Secretly Yours: A Christian Valentine's Day Romance (Riverbend Romance Novella Book 1) (4 page)

Madison sighed. “Sometimes it all sounds too good to be true. Like a fairy tale. We’ve seen our parents fight and maybe get divorced.”

“I get that. My folks split up when I was in junior high.” Nick grimaced. “And my dad’s been divorced again since then. It’s hard to believe in love.”

“My parents don’t fight,” a boy put in, glancing around. “Not much, anyway.”

“Mine do,” someone added.

“God’s love is the ultimate.” Nick grabbed his Bible. “It shows us what is possible. It gives us a standard to stretch for.” Did he really love Lindsey, or was he only intrigued because she seemed hard to get? He’d have to think on that later. “We humans aren’t perfect like God is. That means we can’t love perfectly, either. We get selfish and proud and impatient, but, if we keep trying, keep praying for God’s help to love perfectly, I believe He teaches us to do that.”

He flipped his Bible open to 1 Corinthians 13. “I want to read the love chapter to you. We’ll stop often to talk about what love really looks like. Ready?”

The kids nodded.

Nick breathed a prayer. Tonight’s devo was as much for him as for the kids.

Chapter 6

Lindsey’s cell phone rang seconds after she stepped out the door of the Water Wheel. She glanced around, looking for Nick’s car, but it wasn’t in sight.

Because, yes, that was his ring. She’d assigned one to him in self-defense, so she wouldn’t accidentally pick up when he called. Maybe that was dumb. He had a reason to call, after all. The banquet.

By the third ring, she had her fuzzy mitts off and the phone slid on. “Lindsey here.”

“Hey! It’s Nick.”

Um, yeah. She knew that. “Hi.”

“I was wondering if you’d like to go snowshoeing tomorrow. It’s the annual full-moon event put on by the Riverbend Trails committee.”

“Uh…”

“It starts at nine o’clock at the golf course.”

Her brain fumbled. “At night?”

“Hence the full moon.” His grin was evident in his voice.

How could he possibly know she’d bought a pair of snowshoes at Base Camp Outfitters with her final bonus from Fresh Start? She hadn’t even gotten out on them yet.

Madison. That would be how. Lindsey gritted her teeth then forced herself to unclench them. “Right.”

“Lindsey, I’d like a chance to show you I’m not the same guy I was in high school. Can we get together? Share a good time? Talk?”

Was she being too hard on him? Didn’t everyone deserve a second chance? Well, nearly everyone. She sighed. “Okay, fine. This once.”

“Did you say… yes?”

Last chance to retract. “Yes.”

“Great! I’ll pick you up about eight-thirty. Make sure you dress in layers. Don’t worry about snacks. I’ve got all that covered.”

Her head spun. “I can meet you there.” Definitely a better idea in case things went wrong.

“Oh, no, you don’t. A date’s a date, and I’m doing this one right.” Nick hesitated. “We could go for dinner beforehand…?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

He chuckled. “I promise I’ll be good.”

“You better.” She should perhaps summon some graciousness. “Thanks, Nick.”

“My pleasure. Until tomorrow, then.”

She pocketed the phone and tugged her mitts back on. The icy wind caught her cheeks as she stepped out of the shelter of the restaurant and turned onto the sidewalk along River Way. The town’s sidewalk plow had been by a couple of hours previously, and the walkway was still passable.

Maybe on her next paycheck she’d offer to buy Greg a new set of tires. How much did they cost, anyway? Only then maybe he’d drive to work himself instead of catching a ride to the sawmill with a neighbor, and she wouldn’t have gained a thing. If he really wanted tires, she was pretty sure he’d have bought them by now.

If she stayed in Riverbend another winter, she’d buy her own car. And, yeah, she had to stay. Madison had three more semesters of high school. Could Lindsey stand living with Greg that long? Not that he interfered with her life, other than randomly deciding she couldn’t use his car. He was thankful enough for the groceries she brought in and the meals she fixed. Whether or not he noticed the mold had been scrubbed from the shower tile was anybody’s guess. He hadn’t commented on the plastic film on most of the house’s windows, but he had to be aware the place was less drafty and the heating bill lower.

But all that she did for herself and Madison. Not for Greg. He didn’t deserve it.

