Route 66 Reunions (63 page)

Reasonable, but not comfortable. Again, the minister talked about the necessity of salvation, the need to make a commitment to Christ. Chad looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms and tried to find a more comfortable position. He rested his elbow on the armrest. Jessica had often urged him to walk the walk, as she called it. To return to the beliefs of their youth.

Like Amanda, she thought he was a heathen because he didn’t attend church all the time. He’d been going more over the summer and since he returned home than he had in the last fourteen years. Did that count? Maybe not. Something nagged at him deep inside as if a weight were pulling down on his heart.

The minister’s voice penetrated his thoughts. “In Hebrews 9:27 and 28, we read, ‘Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many.’ Will you die someday? God’s Word says that day is appointed for you and for me.”

Words from the pulpit beat into Chad’s mind with frightening clarity. People died daily. Young or old, it made no difference. Jessica stepped out the door of her house and never returned. In a matter of minutes the tornado destroyed her barn and took her and Steve into eternity. With an assurance that didn’t waver, Chad knew his sister and brother-in-law were in heaven. If he had been taken in their place, where would he be? As a preteen, he’d asked Jesus into his heart, but had he ever committed his life in service to Christ? No, he’d gone his own way, living the way he wanted without a thought for God’s way. Had he ever really been saved?

“Do you feel Jesus knocking at your heart’s door?” The minister stepped down and held out his hand. “Come, let us pray with you.”

Chad’s heart pounded as he held Kara close. She still slept. He couldn’t wake her. Not after she’d been in so much pain. Thankfully, she didn’t feel warm now. He didn’t need to go forward for prayer anyway. He shifted in his seat then stood with the congregation. Church would soon be over.

Kara woke as Chad shook hands with the minister at the back door after dismissal. The older man said, “I’m so glad to see you again. Please, make yourself at home here.”

Chad nodded and smiled. “Thank you. I plan to come when I can.”

“We’ll count on it. And this young lady, too.” He smiled and touched Kara’s tiny hand. “You’re a sweetheart, aren’t you?”

By the time Chad worked his way through several women who wanted to speak to Kara, he was ready to head home. As they walked across the parking lot, Kara said, “Mama.”

“Who are you talking about, baby?” He frowned.
You don’t have a mama
.
Your first mama died, and Mandy walked away from us
. The bright September sun did nothing to brighten his life.

Throughout the second week of school, Chad forced himself to concentrate on the history lessons as he lectured and gave out assignments. Wednesday, he warned his class, “There will be a test Friday over the material we’ve studied so far. It’s not an important part of your grade, but it will give you points you may be thankful for later. Also save these short tests to use as a study guide for the longer tests. Doing your best now will pay off in the long run.”

Even as the words left his mouth, he felt a tug in his soul. What was his best? The answer came as if spoken to him.
“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ”
Had he memorized this verse as a child? Probably. He’d look it up tonight. See if Jessica had written any comments in the margin.

He did look up the verse and found it in Mark 12:30. In Jessica’s handwriting, he read,
How can I do less than love Him with everything that is in me? He gave everything for me. Without Him I would not exist. Jesus, I love You
.

He didn’t know he was crying until a tear fell on his hand. Longing he’d fought since he drove away from the farm pressed against him. Amanda. His love for her would never leave. Seeing her again had brought her back to him in a way he could no longer ignore. Surely she was the cause of this emptiness inside his heart.

Thursday he made arrangements for a substitute teacher to take his classes the next day. Soon he would see Mandy, and then everything would be set right.

He rose early Friday morning. Kara must’ve sensed his excitement, because she woke early, too. Why wait any longer? They headed south as soon as he packed a couple of bags and fed Kara.

As he drove, Kara went to sleep, and the silence in the truck became a perfect breeding ground for troubling thoughts to grow in his mind. The comments from Jessica’s Bible and the verses he’d learned as a child brought back the restless feelings he’d fought for two weeks. He snapped on the radio, hoping for a distraction. An old song, beautifully sung, filled the cab of his truck: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found—”

He twisted the dial, cutting off the music, as sweat broke out on his forehead. What was going on? He couldn’t get away from this. A rest area appeared ahead, and he took the exit, parking away from other vehicles. He leaned his head against the steering wheel and cried. “Lord Jesus, help me. I need You.”

