Ever Present Danger by Kathy Herman Page A

would force Ivy to confront her spiritual roots that seemed to have long ago withered and died. How many years had it been since Ivy had even said the name of Jesus, much less felt loved by Him? And God’s stealing Lu away so tragically certainly didn’t make her want to trust Him again.

    “When are you going?” Montana said, his voice sounding shaky.

    Lu pressed her lips to his cheek. “Sometime soon I’ll close my eyes and go from here to heaven, just like that.”

    “Will you disappear?”

    “No, my body will be buried. But my spirit—the special part of me you can’t see with your eyes—will be alive in heaven with God. And someday He’ll bring my body back to life and change it into a much better one that won’t get old or feel sick or sad.”

    “Like Wonder Woman!” Montana said.

    “Oh, even better.” Lu tilted Montana’s chin and looked into his eyes. “I don’t know how many days I’ll be here, but there’s something I need you to remember always.”

    “What?”

    Lu placed her hand on his heart. “Even after I’m gone, a part of me will be in your heart. And you’ll remember things I’ve said and happy times we had. Those are yours. No one can take them away.”

    Montana’s chin quivered. “I don’t want to remember . I want you to stay here.”

    “I know you do, but I need you to be the bravest you’ve ever been. It’s a little sad and scary when someone you love is dying. But remember I’ll see you again. I’ll be waiting for you in the heavenly kingdom.”

    Ivy dabbed her eyes and got up quietly and slipped out of the room, thinking this conversation should belong only to them.

    “I don’t know what else we can do, Elam.” Carolyn Griffith stared at the flames in the fireplace. “It’s a horrible situation. But I’m grateful that Ivy brought Lu to us instead of trying to deal with this in Denver by herself. Can you even imagine what would have—”

    “Settle down, Carolyn, I agree with you,” Elam said. “It’s just that everything this girl does involves a drama of some kind. When does it end?”

    “I don’t know. Obviously not today.”

    “Are they up there telling the boy right now?”

    “I think so.” Carolyn sighed. “Maybe Montana would seem more like your grandson if you stopped calling him the boy .”

    “I’m not about to get attached to him till I know Ivy isn’t going to take him away from us. I don’t trust her to do anything she says. She’s manipulating us, just like I said she would.”

    “Well, don’t punish Montana for Ivy’s mistakes. He needs a male figure in his life, and right now you’re it.”

    “What if I don’t want to be it?”

    Carolyn heard footsteps on the stairs and seconds later saw Ivystanding in the doorway. “Come in and sit by the fire, honey. Did you tell him?”

    Ivy nodded but couldn’t seem to get any words out. She sat on the couch across from her parents, then wiped her eyes with a tissue and blew her nose. “Lu told him.”

    Ivy recounted the conversation in short, emotional sentences.

    “Then Lu’s a believer?” Carolyn said.

    “Yes, but she never pushed the envelope till today. I can’t believe she put me on the spot like that in front of Montana.”

    “Has the boy ever been to church?” Elam said.

    Ivy shook her head. “I haven’t been since I left home.”

    “Well, after Lu’s remark about Jesus, the boy’s bound to have questions. So I take it you lied yesterday morning when you said you were exhausted and couldn’t go to church with us?”

    “Don’t be mad. I didn’t know how to tell you I don’t know what I believe right now.”

    “Why don’t you try leveling with us?” Elam said. “You’ve got to stop the game playing if we’re ever going to put this family back together.”

    “I’m sorry, Dad. I wasn’t sure you would understand that I need to get my head on straight before I try to be any kind of spiritual example.”

    Elam rolled his eyes.