Smiling, she left the car and walked toward the swing that hung from one of the oak’s limbs. Sitting on it, she swung back and forth, allowing the cool November wind to whip through her hair. She looked toward the church’s door and remembered Chloe and Cameron toddling around her mama’s legs and Daddy shaking hands with the preacher.
Hopping off the swing, she made her way to the back of the property. A small creek was barely recognizable with the grass and weeds grown up all around it. A giggle welled in her throat. “We used to hunt crawdads here.”
She looked past the creek at the forever-flowing land before her. In summer, rows of corn would grace it. She remembered a time when Daddy got mad at her, Sabrina, and Natalie because they’d chased Amanda into the rows, then left her there. We were so ornery.
Glancing at her watch, she realized it would be dark before she made it back to her apartment. She ambled back to her car and got in. She looked at the church again. “We had a lot of fun.”
She pulled back onto the main road. “Even when we didn’t have anything.”
❧
“That woman is without a doubt the most infuriating person on the planet.” Ryan smacked his keys onto the cabinet.
Gramps sat at the kitchen table, whittling a piece of wood. He didn’t even look up. “Ya love her, huh?”
Ryan kicked off his shoes and slid into a chair beside Gramps. Ryan raked his fingers through his hair. “Yes, I love her. I even told her so.”
“What did she say?”
“ ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called.’ ” Ryan snipped the words in a mocking tone.
“Hmm.”
“One moment she’s all flustered about me. ‘What does Ryan do for money? Is he a thief, a moocher off his grandpa?’ The next moment she’s all mad because her parents saw us at the pantry when they got food there.”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t know why I even care. How could I fall in love like this again? Vanessa—”
Gramps laid down the piece of wood and his knife. “Kylie is nothing like Vanessa.”
“I know.” Ryan rested his head against the table. “She’s making me crazy. I don’t know how I can convince her—”
“How you can convince her?” Gramps huffed and swatted the air. “Seems that’s the problem with both of you. It’s all about you.”
“What do you mean? I’m not doing any—”
Gramps lifted his hand to stop Ryan. “Sometimes God wants us to sit still and listen—to Him. Kylie is so worried about taking care of her parents and making sure she never lives poor again that she can’t see what God is giving her.”
“I agree. But you said both of us. I’m trusting God.”
“Are you, son? Are you really? You’re so worried about her being like Vanessa that you won’t give Kylie a chance. Worse yet, you won’t give God a chance to show you that Kylie is not after your money.”
“But—”
“I’m too old for all this.” Gramps pushed himself up out of his chair. “Why don’t you sit still a second and see what God tells you?”
Ryan watched as Gramps made his way up the stairs. I have been trusting You, God. I’ve tried to tell her several times.
The Holy Spirit spoke to his heart. “Then why didn’t you?”
He slipped his shoes back on and walked out onto the porch. Lowering into a rocking chair, he watched the sun sink into the horizon. Yellows and deep oranges blanketed the earth. Ryan couldn’t help but wonder at God’s creativity and brilliance.
“You painted this picture, Lord. The heavens and the earth proclaim Your majesty. Why am I afraid to tell Kylie about the wealth You’ve given me?”
He walked back into the house and grabbed his keys from the counter. He made his way back to the car. “Because I haven’t completely trusted You. Forgive me, Lord.”
Pulling out of his driveway, he drummed the steering wheel. “Now what should I say, God? ‘Um, Kylie, I know you think I’m living off Gramps, but really I’m loaded.’ ” He shook his head.
“What about, ‘Kylie, I’m sorry I never told you, but I have the means to provide for you for the rest of your life.’ ” He groaned. “God, I feel like a total idiot.”
An idea sprang to mind. Thank You, Lord. He raced to the bank and withdrew the money he needed from the ATM. A smile lifted his lips as he made his way to Candy’s house. Glancing at the clock on the dash, he sighed. “I don’t think it’s too late.”
He pulled into Candy’s driveway and hopped out. His heart sped up when he rang the doorbell. Footsteps sounded inside, and Ryan feared his heart would pound through his chest at any moment.
With Suzanna planted on her hip, Candy opened the door and grinned. “Hey, Ryan. Come on in.”
Ryan stepped inside. “Thanks. I won’t stay long.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I want to pay for the rest of Kylie’s trip. How much does she need?”
Candy’s eyes bulged as a smile formed on her lips. “That’s wonderful. What a load off her shoulders! Here, take Suzanna; I’ll go find out.”
Before Ryan could say otherwise, Candy placed the wiggling baby in his arms. Suzanna grabbed his hair with one hand. She laughed when she yanked a few strands from his head. “Aren’t you a little spitfire?” Ryan pried her fist open and wiped his hair away from her slobbery hand.
“This is what she owes.” Candy returned, took the baby, and handed him a slip of paper. Ryan handed her the money. Candy’s eyebrows lifted as she looked up at him. “She’s going to want to know who paid for it.”
“Yep, she will. Don’t tell her it’s me; just say this exactly: ‘The person who paid for the rest of your trip wants you to know God always provides, Ki.’ ”
“ ‘God always provides’?”
