Texas Weddings 3 & 4

  “Frankie and I bought a little fixer-upper a couple of years ago,” Julia said. “It’s been a challenge, but we’ve learned a lot about ourselves along the way. We’ve done a ton of work on the house—everything from remodeling the kitchen to laying down a wood floor. And I’ve developed an addiction to home improvement TV in the process.” She flashed Kellie a broad smile. “You name it, I watch it. Design shows, landscaping shows, even those funny surprise makeover shows. I love them all. And I’ve learned a lot, too.”

  Looked like Julia’s enthusiasm wasn’t limited to her daughter’s social life. Kellie couldn’t help but wonder about her friend’s lifestyle. Did Julia spend her days as full-time mom and activities director, part-time home decorator? Whatever she did with her time, it certainly brought her joy.

  “I’d love to come by and see the house sometime,” Kellie said. “And you too, of course. When are you free?”

  “I’m pretty open in the afternoons,” Julia said. “Of course, I’m still teaching art classes at the Junior High in the morning. They were great to work around my schedule.”

  “Oh!” Kellie nearly squealed again. “You’re an art teacher. I’d almost forgotten. I sure could use your help choosing paint colors for the house.”

  “I’d love that.” Julia bounced Madison up and down on her hip. “When do you want to get started?

  “The sooner, the better.”

  The two dove into a lengthy discussion about paint chips and name brands. They contemplated color choices and textures. They debated faux finishes and wallpaper. In short, they had a grand time talking about the what-ifs of home decorating.

  After awhile, Kellie changed the direction of the conversation. She had been wondering about Julia’s husband for some time now and couldn’t wait to ask about him.

  “What’s Frankie like?”

  “Oh, he’s awesome.” Julia’s face lit up. “He’s got the most amazing sense of humor. He keeps me laughing all the time.”

  “What sort of work does he do?”

  “He’s a mechanic. He works at Clayton’s Automotive up on 290. You’ve probably been by it a hundred times.”

  Recognition registered. “Oh, I think I’ve seen that place.”

  “I met him when my alternator went out.” Julia chuckled. “We’ve always said the Lord brought us together. Only problem with that theory is it cost me about three hundred dollars to have the crazy thing fixed.”

  Kellie couldn’t help but smile.

  Julia continued on with great enthusiasm. “But you should see him with Madison. They’re the perfect father-daughter team. And he treats me like such a queen. He does most of the cooking—not because he doesn’t like mine, but just because he enjoys doing it. He might not be the most handsome man. . .” She paused for a moment, and seemed to disappear into her thoughts, “and we’ll probably never live in a really nice home or anything like that. But he’s the man of my dreams, no doubt. God knew just what He was doing.”

  Kellie looked at her friend with newfound admiration. “Well, he sounds great. And I can’t wait to get to know him better.” A thought suddenly came to her, one she could not let go of. “You know, I think Nathan could use some friends from the area. He’s really private, but I can tell he gets a little lonely sometimes. Maybe you and Frankie could come over sometime for dinner. Maybe we could watch a movie or something after.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Julia’s brow wrinkled as she continued. “But I’d have to bring the baby. Would that be okay?”

  Kellie reached to play with Madison’s curls once again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Madison began to fuss a bit and Julia placed her back in the front of the basket. “I guess I’d better get this little girl home,” she said with a sigh. “Her daddy’s going to be arriving any minute now.”

  Daddy. As soon as the word flitted through her mind, Kellie’s eyes watered. Lord, please heal my dad. And Lord. . . Give Nathan the desire to be a dad.

  Where the words came from, she had no idea.

  ***

  Nathan awoke early Saturday morning. He glanced at the clock and groaned. 5:55. Why couldn’t he ever sleep past 6:00?

  He knew the answer, of course. His body had grown accustomed to the early morning hours. But on Saturday? Surely on the weekend he could catch a few more winks.

