Someday: 3 (Sunrise) (14 page)

With that, they moved inside the dark house, up to the bedroom with the patio that overlooked the Pacific. For a long while, they prayed out loud, asking God to protect them and guide them and hasten the time until they could be together again. Then they found their way back into each other’s arms and picked up where they’d left off down on the beach. Against the soft crash of the surf, and with Katy’s flight just hours away, they shared the night in a fashion that could only be described one way.

With pure, God-given joy.

The dinner parties between Kari and Ashley and Brooke and their families were happening more often, and not just when their father asked them over to the Baxter house. With so many young kids between them and with the changes happening in their dad’s life, Brooke was glad they were taking the time to get together.

Because when they did, like this October Saturday night, the love that filled Kari and Ryan’s house was something Brooke and her sisters and their husbands cherished. The sort of love the Baxter family had always been known for. A love that was—even at this moment—being passed down to the next generation.

Dinner was over, and the three couples were sitting in the living room having coffee. Kari had a sleeping baby Annie in her arms, and Ryan was by her side.

“She’s a daddy’s girl.” Ryan touched his daughter’s dainty chin. “But she’s growing up too fast.”

Brooke cast a discreet look at Ashley, but her sister only smiled at the comment. Ashley seemed to hold no sorrow over the life of little Anne Elizabeth. The baby’s presence had to be a constant reminder of her loss, but Ashley never let on.

“She sure is beautiful.” Ashley had her hand on Landon’s knee, and she stood and crossed the room. For a few seconds she admired the sleeping baby, then smiled at Kari. “She looks like Mom.”

“As long as she doesn’t look like me.” Ryan grinned at Ashley and then the others. “We don’t need a little girl built like a linebacker.”

“Although . . .” Peter lifted his finger. “I read in
USA Today
that more girls are getting full-ride soccer scholarships.”

“Somehow—” Ryan leaned over his daughter and stared at her, clearly smitten—“I can’t picture her playing goalie.”

“You’d be surprised.” Kari raised an eyebrow at her husband. “Pretty girls play soccer too.”

“Yeah!” Maddie came tearing into the room. She put her hands on her hips and stuck out her chin. “I’m pretty, and I play soccer.”

“Case in point.” Peter leaned back into the sofa.

“Everything okay, baby?” Brooke slid to the edge of the couch and balanced her coffee cup on her knees as she peered at her oldest daughter.

“Actually, no.” She gave Ashley an indignant look. “Cole’s hogging the crayons, even though I told him that nice boys are supposed to share.”

Ashley turned away from baby Annie and made a concerned face. “That’s a problem.”

“’Zactly what I told him.” Maddie gave a slight humph and tossed her head. “I said he was going to be in big,
biiiig
trouble when I told on him.”

“She’s nothing but a tattletale!” Cole’s voice bellowed from the next room.

Brooke hid her laughter as did Kari, Ryan, and Peter.

Ashley exchanged a look with Landon, and without saying a word, he nodded and stood. “Son, come here, please.”

Usually their time together wasn’t without a few disagreements. Tonight, with all the kids spread out at a series of tables coloring autumn pictures to decorate their papa Baxter’s house, there was bound to be some confusion. Even still, Brooke loved the tradition. For years now, the grandkids would gather at one house and draw pictures of pumpkins and harvest corn, trees with bright leaves of red and orange, and big tom turkeys. The pictures would be hung around the dining room at the Baxter house so the place would be decorated on Thanksgiving.

Now, though, Maddie pinched her lips together and waited for her cousin to enter the room.

Cole came in, eyebrows knit together, hands raised as if he couldn’t be more baffled. “I’m coloring Indian corn. I need a lot of colors, so what’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is, I’m trying to color my pumpkin but—”

“Shhh.” Brooke held her finger to her lips and shook her head at Maddie. “Let Uncle Landon handle this.”

Maddie seemed ready to argue, but then she nodded, more prim and proper than before. Every inch the persecuted victim. “Yes, Mommy.”

“How many kids are out there?” Landon put his hand on Cole’s shoulder.

Cole thought for a minute and began counting with his fingers. “Me and Devin, Hayley and Maddie.” He said her name with extra emphasis and shot her a quick look for good measure. “Also Jessie and RJ. ’Course Devin’s in his playpen, so that doesn’t really count. Which makes five of us actually coloring.”

“So if you’ve got all the crayons at your seat, is that fair to your cousins?”

Cole sneered at Maddie. “She doesn’t need all those colors. She only needs orange. Pumpkins are orange.”

“But the sky’s got a sunset in my picture.” Maddie took a few steps closer to Cole. “That’s why. Sunsets have a million colors.”

The adults in the room nodded, as if they could hardly disagree with that logic.

Landon lowered himself so his face was closer to Cole’s. “We talked about this earlier, Son. The people in that room are your very best friends. The best friends you’ll ever have.”

Cole looked skeptical. “Better than Avery at school?”

“Yes.” Landon stood to his full height again and shared a look with Ashley. “Better even than Avery.”

Brooke turned her face into Peter’s shoulder. The things their kids said . . .

Landon wasn’t finished. “When you’re eighty years old, your siblings and your cousins will still be your best friends.” The adults had agreed long ago what came next. “Now you and Maddie go into the kitchen by yourselves and stay there until you can act like best friends.”

Cole’s expression fell, but he knew better than to argue. He nodded at Maddie. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

With a last helpless look at Brooke, Maddie followed Cole. Their voices faded as they turned the corner and moved down the hall toward the kitchen.

“Well done.” Brooke beamed at Landon. “I love how that boy listens to you.”

“He’s a good kid.” Peter chuckled. “Maddie just has a way of bringing out the worst in him.”

