“It’ll get better after a few days. We’re just going to keep you a few days longer for observation but you should be okay to go home when your baby is.”
“Can I see her?” Andie’s face lit up.
“Of course. I asked them to bring her up.” As if on cue, a maternity nurse walked through the door with their new baby girl and laid her on Andie’s chest.
“She’s been cranky.” The nurse said. “But I know as soon as she hears her momma’s heartbeat, she’ll settle.”
The doctor nodded to the nurses and they all walked out. They wanted the Mikale’s to have their first few seconds of in privacy.
John watched the transformation in his crying child. He saw her little angelic face turn from the angry red, from crying, to a soft pink as she settled instantly. Her cries turned to gentle coos.
“I know sweet girl. I missed her too.” He reached to hold her little hand in his fingers. He looked up to Andie’s face and smiled sadly. “You gave us quite a scare.”
“I’m sorry sweetheart.” Andie laid her free hand on John’s.
“No don’t. Never apologize for something that is not your fault.” He stressed. “I’m just glad God answered my prayers and brought you back to us.” John looked to Andie with hopeful eyes. “You know what else He did?”
“Nope, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.” She smiled and blinked her eyes. She looked so tired.
He decided to give her the short version in the interest of time. John knew she needed her rest. “Chastity was here, with her husband.”
Andie drug her attention away from her newborn for a few more seconds. “Did you just say what I thought you did?”
John nodded happily. She watched his face light up with joy as the tears slid down his cheeks.
“And Jesse came too. Andie, I have my whole family together for the first time. I feel like a brand new man. I feel like I could take on the world.”
Andie reached up to wipe away his tears. “I’m so happy for you…for us.” She looked down to her baby and kissed her little head.
And that’s how Chastity and Timothy found them, huddled together on Andie’s bed. Chastity cautiously opened the door, wondering if it was okay to intrude. Timothy was behind her with flowers in hand.
Andie’s face lit up when she saw her and waved her in. “Please.” She said with as much energy as she could muster.
John stood, not sure how he should greet Chastity. He reached to shake Timothy’s hand and then awkwardly stood in front of his daughter. She opened her arms to hug him and then quickly closed them.
Man this is hard. But John was thankful for her presence. He was okay if she didn’t want to hug. He offered his hand to Chastity to shake it as he had Tim’s. He looked to her with hope and a smile. He hoped they could bridge the gap with a shake, and maybe allow it to turn into something greater.
Chastity took his hand and clasped it. She laid her second hand over his and squeezed it.
John smiled to his wife. “Andie, I’d like you to meet Chastity and Timothy.”
Andie offered their baby to John, and then struggled to sit up.
Chastity rushed to her side. “Here. Let me help.”
Andie was grateful for the help. “So nice to meet you,” she said smiling. “I’ve been waiting a very long time to know you, and I feel like I already know you. May I give you a hug?”
Chastity smiled in gratitude. She instantly liked this woman, and was glad John had someone, like her, in his life. Andie opened her arms as Chastity nodded and fell into them softly.
Chastity wasn’t prepared for the strength Andie held in her embrace. Timothy noticed that once Andie let go, Chastity looked a little awkward.
To lighten the moment, he quickly blurted out. “Now you can’t go around giving those away without sharing.”
They all laughed as Andie opened her arms to Timothy. Chastity looked across the bed to her father. He locked her into a lengthy stare, which clearly showed her the love he held for her in his eyes.
“You want to hold your sister again?” He asked rounding the end of the bed. Chastity nodded and held her sister securely in her arms.
This is how Jesse and Lauri found them when they walked in. It struck him what a normal scene it looked like.
It looks like family. He grabbed his wife’s hand and walked in to join them.
Chapter 63
Anne uncorked a bottle of her favorite wine, and poured two glasses. She pushed a piece of her favorite pizza toward Chastity, and then grabbed one for herself.
“You get this from Sauced?” Chastity mumbled through her bite, referring to their favorite pizza joint in the Paseo district.
Anne grinned and nodded. “I thought you’d need a good slice as a homecoming gift.” Anne said and popped up in the tall patio chair. She laughed at Baxter, as he chased squirrels around the back yard.
Chastity leaned her head back and kicked her feet up. She felt utterly drained, and was enjoying her overdue girls’ time. “This is just what I needed. Thanks.” Chastity sighed and sunk her teeth into her piece of pizza. Her quiet moment was interrupted by Baxter’s shrill bark, as he ran circles around a tree.
