Forget Me Not: A Novel (Crossroads Crisis Center) (41 page)

Your will, Lord. Not mine
.

Prepared for whatever the outcome now that she’d put the matter in His hands, she waited for His answer.

It would take time for both Ben and her to find their answers. And for now, she would dare to live with hope and possibility.

Regardless of God’s answer, she would honor it. Knowing He would settle for nothing less than her greater good, how could she not?

While her vision of the future was limited and flawed by narrow perception, His was not.

In knowing it, there was enormous confidence and peace.

Ben walked up behind her. “You ready to head back to the cottage?”

“Yes.” She gave him a smile. “I’m so exhausted I’m not sure I can walk.”

“Swinging extinguishers and making tripwires of hoses will zap your strength.”

“Is that an insult?”

“Absolutely not.” His eyes twinkled. “Just remind me never to get on the wrong side of you. You’re resourceful.”

She forced a snooty sarcasm into her tone. “I’ll make a note to send you all necessary memos.”

“Thanks.” He lightly bumped their shoulders. “And if you’re too weary to walk, I’ll carry you.”

She stilled. Looked up at him. “Really?”

“Really.” He licked his lower lip. “Would that be okay with you?”

“Definitely.” She moved toward the door. When he reached to open it, she added, “Ben?” He paused to look at her and she said, “When you’re too weary to walk, I’ll carry you too.”

He gave her a smile so warm and full that it melted her heart. “I’m counting on that.”

A
week before Thanksgiving, Kelly parked her white Blazer in the lot, then rounded the corner and entered Crossroads Crisis Center.

Mel was at her desk, nose buried in her biology book. “Hi, Kelly.”

“How’s the studying going for the big exam?” She had been preparing for at least two weeks.

“Dr. Talbot’s been helping me,” Mel said. “But now that he’s heading up the disaster team—hurricane heading toward Texas—”

“I heard. It’s late in the season for a Category 3.” Kelly shivered. There’d be significant damage.

“They’re expecting it to be a Cat 4 before it hits.”

“So Harvey had to divert. You need help, then?”

“No, he’s passed the torch to Dr. Harper.” Mel blew out an exaggerated breath. “I don’t know how anyone makes it through college without a team of experts helping her.” Mel hadn’t gotten the foundation most get in high school, so she needed extra help. “It’s not a cakewalk, but it’s worth it.”

Kelly snatched a mint from the bowl on the corner of Mel’s desk. “I’m pretty good in finance, civics, and history if you need help on any of those things.”

“I’m counting on you next semester.” Mel grimaced. “Statistics. Why I need that to teach, I have no idea, but I have to take it.”

“No problem,” Kelly said. “Where’s Ben?”

“In the back.”

Kelly was halfway down the hallway before it hit her that both she and Mel had assumed Kelly would still be here next semester.

Lisa’s voice carried out into the hall from her office. From her tone, it was her stepfather again. It seemed to be reserved just for him.

Worrying her lip, Kelly hoped Clyde Parker got that tunnel sealed and the beach house remodeled before the end of the year. It would sure be nice for Lisa and her mom to be in a safe place for Christmas—if they’d do it. There was a place for Annie at The Towers now, but Lisa’s mother wouldn’t go there because her husband knew where it was and he’d come after her. He’d been there before, for Lisa, which is what convinced the judge to sign that restraining order. Ben had offered relocation, but Annie wouldn’t leave the village. Kelly could appreciate that. Seagrove had been Annie’s home all her life.

“Kelly!” Peggy called out as Kelly walked past her office.

She stopped and ducked her head in. “Hi there.”

“You’re a certified crisis counselor, right?”

“Yes, but I’ve never had a practice.”

“Great. A practice isn’t important, the credentials are. I need your help.”

Kelly walked into the office. “What do you need?”

“Harvey’s heading the crisis counseling team for Delia—the hurricane projected to hit Texas. I’m short two counselors. Will you go?”

After all they’d done for her, how could she refuse? “Sure.”

“Great.” Peggy looked immediately relieved.

“Do you want me to round up another counselor?”

“No,” Peggy said softly. “I corralled Ben. He’s agreed to do it.”

Shock rippled through Kelly. “Our Ben?”

“Our Ben.” Peggy’s eyes gleamed.

That was pleasant if unexpected news. He’d been getting involved in little things but still tried to keep his distance from the center. “That’s great news.”

“I thought so.” Peggy bit a smile from her lips.

Kelly left the office and ran into Mel, who was quietly laughing. “She’s Cupid in a skirt,” Mel whispered. “And she thinks she’s being so sly.”

Peggy Crane was about as sly as a sledgehammer. Kelly loved that about her, and with Ben, she’d take all the help she could get. “Where exactly is Ben?”

