“If I’m in the hospital again before you’re released, I’ll stop in to see how you’re doing.” Vicky picked up her purse and jacket.

The warmth of Chad’s smile brought a ray of light to a portion of Vicky’s heart that had been dark for a long time. How strange that she was here to help him, and he had encouraged her.

As Vicky walked down the hallway, she gradually lost the upbeat attitude she’d shown Chad. She had overheard a discussion in the hospital lounge not intended for her ears. She knew that Chad Reece was in for a sad awakening. When that happened, someone would have to be around to pick up the pieces, and maybe, just maybe, she would be that someone.

IRENE BRAND

Writing has been a lifelong interest of this author, who says that she started her first novel when she was eleven years old and hasn’t finished it yet. However, since 1984, she’s published more than thirty contemporary and historical novels and three nonfiction titles. She started writing professionally in 1977 after she completed her master’s degree in history at Marshall University. Irene taught in secondary public schools for twenty-three years, but retired in 1989 to devote herself to writing.

Consistent involvement in the activities of her local church has been a source of inspiration for Irene’s work. Traveling with her husband, Rod, to all fifty states and to thirty-two foreign countries has also inspired her writing. Irene is grateful to the many readers who have written to say that her inspiring stories and compelling portrayals of characters with strong faith have made a positive impression on their lives. You can write to her at P.O. Box 2770, Southside, WV 25187, or visit her Web site at www.irenebrand.com.

A Husband for All Seasons
Irene Brand

MILLS & BOON

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Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me.”

—Isaiah 6:8

Special thanks to my relatives, Julia Pasquale, M.D. (specialty in emergency medicine) and Alice Giles, M.S. in nursing, for sharing their knowledge and experience about lacerations to the renal artery and subsequent kidney transplants.

Also my thanks to my friend Tony Leport, who steered me in the right direction for information regarding professional football players.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

“Help! Help!”

Chad Reece struggled to open his eyes, wondering why he couldn’t move. Was he lying on the gym floor with a heavy weight on his chest?

“Help!” a weak voice called again.

Chad was always the first to help when any of his teammates were injured. Responding to the distress call, he tried to sit up. Gentle hands on his shoulders pushed him backward.

“Don’t try to move,” a kind voice cautioned sternly. “You’ll pull out your IVs if you don’t settle down. I’m supposed to keep you quiet, so cooperate, please.”

Chad opened his eyelids slightly, and even that was an effort. He wasn’t lying on the floor. He wasn’t in his apartment. He wasn’t in his parents’ home, so where was he? Who was this woman hovering over him—a woman, with a soft voice, who smoothed his pillow and wiped his face with a warm, moist cloth?

“Where am I?”

“You’re in OSU Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.”

In the hospital? He never got sick—not since the ear infections he’d had as a toddler.

“Are you real? Or am I dreaming?”

“It isn’t a dream, Mr. Reece. You were recently airlifted to the medical center from a small hospital in eastern Ohio. I don’t know all the details, but it seems you had an injury that hospital couldn’t handle. Don’t worry—you’re doing great. You’ve been calling for help, and I’m here if you need me. Go back to sleep.”

Chad closed his eyes, but he didn’t want to sleep. Airlifted to this hospital! The last he remembered, it was the first weekend in September, and he had been in Pittsburgh heading for the goalpost during the first football game of the season. He recalled the shouting of the spectators and the victory celebration of the cheerleaders—sounds that had been music to his ears since he had started playing football as a teenager.

When he had vaulted to safety with the ball, he must have grazed the goalpost, for it toppled and knocked him down. He had felt a sharp pain in his back, but that discomfort had faded into the background as they celebrated. He had scored for his team and started his third NFL season with a winning touchdown. Why worry about a pain in his back?

Eluding his many fans, at the end of the game, Chad got into his car, needing some solitude to unwind from the tension he’d been under for several days. After the emotional high of a game, nothing settled Chad more than driving alone through the rural area of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. He didn’t want to talk. He turned his cell phone off so he could concentrate on driving.

But a few hours of driving brought excruciating pain in his side and back. Although he was bent double with pain, he drove slowly to a hospital in the next town. He must have blacked out before he saw a doctor, for he didn’t remember what happened after that.

Chad opened his eyes again. “And who are you?” he asked the aide, hardly recognizing his own voice, which sounded faraway.

“I’m Vicky Lanham, a hospital volunteer, and I’m sitting with you through the night. Your parents will be back tomorrow morning.”

Parents? His parents were in Alabama. Although they had rarely missed any of his high school and college games, they had stopped following him when he turned pro. They had watched his last game on television. He must be having a nightmare.

He tried to sit up, but he couldn’t move.

When Chad woke up again, he was more alert and aware of his surroundings. He was in a hospital, but the young woman had gone, and his parents stood beside his bed. Tears glistened on his mother’s wrinkled, wistful face.

Trying to smile, he said, “Aw…it can’t be that bad, Mom. What happened to me?”

She shook her head, unable to speak, and Chad turned questioning eyes toward his father.

“You had an accident at the football game. Don’t you remember?”

“I remember Tommy and me bumping into each other and toppling the goalpost.”

His father smiled wanly. “Yes, it was an outstanding victory at the last minute, thanks to you. But I wonder if the cost was worth it. You had to have surgery.”

“Surgery? How long have I been in the hospital?”

“Five days. The doctor is coming soon to talk to us about your surgery and when you can be discharged.”

Chad asked no more questions. He’d already learned more than he wanted to know. Besides his head hurt and he felt shaky inside, as if he had been sick for weeks instead of five days. He had never stayed overnight in the hospital, and he had been here almost a week! He was adopted, and although he didn’t know anything about his birth parents, his pediatrician had always told him that he must have inherited good genes. And now he was in the hospital.

Chad closed his eyes, trying to sort out what his father had told him. If this had to happen, why couldn’t it have been the last game of the season instead of the first? What if this surgery meant he couldn’t play the rest of the season? He wished he could go back to sleep with the assurance that all he’d heard was a dream.

The surgeon came in a short time later, shook hands with Chad’s parents and spoke cheerily to Chad. He was a slender, white-haired man with a gray mustache. An RN followed him carrying an electronic machine to record his condition. The surgeon checked all of the tubes and wires attached to Chad’s body, and in a crisp voice, rattled off a lot of numbers and terms that didn’t mean anything to Chad. The nurse logged the information into the machine she held since all the hospital’s records were electronic.

Turning to Stewart Reece, the surgeon asked, “What have you told him?”

“Very little,” Reece said.

“That’s just as well, I suppose.”

Chad became aware that his mother was crying softly, and he knew the prognosis must be serious. He steeled himself for bad news. Had he broken his hip when he had fallen? If so, he could kiss his professional football games goodbye for this season. Or a worse possibility—maybe forever.

Chad wondered at the compassionate expression in the surgeon’s eyes as he turned toward him.

“Chad, your parents wanted to be here when I discussed your injury with you.”

