Child of Grace (Love Inspired) (5 page)

Her step slowed as she eyed the steep flight of stairs ahead. “I’ve managed fine by myself so far.”

“Things are only going to get tougher as you get bigger. As a doctor, I recommend you take whatever unsolicited help you can get. Unless you already have someone lined up to do the heavy stuff.”

It was a backdoor way to confirm the baby’s father wasn’t around—and he doubted it would work.

But much to his surprise, it did.

“My sister will come if I decide—if I need help after the baby is born.”

So the baby’s father wasn’t part of Kelsey’s life. And wouldn’t be in the future.

Was he the source of her scar? Had she been in an abusive relationship?

The notion didn’t sit well with him.

“Okay. Thanks for the offer.” Kelsey handed over her chair, interrupting his train of thought.

“Smart decision.” He summoned up a grin. “I may be a doctor, but I don’t want to have to treat a sprained ankle—or worse—while I’m here. Give me a sec.”

He went back to retrieve his own chair, taking her arm as they traversed the uneven sand. At the narrow path through the grass, he let her precede him, following close behind her as she slowly made her way up the stairs.

“Believe it or not, I used to be…in great shape.” She huffed out the comment as they reached the top.

Despite the dim light, he could tell her cheeks were flushed from the exertion.

“I expect you still are. Forty steps would make anyone breathe harder.”

“They don’t seem to have taxed
your
lungs.”

“They would have if I’d been carrying an extra fifteen or twenty pounds.” He tapped her chair, still slung over his shoulder. “Would you like me to take this over to your porch?”

“No. Thank you.” She reached for it. “I can manage fine on flat ground. Good night.” Gripping the chair in one hand, she crossed the lawn and disappeared through the trees that separated their property.

Luke stayed where he was until he saw the light in her kitchen flick on through the leafy branches. Then he turned toward the fading sunset. A few minutes ago, the sky had been a glorious palette of brilliant colors, the water alive with ethereal light. Now the heavens had faded to a dull, uninteresting gray, robbing the lake of its shimmering incandescence and leaving ominous, leaden shadows in its wake.

The change had been startling. And swift.

Though Luke had learned very little about Kelsey Anderson since their first encounter, he was beginning to sense the changes in her life had been equally startling. And swift.

But what had prompted them? And was her new life in isolated Pier Cove a permanent change? Or had she sought temporary refuge here to protect herself—and her unborn child?

Luke shook his head and lifted his free hand to massage his neck. He didn’t want complications on this trip. The task he’d set himself was difficult enough. Worrying about his neighbor wasn’t part of the plan. Nor would she welcome his concern if he expressed it.

Yet he wasn’t the type to walk away from people in need. That was why he’d become a doctor. Why he’d done more than his share of gritty, heartbreaking work near the front lines. Why he’d promised a medic he’d create the young man’s legacy in his stead.

But it was hard to help people who didn’t want help. And maybe he wasn’t supposed to help Kelsey. Maybe he was supposed to let this go.

Except he knew about loneliness. And disillusion. And anguish. He’d lived through all of them overseas. And Kelsey was living through them now. Every one of those emotions was reflected in the clear, green depths of her troubled eyes.

Tipping his head back, he looked toward the heavens, where stars were just beginning to peek out.

Lord, You led me here. For a mission I thought was clear. If You have another job in mind for me, would You let me know? Soon? And in the meantime, please let Kelsey feel Your healing presence. Because I have a feeling she’s in desperate need of some divine guidance and a healthy dose of TLC.

“A
h, Kelsey! What a nice surprise!”

At Reverend Howard’s greeting, Kelsey looked up from her book and watched the middle-aged pastor cross the grass with his typical spry gait. Since he knew she often walked down to this small park in Douglas at lunchtime, his comment about being surprised seemed a bit odd.

Her curiosity piqued, she gestured to the facing seat in the double-sided swing she’d claimed on the edge of Kalamazoo Lake. “It’s nice to see you, Reverend. Won’t you join me?”