“I still can’t believe you got a dog!” Chastity laughed. Baxter had his paws up on the trunk of the pistachio tree and was trying to jump at the squirrel, which had climbed to safety. “He’s so cute, but he’s loud!”
“Yeah, that’s the beagle in him.” Anne laughed and settled into her chair. “I still can’t believe you met your dad!”
Chastity’s eyes grew wide. “Me neither. I still feel like I made the whole thing up. It feels like a dream.”
“So how did you guys leave it?”
“Well kinda in limbo. I told him it was nice to meet his family, and I was glad we were able to pray together.” Anne nodded as she’d already been given all the details of Chastity’s trip.
“But?” Anne leaned forward.
Chastity cocked her head and finished swallowing her wine. “But…I told him I couldn’t promise anything. I told him I wanted to get to know my baby sis.” She grinned across the table. “I have a baby sister.”
“I’m still waiting for a picture!” Anne laughed. “What kind of aunt would I be without getting a picture?”
“Let me grab my cell and I’ll show you a few. My purse is inside.” Chastity hopped down from her chair and ran inside to the kitchen. When she reached for her purse on the counter, she saw the letter from Ned. Chastity grabbed it, scanned the first few lines, and started laughing. Anne heard her friend’s laughter from outside, and came in to see what Chastity found so humorous.
Anne stopped in her tracks when she saw what Chastity was reading. “Oh, that. I meant to shred it.”
“But?” Chastity lifted her eyebrow at her friend.
“But what? I need to shred it!” Anne jumped across the kitchen to grab the letter, but Chastity stepped back and lifted it above her reach.
“Come on, give it to me.” She jumped to try again which only resulted in a fit of laughter from Chastity.
“You can’t jump that far. I’m taller than you Anna Banana. Besides I think you should do it!”
Anne frowned. “And give Guy any satisfaction? No way! Can you believe the nerve? What? I turn him down so he figures he’d submit me for a dating show? What? Because I didn’t want him that means something must be wrong with me?” Anne sputters while reaching for the rest of the packet.
“No, there’s nothing wrong with you! You just have good taste! That’s all.” Chastity finally handed the letter back over to her flustered friend. “Look he obviously thought you would do well on the show, or he wouldn’t have nominated you. Timothy, Ned and Guy are pretty tight and Guy wouldn’t have suggested you to Ned if he didn’t think you had worth.”
Anne gave her an incredulous look. “All those dating shows are a farce anyways! No one is real. I bet Guy figures I’d never be gutsy enough to go for it and this is just another way to poke fun at me.”
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Chastity giggled. “Well it would be a fun way to stick it to him. He would be green with envy if you were the one left standing at the end. I can’t wait to tell Timothy!” Chastity pulled her phone out to send him a text.
Within seconds her phone rang. Chastity gave Anne a look and showed her the caller ID. Her husband wanted the scoop immediately.
“He’s worse than a girl.” Chastity laughed and answered her phone. She put it on speaker so Anne could hear.
“Hey there. Did you get my text?” Chastity grinned.
“Uh yeah, why do you think I called? What did Guy do now?” Chastity loved hearing his laugh. Chastity quickly filled him in and Timothy gave his two cents.
“Anne, first of all don’t worry about Guy’s motives – he’s just not used to girls turning him down.”
Anne quickly replied. “I have half a mind to go on that stupid show to expose it for what it really is – fake … just like your friend Guy.”
Timothy chuckled. “Well I’m gonna text Ned and tell him you’re doing it.”
“Don’t you dare Timothy!” Anne blurted and picked up the phone.
“Hey easy there. I was just kidding, but honestly it might be fun for you. You should think about it. I’m signing off. You two enjoy your night and don’t keep my wife out too late.”
Chastity laughed. “Call you later honey. Bye.” She hung up the phone and reached for the packet. “Let me see the rest.”
Anne pushed the paperwork across the counter to her friend. “I knew I should have shredded it.” She mumbled and turned to go grab their wine from outside.
When she came back, with Baxter in tow, Chastity was filling it out for her. She set both glasses down and firmly placed a hand on Chastity’s arm.
“Huh-nuh. No way.”
“Come on. Part of you must have been interested or it wouldn’t have been conveniently left out for me to find. You should do it!”
“Do what?” Anne ignored her and picked up Baxter. “He’s the only one for me right now.”
Chastity pulled Baxter out of Anne’s arms and snuggled with him for a few seconds. “He’s so cute. I’m glad you have him to keep you company. But stop ignoring me on this one. I think you should go talk to the casting director.” Anne didn’t object this time so Chastity continued. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea!” Anne threw her hands up.
