by Kariss Lynch
“Oh, so true.” Kaylan licked the spoon before placing it in the sink and running the water.
“Where’s lover boy been lately? Haven’t seen him in a few days.”
Kaylan didn’t take her eyes off the spoon. “Work got crazy. Both of our hours have been all over the place this week.” She shrugged. “We’ll figure it out.” She knew she wasn’t exactly lying, but she wasn’t telling the whole truth either. For a moment a longing for Sarah Beth hit her, and she physically ached. She never would have had to lie to her, even about Nick being gone. She winced.
“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?”
Kaylan forced a smile. “Everything’s fine. What about you? I haven’t seen Lance lately.”
“That ended last week.”
“You haven’t even been together for two weeks.”
“Flings are easier, Kaylan. Nothing serious, no strings attached. Just fun and then done.”
Kaylan shook her head. “That doesn’t sound very fun to me.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. From what I can tell, you have a perfect family, perfect boyfriend even if he is military, perfect friends, and a perfect life. You wouldn’t know what it’s like to move from place to place every year, your mom out of your life and off with some guy, your dad too consumed with his job in the military, promising face time then never showing up. You wouldn’t understand . . . ” She stopped short, her face filling with pain and anger. She quickly lowered her gaze, her dark hair falling to hide her eyes. With a sniff she lifted her head. “Forget it.”
Kaylan watched Megan for a few moments, her heart racing. She knew what she had to do, but it was the last thing she wanted to share. Lord, please. Anything but that. I can’t talk about that. She waited, hoping the urgency would pass. She’d rather face the barrel of a gun than talk about what happened to Sarah Beth. Not yet.
But Kaylan couldn’t shake the stirring deep within her. Kaylan could tell Megan why Jesus loved her, or she could be honest, risk showing Megan the most vulnerable place of her heart and what God had done. She could acknowledge that she still didn’t understand the why, but she knew where her hope came from and because of that she could live a life full of joy. She wasn’t there yet, but one day she would be.
Kaylan hopped from the counter and grabbed Megan’s hand. “Come with me.” Megan pulled her hand free but followed Kaylan to the bookshelf in her room that held photos of her and Sarah Beth over the years. She handed one to Megan, taken in Haiti.
Megan glanced at the framed photo in her hand and then back at Kaylan. “Okay, I’ll bite. Who’s this?”
“That is my best friend in the world. And this is also a big reason my life isn’t perfect.” She grabbed another frame housing a photo of her and Sarah Beth trick-or-treating as third graders. Kaylan was dressed as a scarecrow and Sarah Beth as the Tin Man. It seemed appropriate. In the end Sarah Beth really did have the biggest heart of all. She’d encouraged Kaylan to live joyfully. Kaylan could never thank her enough for that.
Kaylan sank onto her bed and patted the spot next to her. “I know you think I’ve lived this charmed life, and in reality, I have. It’s been incredibly sweet and incredibly blessed. Up until a year ago I lived in a safe bubble of family, friends, and college. Life was good.”
“Yeah, I think you’re only proving my point.” Megan moved to stand up, but Kaylan put her hand on Megan’s arm.
“Wait, please. You need to understand. You need to know that I really do understand some of your heartache.”
“How could you possibly? This Sarah girl sounds pretty spectacular to me. Looks like you’re set in the friend department.”
Kaylan shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. More than ever she understood that despite outward appearances, one could never really know or understand the broken stories or the beauty that lay hidden in some people’s hearts. Lord, I don’t want to.
Again the urge to speak overwhelmed her, and she continued, praying for the right words. “In late December Sarah Beth and I went to Haiti. That’s where everything changed.”
“I don’t get it. I’ve heard you talking to that Rhonda lady and Abraham on the phone. You have pictures of Haiti all over the house. How could that experience possibly be bad unless . . . ” She grew still and her eyes searched Kaylan’s face. “Kaylan, please tell me . . . no. You weren’t . . . you weren’t in the earthquake, were you?”
Kaylan swallowed the growing lump in her throat, unable to speak. She nodded, tears beginning to fall, but she remained calm. “Sarah Beth and I were in Rhonda’s guest bedroom when the quake hit. I managed to roll under my bed right before part of the room caved in, but . . . Sarah Beth didn’t quite make it to cover. Once I managed to climb over to her, she . . . ”
Megan reached for Kaylan’s hand and patted it awkwardly before squeezing, nearly causing Kaylan to wince at her strength. She thanked the Lord for the pressure. It kept her focused. “They didn’t find us until the morning. By then, well, Sarah Beth went to be with Jesus. She . . . ” Her voice cracked and Megan intensified her grip. Another tear slipped down her cheek, and Kaylan realized Megan was crying too. “She died in my arms. It wrecked my world. I spent the next few days trying to help as many people as I could. A little boy I had played with died. I know I shouldn’t have favorites, but Reuben”—she smiled through her tears—“he was something special. So many gone. I still have nightmares.”
