Stranded in Paradise

by Lori Copeland

  “I like you too, McConnell.”

  “Exactly when do you think that happened? When I handed you the package of tissues at the airport? Or maybe it was over the luggage carousel when you had such charitable thoughts about my stealing your suitcase.”

  She felt color dot her cheeks. “I think it was … about the time you looked at me as if I’d lost my mind on the hotel fire escape and you had to haul me down two flights of stairs.” They laughed and then a comfortable silence lengthened.

  “Are you back at Connor.com?”

  “No. I’m not going back. I figure I can trust my future to God.”

  “That’s great, Tess. Really great to hear.”

  She stalled, aware they’d been talking for over an hour, but she needed to tell him that she valued his integrity, his kindness …

  She bit her lip. “Hey, call me sometime.”

  “You too. I’m home most days. If I’m not leave a message and—”

  “You’ll get back to me.” She laughed.

  When he spoke this time there was unevenness in his tone. “I think about you a lot.”

  “I think about you, too.”

  “What’s the weather like in Chicago?” She needed him to keep talking so she could hear his voice.

  “It sleeted today.”

  “Here, too.” Dead air. “Well … talk to you soon.”

  She replaced the receiver and sat alone in the apartment.

  The phone shrilled. She sat while the instrument cycled and the answering machine picked up. Len’s agitated voice came over the line.

  “What’s with the box of nuts, Tess? And this note: ‘Not interested.’ Are these nuts supposed to represent your answer—some kind of a joke—is this your way of getting even? Have you lost your mind?”

  Smiling, she rested her head on the back of the sofa. Maybe she had, Len. Right now it sure looked like it.

  20

  Tess came home from the post office Thursday afternoon to find a large manila envelope jammed in the mail receptacle. She had been waiting almost a month now for the right job opportunity to open up. She hoped this would be the answer to her prayers. Maneuvering the wrapper free, she caught her breath and held it when she saw that the letter was from Caltron—one of Denver’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

  Inside was the prize she sought. Was she available for a ten o’clock appointment on the eighteenth?

  Was she ever.

  The morning of the interview, she dressed carefully in a red wool suit and white silk blouse. She studied her image in the mirror, trying to decide if she should wear her hair up or down, changing earrings twice before she was satisfied that she looked appropriately professional.

  Glancing at her watch, she picked up her purse and started out the door. Then she stopped. Her nerves were side straddling her backbone.

  Tossing her purse onto the couch, she dropped to her knees. She’d taken to praying more and more in the past month, until now; she couldn’t imagine not taking her concerns to the Lord. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, desperately wanting to get this right.

  “Dear Father in Heaven.” She paused. “Dear God. You have been so faithful to me, even when I wasn’t aware of it. Help me to trust You, to know that no matter how this turns out, You’re in control. I only need You—to know You more.”

  She relaxed once the words were said. A peace came over her.

  “I desire to know and receive Your Spirit.”

  And she did—oh, how she did.

  “I give You all my doubts and insecurities. I willingly place every facet of my life in your hands, Father—I surrender all.” Tears dripped from the corners of her eyes; she’d have to redo her makeup. “I respectfully remind You that there will be more times when I’ll want to take it all back than times I will walk solely in faith, but I pray Your grace will not allow me to remain in the darkness for long.

  “I need to know that You are walking beside me— every day. I ask for the faith that Carter and Stella have— I want the peace and assurance as I leave this room today that my life is no longer temporal, but eternal, in Your service… .”

  “Hey McConnell.”

  “What’s happenin’, Nelson?” Carter fingered the cupid tie around his neck and grinned. Sure, the men at work razzed him for wearing the gift Tess had sent for Valentine’s Day, but so what? It had her written all over it.

  “I had a promising job interview today,” she said.

  Carter unwrapped a stick of spearmint gum and stuck it in his mouth. In the background, flight controllers went about their business. His eyes habitually focused on the blinking blips on radar.

