“You? We’re all still in our pjs.” Natalie’s voice grew muffled, as if she held a hand over the receiver. “No, Taylor, don’t put the Cheerios in your hair!”
Paula smothered a laugh that somehow turned to a groan. She looked around her pristine kitchen and longed for a little pajama-clad boy or girl slurping up a bowl of cereal. Her eyes started to sting.
She cleared her throat and turned on her TV voice. “Well, it sounds like you need off even more than I do, so I’ll see you at church.”
She placed the phone back in its cradle, her heart clenching as she looked back at the empty kitchen.
“So, how did the interview go?” Hanna asked.
Hanna and Micah, Gram, her mom and dad all sat around the TV set in her living room waiting for the news to begin.
“I think it went OK. Mostly he asked good questions, and I think I handled it all right. He did ask a couple sticky questions, but Paula told me to expect that.” Natalie glanced at the clock on the wall. Four minutes and she would be on TV. It was enough to make her as nervous as she’d been at the interview.
“Have they found out anything more about the bomber?” Gram asked.
“I don’t think so,” Natalie’s mom said. “And what with all the people coming and going through town, I’ll be surprised if they do.”
“How much time are they going to give the interview on the news, Natalie?” Micah leaned back and put his arm across the back of the sofa behind Hanna.
“Paula didn’t say for sure.”
“Don’t be surprised if it’s short.” Her dad crossed his shoes, a burgundy pair of wingtips that he thought went with anything he wore. “They like to keep things brief.”
“They sure didn’t keep that Barbara Franklin brief,” Gram said.
“Guess you have to be a big name to get that much time,” Micah said.
“I’m sure they’ll be fair to Natalie,” her mom said. “She’s a hometown girl, after all. That should count for something.”
Alex plopped on her dad’s lap. “I’m hungry, Mom.”
“We’ll eat after the news, honey. Remember, Mommy’s going to be on TV tonight.”
“Shh-shh-shh, it’s coming on.” Her dad picked up the remote and jacked up the volume.
“—and I’m Paula Landin-Cohen.”
Everyone grew quiet while Paula covered three different local stories. Natalie felt her heart thumping in her chest. Her mouth grew so dry she nearly got up for a drink but didn’t want to take the chance of missing it.
“In other news tonight,” Russ began, “the person responsible for the bombing of the Women’s Health Clinic still remains at large. Police are asking that anyone with information on the crime contact them directly. The bombing of the clinic has stirred up local controversy about abortion. Earlier today, Natalie Coombs, director for the Jackson Hole Hope Center, had this to say.”
The screen switched to a picture of Natalie behind her desk at the center. “Our goal is to help the young women who come through our doors. We try to educate them about the facts of pregnancy and abortion.”
Russ’s voice sounded, though the screen continued to show Natalie. “Does that education include telling them that an abortion takes a life?”
“Well, yes—”
“Does the center take an anti-abortion stance?”
He skipped her whole answer! She’d given a long, detailed—
“Yes, we are against abortion.”
Fire burned in Natalie’s gut. “He skipped the whole—”
“Do you feel that anti-abortion groups such as the Hope Center play a part in creating the political climate that feeds violence on abortion clinics?”
“Of course we’re against all violence. We view the taking of a baby’s life as tragic as any person’s life.”
The screen changed to Russ behind his desk. “The bombing of the Women’s Health Clinic has temporarily closed the clinic, but they hope to be up and running within a month.”
Natalie could hardly see straight for the emotions whirling in her. “I cant believe it.” She stood up and paced across the room.
“What’s wrong, Nat?” Hanna asked.
“Those answers didn’t sound anything like what I said. He took bits and pieces of it and—I qualified those answers. Like the one on whether we were anti-abortion or not. My answer focused on the women, our clients. I talked for a good two minutes about how the women are our main concern, and how we’re trying to do what’s in their best interest, and he took it all and boiled it down to ‘Yes, we’re against abortion.’”
Her hands shook as she smoothed her hair back from her forehead. “I wish I’d never had the interview. It’s done nothing for our cause.”
“Now, honey,”—her mom stood up and put her arm around her—“the start of it sounded positive.”
“How could Paula have let this happen?” Nat asked.
The room grew silent. Her dad crossed his legs. Natalie didn’t know how much say Paula had in the editing of these tapes, but surely she could have done something. If she cared nothing for the pro-life cause, she should have at least cared enough for her own sister to step in and do something.
Natalie was still mulling over the broadcast interview on the way to work the next morning. Her family’s presence had been comforting the night before, and she thought perhaps she’d overreacted to the coverage. They had played that bit at the beginning about helping clients and giving them information. And people were smarter than they were sometimes given credit for. Some would see through the editing and know there’d been more to her answers.
She turned off the ignition and grabbed her purse, finding the center’s key on her key ring. She stepped outside and breathed deeply of mountain air and the refreshing scent of spruce trees. This was still Jackson Hole, the hometown she loved with the views no other place could compete with.
