The Living Room (33 page)

“I didn’t hear anything.”

“I made that clear to Kat.” Jeff paused. “Oh, and she said to let you know there are several redheads in Stacy’s husband’s family. He would love to have a redheaded son.”

Amy glanced up at the ceiling. The phone in the kitchen rang again. Amy shook her head. She felt partially vindicated but not confident enough to speak to anyone. Jeff answered the call.

“It’s Natalie,” he said. “She saw you at church with Megan but says you left in a hurry, and she didn’t get a chance to talk to you.”

“Tell her I’ll call her later,” Amy said.

After he hung up the phone, Jeff returned to the family room. Amy followed him with her eyes. He sat on one end of the couch,
and Amy, her feet tucked beneath her, sat on the other end. Neither of them spoke.

“Everything turned out okay,” Jeff said in a hopeful tone.

“For now,” Amy replied. “But what if Stacy Kennedy has another miscarriage? For all I know, I could have been seeing her holding her baby after he’s died and gone to heaven.”

“Is that what you really believe?”

Amy was silent for a moment. “No, but I don’t want my life to be a series of extremely awkward encounters with strangers whom I tell something I believe is from God that I saw in a dream but may not make sense to them. They’ll look at me like I’m crazy or get mad. On top of everything, I may be wrong in my interpretation of what I think I saw. How would you like to live under that kind of a cloud?”

“I wouldn’t, but don’t let your imagination run away with you. This wouldn’t be happening to you if God wasn’t going to show you how to handle it.”

“That’s a very practical and easy thing for you to say.”

Jeff opened and closed his mouth. Amy continued to fume.

“You were excited when you started receiving inspiration in the night that helped you become a writer,” Jeff said.

“Yes, but it was still a private thing. No one knows about that but you, the kids, and Natalie.” Amy paused. “And now Ms. Burris. This is totally different.”

“It’s different, but not totally,” Jeff replied. “It’s still connected to your relationship with the Lord and the way he made you. Do you realize how blessed I am to be married to a person like you? I work with my hands for a living, and I’m proud of what I do because I do it well. But I’m married to a woman who goes to heaven in her dreams, writes books that encourage people from one end of the country to the other, helped save a man’s life earlier in the week, and today shared a word with a young woman who’d lost all hope of ever having a child. That’s pretty amazing.”

While Jeff talked, Amy’s eyes filled with tears. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

“Is that what you really believe?” she asked. “You’re not just saying that to try to make me feel better?”

“I’m not going to lie to you.”

“I know,” Amy sighed. “And as long as I have you backing me up, I guess I’m going to be okay.”

“I don’t plan on going anywhere, no matter what you do or say.”

Amy scooted over on the couch until she was beside Jeff. He put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

Later, carried on the wings of Jeff’s unconditional love, Amy went upstairs to the writing room. But instead of turning on her computer and trying to work, she propped her legs up on the ottoman, closed her eyes, and took a nap. No dreams interrupted her afternoon rest.

The following morning Ian felt well enough to go to school.

“Don’t let anyone touch your arm,” Amy warned as she buttoned up his shirt.

“Why didn’t I get one of those white casts so my friends can write on it?” Ian asked. “That’s what Ricky Little had when he broke his arm. By the time they cut it off, the cast was covered with so much writing and drawings that you couldn’t see any white. He took it home and put it in his room. It stunk terrible.”

“It smelled terrible,” Amy replied. “And the doctor said you didn’t need a plaster cast. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to take care of your arm so it will heal properly.”

“So long as it’s okay by the time baseball season starts.”

After hearing Dr. Fletchall’s comment about the dangers of football, Amy thought it might be better to encourage Ian to play a less inherently violent sport like baseball.

“I bet it will be. That’s still a couple of months off, isn’t it?”

“I’m not sure. You’d have to ask Dad.”

During her drive to the office, Amy phoned Natalie.

“Did you hear what happened in church yesterday?” Amy asked when her friend answered the call.

“Yes, I saw Megan go down front. I was thrilled. It’s so special when a teenager is willing to step out and be noticed in front of the other kids.”

“That was great, but I meant about Kat Brown’s friend.”

“I haven’t heard anything about it.”

Amy described her encounter with Stacy Kennedy and Kat’s subsequent phone call to the house.

“And you’re worried Kat is going to talk about what you did?” Natalie asked when Amy finished.

“Don’t you think I should be? Even if Kat means well, I’m going to end up looking like a fortune-teller. That’s what Megan thought.”

“She said that?”

“No, she just said I was acting weird and crazy.”

Natalie was silent for a moment. “I’m sitting at the computer and checked Kat’s Facebook page. She didn’t say anything about it on there. Do you want me to call her for you? I know her pretty well from the mission trip we took together to Mexico.”

Amy had forgotten the connection between Natalie and Kat.

“Would you? I know it’s a long shot to expect her to keep quiet, but it would make me feel better if you tried.”

“Sure, I’ll call her this morning. She’s so busy with her kids that she doesn’t have time to spread a story.”

“That would be great. If you reach her, let me know what she says.”

Amy arrived at work. For the first time since she’d returned to the law firm, she felt like her tiny office was a sanctuary. She was sorting through Mr. Phillips’s morning mail when her phone vibrated. It was Natalie.

