Take One (13 page)

“You too.” There was a coolness in Andi’s tone, but Cody didn’t seem to catch it.

Outside, Cody drew a long breath and let it out slowly. “I thought we’d never get this chance.” The path outside the building
was dark and crisscrossed with shadows, but there was enough light that Cody could make eye contact with her as they walked.

“I know.” Bailey hugged her bag to her chest. “Great meeting, though. I’m glad we went.”

“Me too. I needed something like that.”

Bailey wasn’t sure where to start. They had so much to catch up on, so much about the new school year that neither of them
had talked about. Bailey opened her mouth to ask how things were working out with Cody’s roommates, but at the same time he
asked if Bailey was liking rooming with Andi.

They both laughed and Cody led her by her arm to an alcove just off the pathway. “C’mere.” He took her bag from her and set
it down near their feet. Then he pulled her into a hug and held her for a long time. “Maybe we should start here.”

Bailey hoped he couldn’t feel her heart pounding beneath her jacket, but if he could she wouldn’t have pulled away. She’d
longed for a moment like this since the last time she and Cody were together back in July. Now, with a cool wind in the trees
overhead and autumn leaves sifting down around them, Bailey wanted nothing but to stay that way, warm in his arms, the stars
dancing above them.

“There.” He eased back and searched her eyes. “I missed you, Bailey. You don’t know how much.”

She wanted only to enjoy the moment, not analyze it. But the emotions in his eyes, his tone, seemed to go way beyond a desire
for friendship. She swallowed, not sure what to say except the obvious. “I missed you too.”

“The way things are,” he looked off to the side, as if he could see his frustrations hanging from the trees nearby, “this
was never how I wanted it.” He ran his hand over the back of her head. “We pass each other and it’s like … I don’t know, it’s
like we’re strangers.”

Bailey thought about the nights she’d longed for Cody’s voice, his presence. All the months when he was in Iraq, and even
after he came home. She would rely on his letters, believing that someday they’d find more than the friendship they’d started.
“I guess,” she let herself get lost in his eyes, “I thought you were ending things that day, when you first got back in town.
I figured you’d have to set the pace, and then … I never heard from you.”

He looked like he wanted to kiss her, but then he drew back. His hands were still looped around her lower back, but there
was more space between them now. “Remember,” he gave a subtle raise of one eyebrow, “you have a boyfriend. It’s a little awkward
for me to call and ask you to lunch.”

Bailey nodded. “I know.” She wanted to clear things up, that Tim might be her boyfriend, sort of. But that didn’t mean she
was in love with him. “About Tim … he and I …”

“It’s okay.” Cody released his hold on her. He put his finger to her lips and shook his head. “Don’t tell me. I don’t need
the details.” His smile didn’t hide the sudden sadness in his eyes. “You’re happy, Bailey. That’s all that matters. It’s just
… you and I shared something very special. If Tim’s okay with it … and if you’re okay, I want to stay in your life. See you
more often.”

Confusion clouded Bailey’s heart. She still wanted to tell him about Tim, but now to do so felt wrong, like a betrayal. And
that wasn’t fair to anyone, least of all Tim. All she could do was take Cody’s words at face value. If she wanted to cut things
off with Tim, that had to happen in a separate conversation—not here with Cody. She wanted to hug him again, but she folded
her arms in front of herself instead. “Tim won’t have a problem with that. He knows we’re friends.”

Cody’s eyes warmed. “Not lately.” His eyes sparkled as she walked close to him again. “But that’s going to change. I promise.”

“Good.” She was tempted to ask what he thought about Andi, but she didn’t want to encourage her own jealousy. Not when she’d
worked so hard to get over her feelings of envy toward her roommate after the auditions. She picked up her bag and they started
walking again, their pace easy, not too fast. “Tell me about your apartment. Are the guys working out?”

“They’re great. Most of them.” He gave her a wry look. “I told Stan he needed to find another place. He keeps buying beer
and having buddies over to drink on the weekend. No drinking at our place, that’s the rule.”

Bailey looked into the shadows ahead and remembered seeing Cody passed out on the floor of their guestroom, nearly dead from
the effects of alcohol poisoning. “You’ve come a long way.”

