Forgiven (4 page)

“Really?” The girl sniffed. She straightened her skirt and adjusted her shirt.

“Yes, really.” Katy smiled. “These things happen.” She motioned to the crowd.

“Everyone here knows that.”

The girl’s eyes looked a little better. She held Katy’s gaze and slowly nodded.

“Okay. You’re right. I want them to remember my song.”

“All right, then.” Katy gave the girl’s shoulders a gentle squeeze. Their voices were still hushed, too quiet for the others to hear. “Good girl. I’m proud of you.” Katy turned and nodded at the crowd; then she returned to her seat.

Rhonda stared at the girl and gave a slow shake of her head. In a voice that was barely audible, she said, “I didn’t just see that.”

“Me, either,” Katy whispered. Her heart was still racing. She wanted to lead the girl off the stage and help her find a place where she could get out of that silly skirt. Instead she sat down, straightened herself, and nodded at the girl.

“Go ahead, please.”

A few painful seconds passed while the girl cleared her throat and glanced around the sanctuary. Then with her eyes focused on Katy’s, she began. “Hi. My name’s Maria Pullman. I’m thir

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teen years old and I’ll be singing ‘Part of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid.”

Maria’s first few bars were shaky, but after that, the song filled the sanctuary, growing and building and leaving a smile on the girl’s face as she finished.

As soon as the song ended, the CKT kids were on their feet, cheering for a girl most of them probably didn’t know. Two fa thers ran up and helped her off the stage, easing her down the stairs, where she fell into the arms of her mother and made her way slowly up the aisle and out of the sanctuary.

“Well—” Katy turned to Rhonda—”nothing will surprise me after that.”

“She gets a callback, right?” Rhonda had her pen poised over her own scoring sheet.

“Absolutely.” Katy looked over her shoulder, and somewhere near the back Stanley stood and waved at her. She gave a weak wave in return and looked at Rhonda.

“Manly Stanley’s watching my every move.” She lowered her chin. “Whadya do, tell him I had a thing for RSPers?”

Rhonda giggled. “RPSers. And I told him you liked guys with talent.”

“Thanks.” Katy elbowed her friend. “Coffee on you tonight.” Tim Reed was first up in the next set of ten and gave a flawless audition. After four more singers, it was time for the new boy, the one the girls were fussing over. He had loose brown curls that hung just over his ears, and he was tall, built like a college quarterback.

“Hi.” He nodded at Katy and Rhonda. His speaking voice was so strong and smooth, Katy had no doubt the kid could sing. When he smiled, two dimples appeared beneath his bright blue eyes. “My name’s Bryan Smythe. I’m sixteen, and I’ll be singing ‘King of New York’ from Newsies.”

From behind her, Katy could hear several girls squeal.

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Rhonda tapped her beneath the table and uttered a low, “Please.”

Katy kept herself from rolling her eyes. It was always difficult when a cute new boy came into CKT. The girls stayed distracted for weeks before getting focused on the production. She settled back in her chair and waited. As soon as Bryan began singing, Katy had to work to keep her mouth closed. No wonder the girls couldn’t keep quiet. The kid had a Josh Groban voice that could stop traffic in New York City.

When he was finished, Katy thanked him, turned toward the girls, and fanned herself. Several of them burst into laughter. “What?” She tried to look surprised. “It’s hot in here!” The girls laughed again, and Katy gave them a silly, knowing look. She loved this part, playing with them, meeting them at their level.

The next three groups made it up and off the platform over the next hour. Bailey and Connor Flanigan, the kids whose family Katy lived with, both turned in their best auditions ever. It made callbacks easier when the kids clearly earned a second audition. No one could ever accuse Katy of playing favorites. In the next set of ten, four more girls sang “Part of Your World.”

By the time the last girl announced it as her song, Katy cracked her neck, first one way then the other. “What’s the deal

with the mermaid songs?” she whispered to Rhonda.

“I feel like I’m growing fins.”

“If you do—” Katy covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud—”don’t go onstage.”

Rhonda smiled, and they directed their attention toward the front of the room.

One of the older boys who had played key parts in several plays was up next.

This time, though, he couldn’t seem to find his place in the song. Twice he asked if he could start over, and both times Katy said yes. The song was “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera, and once the boy found his starting place, he sang five words and his voice trailed off.

