Love Inspired January 2016, Box Set 1 of 2 (32 page)

“Remind you of anyone?” Rory asked under her breath, and when Kimberly faced her, Rory grinned. “They say dogs are a lot like their owners. You could be proving science right.”

“Hush up,” Kimberly scolded, but she couldn't deny the analogy between her and Drew.

“Aw, Mags.” Amy bent low and petted the silky little dog. “He'll be back soon. I promise.”

Two thumps of Mags's tail said she'd wait, and that's exactly what she did. Each time they went in and out the back door, the little dog sat up, studied the backyard, then sat back down, determined.

By late morning, Mags's antics had proved their theory. She wanted her big dog friend back, and she had no intention of playing with anyone or anything until Rocky returned.

“It's kind of weird, isn't it?” Amy asked when she climbed into the car just after lunch. The vet hospital had given them the green light to come visit Rocky. “How sad would it be if she waited and waited and he didn't come back?”

“Kind of like you and Callan. You both woke up one day to a new reality. And you're doing all right.”

Amy's lower lip pushed out. “How do dogs and kids understand these things? Because even though it was a long time ago, there's a little part of me that wishes my mom would come walking through a door someday and say, ‘Hey, Amy! It's all a mistake. I'm home!'”

“Oh, honey, no one understands these things. We just square our shoulders, pray and move on. And after a while it's not so raw.”

“You think I should forgive Callan.”

“Of course you should.” Never one to pull punches, Kimberly gave it to her directly, mostly because she'd made the same mistake personally. “Forgiveness is the key to everything. Going through life carrying grudges isn't good for anyone. It took me a while to figure that out. I'd like to see you grasp the concept more quickly.”

Amy flashed her a little smile. “Tee's mom did say you and Callan were a lot alike.”

“Which is why I'd like to see him happy, too. He's my nephew, and I love him. Maybe he can learn the lesson quicker than I did.” She pointed ahead. “Your dad's pulling in ahead of us.”

“I see him!” Amy was out of her seat belt and across the parking area quickly. She hugged her father tightly, and in her face Kimberly saw the joy of morning. Rocky was going to be okay, and seeds of forgiveness had lightened the girl's expression.

But when Drew lifted wounded eyes to hers, a warning knell sounded. His gaze said it hadn't gone well with Callan.

She moved closer and clasped his hand because right then, no matter what the future held, Drew looked as though he needed a friend.

He gripped her fingers tight, then slung an easy arm around Amy's shoulders. “Let's do this.”

“We have to stay calm, Dad,” Amy cautioned as they reentered the waiting area of the clinic. “We don't want to get him all excited.”

“I'll keep it down,” Drew promised. He flashed a smile to Kimberly, but she read the pain behind the smile and realized she'd seen that look before. She just hadn't recognized it. It was the look she saw on Drew's face after Dave was killed, an expression that said he'd deal with the here and now as best he could...

And then he'd quietly slip away, alone with his personal dragons.

She didn't want that to happen again, but how did one fix a coiled rope of knotted dreams?

One loop at a time.

The thought came to her like a breath of wind, sweet and calm.

When you uncoil the knotted middle, you always find a beginning and an end.

Drew's words, from so long ago, as true now as they were then.

She walked with them into the recovery area, and knew what she needed to do. Piece by piece she needed to iron out the fabric of their lives. She might not be able to fix everything, but she had the ability to change certain things, and with that in mind, she called Corinne later that afternoon and set a plan in motion.

One way or another, she wasn't going to let Drew and Amy leave town with more guilt laid at his doorstep. He'd paid too high a price already.

Jesus had talked a lot about forgiveness.

For a time, Kimberly had forgotten to listen.

Well, she was listening now and for the next few weeks, Kimberly planned on doing everything she could to smooth out the kinks in their lives. It might not fix everything, but at this point, it couldn't possibly get worse.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“D
ad, I can stay with you.” Amy planted her feet in front of Rocky's big metal kennel late Wednesday afternoon and folded her arms. “We can't leave Rocky alone, and I can play baseball anytime.” Her first day of school had gone well, and Kimberly had even taken her on an impromptu shopping trip for a few outfits.

