A Husband for All Seasons (6 page)

Was God testing him? Compared to what Job had faced, Chad's troubles were minimal. Then why couldn't he be man enough to stand up to his difficulties with the kind of faith that Job had exemplified? The minister closed his message with another challenging verse from the Bible, “We walk by faith not by sight.”

Was his faith small? He was worrying about what to do with the future. He was struggling over forgiving his parents. No wonder the minister's closing verse from the New Testament seared his conscience and his heart.

They left the church through the entrance that led to the parking lot and Vicky thought she had been successful in avoiding anyone who might want to detain Chad. She groaned inwardly when she saw her parents bearing
down on them. They didn't know that she had been helping Chad.

“Wait up, Vicky,” her mother called.

“Hi, Mom, Dad. I want you to meet Chad Reece. I met him in the hospital and invited him to church.” With an apologetic glance at Chad, she said, “My parents, Steve and Rachel Lanham.”

Her father stepped forward eagerly and extended his right hand to Chad. “This is a pleasure, Chad. I'm a fan—I like your style.”

“Thank you,” Chad said, finding it wasn't as difficult to meet people as he had thought.

Rachel Lanham greeted Chad with a smile, and he saw that Vicky had gotten her good looks from her mother. Mr. Lanham was a burly sort of guy who wouldn't stand out in a crowd, but Chad took to him right away, as if he'd always known him.

“Are you coming for lunch today?” Rachel asked Vicky.

“Not today.”

“I was expecting you.” Turning to Chad, Rachel said, “And we'd like you to come, too—that is, if you like meat loaf.”

“I do like meat loaf, but I'll take a rain check on the invitation, if that's all right.”

Chad wondered at the tension he sensed between Vicky and her parents as she turned and walked to her car. “I'll come for lunch next Sunday, Mom.”

“You, too, Chad?” Steve called after them.

“I'm not sure what I'll be doing next week. But thanks.”

A
s they walked toward his car, Chad said, “I had intended to take you to lunch, but it's fine if you want to eat with your parents instead.”

“No, I've planned the day with you and I've already prepared our lunch.” Her brows lifted inquiringly. “Unless you're afraid of my cooking.”

Chad enjoyed her gentle camaraderie, knowing that Vicky's friendship had contributed largely to the slow healing he was experiencing. “I'll risk it. After eating just cheese, peanut butter and crackers most of the time, I'm not choosy.”

“Actually, it's a picnic lunch. When I heard the weather forecast and learned how warm it would be today, I put together some sandwiches. Let's drive by my apartment and pick up the food. If it's okay with you, we'll go to one of the parks I mentioned and eat there. But it will be a couple hours before we get to the park. So if you're hungry we can go to a restaurant for lunch and picnic later.”

“I had breakfast rather late this morning, and my appetite still isn't back to normal. I'd rather drive for a while before we eat.”

She opened the car door as soon as he stopped. “I'll be back soon. I have everything packed.”

Vicky carried a small basket when she returned and Chad opened the trunk to store it. When Vicky sat beside him, she placed a box on the seat between them.

“I made some cookies. We can snack on them if we get hungry.”

As he pulled away from the curb, Chad asked, “Do you like to cook?”

“I cooked when I was at home, but I don't do much for myself. I usually just prepare food a couple of times a week and live on leftovers the rest of the time.”

“Where to?”

“Go south until we come to I-270, drive on it until we come to Route 33 and head southeast. I'll direct you when we need to leave that road to reach the park.”

“I know very little about Ohio. Tell me about this park while we're driving.”

“I'm a native Ohioan, so I'll admit I'm prejudiced, but I think our state has more diversity than most states in the union. We have Lake Erie to the north, several large cities, and the Ohio River and its industrial sites to the southwest. You saw part of our vast farming area when we took our drive east of Columbus, and there's a lot more west of Columbus.”

“I sure enjoyed seeing the farming region on Thursday.”

She accepted his comment with a smile. “But of all our scenic attractions, I think I'm partial to what we're
going to see today. Mom and Dad did a lot of camping in this area when I was a kid. At first Dad just pitched a tent at one of the campgrounds and we roughed it, and I remember those vacations more than the times we rented a cabin.” Her mouth curved into a steady smile of happiness. “It was the highlight of our summer.”

Chad slowed almost to a crawl, for an oversize loaded truck was in front of him, and he glanced at Vicky, analyzing a subtle change in her voice that he hadn't heard before when she spoke of her parents.

“You must have had a wonderful childhood.”

