Page 15 of A Girl Like Janet

“It’s in the mountains,” he hesitated. “We’ll be alone all day.” Again he paused. “It might be a good idea if someone else

came along.”

“Joel?” Janet knew what Reese was saying and appreciated the thoughtfulness. He was having trouble keeping his hands off her.

What he didn’t know was how much trouble she was having not touching him.

“Joel would enjoy the trip,” Reese murmured. “Is ten too early?”

Five minutes later Janet hung up the phone. She sat for another fifteen, drinking in the conversation, playing back every

word in her mind.

Dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, Janet was ready and waiting by the time Reese arrived. Her dad had brought Joel over, and

her mother had sent along freshly baked cookies. Janet had packed a small lunch, including cold pizza from the night before,

and added the cookies to the basket.

“Where are we going, Janny?” Joel asked her for the tenth time in as many minutes.

“I don’t know. Reese didn’t tell me.”

“I like Mr. Reese, I like him a lot.”

Janet placed her arm across her brother’s shoulders. “I do too.”

Gail sauntered into the living room. “I only hope you know what you’re doing. Be careful,” she reminded her friend, and she

wasn’t speaking about hiking or camping. They had sat up for a long time talking after Gail arrived home last night. Janet

had been surprised at her friend’s reaction. She’d expected Gail to be happy for her, pleased. Instead Gail had been wary,

unsure. “You know what Reese Edwards is like with women.”

“Of course I do,” Janet stated calmly. “But it’s different with me. I know it is.”

“Don’t you think every woman he dates tells herself that?”

The logic of her question had raised doubts, but they had quickly been dispelled. She wasn’t like his other women, it had

to be different this time. It must be.

Reese arrived at precisely ten, allowing Joel to carry down the picnic basket. His greeting to Gail was polite, almost stilted,

and for a fleeting second Janet had the impression he was sorry someone from the office had seen them together. But the thought

passed quickly.

“Where are we going?” Joel asked again, but this time from the backseat of the moving car.

“Yes, where are we going?” Janet echoed the question.

“For a drive,” Reese responded cryptically.

They drove for about an hour, the scenery breathtaking. Fall aspen colors of brilliant yellow set against tall dark pine trees

and snowcapped mountains had to be one of the most beautiful sights on God’s earth.

“I love this drive,” Janet murmured after a while, in awe of such beauty. Reese took her hand and squeezed it, his eyes smiling

deeply into hers.

An hour later he turned off the main road down a dirt one that led far into the trees. After what seemed an eternity they

stopped in front of a log cabin nestled on the side of a mountain.

“Yours?” Janet asked with a sense of astonishment. Here was another side of Reese she didn’t know. Before, she had seen him

as a man who ate chateaubriand, who enjoyed the opera and... she paused and smiled, French movies.

“Mine,” he assured her. “And you assumed all those Monday mornings I came in late that I was returning from wild weekend parties.”

She had thought that, several times. “I did, how’d you know?”

Reese laughed, helping her out of the car and linking his hand with hers. “Because your mouth would thin and your eyes would

spark with indignation and righteousness.”

“I would not!” she denied forcefully.

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I thought you Christians weren’t supposed to lie?”

“I don’t lie,” Joel stated proudly, wanting to be included in the conversation. “But Jimmy Jones does. I found him out. I

prayed and asked Jesus to forgive him.”

“That was very thoughtful of you, Joel.”

“It was you who told me to.” Joel was looking at her funny. “Are you all right, Janny?”

“I’m fine.” She looked at Reese, all her love shining in her face. “I’m very fine.”

It was a day Janet would remember and cherish all her life. Nothing could have made it more perfect. They hiked, they joked,

they laughed and sang songs. Janet and Joel taught Reese some of the songs from the church youth group and watched as Reese

burst into laughter.

“Give me salt for my Fritos because the Lord is neato, neato?” Reese repeated with disbelief.

Joel laughed, the sound high-pitched and enthusiastic. “Give me gas for my Ford, I want to keep trucking for the Lord.” He

led the next verse.

