Authors: Jillian Hart
“It’s noble to me.” His chuckle was pure friendliness. “Hey, I know. I’ll bring ice cream. I think we’ve got a tub of chocolate chip in the freezer.”
“That’s my favorite flavor.”
“Mine, too.”
What were the chances? She slowed to a stop behind his gray truck. She could see the back of his head through his back window. There was something striking about him even from this view.
Her phone beeped. It was call waiting. She checked the screen and saw her sister Aubrey’s number. She must be back in town! “Chad, I’ve got another call. I’ve got to go.”
“Sure thing. See you at the condo.” He hung up.
Her sister’s call rang in. Rebecca followed Chad through the green light and onto the main road that would take her home. “Hi, Aubrey. How was Canada?”
“Stunning. William got some great pictures. He’s really excited to develop them and see what he’s got. And I came home with something, too.”
“Don’t tell me, let me guess.” Rebecca thought of the wonderful mountain retreat of Aubrey and William’s an hour out of town. They had a small herd of horses these days. “A new horse?”
“No, sorry. It’s something much better than a horse.” Excitement shivered in her soft voice. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“Aubrey, how exciting.” She hit her blinker and turned into the complex. “You and William must be thrilled.”
“We’re over the moon. I can’t seem to do anything but think about this baby. I’ve got seven whole months to go, and I can’t wait.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?” She slowed down for a speed bump.
“I called them last night. They were ecstatic. Katherine is excited, too. Our babies will be born four months apart. Won’t that be fun?”
She pulled into her driveway and hit the remote. “It sounds perfect to me. Where are you calling from?”
“Gran’s house. We stopped to tell her our news and she’s making us stay for supper.” Aubrey’s voice resonated with happiness. “Not that I mind. I’m supposed to be putting my feet up—for some reason she thinks I should rest—but I’m helping shuck the corn. Since I’m going to need both hands, I’ve got to go.”
“I’m glad you called, Aubrey. This is so exciting.” She pulled into the garage and killed the engine. “I get to be an auntie again.”
“I’ll drop you an e-mail tonight. Gran’s hosting Tyler’s birthday party.”
“I know. I’ve already got his gift all ready to go.”
“I’m excited because everyone will be there.”
“Everyone?” She hit the remote and climbed out of the car. “Do you mean Mom and Dad are coming back to town?”
“Yep. It will be great to see them. Oh, and quick, tell me about this new boyfriend of yours.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. Really. Why did she know this was coming? She grabbed her duffel. “He’s not my boyfriend. Why can’t everyone get that one detail right?”
“You know that William and I were friends before we fell in love.”
“Yes, I know.” Rebecca started to laugh. “I’ve heard this before. Go shuck some corn and say howdy to William for me.”
After they said goodbye, Rebecca disconnected. She had been offered a job and was going to be an aunt again. What a stellar day. She was unlocking the inside door when her cell chimed. It was another text message from Chad.
I’m on your doorstep. Where are you?
Coming, she answered and stumbled into the laundry room. She dropped her bag on the top of the dryer.
Her phone jingled again. She checked the screen as she passed through the kitchen. Whew. Thought U stood me up.
She spotted the two men on her patio. How long had they been standing there knocking? They looked awfully eager. They really must be hungry. She removed the dowel and opened the door.
“I considered standing you up.” She stood aside to let them in. “But I didn’t want to disappoint Ephraim.”
That made them both laugh. It was a good way to start the evening. She accepted the ice cream Chad handed her and led the way to the kitchen.
Chad couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun. Rebecca had magically pulled all the ingredients from her freezer, refrigerator and pantry shelf. She had set them both to chopping while she measured the fresh herbs and put the pasta on to cook.
He could have kept everything straight and learned quickly how this all came together except for all the laughter. Ephraim kept telling corny knock-knock jokes, even though Chad pointed out he was never going to get a date if he kept that up. Rebecca told them about her job offer. She had decided to take it, of course.
When it was time to break the ice cream out of the freezer, Ephraim rushed off for his evening class at the college. Chad took the ice-cream scoop from Rebecca and dug into the carton. It was too bad he was alone with her, wasn’t it? He decided that being with her was his favorite thing.
“You give good advice, Chad.” She set two bowls on the counter next to him. “Working at the church every summer is where my heart has been. And now here is this opportunity to stay year-round.”
“I just pointed out a passage to you, that’s all.” He filled one bowl with big scoops of rich vanilla ice cream and crunchy chocolate chips. “It must be where He has been leading you all along.”
“It feels right.” She pulled two ice cream spoons from the drawer. “Here I was worrying about what to do with my life, and it’s all working out.”
“I knew it would.” Chad handed her the bowl and got to work filling the second one. “Want to eat this outside? It’s too nice to sit inside all evening.”
