Out of the Depths

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

*Serenity, Arkansas

“I never thought of that.” Leaning slightly toward Cody, she dropped the crowbar. “Pretty dumb, huh?”

“Yeah.” There was a catch in his voice. He didn’t try to hide it.

When she started looking woozy, he reached for her.

Trudy Lynn stepped into his waiting embrace. “I won’t be stupid like that again, I promise.”

“Good. I don’t think my heart can take much more excitement.” He heard a stifled sob and began to soothe her the way he would a frightened child. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

She leaned back slightly to look at him through teary eyes and said simply, “I know.”

VALERIE HANSEN

was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.

Married to her high school sweetheart since age seventeen, she now lives in an old farmhouse she and her husband renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous turn her life has taken. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired line.

Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Valerie Hansen

Out of the Depths

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

—James 1:2–3

I never get tired of saying that Joe is the most

important person in my life. He always will be.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

PROLOGUE

“She’s the last one.”

“I told you she would be. She’s real stubborn. We’re gonna have more trouble with her than we did with the others.”

“Nonsense. She’s a woman. Alone.”

“Not exactly. She’s got a lot of friends.” He winced at the string of curses that erupted from his surly companion. “Well, she does. And folks around here stick together. You oughta know that.”

“I don’t want to hear any more lame excuses. If you can’t handle this job, I’ll hire somebody who can.”

“You threatening me?”

“I never threaten. I promise.”

“Give me a few more weeks. I’ll up the pressure. She’ll cave. I know she will.”

“She’d better. I’m sick of waiting.”

“I don’t know why you’re in such a big hurry all of a sudden. It’s gonna turn out just the way I said. It’s a sweet setup. She doesn’t suspect a thing.”

“Yet.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that. She’ll be ready to pack her bags and head for the hills before much longer. She’s already jumpy as a cat.”

“She should be,” the man said with a self-satisfied snort. “She has plenty to be scared of.”

“You said there’d be no rough stuff.”

“That was before. Things are different now. I’m running out of patience. And time. I’ll step in and clear up the problem myself, once and for all, if I have to.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Try me.”

“Whoa. Don’t get all het up.” He waved his hands in front of him, palms out, in a placating gesture. “You won’t have to do a thing. Two or three more weeks and Trudy Lynn Brown will be finished. She’ll be so down in the dumps she’ll be beggin’ for a chance to sell out.”

“Selling’s not enough. I want to see her business closed. Period. End of story.”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

“Good. You’d better make sure that’s exactly what happens or she won’t be the only one in deep trouble.”

“I know, I know. But don’t forget about those kids she’s got workin’ for her. If they get in my way it might slow down our plans a tad.”

“Humph.” He raised his boot and brought it down on a passing beetle. Its shell collapsed with a sickening, deadly crunch. “Anybody who causes too many problems for me gets the same treatment as that bug. Including you. Best you remember that when you’re dealin’ with the lady.”

“Just promise me you won’t hurt her.”

“I’m through making promises, especially to you. Get her out of my way—or else.”

ONE

“Good morning! What a beautiful day,” Trudy Lynn said, stepping out onto the porch of her cabin to greet her elderly hired hand. “Don’t you love the Ozarks this time of year?”

“Yes’m.” Will took off his sweat-stained baseball cap and held it in front of him. “Morning, Miz Brown. Can’t say it’s too good, though. Maybe you’d best sit down.”

She shaded her eyes and braced for the worst. “What now?” The look on Will’s leathery face made her heart sink. “Not more of the same?”

“’Fraid so.”

“Oh, no.”

It wasn’t fair. Not after all the sacrifices she’d made to keep this business going. She’d hung on and finally prospered when other campgrounds and canoe rentals around her had closed. This year, she’d even managed to buy a bit of new equipment.

“What did they do this time?” Trudy asked nervously.

“Took out three more of them new red canoes. Looks to me like we’d best put ’em in storage and use the old ones for now. You can’t keep buyin’ new ones if somebody’s gonna go knockin’ holes in ’em.”

“I know.”

Pensive, she stood at the porch railing and gazed fondly at the neat campsites arrayed beside the Spring River. Oaks and hickory had greened up, while dogwoods were almost done with their blooms. Every day, new varieties of wildflowers appeared, some with blossoms so tiny they could hardly be seen. The only thing spoiling the picture was the knowledge that someone despised her enough to try to ruin her.

“Okay,” Trudy told Will. “Take Jimmy and have him help you load what’s left of my best canoes on the spare trailer. I’ll tow it down to Serenity and rent a storage spot to park it. I just hate to back down like this.”

“What else can we do?”

“Nothing. We can’t stay up every night to stand guard and still hope to function well during the day, especially not when peak season gets here. Besides, it’s too dangerous for amateurs like us. And hiring a real security man would cost way too much.”

