Marrying Kate

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Marrying Kate

  By

  Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Copyright ©2013

  By Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Second edition – Originally published in 2001 as “A Family for Kate” by LeAnne Hill

  by TrebleHeart Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations being used in reviews or articles about the book.

  This is a work of fiction. The situations, characters, names and places are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to locales, events, actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be re-sold or transferred via any method to any other individual. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please respect the hard work of the author who has spent many hours creating this story for your enjoyment and purchase your own copy of this eBook. Please do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials by illegally downloading or sharing this eBook. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Other Titles by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Waiting for Rachel

  (Those Karlsson Boys – Book 1)

  Faith, Hope & Love

  Dedication

  For my husband: You have encouraged me to return to a dream that has been dormant for the past several years. Thank you for your encouragement and support! xoxo

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  Copyright

  Other Titles by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Dedication

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  A heavy blanket of silence settled over the house. Kate hated this time of day. She hated the silence, the stillness, the feeling that she was all alone in the world. And being alone with her thoughts was something she avoided if at all possible these days.

  "Just water the plants, then you can go to bed," Kate murmured aloud. Even talking to herself was preferable to being bombarded by silence.

  She walked to the small table she’d set up by the big glass windows next to the breakfast nook. Kate surveyed the plants with a critical eye. Her first attempt at gardening was not going as well as she had hoped. The small seedlings looked a bit bedraggled and worse for wear. With a sigh, Kate lifted the small watering can and moistened the soil. Was there anything she had a hope of doing well in this life?

  Just six months ago she’d been living in a small condo in Seattle with no one—not even a pet—to keep her company. Now Kate lived in a large house in rural Minnesota, and although she still had no pet, she had four children who depended on her. And it was a struggle. She was a lousy housekeeper. Her cooking was terrible. And it looked like she had a black thumb. No, she was most definitely not a domestic goddess...no matter how much she wanted to be.

  Finished with the plants, Kate looked out the window at the blackness beyond. It mirrored the dark abyss of sorrow inside her. It was only sheer will that kept her from tumbling over the edge into the darkness of overwhelming grief. She had been skating the edge of that abyss for six months now, moving ever closer. It was times like this when she was alone with her thoughts, the children all settled in their beds, that the abyss drew her nearer.

  The children kept her busy, and Kate worked herself so weary that when she dropped into bed at night, total exhaustion dictated that she fall asleep immediately. It was only moments like these that threatened her. Unfortunately, it was no longer just grief that dogged her every step. Now it was the finances and the children’s grandparents. How could she keep it all at bay?

  Panic crept in. She felt as if she stood in rising water that was fast approaching her head. Kate straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. Everything depended on her keeping herself together. She couldn’t fall apart…she just couldn’t

  Kate closed her eyes and did the only thing she knew to do. She prayed. God, please help me. I can’t fail the children. Give me wisdom. Send someone to help me out here. Show me Your will. Help me. Please! It was a prayer, a pleading, she’d repeated often over the past six months, and even more in the past two. She did need help, and right now a miracle seemed to be the only way for things to work out for her and the kids. Thankfully her God was in the business of miracles. She could only hope He’d send one her way.

  Feeling a small measure of peace settle over her, Kate returned the watering can to the laundry room. She flicked off the lights, yawning as she walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor and her bedroom. She had just stepped on the bottom stair when she heard a pounding at the front door.

  Kate froze. No one ever came out here, especially at this time of night. She could see nothing through the large glass windows in front of the stairs.

  The pounding came again.

  Slowly she moved away from the stairs and walked down the hall to the foyer. Kate stared at the door, her heart thudding. She covered the last few feet and peered out the peephole. The face she saw, though slightly distorted, caused her to jump back, hand at her throat.

  The pounding came again.

  Kate held her breath as she slowly turned the bolt on the door and opened it, still keeping the chain in place. Her hand clutched the edge of the door when she saw that the peephole hadn’t lied.

  "Kate?" The deep voice washed over her. Her heart pounded at an alarming rate. "What are you doing here? Can I come in?"

  Kate closed the door enough to release the chain then opened it the rest of the way. He stood before her, live and in the flesh. Kate’s head began to spin and she was afraid she was going to pass out at his feet.

  "You’re dead," she whispered through numb lips. "You can’t be here."

  "What on earth are you talking about?" Jared stepped into the foyer, glowering down at her. "I’m not dead. Whatever gave you that idea?"

  "They told me you were dead."

  Jared just gave a shake of his head as if to dismiss her ramblings. "Where are Steve and Jen? Off on one of their second honeymoons again, I suppose." He chuckled then, a deep rumbling laugh. "But where’s Mrs. Harris? She usually watches the kids."

