This Very Moment (6 page)

He gingerly removed her silver high heels. When she didn’t stir, he picked her up gently, carried her to his room, and laid her on the bed. As he tucked several of his quilts around her, he thought she would wake, but she sighed and snuggled deeper into the warmth of the bed. That she didn’t stir further told him how exhausted she must be. He watched her for a moment before leaving with a blanket under his arm. Tonight he would sleep on the couch.

CHAPTER FIVE

Kylee awoke in the morning with a general sense of confusion. Where was she? Then she remembered. “Oh, no,” she muttered. What had Bill thought about her falling asleep like that?

She pushed off the blankets, feeling the cooler air of the room assail her bare legs. The sequined gown had worked its way up to her waist, and she pulled it down, frowning at the wrinkles. She hoped they would come out with dry cleaning.

She went into the master bathroom to splash water on her face and rub the smudged mascara from beneath her eyes, wishing she hadn’t left her purse in the car. The extra set of makeup she kept in it would have come in handy. Oh well. She ran her hands quickly through her hair, restoring it to some semblance of order. Now to find Bill and take her leave. There was a lot she had to do before church that morning.

Peeking into the exercise room, she saw the drawings still lying on the floor. A tray of foil-wrapped objects and a tea kettle of milk had been set nearby.

“S’mores!” she exclaimed, grinning. The milk was likely unusable, but the s’mores might still be good. She picked one up, opened it, and tasted the contents. They were cold, but with a little toasting, they should be edible. Carrying the tray, she walked down the stairs and into the spacious kitchen where she found a toaster oven. “Perfect.” She turned it on and slipped the s’mores inside.

She had seen no sign of Bill. Where was he? She headed for the sitting room and found him lying on the couch, stretching. “Hey, sleepy head,” she said. “How about s’mores for breakfast?”

Bill groaned and sat up. “Only you could eat something that sweet for breakfast.”

Kylee laughed. She did have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone she knew. “Oh, come on, Bill. Try it.”

“Okay, as long as it’s not fish. I guess.”

“Do you have anything I could wear? I know it’s pretty, but I’m really sick of this gown. Do you know how it feels to walk like a mermaid for a whole day?”

He grinned, cocking his head back to look up at her. “I’ll find you something. It might be a little big, but . . . tell you what, pick out whatever you want.”

They turned off the toaster oven and went upstairs to his closet. Kylee chose a long-sleeved striped polo that went halfway to her knees and a pair of gray sweats with a draw string. She changed in the master bathroom and when she reappeared in the bedroom, Bill smiled.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She scowled. “Tell me right now!”

“I was just thinking that you looked gorgeous in that dress, but now you look adorable.”

Kylee sighed. “Puppies are adorable. Never mind, let’s get downstairs before our breakfast is ashes. Even with the oven off the s’mores still might burn.”

“Are you sure you don’t want bacon and eggs? I thought all Americans ate eggs or pancakes for breakfast. Don’t you know how to make pancakes?”

She smiled at him sweetly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make them for dessert.”

And she did.

“I’ve never tasted such wonderful pancakes,” he said, pouring a stream of syrup over his third stack. “You’re a good cook,”

She grimaced. “It was the one thing my ex knew how to do well. He loved good food, and I learned from him. Funny thing is, I actually enjoy it. Cooking, I mean. It’s therapeutic.”

“Cheaper than a shrink.”

Kylee pulled one leg up to her chest as she sat on her chair, leaning her arm over it to reach her food. “I hear ya.”

After breakfast, Kylee glanced at his clock. “Uh-oh. I’ve got to get going. I have to teach Sunday School in an hour and a half. It’ll take me nearly an hour to get home and I need to shower and change.” She bounced to her feet and grabbed her folded dress from the extra chair. “Where did I leave my shoes? Okay if I return your clothes later?”

“Sure,” Bill replied. “But since when did you get religious? I don’t remember you ever attending any church.”

“I’ve been going for a while now.” She purposely avoided his gaze. He was right; she had never frequented any church, despite Nicole’s occasional invitations. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it some time. But not now. I have to get going.”

Kylee wasn’t ashamed of her faith, quite the opposite, but she definitely wasn’t ready to explore her past with Bill, and the painful events that caused her to find religion—at least not yet. Though she should probably explain how her religion tied in with meeting his brother in France. Not that it would make a big difference to him.

“You could shower here and wear your dress to church.” He motioned toward the silver material in her hands.

She shook her head. “Not a chance. It’s wrinkled. Besides, I teach a class of teens, mostly boys with raging hormones. I may not be as young and beautiful as the girls their age, but I know this dress is form-fitting, and I’m not about to endure an hour of side looks and comments. I’m their spiritual advisor, not a showcase model.”

Bill laughed. “I see what you mean. But I rather like that dress.”

“It’s designed to be liked, and I have more exactly like it. All glittery dress up gowns designed for my banquets. I have to dress like the crowd, if a bit more modestly. I mean, I don’t see how those women stay warm with those strapless things.”

Bill’s grin widened. “That’s why the men wear those hot jackets—to offer them to the women.”