Mr. Reece moved to Chad’s side and laid a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder. Chad looked up at his father’s face noting the signs of fatigue lingering in his eyes. Again it hit Chad just how old his parents were.

It couldn’t have been easy for his parents to adopt a baby when they were nearing middle age. To Chad they’d often seemed more like his grandparents when compared to his friends’ parents. Both of small stature, with fair complexions and blue eyes, it was obvious that the Reeces couldn’t have borne a son as tall and muscular as Chad with his dark eyes and features. But there had never been a day when Chad hadn’t loved them for giving him a home.

“We’ve kept you sedated for the past several days,” the surgeon continued, “so you probably don’t remember anything that happened. There isn’t an easy way to tell you. You suffered a serious injury in that last ball game, but it must not have been apparent at first. You had taken a drive and stopped at a small hospital in Ohio. After a brief exam, it was obvious you needed more care than that hospital could provide. You were airlifted to OSU Medical Center because our surgical team is one of the best in the country for your type of injury.”

He hesitated, and Chad, weary of the suspense, said crossly, “Well, what is it? What happened to me?”

“We’re not certain if the goalpost fell on your side, or if your buddy’s fall onto you caused your injury. Somehow you suffered a transverse process fracture of the thoracic spine and lacerated your renal artery.”

“Say it in plain English, please?”

“Your kidney was crushed beyond repair.”

Chad cringed from the impact of the doctor’s words, but he had known when he started playing football that it was a dangerous sport. He swallowed with effort, trying to ignore the panic the doctor’s words had generated. “Can’t people live with only one kidney?”

“That’s true,” the surgeon agreed. “But that was the only kidney you had.”

Chad turned a bewildered, frightened look on the doctor before his eyes darted toward his mother. So that’s why she was crying! “I find that hard to believe,” Chad said. “How could I have lived this long without two kidneys? It just isn’t possible!”

“It is possible, but not common.” the surgeon continued. “Some people are born with only one kidney and live perfectly normal lives. If you’ve never been to a hospital, there’d be no reason prior to this that your condition would have been found.”

“I still can’t believe it!” Chad argued, knowing that he didn’t want to believe it.

The surgeon regarded him with gentle, compassionate eyes. “Chad, I’ve been a surgeon for more then twenty years. I’ve had at least ten patients, maybe more, who had only one kidney but didn’t know it until something else happened to them and the abnormality was discovered when they were being tested for a different problem.”

Chad closed his eyes, trying to take in this information.

“Also, I’ve removed countless diseased kidneys and my patients have lived out a normal life with only one kidney.”

“Son, we had no idea about this,” his father said. “Your health has always been good, and the problem didn’t show up in the tests you took to qualify for football. I’m sorry we didn’t learn about it sooner.”

“You’re not to blame.” Looking at the doctor, Chad asked, “Does this mean I’m going to die if I don’t have a kidney transplant?”

There was no fear in Chad’s voice, and he tried to calm his racing pulse. Dying wasn’t in his immediate plans for the future, but he had been a Christian since he was a boy, so he wasn’t afraid to die.

“A donor was found rather quickly,” the surgeon said. “We replaced your kidney yesterday, and you’re doing great. Unless there are complications, which I don’t expect, you can be released next week. You need rest more than anything else right now. The nurse has put a sedative in your IV, which will make you sleep.”

He did feel sleepy, and Chad didn’t protest when his parents said they would stay with him. His rest was troubled, and he felt as if he was weaving in and out of a fog. He had always believed that God held him in the hollow of His hand. If so, why had He allowed this accident to happen?

He had been playing football since he was in middle school without any serious injuries. Why couldn’t he have found out when he was a teenager that he wasn’t normal? He’d always been so proud of his body, and all the time, he was an accident waiting to happen. Why did it have to happen now when his future was wrapped up in pro football?

Chad’s hands moved restlessly and something tugged at the back of his mind and worried him. He finally woke up at the insistence of the woman he had seen the night before.

“What’s your name?” he asked. “I forgot.”

“Try to remember,” she said. “You need to start remembering things.”

“Are you a nurse?” he asked.

“No. I do volunteer work at the hospital, and sometimes I’m asked to sit with patients who shouldn’t be left alone. I call a nurse if there’s an emergency. Your parents stayed here with you until you were past the critical stage. Now that you’re out of intensive care, they went to spend the night at a hotel to rest. I was asked to sit with you through the night.”

He peered intently at her face, trying to remember her name. “Is it Vicky?”

She gave him a thumbs-up, a smile lighting her face. “Sure is. Vicky Lanham. Is there anything I can get for you?”

“I’m thirsty.”

She poured a fresh glass of water, inserted a straw and bent it. She put her hand behind his neck and lifted until his lips touched the straw. The water soothed his parched throat and the touch of her cool hand on his warm skin was comforting.

She lowered his head to the pillow and picked up her purse and jacket.

“I have to go to work this afternoon, so I need to leave now.”

“Are you coming back tonight?”

“You’re getting along very well. You won’t need any supervision that the nursing staff can’t give you.”

Chad closed his eyes, but opened them again quickly. The medication was making him sleepy, and he didn’t want Vicky to leave before he thanked her. Blinking he said, “Thanks for helping Mom and Dad. I know they’ve been upset by all of this. The pain medicine they’re giving me keeps me asleep so much of the time that I haven’t really had much time to think about what a narrow escape I had. It seems like the doctors found a donor very quickly, but I’ve been so out of it when they were here that I haven’t asked my parents if they know who it was.”

“If I’m in the hospital again before you’re released, I’ll stop in to see how you’re doing.”

The warmth of his smile brought a ray of light to a portion of Vicky’s heart that had been dark for a long time. How strange that she was here to help him and he had encouraged her.

As Vicky walked down the hallway, she lost the upbeat attitude she had displayed to Chad. Since his admittance to the hospital, scores of media representatives had been camped near the hospital waiting for the latest news about the football star. The surgeons had given daily reports of his condition and details of the serious injury were widespread. Seemed as if everyone in the nation, except Chad, knew what had happened to him.

Vicky had overheard a discussion in the hospital lounge not intended for her ears. She knew that Chad Reece was in for a sad awakening. When that happened someone would have to be around to pick up the pieces, and maybe, just maybe, she would be that someone. Up to this point, Vicky had drifted through life, but if she could help this man accept the disappointment he faced, it might provide a catalyst to deal with her own shattered dreams.

Chad woke from another nap when his parents entered the room, accompanied by his friend Lorene Saunders, carrying Amy, her two-year-old daughter. Chad stared when an orderly followed, pushing Perry Saunders in a wheelchair. Chad was speechless. In a few seconds he recalled his first meeting with Perry and Lorene several years ago.

