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Zack reached for his mom’s hand, just as she’d taught him to do when was he was little.
“Father God,” Chloe prayed, “we ask that You show us how we are to love Your children. We want to be Your voice, Your hands, Your feet. Lord, use us…in small ways or big…in our own communities or in faraway places. Through us, Lord, let children feel love, joy and great blessing.”
Zack’s emotions seesawed from wanting to do all he could do to wishing his mother had asked for a birthday cruise. If he were being asked for money alone, he could write that fat check and let his conscience move on.
Chloe then talked about their workshop packets and invited conferees to call, write or e-mail her. There was no hard sell on her part and no overly impassioned plea for their participation, only the statement that she was there to help if they needed it.
“Let me end with this thought,” she said, looking at the final screen, a picture of a little girl holding her older brother’s hand, both of them so pitifully sad that Zack felt a sting of tears behind his eyes. “When you think of the overwhelming need…when you know it’s more than you can possibly handle…you will be right.”
She’d read his mind. He didn’t want to fail kids like these, but what could he do, outside of writing that check?
“You can do more than you think you can.” She paused as if she searched for the right words to bring her message home. “Remember that something is better than nothing. The one smile, the one look of recognition, the one kind word you give to a child may be the only one he receives today.”
Zack hated to believe that was true, but if it hadn’t been for his mom’s smiles and encouragement, he could have been just as sad as the kids on the screen. Would he have had the courage to achieve what he had?
His mom wiped tears from her cheeks.
Chloe was good. Really good. She had him wondering how he interacted with kids in his life. Did he ignore them while he talked to their parents? Did he ever kneel to meet their eyes?
And she had him wondering about her as more than a conference speaker. How could a guy help but admire a woman like her? Was she single? With all that world travel, she might be.
How was he going to meet her? He was terrible at making the first move. If his mother so much as sniffed at his interest, she’d make it for him, he’d be embarrassed, and his chance to know this cool woman would be over. It might be awkward, but he had to make that first move.
Chapter Three
T he house lights came up, and Chloe invited them to look through their packets. “There are plenty of ideas on how you can love the children in your own community. If you want the experience of serving in other countries, there’s information about short mission options and extended opportunities.”
She continued, raising her voice to accommodate the rustling sound of conferees looking through their packets. Zack watched his mother dig through hers. If she wanted to love children at one of those foreign locations Chloe had mentioned, he would gladly pay her way.
His best friend, Collin Brennan, an anesthesiologist, had mentioned a medical missionary trip. Collin’s wife was a nurse, and Zack could provide the surgical skills. Zack hadn’t paid much attention before, but it certainly was a possibility. Collin could put the kids to sleep while Zack used his scalpel to help them, but didn’t it make more sense to fly them to the U.S. where they could get first-class care?
Toward the end of question-and-answer period, his mother raised her hand. Chloe nodded, giving his mom the floor.
“Ms. Kilgannon, thank you for…”
Chloe looked at his mother, saw him and did a visible double take. She knew him. There was no doubt about that.
Was that good…or really, really bad? He nodded, which seemed like the right thing to do even if he didn’t have a clue when or where they’d met.
With a shadow of a smile, she nodded back and focused again on his mom. “Excuse me, could you repeat the question? I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention because I just noticed the very nice man you’re sitting next to.”
Mom looked at him with shock. “Zack? You know Chloe Kilgannon?”
“A couple of weeks ago,” Chloe said, “a friend had asked me to do my act as Flower the Clown at the hospital.
“This man is a doctor who was on the pediatrics floor to check on a patient. Since he seemed like a very kind man with an excellent sense of humor, Flower— not me —took advantage of his goodwill and drew him into the act.”
The crowd responded with “ooh’s” of understanding.
Chloe looked down at Zack and saw that he’d put it together. His smile, so big and wide, made her wobble in her new high heels. “I’m telling you this because what he did that day is a perfect example of loving children, face to face. Just by playing along and helping the children forget how sick they were, he made a difference.”
