by JoAnn Durgin
“No more than they’ve made on me. They’re a great group. I’m just their temporary shepherd.”
“Yes, but the shepherd guides them. In your case, you help them tap into their unique talents. You mentor them and lead by example. In case I haven’t told you lately, I’m proud of you.”
After Caty dropped into a chair in front of his desk, Sam sat down beside her. “One of the most gratifying aspects is seeing how they get involved in ongoing TeamWork ministries wherever the Lord’s planted them. Fulfilling the mission He’s given each one of them.”
“They’re making a difference,” Caty agreed. “Speaking of which, our brothers unexpectedly dropped by the townhome the other night. Carson was pretty impressed by the woman at dinner who approached Will, and I couldn’t resist teasing him about that magazine article naming Will”—she held up two fingers to make air quotes—“America’s sexiest astronaut. Have you seen it?”
Sam chuckled. “Amy called to tell us about it. She saw the magazine on the newsstand in New York. When she first saw it, she thought it was me on the cover.”
“Same here! That’s why I had to take a closer look. For one thing, I don’t know when I’ve seen Will smile like that. The article was decent, but it stressed that Will’s a confirmed bachelor. I’m sure that angle will make women more determined than ever to meet him and get his attention.”
“Will’s so focused on the mission right now that he views it as a minor irritation. Something like that won’t distract him.” Sam shifted in the chair. “Time to talk about you, Caty Bug. How are things going in your new downtown office?”
“They’re going well. It’s the same job, just a different location, and some new staff from the ones I’ve worked with before.”
Sam nodded. “I’m sure that makes it easier in some respects.”
“It does. Mom and Dad have been unpacking more boxes at the townhome for me. I don’t know what I’d do without them. I’m getting a gift card to send them to The Grotto for a nice dinner as a small way to say thanks.”
“They love helping you out, and I know Mom’s ecstatic to have one of her girls back in Houston.” Sam smiled. “They also love The Grotto. I’m sure they’ll really appreciate it.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m home to stay.”
“I hope so,” Sam said. “It’s not the same without you here.”
Caty started when a loud clap of thunder sounded outside the window, and she moved one hand over her heart. “Oh, that scared me. I wasn’t expecting rain today.”
Her brother leaned close, elbows on his thighs. “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
Chapter 32
“Come on, Max. Be a good boy.”
Caleb watched with faint amusement as Lauren tried to coax the dog from the cushy comfort of the SUV. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d parked in the circular driveway by the front door instead of pulling the car into the garage.
“I think he’s enjoying his lazy Sunday afternoon nap.” Walking closer to the vehicle, Caleb leaned over and peered inside. “You’re supposed to be a guard dog, Max. Don’t forget that. Come out and…guard us or something.”
The dog only gave him a sleepy-eyed look, his tongue hanging out. At least he’d had the foresight to bring along a red plaid blanket and laid it out on the backseat before Max had taken up residence. He’d forgotten how dogs could drool, and Max’s output seemed in direct proportion to his large size.
“He’ll need to get used to our voices when we give him commands,” Lauren said. “And you need to speak in a firm, commanding voice, Dad. Not in a Hi Max, how are you doing? way. That’s too casual.”
“Then I’m putting you in charge of telling me what to do.” Caleb frowned. “Within reason.”
Having a dog was going to be an interesting experience. Maximillian Lancelot Reid—Max’s full title once they got him registered with the American Kennel Club—was three years and four months old in human terms, stood 26 inches tall at the withers, whatever that was, and weighed 112 pounds. The breeder told them that Bullmastiffs were slow growers, so there was a possibility that Max could continue to grow a bit more until he’d be considered fully grown. His color was described as “brindle,” the color preferred by gamekeepers who used the dogs in the 19th century to guard estates and capture poachers because of its effective camouflage, especially under the cover of darkness.
“Hey, Max, want to go around back and see the pool? You can swim in it.”
