Take Two

  Next Kelly called Lisa, who promised to be there in twenty minutes.

  Finally she tried Chase again. This time he answered on the third ring, his voice quiet and on edge. “What is it Kelly? Is this an emergency?” He obviously hadn’t checked his messages. “We’re almost finished.”

  For a single instant, Kelly wanted to hang up, tell him never mind. That certainly whatever was happening with the studio was bound to be more important than life back home. But instead she swallowed every sarcastic thought she might’ve voiced and in a tone almost devoid of emotion said only, “Molly broke her arm. We’re at the hospital.” She sighed. “She needs surgery in the next few hours to set it.”

  “What?” The alarm in Chase’s voice brought with it some sense of satisfaction. “How serious is it?” He was still whispering.

  “Serious, Chase. She needs surgery.”

  He released a frustrated sound. “Let me call you after the meeting. It’s almost over.”

  Kelly felt the room tilt. Was he really saying he’d call her back? When his daughter was lying in a hospital facing surgery? She was furious with him. “Fine.” She hung up without saying good-bye and did her best not to slam the phone back onto its place on the wall.

  She stood and paced to the door and back again. No wonder she’d been eating everything in sight. How else was she supposed to cope with the stress, the feeling Chase had abandoned them in a quest that had evolved over the last few months? Now his days in LA seemed less about changing the world and more about chasing fame and money. Anything to keep Brandon Paul attached to the next picture.

  Molly moaned and rolled a little on the hospital bed. The doctor said he’d give her something to sleep if she woke up. He didn’t want her moving around very much until after the surgery; she could do further damage to her arm. For now, though, Kelly wanted something to help herself calm down. When she was sure Molly wasn’t going to wake up, she took a couple of one-dollar bills from her wallet. Walking quietly so Molly wouldn’t hear, she left the room and went to the nurse’s station. “My daughter’s alone in there. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll check her in a moment.” The nurse pointed to a monitor. “I can see her from here; don’t worry.”

  Kelly nodded and headed out into the hall. When she reached the lobby, she turned away from the front doors and kept walking until she saw the vending machine. She stopped and stared at the food inside. Snickers … Reese’s Pieces … Rolos … two oversized chocolate-chip cookies. Her hands shook as she slid the first dollar into the slot. She wanted every bit of comfort she could get, and she positioned her finger over the letter and number corresponding to the Snickers. She could start there. But just as she was about to push, she felt a physical force holding her back.

  She gasped and turned around, expecting to see someone standing there, stopping her from making the purchase. But she was completely alone. She blinked and stared at the machine full of junk. What had stopped her from pushing the button, and how come she was shaking so hard? Then in a rush she remembered her quick prayer, the one she’d silently uttered while trying not to faint an hour ago. What had she said? That she couldn’t do this anymore, and that she was ready to stop, right? Wasn’t that it? She’d even begged God to help her be finished with the craziness.

  And now … now something or someone had stopped her.

  She lowered her hand and stared at the Snickers bar. She didn’t need candy; she needed a Savior, a strength that went beyond herself. Not tomorrow morning or some other day, but here. Now.

  She stepped back from the machine and then, at the last second, she pushed a button and heard the clank of quarters as they fell into the change dish. All four quarters. She swept them into her hand and without hesitation dropped them, one at a time, into the next machine — the one that held only bottled water.

  She took her bottle and walked as quickly as she could back to Molly’s room. Whatever had happened back there, she couldn’t stop to analyze it. Whether the hand of God had held her back, or whether she’d subconsciously stopped herself, she wasn’t sure. The only thing she knew was this: God had answered her prayer. Her marriage was on the rocks, and her little girl was about to have surgery. They owed tens of thousands of dollars because of The Last Letter and they’d yet to see more than the slightest bit of repayment for the funds they’d invested. But now, as she headed back to Molly’s side, she had reason to smile because she had found the one thing she desperately needed, the thing she’d lost sight of these last few months.

