Heartsong (17 page)

A grimness settled over him. “I didn’t think you’d miss it. I should have said something; I only meant to keep the ring a few days. As you know I got tied up and it’s been two weeks. I can only imagine what you must have assumed. I would never steal from you, Skye.”

“I know that,” she said. “I’ve promised to be your wife, and with that commitment comes my trust. No matter what was missing, I would never believe you’d take anything from me.”

A brooding look came over him. “You mean you trust me unquestioningly?”

Relaxing against the back of the chair, Skye gave him a full smile. “Always,” she promised. “My faith came with my commitment to be your wife.”

“I’m not worthy of this,” he argued, setting his half-eaten sandwich aside.

Skye bounced Anne Marie on her lap, and the baby’s glee filled the room. “It doesn’t matter. I love you.”

Jordan’s sober voice contrasted with the playful sounds coming from the baby. “And I love you.”

Standing, Skye transferred the baby to her hip. “I have something for you, too. It’s not a diamond, but it comes from my heart.” She left him momentarily, returning with a leather-bound book. “This was my father’s. I want you to have it, Jordan.”

He accepted the book, respectfully turning the pages. “It’s his Bible.” A troubled look darkened his face. “I can’t accept this.”

Skye didn’t immediately speak. “After Glen was killed, my father tried to assure me God had another man for me. Bless his heart, it was little comfort then, particularly since I didn’t want another man. I refused to believe him and built a wall around myself. If someone had told me even six months ago I would fall in love again, I wouldn’t have believed them.” She rushed on before he could stop her. “I owe you so much, Jordan. I don’t think you’ll ever realize how much. There’s nothing I could give you that means more to me than this Bible, but I give it freely with all my love.”

Anne Marie quieted as Skye laid her across her shoulder. Jordan’s eyes burned with an intensity that seemed to reach out and touch her. The pressure of his hand brought her down beside him. He set the Bible aside and drew her into his arms. The taut muscle of his jaw flexed before relaxing. The kiss that followed was one of wonder, joy, and contentment; lovingly his hand remained to gently trace her face. “And with all my
love, I accept.” Tenderly she drew his hand from her face and kissed his palm, then rested against his shoulder in a comfortable and familiar position.

The alarm rang early the next morning. Skye groaned and buried her head beneath the pillow, attempting to escape the inevitability of rising to meet another day. Jordan had left only a few minutes before Sally and Andy had arrived for Anne Marie.

“Was Anne Marie good?” Sally had asked with a worried voice.

“Like an angel.” Excitement burned within Skye; she could barely restrain the rush of words. “Jordan was by and …” But before she could explain further, Sally groaned.

“Oh, no, I knew something like this would happen. I’m so sorry, Skye, we ruined your evening.”

Wordlessly Skye extended her hand, letting the sparkling diamond on her ring finger say it for her.

For the first time in all the years Skye had known her, Sally was speechless. “You’re … engaged … Jordan … marrying?” she mumbled between gasps of amazement and undisguised delight.

“We’ve set the date for the last weekend in June, right after school lets out.”

Impulsively Sally hugged her in a breath-denying squeeze. “I knew it the minute I saw Jordan Kiley. I said to myself, this is the man for Skye. I did, I really did. This calls for a celebration. Anyone for pizza?”

It was well past one before Skye went to bed, but her mind raced and she found herself unable to sleep. It had been hours since Jordan had returned to LA, but the lingering scent of his aftershave permeated the air, almost as if his presence had remained with her.

Skye had explained to Sally at least ten times that watching Anne Marie had been a blessing. Because of the baby’s presence they were able to relax and talk, something that may have been denied them otherwise.

Now dressed and ready to face another busy school day, Skye downed a cup of orange juice while the contentment and excitement from the night before lingered.

Thick fog, so familiar to those in the Bay Area, misted the streets and clung to the earth. The weatherman forecast rain, and Skye pulled her new spring jacket from the closet. Folding it over her arm, something fell from the pocket—it was the uncanny fortune she had gotten the day she’d explored Chinatown with Billy and her niece. With a bubble of unsuppressed laughter she took the small slip of paper and threw it in the garbage. She had been undeniably silly to have allowed a fortune cookie to have troubled
her. Her trust was in the Lord, none other. The flash of the diamond ring caught her eye, and she paused to look at it again. It was beautiful, incredibly so—a promise of love. She would never know a greater happiness than what she was experiencing this minute, she decided on her way out the door.

