All for One Read online

  Also by Melody Carlson

  As Young As We Feel (Cook)

  Hometown Ties (Cook)

  Limelight (Multnomah)

  Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon (Summerside)

  A Mile in My Flip-Flops (WaterBrook)

  The Christmas Dog (Revell)

  ALL FOR ONE

  Published by David C Cook

  4050 Lee Vance View

  Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

  David C Cook Distribution Canada

  55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5

  David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

  Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

  David C Cook and the graphic circle C logo

  are registered trademarks of Cook Communications Ministries.

  All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,

  no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form

  without written permission from the publisher.

  This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are

  the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance

  to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc™. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

  LCCN 2010942614

  ISBN 978-1-4347-6493-5

  eISBN 978-0-7814-0617-8

  © 2011 Melody Carlson

  Published in association with the literary agency of Sara A. Fortenberry.

  The Team: Don Pape, Erin Healy, Amy Kiechlin, Caitlyn York, Karen Athen

  Cover Design: FaceOut Studios, Tim Green.

  Cover Images: Getty Images, #77502780 and #97829581, royalty-free.

  First Edition 2011

  Contents

  Chapter 1 - Abby

  Chapter 2 - Janie

  Chapter 3 - Caroline

  Chapter 4 - Marley

  Chapter 5 - Abby

  Chapter 6 - Janie

  Chapter 7 - Caroline

  Chapter 8 - Marley

  Chapter 9 - Janie

  Chapter 10 - Abby

  Chapter 11 - Caroline

  Chapter 12 - Marley

  Chapter 13 - Janie

  Chapter 14 - Abby

  Chapter 15 - Caroline

  Chapter 16 - Janie

  Chapter 17 - Marley

  Chapter 18 - Caroline

  Chapter 19 - Abby

  Chapter 20 - Janie

  Chapter 21 - Marley

  Chapter 22 - Caroline

  Chapter 23 - Abby

  Chapter 24 - Janie

  Chapter 25 - Marley

  Chapter 26 - Janie

  Chapter 27 - Caroline

  Chapter 28 - Marley

  Chapter 29 - Janie

  Chapter 30 - Abby

  AfterWords

  Discussion Questions

  An Excerpt from The Four Lindas Book 4

  Chapter 1

  ABBY

  Holding her breath, Abby leaned across the bed and listened intently. Was Paul still breathing? The background sound of the high-tide surf outside made it difficult to hear. She held her hand about an inch from his nose and waited until a puff of warm air crossed her palm. With a sigh of relief she leaned back into her pillow. Paul was still alive. But Abby’s adrenaline was flowing and she was wide awake.

  She quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom, where she picked up her prescription bottle of Ambien and blurrily studied the label. To take or not to take, that was always the question. So far she had resisted. Plagued with insomnia ever since Paul had come home from the hospital almost two weeks ago, Abby received the prescription from her doctor. And yet she was still afraid to take one. What if she fell so soundly asleep that she snoozed right through Paul suffering another heart attack?

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Paul told her when she’d confessed her sleepless nights to him—and that was after he caught her putting his mug of low-sodium soup into the freezer instead of the microwave. “I’m feeling great,” he’d assured Abby. “You worry too much.”

  She had laughed off her faux pas and controlled her response. What she wanted to say was that she only worried too much because Paul didn’t worry enough. He failed to take his recovery seriously. He’d already fallen off his exercise regime—a daily walk on the beach—which had been something she hoped they could do together. Plus, despite her efforts to reeducate herself to cook more healthfully, she had spied junk-food wrappers in his pickup just yesterday. It was as if he wanted another heart attack.

  Naturally she couldn’t say this to him, because she was also well aware that stress (i.e., domestic disputes) would only put him at greater risk. She was determined not to go there. As a result her stress levels seemed to be on the rise. Occasionally Abby wondered what would happen if she experienced a heart attack herself.

  She set the Ambien bottle back in the medicine cabinet and went out to the kitchen to heat some nonfat milk. Nature’s remedy. It sometimes worked, sometimes didn’t.

  With her cup of warmed milk in hand, she went into the living room and pulled out the notebook that she’d created for The Coastal Cottage, the name she’d finally settled on for her bed-and-breakfast. Filled with a collection of magazine photos, paint and wallpaper samples, fabric swatches, and lots of other fun things, this notebook seemed more like a dreamy escape than a real business these days.

  Yet Abby knew the old house actually belonged to her now. Well, to her and Janie anyway. Janie, true to her word, seemed determined to remain something of a silent partner. However, Janie had begun some of the renovations needed to transform the basement into a law office. Abby was trying not to feel jealous over Janie’s jump start, but sometimes it was a challenge to be friends with Janie. Not only did she have money to do whatever she liked, she also had the freedom. Of course, being widowed was a high price to pay for freedom.

  Really, Abby reminded herself as she firmly closed the notebook, her number-one priority right now was to help Paul to fully recover from his surgery. According to his doctor that would take up to six weeks, or to right around Thanksgiving. She was determined to do everything in her power to ensure that Paul not only recovered, but that by Christmas he would be healthier than ever before. She just hoped that her own health could hold out that long.

