by Jeri Odell
His dad eyed him closely. “Do you think it was a memory and not a dream?”
“I don’t know, Dad. Seems more possible all the time.” Brady swallowed, hoping to dislodge the fear threatening to smother him.
His dad buzzed the officer at the front. The door opened. “Are you finished, sir?”
“Not quite. Do you read Spanish?”
He nodded and studied the ring. “This is a little different than traditional Spanish. Must be some sort of dialect.” He studied the ring closely. “I believe it says ‘KB, my future, my life, JG.’ ”
The inscription sealed Brady’s fate. “She’s married.” If there’d been a chair, he’d have sunk into it. As it was, he leaned heavily on the table. His heart shattered as the reality struck him. He, Brady Cooper, had fallen in love with a married woman, kissed a married woman, held a married woman. Maybe those children in her dream were her children.
Brady felt sick.
Nine
Kendall had Tom park her by the window of her room. Instinctively she knew—she loved the outdoors and spent much of her time there. Her sun-browned skin testified to this fact, as did her heart’s yearning to be outside, breathing fresh air, hearing birds sing, and enjoying God’s creation.
Kendall saw Brady drive up. Watching him walk toward the building, Kendall knew something was amiss. His shoulders sagged, his step dragged, and his head hung low. Kendall knew for certain he came with bad news.
She didn’t know if she could handle anything sad or depressing. “I can do all things through Christ.” She whispered the verse over and over, preparing for whatever Brady had today. She heard his footsteps in the hall. As he drew closer, her trepidation grew stronger. When he turned into her room, she held her breath—her back to the doorway.
He waited for several seconds before speaking. “Hey, Kendall.” His voice sounded flat.
“Brady.” She turned and caught sight of him in her peripheral vision. She swallowed, fighting the fear attempting to choke her. “Will you take me outside?” Maybe out there whatever he had to say would seem less bleak.
He nodded, released her brake, and turned her around. Skirting the bed, he rolled her out through the hall and onto the patio. Large rosebushes grew on trellises. Their scent permeated the air.
Brady sat on a bench, facing Kendall. Sadness lined his face and filled his eyes. Kendall grabbed the arm of her chair, bracing herself against the news Brady had come to share.
Brady pulled his phone from his pocket, and she wondered why he’d chosen now to make a call. After pressing several buttons, he showed her a picture of a ring on the screen of his phone.
She stared at the screen, and a small gold band stared back at her. Though she didn’t recognize it, something about it seemed familiar. A wave of emotion hit her: sadness, fear, uncertainty, resignation.
“Does that look at all familiar?” His tone bordered on anger.
She shook her head. “But seeing it brings negative feelings—a lack of peace, an unrest, but I don’t know why.” She searched his face for some sort of clue. “Where did you see it?”
“It’s yours.” His voice sounded almost accusatory.
“Mine?”
Brady rose, walking to the edge of the patio, putting distance between them. “Apparently you’re married.”
“No.” Tears rolled down her checks. “I can’t be, Brady. I just can’t be.”
“The ring was inscribed in some sort of Spanish dialect. ‘KB, my life, my future, JG.’ ”
Kendall remembered her dream—the Hispanic children. Were they hers? She closed her eyes, wishing to shut out this latest find. “Don’t you think if I were married, I would know?”
“Maybe you’re trying to forget.” Even Brady’s voice held distance. “You wore the ring on a chain around your neck.”
“That makes no sense. If I’m married, why wouldn’t I wear the ring on my finger?” She glanced at her hand. Her finger remained bare and unencumbered. “Did you find anything else?”
Brady leaned back against a porch post, folding his arms across his chest. He filled her in on the contents of her sealed box and the condition of her bike.
Mortified over this newfound information, Kendall asked, “Do you think I ran away? Do you think that maybe I left my husband and children?”
Brady shook his head. “I don’t know, Kendall. I just don’t know.” He sucked in a deep breath. “But what I do know is this is it for us.” His words brought an overwhelming sense of isolation to Kendall. “I can’t come back anymore.”
She wanted to beg, to plead, but didn’t. Instead, she nodded her resignation. Tears slid down her cheeks. She attempted to wipe them away, but the bulky cast made the movements choppy and awkward.
Brady’s eyes glistened, and somehow the knowledge comforted her. This was hard for him, too.
“Kendall, our feelings for one another are inappropriate. You are married to someone else.”
She couldn’t argue his logic or the painful truth of his words. Nor could she force words past the lump lodged in her throat, so she nodded her agreement. Silent tears continued to glide down her cheeks and drip off her chin. She gave up trying to stop them or even wipe them away.
“I wish it could have been different.” His voice was low and husky.
Again she only nodded.
Brady swiped his cheek. “I’m going to go now, Kendall.”
A sob escaped even though she fought hard to hold it in. She covered her mouth with her cast.
“My mom will be here in a few minutes. Do you want to wait here, or should I take you back to your room?”
She shook her head, not wanting to return to the confined space that suddenly felt like a prison cell.
He nodded his understanding. “Good-bye, then.” He held his mouth in a tight line.
