“I can’t help it that you have poor writing skills. I could not make heads or tails of your support. Besides, essays are subjective.”
Kylie gawked at him. It was personal. There was nothing she could say to him, probably nothing she could do to get the grade she needed from this class, except go to administration. She wasn’t sure she had the desire to do that. “I’m sorry I took up your time.” Kylie headed out the door.
“I hear you have an offer from Miller Enterprises.”
Kylie turned on her heel. “Yes, I do.”
“That’s quite an accomplishment for a soon-to-be grad. Most new accountants start out working for a small business, doing some income tax work and whatnot. Miller handles several upstanding business accounts.”
“I agree. It’s my dream job.”
He lowered his head, peering at her from above his bifocals. “You’re not ready for that.”
Kylie straightened her shoulders. “I will work hard for them. Give my best.”
“Hard work is a good thing, but you don’t have what it takes, Kylie Andrews.”
Kylie stared at him. His disdain evident, she had no idea what caused it. “I hope your personal beliefs have nothing to do with my grade.”
He lifted his head and pushed his glasses up on his nose.
Kylie pivoted toward the door. “I’ll see you Monday, Professor Nickels.”
❧
“I’ve never seen you two before. Are you new to the community?” Gramps asked the older woman and young, pregnant lady as Ryan placed canned beans in the cart.
“We’re not really from around here—a county over. My husband worked in the coal mines. He’s gotten sick with black lung. His disability will start in a month or so, but we need to take what the Good Lord provides until it starts.”
Ryan took in the woman’s salt-and-pepper hair. Her skin was wrinkled from age and what he suspected to be a hard life, but her eyes shone with laughter and happiness.
“I’m just here to help Mama.” The obviously pregnant younger woman smiled. Her light-colored, straight hair reminded Ryan of Kylie’s. Her eyes kind of did, as well.
“Well, we’re glad to help,” said Gramps. “How is your husband?”
“He’s doing well. Rests quite a bit but picks up his energy whenever the grandbabies come around.”
“How many grandbabies do you have?”
“We have four grandsons and three babies on the way. Amanda, here, is giving us twins.” She laughed and her face lit up. “I’m hoping for at least one granddaughter. I’m anxious to buy a dress or two.”
“Sounds like you have a wonderful family.” Gramps pushed the cart toward the refrigerated items.
“Oh yes, Jesus blessed us with eight children, and every one of them is serving Him.”
Ryan perked up. Eight children? And this pregnant lady looks a lot like Kylie.
The woman continued, “My third daughter is getting ready to graduate from the University of Evansville, then she’s heading on a missions trip in January.”
Gramps smiled. “My grandson is going to Belize in January.”
The woman peered up at Ryan. “Belize is where my girl is going.”
Ryan cleared his throat. “What did you say your name was, ma’am?”
“I’m Lorma Andrews. This is my daughter, Amanda.”
“Andrews?” Gramps smacked the counter and grinned. “Is your daughter Kylie?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s a small world after all. Ryan and I know Kylie. She’s been going to our church since she and her friend moved near Santa Claus. We’ve had dinner with her a few times. Ryan worked with her at Holiday World.” He looked at Ryan and winked. “Special girl, wouldn’t you say?”
“Are you Ryan Watkins?” asked Amanda.
A shot of excitement zipped through his veins. Kylie had talked to her family about him. “Yes.”
“You’re the Ryan my Kylie talked about?” Lorma Andrews poked Amanda’s arm. “What time is it, dear?”
“Eleven thirty.”
“Amanda and I brought some lunch for the trip over here. I’d love it if you two would join us.”
“We’ve got turkey and ham sandwiches, potato chips, and sliced veggies. Pickles and homemade chocolate cake, too,” Amanda added.
Gramps rubbed his stomach. “Sounds wonderful. We’ll be happy to join you, but our lunch doesn’t start until twelve.”
“That’ll be fine. Amanda and I will get it all set up on that picnic table I saw around back.”
