Alex and Callie went outside, finding a private place away from other people. Alex noticed that there were dark clouds on the horizon and guessed that they’d have rain by nightfall. Daniel would probably be disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to go outside again tomorrow.
Callie put the tape recorder on the bench between them. “Okay, first of all, how do you feel about the decision of the voters?”
“My feelings are mixed,” Alex replied. “I’m not unhappy about it. I just still have my reservations concerning Hope Gardens, though I have to say that, hearing Daniel’s idea and knowing what a boon it could be for the island, I’m feeling more inclined to believe that this retirement community could be a good thing. It in itself might not be a big benefit to the island, but it could lead to things that are.”
“What is the biggest way you think that it could be a detriment to the island?”
“Well, there are several things, but some of the main ones are the things I mentioned at the town meeting. There’s also the danger that it could attract the wrong sort of people to the island.”
“What do you mean by the wrong sort? You mean thieves who want to rob the homes?”
“Yes, that, but also the kind of people who are looking to make money off of others. We’re a poor community, so we’ve never been a target for schemers and con men. But if we start getting people from the higher echelons of society coming to live here, someone’s liable to turn their attention toward us and decide that we’re ripe for the picking.”
“Hmm. I never thought of that,” Callie admitted.
“Then there’s the fact that suddenly having dozens of new residents, all of them with cars, is going to dramatically increase the traffic in town. I’m not so happy about that.”
“No, I can’t say I’d be happy about it either. So, what are the ways in which you think it will be a good thing?”
“Well, the most important thing, of course, is the jobs and revenue it will bring to the island. If we get some good people moving into Hope Gardens, they might take a strong interest in the community and seek to invest in it or help in other ways. Wouldn’t it be great if one of them decided to donate some money to have a park and playground built for the kids? Or what about paved streets instead of gravel or packed dirt? Lots of people with money make donations to worthy causes. Maybe they’ll see our community as a worthy cause.”
Callie smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. That would be great. A park and playground would be terrific.” She sighed dreamily. “Oh, and paved streets would be so wonderful, especially in the rainy season.”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, no more wading through mud puddles.”
“As a business owner, how do you foresee Hope Gardens impacting that?”
“Oh, there’s going to be a big impact, maybe not so much after it’s built, but while it is being built, we’re going to get inundated with business from the work crews and anybody who comes here to see the thing in progress. We are going to be very busy.”
“Okay, I think that’s all I need from you.” Callie turned off the tape recorder. “With all the things people had to say about Hope Gardens, I am definitely not going to lack for copy. What Brian had to say would fill a full page in itself, if I printed it all.”
“Yeah, I bet it would.”
The women went back up to Daniel’s room. The minister was reading his bible.
“All done?” he asked.
“Yep, my brains have been thoroughly picked,” Alex replied.
“And I have to hurry back home,” Callie said. “I’ve got a lot to do before putting this issue to bed. Daniel, when are your parents coming back?”
“On Monday.”
“Hmm.” Callie looked at Alex for a moment. “Could, uh, I have a private word with Daniel for a moment?”
“Sure. I’ll just step out into the hallway.”
Callie turned back to Daniel as Alex left. “I was wondering about your story. You know, about Kate and Las Vegas. Do you still want to tell it?”
“Yeah, I do. I haven’t changed my mind.”
“Well, I sort of wanted to interview you before your parents got back, but I don’t see how I can. The special edition will be coming out tomorrow, then I have to spend the weekend preparing for the regular Monday edition.”
“Don’t worry about it, Callie. It’s going to be quite a while before I’d be ready to have the article published. Like I said, I want to wait until after my physical condition is a lot better. I’m sure that we’ll have an opportunity to talk before then.”
The journalist smiled. “Okay then. We’ll just wait until after you’re out of the hospital.” She laid her hand on the minister’s arm. “I want to thank you again for giving me the privilege of being the one to write your story, Daniel. It means a lot to me.”
“There isn’t anyone else that I’d want to write it, Callie. You would be my only choice.”
Callie gave him a kiss on the cheek then left, promising to mail him a copy of the special edition. A few seconds after she left, Alex came back in.
