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.”“I know what you mean.Hey, you want to take a walk out by the lake? I was thinking about walking over there.”Kari hesitated for a minute.“Sure.I’d love a walk.Your house is great but for some reason it seemed so stuffy this afternoon.”“It’s just the pretension.” Randy smiled wryly and then held the gate open for her as she followed him down the snow-covered path that led to the front yard.****Randy gazed at Kari as they walked along, imagining what it would be like to walk with her for the rest of his days.“Your house is not pretentious,” said Kari replying to his comment from a few minutes ago.“It’s magnificent and your parents are dears.You’re lucky to have them.”“I am; you’re right.I’m sure I take my parents for granted like every other person.My father’s heart attack has made me realize how important they are to me.”Kari smiled up at him and continued walking.“When I saw you on Thanksgiving, you said you had something to talk to me about,” said Randy.“Oh,” said Kari, seemingly caught off guard.Then she looked at him resolutely.“Yes, I did.I ran into Geoffrey again a couple weeks before Thanksgiving.”Randy felt incensed that this guy kept bothering her.“Did he do something to you?”A smile curved in the corner of her delicate mouth.“Well, he tried.”“Kari, this can’t go on.Something has to be done about him.You can’t live your life like this.”“Randy Steele, you really are too sweet.”Randy wanted to sweep her into his arms and keep her safe for all eternity—safe from the Geoffreys of this world, safe from anything and everything that could bring her sadness and grief.“I don’t think Geoff will be any trouble for me anymore.”“Why do you say that?”“Well, the night I told you about, he came because he felt lost.Blair had thrown him out and he didn’t know who to turn to.”“So, he came to you.” Anger began to build inside him more and more.His hands folded tightly into fists as they swung by his sides.“That’s right.He tried to grab me.I felt empowered for some reason and shook his grasp off.We were by the river and he fell right in.”“That’s horrible, Kari.Did you tell the police?”“No.The thing is I saw it as being…funny.”“Funny? Kari, how can this be considered funny?”“Well, I guess because it was so horrible and because for the first time in a long time, I could see myself clearly.Geoffrey realized how awful he’d been and I told him he needed to get to church with his wife.I also told him to find God and allow Him to work in their marriage.”“What did he say?”“He agreed.After he left, I sat on the ground and laughed so hard I thought I was going to die.”“You laughed.”“I laughed.I’ve been so silly for so long.I thought I was mourning the loss of Geoffrey and that after him I couldn’t trust my heart to anyone.But that night I realized I wasn’t really mourning Geoffrey; I was mourning what he represented.”“And what was that?”“To feel loved and secure, to be a part of a family—my own family.I’ve missed that for so long.”Randy realized how important family was to Kari and how much she needed that while he’d been disregarding his parents for five years.“I also understood I was never in love with Geoffrey, just with the idea of him.”She looked at Randy with her vivid green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.In his heart, Randy mouthed the words, I love You.I need you.I will give you love and security.But he couldn’t get the words out.Although he was sure of how much he loved her, he was beginning to believe he and Kari just weren’t meant to be.“I’m glad you worked all this out, Kari.It must bring you some consolation.”“I am happy for Geoffrey and Blair.I saw them yesterday.They’ve been going to church and are trying to build a Christian marriage.”“I’m happy for them too.” Inside he wanted to be happy for Geoffrey, but he still resented him and all the pain he had brought to Kari.He paused for a moment before continuing.“So, what do you do now? What do you plan to do with the rest of your life?”“I don’t know,” she said with a smile.“But I have hope.I started leading a teen girl’s Bible study and we have been discussing dating.The idea I came back to was I have hope.God gives me hope.”Hope.****The rest of the day went by quickly.When the phone rang, it was the hospital.The doctors agreed that Philip Steele was going to be okay.It was a mild heart attack.He would be able to come home in a few days and he didn’t need surgery.Kari told Randy and Alice she was glad she could be of help, but she really should get back home.As Randy drove her to the train station later that night, flurries of snow fell down onto the windshield of his car.“Kari, you really don’t have to go.Alice and I are going to be driving home Sunday afternoon.”She played with her fingers in her lap without looking at him.“No, I really need to get back.”They stopped in the parking lot of the train station.“Well, I don’t know what to say but thanks for all you’ve done,” said Randy.Kari took his hand as they sat there.“I’m glad to help.I hope I’ll see you when you get back.”“Definitely.” Randy wanted to tell her more.He wanted to tell her he loved her.That kiss.It had meant so much to him.He wanted to kiss her again in this car before she left and let her know just how much she meant to him.“Randy, about that kiss…”“Yes?” he answered, his voice wavering.“I don’t want you to feel strange about it.I know it didn’t mean anything more than you needing a friend’s support during this time.”“Sure, a friend.” His heart fell, depression setting in.“Well, goodbye.I’ll see you soon.” She had a smile on her face but it didn’t reach her eyes.It was as if she didn’t really mean what she was saying.“Goodbye, Kari.”Kari shut the door and Randy drove off with a hurting heart.He’d opened himself up to her again and she’d ripped his poor heart out once more.She hadn’t meant to, but she had.He didn’t know how he would be able to face her the next time he saw her.A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your WeddingA Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your WeddingChapter NineteenKari was wracked with guilt the week following her trip to Sackets Harbor.When she left Randy that night, she had made light of his beautiful kiss.She’d seen pain in his face when she suggested his kiss meant nothing more than friendship.She wondered if maybe he still did care for her, as more than a mere friend.She thought about asking Alice but the idea just made her cringe inside.What if I’m wrong and he does just consider me a friend.She’ll tell him I asked.I know she will.With the arrival of the last week of classes, students all over campus were hitting the books unlike they had done all semester.Exams were taken, projects were finished, and papers were written.It was finally time for Christmas break.Kari was glad for a vacation from school, but she wasn’t sure what she was going to do for Christmas, exactly.More than likely, Emily would ask her to spend it with her and John.Although she loved her cousin, she hated to intrude on their first Christmas together as man and wife
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