Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series)

by Keahey, Robin

  We turned to face our friends and family. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. They gave us a standing ovation with shouts and whistles. We bowed for them and laughed through all the fuss. I glanced over at Kathy and mouthed “thank you”. She nodded her head as tears streamed down her smiling face. I would never doubt another idea of hers again.

  The music continued and it was time for our first dance as husband and wife. Levi chose the song “The Love of My Life” by Jim Brickman. He sang the words softly in my ear as we danced in front of our family and friends. I looked up into the beautiful eyes of my husband and knew every word was true.

  When the song finished, Levi kissed me gently and walked away. He left me standing on the dance floor confused and alone. I watched as he went to my mom and scooped up Asher. He brought him back and pulled me into his arms again. When “Find Your Wings” by Mark Harris began to play, I cried. I knew he loved him as much as I did and together, we danced with Asher snuggled between us to a song that he meant as a promise for our son. He kissed the giggling Asher before leaning down and kissing me. I felt so much love in that moment, I thought my heart would burst.

  After a few more dances, Mom led us off the dance floor and to our three-tiered, white wedding cake. I hated to cut it because it was so beautifully decorated with hydrangeas and lilies but knew I had to. We played nice when we fed each other a bite and didn’t make too much of a mess.

  With the reception winding down, Levi caught my arm and led me down to the dock. He pulled me close as we watched the moonlight dance across the waves. I ran my fingers through the hair on the back of his head and massaged his scalp with my fingernails. He moaned softly and looked down at me. “It’s time for us to go in the house,” he said in a husky voice.

  I smiled. “Is it now?” I asked teasingly but could see the desire in his eyes and knew he could see the same in mine.

  He moved close to my ear and whispered, “Yes. I want to make love to my beautiful wife.” His warm breath on my neck and the words he spoke gave me chill bumps.

  “And I want to make love to my amazing husband,” I whispered back as I reached up and kissed the hollow at the base of his throat.

  We slowly and reluctantly pulled apart and headed back to the tent to say our goodbyes to everyone. We found Asher asleep in my mom’s arms, and both gave him a ton of sweet kisses before we left. He would be staying with my parents while we were on our honeymoon. Our flight was scheduled for the next day but we both wanted to spend our first night as husband and wife in our home.

  There was only one thing left to do before we could leave the reception. All the single ladies lined up behind me, and I tossed the bouquet over my head. I recognized the squeal of delight and knew who’d caught it before I’d even turned around. When I did, I saw Hallie jumping up and down, waving the bouquet around. I laughed and shook my head, knowing she’d be on the phone to her boyfriend in mere minutes with the news.

  All duties finally done, Levi led me across the back yard. He gathered my dress, and scooped me up in his arms. He carried me up the stairs of the deck and over the threshold of the back door but didn’t stop there. He carried me all the way to what was now our bedroom. He set me on my feet, and I looked around in awe. The room had been transformed for romance. The bed was covered in a beautiful white comforter with white pillows piled up against the headboard. There were rose petals scattered on the bed and on the floor surrounding it. Candles were lit all around and it bathed the room in soft light. It was breathtaking. I looked over at his smiling face. “How did you do this?”

  He shrugged and blushed. “I asked Sydney for help. She snuck away from the reception with strict instructions on what to do.”

  I laughed. “I’m never going to hear the end of this from her but thank you. It was really sweet of her and of you to think of this. It looks beautiful,” I said as I lifted a soft rose petal to my nose and smelled its sweet scent.

  I looked up at him and bit my lip, suddenly very nervous. I could feel my palms beginning to sweat. He turned to me and stroked the side of my face. “It’s okay to be nervous, Katie. Honestly, I am too,” he said with a chuckle.

  It made me feel better to know he felt the same way. “I’ve wanted you for so long, but I don’t want you to be disappointed in me,” I said and blushed.

  “You won’t disappoint me. We were made for each other and it’s going to be amazing.”

  He ran his thumb over my bottom lip before trailing his fingers down my neck and over my collar bone. His fingers continued their journey over my shoulder and all the way down to my wrist. I shuddered in pleasure as he picked up my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist. I felt my legs go weak and my heart pound in my chest. He continued his kisses along the same path that his fingers had taken before. I was lost in my love and desire for him. He returned to my lips and kissed me passionately. We both struggled to catch our breath after that kiss. All the nervousness and worries I’d had just minutes before dissolved away at his touch, his kiss.

  ***

  Levi had been exactly right. We were made for each other and our wedding night was amazing. I woke up the next morning warm in his strong arms. “Good morning, Mrs. Phillips. Did you sleep okay?” he asked with a lazy grin.

  “I did, once we finally went to sleep,” I said with a giggle.

  I raised my arms, stretching, and noticed him watching me. Our eyes met and he grinned. “Uh, don’t we have a plane to catch?” I asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders but kept grinning. “Not until noon and it’s just nine now so we have a-” My kiss cut off the rest of his words. That was all I needed to hear.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  We flew to Tahiti for a week at the St. Regis in Bora Bora. I didn’t even have to take any medication for the flight and was quite proud of myself. Levi sat next to me and stroked my hand, spoke words of encouragement, and talked about what all we’d do. It had kept my mind occupied enough to push the panic away.