Ryan carried the cooler to the table for Mrs. Andrews and Amanda to set up their lunch, then he busied himself with stocking the shelves and breaking down boxes. Half an hour seemed to never pass. He could hardly wait to learn more about Kylie’s family.
At twelve exactly, Ryan and Gramps headed out to the picnic table. Ryan filled his plate then bit into his sandwich. “This is wonderful.”
Gramps wiped his mouth. “Best lunch we’ve had in a while.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Andrews smiled then took a bite of her pickle.
Gramps elbowed Ryan then cleared his throat. “Ryan and I adore Kylie. Tell us about your family.”
“Well, my oldest is Sabrina. She’s married to our high-school principal. They have three sons. Next is Natalie. Husband’s a coal truck driver. They have a son and another on the way. Then there’s Kylie. Then Amanda here, whose husband works in the coal mines, too. I told you she’s having twins. Next is our first boy.”
She laughed. “Took us five times to get us a son; now I can’t seem to get any granddaughters. Anyway, Dalton’s next. He and Kylie love to argue. When they were little they’d wrestle around on the floor until something was broke or spilled.”
Her eyes glazed at the memories. “Then we have Gideon. He’s getting ready to go to Indiana University; wants to work in agriculture. Last, we have the twins, Cameron and Chloe. Chloe might as well have been a boy. She loves to run and tumble and fight with them. I guess that’s what happens when your sisters are all several years older and your brothers are about the same age. She was just selected to a special soccer team.”
“Sounds like a lot of fun.” Ryan raked his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t have any brothers or sisters.”
“God blessed us with a full home.” She patted Ryan’s hand. “Maybe He’ll give you a passel of kids of your own to raise someday.”
Ryan envisioned several stair-stepped, blond-haired girls and boys scampering around his front porch. Kylie sat in a rocking chair, cuddling another over her shoulder. His heart warmed. “Maybe.”
They continued to share until it was time for Gramps and Ryan to reopen God’s Pantry. Mrs. Andrews walked around the picnic table and wrapped Ryan in an embrace. “It was nice to meet you. I need you to do me a favor.”
“Sure.”
“Don’t tell Kylie we were here. She worries herself sick over her daddy and me. I try to tell her God always provides, but Kylie’s a fixer. She loves Jesus with all her heart, but she wants to take care of things.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I bet you do.” Lorma Andrews studied him for a moment then patted his hand. “Hang in there. We’re praying.”
❧
Robin flipped through pages of the bridal magazine. “You know you could complain to administration.”
“I know.” Kylie replayed Professor Nickels’s words in her mind. He said what she’d been feeling—“not ready.” All through college she’d been on fire to get her degree—single-minded, focused. Now she was confused. Her passion had waned. She felt drawn to something different.
Gazing at Robin as she wrote down different menu options, Kylie picked up her test once more and scowled at it. “I’m just tired because the end is getting close.”
Robin slipped out a photo from inside her purse. “Look, I took a picture of Bransom in the tux he’s going to wear.”
Kylie grinned at the small, dark-haired boy who looked so much like Tyler. Robin
knelt beside him with one arm around him and both hands cupping his shoulders. His head was tilted as he focused on his soon-to-be mother. The image tugged at Kylie’s heartstrings.
She knew her pursuit to get her degree was a good one. Her heart had been in the right place—at least she thought it had been. But that little slip of paper from the University of Evansville had been her sole purpose for more than three years. Lately, she longed for more.
“He’s adorable, Robin.” She handed the photo back to her friend. She lifted her exam. “I’m going to put this away and get my pj’s on.”
Once in her room, Kylie plopped the exam on her dresser and knelt next to her bed. “God, I’m confused. I can hardly fathom that I’ve spent this long doing the wrong thing when I’ve always tried to seek You. But it’s Your will I want, not my own. Show me, Jesus. Give me strength no matter what that means.”
Her cell phone rang. Kylie picked it up and read Candy’s number in the window. She pushed the TALK button. “Hello.”
