Twelve
“What was that?” Claire asked after the rumble of Landon’s truck could no longer be heard and the dust his tires had kicked up had resettled on the driveway.
Thathad been his reason to volunteer for this long weekend getaway. A girl named Emma Stevens. Whatever her story, it couldn’t have been good, and Landon somehow held Ken responsible.
I looked out the window, my heart in the cab of his oversized dually. Too many questions paraded across my mind, but the one that kept circling back around was if he was okay. I had never seen anyone overcome with such a fierce protectiveness. It was like he was really a chivalrous knight from King Arthur’s court, and he’d found a time portal and travelled to the future to avenge a maiden’s honor. Mark Twain should have written about that.
“I don’t know what to say.” Ken ran his hand over his bald head. “You guys really thought you had to lie to me? Do I come across as that unreasonable and self-righteous?”
Noah and Claire shared a look filled with uncertainty.
“It’s not that, Dad.” Noah intertwined his fingers with Claire’s. “It’s just that Claire and I love each other so much. And I wanted you and Mom to love her as much as I do.” He took a deep breath. “I want to marry her, and I don’t want there to be tension between our families like there is between you and Grandma.”
Annie ran her arm along the loveseat, draping it across Ken’s shoulders. “If you wanted us to love Claire and her family so much, son, you should have let us get to know them. The real Claire and Ashleigh.”
Noah’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m sorry we lied to you, Mom.”
“It’s your father you owe the real apology to. You ascribed him the title “judgmental”, but from where I stand, it seems like you all are the ones who cast preconceived aspersions on your father’s character. You didn’t even give him a chance. You just assumed he’d act in a certain way. So, tell me. In this scenario, who is really the prejudiced one?”
Claire disentangled herself from Noah and reached over and grabbed both of Ken’s hands. “We are so, so sorry, Mr. Abrams. I only ever wanted you to like me and consider me worthy of your son.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I can’t imagine what you think of me now.”
Ken heaved a sigh, but then his lips curved in a soft smile, and he tugged her to sit in the small space beside him. “What I think of you, dear girl, is that I’m happy my son has found someone who lights up his life the way you do. Who would go through hurdles to be with him. What I think is that it would give me great joy to call you my daughter-in-law.”
Claire’s eyes shone. “Seriously? Even after everything?”
Ken and Annie responded by standing and opening their arms. Claire and Noah closed in for a family hug and benediction.
Which was my cue. While they were congratulating each other, laughing and crying, I slipped out the back door, no destination in particular in mind. I wasn’t surprised, however, when I found myself running a finger over a certain kayak or taking lungfuls of pine-scented air.
Plan Ahad been a success. Despite my monumental blunder in caving in to Claire’s persuasive pleas, true love had come out the victor. My little sister was engaged to a man who loved her deeply, and I no longer had to go against my conscience. All in all, a day filled with wins.
Too bad I didn’t particularly feel like spiking the football and leaping into the waiting arms of the fans in the stadium.
No, there was only one set of arms I wanted around me at the moment. Problem was, I felt like he’d closed the playbook and hung up his jersey. The knight had conquered the dragon in his mind. Now he was off to return to his own kingdom of html and rappelling.
“I remember Emma Stevens and Alex Krinkowski.”
I turned and took in Ken, standing a few feet away with his hands in the front pockets of his waist-high starched slacks.
“I was away in Chicago doing a twelve-week revival series. During that time, Emma could no longer hide her pregnancy, and certain well-meaning but straight-talking members—not unlike myself it seems…” He smiled, but it looked pained. “Some members approached her. A pregnant teen. When she got defensive against their…accusations…she revealed that one of my associate pastors, Alex Krinkowski, was the father. The uninvited father, if you know what I mean. Needless to say, when I came back, the waters of the congregation were churning.”
I winced, my heart breaking for the girl on so many levels. “What happened?”
He stared at the ground. “What happens too many times in these types of situations. Victim-shaming. Automatic defense and belief in the perpetrator. I won’t go into details, but it got ugly. By the time I got back from Chicago, Emma and her family had already packed up and moved up here to Western Washington.”
Something Claire had told me a few months back rushed to mind. “Wait. Didn’t you make a trip out here not too long ago?”
He nodded. “I needed to see how they were doing. Emma didn’t want to see me, but her mom told me they’d found a new church with a volunteer youth minister who was really helping Emma. She still struggled with depression, but he was making progress with her. They never told me his name but…”
We both knew who that person was. “Landon.” Just breathing his name caused my heart to ache for him.
Ken nodded again. “I assured Emma’s parents that as soon as I had been made aware of the situation, I had called the police. After an investigation, a few more girls came forward. Alex is now behind bars, where he belongs, but I also know that knowledge, and the actions and comments of those who are still being worked on by Christ, don’t erase the hurt that girl suffered.”
Ken took a step forward. “Next time you see Landon, can you tell him that for me, please?”
Next time… Would there be a next time?
Ken seemed to sense my hesitation. “You will see him again, won’t you? Look. I know he used you to get to me, but don’t hold that against him.”