  We stayed in a beautiful, over-water villa that had a private infinity pool, where I proudly wore my skimpy bikini for only Levi to see. We snorkeled, ate fabulous food, hiked in the lush surroundings, swam in the clear turquoise ocean, and spent our nights wrapped up in wedded bliss. We talked about Asher a lot, often wondering what he was doing and if he missed us like we missed him. It was the best week of my life, and we returned home relaxed and quite tan.

  Once there, we fixed up Asher’s nursery and moved what little I had into Levi’s house. We fell into a happy routine pretty fast. I took over all the bookkeeping and payroll at the nursery and got my own office. Asher often went to work with me but sometimes would stay with Kathy, which she enjoyed immensely. I only worked a few hours, four days a week, and I loved it. Levi did too and frequently tried to sneak me into his office for some alone time.

  We were enjoying our life together as a family and before we knew it, we’d been married two months. During that time, Levi did teach me to fish, but I refused to touch anything I caught. So he patiently removed every fish from my hook each time. He took us camping and we sat by the fire, listening to him play his guitar and sing. It was a better life than I could ever have possibly dreamed about.

  We attended church every Sunday, where all the sweet ladies in the baby nursery oohed and aahed over Asher. Angie approached us one Sunday after church and apologized for her behavior and wished us the best of luck in our lives together. I didn’t miss the sadness in her eyes though, as she looked at my husband. That night, I began to pray that God would send her a good man like Levi.

  We contacted an attorney to start the process of adoption. It was going to be a long ordeal, but Levi was determined to see it through- no matter the cost or time.

  Around the beginning of our third month of marriage, I got sick. It was a nasty upper respiratory infection, which of course, Levi caught. We both had to go to the doctor and get on antibiotics. It was a miserable time of constant coughing and high fevers. We shuffled around the ho
use in our pajamas with tissues strewed all over the place. That same night, Levi checked on Asher before we went to bed. He rushed into our room cradling him in his arms. “Baby, he’s burning up. What do we do?” he asked and I heard the worry in his voice.

  I’d never dealt with illness where Asher was concerned, so I drew a blank. “I’m not sure. Let me call my mom,” I said, grabbing my phone.

  She informed me of what to do, and with Levi’s help, I stripped Asher’s clothes and put him in a cool bath. His screams filled the bathroom and broke both our hearts. The medicine I gave him finally started to work, and his fever went down. We piled into the bed, Asher in just a diaper, and prayed over our son. We took him to the pediatrician the next morning and the doctor confirmed what we already knew, he’d caught what we had. We made a stop at the pharmacy for another prescription of antibiotics before heading home.

  After another sleepless night with more medicine and prayer, Asher woke up the next morning fever free. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad the illness had finally passed from our family. We cleaned and disinfected the entire house, determined not to get that mess again.

  ***

  My period didn’t come at the end of the month like it should have. I waited another week, and still nothing. I lay in the bed next to Levi that night, staring at the ceiling. Take my fear away Lord, I prayed silently.

  I took a deep breath. “Levi,” I said, not looking his way.

  I felt happy but nervous. A baby was a blessing, but this was really soon. Asher would only be a year old at the end of the month, and I wasn’t sure how Levi would take the news.

  I felt the bed dip as he rolled to face me. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  Baby! I rolled over onto my side and noticing the concern etched on his handsome face, reached over and ran my fingers through his hair. “My period is late,” I replied and bit my lip as I waited for his reaction.

  He was quiet for a moment, his face not giving anything away, before a grin slowly spread across his face. “Have you taken a pregnancy test yet?”

  I shook my head. “I’ll go buy one tomorrow.”

  “Uh, no. I’ll go to the store right now and get one. You stay right here. I’ll be back as quick as I can,” he said as he jumped out of bed, throwing on some clothes.

  He gave me a quick kiss and was out the door. I laughed. I guess his reaction meant he was excited. I ran a hand over my flat belly. Is God knitting together our child inside my womb? I hoped so, and tears came to my eyes with this realization.

  Levi made it back home in record time. I looked up and noticing his clothes, laughed.

  “Babe, you went to the store with your shirt on inside out.”

  He looked down at his shirt and shrugged. “I don’t care. I was in a hurry,” he said as he stripped it off and threw it on the floor. He reached down, grabbed my hand, and gently pulled me from the bed. “Come on, woman. Get in that bathroom.”

  I giggled when he swatted my behind as I walked past him. He already had the box open, reading the directions as he handed me the stick. “You just have to pee on it,” he said, like I didn’t have a clue.

  I knew he was nervous and this was a new experience for him, so I didn’t mention the fact that I was already fully aware of how the test worked. He leaned against the bathroom counter and watched me. I sighed when I realized he wasn’t going to look away. “Um, I can’t go with you staring at me.”

