There Comes A Season

Jacob’s mother was beautiful. Not that that should come as a surprise.

Laura turned the pages. In every picture Jacob’s mother was immaculately dressed. Laura couldn’t imagine this woman pregnant, let alone cuddling the little boy Laura had come to love.

She glanced at Bryan, who continued to stare out the window at the darkened sky, ignoring Jacob’s happy squeals.

“I realize that your family was broken up just when it was starting, Bryan, but this seems so drastic. You and Jacob need each other now more than ever.”

Laura felt her words of comfort were hollow. How could she possibly help someone else deal with his grief when she had such difficulty herself?

“The three of us were never a family.” He grabbed the album from Laura’s hand and flung it across the room. The leather-bound book crashed into the wall and tumbled to the floor.

Jacob wailed, frantically reaching for Laura. She swept him into her arms and bounced him on her hip until he calmed down.

Bryan turned away and began to clean up the mess, carefully replacing the pages in the binder.

“I’m a pretty good listener.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“You think you’re the only one who’s angry about losing a spouse?” she said, her voice racked with emotion.

“I don’t think you understand the situation.” He glared, not at her, but past her, as if at an invisible enemy.

“I’m willing to try.”

“You couldn’t begin to understand, Laura. Your life is so sheltered…” His bellow stopped midsentence. He dropped the album into an empty chair and jammed his hands into his pockets.

“Yes, it was once,” she softly admitted. The guilt she’d been fighting blanketed her. Why was it that this man could infuriate her at the same time her heart swelled with feelings she couldn’t understand?

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

Frustration fed the tension between them.

Bryan continued, “I’m just not cut out for fatherhood. You make parenting look so easy.”

Laura closed her eyes, rubbing her aching temples, giving in to the tension that had been building all day. “Abandoned. Confused. Angry. Afraid.” Her tone hardened. “Easy? I know what you’re feeling, because I was there. I was Mrs. Todd Bates, wife, best friend, mother. Todd was everything to me.”

“I’m not…”

“No, Bryan, let me finish. I’m tired of this pedestal you seem to have put me on. I have the same fears and frustrations you and every other parent has. And like you, I’m learning to face them—alone.” She backed away and collapsed against a closet door.

He sat on the couch, his profile rugged and somber.

She swallowed hard, asking God to fill her with courage. She wasn’t sure if Bryan believed in Christ or not, or whether he would even listen. What she saw as God’s handiwork, others often saw as coincidences. Laura sat on the edge of the sofa.

“Bryan, there hasn’t been an easy day since Todd died, whether we’re talking children or not. As much as my kids mean to me, there are days I don’t know how I can cope. Yet God placed them in my hands, to raise, to love, until He’s ready to take us home. It’s the same with my clients’ children.”

Bryan reached across the sofa and took hold of her hand. The warmth and tenderness surprised her. “He gave you a very special gift, Laura.”

She pulled her hand away, refusing to let herself feel anything for a man who could turn away his own child. “He gave you one, too, Bryan. A son.”

“Right. And I’m doing a real bang-up job with him.”

“It’s no sin to be less comfortable with a baby than an eight-year-old. God made each flower different. Some tolerate heat, some last until the snow falls, and some are only pretty a few weeks in the spring, but God takes care of them all in His special way.”

As he considered her minisermon, she continued. “It won’t ever be easy without Todd, but I know now that I can manage. God answers our prayers every day, big and small.” Tears, trapped by her stubborn will, fought for their freedom.

Laura let the silence lengthen before proceeding. “What is sending Jacob to his aunt really about?”

“Andrea was nothing like you.”

“I can see that. So?”

Bryan remained silent, staring blankly at the wall. Laura waited. He picked up his son, then turned to her. “Until a week before I met you, I knew nothing of Jacob. Had no idea I was even going to be a father.”

Laura gasped.

“She left me right after she found out she was pregnant, by my estimation. A year later her lawyer called and told me she’d died, and that I was a father.”

Laura shook her head. “How could she…not tell you?” How could Andrea look into Jacob’s beautiful brown eyes, touch his smooth olive skin, hold his long fingers and not think of his father, Laura thought.

Jacob grinned, and her tears broke loose with a reluctant laugh. “Good grief, he even smiles just like you, first one side, then a whole smile. He’s a spitting image of you.” Laura’s teary gaze met Bryan’s in a silent shared understanding. “What your wife did was terrible, Bryan, but it’s past. Jacob needs you.”

Bryan looked at his son as Jacob closed his eyes and rested his head on Bryan’s shoulder. He picked up the thermal blanket, walked down the hall, and returned emptyhanded.

When he came back, he again tried to explain the unexplainable. “I need time to work through this. It was so sudden. One day I was giving a 110 percent to my job, and the next, I’m trying to figure out how a baby thinks.

“My career is ready to take off, that’ll mean more traveling, longer hours. It’s all hitting at once. He deserves more than I have to give him.”

“In a blink of the eye, Jacob will be ready for footballs, computers and girls. Where will you be? Still in the office, climbing that corporate ladder. For what? A son who doesn’t even know you?”

