The Forgiving Hour (31 page)

The two of them had slipped out to the barn to escape the continuing celebration going on inside the house. While an icy winter wind caused the door to rattle, here in the barn it was warm and cozy.

“Rusty’s twenty years old now,” Sara continued as she stroked the white blaze on the animal’s face. “Hard to believe. He was still young when I was competing.” She turned toward the gate. “We should go riding sometime.”

“Riding? You mean, on a
horse?
”

She laughed. “Don’t look so scared, Mr. Conway.”

“I’m more of a cold-steel kinda guy. You know. Motorcycles. Cars. Airplanes, even.”

“You’ll need to learn how to ride before the kids get old enough. We’ll want to take the whole family on trail rides up above Idaho City.”

“Hey, I think we’ve got a little time. Don’t rush me.”

She gave the horse one final pat on the neck before walking over to the stall door. She stopped opposite Dakota. “Four kids. Two dogs. Maybe a cat. At least three horses.”

“A Jeep and a minivan. A ski boat. A dirt bike.”

“A house in the country, two stories with a wraparound porch.”

“A family room with a big-screen TV.”

“A queen-size bed and a heavy down quilt in the winter.”

He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “A king-size bed, but me to keep you warm.”

“Deal,” she whispered.

“Deal.” He kissed her.

He really was the luckiest man on earth.

THIRTY-ONE

Claire checked the kitchen clock. Six-thirty. She looked at her watch. Six-thirty-two.

Where is he?

She almost wished Dakota hadn’t called her from Yakima.

“The Jeep’s running great, Mom,” he’d said, “and I’m making good time. Should be to your place around five-thirty, five-forty-five. My cell phone battery’s dead or I’d call you when I hit town. Don’t worry. I’ll get there just fine.”

Don’t worry. Easy for him to say.

She walked into her bedroom where the window overlooked the parking lot. No sign of the blue Jeep. Turning, she glanced at the clock radio. It was three minutes faster than her wristwatch.

What if there’d been an accident? What if he’d run out of gas somewhere? What if—

He’s a grown man, not a little boy. He’d call if he had trouble. Being anxious won’t get him here one minute sooner.

Claire returned to the living room where she sat on the sofa and turned on the television, hoping she would find something to engage her mind until her son arrived. She didn’t. She picked up a magazine and started flipping through it until she saw something that looked interesting. She read for a few minutes, then realized she hadn’t a clue what she’d been reading. Tossing the magazine aside, she rose and went to the bedroom again. Still no sign of Dakota’s Jeep.

She wished that Kevin were with her. He had a wonderful way of putting everything into perspective, of calming her fears, of reminding her to lean on the Lord. But he wasn’t with her, nor had she expected him to be.

Something had changed between them during the past month. It seemed he’d erected some sort of invisible but impenetrable barrier. He’d continued to be there for her in many ways, and he seemed to genuinely care. He was always generous with his time, always willing to answer her questions.

And yet the barrier remained; the message was unmistakable. Kevin didn’t want more from her than friendship.

She blinked away unwanted tears, angry with herself for shedding even a couple. She shouldn’t be so disappointed. It wasn’t as if she needed or wanted a man in her life. She’d done just fine as a single woman. She had a good job, dear and trusted friends, and a wonderful son. She didn’t need anything — or anyone — more than that. Besides, in a couple more months, her work in Seattle would be done, and she would go home to Boise. Home where she belonged.

She heard the Jeep a split second before it came into view. Her heartbeat quickened with anticipation.
He’s here!
She raced out of her condo and down to the parking lot.

“Dakota!” she shouted as her feet hit the sidewalk.

Standing at the rear of his Jeep, he turned when he heard her. “Mom!”

A moment later, he caught her in a bear hug, lifting her feet right off the ground. He kissed her soundly on the cheek before he set her down. Then he stepped back and studied her with his eyes.

“Wow! Seattle must agree with you. You look terrific.”

“So do you. Did you find your way here without any trouble? I was getting worried.”

“There was an accident on the freeway that slowed traffic to a crawl. Guess I should’ve found a phone, huh?” Looping his arm through hers, he drew her back to his Jeep where he removed his duffel bag from the back compartment. “Want me to take you out to dinner?”

“No, I’ve got a casserole ready. I’ll just need to pop it into the microwave to warm it up.”

“You made a casserole? You mean from …
scratch?
”

She poked him in the ribs. “Don’t you tease me about it, Dakota. I haven’t forgotten how to cook. I just don’t do it often.”

“Often?” He grinned that lopsided grin of his. “Define
often”

“Remember who you’re talking to, buster.”

“The woman who made my dinner?”

“The mother who can still tan her son’s hide if she’s a mind to.”

“Oh, right.” In one smooth movement, he dropped his duffel and swept her feet off the ground. “Just try it.”

They both laughed.

After a moment, he set her down, and she took him up to her condo. When they were inside, he paused in the center of the living room and looked around.

“Gee, Mom, this is nice.” He tipped his head back and sniffed the air. “Smells good too. Let’s see. Green peppers. Onions. Tomatoes. My favorite, right? You’re the best.”

“Thanks. Feelings reciprocated.” She motioned for him to follow while still basking in the glow of his compliment. “Come on. I’ll show you where to put your things. You can freshen up while I get the food ready.” She took him to the small guest room, then pointed out the bathroom and the linen closet. “Take your time, honey. You’ve had a long drive. We can eat whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks.” He tossed his duffel onto the twin bed. “It won’t take me long.”

Claire left him there and returned to the kitchen. She put the casserole she’d baked earlier into the microwave, pulled a tossed salad and two kinds of dressing out of the refrigerator, and placed sliced sourdough bread into a cloth-lined basket. Next she poured ice water into the glasses on the table and lit the tapers in the cut-glass candleholders. In the living room, she put an instrumental CD into the compact disc player and pressed
Play,
setting the volume low. They had so much to talk about.