She rounded the corner onto the sidewalk. Maybe she’d hear from Linn today. She’d behaved strangely on Saturday when she’d come to Natalie’s house. She suspected she might have felt overwhelmed by the size of the house and the grandeur of the neighborhood. It hadn’t taken long for the boys to warm up to her, though, and things had seemed OK after that.
In front of the center, a flash of red on the light brick caught her eye, and she turned. Oh no. She froze in place, her eyes skimming the words that seemed more gruesome because of their blood-red color.
Go away liars.
Who had done this? It was that news interview that had ticked someone off. She had to get the spray paint off the brick. She took another few steps before her shoes crunched on something. She looked down. Eggshell pieces lay scattered across the concrete as if a massive hatching had just occurred. Her gaze skimmed up the brick wall of the center, following the clear line of lacquered liquid.
Only then did she see the mess on the picture window. Tiny fragments of shell were set in the hardened splats of liquid. What a mess. It looked like the work of teenagers. She sighed as she unlocked the front door. It would take all day to clean it up, and that was assuming she’d be able to remove the spray paint from the brick. She turned the key with more force than necessary and jerked it from the keyhole. A whole day lost because some stupid—
“Wow, what a mess.” A voice from behind made her jump.
She turned. It took a moment to place him. Kyle. He looked different than he had at Paula’s that night. More professional. Cuter somehow. She turned and pulled open the door, disliking her train of thought.
Her heart still raced from the scare he’d given her. She wasn’t sure what bugged her most. His sneaking up on her or his inane comment about the graffiti. “Just what I needed today.”
He followed her inside as she dumped her purse on top of the filing cabinet. “I saw the interview last night.”
“Some interview. Score one point for pro-abortion people everywhere.” She glanced pointedly to the blurry front window. “Make that two points.” She turned and perched on her desk.
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, looking boyishly charming.
She crossed her arms. He wasn’t boyish. More like boorish.
“I guess I thought you might need a little encouragement.”
Oh, really? What happened to that gigantic wall you had so firmly in place at Paula’s? She cocked her head, in no mood to make things easy on him.
“I know how the media can creatively distort things. I’m sure your real answers were much better than the ones they aired.”
So she’d come across as a dunce on TV? “Thanks a lot.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his suit coat flapping out and around them. “Hey, I’m on your side.”
The phone rang, saving her from responding. She hesitated before picking it up. What if it was the person who’d vandalized the center? What if they started getting ugly phone calls?
So what? Some jerks weren’t going to stop her from helping these girls. Defiantly, she picked up the receiver. “Hope Center, Miss C speaking.”
It was a young, pregnant girl they’d been working with for several months. Since she wanted to talk to a particular volunteer, Natalie looked at the schedule and told her when she’d be working.
When she was finished, she hung up the phone. Kyle was still standing around. She noticed the briefcase in his hand. “Can I help you with something?”
The center’s door opened, and Natalie leaned around to see who’d come in.
“Linn!”
“Hi, Miss C—I mean Natalie.” Linn looked awkwardly at Kyle’s back, then at her again.
Just then Kyle turned to face Linn, and Natalie couldn’t miss the change in expressions on Linn’s face. The smile fell from her face. Her eyes widened, then narrowed, her lips going taut. She darted another look at Natalie. “Did you call him?” It was an accusation as much as a question.
“Call who?” Natalie looked at Kyle, then to Linn.
“Hello, Linn,” Kyle said.
Linn’s eyes narrowed farther. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively. “What’s he doing here? I thought you said everything was confidential.”
Natalie felt Linn’s trust slipping away and was desperate to save it. “It is. I didn’t call him, Linn.”
“She didn’t call. I just stopped by,” Kyle said.
“I take it you two know each other.” Natalie moved closer to Linn, but she took a step back.
“I was married to her sister.”
Oh, my. Married, past tense. Probably a divorce situation. Obviously there was bad blood between the two of them. Natalie had thought Linn was an only child.
“If you didn’t ask him here, what’s he doing?”
“I didn’t even know the two of you knew each other,” Natalie said.
“Natalie and I know each other, Linn. That’s the only reason I’m here.” Kyle rubbed a hand across his face. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
His softened tone did nothing to alter Linn’s demeanor. Natalie needed to get him out of here before she lost all the ground she’d made with Linn.
“How’s the family?” he asked.
“None of your business.”
Natalie spoke. “Kyle, why don’t you—”
“Why should you care anyway? It’s all your fault,” Linn said.
Natalie glanced at Kyle. His gaze fell to the floor.
“I wish you’d just leave us alone. You’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to us!”
“Linn, you know I didn’t—”
“Just go away!” Linn started for the door.
“Wait, Linn.” Natalie rushed ahead of her and stopped her with a hand on the arm.
“I’m sorry.” Worry lines creased Kyle’s forehead, and his eyes drooped at the corners like a sad puppy. “I loved your sister.”
“You killed her!” The words shot from Linn’s mouth like an arrow, and judging by the look on Kyle’s face, they’d made their mark.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
You killed her. Linn’s words echoed in Natalie’s head.
