Route 66 Reunions (64 page)

Amanda’s breath rushed in with her nod. “Yes, no.”

She laughed. “Thank you. I want my ring back. I love you.”

“I love you, Mandy. Always and forever.” With that declaration, he returned her ring to its rightful place.

Sunday morning, Chad gave his testimony of God’s saving grace before the church. He stood to the side of the pulpit, looking so handsome Amanda wanted to stand and tell everyone he was hers.

“I especially want to thank this church for everything you’ve done for me and Kara.” Chad looked out over the congregation. “I’ve learned a valuable lesson from your example. Maybe you didn’t know what you were doing last May when you drove to Lakeland and volunteered to help clean up after the tornadoes that ripped through the area. But God knew. He directed you to me and to Kara. We needed you for more than removing a tree from the house and fixing the roof. For cleaning up the yard and the house. A brand-new barn stands now as a testimony of this church’s missionary vision. You reached out and performed miracles, but you let God work through you to bring about the greatest miracle of all. That of a sinner saved by God’s grace. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for that.”

Saturday morning Chad and Amanda stood in the Lakeland Cemetery before the two graves. Already new grass covered the disturbed ground. Chad knelt with Kara in his arms to see the headstones. He traced the lettering as he talked to his fourteen-month-old niece.

“Kara, we can’t see your mommy and daddy now because they live with Jesus, but we can come here and feel close to them because this is where their bodies are. Someday we’ll join them in heaven. I know you’ve already forgotten so much about them, but I promise I’ll do my best to help you remember and know how much they loved you.”

Kara babbled words known only to her. Chad hugged her and looked up at Amanda. She laid her hand on his shoulder, love for him and Kara filling her heart. A verse in the Old Testament came to her mind.
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…”
Surely God had given back what had been taken from them.

L
ate Saturday after Thanksgiving, Amanda stood at the closed double doors leading into the sanctuary of her home church. Her dress was not the extravagant, typical wedding attire, but she wore a simple pale green gown that touched the floor and brought out the green of her eyes and the red highlights in her hair. Or so Sarah said. She’d been thrilled when both her best friends, Tessa and Sarah, had made the trip to her wedding just as they’d promised they would.

Tessa steered Sarah toward the door. “You’d better give that baby to your mom before you have to carry her down the aisle.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Amanda said. “Not until I get one more kiss.”

“Why do I think you would spoil my daughter if you lived close enough?” Sarah held little Andrea Nichols close to Amanda.

Amanda touched her tiny hand and kissed her forehead as she slept. She smiled at Sarah. “Because I would. I’ll be out of reach in Rockford though, so you can rest easy. Looks like I’ll be staying home this winter with my own little one.”

Kara stood to the side with her new cousins, who were older, but still young enough to be quite fascinating to a sixteen-month-old.

“How’d you get out of your teaching contract, anyway?” Tessa asked.

Amanda shrugged. “It pays to know people. Linda has a friend. A retired teacher who missed the classroom and needed the money. She was glad to take over the rest of the year. She sat in on the class with me this last week and seems very nice. The kids took to her right off. Chad and I will both be applying back this way for next year.”

“Then you’ll live here?” Sarah asked.

Amanda smiled at her two best friends. “We have a farm that sits close to Route 66. We thought we’d like to stay in the area.”

Sarah gave her a quick hug. “We’ll get together more often then. I’m so glad.”

Linda slipped through the door and took her granddaughter from Sarah. With a smile and wink for Amanda, she went back into the sanctuary.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Tessa said. “The three of us. I mean, what is it with the Mother Road and second chances? You’d think there might be something special about the road itself.”

Amanda nodded. “Maybe there is. But I think Someone had a hand in each of us coming back where we belong. He just used Route 66 to bring it about.”

“That’s true.” Karen turned from talking to her dad to add her opinion. “Considering Chad, Sarah, Kevin, and Blake all became Christians because of it.”

“Amen,” Sarah murmured.

“I agree.” Tessa nodded. “Thank God for what He has done.”

The church organ had been playing softly. Now the tune changed, and they took their places. Tessa stood in front of the door waiting, while Karen moved closer to Amanda and their dad.

Amanda said, “Tessa, we’re right behind you.”

Tessa grinned over her shoulder. “You aren’t nervous, are you?”

Amanda waved her forward with both hands and gave an exaggerated nod as Tessa laughed. But then the ushers opened the doors and Tessa began the long walk to the front with Sarah not far behind. Karen followed ahead of Brad’s daughter and son who carried a basket of flowers and a pillow cushioning the rings. Karen’s girls came next, each holding one of Kara’s hands as she toddled between them. As she went through the door, she looked back at Amanda and said, “Bye, bye, Mama.”

“Bye, precious. I’m coming right behind you.” Amanda smiled at her dad when he patted her hand on his arm.

“I’m proud of you, Amanda.” He spoke in a soft voice. “You’re getting another good man.”

“I know, Dad. God has blessed me twice in spite of my failings.”

He simply nodded as they stepped forward and walked the aisle toward Amanda’s future.

Chad stood tall and handsome beside his old high school friends, Kevin and Brad. He watched Kara at first, then his gaze lifted and he never looked away from Amanda. His smile grew the closer she came until her father joined their hands and stepped away.

Amanda couldn’t have been happier as she exchanged vows with Chad. He kissed her with tenderness that spoke of his love. She responded with all her heart and whispered for his ears alone, “I love you, Chad. I never stopped loving you.”

“Or I you.” He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “I will love you always.”

Together they turned to face their friends and family, as Pastor Mattson said, “May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Chad Randall?”

T
his is easy enough for even a non-cook such as Chad to fix but still tastes great. We enjoy casseroles at our house because of ease in preparing, but also because of the variety. A little experimenting with ingredients may produce your own favorite recipe, or try this one the way my family does it and see what you think.

T
ATER
T
OT
C
ASSEROLE

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

1 pound shredded cheddar cheese

1 package frozen Tater Tots, baked according to directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer large casserole dish with ground beef, soup, milk, and half the cheese. Mix together. Add baked Tater Tots and gently stir into meat mixture being careful to not smash Tater Tots. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.