Adam's Promise

by Gail Gaymer Martin

  Adam eased onto the rocky base of the formation. Weakness assailed him, but he edged forward, his feet slipping against the stone, his hands scraping against the loose gravel as he climbed and slithered upward.

  His spirit soared, realizing help had reached him. Help he hadn’t ask for, but help the Lord had sent his way. On eagles’ wings, he thought. Today the eagle was God’s promised protection in the human form. Sam? His friend’s image filled him.

  A raised piece of rock jutted farther up. If he could reach there, Adam hoped he could signal to Kate. He prayed as he crept upward.

  Kate cowered against the rock. Had Adam been shot? She heard nothing. To her left, loose gravel rolled against the stone. Was it Lionel Valenti? He’d vanished from her sight again. He could be anywhere.

  Dear Lord, be with me.

  Creeping away from the boulder, Kate looked to her left. Could she make it to the lower rock without him seeing her?

  As she calculated the distance, a shadow shifted near the boulder. A scream caught in her throat. She peered toward the silhouette. Recognizing the familiar physique, her spirit rejoiced.

  Adam.

  It was now or never.

  Kate crouched, then began sprinting across the outcropping.

  Spotlights glared from below, the light giving away her attempt to escape.

  A bullet split the air.

  Hot pain assailed her.

  Sam halted, hearing the shot. He narrowed his eyes toward the ping. The large boulder. Valenti had shot in that direction, meaning someone was there. Kate? Adam? He didn’t know for sure, but he moved in. An officer’s shot rang out. In the glaring light, he saw Valenti duck and drop his weapon. Officers swarmed upward. They’d cornered him, and all Sam could do was pray Valenti’s bullet had missed its mark.

  Adam reached out and yanked Kate behind the rock as she crumpled to the ground. In the darkness, he searched for a wound. Chaos overwhelmed him. Police megaphones called for Valenti to surrender. A shot blasted, ricocheting off the stone wall nearby.

  Metal clattered on the stone as confusion resounded from below. He could hear voices yelling instruction.

  Not certain what had happened, Adam stayed low, cradling Kate in his arms, tears stinging his eyes.

  Her moan wrung his heart, and he rested his head against her hair. “Hang on, Kate.”

  Footsteps clattered around him. Gravel rolled and shifted. Voices grew nearer as silhouettes appeared against the moon. Adam stayed on the ground, rocking Kate in his arms. She lay still and silent, and fear wracked his body.

  A silhouette passed by, then halted and shifted backward. A shadow blocked the moonlight, and Adam lifted his head, perspiration stinging his eyes. “Sam?”

  His friend crouched beside him. “Are you all right?”

  “Kate’s been shot.”

  Sam gripped his shoulder, then let go and hurried away, his voice ringing with orders.

  Adam felt Kate’s warm blood seep through the front of his shirt.

  A siren wailed in the distance.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kate pulled herself from the fog of sleep. Her eyes fluttered, and she recognized a flash of cream-colored walls. Vance Memorial Hospital.

  Struggling to awaken, memory took her back to the dark hillside. The sting of the bullet, then blackness was the last she remembered. But the familiar walls assured her she had survived the evil that had stirred Lionel Valenti to madness.

  Within the cozy haze of waking, a murmur reached her ears. She shifted her head and lifted her eyelids enough to catch a glimpse of Adam, sitting nearby, his eyes cast downward and his hands folded in prayer. His words washed over her like sweet nectar, and she closed her eyes again to listen.

  “Lord,” Adam prayed, “keep Kate in Your care. Give her a speedy recovery. I have so much to say…so much to do to make amends…things I should have done long ago. She means more to me than life itself, and I want to tell her. Father, You know my weakness. I lost my way, but You found me. I promise that I will keep Your Word in my mind and heart….”

  His litany continued, and Kate’s memory surged back to the stained-glass window of the Good Shepherd Christian Church. Adam’s words struck her. I lost my way, but You found me. Her heart rejoiced at God’s tremendous love. Jesus never gives up on us, Kate thought. He is the way.

