This Very Moment (12 page)

CHAPTER NINE

A week crept slowly past, bringing in another six million dollars from around the country. Public officials and celebrities joined in the frenzy, and even more money poured into the coffers at Children’s Hope. Kylee kept busy with media reports, public appearances, and tracking the growing funds. She went to dinner twice with Bill, but each time their conversation was deliberately light and the distance between them marked with invisible lines.

“Sometimes I want to hit him,” Kylee confessed to her friend Suzy in frustration.

“How romantic!” Suzy looked thinner than usual in her form-fitting flight uniform. She had come straight from the airport, stopping at Kylee’s on the way to her own apartment. “A man tragically affected by his beloved wife’s death fights to hold on to her memories in the face of his growing love for her best friend. Wow, that’s good. I should be a novelist.”

“Would you give it a break? I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’m really falling for him.”

Suzy’s smile faded. She put her arms around Kylee, her long blond hair swinging behind her. “You be careful. I don’t want to ever see you as down as you were when I met you. No man is worth that.”

“I’ll be careful,” Kylee promised. She’d met Suzy on the flight home to visit her parents after Emily’s death. It was Suzy who had shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with Kylee for the first time, and that precious glimpse of eternity had given Kylee the will to survive. “But Bill isn’t like Raymond.” He was honest and good and kind—all important qualities for a good Christian man. Of course, he didn’t believe in God, but Kylee thought he might if he could feel the Lord’s love as she had.

“I know he’s not like Raymond,” Suzy said, her ever-ready smile back in place. “But he’s still a man. That means he starts out with one strike against him.” She rolled her eyes and sighed.

Kylee hugged her. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

“I wish I could stay longer, but I’m on another flight tomorrow to Seattle. And I can’t miss it. Guess who’s the pilot? Yep, Mauro. We’re going to have dinner after the flight with my parents. Since I can’t be in Seattle for Christmas, I’m staying with them for my week of down time. They’re letting Mauro stay the night in my brother’s room. Imagine that! But I’ll see you when I get home.”

“You’re taking him to meet your parents? Then it’s getting serious.”

Suzy grabbed her hands excitedly. “I hope so. I hope and pray. He’s great! I can’t wait for you to meet him. But I really have to go now. Don’t worry about Bill. Things have a way of working out. Remember, only the Lord sees the big picture. Bye now.” She kissed Kylee’s cheek and was gone.

By Wednesday of the following week, the day before Thanksgiving, another nine million dollars had filtered in, less expenses. Kylee was more than pleased. She made a trip to the bank, and then stopped in at the Children’s Hope offices in downtown Los Angeles.

Elaina accepted the deposit slip and shook her head. “It’s so much money,” she said, tucking a strand of her short dark hair behind her ears. “Much more than I ever imagined raising in so few months.”

“This is only the beginning, Elaina. I can feel it. As the ball gets rolling we’ll bring in much, much more.”

Elaina let the bank slip drop to her desk. “There is another side to this, Kylee.”

The seriousness in her voice brought a cold feeling to the pit of Kylee’s stomach. “What?”

“Do you know we’ve had another hundred children referred to Children’s Hope in just the past few days? I can’t keep up with the submissions. Many are from poor countries; they’re simply grasping at any chance for a better life. I never dreamed there could be so many children out there with so many needs.” Tears glistened in Elaina’s blue eyes. Her hands curled into fists and then uncurled again. “I thought I could make a difference, really change something. But there is always one more child to help, one more person in pain. Sometimes I don’t know if I have the strength to face it. That’s when I think about quitting and going back to a normal life. It’s so much work, and I’m tired.”

“I know it seems pretty hopeless when you look at all the children left to help,” Kylee answered. “That used to bother me, too. And some days are just plain overwhelming. But I find if I take one or two steps—in your case one or two children—and see their joy and how you’ve made a difference in their lives, you’ll find the strength to go on. You know that. You’ve done it before. Elaina, this is big. I can feel it. You’re making the difference. And like I said, this is only the beginning.”

Elaina looked at her wearily. “You’re the one who makes the difference. You’re the one who has changed my life. And Troy’s. We’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“You don’t need to,” Kylee impulsively touched Elaina’s arm. “Well, I’ve got a meeting with 60 Minutes in a few minutes, so I have to be going.”

“Break a leg.” Elaina glanced again at the bank deposit slip in front of her. “Oh Kylee, wait. Tell me, are these funds up to date?”

“Yes. There’ll be more in a few days. When it starts to peter out, we’ll cut back on the commercials. As long as they’re generating profit, I think we need to keep them on.”

“I’ll leave that in your hands.”

Kylee smiled. “I won’t let you down.” She took a few steps toward the door. “That reminds me. Do you have a final time on Anna’s surgery? The people at 60 Minutes want to know what time to have the camera crew there on Wednesday.”

“Then you haven’t heard,” Elaina said.

Kylee didn’t like the sound of that. She walked back to Elaina’s desk. “Heard what?”