A
manda watched her last small student board the bus that would take him home, then turned and walked back to her classroom. She picked up a wadded paper from the floor and tossed it into the wastebasket. The last few weeks had proved one thing to her, or maybe two things. She loved teaching almost as much as she missed Chad and Kara. She stepped behind her desk and faced the door. If he walked through that door, she’d throw herself into his arms and never let go.

At that moment a man stepped through the open doorway, and she gasped, her heart racing.

“Hello, Amanda.” Dan Hunt smiled at her and pushed his glasses into place as he neared her desk.

Her breath left in a rush, and she plopped into the chair behind her. “Hi.”

“How’s kindergarten?” He leaned against the wall and folded his arms as if he planned to stay awhile.

“Fine. Fun, actually.” She straightened and pushed Chad from her mind. She couldn’t let a fantasy rule her life. “And what about your domain? How’s sixth-grade science?”

He grinned. “This year has all the earmarks of the three W’s. Wild, weird, but wonderful. Can’t think of a thing I’d rather be doing. Well, except for one.”

“Really? What would that be?” Not that she cared.

His eyes appeared large behind his glasses. He blinked. “Dinner with a beautiful woman. How about it, Amanda? Will you go with me?”

Had he just asked her out? On a date? Dan was nice. In fact, he was a wonderful Christian man, and he did remind her of Jeff in an abstract sort of way. Maybe she should go out with him and forget Chad. Why not?

She opened her mouth to accept but lost the ability to speak when Chad stepped into her classroom. Unless her longing and dreams had brought him to life, Chad Randall stood two steps inside her room smiling at her. Kara sat on his arm looking from one bright display to another.

Amanda stood and walked around her desk.
Don’t let them disappear. Please Lord, let this be real
.

She saw movement from the corner of her eye. Dan! She’d forgotten all about him. She turned to apologize and explain.

Then Kara saw her. And squealed. “Mama.”

The baby lunged and Chad grabbed her to keep her from falling. Amanda ran to them and lifted her into her arms where she belonged. She squeezed her close, laughing and crying at the same time. She couldn’t stop but covered Kara’s face with her kisses.

“Hey, save some of that for me.” Chad growled, but his eyes looked especially bright, and his smile grew wider.

“Oh Chad.” Amanda stepped home as his arms drew her close. His lips barely touched hers as if he were asking permission. Her response must have been the answer he needed as the kiss deepened.

She pulled back to look into the face of her dreams and search for answers. “Why are you here?”

“We came for the weekend.”

“Oh, to check on the farm?” She started to pull back, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Sure, we’ll go to the farm, but this was our first stop.” He still held her in the circle of his arms. “You’re our first priority, Mandy. Always will be. Don’t you know yet how much I love you and always have?”

She looked at a button on his chest. “I think so, but…”

He chuckled. “There’ve been some changes. Are you finished here? Kara’s hungry and I’m starved. Let’s go eat somewhere so I can tell you everything.”

They left Amanda’s car and stopped at Sonic. After he prayed over their food, Chad told Amanda about his experience at the roadside park. “I met the Lord for the first time today, Mandy. I was raised in church, but I never accepted the sacrifice He made for me until today.”

Amanda gave him a soft smile. “I’m glad, Chad. Too many people think lip service is all that’s required. Christ gave everything for us, why can’t we understand He deserves and even demands our all in return?”

“I understand what you’re saying.” Chad smiled. “I thought I was all right until you challenged me. I’ve been going to church in Rockford, but I still resisted God’s call. In fact, I started down here today to talk you into marrying me. I thought that was the cause of my unrest. I thought I needed you to make me complete. I still need you. That’ll never change. But…I don’t know.”

He shook his head. “After I prayed back at that park, it’s like I made a complete turnaround. I’m not like I was, Mandy. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“ ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation is come: The old has gone, the new is here!’ ” She smiled. “Yes, I understand exactly what you’re talking about. I feel as if these last few minutes have been a dream come true.”