  Adam’s words settled over her. He truly loved her. She realized it for the first time. This hadn’t been a game. He hadn’t been stringing her along to avoid boredom. He cared about her…as much as life itself. The beauty of the meaning nestled in her heart. She’d never thought she would hear those words.

  Kate moved to alert Adam that she was awake. His gaze snapped toward the bed while his fingers unwound, and he reached for her.

  “Kate.” He rose and stood over her. “How are you?” His misty gaze caressed her face. Tears. Tears for her. Her heart melted, appreciating the gift.

  “I’m alive,” she said, thanking God for His protection and love. Her own eyes searched Adam’s body, looking for a bandage or wound. She saw none. “Are you all right?”

  His smile warmed her. “You’re the one in the bed this time, not me.”

  “You weren’t hurt?”

  He leaned over and brushed his finger along her cheek. “I’m not only fine, I’ve been released from the hospital. They figured if I could go gallivanting all over the countryside, and do a little rock climbing, I was strong enough to get out of here.”

  As Kate shifted, pain shot along her arm. “What happened?” She gestured toward the soreness.

  “The bullet grazed your arm. They admitted you for overnight just to keep an eye on you and give you some meds to sleep. You’ll be released today, but I’ll warn you. Reporters have been all around the hospital wanting to get your story of the kidnapping.”

  Reporters. Kidnapping. The truth fell against her chest. “I’ll plead the Fifth. I don’t want to remember it, Adam. I was in shock.”

  “At least you can remember…not like I had been.”

  “Had been?” She studied his face, edging upward. “Can you remember?”

  He nodded. “I’m beginning to.”

  “Adam, I’m so relieved.” She captured his hand and drew it to her lips. “And this time it’s my turn to thank you for saving my life.”

  “Sam saved us both,” he said.

  “Don’t get humble on me.” She laughed at the paradox. “You pulled me behind the rock.”

  “I saw the gun,” he said. “It was a gut reaction.” He lowered his eyes, then lifted them with a grin. “I would have taken the bullet for you.”

  “I know that. I heard you praying, Adam, and I believe what you said. You would have died for me.”

  He reached for the chair and tugged it closer.

  “Sit here,” she said, patting the spot beside her.

  “Are you sure I won’t hurt you?”

  “You’d never hurt me.”

  Adam eased down on the mattress and gathered her hands in his. “We have to talk.”

  “I’m a captive audience.”

  He lifted her fingers to his mouth and kissed each knuckle. “When I thought I might lose you, Kate, I could not forgive myself for letting so much time go by without facing the truth.”

  “Wait a minute,” she said. “If I’m going to hear the truth, I want to be sitting up.” She tugged at her hospital gown and shifted her legs. “Can you hand me something to throw over my shoulders?”

  Adam rose and strode to the closet. He pulled out a clean hospital gown and handed it to Kate. She draped it over her shoulders and asked him to boost her.

  Her head spun a moment while she gathered her bearings. When the room had stilled, she swung her legs over the edge and adjusted her robe. “I see what you mean about these gowns.”

  He chuckled, remembering his own plight. Adam lowered himself into the chair, his gaze riveted to hers. “Ready?”

  “Ready for what?”

  His eyes sparked with di
sappointment. “I want to tell you the truth.”

  She loved the look on his face, the lack of arrogance and self-importance. In their place, she saw love in his eyes. This time she reached for his hand and held it in hers. “I can’t wait to hear the truth.”

  “I love you, Kate, with all my heart. I cherish every moment we’ve spent together. I’ve always wondered what it meant when we talk about God’s plan. Although I’ve been raised a Christian, I couldn’t understand how God allows bad things to happen to people who are trying to do their best.”

  Kate longed to respond, to kiss his lips, but she harnessed the words and listened.

  “Now, I understand. I wasn’t doing my best, at all. I was taking credit for God’s gifts to me. But the Lord didn’t turn his back. He allowed me to face danger and death so that I could see the truth about myself.”