She sniffed and nodded. Her world crumbled into a hopeless pile of rubble. Seeing Brady walk away tore her heart to shreds, and there was nothing she could do but watch him leave.
Moments later Marilyn Cooper walked toward her. Her compassionate eyes were filled with tears. She said nothing but hugged Kendall close as a mother would her young, and they cried together. When both were cried out, she knelt in front of Kendall and took tissues from her purse. She gently dried Kendall’s cheeks and then her own.
Kendall sniffed. “What do I do now?”
Mrs. Cooper settled on the bench facing Kendall and took her hand. “I’m here for you until the end, Kendall. Until the mystery is solved and you’re reunited with your family. We’ll get through this dark tunnel together, and we’ll take it one day at a time.”
Gratitude welled up inside Kendall. “Thank you, Mrs. Cooper. I have no one else. I can’t even express what your kindness means to me.” Kendall tried not to cry again, but a few stray tears insisted on making an appearance. “Will you tell Brady that I’m sorry I hurt him?” She shook her head, still unable to fathom the news. “I didn’t know. I just didn’t know.”
“We all understand that. No one blames you, Kendall. It’s just a very unfortunate turn of events.”
“If not for you, I’d be completely alone.”
Mrs. Cooper patted her hand. “But you’re not, and I’ll be here every day. I promise.”
Kendall attempted a smile. “He was my best friend.” Then she laughed, a dry, brittle sound. “Really my only friend.”
“I know, and the loss will be hard.”
Kendall wondered if Mrs. Cooper understood the enormity of her pain. “I loved him.”
“I know you did, and he loved you.”
“Yet I’m supposedly married to someone else. Where is he? Where is this husband of mine? Why isn’t he searching for me?”
“We don’t have answers, but we know the One who does.” Mrs. Cooper’s tone was strong and sure.
Kendall wanted to ask why God was letting this happen to her. Where was He in her time of need? But she didn’t express her struggle aloud, afraid of what Mrs. Cooper might thin
k of her.
Later that evening while alone in her room, Delanie popped her head inside the door. “Do you mind if I come in? I promise not to stay long.”
Great, she’s come to gloat. Kendall did mind but responded appropriately and motioned Delanie into the room.
Delanie didn’t sit down but came and stood next to the bed. “Kendall, I’m so sorry.”
Kendall struggled to believe her. After all, this was exactly what she’d wanted all along—Kendall and Brady separate, apart, finished.
“I know you’re finding it difficult to believe me, but I’m telling you the truth. I wanted both you and Brady to be happy.”
“It’s not your fault that I’m apparently married.”
“No, but I need you to know this is not what I wanted. I was afraid Brady—both of you—would be hurt.”
“And your prediction came true.” Kendall didn’t mean for her tone to sound so sarcastic.
Delanie’s eyes glistened, and Kendall realized she wasn’t the enemy. “I’m hoping we can be friends. I know that losing Brady is a huge loss in your life, and I can’t replace him, but I’d like to be here for you.”
A husky “thank you” was all Kendall could manage.
Delanie squeezed her hand. “How about dinner and a chick flick tomorrow night?”
“Sure.”
“On second thought, a chick flick may not be such a good idea. They always have the perfect happy ending. We’ll figure out something, though.”
“Delanie, thank you. Before you came, I was lying here feeling sorry for myself. I’m a girl with no past, no future, and no hope.”
“But not a girl without friends.” Delanie smiled, and her words brought the first ray of hope since Brady walked out of her life earlier today.
After Delanie left, Kendall recognized the faithfulness of God. No, her life wasn’t going the way she wanted, the way she’d hoped, but God had provided Delanie and Mrs. Cooper. Her plight was hard, but He hadn’t left her completely alone. He’d given her two kind women to walk the road beside her. Maybe their motive was pity, but they were here. And Kendall knew they’d stay until the end—whatever that might look like.
Then her mind flipped to her husband. Did she love him? Was theirs a marriage made in heaven? For some reason she doubted either was true.
Ten
The following week, Brady flipped open his ringing cell phone. “Hey, Dad.”
“Can you swing by the house this morning? I’ve finally got some news.”
“About Kendall?”
“Yep. We know who she is.”
Brady’s heart pounded. “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” He snapped his phone shut. He’d missed her this week and was grateful they’d finally figured out her identity.
When Brady arrived at his parents’ home, Delanie’s car was parked out front. He both anticipated and dreaded whatever news his dad had uncovered.
He nearly ran to the front door. His dad, mom, and Delanie stood around the snack bar that separated the great room from the kitchen.
“Well?” Brady asked.
“The Kendall puzzle has finally been solved,” his mom announced.
“And?” Impatience infused the word. He just wanted to know who she was and why nobody had coming looking.
“Kendall Brooks grew up in Mexico as the daughter of missionaries.”
Brady nodded. “That explains some things, but what about her husband?”
“She has no husband.”
Brady’s heart took flight.
“Yet.” His dad put extra emphasis on the word. “She is, however, engaged to a Mexican national.”
“She’s not married?” Brady’s mood shot through the roof. He swung Delanie around. “She’s not married!”
He laughed and cried and repeated the news over and over.
“Brady, she’s committed to another man.” His mom tried to reason with him.
