Kelly's Chance (20 page)

She squeezed her eyes shut. “Dear God, please show me what to do. Help me learn to be content with my life, and help me forget how much I enjoyed Mike’s kiss.”

***

For the next several weeks, Kelly avoided Mike’s store. Even when they stopped for supplies, she stayed outside with the mules. She couldn’t face Mike. He probably thought she was an idiot for running out on their picnic, and it was too difficult for her to explain the way she’d been thinking. She was pretty sure she loved him, but she couldn’t give in to her feelings. No way did she want to end up like Mama, who had to endure Papa’s harsh tongue and controlling ways. Nor did Kelly wish to be like her sister, raising a baby alone and continuing to work for their father with no pay.

Today was hotter than usual, especially since it was only the end of May. Kelly looked longingly at the canal as she plodded along the towpath, wishing she could stop and take a dip in the cooling waters. Even though she was leery of water moccasins, Kelly would have set her fears aside and gone swimming if they’d stopped for any length of time.

A short time later, Kelly’s wish was granted. A long line of boats waited at the lock just a short way past Mike’s store. No telling how long they might be held up. Kelly decided she would take off her boots and go wading. No point in getting her whole body wet when all she needed was a bit of chilly water on her legs to get cooled off.

She made sure both mules had been given a drink of water, then secured them to a nearby tree. She thought about asking Sarah to join her in the water, but the baby was down for a nap, and Sarah and Mama had taken advantage of the stop and begun washing clothes.

Kelly plunked herself on the ground, slipped off her boots and socks, and stood up. It was time to get cooled off.

***

Mike closed the door behind a group of tourists from New York who were traveling by boat up the canal. They’d dropped by his store in search of food supplies, but to his surprise, they’d been favorably impressed with Kelly’s artwork. So much so that Mike had sold all of Kelly’s paintings, and two of the travelers had asked if he would be getting any more, saying they would stop by the store on their return trip.

Mike promised to try to get more, but after the customers left, he wondered how it would be possible. He hadn’t seen Kelly since their picnic, when he’d been dumb enough to announce that he wanted to make her his wife. Her folks had stopped by a couple of times, but Kelly never came inside.

He’d been tempted to seek her out, but after a time of prayer, Mike decided to leave their relationship in God’s hands. He had tried to take control of the matter before, and it only left him with an ache in his heart. From now on, he’d let God decide if Kelly McGregor was meant for him. If she showed an interest, he would know she was the one. If not, then he needed to move on with his life. Maybe he wasn’t meant to have a wife.

Feeling a headache coming on, Mike closed his store a bit early and went outside for some air. Even though he had never learned to swim well and couldn’t do much more than dive in the water and paddle back to the lock, today seemed like the perfect day for getting wet. Wearing only a pair of trousers he’d rolled up to the knees, Mike jumped into the canal near the stop gate.

***

With her skirt held up, Kelly plodded back and forth along the bank by the lock tender’s house. Several swimmers had been there earlier, but most had gone for the day. It would be awhile until Papa was ready to go, as there had been a break in the lock and all the boats were still held up. Kelly decided to take advantage of this free time to get some sketching done. She’d left her drawing tablet on the grass next to her boots and was about to reclaim it when she noticed Mike Cooper in the water. He dove from one dock, then crossed the gates and grabbed hold of the dock on the other side. She was surprised to see him, as she remembered Mike saying once that he wasn’t a good swimmer and didn’t go into the canal very often.

Kelly stood still, watching in fascination as Mike took another dive. She waited for him to resurface on the other side, but he didn’t come up where he should have.

A sense of alarm shot through her body when she noticed small bubbles on top of the water. They seemed to be coming from a large roll of moss about ten feet above the gates. With no thought for her own safety, Kelly jerked off her skirt, and wearing only her white pantalets and cotton blouse, she dove into the water and swam toward the spot where she’d seen the bubbles. Her scream echoed over the water. “Hold on, Mike! I’m comin’!”

