“Definitely not.” Bailey pictured her younger brother, her best friend. In the end, he was bound to be a better singer than a tackler, but he was willing to try new things. She loved that about him. Her mom returned to helping Ricky, and after five minutes, the other boys trudged through the back door.
“I can’t believe it; I mean you could’ve been killed.” Shawn was talking fast, his words running together. “That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Their mom was immediately on her feet. “Who could’ve been killed?”
“BJ.” Shawn let out a long breath, as if he’d been holding it in the whole ride back. “It was a northern copperhead, Mom. I swear. I studied that snake this year, and it was exactly the same.”
“Yep.” BJ flexed his biceps. “I’m a hero. I saved all our lives.”
“No, he was crazy, I swear.” Shawn was adamant.
Jenny held up her hand. “Will someone start at the beginning? Please.”
“We were riding off-road,” Justin stepped forward, “through that field at the end of the street, just up from the stream. And all of a sudden, this snake crossed our path. Connor went around him, but BJ was next and he ran right over him, right across the middle of him.”
BJ let his arms fall to his side. “I didn’t really mean to, Mom. It just sort of happened.”
“So we got off our bikes and looked at him, and sure enough,” Shawn still looked stunned. “It was a northern copperhead. Same spade-shaped head, same puffy body. I’d know that snake anywhere.”
Bailey walked up and listened to the conversation. In no time, their mom took control. “You should’ve gone around him, BJ. You need to respect snakes and keep your distance. Especially if it’s poisonous.”
“Yeah, you don’t run right over them.” Shawn waved at his brother and then flashed nervous eyes at their mom. “He could’ve been killed, Mom. I swear.”
“And Connor, as for you…you rode around the snake, but maybe you should’ve stopped and told your brothers about the danger.”
“I didn’t know it was a copperhead.”
“Still, you were the first to come across it. Next time, pull over and stop. Make sure your brothers follow your lead.”
The whole drama was resolved in a matter of minutes, but Bailey shuddered at the way it might’ve played out. What if Connor had been bitten, or one of her other brothers? For that matter, what if there were copperhead snakes lurking near the cabins on the far side of Lake Monroe? She tried not to think about it as she said her good-byes. Certainly God would protect her from the wrath of the northern copperhead.
Her mom hugged her before she left. “I’m sorry about Tim. But God has a reason for you to be out there this weekend.” She put her hand alongside Bailey’s face. “You’re my sweet girl, Bailey. I love you so much.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I can’t wait to hear about it when you get home.”
Bailey hugged her mom for a long time, and as she walked to her car and started out, she kept thinking about her family, how much she loved them, and how a single snake encounter could’ve cost one of her brothers his life. She felt sick as she reached the main road. Don’t think about it, she told herself. Focus on what’s ahead.
The drive to the campground took longer than Bailey expected, and she found herself scanning the side of the road for snakes. Just in case. Maybe there was a copperhead infestation happening in the hills around Bloomington. If so, at the first possible chance, she would head back home. She could have a retreat in her own bedroom.
She pulled up at the camp as a few girls from her Bible study arrived. They checked in with Daniel—the retreat leader—and received their cabin assignments. Bailey felt her spirits lighten. Most of the girls from her small group were rooming with her. “Watch out for copperheads,” Bailey allowed a half grin as they carried their sleeping bags and pillows to their cabin. Theirs was the one closest to the common area. “My brothers were nearly killed by one earlier.”
They unpacked and were lying on their bunks talking about the weekend, when they heard the sound of a whistle, followed by a megaphone announcement. “Everyone report to the fire pit.”
Not until they filed out and took their spots around a roaring campfire did Bailey look across the circle and see Cody. Her brow raised and she had to stop herself from getting up and going to him. Instead she locked eyes with him and showed her surprise with her expression. He wasn’t supposed to be here, right? “You’re here,” she mouthed the words silently.
He smiled, his eyes lingering on hers. Whatever had happened, he’d explain later.
