Fame (28 page)

“Hope Lives—wasn’t that what they called themselves?’ , Ashley snapped her fingers. That is it. I couldn’t remember.’ She leaned closer to the canvas and studied the jail she was working on. “Anyway, guess who’s in the group?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Elaine Denning.” “Mom’s friend? The one who used to come over. for tea once rt a while?” “Yes.” Ashley pursed her lips. “I never liked that woman.” “Why not?” Kari didn’t look up. “She seemed nice enough.”

“She’s a widow; that’s why.” Ashley’s voice was louder than before, and she forced herself to bring it down. “She’s been a widow for ten years.” “So?” “So I always thought she was a little too chatty with Dad, you know?” Kari set her brush down on the can again and sat up on her knees. “You think Dad’s interested in her?”

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“I asked him.” She made a guilty face. “He didn’t like that too much. He said he wasn’t interested, wasn’t dating. Nothing like that.”

“Ashley.” Kari had the tone of a scolding parent. “You shouldn’t have asked. Of course he’s not dating. There’d never be anyone for him but Mom.”

“I guess.” Ashley dipped her brush into a darker paint and began working on the jail bars. “The whole scene just felt weird.” She finished that part of the building. “You don’t think Dad’ll ever remarry, do you?”

“Dad?” Kari picked up her brush and began painting again. “Never. Not in a million years. What he and Mom had was too special.”

They painted in quiet for a few minutes. Ashley was just going to tell her about their mother’s chair in the closet, but it was too sad. Her eyes blurred with tears, and she had to blink three or four times to see the canvas clearly.

Finally she sat back on her heels and sniffed. “I miss her so much.”

Kari put her arm around Ashley’s shoulders and leaned her head close. “Me too.

It’s okay to miss her, Ash.”

Ryan and Landon stood up then and walked over to Kari, then Ashley. They both had a familiar teasing gleam in their eyes. “Well, it’s official.” Landon wiggled his sock foot against Ashley’s.

“What?” She sniffed again and wiped her fingers beneath her eyes. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It was impossible to stay sad too long when Ryan and Landon got together. “What’s official?”

“As of right now—” Ryan puffed his chest out and grinned— “the men have covered more canvas than the women.” He put his arm around Landon. “And I think ours is brighter.” “Better,” Landon corrected.

“Right.” He bowed toward Kari. “Better.”

“Really?” Kari moved back to her painting spot and gave the guys a skeptical look.

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“Really.” They both said it in unison, looking at each other giving mock checks back at their work. Landon gave a p to them. “No doubt about it.”

“Let’s see.” Ashley winked at Kari. She stood and surveyed the completed sections of the backdrop. Then she threw her hands up looked at Kari again. “The guys are right. They’re faster and better.”

“Wow.” Kari frowned, trying to play along. “What should we Ashley set her brush down and dusted off her hands. “We as well go out for ice cream and let the guys finish. Why 3ere?” “True.” Kari stood up and set her brush down.

They were walking off the stage when Ashley glanced back :over her shoulder.

Ryan winced in Landon’s direction, at which point Landon jabbed Ryan in the ribs and mouthed the words [Nice going.

Ryan cleared his throat and took a few fast steps toward them. “Hey, girls…”

He forced a friendly laugh. “Did we say we were faster and better?” He looked at kandon and back to Ashley and iKari. “What we meant was, we’re no match for you, not even on our best day.”

“Was that what you mean,t?” Kari put her hands on her hips. “Yeah,” Landon chimed in. “Not even on our best day.”

Kari and Ashley linked arms and laughed. Then they turned and headed back to their spots. “Don’t worry.” Ashley tossed her hands. “You probably are faster and better.” She smiled at Kari. “But our conversation makes up for it.”

A ringing sound came from Ashley’s purse a few feet away. She darted over to it, grabbed her phone, and opened it. “Hello?”

“Ash, it’s Luke.” Her brother’s voice sounded rich and warm and close enough to be next door. “How are you?”

“Luke! it’s so good to hear your voice.” She looked around at the others, each of them still standing, enjoying a moment to 236

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stretch before getting back to work. “I’m fine. I’m here at the theater painting a backdrop with Landon and Kari and Ryan.”

