This Time Forever (30 page)

With effort, Mickelle shoved the idea aside. First, she had to depend on herself. Never again would she rely on a man for her happiness.

* * * * *

When the boys were in bed and Damon’s car was safely parked on the cement slab next to the house, Mickelle called Brionney and told her what had happened.

“I’m glad he came over,” Brionney said. “I knew he would eventually, but it’s good he didn’t put it off. He’s a pretty busy guy.”

“Hmm.” Mickelle wasn’t really listening.

“Aren’t you glad it’s over? Or almost?” her sister pressed.

“Yes. I am. It’s just . . . something . . . well, his daughter.”

“Belle? Isn’t she beautiful? But sometimes she can be a real stinker. Didn’t I tell you about how she came home last Friday with my girls and hid in their room—all so their father wouldn’t be able to go out on his date?”

Mickelle did remember Brionney saying something about the incident, but she hadn’t connected the name with the child she had met today. “So that’s where I heard her name before. I thought it was familiar. Still, it was so strange . . .”

“What?” Brionney asked. “Did something happen?”

“Well, she just reminded me of someone I’d seen before.”

“You might have seen her. Probably at the school.”

“That’s right.” Mickelle made a quick decision not to tell her sister about Belle’s resemblance to the girl in her dream.
It was only a coincidence.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Rebekka was glad when Samuel Bjornenburg
returned from Cincinnati with a small team of experts from his own company consisting of translators, programmers, and the vice-president of foreign marketing. Her weekend had been bleak without his presence. She had seen little of Damon, and wondered if he was trying to avoid her until she moved out. Since neither he nor Brionney had found someone to replace her, Rebekka continued to work at the office during the day and play sitter in the afternoon until Damon returned at six-thirty. There was a strange feeling about the situation, as though she was on the verge of an important discovery that somehow eluded her grasp. Tanner continued to worship her, though he was occupied more now with school, girls, and cars, and Belle still used every means to avoid her. Rebekka frequently felt like she was an intruder in their home.

Samuel didn’t make her feel that way at all. Unlike the rest of his employees, who slept in a hotel, he was again staying at the Wolfe mansion. They had spent the past two evenings together, talking, laughing, swimming, and strolling around the estate. He complimented her often, went out of his way to be with her, and asked her opinion on numerous occasions. With him, she felt needed and wanted and content. She tried not to imagine what life would be like when he left for good.

“You know, we’ll have to go to France to set up a test hospital or two,” he told her on Friday morning, the last day he would be in Utah. “I think you would be great to go as part of the team.” They were in the conference room, which had been turned into several office cubicles for Samuel’s team and Rebekka.

She glanced around at the others, who were working intently. “I don’t know.” If she went to France, she would have to visit her family . . . and that would also mean seeing Marc.

“At least come back to Cincinnati with me.” Samuel’s voice was low and intense. “I’ll put you in charge of the whole foreign project. You’ve got what it takes, Rebekka. You’re an amazing woman.” By the admiration in his eyes, she knew he meant what he said.

“But the company . . . Damon and Jesse—”

“You’d still be working with Damon and Jesse,” he said. “For as long as the partnership lasts. Think about it. We leave tonight, and then we’ll be doing most of the translating work in Cincinnati. I’m sure there’ll be things on this end for you to do, but nothing so challenging as with our team.”

She knew he was telling the truth. In Cincinnati, she could move quickly up in the company, develop new skills. Was that what she wanted? What about Damon?

What about him?
a mocking voice inside her asked. There wasn’t anything between them, really. Not yet.

But there could be.

As though reading her thoughts, Samuel grabbed her hand and gently pulled her toward the door and out into the hall. “It’s not only that, Rebekka,” he said earnestly. “I like you. I’ve been a bachelor a long time, but that’s because I’ve never fallen in love before. But I think I might be falling in love with you.” The intensity of his gaze deepened. “I don’t want to give you up. I want to find out if there’s something between us. I want to learn who you are and show you what kind of a man I am. But I can’t stay here.” His green eyes pleaded with hers. “Please come with me. I promise I won’t force a relationship on you. Just give us six months. We’ll work together, go out and see the sights, get to know each other and see where it leads.”