The whole day was like a teacher’s dream. The children were well behaved, responding eagerly to the lesson plan and Skye’s elated mood.

Betty Fisher was waiting for Skye in Billy’s hospital room.

“Good afternoon, Sprout.” Skye sat in the chair beside his bed. “Hello, Betty. Are we ready for the big day Monday?”

Billy nodded eagerly while his mother showed less enthusiasm.

“Dr. Warren asked me to come to his office this afternoon. He wants to go over the details of the surgery with me one last time. Could … could you go with me, Skye?” The hesitation in her voice showed that she really didn’t want to ask, but her fear overrode her objections.

“I’ll be happy to,” Skye assured her quickly.

“Are you going to tell them, or do I get the privilege?” Sally asked as she strolled into the room, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I’ll tell them,” Skye said with a smile. “I think they’re the only ones in the hospital who don’t know.” She cast a pointed stare at Sally, who feigned ignorance. “Billy, do you remember your old roommate, Mr. Kiley?”

“Of course he does,” Sally interrupted impatiently. “Get to the good part. I’ve got to get back to work.”

Laughing, Skye conformed to Sally’s wishes. “Jordan and I are going to be married.” She extended her hand to show Billy and Betty her ring.

Betty murmured her congratulations while Billy grinned with a know-it-all attitude. “I kinda knew you liked Mr. Kiley, Skye,” Billy announced casually. “Every time you talked to him, your cheeks would get all red. Stacy McAlister’s cheeks used to do the same thing when I was in school. That’s how I knew she had a crush on me.”

The three adults exchanged glances while Skye did exactly as Billy predicted.

Dr. Warren’s office was within walking distance of the hospital.

“Do you want to wait out here, or do you want to come and talk to the doctor with me?” Betty questioned as they sat in the half-full waiting room.

“I’ll stay out here,” Skye whispered.

Betty immediately looked disappointed. “Okay,” she nodded, putting on a brave front.

Skye was half tempted to change her mind, but she couldn’t always be there for
Betty to lean on, especially since she would be leaving San Francisco in June. No, it would be better if Betty started facing things on her own.

The nurse called Betty’s name a few minutes later and she rose, sending Skye one last pleading glance. Skye winked, lending her emotional encouragement.

After Betty had left, she scanned through several magazines that lay on the end tables. An issue that was dated several months back caught her attention. The cover showed Carin Cain’s smiling face. Skye smiled secretly to herself. Of late she felt she owed the model a great debt. Flipping open the pages, she turned to the article and skimmed the contents that recounted the model’s industrious career. The second page of the article showed several pictures. One in particular leaped from the page. It read:
Dan Murphy, well-known music magnate and longtime friend of Ms. Cain
.

Dan Murphy … Dan Murphy … Dan Murphy … the full-bearded man stared back at her while her mind screamed his name.

Her fingers trembled so badly, she thought she’d drop the magazine. A knot formed in her stomach and twisted painfully as she continued to stare at the picture. At first glance she wouldn’t have known it was him; the full beard hid his features well. It was the piercing gray eyes staring back at her that betrayed him. The man she loved had lied to her.

Jordan Kiley was Dan Murphy.

Two nurses dressed in green surgical gowns briskly stepped across the family waiting area. Both women raised their eyes expectantly, only to be disappointed as the nurses walked through the room without pausing. It was too soon. They both knew it would be hours yet before they would receive word of Billy’s condition, but they were looking for a miracle, anything to end the interminable waiting.

Billy had been wheeled on the long stretcher from his room to the surgical floor two hours before. Betty had broken into tears as she walked beside her son. Although drugged and woozy, Billy had attempted to assure his mother and sent a pleading glance toward Skye. But tears shimmered in her own eyes, and she looked away, unable to respond to his silent plea. Skye had wanted to be both supportive and encouraging to Betty, but her whole world had come crashing down on her and she was as desperately in need of emotional strength as Betty.