“Plus, if we eat here we have to look at the dirty dishes. I’m not in the mood to clean them right now.”
“Especially since I scorched that hamburger, onion and garlic combination to the bottom of that pan.” Good thing it was soaking in the sink or it might never come off.
“It happens.” Rebecca slipped a spoon into his dish and took the carton when he was done with it. She yanked open the freezer door. “I’ve been thinking. We should definitely see a movie on Saturday.”
“Great.” More good news. “I was a little worried you were going to turn me down.”
“I wanted to think this through, that’s all.” She returned the ice cream and flashed him an apologetic smile. “I’ve never had a friend like you before, that’s all. It’s different.”
“Different good or different bad?”
“Very good, but it’s a little scary how we just get along.”
He knew what she meant. He wanted to go slow and try to see if this was right, if this was where God was leading him, but mostly if he had a chance with her. Could she understand where he had been and what he’d done? Could she see he had grown into someone different from that lost, reckless and confused kid he’d been?
“I’ve never jelled with anyone like this,” he confessed. His heart quivered at the risk. “We’re a lot alike.”
“True. Do you know what I think this is?” She stopped to let him open the sliding door for her.
“What?” He waited, feeling a knock of adrenaline. He was no longer thinking
friend
when it came to her. He was thinking
girlfriend
. What were the chances that she was feeling the same?
“I think this is because we’re friends.” She pulled out one of the fancy iron chairs to her patio set and settled daintily into it. “There’s none of this dating nerves and worry. It’s nice, isn’t it?”
Talk about a letdown. He steeled his chest, tucked away the disappointment and closed the door. Better luck next time, he thought. “Yeah. Real nice.”
“You have made me realize something.” She looked at ease sitting there, dragging her spoon across the top of her ice cream, gathering a thin sliver of ice cream and chocolate chips.
“I’m afraid to ask what.” He took the other chair, feeling a little deflated. He had to remember that she had been recently hurt by love.
“I never realized the guards I put up before.” She took a bite of ice cream and savored it. “We were talking about secrets we keep, even without meaning to. I’m guilty of that because I just don’t realize. I think I keep everyone at arm’s length. If you would have asked me before I would have said oh, no, there’s no way. I have friends, family. I’m busy all the time.”
“No kidding. You have a lot going on.”
“Well, if I take this job I probably won’t go back to school, so then I will be less busy. School is more work than work, you know?”
He nodded. He surely did. He dug his spoon into the ice cream, took a bite and let it melt on his tongue while he listened to her. Listening to her was fast becoming one of his favorite things, too.
“When it comes to you, Chad, my guards aren’t up like they normally are.”
There was at least one piece of good news. “I like hearing that. It’s the same for me, too.”
“Maybe it’s because we agreed to be friends right up front. Whatever the reason, it’s wonderful.” She dragged her spoon with slow concentration. “It’s nice hanging with you.”
“I’ll second that.” He stared hard at the ice cream melting in his bowl and hoped that his regard for her wasn’t showing on his face because he was feeling it with the magnitude of an earthquake. He couldn’t ignore the tenderness in his heart and it was shaking up his world. He hadn’t planned for this, but he had prayed.
He thanked the Lord for that.
T
he last few days had been nothing but wonderful, Rebecca thought as she carried the tub of buttered popcorn into the movie theater. She followed her sister, her husband and Ephraim. She could hear the familiar pad of Chad’s gait behind her as they stopped at the foot of the aisle, surveying the available seats.
“Front, back or middle?” Caleb asked.
“How about in the middle?” Chad suggested.
“Sure.” Lauren, leading the group, chose an empty aisle and headed for the center. She found a seat and leaned around the others. “Becca, did you know that Gran’s invited everyone for Tyler’s birthday party tomorrow?”
“Aubrey sent a text message last night with the info.”
“Great. You could bring Chad if you want. And Ephraim, you’re invited, too.”
“Sorry, I’ve got my parents.” Ephraim slid into a seat.
“I’ve got plans with my uncle and aunt.” Chad reached to take the popcorn from Rebecca.
It was a nice gesture so she could settle into a seat next to Ephraim. He handed her a cup of soda first, so she could get it settled before she took back charge of the popcorn. He was a nice guy. He held every door for her. He was considerate. No wonder she had a crush on him. Who wouldn’t?
“I’d love to come on Sunday, though,” he explained as he took the seat beside her.
Wow. He was close. His elbow gently bumped hers and stayed there, and they were sharing the armrest. Did she move her arm, or just ignore the contact?
“I understand about family obligations.” Why did her voice sound strained and a little tinny? She took a sip of soda and tried again. “You would like my grandmother. She’s totally fabulous. She’s traveled everywhere. She knows just about everyone. She’s slowed down quite a bit since we lost Grandpop a few years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I know how hard that is.”
