Summer Page 3

  The routine today would be the same as it had been before the wedding. Ashley and Kari would meet in the school’s parking lot with their kids and strollers and a pair of small bicycles. Kari and Brooke had swapped girls earlier in the afternoon so Jessie could play with Hayley and Maddie and her little school friend could hang out with Cole. RJ and Devin—the younger boys—would most likely fall asleep in their strollers, and Ashley and Kari could get in an hour’s walk before calling it quits.

  Kari’s husband, Ryan, was head coach on the school’s football team. Today he would be in the boys’ weight room, helping get the players ready for next fall. In the month leading up to the wedding, when Ashley and Kari walked the track, Ryan had occasionally stepped out for a quick hello.

  Ashley arrived at the school first. She parked her van and at the same time noticed Kari’s car pulling into the lot.

  From the backseat, Cole released a pensive sigh. “I’ve been thinking, Mom.” He leaned up and took hold of the back of her seat.

  Ashley smiled. “Thinking’s a good thing.”

  “If the new baby’s a boy, we’ll have more than half a basketball team. ’Cause you only need five for a team.”

  “And if the baby’s a girl?”

  “Well—” disappointment rang in Cole’s voice—“I guess we could let her play. But it wouldn’t be the same.”

  Quiet laughter came from Ashley. Cole had just finished his first season on a youth basketball team, and her husband, Landon, had put a hoop up at the end of the driveway after they returned from Mexico. Cole spent an hour shooting baskets every day—regardless of the cool temperatures this spring.

  Ashley reached behind her and placed her hand over Cole’s. “What if this new little sister doesn’t like basketball? What if she wants to dance or sing or be in Christian Kids Theater?”

  Cole unsnapped his seat belt and slid along the backseat so he could see Ashley better. “Maybe she might do both.”

  Before Ashley could respond, Kari pulled into the spot beside them.

  “Aunt Kari!” Cole gave Ashley a look. “If me and Maddie race today, I might let her win. Otherwise she’ll get bored and stop riding with me.”

  Ashley raised her eyebrow at him. “I wouldn’t tell her that.”

  “I won’t.” Cole’s eyes sparkled, the way they did whenever he had a chance to tease his cousin. He jumped out of the van and headed for the open back door of Kari’s car.

  Ashley laid her fingers on her abdomen. After just having a baby last year, she was already showing. But that was okay. Kari was showing too. The small bumps beneath their jackets only served to remind them that this was the rarest of chances. The two of them being pregnant at the same time, together going through morning sickness and doctor appointments and dreaming about names.

  Brooke and Erin, their other two sisters, had both expressed a mock sense of jealousy.

  “Imagine how much fun it’ll be once the babies are born,” Brooke had told Ashley a few nights ago. “You’ll do everything together.”

  But the truth was, they all would. As much as Brooke’s schedule as a pediatrician would allow and as often as Erin might come home from Texas, the whole family would get together. These newest babies would be the same age, and for that reason they were bound to share a special bond. But all the Baxter cousins were close—even when the relationships between them involved a little competition.

  Ashley waved hello to Kari, stepped out of her van, and opened the back door, where Devin was sleeping. Kari was helping her kids out, and Ashley noticed the other little girl, the school friend Maddie had brought. When the girls were out of the van, they faced Cole.

  “This is Tatum Selby. She sits next to me in school.” Maddie put her arm around her friend. “And she’s the fastest bike rider in the third grade. Plus she’s good at gymnastics.”

  Cole sized her up. “Really?”

  “Yep.” Maddie stuck her chest out. “She’s so fast you won’t see her ride past you.”

  “Let her tell me.” Cole looked at Tatum. “Are you fast?”

  Tatum giggled and shrugged one shoulder. “I guess so.”

  Ashley kept an eye on the conversation. Tatum was darling, shorter than Maddie with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

  “‘I guess so’ means you’re not that fast.” Cole cocked his head, studying her.

  “Actually . . . it’s true. I’m the fastest bike rider in my class.” Tatum flung her hair over her shoulder. She was missing a few teeth, and her smile never quite left her eyes. But when she talked about her bicycling skills, a mix of determination and compassion colored her expression. “Anyway, I’d rather sing.”