  Out of habit Abby picked up the remote and turned on the TV, tuning in to her favorite show—Live in the Morning—and she watched sleepily as the hosts did their usual chitchat, talking about their exciting lives, where they’d eaten dinner last night in New York City, and so on. Abby’s ears perked up when it was time for the contest. She’d sent in dozens of postcards over the years, hoping that someday they would pick hers and call her and ask her the question of the day. Usually she knew the answers to the trivia questions, but lately her mind had been too muddled to remember. Today when they asked the question, Abby was clueless. She turned off the TV and hoped they wouldn’t be choosing her postcard anytime soon.

  * * *

  “You look like death warmed over,” Marley told Abby as the four friends met at Clifden Coffee Company on Tuesday morning. Thanks to an additional caregiver that Caroline recently found to look after her mom, their Four Lindas morning get-together had become a weekly event.

  “Thanks a lot,” Abby r
esponded glumly. Then, as she slid next to Marley on the bench seat, she noticed that she’d forgotten to change out of her grubby sweats. Her friends always looked so stylish and well put together. Abby had promised herself to try harder in the fashion department. But she was just so stinking tired.

  “Still not sleeping?” Caroline asked with concern.

  Abby just shook her head, then took a slow sip of the steaming house blend.

  “The Ambien’s not working?” Janie scooted a chair closer to the table.

  “I’m not taking it,” Abby admitted. Then she poured out her tale, confessing her fears that Paul could possibly expire while she snoozed in oblivion. In the light of day and based on her friends’ expressions, Abby suspected her story sounded rather silly.

  “Poor Abby.” Caroline patted her hand. “You need to go easier on yourself.”

  Marley nodded. “It’s like you’re playing God, Abby. Like you think you can control Paul’s fate. But you can’t.”

  “Besides that, you need to take care of yourself,” Caroline said. “How can you possibly help Paul if you run yourself ragged?”

  “Not only that, but sleep deprivation is dangerous to others,” Janie pointed out. “Did you know that you’re as unsafe on the road as an intoxicated driver?”

  Abby just groaned. “Thanks for reminding me. I got a ticket for running a stop sign this morning.”

  “See?” Janie nodded vigorously. “You could get seriously hurt.”

  “Or hurt someone else.”

  Abby sighed. “I know, I know. You guys are right.”

  “It’s only natural that you’re concerned about Paul’s recovery,” Janie said gently, “but I’m sure he’d appreciate it if you were a bit more concerned about yourself, too.”

  “Otherwise you’ll end up being totally codependent,” Caroline added. “I’ve been learning a lot about that in my Alzheimer’s support group. You don’t want the purpose of your whole existence to be wrapped up in other people’s needs.”

  Abby couldn’t help but laugh at Caroline now. “Isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black?”

  Caroline wrinkled her nose at Abby. “Hey, at least I’m working on it.”

  “How is your mom doing?” Janie asked Caroline.

  “She seems to be going downhill. It’s like her mind is just deteriorating.” Caroline frowned. “This morning, before the caregiver arrived, Mom insisted on putting her slippers on her hands. She would not accept they were meant for her feet.”

  “Why not just get her another set of slippers?” Marley suggested. “One pair for her hands and one pair for her feet.”

  They all laughed over this. But even as she chuckled with them, Abby could almost relate to Caroline’s befuddled mother more easily than to her friends. At the rate Abby was going, it probably wouldn’t be long until she started wearing shoes on her hands too.

  “How’s your new law office looking?” Marley asked Janie. “Do you have any blank walls that are just begging for some art?”

  Janie smiled. “Not a bad idea. We’ll have to discuss that after the drywall guy is finished.”

  “Drywall guy?” Abby asked. As far as she knew the basement’s walls were already finished. She was trying not to be territorial over her old family home, but what was Janie doing down there?

  “Remember? I’m putting in that wall to divide the space into a private office as well as a waiting room.”

  Abby nodded. “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”

  Janie tapped the side of her head. “Sleep deprivation will do that to you.”

  Abby forced a smile. “Okay, okay. I get the hint.” Suddenly she remembered something—something really important. “Hey, Janie, I almost forgot what Paul told me. Is it true?”

  “Is what true?” Janie looked like the confused one now.

  “About Victor’s ex-wife?”

  Janie’s brow creased. “What about Victor’s ex-wife?”

  Now Abby felt uncomfortable. What if she’d gotten her facts wrong? It wouldn’t be the first time. And it wouldn’t be surprising considering her mental state. “I … uh … I don’t know.”

  “Come on, Abby,” urged Marley. “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “Spill the beans,” Caroline pressed. “What did Paul tell you about Victor’s ex-wife?”

  “Furthermore, how would Paul know anything about Victor’s ex-wife?” Janie stared at Abby with a curious expression.

  “Victor stopped by to play chess with Paul last night,” Abby explained. “Ever since Victor spent some time with him in the hospital, they seem to have become better friends.”