He had met them before they were married, when he was a senior in college. That was the summer he had worked as a chauffeur and bodyguard for Jon Preston, his good friend and rising country music sensation. Chad had accompanied Jon to his gig in Woodston, Kentucky, where Perry was a professor at the local college. Lorene’s public relations agency had been contacted to promote Woodston’s bicentennial celebration. When she came to Kentucky to oversee the promotion, she and Perry were reunited for the first time in twenty years. Although they were twice his age, he had liked them at once, and they all became good friends. He was pleased when his parents also developed a liking for Perry and Lorene. The Saunders’s later moved to Southern California, where Amy was born. After that, Chad saw them infrequently, although they talked often by phone.

“Regular old home week,” he said. “Hi, Lorene. You’re as beautiful as ever.”

Lorene bit her curved lips as if she was trying to control tears that threatened to overflow. Her long black eyelashes splayed over her face, and she didn’t return Chad’s greeting.

Dark circles bordered her blue eyes and it seemed that Lorene had aged since he had last seen her six months ago. But Amy’s bright black eyes sparkled at Chad, and he believed the girl remembered him. He tried to lift his left hand to Amy’s outstretched one, but his hand seemed as heavy as lead. He let it drop back on the sheet.

Chad’s eyes scanned the four adults in the room. Did he imagine it or was there a guilty expression on their faces?

Attempting to believe that he was imagining things, Chad said, “It’s good of you to come to visit me. But why are you in a wheelchair, Perry?”

Perry Saunders was the most handsome man Chad had ever seen. Tall and slender, with a well-proportioned body, Perry had black onyx eyes and thick silvery-gray hair. His trim mustache added dignity to his high cheekbones and straight, prominent nose. But a gray pallor marked his face today and his hands were trembling. Next to his father, Chad admired Perry above all men.

“I’m all right, Chad. I’ll let your father explain.”

Chad glanced toward his parents, but they wouldn’t meet his eyes. Without analyzing his feelings, anger welled up in Chad’s chest.

“We’ve never hidden the fact that you were adopted,” his father stated, a tremor in his voice.

“No. That’s has never bothered me.” But even as he spoke, in light of what he now suspected, Chad wondered if the statement was really true.

“We’ve known who your biological parents were for several years. We didn’t tell you because you’ve always said you didn’t want to know. But if it hadn’t been for them, you might be dead now.”

Again Chad glanced around the room. His suspicions were true, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

“I still don’t want to know.”

“Why, Chad? It seems so unusual,” Lorene said. “Most people are curious about their family roots.”

“I don’t know exactly. I thought about it a lot when I was a boy, but as I grew older, it didn’t seem to matter. Maybe I didn’t want to admit that my birth parents didn’t want me,” he said, almost in a whisper.

Chad paused, and a chill seemed to have penetrated the room. The silence was deafening. Except for Amy, who was squirming in Lorene’s arms, no one moved. Almost it seemed that no one breathed. After a suffocating moment, Mr. Reece cleared his throat.

“You’d always said that you didn’t want to know, and frankly, we preferred it that way, too. I guess we wanted to feel that you were really ours. But when the surgeon said that your chances of recovery were low if you didn’t have a replacement kidney right away, we had to choose between your life and letting you find out your roots. Sometimes it takes years to find a donor with a matching organ. We didn’t want to lose you. We told your biological parents about your injury.”

Breathing deeply, as if he found it hard to reveal the past after concealing it for so long, Mr. Reece said quietly, “As soon as Perry and Lorene heard from us, they boarded a plane immediately, either of them willing to be a donor.”

Chad’s gaze sharpened and he studied each of the adults individually. His mother had covered her face with her hands. Lorene’s eyebrows had drawn together giving her face an agonized expression. Stewart Reece studied his son with curious intensity. A momentary look of pain crossed Perry’s face, and a wistful plea for forgiveness shone in his eyes.

Chad turned his head and closed his eyes. His heart beat erratically. Learning about his bad injury was a bitter pill to swallow. He had told his parents that he didn’t want to know anything about his origin, but surely after he met Perry and Lorene, he should have been told the truth. He felt betrayed, humiliated, and actually stupid that he hadn’t even suspected who his parents were.

When he opened his eyes, the Reeces had gone. Perry had wheeled his chair close to the bed and Lorene stood beside him. Under Lorene’s watchful eye, Amy was toddling around the room.

“We owe you an explanation, Chad,” Perry said.

He shook his head, and he couldn’t keep the tears from seeping under his eyelids. “I don’t want to hear it.”

He had idolized these two people. He didn’t want to hear a sordid story that would topple them from the pedestal where he’d placed them.

“If you don’t want to listen for yourself,” Lorene said, “at least, for our sakes, let us tell you what happened. We’ve waited years to ask for your forgiveness.”

“I don’t want to hear it. Just leave me alone!”

“We are not leaving, Chad,” Perry said in a voice that brooked no argument. “You need to hear the truth—after that, if you don’t want to see us again, we won’t bother you. But we’ve waited for years to explain what happened. You are going to listen.”

Motioning to all of the tubes and medical equipment that held him immobile, Chad said bitterly, “I’m a captive audience, so I have no choice except to listen. But I promise you, I’m not going to like it.”

Chapter Two

Dreading the upcoming exchange, Chad squeezed his eyelids tightly to stop further tears, hardening his heart against Lorene’s pleading voice.

“The first time Perry and I had seen each other for over twenty years was in Woodston, Kentucky, where we first met you. We were college sweethearts who’d been engaged. Only once did we let our emotions get out of hand—the night you were conceived.”

For the next half hour, Chad listened to the rich timbre of Perry’s voice as he explained how through a misunderstanding and the stubborn conniving of Lorene’s father, he never knew she was pregnant. Lorene thought that Perry had abandoned her and didn’t love her. Perry was angry because he thought Lorene didn’t want to marry him and had moved away without leaving a forwarding address. Because of these misconceptions, they didn’t try to contact each other. They had remained unmarried because memories of the true love they had shared prevented them from having relationships with anyone else.

Every word they said was searing Chad’s soul with the deepest agony he had ever known. His heart searched for an answer.

God, why didn’t You let me die without hearing these things? I’ve always been happy. I had a good life. I’d rather be dead than to know that the four people I’ve loved the most have betrayed me. Why, God, why?

Their words were destroying one of Chad’s fondest memories, and he wished they would stop talking and leave him with a few pleasant memories of their association.

“When you came to town with the Jon Preston group, we both suspected that you were our child for you looked exactly like Perry did at that age. Then we learned that you were adopted—and that your parents were the Reeces—and little doubt remained.

“Perry was determined to tell you that we were your parents, but I didn’t think it was fair to the Reeces. I’d given you to them, and we agreed to say nothing. But the Reeces knew my name. And when we all met at your last college game, they knew who we were. They volunteered to let us share your life, and we’ve been grateful for that.”

Through clenched teeth, Chad said, “Shouldn’t I have had a say in that? I was old enough to make my own decisions. Was it right to treat me like a child?” Even as the words left his mouth, Chad realized he was acting childish now.

