Forever Friends

by Murray, Tamela Hancock

  She rubbed a spot of scented lotion into her hands. Poor Teague. He wouldn’t enjoy the privilege of taking a shower until his ankle healed. She sighed. While she never would have wished any harm to come to him if it could have been avoided, she couldn’t help but contemplate how Teague’s injury had turned out to be an unexpected blessing.

  Since he was incapacitated, the physical issues that plagued Kassia’s other relationships were largely absent. With him she didn’t have to worry about having to fend off men like Brad.

  Brad. The image of him made her frown. Her old crush hadn’t turned out to be the ideal man she had first thought. So much for appearances. Then again she had obviously disappointed him, too. Kassia knew she had made her interest in Brad obvious to him. Maybe if she had held back and let men express their interest first, she wouldn’t have misled anyone, including Brad, into thinking she was offering more physical promises than she wanted to deliver. As it was, they had both misjudged each other by their appearances.

  A picture of Teague popped into her head. Any woman would be proud to sit by him in a church pew or anywhere else. His appearance was hardly what anyone—Christian or worldly—would call unattractive. Far from it.

  She felt warmth spread over her face. If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit she wished Teague would at least try to kiss her. But her instincts told her he wouldn’t want to share his first kiss with her while he was still laid up with his ankle. If a kiss was meant to be, she would have to wait.

  Twelve

  A few days later Kassia pulled up to Teague’s house. She no longer had to pause in front of the mailbox to be sure she had the right address. Her car seemed to guide itself to its destination. Since she had been spending so much time with Teague, being at his house had begun to feel more like home than her own apartment.

  She jumped out of the car, eager to begin the evening. Her guitar, nestled in its black nylon cover, lay on the backseat. She had put the instrument in the car at the last minute on impulse, and now she wondered if she had made the right decision. She sometimes strummed a few tunes in the privacy of her apartment to relax her and lift her spirits. But Kassia didn’t aspire to play in front of large groups and, unlike her sister Deidre, never performed at important occasions such as weddings. So for her to reveal this part of herself to Teague was a major development.

  She hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed when she showed up at his house without a DVD. Maybe some tunes would lift their spirits this evening instead.

  She smiled. Her guitar was a brilliant shade of crimson with silver flecks and looked as if it belonged to someone who played hard rock instead of soft tunes. She wondered what Teague would think of it. But after her unpleasant encounter with Brad, she’d been more jittery the past few days at work, and playing had helped calm her when she was at home alone.

  She’d also started doing something even more important—viewing every day as a tapestry, she hemmed each one in prayer. The Lord had answered by keeping Brad out of sight. She was thankful he had gotten the message.

  “Hey,” she greeted Teague as he answered the door.

  “Hey, yourself,” he answered.

  Knocking hadn’t been necessary. Teague was in the habit of watching for her on the nights of her expected arrival and would hobble to the door to greet her.

  “Sorry I didn’t bring a movie,” she said as she stepped over the threshold. “I didn’t see anything good.”

  He nodded toward the guitar she was carrying by a strap on her shoulder. “But I see you brought something else. A guitar?”

  She nodded.

  “Really?” His eyes brightened. “Why didn’t you tell me you played the guitar? We could have used your talent many times at our youth meetings.”

  She pointed her finger in his direction. “Exactly.”

  He laughed. “Oh, I get it. You’re shy.” He made his way over to the chair where he spent most of his time and sat down.

  She propped her guitar against the wall by the closet then took off her jacket and found a slot for it among several coats already stuffed into the small space. She wondered why a bachelor needed so many coats. She speculated he never threw his old ones away.

  “I admit it,” she said. “I’m a little shy about performing in front of other people. I don’t even perform in front of my family. My sister Deidre is much better at playing the guitar anyway.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “I appreciate your confidence, but she’s pretty awesome.” Kassia felt envy bubbling to the surface. “I’m just a fair to middling player. That’s why it’s taken me so long to tell you I can strum a few tunes.” She winked. “I figure since I’ve done your laundry enough times, you’ll forgive me if I miss an occasional note.”

  “I guarantee I’ll forgive you.” When he smiled from the chair, the warmth of his expression reached across the room and touched her lightly on her cheek, like a kiss. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Now?” Nervousness spiked though her.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “Yeah, why not?” She swallowed and walked over to her guitar then picked it up and returned to the living room. If she faced Teague to play, the neck of her instrument would hit the back of the couch. She looked at the brown leather ottoman that matched his other furniture. It was covered with junk mail. “I see you must not be using this much as a footrest.”

  “It doesn’t look like anyone could with all that mess, does it?” He laughed, a pleasant sound that made Kassia want to laugh along with him. “Actually I am. I set my foot on the catalogues to keep my ankle elevated.”

  “Oh. It’s good to know there’s some use for all that junk mail.”

  “Unless you want to sit there,” he said. “Then throw that stuff on the floor.”

  She did so but left the catalogues in a neat pile. “I’ll set this back up for you later.” Soon she was situated. “So,” she asked him, “what do you want me to play? Or try to play, that is?”

  He thought for a moment. “Oh, maybe ‘Kumbaya’?”