Bryan wondered how she could read his mind and verbalize his fears after knowing him only three months. Already she’d made a difference in his son’s life. In his too, if he’d admit it.

“Don’t let whatever happened between you and your wife ruin what you and Jacob can have.”

“I don’t even know what happened between us, Laura. One day she was here, the next she was gone! And a year later, her son is creating total havoc in my life.”

“He’s not just her son!” The words ripped impatiently out of her mouth.

Bryan turned away. Laura had no idea what she’d just said. Had no idea how many times he’d hashed over dates, events and documents in the last few days, struggling to overcome doubts that he was Jacob’s biological father. He needed time and distance from the baby to come to terms with Andrea’s betrayal.

“Isn’t there anything I can do to convince you, Bryan?”

He shook his head. “The decision’s been made. Cass and her husband will be able to give him everything I can’t.”

“Everything you won’t, you mean!” Laura stood and paced the floor. “Tell me that you don’t love the idea of raising that little boy, Bryan—of coaching his football team, of sharing an ice-cream cone…”

“Stop it, Laura. This isn’t your problem.”

As if he’d totally worn her out, she clipped each word. “Put the past behind you.”

Thinking of the many times he’d seen that dreamy look appear in her clear blue eyes when talking of her husband, Bryan realized she was as guilty as he. “Is that how you manage?” He turned and faced her, his voice thick with sarcasm. How different his life would be now if his wife had ever felt for him what Laura had for Todd.

She looked as if he’d slapped her. “I do the best I can, but I couldn’t have made it through the past few months without God.”

“I think I burned those bridges behind me a long time ago.”

She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze straight on. Two deep breaths, and her anger was replaced with a serene confidence. “He doesn’t keep score, Bryan. He knows your needs and is just waiting for the invitation to help.”

“Sometimes, it’s just not that easy…”

Jacob started crying, yet Bryan hesitated. Laura looked down the hall, then back to him. He could see the panic in her eyes, almost feel her heart racing, trying desperately to scheme a way to mend his rotting soul.

“There’s a Sunday morning singles’ class I’ve been attending. I was reluctant at first, but it’s been very helpful. If you’re interested…let me know.”

She turned and walked out the door.

“Don’t hold your breath,” Bryan grumbled.

Chapter Eight

“Why do we have to go to another football game?” Carrie complained.

“It’s not T.J.’s game, Carrie. It’s the Broncos’. At Mile High Stadium, like on T.V.” Laura poked the needle through the canvas and pulled the floss taught, then crossed the square to complete the stitch.

“It’s still football.”

Laura took a deep breath and counted to ten. After the way she’d lectured Bryan the week before, she figured she owed it to him to try his advice on parenting. “If you want to stay here, that’s fine. You could go to Lisa’s house while the boys and I are gone. I’m not making that decision for you. Just let me know your answer so I can let Bryan know how many tickets we’ll need.”

Her daughter straightened her back, the whiny attitude replaced with interest. “Bryan’s going with us?”

“T.J.’s entire football team is going. They needed a parent to go along, and Bryan was nice enough to ask us.”

She’d been ready to say no after their discussion on Thanksgiving day. But he’d come in the door the following Monday morning and admitted that she’d hit a nerve.

While he hadn’t agreed to go to church with her, he seemed curious. For his and Jacob’s sake, she vowed to do anything she could to convince Bryan to keep his son.

At the game a week later, Bryan absentmindedly handed a granola bar to one of the boys. He watched Kevin and Laura come down the steps with refreshments. Kevin leaned provocatively close, and she blushed in response to whatever he’d whispered in her ear.

Laura handed the tray of snacks to Carrie, who was sitting next to Bryan. As she stepped over several boys, tiptoeing through their gear, Laura lost her balance. Bryan jumped up, but it was Kevin who grabbed her around the waist and helped her regain her footing. Bryan’s glare brought a raised eyebrow and mischievous smile from his friend.

This day couldn’t end a minute too soon. It had been pathetic. The Broncos won, T.J. and the rest of the team had had a great time, Chad was enthralled with everything, and even Carrie appeared to have enjoyed herself. None of that mattered. It was Laura that had been the center of his attention. There was no doubt in his mind, she’d had a great time, too. Why wouldn’t she? Kevin didn’t taken his attention from her the entire game.

Daylight quickly faded into darkness during the last quarter. As they left the stadium, Kevin caught up to Bryan. “Great game, huh? Say, I’ve been thinking, Laura shouldn’t drive back after dark with a bunch of kids to handle.”

Bryan had thought the same thing, but reasoned that she had more experience dealing with a car full of kids than he did. Still, her van had been acting up lately and she might need help. He glared at Kevin. “Well, I guess that leaves you to do the noble duty then, doesn’t it? I have to drive the company van.”

Kevin smiled. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

“When did you become so chivalrous?” Bryan grumbled, and continued to lead the group back to the parking lot.

Laura helped the kids load their backpacks and accepted Kevin’s offer to help with the kids. She followed close behind Bryan’s van until they were on the interstate, then let the distance between them grow.