  Her determination to live.

  Twenty

  THE MEETING WITH THE STUDIO WAS over, and Chase stood out front of a restaurant across the street, frantic to get hold of Kelly. He tried her cell phone a dozen times before finally calling the three hospitals in the area. On the third try he found her — sitting with Molly in her room. A male nurse patched him through.

  “Hello?” Kelly sounded angry, but less tired.

  “Honey, it’s me.” His relief was an almost physical force across the phone lines. He hoped Kelly could tell how badly he wanted to talk to her. “I’ve been calling you for fifteen minutes.”

  “We can’t use cell phones.” She kept her eyes on Molly.

  He started to say that he hadn’t even known which hospital they were at, but he stopped himself. None of that mattered now. “So what happened? Start at the beginning.”

  In a monotone Kelly explained the bike accident. “It could’ve been a lot worse.”

  “Where’s Macy?” Chase raked his fingers through his hair and leaned against the car. Keith was already inside, waiting for him.

  “Laurie’s with her, and Lisa is on her way here.”

  “Good.” He racked his brain. They had come out of the meeting and gone directly to the restaurant. Kendall was on the phone with her father, and Keith had called Lisa. Chase was sitting outside on a patio chair where he’d been since he first started trying to reach Kelly. “They’re sure she needs surgery?”

  “The break’s terrible, Chase. One of the worst the doctor’s seen.”

  Pain sliced through Chase’s gut. His little Molly suffering such a bad injury when he wasn’t home to help her? The meeting had gone brilliantly, but Chase knew better than to say so now. He asked how Molly was doing, and what the time frame was. “I can be home tomorrow evening.”

  “Tomorrow?” Her single laugh sounded desperate. “What, Chase? What’s so important that you can’t get in your car and drive home now?”

  He hesitated in disbelief. “I have more meetings, Kel. What do you want me to do, race home and then turn around and come back here?”

  “Whatever.” She didn’t sound like she had the strength to fight him. “We’ll be here until Sunday morning.”

  “I’ll come straight there as soon as I’m in town.”

  “Okay.” She didn’t sound intentionally mean, just indifferent.

  He settled into the white wrought iron chair. “Kelly, what’s with you?”

  “What’s with you? Your daughter’s had a terrible accident and you can’t take my call? Are you serious?”

  “I’m sorry. I was wrong. It’s just … we were almost finished working out the details of an actual theatrical release with The Last Letter, and I didn’t want to miss anything.”

  She took a long breath. “Look, I don’t want to fight. We’ll talk when you get here tomorrow.”

  She left him no room for further conversation. He felt his shoulders sink a few inches and he slumped over his knees, trying to focus. “If you talk to her before the surgery, will you tell her I’m praying for her?”

  “Of course.” She was terse and businesslike, as if she couldn’t wait to get off the phone and tend to more important matters.

  “I love you.” He covered his free ear with his hand so he could hear the nuances of her voice, her mood. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

  “It’s okay. We’re used to it.” She paused, maybe regretting her sarcasm. “See you tomorr
ow.”

  The phone went dead before Chase could question her again about her mood. Only then did he realize that she hadn’t asked about the theatrical deal. It was what they’d been praying for with The Last Letter, and now they had it. But Kelly hadn’t even noted it. He clicked his phone off and slid it back in the pocket of his jacket. Then hung his head for a full minute trying to figure out his wife. When he’d been home lately, he’d tried not to look too deeply at the way Kelly was treating him. She probably wasn’t happy with him. At least that’s what he had come to believe. But at least she made an effort when he was home.

  But now … now there was no question she was angry. It had come through loud and clear over the phone lines. Angry at what? That’s what he wanted to know. Angry because he and Keith were following the dream God had placed in their hearts? Upset because he was gone so often? He clenched his teeth and pulled himself into a straight position again. Didn’t she know this was the hardest part? One day soon they could move to LA and this phase would be something from the past. But they couldn’t blame each other along the way.