For now they needed to focus on Daniel. He explained that he hoped they would accomplish two goals while out in the woods that weekend. First, he had prayed they would all come away closer to Jesus, closer to the faith that bound them. And second, he hoped they would be closer with each other. He picked up a large stick and poked at the fire for a minute. As he did, he separated a few pieces of burning wood from the rest of the blaze.
“College life is a lot like this fire. Professors, class agendas, clubs, friends…there’s a bunch of things that will try to separate you from the fire of faith. And once you’re separated,” he poked at the lone pieces again and everyone watched, the realization clear. The flame around those pieces had already gone out. “Once you’re separated, you can grow cold pretty fast. Especially on a college campus.” Then, with one more push of his stick, he moved the once-burning pieces of wood back to the fire. Immediately the flames circled them and they began to burn once more. “We have to stay in the fire, friends. And what better way to do that than by building friendships through Cru.”
Bailey thought of the cooling pieces of wood, at the way the glow from the fire faded entirely in a matter of seconds. Andi was like that. She’d come to Indiana University so strong—the daughter of missionaries, after all. But her doubts and curiosity had taken her in all the wrong directions. And toward Taz, which wasn’t a wise direction at all. These days Andi was distant and gone most of the time. When Bailey tried to talk seriously with her, Andi always had a class or a study group to get to. Bailey’s heart hurt for her friend. She should be here now, a part of the retreat.
She blinked and looked up, and without trying, her eyes found Cody’s again. A memory came to mind, she and her family at Cedar Point in Ohio one summer vacation when she was in middle school. A new roller coaster had just opened, and Bailey and Connor couldn’t wait to try it. They rode it four times that day, and every time they reached the long downhill, for a few thrilling seconds, her heart flew to her throat, and she felt dizzy and free and beyond wonderful.
The same way she felt now.
She turned her attention to Daniel again. The roller coaster feeling was gone, but her heart was pounding. God, what’s happening? Cody wasn’t supposed to be here, and now…why these feelings? Don’t let me get distracted, please. Daniel handed out a list of duties for the weekend. Each cabin would be responsible for cooking one meal and for cleaning up after another. Working as a team would be part of the fun, for sure. Daniel asked them to check the schedules, and with the girls gathered around her, Bailey pointed out that they were responsible for tonight’s dinner. No matter how much she wanted to talk to Cody, the conversation would have to wait. Daniel went over the rest of the itinerary, and Bailey was glad to see that he’d included many hours of solitary time, chances when they could get to know each other or take time alone with God.
“The times with an asterisk are intended as silent times, moments when no one should be talking. Sometimes with God, it’s important that we listen. Doesn’t matter if you stay close by or find a bluff overlooking the water. Just don’t talk.” He grinned at Bailey and the girls on either side of her. “Of course, that might be harder for some Cru kids than others.”
“Hey,” Bailey was quick to tease him back, but then she immediately covered her mouth with her hands.
“See. Talking just comes easier for some of us.”
Again Cody caught her eye and they shared a quiet laugh. If anyone knew about Bailey’s ability to talk, it was Cody. He’d practically been another brother back when he lived with her family. The laughter faded, and a few guys threw more wood on the fire as Daniel dismissed them and gave out final directions for the night. “Bailey, your group should start dinner.”
“We’re on it,” Bailey moved with the group toward a canopy covering a series of picnic tables and a camp stove setup. “Best burritos ever, coming up.” She glanced over her shoulder and walked a little slower so Cody could catch up.
He wore jeans and a soft blue plaid button-down shirt layered over a white T-shirt. Bailey tried not to notice, but there was no denying the fact—he looked so handsome.
“Hey,” he brushed his elbow against hers as he came alongside her, his voice low. “We’ll talk later.” He nodded toward the camp stove. “You’re busy.”
“Your mom?” Bailey let the other girls get ahead of them.
His smile faded. “It’s a long story.”
