Take Three by Karen Kingsbury Page A

already had flashlights out, and as they reached base camp, everyone wanted to know what was so funny. Bailey told her snake story, but when she reached the part about stepping on the branch, she cracked up again and Cody had to finish for her.
    It was like that throughout the weekend. She had hours of solitude with the Lord, times when she could pray about the direction God had for her life, and whether New York City wassomething she really wanted. Other hours she and the girls talked, and still others, when she and Cody sat alone, rebuilding their friendship. Always their time together ended in laughter, except for once—the last night of the retreat.
    That night, with the moon a little more than a thumbnail of light overhead, they sat by the fire until everyone else had turned in. They talked about Cody’s mother and Bailey’s family and Cody’s dream to help kids the way Bailey’s parents had helped him. They sat close together, neither of them seeming to mind when their knees touched a time or two.
    Before they turned in, Cody held out his hands to her. “Pray with me, Bailey. Will you?”
    She didn’t hesitate. She slipped her fingers into his and together they bowed their heads. She started the prayer, the way she’d seen her mom and dad pray together so many times over the years. “Dear Lord, this time away has been so good for us, for the friendships that have grown stronger and for the way You feel closer than ever.” She paused, working to focus. “Thank You for Cody and his friendship. Please, Lord, keep the two of us close to You, and let Cody know how much he means to me.”
    It was Cody’s turn, and he gave her fingers a subtle squeeze as he started. “God, You know how I feel about Bailey,” he hesitated for a moment, as if his feelings for her weren’t something he was willing to actually put into words. “I begged You for a second chance at her friendship, and now here we are. Copperhead snake branches and all.” They both shared a couple seconds of quiet laughter, the sound of the fire crackling a few feet away. When he had control again, he finished. “Lord, I ask that You protect what we’ve found on the far side of Lake Monroe this weekend. Life is too short to waste on half-hearted connections and meaningless run-throughs. Now I feel closer to Bailey than ever before, and I’m blessed for the fact.
    “People could live all their lives and never have a friend like Bailey Flanigan. So thank You, Lord. And I pray for her auditioncoming up. If You want her to live in New York, to perform there and be part of maybe a revival taking place in that city, then throw open the doors for her this August. Let her stand out and let her get a role in a Broadway play.” He paused, and there was no hiding the sadness that had crept into his voice. “But only if it’s Your will, Father. Otherwise, shut the door. Then she’ll know which way You’re leading her. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
    Bailey didn’t want to let go of his hands, but slowly he let go first. She had lost her breath somewhere around the part about half-hearted connections and meaningless run-throughs, and when he asked God to let her go to New York only if it was His will, she felt her heart go into a rhythm she didn’t recognize. She swallowed hard, trying to find a way to set her world back on its axis.
    But as they stood and shared a long hug, and as he walked her to her cabin and they said good night, Bailey was breathing normally again. She was dating Tim, and until that changed, she couldn’t let herself have feelings for Cody beyond the ones they’d found here at camp. She lay in her bed in her sleeping bag for a long time, looking out the window at a brilliant spread of stars.
    God had met her in this place, in a number of ways. She felt ready to take her finals, ready to take on the challenges of the summer, ready for her audition. And she felt certain about one thing. She didn’t want to settle for an existence of