  “And?”

  “I won’t know for a few days.”

  “Well, I’ll ask God to make a special dispensation in your case.” His grin widened. “How’s the ol’ stress level?”

  “What stress?” He could sense her subsequent smile. “I’ve decided to look at my job differently—I’m happy all those fly jockeys are fighting over me. I’m popular.”

  “Carter.” She took a deep breath.

  “Yo.”

  “I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior. I did it awhile ago, but it’s been sort of growing in me this past month. This morning though, it seemed very real.”

  His tone instantly sobered. “You did?

  “I’m taking baby steps,” she confessed. “I’ll need help from you.”

  “You don’t become an adult overnight—you don’t grow in Christ overnight. If you’ve placed the order, Tess, God will deliver. I’m so proud of you.”

  Shoot. Was that emotion suddenly crowding the back of his throat? Shoot. It was. He took a swipe at his eyes and chewed hard on his gum to control the surge of tears.

  “I know you only have a few minutes for your break—I just wanted to tell you.”

  “Thanks.” He spit the gum out in a tissue and leaned closer to the mouthpiece. “Hey. Nice work, Nelson.”

  “Thanks”—and here she drew not upon her Dummies guides, but upon her heart—“but the credit belongs to the Lord.”

  21

  March arrived on the heels of strong winds, and kites began flapping in East Denver Park District. Tess’s long-distance bills to Chicago were astronomical, but her new position with Caltron paid more than she had hoped.

  When she’d gotten on that plane to Hawaii her life had been in shambles, and look what God had done.

  Wonder flooded her anew. What a change a few weeks had brought. She wanted to tell Carter personally, to see him face to face. The idea brought her up short as she doodled on a scratch pad in her new office overlooking the Denver skyline.

  Well, why not?

  For less than one month’s phone bill she could fly to Chicago and spend an entire weekend. She and Carter could talk without wondering about how the other person looked, without wishing that they could kiss each other good night.

  Reaching for the phone, she gently eased the door shut with the tip of her leather shoe.

  She drove to Denver International Airport on her lunch hour and sat in the car and studied the control tower, trying to envision Carter’s world. Doubts assuaged her. Should she really fly to Chicago? Show up unannounced and uninvited? On the pretext of delivering a greeting card?

  Feminists would have a cow.

  Well. So what. She couldn’t get through another week without seeing him. She sat with her window cracked so she could hear the roar of jets taking off and landing. Carter needed her. She knew he did. He needed someone to come home to. Someone to share his life, someone who would love him, care for him, nurture him—

  He needed her and she needed him.

  Together, with the Lord’s blessing, they could conquer the world!

  22

  Tess Nelson handed the cabby a twenty and slid out of the backseat. She had an hour and a half to make the Chicago flight.

  Sprinting toward the busy terminal, she disregarded lingering ice patches still clinging to the walkways. Suddenly she was s
lip-sliding across the frozen glaze, groping wildly for anything to latch onto for leverage.

  Dropping her suitcase, she lunged for a handrail moments before she would have sprawled face first. But not quickly enough to prevent her left ankle from twisting.

  Deja vu.

  She grasped the injured appendage and groaned out loud. No! There was something about Denver International and ankles that didn’t mix.

  She took small comfort in the knowledge that her right ankle had finally healed and this time it was her left that was rapidly ballooning. Picking up her suitcase, she limped on.

  In a rush to board her flight, she limped right past the handsome man who had dashed out the exit door.

  Carter skidded to a halt and whipped around when he saw Tess hobbling in the opposite direction, carrying luggage.

  She was leaving town as he was arriving.

  Panic seized him and he yelled, “Hey! What’s wrong with your ankle now?”

  Dropping his overnight bag, he sprinted after her, threading his way through a throng of oncoming passengers. “Nelson!”

  The sound of Carter’s voice brought Tess to a halt. “Carter?” She whirled, dropping her case when she spotted him, and raced toward him, oblivious to the pain.

