Another Solution (Crowley County Series Book 4)
Page 24
She turned to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. He tried to pull her into a deeper kiss but she pulled back.
“No Jason, I want to talk to you about something very important.”
He gave her a broad smile and said, “Okay, as you said before, I’m all yours.”
Karen tried to think of a good way to ease into the topic of children but couldn’t. So she just blurted it out.
“Jason, what do you think about children?”
She could see on his face that he hadn’t understood exactly what she meant.
“I mean us having children.”
Recognition dawned on his face and he grinned. “Oh that.”
She was about ready to smack him one when he chuckled and said, “I don’t know about you, Karen, but I was an only child and I would like to have lots of kids. I don’t want any kid of mine to grow up alone the way I did.”
She was so overjoyed that she leaped into his arms. “Oh Jason you’re the most wonderful man in the whole world and I love you so much. I want lots of children too.”
She looked down at her hands in her lap and thought about that for a short time then turned back to Jason. “I’m thirty Jason. Don’t you think that if we want to have lots of children that we shouldn’t wait too long?”
He laughed and hugged her tightly. “Yes Sweetheart, once we’re married, we won’t wait okay.”
Sweetheart? She liked the sound of that coming from Jason. “You’re my sweetheart too Jason . . . forever and ever.”
Epilogue
Two years later . . .
Jason Walker was standing in his huge backyard at the farm. All around him were all of the most important people in his life. He could see his wife, Karen, standing in a group of women not too far away. She was leaning over their ten-month-old daughter, Elizabeth and wiping what looked like jelly off her face.
He laughed when he noticed that Karen’s protruding belly kept getting in the way. Finally, Elizabeth reached out and pushed at Karen’s belly.
Next to him was his best friend Mike Bates. Mike was bending over talking to his eighteen-month-old son, Michael. And just then Michael’s older sister, seven-year-old Lucy came running up and pulled Michael away to go play with the other kids.
Jason’s longtime friend and boss, Sheriff Floyd McCracken turned toward them and gave them a thumb’s up sign. He was trying to organize a softball game to include the older kids.
He heard loud laughter and knew immediately that his granny was in the middle of her hen party as she and her friends from the complex where she lived called themselves.
Their pastor, Gil Turner came over then and he had Larry Palmer with him. Jason smiled to himself when he remembered how he and Larry had been at odds over Karen at one time. Now Larry was happily married to Brandi who had indeed tamed him just like Granny did Gramps all those years ago.
When the other two men reached Jason and Mike, Gil stepped right in front of Jason and said, “Jason, we sure do appreciate the fact that you and Karen opened you home and especially your yard for our annual church picnic. This is such a great place for a picnic.”
“You’re welcome Gil. Karen and I love it out here so much that we have to force ourselves to go into town for most any reason.”
All four men laughed at that.
Then Gil, with a grin on his face, looked at each of the other men before he spoke again. “It sure is a good thing we’ve got a nurse and a couple of doctors here today what with all the pregnant women here.”
Jason laughed and elbowed Larry. “Yeah, and it looks like Brandi is about to pop any minute.”
Larry shook his head. “You got that right. Her due date was three days ago.”
Then Mike said, “I’m not sure how much good that nurse might be, she’s more than eight months along herself.”
Jason looked over at the group of women where Mike’s wife, Daisy sat looking rather uncomfortable with her large belly.
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Karen Walker looked around her at the group of women all in a circle and sitting in lawn chairs. This was so great.
Her mother was here too. She had issued a special invitation to her mother and reminded her often to get her here today.
Now her mother was sitting in a group of ladies her age and older. And amazing as it was to Karen, it looked as if her stuffy retired college professor mother was finally beginning to loosen up a little. Between Granny and the twins, they had kept Vickie Bierstadt laughing all morning. Karen was so happy.
She looked around the circle of chairs and smiled at the sight of all of her best friends. Before she came to Crowleyville she hadn’t had any close friends. Now she had so many that she had to stop to count them all.
She looked to her left and there sat Daisy Bates who had always been there for her throughout that whole year that she had fought her attraction to Jason. Daisy was the best.
Then next to Daisy was Sue Ann McCracken who along with Jo Turner, the pastor’s wife, had also been there for her so much of that year and since too.
Finally, her gaze landed on Brandi Palmer. Brandi was fast becoming a close friend too. Brandi had married Karen’s former fiancé Larry who had initially come to Crowleyville to get her back. But when he saw Brandi, he’d turned his attentions toward her.