“Hi, Kylie,” Candy’s voice sang over the line. “I wanted to ask you about interviewing for the missions ministry position.”
“There’s a missions ministry position?”
“It’s going to be a new job—the only paid position the ministry will have. Whoever gets the job will keep track of missions trip dates, the travel fares, the accommodations, and other stuff. He or she will keep the books, as well as stay on top of what needs to be bought or collected from different churches or locations, keep up with volunteers—just a whole bunch of stuff.”
Kylie bit her bottom lip. “It sounds interesting.” She and Robin had only joined the church as members about a month ago, and now she was being asked to interview for a paying position.
“And you’d be more than qualified. . . .”
Fourteen
Kylie had no idea what she was doing. After walking into Candy’s family room, she peeked around the dining room door and saw all five of the missions ministry’s leaders sitting in a semicircle around a lone chair. Hers, she presumed. They chatted amongst themselves and hadn’t realized she’d arrived. “I’m so glad you accepted the interview,” Candy whispered behind her.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Kylie whispered to her new friend. Baby Suzanna cackled and kicked her legs. Kylie tickled the baby’s chin and heightened her voice. “I’ve already got a job, don’t I, Suzanna? Yes, I do.”
Suzanna wiggled in her mother’s arms, and Candy kissed her head. “Sometimes what we think we’re supposed to have isn’t what’s meant for us at all. God has a different plan.”
Kylie took a deep breath. “That’s what Ryan said when he told me about you and Michael adopting Suzanna.”
“You know, if we’d had a biological child, we probably would have never gotten Suzanna.” She cradled the child closer to her chest. “And what a blessing we would have missed.”
Kylie allowed Candy’s words to seep into her heart. Ryan. The man had infiltrated her every waking, even sometimes sleeping, thoughts. He touched her to the very core of her being. She adored him. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she remembered how she’d drilled him about money at dinner the other night. She didn’t understand it, and she needed to—desperately. Her head had to believe he could provide for her, because her heart didn’t seem to care.
Clearing her mind, she pushed the dining room door open all the way and walked inside. She nodded at the ministry leaders and sat in her seat. “It’s nice to see you all today.”
Pastor Chambers smiled and scratched his nose. “We’re glad you’re here.” He leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers across his potbelly. The vision almost sent Kylie into a fit of giggles—she’d watched her pregnant sisters do the same thing. “Kylie, we understand you’ve already been offered a position at Miller Enterprises.”
“Yes, that’s true.” And it’s a great position, she wanted to add. Any accounting major would be ecstatic knowing Mr. Miller had even looked at his or her résumé and overwhelmed to be considered for an interview, but to actually get the job? It was unheard-of.
“But you’re willing to consider interviewing with us?” asked Pastor Foster. He pressed his fingers against his overgrown eyebrows. Being color-blind and unmarried, Pastor Foster’s clothes rarely coordinated. Today was no different. He wore a pair of khaki-colored dress slacks, a nearly lime green dress shirt, and a deep red tie with a black paisley design. Sometimes she thought he mismatched his clothes on purpose as a means to get people look at him, at which point he’d run up and introduce himself. She loved his personality, the way he didn’t mind what people thought of his appearance.
She crossed her legs. “I guess I am willing to interview. I’ll be honest with you; I’m not sure why I accepted. The position at Miller Enterprises is one I’ve always wanted.” She uncrossed her legs and flattened her hands against her thighs. She didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but she wanted to be truthful. It wouldn’t make any sense for her to take a different job offer. She looked at the leaders sitting across from her. “When Candy asked me to come, I—I just felt I should.”
Pastor Chambers bent over and picked up a folder. “We’ll level with you. This is a full-time position, but the pay is probably substantially less than what you’ve been offered. Volunteers have kept the business and accounting aspects of our missions running, but it’s becoming too big of a job.” He handed her the folder. “Look it over.”
Kylie opened it and looked at the job’s duties. Everything seemed within reason. In fact, she wondered if the position really would require a forty-hour workweek. She flipped the page to find the salary and benefits. It was almost half what she’d been offered from Miller.
