Sunset Read online

  They circled up in the greenroom, the entire cast holding hands. Katy placed herself in the circle and grinned at the group. “You all look wonderful. God is really going to use this show. I can sense it.” She looked up at the cement ceiling and exposed water pipes. “Let’s sing.”

  Singing a song of praise to God was one of the CKT traditions Bailey would miss most when the next three weeks of shows were finished. Emotion built in her eyes as the song started. “‘We love You, Lord . . . and we lift our voice . . .’”

  Bailey held on to each word, each refrain. While preparing for the show, she hadn’t given much thought to the obvious. She was eighteen now, and this was the last show until summer. Which meant Bailey could try out for the fall and winter shows next year, but after that she’d be too old to perform with CKT.

  Softly and with beautiful harmonies, the song continued. “‘. . . to worship You, O my soul, rejoice! Take joy, my King, in what You hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.’”

  When the song ended, Katy led them in a brief but powerful prayer. As they took their places, as Bailey, Sydney, and Julia walked onto the stage to begin the show, Bailey was overwhelmed by the truth in what Katy had told them. The message of Joseph was a lasting and powerful one.

  Now it was time to share it with the people of Bloomington.

  Katy found her seat up in the balcony, the place where she always sat for opening night. Only this time she didn’t have to watch the door for signs of Dayne or wonder if he was coming or what he was doing out in Hollywood. He was right here beside her. She leaned into his arm. “I’m a nervous wreck.”

  He smiled at her. “You have no reason. These kids could take this show to Broadway. They’re way beyond prepared.”

  She relaxed some and placed her hands on her rounded stomach. The baby had been particularly active today. “Really? You think they’re ready?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The houselights were still up, and Katy looked back toward the lobby. There on the wall were portraits of Sarah Jo Stryker and Ben Hanover, the two CKT kids killed by a drunk driver a few years ago. With the new start-up of CKT, the newspaper had done another article on all the theater group had gone through and how they had pulled together after the deaths of Sarah Jo and Ben and then again with the near loss of their theater.

  Katy settled back in her seat.

  “What’re you thinking?” Dayne gripped her hand, his warmth and strength a constant support.

  “What it took . . . all we’ve gone through to be here tonight.” Her emotions were running high tonight, and Katy was certain they’d stay that way. “The Hanovers are here. Sarah Jo’s mother too.” She stared at the stage, at the thick velvet curtains stretched across the front. “Apparently the drunk driver wrote to both families. Mrs. Hanover told me a few minutes ago.”

  Dayne’s expression reminded her that he too had been a part of that sad time. “What did he say?”

  “He’s changed. Gave his life to God and joined a Bible study in prison. He’s actually mentoring a few guys.” She squinted at the stage and envisioned sweet Sarah Jo playing Becky Thatcher in Tom Sawyer, singing in all her glory. “Every day he thinks about the kids he killed. He said he’d spend the rest of his life trying to make something good of himself. In their memory.”

  “Makes me wonder . . .” Dayne’s attention was on the stage also. “How much of that came from your visit.”

  “Hmm.” Katy hadn’t thought about that. “Could be. He was pretty shaken up that day.” She remembered that afternoon, the day she took a group of CKT kids to jail so they could see the young man responsible for the deaths of their friends. Bailey, Connor, Tim, and a dozen others took turns greeting the guy and forgiving him. “I guess something like that could change a person.”

  “Because without God none of you could’ve done that.”

  “True.”

  They were silent for a minute, lost in thoughts of the past.

  “Did you ever imagine . . . ?”

  “I’d be here on a night like this?” Katy peered at him. “Never.”

  The houselights went down, and darkness draped the theater. A hush fell over the crowd.

  Katy touched her lips to Dayne’s and held his gaze. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He searched her eyes. “I should’ve done it sooner.”

  She smiled.

  A spotlight appeared at center stage, and all eleven of Joseph’s brothers filed out. Working in character and with great comedic timing, they informed the audience that it was time to turn off cell phones and there would be snacks at intermission.