“No.” Ryan shook his head. “ ‘God always provides, Ki.’ ”
Candy shrugged. “Okay. You got it.”
Ryan waved before Candy shut the door behind him. He jingled his keys as he headed toward his car. The sun had set. God graced the sky with the moon and a sprinkling of stars. “I pray Kylie gets it, too.”
Nineteen
Kylie trudged up the sidewalk toward her apartment. She unlocked the door and walked inside. Exhausted from her trip, she plopped her suitcase and purse on a chair. After kicking off her shoes, she trailed into the kitchen for a pop. She glanced at the answering machine on the counter. “Eight messages! Has Robin even checked this thing?”
Probably not, she realized. Robin spent precious little time at the apartment as she planned her wedding and spent time with Tyler and Bransom. Three days, and I won’t have a roommate.
The finality of it hit hard. It had taken time, but Kylie had come to believe her friend would be content as a wife and mother. Still, the change stung. Maybe it wasn’t the change, but the glimmer in Robin’s eye, the lilt in her voice, the bounce in her step.
Brushing the thoughts aside, Kylie pushed the MESSAGE button on the answering machine.
“Message one,” the English-accented recorded voice announced.
A click sounded. Someone hung up on the machine. Kylie pushed DELETE, then listened as the next two messages were the same. “Why do people wait until they hear the entire ‘Leave a message’ spiel and then hang up?”
“Message four.” Kylie always smiled at the computerized pronunciation of the number.
“Hey, Robin,” Tyler’s voice boomed through the room. “I’m running a little late.”
Kylie deleted the days-old message.
“Message five.”
“Hi, Robin,” her own voice, as well as muffled activity from her parents’ home, spilled from the machine. “I wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving.”
She pushed the DELETE button. She’d called before her father’s rush to the hospital. I miss them so much already.
“Message six.”
“Hi, Kylie.” Candy’s voice held a hint of laughter. “I have the best news for you. Someone has paid for
the remainder of your trip.”
“What?” Kylie leaned closer to hear better as excitement welled within her.
“The person didn’t want me to come out and tell you who he was, but to say, and I quote, ‘God always provides, Ki.’ ”
“God always provides, Ki?” She furrowed her brows. “The only person who would say that, who calls me Ki is—”
“Message seven.”
“Hello, Kylie, this is Brad Dickson at Miller Enterprises.”
Kylie sucked in her breath at the sound of his voice. What could he possibly want?
“It seems we have another opening in our office. Mr. Miller would like to offer you the position, but he needs you to begin as soon as you graduate, mid-December. If not, we’ll need to get someone else in here. We’re in a bit of a crunch, and there’re a few other qualified candidates to choose from. Call as soon as you get this message.”
I can have the job again?
“Message eight.”
“Hi, Robin. This is the florist. . .”
Stumbling from the kitchen, Kylie’s messages churned in her stomach. She plopped on the couch, laid her head back, and stared at the ceiling. “I can go on the trip. I can have the job.”
She blinked. “But not both.”
Candy’s message from Kylie’s benefactor swam through her mind. “God always provides, Ki.”
“No one but Ryan calls me Ki.” She sat up and stared at the wall. “But how could he possibly afford to pay the rest of my way? He hasn’t even earned money for his.”
She stood and ambled to the bathroom. Resting her hands on the vanity, she stared at her reflection. “I can have a job at Miller’s again. I’ll make enough money there to provide well for my family and me.”
But the job is demanding, and I won’t be able to go on the missions trip.
Her heart sank. She thought of the hours Mr. Miller expected of his employees. Well above the forty-hour workweek. Financially, she could help her mama and daddy, but she’d rarely have time to see them. She stared at the mirror. “I miss them so much, and I just saw them earlier today.”
The goals she’d set for herself were finally coming to fruition. She could easily tell the ministry leaders she had reconsidered and decided to work at Miller Enterprises. This was her chance, but she didn’t feel happy. Not even excited. Nothing. . .but heaviness.
She grabbed a towel and washcloth from the linen closet and turned on the shower. “I just need to rest a minute. Let all this sink in.”
After feeling to make sure the water was hot, she pulled the ponytail from her hair. “God always provides, Ki.” The words slipped into her mind. She closed her eyes. “Oh, sweet Jesus, guide me.”
❧
Ryan strode into the jewelry shop. Clear glass counters adorned each wall. Deep red and green fabric hung like fancy curtains above the counters. A covered display of possible Christmas gifts “for that special someone” sat on a circular, center table.
“May I help you, sir?” A short, balding man approached.
“Yes. I’ve come to pick up my order. For Ryan Watkins.”
The man nodded. “Very good. I’ll be right back.”
Ryan walked to a counter, pulled his wallet from his back pocket, and dug through it for the receipt. The gift cost too much for any dispute over whether it had been paid for.
“Here we go.” The man rested the box on the counter.
Ryan handed the man the receipt, then opened the side and pulled out the silver plate with Tyler’s and Robin’s names as well as their wedding date engraved into it. Joshua’s proclamation, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,” scrolled across the center in calligraphy.
To him, this was a silly, frivolous gift. But Gramps insisted. Every wedding he always insisted.