A few seconds later, Kelly dove under the water and spotted Mike, thrashing about while he tried to free his hands and feet from the twisted moss. Visions of them both being drowned flashed through her mind as Kelly tried to untangle the mess. Mike wouldn’t hold still. He was obviously in a state of panic. At one point, he grabbed Kelly around the neck, nearly choking her to death.

Her lungs began to burn, and she knew she needed air quickly. Desperation surged within. Her insides felt as if they would burst. She sent up a prayer and did the only thing that came to mind.

Pop!
Kelly smacked Mike right in the nose. Blood shot out in every direction, but Mike loosened his grip on her neck. Using all her strength and inner resolve, Kelly managed to get his hands and feet free from the moss, and she kicked her way to the surface, pulling Mike along.

When Mike’s face cleared the water, she breathed a sigh of relief. Gasping for breath, Kelly propelled them through the murky water until at last they were both on the shore. Mike lay there, white as a sheet, and Kelly worried that he might be dead. She rolled him over and began to push down on his back. A short time later, he started coughing and sputtering.

A great sense of relief flooded Kelly’s soul. She grabbed hold of the skirt she’d left on the grass, ripped off a piece, and held it against Mike’s bleeding nose. How close she’d come to losing the man she loved. The realization sent shivers up Kelly’s spine, and she trembled and let out a little sob.

Mike opened his eyes and stared up at her, a look of confusion on his face. “What happened? Where am I?”

“You were trapped in a wad of moss,” she rasped. “I’m awful sorry, but I had to punch you in the nose to get you to stop fightin’.”

He blinked several times. “You hit me?”

She nodded. “Sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

Mike reached up and touched her hand where she held the piece of material against his nose. “Is it broken?”

She pulled the cloth back and studied the damage. “I don’t think so. The bleedin’ seems to be almost stopped.”

“You saved my life.”

“I guess I did, but it was God who gave me the strength to do it.”

He clutched her hand. “Why would you do that if you don’t care about me?”

She frowned. “Who says I don’t care?”

“Do you?” Mike’s eyes were seeking, his voice imploring her to tell the truth.

Kelly’s heart was beating so hard she thought it might burst wide open. She’d been fighting her feelings for Mike all these months, yet seeing him almost drown made her realize she wouldn’t know what to do if he wasn’t part of her life. Was love enough? If she were to marry Mike, would he expect her and their children to work for free at his store?

“Kelly, my love,” Mike murmured. “You’re the answer to my prayers.”

“You were prayin’ someone would find you in the moss and save your life?”

He laughed, coughed, and tried to sit up.

“You’d better lie still a few more minutes,” she instructed. “That was quite an ordeal you came through.”

“I’m okay,” he insisted as he pulled himself to a sitting position in front of her.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure about one thing.”

“What’s that?”

He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sure I love you, and I believe God brought us together. Will you marry me, Kelly McGregor?”

Before Kelly could answer, Mike leaned over and kissed her upturned mouth. When the kiss was over, he said, “I promise never to treat you harshly, and I won’t ask you or any children we may be blessed with to work for free. If you help me run the store, you’ll earn half the money, same as me. If our kids help out, they’ll get paid something, too.”

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “There’s more.”

“More?” she echoed.

He nodded. “This morning, a group of tourists came by the store, and they bought the rest of your paintings.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, and they said they’d be stopping by the store on their return trip to New York, so if you have any more pictures, they’ll probably buy those as well.”

Kelly could hardly believe it. All her pictures sold? It was too much to digest at once. And Mike asking her to be his wife and help run the store, agreeing to give her half of what they made? She pinched herself on the arm.

“What are you doing?” Mike asked with a little scowl.

“Makin’ sure I’m not dreaming.”

He kissed her again. “Does this feel like a dream?”

She nodded and giggled. “It sure does.”

“Kelly, I’ve been thinking that I could add on to the store. Make a sort of gallery for you to paint and display your pictures. Maybe you could sell some art supplies to customers, as well.”

Her mouth fell open. She’d been dreaming about an art gallery for such a long time, and it didn’t seem possible that her dream could be realized if she married Mike. “I’d love to have my own art gallery,” she murmured, “but I won’t marry you for that reason.”

