Destination: Romance: Five Inspirational Love Stories Spanning the Globe

by Kim Vogel Sawyer

  They reached the car and settled into the seats. He started the ignition.

  “Ready to go to Dunn’s River Falls now?”

  “Yes.”

  She stared out the window as he drove. She wanted to push aside the

  uncomfortable feelings holding her captive so the day wouldn’t be ruined. After several silent minutes, Ken spoke. “Do you want to talk about it?” “No, I just want to stare out the window and think. My mind is on overload right now.”

  “A day at the beach should be just what you need, then.” Yes, a day at the beach should help her forget all the decisions she needed to make, but she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the day unless they cleared the air first. She prayed for courage and faced Ken. “Ken, I don’t appreciate you taking me to the college without even asking me if I wanted to go. My mom and dad don’t make important decisions without talking about things first. I’m not comfortable with you trying to make that decision for me.”

  He pulled o ff at an overlook and put the car in Park. “I’m sorry, Nat. I wanted this whole day to be a nice surprise for you without you having to do anything. I was so excited, I didn’t think about how you might feel. I promise I’ll try not to do it again, if you’ll forgive me.” He took her hand in his. “Please?”

  Her heart melted. “Yes, of course I’ll forgive you.”

  “Thank you.” He pulled back onto the road. “Besides Dunn’s River Falls, do you have any place you want to go?” “Can we find a candy store? When I was here six years ago, I sampled some coconut drops. They were so yummy. Do you know where we can find them?”

  “I certainly do. There’s a store named The Coconut Shop in Kingston and we can stop there on our way home.” Natalie awoke on their last day in Jamaica with a prayer of thanks on her heart for the special week she and her parents had shared with Ken and his family. She hurried to the kitchen to assist Mrs. Worth, but her mom was already there. “Where’s Dad?”

  “Gathering the eggs, if you want to help him. We’re almost ready to cook them.”

  She headed out to the henhouse and peeked her head in the door of the dark coop. “They’re ready for the eggs, Dad.” She squinted. “What are you doing in there?”

  He emerged with a basketful of eggs and a sheepish look on his face. “I remembered my Granny named her laying hens, so I did the same. I‘ve been telling them each good-bye until I come back.”

  She loved this seldom-seen side of her dad. “You realize the same chickens might not be here, right?” She grinned. “They might end up in a meal.”

  “Granny always said you keep the good ones until they quit laying, then you boil them and use the broth in soup as medicine.”

  Longing to know the granny who died before she’d been born washed over her. “I wish I’d known her.”

  “Me, too, but I can share some stories about her on the trip home.”

  She hugged his waist. “I’d love that.”

  “Ditto, kiddo.”

  They both laughed at his familiar saying from her childhood. This trip had brought the whole family closer, not just to Ken’s family, but also to each other.

  After breakfast, they packed and loaded the mission vehicle for the trip to the airport. Natalie and Ken stole a few moments alone outside while waiting for their parents to say their farewells. They walked behind the house for some privacy.

  Ken drew her into his arms for a long hug then kissed her lips. Electricity tingled up her body clear from her toes to her hair. She reached up and put her arms around his neck, drawing him closer, then kissed him.

  When they came up for air, his eyes locked on hers. “Natalie, I love you. I know we haven’t spent that much time together but…”

  She placed a finger across his lips. “I love you, too, Ken. And, we’ve known each other for over six years now, just lived on different continents and different worlds.”

  “I hope we can solve that problem in the future.” He stroked her cheek.

  Chill bumps raised on her arms. “I agree. I’m trusting God to work it all out how He plans.”

  He smiled and kissed her nose. “That’s the best way.”

  Their parents called for them, so they went back to the front yard where his mom was kissing her mom’s cheek and the dads were sharing man-hugs.

  Natalie sat up front again. The next four weeks would drag, but she and Ken each had lots of work to keep them busy. They probably wouldn’t see each other every day after he moved to Kentucky, but at least they’d be in the same state and country. Keep drawing us closer, Father, even when we’re apart.