“It’s a tradition,” he’d say. “When your grandma and I married, her favorite gift was her silver plate. For every wedding we attended, she bought the same for the newlyweds.”
Ryan slid it back into the box. “It looks nice. Thank you.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“I don’t believe so.”
Ryan turned to leave, when he saw a young woman trying on a ring. She extended her hand and gazed at it. The man beside her leaned down and whispered in her ear. She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
A sudden longing for Kylie stirred him. No more games. No more waiting. He knew he loved her. Knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. God, I’ve already given the whole money thing over to You.
The time had come.
He glanced back at the clerk. “I may look around a bit.”
“Very good. Let me know if I can help you with anything.”
Ryan looked in the case that held the engagement rings. So many round diamonds in varying sizes shone back at him. Some rested in yellow gold settings. Some in white, and still others in platinum. He moved farther down and noted the different settings. The rings seemed much the same as the round ones, only now the stone had a marquise shape.
Moving still farther down, he came to a section of multiple-stoned rings. Many were large and gaudy. One in particular with three huge stones caught his eye. He huffed. “Vanessa would have wanted that one.”
Ryan shook his head. Kylie was nothing like Vanessa. Thank You, Lord. Another ring caught his eye. The white gold band had a center, circular diamond, resting in a square setting. It wasn’t overly large, but it was a nice size. Smaller diamonds adorned both sides, with even smaller stones outside of them. The ring had an antique appearance. Somehow it made him feel the commitment, the longevity of the promise it held.
Ryan motioned to the man for assistance. After showing the one he wanted to view, the man placed it in Ryan’s hand. He pushed it onto his pinky. It’s perfect. “I’ll take it.”
❧
Kylie glanced to the left, then right in the church’s foyer. Empty. She adjusted the top of the strapless bridesmaid dress, then quietly peeked around the corner of one door.
Family and friends filled the small church to capacity. Deep red rosebuds and baby’s breath arrangements adorned the side of every third pew. Just beyond the altar rested an elaborate wedding arch dressed in crimson velvet and white satin. Full-bloom roses wrapped around the unity candle.
Tyler and the groomsmen had already taken their positions in the front. They looked handsome in their matching black tuxedos and red cummerbunds. Only Tyler wore black with a white vest.
She scanned the crowd. If Kylie didn’t hurry and get back to the wedding party, Robin’s mom would faint for sure. Kylie had never seen a mother so frazzled. Where is Ryan?
“Kylie.”
Kylie jumped, then placed her hand on her chest to calm her heart. “Ryan, you scared the life out of me. I was just looking for you.”
“You were?” His eyebrows rose in interest.
Heat raced up her neck and cheeks. Seeing him now, she knew she missed him more than she’d realized. His eyes, honest and compassionate, bore at her soul. The playful, stray curls at the base of his neck begged to be touched. “Yes, well. . .”
“You’re absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thank you, I—”
He bent down toward her. She lifted her chin, willing his kiss. Instead, his breath brushed her ear. “I better find a seat. I’ll talk to you at the reception.”
“Okay.” She blinked. What just happened? I just felt an attraction I’ve never experienced in my life. Opening her heart and mind to God over the last few days, she’d felt a peace she hadn’t known in years. She’d been trying to get hold of Ryan to ask him about the missions trip money and tell him about her job decision. He hadn’t been home. But the electricity she’d just experienced at his closeness had wiped all that from her mind.
At the quiet chattering behind her, she hurried back to Robin and the bridesmaids. They hustled into their line as the music began. When it was Kylie’s turn, she began her slow ascent to the altar. Peeri
ng to her left, she found Ryan. He watched her with such longing her knees grew weak. Tearing her gaze from him, she focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
What is happening, Lord? This feels like more than attraction. She took her place as maid of honor. I’ve said time and again I’m falling for him, but I could always rationalize myself through.
She sneaked a quick peek at him. He smiled, and she knew he hadn’t stopped watching her. I don’t want to rationalize, Lord, and it feels right.
Gripping the bouquet tighter, she listened as Tyler and Robin recited their vows. She wanted more than the perfect husband, the perfect kids, the perfect dog, the perfect white picket fence. The perfect job. She needed more. She needed love. “The pursuit of righteousness and love.”
Looking at Ryan again, she smiled when their gazes met. Yes, love.
❧
Ryan touched Kylie’s hand. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?”
A blush crept up her cheek, adding to her innocent beauty. “A few times.” She shrugged, then nudged his shoulder. “But then a girl never tires of hearing it.”
Ryan laughed. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I’ve tried calling you, too.”
“I think we’re playing phone tag.”
She nodded.
“How is your dad?”
“He’s doing great. I—I wanted to apologize for how I treated you at the hospital. I was under a lot of stress then. I’ve been doing a lot of praying this week. Someone told me that God always provides. . . .” She stopped and winked at him.
She got it. She knows it was me who paid for her trip. This is my chance, Lord. You’ve shown me the time.
“Kylie, I—”
“Kylie.” Tyler’s best man grabbed her arm. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I want to pray a blessing for Tyler and Robin before they cut the cake.”
Picket Fence Pursuit Page 13
