Her Perfect Man (15 page)

“Y
ou forgive me?”

Rebecca studied the man standing in front of her. His eyes were shadowed and tension had cut creases into his handsome face. She longed to reach out and comfort him. She wished she knew how to make everything all right for him.

“I understand why you didn’t tell me first off.” A tiny curl of panic fluttered within her but she didn’t buckle. She had come here with her heart wide-open. Sure it was scary, but so was the thought of living her life without this man. She gathered her courage and took the risk. “I understand why you wanted to wait to tell me until I knew you better.”

He nodded and pocketed his phone. His eyes saddened, taking her hopes with him.

Had her forgiveness come too late? She desperately hoped not. She clutched the bag until her knuckles were white. This wasn’t easy. She cleared her throat and finished what she’d come to say. “I understand that you are more today than the boy who made those poor decisions.”

He hung his head. “I don’t understand. You said you can’t see me the same way anymore.”

“I read all the articles, Chad. Every last one.” She thought she felt hope rise up, but she couldn’t be sure. “You were in intensive care for three weeks. You made full restitution to the family and to the man whose car you stole. You voluntarily turned yourself in. You chose a plea bargain when your family could have afforded the best in defense attorneys. You chose to face the consequences of your actions instead of trying to get out of them.”

“That’s true.” He met her gaze. “You have to know that I’ve changed because of that. In a way, I thank God for it because it saved me. My bad decision put me on this path. I will never forget it. I will never repeat those patterns in my life because it’s my choice.”

“I read that in your article, the one that was published in a Christian teen magazine.”

“Oh, you found that, too?”

Anyone could see his modesty and the way he faintly blushed. But she knew him well enough to read the shame there, too. He had made good of his life in spite of where he had been heading. Danielle was right. His actions did show his character.

“Lauren is a whiz with the computer,” she explained. “It takes a real man to admit his mistakes, to make amends and accept the consequences and to build his life anew.”

“You make me sound noble, and that’s not true, Rebecca. I try to do the right thing. That’s all. That’s who I am now and who I will always be.” He came closer, into the brush of sunlight. “I promise I will always do my best to do what’s right. I hope you can believe that.”

“I do.” The backs of her eyes began to burn. “I know that about you now.”

“You do.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “That’s a relief.”

They smiled together and there it was, that click of emotional connection. It was like an anchor securing her heart with his. It was like a nod from heaven saying, here’s the one. She felt alive with hope and thankfulness.

This wasn’t a man who made a habit of secrets and bad choices. No, Chad was the kind of man she could trust with her heart for now. And for always.

“I’m sorry for how I reacted.” She steeled her spine. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away until I had all of the story. That was my fault, all mine.”

“Did you push me away?” He reached out and brushed a satin lock of hair from her eyes. “I didn’t notice. I was so busy worrying about how I hurt you and blew my chance with you.”

“I pushed you away.” This she knew for certain. Even now a part of her wanted to take a step away from him, to keep a safe distance between them. It was how she had always been. She always kept everyone at a safe distance. She rarely opened up in a truly deep and personal way, even to her sisters. She had a lot of acquaintances, but not a lot of close friends. Chad had gotten closer to her than anybody had.

It scared her. Letting him close meant having to trust him with her heart and with all the fragile pieces of her spirit.

“How do I know you aren’t going to do that again?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. “I deserve that. You can’t know how hard this is for me.”

“Sure I can. For true love to work, both people have to take down their shields and set aside their defenses and trust that the other person will handle them with care. You’ve had men in your life who did not do that.”

“That’s true.” She reached out with one hand to take his. She twined their fingers together. Her soul sighed. Her spirit felt complete. The broken shards of her heart became whole. “Danielle told me that the chance to really love someone and be truly loved by them in return is a rare and precious gift. You’re worth the risk, Chad.”

“I’m so very glad you think so.” The sadness faded from his eyes and the worry from his face. “You are worth the risk, too.”

“Then I guess this means our dating-only-each-other policy is back in effect?”

“That would be my greatest wish.” He kissed her hand like a prince in a fairy tale. The sunlight chose that moment to deepen into a gentle rose-colored glow.

It was as if the world had changed. As if it would always be beautiful because of the love they shared. She did love this man, more than was sensible and more than was wise. Her soul sighed at his nearness. She was no longer afraid.

“Guess what’s in the bag,” she invited him. “It’s something I know you will like.”

“I’m afraid to guess.” There were his dimples, digging deep. His smile was her favorite sight.

She opened the bag and pulled out the box. “Popsicles. If you’ll notice they are—”

“Grape,” he finished. “My favorite kind.”

“Mine, too,” she added. “Someone once told me a grape Popsicle has very special properties—”

“They tend to cement important relationships.” He completed her sentence again.

“I suppose this means we’re back to being friends?”

“No.” He leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to her forehead. “We’re more than friends. We’re best friends. I’ve heard that true love starts with a fantastic friendship.”

“Where have you heard that?” She laughed as he dropped a tender kiss on the tip of her nose. Very sweet. “This friendship thing is all I’ve heard from my mom, my sisters and even my pastor.”

“I heard it from my grandfather. He had the best sense of humor. He and my grandmother were always laughing. I always wanted a relationship like that, one that was a joy and a blessing.”