He heard Lorene’s quick intake of breath, and he knew he had hurt her. Shattered by his own physical and emotional injuries, he had the desire to hurt someone else. If he lashed out at others, that might ease his own hurt.

But he didn’t think he could ever forgive either set of parents for deceiving him.

In all fairness he had to admit he had always told the Reeces that he didn’t want to know. So why did he suddenly feel as if the whole bottom had dropped out of his world?

He made no gesture to stop them as Lorene picked up Amy, and his biological family left the room.

Chad didn’t see Perry or Lorene the next day, nor did Vicky Lanham show up as he had hoped. His parents spent the day in the room with him, but fortunately he dozed a lot. Apparently aware of his mood, they didn’t force a conversation.

The surgeon came in late afternoon.

“You are doing great,” he said, “and so is Mr. Saunders. Your body is accepting the transplant remarkably well. There’s no reason you can’t live a perfectly normal life, if…” He paused and again Chad sensed deep compassion in the doctor’s voice and eyes.

“If?” Chad prompted. “If what…?”

“If you give up contact sports,” the doctor said bluntly.

“I’d rather die,” Chad said without hesitation. “Football has been my life since I was a kid.”

“I know,” the surgeon said. “I’ve seen you play. You play with your whole heart, and I can understand how you feel. I know what it would mean to be told I could never perform another operation. I’m only telling you the truth. You might play out the rest of your NFL contract and never have another accident, but I doubt very much if the management will let you do it. Even if they wanted to, it’s too great a risk, and probably no one would insure you.” He squeezed Chad’s hand. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

The surgeon shook hands with Stewart and Betty, wagged his head sadly and left the room.

“Please go away,” Chad said to his parents. “I don’t want to talk to anyone now.”

“I don’t think you should be alone, son,” Mr. Reece said. “Especially tonight. Let me stay with you.”

“I don’t want you to stay. I’m sorry, but I feel betrayed. If you had told me when I first met Perry and Lorene, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But to let me go on without telling me is more than I can forgive right now.”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Mr. Reece insisted.

“Then ask the girl who has been sitting with me to come stay. I just can’t be around the two of you right now.”

Chad hated himself for hurting these two people who loved him and had given him a happy childhood. But to gain another set of parents and to lose his lifetime dream in less than two days was more than he could bear. His parents. Who were his parents in a case like this? Would Lorene and Perry expect him to call them Mom and Dad now?

But his heritage was a minor problem when he considered a future without football. What would he do without football? He had more money now than his parents had made in their entire life. He had invested his income wisely. He wouldn’t have to work another day as long as he lived.

But what kind of future was that? He had always had something to do. He had started working when he was a boy—carrying newspapers and delivering groceries for the neighborhood store in Alabama where his father worked. In college, he couldn’t have a job and play football, too, but he had worked out regularly in the gym and studied to make good grades. Not to mention the long hours of practice. No, Chad Reece, or should it be Saunders now—had never been a loafer.

And he didn’t want to start now.

Vicky was surprised that she had been asked to sit with Chad again, and she dreaded seeing him. Chad had lots of fans on the staff of the hospital, and the word had spread like wildfire that his football days were over. How could she comfort him in the discouragement that must be eating at his spirit? She prayed she could help him, yet now that she was faced with the task, somehow it seemed so daunting.

She walked quietly into Chad’s room. A large arrangement of roses from his team’s managers and coaches dominated the nightstand, and the room smelled like a greenhouse. The light over the bed was off, but the hall light shed a dismal reflection around the room. There was enough light to see Chad lying with his hand over his forehead, half shielding his eyes. Tears trickled in tiny rivulets over his face. The injury had been sustained such a short time ago, and to look at his muscular body no one would suspect that he had had such a serious operation.

Vicky watched him for several minutes. Her face flushed when she realized she was spying and that Chad probably wouldn’t want her to see his tears. She backed out of the room, knocked and reentered. He hadn’t changed at all. Knowing he was awake, she went to the bed and touched the hand that lay across his brow.

He seemed to know instinctively who it was. Without opening his eyes, he said, “I’m not asleep. Thanks for helping out. I’m doing great, physically, but my parents insisted that I should have someone with me, and I didn’t want them. I’m out of sorts with them at the present.”

Vicky laughed lightly as she put down the tote she carried, took off her denim jacket and hung it over the back of the chair placed close to his bed.

“I understand that. I get out of sorts with my mom and dad sometimes, too.”

“If I could go to sleep and forget about it, I’d be happier, but I’ve slept a lot today. Besides my head is spinning with all of the things I’ve heard in the past few hours.”

She lifted his bed slightly and put a pillow behind his shoulders. She held a glass of water to his mouth and he took a few sips through the straw. She sat beside him.

“If you want to talk, I’ll be happy to listen. If you clear your mind you can probably go to sleep.”

With a slight grin, Chad said, “Well, you asked for it.” He hesitated, not knowing if he was willing to share his newfound knowledge with anyone. Still it would be easier for him to talk to a stranger—someone he probably wouldn’t see again.

“I’ve known as long as I can remember that I was an adopted kid, and I didn’t mind at all. That is, until today when I learned that I’ve known my biological parents for a few years—have been good friends with them—but didn’t suspect who they were.”

“And that bothers you?”

“Perhaps it shouldn’t, but I must have been naive not to have suspected it before. My biological father is my kidney donor. My adoptive parents contacted him as soon as they knew how serious my condition was. He and my ‘real’ mother came right away.”

“Why does that upset you?”

“I don’t know,” he said. Then sighed. “I suppose I’m mad at myself because I hadn’t suspected before. My mother said that she suspected I was her son immediately because I look like my father. And it’s true. I feel like I should have noticed my physical resemblance to Perry long ago. I was really rotten to both sets of parents, and that bothers me more than anything else. And I’m not normally…like that.”

“I’m sure they understand. You’ve had a shocking experience, not only physically, but emotionally as well. No one expects you to act like nothing has happened.”

Now that he’d started talking, he couldn’t seem to stop. “I’ve never doubted that it was God’s will for me to play football. Now I wonder how I got the wrong direction. My dad didn’t want me to play football, but when I was so determined to play, he didn’t discourage me. That’s one reason I love my parents so much—they always put my welfare before their own. They adopted me because they wanted a child. Up to now, they haven’t had any reason to regret it, but I feel like I let them down today.” He sighed again. “It’s not easy managing anger and guilt at the same time.”

“It will work out, Chad,” Vicky said, realizing that she had used his first name, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Maybe it was God’s will for you to play football for a while. He may have other plans for you now.”

“Do you really believe that? I mean, has that been true in your life?”

Vicky squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, thankful that the lights were dim in the room so Chad couldn’t see her expression. His problem and doubts had touched a sensitive place in her heart. At one time, she knew without any doubt God’s will for her life. But she had gotten sidetracked. She and Chad had more in common than he knew. Of course, her injury was an emotional one. She thought fleetingly that if she told him about her hang-ups it might give Chad a lift.

