CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Skylar slowly made her way down the stairs to the main floor, taking them one at a time. She had to be careful how she moved because twisting it wrong still sent a pang of pain through her ankle, even with the boot on
Her parents were already in the kitchen, dressed for the church service they’d be attending shortly. As was she.
There was no sign of Cole, which wasn’t a surprise. Skylar doubted that he’d show before they left in an hour.
The smell of coffee drove her to hitch her way across the kitchen and reach for a mug.
“Good morning, darling,” her mom said, brushing a kiss across her cheek. “You look very nice.”
“Thanks, Mom. So do you.”
Her mom had chosen a white denim skirt that reached to her knees and paired it with a dark blue floral blouse. Her dad had on a light blue polo shirt and a pair of black slacks. Given how well they matched, Skylar was certain her mom had picked out both of their outfits.
In deference to the warm summer day, Skylar had chosen a light lavender sundress. It had wide straps and a fitted bodice that had an empire waist. The skirt fell to just below her knees, and it was light and flowy.
Pancakes were stacked on a plate on the counter, so Skylar picked up a plate and took a couple. She spread some peanut butter on them, then added a light drizzle of syrup.
Her parents chatted as they ate their breakfast. Skylar was always a bit surprised at how her parents—who spent so much time together—still found stuff to talk about.
When Cole walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, Skylar stared at him in surprise. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a plain green short-sleeved T-shirt, which made her think he was going with them.
“Are you going to church with us, darling?” her mom asked as she got up to fill a mug with coffee for Cole. There was no pressure in her mom’s voice, but there was definitely hope.
“Yeah. I thought I would. Aiden said he’d be there since they stayed in Serenity again last night.”
“Excellent.” Her mom got a plate from the cupboard and handed it to him. “Get yourself some breakfast.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Once they were done eating and had cleared away the breakfast dishes, they prepared to leave for the church. Though her parents offered to drive them all, Cole said he was taking his own car, so Skylar decided to go with him.
“Surprised you’re coming this morning,” Skylar said as Cole pulled away from the house.
“You and me both,” he replied with a laugh. “But I figured it couldn’t do any harm. Have you gone on the Sundays you’ve been here?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Not sure. I guess I just thought it would keep everyone from pestering me about it if I didn’t go.”
“Yeah. That’s kind of how I feel.”
“When are you leaving?”
“I don’t have a definite departure date,” he said. “What about you?”
“I’m waiting for the blood test results to come back and my ankle to heal.”
“How long will that take?”
“I expect we’ll have results within the week, and I hope my ankle will be good to go not long after that.”
“Are you going to be happy leaving?”
Skylar pressed her finger against her lower lip. Over the past few days, she’d purposefully tried not to think about leaving. It pained her to think of not seeing Shiloh for long stretches of time.
Aiden’s face came to mind, but she quickly refocused on Shiloh. She was doing better, and Charli said she was gaining strength every day. It was possible that she wouldn’t even need a stem cell transplant.
If that was the case, Skylar tried to convince herself that she wished she hadn’t gone to Aiden already. But that wasn’t entirely the truth.
Though she hadn’t wanted to, she believed him when he’d said he hadn’t really thought she was pregnant.
It still hurt that he’d thought her the type of person to try to trap him that way. Or maybe he’d convinced himself of that in order to abdicate responsibility. That alone might have made her think that he was lying.
But when she had combined that information with seeing how he was acting now, she thought that there was a good chance he was telling the truth.
She was glad that Cole didn’t mention anything about Aiden, since she was feeling very conflicted about the man.
Because Cole had mentioned that Aiden was going to be at church, she wasn’t surprised when she saw him and his family there. And by the time the service started, she was in a pew, sitting between Cole and Aiden.
It was a seating arrangement they’d used many, many times in the past. Although, back then, she’d definitely sat closer to Aiden than to Cole. This time, she was equidistance between them, and she was not holding Aiden’s hand, nor was his arm around her.