“He will not swim in our pool,” Caleb groused. “Or do anything else in my pool. The pool is for humans only. This isn’t a resort and spa, and he’s not on vacation. What happened to being firm? We need to let him know who’s boss.”
“Don’t listen to him, Max. He’s just being grumpy. Be nice and maybe Dad will build you a doggie pool.”
“We’ve had him less than two hours, Lauren, and you’re already spoiling him.” He could stand to lighten up a bit, but Caleb didn’t want her indulging Max to the point where he got soft. He wasn’t a lap dog, and he had a job to do the same as a hired security guard.
As if on cue, thunder rumbled across the sky. Ten minutes ago, it’d been a gorgeous afternoon. They hadn’t had any rain in recent days, so they were due. He just hadn’t expected it. Great timing.
While Lauren tugged on the leash and alternated between soft endearments and frustrated sighs to try and coax Max to leave the cushy comfort of the backseat, Caleb retrieved the bulging packet of materials and registration paperwork.
They’d managed to drive the fifty miles south of Houston back to the house without any major incidents. Max tried to stand up on the seat early on, but once he seemed to understand he couldn’t stretch to his full height, he’d plopped back down. In another instance, he’d made a weird nose.
“Bullmastiffs rarely bark,” the breeder had told him. That might be the case, but Max had definitely let out a sigh or something similar. Lauren thought he’d been snoring, but focused on his driving, Caleb hadn’t been able to investigate. As long as the dog didn’t get carsick…that would be the worst case scenario.
“He won’t come out, Dad.” With a deep sigh of frustration, Lauren’s shoulders sagged and she handed him the leash. “I give up for now. Can you try it? You’re good at getting people to do stuff for you, so maybe you can get Max to cooperate.”
“I don’t know that I’ll have any more success than you. Here, hold this folder.” Caleb took the brown leather leash wondering how this was going to work. He tugged on it a few times, but nothing worked. Max sat on the back seat, tongue wagging, staring at him. Looked a bit too smug for his liking.
“Okay, so this is how it’s going to be, is it?” Another clap of thunder, this one much louder and closer, made him jump. “Enough. You’re coming with me.” Caleb pulled on the leash. Max must have known he meant business and finally lifted off the seat and emerged from the SUV.
“Yay, Dad. You did it!” Lauren ran ahead of him, punched in the security code, and swung open the front door. “Come on inside, Maxie boy. Let’s check out your new home.”
“No Maxie boy stuff, either!” he called. “It’s Maximillian or Max. We want him to be a fierce guard dog, not a wimp.” He hated sounding like a taskmaster, but he needed to set the ground rules from the start.
Once inside the house, Caleb disconnected the leash and curled it in his hand. Glancing around the front hall, his gaze landed on a fancy wall sconce. He’d never liked those things. Now it would serve a worthwhile purpose. He quickly looped Max’s leash around it. “There we go.”
Lauren clapped. “You go get the stuff out of the car, and I’ll take care of getting Max settled.”
“Looks like it’s going to pour any minute, so I’ll pull into the garage. When I bring in the dog food and Max’s dish, you should go ahead and feed him now.”
“You’re putting me in charge of him? Then can he sleep on my bed?”
“Meet me in the kitchen in five minutes, an
d we’ll discuss it. Don’t get your hopes up.” As he darted back outside and pulled the SUV into the garage, Caleb considered Lauren’s questions. Those were only the beginning of what he knew would be many. Maybe they should have discussed some of these things on the way back home, but he’d been preoccupied with thoughts of Caty while Lauren talked to Max. He’d loved listening to her happy chatter. If nothing else, getting the dog was healthy for his daughter’s well-being. Max might give her a sense of calm that a regular neighborhood police patrol and top-of-the-line home security system couldn’t.
Who was he kidding? Lauren was mad about the situation, but he was the one who needed the security more than she did. There was something to be said for the optimism of youth.
