by Jeri Odell
“You’ve got a lot of whys there. Sometimes I do, too. And every single time I find the answers in scripture.”
“Do I go to the concordance and look up ‘Kendall’?” Brady let out a discouraged sigh.
His dad smiled and shook his head. “No, you just start reading every day, and soon verses will begin to jump off the page and speak to your situation.”
“Maybe I’ll start in Numbers.”
“Numbers might not be my first choice.” His dad ignored Brady’s sarcasm. “If you can’t think of a better place, start in Psalms or Proverbs. You read a chapter or two a day, pray through it, meditate on it. Let it go deep into your heart.”
Brady nodded and exhaled a long, slow breath. The waitress returned with two iced teas.
His dad laid his lemon aside. “Can I make an observation?”
“Sure.”
“It’s the hard things that God really uses. The things we hate going through, the things that push us to our limits. When we look back, we may never want to go through the pain again, but we’re grateful for the results.”
“Like when Mom had breast cancer?”
“Like then. We’re closer to each other, closer to God, and have a heart for others who are suffering. Those results wouldn’t have happened in daily life. He threw us a curve ball and used it for His purposes.”
Their food arrived.
Brady grabbed the ketchup bottle. “So what you’re saying is seek God more for answers, and let Him use this time to grow me into the man He wants me to be.”
His dad nodded and closed his eyes. “Lord, bless our food, our conversation, and Brady’s future. Amen.”
One of many things Brady appreciated about his dad was his concise prayers. No fluff—just straight to the point.
“What do I do with the anger?” Brady dipped a fry in ketchup and popped it in his mouth.
“Keep telling Him it’s there and invite Him to remove it. One day you’ll wake up and realize it’s not there anymore.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“But it’s not, and I hope I don’t sound trite.” His dad sipped his iced tea. “Truth is, it’s hard work. When your mom was diagnosed with cancer, I was mad, scared, and a million other things. I had to choose every day to keep doing what I knew God wanted me to do—time in the Word, time in praise, and time in prayer. Make a thirty-day commitment to seek Him on a deeper level, and I promise you won’t regret it, not for a minute.”
Brady nodded and took a bite of his ham. He’d pick up the gauntlet and do what his dad suggested. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Fifteen
Kendall heard the honk and rushed out of her apartment—at least as fast as one could with a cane and a limp. Tom believed with all his heart that she’d one day walk on her own without any sign of a limp. She hoped so, but this was okay, too. It sure beat turtle speed with a walker.
Delanie and Marilyn Cooper sat curbside in the silver sedan that had taken her more miles than she could count these past three months. Kendall climbed into the backseat behind Delanie. “So this is it—our last lunch at Walden’s.” Delanie stated the obvious. They’d shared a lot of meals and girl talk, and Kendall would miss them immensely.
“Yeah.” Kendall’s eyes filled with tears. She had such mixed feelings about leaving.
Marilyn glanced back at her. “Are you all packed?”
“I shipped what little I had last week. What’s left will fit into a couple of suitcases, and I’ll take those with me on the plane.”
“What time is your flight?” Delanie shifted in her seat belt, leaning her back against the passenger door so she could see both Kendall and her mom.
“Six thirty in the morning.”
“Am I taking you?” Marilyn had gotten used to chauffeuring Kendall wherever she needed to go.
“No, I’m catching a cab.”
“A cab?” Delanie protested. “We can take you. We want to take you, don’t we, Mom?”
Kendall shook her head. The tears were gathering again, and she stared at the car roof, attempting to blink them away. “I’d rather say good-bye to you guys today and cry myself to sleep. Otherwise I’ll cry the entire flight to Oaxaca.”
“Today it is, then,” Delanie agreed.
“It will be strange going home, still not remembering anyplace but Reno as home.”
“Maybe being back will trigger something,” Marilyn said as she parked in front of Walden’s. They each ordered their favorite wrap and drink and grabbed the corner table.
