Page 37 of Steinbeck (The Minnesota Kingstons #5)

He glanced over and spotted Jack emerging from the garage. He wore his greasy overalls, working on one of the UTVs that had died this week.

That wasn’t all that had died. Steinbeck had returned to a different Jack. A Jack he thought had been beaten, now skulking back.

He’d asked Doyle about it as they sat on the porch last night at the Norbert. Emberly had sat tucked against him on the porch swing, a blanket over her, healing.

“Dunno,” Doyle had said. “He came home from Harper’s house a few days ago, slammed his door, and emerged later as The Beast.”

Interesting.

But Stein understood the frustration of loving a stubborn woman.

Emberly was an impossible patient, refusing to stay in bed since they’d arrived from New York City.

Two days they’d been here, after four days in the hospital, and yesterday he’d found her in the kitchen of the King’s Inn, albeit on a high-top stool, watching his mother roll out pie dough.

And last night, she’d walked out to the dock, sitting on the end, soaking in the sunset. Such a normal, benign thing, but the simplicity of it had trumpeted into his heart.

Oh, he loved her. He’d joined her, folded her hand into his, watching the sunset as his frustration died a little.

So maybe she was mending. Earlier today, she’d insisted on going to church with the family. He’d sat in the pew, listening to the sermon on Isaiah 30, on the rebellion of Israel.

And for some reason, the words about faithfulness had sunk in, embedded in his soul.

“Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

He’d glanced at Emberly, and she’d met his eyes and smiled at him, and never had he felt more sure about anything.

Yes, he was still on mission.

“I like the sweat,” Steinbeck said now to Jack.

“Suit yourself.” Jack picked up a few of the fallen logs and set them on the woodpile.

Steinbeck did the same. “You all right?”

Jack glanced at him. “Why?”

“Bad Jack is back.”

“I was never Bad Jack.”

Steinbeck raised an eyebrow.

Jack shook his head, picked up a couple more logs. “If you’re looking for something to do, the front garden needs weeding.”

“I think you need weeding. C’mon, bro—did something happen between you and Harper?”

Jack only paused for a second before lifting a shoulder and throwing the last of the logs on the pile. “We timed out.”

Steinbeck just stared at him. Jack slapped off his hands. “She’s moving to Nashville. Pursuing a new job.”

“She is not.”

He held up his hand. “Scout’s honor.”

“No. Harper has loved you for... sheesh, since she was in pigtails.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Jack turned away. “I need to shower. Mom wants us to have a family dinner tonight. She’s making a roast.”

Stein caught up to him. “So, what—you’re not going to stand in her way?”

“No. Why would I do that?”

“Why would you— are you kidding me ? Because you love her and you thought you had a future together!”

Jack stopped. “I would go with her, but she didn’t ask me to.”

“Did you ask her to stay?”

A muscle pulled in Jack’s jaw.

“Wow.”

“Listen, I was going to propose, okay? A couple weeks ago and then... I don’t know why I didn’t, and now it’s too late.”

“It’s not too late.” Steinbeck shook his head.

“Too late is when the woman you love is lying on a concrete floor and you’re breathing life into her, praying desperately that God will give you a second chance.

That is too late. Or almost.” He let out a shaky breath, put a hand on his chest, shook the moment away.

Jack met his gaze. “That’s what happened?”

“That’s what happened. And I realized that nothing—not my pride, not my frustration, not even her sometimes reckless behavior—was going to keep me from...” He sighed. “Well, from being her teammate.”

“Teammate?”

“Just... yes. Teammate plus, maybe.”

“Some people might call that marriage.”

Stein shrugged. “We’ll get there.”

Jack smiled then, the first cloud break in the darkness. “No ‘plus’ without the ring, pal. But good for you.” Then he sighed, the smile dissipating.

“Bro. I’ve never seen any two people more meant for each other than you and Harper. And you know it. So... what’s holding you back?”

Jack considered him. “Dad said something the day Boo got married that’s been rooting around my head for the past eight months.

That we were created to experience the overwhelming love of heaven.

And if we just would get out of the way, stop trying to lead with our own wisdom, and let God be in charge, then that’s all we’d need.

We’d wake up every day on mission—the one that says we trust God. ”

“Dad said that?”

“Something like that. But the most important part here is that we have to get out of the way, Stein. You think you know what you want... but God knows you better. Just... listen to his voice.” Jack drew in a breath. “I’m thinking of selling Flo.”

“Flo?”

“The bus.”