“I talked to Kat,” Natalie said. “She hasn’t told anyone about your conversation with her friend Stacy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, because Stacy asked her not to. She wants to believe what you told her is going to come true, but she’s been so disappointed in the past when she got her hopes up and ended up having a miscarriage that she wants to keep everything confidential. Kat wondered if you would keep quiet, too.”

“Did you tell her I would?”

“Yes. She understands how vulnerable you feel and respects you a ton for stepping out to share with someone you don’t know.”

“She does?” Amy was stunned.

“Amy, everybody isn’t looking for a stone to throw at a person who is trying to obey the Lord.”

“I guess I am being a little paranoid,” she said.

“I’m not judging you, and don’t let what Megan said get under your skin, either. What did Jeff say?”

Amy told her about the conversation on the couch in the family room.

“Now you’re making me jealous,” Natalie replied. “I’m not sure Luke would say something like that to me—even if he had three days to prepare.”

“I need to thank Jeff again,” Amy said. “We were so busy getting Ian ready for school this morning that I forgot to mention it. And I appreciate you calling Kat. It takes a huge load off my mind.”

“And I’ll be praying that Stacy doesn’t lose this baby.”

Amy remembered Ms. Burris’s words that divine information was often given for purposes of prayer and intercession.

“Me, too. Oh, and the beef stew was awesome. Jeff ate three bowls.”

Amy sent Jeff a sweet text message before putting her phone in her purse. For the first time since she’d received word that Ian had hurt his arm, she was able to relax. Ian was going to be okay, and it didn’t look like her Sunday morning encounter with Stacy Kennedy was going to blow up in her face.

That left Michael Baldwin.

twenty-two

T
uesday morning Amy was sitting at her desk when she received a call from Carl Fincannon’s wife.

“They’ve moved Carl to a regular room,” Mrs. Fincannon said, “and he asked me to call and see if you could stop by to see him.”

Amy didn’t mention that she’d spent Saturday afternoon in the ER with Ian.

“What if I swing by during my lunch break?” Amy replied. “I only get thirty minutes, so I couldn’t stay long.”

“I don’t want you to skip your lunch.”

“That’s fine. A missed meal gives me an excuse to eat a piece of chocolate later tonight.”

“Okay. He’s in room 3259.”

Amy jotted the room number down on a slip of paper.

“I’ll see you around noon,” she said.

On the way to the hospital, Amy passed the spot where she’d found Mr. Fincannon. She slowed down to take a look. When she did, she saw a flash of red caught in a bush not far from the water. She pulled onto the shoulder of the road, got out of the car, and carefully descended the bank. It was the red cap she’d seen in the dream. She held on to a limb and pulled the cap free from the bush. It was well-worn and dirty.

Amy parked in the main lot and took the elevator to the third
floor. Room 3259 was at the end of the hall on the left. The door was cracked open. She knocked. Mrs. Fincannon answered.

“Come in.”

Amy pushed open the door. Mrs. Fincannon was sitting in a recliner chair beside the bed. Her husband, an overweight man with slightly red cheeks and a head full of white hair, was sitting up in bed with his meal tray in front of him. His plate of food was empty, and he was sipping tea through a straw in a plastic cup.

“You must be Amy.” Mrs. Fincannon smiled, getting up from her chair.

“Yes. It’s good to see you.”

Mrs. Fincannon gave Amy a long hug.

“Thanks so much for coming by.”

Carl Fincannon placed his tea on the tray. Amy held up the cap.

“Don’t tell me—” He stopped.

“Does this look familiar to you?” she asked.

“It’s my cap!”

Betty Fincannon stared at the hat for a moment and then burst into tears. Amy handed the cap to Carl, who put it on his head and pulled it snug.

“Betty, I didn’t know you loved this hat so much,” he said. “You’ve been after me for years to get a new one even though this one was broken in just the way I like it.”

“Don’t be silly.” Betty sniffled. “It’s not the hat. But it reminds me how blessed we are Amy came along and found you in that ditch.”

Carl looked at Amy. “And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. The last thing I remember was feeling dizzy when I checked out at the convenience store. I don’t know why I left my car or how I walked almost a mile before passing out. The doc said if you hadn’t found me, I wouldn’t have made it.”

“I’m thankful I did,” Amy said. “How are you feeling?”

“Almost back to normal, except my right arm doesn’t want to follow orders. I may have to learn how to cast my fishing line with my left arm.” He pointed to the empty tray. “And what they serve for food
in here is barely enough to keep me alive. I can’t wait to get home and fry up a mess of fish.”

“The doctor wants him to lose weight,” Betty said. “I’ve already thrown out a trash bag full of junk food at the house. And we’re going to be broiling our fish for a while.”

“But you don’t know where I keep everything,” Carl responded with a wink.

“I used the step stool to get to the top shelf of the closet near the garage,” Betty retorted. “That stash alone almost filled up one bag.”

“Oh.” Carl’s face fell.

“And we’re both going to change our eating habits. I won’t make you do anything I’m not willing to join in with.”

Listening to the couple playfully argue made Amy smile.

“I have a couple of recipes for broiled fish that my husband likes,” Amy offered. “Just because it’s broiled doesn’t mean there’s no flavor.”

“Pay attention to her,” Betty said to Carl. “Or I’ll tell her to take that cap and keep it as a souvenir.”