“Thank you. I will.” He settled in across from her. “So what are you reading this fine day?”

She angled the book of baby names toward him.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’ve reached a decision?”

With a sigh, she rested her hand on her stomach and shook her head. “No. I’m just trying to be prepared for all contingencies.”

“God will give you the answer in His time.”

“The trouble is, I’m running
out
of time.”

“You still have two months. And if you decide to give up the baby for adoption, all the arrangements are in place with the agency I contacted on your behalf. Try not to let the pressure get to you.”

“It’s hard not to, the way the weeks are flying by.” She ran a finger down the spine of the book. “You know, a year ago, if someone had predicted that in twelve months I’d be pregnant, living in Gram’s cottage and making quilts for a living, I’d have thought they were crazy. I was totally focused on my goal of being a vice president by the time I was forty.” She shook her head. “So much for plans.”

“Is your new life losing its luster?”

“Not at all. I don’t miss the corporate rat race one iota. I may not make the big bucks anymore, but my life is more in balance and the creative work feeds my soul. I’m just sorry it took such a traumatic wake-up call for me to see the light.” The baby kicked, and she touched her stomach. “I can even have a family if I want one.”

“Raising a child alone is difficult, Kelsey. Especially under your circumstances.”

At the minister’s quiet comment, a pang echoed in her heart. They’d had similar discussions several times over the past few months, though he’d never before been as direct.

“Don’t you think I’m up to it?”

“I think you are a very strong woman who can achieve whatever you set out to accomplish. Your success in the corporate world proves that. So does your decision to change your life in the face of opposition from family and coworkers. But this decision isn’t just about you. It’s also about what’s best for your child. He or she deserves unconditional love, Kelsey.”

“You don’t think I can offer that?”

“Only you can answer that question. No one would blame you if you couldn’t.”

Tears pricked Kelsey’s eyes, and she looked over the sparkling water, blinking them away. “I didn’t think I could in the beginning. I wanted nothing to do with this baby. But now…” Her hand moved over her stomach. “I’ve felt him or her kick. I’ve seen the ultrasounds. I’ve heard the heartbeat. This child is part of me, Reverend. How can I give away part of myself?”

“I know it’s a very, very difficult decision, Kelsey. One best made after much prayer. But whatever you decide, you’ve already done the noble thing by carrying the child to term. That’s more than most people would expect.”

Her jaw stiffened in resolution. “There was never a question in my mind about that.”

“I admire the strength of your convictions. And you’ll continue to be in my prayers as you wrestle with your decision.” He leaned over and patted her hand. “Now I’ll continue my constitutional, as my grandfather called it. A walk is good for body and soul, and a stroll through Douglas is always pleasant when business brings me here.”

“I agree. Walking has become the centerpiece of my exercise program.” Even after the baby was born, it would remain so. Kelsey had no further interest in jogging.

“Good, good.” He slid out of the swing, but remained beside it, hands clasped behind him. “By the way, I spoke with Captain Turner this morning. He said you had a productive meeting yesterday. Two meetings, in fact.”

Kelsey settled back in the swing. Now they were getting to the real reason for his noontime constitutional.

“Yes. He came by the shop. And then I ran into him on the beach near my cottage. Did he tell you we’re neighbors?”

“He did. What a remarkable coincidence. But not a favorable one for you, he seems to think. I got the feeling he’s concerned that his presence has been disruptive for you.”

“It has been unsettling. As far back as I can remember, I’ve felt safe in Gram’s cottage and on her beach. Pier Cove always seemed untouched by the world. Now, with a lone male so close by…” She let her voice trail off.

“Given your recent experience, I can understand how that would make you uneasy. But the captain strikes me as a man of honor and integrity. Someone to be trusted, not feared.”

“I’m sure he is. Still, his presence…changes things.”

