beacon, welcoming all would seek refuge inside the doors. The hope surrounded Kathryn as she walked into the building.
In the office, the mood was stressful as the two administrative assistants ran around, concern etched in their faces. The younger of the two stopped at the sight of Kathryn. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Kathryn Baker. I was in the other day with Adam Harrison. I’m here to volunteer.”
The woman gave her a weak smile. “Hi Kathryn. I’m Juanita. I wish A
dam were here. Sorry, but things are hectic right now. We’re having a few issues we need him to resolve.” The woman’s stress was palpable.
“I’m sure if you called him, he’d be happy to help out,” Kathryn said.
“The problem is he left his laptop behind, and he needs the case files to work out the issues. He offered to drive back and get it, but I told him we’d manage.” Juanita was flustered.
“He needs to be with his family right now.” Kathryn said. “He feels awful about leaving, He’d be terribly upset if he knew there were problems here.”
“That’s why we told him it was not a big deal. We’ll be past the grant deadline if we don’t get this taken care of in the next day or two. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to burden you with this. You’re just a volunteer. Come on, I’ll take you back to the training room.”
As Kathryn followed Juanita along the hallway, her heart went out to Adam. She wished there was something she could do to help him. He’d done so much for her. Then it hit her. “Juanita?”
Juanita turned.
“Could I take Adam’s laptop to him? Would that help?”
Juanita smiled. “Honey, he’s in Buffalo. That’s sweet of you, but we’ll figure something out.”
“I know he’s in Buffalo. It’s only what, six or seven hours? I don’t mind. I’ve done my share of driving lately. If it will help you, and will help Adam, I’m happy to do it.” It would also give her an excuse to see him.
Juanita put her hands on her hips and gave Kathryn a good once-over. “You’re sweet on him, aren’t you? I can’t say I blame you. He’s a fine-looking man. Not that he has anything on my Ricardo, but still.” She paused, chewing on her lip. “You know what? I will let you take the laptop to him. Let me give him a call and let him know.”
“Can we make it a surprise?” Kathryn asked. “I’d love to be able to surprise him. The only thing is, I don’t know where he’s staying. He’s at his parents’ house, but there’s got to be more than one Harrison family in the area.”
Juanita chuckled. “Girl, you’ve got it bad. Sure. You can surprise your man. But maybe you shouldn’t surprise his mama. Come on back to the office. I’ll get you his parents’ number. It’s in his personnel file.
After retrieving Adam’s laptop and having a thoroughly enjoyable conversation with his father, Kathryn threw together a bag, and tried to get Bandit in his crate. He was having none of it. “Come on, buddy. We’re not going back to Boston. We’re going to see Adam.”
At the mention of Adam, Bandit’s tail took off wagging.
Kathryn threw a couple of treats in the crate, and Bandit happily went in.
43
Adam leaned back in the chair next to his mother’s bed, stretching out his back. She lay back, a smile on her face.
“All it took was a stroke to get you to come visit your old mom.”
“It hasn’t been that long,” Adam protested. “I was here at New Year’s. Besides, I had to lose a leg for you to come visit me in Pine Springs.”
His mother laughed out loud. “True, true. But that turned out to be God’s doing, didn’t it? How are things going at the new job?”
“I love it there, Mom. It’s like I finally found the work I was meant to do.”
His mom patted his hand. “And everything you’ve done has prepared you for it. It’s amazing how God works, isn’t it?” She studied her son carefully. “There’s more going on, though. You’ve found someone, haven’t you?”
Adam could feel the blush running up his face. “How do you do that?”
“A mother’s intuition, my boy. Now, tell me all about her.”
~*~
Kathryn’s GPS directed her to a blue and white house in a pleasant neighborhood. She rang the doorbell and was surprised to see a slightly older version of Adam. “Mr. Harrison?”
The man laughed. “Yes, but not the Mr. Harrison you’re thinking of. I’m Dave, Adam’s big brother. When dad told me a female friend of Adam’s was stopping by with his laptop all the way from Pennsylvania, I knew I needed to meet her. You must be Kathryn.”
With a warm smile, Kathryn replied, “Yes. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Would you mind your manners and take the lady’s bag?” a voice came from over Dave’s shoulder.
“Oh, sorry.” Dave reached out and took the laptop bag. He led her into the house.
A white-haired gentleman appeared behind Dave. “Henry Harrison. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Kathryn reached out a hand to him, but he wrapped her in a hug instead.
“Any young lady who drives all the way from Pennsylvania to see my boy is getting a hug. Now come on in and meet the rest of the family. Dave’s got his whole gang here.”
“My dog is in the car. You’re sure you don’t mind?” Kathryn asked.