Now the two women sat together, yet very alone. Unable to boost each other’s confidence, they didn’t speak. Unable to comfort each other, they didn’t touch. Unable to smile, they avoided looking at each other. The nervous uneasiness stretched between them to a fine, taut line.

As time progressed, every minute, every hour, became a battle waged against fear. Skye read her Bible, seeking solace, but the comforting words only skimmed the surface of her mind. The hurt of Jordan’s deception blocked the comfort of God’s words. She didn’t know if Jordan was his name or if it was really Dan, and yet he was the man she had agreed to marry. A man she had insisted she could trust.

When a tall, blond-haired man entered the waiting area, Skye felt Betty stiffen.

“Bill.” The name was wrenched from her in an outpouring of incredulity and relief. She sprang to her feet and locked her arms around him.

Skye recognized the stranger immediately. It could only be Billy’s father. The sparkling blue eyes and broad forehead strongly resembled those of young Billy. Skye’s throat constricted at the sight of the two entwined in each other’s arms, tears streaming down their faces.

“I’ve been a fool. Can you forgive me?” he pleaded, his voice urgent. “I didn’t know about the accident. I swear I’d have come home had I known.”

Possessing a strength Skye would never have suspected, Betty calmly related the
details of the accident and the events leading to the surgery. The fear that had sparked like electricity between them only a few minutes before was gone. This was what Betty needed to face the ordeal of Billy’s surgery. Neither Skye nor anyone else could replace the presence of this man, her husband.

The scene was poignant and tender. The two needed privacy to speak, and after an awkward introduction Skye slipped unnoticed from the waiting room.

The small chapel was empty, she noticed gratefully. Here there could be no façade, and, staring into the distance, she allowed the acid tears to fall, burning her cheeks. She prayed again for Billy, her voice a hushed whisper, and for a long while afterward sat silently and meditatively.

“How could Jordan lie to me like that, Lord?” she asked as all the pain of his deception rushed forward. It was the same agonizing question she had uttered a thousand times during the past few days. It was ironic that he could have been so offended by her small deception and at the same time be grossly misleading her. From this point forward she knew she couldn’t trust him or his love. With everything that had happened, she had to believe he’d offered marriage as a means of getting her to agree to sign a recording contract with his company. And all their talk about trust. Skye buried her face in her hands. If Jordan had any love for her at all, then he would have told her the truth.

How could she have been so wrong about him? Perhaps the hurt wouldn’t be so intense if she hadn’t bared her soul to him. The details of Glen’s death that she’d shared had been a measurement of her love. Jordan couldn’t possibly love her, she realized. Carrying the charade to this extreme proved his avowed love could only represent a shadow of what God meant their love to be.

After Glen and her father had died, Skye felt she would never again experience such deep emotional pain. Now she was forced to admit her error. No physical pain could possibly hurt this much. Straightening, she wiped her face dry and swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew what she must do.

The swish of air came from behind, indicating someone had entered the chapel. The tiny hairs at the base of her neck rose in recognition. It was Jordan. He had said he’d come, but Skye had half expected him to lie about that, too. She didn’t turn around, wanting to delay seeing him as long as possible. The sound of each footstep advancing toward her was magnified a hundred times until Skye lowered her head to reduce the deafening noise. With her eyes shut tightly, she prayed for control and the strength to do what she must.

When Jordan sat beside her in the wooden pew, Skye jerked slightly with reaction. This was going to be worse than she’d imagined.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he whispered tenderly, and with familiar ease slipped his arm around her shoulder.

Skye couldn’t tolerate his touch; it made things all the more impossible. Trembling, she broke the contact and stood shakily, her feet almost faltering as she left the chapel with him.

“We need to talk. Can we go someplace?” she asked breathlessly. Glancing briefly at him, she didn’t quite meet his eyes.

Jordan’s gaze made an appraising sweep of her face and the tiny lines of strain about her mouth. Her eyes held a troubled light.

“The cafeteria?” he questioned.