“I’ve had problems with my directions, too, but they’re not as fresh in my mind as yours are. You talk tonight and I’ll listen.”

Chad talked most of the night about his childhood. The early years in his parents’ home. The summer he had worked with the Jon Preston band and had met Lorene and Perry in a small Kentucky town. He had been drawn to them immediately, never dreaming they were his parents.

“After they moved to California, I didn’t see them often, but we kept in touch by telephone and e-mail. All of that time, my parents…” He paused and in the dim light, Vicky saw pain cross his face. “…didn’t give any indication of my heritage, nor did Perry or Lorene.”

“I have a feeling that none of your parents will expect you to change your relationship with them. I’m sure the Saunders won’t expect you to start calling them Mom and Dad. If they’ve kept the secret of your birth from you all of these years, they won’t expect any more from you than you’re willing to give.”

“They tried to talk to me, but I brushed them off.”

“That’s understandable. I know you’re not asking for advice, but why don’t you come to terms with your injury and the change in your future before you concern yourself with your family relationship?”

Chad seemed not to have heard for he continued, “I should be grateful that Perry donated the kidney and saved my life. But that’s hard to do when I wish I had died. I’m only twenty-five and my usefulness on earth is finished. Anything will certainly be better than what I’ll face in the next few years. I’ve heard of too many professional athletes who lost all sense of purpose and headed down the wrong road when they couldn’t keep playing.”

In an effort to steer his mind to more pleasant thoughts, Vicky said, “I’m sure you have some pleasant memories of the time you’ve spent with your biological parents.”

With a slight smile, he said, “The best thing is that I now have a little sister. Amy was about six months old when I first saw her, and it was a case of love at first site for both of us. Lorene says that she’s always been shy with men, but she came to me right away. Maybe she sensed we were related. She’s a cutie! I hope you can see her.”

He moved restlessly in bed. Vicky stood and straightened the sheets and gave him another drink of water.

“When are they going to take all of this hardware off of my arms so I can do something for myself?” he complained.

“It won’t be much longer,” Vicky said soothingly. She put another pillow under his shoulders and spread a blanket over the sheets.

“Is that more comfortable?”

“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry for being such a grouch.”

“You aren’t being grouchy. Do you think you can sleep now?”

“I’ll try. You won’t leave?”

“Not until my shift is over. I’ll wake you before I go.”

Vicky could easily understand why Chad preferred to have a stranger with him during this trauma rather than some member of his family.

As Chad slept, she unwillingly recalled the most embarrassing time in her life. What she had done hadn’t been so terrible—she’d only fallen in love with the wrong man. A man several years her senior, already engaged to someone else. Vicky remembered as if it had been yesterday, when she and her friend, Amelia Stone, had been sitting in a church service in flood-ravaged Williamson, West Virginia.

She had wanted to enter full-time Christian service, and her parents had always been strong supporters of the Red Cross. They had encouraged her to volunteer to help in the flood cleanup, suggesting the hands-on work with hurting people would give her insight into whether a humanitarian profession was the way for her to go.

The experience had not turned out as they had hoped. Vicky had developed a huge crush on Allen Chambers, the pastor of a local church, whose members loaned their church for the Red Cross headquarters. But when the minister had announced the name of his fiancée from the pulpit and introduced her to his congregation, Vicky was devastated because she had made no effort to conceal her love, or perhaps her infatuation, from Allen. She thought he returned her affection, but she soon realized that the minister had never suspected that she had a crush on him.

She and Amelia had left the church before the service was over so she wouldn’t have to face Allen again. She had avoided any contact with him during the days she remained in the area to help the Red Cross. But the incident had destroyed Vicky’s self-confidence. She cringed inwardly when she recalled that a subsequent incident had also destroyed her self-esteem.

Feeling rejected by the young minister, Vicky had returned home from the flood disaster, doubting that God had called her to serve Him by working in foreign countries as a missionary. She had disappointed her parents by leaving college after the first semester, even though they lived only a few blocks from Ohio State University.

She hadn’t expected them to support her. She moved into an apartment and started working in a bookstore at a minimum-wage salary. She was living from hand to mouth, doing very little worthwhile except volunteering at the hospital and participating in activities at her local church.

Although she had tried to kill her dream of serving others, Vicky’s mind often turned in that direction. That was one reason she had started volunteering at the hospital. God wouldn’t let her forget the vow she had made to Him in a church meeting when she was fifteen, dedicating her life to full-time Christian service.

Vicky took a Bible out of her tote bag and turned to the fifth chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes and considered the words of Solomon. As always when she read the passage she felt condemned because she hadn’t kept her vow.

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God… When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it… It is better not to make a vow and not fulfill it… And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.”

Had her vow been a mistake? Had she acted on her emotions rather than waiting until God spoke to her heart? But if God hadn’t called her, why couldn’t she forget that electrifying moment when she felt as if He had singled her out for some particular mission? Did God ever allow a person to forget His call? Or did He cause the person to be uncomfortable until she fulfilled His will in her life?

Because a purposeless future loomed before her, Vicky could empathize with Chad. Was she going to spend her whole life without any sense of direction? At the end of her life, would she have anything to show that she had really lived?

Suddenly, Vicky had a feeling similar to the one she had experienced when she thought she had been called to the mission field. Was God really dealing with her heart again? What else could it be? Chad groaned in his sleep, and she quickly put the Bible away and stepped to his side. She checked the equipment and everything seemed normal.

Vicky’s heartbeat accelerated and she wondered if God was sending her a message that He hadn’t cast her aside. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the enormity of the rehabilitation that Chad would need as he dealt with the loss of his profession. She could understand why he was angry over the unwanted revelation of his illegitimate birth. Could it possibly be that her mission in life would be to help Chad Reece take his place in a world that didn’t include football?

“Oh, no, God,” Vicky whispered, and she quickly surveyed the handsome youth before her. “I make too many mistakes when it comes to matters of the heart. Not only once, but twice, I’ve really messed up. I can’t bear to think that I’d risk my heart again.”

Could she be the friend that Chad needed in this stressful time without succumbing to his personal magnetism?

Although she didn’t necessarily believe that God spoke audibly to His followers in this current day, she knew that He did speak through His Word. She opened the Bible again to the book of Ecclesiastes, and as she read the familiar King James Version, she recalled a more modern version of another passage.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him get up!

God, she prayed, if I can be helpful in lifting Chad Reece from his depression, I’m available.

Chad was still sleeping when it was time for Vicky to leave, and she hesitated to disturb him, but she had promised. She touched his arm lightly, and he stirred.

“Chad,” she said, “I’m leaving now.”

His eyes opened reluctantly. “I didn’t think I’d go to sleep.”

“How do you feel?”

“Too soon to tell, but the pain seems better. My mind is still fuzzy. I hope they take me off some of this medication today—I’m not used to it. Will I see you tonight?”