“With God alone.” He narrowed his eyes and lifted them to the dark sky. “Every day I have to admit I’m powerless over alcohol.
And every day Jesus gets me through on His strength. It’ll be that way the rest of my life.”

They walked in quiet for a minute or so. “You ever tempted?”

“Honestly? Not at all. I was pretty sick the last time I drank. I feel nauseous just thinking about alcohol.”

“Good. I’m glad for you.” She kicked lightly at a pile of yellow and red leaves. They were halfway to her dorm already. She
sort of expected they’d see Andi walking home. But then a number of paths led to the dorms. She and Daniel could’ve taken
any of them. Another question burned in Bailey’s heart, one she wasn’t sure she wanted an answer to. “You seeing anyone?”

Cody hesitated, and for a few seconds he only stared at her, as if there were things he wanted to say that he simply couldn’t
voice. Not now. Finally he shrugged one shoulder and looked ahead. “No one.”

Bailey laughed. “I remember when there was a different girl every week. Back when you played ball for my dad.”

“I was such a jerk.” He shook his head. “I guess I had my fix of easy girls, easy dates. Now I’d rather get home and hit the
books.” A grin lifted the corners of his lips and his eyes sparkled. “Did I tell you my plan?”

“What?” Her stomach did somersaults under his gaze, and she had to remind herself to breathe.

“I want to be a doctor. I’m thinking of doing my internship in the mission field somewhere. The Philippines, maybe, or India.
Something like that.”

“Really?” Bailey was amazed. “I thought you wanted to coach.”

“I do. My own kids someday. By then I’ll have my own practice and I can set my hours around their activities.”

Admiration coursed through her. She slowed her pace, stretching out their time together as long as she could. “What brought
all this on?”

His answer took awhile. “War, I guess.” The look in his eyes was haunting, unforgettable. “I lost my leg, but I gained a lot
while I was there. More wisdom and direction than I would’ve if I’d stayed here.”

She realized that she hadn’t thought about his leg the whole time they’d been together. His prosthesis was completely hidden
with his tennis shoe and jeans, and he walked without a trace of a limp. She allowed her shoulder to stay close to his as
they walked, closer than before. “In what way?”

“I like helping people, for one thing. Helping them keep their freedom or get well again, either way it feels right. Like
that’s what God created me to do.”

“Which means you have a lot of school ahead of you.”

“Exactly.” His quiet laugh filled her senses. “I guess that answers the question about girls. I want to get through school
as fast as possible. Doesn’t leave a lot of time.” He nudged her with his elbow. “Except for the people I really care about.”
His grin grew more shy than before. “You know?”

Bailey loved this, the way they’d fallen back into the camaraderie they’d shared before Cody went to war. There were times
after he came back when she didn’t think they’d ever find this again, especially after feeling like he’d purposefully ignored
her these last two weeks. But now … now her heart was alive with the familiar ways Cody made her feel.

They talked about her auditions, and when Andi came up, Bailey was quick to say she was wonderful. “I’m still getting to know
her, but we’re already close, like the two of us could be best friends.”

He gave a single shake of his head. “She’s got a ton of charisma, that’s for sure.”

“She does.” Bailey didn’t want to ask him what he meant. She didn’t want to hear Cody say he was attracted to her, or find
out that he had even a little interest in her. For now it was enough that they had this time together, without anything dimming
the bright light in her soul.

Too soon they were back at her dorm, and once more Cody easily took her in his arms. “I pray for you every day, Bailey. That
God will keep you close to Him, and that you’ll grow in all the right ways while you’re here.” He no longer looked like he
might kiss her, but only glad that the two of them had found each other again. “This night … I needed it.”

“Me too. I’m sorry we let so much time pass.” She grinned and angled her face. “It won’t happen again.”

“I’ll call you or text you. Maybe we can have coffee together once in a while. And you’ll tell me if Tim gets upset.” His
look grew more serious. “Whatever happens, I don’t want to come between the two of you.”

Bailey felt her heart sink fast. She wouldn’t let his comment ruin the moment, but there was no denying the effect it had
on her mood. They said goodnight and promised to talk soon, but once she was back in her dorm, she wanted to open the window
and yell back at him. Why didn’t he want to come between the two of them? If he had feelings for her the way she had feelings
for him, then shouldn’t he want to come between them?