  After leaving Nat and her parents at the airport, Ken ran his regular errands, then drove back to his home for the next month. He didn’t begrudge the precious time together, but he would miss her even more in the coming weeks. He hoped time would pass super fast, but how could he get everything done in that short time? Driving through the mission gate, the first idea came to him—delegate.

  As soon as the groceries were stowed away, he requested a pitcher of tea from Mom, then went outside and found one of the workers. He asked him to gather up the other four men who worked there and meet him at the unfinished dorm.

  Peter slapped him on the back. “Hey, mon, long time no see.” The other three nodded.

  Ken smiled. “Yes, I’ve been busy with our guests this past week. Plus, I’m going to be so busy the next month before I leave that I need all of you to help me get things done and come up with ways to keep them running smoothly around here while I’m gone.” He pointed to a long strip of paper he’d tacked to the inside wall. “On the left I’ve posted some of the areas that need to be taken care of. At the top are your names, plus Toby who isn’t here today.”

  Micah studied the chart and frowned. “More jobs dan people.”

  Ken chuckled. “You’re right, so we’ll need more than one person on many jobs just like you all helped build this dorm. Right now, I’d like you to study the chart, and when I come back in a few minutes I’ll have you take turns choosing which job you want to be in charge of while I’m gone, then others can volunteer to help when you need it. Understand?”

  “Yea, boss.”

  Ken went to the kitchen and picked up a tin of cookies he’d purchased at the grocery, the tea in a plastic pitcher, and six plastic cups. He carried them out to the dorm and set them on a barrel before pouring the tea. “Help yourself.”

  The men stood there for a few seconds before Peter took a cookie and a cup of tea.

  “Okay, Peter, you get to choose the first job you want to be in charge of.”

  His friend’s eyes gleamed as he chose finishing the inside of the dorm. “Me say we need everyone to sign up to help wid dis project.”

  The other four men scrambled to collect their cookies, tea, and jobs.

  Thank you Lord for giving me this idea. What’s next?

  CHAPTER 8

  Natalie finished her last class of the day but couldn’t recall much. Excitement at seeing Ken in a few short hours coursed through every heartbeat. She called her mother on her drive to Bluegrass Airport.

  “Hi, dear, is his plane still on time?” Mom sounded as eager as Natalie felt.

  “Yes, as far as I know. I’ll check again when I get there.”

  “Is he renting a car?”

  “No, we decided there was no need, as he’ll mainly stay on campus during the week. On weekends, I can pick him up, or he should be able to catch a ride to Lexington.”

  “That makes sense. Your dad and I want to take you both out for supper tonight. How about we meet at Ramsey’s on Harrodsburg Road?”

  “Great. That’s right on our way to Wilmore. I’ll call you when he arrives. Bye.”

  Natalie parked in the cell phone lot and waited for Ken’s call. She attempted to read a chapter for her international law class but gave up and sang along to the music on K-Love until her phone buzzed.

  Ken’s text read On the ground. Her heart galloped. She texted back for him to let her know when his
luggage arrived, then she phoned her mom to head to the restaurant.

  After another twenty minutes, a second message dinged. On my way.

  Nat pulled out and drove toward the baggage claim area. Ken was coming out the door as she parked along the curb. Her heart thumping, she jumped out and ran to meet him. He dropped his bags and enveloped her in a hug. When they broke apart, she noticed several people staring and smiling at them. She didn’t care.

  “Ready to ride? My parents are taking us out for supper tonight.” Natalie popped the trunk of her Camry, and he stowed his luggage there.

  He held her door then slid into the passenger seat. “Good, I’ll be glad to see them again.” He touched her hand. “I’m overjoyed to see you, Natalie. May I have a kiss?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  After a couple of minutes, she heard a tap on her window and looked up. A smiling policeman pointed to his watch. She flushed, pulled back from Ken’s arms, and waved at the officer as she left the curb. “I’d hate for you to get cited on your first day in the States.”

