Chapter 1 #2
Ten minutes later, she threw up her hands in surrender. Who was she kidding? If she juggled one she’d end up juggling twelve. She’d do it herself. That way, no one would be inconvenienced—except her.
Others first, right? That was what her dad always said, and she did her best to live by it.
Decision made, she closed the nursery schedule and opened the grocery/volunteer list for the women’s lunch at church. She planned to shop for the monthly event tomorrow.
Monica gave the list a thorough review. This was her third time to oversee the project, and she was determined that it would go better than last month when she’d forgotten to buy the French bread for the garlic toast. She rubbed her temples. What a mess.
Seeing the list reminded her that she still needed five people to sign up to bring desserts for Sunday’s meal. She retrieved her phone and typed up a quick group text, thankful that she only had to organize the event, not cook for it.
Organizing was what she did best. Daddy had always appreciated that about her.
He’d never loved her more than when she was putting the needs of others ahead of herself.
He’d been gone for five years, and she was still trying to make him proud.
It wasn’t only her work and church responsibilities that kept her attention occupied.
The holidays were always full of volunteer events that drew her in.
When it came to serving others, she couldn’t help herself.
This year she was involved with two toy drives along with being on the planning committee for Garfield’s Christmas parade.
Well, she’d been on the planning committee until she’d forgotten to find a Santa.
The committee had politely assigned that job to someone with fewer irons in the fire.
Her ringtone sounded again. Monica glanced at the screen, then gasped.
Hailey Osborn, events coordinator for Matthew Wright. Excitement revved her insides like an OU Sooners fan at the fifty-yard line. Hailey was a friend of Monica’s, and they spoke often, but this might be the call she’d been waiting on for a couple of weeks.
She connected the call. “Hey, Hailey. Please tell me he said yes.”
“Well, hello to you too.” There was barely concealed laughter in Hailey’s voice.
Monica’s groan was wholly internal. She’d met Hailey a few years ago when the older woman had spoken to one of Monica’s college classes. Something had clicked between the two women, and they’d been friends ever since.
“Sorry.” Monica sat back in her chair, ready for a cozy chat. “I’m peachy. How are things in the great state of Arizona?”
“Dry and hot,” Hailey responded. “The weatherman, bless his vile heart, is calling for more of the same. I’m leaving for a week’s vacation bright and early in the morning. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be dipping my toes in the warm, turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean.”
“That sounds amazing. Please don’t take this the wrong way but I think I hate you.”
“Come with me! I’ll bet you could do with a few days by the water.”
“Don’t tempt me. I was just thinking about all I have to do in the next few weeks. But I hope you have a good time. Did you call to torment me?”
“As a matter of fact, no. I didn’t want to leave you hanging while I was gone. I’ve got good news and maybe better news.”
Monica’s breath caught. Not just a social call then, but the answer she’d been waiting for. “Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“We have an offer for you. Matthew would love to speak to the Veterans at your January event. He’s agreed to work with you for half the fee he normally gets for a one-day event. Five thousand dollars.”
Five thousand dollars?
As Operations and Activities Director for the Chad Wheeler Veterans Center, this was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up, but the fee was still steep.
Kate and Nicolas Black, the center’s owners, had already signed off on her plans.
They’d given her a sizable personal check to apply to the speaker’s fee.
Even with their check and the center’s activity fund, she was still three thousand dollars short.
She opened up another spreadsheet. She’d been brainstorming fund-raising ideas for weeks, preparing in the hopes that Hailey would have good news for her. “That’s a very generous offer. When do you need final approval?”
“Give me a second, let me check his calendar.”
Monica heard a keyboard clicking before Hailey came back on the line.
“Your event is scheduled for the second weekend in January. He’d need confirmation by January fifth.
And even that’s a concession for you guys because he appreciates the challenges of running a small organization.
Matthew wanted you to know that he’ll understand if you can’t come up with the funds.
If you need to cancel at that late date, no harm, no foul.
He’ll have a much-needed weekend home with his family. ”
“Thank you so much. I’m not going to lie. I’ll have to juggle some funding, but I’m sure it won’t be an issue in the end. I promise you’ll hear from me way before the first of the year.”
“Perfect, I’ll pass along the information.”
When Hailey didn’t add anything else, Monica said, “You mentioned better news. I’m dying of curiosity.”
“I’ve decided to retire.”
“Wow. Congratulations. What will Matthew do without you?”
“That’s the other reason for my call. I’ve still got a year and a half to work, and I’m looking for someone to mentor to take the position. You were the first person I thought of.”
The phone almost slipped out of Monica’s hand.
Matthew Wright was a minister, a best-selling author, an internationally sought-after speaker, and an advocate for veterans’ rights. To work for him would be...beyond Monica’s wildest dreams. “That’s... Wow. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Think about it while I’m gone. Matthew, of course, will have the final say, but he’s agreed to authorize a mentorship, starting this spring. I know we’d work well together.”
“You’ve...you’ve taken me by complete surprise,” Monica stammered. “Of course I’m interested. What do you need from me and when?”
“Are you still involved in a hundred different projects?”
“You know me.”