They arrived at the school twenty minutes earlier than expected, but streetlights illuminated the grounds. The kids raced to the playground as Kevin joined Bryan.

“That is one terrific woman,” Kevin said.

Bryan watched his friend’s gaze return to Laura, who was sorting through the scattered gear left in her van. As she leaned over the seat, he knew exactly what Kevin was thinking.

“Quit playing your games, Kevin. Not with Laura.”

“Who says it’s a game?”

Kevin tossed his coat into the company van, then returned to Laura, appearing to be offering his help. Bryan continued to supervise kids and greet parents. When Laura leaned over the middle seat, Kevin moved closer to her, blocking Bryan’s view of her completely.

While they waited, Bryan threw the football with the boys, keeping one eye on Laura’s van. He fought the temptation to see just how accurate his throwing arm was after all these years.

Why do I care? A woman is the last thing I need complicating my life right now! Forget her. In just three more weeks, Jacob will be with Cassandra, and everything will get back to normal.

He realized how much he had come to respect and admire Laura Bates. She was compassionate and sensitive. Charming and intelligent. Dignified and beautiful. And how he’d tried to ignore his growing feelings for her. Even reminding himself of Andrea’s betrayal didn’t taint the warmth he experienced when Laura was around. Their conversation from Thanksgiving day played over and over in his mind like a stuck record. If there’d been any doubt before, it became clear that day. Nothing meant more to Laura than her family. She’d never understand his decision.

Three weeks. If I can just survive three more weeks.

After the other parents left, she approached him.

“Thanks for the tickets, Bryan. We had a great time.”

“Glad you could come. You and Kevin certainly seemed to enjoy yourselves.”

“He’s something else.”

The smile on her face could have been considered admiration, could have been contempt; he wasn’t sure.

“I’d be glad to fill you in on what makes him tick.” Bryan wanted to warn her about Kevin—how he toyed with women, how he loved them and left them. What a fool you’d be to fall for him, Laura Bates.

“I already know what makes a man like him tick. Thanks anyway.” She stepped back as Kevin joined them. “See you in the morning. Bye, Kevin.”

“Later,” his friend replied with the obvious intent to see her again.

Bryan watched Laura drive away, then got into the van and slammed the door. “Hands off, Kevin!”

“I never touched her,” Kevin claimed, raising his hands, pleading innocence.

“You know what I mean.”

“Thought you weren’t interested.”

“My wife just died!”

“Andrea’s been out of your life for over a year. You’re free to start dating again, and Laura seems like as good a place to start if you ask me.”

“I didn’t ask you, but that hasn’t stopped you from throwing interference, has it? We have a professional working relationship. Nothing more.”

“Right. That’s why she brought you Thanksgiving dinner. Did she take any of the other families dinner?”

“Just admit that your stunt didn’t work. You know as well as I do, that if any of the other families had been in the shape I was, she would have done the same. Laura takes care of everyone. That’s as far as her feelings for me go.”

“The question is, for how long?”

Bryan stared straight ahead, simmering with jealousy. She was a wonderful woman, possibly one who could blow Kevin’s chauvinistic attitudes all to pieces, but in the end, it came down to the fact that he had no right to stop Kevin, and no intentions of exploring his own feelings for Laura.

He was about as interested in a wife and three more children as he was in eating quiche. Though if given a choice of kids, T.J., Carrie and Chad wouldn’t be so bad. In fact, they were just what he’d hoped for so many years ago.

The next weekend he overheard Kevin on the phone. “Afternoon Laura, what do you say we take in a movie?”

Bryan stopped to listen.

“You never know, I could be the man of your dreams.”

After a pause, Kevin cleared his throat.

“Well, when you change your mind, let me know. Goodbye, Mrs. Bates.” Kevin hung up, mumbling to himself, “Imagine that woman trying to develop a conscience in me!” Kevin walked into the kitchen, obviously surprised to find Bryan was cleaning out the refrigerator.

“What are you doing now?” Kevin growled. “Next thing you know, you’ll be cleaning closets and washing windows!”

“Laura is quite a lady, and she rattled you. I haven’t seen a woman do that to you in a long time.” Bryan razzed his friend, hoping he’d give up the matchmaking attempts.

Kevin had been the first one scheduled to make the trip to the altar, and the scars of being jilted still hadn’t healed. Yet, as sour as Kevin was about marriage, he seemed to think a family would take care of all Bryan’s problems.

“Don’t worry. No woman’s going to get to me.” Kevin turned to leave and called back over his shoulder, “But Laura Bates has gotten under your skin, friend, and it has nothing to do with ‘professionalism.’ May as well admit it.”

“Not on my life.” Bryan insisted. “We’re down to two weeks.”

“Fool,” Kevin muttered as he closed the door to the den.

It had been a long day, and an even longer week. Bryan had left the office early to work out before picking Jacob up from Laura’s. She looked up from the picture book she and Jacob were reading.

“Rough day, huh?”

Rough is losing a major account, this goes way beyond that. He grunted something in response and looked at his son.

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