  The first hint of sunlight peeked in through the window. Nathan closed his eyes to shut it out. Unfortunately, nothing could drown out the noise of birds chirping in the tree just outside their bedroom window. He would never grow used to it, not if he lived here a hundred years. In his heart, he yearned for the noises of the city—the sound of cars racing by, horns honking, tires squealing, people hollering back and forth. He strained to hear those wonderful, familiar sounds.

  Nothing. Only the irritating hum of crickets and the wind blowing through the trees. How did people live like this? Nathan rolled back over and punched the pillow. I’m going to sleep if it kills me. He lay in silence for a few minutes, willing himself into a slumber. Kellie’s gentle breathing almost made him envious.

  He drew in a deep breath as he pondered that thought. In all honesty, he had been more than a little envious of her over the past couple of weeks, though he hadn’t admitted to anyone. Even himself. But how could he not feel some small degree of resentment? It must be nice to be able to sleep in every day, then wake up to a quiet home. No people shouting orders, racing up and down hallways, pressing into elevators. No looming deadlines or irritable co-workers.

  He punched the pillow once again. Be fair, Man. She’s working from home. It’s not like she doesn’t have a job. And even if she didn’t. . .

  The concept hit him like a meteor plunging from the sky. What if she didn’t? What if Kellie turned out to be one of those women who simply wanted to stay home and raise babies? Would that really be so awful? He swallowed hard, thinking about it. Sure, it interrupted their well-conceived plan, but what if God had a different plan in mind all along?

  Nathan lay silently as he pondered the thought. We’ll have children one of these days and they’ll have everything we can afford to give them. They’ll go to the best schools, they’ll get the best possible care from a private nanny, if need be. At any rate, they’ll be well taken care of.

  Well taken care of. He looked over at Kellie once more. Her back rose and fell with each breath. Nathan couldn’t help but notice how she’d changed over the past few weeks. She’d lost the frenzied, worried look that so often etched her eyes. In its place, a bright-eyed, well-rested woman greeted him each night as he entered the house. With a beautiful meal on the table, to boot.

  “She’s well taken care of now.” He whispered the words, and then sat up in the bed to look at her more pensively. Here, in this place, she appeared to be thriving. The only thing missing from her life was. . . well, to be honest. . . him.

  But there’s nothing he could do about that. It wasn’t his fault, either. Nathan had wrestled with the Lord a few moments over the issue. How could he handle so much at once—a mortgage, rent, bills, the commute—and still give her all the things she really needed? Surely he had shown Kellie in a dozen different ways how much he loved her, even if he couldn’t give her all of the time she wanted.

  Nathan thought back over all the gifts he’d given Kellie over the past three years. Gifts to make up for not being there as much as he should. Gifts to bring a smile to her face. Gifts to replace the one thing she really wanted:

  Time. All she needed was time with him. That’s all she’d ever needed or wanted. She’s all about quality time. That’s how she wants me to show her love. But how, Lord? How do I do that when I have no time?

  Then again, he had time right now. Nathan reached over and ran his finger across Kellie’s cheek.

  She awoke with a start. “Nathan, is everything okay?”

  “I’m sorry.” He pulled his hand back, repentant. “I really didn’t mean to wake you.” He drew closer to her and kissed her on the cheek
. “Unless you want to be awake, that is.”

  “What time is it?” She looked at the clock and groaned. “Whoa.”

  “We can sleep awhile longer.” He leaned back against the pillow and yawned.

  “Okay.” She rolled over and leaned her head against his chest. Just about the time he thought she’d fallen asleep again, she reached to plant a tiny kiss on his shoulder. Nathan responded by wrapping her in his arms. . .

  . . .and giving her all the time she needed.

  eleven

  Kellie nudged Nathan with her elbow more than once during Pastor Jamison’s sermon the following Sunday. Frankly, she didn’t see how anyone could doze through such a life-changing message. How long had it been since she’d heard the gospel preached with such clarity? And how long had it been since she’d found herself in such a peaceful setting to take it all in?

  She glanced around the room, still listening. The same organ sat to the left of the stage, the grand piano to the right. She’d played that piano as a child. At a recital, if memory served her correctly.

