Take Three

  “What’s that?” Chase was so happy, so sure this was the miraculous answer he’d prayed for; he couldn’t imagine what might cause Kelly any concern at all.

  She hesitated, studying him. “You have to tell Keith.”

  The memory faded, and a ripple of fear stirred the otherwise calm waters in his soul. Because now that’s exactly what he was going to do. Kelly offered to come, but Chase asked her to stay home with the girls. He had joined forces with Keith in Jeremiah Productions. Now it would be his responsibility to tell Keith he was moving on. When he wasn’t playing hide-and-seek or taking the girls to the park and the zoo, Chase had prayed all week that his friend would understand. That their friendship could survive his decision to leave.

  Chase turned onto Keith’s street, drove past four houses, and parked. His stomach was in his throat by the time he reached the front door. God, give me Your peace. Help Keith understand I’m not crazy, that this is the best thing I can do for my family. Please, God…

  My son, anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. Go forward now and do what you know to do.

  The answer that resonated through him came from something he’d heard from Pastor Hastings halfway through the week. They’d talked several times since Chase’s acceptance. Chase had a feeling they were going to be close friends, that the older man would become an important mentor to him and his family.

  He knocked and waited. Scripture was clear about the list of sins, choices people made that separated them from God. But something sometimes overlooked was the admonition from James, chapter four, where God reminded people that sin was also knowing the good one was supposed to do, and not doing it. Chase was convinced without a doubt of the good he was supposed to do. He was being called back to his family, to a life of leading the kids of their church. Back to his first calling, really. If he didn’t respond, he would be in error. Certainly Keith would understand that.

  His thoughts were still racing as Keith opened the door. He looked tired and worn down. “Come in.”

  Chase followed him and saw that Lisa was already sitting in the living room. She, too, looked concerned. Clearly the two of them were expecting bad news. The whole room felt weighted by a layer of awkward tension. “Lisa…” He nodded at her.

  “Hello, Chase.” She stood briefly. “Can I get you water? Coffee?”

  Keith took the seat next to his wife and crossed his arms. He didn’t look angry. Just confused.

  “No, thanks.” Clearly Chase had let too much time go by without explaining himself. They couldn’t go another moment with things feeling this strange between them. He felt sorry for the pain he was about to cause. With a heavy heart he sat opposite the two of them and leaned his forearms on his knees. “Let’s start by praying. Would that be okay?”

  “Sure.” Keith looked at Lisa and then back at him. His tone was kind, despite his clear frustration. “We have no idea what’s coming, buddy. You go ahead.”

  Chase closed his eyes and gripped his hands together. “Dear God, You’ve brought us here for an important meeting. We ask that Your Spirit of mercy and grace fall on this place, on each of us. That understanding would reign and love would prevail. Thank You for my great friends, Lord. Be with them and with me this night. In Your name, amen.”

  A quiet round of amens followed, and in the silence afterward, Chase grabbed onto God’s strength. The time had come for him to explain himself. “A strange thing happened at the premiere.” He decided to downplay the temptation from that night, and focus instead on his family. After all, that had been what caused him to make the change. He drew a long breath, steadying his voice. “There we were,” he looked at Keith, “top of our game. But at the end of the night I felt like someone I didn’t recognize. For a lot of reasons, I guess.”

  He told them about asking God for a way to reckon his family life with his life as a producer and director, and when he told them about seeing the footage of him and Kendall on the red carpet, an understanding filled Keith’s eyes. As if from that point on he could see where Chase was headed. Chase continued, telling them about coming home and hearing his little girls talk about not remembering what he looked like, what he sounded like.

  Lisa’s eyes got teary during that part, and she looped her arm through Keith’s. Chase wondered if she was thinking about their daughter, Andi. Sure she was in college, but how often were they able to talk to her or visit? The movie business took all their time.

