This Very Moment (22 page)

On the morning of the eighteenth of December, the Saturday Suzy would be flying into town, Kylee made another stop at the post office, dreading what she would find. Sure enough, there was a mess of letters scattered in the large post office box. She gathered them up in a thick orderly stack, her heart thumping as she recognized many of the addresses from her special lists of people. No doubt they were writing to censure her, to demand reimbursement—or worse. She had been assured by the FBI that there could be no legal action taken against her, but she worried what she might have to endure if someone decided to sue her.

In the car, she read the first letter. Tears skidded down her cheeks, her emotions too full for anything else. Inside, with a kind letter of consolation, was a very generous check made out to Children’s Hope.

Eagerly now, Kylee opened the other envelopes and found more of the same. Many of the caring people on her lists had not blamed or condemned her for the events but had opened their hearts and wallets to help her continue her mission without Elaina and Troy.

There were a few spiteful letters, and even one that threatened her with legal action, but Kylee was so filled with the magnanimity of the others that she barely noticed. She immediately drove to Bill’s, anxious to tell him about the donations in person.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she said when he opened the door.

“Are you okay?”

For an answer, she piled the letters in his hands. “Look.”

Bill read them and cried with her. “This is wonderful! I’m so happy for you.”

“For us. Now we can help more children.”

He hugged her. “Thank you, Kylee.”

“For what?”

“For coming here and sharing it with me.”

“You were the first person that came to mind. Although I did think of Suzy afterward. She’s flying in this evening.”

“That reminds me. About lunch with your friend tomorrow—would you rather have it here instead of your apartment? We could use the dining room like we did at Thanksgiving.”

“I’d love that!” She kissed him thoroughly on the mouth.

“Mmm. Maybe I’ll let you use my dining room every day.”

She laughed. “I’d better take a detour to the grocery store on my way home or we won’t have anything to serve them. I’m about out of everything edible.”

“I’d go with you, but I have a surgery scheduled.”

“On Saturday?”

He shrugged. “It was the one I was supposed to do on Monday when I’m going to do Jeffery.”

She kissed him again. “You’re the best, you know?”

“No, but you can keep telling me. I could probably handle that.”

She laughed and punched his shoulder.

“Hey, I have time for a quick breakfast,” he said. “Have you eaten?”

Kylee had eaten but she wanted to stay with Bill. “I could force down an egg or two,” she said with a smile. “Then I’m going to call Julie and tell her she just might be able to have her old job back at Children’s Hope.”

“Isn’t that jumping the gun a little?”

“I’m not hiring her again—yet. I just think she’ll be pleased to know.”

* * * * *

Suzy didn’t show up at Kylee’s apartment until late that evening, after Kylee had bid good night to Bill. They had shared a pizza at her apartment after his last surgery, and he had suggested a movie, but she declined, wanting to wait at her apartment for Suzy.

“Besides,” she added. “I have to get up early for church tomorrow. I need my rest—those boys are a handful. Are you sure you don’t want to come? You could keep them in line.”

He grinned. “Maybe sometime. Tomorrow I’m going to sleep in. It’s been a long week. I bet you do just fine with those boys.”

Kylee had stifled her sigh and kissed him goodbye. Doubts again assailed her about their ultimate compatibility. “He deserves a rest,” she told herself, her voice loud in the small kitchen. Frowning, she went to her room to set up the small portable cot which she kept under her bed. She also changed the sheets on her bed, planning to offer it to Suzy.

Suzy was alone when she arrived. “It’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed, enveloping Kylee in an enthusiastic hug. “Sorry I’m so late, but I had a host of errands piled up at the apartment. We even had an eviction notice on the door! It took me all night to track down our landlord and convince him it was a mistake. We had the money in the apartment, but everyone had forgotten to give it to him.”

“Good thing you came home.”

“I’ll say.”

“So where’s Mauro?”

“I left him at the apartment. He was really tired, and I didn’t want him to have to drive back there alone. You know, in a strange town. I’ll stop and get him for church though, so you’ll meet him then.” She settled on the couch. “Now I know we’ve got to get to bed, but tell me what’s going on?”

They ended up talking far into the night, laughing and crying as they shared everything that had happened in their lives since their last good talk. All the while, Kylee felt Suzy was holding something back. “What’s up, Suzy? You seem different.”

Suzy smiled but her eyes misted over. “I was going to wait and tell you with Mauro, but we’re getting married!” She dug a ring box out of her purse. “See?”

“That’s wonderful!” Kylee hugged her. “At least I think it is. I mean, I haven’t met him yet. But if he passed your father’s approval . . .”

“He did. Especially since he’s been going to church.” Suzy gazed dreamily at the ceiling. “He’s perfect, and I love him so much!”

Kylee hugged her friend, wishing she could say the same about Bill. In many ways he was her dream man. If only he could accept God.

