The Forgiving Hour (33 page)

The night after he returned to Boise, Dakota took Sara out to dinner. They ate at his favorite Italian restaurant, but he wouldn’t remember later what he’d ordered or how the food tasted. He was too busy staring at her, drinking in every little detail of her — the dazzle of her smile, the sound of her laughter, the glitter of joy in her eyes, the perfection of her mouth, the gleam of candlelight reflected in her glorious hair. He hadn’t expected to miss her so much. It was only a week since he’d seen her, but it felt more like a year.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her, for about the fifteenth time.

She laughed, then said, “So are you.”

“No, I mean it. I’ve never known anyone as beautiful as you are.”

“Except you. You’re more beautiful.” She laid a hand over her heart. “Especially in here.”

“What I am is blessed.” He leaned forward. “Did you order those wedding invitations yet?”

“Yes. Why? Did you change your mind about the color or verse?”

“Neither of those. I was thinking we should move the date up.”

“To when?”

“Next week be too soon? We could drive down to Winnemucca and be married in a matter of hours.”

Her laughter was as beautiful as she was.

He gave her a sheepish grin. “I take it that’s a no.”

Still smiling, Sara took hold of his hand. “Mr. Conway, since this is the only wedding either one of us is going to have, I want to do it right. No rushing, no matter how eager the bride and groom. The full church wedding with all the trimmings.”

It’s what he wanted too. Still …

“You wouldn’t believe how many things there are to do before we’ll be ready. Besides, my mom would kill me if I deprived her of fussing over each and every detail. Trust me, I know. She’s in seventh heaven right now.”

“I don’t guess my mom would be too thrilled either if we just up and eloped.” He shrugged. “But it would be sort of romantic, wouldn’t it?”

She lowered her voice. “Yes, it would. Everything you do is romantic. You always make me feel special.”

“It’s only because you
are
special. I thank God every night for bringing you into my life.” He squeezed her hand.

“It is rather like a miracle, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. A miracle.”

They sat in silence for a long while, oblivious to the crowded restaurant sounds all around them, both of them recalling the moment they’d met.

Some would have called that day in the airport merely a coincidence. Just a chance meeting.

Dakota and Sara knew better.

Submit therefore to God.

Claire removed her reading glasses and dropped them on top of her Bible. She covered her face with her hands while resting her elbows on the table.

Submit therefore to God.

She felt as if He was trying to tell her something in this verse, but she didn’t know what. Everything was confused and jumbled.

“I don’t understand, Lord.”

And those who know My name will put their trust in Me.

I
do
trust You. But I want to understand what’s going on.

Was she being punished for something? Her son was about to get married, and she was all alone at forty-two.

The only man I’ve been interested in at all in years believes You don’t want us together. And he’s going to do what he thinks You’re telling him, no matter what I say.

She raked the fingers of both hands through her hair, brooding because she was stuck in Seattle until her work was done. She was going to have to face Kevin’s rejection every single day, over and over again.

He says it’s all part of some perfect plan, but it doesn’t seem very perfect to me.
She looked toward the ceiling. “I’m trying to live right.” She raised her voice. “What more do You want from me? When do I get a break?”

Make Me Lord of your heart, beloved.

“I have.”

Of
every
corner of your heart.

“I have!”

Exasperated, she got up and went to the couch in the living room. She sat down, grabbed the television control, and pushed the
On
button. The room was immediately filled with the noise of gunfire.

Good. A senselessly violent movie. Just what she was in the mood for. She wanted it to be loud enough to drown out the small Voice in her heart.

It didn’t work.

I will not share your affection with any other god!

“What other god?” She closed her eyes and covered her ears.
Leave me alone. I don’t understand anything anymore.

PART 5

Gladness

But let the righteous be glad;
let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
Psalm 68:3

THIRTY-THREE

M
AY

The instant the
Fasten Seat Belt
sign was turned off, Claire jumped up from her seat and reached for her carry-on in the overhead bin. Her heart raced in anticipation of seeing Dakota again and meeting Sara for the first time. The last two months in Seattle had seemed years long.

Not that her work hadn’t been both interesting and challenging. It had been. But ever since the day Kevin asked her to wait and see what God wanted for them, she’d felt herself in limbo. She’d prayed until she had no prayers left, asking for guidance, asking what God wanted. But if He was speaking to her, she wasn’t hearing Him.

She saw passengers begin to leave the front of the aircraft and heard the attractive flight attendant spinning off her litany. “Thanks.” “Have a nice day.” “Thank you.” “Good day.” “Thanks.”

When Claire reached the young woman, she returned a smile as she hurried by. The moment she turned the corner in the Jetway, she craned her neck in an attempt to see over the heads of other passengers, looking for her tall son. It wasn’t until she was almost to the door that she saw him. He was grinning from ear to ear as he waved at her, and she felt a rush of joy.

“Dakota!”

A few seconds later, she was crushed in his tight embrace.

“Welcome home, Mom.”

“Oh, it’s good to be back.” Misty eyed, she drew away from him and laid her palm flat against his cheek. “You look wonderful.”