  He grinned. “What would be the charge?”

  “Accomplice to kissing in a ‘no parking’ zone.”

  They laughed as she drove to the restaurant, happy they were in the same country.

  Ken lazed on his dorm bed on his first morning in Kentucky. Was he really at Asbury Seminary and only thirty minutes away from the love of his life? God, You are the only One who could’ve orchestrated all of this. Thank You. He should get up, but his body resisted. The last few weeks’ work and lack of sleep had caught up with him. But it was all worth it. He didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  His phone rang. He picked it up, grimacing at the low battery signal. “Hello?”

  “Good morning.”

  Nat’s voice startled him wide-awake. “Just woke up. What time is it?”

  “Nine.”

  He jumped out of bed. “I’d better run. I’m supposed to be in the dean’s office at nine thirty. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

  He dressed, brushed his teeth, then loped down the stairs and across the campus, glad he’d asked Natalie to drive him by the building last night.

  When Ken returned to his dorm a couple of hours later, he dialed Natalie, but she didn’t answer so he left a message. He should’ve asked when would be a good time to call her. Since it was almost eleven, he decided to walk around campus instead of looking for some breakfast.

  At a quarter till noon, his growling stomach led him to the cafeteria. After eating, Ken checked out the library on campus, where he’d spend much of his time. Next, he went to the dorm to get his phone so he could try her number again. He counted three messages from her before dialing the number. “Hello, Nat. Sorry I needed to leave my phone here charging.” “That’s okay. Are you off the rest of the day?”

  “Yes, but I need to scout out the location of all my classes. They start tomorrow.”

  “My classes are over for today, so how about I pick you up and we can explore together? Then we can eat supper before I head back.” His heart skipped a beat at the chance of seeing her again so soon. “That would be great. But I’ll need to eat at the cafeteria since Uncle J.T. already paid for my meals.”

  “I understand. I’ll buy something there to eat with you. We can compare our schedules and work out study dates.”

  “Great idea. See you soon.”

  By October, the road to Asbury Seminary had become an old friend to Natalie as she wound her way around the curves. The trees stood in their fall glory, the variety of oranges, yellows, reds, and purples waving their praise to God.

  Ken met her at the cafeteria at six, their regular Thursday study-date night. “Hello, beautiful.”

  Her heart melted at his usual greeting. “Hi, yourself.”

  They went through the cafeteria buffet, then Ken led them to a table apart from the others.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

  “We only have a couple of months until our last semesters start. We need to make plans for next year. Do you plan to move to Jamaica after graduation?” His brow furrowed, and his eyes locked on hers.

  She blew out a breath. “It’s a lot more complicated than I first thought. In my class on international adoption we learned that each country in the Caribbean has its own laws. To set up a law office in Jamaica, I’d have to take and pass the six-month conversion course at the Norman Manley Law School, but I’m not sure if that would be the best route. I’ve been thinking about starting out with an international agency here in the States that would send me to whichever countries need adoptions finalized.”

  “So you’d live in the United States then just travel to the Caribbean when needed?”

  She nodded. She’d be so much more secure at a U.S. agency. “I can live anywhere I meet the residency requirements, but I would have to obtain upto-date visas, as you and your parents do to travel into or out of the country. I’d also need a work permit any place I was on the job.”

  He gazed at her with wide eyes. “I hadn’t imagined all that with a law degree. We don’t travel out of Jamaica very often except to go on furlough every five years when our mission board sends another missionary to take our place for twelve months.”

  Natalie frowned. “Sounds like we both have a lot to learn.”

  “I’ll ask my advisor in my intercultural studies class if he has any ideas about handling international adoptions.”

  “Okay. Let’s talk again this weekend. Can your friend bring you to Lexington for church or do you need me to drive here?”

  “Neither. Our class is taking an overnight trip to Appalachia, so we’ll stay in people’s homes and go to their church on Sunday morning. We’ll return late, so I guess our next date night will be Tuesday.”