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He shot a helpless look at Katy. “I forgot the words.” His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Could I try once more?”

“Um…” The situation was a little sticky. Katy could hardly allow each of the hundred and thirty-some kids to have second and third and fourth attempts at their songs. But since he could usually sing so well, she nodded. “Once more, okay?”

“Okay.” The boy rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans. This time the music began and he found the right starting place. But once more he lost the words halfway through the first line. A frown filled his face, and he squinted at the audience. “Does anyone know that next line?”

Katy’s mouth fell open. Asking the audience for help was definitely not allowed.

“Okay, thank you.” She nodded to the boy. Her heart hurt for him, but she couldn’t give him any more attempts. “Five-minute break, everyone.”

She watched the boy take his music and walk dejectedly off the stage. And then something happened that put a lump in Katy’s throat. At the bottom of the stairs, the boy was met by six of his friends, kids who had been in CKT since the beginning. Together they dashed over from where they were sitting and formed a cluster around him, hugging him and letting him know that he might’ve blown an audition, but they still loved him, still wanted to be his friend.

The scene made Katy’s eyes water. Okay, God, You keep showing me why I’m here and not in Hollywood. But what about my

Annie? Please let there be an Annie out there somewhere.

Do not be anxious about anything, my daughter.

The response was so quick, so certain that Katy jumped a little in her seat. The words were part of a verse in Philippians, words Katy had relied on often in her life. But the way they came to her now was more powerful than ever before, as if the Spirit of God was speaking them straight to her soul.

“You okay?” Rhonda leaned in. “I could call Manly Stanley over if you need a pick-me-up.”

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“Spare me.” She tapped her pencil. “You notice we haven’t got our Annie yet?”

Rhonda winced. “Sort of.”

Katy held out one hand in front of her. “We’ve got girls who could sing the part, but they’re too old or too tall.” Now she held out the other hand. “The little girls are the perfect size, but not one of them can project.”

“You worried?”

“I asked God to bring us an Annie.” The kids were loud. She had to lean closer so Rhonda could hear her. “I can’t have just anyone sing that part.”

“And we can’t give it to Bryan Smythe.” Rhonda’s eyes danced.

“Although—” Katy stroked her chin—”if we gave him a curly red wig…”

The auditions continued, and finally in the last group, a little girl with waist-length hair hopped onto the stage and grinned at Katy and Rhonda. “Hi, my name’s Kelsy Bouchey. I’m ten years old, and I’ll be singing ‘Little Girls’ from Annie.”

Katy sat back, amused. The kids knew better than to audition with a song by the character they wanted to play. Katy had warned them again and again that such a move would limit their casting potential. Kelsy would’ve been wrong to sing “Tomorrow.” But “Little Girls” was another story. In the play, it was sung by Miss Hannigan, so it allowed little Kelsy the chance to ham it up.

And that’s exactly what she did. In a voice that was strong and sweet, she sang the song without error, showing more spunk than all the other little girls combined. When she finished, Katy was convinced beyond a doubt. She’d been right earlier that evening before auditions started. Something special had indeed happened.

They’d found their Annie.

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ASHLEY SQUIRTED A BLOB OF GEL into the palm of her hand, rubbed it over her fingers, and then worked it into Cole’s unruly hair.

“Honey, I told you we were going to Papa’s house.” She kept her tone even. They still needed to talk, and if it took longer than five minutes, they’d be late.

Not that her father would mind, but still she was anxious for the conversation with Cole. “Why didn’t you come in the first time I called you?”

“Remember that frog?” Cole squirmed as the cold gel hit his scalp. His shoulders hunched close to his ears.

Ashley stepped back and raised an eyebrow at him. “We have lots of frogs in the backyard, Cole.”

“No, Mom, this is the bestest one. The one with the three rows of bumps on his back.”

She wiped her hands and snatched the comb from the bathroom counter. “Uh-huh, so what happened? He jump out of the bushes and you had to chase him?”

“‘Zactly, Mom!” He winced as she parted his hair and tried to 26

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make most of it lay to one side. “Were you watching? I had to catch him ‘cause I haven’t catched him in a whole week at least.” Cole took a deep breath. “He was feeling lonely.”

With that last attempt, Ashley couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, little mister.”

