by H. L. Wegley
“I don’t love or trust the men I’m forced to serve. I couldn’t do that.”
“That’s because they don’t love you.” Katie tried to give Anya her warmest smile. It was easy to smile because now she could tell her the good news. “God loves you with an infinite love, a love so deep and complete that He loves you just the way you are.”
“And you really expect me to believe that? Katie, you know some of the things I’ve done.”
“I don’t expect you to believe without some proof. You see, I said He loves you like you are because, like me, you’re not perfect.”
“I didn’t need you to tell me that, the men that—”
“Please, let me finish.”
Anya pursed her lips and stood, studying Katie’s face, waiting.
“God loves us and wants to have a close relationship with us but, like you agreed, we aren’t perfect. But God is, and He won’t have relationships with people who aren’t.”
“And this is your good news?” Anya rolled her eyes.
“Yeah. I know. It doesn’t sound very good…yet. But if we somehow paid for our imperfections, then we could have a relationship with Him.”
“What does that take? And what about the times we mess up in the future after that?”
Anya was smart. But best of all, she was thinking. She was into their discussion despite all her objections.
“The payment for our sins, Anya, is our death.”
“Great! So after I die, I get to have a relationship with God?”
“Not exactly. The kind of death it takes to pay for sin, even one sin, is permanent death, separation from God for ever, infinite separation.”
“I don’t even know why I listened to you. You set me up, give me hope, and then spring this joke on me. You’re cruel, Katie!”
Katie studied Anya’s face. She didn’t look angry, just hurt. Deeply hurt and betrayed. As bad as it sounded, it was another good sign. She had won Anya’s confidence or there could have been no accusation of betrayal. But she would now have to win it again.
Please, Lord, it’s time for You to do that thing You do to people’s hearts.
Katie took a deep breath and met Anya’s hostile gaze. The hurt she saw there reflected back, shredding her own heart. Katie’s eyes filled with tears. When they overflowed, she wiped her cheek. “I do love you, Anya. God loves you too, and He proved it.”
Katie waited.
No reply.
“The permanent death I told you about, God paid it Himself, using Jesus.”
Anya was silent.
Katie waited for a response. Waited and prayed.
Slowly Anya’s mouth opened, and she stared into Katie’s eyes. Her eyes blazed with fire. “If I do this, I’ve got to know that this isn’t some cruel joke. I don’t want to be hurt by—” Anya’s tears spilled onto her cheeks as she sobbed.
Katie wrapped her arms around Anya and held her as her body shook with emotion. She waited to see if Anya would tell her what was really on her heart.
Anya’s sobbing had attracted attention.
A policewoman entered the room and stepped towards the two girls.
Katie saw Granddad’s stern headshake. The woman backed off and slipped out the door.
After another minute, Anya’s sobs subsided, but she left her head resting on Katie’s shoulder. “I have to know…for sure, or I can’t make a commitment like that.”
Katie motioned for Granddad to come.
He stood and approached the girls.
“Granddad, my Bible is in my suitcase in the trunk of the car. If you get it for me, do you suppose they would let you come back in with it?”
“They may have Bibles here in the jail.”
“No.” Katie shook her head. “Anya needs my Bible, the special one that Jenn bought for me. It’s marked up so she can find all the passages she needs to read.”
The door opened and a man in a suit entered. “They told me you were here. I’m Detective Ramirez.”
Granddad shook the detective’s hand. “Sir, we have a somewhat unusual request. We need my granddaughter’s Bible. It’s in our car.”
“I see…” The detective said as he rubbed his chin. “Come with me, Mr. Akihara, is it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“I think I can help you.”
After the two men left the room, Katie spoke softly. “There is proof, Anya. A lot of it. I have an apologetical Bible, a version for people who want proof. There’s a book in it, kind of like a chapter, called the book of John. When you read it, think about what you’re reading, about what the people did and why they did it. Ask God to show you the truth. You do that, and you’ll have all the proof you need.”