“Dr. Nelson had to reschedule again. But this time, for sure, the surgery will be two weeks from today, December eighth. He had only one other appointment that day to work around, so I’m assuming it’ll be sometime before noon. I’ll let you know the minute he confirms the exact time.”

“How do we know he’s not going to delay things again?”

“He won’t. Not with 60 Minutes involved. He’ll get too much publicity out of this. His business will probably double. I told him that if he delayed one more time we’d get someone else, even if we have to pay them.”

Kylee moaned. “That means I’m going to have to reschedule everything with 60 Minutes. I hope they won’t drop us altogether.”

“They won’t.” Elaina’s voice was confident. “You’ll get them to see it wasn’t our fault.”

Inwardly, Kylee fumed at the doctor and his constant delays. Why couldn’t he squeeze Anna’s surgery in? It was so odd that he would risk losing the publicity involved. Could there be something else going on?

She shrugged the fleeting thought aside. “At least Anna will get her surgery before Christmas.”

“The others too. I have five more children scheduled for surgery the ninth and tenth. The doctors are all donating their time, so we only have to the pay the hospital charges.”

That made Kylee feel better. “Well, Happy Thanksgiving.” She made her way to the door.

 “You, too. I hope you plan on taking a rest tomorrow.”

“I am. Bill’s taking me to a restaurant that serves Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Sounds fun. Maybe Troy and I’ll do something like that.” Elaina smiled, a soft secretive smile that Kylee envied. At least Elaina knew where she stood with Troy. With Bill, Kylee could only guess.

On her way to the hotel where the meeting with 60 Minutes was being held, Kylee refused to dwell on negative thoughts. Her life had actually changed for the better in the past few months. Her work was rewarding, and though she had been lonely with Suzy gone and Becky occupied with her baby, Bill had changed that, filling her days with companionship and affection. She looked forward to his phone calls and their outings, even only as friends.

What if he was never ready to go beyond friendship? She didn’t know what she would do. And what happened if he did decide to let their relationship grow, but still refused to acknowledge God? He seemed to be making no moves in that direction. Why was she so attracted to him? Why couldn’t she walk away?

She knew part of the reason was because his soul seemed to communicate with hers. He filled the parts of her that had been missing since Raymond left, and she knew she gave him back the same in return, whether or not he acknowledged it. Each day her heart waded in deeper. How soon before she lost sight of the shore?

* * * * *

Thanksgiving Day dawned bright and early for Kylee. She quickly finished packing the large cardboard boxes she had begun stuffing with items the night before and carried them to the car. Less than fifty minutes later she arrived outside Bill’s gated community and punched in the code he had given her. She knocked on his door, and he opened it clad in dark blue silk pajamas.

Kylee whistled. “Nice PJs.”

“Well, I knew you were coming so I dressed up.” He flashed her a sleepy smile that went perfectly with his mussed hair. “Why are you here so early? I thought I was going to pick you up later to go out for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“No way,” Kylee said with a snort. “I decided that Thanksgiving won’t be the same in a restaurant. Now take this box into the kitchen, and I’ll go back for the other one. Be careful. It has my pies.”

Bill obeyed, his grin a bit dazed. For a moment, Kylee wondered if he had made other plans for the morning.
Well, he can change them,
she thought.

When she returned with the second box, Bill was waiting at the door for her. He relieved her of the burden. “Wow, what have you got in here anyway?”

“A turkey, of course. And it’s about time we get it in the oven if we want to eat at one.”

“At one? Dinner?”

“I always eat Thanksgiving dinner at one, don’t you?”

He ran his hands through his dark hair. “I never had Thanksgiving dinner before.”

“Really?”

“We don’t have Thanksgiving in France. Since I came here, I’ve tried to avoid spending time with people during the holidays.”

“The women get too serious then, is that it?” she teased.

He smiled. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Then you’re in for a treat, because I’m not serious about anything on Thanksgiving except cooking. Wait until you taste my pumpkin pie. I made it last night. My apple isn’t bad either.”

“I can’t wait.”

* * * * *

Bill watched as Kylee calmly and efficiently took over his kitchen. He was still stunned that she was there but happy to see her. Now his morning certainly wouldn’t be dull, but full of life like Kylee. She looked beautiful in her jeans and sweater that hugged all the right places. Her short blond hair looked clean and shiny and he wondered if it was as soft as it appeared. He fought the urge to touch it, to take her in his arms and tell her how glad he was that she had come.

Not that road again.
He shook his head to clear the thoughts. Kylee wasn’t frightening, but the growing feelings in his heart were confusing at best. He’d better get out of the kitchen for a while. “Well, if I’m not needed—”

“Oh, you’re needed,” she assured him, pausing in unpacking the boxes. “Do you know how to make stuffing?”

“Well, no.”

“Jello? It has instructions on the back.”

“That I can handle.” He looked down at his pajamas. “But I should change first.”

Kylee’s face colored, and Bill again fought the urge to reach out to her.
We’re just friends,
he reminded himself.
You wanted it that way.