Just like Nick didn’t deserve to be forgiven.

Ouch. That stabbed her heart like the frost tingling her nose. How did she get to decide who deserved what? Wasn’t that God’s job?

Okay, well, she was giving Nick a chance. The sooner he destroyed it, the sooner she could shove him out of her mind — again — and go back to planning Madison’s future.

~*~

“Pastor Nick’s here!”

He stood under a small overhang outside the door, the sound of the doorbell still reverberating under Madison’s announcement, and shook his head. That girl.

The door swung open, but it wasn’t the teen’s eager face looking up at him. Nor was it the pensive face of her older sister. Instead, a stubbly middle-aged man about his own height stared back. The guy hitched his thumbs through belt loops on saggy jeans.

“So you’re the guy I keep hearing about.”

More likely from Madison than Lindsey, sadly. Nick offered his hand. “Nick Harrison, sir.”

“Greg Kimball. Madison’s father.”

“Pleased to meet you.” There’d been no handshake, so Nick dropped his hand to his side. “I’m here to pick Lindsey up.”

“She’s almost ready,” yelled Madison. “Come on in.”

He would if Greg stepped aside. On the other hand, he wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of waiting in the car, either. If Greg wanted to cool the house down with a wide-open front door, so be it. Nick’s honor to Lindsey came first.

“Don’t have her out too late.”

No wonder Lindsey had a hard time forgetting high school. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lindsey appeared at the railing above. “Greg, we’re adults. I’ll be back when I get here.” She turned to her sister. “Behave yourself.”

Greg harrumphed. Madison batted her eyelashes then winked at Nick when Lindsey turned away.

That kid would be the death of him. Nick stifled a grin. But at the moment, Lindsey took center stage. Easy enough. She looked amazing in a turtleneck and slim leggings. Not only that, but this girl knew winter layers.

She pulled on a pair of ski pants, leaving the ankles unzipped, tugged a knitted tuque over her soft blond hair, and slid on a puffy vest. She met his gaze for a second as she reached for her boots. “My snowshoes are just outside the door.”

He stepped outside and plucked them from the snow bank.

Lindsey grabbed her jacket and slipped a thin wallet into an inside pocket before following him outside. As soon as she’d closed the door, she leaned against it. “Sorry about Greg. He forgets I’m not Madison’s age.”

Nick tucked the snowshoes under one arm and flashed her a smile. “It’s okay. It’s hard for parents to keep track.” He wanted to take her hand on the walk to the curb, but thought better of it. She wouldn’t let him, anyway. Even if she did, what were the odds Madison watched from the window? A hundred and ten percent.

For now, he’d settle for opening the car door for her and treating her like the beautiful princess she was.

Chapter 7

It seemed to Lindsey that half the inhabitants of Riverbend must be in the golf course parking lot, strapping on their snowshoes. Which also meant way too many people she might know would see her with Nick. It looked like a date.

Oh, who was she kidding? He hadn’t even pretended the purpose was to discuss the banquet. No, he’d invited her on a date and, in a moment of weakness, she’d agreed.

Lindsey stood and took a few steps, testing the fit. The snowshoes felt good. She slid cold fingers into thin knit gloves then into waterproof over-mitts.
 

From the corner of her eye she saw Nick swing a small pack over his shoulders. “Ready?” he asked.

She nodded and took a deep breath. How had he talked her into this again? But she was here. It would be fun. She fell into step beside him across the parking lot to the entrance to the city’s bike trail, covered in at least a foot of snow. They were ahead of most of the group. Some folks had babies strapped to their backs, while others pulled toboggans with young riders. Kids, parents, and grandparents readied themselves together.
 

Lindsey inhaled deeply. The wind had died down and the temperature was only five below freezing. Practically a chinook. Across the inky depths of the Sandon River, the town’s fanciest houses lit up the distance and cast long, weak fingers of light. Brighter puddles from lampposts along the path kept the eeriness at bay.

“This path is the best thing town council did for Riverbend in the past decade,” Nick said.

“It’s pretty cool.” She hesitated. “How far north does it go, anyway?” What had she let herself in for? But then there were all those families with little kids. It couldn’t be that bad.

“It goes more than eight kilometers before connecting with the old railway bed. That part isn’t paved, but it’s still great for biking and hiking.”

