20
Bailey was at lunch with her husband, Brandon, about to go shopping for a few last-minute baby items. Three weeks till her due date, and Bailey could hardly wait to meet their little girl. They hadn’t settled on a name for sure, but they had narrowed it down to a few.
That’s what today was for. A chance to shop and talk and share their feelings for all that lay ahead. They were eating lunch at a quiet café a few blocks from the university. Bailey felt full after only a few bites.
“How are you?” Across the table from her, Brandon wore a baseball cap, the way he often did so he wouldn’t be recognized. At home in Bloomington, they were rarely stopped by people. But both of them wanted this time without being interrupted.
“So many feelings.” Bailey smiled. Not just the baby. The Chance movie had exceeded everyone’s expectations. The national media was talking about people finding forgiveness and hope after seeing the film. Just like she had felt at the premiere, God had done something very special with the project.
Bailey felt dizzy over all the happy times past and ahead. Especially the infant girl about to enter their lives. “I can’t wait to hold her.”
“Me, too.” Brandon grinned. “She’s going to be so little.”
“I know.” Bailey might be the oldest of six kids, but the only one she could remember as a baby was Ricky. And even then she’d never changed his diapers. “It’ll be a lot of learning.”
They both laughed. Brandon rubbed his palms together and then reached for Bailey’s hand. “I’m a little nervous.”
“A little?” Bailey’s laugh tapered off. “I have to give birth to her.”
“True.” Brandon smiled.
They talked about the nursery, the things they still needed. They had bought the crib a few months ago and last week her parents had bought them a stroller. One of the theater teachers had thrown her a shower a few weeks ago, so there was very little they didn’t have. A few odds and ends, mostly. Monday, when Brandon had meetings in Indianapolis, her mom was planning to come over and help her wash the baby’s clothes and bedding.
So everything would be ready.
“Are you scared of the delivery?” Brandon seemed glad for the chance to ask. “I mean, I know we’re both praying. God’s over it all. But still . . .”
“Most of the time I’m fine.” Bailey narrowed her eyes. “But then I think about all that could go wrong. I really don’t want an epidural or a C-section. No Pitocin. Nothing like that.”
They had agreed that even though Bailey wanted to have the baby as naturally as possible, they were open to the possibility that if needed, they would resort to medical intervention. That’s why they were having the baby at the hospital instead of at home. Just in case.
Brandon smiled at her. “It’ll be okay. God will be with us, whatever happens.”
“Exactly.” Bailey loved this, being with Brandon on a quiet Saturday afternoon, just the two of them. The way they wouldn’t get to do again for a very long time. “Can I tell you something a little sad? Just between you and me?”
“Of course.” He looked deep into her eyes. Brandon adored her. He had since the first day they’d met.
Bailey wasn’t sure she wanted to voice her thoughts. But they were there and they were real. She had no choice but to be honest with him. “I’m a little sad about losing this. You know, losing us. Just the two of us.”
An understanding smile lifted Brandon’s lips ever so slightly and his eyes filled with tenderness. “I thought I was the only one. I didn’t want to say anything in case you thought I was terrible.”
“It must be normal, right?”
“Definitely.” Brandon squeezed her hands. “It’s a big change.” He leaned closer, his eyes locked on hers. “But no matter what happens, Bailey, you’ll always have me. We’ll always have us.”
His words were exactly what she needed to hear. “We will, won’t we?”
“Always.” He grinned at her. “Us might include a few more seats at the table over the years, but that won’t change this. The two of us. Not ever.”
A relief came over her and she felt herself relax. “I’m so excited. I can’t believe we’re going to have a little girl. I can’t wait. It’s just . . .”
“I know.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “We’ll never lose this, Bailey. I promise.”
The conversation kept things intimate through the rest of lunch and into the shopping trip. They held hands and laughed as they looked for baby fingernail clippers and an ear thermometer. Things they’d never heard of or used. And they talked about how Bailey’s brothers were doing.
Connor would be home in a few days, and no doubt he would at least call Maddie West. The two were on a break, but if things went well, they would probably spend a lot of time together this summer. “I think he loves her. For real.” Bailey raised her brow at her husband. “He just doesn’t know it.”
“Time will tell.” Brandon’s eyes held hers, as if she were the only person in the store. “We don’t all end up with our first love.”
“True.” Bailey loved how this felt, wandering through the store with him beside her. “I told him we’d both pray about it.”
