The Winning Summer (8 page)

The girls laughed.

“Hmm.” Katie drifted deep in thought. “I guess I could go, just for Boomer. Sounds like he needs me.”

Skye and Morgan smiled and gave each other a thumbs-up.

As Skye had promised, she and Katie spent the afternoon taking four kids at a time on short trail rides around Piney Hollow. At the campsite, Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and Morgan entertained with ATV rides, bug and leaf hunts, and lessons about campfire cooking. Dozens of hot dogs, baked potatoes, and marshmallows later, the youth group encircled the campfire and sang choruses, with Chad accompanying on his guitar.

From the onset, the Youth for Truth teens welcomed Katie and Keystone’s three other students. Immersed in the chitchat, Katie answered oodles of questions that expressed genuine interest in her, not only as a blind person but also as just another kid.

Giving Katie the space to make new friends, Skye and Morgan allowed themselves to be distracted, Skye mostly with Chad. During a short break before the evening devotional, Skye joined Katie, who sat facing the embers of the dying fire.

“So, Katie, how’s it goin’?” Skye asked.

“That food was super!” Katie exclaimed. “When do we get to do this again? I had well—I won’t tell you all I scarfed down, but that was great.”

“Yeah, I just love campfire food,” Skye agreed. “And how are you doin’ with the kids?”

“I don’t believe this,” Katie answered. “Are they for real?”

“What do you mean?” Skye was hoping for a good report.

“I think they really like me.”

Skye let out a long sigh. “Sure they like you. I told you they’re a neat bunch of kids.”

“Melissa told me how she met you at the Maranatha Treatment Center where you both were clients. She seems really cool.”

“Yep, she is. We hang out together at school and church all the time.”

“And who’s this Bobby kid? He cracked me up.”

“That’s Bobby Noll.” Skye chuckled. “He can be a real pain, but he’s into music big-time. Did he tell you about his trumpet?”

Katie giggled. “That’s all he talked about. He acts like the trumpet’s his best friend. Speaking of music, Chad is awesome with that guitar.”

Dreamboat Chad!
Skye glanced toward a cluster of boys laughing near the chuck wagon. Chad stood in the middle.
He
’
s probably telling his latest string of jokes
.
“He just does everything so-o-o well.” Skye sighed.

Katie giggled again. “Now how did I know you were gonna say that?”

Skye’s face flushed hot. “Oh, never mind,” she joked.

“Okay, kids!” Mr. Chambers’ powerful voice commanded attention as he stood near the fire. “Gather around one last time. We’re going to wrap up the day with devotions and testimonies, so think about what you’d like to say.”

The campers quickly gathered, sitting on crates and buckets around the fire. Morgan parked her Jazzy next to Katie.

Skye glanced to the left of the chuck wagon where Champ stood lined up at a hitching post with the other horses. At a table in front of the wagon, Mrs. Chambers bustled about, finishing her supper chores.

“I sure hope he doesn’t call on me.” Katie’s whisper drew Skye’s attention back to the circle.

“Don’t worry,” Skye said as she eyed Chad directly across from her. “Saying anything is strictly voluntary.”

“Phew-w-w.” Katie let out a long sigh. “I don’t exactly have anything to praise the Lord for anyway.”

Mr. Chambers opened in prayer. After giving a devotional from the book of Psalms, he delivered a short challenge. “Would any of you want to tell what the Lord has done in your lives? You could be a great encouragement to the others. Anyone?”

With a warm smile, the man glanced at each teen. Finally, his stare settled on Skye. It burned a hole right through her.

Uh-oh. I don
’
t like that look
.
Panic shot through her body like ice water, and her heart started racing. She gnawed her lip, her fingers running swiftly through her hair.

The Lord has been good
, Skye told herself,
but I
’
ve never
given a testimony in front of the whole world! And I don
’
t plan
to!
Her darting eyes found Bobby.
And at our last youth
meeting, I told him to get lost. He
’
ll think I
’
m a hypocrite!

Skye scanned every face in the circle, her breath short and choppy.
Somebody say something! But not me!

Seated next to Chad, Joey beamed a Cheshire grin from under his ten-gallon hat. An oversize tin sheriff’s badge shone proudly from his western shirt. The beaming boy jumped up, charged toward Mr. Chambers, and wrapped him tightly with both arms. “Jesus loves you, Mr. C., and I do too.”

Mr. Chambers folded his muscular arms around the boy. “And I love you, Joey.”

Joey, still smiling broadly, dashed back to his seat and squared his hat just as he had seen Mr. Chambers do many times before.

A nervous silence settled over the campfire. The teens sat in their tight circle . . . staring at the coals . . . waiting . . . as eager to say a word as the dying coals were willing to burn.

Mr. Chambers folded his arms and waited. “I’ll give you a moment to think about what you’d like to say.”

Finally, Chad raised his hand. “I’d like to say something.”

“Go right ahead.” Mr. Chambers grabbed at the chance to let someone else speak.

Chad stood, and his dimples highlighted a set of perfect teeth. “I just wanna say that the Lord has really been good to me. He allowed me to get two jobs this summer, one at the hardware store and one here at Keystone, helping kids learn to ride. All that money goes into my college fund. So I just wanna thank him.” He sat and sent a special smile in Skye’s direction.

Whoa!
Skye’s racing heart tore for the finish line, out of her chest and up her throat.
Chad, you are too cool.
Her face was anything but.

“Thanks,” Mr. Chambers said. “Anyone else?”

