Lethal Intent by Cara C. Putman

Author:Cara C. Putman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2021-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

The moment they parked, kids swarmed them. Caroline couldn’t hold back a grin as she started hugging the girls and boys. Somehow Evan wormed his way through the crowd until he stood hugging her legs. “Hey, buddy.” She swiveled his baseball hat until the brim pointed down his back.

“Miss Cawee.” He pouted, then tugged it back in place.

She grinned at him. “Guess what I brought?”

“Cookies?” His eyes got big with eager hope.

“Close. Cupcakes with lots of icing and sprinkles.”

“It’s not the same.” He crossed his arms then stuck his tongue out at her.

“Evan McDonald.” Alaina stepped forward and grabbed his elbow. “That’s not how we talk to people, let alone our friends. Say you’re sorry.”

“But I’m not.” His little chin jutted out.

Alaina shook her head and closed her eyes a moment before giving Caroline an apologetic grimace. “We’re still working on manners.”

“It’s okay. Where’s little Ellie?”

“Jeff took her for a while.” Alaina brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The wind teased it back out.

The women started walking toward the lodge, a group of kids clustering around them. “I heard you and Jeff have a job offer out of state. Are you planning to take it?”

Alaina looked toward the playground and field, where a small canopy had been set up for shade. Several adults were moving picnic tables into place. “I thought for sure we were leaving, but now I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like we’ve got a good answer.” She sighed. “It’s so hard when you know you answered a call and you’re where God wants you, then everything changes. How long do you stay? Or do you adapt? How do you know when God releases you to move on?” She glanced at Caroline and her eyebrows were knit together as her palms came up. “I’d give anything for a clear answer.”

“I guess I’ve always operated by ‘stay where you are until you have to move.’”

“Sometimes that works. Other times it’s just stubbornness. Refusing to follow when God says go. That’s what makes moments like this hard. How do you know if you’re being stubborn?” She adjusted the strap of her sundress and rolled her shoulders. “It feels good not to wear the baby carrier for a few minutes.”

Caroline didn’t rush to answer Alaina’s question. This felt important, like one of those moments when God had strategically placed her in the conversation. “What if the fact you’re concerned about these issues is enough? That all you need to do is decide? Sometimes there really isn’t a right or wrong answer. We get to choose. Maybe He wants to use you wherever you decide to invest your lives.”

Alaina nodded. “Maybe. I’ll think about what you’ve said. Right now I need to rescue Ellie before Jeff forgets he’s carrying his daughter and not a football. Thanks for talking.” The woman wandered toward the grill and her family.

Caroline watched the kids running around as if they were already on a sugar high. These kids were so resilient. She knew

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