Chad chuckled. “Then how about making my dream come true?”

Amanda’s breath caught while her sandwich lay on her lap untouched. Her heart danced in place. “Your dream?”

He nodded. “And yours, I hope. More than fourteen years ago, we were supposed to get married. Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough?”

The intensity in his eyes held her in place as she nodded.

“I hope that means yes.”

“Yes?” How could she answer without the question he hadn’t asked?

He said he was starved, but he hadn’t so much as touched his food. He took her hands in his, as she faced him. “Mandy, you hold my heart in your hands. I’ve never felt so vulnerable, so scared. How many times does a man have to ask the woman he loves if she’ll marry him before it really happens? Mandy, will you marry me?”

“Yes. As soon as possible.” He started to pull her forward for a kiss, but she cried out, “No, I can’t.”

Distress drew her brows together. How could she have forgotten? She bowed her head and tried to pull her hands back, but he wouldn’t let go. “I can’t marry anyone.”

“Why?”

She owed him an explanation. What did she have to lose now? She’d already lost him. She relaxed her hands. He’d let go soon enough. With a show of courage she didn’t feel, she met his gaze and opened her heart to rejection.

“I lost more in the accident than a husband and child, Chad.” He watched her in silence. She spoke barely above a whisper. “I was hurt inside. By the time I woke up enough to know what had happened, I’d had a few operations, including a hysterectomy. I can’t have children.”

His expression softened, and he released her hands to slip his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her as close as he could in the confines of the truck cab. Without a word, he kissed her face, her cheeks, and her forehead. Then he kissed her lips and with another hug pulled back to look into her eyes. “Do you honestly think I’m marrying you for children?”

“Are you saying that isn’t important?”

He shook his head. “We aren’t kids anymore, Mandy. Besides, if you’ll look in the backseat, you’ll find a child. Why don’t we just take that one and raise her as ours? In fact, why don’t we adopt her so she’s ours legally? She already calls us Mama and Dada.”

Tears sprang to Amanda’s eyes. Tears of joy rather than rejection. She laughed and nodded.

Chad chuckled. “I hope that means what I think it does.”

“It means yes, I’ll marry you. As soon as possible.” She threw her hand over her mouth. “But what about school? I have a contract.”

“That could be a problem, but we’ll figure something out. First thing Monday see what it takes to get out of your contract. That leaves us this weekend to pray for God’s will. I guarantee He’s got it covered.”

“Oh Chad, I love you.” Amanda took the initiative and kissed him. When she pulled away, she remembered something. “When you came into my classroom, was there a man there?”

Chad chuckled. “Don’t you remember?”

She shook her head. “He was there before, but I didn’t see him leave. I started to apologize to him, but Kara called me mama. Did he leave?”

“He left.” Chad grinned. “He acted surprised by our presence. I guess he didn’t know you already had a family.”

“Oh dear.” Amanda looked in the backseat where Kara sat quietly shredding the bun from her sandwich. “I can imagine the rumors that will be going around next week.”

“Who was he? An erstwhile suitor?”

Amanda giggled. “He’d just asked me out to dinner. I think he had something a little different than this in mind, too.”

Chad dug in his pants pocket. “I brought some wolf repellent with me. I want you to wear it all the time. If it doesn’t keep guys like him away, let me know, and I’ll make sure they don’t bother you.”

Wolf repellent? Mace? Amanda’s heart set up its tap dance again when she recognized the jeweler’s box in his hand.

“You gave your ring to Susan, and I guess she deserves some credit for returning it to me. Although that was probably part of her plan, too.” He opened the box and Amanda forgot to breathe.

The wedding set he’d bought while they were in college sparkled as if the rings had only now come from the store. He lifted the engagement ring out and snapped the box closed, hiding the two matching wedding rings, one for her, one for him. He held her left hand and positioned the beautiful solitaire over her third finger. “Just so you know, Susan never saw this ring after she returned it. I kept them, not because I thought this day would ever come, but because they were all I had left of you besides memories and pictures. God has restored what the tempter took. Do you have any objections to using our original rings?”