Chapter 10
The weather was perfect. Although the midday sun shone brightly above, a light breeze prevented the would-be volleyball stars from melting into the court’s pavement. Mark couldn’t remember when he’d last enjoyed an outing as much as this one, and he couldn’t help but believe it had a lot to do with the company.
He glanced sideways at Jason, who stood beside him and whose determination to be part of the team, despite the fact that he was only half as tall as his counterparts, was reflected in his stance. He’s quite a kid, Mark thought, especially considering all he’s been through in such a short time on this earth. That says a lot for Kate….
Before he could let his mind wander to the young woman who had so captivated his heart and mind since first meeting her at The Book Worm, he was jolted back to the present by a volleyball bouncing off his head. That would teach him to daydream, he thought, as he joined Jason and the others in a good-natured laugh at himself.
“Focus,” Jason pronounced, grinning at him as he returned the exact instructions Mark had given the boy when they first started playing. “That’s the name of the game.”
Mark shook his head. “You’re just a wealth of good advice, aren’t you?”
Jason laughed again and turned back to the game.
Another fifteen minutes and the game broke up, as players made their way back to their already claimed spots in the shade. Some meandered, but Jason ran full-speed ahead, as if he hadn’t just burned several thousand calories in a rousing volleyball tournament. Mark had to restrain himself from joining him in the run back to their destination of a large blanket spread under the shade of a soughing juniper tree. But it wasn’t the shade, or even the cold drinks that most beckoned Mark; it was Kate, who sat under the tree, watching them as they approached and smiling her welcome. Whether or not that welcome included him or was reserved for Jason, Mark had no way of knowing—but he could hope.
Forcing himself to maintain a respectable pace as he followed Mark to their spot, he watched as the breeze stirred Kate’s short blonde curls. He scarcely heard the lively chatter of several clusters of nearby people, punctuated by sporadic laughter and gleeful squeals of children at play. He was now nearly as focused as Jason had been while they were playing volleyball.
This could be dangerous, he warned himself. You don’t even know yet if she’s a believer or not. And if she is, it’s obvious she’s not a deeply committed one. What are you doing letting yourself get involved with someone like that? Sure, she’s nice and beautiful and smart and…well, a lot of things. But if she’s not a Christian, then a long-term relationship is not an option.
Mark knew all those things in his mind, and he didn’t doubt or question them one bit. But his heart was putting up quite a fight. And besides, he wanted so desperately to believe she really was a Christian.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, stopping a few feet from the blanket and trying not to stare at Kate, who appeared to be completely engrossed in watching Jason gulp a frosty bottle of orange juice with the same level of enthusiasm he exhibited in nearly everything else he did. Mark couldn’t help but think Kate was a little too focused on watching Jason, and he hoped it was because what she really wanted to do was lift her eyes and stare into his.
With scarcely a glance in Mark’s direction, however, Kate answered, “Yes, surprisingly so. And I have to admit, the people in your church have made me feel very welcome, and I appreciate that. Of course, I recognize several of them from around town—some are even customers at the bank—but none that I know really well.”
She laughed as Jason polished off his juice and reached for another. “Hold on there, Sport,” she ordered. “Take a breather. I know it’s warm and you’re thirsty, but slow down just a bit, okay?”
Jason grinned sheepishly. His face was flushed, and his dark hair was plastered to his head. “Okay,” he agreed. “It’s just that I’m having so much fun. I sure wish Mikey could’ve come.”
Mark smiled. “I wish he could have too, but maybe next time.”
Jason’s grin widened. “Next time? Cool! When will that be?”
They all laughed then, and Mark said, “Anytime you want it to be, Jason. In fact, I haven’t been here long enough to learn all the good picnic and fishing spots, so next time I’ll just let you pick out where you want to go, and you can show me around. How’s that?”
Jason let out a whoop and high-fived Mark, then took off in the direction of a half-dozen other kids who appeared to be getting some sort of game going. Mark noticed that Kate didn’t even try to stop him, undoubtedly because she knew it wouldn’t do any good anyway. He was gone before either Mark or Kate could say another word.
At last Kate was forced to look up at him, and Mark was grateful. He smiled. “So, can I join you? Jason isn’t the only one around here who’s thirsty, you know.”
Kate flushed slightly, but she laughed as she opened the cooler and pulled out a bottle of juice. “Apple okay?” she asked.
Mark took the bottle from her outstretched hand, lingering briefly as their fingers touched. “My favorite,” he said.
Kate laughed again. “Why do I think you’d say grape was your favorite if that’s what I’d pulled out of the cooler?”
Mark flopped down on the blanket beside her, careful to leave enough room so they weren’t touching but not so much that they couldn’t if they wanted to—which he hoped she did. “You’re absolutely right,” he admitted.
Suddenly the silence seemed to widen the distance between them. “So,” Kate said, the lightness in her voice obviously forced, “I understand that your team ‘slaughtered’ the opposition. Is that true?”
