Out of the Depths (18 page)

“That wasn’t because you were groggy from the medication?”

“My thinking might have been hazy but yours wasn’t. Did you say you loved me, or not?”

“I did. I’m glad it registered. You didn’t seem real sure who I even was, let alone what I was trying to say.”

“My heart knew,” Trudy Lynn said. “I think it always knew everything, even when you were depressed and being so hard on yourself.” She twisted so she could place her opposite hand atop his and watch his expression as she asked, “What about California?”

“Maybe we’ll go there on our honeymoon before we settle down here, if that’s all right with you.”

Her heart was filled to bursting. “It sounds wonder
ful. I love you, Cody. All of you. Just as you are.” She chuckled softly. “I even love your dog.”

One eyebrow arched. “Uh-oh. Does that mean I have to fall madly in love with Widget, too?”

“I’m not that picky. As long as you honestly like him that’s good enough for me.”

“What a relief,” Cody teased, “I was afraid you’d want him to be in the wedding party.”

“No,” she said, her eyes meeting his with a mischievous twinkle, “I thought we’d let Sailor carry the basket of flowers down the aisle.”

“You’re joking!”

Trudy Lynn giggled. “I was. Now that I think about it, that idea doesn’t sound half-bad.”

“Honey,” Cody said, looking at her with so much love it made her heart and soul sing, “if that’s what you want, it’s okay with me.”

“I think you mean that.”

“I do. This time. Just don’t get in the habit of expecting me to do things your way every time.”

“Perish the thought,” Trudy Lynn quipped. “I wouldn’t respect you if you changed too much. However, we do have other, more pressing decisions to make.”

“The ring? Your dress? I know those things matter to women. I do want to have Logan perform the ceremony.”

“Of course. And Becky will be my Matron of Honor. That wasn’t what I was worried about.”

“Then what? There’s nothing you and I can’t handle if we work it out together.”

She pointed to the temporary cast on her swollen
ankle. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to heal and I don’t want to postpone our wedding for too long. Are you going to push me down the aisle in a wheelchair or shall we wait till I’m well enough to hobble?”

On the other side of the curtain between the beds, an elderly female patient tittered, then called, “Push her, son, push her. It’ll probably be your last chance to be in charge for a good long time!”

B
ecky had decorated Trudy Lynn’s wheelchair with enough flowers and pastel ribbons to keep it from looking utilitarian and was preparing to escort her down the aisle of Serenity Chapel.

“I told you I could walk,” Trudy Lynn whispered.

“I know you did. And I’m sure you’d manage. Except the doctor wants you to keep your weight off that leg for another four weeks.”

“Maybe we should have put things off longer, made it a double wedding with Will and Earlene, now that he’s finally gotten around to officially asking her to marry him.”

Becky leaned over the bride’s shoulder to whisper, “Not if you expected me to fit into this dress.”

“I know.” Trudy Lynn suppressed a giggle. “Have you told anybody else?”

“Besides you and Logan and Cody, no,” Becky said. “The rumors will start to fly soon enough. I imagine it’ll be like the whole church is expecting this baby.”

“And I’ll be an aunt!”

“Not till you marry my brother. He’s waiting for you.”

Trudy Lynn beamed. She’d never seen her beloved Cody look so handsome, so appealing. What a blessing to know that they shared not only their love, but also their faith. Suddenly, all she wanted was to go to him. To be near him.

She spoke aside to Becky. “I’m ready. Let’s roll.”

“You’re supposed to wait for the organist to start playing ‘The Wedding March.’”

“And if I don’t? I’ll still be married, won’t I?”

“Of course, but…”

Trudy Lynn was laughing lightly at the astonishment on her friend’s face as she laid her bouquet in her lap and reached for the large side wheels on her beribboned chrome chariot. One strong push forward sent the chair over the edge of the flat section of floor in the rear of the sanctuary and onto the sloping aisle that led to the altar. To Cody. To her future. As the old saying went, it was “downhill all the way.”

Cody elbowed Logan. “Looks like my bride is in a hurry. Either that or she’s out of control.”

“Knowing Trudy Lynn she’s probably both,” the pastor said with admiration. “Brace yourself. Here she comes.”

Cody was laughing as he helped his future wife come to a full stop at the foot of the aisle. “Is that your last trick of the day or should I be ready for more?”

“I think I’m done.” She was blushing. “I really didn’t mean to go that fast.”

“I know.” Sobering, he lifted and supported her so she could stand beside him for the ceremony. “Don’t
worry. Whatever you do, I’ll always be there to catch you,” he promised quietly.

Trudy Lynn gazed at him through tears of thankfulness and incredible joy. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Dear Reader,

In looking at the Scripture I chose for this book’s theme, I was struck by how hard it sometimes is to accept the trials life brings us, whether they are only physical or go deeper as well, like Cody’s did.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Only in the realm of fiction can I make things work out the way I think they should. No one except God has the divine insight necessary to look ahead and see what the future holds for each of us, which is why I’ve decided to place my life in His hands, no matter what. Yes, I still slip and argue that my way is best from time to time, but in my heart I know that the Lord is patiently, lovingly watching over me—in the best and the worst of times.

If you don’t have the assurance that you’re God’s child, I urge you to seek it. All you have to do is surrender your pride, ask Jesus to forgive and accept you right now, and He will. It’s that easy.

I love to hear from readers. The quickest replies are by e-mail—[email protected]—or you can write me at P.O. Box 13, Glencoe, AR 72539, and I’ll do my best to answer as soon as I can spare time away from my latest manuscript. My Web site is www.valeriehansen.com.

Blessings,

1. Cody was upset to have to ask for help from his family. Has this ever happened to you? Did you delay asking rather than admit a need?
   
2. If you did ask for help, how did you feel afterward? Were you glad you had admitted you needed help?
   
3. Looking back, can you see the Lord’s hand in the situation? How?
   
4. If you were the one giving the assistance instead of the one taking it, were you blessed to have been able to help?
   
5. Have you ever prayed for something the way Cody did, then given up on God when you didn’t get the answer you thought you should?
   
6. Cody had made his previous career the focus of his whole life. Trudy still does. Have you ever known someone who was so caught up in a job or hobby that they became obsessed by it? Was that a good thing? Did it bring them lasting happiness or were they still missing something to fulfill their lives?
   
7. Trudy finds solace and peace in the place she lives. Would she have been as happy somewhere else if she kept her heart and mind focused on God’s will?
   
8. The villain who attacks Trudy in the woods is clearly a menace. Is it always that easy to spot evil? Why or why not?
   
9. Have you ever felt that others have advantages that you don’t, such as skills or talents or even more money? Is that what makes a person valuable to God?
   
10. Trudy prays for Cody’s healing. If he isn’t totally healed, will that mean God has not answered her prayer? Can you see that the answer may be different than she expected, yet better for everyone?