  Her chest went tight. “That’ll be the longest we’ve been apart since you moved here.”

  “You’re right. I’ve heard absence makes the heart grow fonder, so we’ll see how much you miss me.”

  She sighed. After all their months apart, she already knew how much she’d miss him.

  Th e next morning Ken packed his duffel bag for the trip. The bus would leave right after his last class ended at four. He’d spent the night wrestling with Nat’s uncertainty, and he still wondered why life had to be filled with wrinkles and roadblocks. He tried turning it all over to God in prayer, but he couldn’t concentrate on his other classes.

  What if this was a problem they couldn’t agree on? Would God want him to give up his dream of the mission field? Would Nat be willing to give up her hope of helping orphans be adopted into loving homes?

  As the van drove out of Lexington on I-66, and then turned on Mountain Parkway, he continued to brood. When they left the Parkway, he began to read signs for Quicksand, Lost Creek, and Dice. Even the town names depressed him.

  Th e group stopped in Hazard to eat at an Arby’s, one of his favorite restaurants in the States. While they ate, Dr. Smith told them since there were five students and one professor, one of them needed to share a room with him. Ken volunteered. What better way to have his teacher all to himself for some advice?

  It was already dark by the time Dr. Smith dropped o ff the other four guys then drove to a home up another “holler,” as the locals called them. Mr. and Mrs. Yancey welcomed them into a very warm living room and offered them some apple pie and ice cream, which proved delicious. They sat around the woodstove and talked an hour before climbing upstairs to the guest bedroom where twin beds sat on opposite sides of the room.

  After he and Dr. Smith prepared for bed, his teacher spoke, “What’s bugging you, Ken? You’ve been happy as a lark all semester until today. Did you get bad news from home?”

  “Not home, but my girlfriend told me yesterday that she doesn’t know if our idea for her to use her law degree to help with Jamaican adoptions is going to work. There seems to be too much red tape to go through.”

  His teacher cocked his head. “Are you all engaged yet?”

>   “No. I’d planned to ask her next May when we both get our degrees, but now I wonder if I should ask her this Christmas so we can go on and make plans. But what if she says no since we don’t know how things will come together?”

  “Are you sure she’s the one for you?”

  Ken nodded emphatically. “Definitely.” Then he shook his head. “No one else.”

  “Then I suggest you step out on faith and ask her. If she says yes, then you’ll both need to do some serious praying and surrendering to God. Do you believe He can work it out—even if it’s not the answer you want or she wants?”

  He searched his heart. “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “Smart answer. Then ask her.”

  “I better buy a ring first.”

  Dr. Smith smiled. “That’s your second smart answer. Let’s get some sleep now, and I’ll add this to my prayers. Your mission station is in Jamaica, right?”

  Ken nodded, although he didn’t see how that could solve his problem.

  “My wife and I’ve been talking about taking a group of students on a summer mission trip. Do you think your place might work?”

  “We’d love to have you. We’re just finishing a dorm for groups like that.”

  “Great. We’ll talk more when we get back to campus. I’ll check with the dean to see what else we’ll need to do.”

  Thank You, God, for answering that prayer before I even thought of asking it. I know I can trust You with everything else, including Nat and our future.

  CHAPTER 9

  When Ken returned to Wilmore on Sunday evening, he phoned his parents and told them his plan to propose to Natalie over Thanksgiving. “Way to go, son.” Dad’s happiness came through loud and clear.

  “I’m so happy for you both.” His mother spoke with tears in her voice. “Don’t mind me. These are tears of joy.” Then she told him about her mother’s engagement ring she’d left with her brother in the States. He should call Uncle James in Louisville to see if they could meet up somewhere before Thanksgiving.

  Ken called him right then, and the uncle he’d only seen a few times during furloughs delivered the heirloom ring to Asbury the weekend before Thanksgiving. It was more beautiful than Ken had remembered.