  And that pulpit. How many sermons had she heard from behind that beautiful wooden pulpit? How many times had Pastor Jamison given a call for people to come forward for prayer? And how many times had she found herself at the altar, weeping? All of those memories now faded into one clear reality. This room held a host of memories. . .all wonderful. In this place, she had given her heart to the Lord. In this place, she had come to understand His call on her life. And now, in this place, she sat with her husband at her side, content.

  Kellie continued to look around the room as she listened to the pastor’s words. The stained glass windows caught her eye. Each was unique to itself, perhaps not as brilliant as those in the city churches, but with every bit as much meaning. Perhaps more. Her gaze came to rest on one in particular—Jesus making his way up the hill toward Calvary. Sunlight from the outside brought the colors to light. Each red and blue seemed more brilliant than she’d remembered.

  Though Kellie couldn’t read the inscription from where she sat, she knew from memory what it said: In loving memory of Kenton Conway, Sr.—her grandfather—one of the founding members of this church. She remembered his laugh and the way his breath always smelled of mint. She remembered his silver hair, each one sculpted in place with slick hair gel. But more than anything, she remembered that eventful Sunday during her seventh grade year, just a few short months after he’d passed away. Pastor Jamison had dedicated the colorful window with tears in his eyes. In fact, everyone in the place had tears in their eyes.

  Just like she did now. But the window stirred other feelings now, as well. Feelings she couldn’t seem to control. Staring at the window made her think of her father, and brought a sense of sadness. She pushed it aside and focused on Pastor Jamison.

  Of course, it was a little difficult, with Nathan dozing off to her left. Every five or six minutes his breathing changed, grew heavier. Then, just about the time she found herself captivated by the message, he would let out the tiniest bit of a snore. The little girl in the pew in front of them seemed to find it amusing. The darling youngster turned around on several occasions and made funny faces. Kellie tried to stay focused but found it difficult. Thank goodness her mother was off in children’s church. She was the sort to find this funny, as well. Kellie found the whole thing a bit more difficult.

  On the other hand, she reasoned as she jabbed her elbow into his side for umpteenth time, it wasn’t like he was getting enough sleep. He was wearing himself out driving back and forth so that she could be here. He was making all of the sacrifices and she. . .

  She pursed her lips as she contemplated what Nathan must think of her. Does he think I’m lazy? Does he think I don’t care about his workload? I do care. But had he misinterpreted her motives? Had she in some small way let her love for her father seem more important than her love for her husband?

  Kellie gave a little shiver as the thought sank in. She tried to stay focused as the pastor wrapped up the message, but couldn’t seem to let go of the thought that Nathan must be harboring some internal frustrations he simply wasn’t voicing. Perhaps they would have a good, long conversation about it all. This afternoon.

  As the service drew to a close, Nathan seemed to be more himself. He sang reverently, with eyes shut, during the invitation and stood in silent prayer for those who responded. In short, he was back to his old self. He clutched her hand and eased her along through the crowd toward the back of the sanctuary as the service was dismissed. They encountered more than one interruption along the way.

  “Kellie, where is your mother this morning?” Mrs. Dennison asked. “I didn’t see her.”

  “Oh, this is her week to teach Children’s Church,” Kellie explained. “She wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

  “I should’ve known.” The older woman opened her arms for a warm embrace. “She’s such a worker bee.”

  “Yes she is.”

  Kellie willingly allowed herself to be hugged, and then turned back toward Nathan, worried that he had grown bored and wanted to escape. Instead, she found him involved in an easy conversation with Hal O’Keefe. She caught the tail end of Hal’s story—something about a fishing trip he planned to take the following week. Was he. . .. No, surely he couldn’t be inviting Nathan. Nathan had never fished a day in his life.

  When the words, “I’d love to, Sir,” slipped from her husband’s lips, Kellie thought, perhaps, the time had come to get her ears checked.