  Carter twirled her around as she latched onto his neck and held on tightly. Oh, he smelled so good! So Carter.

  Catching her up in his arms, he kissed her, oblivious to the fact that they were blocking traffic flow.

  “What are you doing here?” she exclaimed when they finally relinquished their hold.

  “The oddest thing—I was trying to find a stamp to mail your St. Patrick’s Day card, and I thought, ‘Hey, McConnell, why don’t you just take her the card in person?’”

  She interrupted. “Carter! That was my line! And a lame one at that.”

  “No way.”

  “Way!” she argued.

  He drew her back into his arms. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m going to see you.”

  “I’m coming to see you.”

  “Hey.” His tone softened. “Aren’t we blessed. We’ve both found what we’re looking for.” He leaned slightly to kiss the tip of her nose. The gesture promised a lifetime of commitment. “I love you, Tess Nelson.”

  Only through His grace could her life have taken such a wonderful turn, Tess realized. Only through God’s grace.

  “What made you change your mind—convince yourself that you can trust me and God?”

  She smiled, tightening her hold around his neck. “If I can trust God, I can trust you.”

  He chuckled. “Lady, I hate to tell you, but you can trust God a lot more that you can trust me.”

  “Hey, McConnell, speaking of God.” she grinned, then sobered, “thanks for the introduction.”

  He winked. “My pleasure.”

  Draping his arm around her waist, they walked back to the line of waiting taxis.

  “Hey, Tess.”

  “Yes, Carter?”

  “What would you think about me flying to Denver, say—for the next year, every weekend?”

  He leaned to give her another kiss. Pausing, they stopped to hold each other as the crowd dodged around them. Finally, he stepped back and said softly, “Maybe you and I could go out to dinner those weekends—give ourselves a chance to get to know each other better?”

  She nodded. “I’d say that is a definite go.”

  “Good.” Carter suspected he already knew all he needed to know about Tess Nelson—but he wanted to enjoy their courtship. He picked up his flight bag and they continued toward the cabs, arm in arm. He glanced up at the lowering sky.

  “Have you heard what the weather’s going to do?”

  “No,” she said. “And I don’t want to.”

  Dear Reader,

  I wonder if you found Stranded in Paradise to be lighter reading than most Christian fiction? If you did, I’m glad! I truly believe laughter is sound medicine and a gift from God. In a world where we often experience sarcasm and bitterness, I’m so thankful God blessed us with the escape valve that enables us to smile in the midst of chaos and uncertainty!

  So when I was asked to write a novel for the Women of Faith Fiction series, I happily resolved to make laughter a key ingredient in the novel. Since my husband and I visited Hawaii for the first time early this year, I knew that tropical location was another key ingredient for my novel. After all, the island is pure tropical paradise—the pineapple sweet and the vibrant rainbows a touch of heaven! But like everything else on earth, storms occasionally disturb the island’s tranquility. And that understanding is the books final and perhaps most profound ingredient.

  My family has been richly blessed, but we still have personal storms that make us pause and examine our foundation. In such times of trouble, it helps me to realize that I’m not in charge of my day…God is. In his book Day by Day, Chuck Swindol uses an illustration from the life of an oyster to aptly describe God’s role in life’s troubles. “An irritation occurs when the shell of the oyster is invaded by an alien substance—like a grain of sand. When that happens, all the resources within the tiny, sensitive oyster rush to the irritated spot and begin to release healing fluids that other wise would have remained dormant. By and by the irritant is covered—by a pearl. Had there been no interruption, there could have been no pearl.”

  What a comforting thought to carry us through the God appointed storms of life! Through periods when we’re forced to stop and ask, Is my spiritual foundation truly sound? Will the occasional upheavals sweep away my house, or hold firm to the solid rock? I like to think that my foundation is unwavering, but when the storms come, I all too often focus on the irritant. As the storm passes and bright sunshine suddenly breaks through a wall of clouds, God is there, where he’s always been, guarding my foundation. Protecting his child, creating, if not a pearl, a stronger oyster.