Natalie looked between Linn and Kyle. One looked as sad as the other looked angry. What had gone on in their family? It didn’t seem possible that Kyle could do anything like Linn had said. But then, she hardly knew the man. One thing was clear, looking at Linn’s set jaw and flashing eyes. She believed exactly what she’d said.
“I’ll be going now.” Though Kyle’s tone was calm, the pink flush that climbed from beneath his collar betrayed his emotions. He slipped past them and out the door, stopping for a moment on the door stoop. “You might want to call the sheriff about this vandalism.” With that, he was gone.
Natalie turned her attention to Linn. The girl was as taut as a tug-of-war rope. Natalie put her arm around her. “Let’s go have a soda, OK?”
Linn hesitated, her gaze bouncing off Natalie, as if trying to figure whether or not Natalie deserved her trust.
Natalie went to the back room, where the soda machine was. “What’ll you have?” She dropped in two quarters and waited, hoping against hope Linn wouldn’t leave. It took so much effort to gain these girls’ trust and so little to lose it. She prayed she hadn’t done that today.
“Root beer?” The voice came from the doorway.
Natalie couldn’t keep the relieved smile from forming. “Root beer it is.” She pushed the tab, and the soda can clunked down the machine. She handed it to Linn and selected a Diet Pepsi for herself.
“What happened out there?” Linn asked, pointing to the front of the center.
Natalie knew she’d have to call the sheriff, and she really needed to clean up the mess, but right now, Linn was more important. The rest would have to wait.
“I guess some teenagers had too much time on their hands,” Natalie said.
“I can help you clean it up.”
Natalie stopped in the middle of popping her soda open. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. Besides, I have to do a little research to find out how to get the egg and paint off. I probably won’t get to it until later this morning. What I really want to do right now is talk with you.”
“You should call the cops right away if you want to catch these guys. Otherwise, the crime scene will get messed up.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? “You’re absolutely right.”
Linn shrugged. “I guess I’ve watched too many CSI episodes.”
“First, let’s talk.” Natalie sat down with Linn in her office. She hated to bring up a sore subject again, but she wanted to be sure Linn understood. “Are we clear about Kyle, then? I don’t want you thinking I’ve betrayed your confidence.”
Immediately, Linn leaned back and looked away. “How do you know him?”
“We had dinner together awhile back.”
“You’re dating him?”
“No. No, we’re not dating at all. He was at my sister’s for a dinner party. That’s all there was to it.” Did Linn believe her? She couldn’t tell by her expression. “I can see there’s a lot of animosity between you two, and I just wanted to make sure you knew you could trust me.”
“Why do you care so much?”
The question took her aback. Why did she care so much? It was hard to put into words.
Linn began biting her nails, and Natalie could see there wasn’t much left to bite.
“To explain that, I have to explain something else. Its kind of like me asking you why you really disliked a teacher. You couldn’t explain that without telling me something about your background with him, right?”
Linn nodded.
“We talked a little about God on your first visit here. Do you remember?”
“Sure,” she said, paying particular attention to her pinky nail.
“Well, when I was a little girl, I decided I wanted a relationship with God. I know that might sound funny, but all my little life, I’d been told how much He loved me. That was easy for me to understand, since my parents loved me, and my life was so good, you know? They told me He loved me more than a
nyone in the world could love me. It made me feel really special.
“It was easy to believe when everything in life was great, but sometimes in life, things get shaken up. Things go wrong, and all of a sudden your world seems to turn upside down. It’s then that you begin to wonder what’s real. What’s important. I put my trust in a man, a man I thought loved me more than anything, and he failed me. It was then I really started realizing who God was and how much He loved me.
“You asked me why I care, and I don’t know if I can explain this right, but I care because I know how much He loves you. I know how much He loves you because I feel the love He has for me, and I want you to feel it, too. Does that make sense?”
“Kind of.” Linn took a sip of her root beer. “That thing you said about your world turning upside down.” Linn wiped her mouth with her fingers and began twisting the soda tab back and forth. “I feel like that now.”
Natalie felt such a tugging in her heart, she wanted to reach out and make the girl believe in God. But it didn’t work that way. “I know you do, Linn. You’re going through a very difficult time. You have to make a tough decision. When my world turned upside down, the decision was made for me, and there was nothing I could do about it. But you have a choice.”
“You’ve never been in my situation.”
“True.” Sometimes, she realized not having a choice was the easy way out. And it was easy to tell someone else what the right thing to do was when she didn’t have to live with the consequences.
“There are volunteers here who have been, though,” Natalie said. “Some have had abortions, and now they know they made a terrible mistake. But it’s too late for them, so they help other girls make good decisions. Would you like to talk with one of them?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. Maybe later.”
Help me, Jesus, to give this girl what she needs to hear to make the right choice. Help her to do the right thing, no matter how hard it is.
Would you?
The voice whispered into her heart but had the impact of a thunderous boom. Would Natalie do the right thing regardless of the consequences? She feared she’d have to know the consequences before she could make a decision.
Saving Grace Page 8