She glanced back at Zack and was surprised that he looked at her with amazement. Hadn’t he realized that he’d done a good thing?
“Did he want to be the subject of Flower’s silliness? Probably not! But he left his comfort zone to do something good for the kids. Wasn’t that great?”
All over the room people nodded and some applauded.
“I hope you’ll let me know when you’ve experienced new ways of showing children they are loved. You’ll feel so good about it, and so will I. Thank you for being a great audience.”
As Chloe stepped away from the podium, the audience rose to their feet and applauded. The workshop moderator hugged Chloe, and that was it. Her first presentation was over.
People gathered around her for more questions, and she lost sight of Zack. Her disappointment was as keen as a child who’d watched her pretty balloon float away, but she had to focus on the people who wanted to talk to her.
Finally the moderator interceded and sent everyone to lunch. The crowd thinned, and there was Zack, his arms crossed and that great smile on his face. He came toward her with an outstretched hand. “Hi, Chloe. It’s nice to meet you as yourself.”
Though she’d just shaken dozens of hands, the touch of his hand sent a little shiver of excitement up her spine. “I should confess, when we met in the hospital elevator, I did know who you were. My sisters had pointed you out at Collin Brennan’s wedding.”
“You were there? I sat with your family, but—”
“I was at the children’s table, keeping them entertained as Flower.”
“You’re very good at that,” he said with awe. “Now that I know how good, I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up that Flower genuinely fell for me, should I?”
“Flower hoped you’d forget that.”
“Forget? I never forget a red-nosed woman who literally falls at my feet.”
“You know, I hurt my knee on that move.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, switching from a smile to a look of genuine concern. “Knees are my orthopedic subspecialty. Does it still bother you?”
“No, but I’ll never do that particular fall again.”
“Good!” His grin was back. “Flower shouldn’t fall for just any guy.”
She knew he was teasing, but she felt a little zing of joy. “I never know what Flower will do next,” she said, trying to explain away her silliness.
“When she works the peds floor again, have her give me a call. I’ll be her straight man any day. It isn’t much, but I have it on good authority that anything we do for kids is better than nothing at all.”
Chloe felt a smile deep in her soul. “Thanks for remembering that.”
“I think everyone did. You could have heard a pin drop. You’re a very good speaker, Chloe.”
The sincerity in his sky-blue eyes had to be real. “Thank you. This was my first presentation, and I thought I would be sick.”
“When you walked on stage, you seemed a little nervous. I even asked the Lord to help you. But then you seemed so poised I thought I must have been wrong.”
“You didn’t consider that your prayer could have helped?” she teased.
“Not even once,” he admitted with a rueful smile.
“Well, it may have, along with the prayers of my coworkers. They all knew I felt as if I were going to the gallows.”
He shook his head and grinned. “Seriously, you were terrific up there. My mother thought so, too.”
“That was your mother beside you?”
He nodded. “This really made her day, her birthday, as a matter of fact.”
“ That’s why you’re here!” Chloe said, putting it together. “I did wonder.”
“You don’t see me as guy who’s interested in loving children, face-to-face?” he quipped.
“ Everyone can love children, face-to-face,” she said, teasing back. “But I know how busy surgeons are. I can’t see my dad or my sister taking time to attend a conference like this.”
“You’re right,” he said candidly. “I’m here for Mom. My dad died recently, and Mom’s looking for a new direction for her life. I think she’s found it.”
“I hope so! I want to meet her, but I’m due in the conference dining room. Each speaker hosts a table. Perhaps you and your mother could sit with me.”
“Mom would love that! I’m supposed to meet her outside the ladies’ room. Shall we surprise her?”
Walking out of this big room with Zack Hemingway she felt so different than she’d felt walking in. She’d been scared to death, but look at her now! She had the attention of the most sought-after bachelor in Beverly Hills.