  He remembered the time during the filming last fall when she’d come to the set and spent a couple nights with him. She believed in him back then, but since Thanksgiving things had changed with her. Was it depression? Had she allowed herself to get so out of control that she couldn’t feel anything but misery?

  He was about to pray for her, to beg God to mend things between them so that tomorrow he could hold her hands and help her know how he felt about her, that he would do anything to help her. But the sound of the café door stopped him before he had the chance. “Chase?” It was Kendall.

  He sighed and put on the familiar mask, the one that he wore around their new partner so she wouldn’t think for a minute that Chase’s home life was anything but ideal. He flashed her a concerned smile. “Hey, sorry. It took forever to reach her.”

  “How’s Molly?” Kendall had come outside by herself. Keith was still inside the restaurant.

  “She needs surgery for sure. I guess Macy jumped in front of her. Molly didn’t want to hit her with the bicycle, so she took the fall instead.”

  “Ahh, sweet girl.” Kendall took the seat next to Chase. “Anything we can do?”

  “Pray.” It was what he and Kelly should’ve done. “I guess the operation’s pretty straightforward. They’ve called in a specialist, but still … It’s scary stuff.”

  “Definitely. Plus she doesn’t have the best daddy in the world there to help her through it.”

  Chase tried not to register the compliment. He and Kendall had only been working closely together for three months or so, and already a pattern was starting to develop. With Kelly, he could do nothing right, and with Kendall … With Kendall he could do no wrong. He stared at the ground near his feet. “If I were that great, I guess I’d be there.”

  “Hey.” Her voice was soft, a caress whether she intended it to be or not. “Don’t beat yourself up. The reason you’re here is because you care about your family’s future. Not just your financial future and the welfare of your wife and girls.” She waited until he looked up. “You care about the next generation of kids. That’s why you want to make these movies, remember? So in the big picture, you’re the best dad of all.”

  He looked away because he didn’t want to linger on Kendall Adams’ eyes. She was good and right and true, and her intentions were entirely pure — same as his. But even so, looking into her eyes was like looking into her soul. Too much of that and he’d be on dangerous ground in no time. He knew at least that much.

  His mind found its way back to the studio meeting. “What’s the consensus?”

  “About the meeting?” She grinned and a giddy laugh sounded in her throat. “It was perfect, great that we had Luke Baxter tapped in from Indiana. His input was incredible. I mean, the studio execs offer you a theatrical deal and even agree to split the P&A budget? In this market, that’s like hitting the lottery.”

  “I sort of figured.” Chase smiled and wished he could’ve told Kelly the good news. Maybe it would’ve helped her mood a little. He gazed up at the Los Angeles sky, already hazy at the end of April. “What about Brandon?”

  “Keith thinks today’s meeting was good for that too. If NTM steps out of line, Brandon won’t sign another deal with them. Worst-case scenario, Brandon finishes his contract with NTM — does the final film, something the studio comes up with. Then we move on and take Unlocked to the executives we met today. They’d pay Brandon more, and they’d understand the faith element. The studio’s leading the way in that area right now, and no one’s close.”

  Chase sort of liked the idea. “Maybe we should aim for that, since NTM’s dragging its feet.”

  “We could.” Kendall nodded thoughtfully. “My dad would be supportive no matter where Unlocked winds up.”

  Keith joined them then, carrying a bag of to-go salads. “We can eat back at the hotel room. I have to talk to Andi, and it could take a while.” He didn’t sit down. “Everything okay with Molly?”

  “We’ll know more later tonight. Her surgery’s in about an hour.”

  “Ugh.” Keith groaned and hung his head for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, man. That’s terrible.”

  “It could’ve been worse.” Kendall stood and reached her hand out to Chase.

  Without thinking, he took it and allowed her to help him to his feet. The exchange didn’t seem to draw any strange looks from Keith, and Chase told himself it was nothing out of the ordinary. A friend helping another friend up at a time when weariness ruled the moment.

