by Mary Davis
“We should have the first within the year, don’t you think?” Olivia agreed.
“Mother!”
Bruce and Meg said it together, and both their mothers turned, grinned at them, and sauntered away.
Meg looked up at Bruce. “They’re unstoppable. You know that, don’t you?”
“Well, so are we,” he replied firmly, and was rewarded by a beautiful grin. She took his hand.
“So, onward into the future.”
“With you? Absolutely.”
As they walked toward the sanctuary, he knew their life together was going to be wonderful. And blessed. And filled with laughter.
And never, ever boring.
Dear Reader,
When asked to write this letter, I didn’t know what to say to all the unknown faces out there who would pick this up, my first published book, and choose to spend their valuable time with me. So, I will give you my heartfelt thanks! I hope you enjoyed getting to know Meghann and Bruce as much as I did. Their path from my head to the printed page was a long, drawn-out process. However, God was good, as always, and they made it.
When I was growing up, I was a terrible liar. I never could have gotten away with what Meghann and Bruce did. My stepdad could always tell when I hadn’t coughed up the truth, so I gave it up at an early age. I truly believe honesty is the best policy, even when it hurts.
God works all things together for good, from our outright disobedience to our shortcomings. God can turn all things around and use them for His divine purpose. Where we see hopelessness and despair, He sees an opportunity to show His mighty power. In our weakness He is strong. I am thankful for a faithful God who is not limited by my mistakes or inadequacies.
May God’s faithfulness be evident in your life today.
You can write to Mary Davis:
c/o Palisades
P.O. Box 1720
Sisters, OR 97759
DAVE WAITED UNTIL KATE’S BROTHER STEPHEN DISAPPEARED up the stairs. “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday? Trust me?”
“Tell you what? That I might have someone in my past who may be a murderer?” Kate swung away from him into the living room. “I’ve never even met this guy. Until twenty-four hours ago, I didn’t even have a suspicion that he existed.”
“Kate, he’s targeting you.”
“Then let him find me.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“There is no reason for him to have blown up a plane just to get at me, to get at some banker. We’re never going to know the truth unless someone can grab him; and if he gets cornered by a bunch of cops, he’ll either kill himself or be killed in a shootout. It would be easier all around if he did come after me.”
“Stop thinking with your emotions and use your head.” Dave shot back. “What we need to do is to solve this case. That’s how we’ll find out the answers and ultimately find him.”
“Then you go tear through the piles of data. I don’t want to have anything to do with it. Don’t you understand that? I don’t want to be the one who puts the pieces together. Yesterday was like getting stuck in the gut with a hot poker.”
He understood it, could feel the pain flowing from her. “Fine. Stay here for a day, get your feet back under you. Then get back in the game and stop acting like you’re the only one this is hurting. Or have you forgotten all the people that died?” He saw the sharp pain flash in her eyes before they went cold and regretted his words.
“That was a low blow and you know it.”
“Kate—”
“I can’t offer anything to the investigation, don’t you understand that? I don’t know anything. I don’t know him.”
“Well he knows you. And if you walk away from this now, you’re going to feel like a coward. Just what are you so afraid of?”
He could see it in her, a fear so deep it shimmered in her eyes and pooled them black, and he remembered his coworker’s comment that he probably didn’t want to read the court record. His eyes narrowed and his voice softened. “Are you sure you don’t remember this guy?”
She broke eye contact, and it felt like a blow because he knew that at this moment he was the one hurting her. “If you need to get away for twenty-four hours, do it. Just don’t run because you’re afraid. You’ll never forgive yourself.”
“Marcus wouldn’t let me go check out the data because he was afraid I would kill the guy if I found him.”
Her words rocked him back on his heels. “What?” He closed the distance between them, and for the first time since this morning began, actually felt something like relief. He rested his hands calmly on her shoulders. “No, you wouldn’t. You’re too good a cop.”
She blinked.
“I almost died with you, remember?” He smiled. “I’ve seen you under pressure.” His thumb rubbed along her jaw. “Come on, Kate. Come back with me to the house, and let’s get back to work. The media wouldn’t get near you, I promise.”
Marcus and Stephen came back down the stairs, but Kate didn’t look around; she just kept studying Dave. She finally turned and looked at her brother. “Marcus, I’m going back to Dave’s.”
Dave gave in to a small surge of relief. It was a start. Tenuous. And risky. But a start, all the same.