  “There you go.” Ashley scooped Devin into her arms, shut both doors, and joined Kari and the children. “Tatum can sing and be athletic. So you’re right, Cole. Your sister can probably do more than one thing.”

  Kari raised her eyebrows. “A sister? I thought your ultrasound was in two weeks.”

  “It is.” Ashley laughed. She pulled Devin’s stroller from the back of her van. “We’re assuming here. Cole wants a basketball player, and I was saying maybe the baby will be a girl.”

  Cole crossed his arms and made a face. He met Tatum’s eyes. “A boy would be better.”

  “Not always.” Tatum didn’t blink. “Girls can do everything boys can do.”

  “Yes.” Kari had her stroller out now too. “Our friend Tatum is living proof that you can’t put little girls into a box. She’s trying out for the next CKT show.”

  They opened their strollers and began moving toward the track. The whole time, Maddie chattered on about how Tatum was going to Hawaii for spring break and had been to Bulgaria five times and had a poodle named Princess.

  Every now and then Cole looked over his shoulder and shot Ashley a look that said he wasn’t interested in the girl talk and couldn’t understand why Maddie felt compelled to keep reciting details about her friend. Even so, he kept his steps even with Tatum’s.

  When they reached the track, Tatum turned to Cole. “Do you have Jesus in your heart?”

  Cole looked taken aback. “Yeah. For a long time.”

  She grinned, and her missing teeth became more apparent. “Then I guess the bike race doesn’t really matter.” She patted his shoulder. “Right?”

  Cole’s cheeks grew red. If Ashley didn’t know better, she would’ve thought maybe Cole was enamored with this little girl, a girl who could play sports and dance and find the compassion to talk about Jesus.

  He opened his mouth, and for a few seconds nothing came out. Then he quickly looked away and hurried to his bike. “Enough talking.”

  The three of them climbed onto their bicycles and peddled off, with Cole shouting something about a few warm-up laps.

  Ashley watched them go. “Interesting.” She zipped up her jacket and fell into step beside Kari. “Almost looked like my little boy had a crush for a minute there.”

  “Apparently lots of little boys have crushes on Tatum.” Kari looked thinner than usual and pale. Pregnancy was always hard on her. She smiled. “Brooke told me that Tatum and Maddie sort of lead the pack when the boys start chasing the girls at recess.”

  “Makes me feel old.” Ashley found a steady pace and kept her eyes on Cole and the girls. “Like I better not blink or he’ll be calling to tell me he’s getting married.”

  Kari laughed. “I think we have a few years.”

  “Still . . . they grow up too fast.”

  “They do.” Kari’s laughter faded.

  They let the conversation drop for a few minutes. The air was crisp, the sky above them bright blue with only a few puffy white clouds on the horizon. Already the sun was making its way down, casting shadows over the track.

  Their pace wasn’t as fast as it had been before the trip to Mexico, but it felt good. Ashley sucked in a deep breath. She liked the way the cold air filled her lungs. Back when she was pregnant with Cole and later with Devin, she had wondered about the women who said the
y never felt better than when they were carrying babies. But this pregnancy was different. She was at peace with God and her family, energetic and strong and healthier than ever.

  So maybe this would be the little girl she and Landon had rarely talked about, the one that would complete their family. She was even carrying the baby differently, lower than before. She drew another long breath and glanced at her sister. “You feeling okay?”

  Kari kept walking, but she pressed one hand to the small of her back. “I’m fine. Just tired. I’m not sleeping great.”

  Concern rippled the calm waters in Ashley’s heart. “Just the baby . . . ?”

  “I think so.” Kari made a face. “This one seems to be permanently lodged on my bladder.”

  Ashley didn’t want to pry, but she had to ask. “You and Ryan—everything’s okay with the two of you?”

  “Definitely.” Her eyes softened, and her smile crept up her face. “I love him more now than ever before. He’s busy—coaching football and working on his side business, helping former pro athletes find life after sports. But his first concern is always me. Whether I need help with Jessie and RJ or if I just need an hour nap.” She peeked around the stroller and checked Ryan Junior. Then she looked at Ashley again. “I don’t know what I’d do without that man.”