  Swindol reminds the reader of J.B. Phillips’ paraphrased James 1:2-4: “When all kinds of troubles and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance…let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men {and women} of mature character.”

  As you turn your thoughts to the discussion questions that follow, I hope you’ll prayerfully reflect on the simple truths in Stranded in Paradise. How firm is your foundation? Is your spiritual house built on sand or solid rock?

  And have you focused on the irritant or on the pearl?

  I praise God for the opportunity to share my beliefs and my hope for eternity. May God richly bless each and every one of you.

  Lori Copeland

  Summer 2002

  discussion questions/ study guide

  1. In the opening chapter of Stranded in Paradise, Tess Nelson loses her job—the job that she had given the bulk of her time and efforts to, to which she had devoted her very life. Discuss how this seemingly catastrophic incident initiates a bizarre series of events—a twisted ankle, lost luggage, a hotel fire, and a hurricane, to name a few—that remarkably lead to healing and restoration for Tess.

  2. Carter McConnell’s early encounters with Tess are less-than-perfect. As one of the first Christian characters Tess meets, how does Carter’s “bad” behavior affect Tess’s concept of Christians? Could his actions be considered beneficial— lending authenticity to his character?

  3. Through flashbacks to Tess’s childhood memories, we see that her early life was riddled with painful experiences. Discuss how this past pain shaped Tess’s personality. Was her reaction to Carter’s compassion and kindness emblematic of someone with her history?

  4. At what point did it become obvious that Carter and Tess were drawn to each other by more than friendship? Did Carter, knowing that she was not a believer, handle himself with the appropriate amount of restraint? Did he, at any point, allow his emotions to control his actions? Dis
cuss.

  5. Stella DeMuer is an eccentric former movie star whose husband, Edgar, was wrongfully linked to the Communist Party in the McCarthy hearings. What influence did this elder woman’s hospitality and personal story have on Tess’s faith?

  6. In the midst of Hurricane Alana, Tess does a great deal of soul-searching, considering the reality of God’s love for her. What role did panic play in her eventual conversion? Do you believe panic is a common element used in evangelism? Is this good or bad?

  7. Characteristic of her deliberate, thoughtful nature, Tess decides she must return home to ponder all that has happened on her illfated vacation before submitting herself totally to God. Was this a wise decision? Why or why not?

  8. Tess Nelson’s tropical vacation in Maui was supposed to be paradise. Yet mishap after mishap seemed to indicate that this beautiful island was anything but celestial. Discuss the symbolism of Paradise—what it means in superficial, earthly terms and what it means in eternal, heavenly terms.

  9. Upon her return to the states, Tess visits Mona, her mother. Removing her filter of anger, Tess sees Mona’s life through new eyes. How does Tess’s impression of her mother change? How do you think the relationship between these two women will evolve?

  10. The character of Tess Nelson truly comes full-circle— quitting a job she previously devoted herself to, reaching out to a mother she once loathed, and embracing a God she never understood. Discuss the ramifications of Tess’s past decisions and how God used even her disobedience to direct the path of her life.

  acknowledgments

  Thanks to E. W. Woolly, who showed the Copelands Maui for the first time, and then took time to read the manuscript and give me a “second opinion.” Thanks, E. W. and Linda, for rainy luaus, sandy beaches, and extra sweet pineapple.

  The following Internet web sites provided important background information for this book:

  Untied States Air Force Reserve

  Fema for Kids: Hurricanes

  Fema: Fact sheet: Hurricanes

  Access Noaa: In The Eye of a Hurricane, Cmdr. Ron

  Philippborn, NOAA CORPS (retired)

  USA Today; Weather Basics

  Ask a Hurricane Hunter

  Flight into a Hurricane