Faith Hope and Love

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “Reservation for MacIntyre,” Cassie said as she leaned against the gleaming counter.

  The clerk looked on the computer and then slid a card towards her. “Just fill that out, please.”

  Cassie took the offered pen and filled in the blanks on the card and slid it back to the clerk.

  “And your credit card, please.”

  After fishing it out of her wallet, Cassie handed it over. Soon they had the keycard to their suite.

  Because it had been a long day and the next promised to be even longer, the two couples said their goodnights, agreeing to meet in the morning to travel to the funeral.

  Cassie led the way to their room and used the card to open the door. She froze in shock as she looked into the room and realized that it wasn’t the 2 bedroom suite she had reserved but instead was a large room with a king-sized bed.

  “Um, I’m afraid there’s been a mistake,” she said to Quinn. “I reserved a suite, not a single room.”

  “If there’s a problem, Ma’am, you can let them know at the front desk.”

  “I will,” Cassie said, watching as Quinn handed the guy who’d brought their bags up a tip.

  After the man left, Quinn turned to Cassie. “Don’t worry about it. We can make do with this.”

  Cassie was afraid she was going to burst into tears on the spot. Maybe he could make do but she couldn’t. God, why did you let this happen? I can’t handle this right now.

  “I’m just going to go down and make sure they didn’t give us the wrong room. And if they didn’t, I want to make sure they only charged me for the regular room and not the suite.”

  Cassie escaped the room and headed for the elevator. What had changed with Quinn? A week ago he wouldn’t have been willing to even consider sharing a room with her. Why was he now?

  In the elevator, Cassie leaned her head against the wall, grateful she was alone. She teetered on the edge of tears. All the upheaval of the past few days whirled around her, threatening to take her down again. One minute she’d feel as if she was in control but then the next everything plunged into disarray.

  Be still. I am God.

  Cassie opened her eyes and stared at the closed doors of the elevator. She took a deep breath. Be still… Cassie longed for stillness, for peace to calm the troubled waters of her soul.

  Know that I am God. Cassie closed her eyes again. She rubbed a hand over her eyes. Father, I’m sorry for once again forgetting that You are in control of all of this. Thank you for the reminder.

  Cassie took another deep breath and blew it out. She felt a gradual release of tension. By the time the doors of the elevator slid open Cassie felt more in control and walked with steady steps to the front desk.

  “Yes, Mrs. MacIntyre, we’ve been expecting you. Allan said there might be a problem with your room.”

  Cassie leaned against the counter. “Yes. I booked a suite of rooms, not a regular room.”

  The man looked at the computer screen. “I’m afraid the error is ours. I’ll have Allan go with you and move you to your proper room.” The clerk handed her a piece of paper. “Please accept this voucher for a free dinner for two as our way of apologizing for the inconvenience.”

  Cassie smiled at the man. “Thanks so much.”

  Allen approached the front desk and took the keycard from the clerk. “I’ll give you a hand with your luggage, Mrs. MacIntyre.”

  Cassie followed him, her heart feeling much lighter than it had minutes before. She still didn’t feel up to the talk Quinn wanted to have but at least she didn’t feel as if she were sitting on the edge of an emotional abyss.

  “They gave us the wrong room,” Cassie told Quinn when they got back.

  Quinn looked momentarily surprised. “Oh, okay. So we’re moving to the suite?”

  “Yep.” Cassie walked towards the bags. “You haven’t unpacked anything yet, have you?”

  Quinn shook his head. “No, I figured I’d see what you found out.”

  “Good. Allan is going to help us to our new room two floors up.”

  Within ten minutes they were settled into their new suite. Allan left, this time refusing the tip Quinn offered.

  Cassie slipped off her shoes and carried them along with her bag into one of the bedrooms. She took her clothes out of the garment bag and hung them in the closet.

  “Cassie?”

  She turned and saw Quinn in the doorway.