“How ’bout that ornery little dog of yours? We could tie him down by the boats. He’s sure to make a racket if anybody strange comes around.”

Trudy Lynn laughed softly and shook her head. “You know Widget barks at everything, including rabbits and deer. He’d sound false alarms and keep us running all night long.”

“Prob’ly.” The stooped old man nodded sagely. “Okay, Miz Brown, I’ll fetch Jimmy and we’ll load up them new canoes for you. He’s not gonna like doing it, though.”

“What my cousin likes or doesn’t like isn’t your problem, Will. It’s time he learned that his brains aren’t the only reason I hired him. It shouldn’t take all day to keep our accounts current. When he’s not busy in the office I expect him to lend a hand outside, not sit around playing computer games.”

“That, I gotta see.”

“You will. I promise,” Trudy Lynn said, smiling. “He’s my kin. I can always threaten to tell Grandma Earlene if he doesn’t behave. Otherwise, I’ll fire him, just like I did that Randall boy.”

The old man put his cap back on and hesitated, squinting against the bright sunlight. “You be careful who you rile up. So far, all we’ve lost is a few boats. I don’t want to lose you, too.” Smiling wryly he added, “I’d never find another job as easy as this one. Not at my age.”

She chose to take him seriously in spite of his jesting tone. “You be careful, too, you old coot. I’d never find another helper as savvy and hardworking as you are.” Will’s throaty chuckle warmed her heart. “Now get going.”

“Yes, ma’am. You gonna be tending the camp store?”

“No. The new girl’s a fast learner. She can cope with the store. Farley’s had enough training to handle canoe launches by himself till you’re free. As soon as you and Jimmy get that trailer hitched and loaded, bring the truck up here, and I’ll head for Serenity.”

“Yes’m.”

Watching Will shuffle away, Trudy Lynn marveled at his devotion. He was a jewel, all right, but he was no kid. How much longer could he keep working? Every spring she had to train a new batch of local teens because her prior employees had either grown up and moved away or sought better-paying, year-round jobs. Trying to operate both the campground and canoe rental without Will’s steady support seemed like an impossible task.

She huffed in disgust. If the vandalism kept on as it had been—or escalated—she might not have to worry about doing without Will. There wouldn’t be any business left to run.

Once in Serenity, Trudy Lynn decided to stop at Becky Malloy’s to unwind before driving back to camp. She knocked on the screen door of the old stone house and was welcomed with a pleasant, “Come on in! I’m in the kitchen.”

“It’s just me.” She pushed open the screen. “Mmm. Smells good in here. Has your aunt Effie been borrowing your fancy oven to bake again?”

Becky stuck her head around the corner from the kitchen. “Hi there! Nope, I’m the one making the mess. I hope my cookies turn out as good as Effie’s always do. I’ve got company coming tonight.”

“In that case, I won’t keep you,” Trudy Lynn said. “I just stopped by for a little commiseration.”

“I’m getting real good at that. Never dreamed how often I’d be called on to help people now that I’m a pastor’s wife. I’m busier than when I was church secretary.”

“How’s Logan doing? As a preacher, I mean.”

“As well as can be expected. There’ll always be problems. All churches have them, even Serenity Chapel.” She tittered. “Congregations would get along a lot better if they were made up of perfect saints. Unfortunately, there aren’t any of those available.”

“Amen. Which reminds me of why I stopped by,” Trudy Lynn said. “We were vandalized again last night.”

“No way!” Her friend’s mouth fell open. “What happened?”

“Somebody knocked holes in more of my canoes. I just dropped off the rest of the new ones at the storage yard over on Highway 395.”

“That’s unbelievable. What did the sheriff say this time?”

“I haven’t told him yet. Why hurry? He never finds any clues. I figured I’d stop by his office while I’m in town and fill him in.”

“Do you want me to ask Logan to look into it for you?” Becky asked.

“And distract him from his church work? Absolutely not. He’s not a detective anymore. Besides, he never did have connections around here—and I doubt anybody back in Chicago has it in for me.”

“You’re probably right about that.” A timer dinged and Becky went to the oven to remove a sheet of finished cookies and replace it with another that was ready to bake. “Well, if you change your mind, all you have to do is ask,” she said, resetting the timer.

“I know. Thanks.” Trudy Lynn eyed the tray. “I could be talked into tasting a few of those if you have extra. I was so upset I forgot to eat breakfast.”

“How about having a cup of tea with me, too? I need a break. I’ve been at this all morning.”

“Sure.” Trudy Lynn got two mugs from the cupboard and added tea bags while her friend put a kettle of water on to boil. “So, who are you expecting? Must be important to make you go to all this trouble. You hate cooking.”

“I can do anything if I set my mind to it. Dad told me oatmeal raisin cookies are Cody’s favorite so I made lots.”

