Desert Gift (39 page)

“Hm.” Where had this man come from?

“I couldn’t call you right away. I had a few things to process. You may not realize it, but there’s a lot to becoming a knight. Lew’s been helping.”

Knight? Pastor Lew?

“And the flip side is I love and forgive you. You’re free to be you and I realize that means teaching and speaking—”

“Maybe not—”

“We’ll figure it out later.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Do you remember me saying that I didn’t sign up for this?”

Despite the comforting touch of his hands, she winced. “You didn’t sign up for a wife who has all the answers.”

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t accurate. What I didn’t sign up for was losing my best friend. Jill, can we start over? become friends again?”

“Oh yes.” She sighed. “I’d like that.”

Jack kissed her, right there at Shirley’s handprints, surrounded by hordes of strangers, some of whom began to clap.

Chapter 60

Hollywood

Jill watched Jack drink his orange juice. The morning sun shone in his mussed hair, highlighting the gray strands. He wore a white terry-cloth robe with the hotel’s logo embroidered on its front.

He set his goblet on the table and rested an elbow on the balcony railing. “What?”

“I’m a little gun-shy.” She tightened the belt on her robe.

“Understandable. The last time we spent the night together, I left. Not to mention I moved out and said I wanted a divorce. Jill, I promise that’s not ever happening again.”

Her smile wobbled. “It’ll take some time to trust in that.”

“I know. I’ll give you all the time you need. I’ll say it as often as you need to hear it.”

“Okay.”

They had talked all yesterday afternoon and late into the night. Mostly Jack talked. She moved as if in a daze. Not only had Viv and everyone been in on his surprise, her sister had packed an overnight bag for her and announced that her arm was fine and of course she could drive the van home. She had even informed their parents of Jack’s scheme, although not early enough for Daisy to spill the beans.

Her husband’s scheme had included dinner at the restaurant where they had eaten that first time and a reservation at a fancy hotel that had nothing to do with their history.

Jack said, “I’m gun-shy myself. Every once in a while I wonder if I’m saying or doing things wrong.”

“And that I’ll correct you and then talk about it on the radio.”

“Yes.” He smiled. “We may be at this for a really long time.”

“I think it’s called life.”

“We don’t want to avoid that.” He reached across the table, between the empty plates and the vase with its one rose, and took her hand. “I don’t want to avoid any of it, Jill.”

They had not yet talked about tomorrow and the day after and the day after. He had addressed other things. Lew’s insights. The support of Baxter and Sophie. His ugly apartment. His determination to be real with her. And his birthday, the best ever.

Jack said, “I don’t want to avoid the big question either. How do we guard against growing apart again? Once we go home and jump back into regular life, there it goes. I love what I do. I’m not ready to quit, but I have been a workaholic.” He squeezed her hand. “Mostly because it was a means to spend less time at home.”

Jill’s emotions raced through the whole gamut. Anger, chagrin, regret, pain. She reined in the torrent. “That hurts.”

He nodded. “I promise to cut back my hours. If you’ll have me.”

This new side of Jack was growing on her. She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll think about it.”

He grinned. “Okay. Also, I don’t want us to avoid your giftedness.”

“Yeah, well, that’s up for redefinition.”

“Perhaps, but there is something already in motion that we can take care of.”

“What?”

“The book.”

“The book.”

He said, “The one that mentions candlelight and Vivaldi.”

“I know which one.”

Jack lifted her hand, kissed it, and held it under his chin. “Gretchen is working on a tour schedule that includes the husband. She even thinks women might like me to sign the recipe section.”

“Hm.”

“Hm.”

Her imagination had been like a dead battery for months. Now Jack’s words were like jumper cables. Power sparked through them. The engine popped back to life. Ideas raced, eager to be put in gear.

She said, “What about speaking?”

“I’ll sit in the back and cheer you on.” He had never, ever sat in on one of her sessions.

“I could call on you.”

“O-okay.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Knights are always welcome.” She grinned. “Especially if they’re wearing robes like that one. I’m sure it would boost sales too.”

The joy in Jack’s laughter filled her with new hope. Their marriage would always be a challenge, always an uphill climb with downhill tumbles. To embrace the journey as committed friends, though, offered the hope that it would also be a thing of beauty.

Epilogue

Eighteen months later

Chicago

Click.
Three.
Click.
Two.
Click.
One.

Jill flipped a switch and spoke into the microphone. “Good afternoon and welcome to
Recipes for Midlife
. I’m your host, Jill Galloway, and with me today is my husband, Jack. Welcome, Jack.” She smiled at him across the table and felt the tingle that always accompanied the sight of him in the studio.

“Thank you, Jill. It’s great to be here.”

It had taken some practice not to pause after they greeted each other. Listeners would hear dead air while the two of them grinned at each other like loonies, lost in a moment of wonder.
Is this for real?
They were working together. Jill got to yap to her heart’s content. Jack, the kind doctor with no sense of clock watching, was a natural chatterbox.

She said, “As some of you know, whenever Jack shows up, we’re going to talk about our travels.”

“Excuse me, honey, but we’re talking about pasta.”

“We’re talking about Italy.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Well, let’s find out. Stay tuned, folks. I’m sure the chef has a recipe or two in store for us.”

Off-air for a minute, they slid into their loony routine.

Eighteen months ago, Jill had predicted marital ups and downs, but she never imagined details of the adventure ahead of them.

