Sunset Read online

  Shawn and BJ kept things interesting by entertaining them with random facts, the way they often did. There were days when the craziness at their dinner table frustrated Bailey, testing her patience when she had something to talk to their parents about. But tonight their banter was a welcome distraction.

  Anything so her mind would steer clear of Tim or Cody.

  Her parents were talking in low tones about the position with the Colts and Connor was saying that he thought the Picks turned in their best auditions yet when Shawn jabbed his finger into the air. “Did you know,” he said to no one in particular, “a cheetah can run seventy miles per hour for seven hundred yards without stopping?” He had been fascinated with animal facts from the day he came home from Haiti six years ago, so no one at the table was truly surprised.

  “That right?” Dad stroked his chin twice and then turned back to his conversation.

  “This is better.” BJ pulled a book from beneath his chair. It was Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, a gift he’d gotten from Shawn this past Christmas. “Take a guess how many calories are in the world’s largest burrito.” BJ held up his hand and shook his head. “Wait . . . don’t guess. You’ll never guess!”

  Ricky didn’t wait. “Four hundred thousand.”

  “Not four hundred thousand.” Justin rolled his eyes.

  “It could be.” Shawn giggled. “That’s how much Justin eats in a day.”

  “That’s how much you eat in an hour.” Justin volleyed back. He wasn’t serious, but he liked having the last word. Even though he wasn’t the oldest of their adopted siblings, he often acted like it. “I’ll bet it’s four hundred million.”

  BJ tossed his hands in the air and let them fall back to his lap. “Now you ruined it. I said not to guess!”

  “Okay, okay.” Justin laughed and elbowed BJ, who was sitting next to him. “Go ahead. It’s four hundred thousand, right?”

  Bailey felt a little sorry for BJ. He was the least excited about school or reading or studying, and at least now he was enthusiastic about something. Their parents weren’t really listening, so she gave Justin a mild warning look. “Let him tell us.”

  “I am.” Justin laughed, the way he always did when he didn’t want to get in trouble. He meant well, but he could sometimes take his teasing a little too far.

  BJ seemed to appreciate Bailey’s support. He sat a little taller in his chair. “Eighteen million calories! Can you believe it? There were two thousand tortillas and a thousand pounds of sour cream and lettuce. Eighteen million calories!”

  “That would be enough food for . . .” Connor looked up, doing the math in his head.

  “Eleven years!” BJ held up the book. “Says so right here.”

  The trivia took them through the meal and into the dishes and cleanup that followed. They watched a nature video about polar bears that night, and Shawn kept a running dialogue, reaffirming or commenting on half the facts provided by the show’s host. Again, Bailey welcomed the distraction.

  The younger boys went to bed around ten, and Bailey finished talking to her mom about seeing Tim at auditions and how that felt compared with how this spring might’ve played out without the theater company.

  After an hour, Connor took a chance and checked the CKT Web site. “It’s up!” He hovered over the keyboard.

  Bailey peeked over his shoulder. “Well? Are we there?”

  “Yes.” Connor pointed to the screen. “We’re on it! We both go from ten to two tomorrow!”

  Bailey felt relief, and immediately she was consumed by one thought: how true the Scripture from earlier really was. God knew the plans He had for her—to give her hope and a future. For some people that future might mean an early exit, an early arrival to heaven. The way she and her mom and brother might’ve wound up if the cement truck hadn’t swerved. But it did swerve, and all because God’s plans for her life were still centered here . . . in the life He’d given her to live.

  Bailey and Connor surveyed the list and talked for another half hour. When Bailey turned in for the night, she thanked God for letting her live through the day. Her eyes fell on the framed Scripture on her wall and she smiled.

  She thought about Sarah Nordlund, battling diabetes and struggling to be like other kids. And then, for the first time in a long while, her thoughts turned to a different Sarah. Sarah Jo Stryker, the CKT girl with a brilliant future, the one whose life had been snuffed out by a drunk driver two years ago.

  Yes, Bailey would sing and act and dance tomorrow with everything she had to give. She would perform leaving nothing behind, and she would do it in a way that would bring honor and glory to God. It would be the least she could do to thank God for the gift of living another day.