“Sounds like fun.” Luke gave a light laugh. “I can never tell what you’ll be doing, Ash.”

The other three waved and mumbled quiet hellos.

“Can you hear everyone, Luke? We all say hi. How are you?”

“I’m good. Tommy’s talking up a storm, and Reagan’s feeling great.” He paused.

“She wanted me to call and tell you our

news.”

“News?” Ashley’s mouth fell open and stayed that way. She held her breath. Were they… ?

“We’re adopting!” He hooted loud enough that kandon, Kari, and Ryan all came closer, their expressions wide with curiosity. “The birth mother is due in February.”

Ashley screamed and danced in a tight circle. Then she waved the phone at the others. “More Baxter kids!” Suddenly she thought of something. “You can still come for Christmas, right?”

Luke chuckled. “I figured you’d think of that.” He caught his breath. “Yes, the mother should still be six weeks away at that point, so we’re planning on it.”

“Yippee!” Ashley jogged in place for a few seconds. “Luke, I’m so happy for you.

Tell Reagan we’re thrilled. We wish we could be there to hug you both.”

The conversation lasted a few more minutes, and when she hung up she shared all the details with the group. The mood was upbeat and happy, the conversation jumping from their children to the cruise Ashley and Landon were set to take in July.

It was just after nine o’clock when they finished the backdrop. They all agreed it was a work of art, and Ashley could hardly wait for Katy Hart to get a look at it.

It wasn’t until that night when Landon was brushing his teeth that Ashley walked into Cole’s dark room and sat on the edge of the bed. The conversation with Kari came back again, the one

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her father and his closet and the way they all missed their She slid her fingers through Cole’s wispy blond hair. Life so fast. Wasn’t it just her turn to be pregnant with little T? Even more, weren’t she and Luke just little kids, closer of the other Baxter kids? She sighed.

And now her little brother was about to have a second baby. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. The

had been so good; it made no sense that she was crying. She leaned down and rubbed her damp cheek against Cole’s. He

so big now, reasoning and acting like a schoolboy, not the tyke he’d been those early years.

He stirred and shifted his head so his opposite cheek was the pillow.

“Grandma loved you so much, Cole.” Her words were a whisper. “I hope she can see you from heaven, what a wonderful boy you’re growing up to be.”

He sighed and the hint of a smile played on his lips.

Ashley closed her eyes. “Jesus, don’t ever let him forget her.

There was a sound behind her and she opened her eyes.

Landon stood in the doorway, the light from the hallway hitting back. She could see the compassion in his eyes even in the OWS.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes.” She patted to the spot beside her.

Landon sat down next to her. He put his arm around her and hand against the back of her head. “What’s wrong, “I don’t know.” She did a quiet moan. “Just thinking. What with Luke and Reagan adopting and life moving on.” She touched Cole’s hair again. “Cole’s growing up so fast. Just all of it, I guess.”

He kissed her cheek. “I heard you and Kari talking earlier. About your mom.”

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“Yeah.” She pressed her face against his. “I guess it’s that too.” A new wave of tears came. “I want her to see Cole grow up and little Ryan get his first teeth and Hayley able to recognize people.” A quiet sob caught in her throat. “And.,.

and Luke’s new little baby.”

“Ah, honey.” He held her tighter.

“We still need her, Landon.” Another few sobs slipped out. “Why would God take her?”

“I don’t know,” he whispered, using his free hand to dry the tears from her face. “We’ll never know this side of heaven.”

They stayed that way for a while, and then Ashley turned to him, “What would I do without you?” She was calmer now, her tears subsiding. She searched his eyes.

“I almost let you get away. I would’ve lost you forever.”

“No, you wouldn’t have.” He brushed his knuckles against the side of her face and dried the last of her tears. He slowly moved his thumb down until he was tracing the outline of her lips. “God would’ve found some way to make me stay.”

A familiar wanting filled his eyes. “At least until you figured out how much you loved me.”

She said nothing in response. Instead she brought her lips to his, and as the intensity of the kiss grew, they were both carried on a wave of passion.

He drew back, breathless, his eyes dark with desire. “You know what I’m glad about?”

“What?” She kissed him again, first his upper lip, then his lower lip, then his chin. Cole was sound asleep, but she was careful to be quiet, anyway.