Her parents were better than ever, her dad still coaching football and her mom writing a regular column for the Indianapolis Star. Her other brothers were all working out this summer, getting ready for fall football in a few months.
By the time they got home, Bailey could easily say it was one of their best Saturdays. They were taking things out of the bag when Bailey’s phone rang. She looked down and saw it was Andi. “I’m going to take it, okay?”
“Of course.” Brandon smiled. “I’ll finish unpacking.”
Bailey took her phone to their back porch. From here the view of Lake Monroe was like something from heaven. “Hello? Andi?”
“Ah . . . I’m so glad you answered.” Andi sounded like she’d been crying. “I need your help. I don’t know what to do.”
“Hey, I’m here.” Bailey sat on the outdoor rocker and put her hand on her belly. Her baby was kicking again. “What happened?”
She heard Andi take a deep breath. “Cody came to Louisiana to see me.”
“He did?” Bailey sat up a little. “What for?”
“Well . . . it’s a long story.” Andi launched into the details. How Cody had come to ask her one question: Would she give him one more chance? “He said he could explain how he’d acted after our second engagement.” Her single laugh sounded like a mix of sadness and frustration. “Second engagement. Every time I say that I can’t believe I’m still even talking about Cody Coleman.”
Bailey tried to sort through the details of her friend’s story. “You said something about Cody explaining himself?”
“Right. That’s what he said.” Andi sighed. “But I got this emergency call and then Cody helped me with this single mom and her kids who were stranded in the flood. The whole day was crazy. And later when we talked, I told him I couldn’t do this again. That I was finished.”
“Wait.” Bailey was still missing something. “What was Cody’s explanation? For the way he treated you after your last engagement?”
Silence. Andi didn’t talk for several seconds. “He never told me.”
“What?” Bailey wished they were in person having this conversation. The details didn’t add up. “He came with an explanation and he never told you?”
“No, because . . . well, I told him I didn’t want to hear it. If he couldn’t tell me back then, there was no point telling me now. Plus . . . there’s this other guy. The one I told you about. Caleb.” She paused. “I don’t know, I just needed Cody to leave. Before I fell for him again.”
Bailey’s heart sank. With all her heart she believed Cody and Andi belonged together. She’d been praying about that very thing for years. And now, Cody had gone after Andi, chased her to Louisiana to tell her how much he loved her, and Andi hadn’t let him explain himself? She kept her tone level. “Andi . . . I think maybe you should’ve let him tell his story.”
Again Andi was silent. “You might be right.”
“I mean, he flew across the country to tell you.”
They talked awhile longer. Andi explained that it wasn’t a question of whether she loved Cody. Rather, she didn’t trust him. And she didn’t want to wind up a single mother someday. “I seriously don’t know if I can believe in him again. And what about Caleb?” Andi sighed. “That’s why I had to call you.”
Bailey took her time responding. This was a strange situation, giving her best friend advice about the boy she, herself, had once loved. It had been many years since she’d thought about Cody that way. He hadn’t been the one for her, she knew that, of course. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t remember the way she had cared for him back then.
She pictured Cody, the sincerity in his eyes, the honesty in his smile. The way he would lay down his life for someone he cared about. Or even for a nation full of strangers, like he’d been willing to do in Afghanistan.
There were very few guys with the character and strength of Cody Coleman. Bailey needed to share that with Andi. “I think a lot of this is your fear talking.” Bailey didn’t want to offend her friend. But this had to be said. “If there’s one thing I know about Cody Coleman it’s this: He’s trustworthy. You could trust him with your life, Andi. If you two ever married, he would never dream of leaving you. Not ever.”
“He left me before.” Andi’s answer was quick.
Bailey considered that. “He broke up with you, yes. But he didn’t leave you. Not in the normal sense, like because he didn’t care about you or love you.”
“I guess.” Andi was softening. “So . . . you think I should have let him explain?”
“Andi . . . Do you still love him?”
There was a sniffling sound on the other end of the line. “With everything in me.”
“Then what are you doing talking to me?” Bailey allowed a soft laugh. “You can trust him. You have to find out what he came to tell you. Maybe that will clear all this up.”
They talked another few minutes about the baby and how Bailey was feeling. At the end of the call Andi thanked her. “No one knows me like you do, Bailey. You can talk me off a cliff. You always could . . . ever since college.”
Bailey smiled. “Call Cody. Ask him what he wanted to talk about. Please, Andi.”