They had worked hard to redefine life without quashing their dedication to separate careers that were never going to intersect. Although he cut back on hours at the office, it wasn’t enough. Although she revamped her radio show so that it was less demanding, it wasn’t enough.

In July they declared a time-out and went to visit Connor and Emma in Italy and the Trudeaus in Paris.

And that was where Jack and Jill discovered how to devote undivided attention to each other. They learned again the meaning of being friends. Away from home, they were forced to set aside their work. Everyday household details were nil. What else was there to do except be together?

When Connor and Emma moved to New York in August, Jack and Jill went there.

After that, they began to explore their own city, then the state, then neighboring ones. Eventually a new idea was hatched. Why not share stories of their travels on Jill’s new show? It fit the revamped program. She interviewed people from all walks of life on all kinds of topics. Why not her husband?

The Jack-with-Jill segments became a favorite. Jill listened now as he described a scrumptious Alfredo sauce they had discovered in Venice. In a few minutes callers would be asking him questions and contributing their own recipes, sometimes about food, sometimes about life in general.

She smiled.

For her the show wasn’t about the recipes or hotels or places they had found on their trips. No. The Jack-with-Jill segments were all about how a married couple tumbled down a hill and there, at the bottom, discovered each other.

A Note from the Author

Dear Reader Friend,

Desert Gift
began with a desire to explore the lives of a married couple who, after twenty-five years, find themselves talking divorce. How does this happen after twenty-five years?

Thus the Galloways were born, a poster couple for an idyllic marriage. There are no looming divisive issues between them. So what’s up? Simply put, a separateness has crept into their relationship, a thing that seems to be a common occurrence in our fast-paced culture. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

I let Jack and Jill loose in Chicago and Southern California, two of my all-time favorite places, to find their own way. Jill’s trek to the desert parallels her time of despair about her marriage. In the midst of the vast emptiness, wildflowers bloom and healing buds in her own heart. As always, God is there at work in our anguish.

Thank you for traveling this side road with the Galloways. I hope the journey blessed you with laughter, tears, and a general sense of reassurance that God does indeed love you unconditionally, passionately, and wildly.

Peace,

Sally John

E-mail:
[email protected]

Web site:
www.­sally-­john.­com

Blog:
http:­/­/­lifeinthefictionlane.­blogspot.­com/­

Facebook:
“Sally John Books” page

Discussion Questions

As a wife and mom, Jill is a version of the Christian woman who cares deeply for her family. She loves God’s Word, studies it, and applies it to her family relationships. She believes—probably subconsciously—that if she does everything the “right” way, she and her family will not experience any of life’s major pitfalls.

Of course in Jill’s case, this good and honorable passion is taken to the extreme. She creates formulas for the “right” way and shares them not only with her family but also with countless others, sometimes in an outspoken fashion. This makes her tumble all the more obvious to us.

1. Do you identify with Jill’s passion to be a godly woman? What does that passion look like in your life?

2. What has been your experience with tumbles? What has gone awry and taken you by surprise?

3. Jill is all about succeeding at marriage. She fears what will happen to her public image if her marriage fails. What are you “all about”? What is important to you? What would happen if you failed at it?

4. Do you see Jack and Jill’s growing apart as inevitable? What might either of them have done to prevent the demise of their marriage?

5. Compare Viv and Marty’s marriage to Jack and Jill’s.

6. Describe Jill’s relationship with her son, Connor. Are there areas in which you identify with either of them?

7. In what ways are you like your mother or father? How do you feel about that?

8. In what ways have you “married” your parent?

9. Healing in the present often begins with a visit to the past, to heart places where forgiveness has not yet been extended or received. Jack and Jill cannot heal as a couple until their individual needs are addressed. What does Jill learn about herself that stems from old wounds? What does Jack learn about himself that must be healed before moving on?

10. The desert is often used as a metaphor for a difficult time in one’s life. Describe Jill’s desert. What was Jack’s desert? Talk about your own desert experiences. What gift did you receive to take with you?

About the Author

When the going gets tough—or weird or wonderful—the daydreamer gets going on a new story. Sally John has been tweaking life’s moments into fiction since she read her first Trixie Belden mystery as a child.

Now an author of more than fifteen novels, Sally writes stories that reflect contemporary life. Her passion is to create a family, turn their world inside out, and then portray how their relationships change with each other and with God. Her goal is to offer hope to readers in their own relational and faith journeys.

Sally grew up in Moline, Illinois, graduated from Illinois State University, married Tim in 1973, and taught in middle schools. She is a mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. A three-time finalist for the Christy Award, she also teaches writing workshops. Her books include the Safe Harbor series (coauthored with Gary Smalley), The Other Way Home series, The Beach House series, and the In a Heartbeat series. Many of her stories are set in her favorite places of San Diego, Chicago, and small-town Illinois.

She and her husband currently live in Southern California. Visit her Web site at
www.­sally-­john.­com
.

Prologue

Los Angeles

At precisely twelve minutes and thirty-five seconds past ten o’clock in the morning, Pacific Daylight Time, Teal Morgan-Adams’s world ceased to exist.

She knew the exact time because the NPR announcer, Dave somebody, said it after his traffic update, which started with “Slow going westbound on the 10, folks.”

Teal snorted. “‘Slow going.’ Ha. It’s a regular parking lot out here, Dave.”

She sat in the thick of it, second lane in from the right, windows shut, air on high against the August heat, comfy in her white leather seat. She read e-mails on her smartphone and, in her imagination, dared a CHP officer to zoom up on his motorcycle and ticket her.