Halfway to Forever (39 page)

The door opened behind her, and Jade turned. Hannah came out, Kody on her hip. He was eight months now, six weeks older than Maddie and twice her size. Hannah sat down, cradled Kody in her arms, and put a full bottle in his mouth. “Feeding time.”

Jade laughed. “When isn’t it?”

The sound of their families playing and laughing mingled with the pounding of the surf, and Hannah eased her head back. “I never get tired of the miracles around us these days.”

“It’s amazing.” Jade turned toward Hannah. “Did I tell you about my doctor appointment?”

Hannah shook her head and grinned. “Good?”

“Better than good. They took pictures of my brain again, and there are no detectable signs a tumor was ever there.”

“Oh, Jade …” Hannah’s eyes danced. “That’s wonderful.”

“You know …” Jade shifted her gaze back to their families. “There was a time when I wondered what God was doing to us.” She paused, breathing in the sweet, salty ocean air. “I mean, here we were, all of us, halfway to forever, and suddenly everything that could go wrong, did.”

Hannah looked at Grace and nodded. “You’re right.”

“But you know what?”

Hannah adjusted Kody’s bottle so she could see Jade better. “What?”

“I realized something that will stay with me forever, something I needed to learn.”

There was a peaceful silence while Hannah waited.

“When I first became a Christian, the only truth God wanted me to know was that He loved me and had plans for me, good plans.” Jade smiled. “That was enough back then.” She paused and a seagull cried out in the distance. A familiar peace came over her. “Now I understand that even when life is going along perfectly, trouble will come. As long as we’re breathing, it will come.”

Hannah sighed, and her sad smile told Jade she understood. She, better than any woman Jade knew, understood how swiftly trouble could come. Hannah gazed at Jenny and Grace as they carried a bucket of water from the ocean to the castle. “It’s so easy to take the good times for granted.”

Jade nodded, feeling wiser than her years. “But we can’t afford to, can we?”

“Never. Every day is a gift all by itself.”

The afternoon slipped away in a blur of play and laughter, and after dinner they all gathered on the deck except the babies, who were asleep inside. Jade cozied up against Tanner, with Ty on her other side. There was a chill in the air, but the warmth of Tanner’s body made it disappear.

Across from them, Matt moved his fingers over the strings of his guitar. “Tanner and I have a musical announcement to make.”

Jade shifted and raised her eyebrows at her husband.

Next to Matt, Hannah grinned. “Sounds important.”

Grace was sitting in Jenny’s lap nearby, and both girls giggled at Hannah’s tone. Jenny looked at Hannah. “This should be good.”

“We—” Matt kept his face serious and nodded in Tanner’s direction—“have decided to give up law for one year and hit the road.”

“Hit the road?” Ty wrinkled his nose and stifled a laugh. “With what, a hammer?”

Tanner poked Ty in the ribs as he stifled a grin. “Come on now, we’re serious. Let the man finish.”

Matt tipped his head at Tanner. “Thank you.” He winked at Ty and glanced at the group. “As I was saying, we feel the many evenings spent singing here, for all of you, have prepared us for a career as professional musicians.” He looked at Tanner for support. “Isn’t that right?”

Tanner gave a firm nod. “Absolutely.”

Matt gave a formal plucking of his guitar strings. “On that note, we thought we’d share our opening song with you. The one that will—what can we say—” he cocked his head slightly and tossed his hands in the air—“bring down the house.”

“Not while we’re in it, okay?” Jade whispered the comment to Tanner but made sure it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Giggles came from everyone but the men, and Jade brought
her hands to her face, trying to keep from laughing out loud. This was what she loved about the Bronzans. Not only were they the type of friends who stood by when troubles came—even terrifying trouble—they were friends who laughed and loved life.

Friends who made life fun.

There was a twinkle in Matt’s eyes when he continued. “Fine.” He shrugged in Tanner’s direction. “Partner, it looks like the only way to silence our critics is to sing.”

Tanner cleared his throat and leaned forward, his expression as serious as he could manage. “Hit it.”

Matt began strumming the tune to the Eagles’ “Desperado,” and Hannah bit her lip to keep from laughing as she rolled her eyes at Jade. The music filled the deck, and Jade giggled in Hannah’s direction.

Four times the guys forgot the words, and three times Tanner was noticeably off-key. Jade listened, covering her mouth whenever she was tempted to laugh.

When it was over there was silence. Jade looked around and saw Hannah run her tongue along the inside of her lip.

