Forever (42 page)

Katy laughed and fell into place beside him. For a while it was all they could do to keep walking. She ached to kiss him again, to stay lost in his arms and embrace for an hour. But Dayne was right. They’d made a promise to God and to each other to wait until they were married-a promise that was bound to be more difficult for Dayne, whose past had robbed him of the innocence Katy still cherished. In her private moments with God, she had vowed not to tempt Dayne.

For that reason, their tender intimate moments needed to be brief.

“So . .” Dayne raised his brows. His expression told her that he was still cooling off. “About the wedding…”

She smiled and turned her gaze toward the water. “The real one?”

“Right.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. Their strides were casual and in perfect unison.

“You really think we can keep the media away if we have it at the country club?”

“I’d like to try.”

She’d been thinking about the logistics. They wanted a beautiful, traditional ceremony without the chaos of circling helicopters and paparazzi jumping out of the bushes. Especially since a few of them had nearly cost Dayne his life.

Even so, Katy had no idea how they were going to keep the wedding a secret. She looked at him. “I guess I can’t get past the impossibility of it.”

“I’ve got someone working on it.” His voice was deep, sooth340

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ing. “I guess the rule of thumb is fifty people. Invite fifty or less, and the press usually doesn’t find out. Invite more and …” He shrugged. “I guess it’s just about unheard of.”

“Fifty?” Katy winced. “CKT alone has more than twice that.” She wanted her ailing parents from Chicago and the Flanigans and the Baxters and everyone involved with her Christian Kids Theater group. And there were a few dozen Hollywood friends and business associates Dayne hoped to invite.

“I know. We need to plan on a few hundred.” He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the path ahead of them. “That’s why we need to talk.” He stopped and drew a long breath. “I have an idea that just might work.”

Katy looked into his eyes and her heart soared. Dayne wasn’t willing to settle in any way, not when it came to her. “Tell me.” “Okay. Here’s what I was thinking… .”

John Baxter didn’t usually jump into Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. But Elaine had suggested the idea. Now it was early Friday morning, and he was waiting for her to pick him up so they could drive to the biggest mall in Indianapolis. Elaine told him the trip could take most of the day. They had fifteen GRAND KIDS between them to shop for.

John wandered into the living room and looked out the front window. She would be here any minute. Elaine Denning was never late. He leaned against the sill and thought about last night.

Her visit with him and his kids over pumpkin pie marked the first time he’d included her around any of them. The outcome was dramatically better than he’d ever hoped. The entire family had accepted Elaine with warmth and grace, making conversation with her and helping smooth over any awkward moments-like the time Maddie walked up, took Elaine’s hand, and said, “Are you Papa’s girlfriend?”

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Rather than looks of shock or disapproval, everyone chuckled and Ashley walked up to her niece. “Yes, Maddie.” She smiled at Elaine. “She’s Papa’s friend and she’s a girl. So that makes her a girlfriend.” She cast an unthreatened smile at him and Elaine.

“See.” Maddie looked at Cole, satisfied. “I thought so.”

As his granddaughter walked off, John looked at Ashley, awed. The animosity she had always expressed about Elaine seemed to have been totally replaced with warmth and acceptance. Her hospitality toward Elaine had been one more way the Baxters’ Thanksgiving was marked by God’s presence.

Other than Maddie’s innocent remark, the topic of Elaine and him hadn’t come up again. Everyone was busy connecting with Dayne and Katy and the Flanigans, who had also joined them for dessert. Elaine’s presence felt normal and natural, and John believed they’d found a new level of friendship because of it.

Late last night, when she was ready to leave, he walked her to her car. Their conversation replayed in his mind.

“I felt welcome tonight, John.” Elaine had seemed careful to keep some distance between them.

John pulled his jacket tighter around himself and looked at the half-moon hanging over the Baxter house. “I guess they’re ready for me to have friends.”

Her expression changed but only slightly. She smiled. “I’m ready for that too.”

“Good.” He reached out and gave her hand a single squeeze. They’d avoided each other for two months, because John was determined to give Elaine the space she seemed to want. If she was looking for more than friendship, he was the wrong man. He wasn’t ready to love again, and he had a strong sense he might never be.