  “I guess that’s when I knew,” he sat straighter, his eyes on Keith’s, imploring him to understand. He had to be very clear here. “I’m finished making movies, Keith. I’ve been offered a position at church.” He shrugged, his eyes intent and unwavering. “I’m staying home with my family. It’s what God’s calling me to do.”

  Keith looked amazed and shocked and dizzy, like if he tried to stand he might topple over. But he didn’t look angry. He was quiet for a long time before he raised his brow and allowed a soft chuckle. “I saw this coming, really I did.” He looked at Lisa. “If I can be honest, I thought you and Kendall were getting a little too close.”

  His friend’s admission brought with it another burst of shame, another confirmation that he was making the right move. “She’s moving on. She told me so, but you’re right. I was out of God’s will in a lot of areas.”

  “We talked about you that night back in our room, how we were worried about you being away from Kelly and the girls.” He breathed in deep, like he was trying to find his balance again. “But not for a minute did I expect this.”

  “I know.” Chase couldn’t help but offer a weak smile. The joy inside him was that great. “That’s the best part. I didn’t expect it either. But God did. He had this plan all along; I really have to believe that.”

  “I’m not sure where that leaves us—Jeremiah Productions, I mean.” Keith looked at Lisa, and his eyes filled with a fear that was uncommon for him. For a moment it seemed he might recite all the company had going on—the great news about the theatrical release and American Pictures, the deal with Brandon Paul, and the potential success of that next film. “You and Kendall, both gone.”

  Chase waited, and for a few moments the silence became uncomfortable again.

  Then Keith exhaled slowly and turned his eyes back to Chase. “God will show us what to do. Luke Baxter can draw up paperwork releasing you. But the bottom line is already clear. Whatever happens with Jeremiah Productions, it no longer concerns you.”

  Of all the things Keith could say, this touched Chase most of all. By acknowledging that Chase wasn’t responsible for the trouble he’d caused or how Keith would move forward from here, he was releasing Chase. Releasing him with a full heart. For a long time none of them said anything. Keith folded his hands and looked at the floor for nearly a minute. When he lifted his face, there were tears in his eyes. “I’ve loved every minute of this journey. Even the scary times.” His voice was strained. “I couldn’t have done it without you, buddy.”

  For the first time since he’d made his decision, Chase fully registered that there was indeed a loss here, a loss that paled in comparison with the gift he was gaining. But a loss all the same. He stood and helped Keith to his feet, and the two of them hugged. Not the victory hug from the premiere night. But a hug that said no matter how difficult this moment was, the two of them would remain friends. “I’m sorry,” Chase could barely speak the words. “God wants me to do this. I have no choice.”

  “I know.” He sniffed hard and drew back, wiping the back of his hand beneath his eyes. Lisa was quietly crying on the couch, her hand to her mouth as she watched the two men. Keith nodded, still struggling. “I will pray for you and your new ministry every day. I promise you that.”

  Relief flooded Chase’s heart. He put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “And I’ll pray for you.”

  There were a thousand unanswered questions. How would Keith proceed alone, and how quickly could someone fill Chase’s spot? But all that mattered here and no
w was that Keith understood, and he did so with a love and grace that didn’t surprise Chase. It was one more answer to prayer, and Chase expected nothing less from their gracious God. The men hugged one more time and as Keith took his spot beside Lisa again, he laughed to break the sadness in the room.

  “I don’t have to ask this, but…you know what you’re walking away from, right?”

  “I know.” Chase chuckled a few times and shook his head. “Kelly’s asked me more than once if I hit my head on the way home from LA last weekend. No one walks away from all you’ve got going on, Keith.”

  His friend seemed to note the way Chase distanced himself from the company, how he referred to the work of Jeremiah Productions as what Keith had going on, no longer the two of them. Keith nodded slowly. “I guess it’s not about what you’re walking away from.” He smiled and put his arm around Lisa. “It’s about what you’re walking toward.”

