October Joy (Moments In Paradise 1)

by Melanie Wilber

  “Sarah?” he said.

  She looked at him and smiled. “Yes?”

  “How crucial is it you go back today?”

  “That’s when my plane ticket is for,” she said, not certain what he was saying.

  “If I help you get a different flight, will you stay until tomorrow?”

  She had some things to do tomorrow for the women’s luncheon happening on Saturday. Knowing she was going to be out of town this week, she had already taken care of most of the details and asked others to help with some of the last-minute preparations, but she voiced her second thought. “You want me to stay one more day? Where?”

  “Out at The Farm with Annika’s family. I want them to meet you, and I’m not sure when they might have another chance.”

  Her confidence wavered. “Are you sure that would be okay, Andrew?”

  “Yes. They’re really good people, Sarah.”

  Having one more day with Andrew appealed to her, and if he thought meeting his in-laws would be fine for her, she was willing to trust him on that. But could she afford to wait until Friday night to get back and still finish up her “to do” list, and how would she explain her delay?

  “I want you to stay, Sarah,” Andrew said. “But you decide what’s good for you. No pressure, I was just wondering.”

  “Can we get out of here first and I’ll think about it?” she said, seeing someone she knew coming down the empty row in front of them.

  “Sure,” he said, rising to his feet as the woman approached them. Her husband, who had been a very good friend of Levi’s for many, many years was following close behind.

  Sarah rose to her feet to greet them both, giving Darlene a smile and a hug. She had seen them on the first night and talked to them, but she hadn’t seen them since.

  “It was so good seeing you, Sarah,” Darlene said. “I’m glad you made it.”

  “Me too,” she said. “Are you heading back today?”

  “Yes.”

  Sarah almost said ‘Me too’, but now she wasn’t certain about that. Seeing Darlene’s eyes shift to Andrew, she went ahead and introduced them. “Darlene, this is Andrew Morgan. Andrew, this is Darlene and Bob Ridgefield. They’ve been coming here as long as me and Levi have, and they’ve been at the same church in St. Louis for what, like fifteen years now?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Darlene said. “Nice to meet you, Andrew. Where are you from?”

  “California. On the coast near Santa Cruz.”

  “Wow, you’re a long way from home. Is your wife with you?”

  “No, she’s deceased.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Darlene said. “Are you a friend of Levi’s?”

  “No,” he said. “I met him once, but it’s been several years since I’ve been here--at this conference anyway. I have family here in Iowa.”

  Darlene and Bob chatted with Andrew for a minute about where in Iowa he had lived. Bob had grown up in Cedar Rapids, and Darlene was from a small town near there. They had gone to school with Levi in Chicago and had been at a church in Indiana for several years before moving to St. Louis. Andrew and Annika had also lived in Indiana, so they had a lot in common.

  Sarah could tell Darlene and Bob were wondering why Andrew had been sitting here with her if he didn’t know Levi, but they didn’t say anything. They had to get going and told her good-bye, asking if she thought she might be back next year or at any of the other Midwest conferences she sometimes saw them at.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not sure where God might be taking me from here.”

  “Do you think you’ll stay in Minneapolis? Your kids are there, right?”

  “Yes, they are. But I don’t know. One day at a time, I guess.”

  “Okay, you let us know if you make any major changes,” Darlene said, glancing at Andrew. “And it was nice meeting you, Andrew. You two take care.”

  Darlene and Bob stepped away, and Sarah looked at Andrew and smiled. He smiled in return and said, “Oh, we’ll take care, all right. We’ll take care of each other.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Andrew didn’t know about Sarah, but he thought their informal debut as a couple went rather well. They were stopped a few more times on their way out, and Sarah introduced him to anyone he didn’t already know, but no one said anything directly about them being together. He caught some others watching them Sarah didn’t notice, but none of them came to talk to her.

  One of the things he had learned during his years as a pastor: if someone had an opinion about something, they tended to talk to everyone else about it first and then confront him as a last resort, and more often, not at all. He knew Sarah and Levi had likely encountered the same, but probably not in such a personal matter.

  Once they were outside and headed toward the car, he pulled her close to his side and said, “You were being very snuggly during worship. What was up with that?”

  She smiled. “You go to a different Place when you worship, and I wanted to be there with you.”

  “What helped you do that?”

  “I came here today only trusting God and believing Him halfway. I believed it was okay for us to be together, but only to the point of no one noticing. I was telling myself I wasn’t ashamed, but I was acting like I was.”

  “So it was an act of worship for you to take my hand?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I think it was.”

  “It was, Sarah. And I’m proud of you. Acts of worship can be scary sometimes, but I never regret them.”

  “I don’t regret it,” she said. “My heart is full of joy.”

  They reached the car, and he opened the door for her, but he held her outside for a moment. “Have you thought about my suggestion?” he asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  She sighed and spilled all of her concerns, along with her desire to stay. “I’d love another day with you. I’m just not sure I can.”

  “How about if I drive you to the airport and you think about it on the way?”