  "She couldn’t." Kate’s vocal cords still refused to loosen up. He didn’t know. And she was going to have to be the one to tell him. Her stomach knotted, leaving her slightly nauseous.

  "Is there anything to eat?" Jared looked in the direction of the kitchen. "I’m starving."

  "Casserole. From dinner." Kate closed the door, shivering not just from the cool draft that had been coming through the open doorway. With her arms wrapped across her waist, she led the way into the kitchen where Jared made himself comfortable on one of the stools at the counter.

  "I hope it’s something Jen made before she left."

  Kate shook her head. "I made it."

  A look of teasing dismay crossed his face. "Did you eat it?"

  "Yes, for dinner."

  "I guess that was about four hours ago. If it was that bad it would have taken effect already," Jared teased with a
grin.

  Kate didn’t bother to tell him that the amount she had eaten, even laced with poison, probably wouldn’t have killed a bird. She dished up the casserole and stuck it into the microwave to reheat it. There were still some buns left over from the dozen she’d bought at the bakery earlier that day. She took two out and put them on the plate when it finished in the microwave, all the while trying to figure out what to tell Jared. She had never thought she’d have to tell him anything. He was supposed to be dead too.

  Jared took the plate and to Kate’s surprise he bowed his head briefly before digging in. She busied herself making a pot of coffee while he ate.

  "Thanks. That wasn’t half bad. Been taking cooking lessons?" With a grin, Jared pushed the empty plate away. Kate picked it up and took it to the sink. "So what’s this nonsense about me being dead?"

  The plate slipped from her hands into the sink with a clatter. Kate quickly picked it up again checking to make sure it hadn’t cracked.

  "Kate?" His voice, much too close, caused her to jump.

  She glanced over her shoulder and saw him less than a foot away. He’d moved without a sound to stand behind her. It unnerved her even more.

  Jared gripped her shoulder, his hand a large, heavy weight. Automatically Kate turned to face him, but didn’t meet his gaze right away. First she took in his faded jeans and the University of Minnesota sweatshirt he wore. Then she noticed that his dark brown hair curled a little longer than usual, just along the top of his collar. His jaw was still firm with a dark shadow of beard growth. He needed a shave, Kate thought. Then she met his gaze and felt her stomach clench. Those beautiful blue eyes seemed to look right into her soul.

  A longing to throw herself into his arms burst to life within her. He was her miracle. Kate was sure of it. God had somehow spared his life to help her.

  "I can’t believe you’re alive," Kate murmured again, reaching out to touch his chest. Her fingertips barely brushed the fleece fabric of his sweatshirt when she realized what she was doing and dropped her hand.

  "You’ve said that before," Jared remarked dryly. "I’d like a few more details if possible."

  "They phoned about two months ago and said you’d been killed in a car accident in South America. They said they were sorry but there was no body to send home."

  Jared scowled at her. "What are you talking about? I wasn’t in a car accident."

  Kate shrugged. "I don’t know. I’m just telling you what they said."

  He ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. "I need to talk to Steve. What’s the number where they’re staying?"

  Kate suppressed a hysterical giggle at his question. 1-800-HEAVEN, she almost told him, but quickly regained her senses. The time had come.

  "Um, why don’t you sit down again, Jared?" Kate suggested, thinking he’d take the news better sitting down. Isn’t that what they always did on television? She wished someone had done it for her. When she’d heard the news she’d been standing and crashed to the floor in a dead faint in the middle of the laboratory.

  "I don’t want to sit down," Jared ground out, anger replacing frustration in his voice. "What is going on here?"

  “I’ll tell you but please sit down." Kate moved toward the stool but came to an abrupt halt when her upper arm was grasped tightly, almost painfully.

  "I don’t want to sit down." Jared’s eyes blazed with impatience. At this close range, Kate could see the spark of fear in them as well.

  Grief lapped at the edges of her heart again. She hated to have to hurt him, but there was no one else to tell him. "I’m sorry, Jared, but Steve and Jen are dead."

  "What!" Jared’s grip tightened briefly as he involuntarily jerked her arm. "This is a sick joke." He released her with a look of disgust.

  "It’s not a joke, Jared. Steve, Jen, Dad and Stephanie were killed in a plane crash." Kate rubbed her arm, sure it would be bruised the next day. "I would never joke about something like this."

  Jared stood staring at her, his eyes bleak, his shoulders slumped. She could see the pallor even beneath his tan. Suddenly he looked much older than his thirty-five years. "What happened?"

  Kate decided that even if Jared didn’t need to sit, she did. Once she was settled on a stool she looked at him again. "You knew that Steve had learned to fly, right?" Jared nodded. "Well, he decided to take Jen, Dad and Stephanie up for a flight. Something malfunctioned in the engine and it crashed in a farmer’s field. There were no survivors."