Huh. “Really?”

“I took the bar exam. And maybe I didn’t pass it—I don’t know yet—but I do know that I don’t want to travel without Harper. Maybe I’ll head back to Florida...”

“Or maybe you stay here. The King’s Inn is in good shape. Maybe better than when Doyle was groundskeeper. The table is amazing.”

Jack just stared at it.

Stein couldn’t help but put a hand on his shoulder. “Get out of your own way and let God save you here, bro.”

“Is that what you’re doing with Emberly?”

Oh. “Yes.”

“You think she’s the right girl to spend your life with?”

Steinbeck frowned. “If you’re referring to Austen’s words?—”

“About being dangerous, and trouble?”

Right. “I think God is up to something with Emberly.”

Jack considered him for a moment, then nodded. “Just don’t get hurt.”

“I think we’re beyond that. It’s part of the job description, isn’t it?”

“What job description?”

“To love well.”

A beat. And then Jack smiled. “Glad you’re back. And sticking around.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Jack frowned.

“But for now... yes. Maybe.”

Still, the frown. “Are you guys in any danger?”

Oh. “No. I mean, yes, Luis and maybe his partner, a woman named Teresa, are still on the lam, but there are people on it. No, we’re safe here. I promise, I didn’t bring trouble back to the King’s Inn.”

“Good. Because I just got the place in shape. Mom scheduled a couple days of cleaning this week while the inn is empty. I’ll shoot you a list.”

“Fabulous.” But Stein smiled as they turned and headed into the house.

The kitchen smelled of garlic and thyme, the roasting meat in the oven. He guessed his mom was baking potatoes over at the carriage house or in the King’s Inn kitchen.

He went through to the kitchen in search of a glass of water.

And that’s when the conversation from the porch drifted in to him. He peeked out the window to where Emberly and Austen sat on the porch swing. Nimue was out by the lake, walking the shoreline.

“I’ve only ever been a Swan.”

“That’s not true.” Austen had her legs crossed, her back to Stein. “You’re a sister. And a daughter. And Emberly, the one Jesus loves.”

He moved away from the window, not wanting to eavesdrop, totally wanting to eavesdrop.

“At the core of it, whether you want to admit it or not, in God we live and move and have our being. Every step we take is under His watchful presence. And the more aware you are of that, the more free, the more alive you will feel.”

Silence. Then Emberly’s voice. “Today, with Stein, in church, it seemed that... I don’t know. Maybe this was all... part of the plan. Meeting Steinbeck three years ago, and then again, and... But you don’t really know me, Austen. You have no idea what?—”

“It doesn’t matter. Jesus hung on the cross, and next to Him the thief believed in Jesus. He asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. He asked for mercy. And you know what Jesus said?”

He glanced at her. Emberly frowned.

“‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’ See, Em, it’s not about what you are, but who Jesus is.

The Redeemer. The payer of our debt, fulfilling our death sentence, and the victor over the battle between good and evil.

And you... you belong with the redeemed.

Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person.

The old life is gone, a new has begun. Maybe you’re no longer a Black Swan. But just... a swan.”

Steinbeck closed his eyes.

Silence, just his heartbeat.

And then, “Yes,” Emberly said quietly.

“Yes?”

“I believe you.”

“Good. Want to tell the Lord that?”

Stein opened his eyes, smiled. Austen, his twin. A warrior of the heart.

He walked away as Emberly’s voice drifted up, wound around him...

“Lord, I’m sorry I ran from You for so long...”

He headed upstairs.

Maybe the mission was over.

Maybe not.

All he had to do was listen.

* * *

“You weren’t really thinking you’d leave without saying goodbye?”

The voice at the door made Harper look up from where, yes, her suitcase lay on the sofa, clothes piled on the chair, the coffee table. Open boxes sat on the floor for long-term storage.

Her mother had already moved out most of the upstairs office as well as her own clothing, which she’d packed up and taken with her yesterday to Boston.

“Hey, Boo,” said Harper.

Her friend came in, her dark hair short, wearing an oversized Duck Lake Storm sweatshirt, leggings, and Converse tennis shoes.

“I didn’t know you and Oaken were back.”

“He did the Utah State Fair last weekend. We’re headed to Oklahoma’s state fair on Sunday.”

“Busy.”

Boo came over, picked up a tie-dyed T-shirt. “I remember this one. VBS, seventh grade. It can’t possibly still fit.”

“Believe it or not, yes, which is a really sad state of affairs. I sleep in it.”