This Time (6 page)

Meg, and the decorating team,
had transformed the banquet room into a wonderland of candlelight
and soft music.

"
Meg, you're a marvel," Belle said when she arrived that
evening, giving Meg a gracious hug.

"
It is beautiful, isn't it?"

"
Where did you get all these candles?"

Meg winked. "Ordered them
off of the internet."

"
Smart move," Belle said, glancing around the room again
before facing her friend. "By the way, you look beautiful tonight
with your curls piled on top of your head."

"
Thank you," Meg answered.

Spencer strode toward
them, sporting his broad, cheeky grin. He threw his arms around
their shoulders, hugging both ladies simultaneously. "My friends,
you look marvelous. Meg, outstanding décor."

"
Thanks, Spence. I wanted this evening to be
special."

Meg's husband called for her
from a few tables away. She excused herself and, for the first time
all weekend, Belle and Spencer were alone.

"
How're you doing?" he asked.

"
I'm good."

"
Really?" He reached for her hand. "I've been trying to give
you space, let you work things out."

"
I appreciate that," she said, giving his hand a slight
squeeze before pulling away.

"
You look absolutely beautiful. That color of the dress
matches your eyes."

Belle blushed and smoothed
her hand over her emerald green evening gown. "It's fun to get
dressed up like this once in awhile." She nodded to Spencer and
brushed the lapel of his tux. "You look handsome."

He thanked her, then
asked, "We ever going to have that talk you promised
me?"

She winced. "Yeah, we'll
talk. Dinner one night this week?"

"
It's a date."

The night oozed with memories.
Tyler's after dinner narration of a class slide show mixed laughter
with tears.

Belle isolated herself in a dark
corner of the room, anticipating the slide show's overwhelming
reminder of the life she once shared with Burke. Image after image
of them flashed across the screen, together, smiling, happy, in
love.

That was the plan, wasn't it
Burke, to always be together? To always be in love? What happened?
Why did you leave me?

Pictures flashed by of them at
the ninth grade fund-raiser for the Colorado ski trip. Next, came
the tenth grade football championship with Burke in his uniform,
grinning from ear to ear, his arm around Belle's shoulders. After
that, the eleventh grade homecoming court, followed by a picture of
Belle in Burke's arms after the school's second district
championship game.

And finally, images from their
senior year flashed by. Belle fought the rising tears caused by
sentiment. The show seemed to present them in almost every other
slide; the homecoming court, the state championship game where
Haskell High walked away with the trophy and a undefeated season;
pictures from the school halls, Winter Festival and graduation.

Several times, she glanced over
at Burke, sublime and swank in his black tux, wondering what
thoughts ran though his mind. Did seeing them together move his
heart as it did hers?

She caught his gaze as he looked
around the room. She glanced away when his eyes focused on her. It
seemed impossible to believe that the smiling, loving couple on the
screen now sat in the same room, worlds apart and barely speaking
to each other.

Tyler ended the evening
with eloquent, emotional words. "We've spent the past few days
reliving days gone by, reacquainting ourselves with old friends,
treasuring a more innocent time in our lives." He paused and
glanced purposely around the room. "Haven't we all been changed by
this reunion? Our hearts renewed by linking our past with our
present? It's a wonderful reminder of where we've been, where we
are going and of what really matters in life. Family. Friends.
Faith."

Applause filled the room.
Belle smiled from her spot in the corner. Tyler continued,
motioning to Burke. "Isn't it great to see Burke here this
time?"

More applause, accented with
scattered cheering. Burke waved to the crowd.

Belle watched, acknowledging her
feelings and memories of Burke, missing what used to be. But after
a brief moment, she purposefully shoved all affection aside, hiding
it away in the recesses of her mind.

I forget what lies behind, and
press forward to what lies ahead.

"
And then there's the reunion committee," Tyler said,
calling the six member team by name. The class of '88 honored the
committee with a standing ovation.

"
Belle, thank you for chairing the committee." Wild applause
erupted across the room. Suddenly all eyes were on her. She
blushed, feeling caught and as if her private thoughts were
exposed. She offered a small wave, hoping that would suffice,
praying no one would yell for a speech.

"
You all did a outstanding job," Tyler said when the
clapping died down. He left the stage, ending the night.

Suddenly, Belle found herself
surrounded by dear friends saying good-bye. She hugged them one by
one, promising to stay in touch, busily stuffing her small handbag
with business cards and napkins scribbled with email addresses.

When the crowd around her
finally cleared, Burke stood off to one side, alone and
waiting.

"
Tyler's right. The committee did a great job organizing
this reunion. I'm glad I came."

Belle squared her
shoulders and tried to look him in the eye, so blue, so sincere.
But she looked away as she said, "Thank you. Everyone seemed
thrilled to see you. And Grace."

She fumbled clumsily with the
clasp on her purse.

"
All except you?" Burke slipped his hands into his pockets,
dipping his head to see Belle's face.

She trembled, fighting the
storm of emotions brewing inside. "I can't change that," she said
as she turned to leave.

On a starry Sunday night Burke's
sports car hummed down the highway toward the airport, the wind
whipping through the open top.

