Landsford stumbled through a few more questions. “Surely as an educator you can see the good that comes with separation of church and state, Mr. Quinn.” The attorney lost some of his sarcasm and found a modicum of the charm he’d had at the beginning of the trial. “You do see that, right?”
“Well, yes.” Wendell nodded. “If I forced religion on my students, it wouldn’t be their own. It wouldn’t be real.” He smiled, polite to the core. “The reason you see change in the students at Hamilton High is because no one forced them. They chose Christianity all on their own.”
Landsford looked like he was deflating. His shoulders sank and he stared at Wendell. Finally he shook his head and handed Wendell off to Luke Baxter. Luke was smiling before he stood up.
He had a copy of Wendell’s contract and once Wendell established that the document was indeed his employment contract, Luke read the definition of Wendell’s job duties once more. Straight from the document. Luke’s questions moved to Wendell’s discouragement when things were in a dire state at Hamilton High, and then to the research Wendell had done that summer.
“I needed to find a way to do my job,” Wendell said. “There was nothing in our district’s policy prohibiting me from starting a voluntary Bible study. So I decided to give it a try.”
The next set of questions dealt with the success of the program. Overall, Wendell was sure his testimony couldn’t have gone better if he’d put the students, themselves, on the stand. And the fact that eighty of them had arrived just before he took his testimony was more than Wendell could take in.
When he returned to his seat, he couldn’t stop the tears. Wendell wiped at them and tried to find his composure once more. Before court was adjourned for the day, Landsford rested his case. Tomorrow Luke would have his chance.
“I have a surprise for everyone.” Luke patted Wendell on the shoulder. “Today was perfect, Wendell. Absolutely perfect.”
“Only God could’ve worked things out the way they went today.”
“I agree.” Luke chuckled. “I have a feeling we’ll say the same thing tomorrow.”
Cami and Jordy and dozens of students were lined up behind the railing waiting to talk to Wendell. Alicia was waiting, too. But before Wendell could thank Luke again and move on, Andy Nelson approached the two of them.
By then, Landsford was gone. He had packed up his things and exited the courtroom without talking to the media. Andy, though, had remained at the plaintiff’s table and now, as he approached, Wendell could see tears on the man’s face.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Quinn. I never . . . I never meant to hurt you or . . . the students at Hamilton.”
Luke’s eyes grew wide, but he didn’t say anything. Wendell took the cue. “Well . . . I appreciate that. I’m sorry about you and your daughter. What’s happened between you.”
“I have a lot of work to do.” Andy pressed his lips together, obviously emotional. He looked at Luke. “But I’m making changes for the better.” He paused. “I assume you’ll call me as a witness tomorrow. When you present your defense.”
The look on Luke’s face told Wendell that his attorney was scrambling. “I . . . uh, yes. I’m planning on it.”
“Good.” Andy nodded at Luke and then Wendell. “Again . . . I’m sorry.”
With that he turned and left the courtroom. He avoided Cami and the other students and ignored the shouts from the reporters. Wendell watched him leave and then turned to Luke. “What in the world?”
“Exactly.” Luke looked dazed. Andy had testified on the first day of the trial. Landsford had kept his questions brief and functional. Establishing only that yes, Andy had filed the lawsuit. That left Luke no chance to cross-examine the man beyond those questions. “I thought Landsford didn’t ask enough questions the first time around. Maybe he knew that Andy had become a liability to the case.”
Wendell nodded. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”
“I can hardly wait.” Luke smiled at Wendell as he gathered his paperwork. “Go greet your fans. They won the game for us today.”
“We serve a very good God, Luke.” Wendell patted his attorney on the shoulder.
“Yes.” Luke’s eyes softened. “Win or lose. That much will always be true.”
It took an hour for Wendell to greet the students. Alicia stayed by his side the whole time, saying hello to students she hadn’t seen in more than a year. Out in the parking lot there were two buses that had brought the students. A decision made by Wendell’s assistant principal.
Before the students took off, Jordy and Cami came up to Wendell and Alicia. His son hugged him and then looked straight into his eyes. “Dad . . . this idea was Cami’s and mine. I thought you should know.”
“I wondered.” Alicia gave Cami a hug. “What a wonderful thing to organize.”
“She got the booster club to make us the shirts a few days ago.” Jordy smiled at the girl. He was clearly proud of her.
“Wow . . . that’s . . . that’s amazing.” Wendell thought about the unkind things he’d said about her and her father the other night. He smiled at the girl. “Thank you, Cami. Jordy tells me the two of you have gotten very close.”
A slight blush worked its way across Cami’s cheeks. “We have. Yes, sir.”
Jordy took hold of Cami’s hand. He had never looked happier.
“Well, then.” Wendell smiled from Cami to Jordy. “When all this is over, I hope you’ll join us for dinner.”
Cami beamed. “I will. Thank you, sir.” Her smile faded some. “I’m sorry again. About all this.”
“It’s not your fault.” He patted the girl’s shoulder. “Besides, Jordy reminded me a few days ago. God’s got it.”
Wendell walked Alicia to her car just as a dark SUV sped out of the far side of the parking lot. She stopped and shaded her eyes, watching the vehicle leave. “There it is.”
“What?” Wendell followed her gaze. “Is that the car? The one you’ve seen following you?”
“I think so.” She sighed and turned to Wendell. “I never see it in the daylight. Sometimes I think it’s all in my mind.” She wrapped her arms around Wendell and hugged him. “Tell me it’s all in my mind.”
Wendell ran his hand along the back of her head. “It’s all in your mind.” He wanted desperately to believe that. “Who do you think it could be?”
She lifted her pretty eyes to his. “Who else?”
“Jack? But he’s married.” Wendell hadn’t considered for a minute that Jack Renton might be the one following Alicia. “You said he was out of your life.”
“He was. It’s just . . . Only Jack would do something like that.” Her eyes told him she was fighting the fear, trying to keep it from rising up within her once more. “It has to be my imagination.”
“Why don’t you come over for dinner? We’re getting takeout. Jordy’s picking it up on the way home.”
“Really?” Her fear eased a little. Alicia smiled at him. “I’d love that.”
“Okay, then.” He stepped back. They were still taking things one day at a time. For now, anyway. “See you there.”
It wasn’t until Wendell backed out of his parking space that he saw something that made him wonder if Alicia was right. Maybe someone was watching her, following her. Parked thirty yards away from the exit was a familiar car, one very much like the car that had sped out of the lot a few minutes earlier.
A dark SUV.
Before Wendell could pull up beside the SUV, the driver raced off. Wendell thought about chasing the vehicle or calling the police, but then he stopped himself. What could he say? And what would the police be able to do?
Crazy people hung out at courthouses. There were trials taking place in every courtroom. No one was following Alicia. Jack Renton was married. He hadn’t called her in months. Wendell waited at the next light. He and Alicia were about to have a fun evening together. Nothing to worry about.
End of story.
? ? ?
ASHLEY BAXTER BLAKE was working in Janessa’s classroom that day, the way she always did on Thursday afternoons. It was story hour, time for the kids to read books they’d brought from home. Students could read either quietly to themselves or aloud with their classmates.