  “Do you want something to eat? I’m a bit hungry, so I’m going to order something from room service.”

  Cassie shook her head. “I’m not hungry. I think I’m just going to take a shower and hit the sack. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

  Quinn hesitated and then nodded. “See you in the morning.”

  Forty-five minutes later, after a nice long, hot shower, Cassie crawled beneath the crisp sheets of the large bed. It had crossed her mind to call Jani but it was late already and Jani would probably be in bed. Maybe they’d try in the morning before they left for the funeral.

  Cassie flicked off the light and lay there praying for strength for the next day. She didn’t know what she was going to say to Mary Alice. What could she say when her husband had made it home safely and Kevin hadn’t?

  “Lord, please give me the words to offer comfort. I pray she’ll be able to rest tonight and face tomorrow with your strength.”

  Cassie turned onto her stomach, tucking her arms under her pillow. Surprisingly, sleep was not long in coming.

  *****

  Quinn finished off the last of the club sandwich he’d ordered. He washed it down a glass of orange juice and then pushed the cart into the hallway. After coming back into the suite he stared at Cassie’s closed doors. He had so hoped to have their conversation that night but for some reason she appeared to be avoiding it. It seemed odd to Quinn since she was the one usually pushing the communication between them.

  Quinn looked at the television in the corner of the room and the DVD player that sat beneath it. He hoped to show Cassie the tape. He’d taken his ring off because he’d planned to talk to Cassie first. He wanted her to put the ring back on his finger, where it belonged.

  Tomorrow was going to be terribly hard. It was hard knowing it could have been his funeral people were planning to attend. It could have been Cassie mourning the loss of her husband, and Jani the loss of her father. Why the Lord had preserved his life, Quinn didn’t know. What he did know was that the Lord had, for whatever reason, spared him and he needed to make the most of the time he had left.

  Quinn turned off the lights and headed for his room. A strange restlessness filled him, a desire to get on with his life. He’d been in limbo too long. Thankfully the restlessness didn’t keep the sleep from coming. That night he had the best sleep since being released.

  *****

  Quinn woke slowly the next morning and squinted at his watch. At first he thought it was two hours until they had to leave, but then remembered his watch was still set to Central time. Move a bit more quickly, Quinn rolled out of bed and stretched.

  It didn’t take him long to shower and change into the suit he planned to wear. He didn’t put the jacket on, hoping Cassie would tell him he didn’t have to wear it. It had been ages since he’d last worn a suit and it would be fine by him if it were just as long before he had to wear one again.

  He tried four times to tie his tie before giving up. He’d have to ask Cassie to help him out. Leaving the tie slung around his neck, Quinn grabbed his suit coat and left the bedroom.

  Cassie’s door was still closed so Quinn went ahead and ordered an assortment of muffins, fruit and juice for their breakfast. He wasn’t sure what Cassie wanted but hopefully she’d like something on the tray.

  He had finished off a muffin and was drinking a glass of orange juice when Cassie’s door opened and she stepped out. Quinn felt a tightening in his chest. She was so beautiful.

  Like him, she wore subdued colors. The jacket she wore was short-sleeved, ending just above her elbow. Lik
e her pants, it too was black but had white edging along the collar and the sleeves. It was a double-breasted style with white buttons and under it she wore what looked like a white silk top.

  As she came near him he caught the subtlest scent of her perfume. Light and fragrant, it was a familiar scent that drew him back in time. The morning sun shining through the window turned her hair almost white gold. It lay across her shoulders in soft waves. Quinn remembered running his fingers through it. It had been like silken threads slipping through his fingers. His hands itched to touch it but he restrained himself.

  “Ready to go?” he asked.

  “I think so. I’d like to call Jani before we go.” Cassie walked to the table and looked at the assortment of food there. “Is this breakfast?”

  “Yes. Didn’t know what to get so I ordered an assortment of things. Hopefully something there will strike your fancy.”