  Ashley sensed it again, the wonderful feeling that all was right with the world. She felt fantastic, the afternoon air was invigorating, and she and her sister were married to a couple of good guys, men who took their roles seriously, who made life one incredible love story.

  All that, and they were about to have babies at the same time. Ashley looked up, beyond the distant trees to the sky. Thank You, God, for this season in life. You led Kari and me through the storms, and now You’ve blessed us with lives that seem too good to be true. Thank You, God. . . .

  Daughter, in all things I work for the good of those who love Me.

  The verse filled her head sure and clear, and it made Ashley hesitate before moving her feet again. She’d read it before, of course. But mainly in times of trial. So why here, now, in the midst of the happiest time in her life, would that verse be the first to fill her mind?

  Cole and the two girls whizzed past on their bikes, with Cole in the lead.

  Maddie was shouting after him, “We’re still warming up! This isn’t the race, Cole!”

  Ashley watched them, and a chill passed over her arms. Was God trying to tell her something? Was another trial waiting around the bend, or was the verse merely affirmation that after everything she and her sister had been through, this, finally, was the good God had worked out for them?

  “What are you thinking?” Kari’s voice was quiet, thoughtful. These walks did that to both of them—made them think about life, all that had passed and all that lay ahead.

  Ashley found her pace. “The future, I guess.”

  “Me too.” Kari ran her hand over her middle. “I can’t wait to go through the next years together. What a dream.”

  Again Ashley was quiet for a moment. “You ever wonder . . . whether we’ve ridden out the worst trials or whether there are more ahead?”

  “Sometimes.” Kari kept her focus on the distant track. “The other day Jessie asked me about her first daddy, whether she would know him when we all got to heaven.”

  “Hmmm.” Ashley kept her eyes on the kids, now halfway around the black oval. “You don’t talk about Tim much. Does Jessie know the details?”

  “Not everything. Just that before he died, he loved Jesus very much.” Kari straightened her shoulders. “I told her yes, I thought she’d recognize him in heaven. That’s when she asked me the question I’ve been dreading. ‘How did Daddy die?’”

  Ashley made a face. Innocence and security marked the lives of their children. Kari and Ryan had hoped to avoid talking about the specifics of Tim’s death as long as possible. “What did you tell her?”

  “I said a mean and sick man hurt him. That’s how he died.”

  “And that was enough?”

  The kids passed by again, their legs flying as they pushed the pedals.

  Kari sighed. “For now. Someday she’ll want the details, and I’ll have to tell her. Tim’s affair, the college kid who had a thing for Tim’s girlfriend, and the fact that Tim was gunned down outside the girl’s apartment. All of it.” She blew at a wisp of her hair and gave Ashley a sad smile. “Yeah, I’d like to think the hardest trials we’ll face are behind us.”

  “Me too.” Ashley noticed the three kids stopping ahead of them.

  “This is it.” Maddie climbed off her bike and held her hand out in front of Cole and Tatum. “One time around. First one back to this spot wins.”

  “Sometimes I think Brooke should’ve named her Lucy.” Kari chuckled.

  “True.” Ashley felt the nerve-racking thoughts from earlier lift. “But only if I would’ve named Cole Charlie Brown.”

  “Ready, set . . .” Maddie put her hands on her hips. “You’re cheating, Cole. Back up.”

  Cole mumbled something they couldn’t hear, even though they were drawing closer to the kids. He backed his bike up a few inches. “There. Is that better?”

  Maddie tilted her chin up. “Yes. Much.” She smiled at Tatum. “Mark, get set . . . go!”

  The bicyclists were off, tearing down the straightaway and rounding the first turn. Cole was fast, but Tatum kept up with him around the curve and all during the next straightaway.

  “Go, Tatum! Go!” Maddie stayed in her spot, jumping up and down and motioning for Tatum to pass Cole. “Faster!”