“I’m not sure,” Mel said. “He was pretty upset when he heard the mayor had been poisoned. Paul Johnson is blaming everything on Chessman and Darla Green. Apparently, Paul and Darla created a partnership and kept it from Gregory.”

“How could he not know it?”

“Chessman thought the mayor was his partner. He had no idea it was Darla. They communicated through text messages, so he couldn’t tell.”

“What a shocker.” Kelly could but imagine. Everyone seemed to be crossing everyone. Guess it worked that way when you dealt with terrorists like NINA, who were involved in all manner of horrific things, and with nefarious types like Chessman and Johnson. Kelly shuddered.

The third man on the terrace, the NINA operative, was Karl Masson, according to the FBI, but so far he’d evaded capture. Though NINA was certainly a large organization with plenty of operatives still working, Kelly would personally sleep better if Masson, too, had been caught. Having
him on the loose, even if he’d gone underground and wasn’t likely to surface soon, never strayed too far from her mind. Even if on every watch list known to Homeland Security, people like that historically showed up at the most inopportune times—not that there was an opportune time to collide with a terrorist.

“What about Darla and Richard Massey?” Kelly asked Mel.

“You know they’ve got her on tape leaving his office, but she’s still denying it.”

“’Course she is.”

“Won’t work anymore, though. They’ve found the gun in her possession.”

“That’s pretty much it, then.”

Overwhelmed, Kelly made a U-turn and went back to the reception area. She stopped at the long table, above which Susan’s portrait hung, and looked up into her smiling, still face.

“I’m sorry, Susan. For all of us, but really for you and Christopher. I’ve said it before, but I feel the need to say it again. Frankly, I’m having a hard time with it because I’m in love with your husband.”

Kelly rocked back on her heels, wishing she could hear Susan’s voice, see her face animated. “Of course, I feel guilty. Who wouldn’t? I want you to know that if I could trade places with you and change things so you and Christopher were still here and I wasn’t, I would do it. But I can’t do that.”

Kelly paused, let her thoughts and emotions settle and opened her heart. “You did well, Susan. What you built here on hopes and dreams in Crossroads is … it’s wonderful. You should be so proud.”

This was the tough part. The part that kept her awake at nights. “I know you were a woman of faith, Susan. You loved Ben, and I’m certain you’d want him happy. Loved. I know you’d want him to love again too.
But I’m not sure you’d choose me to be the one to love him or be loved by him. But I promise you, I will love him well. And I’m praying hard he chooses to let me love him.

“There’s still his faith issue to be resolved and, of course, that’s a major thing to me, but I’m being patient. I’ve prayed for a sign about all this. It hasn’t come yet, but it will in its own time. I wanted to tell you one other thing, Susan. I’ll never replace you. Not at Crossroads or in Ben’s heart. I know that. But both really are big enough for both of us. I believe that, down to the marrow of my bones and in every chamber of my heart.”

Feeling better now that she’d settled that, Kelly turned and went in search of Ben.

Harvey met her in the hall. “Hey, thanks for coming on board the team.”

“Glad to do it.”

“We’re finalizing departure. I’ll get with you on that shortly.”

“Just call my cell.” When he agreed, she asked, “Have you seen Ben?”

“I have, but if I told you where he is, you’d never believe it.”

“Why not?”

Harvey’s lips spread in a broad smile. “He’s in the chapel.”

Kelly nearly hit the floor. “You’re serious?”

“Definitely.”

Elated, she rushed down the corridor and stopped outside the etched-glass door, next to Peggy. Looking through the glass, she saw Ben inside.

At the altar on his knees.

Her sign.

Tears slid down Kelly’s cheeks.

Peggy patted her shoulder. “A praying man is a beautiful thing.”

“It certainly is.” Kelly sniffed and smiled at Peggy, having difficulty
looking away from Ben. “One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever in my life seen.”

Thank You, God. Thank You …

The toe of her shoe bumped the door.

Ben looked back, then motioned for her to come in.

She was too choked up to speak.

Still on his knees at the little altar, Ben smiled and raised his hand. “Join me?”

Kelly took his hand, knelt beside him, and together they prayed their first joint prayer.

During this entire crisis, she hadn’t known who she was but had never doubted she believed. Faith carried her. And Ben had known exactly who he was and had only doubt and disbelief. He’d felt forgotten.

God, with His extraordinary insight, had brought them together to support each other’s weaknesses and strengths.

“Father,” Ben said, “it’s been a hard road, but You’ve proven that while we might not always see or understand, You do, and Yours isn’t just convenient memory.”

Kelly listened to Ben go on to say the very things she’d sensed deep inside even during her memory lapse.

“God, You never abandon, never give up, never walk away from anyone. And even when we wonder, You remain steadfast and sustain us.”

With a full heart, Kelly lifted her gaze upward. God took one position with those who dared to love Him:

Forget me not.

And Kelly continued their prayer with gratitude for that truth.