"
What a lovely night. So many stars," Grace said, pulling
her long thick, tangled hair into a ponytail. She dropped her head
against the headrest and fixed her eyes on Oklahoma's night
sky.

"
Did you enjoy the weekend?"

"
Hmm, very much."

Burke smiled at her. "I'm
glad you came."

Grace slipped her hand
into Burke's. "Thank you for inviting me."

"
Not too much autograph hounding, I hope."

Grace shook her head. "You
have very considerate classmates. They were almost apologetic about
asking."

"
And you were very gracious."

Grace laughed softly.

Burke grinned. "What is
it?"

"
You, me, this small talk."

Burke's smile faded and he
focused on the road ahead.

Grace reached for his hand
and lifted it toward the dashboard lights. "I always loved your
hands, you know. They are so like you; strong, capable, gentle and
handsome."

"
Handsome?" Burke asked, glancing at Grace. Strands of her
burnished red hair had pulled free from her ponytail and whipped
about her oval face. Her almond shaped eyes stared at his hand as
she traced across his knuckles with her slender
fingertips.

"
Are you serious about moving back here?" she
asked.

Burke squeezed her hand
and moved his thumb over her fingers. "Yeah, I am."

She shifted her gaze and
watched the night lights from her side of the car. "You have to
find out, don't you?"

"
Grace, I…"

She faced him. "I never
understood how one person could love another after years and years
of being apart. What causes that kind of love to remain? Yet, when
I saw the slide show Saturday night, your life with Belle became
real to me. She was in your arms, with your friends, cheering with
you after the big wins. She shared your life in a way I'll never
know. I can't fathom how special that must feel."

"
You've lived a different kind of life, that's all," Burke
offered as an explanation.

Grace raked her fingers
through her hair, brushing the loose strands out of her eyes.
"Growing up in a superficial, artificial Hollywood family I never
felt anything below the surface of my soul until I met
Jesus."

"
I regret the years I spent away from Him, not serving Him,
not loving Him."

"
But you found your way back."

Burke nodded. "Once I
discovered that the things of this world are
meaningless."

Grace laughed. "I used to
think my privileged life with celebrities, money and fame was the
envy of the world. Then I met you. You introduced me to Jesus and a
life that I never knew existed. I didn't know I was lost until I
was found."

"
The Lord is doing great things in your life, Grace. Your
new production company, the films you are doing depict real
Christians and present a true, Biblical Gospel."

Grace nodded in agreement.
"The Lord is very good to me," she said, then paused. "Can I tell
you something?"

"
Shoot."

"
She loves you, you know."

"
Belle?"

"
Who else?"

"
Grace, I can't imagine- after what I did to
her."

"I know, but I saw it in
her eyes when you introduced us, and after the slide
show."

"
Sentiment, pure sentiment. The entire class got emotional
during that slide show."

"
Call it what you will, but I know love when I see
it."

Burke wrapped his fingers
tighter around hers as the airport exit came into view. "I'm going
to miss you."

She held her head up,
jutting out her firm chin. "We've learned to live with distance
between us. You in Colorado most of the year, me in L.A." He could
hear the forced courage in her words. "Besides, I leave for
Australia in two days. I'd be gone anyway."

Burke held onto her hand as he
slowed the car to take the airport exit.

"
You don't have to go in with me," Grace said. "I don't want
a mushy, airport good-bye scene."

"
What mushy airport good-bye scene?" Burke asked. "I'm going
in with you. You're not waiting alone."

"
No, Burke." Her tone pleaded with him.

He pulled up to the skycap curb
as she requested and turned to face her, taking her hands into his.
He started to say something, but the tears pooling in her eyes
melted away his words.

Grace slipped one of her
hands free and cradled his face. "See ya, Benning."

He softly kissed her
cheek. "Grace, please, let me come in with you."

Grace stepped out at the
curb, and reached in the back for her carry-on bag. "No need. I'll
be on the plane by the time you hit the highway. Thank you, Burke,
for a lovely weekend."

"
Anytime, Peterson."

"
Be careful."

"
I will. See ya, Grace."

"
See ya, Burke." With that, Grace disappeared inside the
airport and Burke drove toward home.

***

Tuesday morning the halls of
Haskell High echoed with Burke's footsteps as he made his way
toward Coach Anderson's office. He paused briefly by his old
locker, inspecting the familiar scratches and dings, finding the
spot where his initials were carved with another's on the bottom
corner. BB and BJ encircled by a heart.

Still there, he thought,
grinning, fingering the engraving, and remembering the day Belle
boldly made the marks. She spent a week in detention for defacing
school property.

For years, she claimed it
was worth it. "Every one knows you're mine now," she had
asserted.

"
I thought everyone already knew," Burke countered, laughing
at her manufactured jealousy, his eyes locked with hers.

"
All except Dana Love."

"
Belle," he said tenderly, brushing her long, silky, brown
hair over her shoulder. "You don't have to worry, ever."

"
It's not you I'm worried about," she said, a mischievous
smile on her lips.

Burke leaned against the lockers
for a moment, remembering, then continued down the hall to Coach
Anderson's office. When he arrived at the solid oak door, he
knocked lightly.

"
Come in."

"
Morning, Coach," Burke said as he entered. He shook the
older man's hand heartily.