The memory dissolved just as her car pulled into the drive. A slight thrill passed through him. He was looking forward to the day more than he’d expected.

Elaine made him laugh with her

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subtle sense of humor. Spending a day with her would I out of the house, away from the memories of a ‘demi’, Thanksgivings past.

He took a last look at the house before he stepped ou Kid( This was the day each year when Elizabeth would haul out lbw Christmas decorations and turn the Baxter house into a wonde land of red and green.

Since her death, the banister had gone without garland, the mantel without pine branches and lights, and three decades of decorations had stayed in boxes. And this had been one of the hardest days of all. Last year he spent most of it sitting in his recliner, the one next to her rocker, looking through photo albums of smiles and laughter and loving moments lost forever to yesterday.

Not today. He turned and closed the door behind him. As he did, he left behind the trace of a cologne he hadn’t worn in years. Today he would find another kind of smiles and laughter, shopping and joking and enjoying time with a woman he couldn’t wait to spend the day with-Elaine Denning.

His friend.

Someone was knocking at the door, but Bailey Flanigan could barely open her eyes.

“Bailey … get up. Come on!” The voice was Connor’s.

“Please …” She groaned and turned over. “Let me sleep.”

She had stayed up late Thanksgiving night, going over audition songs with Connor and texting Tim Reed. It was three in the morning when she turned off the lights and finally fell asleep.

The door opened and Connor leaned in. “Bryan Smythe’s here. I’m serious, Bailey.

You have to see this.”

Bryan Smythe? Bailey sat up. It took only a few seconds before 344

her body responded. She jumped up and ran into her bathroom. “What in the world?” She looked over her shoulder at her brother. “Why’s he here?”

Connor grinned. “You need to see for yourself.”

“Ugh. I can’t go down looking like this.” She ran her fingers through her hair and splashed cold water on her face. The mirror told her she still looked half asleep.

“It doesn’t matter.” Connor’s tone was almost frantic. “He’s waiting. Come on.”

She darted into her closet, water still dripping from her face, pulled off the T-shirt and flannel leggings she’d been sleeping in, and slipped into a sweatshirt and the first pair of jeans she could find. Ever since she and Tanner Williams broke up, her social life had been one extreme or the other. She could come home from school five days straight without so much as a single call or text.

On those days, Cody Coleman, the senior football player who lived with them, would pat her on the shoulder and smile at her like she was a child. “Don’t worry, Bailey. They’ll be lined up one day.”

Her attraction to Cody had cooled a lot since he moved in with them. He dated a different girl every few weeks, and he treated Bailey like she was thirteen instead of sixteen. Sometimes she couldn’t wait for next year, when he’d leave for college and they could be finished with him.

Bailey pulled her hair back in a ponytail and hurried out her bedroom door after Connor. The text messages from Tim the day before ran through her head. Do you ever think about thefuture, Bailey?… How things might wind up? She had kept her answers short. Tim Reed was rarely in such a pensive mood, and she wanted to know what he was thinking. A few texts later he wrote, Let’s go to the park Friday. You and I need to catch up.

So what was this with Bryan? She rounded the corner and headed down the hallway.

Sure, he’d acted interested a few months ago. But he’d been out of the picture for a while now. Ru344

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mors around CKT had him seeing someone at his high sthi But then why was he here this morning?

She made it to the entryway and there, standing just inside front door, was Bryan. He held an enormous bouquet of roses red and yellow and white. A small note card was tucked in ilear the middle.

Bailey gasped softly and looked from the flowers to Bryan. “What … what’s going on?”

He shrugged. “I finally had a morning to myself.” He took a step toward her and held out the bouquet. As he handed them to her he grinned. “I might not call every day, Bailey. But I’m thinking about you.” He hesitated; then he moved back toward the door. “I wanted you to know.”

She wasn’t sure what to do next. “For no reason?” She lifted the flowers close and smelled them. “You brought me roses for no reason.”