She shook her head. “I have to work tonight, and you don’t need anyone.” She held up a piece of paper. “I’ve written down my cell phone number and the number at work. Please call me if you need me to help you. If I have reason to be in the hospital before you leave, I’ll stop by to see you.”

“Thanks for helping me,” he said.

Vicky walked down the hall thoughtfully, wondering if she would see Chad again. His home was in Alabama, and the Saunders’s lived in California. He would probably go to one of those places to recuperate. He had no ties with Ohio, so he probably wouldn’t return. But her recent experience in God’s presence caused her to believe that their paths would cross again.

His new kidney was operating as if it had always been in his body, and on the surgeon’s next visit, Chad was told to expect a full recovery. By noon, Chad had been set free from all of the machines, IVs and tubes that had kept him in bed. A nurse helped him into a wheelchair, and he ate his lunch sitting up. He was weak and still on pain medication, but he accepted the fact that he was going to get well. He should be overjoyed, but in his frame of mind, it really didn’t matter.

“You can be discharged in a few days,” the surgeon had told him. “Since Columbus isn’t your home, I can send your records to a competent hospital in whatever region you move to. I want you to return here in three or four months for a checkup, but your recovery and therapy can be done elsewhere.”

The Reeces came in while the surgeon was still in the room, and he reported directly to them. “You can take him home with you, by plane, in two weeks. I’ll check out an adequate hospital in your area where he can be treated as necessary.”

After the surgeon left, Mr. Reece said, “Lorene and Perry have suggested that you might want to go with them to California. It will be all right with us if you want to do that. They’re closer to a large hospital than we are.”

“How is Perry doing?”

“As well as you are,” his mother said. “You are fortunate that he was available and willing to be a donor. They plan to go home the first of next week.”

“Your agent is also in town,” Stewart said. “He tried to come into the hospital to see you, but the surgeon has banned all visitors except family, and the receptionists know that there are only five of us here. He wants you to call him as soon as possible.”

Chad had no desire to talk to Howard Crayton, his agent. He had always been outgoing, loved people and made friends wherever he went. At this point, the life of a hermit appealed to him. Perry was a quiet, more reserved person than Chad had ever been. Had he taken on more of his father’s personality than he knew? Or had the trauma of the injury and consequent transplant made him want to avoid people?

“When Howie calls again, tell him that I don’t want to talk to him now and that he should leave Columbus. When I’m ready, I’ll call him. As for going home with you, I don’t want to do that, either. And I won’t go to California. I have some difficult decisions to make and I want to be alone to make them. I intend to stay in Columbus until the surgeon releases me completely.”

Chad realized that he had spoken more bluntly than was his nature when Betty gasped. “This isn’t like you, son.”

Chad stretched out his hand and Mrs. Reece placed her trembling fingers in his grasp. “Nothing about this situation is like me. I don’t want to hurt you, Mom, but you’re used to having me gone. I believe it’s better for my health to stay here for a few months. I have to sort out my life now—I can manage better alone.”

He lifted his mother’s hand and kissed it.

“Are you still mad at us for not telling you?” she asked.

“No, not mad, just embarrassed because I was too naive to see the truth for myself.” Turning to his father, Chad said, “Go on home. You have your interests there. I’ll find an apartment close to the hospital and will be perfectly all right. I’m used to being on my own now.”

“What about your apartment in Pittsburgh? And your car is still in the hospital parking lot in Ohio.”

“My apartment is paid up for the year and my housekeeper checks on it occasionally when I’m away. My car is leased, so I’ll get in touch with the company and have them pick it up. If I stay here long, I’ll lease another car.” Still holding his mother’s hand, he said, “It will be all right. I’ll come out of this a better man than I’ve ever been. Don’t worry.”

They crept out of the room like wounded, reprimanded children, and Chad hated to see them go like that. It was troubling to think that he might never feel the same way about them again. His family loyalties were going to be different whether or not he wanted them to be.

Chapter Three

Two days later, lying in his hospital bed, Chad heard a plane overhead that had apparently just lifted off from Columbus International Airport. The oval face of the clock on the wall opposite his bed registered the hour his parents’ plane should be leaving for Alabama, and he hoped they were on their way home. He breathed deeply, thankful for their understanding that he needed to be alone.

But he squirmed uncomfortably and a sense of inadequacy alarmed him when he realized how ill-equipped he was to deal with his biological parents. Neither Perry nor Lorene had come to see him since the day they’d discussed his birth with him. No doubt they were unsure of their welcome. Although he dreaded talking to Perry and Lorene, he would have liked to have seen more of Amy. She had become the most important person in his life, and he always felt like he was ten feet tall when she climbed on his lap, gave him a slobbery kiss, and said, “Chaddie, I lub you.” One of the nurses had told Chad this morning that Perry would be released soon, and he couldn’t let them go without making the effort of reconciliation.

He rang for a nurse to find out the number of Perry’s room, which was at the end of the same hall Chad was in. The nurse helped him put a robe around the hospital gown he still wore, and she walked beside him to Perry’s room.

“Please ring when you want to return to your room. The doctor wants us to watch you closely for a few more days.”

The door was ajar and Chad’s hand trembled as he lifted it to knock. Perry’s deep voice called, “Come in.”

Lorene and Amy were in the room, too, and he was glad to find the three of them together.

Perry was reclining in bed, entertaining Amy who sat beside him playing with a doll. Lorene was leaning back in the upholstered chair with her eyes closed.

“Why, Chad!” Perry spoke happily. “Come in.”

Lorene’s eyes popped open and she stood at once, started toward him, her face radiant, but checked herself.

“You look wonderful,” she said.

“That’s the way I feel, thanks to Perry.” He turned to his biological father. “And you must be doing all right, too. The nurse told me you’re scheduled to be discharged soon.”

“Yes. Our plane leaves at one o’clock tomorrow.”

“We’d like for you to go home with us. You and Perry could go to the same hospital for monitoring. It would mean a lot to us,” Lorene concluded slowly.

“I realize that, but I’ll tell you the same thing I told Mom and Dad. I have to sort out my future, and right now I can do that better alone. I’ll stay in Columbus for a while. I’ll try to come and visit you after that. I don’t know.”

Lorene’s lips parted in protest and Perry shook his head at her.

“We accept that. When you’re ready to talk, we’ll be waiting. Our past behavior doesn’t give us any right to interfere with your plans. We’ll be grateful for any part of your life you want to share with us. We don’t expect you to think of us as your parents, but we hope we can continue to be your friends.”

“I hope so, too,” Chad assured them in an apologetic tone. “It’s just that I’m a different person than I was two weeks ago.”

Lorene’s dark eyes searched his face, apparently looking for something she didn’t see. “Do you think you can ever forgive us?”

“I don’t know,” he said after a heart-wrenching pause. “I don’t know,” he repeated softly. His body trembled, whether from weakness or tension, he wasn’t sure. But Perry must have noticed.

