Forever

by Karen Kingsbury

  Ashley laughed too.

  Landon set Devin’s baby carrier down and did a reenactment of himself splashing around the shallow lake water in his clothes. “How’s that?” He picked up the carrier again.

  “Funny!” Cole laughed harder than before. “So funny.”

  “Yep, that’s me.” Landon found his place next to Ashley again. “Anything to keep the rest of you happy.”

  Cole’s giggles faded as he skipped toward their Durango.

  “I’m serious, though.” Ashley looked up at Landon. “Pastor Mark spent the hour talking about service, and all I could think about was you. Out there fighting fires and saving lives, running off to New York City to find Jalen.” Her voice fell a notch. “Chasing after me, even when I was a complete brat.”

  Landon smiled. “Is that what you were?”

  “Sometimes.” She gave him a wary look.

  “Sometimes?” He stopped and faced her. His eyes danced.

  “Okay, a lot of times.” She loved the way they could stop on a dime and find that place of butterflies and magic, that crazy-in-love feeling that put them in their own world, even in the middle of the church parking lot.

  “Yeah.” He touched her face and worked his fingers into her hair. “A lot of times.”

  “But there you were . . . hanging around again and again for me.”

  “For you?” He chuckled. “That was for Cole, you mean.”

  “Guys!” Cole was hopping up and down near the SUV. “Hurry with all that mushy stuff. I have to go to the bathroom.”

  Ashley and Landon laughed.

  “We’re coming.” Then Ashley eased her hand along her husband’s neck and cradled the back of his head. She drew him closer and kissed him. “Okay, for Cole.” There were no churchgoers nearby, so she kissed him again. “But see, you were thinking of everyone but yourself.”

  He brushed his face against hers. “You mean like when you framed a roomful of old photographs so a sweet old lady could live with the memories of her husband, or when you bought a saddle on eBay so an old man could remember the days of his youth?” He smiled. “Like when you dropped everything to go to California with your dad so you could make sure your injured brother would feel cared for? And when you keep stepping in and helping with CKT without any pay just because you like watching kids enjoy theater?” He took a step back, and the teasing in his eyes changed to something much deeper. “I think you know a thing or two about serving.”

  Ashley was touched more than Landon could ever know. That he had a servant’s heart was obvious. But her? The selfish middle daughter who left Bloomington for Paris and had a shameful affair with a Parisian artist? The one who came home pregnant and alone and often allowed her mother to raise her son so she could pursue her painting dreams? Even now she didn’t think of herself as particularly helpful or generous.

  But Landon did.

  She thought about Dayne as they drove home, packed a picnic, and headed for Lake Monroe. If anyone needed service it was Dayne and Katy. He was still in a coma with no sign of coming out of it. And Katy still needed help getting their house together. Because one day Dayne would wake up and he would talk and think like the Dayne he’d been before the accident, and come Thanksgiving he would need a house to live in. Ashley had an idea that could make all the repairs come together by then. Her dad was going to meet them at the lake, and Kari and Brooke and their families too. Temperatures were in the eighties—summer’s last glorious ride before fall would take the reins. Before the afternoon ended, Ashley wanted to tell them what she’d been thinking.

  They reached the familiar picnic spot first, and when they were settled at a table halfway between the parking lot and the water, Landon set up a canopy to keep the sun off them.

  Devin was awake and cooing. He was jabbering in a precious language all his own, and he laughed whenever Cole was around.

  “Can I catch him a snake, Mommy?” Cole peered in at his brother and patted his forehead.

  “Babies don’t like snakes.”

  “He might.” Landon shared a conspiring look with Cole. “Go ahead. Just stay there in the grass where we can see you, okay, buddy?”

  “Okay!” He looked back at Devin. “Wait’ll you see the snakes they got out here. The big ones are four feet long!”

  Ashley let out an exasperated groan. “All snakes must go to Daddy before they go to Devin. That’s Mommy’s rule.”

  Landon nodded, but he grinned at Cole. “Bring ’em here first, all right?”