Vicky had been staring straight ahead, seemingly lost in happy memories, but she quickly transferred her gaze to him.

“Yes, of course. We were a happy threesome until I disappointed my folks by dropping out of college. They had dreams for me, you see, and I couldn't live up to them. It's not their fault that our relationships are strained—it's me.”

Not willing to probe until Vicky was ready to confide in him, Chad passed the slow-moving vehicle and the moment passed.

“The hills are made of sandstone, a composition that lends itself to the formation of caves. There are several recess caves where Native Americans lived long before Europeans came to North America. Hiking trails cover the majority of the forested area and take the hiker along towering cliffs, waterfalls and deep gorges. Someday you should come to some of the programs held at the park and hear geologists talk about the formation of Hocking Hills.”

They were both hungry by the time they entered the park and Vicky directed Chad to follow the signs to Old Man's Cave. The parking lot wasn't crowded and he parked close to the trail that accessed the picnic area. Sun filtered through the barren tree trunks and a mild breeze brought a hint of decaying leaves.

“Not a bad day for the first week of November.”

“I suppose I should apologize for not carrying the picnic basket,” Chad said when Vicky opened the trunk of her car to get the food. “The thermos doesn't look like it will be too heavy for me, so I'll carry that. People will think I'm as strong as a horse, so just pretend you don't know me if people look at us, perhaps wondering why a big hulk like me would let
you
carry the heaviest load.”

Vicky felt warm and enchanted by his mild humor.

“It isn't a big basket, so no problem. Let's look for a place in the shade. It's always cool in this glade, but the temperatures are supposed to rise to the eighties today.”

“We'd better enjoy the mild weather. I'm sure we won't have many more autumn days like this. You lead the way.”

Following Vicky toward a table, Chad tried to identify the trees—many that he hadn't known in his home state of Alabama. Vicky glanced over her shoulder to see if he was all right and he gave her a smile that sent her pulse racing. His eyes were alive with affection and delight. Their eyes held for a timeless moment until Vicky stumbled. Her near-fall brought her thoughts back to earth and she walked on, wondering just how much their shared moment meant to Chad. When the trail widened, she slowed her steps until he was at her side.

“You're looking wonderful today.”

“I'm feeling great. At my last appointment with the surgeon, he said I was doing so well that I wouldn't have to see him for another month unless there were complications. The first thing I thought of when I got up this morning was that it's been six weeks today. That day I got up feeling on top of the world—the adrenaline was really pumping like always on game day.” His voice faded away and Vicky prayed silently for wisdom to know how to deal with him today.

Two other families occupied the picnic area and Vicky headed toward an isolated table shaded by a gold-tinged maple tree. Silently, Chad helped her spread a cloth on the table. She didn't want to chatter but she had to say something to lighten his mood.

“I'm not the best cook in the world so don't expect gourmet food. When I get really hungry, I drop by my parents' house for a good meal.” She put a plastic bowl and foil-wrapped sandwiches on the table. “How does fresh fruit and melon with ham salad sandwiches sound to you?”

“Like a banquet,” he said, and Vicky was heartened that he spoke cheerily, in spite of the sadness reflected in his dark eyes. He poured iced tea into the cups she placed in the center of the table. “Mom insisted that I learn how to cook, and I did help around the kitchen. I lived at home during my college years, but after I started playing with the NFL, I ate out most of the time.”

Chad waited until she was seated before he carefully lowered his body to the low bench. When she started to unwrap the sandwiches, he said, “I'd like to say grace if it's okay.”

She nodded, and he reached across the table and took her hand that hovered over the sandwiches.

“Lord,” he said confidently as a man would who was accustomed to praying often, “I have so much to thank You for that I'm ashamed of hanging on to the past. Forgive me and give me the courage to get through this difficult experience and anticipate a new life. Thank you for sending Vicky to encourage me and for allowing us to share this experience. Thanks for the food she's prepared and work Your will in her life, too. Amen.”

His voice faded to a hushed stillness and Vicky felt the sting of tears behind her eyelids. She longed to encourage him, and she prayed for wisdom to be the kind of friend he needed. With their hands still clasped, she said, “Remember, we're in this together. I've enjoyed every minute of our time together.”

He lifted her hand to his lips, and the kiss he placed on her palm was as soft as a whisper. When his gaze rested on hers, Vicky felt a gentle affection coming from him, and her heart turned over in response.

“So have I, Vicky. I've thought from the first that God brought us together for a purpose, and the more I'm with you, I've started wondering if He has more in store for us than a brief friendship.”