  Cassie picked up a muffin and sat down with her phone. She dialed, nibbling on the muffin while she waited for an answer on the other end.

  “Want something to drink?” Quinn asked, setting his glass down on the table.

  “Coffee would be nice.”

  Quinn walked to the small kitchenette and poured a cup for her. He heard her greet Renee on the phone and then speak to Jani. He went to stand beside her and when she finished her conversation with Jani, she handed him the phone and took the cup of coffee.

  “Thanks,” she said with a smile. She moved out of the chair so Quinn could sit down.

  He didn’t talk too long to Jani. Not much had happened in her world over night. He promised they’d call that night and then hung up.

  “Can you help me with this?” Quinn tugged one end of the silk tie.

  “Whoa, it’s been a while, but I’ll give it a try.” Cassie drained the last of her cup and set it on the table.

  She approached him with a wary look on her face. More than anything, Quinn wanted to draw her into his embrace, just to hold her close. It had been so long since he’d allowed himself to think of being close to someone.

  Cassie took the edges of the tie and began to loop the ends over each other. “Rats.” Cassie pulled them apart and started again. This time she must have gotten it right because she patted it and stepped back. “Looks pretty good for not having practiced in a while.”

  “Thanks. Do you think I need to wear the suit coat?” Quinn asked.

  “I don’t know,” Cassie said with a frown. “Maybe I should phone Cecily and ask her if Aaron is wearing one.”

  “Would you?” Quinn grinned. “I thought only women checked out what other women were wearing.”

  “Hah, it’s smart people that do it. Glad you’re falling in line with the trend.”

  Cassie finished her muffin and washed it down with a glass of water before going to the phone. She called the front desk and asked to be connected to Cecily and Aaron’s room.

  “Cecile? It’s Cassie. We’re just wondering if Aaron is wearing a suit.” Quinn poured himself another glass of orange juice as he listened to her side of the conversation. “I’ll pass that on to Quinn. He’ll be wearing one too.”

  Cassie laughed at something Cecily said. “We’ll see you in a few minutes, right?”

  “So I’ve got to wear the jacket, huh?” Quinn asked when she hung up the phone.

  “Yep. Aaron is wearing a suit so you should too.”

  Quinn pulled the jacket on, grimacing as he did. “It hasn’t been long enough since I’ve last had to wear one of these.”

  “Hopefully you won’t have to wear one again anytime soon.”

  They left the suite a few minutes later. Aaron and Cecily arrived in the lobby just after they did.

  “Morning, you two,” Cassie said as they approached. Like she and Quinn, they were both dressed in subdued colors.

  “Morning,” Aaron said. “Ready to go?”

  “As ready as we’ll ever be,” Cassie said ruefully.

  Aaron nodded. “Yeah, this is not a day I’m looking forward to.”

  They walked out of the lobby and into the waiting rental car. Aaron expertly maneuvered the car away from the hotel and onto a main street. Quinn was glad Aaron was doing the driving since he didn’t have a clue where they were going.

  “Today may be hard on us but it’s doubly hard on Michael.”

  “Yeah, it must be hard to have been released knowing that Kevin had been killed.” Quinn was experiencing some feelings about it too in relation to his own release.

  Aaron was silent for a moment. “There’s actually more to it. This is not public knowledge and even Mary Alice doesn’t know about it yet. I’m telling you because you are both so close to the situation.”

  “What’s going on?” Quinn asked.

  “We assumed after David’s release that all of you had been split up for the duration of the captivity. What you told us upon your release seemed to support that. However, we’ve now found out that although Kevin and Michael were initially separated, they were held together for the last two years of their captivity.”

  “Really?” Cassie leaned forward from the back seat. “That must have been a relief for them. To have the support of each other.”

  “Probably,” Aaron said. “But in the end, one of them had to die.”

  “What?” Quinn asked. “Why did one of them have to die?”