“So have you figured out what comes after the summer in Mexico?” Delanie pulled out a chair for Kendall and then one for herself.
“Not a clue, but I plan on spending the summer resting up from all this physical therapy and helping my parents run VBS camps. Tom says I’m ready to tackle my bike again. ” Kendall settled into her seat, hanging her purse strap and cane over the back. “Remember when the pastor preached a couple of weeks ago on that verse that says God is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet?”
Both women nodded.
“Anyway, he said the type of lamp referred to in this passage only provided enough light for the next step, and that’s all I can see, my next step.”
“Your faith is incredible.” Delanie sipped her mocha ole.
“I just keep studying His Word and believing He means what He says.” Kendall squeezed lemon into her water. She’d never caught the coffee craze. “I feel like my time in Reno has been not just a time for the physical rebuilding of my broken body, but a time of spiritual rebuilding after a long season of apathy.”
They kept their lunch chitchat light, and for that, Kendall was thankful. On the way back to her apartment, Delanie asked, “You’ll keep in touch, right?”
“E-mail, instant messaging, cell phones, and maybe I’ll even occasionally use a stamp.” Kendall climbed out of the backseat when Marilyn pulled in front of her place. Both Delanie and Marilyn got out of the car, as well. The three of them hugged one last time, and a few more tears were shed.
Kendall hurried to her door. Telling them good-bye had been harder than she ever imagined. When she reached the porch, she turned to face them. “I’ll be back, maybe not to Reno, but to the States. We’ll see each other again.” On that promise, she closed the front door, leaned against it, and bawled.
Kendall wanted so badly to call Brady or write him a note, but she’d laid him—and his family—at God’s feet. So she couldn’t interfere. If God wanted them back together, He’d have to orchestrate it without any help from her.
She prayed that either his mom or Delanie would let him know time was running out. Maybe he’d show up in the morning or even at the airport.
❧
Brady had taken his dad’s advice. He’d spent the last six months in an intensive time with God. He’d immersed himself in the Word, and though he still had more questions than answers, they didn’t matter so much anymore. His trust in God had grown by leaps and bounds, and he was learning to rest in the Lord.
A few weeks ago their pastor had started a series on the Song of Solomon. The more he read and the more he heard, the more he thought of Kendall. He’d heeded his dad’s suggestion and laid her on the altar, but why couldn’t he get her out of his mind? Another why. He’d asked God to help him forget, but that wasn’t happening.
Pulling out his Bible, he reread part of Sunday’s passage—Song of Solomon 3:4. “I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go.” Only he read, “I held her and would not let her go.” He’d done that—held her—but then he’d let her go. His heart just kept saying, Brady, go get her. You’re ready now. Maybe what God had wanted all along was first place in Brady’s life. He now securely had that spot.
Later that morning on his way to the gym, he stopped by Kendall’s apartment. He knocked and heard some rustling. The dead bolt clicked. His heart pounded. The door squeaked opened. His mouth went dry.
“Can I help you?” It w
asn’t Kendall at all, but a young mom with a baby on her hip.
“Uh, is Kendall around?”
“Ain’t no Kendall here.” She chomped her gum.
He glanced at the address above the door. “This is her place,” he insisted.
“I don’t know no Kendall. I just moved in last week.”
The news nearly stopped his heart cold.
“Don’t know none of the neighbors yet, either. Maybe they know Kendall.”
Brady nodded. “Well, thank you anyway. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
Last week! He pulled out his cell phone on his way back to the SUV. He punched number three. His mom answered.
“Strangest thing just happened. I stopped by Kendall’s, and she no longer lives there.”
“Kendall’s gone, Brady. She returned to Mexico.”
“Mexico?” He almost dropped the phone. “To Javier?”
“Anyway, I thought we’d agreed not to discuss her.”
Actually, you agreed, and I abided by your agreement. “Please, Mom, it’s important.”