  Katy was still thinking about Sarah Jo and Ben, the drunk driver, and something Ashley had told her. She’d been reading from the book of Psalms, and she’d come across a verse about God’s redemption in all things. His faithfulness. It was true for the tragedy CKT had gone through in losing two precious kids, and it was true in the trials she and Dayne had survived.

  Katy remembered the phone call she’d gotten from Rhonda earlier today. “Tell everyone to break a leg,” Rhonda had said. And then she’d shared about how happy she was, how she and Chad were loving their work with CKT and loving each other most of all. Their wedding had been moved to August because that was the soonest they could get the church they wanted, but their relationship was getting stronger all the time. “It’s like a dream. Sometimes I can’t believe this is my life.”

  Indeed. A warmth filled Katy’s soul. The music began, and the three narrators took the stage, Bailey leading the way. If there was one message Katy hoped people would take away from the production of Joseph, it was this: God was faithful. He was a redemptive Father and Creator, and He always kept His word.

  Dayne had a framed Scripture in his newly decorated office at their lake house. It was from John 16:33. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

  “A reminder,” Dayne had told Katy, “that life doesn’t always have a happy ending. But in the end, if we believe, we all win anyway.”

  She reached for his hand, loving the way her fingers felt woven between his. CKT was theirs, and it always would be. This was how they could truly love the kids in their community with the gifts God had given them. Along the way, they could teach kids about God, the way the story of Joseph taught them. That when God’s people were suffering in the midst of a trial, they needed only to remember what Joseph remembered, the truths that kept him sane during his days in Egypt.

  God loved them, and God was in control.

  The show was over, the bows about to begin, and Ashley couldn’t stop smiling. Opening night was everything she’d hoped it would be. Bailey, Sydney, and Julia were brilliant as narrators, and Connor’s performance as Joseph brought tears to her eyes. Sarah Nordlund also did well, and more than that, her mother reported that during Sarah’s time among the CKT kids, her diabetes didn’t make her feel quite so different.

  But the most touching part for Ashley was seeing Cole onstage for the first time, watching him sing with the ensemble, his hands outstretched. If Ashley had her way, this would be the first of many CKT plays for Cole and one day maybe for Devin and their newest little boy. It didn’t matter the size of the role, just that the kids took part at all. In Joseph, Cole was playing the son of Joseph’s brother Simeon, and in the weeks leading up to opening night he had asked her a number of questions about the Bible story of Joseph.

  “You know, Mom, I’m kinda like Joseph,” Cole deduced one night after another question-and-answer session.

  “How’s that?” Ashley was feeding Devin in his high chair, and Landon was at work.

  “Well, my life was really great, but I didn’t have my dad. It took a whole lot of waiting before God brought us all together.”

  During the curtain call, Cole’s group of actors took the stage first to a rousing round of applause. Ashley joined the others on their feet. She rested one hand on her belly and put her other arm around Landon. They would be a
n all-boy family, but that didn’t mean they’d spend their lives entirely in a gym or on a field. Maybe there would be these moments too, when her love for the arts lived clearly in her sons.

  Landon had Devin in his arms, and the boy clapped as loud as anyone. “Coley!” he cried over the noise of the cheering crowd. “My Coley!”

  The next group came onstage and the next, and finally the lead actors took their bows. Then the entire cast raised their hands to the light booth and then to the band—their way of giving credit to the ones who made the show possible. They finished by doing something that set CKT apart from other theater groups. They raised their hands straight up, shining eyes lifted toward heaven.

  Ashley felt a rush of sweet sadness and unfathomable joy. Yes, it was all thanks to God. The theater, the show . . . and the fact that like Joseph, Cole had a daddy and not one brother but two.

  The lights came up, and the kids filed down into the audience.

  As soon as Cole had a chance, he ran to them. He hugged Landon first, then her. “Did you see me? I was right up front in that one song.”

  “We did.” Ashley hugged him.