  With his free hand, he touched her chin, his gaze looking into her soul. “I was afraid to love because I was afraid to be vulnerable. The Lord put you in my path…you with your spunky ways and your strong faith. God made it all possible. I cherish you, Kate.”

  His loving words pressed against her heart, and she knew she owed him the truth. “I love you, but I’ve been afraid.”

  “Afraid?”

  “Afraid to let you know who I really am. I didn’t want you to pity me or reject me because of my past. I didn’t have enough faith to trust God to make things right. So you see, my faith wasn’t strong at all.”

  Adam shook his head, but she went on. “I want to tell you about me, Adam, from the very beginning.”

  Kate’s hands trembled against his as she told him the story of her life—the poverty, the hunger, the homeless shelters and loneliness.

  He never wavered. His eyes searched hers with so much love she could barely contain the joy. When she’d finished, Adam rose and drew her upward.

  Her legs wobbled as she stood, but Adam’s strong arms held her fast. “I knew a little of your background, Kate, and I never batted an eye when I heard it the first time, and I can’t believe this is what kept us apart.”

  “What do you mean?” She felt a frown settle on her face.

  “One afternoon when my mother dropped by, she gave me a real pitch for you. She told me how wonderful you are and what a good Christian wife you’d be. Somewhere in our conversation, she hinted that you’d had a difficult life, but she said that she’d reassured you it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. She was right on the mark. It doesn’t.”

  Tears blurred Kate’s eyes. “You didn’t care?”

  “I cared. I cared because of the difficulty you’d faced for so long, and I cared because I knew you had been hurt in the past and you hadn’t told me. I could only pray that you would. Mom didn’t give me the details. She’s a meddler of sorts, but she respected your confidence in her. Like she tends to do, she warned me, but knowing that I’d never let that stand in my way to love.”

  “Does she know that you love me?”

  “She knew before I did.”

  His arms drew her closer, and his mouth touched hers, so warm and sweet, so inviting. Her weak legs teetered, but her confidence was strong with the joy of giving her heart to the man that God had meant for her.

  He eased away, his words brushing her lips. “I promise to love you always, Kate, my angel.”

  “I promise to make you stick to it,” she said, reaching on tiptoe to capture his mouth. She held her wounded arm against her, and embraced his neck with the other while her fingers played in his dark locks. The joy to touch and taste the man of her dreams wrapped around her heart.

  Thank You, Lord, she prayed. Your love never fails.

  Adam looked up when Colleen slipped into Kate’s room. “Here are your clothes. I hope I remembered everything.” She set a plastic bag on the bed. “I’d better warn you. The place is surrounded with reporters.”

  “I know,” Adam said. “I saw them earlier.”

  “But now they’re at your town house, and Mom called to tell me TV station trucks are hanging around their place.”

  He slapped his hand against the nightstand and rose. “Kate’s not ready for all this.”

  “I can handle it, Adam. I suppose I have to.” Her face paled, and she clutched the bag Colleen had brought. “I just wish I had a moment to think…to get some air before I face them.”

  “How can we get out of here without being seen?” Adam asked.

  “My car is in the parking garage. If we use the service elevator all the way down, I’ll drive your car out. They’re probably looking for that.” Colleen chuckled. “You can take my SUV. There’s a baseball cap on the back seat. Put it on. Go for a ride or something. If it gets dark, maybe they’ll give up and leave.”

  “Good plan,” Adam said. “You up for it, Kate?”

  “After yesterday, I’m up for anything.” She rose again, teetering for a moment, then grasped the clothing and headed for the bathroom.

  Adam exchanged keys with Colleen. “When Kate’s ready, you go ahead and turn right out of the parking area. I hope some will follow. We’ll head left. I’ll call you later.”

  Colleen grinned. “Did I mention I expect an exclusive for this little venture?”

  “You got it,” he said, giving her a quick hug.