The memory of that opened up a hole in her emotions. A yearning for that time when everything had seemed so simple. When she’d trusted that they would be there for each other.
She was glad when the worship leader led the rest of the team up onto the stage, distracting her from her thoughts wandering down memory lane.
Skylar felt movement as Aiden leaned a little closer to her. “Is that Jay’s son on the drums?”
“Yep. Gareth taught him, and now he’s taken over.” Her tall, lanky nephew, Peyton, sat behind the drums, a spot that Gareth had occupied plenty over the years.
“Incredible. Where has the time gone? He’s like a young adult now.”
“He is, and it sounds like he’s following in Misha and Gareth’s footsteps to become a doctor. He’s helping out some at the clinic over the summer.”
The conversation ended there as the man behind the podium led them in an opening prayer, and then moved into a song. The worship leader encouraged them to stand, which meant Skylar had to maneuver herself up to her feet, keeping most of her weight on her good ankle. That meant she edged closer to Aiden, since it was her right leg that was good.
Though she hadn’t sung along on previous Sundays, that morning, the music seemed to be drawn out of her soul. Familiar melodies accompanying familiar words.
They sang several worship songs, their words projected up onto the screens at the front of the sanctuary. She knew all but one, so it felt like no time at all had passed since she’d last been in a service.
After they sat back down, someone got up and read off several announcements. There wasn’t a lot going on since it was summer, and most programs at the church had been suspended until the fall.
Soon enough, Janessa’s father-in-law, Pastor Kennedy, took his place behind the podium. He gave the congregation a warm smile as he gazed out over them. The pews weren’t as full as she remembered them being in the past, but that was probably due to it being summer and people being away on vacation.
She’d downloaded the Bible app a couple of Sundays previously, so when Pastor Kennedy gave them a reference, she was able to look it up. As a teen, she’d never been allowed to use a Bible app on her phone. She’d had a physical Bible that her parents had bought her, but it was probably still in a storage box somewhere in Vegas.
“So earlier this week, I decided to do something romantic for my lovely wife. I had Reese help me prepare a picnic lunch. I made reservations for a boat so we could spend time on the lake. I even picked up a bouquet of flowers. I did everything except check the weather, so I didn’t realize there was a rainstorm in the forecast.”
A ripple of chuckles flowed through the congregation.
“So there we were, sitting out in the boat, enjoying our picnic, when the sky suddenly darkened and spit out a few raindrops. That didn’t last long, however, because soon it was a torrential downpour. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy about how my plans had been derailed.
“Too often in life, we rush ahead with our plans, not even checking the weather. Then, when it rains, we get angry and frustrated with God.” He lifted his Bible. “Let’s turn to Romans 5, verse 3.”
Skylar opened her Bible app and found the verse.
We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
After Pastor Kennedy read the verse out loud, he said, “When trials come our way, we are presented with two options. We can glory in those tribulations, or we can rebel against them.”
There was no doubt in Skylar’s mind which choice she’d made when faced with the trials that were a result of her own actions. She’d never viewed that time as a stepping stone to a deeper faith. Instead, she’d run from everything that could have guided her to a place of peace as she’d moved through that difficult time.
Skylar shifted on her seat, the pastor’s words as he shared examples of people who had chosen to be thankful for their trials convicting her. Over the past few Sundays, she’d been able to block out most of his sermons, letting her thoughts wander far from the church in Serenity.
That wasn’t the case that Sunday, however. Even sitting next to Aiden wasn’t enough to distract her.
When Pastor Kennedy mentioned that it was never too late to learn and grow in one’s faith from the trials of life, it really sank deep. Just because she rejected that path nine years ago didn’t mean she had to continue to reject it now.
As they stood to sing the final song, she glanced at Aiden, wondering if he’d been paying attention to the sermon the way she had. He was staring at the pastor, his expression tense.
Skylar fought the urge to reach out and take his arm the way she had in the past. Instead, she gripped the pew in front of her as she bent her head. She sang along to the hymn, not needing to see the words since it was one she was well familiar with.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay.