  “ ‘Kumbaya’? Wow!” She recited the tune in her head. “I haven’t heard that song in ages, much less played it.”

  “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Of course not. It’s easy enough to play. Or at least I can fake it.”

  Almost every song he suggested was a classic that brought back memories of church camp. Singing them again made her feel wistful—not for the past she experienced but for a past she could never claim. After they sang “Amazing Grace,” she stopped for a moment and stared into space.

  “What are you thinking about?” Teague asked.

  She turned toward him. “Church camp. My sisters and I used to go for a week every summer.”

  “So you have fond memories of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire and singing songs as I do?” He smiled.

  Kassia wasn’t sure how to answer. Even though they had come to know each other more over the past weeks, she wasn’t ready to share the whole truth. Not yet anyway.

  She decided to change the subject. “I think I’ve found a place where I can make new memories in a Christian fellowship.”

  “You have? Where?”

  “At the big brick church near my apartment.”

  “The Fellowship of the Son?”

  Kassia nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “I’ve always wondered what that church is like. Their building dominates the whole block,” Teague said.

  “I know. I was surprised to walk in and find the worship being held in a big auditorium that was almost full when I got there—a little late, as usual for me.” She grinned. “I visited their service last Sunday, and they were as nice as they could be. The sermon was good, too,” she added. “The message was based on the Bible, but it talked about God’s love instead of being too scary.”

  His eyes took on a brighter light than she remembered seeing. “That’s great, Kassia. I’ve been praying you’d find a good church. An experie
nce like that makes you feel as if you’re coming home, doesn’t it?”

  Not exactly. You wouldn’t want to come to my home.

  Avoiding his question she began to strum her guitar.

  ❧

  After she played “Amazing Grace,” Teague noticed that Kassia couldn’t seem to regain her momentum. Instead of being happy she had enjoyed a favorable experience in church, she seemed more aloof than ever. Something was bothering her, and that fact left him with more questions than answers. The more he thought he knew Kassia, the more mysterious she became. He wished he could reach into her heart somehow, so he could help with whatever it was that was troubling her. But he couldn’t. He had to wait until she was ready to open up to him.

  Relax, he told himself. Just take the moment and enjoy everything. He thought of one of his favorite verses in the book of Matthew: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

  He decided that was good advice from Jesus and only a little bit of His abiding wisdom.

  Teague knew he would be wise to relax and enjoy this rest as much as he could. Once his ankle was healed, he would have no more excuses. His savings accounts were running low, and he would need to be aggressive in finding more work. The resumes he had sent out hadn’t yielded any offers yet. True to her promise, Mom had driven him to the one interview he was offered; but Teague could see the job wasn’t a good fit for him, and the stiff body language of the interviewer told him the feeling had been mutual. He hadn’t been surprised when no second interview materialized.

  Teague refused to be depressed or tell anyone that at times he felt defeated. Not that he put on a false front when someone asked about his prospects. Being a hypocrite wouldn’t accomplish anything or encourage anyone. By keeping his focus on healing, he would be up and about faster and able to pursue his options full force and without crutches.

  In the meantime he had resolved to enjoy Kassia’s attention. He had been praying she would see the Christian community in action as a result of his mishap, and he wasn’t disappointed. In their conversations she was less closed to talking about God and Christianity. Her comments were growing more positive. And he could sense her relationship with the Lord was becoming more important to her.

  The fact made him comfortable about opening up to her. Not that he could have avoided it completely. She had seen him looking—and feeling—his worst. Yet she still kept visiting. Only weeks ago he couldn’t have imagined wanting a woman to come over almost every day and prepare him meals and be with him for hours at a time. Yet somehow Kassia never smothered him. If only he had something more to offer her than a chance to play nursemaid. But he didn’t. Not yet. He had been surprised she hadn’t run away once she found out he had no job and no immediate prospects of one. She must have been coming over because she felt sorry for him. The fact that a friendship had developed gave him hope.

  But was he falling in love with her? No. He just felt helpless, that’s all. The emotions, his heart beating faster when he heard her car pull up in his driveway, his breath catching when he saw her, were all signs of gratitude. Or were they?

  ❧

  Kassia was about to head out of her apartment to run a few errands when she heard a knock on her apartment door. Her stomach lurched.

  Please don’t let it be Brad.

  She looked through the peephole and saw a familiar blond woman. “Whew!” Kassia opened the door.

  “Hey!” Lexie wore the beaming smile of a happy honeymooner. “I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by. I was on my way to check out the new health food store and realized I was driving right by here. I couldn’t resist seeing if you were home.” She looked beyond Kassia to the coffee table where Kassia’s keys and purse sat on top of the inevitable pile of papers and magazines. “Were you on your way out? I can stop by another time.”

  “No! No! Not at all!” Kassia’s voice sounded as bright as she felt. “Come on in. I’d much rather see you than run all over town. And the dry cleaner and drugstore are open all day anyway.”

  Lexie stepped inside. “Do you want to check out the new health food store with me after we visit awhile?”

  “Sure, but I’ve already been.”

  “Is it any good?”

