by Leah Atwood
The women returned inside, leaving Luke alone with Wayne Jergens. Not that he’d had many girlfriends, but the first meeting of their parents never got easier.
“Is there anything I can help with?” Forging past the embarrassing encounter two minutes ago, Luke initiated a conversation with Kate’s dad.
“I’ve got it under control. They shouldn’t be much longer.” Wayne flipped another piece of blackened chicken. “How long have you and Kate been dating?”
Biting the inside of his cheek, he hesitated before answering. “A week.”
Wayne nodded slowly. “Interesting.”
His meaning was indecipherable. Luke hurried to assure him this wasn’t a fly-by-night relationship. “We’ve been spending time together since the conference in Baltimore, but we’ve been friends at work since I moved here four years ago.”
“I see,” Wayne said, moving the meat from the grill to a tray.
What do you see? “Your daughter is very special.”
A smile appeared again on Wayne’s face. “Yes, she is. Tell me, Luke, are you a Christian?”
“Yes, sir. Since I was ten.”
“Very good. Do you have a church home in town?”
He nodded again. “Yes, I’ve been active in mine since shortly after arriving in Lafayette.”
“Where are you from?” Kate’s dad continued his inquisition, but his tone turned conversational.
“That’s a tricky question.” Luke tried not to cringe—it was never a simple answer. “I moved to Lafayette from Baton Rouge, where I worked for several years after graduating from LSU. However, my father is in the Marine Corps, so I don’t have one place I can say I’m from. Home has been many places throughout my life.”
“Did Kate mention her brother is a Marine?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I appreciate the respect, but you can stop calling me sir.” A knowing grin showed slightly crooked teeth. “Something tells me we’ll be getting to know each other quite well.”
Luke smiled, beginning to relax. The ping of a ringing doorbell vaguely registered, but he paid it little mind. “Kate mentioned you have an old Model-T you’re restoring.”
“Ah, my pride and joy. Other than my wife and children.” He chuckled. “I’ll show it to you after we eat if you’d like.”
“Definitely.”
Maria appeared at the door, the skin on her face drawn tight. Her voice was thin and scared when she spoke. “Wayne, you better come inside.”
“What is it?” Brows furrowed, Wayne rushed to his wife’s side.
“There are people…” Maria blinked several times. “Just come in, please.”
Shifting his stance, Luke stood by the grill, unsure if he should stay or go. The meat was burning, and he removed the final pieces from the heat.
“Come too, Luke.” Maria waved him over. “Kate… she’ll…” She trailed off.
What had happened in such a short time? Wayne draped an arm around Maria’s shoulder as they walked inside. Luke followed several steps behind them. He saw Kate standing in the foyer, her face paler than a blanket of freshly fallen snow. She chewed on her bottom lip, utter fear etched in her blue eyes.
Luke’s gaze traveled to the door, and his gut sank. Two long strides and he was at Kate’s side, gripping her hand. He looked to the door again, praying his eyes had played tricks on him, but knowing they hadn’t.
The group at the door was a familiar sight, one every military family prayed never graced their doorstep. Luke quickly appraised their uniforms. The casualty assistance team standing at the door consisted of a chaplain, gunnery sergeant, and a captain. Their faces were grim, postures severe.
The captain stepped forward. “I am Captain Reynold and this is Gunny Martz and Chaplain Diaz. Are you Wayne Jergens, the father of Sergeant Evan Jergens?”
“Yes.” Wayne stepped forward, placing himself between his wife and the service members as if that could protect her from the news they brought. “He is my son.”
Kate’s entire body trembled, and Luke held her, giving her physical support.
“I’m sorry to inform you, sir, but your son has been listed as missing in action.”
Wayne clamped his eyes, took a deep breath. “What do you mean?”
“There was a helicopter crash in the midst of a mission. It occurred in a very remote region of Afghanistan, and we’ve not been able to locate the wreckage yet. Your son was one of five Marines on board.”