When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found: dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
As the song ended, Pastor Kennedy once more stepped up to face the congregation. Bracing his hands on the sides of the large pulpit, his gaze swept over the audience.
“I know that there are those in our congregation today who are surrounded by darkness or are facing that whelming flood. It might be job loss, illness, relationship troubles, money troubles, family troubles or any number of other things. We are not promised a life of ease as Christians, but we are promised that we will not face those difficulties alone. We as brothers and sisters in Christ are here for you, but more importantly, God is here. His grace is never changing, and He is our hope and stay. I pray you choose to stand on that solid rock, so that one day, you will also stand faultless before His throne. Let’s pray.”
Once the final prayer had been spoken, the pastor dismissed them, encouraging everyone to enjoy the beautiful day that God had given them.
Skylar was quiet as she followed Cole up the aisle, moving more slowly than him. Between his long strides and her being inhibited by the walking boot, she wasn’t able to keep up with him. Aiden, however, didn’t seem to be in the rush that Cole was because he fell into step beside her.
“Are you heading back to Coeur d’Alene this afternoon?”
“Yeah, but I think my mom and Willow might be back out here in the next couple of days.”
“Really?”
Aiden nodded. “I think she’s missed living here.”
“It’s good she’s kept the house.”
“Yes. I think she figured that at some point, she’d be able to handle living there again. That she’d want to be there again.”
“How do you feel about it?”
They’d entered the foyer by then. Aiden stepped clear of the doorway, and Skylar followed him.
“I’m glad that she’s feeling like she can find joy in the memories instead of pain. If she decides to move back here with Willow, I’d support that, though I’d miss having them with me in Coeur d’Alene.”
“You wouldn’t move here?”
“I don’t really want to have an hour plus commute each way. Just makes a long day even longer.”
“Hey, bro,” Cole said as he looped his arm around Aiden’s shoulders. “You stickin’ around this afternoon?”
“Yeah. We’ll probably head back around five or so.”
“You sure you have to go?”
“Of course. I have to work.”
“I still think I should hire you,” Cole said as they moved away from the sanctuary. “Then you wouldn’t have to work all the time.”
Aiden laughed. “I’m not sure I’d want you as my boss.”
“I’d be a great boss,” Cole replied indignantly. “Just like I’m such a great friend and brother that I rented a boat for the afternoon.”
“A boat?” Skylar asked.
“Yep. I rented a pontoon boat for us.”
“Who all is going?”
“Wilder said he and Lexi would come, and Kayleigh was going to talk to Hudson.” He thumped Aiden on the shoulder. “And I hope you’ll come too.”
“Of course. I think my mom was planning to spend some time with a couple of her friends. They have some grandchildren around Willow’s age, so I think they’re going to the park together.”
“Were they going to see Shiloh?” Skylar asked.
“I talked with Charli this morning about spending some time with her,” Aiden said. “But she said that Shiloh had a bit of a rough night, so they were just going to give her a low-key day today. She did say we could stop by before we head back to Coeur d’Alene to say goodbye, though.”
Before discovering that Shiloh had cancer and doing some additional research of her own, Skylar had thought that once chemo was over and indications were that the treatment had seemed to work, that everything would go back to normal. Unfortunately, that was not the case. So it was possible—probable even—that Shiloh would continue to suffer with the negative effects of the treatment she’d received so far.
“Well, let’s head out and get on that boat,” Cole said. “Do you have a swimsuit, Aid?”
“I’m sure I’ve got a really old one at the house.”
“How about you, Sky?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure why I stuck a couple in, but I did.”
“Perfect.” He turned back to Aiden. “Do you want us to swing by and pick you up so your mom can have the car?”
“Sure. That would be great. I’ll just need to head to the house first with them.”
“Okay. We’ll be there in an hour,” Cole said. “Is that enough time?”
“Should be.”
A few minutes later, she and Cole were in his car, headed to the house.