“So, what did she want, or is it something private?” she asked.
“She was just asking about when she could interview me for my story.”
“Oh. So you’re still going through with that?”
“Yes, I am. I made my decision, and I’m not going to back out on it.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt, Daniel.”
The minister gave her hand a squeeze. “I know. But I think that this will be the best thing in the long-run.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The rest of Thursday and Friday passed uneventfully for Daniel and Alex. The rainy weather kept them indoors, much to the minister’s disappointment. They spent the time talking and playing games. Throughout the long hours, they found themselves telling each other things that few people knew about them, events out of their childhoods, hopes and dreams they had growing up, their pet peeves, things they would go back and change if they could. By the time the weekend arrived, Daniel and Alex felt as if they’d grown much closer to each other.
It was ten o’clock Saturday morning when the door opened and Dylan came running in, a huge grin on his face.
“Hey! There’s my buddy!” Daniel exclaimed delightedly.
Dylan came up to the minister’s wheelchair. “Hi, Daniel. Hey, you’re out of the bed.”
“Yep, I sure am. They even let me go outside last Thursday.”
“Hey, you,” Alex said. “Don’t I get a hug?”
Dylan gave his mother a tight hug.
Just then, Molly and Kevin came in.
“Hi, Daniel!” Molly greeted with a hug. “It’s so good to see you. You look much better.”
“Thanks. I feel better.”
Kevin came forward and shook his hand.
“Hey, Kevin. So, has everyone been behaving themselves since the vote?” the minister asked.
“Ah, well, we had a few disputes, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The real work’s going to begin when the work crews start arriving in June. I expect there will be some trouble then.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to take care of it.”
“We sure have missed you, Daniel,” Molly told him. “Hope’s just not the same without you there.”
The minister smiled in gratitude. “Well, I miss Hope, Molly. I can’t wait to get home.”
“Any word on when they’re going to cut you loose?” Kevin asked.
“No, not yet,” Daniel replied. “I’m still hoping for sometime next week. I’d be out of here today, if they’d let me.” He turned to Molly. “Are we going to have the services here again tomorrow?”
“That’s what we’re planning. I need to confirm it with the hospital, though.”
“Great. I’ve been working on my sermon early in the mornings and after visiting hours. I hope that everyone will be able to attend.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. They’ll be here. Everyone in the congregation has been talking about it.”
“And you can bet that there’s going to be more than a few people from the hospital there too,” Alex told him. “I’ve had three nurses and a doctor ask me in the hallway if you were going to hold services in the chapel this Sunday.”
The minister smiled happily. “That’s fantastic.” He was eagerly looking forward to tomorrow.
“Can you go outside today?” Dylan asked.
“No, I’m afraid not, Dylan. It’s pretty cold and rainy out,” Alex replied.
“Actually, it’s starting to look like it might clear up a little,” Molly told her. “There were several patches of blue sky.”
“Really? I would love to go outside,” Daniel said.
“Okay, we’ll keep an eye on the weather, see what happens.” Alex sat on the corner of the bed, Dylan settling beside her. “In the meantime, tell us what’s been going on since Wednesday afternoon.”
Kevin and Molly filled them in on the island news, which mostly had to do with Hope Gardens.
“Mister Griffith gave us a special project that’s to do with Hope Gardens,” Dylan told them.
“He did? What kind of project?” Daniel asked, wondering what Marcus had come up with.
“He’s having us design our own retirement place, with the moat and streams and ponds like what Hope Gardens is going to have. He wants us to think about what would be the best way to lay it out so that it’s easy for people to get to their houses.”
“Wow, that sounds like a cool project,” Alex said. “Are you going to draw it or make a model?”
“I want to make a model. Could we go to the hobby store and get some things?”
“Sure, we can do that.”
“Boy, I think I’m jealous,” Daniel said. “I’d love to help make that model. I used to love building models when I was a kid.”
Dylan turned to his mother eagerly. “Could we start making it here? Then Daniel could help.”
“Hmm. I don’t know what the hospital would think about that.”
“As long as we don’t make a mess, I don’t see what they’d have against it,” Daniel reasoned.
“Pleeeease, Mom?” Dylan begged.