“I’m gonna need you to brush off your resume and update it. I know you’re doing great work at the center. Matthew will see that for himself when he comes for your event. I’ll also need you to include details about all the work you’re doing for your church and the community.”
Monica chewed her lip, suddenly feeling very inadequate. “I can do that, but it’s mostly little stuff. I can’t imagine it having any impact on this opportunity.”
“Everything you do is a building block that shows your competence,” Hailey said. “This is a high-profile ministry. We need to see that you can juggle the day-to-day.”
Juggling tasks? Monica had become a pro at that. “I’ll get everything together and forward it to you as soon as I can. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, and don’t let me down. This event with Matthew needs to go off without a hitch.”
“It will. You have my word.”
“That’s good enough for me. I’ll talk to you when I get back.”
Monica swiped the call closed and bowed her head over her desk. She’d barely had words for Hailey, and now she was struggling to put her thoughts into her prayer.
“Father, thank You for this opportunity—for the center and for me. You know I want Your will in my life.” Her sigh was tremulous. “Please let this be Your will.”
***
SEAN HAULED THE DISCARDED Christmas tree out to the small storage area in the duplex’s single-car garage. He hadn’t taken much care with the repackaging, and the duct tape holding the beat-up box together strained at the seams. Not that it mattered. It was dumpster-bound in the morning.
Back in the living room, he stared at the half dozen boxes of decorations. He’d take more care with these because the eclectic collection of ornaments, each different and lovingly wrapped in old newspaper, had been Brittany’s pride and joy. They’d adorn his next tree, wherever that was.
Melancholy drove Sean to pluck out the nearest bundle. He peeled the paper back and stared at the plastic figure of a man and a woman running together, arms linked, faces wearing identical smiles. He closed his eyes as memories flooded his head.
The spring Ten-K. They’d trained for months to run that race.
Sean had started running in college. Brittany had been a newbie, but she was never one to back down from a challenge.
Sean finished the race fifth to Brittany’s four-hundred-seventy-third, but it hadn’t mattered.
They’d done it together. When she’d seen this ornament while walking through one of the vendors’ tents, she’d claimed it as her own.
He slumped back against the couch cushions, the ornament cradled in his hands, Brittany’s voice in his ears.
“Can we do it again next year?”
“I thought you’d had your fill of pre-dawn practice runs.”
“There were mornings when I wanted to stuff that alarm clock down your throat, but once I was up, it was OK for the most part. I bet you could win it for me next year.”
“Win it for you?”
“Well, yeah.” Her expression turned mischievous. “I’d find that very sexy.”
“Oh, yeah. Nothing sexier than your sweaty husband huffing for breath?”
“Why would I lie?”
Sean swallowed and clutched the plastic runners in a tight fist as his wife’s words replayed. “Why would I lie?”
Was an untold truth a lie? He had no answer now, just like he’d had no answer then.
From the cushion next to him, his phone rang again. He fumbled for it without looking and swiped the call open. “Yeah.”
“Hey, bro. I talked to Mom.”
Sean flinched at his twin’s chipper voice. If there was anything he didn’t need right now, it was the favored, blessed son offering him pity. Luckily, he didn’t need to say anything, since Benjamin continued.
“She says you’re coming home, and it gave me a wild idea.”
Some of Benjamin’s wild ideas had been the source of Sean’s greatest embarrassments.
Being hauled into the principal’s office after taking his brother’s math final still stung a decade later.
The memory of his dad’s disappointed, “I expected better from you,” still had the power to shrivel Sean’s insides.
“Sean, are you there?”
“Yeah, I was just...” What? Crying over his dead wife? About to ask God why for the four millionth time?
Not going there with Mr. Perfect.
He yawned into the phone. “I guess I fell asleep on the couch. What were you saying about an idea?”
“Dude, it’s barely nine p.m. What happened to Mr. Night Owl?”
“Parenthood.” Sean thought about reminding him of the time difference between Ohio and Oklahoma, but it hadn’t done any good the last hundred times. His brother wasn’t selfish, just spontaneous. “So, what’s your idea?”
“You keeping up with your running?”
The non sequitur had Sean rolling his eyes. His morning runs with his early-bird son bundled into the stroller were the best part of his day. The fresh air and stretching made breakfast that much sweeter.
“Yeah. Why?”
“There’s a marathon coming up in Oklahoma City this spring. Garfield has a group of runners training for it. I joined, and I could sign you up if you’re interested. A one-two finish by the Conklin brothers would be a story for the books. I promise not to beat you by much. You up for it?”
Sean’s gaze was pulled back to the ornament in his hand. It was just like Benjamin to think he’d come out ahead, but...
Win it for me?
Circumstances had prevented their participation in that second Ohio run, but without even realizing the motivation Sean would train with, Benjamin was offering Sean a chance at redemption.
He hoped they did cross the finish line first and second, but it wouldn’t be Sean lagging behind.
He closed his eyes and pulled Brittany’s face into his consciousness.
Her green eyes were bright with glee, and her soft lips formed four mischievous words.
Win it for me.
Sean grinned at the image before turning his attention back to his conversation. “Sign me up.”