“We’re grateful that you visited us today, but we won’t try to see you again before we leave, so let’s pray together.” He held out his hand. Chad took it and then picked up Amy’s tiny fingers, while Lorene took her place on the other side, gripping tightly the hand of her husband. Amy’s fingers wiggled under Chad’s touch, and he experienced a sense of belonging he had never known before.

“God,” Perry prayed. “None of us are the same as we were a few weeks ago, but we’re thankful that You never change. We are made in Your image. You breathed into us a living soul, which belongs to You eternally. For some reason You have upset Chad’s life, but I believe You still have great plans for him. Many people can play football, but there’s something that only he can do for You. Take control of his future as You have his past and help his parents and us to accept all of his decisions as Your will. Thank You for allowing me the privilege to give him life two times. Amen.”

Chad’s throat was too tight to say anything and unshed tears stung his eyes. He squeezed Perry’s hand before he released it to bend over the bed and give Amy a hug. He circled the bed and gathered Lorene into a warm embrace. He held her close for a few seconds before he turned and left the room, scurrying down the hallway as fast as he could, forgetting until he reached his room that he was supposed to call a nurse to accompany him.

Expecting to enter his room and crash emotionally, Chad cringed when he saw the man sitting beside his bed. Howard Crayton!

Bending an angry glance upon his agent, Chad demanded, “How did you get in here?”

Howard, a short, slender, wiry individual, vaulted out of the chair as if he was on a spring. He extended his hand.

“Meet your elder brother,” he said.

It took a few seconds for that comment to register, but when it did, Chad demanded angrily, “Did you sneak in here pretending to be my brother? Didn’t Dad tell you that I don’t want to talk now?”

“That he did, old buddy, but I’ve got offers for you that will far exceed your fondest dreams. Opportunities that would make a mummy want to talk.”

Chad’s hands shook, and he didn’t know whether the trembling was caused by weakness or anger.

“I’ve been searching around for ways to capitalize on your injury. You might get offers for endorsements. You’re the talk of the nation right now. I couldn’t wait to share this with you. We’re going to get rich, Chad.”

Stifling his anger, Chad leaned against the wall to support his trembling body. He wasn’t as strong as he had thought.

“Since you barged in here uninvited, sit down. If you remember there’s a clause in our contract stipulating that either of us can sever our association with a week’s notice. Forget capitalizing on my injury. It’s something I want to forget. I will not make any decisions until I can sort out what I think is best for me. If you don’t leave Columbus immediately, your one week’s notice starts today.”

Howard’s face took on a sickly pallor, and he dropped into the chair, deflated as a punctured balloon. “You can’t do that! Not after all I’ve done for you,” he said cautiously.

“What you’ve done for me! Do you have any other client who’s made as much money for you as I have?”

“Well…no.”

“I’m not emotionally competent to make any major decisions right now. I may get in touch with you in a few weeks, but it might be a year. I don’t know.”

“Yeah, man,” Howard said. “I got carried away with all the possibilities opening up for you, rather than thinking of all the doors that are closing. Sorry. I’ll take a plane out of here tonight.”

Although Chad had complained about spending a week in bed, the morning’s emotional trauma had drained him and bed looked good to him. He kicked off his slippers and stretched out on top of the sheets. He rested physically, but his mind was still active. What should he do now? Since he was being released from the hospital soon, he needed a place to live. He would have to stay in a hotel for a few days until he had time to find an apartment. Perhaps Vicky Lanham could give him some information about available apartments.

He had been airlifted to Columbus from eastern Ohio in a hospital gown and wrapped in a blanket. Fortunately his mother had bought him two sets of clothes before she left town. Once he was released in a few days, he could buy some more things. Then, after he was settled, he could call his housekeeper and ask her to ship his fall and winter clothes to him, if he decided to stay in Columbus.

The day before he was to be released from the hospital, Chad called the number Vicky had given him. Feeling fortunate to reach her on the first try, he said, “I’m going to be discharged tomorrow, but I intend to stay in Columbus for the time being. Do you have any suggestions about an apartment for rent?”

Vicky’s heart beat a little faster at his call and a warm glow flowed through her. Maybe God was giving her another opportunity to do His will.

“Give me time to ask some questions, and I’m sure I can suggest something. Is anyone picking you up tomorrow?”

“No, my parents are gone now. I’ll take a cab to a hotel and stay there until I find a place to live.”

“Actually, I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’ve got a car, so why don’t I pick you up and take you to a hotel? By that time, I may have located some vacant apartments for you to check out.”

“I shouldn’t impose on you. I can take a cab.”

“When will you be released?”

“Tomorrow morning, but I don’t know the time.”

“Your surgeon usually makes his rounds early, so I’ll guess midmorning. Stay put until I get there. Okay?”

“Okay,” Chad agreed, laughing. At this point, he could accept help from Vicky easier than from his own family.

When Vicky arrived at the hospital the next day, Chad was waiting in the lobby in a wheelchair. He wore navy-blue sweats, with an OSU ball cap perched jauntily on his head, a gift from the nurses who’d served him. No one would guess by looking at him that he had recently had a serious injury and a delicate operation. His firm and generous lips widened into a smile when he saw Vicky.

An orderly wheeled Chad to her car. He had to flex his long legs to fit into the front seat of her compact car. Vicky tossed the plastic bag holding his possessions into the backseat.

As she drove away from the hospital, Chad looked with interest at the majestic university buildings. Strangely enough, although he had been wishing he had died, it was good to breathe the fresh air and to feel the warmth of the sun on his face as it shone through the car window.

“It’s hard to believe that a month ago, my life was all figured out,” he said. “I thought I would be playing pro football for years. Now I’m at loose ends, hardly knowing what to do. I have an engineering degree, although I may have to take some refresher courses to catch up with changes in the field. My dad supported my dream of playing football, but he insisted that I train for a profession when my career was over. I couldn’t see much reason for it, but I guess he knew best.”

“You don’t know that you can’t play football, do you?” she queried in her soft, sweet voice.

“I haven’t talked to any league officials yet, but the surgeon advised against it. If I don’t hear anything within a few days, I’ll call, but I want to put off hearing the official’s decision as long as possible.”

While she drove, she found herself wishing that she could have known Chad before this injury messed up his life.

“I have a reservation at the University Plaza Hotel,” he said.

“That’s a good choice and close by. And I may have found an apartment for you. Do you want to check it out before you go to the hotel? It’s expensive, but I’m guessing that probably isn’t an issue with you.”

“I’m used to a simple lifestyle, so I’m not interested in anything too fancy.”

“Why don’t I drive by and let you look at the house and the neighborhood? It’s located in a Victorian home on Neil Avenue, not too far from the university. It’s a handy location for appointments at the hospital.”

“If you have the time, I’d like to see it.”