“Dad, can I call Caty?” Lauren said as soon as he closed the garage door and entered the kitchen. Max was sitting on the floor, staring at him, no doubt because the intelligent dog anticipated what he was about to do with the dog food and feeding dishes in his hands.
“Yes, but not until after we take care of Max. Is there something in particular you need to ask her?” Caleb lowered the bag of dog food onto the floor along with the dishes. “You give him some food while I get his water. Remember what the breeder said about food—no more, no less, than what he’s supposed to have. And no table scraps. We need Max to be in top form, not get lazy and fat.”
“Wow, you’re a strict dog daddy.” After he stared her down, Lauren giggled. “Okay, but I still love him, and he’s a member of our family now.” Grabbing the food dish, she started to unzip the bag of food while Caleb carried the water dish to the sink.
Her words I still love him resonated with him. His daughter’s affections were already involved. Amazing, really, but not in a negative way. Then again, before he’d met Caty, he wouldn’t have believed it possible to love someone in such a short period of time.
I love Catherine Lewis.
Standing at the kitchen sink, staring out the window, he smiled. Huh. Why should he surprised by this revelation? In his heart, he’d known it from the start. He’d been through enough in recent years to recognize the difference between fantasy and reality, to distinguish between physical desire and romantic love.
To anyone else, it would sound crazy, but his life had become intertwined with Caty’s from the first moment he saw her on the street. He’d stopped the car because God brought her into his range of vision. She was a beautiful woman, but there was more to it than that. A conscious decision to offer his help, if she’d accept it, made him step out of his car that afternoon. Like everything else in his life, the Lord had paved the way, and then offered him the choice to follow His ways or reject them.
Lowering his head, Caleb said a quick prayer ending with, I choose you, Lord. With your help, I want Caty beside me in the journey. “I ask these things in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen,” he whispered. Then he chuckled. Standing in front of the kitchen window was a place where he could connect with the Father, it seemed. He’d make it a daily habit, beginning every morning during breakfast.
“You’re not going crazy on me over there, are you?”
Caleb turned around with a wide smile. “I was praying again. You should try standing in front of this window. I’ve discovered it’s a great place to discover things about yourself. More importantly, it’s a great place to pray.”
Tilting her head, Lauren eyed him not like he was crazy but…not such a bad father, either. That swelled his heart. Another prayer answered. He darted a glance at Max. He was already halfway through his bowl of food and seemed quite content.
Crossing the room to the kitchen table, Caleb sat beside her. “I choose not to be afraid of these threats. Say the words out loud, Lauren. Say the words with conviction and mean them. Know that God will take care of us.”
“You mean they might go away?” His daughter’s blue eyes searched his.
“They might. But if they don’t, it’s a conscious decision we’re making not to allow anyone or anything to call the shots and rule our lives. That’s living in fear, Lauren. God doesn’t want us to live in fear, like Caty said. That’s defeating and giving into the lies and deceit of the devil.”
“The devil? I’ve never heard you talk about the devil before.”
He nodded. “I believe he’s out there, and very real—also referred to as Satan, the enemy, and the evil one—and he wants nothing more than to defeat us.”
“I remember hearing about the devil in Sunday school. He’s the one who tempted Jesus, right?”
“That’s right. But Jesus could not be defeated.”
“I’m not afraid, Dad, but I choose not to be afraid of the threats. How’s that?”
“Lauren, you know God loves you more than anyone else, right? Even more than me, and that’s with a ferocity you can’t even begin to imagine.”
“Ferocity?”
“A whole lot of love.”
“Caty talked to me about Jesus the other day,” she said. “Even though I asked Jesus to live in my heart a long time ago, when I was really little and we used to go to church, I wasn’t…well, I wasn’t sure.”
“And now?” Why hadn’t he talked about these things with his daughter before? Important things, more so than anything else they could have discussed.