She remembered what Lucy had said the night they had stopped by the bookstore. “I adored him. He was a true horse lover. He and Gran taught all of us to ride and we would go on long rides into the mountains. Gran would pack a picnic lunch and we would eat beside a high mountain lake.”
“It sounds pretty wonderful.” Chad took a handful of popcorn. “What an amazing thing to do. My family never did anything like that. My parents went to dinner parties and the ballet and I stayed home with the nanny until I was old enough to go.”
“Surely you had a good connection with them?”
“Oh, I’m not sure you can understand my family. Not with your picture-perfect one.” He leaned back in his chair, glad that the lights had dimmed and advertisements began flashing on the screen. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you have a great family life, but my mother would have much rather have been having a spa day than being a mom.”
“That had to be hard for you. She wasn’t the cookie-baking type?”
“No. Although I can see that yours was.”
“My mom is fantastic. I love her so much, all I ever have wanted was to grow up to be just like her. I don’t think she’s ever been to a spa, but she made sure the cookie jar was full, our dinners were tasty and nutritious and she let us all know we were loved very much.”
“That sounds idyllic to me. The closest thing I had to a real family was my granddad.”
“His loss was doubly hard for you, then.”
“Yeah.” He would have said more, but the words stuck in his throat. He would have liked to tell her that he wanted the kind of life she had grown up with. That he was sure that if she had been able to meet Granddad, they would have hit it off. There was more he wanted to say, too. He took a long pull of soda and cleared his throat, determined to try. “Granddad had a lot to do with me getting in school and searching for the right path for my life.”
“He loved you.” It amazed him that she could see that so clearly.
“He did. I didn’t make it easy for him most of the time, but I finally started to get it right about the time he got sick. That last year we had together was a good one. I had just started at the university and their home wasn’t that far from campus. I spent a lot of time studying in his room, while he read or dozed.”
“Something tells me he treasured that time with you.” Rebecca took a handful of popcorn and ate it one piece at a time.
He filled his hand with more of the white fluffy stuff. “He left me quite a bit of money in his will. I like to think he trusted the man I had become enough to know I would do the right thing with it.”
“Finishing your degree. Volunteering at the church. Planning on attending seminary. Sounds that way to me.” Approval warmed her voice and it meant everything.
The previews started and he munched on popcorn, feeling every piece of his life was starting to fit together. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces were making sense as they took shape and color. He could see where he was going in a way he never had before and it was because of her. She was the reason.
“Hey, you two.” Ephraim leaned over to wink. “Are you through talking yet? I tried to get a word in edgewise, but I don’t want to stand in the way of romance.”
“Romance?” Rebecca shook her head. “We’re just friends.”
“Yep, sure you are. I can see that.” But Ephraim shook his head. “Pass me a napkin, would you, Chad?”
“Sure.” He had taken a big enough supply for everyone and handed a few over. He and Rebecca might be friends, but he knew they were going to be more. It was just a matter of time. He could wait. He was a patient man.
Another preview started, and he leaned a little closer to Rebecca. He took another handful of popcorn. “What time do you get back from your grandmother’s?”
“Probably around six or seven. Why?”
“I thought we could go do something.”
“Like what?”
“I noticed a ten-speed bike in your garage. Want to go for a ride?”
“Are you kidding? I’d love to.” She settled back in her seat as the movie credits started. The black-and-white picture cast a faint platinum glow.
Just a little help, please, Lord,
he prayed. His heart was sure. His soul was sure. Somehow he had found his perfect match. Was there a chance that she could come to feel the same way about him? Hope filled him as he leaned back to enjoy the classic movie at Rebecca’s side.
“I’ll walk you to the door.” Chad held the passenger door of his pickup open for her and took her hand to help her down.
What a gentleman. It had been a long time since she had been treated this way. Chris had been like this in the beginning, she remembered, attentive and devoted and the perfect gentleman.
Now why was that thought going through her head? She shouldn’t be comparing Chad and Chris. Not only was there no comparison, but she still had Chris in her mind somewhere. What she needed to do was to get every thought of him out for good. He was in the past. She never intended to fall for that kind of man again—the seemingly Prince Charming kind.
Although, she thought as her feet touched the cement driveway, Chad would be irresistible
if
she were looking for romance, which she was not.
“Thank you.” Did she really sound that breathless? Goodness. “I had a great time, you two.”
Ephraim climbed out of the backseat of the truck, closed the door and straightened his pocket protector. “I did, too. We’ll have to do this again sometime. I’d better go check my e-mail. See you two later.”
“Bye.” Rebecca’s hand lingered in Chad’s a moment too long. It took her a while to realize it. Maybe because whenever she was with Chad, she felt so at ease. Self-conscious, she pulled her hand away. “You don’t have to walk me to my door. I can see it from here.”