  Ashley and Kari stopped walking and turned so they could see the race. Cole edged in front of Tatum, and gradually a full bike length separated them. Then, without warning, Cole’s front tire began to wobble, and before Ashley could warn him, both tires slid out from under him, and the bike crashed onto its side.

  “Cole!” Ashley took a step in his direction, but at the same instant, she saw him sit up and brush off his arms.

  “He’s okay.” Kari touched Ashley’s arm. “Wait a minute.”

  The instant Tatum realized what had happened, she braked hard and jumped off her bike, dropping it to the ground. She was at Cole’s side in seconds, lifting his bike off him and waiting until he was on his feet and could take it from her.

  Kari was right; Cole was fine. He might have skinned his elbow, but he could walk, and he didn’t look like he was in pain. The accident had happened just ten yards from where Ashley was standing, so she could see that Cole’s cheeks were red again as he brushed himself off. But she could also hear Tatum’s clear, sweet voice.

  “Are you okay?” She pointed to his elbow. “I think you’re bleeding.”

  Cole twisted around and looked at his arm. “It’s okay. Just a scrape.” He filled his cheeks with air and released it slowly.

  From a ways down the track, Maddie was running in their direction. “It’s a do-over. That doesn’t count!”

  Tatum giggled when she heard her friend. She looked at Cole and shrugged. “You win. You were going to anyway.”

  “Nah, Maddie’s right. I fell, so that means you woulda won.” Cole pulled his bike close and climbed on it. He was careful to anchor his feet on either side, steadying himself. He grinned at Tatum. “How ’bout it’s a tie?”

  Ashley’s heart soared. Cole was actually bending a little, letting his competitiveness go, at least for a few minutes. “That a boy, Cole,” she whispered.

  A smile lit up Tatum’s face too. “Perfect.”

  Maddie ran past Ashley and Kari, and after a few more strides, she reached her cousin and her friend. “A tie? Tatum, not a tie! You coulda won.” She reached Cole and patted him on the back. “Even if you didn’t fall, she coulda won, right?”

  Cole smiled at Tatum. “Maybe.”

  “But it doesn’t matter.” Tatum climbed back on her bike. “Let’s do more warm-up laps.”

  Maddie ran alongside Tatum and Cole, and the topic turned to their respective plans for summer vacati
on in a few months. When they reached Maddie’s bike, Cole and Tatum stopped, and then—without any further talk of racing—they continued on their way.

  “I think you’re right about Cole.” Kari began walking again. Inside the stroller, RJ was stirring.

  “That he’s actually making progress being nice to girls?”

  “No.” Kari laughed. “About the crush he has on Tatum.”

  Ashley rolled her eyes, and the conversation shifted. This time they didn’t talk about trials past or those that might still lie ahead. After all, in just a few weeks, she and Kari would know whether they were having boys or girls. Then they could begin planning their nurseries and getting ready for a couple of August birthdays.

  Whatever God had intended her to gain from the Scripture verse, she was sure it wasn’t some sort of ominous sign. Truth was truth, for the past and for every tomorrow. God Almighty would indeed make good out of everything for those who loved Him. Whether that meant a bike spill in the middle of a race around a high school track or figuring out how to let a child as precious as Cole take the next step toward growing up.

  One way or another, there would be trials.

  But for now, Ashley wouldn’t spend another minute thinking about that. Not when the spring stretching out before her and Kari was nothing but sunshine and smiles; not when her favorite time of year was right around the corner—another warm, endless summer.

  And with Dayne a part of their family and the babies on the way, Ashley had a feeling it would be the very best summer of all.

  Jenny Flanigan set her stadium seat firmly on the third row of the bleachers behind home plate and focused her attention on the Reds, who were warming up in the field. Specifically she watched Ricky, the youngest of her six kids. He was playing shortstop today, and there was no question he had on his game face. Only a bit of his blond bangs fell onto his forehead from beneath his baseball cap.

  “Over here, Cole!” Ricky shouted at Ashley and Landon’s son. He bit his lip and held up his glove. Cole winged the ball at him, and Ricky grabbed it, pretending to tag out a runner before he fired it to the catcher.