"So before Julie showed up things were going well with you and Josh?"  Lindy asked.

Dani shifted the phone to her other ear as she crawled into bed. "There is no me and Josh. But yes, it was like we were friends again. Spending time with them, I felt like a normal mom. It's wrong, I know."

"You are a normal mom!" she said loyally. "Why do you think it's wrong?"

"Because Josh and Jacob aren't my family."

"I'm praying for all of you." Lindy released a long, slow breath. "He's not married yet."

"Yet," Dani echoed. "Thanks, Lindy. Sorry to call so late. I don't want to keep you but I wanted you to know Josh thinks you and Charlie should go on the camping trip."

"I knew he would. Josh is awesome like that."

Dani picked up on what she wasn't saying. "You don't sound thrilled."

"I want to go, but..." A soft sigh. "Ok, here's another secret of mine. My past isn't the only reason I don't have friends. It's hard for me to talk to people. I'm socially awkward."

"Everyone going with us is easy to talk to and you know them."

Dani could hear Charlie in the background chanting, "Please, Mom, I want to go!"

"Alright, we'll go. Thank you, Dani. For everything."

"You too, Lindy."

When she put the phone down, Dani got out of bed and kneeled to say her prayers. She wasn't sure if God cared where she prayed, but it felt right to kneel and be intentional when she spoke to the Lord.

"I want to start with thank you..." she began and then she poured her heart out to the Creator of the universe, taking peace in the knowledge that he already knew what she needed. When she said, "Amen" Dani got back into bed and tried to sleep.

The house was too quiet. She'd never felt so alone. What were Josh and Jacob doing? It was a silly question. They were in bed, probably sleeping, just like she should be but her mind refused to let her alone.

She was exhausted but restless. Finally, she closed her eyes and dozed off only to awaken suddenly when her ringtone sounded.

Groggily, she reached for her phone. "Hello?"

No one answered.

"Hello?"

Silence.

The line disconnected. Dani frowned, checking the number. She didn't recognize it. A terrible feeling covered her, remembering a time before when she'd gotten calls that went dead. No. It wasn't him. She was safe.

Her ringtone played again, taunting her.

"Who is this?" she cried.

"It's me, Dani."

She sat up. "Rachel?"

"I'm outside your house."

Dani swung her legs over the side of the bed not bothering to shove her feet into slippers. "You drove over here and called me?"

"I didn't think you'd answer the door without knowing who it is."

Rachel was right. She'd been terrified by a phone call. "Hang on. I'm coming."

"Hurry. I'm scared."

The fear in her friend's voice quickened her steps and she quickly reached the front door and opened it. Her gaze moved past Rachel, searching for danger but saw only tree limbs swaying in a breeze.

"Is someone out there?" she asked, stepping aside for Rach to pass and scanning the darkness.

Rach gave her a strange look. "Just me."

Dani shut the door and twisted the locks before turning around. Rachel was staring at her with a strange expression.

"Is something wrong?"

Her heart was racing. "You said you were scared."

"Oh. I didn't mean it like that." Rachel's eyes widened with understanding. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean serial-killer-chasing-me kind of scared."

Despite everything, Dani felt a smile. "Thanks for the visual."

"If this is a bad time..." Rach turned away as if she might leave, but Dani quickly grabbed her hand.

"There's no way I'm kicking you out before I know what made you drive to see me, of all people, at midnight, dressed in sleep shorts and a t-shirt."

"Of all people?" Rach looked confused. "You're the only one I could talk to since Annie's not back yet."

Dani was shocked. "You still trust me? I got the impression you'd made a lot of new friends and I'd been replaced."

"They're not the kind of friends you can go four years barely speaking to and pick up where you left off. Let alone confess that your life is falling apart." Rachel threw her teary look.

Dani's stomach tightened at the heartache in her voice. A moment later she heard a sniff. "What's wrong, Rach?"

A stifled sob. Another sniff.

Rachel's cheeks were wet with silent tears. "Caleb left."

At first, she didn't understand. "Where'd he go?"

