Free Shadowed by Kariss Lynch Page B

” She grew still and her eyes searched Kaylan’s face. “Kaylan,
please tell me . . . no. You weren’t . . . you weren’t in the earthquake, were you?”
    Kaylan swallowed the growing lump in her throat, unable to speak. She nodded, tears
beginning to fall, but she remained calm. “Sarah Beth and I were in Rhonda’s guest
bedroom when the quake hit. I managed to roll under my bed right before part of the
room caved in, but . . . Sarah Beth didn’t quite make it to cover. Once I managed
to climb over to her, she . . . ”
    Megan reached for Kaylan’s hand and patted it awkwardly before squeezing, nearly
causing Kaylan to wince at her strength. She thanked the Lord for the pressure. It
kept her focused. “They didn’t find us until the morning. By then, well, Sarah Beth
went to be with Jesus. She . . . ” Her voice cracked and Megan intensified her grip.
Another tear slipped down her cheek, and Kaylan realized Megan was crying too. “She
died in my arms. It wrecked my world. I spent the next few days trying to help as
many people as I could. A little boy I had played with died. I know I shouldn’t have
favorites, but Reuben”—she smiled through her tears—“he was something special. So
many gone. I still have nightmares.”
    â€œThat explains a lot. Kayles, if I’d only known, I wouldn’t have given you a hard
time.”
    Kaylan covered Megan’s hand with her free one. “I should have been honest from the
beginning. It’s just, it hasn’t even been a year, and there are times I still struggle.
I probably will for a while.”
    â€œSo how do you get over something like that? How can you still say God is good? Doesn’t
seem like He cares much to me.”
    Kaylan shrugged. “I still struggle with that too. But I know He’s good because I
saw what He did in the midst of the destruction. He is a master at bringing beauty
from brokenness, Megan. You can trust Him with your hurt. You can trust me with whatever
you aren’t saying.”
    The kitchen timer went off, and Megan jumped from the bed as if electrocuted.
    â€œI’ll get that. Thanks for telling me about Sarah Beth.” She placed the frame she’d
been holding on the bed. “Maybe some other time.” She turned and hurried from the
room.
    Kaylan replaced the photos and ran her finger down the glass protecting the shot
of Sarah Beth and her in their Halloween best. “Miss you, Bubbles.” Her mind raced
back to her first meeting with Sarah Beth in kindergarten, blowing bubbles on the
stairs, and the beginning of a beautiful, lifelong friendship. In truth, it had been
lifelong, only ending in physical death. And they had an eternity together one day.
That thought made the tears dry and a small smile break through the lingering sadness.
    She started to leave the room and noticed the frame she’d knocked to the floor in
her hurry to get to church on Sunday. She retrieved the frame and placed it on her
dresser, then stopped. The smiling faces of a foreign couple stared back at her,
the bar code from the store at the bottom of their portrait. She knew there’d been
a photo of her and Nick at the beach in that frame just last week. She searched the
floor and came up empty, then picked up the frame and studied the back. No loose
edges. Maybe Nick took it with him for something.
    She shook her head. She still couldn’t find her necklace, and now this. Maybe she
was losing her mind. She wandered toward the smell of cookies, making a mental note
to talk to Nick about the photo when he returned.

Chapter 10
    K AYLAN AND M EGAN rang the doorbell of Nina Anderson’s home next door, balancing
a plate of cookies and a pasta salad. The woman loved her flower beds. Kaylan spotted
a few tools lying in the dirt, probably abandoned for dinner preparations.
    â€œHere we go.” Megan rolled her eyes and Kaylan elbowed her,