“Look Anne. You’ve been in a rut. And coming to Oklahoma is great, but what do you want for your life? I see this as a fun opportunity that presented itself…why not go for it?”
“Are you crazy? That’s so not me. I’m not looking for love. I do not want to date. I just want to …” Anne settled into silence. She didn’t know how to finish the sentence. She came out to Oklahoma for change, but Chastity and Timothy’s life was here. Her life’s dream wasn’t to settle in Oklahoma.
“To what? Anne…what do you want out of life?” Chastity pushed.
Anne was exasperated. “I don’t know! I have no idea what I want for my life at the moment.”
“Okay than this is why this is perfect,” Chastity said a little too loudly. “Think of it as an adventure. A free paid for adventure that you’d never have the opportunity to take otherwise. You don’t have anything tying you down. It’s perfect.” Chastity softened her voiced and smiled sadly to her friend. “You need this.”
Anne clamped her lips together. Chastity could tell she was thinking about it and began singing. She shook Anne’s shoulders. “I think you’d have fun!”
Anne wrinkled her nose and held out her hand. Chastity slapped the forms into her hands and screamed. “Aaaahhh! My friend is going to be on TV.”
“No, I’m going to send in the paperwork. It doesn’t mean they’ll choose me.”
“Oh they will.” Chastity said knowingly. “Ned has already said you’re in!”
Anne threw a kitchen towel at her friend, which landed on Baxter. Baxter squirmed to get control of the towel and Chastity put him down to wrestle his new toy. When she stood back up, Anne was finishing the application.
Anne was on her way to a brand new adventure, and Chastity truly hoped that love was part of the package.
As military brat Kimberly has traveled the world over, but grew up mostly in Hawaii and Virginia. Her father’s duty stations took them everywhere from Japan to half the continental U.S. Since 1990, Kimberly has called Oklahoma home. It is where her family and her heart are – even though she always wishes she were closer to the beach.
Kimberly has been married for 12 wonderful years to her husband, Todd, and they have a wonderfully creative 9 year-old boy, who also dreams up wonderful stories. Kimberly will be quick to say how happy they both make her. She says, “With the two of them in my life, it’s a never ending journey, which never gets boring. They keep me on my toes.”
Kimberly’s first book, Finding Kylie, was published in 2008. Finding Kylie has received numerous positive reviews and was recently converted into a screenplay. Now that Facing Redemption is completed Kimberly is working on the final book in the series, which will follow Anne’s journey. Look for Coming Home soon.
Readers and fans can find out more about Kimberly McKay, her books, and current news at her website: http://wornoutwoman.blogspot.com/ or FaceBook page at: http://www.facebook.com/authorkimberlymckay.
Feel free to contact her at: [email protected]
Dear readers,
On a final note, they say write what you know. So there are bits and pieces of me in each book I write. Like the fact that my wedding was the wedding from H-E-double hockey sticks.
Each mishap, on Chastity’s wedding day, like the missing cake, limo, caterer, almost missing bridesmaid, and deceased pastor, happened to me on my wedding day and then some. Of course, I fictionalized it and changed the characters so that they didn’t represent anyone in my life, but everything Chastity and Timothy had to deal with happened to my husband and me. With the exception of a few tweaks in the storyline…it’s a pretty close representation of what my day was like – minus a mystery father showing up.
In the next book, Coming Home, Anne will continue her journey. You’ll read not only about Anne’s next chapter in life, but you’ll also follow her sister, Grace, through a few twists and turns of her own. Sisters are one of the greatest gifts we have on the planet, and I couldn’t end this series without highlighting their story.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for your continued support for Finding Kylie, Facing Redemption, and coming soon … Coming Home.
Warmest Regards,
Kimberly McKay
Just a little fun …
After Finding Kylie was published, I asked two things of readers:
I asked that they send me pictures of themselves and the book in interesting places or situations.
I asked that they send me an email telling me of their favorite character and why. This secondary request was part of a contest, to which readers would win their own character in the sequel, Facing Redemption.
I wanted to send a big congratulation to Tomo Denton, a local girl from Oahu, who sent a very heartfelt email that blew everybody out of the water. Thank you Tomo for falling in love with the characters and sending such an amazing email.
So now, I’d like to extend the same offer to you. Not only do I want you to send me photos of you, your friends, and Facing Redemption in cities, states, countries, and at events throughout your travels and experiences. BUT… I’d like to hear who your favorite character is and why. If picked, you could win your own character in Coming Home.
Email me at: [email protected]
I can’t wait to hear from you … Kimberly
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