“So faith isn’t just a blind thing?” Anya’s voice was barely a whisper.
Katie shook her head. “After you read how they whipped those people, tortured, and killed many of them, people who lived at the time of Jesus, you tell me if you think their faith was blind.” She paused to let the information sink in. “If theirs wasn’t blind, and we have their historical record to read, ours doesn’t have to be blind either.”
Katie studied Anya’s face. “You don’t look entirely convinced. That’s OK. Just promise me you’ll read what I show you in my Bible. That’s all I ask.”
Anya smiled weakly. “I’ll read it. It’s the only place I have to turn to for hope right now.”
Katie grinned at her. “You got that right, girl. It’s the only place any of us have to turn to for hope.”
After Granddad returned and gave Katie her Bible, she moved the ribbon marker to the book of John, handed the book to Anya, and turned to leave.
“Hey, Crazy Katie.”
Katie turned around and Anya’s arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.
“Hey, Awesome Anya. See you…at the trials if not before. If you get a chance to call me, my phone number is inside the front cover.”
Katie turned, knowing she would never forget the picture of Anya, her tear-streaked face looking down into an opened Bible.
38
Lee took Jennifer’s hand as they turned from the security checkpoint at Kahului Airport and walked towards the exit nearest the temporary parking area. “With Katie and Granddad boarding for Oahu, what would you like to do, Jenn?”
She met his gaze and gave him a smile which ended in a display of glowing, pink cheeks.
He looked at her face and squeezed her hand. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
She poked his shoulder and leaned her cheek against the spot where she’d unleashed her mock fury.
“At least I got better treatment than you gave that guy called Snake—”
“Stop it, Lee. That’s history. History I don’t even want to think about right now. Let’s focus on the future, our future.”
Her coy smile and warm, inviting eyes derailed his train of thought.
“Our future. Let’s see. If we save enough, we can easily retire at fifty-five and—”
She poked him again.
“Okay. I get it…the near-term future.” He unlocked the car with the key fob and grinned.
She did not. “Lee, let’s get in our car, now, and drive straight to our room.”
“My sentiments ex—” The trade winds swirled through the parked cars around them and sent Jennifer’s thick, dark hair dancing. Was it a waltz or tango? Regardless, it gave him an idea. “As we drive out by the rental lots, I’m going to exchange our car for a convertible.”
His words drew a headshake. “It would only mess up my hair…and waste time.”
“But you look very, very sexy with your hair a little windblown.” He opened the door for her.
“I can read your eyes, Lee. I’ve always been able to. You thought I looked, you know, since that night we met.”
“Guilty as charged.” Lee climbed in and started the car. Before driving out of the lot he scanned golden landscape and the sky with several layers of scattered clouds. “Things are shaping up for a wond
erful sunset tonight. Beginning in about thirty minutes. We need to hurry.”
“Just don’t get us into an accident. And no traffic tickets, either. No delays.” She rested a hand on his shoulder.
Fifteen minutes later they were westbound on Highway 311 towards Kihei in a silver convertible, rolling along at forty-five miles per hour with the top down. Jennifer’s hair waved gently in the breeze. He looked longingly at it. “See. I told you so.”
“Keep your eyes on the road, Mr. Brandt.” She paused. “You enjoy teasing me, embarrassing me. Why do I put up with you?”
“Because about thirty hours ago you promised you would for as long as we—”
“Yes. But if you don’t keep your eyes on the road, I might be prematurely released from my promise.”
“That’s not going to happen. Not after I finally found someone I love, someone I can give my heart to and trust not to trash it. Someone who happens to be a consensus Miss Universe, and—”
“That’s what one of the men on the yacht called me. No more Miss Universe talk, please.”
“How about Mrs. Brandt?”
She loosened her seatbelt, leaned over the console and against his shoulder. “Much better, sweetheart. Much, much better.”