She finished combing. “But you have to come the first time, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.” He batted his eyes at her, and with his blond hair now neatly combed, he was irresistibly cute. “Sorry.”

Ashley sat back on her heels, bringing herself down to his level. “It’s okay.”

She pulled him close and hugged him. “Love you, Coley.”

“Love you too.”

She felt someone behind her, and she turned to see Landon. He ran his hand over her shoulder. “Hi.” His eyes moved to Cole. “Looks like a serious talk.”

“‘Cause I was late coming inside.” Cole’s face was still long. “But guess what?”

Just as quickly his eyes danced again. “I caught the bumpy frog; you know, Daddy, the big one?”

“Really?” Landon came between the two of them and high-fived Cole. “That’s the best one in the yard!”

He shrugged and gave Ashley a weak smile. “That’s what I was telling Mommy.”

Ashley stood and looked hard at Landon. Without words she asked him the question pressing on her mind: Is this the time to tell Cole the news? It had to be, really, because they were going to tell the rest of the Baxter family tonight.

It was why she wanted Cole to come in a little early, so he could hear it before anyone else.

Landon gave a subtle nod and looked at Cole. “Hey, buddy, how about we go into Mommy and Daddy’s room and talk for a minute.”

“But…” Cole lifted his eyes to Ashley’s. “Won’t we be late?”

“No.” She reached for Cole’s hand and led him out of the bathroom. “We need to talk first.”

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Once they were in the bedroom, they sat on the edge of the bed with Cole between them. Ashley caught Landon’s eyes, and she felt her insides melt. His look was a mixture of passion and pure elation. Even after a year of marriage it was hard to believe they’d come so far, that God had given them a life together, and now this—a child.

“Am I in trouble?” Cole’s eyes were big and just a little watery. “Sorry about the frog, Mommy. But he had so many bumps on him and I never catched him all week, and—”

“Cole.” Ashley put her hand on his knee and looked into his eyes. Her heart swelled inside her, the way it always did when her son’s heart became transparent. He was such a good boy. She shook her head. “You’re not in trouble, honey. We want to talk about something else.”

He ran his tongue over his lips, his eyes skeptical. “Okay.” Ashley looked at Landon and motioned that it was his turn.

“We have good news, buddy.” Landon put his arm around Cole. “Mommy’s going to have a baby.”

Cole blinked. “A baby what?”

“We don’t know.” Ashley lifted her shoulders twice. “A baby sister or a baby brother. Only God knows for now.”

Cole’s eyes got wide, and he jumped off the bed. “For me?” He looked from Ashley to Landon and back again. “A baby sister or a baby brother all for me?”

“Yes, Coley.” Ashley could feel her face glowing. Cole had always wanted a sibling. But for so many years the idea had been only a dream. “All for you.”

“Can we get it now? We have to go to the hospital, right? Bobby in my class had a baby sister, and his mommy and daddy got the baby at a hospital. ‘Cause Milly said babies come from a store or something. Then she changed that and said babies come from a bird. A big bird.” His nose wrinkled in a funny face. “Dumb girls. But Bobby and me know they come from hospitals, right?” He took a quick breath. “And hey, is this my present,

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Mommy? The one from when you and daddy took the boat trip? I asked you for a baby brother or a baby sister? ‘Member?”

Ashley took a slow breath. On the other side of Cole, Landon had the top of his fist near his mouth, hiding a quiet chuckle. They’d figured out the days, and Cole might have been right. The baby probably did come from their delayed honeymoon cruise. Not that she was about to say that.

She reached out and took hold of Cole’s hands. “The baby isn’t a souvenir, Coley. It’s in Mommy’s tummy, where it has to stay for another seven months. Then it’ll be ready to come out.” “Oh.” Cole’s smile faded. “Is it cooking in there?”

Ashley shifted her lower jaw sideways and resisted a laugh. “Sort of. God’s putting the baby together.”

“But seven months, Mommy?” Cole’s voice took on a serious whine. “That’s a long time. How far is that? Christmastime?”

“No, sweetie, longer.” She bit her lip. Maybe they should’ve told him later, so it wouldn’t seem like such a long time. But if they were breaking the news to her father and siblings tonight, then Cole had to know first. “The baby won’t come until April.”