22. Heather

K enny and Heather walked out of Pastor Allen’s office holding hands, his closing words echoing.

Trust in the Lord with all your hearts…and marry each other on Saturday.

The pastor did not feel that Marc’s decision not to attend should put the wedding on hold, although he was prepared to honor whatever they decided. Kenny didn’t even think there was a decision to make—except whether or not he should get in his truck and bring Marc back.

With the wedding date just a few days away, Kenny would have to go…today.

Heather was torn. She’d talked to Marc almost every day since he left almost ten days ago, and frequently spoke to Andy. Those conversations, surprisingly, gave her the most peace and hope, since her father-in-law assured her Marc was doing well. She wished he was homesick for Coconut Key, but was relieved the time was healing him.

But that just hadn’t happened quickly enough for them to keep this wedding day—unless they married without her son present. That didn’t feel right at all.

“Let’s stop in here,” Kenny said, slowing at the door that led to the worship hall. “We always make our best decisions here.”

He guided her into the cool and silent sanctuary that came to life every Sunday. Late-afternoon sun streamed in through the simple stained-glass windows, highlighting the wooden pews angled toward a small pulpit and the stage for the band.

He led her to the row where they’d once sat side by side and had their first kiss, which was now their favorite place to sit on Sundays.

Sliding in, they both leaned back and stared ahead, silent. She didn’t know if Kenny was praying, and she couldn’t quite bring herself to launch into yet another plea for God to give her what she wanted. Surely He’d heard her by now.

“It’s hard to trust Him,” Kenny finally said in a reverent whisper. “I mean, we use the word a lot. Pastor Allen just did. Trust Him. Let God show you the way.”

She nodded. “I wish He would do that. Real clear, too. With no doubt.”

Kenny sighed. “Plus, sometimes it’s such a difficult path. We’ve both lost a spouse, and I’ve lost a son. There were times when I couldn’t bear to look at that…” He jutted his chin toward the simple metal cross on a stacked stone wall. “But those losses led me to you. And on the darkest days after Elise and Adam died, I never dreamed He had you in mind for me.”

The words warmed her. “I know. But what should we do, Kenny? Go after Marc and drag him here? Or just get married and show him the pictures, which will make all of us cry—including him, because that child is making a huge mistake.”

“He is and I feel like it’s my job to go get him,” Kenny said. “Please let me go.”

She sighed. “Let’s call Andy when we get home. I haven’t talked to him since yesterday morning. He said Marc was making progress and spending a lot of time talking about Drew. He’s letting go of the last vestiges of the worst grief, something I guess he hadn’t done in the last eighteen months.”

“He’s a deep kid,” Kenny said. “He holds things in—I see it on the baseball field and in everyday life. But he needs to come home.”

She exhaled and took his hand. “Will you pray?”

“Of course.” He closed her hand in both of his, the strong grip as soothing as his deep voice as he addressed the Lord with reverence, awe, and love. He asked for wisdom, patience, and peace, and surprised her when he fervently thanked their Father for Grandpa Andy as a strong presence in Marc’s life.

When he finished, she smiled at him. “Nice of you to see Andy as a blessing,” she said. “He’s such a strong tie to Drew and, in some sense, the very reason we’re in this situation. I know it was Blanche who was the enabler, but it was Andy’s age and health that Marc has been worried about.”

“He’s a good kid with a good heart,” Kenny said, turning to the cross again. “I can’t wait to call him my son.”

Clinging to the beautiful words and the sense that the Holy Spirit was with them, they walked out and climbed into Kenny’s truck.

“If Marc doesn’t come back with you,” Heather said when Kenny got in, “who’s going to be your best man? We haven’t talked about it.”

“I was thinking about asking Josh,” he said, referring to Heather’s half-brother. “We’ve gotten pretty tight, but I assume with Marc not here, you’ll want him to walk you down the aisle.”

“I’m not a young girl being given away,” she said. “I can walk myself down the aisle, and Josh can stand up for you. Have you asked him? It’s getting late to spring that on a guy.”

“We talked about it,” he said. “But he agrees I should wait and see what happens with Marc. Josh’ll step in at the last minute for our very small and kind of untraditional wedding.”

She loved that their wedding was so intimate and informal. It was exactly what she wanted. Except she wanted Marc there, more than anything.

She tried not to think about the disappointment of him missing her wedding as Kenny drove the short distance home. She hated that anything clouded the day. There should be nothing but joy in her heart to join her life with this man’s.

Smiling at him, she slipped her hand into his and looked out the window, her gaze sliding over her neighbors’ houses, but still…all she could see was the one person who wouldn’t be at her wedding. The one person?—

“Um, Heather.”