His eyes answered her question before he did. In them she could see a confidence and determination directed entirely at her. “You’re reason enough.” He gave her one last smile and raised his hand. “Bye, Bailey. See you around.”

Then, before she could hug him or thank him or get any more information than that, he turned and jogged down her walkway.

She went to the door, stepped outside, and raised her voice so he could hear her. “Thanks, Bryan. They’re beautiful.”

He waved and flashed a grin that said he enjoyed this, being mysterious and unexpected and beyond romantic. He was in his car and back down their driveway before she could catch her breath. What was he up to? And why this morning? She pulled the card from the bouquet and opened it.

White because I will always treasure your innocence, yellow because we were friends before anything else… and red for all that I hope lies ahead.

Always,

Bryan

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Chills passed down her neck and spine. “Okay, Bryan,” she whispered as she smelled the flowers again. “Could you be any more amazing?”

She was heading back inside, still trying to make sense of it, when from the far left side of the house she heard her mother scream.

“Mom?” Bailey set the flowers down and raced toward the sound. At the same time, she heard her father and the boys running behind her.

They arrived at the guest-room door at the same time, and Bailey covered her mouth. Her mother was kneeling on the floor, her eyes wide and scared. “Call 911. Hurry. He’s barely breathing.”

Connor jumped into action, racing past their mom and grabbing the phone.

Her dad rushed into the room and knelt. “Does he have a pulse?”

“Barely.”

Her dad looked like he was going to cry. He moved in closer. “How could he?”

“Pray, Jim.” Tears spilled onto her mother’s face. She looked at the rest of them. “Pray!”

“Is he … ?” Bailey couldn’t finish her sentence. She stayed frozen near the doorway.

Cody Coleman was sprawled on his back, his face and arms gray. The entire room was filled with a pungent smell. That’s when Bailey spotted it. Only then did she have a clue what had happened. Lying next to Cody was a bottle of liquor-hard liquor.

The bottle lay on its side, and from what Bailey could see it was no longer full.

It was completely empty.

347 The Best-Selling REDEMPTION SERIES by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley Novelist Karen Kingsbury and relationship expert Gary Smalley team up to bring you the Redemption series, which explores the relationship principles Gary has been teaching for more than thirty years and applies them to one family in particular, the Baxters. In the crucible of their tragedies and triumphs, the Baxter family learns about commitment, forgiveness, faith, and the redeeming hand of God.

story of tenacious love and longing for a lost son REJOICE

a story of unspeakable loss and the overwhelming miracle of new life ZEUNION

story of God’s grace and redemption,

His victory even in the most difficult times.

story of love at all costs

a journey from tragedy to healing

348 1

349 The

Best-Selling

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by Karen Kingsbury

Catch up with your favorite Baxter characters from the best-selling Reilc series. Dayne Matthews is an A-list Hollywood actor with a bright luluitIi his heart is pulling him toward a woman and a family who have no lc.i I c their lives are tied to his. Katy Hart, the director of Christian Kids 1 hutici, finally feels content and at home in Bloomington, Indiana. But that change,.

when she meets Dayne Matthews and he promises a future she left in hei past.

Meanwhile, John Baxter struggles to fulfill a promise he made to hi,. dying wife-a promise to reconnect the entire family, including the one child they never spoke of.

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A story of hope, healing, and God’s divine leading-even in the face of impossible circumstances

wetrn A story of God’s divine leading and

the realization that peace comes

only after forgiveness

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A story of God’s divine leading

and the truth that God rewards those who seek Him with all their heart ‘z

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A story about surviving tough times and drawing strength and hope from family and deep faith

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story of the search for renewed hope and the desperate need to be loved and to belong

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352 FOREVER FAITHFUL SERIES Waiting for Morning A Moment of Weakness Halfway to Forever

WOMEN OF FAITH FICTION SERIES A Time to Dance A Time to Embrace STAND-ALONE TITLES A Thousand Tomorrows Oceans Apart Where Yesterday Lives When Joy Came to Stay On Every Side Even Now Divine Like Dandelion Dust CHILDREN’S TITLE Let Me Hold You Longer