* * * * *

The next morning they drove separately to church. Suzy showed up a short time after Kylee, accompanied by a blond-haired man with blue eyes. The pilot was deeply tanned, extremely handsome, and obviously in love with Suzy. With Suzy’s long blond locks and matching blue eyes, they made a striking couple.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mauro said. He turned to Suzy. “You didn’t tell me she was so pretty. She has green eyes.”

Suzy laughed. “He’s got a thing with green eyes,” she told Kylee.

“I do not.”

Suzy stuck her tongue at him. “Do too.”

Mauro kissed her.

“Okay, you win,” Suzy said.

Kylee smiled. “You two are nuts. Congratulations. I’m happy for both of you.” Kylee slapped Mauro on the back. “I hear you’re getting baptized. Looks like we have two things to celebrate at lunch.”

Although she was happy for her friend, a lump formed in Kylee’s throat during the meeting. She would love having Bill to sit with through the services, and not only for her sake, but because he believed in God.

Please, Father,
she prayed.
Help Bill. Help me help him.

After church was over, Kylee stopped at her apartment for the crock pot roast and potatoes she had begun cooking early that morning. Suzy and Mauro followed her to Bill’s condo in the old car Suzy kept around to use on her few days off from the airlines. “This must be serious,” Mauro called to Kylee as she got out of her car to punch the gate code for them. “I mean, if you have his gate code.”

Kylee laughed. “It’s a long story—and you’re not hearing it from me.”

“Nor me,” Suzy said.

“I’ll have to ask Bill.”

Which he did the moment after the introductions were made. Bill laughed and explained. “That was because Kylee once climbed over the gate wearing a long dress, you know, one of those tight, sequined things.”

“She didn’t!”

“She did,” Bill answered. “I’m still waiting to get my copy of the event from the security guys.”

“You are?” Kylee gasped.

“Naw, I just had to see your face when I said it.”

The group talked and laughed, enjoying each other’s company while Kylee mixed bacon bits and her special olive oil dressing into the salad. During the meal itself the topic switched to religion, and an almost palpable tension filled the air.

“Kylee, do you know how long I’ve waited to find someone who shares my beliefs?” Suzy said. “I almost can’t believe I finally did. I wanted someone to worship with, someone to help me to teach our children about God. As a stewardess I’ve met a lot of confused people, and I didn’t want my children to grow up like that. I was so relieved that Mauro believes in God. Though I have to confess that I was already half in love with him before I knew.”

“I’m not too sure I believe in God.” Bill took a second helping of Kylee’s roast.

There was a lengthy silence and then Mauro asked. “Why?”

“Well, what proof do you have that He exists?”

Mauro straightened up in his chair and took the challenge. “What proof do you have that He doesn’t?”

“Crime, hate, abuse, children going hungry,” Bill replied dryly. “The list goes on.”

“What about the beauty in the world? How about love, sacrifice, and the good things that go on? How about the intricate workings of the universe? Could that perfect system be an accident?” Mauro’s voice showed amazement. “As an educated man you know how unlikely that would be.”

“It could happen in such a big universe.”

“Still not likely,” Mauro insisted. “The odds are too incredible.”

Bill shrugged. “I have a brother who’s a Christian, and we’ve talked about this many times. I believe there are many solar systems in our galaxy that have planets with conditions to sustain life, and that there are many more in other galaxies across the universe. Life on this planet isn’t so difficult to believe.”

“It is if you know what’s involved. It’s almost impossible.” Mauro stared intently at Bill. “We require exact conditions—air, water, heat, light. Not to mention how we got on the planet in the first place. The whole evolution idea simply hasn’t been proven. There’s still the missing link.”

“I didn’t say the life on other planets would be human.” Bill’s mouth twitched with a hint of a smile. “They could breathe methane gases for all I know.”

“Bill watches a lot of
Star Trek,
” Kylee interjected, hoping to diffuse the building strain.

“I do,” Bill admitted. “But that
doesn’t mean other species don’t exist out there. Even your Bible says that God created
man
in His image. By that explanation, He could have created other sentient life forms that weren’t man, couldn’t He?”

Mauro chuckled. “I never thought of it that way. I can only tell you how I feel, that man here was created by God in His image.”

“I don’t believe anyone created them. If there is a divine being or beings, it’s hard to imagine they would waste time doing it.” Bill’s words were polite, but firm. Guests or no, he wasn’t backing down.

“We’re His children. That’s why God is concerned with us. It’s not a waste of time for Him,” Mauro said.

Kylee coughed loudly. “That’s enough of that topic, I think. We’ll just have to agree to disagree. Anyone want dessert?”

“I do,” Suzy replied, casting Kylee a grateful glance. “I’ll help you dish it up. But before I do, I have to tell you, Bill, that your Christmas decorations are simply beautiful. Especially compared to that array at Kylee’s. Have you seen her place since she put up the decorations?”