  They walked to Kendall’s car, and Chase took the front passenger seat. The three of them talked about The Last Letter all the way back to the Georgian Hotel. “You know,” Kendall said as she pulled up. “You guys could stay with my dad. He lives down the street from me, and he has half a dozen guestrooms. You’d be closer to the studios.”

  Chase had wondered that for some time, how they might approach such an idea without seeming presumptuous. Never mind the good rate they were getting, they were still spending a fortune on hotel bills.

  From the back, Keith patted Kendall on her shoulder. “Tell your dad yes. We’d love that.” He thanked her and stepped out of the car. When he saw that Chase wasn’t making the same hurried move, he waved. “See you inside.”

  Chase nodded. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t jumping out of the car too. It was a valet area, and in a minute or so one of the uniformed parking attendants would hurry Kendall on her way. But Chase wanted to thank her first. “About earlier, what you said. How I’m a good dad for trying to get these films done.” He opened the car door and set one foot on the ground. For the slightest moment he allowed his eyes to look into hers. “Thanks for that. I needed to hear it.”

  “I know.” She put her hand on his knee, but only briefly. “It can’t be easy, being gone so much. I’m sure your wife misses you like crazy.”

  “She does.” His answer was quick, the only answer he could give. “Anyway…” He couldn’t look away. “Just wanted to thank you.”

  She smiled. “It’s the truth. Oh, and I’ll be praying for Molly this afternoon. Let me know how it goes.”

  “I will.” He hesitated one last time before stepping out of her car. “You’ll meet us here for breakfast tomorrow?”

  “Of course. We have the meeting with Brandon’s agent, and then lunch with Brandon. Lots to talk about now that we have a theatrical deal. Everyone in Brandon’s camp should feel a lot better about you and Keith producing Unlocked.“

  “Good.” His smile was the easiest thing that had happened that day. “I’ll see you then.”

  The moment seemed to call for a hug — especially since she had lifted his spirits when he was at such a low point earlier that day. But with the two of them in the car, a hug would be awkward. Besides, hugging hadn’t really been part of their working relationship. Instead he waved once more and thanked her for the ride, then stepped out and headed up the front steps of the G
eorgian and into the open-air lobby. He needed to find a quiet place where he could pray about Molly. Not just Molly, but Kelly and whatever struggles she faced. But for now, he was glad that at least one part of his life was going right.

  And that God had been kind enough to pair them up with a young woman as wonderful as Kendall Adams.

  KENDALL DROVE DOWN OCEAN AVENUE WITH one thought on her mind: the safety and complete healing of little Molly Ryan. She opened her car windows and breathed in the ocean breeze. The farther north she went, the less traffic, and the more easily she could concentrate on her prayer.

  She begged God for wisdom on the part of the surgeon, and for complete healing for the child’s arm. Beyond that she prayed for Chase’s home life. Not because he’d mentioned that anything was wrong, but because she sensed trouble. Maybe he was just tense about not being home when he was needed. Whatever it was, she prayed, and when she was finished she thanked God for the answers that were certainly coming.

  Before she reached the turnoff for her home, she added one last plea to God. She’d loved and lost once a long time ago, and since then no one had come along. No one with faith in Christ or the integrity she needed in a relationship centered in Hollywood. That was okay, she had told herself a thousand times. She could be single and alone and still serve God by helping make movies with a message.

  But spending time with Chase had increased her longing for a guy, for a man she might marry and share her life with. Before connecting with Chase and Keith, she’d wondered if there were any men left who would meet her high standards. If not, then she would stick by her determination. She’d rather be single. But since meeting the young producers — especially Chase — she knew differently. There were good guys out there, and she finished her prayer asking God to send one her way. One who was handsome and kind, humble and loyal, a guy who loved his family more than life and who would be guided each day by his faith in God. “Please, Lord … send me a guy like that.”