He was quite a bit taller that she was, six feet two at least. She always noticed a man’s height because she was taller than average. Zack’s clean-shaven jaw angled before squaring off a bit at the chin, and his nose was less than perfect, which she liked a lot, considering the man lived in the plastic-surgery capital of the world.
His tan suit looked as expensive as the ones her father wore and probably was, the way it fit his wide shoulders so well. Usually she preferred the rugged look of a guy in a T-shirt and jeans, but Zack in a suit and tie looked…
Though she had an IQ of 170 and a vocabulary to match, yummy was the word that came to mind.
Zack put his hand on Chloe’s elbow and stopped their progress outside the restroom. “This is where I agreed to meet Mom,” he said.
The words were barely out of his mouth when a pretty blond woman in a pink suit and low-heeled pink pumps entered the hallway. She spotted Zack right away, but when she saw Chloe, her blue eyes lit up as if it were Christmas.
“Oh, Chloe! Zack said he would introduce us, and here you are!” She embraced Chloe in a light hug.
“Chloe, this is my mother, Bonnie Hemingway, a retired high school biology teacher from East Moline, Illinois—my hometown.”
“I’m happy to meet you, Mrs. Hemingway,” Chloe said, impressed with the joy of life this woman seemed to have.
“Please, call me Bonnie. Chloe, your presentation touched my heart more than I can say.”
“I’m so glad. I’ve never been more nervous in my life.”
“It didn’t get the best of you! You’re a natural-born speaker and teacher.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said from the bottom of her heart. “You don’t know how I appreciate the encouragement.”
“I couldn’t believe it when Zack said he knew your family.”
“And even when the moderator said your name, I couldn’t believe you were Sterling’s daughter,” Zack added.
“You didn’t recognize me?” Chloe asked with feigned dismay. “After all we’ve meant to each other?”
“I know! What can I say?” He hung his head in mock shame.
“Oh, I wish I’d been there to see your clown act!” Bonnie said. “I love clowns! I even collect them.”
“She does,” Zack affirmed with his great smile. “She has all kinds. Salt and pepper shakers, figurines, you name it. Is there any possibility that Flower could make a special appearance in honor of Mom’s birthday?”
For the opportunity to spend time with this guy, it was a done deal. “Flower loves birthday parties, but she’s pretty busy today.”
“I’m here until a week from Monday,” Bonnie said.
“Name the day, Chloe. This is Mom’s week. Not only is it her birthday, it’s her first visit to California. I took vacation time, so I’m available as a chauffeur, sock-puppet carrier or anything that doesn’t involve me in a clown suit.”
“Bonnie, would you like a clown lesson from Flower?” Chloe asked.
“Oh, my! Yes!”
“You’ll have to decide on your clown name and persona so we can design your makeup and costume.”
“I’ll have my own clown personality?” Bonnie’s blue eyes sparkled at the thought.
“Well, sure. Once you’re in costume, you’re not you anymore.”
“This will give me something to think about! Chloe, this has been such a pleasure. I wonder if you could join Zack and me for lunch? It would be so special to celebrate my birthday with you.”
“As a speaker, I’m hosting a table. I thought you and Zack might join me.”
“But of course we could. That would be marvelous!”
“I should be there now.”
“Then we shouldn’t dawdle. Those tables could be filling up fast.” Bonnie turned to walk ahead.
Zack fell into step beside Chloe. “That’s my mom, leading the way.”
“She’s wonderful,” Chloe said softly before turning to catch up. She would love to have a close relationship like that with her own mother.
“Mom, I need to call the hospital. You two go ahead and grab those seats. Okay?”
Bonnie waved him on, then took Chloe’s arm and set a pace that would get them there quickly.
“Chloe, are you seeing anyone?” she asked bluntly.
“No,” Chloe answered, wondering where this was going.
“I hope you’ll forgive a mother for saying so, but I think you and Zack would make a perfect couple.”