  All around them kids were greeting their parents and congratulations were being handed out. Cameras were everywhere as cast members took pictures with their family members who had come to see the show. Ashley could see that Brooke and Kari and their families were making their way through the crowd toward them.

  “Hey, buddy!” There was no hiding the pride in Landon’s expression. “You were great!”

  “Thanks. I still like baseball and basketball better. But guess what? They’re doing Peter Pan in the summer, so I’ll probably try out again.”

  Ashley could almost picture Cole as Michael or John, one of the Darling children in Peter Pan. Her happiness spilled into a laugh, because she didn’t need to wonder any longer. There would indeed be more nights like this.

  Devin strained against Landon’s arms. “Devin down!” Landon released him, and he rushed to his big brother. He raised his hands in the air. “Coley!” Then he flung his arms around Cole’s waist.

  “Hey, Dev.” Cole rubbed his head. “You liked the show?”

  Devin hopped around Cole in response, and Cole laughed, the way he often did these days when he was with his younger brother. “You know what I was thinking?” Cole turned teasing eyes to Ashley and then to Landon. “If Joseph could have so many brothers, maybe I could too.” He shrugged. “We already have two, so we’re on our way.”

  Ashley laughed harder. “You’re lucky to have two.”

  Cole grinned at her. “Yeah, I know.” He looked at Landon. “It was worth a try.”

  The rest of their family gathered around then. Ashley’s dad and Elaine were there and Luke and Reagan and the kids. Even in the happy theater crowd, Ashley could tell things were still strained between her younger brother and his wife. She put the thoughts from her head. This wasn’t the time to think about that.

  Cole made his way around the group, accepting hugs and congratulations from everyone and taking a dozen photos with them. Hayley and Jessie seemed somewhat shy around Cole, as if they were a little starstruck by his performance.

  Even Maddie told him what a good job he’d done. “Next time I’m gonna try out too,” she told him. “Because girls are better dancers.”

  “And boys are better baseball players.” Cole winked at her.

  For the first time Maddie had no retort. She hesitated and then her face lit up and she grabbed Cole’s hand. “Let’s go say hi to Aunt Katy and Uncle Dayne.”

  The crowd was thinning, most people already headed off to Burgerland for the opening night party. Ashley talked a few more minutes with her sisters and Reagan while the guys chatted a few feet away.

  Finally Landon came up beside her. “We better go. The burgers’ll be sold out.”

  Ashley was about to round up the boys when a couple and their son walked over. The boy was in the show, one of the middle school actors onstage, but his family was new to CKT and Ashley hadn’t gotten to know them well. She wasn’t even sure of the woman’s name. Ashley and Landon turned toward them, and Ashley thought they looked strangely tentative, nervous almost.

  “Hi.” The man took a step forward and shook Landon’s hand. “We’re the Franklins. I’m Tom.” He put his arm around the woman. “This is my wife, Carol, and our son, Bobby.”

  The name sounded vaguely familiar, and Ashley figured it was from working with the cast list.

  “I’m Landon.” He smiled. “Nice to meet you. The kids were great tonight, huh?”

  “Yes, but . . . well . . .” Tom looked to his wife and then back at Landon. “My wife and I . . . Can I ask . . . are you a firefighter?”

  “I am.” Clearly Landon was equally curious about where the conversation was headed.

  Carol put her hand on her son’s shoulder. “We wanted to thank you.”

  Tom cleared his throat. His lower lip quivered. “See . . . Bobby was the boy from the apartment fire seven years ago.”

  Ashley’s mind raced, and the floor beneath her seemed to turn to liquid. “You mean—” she looked at the boy—“he’s the one?”

  “He is. He’s twelve now.” Tears filled Carol’s eyes. “I didn’t put it together until I saw your husband enter the theater with you. We knew the man’s name was Landon Blake and that Blake was your name.” She turned to Landon. “When we saw you tonight we recognized you.”

