A Family of Their Own - By Gail Gaymer Martin Page 0,47
shoulders. If the problem was her sister, he could accept that. At least it didn’t involve something he’d done. “Give Lucy two celebrations. Yours and hers.”
“I should just deal with it.” Kelsey grinned, but he could see that she’d forced it. “I’m just edgy, as you said.”
“I’ve been worried, too.”
She looked surprised. “You didn’t say anything about that at the meeting.”
“No, I guess I didn’t want to delve into it now, until I knew for sure.”
Her brow furrowed. “You’re confusing me.”
“I’m confusing myself.” He managed a grin. “Dr. Timmons’s office called, and he wants us to go in to talk. I’m sure it’s about the new medication. It’s either good news or bad news, and I would almost rather not know.”
Kelsey eyes widened. “Now you’re not making sense.”
“If it’s bad news, I’ll be disappointed, probably more like discouraged, because I’ve thought about it so much and how it will make a difference in Peyton’s life. Bad news means that dreams would be over the fence.”
“Why are you thinking about bad news? You want good news, naturally.”
Nothing made sense lately. “If it’s good news, I’m still worried if it doesn’t work or if it causes some other problem. It’s a new drug, he said. Just approved.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to release the tension. “Dr. Timmons wouldn’t give me an opinion on the medication without consultation with other specialists. Somehow that doesn’t smack of confidence.”
“To me it sounds like an excellent doctor who cares enough about his patient to want to offer the best opinion possible.” She shook her head. “Ross, how many times have you told me to have faith and to think positive?”
The reminder jarred him. Emotions tangled around his mind and heart, and he faced his own failing. “Easier said than done, I guess.”
She leaned into him. “I’ll pray for good news and good results.”
He slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Thanks. I suppose I should stop worrying and do the same.”
“You should. Worrying doesn’t get either of us anywhere.” She adjusted her shoulder bag. “I need to be on my way.”
He studied her, still seeing something in her eyes. “I’ll call you.” She lifted her hand in a wave and headed toward her car.
Before he took a step, he snapped his fingers. “Kelsey.”
She glanced over her shoulder and stopped.
He drew closer. “I’ve been meaning to ask you if you’d like to attend church with us on Easter. Maybe we could have dinner together…unless you have other plans.”
She gave a quick shake of her head. “No other plans.”
An unreadable expression washed over her face. “Is this a bad idea?” he asked.
“No, but it just struck me that I rarely go to church anymore. You know I’m a Christian, but after Doug walked out and Lucy became so ill…I don’t know.” She looked puzzled. “I suppose I didn’t want to go to church alone without Doug, and then I began to feel that God had let me down.” She lifted her wide eyes to him. “I know better, but that’s what I felt.”
“Then taking the step on Easter seems perfect.”
She nodded, but he wasn’t sure she meant it.
“You know God’s forgiven you for those thoughts.” He managed to grin. “Now that’s something to celebrate.” He hoped she’d grin back.
She didn’t. “Forgiveness.” Her gaze drifted skyward. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” She wrapped her arms around her body. “How can I pray that?”
“Pray it, Kelsey, and pray that the Lord gives you a heart to forgive. It can happen.”
She nodded, her face tense with thought as she took a step backward. “I need to run some errands before Lucy’s out of school. Let’s talk about Easter later.”
Later. He watched her hurry off to her car as an empty feeling swept over him.
His muddied mind went back to the celebration at his house five days ago. He’d sensed a distance between him and Kelsey at the end of the evening, and today he still noticed something different about her. Only a feeling, but the romance that had grown now seemed to take a back seat, and it worried him. He’d asked the question before. Could two people with seriously ill children find happiness together? He’d taken it on faith that with God all things were possible and he’d sensed that their meeting was God-directed. But maybe he’d been wrong.
Kelsey stood in the kitchen, wrapped in the scent of baked ham and cheesy potatoes. Though she’d struggled with accepting Ross’s invitation,