“That explains a lot. Kayles, if I’d only known, I wouldn’t have given you a hard time.”
Kaylan covered Megan’s hand with her free one. “I should have been honest from the beginning. It’s just, it hasn’t even been a year, and there are times I still struggle. I probably will for a while.”
“So how do you get over something like that? How can you still say God is good? Doesn’t seem like He cares much to me.”
Kaylan shrugged. “I still struggle with that too. But I know He’s good because I saw what He did in the midst of the destruction. He is a master at bringing beauty from brokenness, Megan. You can trust Him with your hurt. You can trust me with whatever you aren’t saying.”
The kitchen timer went off, and Megan jumped from the bed as if electrocuted.
“I’ll get that. Thanks for telling me about Sarah Beth.” She placed the frame she’d been holding on the bed. “Maybe some other time.” She turned and hurried from the room.
Kaylan replaced the photos and ran her finger down the glass protecting the shot of Sarah Beth and her in their Halloween best. “Miss you, Bubbles.” Her mind raced back to her first meeting with Sarah Beth in kindergarten, blowing bubbles on the stairs, and the beginning of a beautiful, lifelong friendship. In truth, it had been lifelong, only ending in physical death. And they had an eternity together one day. That thought made the tears dry and a small smile break through the lingering sadness.
She started to leave the room and noticed the frame she’d knocked to the floor in her hurry to get to church on Sunday. She retrieved the frame and placed it on her dresser, then stopped. The smiling faces of a foreign couple stared back at her, the bar code from the store at the bottom of their portrait. She knew there’d been a photo of her and Nick at the beach in that frame just last week. She searched the floor and came up empty, then pi
cked up the frame and studied the back. No loose edges. Maybe Nick took it with him for something.
She shook her head. She still couldn’t find her necklace, and now this. Maybe she was losing her mind. She wandered toward the smell of cookies, making a mental note to talk to Nick about the photo when he returned.
Chapter 10
KAYLAN AND MEGAN rang the doorbell of Nina Anderson’s home next door, balancing a plate of cookies and a pasta salad. The woman loved her flower beds. Kaylan spotted a few tools lying in the dirt, probably abandoned for dinner preparations.
“Here we go.” Megan rolled her eyes and Kaylan elbowed her, careful not to jostle the pasta salad clutched to Megan’s chest.
“They just want to get to know us. They are our neighbors, after all.”
“Kaylan, how many times do I have to tell you? We are not in the S—”
The door opened to a woman Kaylan had never met. Wispy blonde hair hung loose to her shoulders. Light blue eyes stared back from a pale face with angular cheek bones dusted by makeup that enhanced her facial features. She was dressed to impress. Designer shoes, black skinny jeans, and a button-down, solid red shirt. Kaylan was glad she’d taken time to throw on a dress.
“You must be Kaylan and Megan.” The woman extended her hand. “I’m Cathryn Brady. I moved in across the street a few weeks ago.” She stood back and motioned them inside. “Nina is finishing up in the kitchen.”
Megan spoke for the first time. “Welcome to the neighborhood. Where did you move from?”
“Chicago. Before that, I moved from here to there with work. Enough to appreciate meeting new faces.”
“Wow. My family moved everywhere growing up, and all I got from it was a bad attitude.” Megan chuckled at her own joke.
Kaylan inwardly winced and moved past Cathryn toward the kitchen. “I guess we can just put the food down in here?”
“Well, of course you can,” Nina said as she swept into Kaylan’s view, a potholder in one hand and spoon in the other. “Welcome, welcome to our little gathering. Looks like you have already met Cathryn. Over there we have Taylor, Jenna, and Beth.” She pointed to three ladies circled around the rectangular wooden table. What looked to be salad dressing dripped from the spoon as she chattered away.
A woman with raven-black hair approached Kaylan and Megan. She looked to be about the age of Kaylan’s mom. Her designer jeans paired with a tailored blazer spoke of a woman who knew how to make an impression and dress for her audience. “Kaylan, Megan, I’m Jenna. Nice to meet you.” Her faint accent intrigued Kaylan.
Kaylan introduced herself and Megan as they laid the food they’d brought on the kitchen counter. “And where are you from?”
“My mother was British. My father American. I am a child of two countries. But I find I prefer California.”
Megan whistled. “California is definitely a melting pot. Is anyone in the room actually from California?”
Taylor raised her hand, her smile shy as Nina bustled past her. “Just me and Taylor it seems. But the world is too large to be from any one place. Wouldn’t you say, ladies?”
A murmur of confirmation greeted Kaylan’s ears as small talk resumed throughout the room. Kaylan took a deep breath, delighting in the aroma of home-cooked food. Nina definitely knew how to make a room both cozy and eclectic. The walls radiated a rosy hue, catching the golden rays of the California sun. Mustard yellow, olive green, and dusty blue chairs encircled the wooden table, and teapots of all shapes, sizes, and patterns adorned the surfaces around the kitchen. It may not be home, but Kaylan would take it.