“So …” Hannah used her hands to show she was doing her best to understand. “Your act will be sort of an offbeat, off-tune, missing-word impression of the Eagles? For all the hip concert-goers craving that type of music, is that it?”

Matt grinned and pretended to hit her with the backside of his guitar. “I told you, Tanner …”

“You did.” Tanner lifted one shoulder.

“True artists get no respect.”

Jenny laughed out loud, and the sound snapped what remained of Jade and Hannah’s restraint. Soon even Matt and Tanner joined in, and when the laughter died down, Tanner leaned closer to Jade once more. “Fine. We’ll keep our day jobs.”

“I was going to say …” Hannah bit her lip. “Good thing.”

Matt shook his head in mock disdain. “If we’re not ready for the road, at least we can take requests.” He tapped Grace’s knee. “Okay, sweetheart, what do you want me to sing?”

Grace lowered her chin, and batted her eyelashes at Matt. “ ‘Old McDommer’s Farm,’ Daddy. Pleeeease!”

Jade’s heart swelled as she watched the scene. Grace had come so far since her return to the Bronzans’ home. Patsy Landers had been out for a visit already, and there was even talk of her moving to California to be closer to Grace. But never, no matter what, would she ever tell her troubled daughter about Grace’s whereabouts.

It was part of the deal they’d made six months earlier.

Matt made a sweeping bow at Grace. “Your wish is my command.”

Hannah chuckled and leaned into the circle, pretending to share private information with the rest of them. “That’s for sure …”

“ ‘Old McDonald’ it is!” The melody sprang from Matt’s guitar as he worked his fingers over the strings.

When they were done, they did “Jesus Loves Me” for Grace’s second request, and a silly camp song for Ty. When the children were finished making requests, Matt angled his head toward Jade, his eyes more serious than before.

“Okay, Jade, you’re the reason we’re all celebrating.” He gave her a gentle, knowing smile. “How about you?”

Tanner took her hand, and she leaned her head back, staring at the starry sky and trying to imagine what song summed up the wealth of love and hope and joy in her heart.

Then she knew exactly what she wanted to sing “I’ve got it.” She grinned at Matt. “ ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness.’ ”

“Ahhh.” Hannah nestled closer to Matt and gazed at him for a long moment. “Our favorite song.”

The air between them filled with a sense of quiet holiness as
Matt began to play. The music mixed with the sound of the distant surf and Jade closed her eyes as they started to sing.

“ ‘Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with Thee.’ ” Their voices joined together, and Jade savored the sound, every word a prayer to heaven. To think she’d believed her cancer a punishment from that same faithful God seemed almost ludicrous now.

She’d learned that, too, these past months.

A smile filled Jade’s face as the song built. “ ‘Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; as Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.’ ”

Jade opened her eyes and looked at the people around her, people who, just six months ago, she thought she might never see again. Hannah, whose passions were so like her own, but who had been more like a sister these past months; Matt, who had helped Tanner be strong when he had no strength of his own; Jenny, whose sweet heart had been broken far too many times, but who now seemed happier than she had in years; and Grace and Kody and Maddie, who would be a part of all of them forever.

The song played on and Jade shifted her gaze to Ty on her left side, strong in character and handsome like his father, but still so much a boy. He grinned at her and she hugged him.

Then she turned to Tanner. Their eyes met and held, the words to the song dancing on both their lips. She studied the shape of his chin, his jaw, and cheekbones. Everything about him was written on her heart, and she realized that she could read his thoughts more easily since the cancer. Although there were no words spoken between them, his voice played in her heart, telling her he had never been happier, that he needed her more than air.

She leaned into him again, and turned her attention once more to Matt.

He was starting the third verse, one that Jade was not familiar
with. Only Matt and Hannah knew this part of the song, and Jade listened, hanging on every word.

“ ‘Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!’ ”

Jade could hardly believe it.

Every word was as though Jade had written it herself. It was the story of her life. God had pardoned her sin and brought her peace. He’d cheered her on through the darkest days of her life and given her an inhuman strength to carry on. She thought of her verse from Jeremiah, about the plans God had for her. There was no question that her tomorrows were filled with hope.

Hope brighter than the sun.

Gratitude flooded her heart to overflowing. Ten thousand blessings, indeed! All of them had so much to be thankful for. Suddenly Jade had a vision of their two families gathered together this way, singing this song, ten years from now … twenty Thirty.

Tears filled her eyes as one final time they joined their voices for the chorus.

“ ‘Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!’ ”