“When I was looking for an apartment for myself, I looked at this particular space, but it was too pricey for me. I met the landlady then, and was thrilled when I called and found out it was vacant again.”

“If we come to a bank before then, will you pull into an ATM so I can withdraw some cash? Fortunately, my wallet and other items I had in my pockets were sent to the OSU medical center with me.”

Vicky pulled into a branch bank and Chad withdrew five hundred dollars. She drove along High Street, where many of the businesses catered to college students. The street was congested, not only with vehicles, but with pedestrians, all with backpacks, heading for their classes.

Intent on her driving, Vicky kept her eyes straight ahead, which gave Chad an opportunity to watch her. He hadn’t really looked at Vicky at the hospital. Too intent on my own problems, he thought.

Tall and graceful, Vicky was worth a second look, although all he had noticed about her in the hospital were her compassionate, heavily lashed blue eyes. Now, he admired her brown hair tumbling to her shoulders in soft curly waves. Her smooth ivory skin glowed with rose undertones. She had a gentle but overwhelming beauty, and he was surprised he hadn’t noticed it before.

He didn’t want Vicky to catch him watching her, so when she took a right off High Street and drove to Neil Avenue, Chad turned his attention to the century-old houses.

The street was lined with large trees, and their foliage was a mixture of yellows, reds and greens. Chad was amazed at the change in the foliage since he’d entered the hospital. The football season had just been starting then, but the hint of fall was evident in the fading flowers and the occasional fallen leaves drifting downward to the street.

Constructed of brick and stone, most of the houses had three floors. He especially liked the rounded turrets on many of the residences.

He listened to Vicky’s comments as he squirmed uncomfortably in the limited space of her car.

“Several blocks of these houses were renovated a few years ago. The area is called Victorian Village. Some of the houses are one-family dwellings, but several have been turned into apartment buildings. I live in an apartment two blocks to the west.”

Vicky pulled over to the curb before a redbrick dwelling with a one-story stone porch across the front. A wide doorway was centered on the porch. A sign in front of the house indicated an apartment was for rent.

“The apartment is on the second floor of that house. The owner couldn’t afford the upkeep and taxes on the property after her husband died, so she had to rent part of the house or sell it. There’s only one apartment in this house, so you wouldn’t be bothered with a lot of noise.”

She pointed to a roofed stairway on the left side of the building. “That’s a private entrance to the apartment.”

“Do you suppose we could see it now?” he asked.

“We can ring the doorbell and find out if the landlady is at home.”

Vicky was out of the car and had opened his door before Chad had time to ease his body out of the vehicle.

He grinned up at her as she stood by the car’s open door. “I’ve never had a chauffeur before. I might have to give you a permanent job.”

“You’d better hire someone with a bigger car,” she answered. “I’ll push that seat backward before we leave here to give you more legroom.”

Vicky timed her steps to his slower gait, but climbed the front steps before him and turned the old-fashioned bell in the center of the front door.

A woman opened the door on the first ring. She was a tall, bony woman, probably in her sixties. She had piercing, blue eyes, and her straight, iron-gray hair was cut short. She nodded to Vicky, apparently recognizing her, and then she turned questioning eyes on Chad.

“I called yesterday about your apartment. Would it be convenient for us to look at it now?” Vicky asked.

“You married?” the woman said, glancing from one to the other.

The comment discomfited Vicky, but before she could answer, Chad said, “No, ma’am. I’m the one who needs to rent an apartment. Vicky lives a few blocks from here.”

“Just checking,” the proprietor said. “I won’t have unmarried people living together in my house.”

“That suits me,” Chad said.

Mrs. Lashley had the reputation of being a plainspoken woman, but Vicky hadn’t expected such candor from her.

“Mrs. Lashley,” Vicky said. “This is Chad Reece—he’s from out of town.”

She nodded. “I could tell that from his slow, Southern drawl.”

Striving to hide her amusement, Vicky continued, “He’s been in OSU hospital and he needs a place to stay while he recuperates. He wants to be close to the hospital until his surgeon releases him.”

“I won’t take a lease for less than a year.”

Thinking that Mrs. Lashley didn’t need to rent the apartment as much as Vicky thought, Chad said, “If that’s the case, we won’t take any more of your time. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying. Thank you. Let’s go, Vicky.”

Mrs. Lashley followed them out on the porch, and they were halfway down the short walk when she said, “Well, I could lease it for six months.”

Chad turned and smiled. “Let me look at the apartment.”

Mrs. Lashley stood aside and they entered a wide entryway that ran the length of the residence. Coming inside out of brilliant sunlight, they were plunged into semidarkness. Wooden shutters covered windows that were curtained with white lace panels. Mrs. Lashley flipped a switch and a chandelier spread light on the stairway to the left of the hall. She walked sprightly up the wide walnut treads. Chad counted thirteen steps as he held on to the sturdy, carved handrail and slowly followed Mrs. Lashley and Vicky to the second floor.

“The apartment only takes up half of this floor,” Mrs. Lashley explained. “I have a daughter and grandchildren who visit from time to time. I keep the other rooms for them.”

At the top of the stairs, the hallway extended the length of the house as it did on the first floor. The two rooms on the left had been turned into a comfortable apartment, and Chad thought at once that it was the kind of retreat he needed. A partition divided one of the rooms into a bedroom and a bathroom with a claw-foot tub, a shower stall, a large marble pedestal sink and a toilet. The other room was a combination living room and dining area, with a small kitchenette off to the side. The rooms were sparsely furnished, but they suited Chad’s present needs.

Chad asked the price, which was less than his Pittsburgh apartment. Motioning Vicky to one side, he asked, “What do you think of it?”

A flash of humor crossed her face. “I’d snap it up in a hurry if I could afford it. You won’t find anything better than this unless you want to move into an expensive condo.”

He shook his head. “No, I think this will suit me just fine.”

He turned to Mrs. Lashley. “I’ll lease the apartment, and if I leave before the six months is over, I’ll pay you the full amount.” She had stipulated that he would need to pay two hundred dollars to hold the apartment until she checked his references. He took the money from his wallet and handed it to her and gave her the names of his lawyer, his accountant and his pastor in Pittsburgh.

“I’ll call in a few days to see when I can move in.”

Driving away from the Lashley home, Vicky said, “You made a good choice. The rooms are comfortable, and you’ll have an interesting landlady.”

Chuckling, Chad commented, “She seems that way. And this location will be perfect for my needs. The doctor doesn’t want me to drive until I see him again, so there’s no need to rent a car. But they told me at the hospital that the bus service is good, so I can explore Columbus while I recuperate.”

“The Lanham Taxi Service operates daily, too,” she suggested with a sly grin in his direction.

“I figure I’ll be calling on that service often, but I’ll try not to make a nuisance of myself.”

Vicky had learned the hard way not to push her company on a man, so when she left Chad at the hotel, she didn’t make any comment about seeing him again. Any overtures of friendship would have to come from him. She didn’t look back as she drove away.

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