Tears openly fell from Kate’s eyes. Maria wiped at her cheeks.
“When?” The strangled reply didn’t sound at all like Wayne’s voice.
“Yesterday, at 8:01 Afghan time, the last distress signal was sent.” The Captain wetted his lips. “I promise you that every effort is being made to locate and rescue your son.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?” Sorrow loomed in the room, and Wayne pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Not at this time.” Captain Reynold pulled a card from his wallet. “Here is a list of contact numbers, including mine and a non-deployed officer from your son’s unit, along with the FRO from your son’s squadron. Please feel free to call any of us at any time, and we will also be in contact with you as information is available.”
Wayne’s white-knuckled hand took the card. “Thank you.”
Kate wove her fingers and pressed her hands against her mouth. Luke grieved for her, his heart aching for the pain emanating from her.
“May I say a prayer with your family?” Chaplain Diaz looked at Wayne for permission.
“We could use every prayer possible.”
Wayne and Maria joined hands. Captain Reynold and Gunny Martz hesitated for a second, but then Captain Reynold took the chaplain’s outstretched hand, and Gunny Martz, Wayne’s.
Shrinking into herself, Kate made no effort to join them. In a brief glance, Wayne shot Luke a desperate plea for help. Luke covered her hands with his and gently lowered them from her face. They never joined the prayer circle, but he tucked her under one arm and kept hold of her hands with the other.
The prayer ended and the casualty assistance team left. The women remained silent, paralyzed with fear for Evan. Luke could see Wayne’s struggle to maintain his composure.
“Why don’t we sit down,” Wayne finally said in a ragged voice.
“No. I need to get out of here.” Kate pushed away and ran out the front door.
Luke started after her, but Maria pressed a palm to his arm. “Give her some time.”
“She shouldn’t be alone.” Luke swallowed. He physically hurt, felt ill to his stomach. How is it possible that I love her this much already that I can feel her pain?
Kate’s mom and dad exchanged a look that ended with Maria nodding.
“Let’s go to the family room.” Wayne spoke to him but tugged on Maria’s hand. “There are some things you should know about Kate if she hasn’t already told you.”
In the other room, Luke sat in a burgundy armchair. All around him were symbols of Christmas. They should have injected some joy into him, but his mind was far from celebrations. He bent at his waist, rested his forehead in his hands, and took three deep breaths. When he sat up, he didn’t feel any better. He wouldn’t until he could check on Kate.
Sitting on a sable-colored couch, Wayne cleared his throat. He sat next to his wife with their knees touching. “Kate and Evan are not our biological children.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but it slipped off his tongue. That explained a lot.
“I’m only telling you this because I can see the depth of your affection for our daughter.” Wayne sucked in a breath. “When Kate was nine, her mother abandoned her and Evan at a bus stop. They were taken in by child services, and Evan was placed first. The family who took him was only able to care for one child.”
Maria scooted forward. “Kate came to us a week later. She was an angel—we couldn’t have asked for a better-behaved child. When we found out about Evan, we appealed to have h
im join us. It didn’t take much and soon Kate and Evan were reunited.”
Wayne squeezed his wife’s hand. “The day he came to us, Kate wouldn’t leave his side. When it came time for bed, she insisted on sleeping in the room with him. It was the first time she’d ever made a scene.”
Luke nodded, taking it all in. So much ugliness of life for a small child to carry on her shoulders.
A tear trickled from Maria’s eyes. “She broke down, screaming hysterically. About that time, Evan had vomited on himself. I picked him up to carry him to the other room where we had his spare clothes. Kate was so involved in her meltdown that she didn’t see that Evan needed to be changed.” Maria paused for several seconds, took two deep breaths. “She thought we were taking him away again. Her tantrum stopped abruptly, but she wrapped her arms around my waist, begging me not to take Evan away from her again. ‘I promise I’ll never scream or cry again’ she repeatedly said while tears pooled in her eyes, but she never let them fall.”