The logical response was to decline. Now. Before she left. Before she even got up from her seat. Yet, she paused. The income was enough for her to live modestly, and she’d have time to spend with her family. She longed to see them more, to hold her nephews and maybe one day soon her nieces, to cherish the last bit of time she’d have with her daddy. The last few family get-togethers they’d shared had been a lot of fun. She felt close to her siblings again, in the same way she had when they were little.
Looking up at the ministry leaders, she thought of how easy it would be to work with these men and women. Ease at the office was not something she expected at Miller’s. She shut the folder and held it to her chest. “May I pray about this for a few days?”
Pastor Chambers grinned. “Absolutely. You didn’t join our church until God showed you the time was right.” He paused. “Tell you what. I’ll give you a call in two weeks. We’re not in a rush, and we want you to be sure of your decision.”
“Thank you.”
❧
Glad Kylie had agreed to go with him to help take care of his godchildren while their parents went on their date, Ryan glanced at Kylie in the passenger seat then looked in the rearview mirror at Evan, Dana, and Heidi. Kylie had no idea what he had planned for the day. Simply telling her to wear tennis shoes and something comfortable for outside, he’d hoped it would be a surprise for her as well as the kids. Now he wasn’t sure he should have kept it a secret. The day would be quite eventful—and exhausting.
He turned onto the road leading to Holiday World. Signs greeted them from every side. Kylie looked at him. “Are we—”
“We’re going to Holiday World!” Evan shouted from the backseat. “Ryan, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“I’ve never been to Holiday World.” Dana’s eyes grew big with excitement. “Mommy said I’ll get to go one day soon enough, when I’m in fifth grade. That’s when the school—”
“What Howiday Word?” Heidi asked from the backseat.
Ryan pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car. He turned toward Kylie. “Are you okay with this?”
A full grin lit her face. “This will be great.”
Relief flooded his heart as he turned toward the children. “Now, you know it’s October. That means Splashin’ Safari is closed.”<
br />
“What Spashin’ Sari?” Heidi asked.
Evan leaned toward her. “The water rides.”
Ryan nodded. “Yes, but we’ll still be able to get on the other rides.”
They filed out of the car and walked toward the entrance. Through peripheral vision, Ryan watched as Kylie scooped Heidi into her arms so the girl wouldn’t have to walk as far. I never even thought of bringing a stroller. We’ll just rent one.
“Can we ride the Raven first?” Evan rubbed his hands together as they entered the park.
“What’s the Raven?” asked Dana.
“It’s the best roller coaster in the whole world,” Evan proclaimed. “Can we?”
“That sounds fine with me. First, let’s rent a stroller.” Ryan looked at Kylie. She smiled and nodded in agreement.
Moments later, Kylie strapped Heidi into her stroller, and they headed toward the roller coaster.
“Look.” Dana pointed toward the dog character with HOLIDAY WORLD written on his chest and on a blue cap that sat on his head. She clutched Ryan’s hand.
“That’s the park’s mascot. His name is Holidog. You want to go say hello to him?”
Dana’s voice quieted. “I—I guess.”
Ryan motioned for Holidog. As the character ambled closer, Heidi broke out into screams of terror. Stunned, Ryan watched as Kylie turned her away and unbuckled her from the stroller. Within a moment, Kylie had Heidi out and nestled against her chest. Kylie whispered quiet words of comfort to the child.
Dana gripped Ryan’s hand and half hid behind his leg. He hadn’t been prepared for this. Evan saved him when he shook Holidog’s hand and said, “See, Dana. See, Heidi. He’s nice.”
A hesitant smile lifted Dana’s lips as she gripped Ryan’s leg with one hand and shook Holidog’s hand with the other.
“You want to say hi?” Kylie asked Heidi, but the child shook her head and wrapped her arms around Kylie’s neck. “Okay.” Kylie’s voice was soothing as she stroked Heidi’s hair. “That’s okay. You can stay right here with me.”
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