“I don’t think Javier had anything to do with her return, nor do I think he’ll keep her there.”
“Thanks, Mom. I need whatever information you have on her.” His hope soared.
“Why?”
“Because when I found the one my heart loves, I held her and would not let her go.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Yep. I’m going after her.”
❧
With the help of his mother, Brady caught a plane for Oaxaca the following week. Thankfully, he already had a passport from a mission trip he’d taken in college, so he didn’t have to wait on that.
Brady was more nervous than he’d been in his entire life. He’d never proposed to a woman before, so the daunting task was both exciting and scary. He checked his pocket again for the fiftieth time. Yep, the little velvet box was still there.
Brady had been in touch with the mission organization the Brooks served under. They had given him precise instructions on where to find George Brooks. As God would have it, he was in Oaxaca both yesterday and today to give a presentation and to restock supplies. Brady planned to catch a ride with him back to the village where they lived. Lord willing, he’d be an engaged man before sundown.
Upon arriving at his destination, Brady caught a cab to the mission headquarters. His Spanish was bad—the two years he took way back in high school failed him miserably, but he and the cabdriver somehow made it work.
At his drop-off point, Brady paid the driver and rolled his one suitcase up the sidewalk toward the door. His hand visibly shook when he reached for the handle. He and Mr. Brooks hadn’t been the best of friends, so Brady had to trust that this trip was in God’s perfect timing. He’d had a complete peace after deciding to come, so he just kept giving the rest of the details to the Lord and put Him in charge of working them out.
The receptionist informed Brady that Señor Brooks was in a meeting. He took a seat in the small lobby and waited, spending the time in praise and thanksgiving. Then he reread a couple of passages from Song of Solomon.
“Brady? Is that you?”
Glancing up, he saw Mr. Brooks standing before him. Brady jumped up and held out his right hand. “Hello, sir.”
Mr. Brooks accepted his shake. “This is a surprise. Is Kendall expecting you?”
“No, sir.” Brady glanced around. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”
“Sure. I have a small office here in the building.”
Brady followed Mr. Brooks down a narrow hall. Small was right—the room barely held a desk and a chair for visitors. A world map took up most of one wall.
Brady filled Mr. Brooks in on his journey of the last six months or so—the abridged version. “The only thing that hasn’t changed about me during that time is the love I have for your daughter. I’d like to ask your permission for Kendall’s hand in marriage.”
Mr. Brooks smiled, and Brady let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “I would be honored, Brady, to have you as my son-in-law.”
Brady had been surprised by the warm welcome he’d received and now sat shocked by Mr. Brooks’s enthusiastic response to his proposal.
On the drive to the village, their conversation was comfortable and flowing. Brady was deeply grateful to the Lord for going before him.
When they finally arrived at the small casa the Brooks family called home, Brady waited in the car while Kendall’s dad helped him set a plan in motion.
A couple of minutes later, Mr. Brooks returned to the car, opening the passenger door. “She’s not here, Brady.”
“Not here?”
“She’s gone to Benito Juárez.”
The sunlight was nearly gone. “For how long?”
“She’ll return tomorrow afternoon.”
So much for being engaged by sunset. Brady followed Mr. Brooks into the house, where he received a warm welcome from Kendall’s mother. They dined together and helped him figure out a plan.
“It’s her favorite place in the whole world. It will be ideal,” Diana Brooks assured him.
So at sunrise the next morning, George, as he’d been instructed to call him, and Brady made the twenty-five-mile trek north from their home village of Teotitlán to Benito Juárez. Brady reveled in the orange ball of fire rising to the east. It wasn’t often he woke up early enough to catch the very beginning of a day.
“When we arrive in Benito Juárez, I will take you to the community leader so you can gain permission to enter the Sierras. Then you will have to hike up to El Mirador.”