  “From your picture in the paper.” Tom looked deep at Landon, to the vicinities of his heart where only a father could relate. “Bobby’s our only child. We can’t have more.” He bit his lip. “I don’t know what we would’ve done if . . .”

  Carol stepped away from her son and gave Landon a hug. Bobby shook Landon’s hand and uttered a quiet thank-you. He was polite, but he seemed embarrassed by the moment. He moved off to talk to a few girls near the snack stand.

  Tom shook his head, his brow lowered from the obvious intensity of his feelings. “You risked your own life for my son. We sent you a letter to the firehouse, but . . . we always wanted to find you and thank you.”

  Ashley’s eyes filled with tears, and she blinked so she could clearly see the boy. Bobby from the show was the one? that boy? The fire had been one of the most dangerous in Bloomington history, affecting an apartment complex and threatening the lives of a dozen people. Landon had found the boy unconscious on the second floor. For a while he’d tried to buddy-breathe. He would take a gulp of air from his mask, then place the mask over the boy’s face and repeat the pattern. But eventually the smoke and heat were too much for Landon, and he passed out with the mask firmly over the boy’s face.

  The resulting smoke inhalation nearly killed Landon, but his heroism did three things. First, it saved the life of the shy twelve-year-old standing a few feet away. Second, it brought Ashley back to Landon. If he hadn’t been near death after that fire, she wouldn’t have held a vigil at his hospital bedside, and she wouldn’t have allowed herself to admit what had been true forever—that she loved Landon Blake.

  A chill passed down her spine. The third thing was just as dramatic. Landon’s injuries in that blaze delayed his ability to move to New York City and fight fires with his buddy Jalen. And because of the delay, Landon wasn’t where he would’ve been—trudging up the stairs of the South Tower in lower Manhattan on September 11 when the whole thing collapsed.

  They talked for a few more minutes and then headed for the van. Cole was singing “One More Angel in Heaven,” one of the play’s funnier songs. But Ashley and Landon hadn’t said a word to each other since the family walked up to them. Not until they had the boys belted in and they took their seats did Landon lean back and stare straight ahead. He made no move to start the engine.

  “I don’t even know what to say.” He looked at Ashley, his jaw slack. “God used me to save that kid, but afterward He saved me twice. Know what I mean?”

  “I do.” Her voice was somber, filled with awe. “His ways are far too com
plicated for us.”

  “Yeah.” Landon pulled the keys from his pocket and slipped them into the ignition. A sad smile tugged at his lips. “Because not everyone comes out alive.”

  He was thinking of Jalen, of course.

  Jalen’s parents had let Landon stay in Jalen’s New York apartment over the several months after 9/11 when Landon worked almost without stopping looking for his friend’s remains in the rubble of Ground Zero. He sifted through ash and human remains right up until the afternoon when Jalen’s body was discovered. After that he came back to Bloomington wanting only one thing. A relationship with Ashley.

  She was about to ask whether Landon had heard from Jalen’s parents lately when his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. His expression darkened as he opened his phone and held it to his ear. “Mom, what’s going on?” The engine was running, but he still hadn’t moved the van. Now he rested his forearm on the steering wheel. “A few hours ago, then?”

  Ashley crossed her arms and watched him. The news couldn’t be good. Landon’s grandpa Westra was still very sick from his heart attack, clinging to life in the ICU. The family was planning a trip there as soon as the show run was finished. Now watching Landon’s part of the conversation, Ashley was pretty sure that this was the call they’d been dreading.

  “Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know. . . . I love you too.” Landon turned to Ashley as he slid his phone back into his pocket. He hesitated, his chin quivering. “He’s gone.”

  “Oh, Landon.” She closed the distance between them and hugged him. “I’m sorry.”

  “What happened, Dad?” Cole poked his head between the two front seats. “Is something wrong?”

  Landon sighed and eased back from Ashley. His eyes were dry, but the heaviness in his voice was heartbreaking. “Grandpa Westra died.” He managed a weak smile for Cole. “Remember him?”