A Husband for All Seasons (18 page)

F
ive years later Chad again spent the night in OSU Medical Center, but this time Vicky was the one in bed. She had been in labor most of the night and Chad stayed in the room with her, helping her through the contractions as he'd been taught in prenatal classes. When it was time for delivery, Chad followed Vicky to the delivery room and held her hand until the birth of their son—Trevor Saunders Reece. Tears blinding his eyes, he bent to kiss Vicky and rushed out of the room to a nearby waiting area where his parents, Vicky's parents, Perry, Lorene and Amy waited.

“She's all right. The doctor said she had an easy delivery, but it was sure hard on me. The baby's perfect but he was crying when I left the room, so I have to hurry back. I'll let you know when she's back in the room.”

He couldn't understand why all the adults laughed at him. They just didn't realize what he'd gone through.

“We'll only say hello to Vicky and see the baby for a few minutes,” Mrs. Reece said, “then go to the hotel.”

“Same here,” Perry said. “You and Vicky both need to rest tonight.”

“Chad, we can stay with Vicky while you have dinner with your family,” Rachel said. “She'll be sleeping anyway.”

 

After all of the family had gone, Chad sat by his son's bassinet, listening to Vicky's quiet breathing. His thoughts turned to the past five years and the happiness he had found.

His biography had been a bestseller, and the proceeds from it—and the following movie—had netted enough to establish Reece Enterprises. The foundation was set up to use his money for philanthropic needs for years to come. Internet services had already been installed in two Haitian villages, and Chad had flown to several Latin American countries to survey other potential projects.

He and Vicky had settled comfortably into Grace's home, which she had sold to them prior to their marriage. She enjoyed living in Texas near her family, but every summer she came to spend two weeks in her ancestral home.

Tears stung Chad's eyes and he knelt by his chair. Why had God singled him out to be the one to carry the Gospel into Latin American countries via the Internet? He didn't know, but he was grateful that God had not only called him, but that he'd had the courage to follow.

Through the years he had often wondered about Oliver. He prayed every day that he would meet him again to let him know that the message he had delivered to Chad had set his feet on the right path.

“One day at a time, Lord, that's all I'm asking. Thank you from the depth of my heart for working Your will in my life.”

Vicky stirred and he hurried to her bed to see if she needed anything, but she was asleep. He bent and kissed her, and she smiled slightly. He returned to his chair, stopping beside Trevor's bed long enough to touch the tiny cheek with his lips. Sighing, Chad stretched out in the lounge chair. He hoped sleep would come soon. He'd had a hard day.

Dear Reader,

My book
Love at Last,
was published in 2002. In that book, Lorene Harvey had given her baby up for adoption without telling his father, Perry Saunders. But they meet again twenty years later. Near the end of the book, Lorene and Perry encounter their son, Chad Reece, and he has no idea that they are his biological parents. Because they didn't want to disrupt his happy life, Lorene and Perry concealed their relationship to him.

Two years ago my editor and I agreed upon a sequel to
Love at Last,
with Chad as the hero and Vicky Lanham of
Second Chance Love
as the heroine.

A Husband for All Seasons
brings Chad and Vicky together during tragic circumstances when his true parentage is revealed. As Vicky helps Chad deal with the news that changes his life forever, she also wrestles with her own unhappy past.

I pray that your own faith will be renewed as you read the heart-wrenching incidents that increase Chad's and Vicky's faith.

1. Discuss Chad's reaction to his traumatic physical injury and his uncertain future. Do you think his reaction was realistic? What would you have done in his place? Have you ever had something traumatic happen that changed your life? Who did you turn to for help?
   
2. Consider the fact that Chad had never wanted to know anything about his biological parents. Do you feel his anger toward his adoptive parents for keeping Lorene and Perry's connection to him secret was justified?
   
3. Compare Chad's situation to someone you know who has been adopted. Were they interested in learning about their biological parents? Why are some people determined to know about their roots, while it never matters to others? If you were in Chad's position, would you have wanted to know?
   
4. Consider Vicky's embarrassment and depression over her two heartbreaks. Do you feel that she overreacted to the situations because she was so young? Have your teenage romances had an impact on your adult life? How?
   
5. Read Acts 16: 6-10. It's a common saying that “when God closes one door, He opens another.” Have you found this true in your life? How strong was your faith during that time? Did you blame God for your problems?
   
6. Have you ever been involved in a romance that seemed perfect, only to be rejected by the one you loved? Did love come to you again and you could see God's wisdom in preventing you from marrying the first person?
   
7. Does it seem unusual that Stewart and Betty Reece easily accepted Chad's biological parents and allowed them to share in his life? How have adoptive parents you've known dealt with their children wanting to find their biological parents?
   
8. Vicky felt that she had received God's call to devote her life to full-time Christian service. She had made a vow/promise and had failed to keep it. When God singles out individuals for special service, can that person ever be content spiritually if they don't follow God's will for their lives? Has God ever given you a special opportunity to do His work? Did you readily answer the call or did you resent God's interference?
   
9. How significant is the fleeting appearance of Oliver in Chad's life? Do you believe that God sends people into our lives to point us in the direction He wants us to go?
   
10. At what point in the book do you believe that Chad knew he loved Vicky? And when did she realize that Chad was no longer a platonic friend but that she was falling in love with him? After her previous love interests, did she have reason to fear becoming too close to Chad?
    
11. Did Chad make the right decision in allowing his biography to be written and to have a movie made of his life? If you walked in his shoes, how would you have invested your millions to further the kingdom of God?
    
12. How did reading this book influence your personal walk with God?