  “Those sweet babies.” Lisa’s voice caught. “You’re doing the right thing, Chase. I didn’t see this coming. Not now with so much going on.” She smiled and her sincerity rang with every word. “But you’re doing the right thing.”

  “Thank you.” Chase finally leaned back in his seat, able to relax. “I will always be here for the two of you. Anything I can do from my home, I’m happy to help out. And I believe God will bring someone along, someone who will be better for Jeremiah Productions than I ever could’ve been.”

  Keith raised one eyebrow. “Let’s not get carried away.”

  They all laughed, and the conversation shifted away from work. As it did, there was nothing left to talk about. The two of them were no longer a team, no longer ready to take on the world of filmmaking in an attempt to change the culture. The dreams they’d believed in back on the mission fields of Indonesia had changed for Chase, and some sorrow colored the moment the way it was bound to.

  Even so, Chase drove home with a smile in his heart, and when he walked through the front door, he found Kelly curled up on the sofa reading. “The girls are in bed,” she whispered. “How did it go?”

  “Perfectly. God met us there.” He motioned that he’d tell her more later. First he needed to find his girls. He tiptoed down the hall and into the bedroom they shared, and he stood over them, watching the way their little bodies breathed so peacefully. He had almost lost this, the chance to watch them grow, to pray over them every night. But God had spared him, and now one thing was absolutely certain.

  He wasn’t going to miss another moment.

  Ten

  KEITH NO LONGER HAD TO WONDER what it would feel like to be trapped beneath thirty floors of rebar and cement. The moment his friend shut the door behind him, as soon as Keith and Lisa were alone in their silent living room, a weight like nothing he’d ever felt hit him square on the shoulders, dropping him to the edge of the sofa.

  “Honey?” Lisa took the spot beside him. Her face was masked in worry, and she put one hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. God will show us a way out.”

  The pain of losing Chase now, when he needed him most, was so strong he struggled to breathe, struggled even to believe the events of the last hour had actually happened. Chase was gone. Their team was broken up, and now anything was possible. Every contract on the table was in jeopardy. “I…I’m not sure what to do.” He stood and crossed the room. He wouldn’t cry or raise his voice or fall apart. God would get him through this the way He’d gotten them through so many other situations.

  If only Keith could figure out what to do next.

  He crossed the room to the front window and stared out at the dark night. Not even the hint of a moon lit the ground outside, and Keith found that fitting. He was suddenly headed a hundred miles an hour into the thickest fog he’d ever seen. No idea what the next minute might hold, let alone tomorrow.

  “Keith…” Lisa stood and came to him. “Talk to me.” She put her hand gently on his shoulder. “What’re you thinking?”

  He looked back at her. “It might be over. Without Chase, every contract could be cancelled. That’s how it works.”

  Lisa didn’t look surprised. She nodded slowly. “Okay. So you walk away from Hollywood.”

  Her words had a strangely calming effect on him. His life in Hollywood had gotten so complicated that he rarely considered the obvious. He could walk away from it tomorrow—as long as his investors were taken care of. Because he could only do so much, and if American Pictures wanted to pull out, if Brandon Paul no longer wanted to work with him, then so be it.

  He leaned his head against hers and remembered a sermon a year ago, something he’d forgotten until now. “Remember what Pastor Hastings said awhile back?” Keith’s voice held a calm that he still didn’t quite feel. “He said sometimes life gets too complicated to figure it out on your own. When that happens, God has to do the figuring.”

  “Mmm.” Lisa eased her arm around his waist and pressed her body close to him. “I remember.”

  “And while God does the figuring, there’s only one thing we can do.”

  He felt Lisa smile. “The next thing.”

  “Right. We just do the next thing and let God reveal the bigger answers.” They were quiet, clinging to each other and to the certainty that God would see them through. Even if it was impossible to see the way out from here. Keith peered into the darkness. Chase had a right to follow God’s plan for his life, even if that plan had seemingly come out of nowhere. It wasn’t like Chase had a contract to fulfill. They were only now signing deals with American Pictures and DTA, with Brandon Paul and the author of Unlocked. They had yet to contact new investors about the publicity and advertising budget for their theatrical release of The Last Letter.