"That's just it. I don't know." Rach stepped back and shoved her hands in her hair. "He stormed out the door and he's not taking my calls. He left me, Dani."

Understanding hit with a vengeance, and Dani was struck speechless. Caleb left Rachel? No. It was unthinkable. Theirs was a forever love. They were a couple everyone looked to for inspiration.

It took a moment to clear her head. Blinking away her daze, she saw Rachel sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.

"Oh, honey, I'm here for you," Dani whispered, sitting beside Rachel and putting a hand to her back.

Rachel's body shook with silent grief. After a while, her tears slowed and she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "That's why I came here. You say you're here for me and offer comfort without even asking what happened." Rachel took a ragged breath. "I wasn't even nice to you at Jacob's party."

"Forget it. I have. It's not as if I don't need your forgiveness."

"You have a better excuse than I do. The life you were sucked into affected your choices. You weren't yourself. We all know that." Rach's gaze swung to hers. "I'm sorry for not being nice to you."

"Thank you for saying that," Dani said gently, putting her arm around her friend. "Whatever happened, God is with you and Caleb."

Rachel glanced away. "God wouldn't approve of what I've done."

"Rach." Dani brushed a lock of hair from her face. "Whatever it is, ask for forgiveness. Jesus took away our sins."

Standing, Rachel paced and finally faced her. "I know. You're right. I didn't realize you'd accepted Jesus." More tears slid from Rach's chin. "We all prayed for that, but I don't think anyone prayed harder than Josh."

"I appreciate your prayers. They worked." Dani waited for her to continue.

"I had dinner with a doctor I work with," Rach blurted, her expression pained. "Say something, please."

"Ok," Dani said slowly. "That doesn't sound horrible."

"I've been flirting with him off and on for the past month."

A beat of silence.

"It all started with Lilibeth," Rach admitted. "She's one of the new trainers Caleb hired to work with the colts. Lilibeth is young and gorgeous and she watches Caleb like he single-handedly reached up and planted every single star in the sky."

Dani was quiet while Rachel paced, pushing her dark hair from her face and trying to continue the story.

"I didn't want to make a big deal, but she kept finding ways to touch him—casually, but still it bothered me. He thought I was overreacting. I thought so too, but then she keeps calling and texting him. The texts are about horses and work in general. I can't say for the phone calls." Pausing, Rachel threw her a questioning look.

"What did Caleb say?"

"He said loved me, and he'd never cheat on me."

Dani nodded. "You believe him, right?"

"I don't think he actually cheated, but...he wasn't too happy that I questioned him. I was hurt and mad. When Rick sat with me at lunch, I liked the attention. I mentioned it to Caleb, and he was furious."

"Honesty is good."

"I wanted to make him jealous, Dani. It's petty and childish, and I don't know why I did it. Then tonight I came home and found Caleb and Lilibeth laughing in the pasture together both riding the same horse!"

Her heart ached like the pain was her own. "Oh, Rach, how did Caleb react when he saw you?"

"They didn't see me." She spoke with her hands and they waved in front of her face. "I drove off and sent Rick a text that I'd meet him for dinner. He'd asked me several times, including earlier today. We had dinner, no dessert, and I went home and told Caleb when he demanded to know where I'd been."

Dani sighed in relief.

"Tell me the truth, Dani, what are you thinking?"

"You and Caleb are one of the greatest love stories ever. I want what the two of you have. You both love God and each other." She saw Rach try to smile, but it was sad. "Relationships are difficult, but this can be worked out. You need to talk to Caleb."

"He won't answer me. Maybe if you called him..."

"Try one more time," Dani told her. "If he doesn't answer, I'll call him."

Rach picked up her phone with an expression of determination. Caleb answered, and Dani was quiet while they spoke. When Rachel hung up, there were fresh tears in her eyes.

"He's spending the night with Josh. I-I can't go home. I just can't."

A wave of protectiveness washed over her, and she put her arm around her friend. "Of course not, you're staying with me."

"I'm so afraid. I don't know what to do," Rach whispered.

Reaching out she took Rachel's hands. "We should pray."