“Ha-ha. That explains everything. Do you want to come with me to my Sunday School class?” Kylee hadn’t meant to ask, but the words came of their own accord.

Bill’s smile faded. “No, thank you.”

He offered no explanation or apology, but Kylee knew from his cool manner that she had hit a nerve. She met his eyes without flinching and asked quietly, “What’s wrong, Bill?”

“I don’t go to church, that’s all.”

“You used to.”
With Nicole,
Kylee added silently.

Bill looked thoughtful, as though choosing his words carefully. “I’m an atheist now. Or as good as one. I figure if there is a entity such as God that He would be too busy to care about what happens here. I mean, Kylee, there are endless worlds out there in the universe and probably a far greater number of sentient beings. Why would an omniscient God care about something so insignificant as human life?” He held up his hands to stop her comments. “I’m not saying that He exists, mind you. I don’t think He does, but if He did, He couldn’t possibly care about each living thing on those zillion worlds. What would Nicole mean to Him? Or the fact that innocent little Pauline was dying such an agonizing, unfair death? Each is just one more grain of sand on an endless beach.”

Kylee listened to his speech with a growing sadness. After Raymond had left, her Father in Heaven had been the one strengthening force in her life, the only reason she had survived at all. To hear someone she cared about denounce God greatly upset her. “I know it seems impossible to us, but I doubt an omniscient being deals with time and space in the same way we do. I’m sure He has others to help Him.”

“Angels?” The word was almost mocking. “If there are angels out there, well, they would probably be a lot more concerned about one another than us lowly ants.”

“Bill, don’t.” Kylee hated the cynicism in his voice. “I’ve seen His work with the people I’ve been involved with over the years. I know He lives and cares about us. Look at the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.”

“See? That’s what’s even more strange to me. The idea of an ultimate Atonement is ridiculous. I mean, why would a great and powerful being care about people enough to die for them? It’s beyond comprehension. I don’t know anyone who would willingly die for someone else. It goes against the instinct of self-preservation.”

“Jesus is beyond instinct, beyond the natural man. He was selfless, and He always put others first.”

“Why would He do such a thing? I just don’t buy it.”

“I can’t explain it to you. It’s something I feel with my heart.”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, and then Bill said lightly, “Well, we can agree to disagree, but you now have five fewer minutes to get to your Sunday School class.”

Kylee accepted his words as a truce. “Okay, but do you remember where I put my shoes?”

“They’re in with my drawings. I took them off when you were asleep.”

His words reminded Kylee of the drawing he’d made of her all those years ago. Did he still think she was as appealing as the drawing portrayed? Why did she care? Kylee flushed.

Bill laughed. “I bet you’re wondering how you would explain sleeping over here last night to your Sunday School.”

“I’m sure they’d understand.”

He gave her a knowing smile. “Sure they would. And then you’d have to understand when they wanted to do it.”

Kylee was beginning to see a new meaning to the phrase “avoid the appearance of evil.” That she hadn’t meant to stay the night, even under such innocent conditions, really wasn’t the issue. She scowled at Bill. “I’d better get my shoes.”

“I’ll get them.” Bill left the room. She heard him run up the stairs and down again before she made it to the sitting room where she had left her car keys. “I’ll walk you to your car,” Bill said at the front door. “Wait, wear one of my jackets. It’s getting cold in the mornings, even for California.”

Kylee put her arms into the sleeves as he held it. “Thanks.”

Bill threw on another jacket and opened the door for her. As they walked down the front walk, a beautiful red-haired woman Kylee didn’t recognize charged up it. She heard Bill give a soft groan before greeting her. “Hi, Audrey.”

Audrey. Audrey,
thought Kylee, knowing she had heard the name recently in connection with Bill.

“Hi, Bill,” Audrey said brightly. “I just slipped over here to invite you to go on a picnic this afternoon. I have the most perfect cold cuts that I bought over at Macky’s yesterday, knowing how much you like them, and I know this lovely little . . .” Audrey’s words faded as she stared at Kylee, taking in her oversized clothes and the folded dress in her hands. Her eyes focused on the silver sandals on Kylee’s feet.

Bill put a hand on Kylee’s shoulders, pulling her closer. “Audrey, this is Kylee, a very old friend of mine who I ran into last night at a charity banquet. In fact, we also met a friend of yours there, a Mrs. Boswell? Do you know her? I thought so. She certainly had a lot of good things to say about you.”

Oh,
thought Kylee.
This is the former patient who has her sights set on the doctor.

Bill’s hand drifted down to Kylee’s waist. “You remember, don’t you Kylee?”

“Yes,” Kylee said perfunctorily. “Mrs. Boswell did mention you. It’s nice to meet you.”

Bill’s arm tightened on her waist, forcing her to step even closer to him. “Kylee here is the organizer for the charity. She’s a marvel at raising funds for unfortunate children. Always has been.”

Audrey’s face drooped. She glanced again at the gown in Kylee’s hands. “That’s a pretty dress.”

“Kylee has to dress up for these banquet affairs you know,” Bill answered.

“Bill—” Kylee began, not wanting him to continue.