  Kate longed to offer him comfort, but she wasn’t sure he’d accept it from her. It had been a couple of years since she’d last seen him, and before that they’d never been more than casual acquaintances brought together by his brother marrying her sister.

  Jared rubbed a hand over his eyes. "When did it happen?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

  "September. The Labor Day long weekend."

  Jared’s hand dropped. "Six months ago? Why wasn’t I contacted?"

  "I tried, Jared. I really tried. I searched until I found a number for you for emergencies, but when I talked to the guy who answered, he said you were out of contact for the next six months. I told him it was important he contact you, but he said it was impossible. I told him if there was any possible way, to please try it. Then four months later someone phoned to say you were dead."

  Jared shook his head. "This doesn’t make any sense. I made contact as planned, in January. They said nothing to me about this. What’s going on?"

  Kate just sat still, not sure what to say. Then Jared’s head jerked up and he pinned her with an intense gaze.

  "The kids. How are the kids taking all this?" He walked over and stood across the counter from her, his large hands braced on the smooth surface.

  "As well as can be expected. They were just coming to accept things when we got the news about you. It was a pretty rough time. They’re doing a bit better now though."

  Relief passed briefly over Jared’s face. "I’ll talk to them in the morning. Right now I need to.…"

  Kate nodded. He needed to get himself together. It was something she knew well. She did it on a daily basis so the kids would never think she was anything but strong and in control.

  Jared turned and left the room without even a word of good-night. Kate sat and listened as the front door opened, then shut. The silence returned, but it wasn’t as threatening as it had been earlier.

  She was no longer alone.

  Kate didn’t sit there for long. She cleaned up the kitchen then headed for bed. She stopped to peek in on each of the children, glad to see them sleeping soundly. In her own room, she quickly changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.

  She picked up her Bible from the nightstand. In these past six months her Bible had been a source of comfort and even tonight she couldn’t rest without reading something from its pages.

  Kate needed peace tonight. Jared’s arrival might have solved a few problems, but it also created a whole new set, not the least of which was what her role would be in the children’s lives now that he was back. It still hurt more than anything knowing that Steve and Jen had not chosen her as guardian for their children. Instead they’d chosen a man who spent most of his time in the jungles of some third-world country doing God only knew what.

  No one thought she was mother-material, or that she had any desire to be anything but a career woman. They were all wrong. She would have tossed her career away in a second for the chance to be a wife and mother. Actually, she had tossed away her career, at least temporarily, for the four children sleeping down the hall from her.

  Kate let her mind dwell only briefly on the fact that she was now unemployed. After granting her a five month leave of absence, her employer had fired her when she’d asked for an extension. They had said they needed her and if she couldn’t come back they would have to hire someone to fill her position on the team. She hadn’t had a choice. The rock had been her employer and the hard place had been the kids.

  And now Jared was bac
k. He’d find out he was the sole guardian of the kids and would probably send her on her merry way because he, like everyone else, thought she lived for her career. But the kids needed her, she was sure of it. And Kate was even more sure that she needed them.

  As turmoil swelled to life within her, Kate turned her attention to the Bible that lay in her lap. She needed some comfort tonight. Her fingers quickly found the 8 chapter in Romans that contained the verse she sought. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. She did love the Lord and because of that, Kate believed that He’d work things out for her and give her the strength and grace to get through the rough patches that lay ahead.

  *****

  Jared stormed into the dark apartment and tossed his bags on the floor. A staleness hung in the air. The place hadn’t been aired out in months. Jen had always freshened out the small converted garage once a week since they never knew when he’d be returning home.

  Jen. Her name brought a wave of sorrow. His beautiful sister-in-law and his beloved brother were gone. Jen would never again bring him baskets of freshly baked cinnamon buns. Jared closed his eyes. He could almost smell them.

  In his mind Jared could see her, green eyes dancing with laughter as she flirted with Steve or played with the kids. Full of life. Full of love. But now gone.

  And Steve. They’d been close their whole life. It was a closeness forged when their parents had spent more time on their careers and socializing than with their children. Neglected, they had clung to each other and become best friends. Steve and his stupid jokes. Steve and his incredible mind. On more than one occasion Steve had gone off on some deep subject that had left them yawning from boredom. Jared would give anything to be bored by Steve now, but he was gone. Gone forever.

  Jared reached to rub his eyes and felt the dampness there. He didn’t know how long it had been since he’d last cried, but the grief he felt couldn’t be contained. With a roar of rage he slumped onto the couch and buried his face in his hands.