  As she fell asleep, just one more request rose from around the edges of her heart. That somewhere in Iraq, God would grant Cody the same gift.

  Ashley wasn’t sure if her exhaustion was more from the drain of auditions that weekend or because of her pregnancy or maybe because she was tired of keeping the news a secret. By late Sunday afternoon as she helped Kari chop carrots and broccoli in the kitchen of the Baxter house, Ashley knew her weariness was showing.

  “You feeling okay?” Kari’s question held only mild concern. A few feet away Annie was sleeping in her windup swing, and from the next room came the laughter and conversation between their dad and Elaine and between Kari’s older two, Jessie and RJ, and Ashley’s boys, Cole and Devin.

  The sound soothed Ashley’s soul. She smiled. “Just a little tired.”

  “The auditions?” Kari used a paper towel to transfer a pile of broccoli into the skillet.

  “I guess.” Ashley hated the half-truth. Nearly a week had passed since her pregnancy test, but every time she thought about telling Landon, she would convince herself that maybe it was wrong. Maybe she was still recovering from Sarah’s birth, and that would explain why her entire system was out of balance. She certainly hadn’t gained any weight, and though she felt nauseous now and then, the sickness wasn’t bad enough to be pregnancy related. At least not most of the time. Her fears were strange, really. How had she gone from wanting a baby to take the place of the one they’d lost to being terrified of losing another one? She was angry at herself for being afraid, and in most moments she told herself if she could find the faith to overcome her anxiety, she would immediately tell Landon about the possible pregnancy. Even with her fears, she wanted to talk to him about the test she’d taken, but there hadn’t been a single moment when the time felt right. No wonder she felt exhausted.

  The front door opened, and they heard the voices of Brooke and Peter and their girls. Luke and Reagan were not expected tonight, so once Katy and Dayne arrived, everyone who was coming for dinner would be here. They were having roasted chicken and vegetables with a cheese and potato casserole Elaine had brought.

  “So—” Kari took a head of cauliflower from the fridge to the sink—“I’ll bet the kids were thrilled to be back at the theater.”

  “Like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Ashley uttered a light laugh. “Katy and Dayne looked so happy. And the Flanigan kids and all the rest.” She cupped her hands around a mound of sliced carrots and transferred them to the pan. “I think the reality that Katy and Dayne and the theater are here for good is still hitting everyone.”

  “How’s the pregnancy?”

  Ashley’s breath caught in her throat, but then just as quickly she realized that Kari was talking about Katy’s pregnancy. “She, uh . . .” Ashley exhaled, composing herself so Kari couldn’t hear anything different in her voice. “She said she’s doing well. Not feeling sick and just a little more winded than usual.”

  “July’s right around the corner.”

  “Yes.” Ashley blinked. For the first time since she’d taken the pregnancy test, it dawned on her that she and Katy might have babies within weeks of each other. The way she and Kari had babies within weeks of each other last summer. An icy panic released itself into her veins. One more reason events se
emed to be playing out the way they had last time when—

  “How’d Cole’s audition go?”

  Ashley dismissed her previous thoughts. “Great.” She set her knife down and leaned against the counter. “I was so proud of him. He sang the song Mom used to sing to him.”

  “‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’?” Kari angled her head, her eyes tender. “That’s so sweet.”

  “Don’t say anything.” Ashley lowered her voice. “He wants to tell everyone tonight. He got cast as one of the kids of Simeon, Joseph’s brother.”

  Kari’s eyes lit up. “That’s fantastic. We’ll have to get everyone there for opening night.”

  Brooke entered the kitchen carrying a bag of dinner rolls. “Okay.” She set them down and smiled at her sisters. “Put me to work.”

  “Too late.” Kari laughed. “The pan won’t hold much more.”

  Hayley tagged behind Brooke, wearing a pink coat, her blonde hair framing her sparkling blue eyes. “Hi, Aunt Kari, Aunt Ashley!”

  “Hi, princess.” Kari grinned at her.

  Ashley moved to her niece’s side. “How’s school?”

  “Very good.” She looked at Brooke. “Right, Mom?”