“Some changes are good, as you’ve discovered in the past few months. Perhaps the captain’s presence will be one of them.” The minister leaned over and patted her hand again. “Give it a little time, my dear. As we’ve often discussed, God works in mysterious ways. And good can come of bad.” With a wave of farewell, he headed back toward Center Street.

Kelsey watched him stride away. It was true that good had come of bad, though she would never have believed that on the cold December night in St. Louis when her life had changed forever. And in light of that, maybe Reverend Howard was right about Captain Turner, too. Maybe her new neighbor would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

And that was an outcome definitely worthy of prayer.

Stomach growling, Luke slid a bowl of chili from Crane’s Pie Pantry into the microwave and reached for one of the restaurant’s famous cider doughnuts to stave off his hunger until his entree was ready. He should have stopped for lunch today, but after his trip to visit Carlos’s still-fresh grave at Fort Custer National Cemetery, his appetite had vanished.

Now it was back with a vengeance.

As he devoured the doughnut, his cell phone began to vibrate. At the familiar number on the digital display, he smiled and put the phone to his ear. “Hi, Mom.”

“Oh, Luke, it’s so good to hear your voice!”

Since his return from overseas, they’d talked almost every day, and she always greeted him with the same comment.

“You’re going to get tired of hearing it once I move back to Atlanta and start mooching meals off of you.”

“Never! I can’t wait to make your favorite dinner the first night you’re home.”

His smile broadened. He could recite the menu by heart: Caesar salad, pork tenderloin, au gratin potatoes, green bean casserole and his mom’s famous split lemon cake. It was the same menu she’d always prepared when he came home on leave. His salivary glands went into overdrive as he thought about it.

“That sounds a whole lot better than the chili I’m having tonight.”

“Chili? That’s all you’re having for dinner?” Dismay raised the pitch of her voice.

“It’s great chili. Or so I’m told. And I’m having homemade wheat bread and cider doughnuts, too. The doughnuts I can vouch for. They’re fabulous.” He licked a few grains of sugar off his finger.

“Not the healthiest menu I’ve ever heard. And not enough for a grown man. Now throw in some buttered grits…”

He grinned. Though Southern born and raised, he’d never been a fan of grits. As his mother well knew. “I think I’ll stick with the chili. Are you and Dad ready for your trip?”

“As a matter of fact, that’s why I called.”

The sudden hesitancy in her tone put him on alert. “Is everything okay? Dad isn’t sick, is he?”

Luke would never forget the scare they’d all had three years ago, when his robust father’s chest pains had led to bypass surgery. But he hadn’t suffered a heart attack, and he’d been in good health since.

“My, no, he’s fit as a fiddle. Out painting the tool shed in back as we speak. But we do have a little problem. You know how Hannah was supposed to stay with a friend for the three weeks we’re in Europe? Well, that friend was in a car accident yesterday. She broke her leg and needs surgery, so we can’t possibly impose on her family. They have enough on their plate.”

He knew where this was heading, and the bottom dropped out of his stomach.

“Here’s the thing, Luke,” his mother continued. “I know you have a lot to do while you’re up there, and I hate to infringe on your time, but is there any possibility you could take Hannah while we’re gone? I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone here by herself. Even though she’s made it clear she’s very capable of being on her own.”

Luke raked his fingers through his hair. He had little spare time to entertain a seventeen-year-old. Besides, the age difference between him and his parents’ late-in-life daughter had made them almost strangers.

Yet he knew his parents had been planning this grand tour of Europe for years, putting away a few dollars toward it from each of his father’s modest paychecks. Paychecks that had mostly gone to feed, house and educate him and his sister. Buy birthday presents. Pay for braces.

Suck it in, Turner. Your parents deserve a worry-free trip. They made enough sacrifices for you.

“Sure, Mom. No problem. It will give Hannah and me a chance to get reacquainted.”

“You’re the best, Luke.” A sniffle came over the line. “Course, I already knew that. Now, we’re leaving on Sunday, but I surely would like this to all be settled and know she’s safe and sound before the weekend. Would it be all right if we send her up on Friday?”