Alex looked down at her pleading son’s face, and the hopeful smile on the minister’s lips. “Oh, all right.”
“Cool!” Dylan exclaimed. “Let’s go to the hobby store now, then we can start working on it right away.”
Alex looked at Daniel questioningly.
“That’s fine with me,” he told her.
“We’ll stay here and visit with Daniel,” Molly said.
“Okay, I’ll bring back lunch. Sandwiches all right for everyone?” Alex asked.
Everybody agreed to the plan and gave Alex their sandwich orders.
“You’re not getting a sandwich, Daniel?” Dylan asked when the minister didn’t say what he wanted.
“I wish I could, Dylan, but I still have to stick to the hospital food.”
“So, Callie told us about your great idea, Daniel,” Molly said after Alex and Dylan had left.
“She did? Uh, did she mention that we don’t want Brian to know about it?”
“Yeah, and we won’t tell him. I know what my father would do. He’d be out the very same day, trying to lasso poor, unsuspecting islanders into becoming tour guide entrepreneurs for a business that wouldn’t even be created for another year or more.”
“It’s quite an idea you had, Daniel,” Kevin remarked. “It could bring a lot of tourists to the island. Of course, with tourists, I’ll have to be more on my toes, watch out for shoplifting and vandalism.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Daniel admitted. “Do you think it would cause a crime problem?”
“Well, there’s bound to be some increase, but I don’t think it will be bad. The money the tourists would bring into the businesses in town would outweigh any losses through theft or vandalism.”
“I hope so. I wouldn’t want it to cause a problem. We want to make things better, not worse.”
“I think it will,” Molly assured him.
“So, who else did Callie blab the secret to?”
“Um, I know she told Ruby and Bonita. When I saw them yesterday, they were dreaming of the expansions they could do to the general store, like adding on a gift shop.”
Daniel shook his head. “I wish Callie hadn’t said anything. I don’t want everyone to get their hopes up and make all these big plans only to see nothing come of it.”
“Don’t worry, Daniel. Everyone knows that this is a long way from becoming a reality.”
“Yeah, they might build that Hope Gardens, then not be able to find anyone who wants to live there,” Kevin said.
“I don’t think there will be any problem with that,” Daniel responded, thinking that anyone would be crazy not to want to live in a place as great as Hope.
“Terry James brought up something that I don’t think anyone thought of,” Kevin told him.
“What’s that?”
“Well, you know she used to be a pilot. She was thinking that these Hope Gardens residents might want a small airstrip built on the island so that any of them who have planes could fly to and from the mainland.”
“Hmm. She may be right. But where would you put one? There’s not a lot of level ground on the island.”
“No, there isn’t, but I can think of a couple of places that might be big enough. The real question is, where would the money come from to build it?”
“Well, if the Hope Gardens residents want an airstrip, then they’re the ones who should pay for it,” Molly pointed out. “After all, it’s not something that the locals would have a use for.”
Daniel and Kevin agreed.
The minister smiled. “So, have you seen your father’s, um, shining moment yet?” Alex had told him that Molly knew about the film.
Both she and Kevin laughed.
“Have we ever!” the cop replied. “I’ll tell you, Daniel. It was really hard keeping a straight face when I saw Brian later that day. I just about had to shove a towel down my throat to keep from laughing.”
Molly slapped his arm. “I think you were enjoying yourself a little too much, Kevin. You kept wanting to rewind the film and watch it again.”
“Well, it was funny!” he objected. “It gave me a whole new insight on your father. I’ll never look at Brian quite the same again.”
Molly jabbed her husband in the chest with a finger. “Just don’t let Dad know about it.”
“Cross my heart, my lips are sealed.” Kevin backed up his promise with a kiss.
When Alex and Dylan returned, they came bearing two bags from the hobby shop and a bag of sandwiches.
“What did you do, buy the store out?” Daniel asked, laughing.
“Just about,” Alex replied.
“It’s going to be so cool!” Dylan exclaimed excitedly. “We got little trees and bushes and houses, and we got green and blue modeling clay so that I could do the grass and water, and black paint for the roads too.”
“Wow. It sounds like this is going to be one terrific model.”