“You won’t? Does that mean you don’t love me?”

Mike’s dejected expression was almost her undoing, and Kelly placed both her hands on his bare shoulders. “I do love you, and I will marry you, but not because of the promise of a gallery.”

“What then?”

“I’ll agree to become your wife for one reason and only one.” Kelly leaned over and gently kissed the tip of Mike’s nose. “I love you, Mike Cooper—with all my heart and soul. This is finally my chance for real happiness, and I’m not about to let it go.”

Mike looked up and closed his eyes. “Thank You, Lord, for such a special woman.”

Epilogue

***

It was a pleasant morning on the last Saturday of September. So much had happened in the last four months that Kelly could hardly believe it. From her spot in front of an easel, she glanced across the room where her husband of three months stood waiting on a customer.

Mike must have guessed Kelly was watching him, for he looked over at her and winked.

She smiled and lifted her hand in response. Being married to Mike was better than she ever could have imagined. Not only was he a kind, Christian man, but he’d been true to his word and had added on to the store so Kelly could have her art gallery. Whenever she wasn’t helping him in the store, she painted pictures, always adding a verse of scripture above her signature. This was Kelly’s way of telling others about God, who had been so good to her and the family.

Sam Turner had returned to the canal a few weeks ago, apologizing to Sarah and begging her to give him the chance to prove his love for her. Rather than going back to the city, the couple and the baby were living with Sam’s parents. Sam assisted his dad with the lock chores, and Sarah helped her mother-in-law make bread and other baked goods, which they sold to many of the boaters who came through. They’d also begun to take in some washing, since many of the boatmen were either single or didn’t bring their wives along to care for that need.

Kelly had finally seen the seashore along the coast of New Jersey, where Mike’s brothers lived. They’d gone there for their honeymoon, and she’d been able to meet Alvin, John, and their wives.

The most surprising thing that had happened in the last few months was the change that had come over Kelly’s dad. He’d accepted one of Reverend Nelson’s cards with a Bible verse written on it, and Papa’s heart was beginning to change. Not only was he no longer so ill-tempered, but Papa had given money to Kelly and Sarah, saying they’d both worked hard and deserved it. Since neither of them was available to work for him any longer, he’d willingly hired two young men—one to drive the mules, the other to help steer the boat. Kelly figured if she kept praying, in time Papa would turn his life completely over to the Lord.

When the front door opened and Betsy Nelson walked in, Kelly smiled and waved. What had happened in the life of the preacher’s daughter was the biggest surprise of all.

“That’s a beautiful sunset you’re working on,” Betsy said, stepping up beside Kelly.

“Thanks. Would ya like to have it?”

Betsy shook her head. “I’m afraid where I’m going there will be no use for pretty pictures.”

Kelly nodded, knowing Betsy was talking about South America, where she’d recently decided to go as a missionary. “No, I suppose not.”

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning for Easton, and then I’ll ride the train to New York. From there, I’ll board a boat for South America,” Betsy said.

“Everyone will miss your zither playin’ on Sunday mornings,” Kelly commented.

Betsy gave her a quick hug. “Thanks, but I’ll be back someday, and when I return, I expect you and Mike will have a whole houseful of little ones.”

Kelly smiled and placed one hand against her stomach. In about seven months the first of the Cooper children would make an appearance, and she couldn’t wait to become a mother. God had given her a wonderful Christian man to share the rest of her life with, and she knew he would be an amazing father.

As soon as Betsy and the other customer left, Mike moved across the room and took Kelly into his arms. “I sure love you, Mrs. Cooper.”

“And I love you,” she murmured against his chest.

Mike bent his head to capture her lips, and Kelly thanked the Lord for giving her the chance to find such happiness. She could hardly wait to see what the future held for Cooper’s General Store on the Lehigh Canal.

Make a batter with the following ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Pour the batter into hot grease left over from cooked roast beef. Cover with a lid and cook on top of the stove until done.