It was going to be wonderful to share with her son all that had happened. She’d anticipated this evening for many weeks. Ever since she’d come to the Lord.

“Anything I can help you with?” Dakota asked as he emerged from the hallway.

She smiled, feeling a rush of pleasure at the sight of him. What a blessing to have Dakota for a son. God was indeed good.

“No,” she answered. “Just make yourself at home. I’ll have everything on the table in a jiffy.” She hurried back to the kitchen. “So what’s new with you?” she asked in a raised voice. “I feel like I’ve been away from Boise for a couple of years instead of a couple of months.”

“I sorta feel that way too. I’ve got plenty to tell you.”

The microwave beeped. Claire took the casserole out and carried it to the table.

“Will you ask the blessing, Dakota?”

He grinned. “I’d love to.” He pulled out a chair for her, and after she was seated, he sat opposite her. In unison, they bowed their heads in prayer.

There was nothing fancy about his prayer over the meal, only a genuine thankfulness for all that God had provided. The sentiment echoed the feelings in Claire’s heart.

“In Jesus’ name, amen,” he finished.

“Amen,” she added softly.

In a heartbeat, Dakota reached for the casserole and helped himself to a giant-size portion. “I didn’t know how hungry I was till now,” he said when he looked up and found her watching.

“Hmm.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Seems to me you were always this hungry. Two hollow legs.”

“I’m just a growing boy.”

“Good grief! I certainly hope not. Six-four is plenty tall enough unless you plan to start playing pro basketball.”

Their good-humored banter, interspersed with more serious topics, continued as they ate their dinner. They talked about the work Claire was doing in Seattle and all the new sights she had seen. They talked about Dakota’s job and his chance for promotion. They talked about her church and Bible studies.

Nearly an hour later, Dakota pushed his dessert plate away from him. “Mom, I’ve got something else to tell you. Something important.”

His tone of voice told her this was more than just “something.”

“I’ve met somebody.”

“Somebody?” she echoed, but she knew what he meant. She could see what he was feeling in his eyes. Dakota was in love.

“Her name’s Sara.” He smiled. “She’s really special.”

“You wouldn’t care for someone who wasn’t.”

“I love her, Mom, and you’re gonna love her just as much as I do.”

“Of course I will.” She returned his smile.

He leaned forward. “I’ve asked her to marry me.”

She hadn’t been prepared for that. She was glad he’d found someone special. She wasn’t sorry he’d fallen in love. But marriage?

“How long have you known her?”

“Two months.” He chuckled. “I told her if I weren’t so shy I’d have asked her sooner. We met the day you left for Seattle. Remember how I told you at the airport that God would bring the right girl into my life at the right time? I didn’t know how prophetic that was going to prove to be.”

“Just how did the two of you meet?” She couldn’t keep a note of suspicion out of her voice.

“I ran into her parents and brothers right after you got on the plane. They go to my church. They were at the airport to meet Sara. She’d just flown in from Denver.” His grin broadened. “I had it bad from that moment on.”

“Oh, Dakota, don’t you think you should —”

“It wasn’t easy, convincing her to go out on a date with me. Sara’s a little older than I am. Seven years to be exact. She thought it should matter — to me and to others — but I convinced her it didn’t.” He paused a moment before adding, “She’s made me the happiest guy in the world by accepting my proposal.”

She was ashamed of herself for not responding better. It didn’t take an Einstein to see how happy he was, how very much in love.

“She’s a Christian, of course. We’ve been attending the singles’ class together at church.” He leaned back in his chair. “But not for long. We’ll have to start going to the class for married couples after July fourth. That’s the date we’ve picked for the wedding. We had to wait for you to get back from Seattle but didn’t want to put it off too long after that.”

Claire couldn’t think of what to say. She was confused and disturbed, and it was more than because it had happened so fast. What was wrong?

I’m jealous of her!

The realization horrified Claire. But she knew it was true. She was jealous. Not because Dakota loved Sara. Not because he wanted to marry the girl. No, she was jealous because Sara was a believer, and now Claire would miss all those deep biblical discussions with Dakota that she’d been anticipating. He would be sharing all that with his bride instead.

Which was as it should be.

“Mom? I thought you’d be glad for me.”

Father, forgive me.

She rose from her chair and went to give him a hug. “I
am
glad for you. Really I am. You just caught me by surprise. If you love this girl, I know I will, too, just like you said.”

Sara was in bed when the phone rang. She knew it would be Dakota, and she answered it quickly.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he said in a voice that sent chills right up her back. “Sorry I didn’t call sooner.”

“It’s okay. I knew you’d call as soon as you were able.” She nestled down into her pillow and closed her eyes, envisioning him in her mind. “How was the drive?”

“Uneventful.”

“The best kind. How’s your mother?”

“Great. I told her all about you. You know, that you’re pretty and smart and sweet and perfect and —”

“And older?”

“Yep, told her you’re almost ready for a walker, you’re so old. She can’t wait to meet you. She’s thinking the two of you might take some sort of geriatric aerobic class together.”

“Very funny, Conway.” She chuckled, loving his teasing, loving the tenderness in his voice.

“I showed her that photo of us with the church youth group when we took them sledding, but you’re half hidden behind the McGrath kid. Guess we need to get some good pictures taken of us.”

“And what did she think about our rush to the altar?”

“She thinks it’s great as long as we love each other.”

Sara wondered if that was true. How would she feel if she were in his mother’s place? She wasn’t sure.

“Mom says she’ll be back home by May, so July’s no problem at all. Think you could order the wedding invitations tomorrow on your lunch hour?”