“Oh, of course not. Buster’s out back. He’ll be thrilled for some company.”
“I’ll go get the crate. Come in and meet the family,” Dave said.
“Adam’s taking a turn at the hospital now. I came home a little while ago, when I heard Desiree would be feeding us,” Henry said. “With Carol in the hospital, a man’s still gotta eat. I’ll go back over a little later and spend some more time with her. Adam should be home within an hour.”
Henry led Kathryn through a cozy living room and into the kitchen, where a woman with plump cheeks and a wild mass of curls stirred a pot of chili. She turned toward them with a wide smile.
“You must be Kathryn. I’m Desiree, Dave’s wife. It’s wonderful to meet you. My boys are in the back yard getting into some sort of trouble. Pull up a chair and tell me everything about yourself.”
All the time with Robert’s family had not prepared her for this. Kathryn soon found herself chopping vegetables for a salad and learning how to make cornbread. Before long she was seated at a long wooden table surrounded by mismatched chairs and all of Adam’s family, enjoying the best chili she’d ever eaten.
Bandit and Buster were seated at attention, waiting for crumbs to fall their way.
She’d never laughed harder than she did that night, with Henry and Dave regaling her with stories of Adam’s childhood. Being surrounded with his family made her understand his love for them even more. How hard it must have been for him to be away for so long. She took a big bite of cornbread and settled in for a night of fun.
After dinner, she and Desiree washed and dried the dishes, while Dave and the boys wrestled in the den. Soon, they were all back around the table playing a rousing game of cards.
~*~
As Adam drove home from the hospital, his thoughts were racing. God, I need to be here. I saw how much my mom appreciated seeing me, but still, I can’t get Kathryn out of my mind. Did things go well this morning? Why hasn’t she gotten back to me? What if it didn’t go well? What if she lost the job and it’s all my fault? And what’s going on back at the club? Something more is happening than Juanita told me. God, please don’t let me let down the kids at the club. What if something is wrong with the grant application? God, please let me know what You want me to do. I feel torn in two. I need to go back to Pine Springs. I need to make sure everything is right with the club. And God, please be with Kathryn.
His mind drifted back to her again. He’d wanted to kiss her last night. Why had he waited so long? He swore to himself he wasn’t missing another opportunity. He was dying to know how her meeting at the college went. Thoughts of failing Kathryn plagued him, as well as the thought he was letting down the kids at the club. He hated to leave his mom. It meant so much to her to have him here. But he had a responsibility to the kids. By the time he got back to the house, he was thoroughly stressed.
At least he’d be getting a good meal tonight. Dad told him Dave’s family was coming over and Desiree was cooking. They’d probably have eaten by now, but his mom had wanted to hear everything about Kathryn, so he’d stayed longer than he’d intended.
~*~
Back at the house, Henry got up from the
table. After losing five rounds of cards in a row, he was ready to call it a night.
“Desiree, you outdid yourself. I always knew Dave picked himself a winner with you. You can come over here and cook for us anytime.”
“Thanks, Dad. I wish it was under better circumstances. Give Mom our love. I’ll stop by and see her tomorrow after I get the boys off to school. Speaking of that, boys, go clean up anything you left in the back yard. We’ll need to be going soon. It’s a school night, after all.”
Kathryn started to get up as well. “I suppose I should go find myself a hotel. Thank you so much for inviting me for dinner.”
“Nonsense, young lady.” Henry said. “There will be no hotel for you. You can sleep in Dave’s old room. I’d offer you Adam’s, but since he’ll be occupying it this evening, we’re a little too old fashioned for that sort of thing.”
A hot flush spread across Kathryn’s cheeks. “Thank you. You’ve all been so kind.”
The dogs barked and rushed to the front door.
Adam’s voice carried into the dining room. “Hey Buster, hey Bandit…wait, Bandit? What are you doing here, little buddy?”
~*~
Adam shook his head and blinked. That was definitely Bandit. Which could mean only one thing.
She was here.
As he strode into the dining room and took in the cozy scene of Kathryn surrounded by his family, his heart swelled with emotion. “Kathryn, what…”
His dad interrupted. “About time you came home, son. I’m going back to say goodnight to your mother.” He leaned close to Adam’s ear and whispered, “This girl’s a keeper, son. Don’t mess this one up.” With a conspiratorial wink, he walked out the door.
Within minutes, Dave and his family followed suit. Desiree gave Kathryn a friendly squeeze before leaving. “It was great meeting you, sweetie. It’s good to have another woman around here. I’m always outnumbered.”
~*~
Finally alone, Kathryn and Adam stood together in the dining room.