  “I will!” With that, Cole was off for the patch of grass a few yards away.

  “He’s pretty good at catching snakes, you know.” Landon sat down on the edge of the table and put his finger out near Devin. The baby grabbed hold of it and smiled.

  “He loves you.”

  “Yeah, well, I love him back.” Landon leaned in and kissed the baby’s head. He glanced at Ashley over his shoulder. “Don’t worry about the snakes. They’re harmless. Garter snakes, nothing more.”

  Ashley made a face. “I just wish he’d stick to frogs.”

  Landon laughed. He got up and took a few steps in Cole’s direction. “Maybe I better go help.”

  “See . . . there you go. Always serving.”

  He waved at her, brushing off her comment, and jogged toward Cole.

  Over the next half hour, the others arrived. Maddie and Hayley and Jessie joined the hunt for a snake. Then Kari’s husband, Ryan, joined in.

  They asked Peter to help, but he declined. “I saw enough frogs and snakes in biology courses. I’ll sit here with the women.”

  “And me.” Ashley’s father was making his way toward them. “I’ll sit with the women too. My snake-catching days are over. The old knees can’t take all that crawling around.”

  Everyone laughed, and Brooke shrugged. “I thought we came to the lake so the kids could cool off in the water.”

  “Oh no. That would be too logical.” Kari held on to little Ryan’s hand. He wanted to play with the big kids, but he still needed constant attention. Otherwise he’d eat a rock or wander up to the parking lot. Whenever the family was together lately, Kari spent most of her time chasing after her son.

  Ashley grinned at the picture her sister and nephew made together. Soon enough, that would be her with Devin. Already she couldn’t believe how fast he’d grown. Just yesterday she’d found a picture of him at four weeks old. She put it in a box of images to include in a painting someday . . . when the demands of CKT and raising a baby and helping Katy Hart with the lakeside house all let up.

  Which reminded her . . . maybe now was a good time to tell her family the plan she’d been cooking up, the way they could serve the older Baxter son. She was about to make an announcement when Cole stood straight up and raised both hands in the air. Stretched between them was the largest garter snake Ashley had ever seen.

  “It’s the biggest one ever!” Cole jumped around, settling down only because he seemed to become suddenly worried that the snake might not enjoy the commotion. He hovered over it, and in seconds he was surrounded by his cousins.

  “Cole, that’s so cool!” Jessie’s face was shining with admiration. “Can I touch it?”

  Hayley and Maddie weren’t so sure. They kept their distance and only ventured near when Landon and Ryan assured them the snake wouldn’t bite.

  “Please, Daddy, can I show Devin?” Cole asked.

  Ashley caught Landon’s eye and shook her head. “Please,” she mouthed.

  “How about just from a distance?” He shot her a sheepish smile. Then he led the group of snake hunters over to the group of nonhunters. Ashley had already fed Devin, and he was still awake. Landon stopped and held up his hand. “No closer than this, Cole.”

  His cousins formed a half circle around him and everyone watched.

  Cole held up the snake. “Look, Devin. I caught you a snake.” His voice brimmed with excitement. “But you have to grow up before you can play with it.”

  Devin couldn’t pos
sibly have known what was happening, but Cole’s voice made him look in that direction, and he almost seemed to see the snake in his brother’s hands. Either way, just at that moment he let out a sudden loud squeal followed by a hearty laugh.

  “See!” Cole looked at Landon and Ashley. “I knew he’d love it.”

  Everyone laughed, and Landon led Cole back to the grass so he could release the snake. “You can catch it again when Devin’s bigger,” Landon was saying as they walked away.

  Finally, when the incident with the snake had passed, the group washed their hands and gathered in a circle of folding chairs for their late lunch.

  Ashley surveyed the group. There would never be a better chance to tell them about her plan. “I loved the sermon today. How we all need to serve because, you know, it’s God’s plan for us.”

  Her father nodded. “The message was strong.” He looked sadder than usual. Probably because of Dayne.