“Caty prayed with me even though she told me I didn’t need to ask Jesus to live in my heart again if I’d already done it. She said once is all it takes, but I wasn’t sure if it took or whatever.”
“Oh, baby.” Tugging her close again, Caleb smoothed one hand over her hair and gently kissed her temple. “Caty’s right. All it takes is that one time. There’s a verse in Ephesians that says believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
He cupped her face between his hands. “I hope I get it right, but there’s a verse I remember. It’s John 10:27, and it goes like this, ‘I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.’ The thing is, Lauren, once you put your trust in Christ, you’re sealed with Him in an eternity in heaven. He’s got you in His hand, and he’ll never let you go. Just as I’ll never let you go. Never doubt that security.”
Lauren nodded, and he could tell she understood what a comfort her decision was for his heart. “Mom’s in heaven, right?”
“She wasn’t outspoken about her faith, but yes, I believe in my heart that she’s in heaven. Your mother accepted the Lord when she was in her mid-teens at a summer camp.”
“But she never really talked about God even though we went to church.”
“A lot of people don’t talk about God, either with their kids, or when they’re anywhere but in church. For that matter, a lot of people who talk about God in their home raise kids who eventually leave the church and reject God. Parents do the best they can, but there’s something called free will, and then there’s also the sin nature inside men. But for those people who walk away from His teachings, they might eventually come back to Him one day.”
“They’ll be in heaven, too. Right?”
“If they made a true profession of faith, confessed their sins, and invited Him to live in their heart, yes. I don’t have all the answers, Lauren. No one does. Only God.”
“Caty talks about God a lot. She’s like the best Christian I know, but it’s not like she pushes it down your throat or anything.” Lauren’s lips curved. “Tell me the truth. Do you love Caty?”
“Are we back at this again? I love you.”
She smirked. “Answer the question.”
Caleb’s smile grew wider. “I love everything I know about her, and I care for her a great deal. Put it this way: I could very easily love Caty Lewis.” In his heart, he was already there, but he wanted to tell Caty first, not risk having Lauren tell her first, a very real possibility.
“I said I choose not to be afraid for you.” Lauren pressed one finger on his shirt. “Say it.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” Caleb chuckled and shook his head. “Fine. I love Caty Lewis.”
&
nbsp; “Then you should tell her. Tuesday night when she’s here for dinner.” Lauren would make a decent lawyer one day if the interpreter thing didn’t work out.
“She might think I’m out-of-my-mind crazy.”
“Maybe. But I think she’s worth the risk.” Never taking her gaze away from his, his daughter studied him. “I think she loves you, Dad. She might even already love me just a little bit. I’m going to call her now.” Lauren pulled out her phone. “You know that game Eliot put together with clues and stuff for Marta?”
Caleb nodded. He’d seen Lauren reading something on a white piece of paper in church. Preoccupied with thoughts of Caty, he hadn’t thought much about it.
“I think I might have an idea how she can solve the first clue—if Marta and Eliot have a dog.”
He chuckled. “Go ahead and call Caty then. I’m curious to see how it all works out.”
Chapter 33
Caty spilled the story to Sam, every last detail—Caleb was her boss, his connection with Eliot, the initial meeting when Steve Robison stood in for him, the lunch at the Japanese restaurant, Lauren’s suspension from the academy and the reason behind it, the trip to the mall, church this morning…
She shared everything with Sam except the kidnapping threats. While she hated keeping things from him—and she’d sworn Carson to secrecy about watching out for them at the mall—Caty knew Caleb wouldn’t want her to tell anyone, even her closest family members. She understood his reasoning, although more prayer warriors on the case would be even better.
When had her life suddenly become so complicated? No brainer answer on that question—since she’d met Caleb. Now she could better understand his reclusiveness the past few years. The death of his wife must have been devastating, but kidnapping threats might make any man go underground. So many people thought the wealthy led privileged lives with no worries, but Caleb’s financial success had only complicated his situation.