Mark laughed. “Well, if you call fifteen to thirteen a slaughter, then I suppose so. But we really did have a good time. Jason’s a great kid.”
Kate nodded, her voice wistful. “Yes, he is. And he’s all I’ve got in this world.”
Mark studied her profile. He couldn’t imagine how it could be any more perfect, but underneath her delicate beauty was a sadness that he knew only Jesus could heal. His heart squeezed with the pain of that knowing, and he breathed a silent prayer on her behalf.
Clearing his throat, he asked, “Is Jason always like that? So enthusiastic, I mean?”
Kate smiled and turned toward him, the light in her eyes making Mark feel weak. “Yes,” she said, “for the most part. He loves life and goes after it wholeheartedly. He’s truly a godsend to me. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
A godsend. Mark wanted to pursue that thought, but sensed that the time wasn’t right. “My mom claims I was like that when I was a kid,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine. Seems so long ago sometimes.”
Kate nodded. “Yes,” she answered, the wistful note back once again. “Like another lifetime.”
Without thinking, Mark reached over and gently laid his hand on hers, then held his breath when he realized what he’d done. Thankfully, Kate didn’t move. Neither of them spoke until Mark finally felt the need to break the silence. “Are you feeling better, now that the break-in is behind you?” he asked, careful to keep his voice low and his hand steady as it covered hers. “You don’t worry about them coming back, do you?”
“No,” she answered, then gently withdrew her hand. “Not really, anyway. Lyle—my lawyer—seems to agree with the police that it was just someone looking for money or drugs. Whatever it was, they obviously didn’t find it, so it wouldn’t make sense that they would come back.”
And then Jason was back, hurling himself through the air and onto the blanket. “Water,” he cried, clutching his throat. “I need water! I’m dying of thirst!”
Kate laughed and retrieved a cold bottle from the cooler, then handed it to him. Jason snatched it from her and twisted off the lid, tilting the bottle to his lips and gulping the refreshing liquid greedily. “I’m saved,” he sighed, lowering the bottle and rolling his eyes for effect.
Kate laughed again and tousled his hair
. “Dying, huh? You wouldn’t be exaggerating, would you?”
Jason grinned. “Well, maybe a little.” He turned his attention to Mark. “Hey, you want to play baseball?” He pointed off in the distance. “I think they’re starting a game over there.”
“Are you kidding?” Mark laughed. “I’m beat. Don’t you ever get tired?”
“Nope,” Jason said, still grinning. “Not for long, anyway.”
“That’s because you’re a kid,” Mark said. “I’m old, remember? Why don’t you go on over and see what positions are left. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” Jason agreed, polishing off the last of his water and jumping up from the blanket. “Here, Mom,” he said, handing the empty bottle to Kate, then turning and dashing off in the direction of the game.
Once again they sat in silence, watching Jason join the others on the baseball diamond. “I suppose I should join him,” Mark ventured, then hesitated. “But first, there’s something…well, something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” He felt himself flush and hoped she’d attribute it to the heat, though he doubted she would. He took a deep breath and tried again. “Actually, what I meant was, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you…. My parents are coming out for a visit next weekend—you know, for the Fourth of July and all—and we...we’re having a barbecue at my place, and, well...I was wondering if... Would you and Jason come? I’d really like for you to meet my family. And I think you’d both enjoy it. I know Jason would. We’re going to have hot dogs and hamburgers and—”
“I don’t know,” Kate interrupted him. “I appreciate the invitation, but I’ll have to think about it. We may want to go back up to the lake or...something.” She shrugged, as their eyes met once more and Mark wondered what was really on her mind.
“I’m sorry I can’t be more definite,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “It’s just that...I’m not sure yet, Mark. In fact, it seems as if I’m just not sure of anything these days.”
He desperately wanted to reach out to her again, to take her hand in his and offer whatever help he could give, but before he could work up the courage to do so, Jason came roaring back into their midst.
“Mark, they aren’t going to play baseball after all,” he announced, his red face and dark eyes shining with obvious excitement. “They’re going to have a father-son three-legged race. How cool is that? Come on, Mark, let’s go! We can win; I know we can!”
Mark opened his mouth to protest the obvious, noticing that Kate did the same, but before either of them could say a word, Jason had grabbed Mark’s hand and was pulling as hard as he could.
“Come on,” he insisted. “We have to hurry or we won’t get to race.”
Mark turned to Kate, wondering how she would feel about his entering a father-son race with her son, but she simply raised her eyebrows and shrugged, obviously leaving the decision to him.
Mark smiled and turned back to Jason. “Okay,” he said, rising to his feet in such a way that it appeared Jason was actually pulling him. “I guess if we’re going to win this thing, we’d better get going.”
Jason let out yet another whoop and took off at a gallop, with Mark loping along behind. They made it just as the race was about to begin. As Mark placed his inside leg next to Jason’s and tied them together, he glanced back at the juniper tree that shaded Kate. He couldn’t see the expression on her face, but it was obvious she was watching them, and suddenly Mark found himself nearly as determined as Jason to win this race.