  Ashley didn’t point this out. “Anyway, I had an idea, something I want to suggest.” She hesitated. All eyes were on her. “It’s something we can all do together to serve Dayne and Katy.”

  “What’s your idea?” Kari was first to respond. She had admitted since the accident that she felt terrible not helping Dayne somehow.

  Ashley paused, gathering her thoughts. “I’ve talked with three contractors since I’ve been back from LA. The one Katy planned to work with and two others. All three say there’s no way they can get the work on that lake house finished until next summer. Which is way too late.”

  “Have we heard anything new about Dayne’s condition?” Peter was helping Hayley with her potato salad. The child was making weekly advances in her recovery from the near drowning, but she still needed assistance.

  The question didn’t surprise Ashley. Peter was a doctor and analytical. The point he was making was obvious. If Dayne was still in a coma, if the extent of his brain injury wasn’t even known yet, then why rush to fix up an old house? Ashley prayed for the right words. She looked at her brother-in-law, willing him to understand. She needed everyone’s enthusiasm for her idea to work. “No, Dayne’s still in the coma.”

  “But we’re praying for a miracle.” Her father nodded at the faces around him. “We’re all praying for a miracle.”

  “Exactly.” Ashley kept the conversation moving. “The Bible says that anyone who asks God and then doubts is like a wave tossed around on the ocean. It says that in James.”

  “So . . . you’re saying we have to believe that Dayne will wake up.” Peter looked respectful but skeptical. “And we should move forward in that same belief.”

  “Yes.” Ashley felt him catching her enthusiasm.

  Peter nodded. “Okay, so what’s your idea?”

  “If the subcontractors in Bloomington are too busy to work a renovation into their schedules before winter, then maybe it’s up to us.”

  “Us?” Ryan put his arm around Kari and leaned in closer. “You want us to call and bug the guys so they’ll make it a priority?”

  “No.” Ashley smiled. She loved Ryan. He and Kari were perfect together. Ashley looked around the circle. “You’ve all seen that TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, right?”

  Next to her, she felt Landon sit a little straighter. “They bring in a crew and a bunch of supplies and fix up a house in just one week.”

  “Right!” Ashley could barely contain her excitement. “Now, among us we have some knowledge of building houses, don’t we?” She looked at Ryan. “You used to do framing between school years in college, right?”

  “I framed and did the roofing. Hours and hours of it.”

  Ashley clapped. “See, that’s what I’m talking about.” She glanced at Kari. “You have an eye for design. You could pick out the windows and molding and doors.”

  “And I could help hang them.” Peter laughed. “I haven’t worked in construction since high school, but that’s something you don’t forget.”

  “I could paint.” Brooke put her hands on her knees. Her eyes sparkled at the thought. “After the tornado last spring I repainted the entire back porch, inside and out.”

  “I told her not to give up her day job.” Peter kissed Brooke on the cheek. “She’s too brilliant a doctor for that.” He winked at Ashley. “But she can hold her own with a can of paint and a brush. That’s for sure.”

  Ashley wondered if anyone else picked up on the underlying message. In their early years of marriage, Peter had always doubted Brooke’s ability as a doctor. Especially when Maddie had suffered from unexplainable high fevers. But after Hayley’s accident, he had a complete change of heart. Now his respect for Brooke’s talent as a doctor was unmatched.

  “What about Luke and Erin?” Kari directed the question to their dad. “Is there a way we could involve them?”

  “About Luke . . . ” The sorrow in their father’s face was not something he could hide. “He and Reagan are having some trouble.”

  “What?” Kari and Brooke both responded at the same time. Kari’s face lost some of its color. “How come we haven’t heard about this?”

  “I just found out.” Their father rubbed his forehead. He looked like he’d aged five years in the last few months. “I think everything will be okay. I found something your mother wrote about—” he swallowed, clearly overcome by a sudden wave of emotion—“something she wrote about marriage. About the secrets to having a strong marriage. She made a copy for each of you. Even for Dayne. I’ll make sure you get them later.” He paused, as if he were trying to remember his point. “Anyway, I’ve sent a copy to Luke. I’m praying it’ll help.”