“We let her share a room with Evan after that, for the next year until we were able to officially adopt both of them, because Kate couldn’t bear to be away from him. Even when school started, our hearts broke every day at the look on her face when she had to leave him.” Wayne sighed. “But she never once complained, never shed another tear again. It was unnatural. Our social worker suggested counseling, and through that we discovered that the last thing Kate’s birth mother told her as she walked away was ‘you’re not worth the trouble, crybaby’.”
An audible gasp escaped Luke. Outrage sluiced his blood. How could anyone, a mother especially, say something so cruel to a child.
“When we heard that, we felt the same anger I see you grappling with now. It’s despicable and there’s no excuse.” Wayne took another deep breath, weariness filling his eyes. “Evan and Kate’s mother had a drug problem, and she wasn’t in her right mind when she left them. During her trial, she confessed to getting high before she left so it wouldn’t hurt so bad when she walked away. It’s hard to fathom, and it doesn’t make it acceptable, but she did love them and knew she couldn’t give them the life they deserved.”
Luke snorted. “So very noble of her.”
“It’s very difficult to hear, I know, but you need to understand why she and Evan are so close and why she often acts as she does.” Maria regarded him with teary eyes. “Kate has so much love to give, but she keeps it locked inside, afraid to let anyone know her for fear they’ll leave like her mother did if she displays the slightest flaw.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” His decision was resolute. He would stand by Kate’s side and love her, flaws and all.
Maria offered him a bittersweet smile. “You are an answer to our prayers.”
“Can I go to her now?”
Kate’s mom bobbed her head once. “She’ll have circled to the backyard. You’ll find her on the swing.”
He stood. “Thank you—for sharing Kate’s story and giving her a loving home.”
Chapter 6
The toes of Kate’s shoes dragged against the brittle dead grass. Sitting on an outdoor swing under the sweeping branches of a live oak, she stared ahead, her heart and mind numb.
Helicopter crash. Missing in Action.
For weeks, she’d had that premonition that something wasn’t right or was going to happen. Why couldn’t she have been wrong? She couldn’t lose her brother. Evan had to be alive. He had to be.
A thump from the house caught her attention. Luke fought with the sliding glass door. She could have gotten up and showed him, told him it had to be lifted over a bump, but she didn’t move.
Instead, she leaned against the slight curvature of the swing, stared at the sky. All blue except one cotton ball to her right. Was the weather clear or stormy when Evan’s helicopter crashed? Did it even storm in Afghanistan? Why don’t I know these things? I should have learned more about where my brother’s fighting.
“Mind if I sit?” Luke stood in front of her.
Focused on her thoughts, she didn’t answer his question. “Does it storm in Afghanistan?”
His brows pinched together. “Yes.”
“Was it storming yesterday?”
His head angled to the right. “I’m not sure.”
“Can I see your phone?” It became imperative that she find out. “I’ll look it up.”
He slid his phone from his rear pocket and handed it to her with the internet browser ready. Her hands trembled as she tried to type the words. She huffed after the third time she had to hit the back key. No matter what, her fingers wouldn’t cooperate.
“Come on,” she muttered in a frantic plea. “How hard can it be to find out the weather? What if there’s a storm today. What if Evan’s caught in it with no shelter.” Her hysteria built as her fingers worked faster, producing fewer results. “What if he can’t be rescued?”
Luke didn’t say a word, but she was vaguely aware he’d sat beside her. His arm encircled her in a possessive, comforting grip. He took the phone from her and set it aside. “Let it out, Kate, just let it out.”
She let herself express her feelings without worry about the repercussions. She didn’t block the tears or the anguish pouring from her soul. Sobs wracked her chest, and Luke continued to cradle her. He brushed the hairs from her face when they got caught on a tear, and he handed her a tissue when her nose ran. He held her tight when the tears finally stopped, and he didn’t press her to talk.