Reese hadn’t kissed or held Janet all day, and yet she was vibrantly aware of him. Charged currents of electricity arced between

them with a gentle look that became a caress, then a soft brushing of their hands. They didn’t need words or kisses or anything

else.

Exhausted, Joel fell asleep in the backseat during the drive home.

“Happy?” Reese asked her. One hand was on the steering wheel while the other held her close to his side.

Janet’s head rested against the crook of his arm. “Oh yes,” she murmured.

“It looks like Joel’s asleep.”

A lazy, contented smile flickered across her face. “He hasn’t been this quiet since the day he was born, except when he’s

asleep.”

Chuckling, Reese tightened his hold. “I like your brother. You’re quite a bit alike.”

Janet tensed and released a long sigh. “Just a few years ago I would have been offended by that. Now I consider it a compliment.”

“What was different in the past?”

Janet snuggled more securely in his embrace. “I was different. I was almost ten when Joel was born. I can remember how desperately

my parents wanted another child and my mother’s repeated miscarriages. We were all so excited and happy when she became pregnant

with Joel. Then when he was born we knew right away he was different. The only time I’ve ever seen my father cry was the day

my brother was born. It seemed so unfair.”

“I can understand how you felt.”

Janet didn’t doubt the sincerity of his comment. “In the beginning I was ashamed of Joel. I didn’t want him, didn’t want to

be associated with him. If it had been up to me I would have put him in an institution and forgotten about him. Thank the

Lord, my mom and dad saw things differently.”

“But you’re proud of him now, aren’t you?”

“Fiercely proud. Joel has overcome obstacles that boggle the mind. His biggest obstacle being his sister.”

Janet could sense more than see Reese’s surprise. “In the beginning I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I wouldn’t

hold or touch him. Later, against everything I wanted to feel, I found myself loving this defenseless child. But I was full

of anger. Anger at my parents for whatever reason; I’m not sure. At first I blamed them for Joel’s condition. Mom was older.

She should have recognized the risks of having a Down’s syndrome baby. But, more directly, I was angry with God. He was the

one who had done this to my brother. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so strongly if my parents could have had a house full of children.

But they weren’t greedy; they only wanted one other child. I couldn’t understand it, especially when Dad and Mom had served

the Lord all their lives. Was this their reward for being faithful?” She stopped and straightened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean

to talk up a storm. You must find all this boring.”

“Not at all,” he contradicted her. “What happened to change your mind?”

“Joel,” she laughed softly. “He grew up, struggling with things that you and I take for granted. Tying his shoes, counting

and learning his ABCs. But he’s mastered every skill and praised God for every accomplishment. One day when I was about eighteen

he came to me and said something profound. Joel looked at me and said, ‘Janny, God doesn’t have any grandchildren.’”

“What did he say?” Reese questioned, and Janet repeated the statement.

“I don’t know where he came up with that. But what he said was true. For the first time in my life I owned up to the fact

I wasn’t going to gain eternal life on my parents’ coattails. I’d been fighting God for so long, fighting my parents. It’s

amazing to me now to think that one statement from my brother could change so much in my life. But I was ready to make my

peace with God and accept His plan for Joel’s life and my own. I was ready to trust.”

“Was your rebellion all due to your brother?”

“Heavens no. Oh, a large part of it was, but the pressure put upon me to be the model Christian because my father is a minister

was unbelievable. I hated it and did my best to be just the opposite.”

Reese was quiet for the remainder of the trip home. He dropped off Joel first and declined her parents’ invitation to come

inside. Neither did he stay when Janet issued the same invitation later at her apartment. His kiss outside her door was gentle

and so tender that Janet savored it for hours afterward.

On Monday morning Janet dressed with extra care and kept her hair down. It was something she rarely did, but she knew Reese

preferred it down and she wanted to please him.

The minute she walked into the office she sensed that something wasn’t right. “Is that you, Miss Montgomery?” Reese barked.

“Yes... yes, it is.” She finished hanging up her coat and walked into his office.

“Order flowers for Bunny Jacobs,” he commanded, his eyes not meeting hers. “Something special.”

“Right away,” she responded crisply. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.