“You too. You’ve lost some weight, haven’t you?” As he spoke, he took the carry-on bag from her.

“About ten pounds. Thanks for noticing.” She looked around for Sara.

“She couldn’t be here,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “Her boss sent her to Pocatello yesterday afternoon.” He put his free arm around Claire’s back and steered her down the corridor. “But she’ll be home late tonight, and we’re coming over to your house tomorrow. She can’t wait to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

He stopped walking. “You really are gonna love her, Mom.”

“I know.”

He grinned before giving her another hug.

Thank You, Father, for making my son so happy. He deserves it. Bless his marriage with joy all the days of his life.

Dakota took hold of her arm and started walking again. “Mrs. Jennings is planning a get-together next weekend with you as the honored guest. She thought you’d like a week to get settled in again before you’re subjected to a big family dinner at their place. There’s a bunch of them, remember. But you’ll meet everyone at church on Sunday.” His grip tightened on her arm. “You
are
planning to attend Sunrise Fellowship, aren’t you?”

“Of course. I missed a lot of years when I could have been going with you. I don’t want to miss any more.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

At the carousel, they waited with the crowd of other passengers for the luggage to appear, adding their voices to the cacophony rising all around them. Dakota asked her about Alana and Jack Moncur’s visit to Seattle. By the time she’d finished answering, they’d collected her bags and were headed for his Jeep in the parking lot.

Half an hour later, she unlocked the front door of her house and stepped inside, pausing in the entryway as she looked around the living room. She felt a rush of pure pleasure. She was home again.

“Feels good, huh?” Dakota asked as he stepped in behind her.

“Mmm.”

“And look. Not a single plant died in your absence.”

She laughed.

“Want these in the bedroom?”

She glanced over her shoulder. He had a bag under each arm and another in each hand. “Oh, put them down anywhere, honey. I’ll take care of them later.” She walked through the living area and into the kitchen. Sunshine spilled through the windows of the eating nook, brightening the pale-green and white room. A bouquet of daffodils and tulips sat in the center of the table, and a plate of frosted sugar cookies, covered with colored cellophane, waited on the counter near the stove.

“The flowers are from me,” Dakota informed her as he entered the kitchen. “The cookies are from Sara.”

She turned toward him. “Everything’s so clean and sparkling. You must have worked hard to get it all spic-and-span.”

“John helped since Sara had to be out of town. She wanted to do it for you. By the way, John sends his love. He said to tell you —” The ring of the doorbell interrupted him.

Claire raised an eyebrow. “Who knows I’m even home yet?” She went to answer it. Opening the door, she discovered a floral delivery man holding a beautiful springtime bouquet.

“Ms. Conway?”

“Yes.”

“These are for you.”

“Thank you,” she said as she accepted them.

As she closed the door with the toe of her shoe, she heard Dakota ask, “More flowers? Who’re they from?”

“I don’t know.” She sniffed a sprig of sweet-smelling lilacs before setting the flowers on the coffee table. “Here’s the card.” She sat on the sofa as she opened it.

Thinking of you,
Kevin

Her heart fluttered at the sight of his name; she wished it didn’t.

“An admirer, Mom? Are you holding out on me?”

She shook her head. “They’re from Kevin, but don’t go reading anything into it. He was just being thoughtful.” How she wished it were more than that.

Be patient,
the small Voice in her heart whispered.

Be patient. Be patient. I hear You, Lord. But what am I being patient for?

Sara had a difficult time keeping the car at seventy-five miles per hour as she drove toward the setting sun. She wouldn’t get home until after ten o’clock at this rate. Too late to see Dakota.

She wondered if his mother had arrived from Seattle okay. She’d wanted to be at the airport with Dakota and had been more than a little disappointed when she was required to be out of town, today of all days. She’d already waited several weeks for the first meeting with her future mother-in-law.

She and Claire had spoken a couple of times on the telephone at Dakota’s urging. But what could they say to each other when they’d never actually met?

What if she doesn’t like me?

Dakota adored his mother. It was evident in so many of the things he said and did. If Claire Conway didn’t approve of Sara, if they couldn’t get along, what would he do? Would he still want to marry her?

But that was silly. There wasn’t any reason why she and Claire shouldn’t get along. Mother-in-law horror stories didn’t have to be the norm. Look how fond all of her brothers’ wives were of Kristina Jennings. That alone was proof her worries were groundless.

She smiled to herself, remembering the last time she and her mother were together.

“Oh, Sara,” Kristina’s voice broke. “Oh, my baby girl. It’s breathtaking.” She sniffed. “No, you’re breathtaking.”

Sara swept the beaded train of the wedding gown out of her way as she turned around. “Don’t cry, Mom, or you’ll get me started too.”

“I can’t help it.” Still sniffing, Kristina searched through her purse until she found a tissue. She touched it to the corners of her eyes, then blew her nose. “I wish your father was here to see you.”

“I think he’d better wait until just before he walks me down the aisle.” She suspected her dad would be even more emotional than her mother.