North Dakota Weddings (38 page)

“So, Amber, how was your day?” he asked.

“Don’t I know you?” Great. Now, she was giving him a pickup line, but he looked familiar.

“Don’t you remember? I was in the drama.”

Lewis
. “That’s right. I didn’t recognize you in regular clothes.” She giggled. “I never got your
real
name.”

“It’s Peter.”

“You know Dr. Selman through the reenactment, right?”

“Actually, we attend the same church. He recommended me when the reenactors were looking for a new Lewis. I’ve been part of the reenactment team for three years now.”

Amber smiled and nodded.

“Listen, I’ve been hoping to see you again. Maybe we could get together some time.”

Dr. Selman cleared his throat. Amber looked around the room and noticed everyone was staring, waiting on them to get quiet.

Sitting in the large recliner in the corner, he looked different. Still authoritative and commanding like in the museum setting, but—a gentle light emanated from him. The Light was no stranger to her. Amber peered down at her Bible—it had to be the Jesus in him, she knew.

Dr. Selman led them in prayer. Guilt wrestled inside her. Even if she could forgive her brother, and God, how could God forgive her?

Vision blurring, she stared at her Bible. Gradually, the scripture became clear, seeming to jump out at her. Though Dr. Selman continued his prayer, Amber couldn’t help but read the verse staring back. Matthew chapter five, verse twenty-four.

“ ‘Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.’ ”

And there was the crux of the matter. Whether she interpreted the verse correctly or not, she believed before she could connect with God, she needed to forgive her brother. Though torn, warmth burned in her heart—it seemed that God was nudging her in that direction. She had forsaken Him—after a fashion—but He’d never left her.

“In Jesus’s name.” Dr. Selman concluded the prayer. “Continuing our study in Romans…”

Sitting in his office an hour before the museum opened, Brandon skimmed through the paperwork he’d need to complete today in addition to cataloging artifacts. Jim would return from his vacation next week. Brandon planned to have every artifact inspected, cataloged, and stored before then. They still waited on the display shelves for the Hamlin collection. Hopefully, they’d arrive soon, considering the museum had advertised the exhibit would be open to the public next month.

Adding to his tight schedule today, he needed to gather his thoughts for dinner this evening. He’d agreed to meet Ray Stockholm—a potential donor—to share his understanding of the events that ended in disaster when he directed the other museum. He’d spent five years attempting to shove what happened from his mind. And yet, he always maintained a ready defense of the facts. Though he rehearsed what he would say a million times, fear gripped him anyway.

Brandon hung his head and laughed. He grew weary of having to defend himself. Would it never end?

To make matters worse, board member Sheila Longstrom had called and asked to join them for dinner. What now?

He planted his face in his hands. Maybe that’s why the Lord had him talk about forgiveness last night—he needed to forgive himself. Honestly? He thought he’d never recover from the disaster, but here he was in his own office, directing a new endeavor, a new museum and that?—because people believed in him.

He reflected again on the facts as he saw them, mentally preparing himself to talk his way through the tangled mess—an odd set of circumstances that brought a museum to its knees, and Brandon to dread facing himself in the mirror every day since.

In his first year as director of the Landers Prehistoric Museum, he took on an intern whom he quickly began to mentor. He worked closely with her every day and trusted her with increasingly more responsibility. Focused completely on his work, he never took notice of her affections. Apparently the woman fancied herself in love with him, and one evening she surprised him with a kiss and revealed her feelings.

Taken aback by her declaration, Brandon wasn’t sure what to say. But in the most tactful manner he could muster, he turned her affections aside. The moment was awkward, preventing them from returning to their daily work in a professional way.

When a large display somehow toppled, injuring her, Brandon’s only thoughts were for her safety, and he blamed himself for the accident. She took his words of self-recrimination and ran with them to the courts, suing the museum for Brandon’s supposed negligence. Brandon believed she exacted vengeance on him for spurning her. The museum settled with her out of court, of course, and Brandon was asked to leave. He thought he’d never work in a museum again—either in research as a paleontologist or as a director.

Thankfully, many still believed in him; and through their generous favor and recommendations, he once again directed a museum. But those days still haunted him, causing him to tread cautiously where Amber McKinsey was concerned.

Brandon shoved away from his desk and left his office. If he kept thinking on the past, he’d never move forward. And, he looked forward to seeing Amber this morning.

He’d been both happy and surprised to see her at Bible study. His thoughts went to her soft features in the dimly lit room, her face serious as she listened to the discussion. Unfortunately, he’d found it difficult to focus with her there, watching him. Somehow, he had the feeling the words were for her as well as him. But that was speculation on his part. He certainly didn’t know her well enough.

He’d wanted time to speak with Amber after Bible study, but Peter had singled her out with an apparent romantic interest. Just as well. Brandon’s thoughts regarding his previous experience lingered in his mind, warning him to keep his distance.

But where Amber was concerned, he was in a battle that had raged between men and women from the beginning of time, and he wasn’t at all certain of the outcome in this case.

Mom and Dad must be praying for grandchildren
.

Brandon sighed heavily as he crossed the hallway to the receiving room. As her mentor—if that’s what he truly was—he needed to do a better job of instilling confidence in her. At the door, he unlocked it and entered to find that Amber had swept the floor clean of the pottery remnants just as he’d asked.

He considered whether or not to order a replacement, but he still had the replica for the most valuable piece. From one of the two crates he’d opened yesterday, he pulled out another box. He grinned. This artist was good, making even the packaging appear as if a
real
artifact was contained within. If Brandon didn’t know better, even he could have been fooled. What was this?