“Okay. Eventually.” Andi exhaled. Her doubt was easy to hear. “Oh, and hey . . . that donation you and Brandon made. Wow . . .” Deep gratitude filled her voice. “None of us can believe it. That was just what we needed.”
Bailey smiled. “Good. It’s the least we can do.” She didn’t want to annoy Andi, but she wanted to finish the call on Cody. “Don’t forget . . . reach out to him. Okay?”
“I will.”
That would have to do. The call ended and Bailey returned to the kitchen. Brandon had made them each a glass of lemon water. As Bailey reached for it, her stomach tightened. “Ooooh.” She winced. “They’re getting stronger. These false contractions.”
“One of these days you’ll have one that won’t be false.” Brandon looked nervous. “I hope you know the difference.”
Bailey waited while her abdomen slowly relaxed. She thought about Brandon’s words. She could’ve said the same thing to Andi. Cody was not like other guys. He was a catch, a true and genuine guy who would never intentionally hurt anyone—least of all the girl he loved.
Now if only Andi could see that.
• • •
AARON BAYLOR FOUND Cody as soon as practice ended. The kid could barely talk he was so happy. “She said yes, Coach! Macy Withers! She’s going with me to the prom!”
Cody was collecting the bags of gear alongside his assistant coaches. No matter how terribly his visit had gone, he was happy for his player. “Atta boy, Baylor. I told you. Show a girl a glimpse of your heart, and she’ll be yours forever.” He patted the kid’s shoulder. “How does it feel?”
“Amazing.” Baylor grabbed one of the gear bags and walked with Cody toward the locker room. “Every guy on campus wants to be me.” He hesitated and then cast a sideways glance at Cody. “Whatever happened with . . . Andi, right?”
Cody couldn’t tell the kid that he’d gone after her, but he hadn’t done the very thing he’d taught Baylor to do. Cody hadn’t shared his heart. He’d come home with the truth untold, the facts about his PTSD still hidden deep inside him. Cody forced a smile. “Hasn’t worked out yet, Baylor. You’ll be the first to know.”
The irony of it stayed with Cody long after he was home and after he took Riley for his run. The scrawny kid had done the difficult thing and taken a chance. So what about Cody? How could he have gone all the way to Louisiana and not told Andi the truth? Never mind she didn’t want to hear him.
If he would’ve pushed she would’ve listened. And that might’ve changed everything. Yes, he should’ve told her sooner, but that was all part of the learning curve in a relationship, right?
Cody piled Riley into his truck and headed for his mom’s house. Every Monday he mowed her lawn. Today he welcomed the task. Anything to take his mind off the hurting. He missed Andi so much he couldn’t eat. Couldn’t see straight into tomorrow.
A few times he had even played the news segment again, the part where Andi was interviewed. He had kept it on his DVR. For times when he couldn’t go another minute without seeing her.
His mom met him at the front door and called Riley into the house. “Come on, boy, come to Grandma.”
Cody found the mower and set about the job. Later tonight he would tell his mom what happened with Andi, how she never wanted to see him again. Then he would tell her the other news. He was seriously considering moving to Montana. The headmaster had offered him a job. Now it was up to him. He had a week to decide.
The conversation with his mother went better than he expected. She didn’t want him to move, of course, but she recognized it would only be for a time. So Cody could get Andi out of his head.
“Actually, I’m thinking of moving to Solvang. For a year, anyway.” She grinned at him. “One of my friends is moving there to work at this great church. It’s been around forever, but they’re hiring. I’d be working with this great couple—Larry and Evelyn Foster. My friend said she could get me the job if I was willing to move there.”
Cody smiled, despite his breaking heart. Nothing stayed the same. Not even the two of them living in the same city. “Good for you, Mom.”
“Everything happens in seasons, Cody.” She patted Riley, who was sitting beside her. “You’re a football coach. You should know that more than anyone.”
She was right. Everything in its season. Just like Ecclesiastes in the Bible. He thought about that after he was home and in bed. He reached for his phone on his bedside table and opened his Bible app. He found his way to the third chapter in Ecclesiastes.
There it was.
. . . a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance . . .
A time for everything. And right now it was Cody’s time to grieve, time to figure out what the rest of his life held. Never mind the day he’d shared with Andi in Louisiana, or the progress he’d thought they had made in those few hours. That was behind him. The future held something unknown, a challenge Cody was almost certainly going to take. Working with a team of troubled kids in the open plains of Montana.
Where just maybe, Cody’s heart might finally heal.