  Legally, Chase was free and clear, and Keith could do nothing but release him with complete understanding. Keith sighed, feeling the heaviness around him again. Tomorrow he would need to call Luke Baxter and tell him. Luke would have ideas, someone in the industry who might be interested in filling Chase’s position. But what about their vision? Making movies that could change the world? Would anyone else work as passionately to that end as Chase Ryan?

  “Don’t.” Lisa whispered against his face.

  He looked at her, loving her. “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow.” She kissed him on his cheek, her eyes never leaving his. “Do the next thing.”

  “Hmmm.” His heart filled with gratitude for the strength of the woman beside him. She had been this way when he married her, and her resolve had helped him through their time in Indonesia. Now here she was again, her tender wisdom helping him believe that God hadn’t abandoned them, that His plans were still good. He touched his fingers to her face, lost in her. “The next thing, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  He shrugged, at a loss. “And what’s that?”

  “We call our daughter, read our Bibles, and go to sleep.”

  “Are you sure that’s the next—” The phone rang before he could finish his sentence. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was just after seven, which meant it was ten o’clock in Bloomington. “Maybe that’s her.” The situation with Chase had distracted him much of the week, but now he was reminded about Andi. They’d talked to her just a few times since last weekend, and with each call she sounded more distant, distracted. Keith pointed toward the phone. “There it is…the next thing.”

  Lisa smiled, and her unwavering joy relieved the pressure weighing on him. He moved to the phone and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Keith, hey it’s Dayne Matthews. I’m not calling too late, am I?”

  “No, not at all.” Keith wrinkled his brow, baffled. Dayne Matthews had never called him at home. The two hadn’t talked since they were in Bloomington a year ago filming. He mouthed to Lisa that the caller was Dayne Matthews.

  Her eyes grew wide, and she moved slowly to the nearest chair.

  “Do you have a minute?” Dayne sounded excited, practically bursting with whatever he’d called about. “I mean, if this i
s a good time?”

  “It’s fine.” Keith returned to his place by the window and leaned against the adjacent wall. “What’s on your mind?”

  “Well,” he chuckled, as if he wasn’t sure where to begin. “I’ve been following your work—you and Chase. I read earlier today about your premiere and the offer from American Pictures. The whole Brandon Paul deal that must be coming together based on the retraction from NTM.” Dayne sounded impressed. “God’s doing amazing work through you two, which got me thinking.”

  Dayne went on to say that he’d been away from movies for a long time—several years. “CKT is running itself. We have wonderful directors and people handling the office. The kids’ theater group doesn’t need Katy and me like it used to.”

  Keith felt his heart speed up. Where was Dayne going?

  “What I’m saying is, Katy and I talked about it and we’d like to be a part of Jeremiah Productions. Sophie is old enough to travel, but too young for school. Katy and I could take her with us, spend time on the set. Help with the productions somehow or with the publicity and advertising.”

  Keith’s head started to spin. He turned his back to the window and rested against it, his eyes closed. How was this happening? And was Dayne really proposing what it sounded like? Keith forced himself to concentrate.

  “We’d like to invest as well. We and some friends of mine from Hollywood. We really believe in what you’re doing.” He paused but only for a second or two. “Of course, we wouldn’t want you or Chase to feel like we were taking over. You might not have room for us, and that’s fine. It’s just…we talked about it all day, and I couldn’t go to sleep without calling you and Chase to see if—”

  “Dayne.” Keith shot a disbelieving look at Lisa. Then he uttered a single awestruck laugh. “There is no Chase.”

  A long silence filled the line. “What?”

  “There’s no Chase. He resigned from Jeremiah Productions an hour ago.”

  Now it was Dayne’s turn to be overcome with disbelief. “Because…because of some problem?”