  “I bought a few things the last time I went.” Kassia realized someone was missing. “I notice you left Piper at home. She could have picked out some organic cereals and cookies.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. I just didn’t want to listen to her beg to go to the dollar store next door.” Lexie grinned. “So they have cereal and cookies? Wow! Wonder what makes them organic?”

  “The ingredients in the cereals and cookies are grown without chemicals or pesticides.”

  “Oh.” She shook her head. “They have thought way beyond me.”

  Kassia laughed. “If you’ll come on in the kitchen with me, I’ll make you some tea.”

  “Organic?”

  “Sorry, no,” Kassia confessed. “Maybe next time.”

  “I think I’ll live.”

  Kassia walked ahead, and Lexie followed her. Even though Lexie had once lived with her, she cringed when she noticed she had neglected to dust and the carpet needed a good vacuuming. “Sorry the place is such a mess. I haven’t been here much.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Lexie pulled out a wooden chair and sat down at the matching knotty pine table.

  “What do you mean?” Kassia asked, though she could guess. She took a box of tea bags out of the cabinet. A faint odor of sweet spices greeted her.

  “Teague told Theo you’ve been taking good care of him since he got injured.”

  Kassia felt her face grow warm. “Did he?” She poured fresh water into the teakettle.

  “Yes, and I’m very proud of you.”

  Kassia turned on the stove to heat the water. “Proud of me?”

  “Yes. For being so faithful to Teague, even when you hardly know him at all. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  Kassia sat in another chair at the table while the water heated. She swept aside a pile of unanswered mail and mail-order catalogues cluttering the table. “No, I didn’t know him very well when the accident happened. But I’ve had a chance to learn a lot about him since then.”

  “Ah. The proverbial silver lining.”

  “I wouldn’t have willed such an accident to happen to Teague for all the silver in the world.”

  “Then it must be love.” Lexie winked at her friend.

  “Oh, stop it. Don’t be ridiculous.” Yet Kassia could sense her face was getting hotter.

  “Oh, stop it yourself. You can barely stand it because you’re so in love with him.” Lexie’s tone was light, but Kassia could see she wasn’t kidding. “And if Theo is telling me the truth, Teague feels the same way, whether he knows it or not.”

  Kassia warmed with pleasure; then she felt chills of uncertainty. It was one thing to fantasize about Teague and think about how much she liked being with him. Yet Lexie telling her she and Teague were being talked about as a couple was quite another.

  “You exaggerate,” Kassia protested. “You know what a vivid imagination Theo has.”

  “Maybe so. But he’s a good judge of what Teague is thinking. They’ve been friends since they were in college,” Lexie pointed out. “He told me Teague couldn’t stop talking about you the whole time they were together.”

  The teapot whistled, and Kassia left her seat to tend to it. “I wish you had brought Piper.” She drew her black china cups and saucers from the cabinet. She always enjoyed using the octagonal-shaped dishes.

  “Why is that?”

  Kassia poured hot water into the cups and dropped a tea bag in each. “She would have told you to stop speaking such nonsense.”

  “That’s what you think. Remember—she still doesn’t mind having boys as playmates.”

  “She’ll start thinking they have cooties soon enough.” Kassia set the cups on the table and returned to her seat.

  “Then she’
ll start liking them again,” Lexie mused.

  “All too soon.” Kassia sighed then swirled the tea bag in her cup.

  “All too soon,” Lexie echoed and sighed. She smiled faintly.

  “Be sure to tell her I missed seeing her.”

  “I’ll have to bring her over sometime for a visit.” Lexie glanced at her watch. “She has a tumbling lesson in a few minutes so I couldn’t have brought her anyway. Theo’s pulling duty today. They must be getting in the car to leave for the gym right about now.”

  “You’re so lucky they’ve taken to each other so well,” Kassia said, a wistful tone in her voice.

  “You know I don’t attribute anything that important to an uncaring, random force like luck,” Lexie said.

  “I know.” Kassia braced herself for a sermon.

  “But you are right about one thing. It’s not every day you find a guy who’s willing to take a package deal like us and with such a loving spirit. And speaking of packages, I didn’t bring Piper for another reason. She doesn’t know yet.” She stared into the cup as though she were planning to read tea leaves instead of drink the hot liquid.

  “Know what?” Kassia asked.

  “Our package is about to get bigger.”

  Kassia furrowed her brows. “Huh? Speak English.”

  “Okay.” Lexie didn’t lift her gaze from the cup. “I’m expecting.” Her face turned as pink as a young bride’s.

  “Expecting? Wow! Already?” Kassia blurted out.

  “I know.” Lexie laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling with joy. “I must have conceived on my wedding night.”

  “Do you mind that it’s so soon?” Kassia asked.

  Lexie shook her head and smiled. “Not at all. It’s about time Piper had a little brother or sister. I can’t believe she’ll be six on her next birthday.”

  “She’s growing up fast. I’m so happy for you.” Kassia leaned over and hugged her friend. “When are you going to tell her?”

  “Maybe in a couple of months. I want to make sure I’m showing first.”

  “I’m sure she’ll notice as soon as you gain the first pound,” Kassia observed. “Nothing gets past her.”