  “From what Michael told us, the captors decided that they didn’t want four deaths on their hands which is why you and David were released without incident. Unfortunately, they wanted the government to take them seriously and they figured that was being undermined by the releases. Killing one of the hostages was their way of proving how serious they were.”

  “Oh no,” Cassie whispered.

  “They flipped a coin.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Silence echoed through the car for several long moments.

  “They flipped a coin to see which one they killed?” Quinn asked, his throat barely allowing the words to pass. “And Kevin lost?”

  “Yeah,” Aaron said roughly. “Kevin lost.”

  Quinn felt Cassie sink back into the seat next to him. Shock had robbed him of words. The breakfast he’d eaten that morning sat heavy in his stomach. Quinn rubbed a hand over his eyes.

  “Does Mary Alice know about the coin flip?” Quinn asked.

  “No,” Aaron replied tensely. “We thought it best she not know. I’m only telling you now so that you know that Michael’s situation is a bit different from yours. It’s done a number on him, but he seems to be holding up okay.”

  The rest of the trip to the church was made in silence. Quinn wanted to reach out and pull Cassie close. He was so grateful God had spared his life but he felt just awful for Michael, living with the knowledge that his life had been spared because of a coin toss.

  It strengthened Quinn’s desire to take advantage of the second chance he’d been given. He would make things right with Cassie. He would continue with his counseling because he wanted to deal with his issues so they didn’t encroach upon his future. And he would pursue the calling he’d felt years ago and follow the Lord’s leading for his future.

  A long line up of cars snaked along the street outside the church when they arrived.

  “I’ll drop you guys off, then find a parking spot,” Aaron told them as he maneuvered the car up to the large front doors.

  Quinn climbed out and went around to open the doors for Cassie and Cecily. There were television cameras lining the sidewalk. Quinn ushered the women past them and through the front doors of the church.

  “Mr. MacIntyre?” A slender young man appeared at his side.

  “Yes?”

  “Mary Alice asked that you and your wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson come to the room where the family is. She’d like to see you before the service begins.”

  “We’re just waiting for Aaron to park the car,” Quinn told the man.

  “That’s fine. I’ll be back in a moment to take you to the room.”

  By t
he time the young man returned a few minutes later, Aaron had joined them and Quinn had told him about Mary Alice’s request. They followed the man to a room off the main sanctuary.

  Mary Alice came to them as soon as they walked through the door. She hugged Quinn last and for the longest time. “I’m so glad you made it home okay.”

  “Mary Alice, I’m so sorry to hear about Kevin.”

  She gave him a watery smile. “God answered our prayer. Not in the way we’d hoped but Kevin is finally free.”

  Mary Alice’s children came to stand next to her. They had been teenagers when their father had been kidnapped and were now grown; a couple had children of their own. Grandchildren Kevin had never gotten to see.

  The door to the room opened again and this time Michael and his wife stepped through. Quinn saw a man who looked very much like he had when he’d first been released. Thin, to the point of being gaunt, darkly tanned with a shaved head.

  Quinn and the others let Mary Alice approach them first, knowing she needed that connection with the last person who’d seen her husband alive.

  Though there were some physical similarities between the way he’d looked after first being released and the way Michael looked, there were big differences in his attitude. He kept his wife, Susan, close to his side. They held hands and even when hugging Mary Alice didn’t let go, giving her a one-arm hug instead. And Michael kept looking at Susan, as if not believing she really was standing by his side.

  Michael and Susan’s reunion had clearly been more successful than his and Cassie’s. He just hoped it wasn’t too late to rectify that situation between them.

  Other relatives arrived, distracting Mary Alice and allowing Quinn to approach Michael.

  He had no words as he embraced one of the two men who could truly say they understood what he’d gone through. Though knowing what he did now, Quinn couldn’t imagine what Michael was feeling.

  “Good to see you, Quinn,” Michael said when their embrace ended. “I prayed daily that we would once again all be together. This wasn’t how I imagined it.”

  “Me either. I’m not sure how to deal with this,” Quinn admitted.