“Cody? Your brother’s coming?” She felt the flush of her reddening cheeks. “I thought he was long gone.”

“He was.” Sighing, Becky joined her at the table. “He got hurt.”

“Oh, no! When?” Trudy Lynn immediately reached for her friend’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t even hear about it until yesterday. I guess Cody didn’t want anybody to feel sorry for him. Dad didn’t find out till Cody called and asked if he could spend a few weeks recuperating at his place.”

“How badly was he hurt?”

“Bad enough. His leg was broken. But that’s not the worst part. When he told his girlfriend he might always have a little trouble getting around, she ditched him.”

“The one he told everybody he was going to marry? That’s awful!”

“No kidding. Dad says he’s really down in the dumps. That’s why I invited him here. My father’s at work all day and Cody has nothing to do at Dad’s condo but brood about everything he’s lost. I figure, if he’s here with Logan and me, we can at least keep his mind occupied.”

“What about physical therapy? Won’t that help?”

“It probably would if he hadn’t refused to keep doing it.” Becky made a face. “He is one stubborn Viking.”

“I’d never thought of him that way before. He does kind of look like paintings of Eric the Red. So do you.” She blushed. “The reddish-blond hair part, I mean, not the Viking-raider-swinging-a-sword part.”

“Glad we got that straightened out.” Becky was chuckling. “Why don’t you stop by for supper tonight? Dad will be here and I’ve already invited Carol Sue to keep him company. We could use a fourth. You liked Cody when you met him, didn’t you?”

“Sure, but—”

“Then come. Will won’t mind babysitting your camp for a few hours. I don’t expect the party to last long. Dad wants to head back up north and Cody’ll probably be worn-out, especially after the long drive.”

“What if he’s not up to being in a crowd?”

“Then I’ll just wag my finger in his face and tell him to get over himself, like any spoiled baby sister would.” Her smile grew. “I’ll probably get away with it, too, since we don’t have a lot of history together. At least I hope I will.”

Trudy Lynn thought back to Becky’s odd past, being kept away from her brother and father because of her mother’s lies. She took a bite of warm cookie and chewed thoughtfully before answering, “I hope so, too.”

By the time she’d finally made up her mind on what to wear that evening, Trudy Lynn was disgusted with herself for being so uneasy. She was only having supper at a friend’s house, not going to a real party. It didn’t make any difference what she wore as long as she was presentable.

She made a face as she pulled the camp pickup into Becky’s driveway and parked. Apparently, her subconscious disagreed. She couldn’t recall feeling this concerned about her appearance for ages. Not that she wasn’t always dressed properly, especially on Sunday mornings. She just wasn’t usually as aware of the details, like whether her long, brown hair lay perfectly in place or her nails were neatly filed.

The muted silk dress she’d chosen for that evening was a favorite, partly because it brought out the misty-green of her hazel eyes. An attempt at highlighting her lashes with mascara, however, had had disastrous results. The brush had slipped and her right eye was still smarting.

Peering at her reflection in the truck’s rearview mirror, she ran one finger gently beneath her sore eye. At least it had quit watering so the remaining mascara was no longer making black smudges. She didn’t want Becky’s big brother to take one look at her and conclude she’d been the loser in a fistfight!

Thoughts of Cody Keringhoven made her pulse jump. He was handsome, in a rugged sort of way. And when he’d smiled at her and his blue eyes had sparkled so mischievously, she’d tingled all over, in spite of her vow to never get involved with another man.

Funny, Trudy mused, stepping down out of her pickup and starting toward the house. She hadn’t thought of Ned, her ex-fiancé, for ages. Perhaps she was finally getting over the disappointment of their breakup. It was high time.

Climbing the porch steps, she was about to knock when Logan pushed open the door and greeted her.

“Trudy Lynn! Glad you could make it. Becky told me she’d invited you.”

“Am I early? I didn’t see any other cars.”

“No. Not at all.” He ushered her inside. “Dan drove around back so Cody wouldn’t have to wrestle with the front stairs while he’s on crutches. Can I get you something to drink? We have iced tea, soda and lemonade.”

“Nothing now, thanks. Where is everybody?”

“Becky’s in the kitchen, chiseling supper out of the roaster, and Dan’s showing Carol Sue the newest model of those fancy cars he sells. The last time I saw Cody he was parked on the couch in the living room. Why don’t you go keep him company till everybody else gets back?”

“Maybe I should help your wife?”

“There is no help for her when it comes to cooking,” Logan joked. “Besides, that’s my job. I’ve gotten really good at salvaging burned food.”

Trudy Lynn took a mock swing at him. “Cynic.”

“Realist, you mean. Come on. I’ll introduce you to Cody, just in case he doesn’t remember meeting you before.”

“Oh, that’s flattering,” she retorted, grinning. “I met him at church, and again right here in this house last Christmas, besides your wedding. If he doesn’t remember me after all that, I’ll be really disappointed.”