  Ashley tried to take in everything her father was saying. Luke’s marriage was in trouble? Was that why Luke had been so standoffish every time they’d talked lately? All this time she’d thought it had to do with his jealousy toward Dayne, but maybe there was something else going on. And then the bit about their mother? She’d written them a letter about marriage? As happy as she and Landon were, she was suddenly desperate to read what her mother had written, the wisdom that she thought was necessary for a marriage to flourish.

  But they were getting sidetracked, so Ashley continued. “I don’t think we can count on Erin or Luke, to be honest. Erin has four little girls running around. If she came, someone would have to watch them. And Luke isn’t planning to be here until the Saturday before Thanksgiving.”

  Her father folded his hands. His knuckles were white, a likely sign that he was more troubled about Luke than he let on.

  “Okay, so who else can we think of?”

  Ryan held up his finger. “A few of the coaches worked together this past summer and built a deck on one of their homes.”

  “Do you think you could get them to help us out?”

  “Yes.” Ryan stroked his chin. A grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “For free tickets to a Colts game, I think I can talk them into just about anything.”

  A ripple of laughter eased the tension from the group. After that, conversations broke out all around Ashley. Ryan told Landon that he could probably get the football team involved, at least in the beginning when a couple workdays would be needed to clear out the debris. Brooke and Peter and Kari started talking about windows and interior paint.

  They’d have to find someone to help with tiling and countertops and appliances, but as the excitement and enthusiasm built, anything seemed possible.

  Before cleaning up the picnic, they prayed for Luke, that he and Reagan would work things out and that the letter from their mother might open his eyes to all that was at stake in his marriage.

  By the time they headed for their cars, the entire group was buzzing about the work project. Even the kids were excited.

  “I always wanted to do an extreme home makeover, Daddy.” Cole held Landon’s hand. “I’ll hammer the nails, okay?”

  Ashley imagined the way it would all come together. Dayne would wake up, and gradually he’d make a complete recovery. Then on Thanksgiving morning, they’d find a reason to a
sk him and Katy out to the lake house. And everyone who had worked on the project would stand around and cheer in the yard of a house that was completely made over.

  Her heart swelled as she pictured Dayne’s reaction. He would never again have to wonder if the Baxters wanted to include him as part of their family. He would know he belonged. The house would forever be proof.

  The group kept walking. “I’ll cut the wood.” Maddie tugged on Peter’s sleeve. “Right, Daddy? Girls can cut wood, right?”

  They all laughed, dreaming out loud about the possibilities. Ashley was just about to suggest they hold another meeting in a week to bring in as many ideas as possible when her dad made a sudden stop.

  “Everyone . . . get to your cars right away!” His voice was loud and stern. “Now. We can talk later.”

  It took a moment for everyone to react, but almost at the same time Ashley’s sisters and their husbands seemed to see the cause of her dad’s alarm. They sheltered the children and hurried toward their vehicles. Bags were tossed into the backs of their cars, and doors were locked.

  Ashley secured Devin’s infant carrier into the backseat and then slid in and shut her door. By then Cole had buckled himself in and Landon had started the engine.

  Her dad was the only one not rushing. Instead he planted himself behind his car and stared across the parking lot.

  Ashley followed his gaze, and she saw what he was looking at. Parked across the lot were two cars, and leaning out the windows were two men, aiming something straight at them. She’d spent enough time in LA to understand what was happening. The men were paparazzi, and the items in their hands were high-powered cameras. Whatever the tabloids were working on, the story was heating up.

  The Baxters had been discovered.

  Bailey kept up on the situation with Dayne and Katy through her mother. Katy called almost every night, and afterwards Bailey would find her mom and get the latest. It was Wednesday evening, and Katy hadn’t called yet. But yesterday’s news was the same as every day for the past three weeks. Dayne was still in a coma. Everyone needed to keep praying. All of CKT was asking God to give Katy and Dayne a miracle.