“For now.” Ashley took her place once more beside Landon. “One day they really will be best friends. All Cole’s buddies will think Maddie’s the cutest girl at school.”

“It’s so fun—” Kari kept her voice quieter than the others, since Annie was still sleeping—“watching them grow up and go to school together.”

Again Brooke checked Ashley’s expression, but her sister’s smile didn’t waver.

“I only wish Erin and Sam and the girls were here too. Dad would love it if we were all in one place.”

“Speaking of Dad . . .” Kari glanced from Ashley to Brooke. “Has he talked to you . . . about Elaine?”

“He called me yesterday.” Brooke took hold of Peter’s hand and gave him a knowing look. “We weren’t really surprised by what he had to say.”

“We’ve been expecting it too.” Ryan put his arm around Kari’s shoulders and gave the others a sad smile. “I’m happy for him.”

Only Ashley looked confused. She faced Landon. “Has he called us?”

“I didn’t tell you? Sorry, Ash . . . I thought I told you.” Landon cleared his throat. “He called to say he’d been talking to Elaine again, and as long as we didn’t object . . . he was thinking of asking her to marry him.”

Ashley’s face went blank. She tossed her hands in the air. “Great. I’m the last one to know.”

“Of course, you’re usually the first.” Kari grinned at her. “Remember how you knew about Dayne long before the rest of us.”

“True.” Ashley giggled. “Besides, I knew about this too.” She paused, and her silliness faded some. “I had a serious talk with Dad a few weeks ago.”

“Don’t tell me you talked him into it?” Kari sounded as glad as she did surprised. “He’s been moping around since his and Mom’s anniversary. I wondered what changed his mind.”

Ashley’s expression grew tender. “I couldn’t stand the thought of him being alone for the next twenty years. That wouldn’t bring Mom back.”

“And she wouldn’t have wanted that for him.” Brooke’s tone was kind, sympathetic. A year ago, this conversation would’ve been heated and full of emotion. But enough time had passed now. Their father and Elaine’s relationship was something they’d all come to accept.

“So is this the weekend?” Ashley crossed her arms. “Since you’re all up to speed on things.”

“No.” Ryan laughed. Next to him, Annie stirred in Kari’s arms. “I don’t think he’ll move that fast. He told us he still has a lot to consider.”

“I guess just the fact that they’re dating again is something he wanted to run by us.” Peter nodded. “We told him we’re all okay with it.”

From the kitchen, they heard Maddie giggling. “Stop it, Coley.” The two kids appeared in the doorway, holding hands. “Okay, Mommy.” Maddie flashed her sweetest smile. “Me and Coley are best friends again. Only he keeps tickling me.”

Cole grinned at Landon. “Because making girls laugh is the best way to make up.”

The guys in the room mumbled their agreement.

Brooke pointed to the adjacent room. “Okay, how about you join the others.”

“And this time she can have every shade of sunset she wants.” Cole wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Girls are so much work.”

“You got that right.” Peter’s response was quick. Then just as fast, he gave Brooke a worried look.

Everyone in the room laughed, including Brooke. She couldn’t be upset with him. Instead she could only look at him and marvel at how far they’d come since the days after Hayley’s near drowning. Back then she had been convinced that she and Peter would never again share an easy night of love and laughter like this one. It was proof that God hadn’t only spared their daughter with the miracle of her life.

He had spared their entire family.

They were still laughing when the phone rang. Kari was sitting next to the end table, so she handed Annie to Ryan and reached for the receiver. With one hand pressed against her ear, she brought the phone to the other. “Hello?”

There was a pause on the other end. “Sounds like everyone’s having a pretty good time without me.” Happiness rang in Erin’s tone, and she laughed too. “You have the whole gang over?”

“Pretty much.” Kari motioned to the others. “It’s Erin!”

A chorus of hellos broke out across the room.

“We had dinner together. Now we’re refereeing for the kids.”

“Ah . . . my full-time job!”

“Exactly.” Kari laughed again. With all the noise, Annie stirred once more, and this time she opened her eyes. “Oops. I woke the baby.”

“Glad to know I’m not the only one.” Erin sounded easygoing and full of joy. “So . . . I have a question.”

“Okay.” The others quieted down. “Want me to put you on speakerphone?”

“Sure.” Erin seemed like she could barely contain herself.

Kari pushed a button on the base of the phone, then hung up the receiver. “You’re on.”

“All right, here’s my question.” Erin hesitated. “If you have these big dinner parties next year, can you add another table for the kids?”

Kari met Ashley’s eyes, then Brooke’s. “Meaning what? You have us all on the edge of our seats.”

“Meaning . . .” Erin let out a squeal. “Sam’s been transferred to the office in Indianapolis—effective June 1, next year!”

She barely got her sentence out before the room burst into cheers and applause. Ashley and Brooke jumped up and hurried across the room so they could be closer to the phone.

“You’re serious?” Ashley tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned over the table. “That isn’t something to joke about.”

“Of course I’m serious. I’ve been praying about this since the day we left!”

Ashley let out a happy scream, and she threw her arms around Brooke’s shoulders and then Kari’s. In the confusion of the moment, Annie began to cry, and that quickly became an all-out piercing wail.

“Well, I better let you go. We can talk more later.” Erin’s laughter rang out loud and clear on the tinny telephone speaker. “Couldn’t wait to share the news!”

Despite Annie’s cries, the room erupted into more shouts of congratulations.

Kari took Annie into her arms once more. “I have a hungry one. Be back in a little while.” She cradled Annie against her chest and hurried down the hall to the bedroom she shared with Ryan. She enjoyed nursing her babies, and Annie was an especially good eater. She situated herself in the rocking chair near the window and helped Annie get comfortable.