There was only one reason he’d end the night with a comment like that. Because when he looked down the pathway of life, when
he saw himself finishing years of school and becoming a doctor and doing an internship on a mission field, he must not have
seen her by his side. That’s where Tim was different. Even though he didn’t make her heart take flight the way Cody did, he
was kind and steady and a wonderful guy in every possible way. More than that, he’d told her the one thing Cody never had.

That he was in love with her.

Eleven

T
HE SOUND WAS LIKE AN ALARM
, screaming at him, pushing him from the deepest sleep. It took what felt like five minutes before Chase sat up in bed and
looked around, not sure where he was or why he was in a strange room with bells going off. Then, gradually, it all came back
to him. He was in a hotel room in Bloomington, Indiana, and he’d been asleep, and the screaming sound was only his iPhone.
He looked at the red glowing numbers on the small alarm clock by his bed. Four fifty in the morning. No wonder he was asleep.

He picked up his phone, but the caller ID showed a blocked number. He slid the unlock bar across the phone and forced himself
to be clearheaded. “Hello? Chase Ryan, here.”

“Sorry to wake you, Chase. You won’t believe this.” The voice was only vaguely familiar.

Chase rubbed his eyes. It was Friday, day five on the filming, and even after the progress they’d made Tuesday, they’d since
fallen further behind. If they didn’t fall behind another hour, they’d still have to add at least two days to the schedule.
The last thing he needed was more bad news. He squinted toward the window of the dark hotel room. “Who is this?”

“Gary. From catering.”

Chase made the connection. Gary was the guy intercepting Rita’s salmon every morning, the one in charge of getting meals to
the cast. “Okay, Gary, what’s up?”

“Like I said, you won’t believe it.” He sounded shaken. “I was coming back from headquarters this morning, driving in from
Indianapolis like I do every day, and suddenly people are flashing their brights and honking at me. That’s when I saw the
smoke.”

“Smoke?” Chase’s heart kicked into a higher gear.

“Pouring out from my kitchen trailer. I pulled over, but by the time I climbed out of the cab, the whole thing was in flames.
I mean, completely engulfed.”

“Your food truck?” Chase had to be dreaming. He wanted to close his eyes and find his way out of this nightmare and back to
sleep.

“It’s gone, Chase. Now don’t worry, I mean, not too much, anyway. The truck’s insured, and I called headquarters. They can
have another one ready by this afternoon. You might need to sign some papers, but I think you can count on me for dinner.
It’s just … I’m not sure what to do about breakfast and lunch.”

Chase swung his legs over the edge of the bed. It wasn’t a nightmare. Not this or the salmon or the dog bite. Just part of
making a movie. He groaned. “You’re serious, your food truck burned up?”

“To the ground. Nothing but a small pile of debris.” He uttered a nervous laugh. “Firemen said I was lucky to get out alive.
A few more miles and the thing could’ve blown up with me in it.”

Words escaped him. Chase stood and paced to the window. He was bare-chested with just his pajama bottoms, and now that he
was out of bed, he shivered a little from the chill in the air. “What you’re saying is, I need to come up with a breakfast
plan.”

“And lunch. I’m sorry, Chase. Really. Things like this don’t happen.”

Chase wanted to tell him that actually they do happen—to Keith and him, at least. “Okay, Gary. Don’t worry about it. I’ll
figure something out.” He grabbed a T-shirt from the top dresser drawer and slipped it over his head. It wasn’t even six.
Way too early to call around for a breakfast plan. But then he remembered JR at the Lobster house. Keith had given him the
guy’s card, and he easily found it in his bag. Maybe together they could think of something that would work.

He got up and showered, and for a minute or so, he considered passing on his Bible study. The matter at hand was far more
pressing. But then he remembered something Kelly had told him last night. She said in her Bible time she’d come to the conclusion
once more that even on the most busy days there wasn’t time
not
to read the Bible, not to study God’s Word. “The busy days are when I need Him most,” she’d said.

Chase easily agreed, and now here he was with the chance to put the theory to work. He knew right where he wanted to read—the
section of Scripture Keith had talked about the other day. James, chapter 1. He’d read it over enough times, he practically
knew it by heart, but this time he wanted to find something else, something deeper that would help him handle yet another
crisis on the set. He started at the beginning and worked his way past the part about considering it pure joy whenever he
faced trials of many kinds.