  “Okay,” she said.

  He gave her time to think, and he did some thinking of his own. Not about his immediate plans, but about future ones--when he might go to Minneapolis to visit her and ask her to come to California. He knew she was going to Illinois for Thanksgiving to see her parents, and he didn’t want to interfere with that. He wanted time with Danae and Tate while they were home for Winter Break, and Christmas had been a pretty big deal for all of them since Annika had been gone, so he wasn’t sure what would work the best for everyone. The week after Christmas tended to be slow at the office, and his kids either hung around the house or went places with friends, so that would probably be the best time for him to go, but he didn’t know if he could wait two whole months to see her again.

  When they arrived at the airport, he parked the car in the short-term lot. She had plenty of time to catch her flight, so he remained in the car for now. When she didn’t say anything right away, he knew what her answer was going to be.

  “You’re going, aren’t you?”

  She looked at him. “I think I should, but I really don’t want to.”

  “Why do you think you should?”

  “There’s a couple of things I need to do tomorrow, and they’re things I want to do. If I don’t, Saturday will just be a big burden for me, but if I do, I’ll get some joy out of it.”

  “That sounds like a good reason,” he said.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s fine, Sarah, really.”

  “Saying good-bye to you tomorrow won’t be any easier for me than today.”

  “It’s not good-bye, Sarah. It’s ‘I’ll call you tonight.’”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  He kissed her. “I love you, Sarah. This isn’t the end for us, I promise.”

  “I want you to send me that message series on enjoying God, but I’m getting it, Andrew.”

  “I’m glad, Sarah. You can’t marry me un
less you get that.”

  She laughed. “I don’t think I can be around you and not get it.”

  “I have a little something for you,” he said, reaching into the back seat and pulling out a sack from one of his bags. Handing it to her, he told her to look inside, and she pulled out the rectangular jewelry case. He had noticed something about her in the last three days. She didn’t wear a lot of jewelry. Currently she had on her wedding ring and some small earrings, but the other days she had always worn a bracelet--a different one each time. Annika had liked bracelets also, and some of them had special meaning for her.

  “Andrew,” she said, opening the case and seeing the sterling silver bracelet with a long string of hearts. “It’s beautiful. When did you get this?”

  “This morning before I came to pick you up.”

  “Thank you.”

  He helped her put it on and said, “I don’t know if the other bracelets you’ve worn have any special meaning for you, but this says, ‘I love you, Sarah. I love you, and I’m going to be thinking about you and holding you in my heart every day.’”

  She smiled and gave him a sweet kiss. “Then I’ll wear it every day until I see you again.”

  Sarah didn’t cry when they went inside and he hugged her good-bye. She had a look of self-determination to believe their separation would only be temporary, and he reassured her of that several times. He planned to remain in contact with her daily.

  “Are you going to be telling people in your church about me?” she asked.

  He’d been thinking about it, but he knew what his answer should be. “Of course I am. They’re going to know about you just the same as if I met you there and you were at church every Sunday.”

  ***

  Grace had forgotten Ryan usually came over for dinner on Thursdays until she heard Tabitha come through the front door shortly before five o’clock and heard Ryan’s voice too. They came back to the kitchen, and she crossed the room to give Tabby a hug. She hadn’t seen her since last night when she left with Sierra.

  “How did it go?”

  “Okay. Sierra’s doing pretty well, but I’m glad I went. I had the chance to talk to her more about Mom than I have before.”

  “I’m proud of you,” she said. “Mom would be proud of you.”

  “That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Use our tragedies to help others whenever we can.”

  “Yes, and you’re very good at it. Better than me.”

  “Yeah, you just helped Daddy raise three of us. I don’t think this quite compares to that.”

  Grace didn’t respond. She had done what she had to do without thinking about it. But Tabby made it sound like some heroic thing.

  “We’re going to study,” Tabby said, turning away with Ryan. “What’s for dinner?”

  “Chicken Enchiladas.”

  “Wow. What’s the special occasion?”

  “Ryan’s here, of course.”

  Tabby looked at her and smiled. “Is James coming?”

  She laughed. “Yes.”

  “Some of the kids at school were talking about you today. They said they saw you at Baskin-Robbins.”

  “Yes. I don’t think it’s going to stay a secret. By Sunday I’m sure everyone will know.”

  Grace sat down at the table to do some work while the enchiladas were cooking. When James arrived at five-thirty, Tabby beat her to the door, and she had a good time with it.

  “Well, Pastor James. What brings you by?”

  “Your sister invited me for dinner.”

  “Oh? And why would she do a thing like that? Don’t you have a kitchen at your apartment?”

  “Yes,” he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “But no one to eat with.”

  “And you probably can’t cook like she does either.”

  “No, I’m sure I don’t.”

  James was talking to Tabby, but he had his eyes on her, and Grace couldn’t keep a smile from forming on her face. She had been telling herself all day to not get too crazy about this, but the sight of James did bring a joy to her heart she couldn’t hide.

