Healing Tides by Lois Richer Page A

think?” Sister rose, hugged her. “You will be in my prayers, child. I believe God has great plans for you.”
    “Thank you.” As Glory walked over the diamond-studded dewy grass toward home, Glory felt cheered by her words.
    All but the last ones.
    God has great plans for you.
    Did those plans include Bennie? And how did they involve Jared Steele?

Chapter Five

    “J oy cometh in the morning.”
    Or, if not joy then energy.
    Jared stood in the blazing sunshine and sipped the coffee he’d just made. For some reason the world looked brighter today. He’d adhered to Glory’s schedule for a week now. Sooner or later he was going to have to admit she was right.
    The telephone rang. He hurried inside to answer it, thinking of the clinic and how weary she’d looked last night when he arrived to take over.
    “Yes?”
    “Aloha, Jared. I hear in your voice that you are working too hard. It’s a good thing I have planned a luau.”
    He almost groaned at Kahlia’s cheerful voice. He’d hoped Glory had kept his former mother-in-law too busy to draw him into their family circle. Clearly not.
    “A luau? What’s the occasion?”
    “Pono’s birthday, of course.” Her tone scolded him for not remembering. “It’s tomorrow.”
    “I don’t think I can make—”
    “We hardly ever see you anymore, Jared. You missed Grandma’s party.”
    The hint of reproach irritated but he struggled not to show it.
    “I’m not sure I can get away tomorrow evening. I’m on night rotation right now.” Jared shuffled through some papers he’d brought from the mission but couldn’t see Glory’s schedule among them. At least I think I am . “Can I check and let you know?”
    “Of course. Bring Glory. Pono would be happy to meet her.”
    “I’m not sure Dr. Cranbrook—”
    “Aloha, Jared, my son. See you tomorrow evening at seven.” The phone clicked.
    Jared set down the receiver, closed his eyes and tried to recapture his joy in the morning.
    “Something wrong?” Glory waited in the open doorway.
    “Not really.”
    “Then what—really?”
    “Kahlia wants—” He cut himself off, started again. “Remember she talked about her husband’s birthday. Pono’s sixty-fifth birthday party is tomorrow night. She invited us to a luau.”
    “You don’t want to go.”
    “No.”
    “So don’t go.”
    If only it were that easy.
    “The thing is, birthdays are a big deal with them.” Any occasion was a big deal to Diana’s parents. They lived life large, squeezed the joy out of every moment. Diana had been like that, too.
    “So go.” Glory leaned against the doorjamb studying him.
    “Shouldn’t you be working?” Anything to keep her from probing into his personal problems.
    “Nope. And neither should you.” Fun lurked in her green gaze. “We’re off today. That’s what I came to tell you. Or rather ask. I’m going to Honolulu. Want to come? You could look for a gift for the birthday boy.”
    “How were you planning on getting there?” he asked, holding up the coffeepot.
    She shook her head.
    “Well, if my powers of persuasion don’t work on you, I guess I’m stuck taking the bus. Of course, the bus ride is very lo-o-ng.” She stretched the word out, obviously intent on making him feel guilty.
    It was working.
    “The bus will take forever and I won’t have time to visit Waikiki or Diamond Head or the International Marketplace or Pearl Harbor or the Arizona Memorial or—”
    “Enough.” He held up a hand. “You can’t possibly see all that in one day, anyway. And why Waikiki? We have a far superior beach right here.”
    “Oh, Dr. Steele, it isn’t the superiority of the beach I’m concerned about.” She gave him that arch look, laughing at him. “Do you realize that it’s January?”
    “Uh-huh. Has been for about a month now.” He finished his coffee, decided a third cup wasn’t a good idea given that he hadn’t eaten breakfast.
    “At home it’s the middle of winter—long dark days and