“Sure, but I wanted an excuse to stay with you. I had such a good time, I’m not ready for it to end.”
“We have our bike ride tomorrow evening.”
“That we do.” He jammed his hands in his pants pockets, looking relaxed and at ease. It was nice that he felt this way, too. “I’ve never enjoyed spending time with anyone the way I do with you.”
“Me, too.” She stepped onto her porch. It was easier to look in her purse as she fished for her keys instead of at him.
“I’ve been meaning to ask. Have you heard anything more from your ex?”
“No.” She found her keys and sorted through them for her door key. “So far so good. I haven’t checked my messages yet, but I think he finally got a clue.”
“Good. I think your brother and Caleb helped him to.”
“So do I.” She turned the key in the dead bolt. “Katherine mentioned that Jack and Danielle’s husband, Jonas, paid him a visit, too. I think he understands I really mean it this time. We’re over. He’ll move on.”
“Have you given any thought to a restraining order?”
“I believe he will do the right thing.”
“I hope so. You don’t need to be troubled like that. Guys like that give the rest of us a bad name.” He opened the door for her.
She brushed past him, holding her feelings still. “I’m not painting you with the same brush, Chad.”
“No? Then tell me that your no-dating policy doesn’t have anything to do with him.” He towered in the doorway so sincere and concerned.
She set down her purse on the hall table. How could she deny the deepening friendship between them? “My vacation from romance has everything to do with Chris. You know, you never told me why you have a no-dating policy?”
“I’ve been trying to avoid the subject.” He grinned sheepishly, somehow making him all the more handsome.
“You said that it was complicated.” She led the way into the living room. “Isn’t that another word for a relationship that didn’t work out?”
“I wouldn’t call it a relationship. Every time I started dating someone, they couldn’t love me in the end. They didn’t understand what I had been through. That’s why I took a break from dating. It seemed safer.” He sat on the edge of the chair. “At least until I was clear about who I was and what I wanted from life. And especially the kind of woman I wanted to fall in love with.”
“It sounds wise. I tumbled into love with Chris when I was too young to know those things. I think he was too young, too. I wanted it to work, until I found out about the secrets in his life.” She eased onto the corner of the couch. “I think you’re smart to figure out what you want and the kind of person who will be right for you.”
“It’s more complicated than that. I have to find a woman who can really see me and not the kid I used to be. I didn’t have a perfect family like you did.”
“Oh, my family isn’t perfect, believe me. You probably don’t know that we’re a blended family. My mom married John when I was three.”
“I didn’t know.” That surprised him. He never would have guessed it.
“Danielle told me that it was harder for her because she was trying to adjust and everyone else was, too. I was too little, and there was no reason for me to adjust. I think I was terribly spoiled, being the baby of the family.”
Adored would be more like it. He could see that very plainly. “You and Danielle? I would have figured that you and Lauren were the real sisters.”
“That’s because you haven’t met Danielle. We look a lot alike. Lauren didn’t even grow up with us. Her mom took her when she was a toddler. Linda just ran off to Hollywood and stayed there. Lauren only came back to the family a year ago.”
“I had no clue.” The sisters seemed as if they had been together forever. Some families were able to make things work, he realized, when others fell apart. He had grown up in a family that was more apart than together, but he knew that was a pattern he would not need to repeat. “Your family must be a strong one.”
“We’re just average, believe me. But we do love one another and that makes the difference. Plus my mom has heart enough to have made our blended family a real one.”
“Something tells me you take after your mom.”
“I would like to think so, but I’m sure I fall short.” She gave a modest shrug of her shoulders.
She had no idea how awesome she was to him. He had put off thinking about dating and marriage. It just seemed like the wise thing to do. His heart ached with tenderness. It was as if his heart had been waiting for this woman to come wholly alive. She was everything he had ever wanted. “I suppose you would like a big family one day. Lots of kids to look after and take care of.”
“I always wanted three kids.”
“Hey, me, too. That’s a pretty good number.”
“I think so.” She smiled at him. “That is in the far future since I’m not even dating.”
“You don’t think there’s a chance you might amend your policy?”
“I’m a little afraid to.” She seemed so at ease. Surely this conversation wasn’t making her the least bit nervous.
He was about to disintegrate from anxiety. “Maybe with the right guy you won’t be afraid.”
“That’s the trouble. I don’t know if I can trust myself.” She brushed a lock of hair out of her face, looking vulnerable and sweet.
Emotions surged through him with amazing force. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted to make sure she was never afraid or hurt again. Overwhelmed, he sat gasping for air and hoped she didn’t notice.
She didn’t seem to. “After what you’ve been through, do you feel that way?”