  He smiled and shook his head, but turned away. I continued to sit there but nothing happened. Levi reached over and turned on the faucet in the sink. The sound of running water did the trick, and I sighed in relief as I was finally able to do the test. I laid the stick on the counter and washed my hands, glancing up in the mirror as I did. Levi was staring intently at the test, as if he was willing it to be positive. When I didn’t think I could possibly love him more, he proved me wrong. I lifted his face to mine and spoke softly, “It takes five minutes. Come back to bed.”

  With a lazy grin, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me over to the bed, sitting down with me in his lap. I rested my head against his chest, the steady beat of his heart calming me. “Levi, I don’t want you to get too excited. It could be nothing. I might not be pregnant.”

  He played nervously with my hair, twirling it around his finger. “I know,” he said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

  We both watched the clock on the nightstand. With the five minutes up, he gave me a gentle kiss before sliding me off his lap. We stood and walked to the bathroom hand in hand. “You look,” I said, stopping at the door.

  With his face mirroring the same emotions I felt, he walked to the counter and picked up the stick. I felt a little dizzy with anticipation and braced myself against the doorframe.

  After a second, he spun around to me wearing a heart-stopping grin. “We’re going to have a baby,” he shouted and in two strides, he had me in his arms spinning me around. I laughed as tears of joy flowed down my cheeks. “I love you,” he said, between kisses to my wet cheeks, my nose and finally my lips.

  He set me on my feet and led me back to bed. As we climbed in I said, “One thing is for sure, the kids will be close in age.”

  He placed his hand on my flat belly and rubbed it tenderly. “I think that’s a good thing.”

  I settled back against the pillow. “Do you want a boy or a girl?” I asked.

  With his hand still caressing my belly he replied. “I would really like a daughter since we already have a son.” He caught my eye and winked. “And one of each is a good start,”

  I laughed and shook my head. “A good start, huh?”

  He grinned, but didn’t respond as he scooted down in the bed and placed a kiss on my belly. “Hi, little one. I’m your daddy,” he crooned before resting his head on my stomach.

  I cried silent tears and stroked his hair, knowing this was how it was supposed to be. I was so thankful God had given me a second chance to do it right.

  ***

  We decided not to share the news until after I saw the doctor. I called the next day, telling them I was concerned since I took medication for depression. They scheduled me for that Friday afternoon.

  When Friday arrived, I was a bundle of nerves. I’d spent the morning entertaining Asher between bouts of morning sickness. I had never suffered from it during my pregnancy with him, so I wondered why this time I did. I slowly got us ready and headed to the clinic. Levi called on the drive over and said he would meet us there.

  As I pushed the stroller down the crowded sidewalk, Asher jabbered away. I was amazed at how many words he now knew. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the person in front of me had stopped. I rammed the back of him with the stroller, almost knocking him down. I reached out to steady him. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I hope-” the words died in my throat as the man’s face came into view. My hand fell away as he righted himself and looked down at Asher in the stroller. He looked back at me, and I felt all the color drain from my face. “We made a beautiful son, Katie,” JT said, giving me a wicked grin and I froze.

  To be continued in book two of THE GLIMPSE SERIES

  Acknowledgements

  I first and foremost thank my Heavenly Father, without Him there would never have been a book. I asked to be used in whatever way He saw fit, and this book is the result of that. He opened doors for me that no man could and gave me the courage to pursue my new calling.

  I have no words to express how much I owe my husband, Philip and my three boys: Tyler, Blake and Sawyer. Their unending patience and support brought me though the book writing process with my sanity still intact. I love you guys! You are my life.

  There are several ladies I have to mention who without their love and encouragement, I might have given up:

  Joan Potts- Where do I even begin? I love you to pieces and thank you for all your never-ending support. You’ve always been there for me, and I know you always will be. Thanks for everything, Mom- you are the best.

  Susan Binkley-
I thank God for bringing us together after so many years of just knowing each other in passing. Your constant support and encouraging words got me through some hard days. Thank you dear friend, you mean the world to me.

  Hollan Potts- To me, you have been my sister since I was eleven years old. You stuck by my side through the good times and the bad, your love for me never wavering. All I can say is, I love you and I hope I’ve made you proud to call me sister too.

  Sydney Pope- Through all our crazy times; as school nurses caring for over two thousand teenagers to texting back and forth over the correct use of commas, I hope you know there is no other person I would rather be on this journey with than you. You told me the truth even if it meant hurting my feelings, and you made me look past the surface of the story to get to the most important part- Katie’s relationship with God. Thank you Syd, I hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I have and are ready for the next leg of our journey. I know I am.

  To my beta readers- Diane Haggins, Donna Woodson, Melissa Gildon, Renee Most, and Michelle Haselow. Thank you ladies for taking time out of your busy schedules to read my rough draft. Even through all the errors, you guys understood what I was trying to accomplish. Thank you so much for the all the input, it helped me make Katie’s Glimpse what it is today.

  About the Author

  Robin Keahey resides in Texarkana, Arkansas and is the proud mother of three amazing boys. She and her husband, Philip, raise them just down the road from the same house she grew up in. As a school nurse, she has seen her own pain from past regrets reflected in the eyes of many teenage girls. She wrote this book in an effort to show them they are never alone, no matter what they've done. God has His arms opened wide, waiting on them to run to Him and find peace there, just as she did.