Page 26 of Steinbeck (The Minnesota Kingstons #5)

“Oh, there’s a spoon. But perhaps the spoon puts too much meaning into being the spoon. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the spoon is. Just that it’s able to be used.”

“I’ve met Socrates on the beach.”

Judah laughed. “Ever hear the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand?”

“Sure. Five loaves and two fish? It’s a great story of God’s provision.”

“And a story of how the disciples missed the point.”

Steinbeck frowned.

“Right before this, Jesus had called them to ministry, given them power to drive out demons and heal the sick, and sent them out. They returned, and the next thing that happened was the miracle of the five and two. But that’s not the point.

Jesus had already equipped them to heal and drive out demons, and yet they come to Him and say, ‘Hey, feed these people.’ And Jesus turns to them and says, ‘ You feed them.’ And all they can think is, With what? ”

Stein said nothing.

“See, they saw themselves as not enough. Even though they walked and talked with Jesus and had been called by Jesus, they didn’t see themselves as empowered.

And yet, they’d already been about the task of ministry.

They’d already surrendered whatever life they’d had to be obedient to Jesus, and He’d equipped them, so they understood what it meant to walk into purpose and meaning, to fight evil and win. ”

Stein couldn’t move.

Judah glanced at his line tugging against the waves. Stein’s was tugging too, but nothing resembling a bite.

Judah kept talking. “Although the disciples had gone out and done the big, tough things, when they returned, they thought their mission had ended. But Jesus was still calling them to believe. To trust in His power to do great things. Even something as ‘simple’”— he finger quoted the word—“as feeding people.” He fixed his brown eyes on Stein.

“The failure of the disciples was that they looked at themselves and said... ‘Not enough.’ But Jesus asks us to look at Him and hear... ‘ By my strength .’”

Steinbeck’s line jerked. Judah held out his hand. “Hold. Let’s see what happens.”

It jerked again.

“Okay, grab it up.”

Stein took the pole, stood up, started to reel.

“Not too fast.” Judah also stood. “Pull back, slack the line, then reel fast. Then do it again.”

Steinbeck obeyed, pulling the line back, reeling hard, repeating. Sweat sheened his skin, his back aching.

The fish skipped across the waves.

“A nice-sized pompano,” Judah said and ran toward the water. In a moment, he’d snagged the fish, brought it to shore. The pompano lay in the sand, still breathing, twisting.

“The thing about the fish and the loaves,” said Judah as he knelt to unhook the creature, “is that the disciples in that moment said, ‘This is all we have, Lord.’ And they handed Him the fish. And He said, ‘Okay then. Stand back and see what I will do.’” He held up the fish. “Dinner?”

“No. I don’t have a license.”

“I do, but maybe we’ll let this guy live.” He walked to the shore and tossed him back out to sea. “Be free. Live a long and happy life.”

Steinbeck grinned.

Judah walked back to Steinbeck. “You never know what your hook will bring in if you put it in the water.”

“I didn’t know you fished, Steinbeck.”

He turned, cupped a hand over his eyes, and spotted Nimue walking down the weathered steps to the beach. Dark hair, expressive golden-brown eyes, olive skin, so clearly not from the same father as Emberly, who’d been bequeathed beautiful green eyes, red hair, and fair skin.

Still, they laughed at the same crazy TV shows and shared the same love of ice cream.

Now, Nimue walked across the beach in her bare feet, wearing a pair of dark shorts and an oversized shirt, her hair pulled back with cornrow braids. “Early morning run?”

He got up and walked over to her. “Cals. My knee is still sore. I’m trying not to stress it.” He’d developed a nearly blackened bruise on his leg, and the muscles still ached.

“Yeah, that looks painful.” She lifted a hand to the fisherman. “Hey, Judah!”

He waved back.

“I got up and made coffee and saw your bedroom door open.” She kept walking.

Stein nodded, his feet depressing the sand. The tide had started to come in, filling his footprints.

“You look like a man with something on his mind. Did they finish the virus?”

He nodded. “I guess Emberly would tell you anyway.”

“Of course she would. I’ve been helping her on this mission since the beginning. It really rattled her when she walked back into your life.”

He glanced at her.

“Mostly because it also tore her up to leave you. I think... well, you’re good for her, Steinbeck. You make her more careful. Less impulsive. Thoughtful.”

