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KENNEDY LOOKED OUTSIDE the window of Willow’s room while she waited for the call to go through. Star was outside, bringing eggs in from the coop.
“Merry Christmas. You’ve reached the Sterns.”
She stared at her phone to make sure she dialed the right number. “Ian? Is that you?”
“Yeah. Don’t sound so surprised. Knowing your mom, do you think she’d let a friend of yours spend Christmas all alone in a big, foreign country?”
“You’re at my parents’ again?” She still couldn’t get the picture to settle in her mind.
“Yeah. Your dad’s calling out merry Christmas in the background if you can’t hear him, but he and your mom are stuffing sausages or something like that so they can’t talk. Want me to put you on speaker phone?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “I’ll call back in a little bit. Or just tell them to call when they’re free.”
“How are things there?” Ian’s voice was easy, like he had nothing better to do than hang out in Kennedy’s parents’ kitchen and talk to her from the other side of the world.
“Good. We just finished Christmas breakfast. Willow and Nick had to postpone their honeymoon plans until they fix the highway, so we’re all here.”
“You doing all right out there? Your dad and I were looking at a map last night. You’re really cut off.”
So he was there last night too? Had he moved in?
“It’s ok. The Winters have a big pantry, and they grow or raise most of their own food, so it’s not that bad for us, but it’s causing a few problems for other folks around here, especially the ones who have to get into town for medical appointments.”
“How are things in Anchorage?” he asked. “I haven’t heard too much lately. Are the riots over?”
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone had the heart to keep up the looting over Christmas, but the city’s a pretty big mess. I think the last count was around fifty confirmed dead from the quake. Most of that was in Anchorage.”
“Wow. I’m glad you’re ok.”
“Me, too.”
“Well, your dad’s cleaning up now, so I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you, but before he does, have you thought any more about that summer camp in Seoul? I think it could be a really neat opportunity for us both.”
Us both? She wasn’t quite sure what he was saying but tried not to read too much into it.
Did she want to spend her summer in South Korea working at a camp for resettled refugees? It wouldn’t build her premed resume. She still hadn’t decided if she was going to stick with Harvard or apply to other med schools over the summer.
Or was medical school a dream of her own making? A dream that God was going to ask her to give up in exchange for something even better?
Did she dare take time off to volunteer at a camp for people she didn’t even know and would never see again? Did she want to spend the summer away from her own family?
Kennedy took a deep breath. “You know what? I think I’ll do it. I could use a change of scenery.”
She could hear Ian’s smile on the other end of the line. “Perfect. It’s a date. I’ll let you talk to your dad now.”
“All right. Merry Christmas, Ian.”
“Merry Christmas, Kennedy.”
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READY FOR KENNEDY’S next adventure? Read her last and ninth novel Captivated today.