  “Better than ever.” Brooke was washing her hands at the sink, but she blew her younger daughter a kiss.

  Hayley scampered back toward the family room, where the joyous sound of the cousins had risen to another level.

  When Hayley was out of earshot, Brooke’s tone softened. “Did you ever think that girl would be reading? She’s not at grade level, but she read the first page of The Cat in the Hat on the way here.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the room where Peter and the other men were tending to the kids. “Peter had tears on his cheeks by the time she was finished.”

  The story should’ve eased Ashley’s anxiety, splashed warm rays of peace over everything she was feeling. Clearly God was faithful. What else could possibly be the testimony of their precious little Hayley? But instead Ashley shivered, and her fears tripled. Hayley’s progress was miraculous, but the same God who had allowed Hayley to live had also allowed baby Sarah to die. If Ashley was pregnant, there were no guarantees. Nothing to make her feel even a little confident about the future.

  Landon poked his head into the kitchen. “The kids want to watch Jessie’s Hannah Montana DVD.” He smiled at Ashley, but he must’ve noticed that something wasn’t right. He gave her a look that showed his instant concern. “Do we have time?”

  “Definitely.” Kari didn’t seem to notice the exchange between Ashley and Landon. She moved to Annie’s swing and reset the timer. “We won’t eat for thirty minutes at least.”

  “Okay.” His gaze lingered on Ashley. “You girls need anything?”

  Ashley shook her head and tried to use her eyes to tell him she’d explain later. “Thanks for watching the kids.”

  “Are you kidding?” Landon chuckled. “The guys are gonna play Texas hold ’em. Every child out there is crazy about Hannah Montana.” He left, and after a minute, the sound of the TV came from the family room and the noise of the children tapered off.

  Brooke found a bowl under the far counter and used it for the dinner rolls. “I needed this tonight. Being with you two.” There was a depth in her voice that hadn’t been there before. She moved closer to Ashley so they were facing each other. “Tough week at work.”

  Ashley wasn’t sure she could handle a story about sick kids. She absently began chopping another carrot, looking back at Brooke so her sister wouldn’t think she was rude.

  “What happened?” Kari was finished with the cauliflower. She placed the pieces in the pan and added a little water.

  “You might’ve seen it in the paper. Ethan Teeple passed away.” Her eyes grew damp. “Fought as hard as any four-year-old I’ve ever seen, but the cancer was too much for him.”

  A rush of nausea came at Ashley. “I . . . I didn’t know.”

  “Peter and I will attend his funeral tomorrow.”

  “That’s so sad.” Kari rested the pan on the counter.

  Brooke nodded slowly, and a sad smile hung on the corners of her lips. “He wanted to marry his nurse when he got older.”

  Silence settled between them for a few moments.

  Brooke drew a slow breath. “But there was good news too. At Sarah’s Door.”

  Ashley’s heart skipped a beat. With the auditions and the exhaustion she was feeling, she hadn’t heard news about their new crisis pregnancy center in more than a week. “Tell us.”

  “Two teenagers and a college girl made decisions this week not to abort. Three in one week!”

  Somehow hearing the report made Ashley feel stronger than she’d felt all weekend. Even now good was coming from Sarah’s death. So how could she allow herself to be so afraid of the future?

  The sisters marveled over the difference the center had made so far, and Brooke reminded them that their first client’s baby was due in April. They talked about Luke’s absence tonight and agreed to keep praying for his marriage. Ashley enjoyed thinking about something other than babies. She promised she’d spend time with Luke, find out how things were really going and whether the Baxters were doing enough to help.

  “Hey, there’s something else we need to talk about.” Kari added a splash of olive oil to the vegetables, set them on the stove, and turned on the gas flame beneath. “What about a wedding shower for Elaine?”

  It took Ashley a beat, but she liked the idea. “With people from church, you mean?”

  “No.” Kari covered the vegetables and faced her sisters. “Maybe just us girls at my house. Dress up a little, make her feel special.”

  “And welcome.” Brooke’s eyes shone. “I like it.”