“I know, Mom. I know. But she’s not married. She still has a choice. I’ve got to go tell her.” Brady grabbed his keys and headed for the door.
“Wait.” His dad’s voice carried authority. “Would it be better if your mom and Delanie told her? She’s still committed to another man.”
“Maybe I’m the reason God allowed this to happen. Mom, you say everything happens for a reason. I love her. We belong together.”
Three pairs of eyes studied him, each reflecting their doubts.
Marilyn spoke up. “I think it’s okay to present her with the facts, but until her memory returns, it isn’t fair to ask her to choose between you and a man she can’t remember.”
Brady knew his mom was right. “But how long could that take?”
“Her parents and fiancé are flying in as soon as they can work out the details. Once he’s here to defend his position, even if she doesn’t remember, she can make a better decision, a more fair decision.”
Brady realized he still might lose her, but he had to try. He headed for the door. “I’ve got to see her.”
“Wait, son. At least listen to the whole story so you can fill her in on as many details as possible.”
Brady returned to the bar and perched on a stool, feeling like a bird dying to take flight. He tried to focus on the facts of Kendall’s life, but the excitement of seeing her again kept drowning out everything else. He couldn’t wait to see her expression when he walked in.
As soon as his dad finished outlining the information he’d gleaned regarding Kendall, Brady asked the obvious question. “Why wasn’t she on the no-show list at the U?”
“Apparently, unbeknownst to the department, the university only checked the undergrads. Nobody bothered with the graduate students.”
“ ‘When one person does a halfway job, other people pay the price.’ ” Delanie and Brady quoted their father’s often-used phrase and laughed. Brady then hugged his family good-bye and rushed out the door. As he drove the fifteen minutes to the hospital, he anticipated her pleasure at finally having the pieces so she could begin to assemble the puzzle of her life.
Brady parked and jogged to the double glass doors. His heart pounded, and his hope soared. Kendall might one day be his, after all.
He hurried through the corridors to her room, but her bed sat empty. He headed to the nurses’ station. “I can’t find Kendall. Do you know where she is?”
“She’s been going out to the garden early on weekend mornings. Sometimes stays out there till noon. I’d check there.”
Brady nodded. How can you not know for sure where she is? You’re supposed to be taking care of her. He wondered how Kendall even managed to get herself out there.
Turning, he spotted Kendall, now cast free, trudging her way down the hall—at the pace of a ninety-year-old woman—leaning heavily on a walker, yet no one had ever looked so good to him. He stopped to savor the moment. “Thank you, God,” he whispered, rejoicing in her progress.
❧
Kendall forced herself to take another step and then another. The pain made her want to quit, but she pushed onward. She had made her way to the patio with her Bible in tow several hours ago. This had become her morning routine, and saturating herself in God’s Word made life easier to bear.
A week had passed since the “breakup,” but not one day passed without her thinking of Brady, missing him. No news had surfaced regarding her husband, but Mrs. Cooper assured her that Chief Cooper was doing everything in his power to solve this mystery.
Kendall raised her gaze from the floor to see how much farther she had to go. There stood Brady maybe thirty feet away.
She stopped, and their gazes connected. Her mouth went dry, and her heartbeat doubled. Why is he here? She knew it would only make it harder in the end.
“Kendall.” His familiar voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket on a cold night. In spite of her good sense, tears welled in her eyes and a smile settled on her face. She should yell at him for daring to show up, but the thought of spending a little more time with him brought more
pleasure than she cared to admit.
He began to move toward her, a sense of purpose in his step. His eyes remained locked on hers, tenderness filling them. All she wanted was to be swept into those muscular arms and have him hold her forever.
God, forgive me for such thoughts.
She sucked in a deep breath, knowing what she must do. “Why are you here?”
Brady stopped in front of her. “You’re not married.”
“What?” Her arms gave way, and she swayed.
Brady grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “My dad found your parents, and you aren’t married, just engaged.”
A plethora of emotions swept over Kendall. She swallowed hard, trying to absorb the facts. She had parents and a fiancé.
“Let me help you to your room, and I’ll fill you in on what I know.”
Brady swept her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a bag of feathers; then he grabbed the walker and carried them both the short distance to her room. He set Kendall in the only available chair and went next door to borrow another. When he returned, he positioned his chair across from hers.
“So I’m not married?”
“Not yet.”
“Why wasn’t anybody looking for me? What is my last name? Are they coming to see me? Who am I? What do I do?” She asked every question that popped into her mind.
“Whoa—one question at a time,” Brady scolded, but his smile let her know he wasn’t the least bit put out by her excitement. His eyes told her what he’d not said aloud—his feelings still ran deep.
“Okay. Who am I?”
“Kendall Marie Brooks—the daughter of missionaries.”
She assimilated the information. “Missionaries?” She tried to remember, but no details came.
“You grew up near Oaxaca, Mexico, and had only arrived in Reno the day before your accident.”
“At least now I understand why this city is so unfamiliar.” Somehow the knowledge brought a certain amount of peace. “Why am I here? In Reno, I mean.”
“You came to go to school. You were accepted into the graduate program of Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada here in Reno.”