“Uh…”

Nick chuckled. “For tonight, we’ll go as far as you want to. There are buses and volunteers at every crossing ready to take people back to the parking lot if they don’t want to hike back.”

She quickened her pace. He figured she was the weak link? She’d done a lot of walking since returning to Riverbend. He might be surprised at her stamina. Although — she cast a sidelong look at his lean frame — he probably worked out at the gym. If she made this a competition, she’d probably lose.

Around them, voices drifted away as they set their own pace ahead of most of the pack.

“Thanks for coming with me, Lindsey.”

His quiet words broke through her reverie. Not that she’d forgotten the crazy hot guy beside her. How could she? If only she knew if he’d really changed, if he could be trusted. Would she wake up tomorrow morning and find he’d pulled the plug with another
ha-ha, got you again
?

Might as well start looking for those answers. “I was surprised to find you became a pastor.”

“I bet.” Nick chuckled. “It definitely hadn’t been my plan.” A few strides later, he continued. “I went to U of C on a hockey scholarship. I was going to get drafted to a big NHL franchise. Somebody with a good shot at the Stanley Cup. I was going to be the driving force that pushed my team to victory. I could already see my name next to The Great One in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Don Cherry would speak of me with respect, and I’d rake in the goals… and the trophies, of course.”

Of course. That certainly sounded like the Nick she remembered. It hadn’t all been ego speaking. He’d been talented enough to pull it off. She was interested in spite of herself. “What happened?”

“Got sidelined. I’d never been sick a day in my life, but I got run over by the mononucleosis train midway through my first semester. I missed most of my games and nearly flunked out.”

Against her better judgment, a niggle of sympathy worked its way to the surface. “Bad luck.”

“I sure thought so. I was very bitter. All those dreams, crumbling into dust. But things happen for a reason. I’d been ignoring thoughts of God, shoving them aside in my self-worth and busyness. Suddenly I had little time for anything
but
thinking.”

Snow crunched under their snowshoes. Lindsey pulled her water bottle out of her pocket and took a long swallow.

“My roommate’s brother came to visit at his school’s study break. A religious guy, not very athletic. I hadn’t given him a second thought before that because, you know, he couldn’t help Nick Harrison into the NHL.” Nick’s laugh didn’t seem forced. “I was right about that, but he could help Nick Harrison into the kingdom. He asked me questions and answered mine and challenged me to think deeper, then deeper yet. At the end of the week, I opened my life to Jesus and joined my friend at Bible college the next fall.”

“And the rest, as they say, is history?”

“Not quite that simple, but yeah, that’s when things headed a new direction in my life. What about you? When did you become a Christian?”

“Nothing so dramatic. My mom took me to church when I was a kid. I guess you could say I drank the kool-aid early.”

She could feel Nick’s glance, so she increased her speed a little, forcing him to focus on the snowy path.

“That’s an odd way to put it,” he said at last. “I see God’s love and His gift of salvation as the biggest prize in my life. It’s what makes everything worth living. Even the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe, and the Art Ross rolled into one season finale wouldn’t come remotely close.”

“You’ve sure changed.”

He reached over and touched her arm. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for three weeks.”

He had. So it seemed he’d done a full one-eighty. Why did she still feel stuck in the middle, with no significant growth in her own life? She hadn’t been good enough for Nick Harrison before, and it seemed she still wasn’t.

~*~

Nick studied Lindsey’s face as they approached the highway. “First chance for a ride back to the golf course,” he offered.

Her chin lifted as she glanced at him. “You tired?”

“Just checking if you were.”

“I’m good.”
 

The path narrowed as it headed under the bridge. Several fixtures cascaded brightness over the path and into the river beyond. And then semi-darkness loomed again. They were across from Riverside Park now, the full moon glinting off the river.

Nick wasn’t going to waste this evening, even if getting any words out of Lindsey felt like a bigger workout than snowshoeing. “Tell me what you’ve been doing since you left town. What got you into cooking?”

“I waitressed for a year after high school, saving up for culinary school back east. After graduation, I got into a start-up with really fresh, local ingredients. Moved up from there to a larger, more established restaurant in Niagara, but I began to miss the West. When Fresh Start opened in Castlebrook, I put in my resume and got the lead chef position.”