  When Kate was ready to leave, Adam found a wheelchair—hospital orders—and took her down the service elevator to the parking structure. Once settled in the SUV with his hair covered by Colleen’s cap, they waited until she vanished through the exit, then followed.

  As Adam had hoped, no one spotted them, and he pulled off the cap, then turned left and headed to the highway. At Kate’s request, he rolled down the windows, letting the wind whip through their hair.

  “I need fresh air,” she’d said. “I want the stench of Valenti’s madness out of my senses.”

  The afternoon sun had lowered in the sky, its glare spreading along the highway. The Saturday traffic was tolerable, and Adam’s heart lurched when they passed the turnoff for Garden of the Gods.

  “Where are we headed?” Kate asked.

  Adam had no destination in mind, but as he drove through Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak rose in the distance, the lowering sun turning the top to glowing silver. “I’m taking you to the top of the world.”

  She gave him a questioning look but didn’t ask.

  Outside the town of Cascade, Adam turned onto Pikes Peak Highway and began the climb.

  “Pikes Peak?” Kate asked, looking dubious.

  “Fresh air, awesome panorama and a little closer to God. You can’t ask for anything better.”

  “I guess you’re right,” she said, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

  The nineteen-mile ride took them to the summit, and at the top, they climbed out and stood looking out across the amazing landscape. Colorado Springs appeared as a miniature Christmas village from their height of over fourteen thousand feet—innocent and inviting.

  Kate looked out on the picturesque scene. “The altitude takes my breath away.”

  “No, it’s me, Kate,” Adam said with a teasing grin.

  She grinned as a shiver coursed her body.

  Adam nestled her against him as the same chill penetrated his summer clothing. His thoughts turned serious. “Our lives seem so small when we look down from here.”

  “Small, but we are significant. We’re God’s children.”

  He drew her closer, putting his hand against her elbow so as not to jiggle her wounded arm. He admired Kate’s spiritual strength. One day, he prayed he’d have a similar grasp of God’s Word, but he had a long way to go.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he said, “and this vista makes it even clearer. I know that God brought us together for a purpose, and I know He’s guided my thinking. I want to go back to Doctors Without Borders. I believe it’s God’s mission for me to head an organization like that, and you’re partially to blame.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “My faith has strengthened because of you.”

  She lowered her
head. “Don’t give me credit. God did all the work.” She rebounded. “But I’d love to go back…anywhere I’m needed.”

  He kissed her hair, realizing how Kate’s difficult life had prepared her for the arduous work. “Through this ordeal, I’ve made a promise to God that I’ll do what I can to expand my missionary involvement, in Doctors Without Borders or wherever I’m called, and I promised Him to stay close to His teachings.”

  “That’s why I love you so much,” Kate said, her smile warming the chill from his body.

  As the sun pressed against the distant mountains and spread its coral hues across the earth, Kate shivered again.

  “I cherish you,” Adam said. The summit wind grew colder and he released her and steered her toward the car. “Let’s get in. It’s warmer.”

  When they were settled inside, Adam started the engine. “We can stop in Cascade or Manitou Springs for dinner. Then I want to stop by my folks’.”

  “I’d like that,” Kate said.

  Before he shifted into gear, he opened Colleen’s glove box and checked inside, then scanned the floor until he spotted something he could use. He grinned at his plan.

  “Kate,” he said, shifting to look at her, “I hope you realize I’m talking about marriage. I want to marry you. I want you to be part of my life and to share my hopes and dreams.”

  She slid her hand into his. “You’re everything I’ve dreamed of and more.”

  “I haven’t had an opportunity to buy you a ring, but I want to make this official.” He dangled a rubber band in front of her. “Kate, will you marry me?”

  “I will,” she said, a silly grin settling on her face as she stared at the office supply suspended from his finger.

  He took the symbol and wound it around her ring finger. “I love you, now and forever.”

  She didn’t answer but raised her lips to his. His mouth met hers, and at the top of his world, he tasted her precious love.

  Chapter Nineteen