A Husband for All Seasons. Irene Brand
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Chad decided, but no satisfactory answers.
One major question filtered through Chad’s mind. After it seemed that God had offered him life on a silver platter, why was it suddenly snatched away? Was he mad at God? Chad feared that this was the root of his present dissatisfaction. Even admitting the possibility of such an attitude lowered his self-esteem and Chad’s faith was stretched to the breaking point. This was an issue that could only be settled between him and God.
In the meantime, he had a life to live. He called a taxi and rode into the center of Columbus’s business district on High Street. He got out of the cab in front of the capitol, wondering why the dome was so stubby. Had the founding fathers of the state run out of money before they completed the dome? He sat on the stone wall that surrounded the capitol’s lawn, watching and listening to the steady drone of traffic along the city’s main thoroughfare.
After living for two years in Pittsburgh, Chad still wasn’t accustomed to big cities. His small Alabama town could be set down in the space occupied by Columbus’s large financial district, but he didn’t feel as crowded here as he did in most cities. Chad felt no urge to do anything, but eventually he stirred, walked a half block and crossed the street.
He went into a bank—the same corporation that he used in Pittsburgh and arranged for a transfer of funds.
From an ATM machine, he withdrew some cash for his immediate needs. He walked a block to a department store, using his credit cards, purchased a jacket, two knit shirts, slacks, a pair of dress shoes, heavy socks and running shoes. With the sweats and the underwear his mother had purchased, he could manage until he decided what to do with his personal things in Pittsburgh.
He caught a taxi back to his hotel, where he found a message waiting from Mrs. Lashley. He could move into the apartment at his convenience. Seeing no reason to pay another night’s hotel bill, Chad dialed Vicky’s number.
When three days passed, and Vicky hadn’t heard from Chad, she started wondering if she would ever see him again. She didn’t recognize the number on her Caller ID when the phone rang.
“Hello,” Chad said. “Is the Lanham Taxi Service operating today?”
“It is until noon when the proprietor has to go to work.” She laughed. “Where do you want to go?”
“To my apartment. Mrs. Lashley left word that it’s ready.”
“I’ll pick you up in an hour. Can you be packed by then?”
“I’m packed. I bought some new things today, and they’re still in the plastic bags. I bought a duffel bag for my other clothes.”
“What about bathroom and kitchen supplies? Since you probably don’t feel up to shopping, I’ll pick up some towels, soap and other things you’ll need. I’ll get some bread and milk for you, too.”
His cheerful laugh thrilled Vicky. It was a good sign that he was starting to heal emotionally as well as physically. “I hadn’t given that any thought. My housekeeper kept my Pittsburgh apartment supplied, but I intend to get along without a housekeeper now. It would be great of you to buy those things. I appreciate it.”
“OK. Then I’ll see you soon.”
Vicky had been moping around for several days, but the surge of adrenaline she received after Chad’s call turned her into a dynamo. She quickly gathered the things she would need for work and hurried out to the car.
“God,” she whispered before she turned the ignition key. “Am I really getting the opportunity to help Chad Reece? He’s a famous, wealthy man, and when he’s well again, he’ll probably go back to his old friends and forget all about me. I must not expect more from him than he’s willing to give.”
Was God calling her to serve Chad? She started to think this might be so when the tense expression on Chad’s handsome face relaxed into a smile when he saw her.
With an answering smile, she asked, “Anybody looking for a taxi?”
“Yes, one poor vagrant.”
“Let’s go then.” She picked up his duffel bag. “I’d better take this.”
“It embarrasses me to have you carrying the heavy items, but I think the duffel bag weighs more than I’m allowed to lift for another week.”
During the short drive to Neil Avenue, Chad told her about the call from his manager and about his shopping trip during the morning. After he got the key from his landlady, she helped him upstairs with his luggage and the supplies she’d bought for him, then said, “I’ve got to go now.”
“I don’t even know where you work. I’ve spent too much time talking about myself, rather than listening to you.”
“I work in a bookstore on High Street near the OSU campus. My parents think I’m wasting my time, and I guess I am, but I make enough to pay the rent, my food and gasoline. That’s all I want now.”
“Will you be finished in time to have dinner with me tonight?”
“That depends on what time you want to eat. I work until seven o’clock.”
“That’s all right with me. Will you drive by and pick me up? I don’t know the town yet. You choose a restaurant. I’ll be watching for you—just blow the horn.”
Vicky would have preferred to go home and shower before she picked Chad up for dinner, but she didn’t want to keep him waiting. She went to the restroom and checked her appearance in the mirror on the door before she left the store.
She wore a pair of knit pull-on black pants and a light pink sweatshirt with a white collar. Not very dressy, but at least the color of the shirt complemented her creamy skin and brought out the rosy tint of her cheeks. She pulled a comb through her hair, hitched her bag over her shoulder and hurried out to the parking lot. Chad was sitting on the porch banister waiting for her when she reached his apartment house.
He was dressed in a white knit skirt and black trousers, and Vicky was pleased. Having left his casual clothes behind might indicate that Chad was looking forward instead of backward.
She chose a family-type restaurant not far from their apartments. From talking to Chad’s parents, and also from his own comments, she knew that, in spite of his rise to fame in professional sports, he still had the simple tastes of an Alabama boy who had grown up in a small town atmosphere.
A waiter showed them to a corner booth and took their beverage orders. Chad commented on the antique cooking and farm implements arranged on high shelves around the ceiling. “Reminds me of home,” he said.
Vicky noted the wistful look in his eyes and knew that he wasn’t as relaxed and cheerful as he seemed. When the waitress arrived with their glasses of iced tea, she ordered a pasta salad.
“I really like the pasta dishes here,” she said to Chad, “but all of the food is good.” To the waitress, she added, “And I want a piece of French silk pie for dessert.”
“I have an appetite today, the first time since I had the accident.” He ordered a steak, baked potato and some broccoli florets in cheese sauce.
While he was deciding on a salad, Vicky said, “This restaurant is noted for its coleslaw.”
“I’ll take a side of that, too,” he told the waitress. While they sipped on tea, Chad said, “I’ll have to be careful of what I eat. Now that I won’t be going to the gym every day, it will probably be easy for me to gain a lot of weight.”
“How much do you weigh now?”
“I’ve tried to stay at two hundred pounds. I’m quicker on my feet at that weight.” Thoughtfully, he added, “I’ve often wondered if I might get heavier in middle age as many men do, but now that I know Perry is my biological father, I don’t think I will. At least, I’ll be happy if I look like he does when I’m his age.”
“You will,” Vicky assured him.
“I