Lee slowed the car and turned from North Kihei Road onto the long driveway of the resort. “Did you like our room?”
Jennifer let out a long, slow sigh. “Yes. I only got to see it for a few minutes, but the room was wonderful. You know, that seems so long ago that—”
“Almost a lifetime ago?” He gave her his mischievous smile.
“Almost a lifetime? Don’t joke about it, Lee.” Jennifer gave him a frown and a pleading look. “Can we please talk about something more pleasant?”
“Sure. I’ve got an idea that just might work to make things very pleasant.”
“What idea?”
“Let me surprise you.”
She snuggled her head deeper into his shoulder. “I’m sure there will be a lot of surprises tonight.”
“Amen for surprises.”
“C’mon, Lee. You’re supposed to be talking softly, saying sweet, romantic things. Maybe even a little…suggestive.”
“How would I know that? I’ve never done this before. But I thought I nailed the suggestive part.”
“Sometimes, Lee Brandt, I could kill you.”
“I haven’t heard that in a while. You used to say it all the time.” He stopped the car in the parking lot.
“That’s because lately I’ve preferred this.” Jennifer pulled him into a soft, sweet, enticing kiss. “Now let’s get the matter of the room settled because this is our wedding night.”
He opened the door. “Yeah, let’s do that. I didn’t particularly care for the dress rehearsal.”
“Only pleasant things, remember?” Jennifer said as they walked towards the registration desk.
He took Jennifer’s hand when they approached the young man working the counter. “Hi, I’m Lee Brandt and this is—”
“I know who you are. Excuse me, please. I’ll just be a second.” He turned towards an office behind the counter. “They’re here, sir.”
An older Hawaiian gentleman emerged from the office. He studied their faces and smiled. “Lee and Jennifer Brandt, I’m glad to meet you. I’m the manager here. We are so sorry you had such a terrible experience, but so thankful you’re all right. Everyone involved in tourism on the island is indebted to you for putting an end to that horrible organization. Besides that, if tourists are being abducted by human traffickers on Maui, it would be economically disastrous to us.” He chuckled. “Worse than the runway revision at the airport, and that’s costing us a cool half-billion dollars in tourist trade.”
Lee met the gentleman’s gaze. “Frankly, sir, we’re just glad to be alive and to finally begin the honeymoon we intended to start yesterday.”
“I know you didn’t get to spend the night there, but how do you like the room?”
“We love it,” Jennifer said, stepping close to Lee’s side. “You can hear the waves lapping right under the window. It’s…it’s perfect.”
The manager rubbed his hands briskly together. “That’s wonderful.” He focused on Lee. “How long are you staying on the island?”
“Three weeks,” Lee said. “We were supposed to move to a condo in Wailea tomorrow.”
The manager looked from Lee to Jennifer. “Would you like to have the room for three weeks?”
Jennifer gasped and looked at Lee. “We’d love it.”
“How much would it cost,” Lee added.
“Your room was broken into before you arrived, then after the events of last night and today—the room is free. It’s on us. Actually, all of the major hotels on the island agreed on this shortly after the news reported you two were all right.” He pursed his lips and stood waiting.
Lee frowned. “But doesn’t someone else have it reserved for at least part of the three weeks?”
“I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse.” The manager grinned. “They’ll take it, and be glad to do it.”
Lee looked at Jennifer’s smile, the pleading look in her eyes, and shrugged back at the manager. “Thanks. We accept your kind offer.”
“Good. Gary here will get you registered for your three week stay. Enjoy the room. Aloha.”
The young man stepped up to the counter holding some already prepared forms. He laid the forms on the counter and focused on Jennifer. “So you were on the yacht that blew up?”
She gave him a tightlipped smile. “I was. But I escaped quite a while before the explosion.”
“We heard those guys were international criminals. Ma’am, would you mind telling me how you escaped?”