They entered the modest living room together. Cody was seated on the brocade sofa with one leg propped stiffly on the coffee table atop a throw pillow. Dejection had affected him so deeply he barely resembled the vital man he’d been. It broke her heart to see such a dramatic, negative change.

Logan made brief small talk, then excused himself.

“Nice to see you again,” Trudy Lynn said, trying to sound upbeat.

Cody barely glanced at her. “You’ll pardon me if I don’t get up?”

“Sure. No problem. Mind if I sit here?”

He shrugged. “It’s a free country.”

Choosing to ignore his moodiness she perched at the opposite end of the sofa, taking care to avoid bumping the coffee table or his elevated leg. “I’m certainly glad it is. And I’m thankful for the folks who keep it that way, too. Were you in the army like Brother Logan?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Trudy Lynn tried a different subject. “Becky tells me you guide raft trips.”

He glanced at his injured leg, then scowled at her. “I used to.”

“You will again.”

“Not according to the doctors.”

Oh dear. No wonder he was bitter. Becky hadn’t told her enough about his injury to keep her from saying the wrong thing and now she had her foot planted firmly in her mouth.

“Have you gotten a second opinion?” she asked, hoping to salvage something encouraging from their conversation.

“What for?”

Trudy Lynn couldn’t help the tiny smile that threatened to spread as she said, “To see if the second doctor is as sure about your leg as the first one was? I think that’s what second opinions are supposed to do.”

“Very funny.”

“I figured it was worth a try.” Leaning closer, she lightly touched the back of his hand. “Look, Cody, I know you’ve had it rough lately. We all face problems we can’t understand, especially when we’re stuck in the middle of them. It’s how we let those situations influence us and shape our future that matters.”

He pulled his hand away. “You have no idea what I’m facing. Don’t preach to me, lady. I get enough of that from my family.”

“I see.”

Trudy Lynn’s initial urge was to apologize and commiserate with him. She quickly decided that would be the worst thing she could do. If he wasn’t ready to look for the bright side of his troubles, then so be it. She didn’t intend to sit there and argue with him.

Chin up, she got to her feet and smoothed her flowing skirt. “Okay. Have it your way. You can wallow in self-pity all you want. I’m going out to the kitchen to help your sister. It’s her I feel sorry for. I can go home. She’s going to be stuck here with you for who knows how long.”

The last thing she saw as she whirled and flounced from the room was Cody’s expression of utter astonishment.

As soon as he was alone, Cody sank back against the sofa cushions. That woman didn’t understand. Nobody could. He was still struggling to accept what had happened—and he’d been there—so how could anyone else have a clue as to what he was going through?

That fateful day had seemed perfect for running the rapids. “This is it,” he remembered shouting. “Paddles inside!”

The bow of the raft had cut through the high side of the channel and plunged straight into an eddy. Behind him, the Slighman brothers had been whooping it up like the seasoned veterans they were. It was the two younger men in the front of the raft who’d had Cody worried. The guy on the right looked strong enough to bench press a semi truck, but he was acting way too nervous.

“Okay. Brace yourselves,” Cody ordered. “Here comes the Widow-maker.”

Busy keeping the raft away from submerged rocks, he only half saw his panicky client let go of the safety ropes, drop to the floor and curl into a fetal position.

“No! Get up! You’re throwing our balance off!”

The pliable raft’s pitch and yaw tossed the loose passenger around like a knot of dirty laundry in an overloaded washing machine. Cody strained to plot a safe course through the approaching cataracts. The trick was to be in the right place at the right time and let the river do the navigating. His biggest concern was how much deviation his passenger’s erratic behavior had already caused.

“Sit on the floor and stay there,” he roared. “Before you get us all killed.”

Cody’s muscles strained to master the treacherous river. His lungs labored, his body ached. Determination welded his cold, stiffening fingers to the oars. Squinting, he spotted a narrow, clear path ahead. Thank You, God.

Suddenly, the man he’d ordered to stay on the floor gave a strangled cry and thrust his head over the side. Cody had only two options: make a course correction and hope the water was high enough to skim submerged rocks, or press through narrows where the fool might be decapitated. He chose the rocks.

Blinding spray stung like tiny hailstones. Momentum lifted the raft high on the left side, depressing the right till it was pushed underwater, sick man and all. Helpless to do more, Cody watched his passenger wash over the side. Then, to his enormous relief, he noticed the man’s hand was fisted around the safety rope.

“Feet first!” Cody shouted. “Lead with your legs.”

Instead, the frightened man grabbed an oar shaft.

Cody passed his free oar to one of the experienced rafters behind him and dropped to his knees. “Let go before you wreck us!”

Instead, ice-cold fingers closed around his wrist. Already off balance, Cody was easily jerked out of the raft.