Brady nodded. He was good to go. He had a backpack with food and plenty of water. After the formalities, George left Brady at the foot of the trail. They prayed and Brady started his hike. He spent the time on the trail anticipating and remembering.
As he neared the top, his lungs burned from the exertion—and he was in good shape! This wasn’t a trail for wimps. He felt encouraged that Kendall’s months of hard work in physical therapy must have paid off. His mom had told him that Kendall said she was stronger than before the accident. She’d spent her remaining time in Reno not only finishing the required PT, but working extra hours on her own.
Finally, he was there.
He saw her bike before he saw her. Then he spotted her. She sat in the cleft of a rock, eyes closed. Brady tiptoed over to her and knelt on one knee.
❧
Kendall let the sun warm her face and rested in the Rock—both literally and figuratively.
“Kendall?”
How strange. She thought she heard Brady’s voice.
“Kendall, it’s me.”
Her eyes flew open. She sat up straighter. “Brady! Is that really you?” She laughed. “What a stupid question. Of course it’s you! Unless you’re a mirage.” She touched him just to be certain her imagination wasn’t messing with her.
He had a silly grin on his face. Then she realized he was kneeling. Her heart hammered against her rib cage. In his eyes she saw enough love to last a lifetime.
“Kendall Marie Brooks, I’ve waited forever to find you.”
Excitement bubbled up in Kendall. Anticipating Brady’s question, she jumped the gun. “Yes, Brady. Most definitely yes.” She jumped up, nearly knocking him over in the process. She pulled him to his feet and hugged him tight. He wrapped her in his big, strong arms, and she knew she’d finally come home.
“Yes, Brady. A thousand times yes.”
She gazed into his handsome face. He leaned toward her, and their lips met in a kiss that must have hit seven or eight on the Richter scale.
When they finally separated, Kendall felt slightly breathless and, without a doubt, light-headed.
“You never let me finish my sentence a minute ago.” He had an ornery gleam in his eye.
She stepped out of his arms. “By all means, finish what you started.” She crossed her arms and played coy.
“I was in the neighborhoo
d and thought I’d drop by and see if you wanted to have lunch with me.” He slid his backpack off his shoulders and laid it on the ground.
Kendall laughed and raised her brows. “Lunch, you say?”
Brady nodded. “You know, I never had such an enthusiastic response to a lunch invitation before.” He slipped his hand into the front pocket of his jeans, pulling out a small velvet box. “I wonder what you’d say to a lifetime of lunches.”
Her heart felt soft and warm inside her chest. Brady returned to his knee. Kendall held her breath in anticipation.
“When I found the one my heart loves, I held her and would not let her go. You’re the one, Kendall, and I want to hold you forever and never let you go.” He opened the jeweler’s box and held it out to her. An emerald-cut diamond twinkled against the black satin that cradled it. He laid the box in her palm. Her hand had a slight tremor as she lifted the ring from its nest and slipped it on her finger.
“It’s beautiful,” Kendall whispered. The moment seemed too reverent to speak out loud. She took a step forward, reaching her hands toward him. He grabbed hold of them, stroking them with his thumbs.
“And, Brady, I want to be held by you forever. I want to grow old with you, have babies with you, dream dreams with you.” With her fingertips, she traced his jawline.
He cocked his head. “How many babies?”
She smiled. “Only ten or twelve.”
He laughed and rose to his feet. Taking her hand, he led her back to the rock. He sat down and pulled her down next to him. They both stared at her finger, admiring the ring, cherishing the commitment.
“Does my father know you’re here?”
Brady laughed and replayed the scene for Kendall.
“Wow. I have to tell you, I’m surprised he was so amicable. But he’s been so different since I’ve been here. My first day he apologized for being so hard on me when I was younger. He said he was too into the rules and didn’t work on a love relationship with me. He said it was no wonder I rebelled.”
“Guess God’s been working on all of us.” Brady shook his head. “I know He’s sure been working on me. I have so much to tell you.”