Not until he reached verse 11 did he see something that stopped him cold. He read it over again:

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant;its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way,
the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

Wasn’t that exactly what had happened to Gary’s food truck? It had perished even while Gary went about his work. The point
wasn’t that Gary had done something wrong, but that the work of a man’s hands was temporary. Only what was wrought for eternity
would last. That meant that a hundred years from now, most likely no one would remember a movie called
The Last Letter
. Certainly no one would remember the trials Keith and Chase had survived as they shot the film.

But generations to come would remember the impact those actions had on the souls of men. Chase would find breakfast and lunch
for the cast and crew, and he would do so with his eye on the eternal—on the sharpening of his faith and the message that
could change lives for Christ. Everything else would fade away in the end anyway.

Gary’s food truck had proved that much.

By the time Chase called JR’s cell number at six that morning, he felt almost excited about the challenges that lay ahead.
Each of them had a purpose, even in this. JR sounded fully awake when he answered the phone. “Hey, how’s my buddy Keith doing?”

“Great.” Chase realized he hadn’t told his friend about the food truck yet. “Keith says you can get it done when it comes
to food, is that right?”

“You bet. Best steak and lobster in town.” JR’s confidence rang across the phone lines. “If you’re looking for a nice dinner
for the cast, you called the right guy.”

“Actually,” Chase held his breath. “I was thinking more about eggs and turkey sandwiches. Not at the same time.”

Chase explained the situation, and together he and JR came up with a plan. The nearby grocery store was already open, so Chase
drove there first and picked up twelve dozen eggs, ten loaves of bread, fifty blueberry muffins, eleven pounds of sliced turkey,
and a cartful of sandwich fixings, chips, and salads. The rest of the ingredients JR had at his restaurant.

The shopping happened quickly, and Chase and JR worked feverishly in his kitchen so that by seven o’clock they had a massive
container of scrambled eggs and cheese, fresh pico de gallo, warm muffins, a variety of jams and juices, and one filet of
salmon. Together they delivered the food to the set. By then, most of the cast and crew had gathered at the tables and were
looking around for the food truck.

“Breakfast,” Chase announced as he and JR hurried out of the car. “Come and get it!”

Keith walked up to him, clearly baffled. “What in the world’s happening?”

“I didn’t tell you?” Chase laughed, all signs of frustration gone. “Gary’s food truck burned to the ground this morning. I’m
in charge of breakfast and lunch today.”

For a moment, Keith stood there, his mouth slightly open. Then he nodded slowly, saluted Chase, and headed for the back of
the line. Chase and JR stayed just long enough to make sure everyone was satisfied. When word spread about the burned up food
truck, several cast members came up to Chase and patted him on the back or shook his hand. “You take producing to a new level
every day,” one actor told him.

Janetta Drake, the lone Christian among the cast, sat down across from Chase and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “You have
no idea the example you’re giving to everyone on this set.” She kept her words soft, her tone intense. “People know something’s
different about the two of you.” She grinned at him before she stood and made her way to the next table. “I know you want
to change the world with your movies, Chase. But it’s good to know you’re getting a start right here.”

Chase and JR returned to the restaurant to work on lunch. An hour later they had a hundred turkey sandwiches spread across
five platters, fruit and vegetable trays, and eight bowls of chips. Chase returned to the set and stored everything in a couple
of refrigerators in their trailer, and then hurried out to find Keith. They were doing location shots on the campus of IU
today, and his friend was bound to need his help. Whatever the day brought, Chase was ready for it. He made a mental note
that later when he and Kelly pulled out their laptops for one of their much-needed talks, he would tell her how right she
was. Some days there simply wasn’t time to miss out on reading the Bible. Days like this one. Never mind that short of a miracle
they didn’t have enough money to finish the film, or that Ben Adams still hadn’t returned Keith’s calls, or that they were
only a week into the shoot and there was no telling what troubles next week would bring.

For now, none of that mattered. Lives were being changed, no matter how crazy the movie shoot was playing out. The message
would stay with Chase forever.

Food trucks were temporary. People, the souls of people, were eternal.