Huh. She did the opposite for him. Ignited a fire inside that he had thought had died.

“Did she tell you she’s thinking of leaving the Swans?” Nimue asked.

“She did. I didn’t realize she’d told you .”

“A few days ago. Before you walked in.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I thought she was a lifer, so you must have a bigger effect on her than I thought.”

He glanced at her. “This is because of me?”

“Not just you. But I think...” She sighed. “I think she might see a second chance at that thing she ran from.”

The tide was coming in, splashing at his heels. “What thing?”

“Family.” She glanced at him. “My sister saved my life. I know she told you about our mother. She was so broken. And tried everything to fill that broken place. Romance. Alcohol. Drugs. She desperately wanted to be loved, and she did everything she thought she could to find it. It was a hard life for her, and for us. We didn’t always have money, so Emberly started to steal from the men our mom brought home to buy us food.

Usually they didn’t notice. And then one morning she got caught. ”

His entire body tightened.

“She’d already left, but this guy—he was some guy my mother had brought home—he was furious. And he thought I took the money. I was about nine. And he came after me.”

He stopped walking, turned to her, heat in his chest.

“I was under my bed screaming, and Emberly just showed up, carrying a frying pan from the stove. She hit him with it.”

Nimue stared out into the ocean, and he could see the aftermath in her eyes, the way they filled.

“She nearly died. My mom somehow stopped him from beating her to death, but... I realized that Emberly would do anything— anything —for someone she loved. It scared me. That’s when I decided that I’d have her back.

No matter what she did.” She looked at him.

“But Emberly has never, not once, allowed a man in her life. She’s so afraid of ending up like our mother—broken, betrayed, desperate—she’s never considered.

.. Well, like I said, she’s always been a Swan. And now... you’re here.”

He was here.

And now, leaving.

“I got a call from Declan. He wants me in New York for some exhibition for the upcoming UN General Assembly.”

She shoved her hands into her pockets. “And you’re trying to figure out...?”

“I don’t want her to go.”

“And you’re afraid of...?”

He looked at her. “I’m afraid of the same thing you are. Her getting in over her head.”

“No, you’re afraid of losing her.”

His mouth tightened.

“It’s okay, Steinbeck. I love her too.”

Oh. But yes, the words felt right as they washed over him. And weirdly, Jack’s words stirred inside him. “Don’t pursue this woman with the hope that she’s going to give you some sort of purpose. Only God can do that.”

Maybe purpose wasn’t about doing but about being.

“I have one request to make,” Nim said.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t hurt her. Or I promise, I’ll hack into your life and leave you with nothing.” She winked, then turned and headed back up the beach.

He didn’t for a moment think she was kidding.

Steinbeck caught up with her at the top of the stairs, on the narrow beach road to her house.

The scent of burning hung in the air.

She must have seen the trail of smoke filtering into the sky at the same time he did, because she picked up her pace. Then started to run.

No, no ?—

The smoke poured from the kitchen window of Nimue’s cute cottage beach house.

“Emberly!” Nimue shouted as Stein passed her. Already sirens shrieked through the air, so maybe a neighbor had called, but flames burst from the window.

“Emberly!” He pushed through the gate, onto the porch. Took a breath, reached for the door.

“Stop!” Emberly barreled up, already outside, and grabbed his arm. She wore pajama shorts and a T-shirt, her hair tousled, her eyes wide.

And he just scooped her up tight, his breathing hard as he carried her off the porch, away from the flames.

“Stein, I’m fine—I’m okay?—”

He set her down on the street, hands on her shoulders, searching her green eyes, his breaths cascading over each other.

“I woke up to the fire alarm. Nim must have it wired to a 911 trigger?—”

Her gaze broke away and she searched for Nim.

Stein found her too, standing back from her home, her arms around herself, tears casting down her face.

“Oh, Nim,” Emberly said, going to her, wrapping her up in her arms.

Nimue held on, her expression stripped.

The fire engine turned onto their street. But as Stein watched, he spotted a black SUV pull away from the curb. And as the man drove by, even Steinbeck recognized him—dark hair, black eyes... The man he’d grappled with on the dock.

And his ilk beside him in the passenger seat.

Emberly slipped her hand into Stein’s, tightening. She glanced up at him, her voice hard, changing, as she spoke. Phoenix was back when she said, “I don’t know how, but they found us.”