“Me, too.” Maybe there was more to this friendship thing than she had first thought. She was grateful to God for leading her to Chad. Very grateful.

She went up on tiptoe for their first kiss. It was chaste and tender and sweet, just as true love should be.

I
t was a frosty November day and snow was falling. Rebecca stomped her feet to get the blood flowing. She was dressed for the cold, but after spending all day on the ski slopes even her bone marrow was cold.

“Let’s go in for a steaming hot cup of cocoa,” Chad suggested as he stowed their skis outside the mountain lodge. “I’m in the mood to celebrate.”

“You mean celebrate our first time skiing together?”

“No, while that’s been great, I’ve got something else to celebrate.” He straightened and took her gloved hand. It felt wonderful and natural to be at his side and crunching through the deep snowpack with him.

“Oh, you have some news you haven’t shared with me.” She let him lead her toward a private spot near a grove of evergreens. “You received the best score on your term paper, right? Or did you get another article published?”

“Neither. No, what I have to celebrate is something that means much more to me than that.” He had a mysterious smile on his handsome face. “In fact, nothing on this earth could mean more.”

“I’m clueless.” She could read the excitement in his eyes and the joy on his face. “Whatever this is, it’s really good news, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure hoping it will be. I don’t know for sure yet.”

She frowned. He wasn’t making sense. “What are you talking about? Chad, what’s going on?”

“You can’t guess?” He took her left hand and knelt at her feet.

“Y-you’re proposing?”

“Of course we can only celebrate if you say yes.” He gave her his charming, full-wattage smile, the one that showed his dimples. He pulled a small black box from his parka pocket. “So, will you, Rebecca? Will you marry me? Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

Tears stung her eyes, blurring his beloved face and the beautiful majesty of the high mountains. “If I marry you, then that means you and I will spend the rest of our lives together.”

“Yes, I understand that’s the way it works. Through sickness and health. Through good times and hard times.” His grin faded, and he was rock-solid sincerity. “I vow to always love you and treat you well, Rebecca. You are my heart.”

“You are mine.” Her throat was burning. Her mind was spinning. “I didn’t expect this. You’re not out of school yet.”

“I don’t want to wait. I’m sure. I will love you for ever. Say yes and let me prove it to you.”

“Yes.” She blinked hard, trying to bring him into focus. “I love you, Chad, forever and ever. I can’t wait to marry you.”

Her hand was shaking as he took the ring from the box. This was it, the moment she hadn’t let herself dream of. The last few months had been blissful. They had spent every day together and she had never been so happy.

Nor, she knew, had he. He was still volunteering for the church and had developed a much-respected reputation there. He was enjoying school. And the time they spent together, whether it was watching an old movie on the couch or outdoors on a day like this, felt like paradise.

What everyone said was true. The best kind of romantic love was built on the foundation of friendship.

“We’re officially engaged.” He slipped the ring on her fourth finger. “Is that your cell phone ringing?”

“It’s probably one of my sisters. I’m going to let it go to voice mail. I want to keep you all to myself for a little while. You promised me hot chocolate, buddy.”

“I’m a man who keeps his promises.” He rose and gathered her in his strong arms. “I promise to make you happy, Rebecca.”

“I know you will, because I already am.” She laid her cheek against his chest. She felt safe and secure and loved. She could see her dreams coming true. A happy marriage. Children one day. A good life spent with him, her best friend, laughing all the way.

She took a moment to give thanks that God had led her to Chad—her perfect man.

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for choosing
Her Perfect Man.
I hope you enjoyed reading Rebecca’s and Chad’s story as much as I did writing it. Throughout the third McKaslin story, Rebecca had been in love with Chris, until things between them went terribly wrong. Now in her story, she is picking up the pieces, trying to figure out where the Lord is leading her, and determined to stay away from romance again. Love hurts too much, she believes. Until Chad walks into her life with his Prince Charming ways and offers a friendship she cannot say no to. I hope Rebecca and Chad’s faithful journey from friendship to love touches your heart.

Wishing you the best of blessings,

1. At the beginning of the story, how would you describe Rebecca’s character? What are her weaknesses and her strengths? How has her past influenced who she is?
   
2. When Rebecca meets Chad, what is her first impression of him? What character traits does Chad reveal?
   
3. How does Rebecca’s “no date” policy change throughout the story? Why does it change?
   
4. Rebecca is struggling with setting aside her tendency to worry and give her problems up to prayer. How is this evident? Have you ever struggled with this?
   
5. Chad is struggling with a mistake he made in his youth, one he regrets. How do you know that his regret is sincere?
   
6. How is God’s leading evident in the story?
   
7. How does Rebecca resolve her worries over her past and repeating past patterns in her life?
   
8. Chad has worked hard to rebuild himself and his life anew. What does this say about his character? How do you know this will be a lasting change?
   
9. By the end of the story, how has Rebecca’s character changed, and why?
   
10. How important are the themes of forgiveness and second chances? What are your experiences with forgiveness and second chances?
    
11. How does Rebecca’s family strengthen and support her?
    
12. How would you describe Rebecca’s faith? Chad’s faith? How are each strengthened through the story?