Todd took over Inside Job completely, and a successor was chosen to lead HAP after Jack resigned to “pursue other projects.” After dinner with Greg one night, when Jack was putting Bree to bed, Greg remarked to me how incredible it was that someone like Jack, with all he had before him in Hollywood, had become such a servant and leader. “It’s a bit humbling,” he laughed. “I’ve been a Christian for ten times longer, and he’s the one God chooses to lead this movement.”

“But if it weren’t for you he’d never be here,” I reminded him.

He shrugged and grinned. “And if it weren’t for Him, none of us would be.”

Jack came to me one night and confessed he was bored. “This is ridiculous,” he said, slapping a magazine on his knee in an obvious sign of frustration. “How can someone who has so little time left allow himself to be bored?”

“You’re living life, babe, and life is sometimes dull. Even for celebrities.”

“I know, but there’s so much we should be doing.”

“I’d love to know with what energy you plan on doing all this ‘so much stuff.’”

We stared out at the houses across the way. Lights were slowly being extinguished for the night, and we snuggled beneath the quilt we kept on the porch swing for these late-night talks. After a while he said thoughtfully, “How about we write a book?”

EPILOGUE

THE CALL COMES at six one evening. “It’s Grace,” says the quiet voice on the other end. “You might want to come over.” I know this is the call I’ve been dreading.

We finished the interviews a month ago. I called a couple times a week to check up and ask the follow-up questions I came up with as I wrote the first draft. Just before we finished, Jack took a turn for the worse; Grace told me privately she didn’t know if he’d have the energy to finish. But he promised me one afternoon not to go anywhere until I got his side of things. “There’s a reason for this book,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, but I know God wants me to finish before I leave.”

During the past six months we’ve become quite good friends, Grace and Jack and I. They’ve had me over for dinner many times, and when Jack was sleeping and Grace was tired of talking about herself, she would ask about me, and for a while the tables were turned, and I was the interviewee. I’ve watched her closely during these last few weeks, after Jack’s health took a nosedive; her gentleness and peace have been extraordinary. Seeing her with Jack, hearing her talk with him and pray with him, the simple touches of affection and recognition, are heartbreaking.