Day after tomorrow.

His stay in Michigan was getting more complicated by the day.

“That will work. I’m assuming she’ll fly into Grand Rapids and I can pick her up there.”

“That’s what I’m hoping. As soon as I have the arrangements in place I’ll call you back.”

The microwave pinged, and his mother ended the call with a quick sign-off. “Enjoy your dinner and I’ll talk to you soon.”

Tapping the End button, Luke slid the phone back on his belt and pulled his chili out of the microwave. But instead of taking it out to the backyard, as he’d planned, he slid it onto the kitchen table, cut a slice of homemade bread and pulled a tablet and pen out of one of the kitchen drawers. He needed to make a list of things to do before Hannah arrived.

As he dug into the chili, he wrote a few items down. Prepare one of the spare bedrooms. Make sure there were plenty of towels in the extra bathroom. Stock the kitchen with more than cereal and canned soup.

Then he ran out of steam. What kind of food did teenagers eat, anyway? For that matter, what did they do all day? Should he check out the local calendar of events? Find the location of the closest DVD rental place? Line up some activities for her? But what kind? What did she enjoy? He should have paid more attention to her periodic emails.

Overwhelmed, Luke set his spoon down and propped his chin in his palm.

What in the world was he going to do for three long weeks with a seventeen-year-old sister he hardly knew?

File folder in hand, Kelsey paused at the edge of the small copse of trees that separated her property from her neighbor’s and peered at the Lewis house. Though it wasn’t yet dark, a light was on in the kitchen. Meaning Luke was home. And with the sun already dipping low, it was unlikely he’d be heading down to the beach tonight to watch the sunset.

Too bad. She’d been keeping an eye on the steps from her window, hoping he
would
go down tonight. She’d planned to follow him, finished recommendations in hand, and pass them over down there. Somehow, that felt safer than doing it at the house where he lived. And ate. And slept. A beach seemed less personal. More public.

Safer.

Which was silly. A house was no different than a quiet beach or a screened porch or…a secluded jogging path.

Beads of sweat popped out on her upper lip, and she swiped them away in irritation. She had nothing to fear from Luke. Dorothy liked him. Her pastor spoke well of him. A board of clergymen endorsed him.

She could do this.

Squaring her shoulders, she marched over to his house. Stepped up to the deck and crossed to his door. Wiped her right palm on her jeans. Lifted her hand to knock. Froze.

You are so pathetic, Anderson! Just rap your knuckles on that piece of wood and—

All at once, the door opened abruptly. With a gasp, she stumbled back.

Luke’s hand shot out and gripped her arm. “Watch the steps behind—”

At his touch, she jerked free and scurried back, clutching the folder to her chest.

“Sorry.” He stayed where he was and lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Just be careful of the steps on the deck behind you.”

Steps. Deck. Right. She’d come up a couple of them on her way to the door.

Angling toward the lake, she made a pretense of checking them out while she tried to quiet the thumping of her heart. When it refused to cooperate, she was forced to turn back anyway.

“Thanks. I forgot about them. I had this on my mind. My recommendations for your project.” She held up the file, lamenting the tremor in her voice—and in the folder. Her hands were shaking. Warmth surged on her cheeks, and she clutched it with both hands, once more hugging it to her chest.

“I was just going to sit in one of the Adirondack chairs.” He ignored her display of nerves, his tone casual. Calm. Soothing. Like he was talking to a frightened horse. “Would you like to join me and run over everything?”

She cast a wary look at the chairs. “Those seats weren’t designed for mothers-to-be.”

“Good point. Let’s stay here, then.” He gestured to a patio set on the deck. “Or we can use the kitchen table.”

“Here is fine.” No way was she entering the man’s house.

Following her, he pulled out a chair, then took the one beside her as she withdrew a multipage document from the folder and handed it over.

He paged through it. “You’ve done a lot more work since we talked last night.”