“Later.” Again their eyes held. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” He glanced at the girls unloading coolers and pulling large pans from a box. Then he gave her a wary look. “Good luck on the burritos.”
“Hey!” He was teasing her, but only because he knew her that well. “My cooking’s gotten better. Seriously.”
“Hmmm.” He nodded, his expression one of mock doubt. “You mean you got over your fear of turning on the stove? Even for boiling water?”
“I wasn’t that bad.” She was laughing quietly now, because he was right. She used to have Connor cook Cream of Wheat for her because she was afraid of the stove. “I can even cook frozen lasagna now.”
“Wow…” his eyes danced, but he backed further away, his eyes on the girls again. “Go work. We’ll talk after dinner.”
She waited a few seconds, then hurried to join her team. Already the girls had lit the stove and were warming up the pre-cooked ground beef in an oversized pan. They divided up the tasks, taking turns grating cheese and lettuce, and stirring the meat. Bailey put herself in charge of heating the tortillas.
While they worked, Bailey kept looking up and discretely finding Cody. He was working with the guys in his cabin, collecting wood from the campsite and stacking it near the fire. The muscles in his back flexed every time he bent down for another armful, and Bailey struggled to focus on the dinner.
“Don’t know how much good the wood will do us,” one of the girls sighed as she cut tomatoes and put them into a bowl. “If it rains, we’ll be sitting around a bunch of soggy logs.”
“Actually, the latest reports say the rain won’t come till next week.”
Another girl smiled big. “Which is why I’m here. I’m not a big fan of camping in the rain.”
Bailey was glad to hear the updated weather report. They still would have had fun in the rain, but it would have limited the time they could spend outdoors. Either way, this weekend was bound to make Cody and her stronger friends. She could already feel that much. Even if they didn’t quite find the sort of connection they’d shared all those yesterdays ago.
One of the girls came up beside her. “You’re quiet.” She glanced at the pan of warmed tortillas and used her hand to feel for heat. “What’re you thinking about?”
“Life.” She shifted the pan and turned down the heat. “And how glad I am that I didn’t let a northern copperhead snake stop me from being here this weekend.”
They both laughed, and Bailey promised to tell the story about the snake later, when they were all tucked in their sleeping bags, safe from whatever creepy crawly things might come out at night.
The meal took very little time to pull together, and the guys had two oversized piles of wood collected by the time Daniel called everyone to a double row of picnic tables. “Thank You for the food, God, and thanks for the dry weather. We really appreciate it.” Daniel raised his fork. “Amen!”
Already Bailey could feel herself relax, feel the tension from the past week and her upcoming finals slipping away. She and Cody exchanged glances now and then, but Bailey sat with the girls around the fire and talked about the tests ahead and the grades they were expecting. A few of them, like Bailey, were taking classes, but the rest of them were going home in a few weeks or sticking around for summer jobs.
“You’re lucky you live here,” one of them told Bailey. “I’d be up at this lake all the time.”
She thought about that, how living close to a place like Lake Monroe made it easier to take it for granted. Maybe after the retreat she could talk Andi into coming up here. Whatever it took to help her find the truth once more. She looked across the fire and watched Cody talking to a group of guys. With Daniel in charge, she and Cody might not have much time to talk alone. That was okay, really. She had a boyfriend, after all. This trip was about seeking God and finding direction for the days ahead.
And these days she needed that more than anything else.
Two
THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL HAD been under way for three days, and Keith Ellison couldn’t believe how well things were going. They’d put the Brandon Paul issue aside for now, but what they’d learned was encouraging. Despite a recent press release, the young heartthrob had never agreed to participate in an NTM original film with a storyline so much like Unlocked. The bestselling novel was the basis for the next movie Keith and his friend Chase Ryan were set to make, and Brandon Paul wanted to star in the picture. His agent and Luke Baxter—lawyer for Jeremiah Productions—were working behind the scenes putting big pressure on NTM to print a retraction.