Flustered by what he seemed to be suggesting and not knowing how to answer, she placed a sandwich on his plate and took the lid off the plastic bowl that held the fruit mixture.

“Have you made any more headway on sorting your mail?”

“Not much. So much of it calls for decisions I'm not
ready to make yet. I gave my agent strict orders not to contact me, but he has forwarded a lot of offers that I suppose I'll have to deal with.”

“I don't suppose there's any rush about any of it.”

He shook his head indecisively. “I'm not so sure. I'll tell you what some of them are, if you don't mind being bored with my affairs.”

“Not at all. I can't help you make decisions, but I can listen.”

“A national TV network wants to produce a commentary about my life. Howie thinks he can sell a biography of my life. After only a few years of playing pro ball, I'm not sure I'm that popular. However, he's talked to one publisher who's interested. I have had an outstanding record since I started playing in high school. The editor thinks he can publish my life as an inspirational book, highlighting my rise to fame, the sudden end of my career and how my faith in God carried me through the drastic changes in my life.”

“That sounds interesting. Is there any hurry in making your decision?”

“Yes, I think so. I'm big news now, but within a year when I'm no longer in the national spotlight, Chad Reece will just be another has-been. And public attention will turn to new heroes. I can see the necessity of moving quickly.”

“Then why are you hesitating?”

“I'm not sure. I suppose I'm still smarting over my illegitimate birth, and if people start poking around in my past, that's bound to come out.”

“I don't see why that would be embarrassing after
all these years—you can't be blamed for what your parents did.”

“I wasn't considering myself. I came to terms a long time ago with that fact that my mother probably wasn't married when I was born. I'm still angry at my parents for not telling me who I was, but I'm not so angry that I want to embarrass Perry and Lorene. He's highly regarded in the academic world—I don't want to be the one to reveal his past.”

He paused thoughtfully and Vicky respected his silence. She watched a squirrel scurrying across the ground. Several blue jays perched near a feeder filled with sunflower seeds kept up a steady racket of harsh calls as they snatched full beaks of food.

Several minutes passed before Chad said, “If I write the book, I suppose I could be selective in what goes into print. I don't have anything else to do now.”

“Have you done much writing?”

A crooked grin answered her. “No. I wouldn't have a clue how to write a book. I agonized over my term papers in college. Probably I should gather the information about my life and let the publishers furnish a ghostwriter. That's what they've suggested.”

“That sounds like the only solution,” she agreed enthusiastically. “It would provide the emotional release you need now. It could serve as a sort of transition between where you are now, where you've been, and where you're going.”

“That's how I see it. But I want to make the right decision. Will you pray for me?”

“Of course!” She didn't intend to offer much advice
because only Chad could deal effectively with the change in his lifestyle. But she silently thanked God that he seemed to be accepting his new life.

They had eaten all of the sandwiches and the fruit, so Vicky stood, gathered up the plates and wrappings and put them in the garbage can. “Do you feel up to hiking?”

“I'd like to take the trail up that little hill. I've walked a lot but haven't done any climbing. I think I'm ready for it.”

“It's a gradual climb through the forest. You'll have no trouble as long as we walk slowly. I'll take the basket to the car and be right back.”

Chad watched her long, graceful stride as she walked with ease toward the parking lot. God had been gracious when He'd sent Vicky to help him. Unlike the women he had encountered during his NFL career, she didn't seem to expect anything from him. He considered himself a shrewd judge of character, and he wondered if Vicky's only interest in him was to help him overcome the difficult situation that had come his way. Considering the things they had shared, would the day come when they could walk away from one another and forget their time together? He didn't believe that would happen. Some tangible bond was forming between them. Could it be love? Although he'd had his share of puppy love romances and had even dated occasionally in high school, Chad had been too wrapped up in his career to give any serious thought to love, home and a family. But over the past weeks, when he thought of the future, he realized that he didn't want to live alone, and if he did share his life with someone, he thought Vicky would be his choice.

They walked single file along the narrow trail that zigzagged frequently to moderate the steep ascent. It didn't prove difficult for Vicky, apparently, because she climbed effortlessly. Chad sensed that she was tempering her gait so he wouldn't have to walk fast to keep up with her.

When they came to a wooden bench beside the trail, Vicky sat down. “Ready for a rest?”

“More than ready. I'd been doing so well walking along the streets of Columbus that I thought I was back in shape. I guess I've not recovered as much as I thought.” He drew a steadying breath as he dropped down on the bench at her side.