The seal on the box was broken.

Brandon removed the padding.

Nothing
.

In addition to sweeping up the broken replica, Amber had obviously continued cataloging more items, though he knew she couldn’t have worked too much longer because she’d been at Bible study. But…she must have logged the replica as the actual artifact and placed it in storage.

Brandon paused, thinking it through. Since he wanted to test Jim’s skills anyway, this could work in his favor.

Brandon spotted Amber on the other side of the glass door, a soft smile playing on her lips.

She pushed all the way through. “Good morning.”

“I see you did more cataloging after I left. Thank you.”

Amber allowed her backpack to slide to the floor next to the table where she worked. “Wait, what? I swept and straightened up then locked up like you asked.”

“Well, you cataloged at least one more artifact—the wedding vase. Yesterday was slightly traumatic, wouldn’t you say?” He felt a smile slip into his lips, and not yet wanting to reveal that it had been another replica, he turned his attention to his own workstation. The last thing she needed right now was for him to second-guess her.

“Dr. Selman?”

“You’ll find it in the system. I’m glad you’re capable of cataloguing on your own now, because I have to spend a good part of the day on other matters.” He faced her again. She was too beautiful.

He’d prefer to see a smile in place of the frown though. He’d prefer to kiss her forehead and make his way down to her lips….Instead, he squeezed her arms. “Amber, forget about yesterday. Everything will be all right.” His words set off an alarm inside him. While he wanted to encourage her, keep her safe—could he really back up his words?

Something in the look she gave him sent a subtle shiver through him.

D
r. Selman had excused himself—he had a museum to run. Receiving artifacts, a small part of the work. Still, she missed his company.

Feeling the weight of the last couple of days, Amber sighed. Add to that the strange claim he’d made that she’d cataloged another item last night.

For the life of her, she couldn’t remember doing it. But maybe he was right—dropping what she thought had been an artifact, watching it shatter into a hundred pieces had almost given her a heart attack. The day had been exhausting.

And then, she’d told him about Michael. Thankfully, Dr. Selman’s only concern had seemed to be for her. But, he didn’t know the whole of it.

Amber toyed with the artifact box he’d given her as he left the receiving room. Then she logged into her computer and searched the records. Nothing appeared after what she clearly remembered to be her last entry.

Dr. Selman had obviously found the box empty and assumed Amber had cataloged it and put it in storage.

Oh no!
Maybe she’d put it in storage without cataloging it. Her heart palpitated. She placed her hand on her chest. To put an item in storage required her to leave the receiving area and tromp down the hallway to the locked artifacts storage room. The smell always bothered her in there. No. She would have remembered. Wouldn’t she? She might be clumsy, but she was not forgetful.

As she worked to catalog more artifacts, she racked her brain, hoping to figure out what had happened. She recalled that she’d simply cleaned up the shattered artifact—grateful it had only been a replica—then cleared her desk. And lastly, she’d secured the door.

Clutching another piece of ancient pottery, she focused on maintaining her grip on the item. Her hands trembled, reminding her of the incident yesterday. She’d replayed the scene a thousand times in her mind. How had the pottery slipped from her hands? She shuddered. Would Dr. Selman withhold future references or recommendations for this, despite his warmth at Bible study last night?

She encouraged herself with the fact that he must place at least some confidence in her because he’d left her alone with the artifacts today. Stretching, she stood from the stool and saw him in his office through the windows on the other side of the hall. He could see her as well. On the phone, he stood and turned his back to her.

Tapping the workbench with her pen, she considered the circumstances. What would happen if she didn’t find the wedding vase? Sooner or later, if it didn’t turn up, she’d have to tell Dr. Selman. She knew nothing at all about it though. He trusted her. What would his reaction be if he knew the whole truth about her brother? Would she lose his trust?

She squeezed her eyes, not wanting to entertain the obvious next thought—if the artifact was truly missing, and not simply misplaced, what were the odds Michael was involved?

He was in town, after all.

Amber leaned her head back and groaned. How was she supposed to work under these conditions?

Somewhere deep inside, despair began to rise. Michael’s mistakes continued to negatively affect her life. Yet God asked that she forgive him.

She would need help with that.

Lord, please, let me find that artifact, safe and sound
. With the small prayer, another place in her hardened heart grew soft.

After Bible study last night, she knew without a doubt the right thing to do was meet Michael, listen to what he had to say. On impulse, she’d texted him to meet her tonight at seven at Carl’s Ice Cream Shop downtown. At the time, she’d not known an artifact was missing.

Amber finished out her day without taking any breaks, not even lunch. She wanted to plow through as many artifacts as she could. If Dr. Selman returned to receiving, she would tell him the rest of the story—doubtless, he would find out on his own soon enough.

Back at the cabin that evening, she fed Josh a few carrots to calm her nerves. Muriel rushed in and threw her things in her room. Amber headed to the kitchen where Muriel pulled out her fast-food fare.

“Sorry, I know it’s my night to cook. Want some?”

“I’m not hungry, actually.”

“You need to go to Gladys’s for dinner more often. You’re much too thin.” Muriel paused and took a longer look at Amber. “What’s up with the lopsided grin?”

“Can I ask you to drop me somewhere tonight?” Amber absentmindedly crunched on a carrot.

“I have plans, but I can drop you on the way, depending on what time. Then there’s the issue of how you will get home.”

“You’ve got a date?”

Muriel froze. “How did you know?”