“Not with Coach Cutler,” Drew reminded her. “And you made a commitment, Amy. I'm just sorry I can't be there to see you, but Kimberly and Emily are going. And Tee will be there with her mom.”

“Sir?”

Drew turned toward the first garage bay. Rocky couldn't make it up the stairs to the second-story apartment, so they'd set up his kennel here on the carriage house floor. He stared at Callan, surprised, then approached him slowly. “Yes?”

“I've come to stay with the dog.” Callan pointed toward Rocky's cage. “With Rocky. While you guys go to the game.”

“But you're playing,” Drew said, stalling to assess this new wrinkle. “So that can't exactly work.”

“I'm not.” Callan sucked in a deep breath, rolled his baseball cap around in his hands and frowned. “I talked to Coach, and he gave me a leave as long as Rocky needs someone to watch him. It was my fault that he got hurt, and you shouldn't have to miss the games because of something I did.”

Drew was about to argue when Amy took a cautious step forward. “You'd give up playing to help us?”

Callan sent her an awkward look. “Well. I did it. And it was a dumb thing to do.”

“Dad?” Amy peered up at him. “What do you think?”

He liked the noble gesture, it spoke well of the boy, but he couldn't look at Callan's sad eyes without wanting to roll back the years and bring back Dave. And while that wasn't possible, he realized that every time Callan saw him, the boy was reminded of what he'd lost. That didn't seem right, which meant Drew and Amy had to leave right after the wedding. Even if the town council offered him the job.

He was about to wave the boy off when Kimberly strolled across the drive. “It's a perfect solution.” She pointed to the SUV. “Let's go or the kid will be late and Coach will have her running laps.”

“Right.” Amy tugged Drew's hand toward the car.

“Does he need to go out or anything? Or is he okay to just be in his kennel?”

“He was just out for a few minutes, so he'll probably sleep for the evening.”

“Okay.” Callan pulled up a lawn chair, then produced a book from his jacket pocket.

“Have you started it yet?” Amy paused before climbing in the car and looked at the book.

Callan shook his head. “We just got it today, remember?”

“I read it last year, in Jersey. It's a great story.”

“You gonna read it again?” His expression said reading it once was punishment enough, and Amy laughed.

“Yes. I loved it. Thanks for staying with Rocky.”

“Yeah. Well.” He looked down and around, anywhere but at them, embarrassed. “Good luck tonight.”

“If we ever get there.” Kimberly pointed to her wrist as if she wore a watch. “Clock's ticking, guys. Let's go.”

“Callan.”

The boy looked up and met Drew's gaze.

“Have you got a phone?”

He shook his head but pointed to the main house. “If anything happens, I'll call Mom from the house phone.”

“All right.” Drew climbed into the passenger seat, opened the window and drummed his fingers on the roof of the car as they pulled away.

“They'll both be fine.” Kimberly made the turn west and then paused at the crossroads for a red light. “Consider it therapy.”

“For whom?”

“All of you,” she told him, and when she flashed him a smile that called his bluff, he sighed.

“I didn't want to leave him there.”

“Really, Captain Obvious?”

He flushed. “But you're right, it was the best thing to do.”

“Amy, do you have a pen?”

“No, why?”

Kim pretended to frown. “So we can write that down. Your father said I was right.”

Amy played along nicely. “A rare occasion in the Slade house.”

“I've noticed.”

“I'll pencil it in when we get home,” she promised, laughing.

“Thank you.”

“Hey. Knock it off, you two.” Drew aimed a fierce look at Amy that she'd learned to brush off years before. “I pay compliments as deserved.”

“Then it might behoove you to think about paying them more as needed than deserved,” Kimberly noted lightly. “We catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

“This is Kimberly Gallagher talking?”