He was simply there for her.
At some point, she lifted her head from the safety net of his shoulder. “I’m sorry for unleashing all this on you.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Using his thumb, he wiped something from her cheek.
Probably mascara, but for once she didn’t care how she looked. “I’m surprised I haven’t scared you off yet.”
“Kate…” He paused, took a reflective breath. “Your parents told me about your adoption, what your birth mom said and did.”
“Oh.” Her gaze flitted to the ground, and she heaved a heavy sigh. “Now you know just how messed up I really am.”
“You’re human.” Cupping her cheek, he made her look at him. “I can’t begin to imagine what you experienced, but you don’t have to pretend with me.”
“I know, but it’s hard.” She closed her eyes, imagined a different world. “Even now, I feel so stupid for breaking down in front of you and wondering when you’re going to be sick of me.”
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Wiping a stray tear from her lashes, he kept his eyes locked on her. “That’s what friends are for. And we’re more than friends, so I’m not going away unless you want me to.”
“Stay. Please.”
His hand left her cheek. He matched his palm flat against hers then wove their fingers.
“I’m so scared, Luke.” Her head drifted to his shoulder again. She wasn’t ready to give up the strength she drew from it. “What if Evan’s…” The word wouldn’t come out.
“My mom always said ‘don’t borrow trouble’.” As he spoke, his finger traced circles on her knuckles. “She’d quote a verse from the Bible that says, ‘For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you’.”
“Dad always quotes that one too.”
“Because it’s a good one. No one can guarantee outcomes in life, but God promises he’ll be with us through the valleys.”
“Thank you for that reminder.” She couldn’t let her thoughts drift to the what-ifs with Evan, but the crushing panic had subsided. “I should go back inside, see how Mom and Dad are faring.”
His slow smile gave her the support she needed to stand. Thank you, Lord, for bringing Luke to me, especially at this time.
Chapter 7
Tuesday morning, Kate sat at her desk, staring at her closed office door. Three days had passed since her family received word that Evan was missing. There’d been no updates, and it had since made national news.
Her
cell phone rang, and she dreaded answering the call. If it was another reporter asking for an interview, she’d throw the phone across the room. In their quest to get a human interest story sure to boost ratings, the reporters all seemed to forget that she was a real human. A sister worried for her brother’s life and those of the men whom he was with.
They all asked how she felt, and she’d stopped answering. No one wanted to hear that she felt like someone had ripped out her heart, but she had no choice but to keep living without an essential organ. The not knowing was the worst, but she preferred that to receiving bad news.
If not for Luke’s unwavering support, she’d be lost. He stayed with her in the evenings until propriety dictated he leave, and he talked her down when her fears overwhelmed her. When they were together and her phone rang, he’d screen her calls and did countless other things to make her life easier during this time.
Luke was everything she’d always wanted, and she loved him. If there was a bright spot in any of this, it was him.
The ring tone on her phone blared again, this time the one dedicated to Sophie’s house and cell number. She gladly took that call. “Hi, Sophie.”
“Hi, Kate. Do you have a minute?”
“Always for my best friend. What’s up?”
Sophie laughed. “Do you have plans tomorrow?”
“It’s the last day of work before Christmas, but the office closes at one. Why?”
“I talked to Bryce last night and told him I need to be there with you.” Sophie must have been holding Ethan because Kate heard his babbling. “He agreed, and we decided to spend Christmas in Oden Bridge.”
“Are you serious? You better not be kidding.” Excitement found a place among her sorrows.
“Completely. School let out yesterday for winter break, and we’re on the road now, well technically at a rest stop.” There was a muffled sound and Sophie came back. “Bryce says hi.”
“Tell him I said hi back, but most importantly, tell me when I get to see you.”
“Gram offered to babysit tomorrow night and do old-fashioned Christmas crafts with Gracie so Bryce and I can drive into Lafayette. What do you think about a double date? I want to meet Luke.”