  Ashley gave her sisters a thoughtful smile. “That’d be nice. Elaine’s wonderful.” She was no longer dreading her father’s June wedding, but no matter how much she liked Elaine, it was still bittersweet seeing him marry someone new. A shower would help all of them have their hearts in the right place.

  They had barely finished talking about the idea when Elaine breezed into the kitchen and glanced at her casserole. “Looks good.” She used the pot holders sitting beside the stove and removed the glass dish from the oven.

  “Here.” Brooke rushed to spread a towel out on the counter.

  As Elaine set the dish down, she smiled at Brooke and then at the others. “Smells wonderful in here.”

  “Tell that to the boys.” Ashley laughed. “Cole wanted pizza and ice cream.”

  Kari put her hands on her hips and grinned. “Mom would’ve told him there’s a time and a place for pizza, and it’s not Sunday din—” She seemed to realize who was in the room and cast a regretful look at Elaine. “I didn’t mean . . .”

  “Don’t apologize.” Elaine’s smile was warm and genuine. “Your mother was my friend.” She pulled Kari into a hug. As she drew back she kept her hands on Kari’s shoulders. “I want you to talk about her. It would be strange not to.”

  The three sisters seemed to release a collective sigh of relief. Ashley watched Elaine, the easy way she had about her and how she moved from Kari to Brooke, putting her hand on Brooke’s arm and asking how the girls were. When she reached Ashley, Elaine’s smile faded a little. “You feeling all right?”

  Kari laughed. “I asked her the same thing.”

  “A long weekend, I guess.” Ashley felt her heart relax a bit more. Elaine truly cared; she’d proven that time and again. She brought wisdom, maturity, and deep faith to their gatherings. No matter how sad it was that her father was in the position to remarry, Ashley didn’t need to be convinced that he had found a wonderful woman to spend the rest of his life with. Already Elaine felt like part of the family, enough so that it would’ve been strange to have a Sunday dinner without her.

  Not until they were seated around the table did the subject of the Baxter house come up. Cole was thoughtfully chewing a piece of chicken when he held his fork in the air. “Hey, what’s that sign out front, Papa?
”

  “Put your fork down, Cole.” Landon was sitting beside him. “Be a gentleman, remember?”

  “Oh, right.” Cole winced and set his fork down. “Sorry.”

  Seated on the other side of him, Maddie giggled and gave him a teasing look. “Cole? A gentleman?”

  “Maybe not now, but someday I will be.” Cole jerked his chin up. “Right, Dad?”

  A smile played in Landon’s eyes. “That’s our prayer, buddy.”

  Ashley sat on the other side of Landon, and she put her arm around his shoulders. “All the Blake boys are gentlemen. I can vouch for that.”

  Devin was in his high chair, and he banged his fists on the tray, as if he understood and wanted to add his agreement.

  Ashley surveyed the table, Hayley on the other side of Maddie, then Peter and Brooke, Katy and Dayne, Kari and Ryan and their kids, and her dad and Elaine near the head of the table. There was nothing better than the full conversation of a dinner at the Baxter house. But for now all eyes were on Dad.

  “Well, Papa? What about the sign?”

  Ashley and Landon had talked about this a week ago, how it was time to tell Cole that the house was on the market. But her dad’s Realtor had said it could take months to sell the place. Ashley had been too consumed with the pregnancy test to think about telling Cole just yet.

  Her dad seemed slightly bewildered, as if he figured everyone already knew about the sign. “Well . . . that’s a For Sale sign. It means I’m trying to sell the house.”

  Cole’s mouth hung open. “You’re selling it? With all the birds and frogs and our new bridge across the creek out back and the best pond in the world?”

  Ashley’s heart broke for Cole. Landon tried to put his arm around their son’s shoulders.

  But Cole leaped to his feet and walked around the table until he was face-to-face with his grandpa. “Don’t you have enough money for it?”

  “You can’t sell it, Papa.” Maddie shook her head, her eyes wide. “This place has the best hide-and-seek ever.” She got up and joined Cole.

  “And I like Aunt Ashley’s painting room upstairs.” Jessie smiled in Ashley’s direction. The girl was fascinated with coloring and drawing, and Kari had already said she could see a lot of Ashley in Jessie.