Nina turned from the stove and motioned to the ladies around the table. “Let’s eat.” As they began to talk and eat, Kaylan took in the assortment of women and their familiarity with one another. Nina with her short, spiked gray hair and spunky personality made quite the hostess. Beth lived at the end of the block with her husband and their three kids, two of whom were teenagers.
Taylor and her husband had been married for a few years and liked to take an exotic vacation every summer. This year they’d been to Tahiti and stayed in a hut on the water. Megan peppered her with questions.
Jenna was single and a CEO at a major corporation in San Diego. Work kept her busy and traveling, and when she wasn’t working, she trained for marathons, 5Ks, and Iron Mans. She’d moved to the neighborhood four months earlier and enjoyed the monthly get-togethers with the ladies.
Cathryn, who was in sales, was a jet-setter, frequently away on business trips. She’d moved in not long after Jenna and was still unpacking. “I haven’t had time to hire a housekeeper yet. One of these days I’ll get around to it,” she chuckled as she took a sip of tea.
As Nina stood up to serve dessert, Kaylan leaned closer to Cathryn. “I may have a solution to your housekeeping problem.”
Cathryn raised delicately plucked eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Well, I have an internship right now, but I could use some hours at a job to help pay the bills.”
“Perfect. It wouldn’t be many hours. I’ve unpacked most of the house but haven’t had time to tuck it all away yet. I could use the help.”
“My pleasure.” Kaylan smiled, thankful for a distraction and a way to make some money while Nick was away.
Nina waved a hand through the air as she placed Kaylan’s cookies on the table with a tray of lemon bars and a teapot. “No more business talk over dinner.”
“My apologies, Nina.” Cathryn offered a small smile before leaning over to Kaylan and whispering under her breath. “Stop by in the next couple of days.”
Kaylan nodded in response as the dessert was served. She’d missed her family around the kitchen table, but if she couldn’t have that, maybe this group of women could help fill the loneliness she’d experienced since moving to California. And maybe it would be good for Megan too.
Chapter 11
NICK PACED BACK and forth in the hospital hallway, his stomach rumbling in anticipation of dinner. They’d been in Germany a little over three days, and if they got the green light, the team would fly out that night on a plane headed home. He ran a hand through his hair and for the fifth time that day wished for a shower and a razor. The hair on his face was starting to irritate him.
Grabbing another cup of coffee, he headed back to the waiting room where the rest of the team had taken up residence. How they had escaped with only one gunshot wound blew his mind. Micah had a cut over his eye from a piece of debris, and Colt had a few bruises, but it was nothing unfamiliar to them.
He rounded the corner and almost ran into the doctor, who was updating the rest of the team on Logan’s progress. Nick stilled as the doctor’s words registered in his sleep-deprived brain. “ . . . infection. We gave him antibiotics, but it will take a few days to see if they work. We’re going to bandage him up and send him home for doctors there to decide. We’ve done all we can do for now.”
“And if the antibiotics don’t work, sir?” Titus broke the silence.
The doctor shook his head and removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose. “He could lose his leg below the knee.”
“Doc, why would he lose his leg? I thought we got here in time.” Jay stood up, his nervous energy
clear. He hated hospitals.
“The bullet severed his artery. He lost a lot of blood, and the debris lodged in his muscle, severely damaging his mobility. Because of pollution in the water, infection set in. We are working to contain and eliminate it right now with medication. But I think the best move is sending him home. He and his wife and the doctors will be able to make the best decision together. This is only my immediate recommendation.”
“Thanks, Doc, for all your help.” Micah stood and shook the doctor’s hand.
The doctor pointed at the gash he had butterflied shut above Micah’s right eye. “Take care of that. No fights, got it?”
“Yes, sir.” Micah’s Alabama accent intensified in his exhaustion, and right now he looked about dead on his feet. None of them had slept much since bringing Logan in.
Jay and Titus still blamed themselves for not getting the sniper, but Logan would hear none of it. “You two were exactly where we planned, covering our backs around the perimeter, so shut up or get out. This could have happened to any of us, and I wouldn’t wish it on any of you.”
The only thing that helped Logan was Tim McGraw and old John Wayne DVDs that they managed to rustle up. If Nick listened hard enough, he could hear the cheesy cadence of Western music and the muffled sound of old rifles filtering down the hall.
Nick wanted to shoot something. As soon as he got back, he would hit the shooting range and stay there until all his adrenaline faded. Then he’d run for another hour or so on the beach. He hated to lose, and he hated to fail on a mission.
“So now what?” Colt threw his arms in the air. “Logan’s career may be over. And we didn’t even catch this chick.” He walked to the wall and slapped it.
Nick sank down in a chair and hung his head. “They’ve got a baby coming soon. And the kids . . . they’ll have a tough time understanding this.”