“Is there anyone you’d like to invite to join us?” Cole asked. “We’ve got the room. The boat I rented accommodates fifteen people.”
“Who would I invite?”
“Is Allie still living around here?” Cole said, naming her best friend from high school.
“No clue.”
“You guys fell out?”
Skylar shrugged. “I guess you could say that. She didn’t approve of a couple of my decisions.”
“Like?”
Skylar wasn’t sure she wanted to delve into all that with him, but it might help him understand some of what she’d gone through.
“When I was worried that I was losing Aiden, I decided that the best way to keep him was to sleep with him.”
“Really?” Cole’s tone was incredulous. “Pretty sure we were told in our youth group to not do that.”
Skylar sighed. “I know. It wasn’t the right thing to do, and Allie felt the same way. She told me not to do it, but I ignored her. When she found out what I’d done, she was furious that I’d gone against everything we’d been taught.”
“Wow. I mean, she always was very focused on her faith, even at a young age, so I guess her reaction kind of makes sense.”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I never told her,” Skylar said, remembering how hard that time had been. She’d been away at college, dealing with a breakup, the loss of her closest friend, and finding out she was pregnant. “When I went to her, upset that Aiden had ended things, she basically said I told you so. That was the last conversation we had.”
“I’m sorry, sis.”
“Yeah, well. It’s all in the past now.”
“Is it though?”
“As far as I’m concerned, it is,” Skylar told him. “I haven’t spent the years since bemoaning the loss of her friendship. I know what I did was wrong, but I don’t think it warranted ending a friendship the way she did. If that’s the type of friend she was, I am better off without her.”
“I know you probably wish Aiden weren’t still in my life, but I’ve been incredibly grateful for his friendship. I’ve needed someone who I know I can trust not to have ulterior motives in their dealings with me. I feel like what we have is genuine.”
“I’m sure it is,” Skylar said. “Aiden seems to have gone back to being the person he once was.”
“I guess I wasn’t the best friend or brother back then.”
“You had a lot going on.” Skylar had wished that she could confide in Cole during that time, but she hadn’t been sure that he’d take her side in things.
“Still, I’m sorry for not being there for you.”
“I forgive you.” Of course, it was far easier to forgive Cole for what had happened back then than it was Aiden.
“Well, let’s try to have fun this afternoon,” Cole said as he pulled up the driveway to the house.
“What are we doing for lunch?” Skylar asked as they made their way to the front door.
“I placed an order at the deli, and we’ll swing by and pick it up before we get Aiden.”
“You’ve been busy,” Skylar said. “When did you do all of this?”
“Yesterday afternoon. I didn’t want to just sit around today.”
“Did you want to ask Annie to join us?”
Cole shrugged. “I did consider it when I saw her at the church, but doubt she’d have accepted.”
“Her brother might have,” Skylar said. “Why don’t you invite Layla and Amelia, and tell them they can bring friends?”
“I might do that. Though that doesn’t mean Annie would come with her brother.”
“True, but you might learn more about her from her brother if you’re truly interested.”
“I’m not sure if I am or not.”
“Well, then I’d suggest you leave her alone,” Skylar said as she headed up the stairs.
“Don’t take too long,” Cole called after her. “We need time to pick up the food before we get Aiden.”
Up in her room, Skylar wondered if she really wanted to go. Did she want to hang out with Aiden even more? Once again doing something they’d done as teenagers? Back then, the family had owned their own boat, so they’d spent a lot of time on the nearby lake.
She’d brought both a two piece and a one piece swimsuit, but she decided on the one piece as she liked it more than the other one. After she put it on, she pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and one sandal.
Staring down at her feet—one booted—she grabbed her phone and shot a text off to Gareth to make sure she could take the boot off to go into the lake. She took it off for showers and baths, but that was slightly different from swimming in the lake.
She quickly French braided her hair, then grabbed a towel from the bathroom to take. It had been a long time since she’d done anything like this, and she found she was looking forward to it, even if Aiden was going to be there.