  And apparently James didn’t want to hide it either because even with Tabby standing right there, he handed her the flowers he had brought and gave her a sweet kiss, followed by some soft-spoken words.

  “I missed you today.”

  Grace had missed him too, but she didn’t say it. “Dinner’s ready. Are you hungry?”

  “Yes. Is Ryan here? I saw his car out front.”

  “I forgot he usually comes for dinner on Thursday.”

  The three of them went into the kitchen, and Tabitha helped her with getting things on the table and then went to tell Ryan it was ready. James took full advantage of the moment alone with her, pulling her close to him and giving her a tender kiss.

  “I really did miss you today, Gracie.”

  She smiled at him.

  “Did you miss me?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Why are you reluctant to tell me that?”

  “Because I don’t do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Fall for guys this fast.”

  He kissed her again, long and slow. Like she had always imagined it being with the right person.

  “Welcome to my world, Gracie Morgan. I fell this fast for you a long time ago.”

  ***

  “So, Anni, what’s up? What’s that special glow you have on your face today?”

  Annika looked across the dinner-table at her sister, and she smiled. Erika had invited her out to Starhaven this evening, and she had to share her latest Joy-Sightings.

  “He kissed her.”

  “James? He kissed Gracie?”

  “Yes,” Annika laughed. “But that’s not who I meant.”

  Erika looked confused. “You don’t mean Andrew?”

  “Yes!”

  “Oh my God! Joshua? You let him do that so soon?”

  Joshua smiled. “He wanted to, and she wanted him to, so why not?”

  “Joshua tried to prepare me for it,” Annika said. “But I had no idea He could bring things together so quickly. I’d about given up on both Andrew and Gracie, and now they’re both living crazier than I’ve ever seen them!”

  “And neither of them know they’re both falling in love in the same week?”

  “No,” Annika laughed. Turning to Joshua, she tickled His knee under the table. “You can be so sneaky sometimes.”

  He smiled. “Now what’s the point of creating the Universe and all of you crazy people if I can’t have a little fun once in awhile?”

  They all laughed.

  “So, Joshua,” Erika said. “Are you going to let us in on when these weddings are going to take place, or are you going to make Anni wait until the day she gets the invitations in the mail?”

  “You’ll know when they know.”

  “And when is that going to be?” Erika pressed.

  “Soon.”

  “Soon? Is that our definition of soon, or yours?”

  “I think they’ve already waited long enough,” Joshua said. “Don’t you?”

  Erika let her answer that. “I don’t know, what do you think, Anni?”

  She gave a peaceful response. “None of them are getting any younger, and life on Earth is already short enough. I say, ‘The sooner, the better.’”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sarah wasn’t sure who was picking her up at the airport. Both of her kids knew what time she was coming in, and one of them had promised to be there, but she was surprised when she saw the whole clan waiting for her beyond the security checkpoint.

  “What are you all doing here?” she asked, giving Faye a hug first, followed by Jamison.

  “We were all free tonight,” Chandler said, “so we thought we’d surprise you and go out to dinner.”

  Sarah gave her son a hug also. “It’s a surprise, all right, but I’m not complaining. It’s so good to see you.”

  Her daughter-in-law, Heather, hugg
ed her too with little Josef in her arms, who at seven months wasn’t so little anymore. She thought of what she told Andrew last night about her first grandchild coming during the right year. Leaving him to move to California would not be easy, nor any of her family.

  She hadn’t decided when to tell them about Andrew. She had been thinking if Faye came to pick her up alone, she would tell her first, but since that wasn’t the case, she didn’t know if she should wait until she could talk to Faye and Chandler individually or tell everyone at once.

  They drove to a restaurant near the house, and she rode with Chandler and Heather. They had purchased a mid-size SUV a few months ago, and she sat in the front seat with Chandler while Heather sat in the back with the baby. They asked her about the conference, and she told them it had been better than she expected.

  “Everyone was very supportive. Some were surprised to see me there without your dad, but it was good to see everyone. Your dad will be missed there for years to come, I’m sure.”

  “I thought it was brave of you to go, Mom,” Chandler said. “We were all praying for you.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure it made a difference,” she said but was thinking, I hope you like the way God answered.

  Once they were at the restaurant, Faye asked about her time in Iowa as well, but after she said what she already told Chandler and Heather, the attention turned elsewhere, and she enjoyed hearing about all of their respective weeks. Faye and Jamison were both in their first year of teaching. Faye taught third grade at a Christian school, and Jamison had gotten a job teaching science at a middle school. They were both enjoying it but facing some challenges during their first weeks.

  Chandler made his living as a photographer. He had gone to college to study business but had gotten a part-time job as a photographer in a department store during his junior year to help with expenses, and he absolutely loved it. When Chandler and Heather married three years ago, he dropped out of school to take an apprenticeship position with a local photographer where he learned to do weddings and high-quality studio work, and now he had his own business. He had taken some pictures of her and Levi a couple of months before Levi’s death, and those were very special photos to her now. He had also done Faye and Jamison’s wedding and had done a beautiful job.