  “Yes …” Janie waited expectantly.

  “Oh, well, I just thought you already knew.” Abby twisted a paper napkin between her fingers. Why had she even opened her mouth?

  “Knew what?” Janie was getting impatient.

  “Well, unless I’ve got my wires crossed”—Abby made an apologetic smile—”and that’s possible—I’m sure that Victor told Paul that his ex-wife—isn’t her name Donna?”

  “Yes,” Janie said, “Donna is correct.”

  “Well, Victor said that Donna is coming out to visit.”

  Janie cocked her head to one side. “Donna is coming out to visit? Who is she coming to visit? Ben perhaps?”

  Abby shrugged. “Yes, I’m sure she’ll visit Ben while she’s here. But Victor told Paul that Donna was coming out here to visit him.”

  “Why would Donna come to visit Victor?” Janie looked worried. “I mean, that just makes no sense. Victor and Donna have been divorced for years. Donna is happily remarried and—”

  “I guess the marriage wasn’t as happy as Victor had thought.”

  Janie blinked. “Meaning?”

  Marley and Caroline were both leaning forward, eagerly awaiting every morsel of this somewhat strange report. In fact Abby was almost beginning to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing.

  “Come on, Abby.” Caroline poked her in the arm. “Don’t keep us hanging here like this.”

  “Yeah,” Marley urged. “Out with the whole story.”

  “Please.” Janie folded her arms in front of her.

  “Now remember this is kind of secondhand,” Abby pointed out. “But Paul said that Victor said that Donna experienced some kind of an epiphany or something and as a result she has split with her husband and she’s coming out here to see if she can reunite with Victor.”

  “No way!” Caroline smacked the table. “That’s crazy.”

  “Abby, are you sure of this?” Marley demanded. “Really, it sounds nuts.”

  “It does seem a bit far-fetched.” Janie was absently fiddling with her phone now, as if ready to call Victor and question this bizarre statement.

  “I know,” Abby admitted. “I thought so too. It’s possible Paul didn’t get the facts straight. He seemed pretty surprised.”

  “Or maybe you got it mixed up,” Marley suggested.

  Abby nodded. “Yes, that could be. I’m not really thinking terribly clearly these days. Maybe I scrambled it somehow.” Even as she said this, though, she didn’t think so.

  “Because if that was really true,” Janie said carefully, “it seems Victor would’ve told me about it.”

  “Of course he would,” Caroline assured her.

  “Except that I think Victor just found out about this,” Abby said. “Like maybe his wife—I mean ex-wife—had just called. In fact Paul said Victor seemed like he was in shock about the whole thing. Like he wasn’t sure of what to do and wanted Paul to give him some advice.”

  “Victor is going to Paul for marriage advice?” Janie shook her head. “That’s a little incongruous.”

  They all looked at Janie now.

  “I mean … you kno
w … you and Paul … you were having your problems before his heart attack. I know you’ve been doing couples counseling and all, but you know what I mean. Paul is not exactly an expert on marriage.”

  “Paul and I may have our problems,” Abby admitted a bit tersely, “but we’ve also been married for thirty-five years. That’s no small thing, if you ask me.”

  “No, of course not.”

  Caroline waved her hand. “Okay, enough about Paul’s marriage expertise. What is really going on with Victor’s ex? I mean seriously, does she think she can just waltz in here and demand that Victor take her back? Isn’t that a little deranged?”

  Marley nodded. “It sounds nuts to me.”

  “I don’t know.” Abby paused. Now she wasn’t sure if she was just irked at Janie’s comment about Paul’s inability to give sound marriage advice, or perhaps she was jealous that Janie was already working on the old house that was going to someday be Abby’s bed-and-breakfast, or maybe it was even the influence of sleep deprivation, but she opened her mouth knowing full well she was about to stick her foot in it. “If Donna has experienced a real epiphany—you know, like directly from God—it seems possible to me that God might want her to honor her original marriage commitment. You know the vow we all made on our wedding day. To love and to honor, yada yada, until death do we part. Maybe Donna wants to make good on it now.”

  The table grew silent and Abby saw the hurt in Janie’s eyes. She wished she could rewind her words. Really, what was she thinking?

  “That’s an interesting theory,” Marley said quietly.

  “Well, you’re divorced, Marley.” Abby decided to redirect the conversation. “What if your ex did a complete turnaround? What if John came back to you, got down on his knees, told you he was sorry and that he wanted a second chance? What would you say to him?”

  For a moment Marley just stared at Abby as if seriously considering this strange scenario. Then she threw back her head and laughed. She chortled so hard that tears streamed down, and before long Caroline and Janie were laughing hysterically too. Abby simply sat there and watched as the three of them carried on like they were still in junior high, like the time Bobby Reynolds walked out to the spring sock hop with about ten feet of toilet paper trailing behind him. Perhaps Abby should’ve been relieved by their merriment. Or maybe she should’ve been laughing along with them. But the truth was, she felt more like crying. Worse than that, she felt slightly betrayed by her three best friends. She wasn’t even sure why.