She flashed him a quick smile, a smile he'd looked forward to every day since coming back to Grace Haven. “Let's just say I'm turning a new page and ready to operate on the more sunny side of life.”

“You're scaring me.” He winked at Amy, but he couldn't deny that something about Kimberly seemed different. Less angry and more focused. “What brought this on? Is your dad doing okay?”

“He's doing fine, they have the procedure scheduled for next Monday and then we'll move forward.”

He climbed out of the car once she parked and met her gaze across the roof as Amy dashed off to join the team in warm-ups. “I like this new page. It's positively cheerful.”

“Do you?” She rounded the hood of the car and faced him. “Because you could use a dose of cheerful yourself, Andrew.”

He held up his hands and backed up a step. “You mean well, Kimber, but save your lecture, okay? I never expected to come back here. Who would have thought Shelby would pick my hometown to have her wedding? She did, and I'm here, but you saw Callan tonight. Every time the kid sees me, he misses his father more. That's a rotten thing to do to anyone.”

“We all have things to deal with.” She held his gaze like she always did, never backing down, and he realized that was part of the allure. Kimberly took charge, like he did. She grabbed hold and hung on, just like him. She met him step for step, and he loved that about her. “We can't deal with them effectively if we run again. You and I tried that already. I do believe it was a bust.”

“It's not running,” he corrected her softly. “It's sacrificing one thing for another. Dave's son deserves to have a wonderful childhood, just like Amy. I can't in good conscience thrust that boy into a situation I'd hate for my own daughter. It's as simple as that.”

He thought she'd commiserate. Share his feelings. Understand and empathize. But this was Kimberly, and she leaned forward and kissed him sweetly, then tweaked his hat. “Let's go watch a ball game. And buy me popcorn. I'm starving.”

Watch a ball game?

Buy popcorn?

Was she serious? He'd just laid his selfless heart before her, and she wanted food?

But as they drew closer to the field the smell of fresh-popped corn
was
enticing, so he ordered three buckets to share, overpaid Bertie Engle again and found a seat next to Kimberly in the bleachers.

And it felt good, which felt wrong because Dave's kid wasn't playing. He was home, watching a dog, sacrificing his fall ball games to try and fix things.

Atonement.

You get that, better than most, don't you? Aren't you fussing over this wedding like a crazy man to show Rick how much his confidence and friendship has meant to you?

The kid needs atonement to help him heal, just like you.

“You're overthinking something again.” Corinne smacked his leg from the seat below him. “Knock it off, Slade. Got it?”

“There is something seriously mean going on with the women in this town,” he growled, rubbing his leg before passing her a tub of popcorn. “What happened to sweet, affable, easygoing girls? Because that might be a welcome change right about now.”

Corinne waved him off, and Kimberly bumped shoulders with him. “They're a dime a dozen. We like our local gals to be strong enough to be gentle and play a mean game of catch. Like that second baseman out there.”

He followed the direction of her gaze toward Amy, and he had to admit she fit the profile. Strong, tough, engaging, precocious and growing more self-assured by the day.

She loves it here. She's at home here. Do you really want to drag her away from all this if the town extends an offer?

He didn't want to, no. But he needed to, and that made all the difference.

* * *

Kimberly made it a point to stroll slowly down the stone-paved walk on Sunday morning, and every measured step was worth it when Drew stepped outside and saw her. Appreciation quickened his gaze, and his smile grew as he held the screen door wide for Amy. “I think we've got company, kid.”

“Kimberly!” Amy grinned and high-fived her. “I'm so glad you're coming and that it's nice out so we can walk. It was cold last night.”

“We're heading into the change of seasons,” Kimberly agreed. “We turn a lot of weather pages in the fall around here. It pays to keep the sweaters handy, that's for sure.”

Amy almost frowned, then firmed her chin, stoic. “I like that stuff. The weather changes and the trees starting to turn colors. But—” she looked up at her dad and clasped his hand “—whatever Dad decides is okay as long as we're together.”