Chase and Keith had both made up their minds, that no matter what stance NTM took when the discussions were complete, they wanted to work with a different studio. The buzz around town was that an announcement could come any day with NTM’s retraction about the proposed film and Brandon Paul’s decision to do the Unlocked picture with Jeremiah Productions.
Major studios were courting them like a high school prom queen, and now they were thirty minutes from the red carpet premiere of The Last Letter. Keith, Lisa, Chase, and Kendall were staying in hotel a mile away from the festival.
“Can you fix my bowtie?” Keith was in Chase’s room. He stepped out of the bathroom. “It won’t stay straight.”
“Shouldn’t Lisa do this?” Chase laughed. “No, seriously, come here. I’ll fix it.” He met his friend halfway and tweaked the back of the bowtie so that the front straightened out and stayed that way. “Where is she anyway?”
“Curling her hair. She won’t make us late, but she’ll be done with fifteen seconds to spare.” Keith checked his look and visibly relaxed a little. He’d been praying for weeks about this event, and now it was here. “Can you believe this? Our first premiere just half an hour away?”
Chase smiled. “Makes me wonder how my feet are still on the ground.” He slipped on his shoes and adjusted his pant legs. “I keep thinking back to all we’ve gone through, back when this day looked like it’d never come.”
“Then God brought Ben Adams to the rescue.” Keith grinned. “He’ll be here, right?”
“He’s in the lobby with Kendall. I stopped down to check on our ride and they were already there.” He paused. “Kendall looks stunning. Made me remember what a big deal this is.”
Keith studied his friend, and a hint of concern flashed across his heart. Chase and Kendall had gotten closer lately. Nothing overt, but Keith had seen a subtle joining of their hearts. Her tendency to stand next to Chase or the quiet way they had of sharing a quick conversation apart from the group. Keith hoped it was nothing to worry about, but he had to wonder. Chase’s wife, Kelly, wasn’t here, and the fact that Chase noticed how Kendall looked was a little unsettling. Keith made a mental note to watch his friends closely tonight. They had to stay above the line, or everything they’d prayed to accomplish would be nothing more than a mockery of their faith and their character.
“Five minutes til we need to l
eave for the red carpet!” Chase grinned. “This is the most amazing feeling.”
Keith felt his heartbeat pick up. It was really about to happen, the first showing of their movie on a big screen. Two rows were reserved for cast—which had come in its entirety. The rest were for the public. After the showing, there would be a question-and-answer session with Keith and Chase and the cast.
The only one missing was Kelly.
Chase seemed to read his mind. “I called her.”
“Kelly?”
“She feels fine, but Macy still has a fever. Doctor thinks it’s the swine flu.” He grimaced. “I should be there. Kelly’s being strong, but she needs me.”
“The timing’s terrible.”
“Even if Macy were fine, Molly had a doctor’s appointment for her arm, and this is the last week of preschool.” A sigh crossed his lips. “It just didn’t work out.”
Keith leaned against the hotel dresser and crossed his arms. “Lisa talked to Kelly this morning. Ever since the women’s conference, she’s like a new person. I’ve seen it too.”
“She is.” Chase smiled and it reached deep into his eyes. He was serious now, less flip. “She’s happier and more at peace. It’s like God worked some complete transformation in her soul all in one day. Or maybe He’d been working it all along and the conference was the final step.” He smoothed his hands over his jacket. “I’ll call her again. As soon as the premiere’s over.”
“Good.” Keith felt himself relax. “I like knowing the two of you are okay. I can’t imagine all this, gaining so much ground, and then losing ourselves. I can’t imagine it for either of us.”
Keith hoped Chase understood what he was getting at. It was possible to lose themselves and their marriages, their goals of serving God. It was possible because it had happened to other Christians in the public eye. Just because they loved the Lord and their wives, and even though they wanted to make movies with a message, they would always need to be on guard against a fall. They might as well have targets on their backs, and knowing so was half the battle. The bigger their names got in Hollywood, the more they needed to keep an eye on each other, to keep accountable to the highest standard.