  Hal slapped him on the back before heading off into a conversation with one of the deacons.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered into Nathan’s ear as they made their way into the lobby. “I’m sure his feelings wouldn’t have been hurt.”

  Nathan’s lips shifted down into a frown and his wrinkled forehead spoke volumes. “But I want to go fishing. I never get a chance to do stuff like that.”

  “You do?” She stared up at him with a broad smile as relief swept through her. “I thought you were just afraid you’d hurt his feelings, that you were scared to say no to him.”

  “Do you think I have trouble saying no to people?” His question was almost accusing.

  Only to me. She shook her head, frustrated. “No, Nathan, I don’t. And I’m excited that you want to go fishing with Hal. I just didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

  He shrugged. “Sounds like fun, actually. And it’s not like I won’t be up at 5:30 next Saturday, anyway. You know me.”

  Yes. She knew him, and that’s what worried her. He hadn’t rested in weeks. But perhaps next Saturday’s trip to the river with Hal would give him a chance not only to connect with an awesome man of God, but also to get some well-needed rest. With a pole in his hand.

  Kellie squeezed his fingers as a sign of approval and they took a few steps into the crowded lobby. She quickly found herself engaged in a conversation with Julia, who’d appeared with Madison in tow. Frankie, ever his wife’s social equal, gabbed at length with one of his friends off to her left.

  “A bunch of us are going up to the cafeteria on the highway for lunch,” Julia explained. “I thought you two might like to join us. And your mom, too, of course.” She bounced Madison up and down on her hip as she spoke.

  “Oh, it sounds. . .” Kellie hesitated before responding. How would Nathan feel about eating in a cafeteria with a small mob of church friends? She looked up into his eyes for her answer.

  “Sounds great to me,” he said. “If you think we’ve got time.”

  Kellie glanced at her watch. 12:15. “Dad’s not expecting us till 2:00. Surely we’ll be done by then. And maybe. . .” she smiled with the thought, “maybe we can take him a plate of food. Offer him something different for a change.” She nodded in Julia’s direction. “We’d love to meet you.”

  “So, you’re coming with us?” Frankie turned to join them with a broad smile. He scooped Madison into his arms and she let out a squeal as he lifted her into the air above his head.

&n
bsp; “Frankie, don’t do that.” Julia gave him a firm scolding, but he seemed to take it in stride.

  “She’s not scared,” Frankie insisted.

  “I know, but. . .”

  Kellie couldn’t help but smile as Madison let out another squeal from above the crowd.

  She’s a daddy’s girl.” Frankie lowered his daughter to his chest and planted a kiss on her forehead.

  Julia shook her head then turned her attention back to Kellie. “Men.”

  Kellie smiled, but didn’t dare look into Nathan’s eyes. She might read too much into his expression. Instead, she took his hand and they pressed through the crowd into the parking lot.

  “Oh, wow.” She glanced up at the sky, brilliant blue and as clear as a glass of water. Not a cloud in sight. “It’s a beautiful day. And I can’t believe it’s this warm.”

  “It’s spring, alright,” Nathan said. “I’ve been watching the bluebonnets up and down 290 as I drive back and forth. I don’t remember seeing anything like it before.”

  “They’ve always been there,” Kellie pondered aloud. “I guess we’ve just never really noticed them before.” Funny, how much they hadn’t noticed before—like the beautiful, melodic sound of birds singing outside their bedroom window every morning and the tiny beams of sunlight peeking through the shade first thing in the morning. She loved every bit of it.

  “It’s kind of nice.” He took her hand and they walked a few steps in silence. Just a few feet from the car, Kellie’s mother met up with them. Nathan shared their lunch plans and she quickly agreed to come along

  “Sounds like fun,” she said. “And it’s just what Daddy would want me to do.”

  Kellie found herself smiling all the way to the restaurant. She and Nathan chatted about the service, the people, and the warm reception. He seemed eager to visit with her father today, and oddly eager to meet with Hal next Saturday. And something else was different about him, too, though Kellie couldn’t quite put her finger on it.