Just then, Karen looked toward the large blanket that was spread out in the middle of the circle of women. Her eyes fell first on her ten-month-old daughter, Elizabeth. Her little girl had the most beautiful brown hair that was like Karen’s long black hair in every other way except color.
All the little ones were on that blanket playing with each other and an assortment of toys.
She looked first at Michael Bates, Jr. who was eighteen-months, then two-year- old Mary Ann McCracken with her golden red hair. Finally, she looked at sixteen-month-old Ashley Turner who was trying to get her three-year-old brother Luke to help her with something.
Yes, it was quite a group and that didn’t even include the three older kids who were over by the men trying to get into a softball game. There was Daisy’s seven-year-old daughter, Lucy, Sue Ann’s ten-year-old son, Andy, and finally Floyd’s twelve-year-old daughter Penny.
Then as Karen’s gaze traveled around the circle, again she looked at each woman and had to laugh. Not only were they all such good friends but they were all five pregnant.
Karen was startled when all of a sudden arms came around her shoulders from behind and squeezed her tightly. Jason!
Before either one could say anything, Gil Turner appeared nearby and raised his voice to be heard among the various groups scattered around the backyard.
“Brothers and sisters, they tell me that it’s time for lunch so I would like to ask the Lord’s blessing not only on the food we’re about to eat, but this whole group of wonderful people from First Baptist church of Crowleyville.”
Everyone cheered and clapped as Gil waited for the sounds to die down before he continued.
When he could be heard again, he motioned to his right and two couples stepped up next to him.
“I would also like to ask for a special blessing on our two newest married couples.” He waved his hand at them and everyone cheered and clapped again.
Karen only knew one of them very well because Billy Joe Layton was her father-in-law.
Gil was speaking again so Karen gave him her attention.
“I would like to present to all of you these two fine couples. First, there is Ron Farley, retired high school principal and his new bride, the former Wanda Curtis.”
Sue Ann came to her feet and sticking her fingers in her mouth whistled shrilly and yelled, “Way to go Mom.”
When the laughter died down, Gil went on, “And our other newlyweds are Billy Joe Layton and his new bride the former Sarah Bates.”
The whole group of residents from the home where Sarah was the director stood as one and Bert led them in cheering and shouting, “Miss Sarah.” And then, “Mr. BJ.”
Karen laughed alon
g with everyone else and suddenly she was being pulled to her feet by her husband and into his embrace.
Things were just beginning to settle down when there was a cry from her left. She looked over there and Brandi was struggling to get to her feet. Karen could see immediately that Brandi’s water had broken.
Larry came running over to help his wife and almost tripped over several people who were simultaneously trying to help Brandi and stay out of Larry’s way.
The doctors, Mark and Stella Martin were there quickly and they helped Larry get her to his car. Then Stella got in the backseat with Brandi and they rushed off to the hospital.
Gil was still standing in the middle of the group. “Well, it looks like our little group is about to grow by one more today.”
When the laughter died down, he raised his hands into the air and said, “Let us pray and we’ll be sure to add the Palmers, all three of them to our prayer.”
And that was how a perfect day just got even more perfect for Karen as she snuggled deeper into her husband’s embrace and Gil prayed.
About the Author
T. E. Killian has been an Army Medic, high school English teacher, pastor, hospital chaplain, crisis counselor, police chaplain, and pastoral counselor.
All of these occupations have helped him to understand how men and women build and keep relationships. He also knows how they repair or destroy those relationships. He has also observed how people interact in all kinds of situations.
They also give him firsthand knowledge of how people live and act within each of those types of situations.
Therefore, his characters take on the characteristics and personalities of people who work in all of the occupations he knows so well.
Having been in many crisis situations over the past thirty plus years, he can write about them realistically.
He and his wife, Ann, live in Cottonwood, Arizona, where he writes fulltime and still serves as a police chaplain.
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He would love to hear from his readers. Each of his novels has a Christian message in it. If you have any questions or comments on those messages, he would love to discuss these with you via email.
If you would like to contact him or if you would like to be added to his mailing list which is only used to announce the publication of each new book, please send him an email at: tekillianbooks@hotmailcom.
Also please check out his webpage at: www.tekillian.com
Look for all the uplifting Christian novels
By
T. E. Killian
The Sycamore P.D. Series
Lost Memories
Accepted Memories
Resolved Memories
Crowley County Series
No Easy Solution
A Better Solution
The Only Solution
Another Solution
Clear Creek Series
Ryan’s Ruin
Chase’s Return
Hunter’s Revenge
Walking Together Series
Walking Straight
Walking Away
Walking the Line