With the wave of her hand, Morgan got the man’s attention.

“You’re on, young lady,” he said.

Morgan took a deep breath and began. “Most of you know that I was born with cerebral palsy, and I’ve never been able to walk.”

Everyone nodded.

“Well, for a long time I was really mad at God for letting me be born like this. There was a time when I thought I was useless. I didn’t even want to live. No one in my family is a Christian, so we never went to church. But then I came here to Keystone Stables, and I learned that God has a special purpose for me. It was only after I accepted Christ that I could see that. I just wanna thank Mr. and Mrs. C.—and God—for showing me the right way.”

“Thank you, Morgan.” Mr. Chambers smiled again and ran his fingers down both sides of his mustache. “Sooner or later, we must all make the decision whether we want to turn it all over to God. Does anyone else have a testimony?”

Impulsive Bobby jumped up and poked his glasses back off the tip of his nose. “I wanna thank God for my trumpet!” He dropped back down abruptly, nearly overturning his bucket.

Peals of laughter erupted.

“And your father tells me he’s thankful for earplugs!” Mr. Chambers chuckled. “I’m with him!”

More ripples of laughter.

Skye sat like a statue, her heart playing havoc in her chest.

But this was nothing new. Staring at Chad or being near him set her heart off like a flurry of butterflies or, worse, like a beating drum on the warpath. She could count on it!

Thumpity thump. Thumpity thump
. Definitely not butterflies!

Skye had just about had enough.
Cut it out, heart!

But wait.

Skye’s thoughts had long since drifted away from Chad, back to the others and what they were saying. What was going on?

Thumpity thump. Thumpity thump
. “It’s your turn.” Someone seemed to be speaking to Skye.

Skye looked at Mr. Chambers, whose eyes had already found hers. Their message was loud and clear.

Now, to make matters worse, busy Mrs. Chambers just happened to look toward Skye. “It’s your turn!” That same voice spoke through the woman’s beautiful blue eyes.

But I can
’
t!
More than ever, Skye wanted to crawl inside the crate on which she sat.

Thumpity thump. Chick-en . . . Skye!

Am not . . . am not . . . am not!

“Anyone else before we close in prayer?” Mr. Chambers fired his question right at Skye.

Skye’s glance swept the circle. Every pair of eyes, without exception, had found the same person.

Dad means me! Gulp!

Skye had been a Christian long enough to know that in times of crisis, the best thing to do was pray.

And the crisis is now! God, I need you. Right this minute.
I do have a lot to thank you for. So if it is my turn, I
’
ll do it!

Finally, Skye’s chicken heart mustered a swell of newfound strength. Like an electric charge, courage coursed through every nerve in her body. In an instant, Skye the Coward became Skye the Brave!

She could do this.

She would do this—for her Lord.

Slowly, Skye stood.

Chapter Ten

S
kye, go right ahead!” A smile of victory beamed from Mr. Chambers’ face.

A circle of eyes riveted on Skye.

Mrs. Chambers strolled from her table and stood behind Joey. She folded her arms and gave Skye an assuring wink.

“I—I—”

“You can do this,” a Voice whispered deep in Skye’s soul.

Skye took a deep breath, determined.

Amazingly, words started flowing from her lips as fast as her heart was pounding. “I just wanna say that I used to be a pretty rotten kid. I blamed everybody else for all the trouble I caused. I ran away from everything and everybody, even God. But when Jesus came into my life, he gave me the guts to face my problems. I found out that it was him I was running away from all along. Now I know he’s with me through anything. He’s the best friend I have. That’s all!” Skye looked at her foster mother for approval, released a deep, long sigh, and sank back down onto her crate.

Eyes watery, Mr. Chambers took a moment to find his voice. “Thank you, Skye. The Bible says that Christ wants to be as close as a brother to those who ask. If any of you would like to talk to me privately about your walk with God, see me afterward. Your testimonies were excellent. Let’s stand and we’ll close in prayer.”

As Mr. Chambers started, Skye glanced at Morgan, who gave her a quick thumbs-up. Out of the corner of her eye, Skye watched Katie, who slowly stood with her head hung low. Her solemn face seemed set in stone.

Now what
’
s goin
’
on in that brain of hers?

Skye just had to find out.

Sunday and time to go to church!

Katie surprised everyone. Dressed in her Sunday best, she arrived first at the breakfast table. She smiled all the way to church—and through it! It seemed to Skye that Katie actually listened to the video in teen class and to the pastor in the main service, as well. At dinner as at breakfast, Katie used her best manners, taking only one serving of every dish. Something was definitely different!

Skye studied her new friend as though Katie had grown an extra head. Despite prodding from Mr. and Mrs. Chambers as to why she had decided to attend church, Katie simply said, “I just wanted to. That’s all.” Not until the afternoon when the girls were grooming their horses in the barn did Skye have the chance to find out what was really going on.

“All right, Katie, let’s have it,” Skye said as she ran a metal comb through Champ’s long, flowing tail.

“Have what? One of these brushes?” Katie’s tone was light, almost a giggle. With a brush in each hand, she worked hard on Boomer’s coat.

“You know perfectly well what. What’s with you and church all of a sudden? And you usually inhale two plates of food at every meal. Are you sick or something?”

Silence filled the barn, except for two lazy horses whisking their tails to shoo away flies.

“Katie?”

“Oh, all right, Skye. You won’t give up until I spill it. I want you to be the first to know. It’s been killin’ me to keep this in until you and I were alone.”