Jennifer sighed. “My granddad is a sixth degree black belt in karate. He taught me well.” She paused. “However, our daughter was on the yacht seconds before it exploded.”
The clerk scanned Jennifer and cocked his head. “Your daughter?” You mean they had a toddler on that yacht?”
“She escaped, too.”
“Did that blonde babe help your daughter escape?”
“The blonde babe is our daughter.”
“But you’re—”
“Older than I look.” Jennifer gave him another tightlipped smile. “And Katie is younger than she looks. She’s fifteen. We’re adopting Katie.”
Jennifer stepped up to the counter. “Where do we sign? Lee, I would like to go now, please.”
Lee put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t want me to get us iced lattes first?” He signed the forms while Jennifer glared at him.
When they turned to leave she took his hand. “That wasn’t funny, Lee. For the next three weeks, I’m not letting you out of my sight for any reason.”
“Jenn, just before you disappeared, do you know what I was thinking?”
“With a guy who grew up hunting and fishing around Iron Mountain, crawling into flea-infested caves, driving at night without his headlights, one who teaches fifteen-year-old girls how to shoot AK-47s, who knows?”
He pulled her close. “Weren’t we going to forget the bad history? When you were looking into that jewelry case, I was thinking I’d never seen any woman anywhere as beautiful as you.”
“Look at me. I just spent the night tied up, drugged, and then swam five hundred yards through salt water. I haven’t had a shower. My hair is stringy and salty and I—”
He stopped her diatribe with his lips. After their kiss, he held her close and spoke softly. “Right now, just the way you are, I could stand you next to any woman on the planet, and every man would agree with me. I don’t know how or why God gave me someone like you. I’m just an ordinary—”
She pressed her hand over his lips. Jennifer’s heart ached from Lee’s words. How could someone as wonderful as Lee think he was ordinary, somehow not worthy of her? She was the one with a bad temper, the unforgiving one, the one who had trouble trusting God. “Stop it, Lee Brandt. There’s nothing ordinary about you. From th
e way you think to how you’ve risked your life for mine. In you God gave me the man I needed to lead me to Him, to be my partner in life, to be my husband.” She pressed her cheek into his chest listening to his heartbeat. The rhythm of her life. “I think it’s time to go to our room now, before anything else happens.”
“Before anything else happens? It’s not like we might—”
“Yes, it is. Knowing you is dangerous. Do you realize since I met you I’ve been chased and shot at by terrorists, chased and shot at by human traffickers, nearly drowned in a flooding river, washed off the beach in a storm surge, captured to be sold into slavery twice, and chased by Iranian undercover agents who had some really bad plans for me, all this in only nine months? Am I going to survive this marriage?”
“It’s not fair to blame me for all that. You’ve put a little spin on things. The story needs to be put into perspective.”
“Perspective? I’ll give you perspective. I was terrified over and over again. What perspective can you give that’s going to change all that?”
“You.” He slowly scanned her face and continued down her body to her feet. “The perspective is you. The terrorists and Iranians wanted you because of your mind. The traffickers wanted you…well, for all the rest. The storm surge nearly got you because of your pigheaded stubbornness. It all happened because of you, not me. Let’s face it, you need me, Jenn, to protect you from yourself.”
Her eyes burned through him like lasers. “Of all the arrogant—”
Lee’s growing, coy smile stopped her words, but not all the feelings boiling inside.
He put his hands on her shoulders. They were warm, strong, and inviting, but she wasn’t going to step into his arms. Not yet.
She met his gaze. Like his hands, his eyes were also warm and inviting, unlike his words a few seconds ago. He was teasing her, probably like he did his younger brother and sister growing up. Teasing was part of who he was.
He continued. “I need you…for life…for love…for…”
She didn’t hear the rest. She was in his arms, wondering why she started the stupid, distracting conversation.
You’re an idiot with a 200 IQ, Jennifer Brandt. And that’s the worst kind.