“I’m glad we waited until we were married.” He touched his lips to her neck and then looked at her again. “I think that’s why loving you gets better every day.”

“I’m glad we waited too.” She smiled, and even though the sadness remained, it was buried back where it belonged. “But you know what?”

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“What?” He kissed the other side of her neck.

fBlake’”

His lips found hers again. “No, we don’t.” And with that, he :”Stood, took her by the hand, and led her down the hallway to itheir bedroom, where they spent the night celebrating love and ‘.life and marriage.

Marriage the way God intended it to be.

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CKT CLASSES FELT WILD and out of control that Thursday, and it seemed to Katy that she’d been gone from her Bloomington life for a month. As part of the CKT

program, every session involved classes on acting, singing, and dancing, all held at Bloomington Community Church, just like the play rehearsals. Kids had to be enrolled in classes before they could audition for a play. Usually by now the classes would all be working out :the details for their showcase night—a compilation of teni, minute performances from each class.

This time, though, three of the ten classes had no idea what to do for the showcase, and in the junior acting class, four kids had dropped out with complaints that it wasn’t interesting enough. By six o’clock when classes got out, Katy had the horrible sense that everything was falling apart. As she was dismissing her class, Rhonda showed up and grabbed her own hair with both hands.

“I have parent committees asking me for wooden apples and aprons and fishing poles, Katy.” She released her hair. “I’m guessing we’re at least a week behind in the practice schedule.”

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‘I don’t get it.” Katy leaned against the edge of the desk, star. ing at her feet. “I haven’t really missed anything, right? I mean, I’ve been here for every practice and every class date, and still it’s chaos.” She looked up. “I can feel it.”

Just then, Jenny Flanigan passed by in the hall. She was walking with another mother and didn’t stop or look in. Maybe that was it. Maybe if she worked things out with the Flanigans everything would feel better. She held up a finger to Rhonda. ‘Can you make an announcement? Quick? Before everyone leaves?”

Rhonda put her hands on her hips. “I guess so.” She looked over her shoulder.

“Hurry, though. Parents are already here to pick up their kids.”

“Okay, tell everyone practice starts an hour earlier tomorrow. That way we can catch up.”

“Good idea.” Rhonda’s expression brightened. She turned and ran from the room.

“‘Hey, guys,” she shouted. “Everyone, wait. I have something to.. 2’ Her voice faded as she got farther away.

Katy left her things in the room and sprinted out the door in the direction she had seen Jenny Flannigan walk. She was in luck. Jenny was only a few classrooms up the hallway, still talking to the other mother.

She bounded up to them and gave each of them a quick hug. The other mother waved and headed toward the exit, leaving just the two of them.

“Katy!” Jenny wasn’t stiff or distant, but happy to see her. “Hey, you’re back!”

“I came straight here from the airport.”

“So, how was it?” Whatever distance had been in Jenny’s eyes before was gone now. She looked excited. “Lots of research?”

Katy couldn’t lie, not again. Not when she’d all but made up her mind to take the part. “Jenny..” She felt her smile fade. “Can we talk when we get home? You and Jim and me?”

Concern colored Jenny’s expression. “is everything okay?”

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“It will be. I think so, anyway.” She bit the inside of her lip. “I do need to talk, okay?”

“Definitely.” She looked at her watch. “Let’s talk in half an hour.”

“Thanks, Jenny.” Relief filled her voice.

Bailey and Connor were coming up behind them, walking fast laughing about something. At the end of the hallway, behind them, Tim Reed jumped into view. ‘“Hey, Bailey.”

She turned around, her mannerisms all flirtatious sweetness.

Tom Sawyer?”

“How about you join me and Huck and Joe Harper on the tomorrow?”

Just then Tim spotted Katy. She raised her brows at him and finger in the air. I’ll join you on the island if you don’t your lines down by tomorrow, Tim.” She wanted to smile, she resisted. “Got it?”

He straightened up, his goofy smile replaced by wide, worried “Yes, Katy. Got it.”

Bailey muffled a giggle and gave a little wave to Tim before he around and darted out of sight. Katy hadn’t seen Tim th Ashley Zarelli once today, and she was tempted to ask z about it. Just for fun. She liked staying up to date on the