“Team maintenance,” Kimberly replied, smiling as they headed down the driveway.

“You know people will talk if you come to church with us.” Drew reminded her as they drew near Center Street.

“Did they talk when my sister went with you?”

“No.”

“Then—”

“This is different.”

It was. She knew that, but it was nice to hear him recognize it. “Dad's surgery is tomorrow.”

He nodded, reached out and clasped her hand with his free one. “Reason enough to pray right there.”

“Yes. But there are other important things to think about and pray about now, too.” She squeezed his hand lightly, a message meant just for him. “I feel like we're coming to an intersection with too many choices, none of them well marked. That would have made me mad a few months ago. It did make me mad,” she admitted. “But then I stepped back and checked out the possibilities, and I'm okay with taking things more slowly. Making each choice count.”

“Living deliberately.”

She accepted his words and nodded. “Good way of putting it. I can't change certain things, but if I stay focused, I can make other things better for people. And that's what I've decided to do.”

“You thinking of staying, Kimber? Permanently?”

“I
am
staying. No matter what Nashville might offer. I like being home.”

He stopped and held her gaze, and the regret in his eyes said way more than his words. “I think it's a good decision.”

“It is. And I hear there are plenty of other opportunities here. For the right people, that is.”

Drew frowned. “Someone is talking too much.”

“That someone is my father, and he's allowed to talk,” she scolded. “And he only told us girls about his recommendation after he explained about his retirement. So your secret is safe with us. But I won't deny that gives me an additional focus at church this morning.”

“Which would be fine if it was just me we were talking about. But it's not.”

She didn't pursue the thought because she knew Drew. He'd weigh things up on his own and make the best decision he could based on facts, a cop at heart. But if she could tip the scales in favor of staying here, with her?

She'd do it.

He didn't let go of her hand when they climbed the church steps. Or when they walked inside. And when they picked a seat on the left, near the middle, he let Amy and her go in first, always the gentleman.

Heads turned. Folks smiled. Some waved and nodded, and she'd known this would happen if they strolled into church together as if she was part of Team Slade. Right then, it felt as if she was.

She wouldn't tug and twist on Drew's heart because she understood regret, just like him. But if God decided to put a little pressure on the rugged security man to stay put and see what developed, she'd be okay with that.

* * *

Kimberly braced for backlash when Jandro and the mayor had the road-closed notices hand-delivered to neighbors and affected businesses on Sunday afternoon, but aside from a handful of grumbles, the feedback was positive.

“Mrs. Hanning wants us to know she's pleased to do her part for the wedding by staying home, which is exactly what she would have done anyway, and her sister said having the senator's daughter get married in the Abbey puts it in the history books. And she'd like a slice of the chocolate strawberry groom's cake, if at all possible.”

“What a great thought,” Emily agreed from her desk. “To have the wedding vendors sweeten the pot for the neighbors is smart business. I'll get right on that, if it's all right with you, Kimber?”

“It's an excellent idea,” Kimberly answered from the wall-size planning board where she and Allison were doing one last visual of the final seating arrangements. Her burner phone rang. Drew's number appeared in the display. She picked it up and moved down the hall so her conversation wouldn't interrupt Emily and Allison as they rechecked each detail of a five-day itinerary. “Are you off to the airport?”

“I am. I'm bringing security teams into town. They'll look like average citizens and tourists, and they'll be everywhere. Call me as soon as you hear about your father's surgery, okay?”

“I will,” Kimberly promised. “It won't be until later with the time difference and all, but I'll call.”

“All right. And, Kimber?”

His voice hesitated as if weighing what to say.

“Yes?”

He hesitated, and while Drew Slade appeared stoic and unemotional on the surface, Kimberly read the anxiety within him. “Aw, don't go getting all sentimental on me, Slade. We've got work to do, and I have a bride—and her mother—arriving tomorrow afternoon. And they may or may not approve weeks of nonstop work. For you and me, this week is pure focus. We're leaving the rest to God.”