“Yeah?”

“Whose car is that?”

She squinted at the blue sedan in the driveway he’d turned into, not recognizing it…unless…wait a second.

“Oh! Oh, my goodness.” She fumbled with the seatbelt even before he’d turned off the ignition. “Kenny! It’s Andy’s car!”

She barely waited for him to stop, flinging the heavy truck door wide and leaping down to the driveway, rushing to the front door that opened before she even got there.

“Marc!” Arms out, she ran to him, folding him in an embrace and covering his face with kisses. “You’re home! You’re here!”

He gave an awkward teenage boy laugh and returned the hug, then stepped back as Andy Monroe joined them.

“Surprise,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind that I drove him down without getting permission first.”

“Mind?” Well, maybe she would have liked to have known, but it didn’t matter. He was here—they both were.

Kenny hustled to join them, giving Marc a bear hug and shaking Andy’s hand heartily.

“This is a wonderful surprise,” he said, turning to Marc, who managed to look more than a little sheepish.

“Grandpa thought it was time I came home.”

“Didn’t you want to?” Heather asked, her heart squeezing.

He nodded. “I missed you, Mom. And…” He glanced at Andy, a loving look exchanged between them. “Grandpa and I have done a lot of…of…”

“Fishing,” Andy said, making them all laugh. “And when you fish, you talk.”

“I’m so glad,” Heather said, pressing her fingers to her lips to keep from squealing with joy.

“Go ahead, Marc.” Andy came a few steps closer to put a hand on his grandson’s shoulder. “You promised me.”

He shuffled from one sneakered foot to the other, letting out a sigh. “Mom, I’m really sorry I did that. I’m sorry I took off…” His voice grew thick from emotion. “It wasn’t right, and I won’t ever do anything that reckless again.”

“Oh, honey.” She threw her arms around him. “I forgive you. A thousand times, I forgive you.”

“Really?” He drew back. “I’m not, like, grounded for life, off the baseball team, and no allowance?”

“I can’t speak for the team,” she said, glancing at Kenny. “Ask your coach. As far as being grounded, it’s not my style. Plus, I need you to be somewhere on Saturday.”

He took a deep breath. “The wedding?”

She nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there. And, um…” He grunted and glanced at Andy, who gave him a classic “remember what we talked about” raised brow. “I’d like to do that…walk you down the aisle thing, if it’s okay. I think it’s what Dad would want.”

Her heart soared, leaving her speechless. “Yes,” she managed to say, reaching for him. “I would love that, Marc. I really would.”

Over his shoulder, she caught Kenny taking a swipe under his eye. She clung to her son and closed her eyes, overwhelmed with love.

As they all walked inside, Andy hung back, putting his hand on Heather’s arm to keep her outside a moment longer.

“You sure you’re not mad I drove all the way down here without you knowing it?” he asked.

“I’m not,” she promised him. “I wanted him here for the wedding so much, I simply can’t thank you enough.”

“And I know she can’t say it or show it, but Blanche is really sorry. She knows she stepped out of bounds but doesn’t have a clue how to issue an apology.”

Heather closed her eyes, leaning on her faith to say the only thing someone who follows Christ could say. “She doesn’t have to, Andy. She’s forgiven.”

He visibly relaxed. “I’m happy for you, Heather.”

“You are?” She sighed. “Because I know it hasn’t been that long…”

Taking her hand, he gave it a squeeze. “Marc and I both had to do a little soul-searching. I know the kind of woman you are—the kind of wife you were and mother you’ve been—and I want you to know that I think you deserve to be loved, protected, and taken care of. Ken’s a good man and I don’t think you’re marrying him one minute too soon.”

Suddenly, her heart felt light and whole, awash in peace and certainty. There it was—the very message she’d been waiting for, delivered loud and clear from the most unlikely source of Drew’s own father.

“Thank you, Andy. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“He’s gone far too young,” he said, the grief clear in his voice, but no longer crippling. “But he’d want all of us to go on with life. And I think I persuaded Marc to realize that…and, to be honest, he did the same for me.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said.

“I guess we’ll see how glad you are.”

She looked at him, a frown pulling. “What do you mean?”

“I packed for a…long trip. I’d like to see what this Coconut Key deal is all about. I hear there’s decent fishing.”

“Yes, there is!” She felt her whole face light up with a smile. “That’s wonderful news, Andy. Then you’ll be at the wedding?”

“If there’s a seat for me.”

“Yes!” She put her arms around him and hugged him again, saying one of her future husband’s favorite “three-worders.”

Thank you, Lord.