“I wanted to get cars too, but Mom said this was enough.”
“I think she was right. Even without the cars, I bet this will be the best model in the class.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Daniel confirmed with a smile.
“Can we start now?”
“Let’s eat lunch first, Dylan,” Alex told him. “We have the rest of the weekend to work on it.”
Daniel's lunch arrived a few minutes later, and they all turned their attention to eating. After they were finished, it was time for Daniel's therapy. Alex accompanied him while Molly and Kevin stayed in the room with Dylan. As usual, the session tired the minister, but the excitement of having both Alex and Dylan there kept him alert.
When they got back to the room, they found that the boy had already started on the model. Molly and Kevin went in search of someone to talk to about the chapel services while Daniel and Alex settled down to watch the miniature retirement community continue to take shape. Husband and wife returned a while later.
“It’s all set, Daniel,” Molly said. “The hospital was delighted to let you use the chapel again.”
The minister smiled happily. “Great! I’ll have to finish my sermon tonight.”
“We have to go,” Kevin told everyone. “But we’ll see you again tomorrow.”
“Thanks for bringing Dylan over,” Alex said.
Molly gave Daniel a hug, and Kevin shook his hand, then the couple left. A smile still on his face over the thought that he could give his sermon tomorrow, Daniel turned back to the model.
The weather never cleared up, so the three of them stayed indoors for the rest of the day, but Daniel didn’t mind so much this time. Being there with Alex and Dylan, helping to create a school project for the boy, the minister felt like he was a part of their family, as if he really was Dylan’s father . . . and Alex’s husband.
Daniel found his eyes going to Alex’s face, which was tilted down toward the model, her red hair falling partially over it. The thought of being married to Alex pleased him. It pleased him a lot. To have her with him for the rest of his life, to have children with her, grow old with her. It was what he wanted more than anything. He only hoped it was what she wanted too. He knew she loved him, though the words had never been spoken. And he knew that she respected him. He was still overwhelmed by the words she spoke to him over the phone, that she wished he was Dylan’s father.
They got along well. Yes, they’d had their arguments, and they drove each other crazy sometimes, but what couple didn’t? The important thing was that they could really talk to each other, and they shared some common interests and viewpoints.
But there was one big stumbling block to a future relationship between them, namely the matter of religion. When Daniel had first met Alex, she hated anything to do with religion, refusing to even consider allowing her son to be involved with the Church. In the year that had passed since then, she’d changed a lot, her views on religion softening quite a bit. But she still didn’t pray, and she still had no intention of going to church. Would that prove to be the one thing that kept them from coming together the way he wanted them to?
Daniel knew what the view of the Church would be. The Association of Churches would be up in arms if they learned that a minister wanted to marry a woman who did not worship God. And as for his father. . . . Daniel could hear now what Cliff Cooper would say. But it was his life, not his father’s and not the Association’s. He was not going to conveniently fall out of love with Alex just because they disapproved of her. He would love her till the day he died.
In the end, it was not the Association's views or his father’s that really mattered; it was God’s. What would God want him to do? If he and Alex were meant to be, he had to trust in God to show him that. And if they weren’t? Daniel didn’t want to think about that possibility.
Pushing aside his serious thoughts, Daniel returned his attention to the model-building.
By the time visiting hours were over with, they’d accomplished quite a bit with the model. Dylan had done all the planning and building, Daniel and Alex only making small suggestions. The adults both agreed that the boy’s layout had been well designed.
“You know, once this is finished, I bet that Joseph Mann and Frank Tate would love to take a look at it,” the minister said.
“You think so?” Dylan asked, his eyes glowing.
“Sure. You never know. They might even get some ideas from it.”
“Wow, that would be awesome!”
The model was removed from the table and placed on the floor in the far corner of the room, along with the building materials. All the things that had been taken off the table were then put back on it.
“I’ll drop Dylan off for the church services at 8:30,” Alex remarked.
“That will be fine.” The thought passed fleetingly through Daniel’s mind that he wished she was going to be attending the services too, but he shoved it aside.
After Alex and Dylan were gone, Daniel got to work on finishing his sermon, looking forward to the morning and another day spent with people he loved.