His closeness made her pulse race. This successful, handsome, sincere man wanted a relationship with her! And she knew him well enough to know that although he wasn’t a member of her church, he was a good man. He might be able to make her happy, the way her father had made her mother happy. But would that happiness last for a lifetime? What about eternity?

These thoughts filtered through her mind as Samuel waited for her response. He had opened himself to her, and she couldn’t hurt him—didn’t want to hurt him. “It sounds like a promising idea,” she answered softly. “I like the work, and I like you, too.” Now she made her voice firm. “But there are some unresolved issues I have to deal with here. I need to think about it a little more.”

He grinned, causing her heart to dance. “At least that’s not a no.”

“It’s definitely not a no.”

“Is it Damon?” he asked.

“Partly.” But her possible relationship with Damon was only beginning. More important was the issue of her religion and her relationship with the Lord. She liked Samuel; she felt sure she could even grow to love him. But did she want to put herself in a position where she had to choose between him and God?

Samuel leaned toward her, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. She thought he might try to kiss her, and a part of her wanted to let him, but he simply stared into her eyes, as if drinking her in. The details of his tanned, good-looking face burned into her mind. Their breaths mingled, and the delicious tension between them deepened until she almost couldn’t stand the pressure. Just when she thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, he spoke.

“There are good things in store for us, Rebekka with two Ks. Wait and see.”

He kissed her then, but it was light and brief like something she would give a friend. When his lips left hers, she felt empty, unsatisfied. “That wasn’t a kiss,” she challenged, wondering how he would answer. It wasn’t exactly that she
wanted
him to kiss her more fervently, especially since she was going out with Damon that evening, but his reserve confused her, contrasting so completely as it did with what he had been saying.

He smiled faintly, his eyes never leaving her face. “It’s hard to control myself when I’m around you.” His soft voice sent shivers down her spine. “Once, even last week, it might not have mattered, but if I give you a kiss now, I give you my heart, and I don’t want to do that until I know you want it.”

She nodded in perfect understanding. Placing a finger lightly on his lower lip, she whispered, “Thank you.”

He smiled again before making an attempt to nibble her finger. “When will I have your answer?”

He would make a great missionary,
she thought.
He knows how to invite and commit. How many times had she asked a similar question: What day will you commit to following Christ’s example by entering into the waters of baptism?

“Next week,” she said.

He frowned. “After I’m gone.”

“Yes.” She gave him her best smile. “Undue influence, you know.”

“I see.” He touched her cheek with his hand, letting it slide down to her chin, and finally back to his side. The tension between them was palpable, both enticing and promising. “I’ll be waiting.”

Opening the door, Samuel disappeared inside the conference room. Rebekka slumped against the wall, suddenly feeling weak in the knees. What was she supposed to do now? Silently, she prayed for an answer.

She looked up to see Damon emerging from his office. “Hi, Bekka.” Gathering her wits, she smiled and nodded in greeting.

“Going to get Belle from school?”

She glanced at her watch. “I guess I am.”

“Tan called. He needs to go pick up those parts for Mrs. Hansen’s car. Do you think you could take him to the dealership after you get Belle?”

“No problem.”

“I’m sure proud of that kid. You saw how he straightened out that fender, didn’t you? Pounded it out—I never knew he was so strong.”

She laughed. “I could barely
lift
the hammer he showed me.”

Damon practically beamed. “That was something, wasn’t it?” He hesitated and then added, “So are we still on for tonight?”

“Yes. We’re going to a little restaurant in Provo. They serve escargots.”

As she expected, he made a sour face. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that snails?”

“It’s about time you tried them. They’re really good.” She knew this would be a night he would never forget.

“Can I try one of yours and then have a steak?”

“Nope.” She drew her lips into a pout.

He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. I guess if I can clean up after the kids when they’re sick, I can eat snails.”

She punched his shoulder. “Damon! Gross! Snails are delicious.”

“We’ll see.”

Shaking her head in amusement, Rebekka left Damon and went to her car. She drove through the streets as fast as she dared, wanting to make sure that this time she arrived at the school before Belle had a chance to run away again. Tonight, nothing was going to get in the way of her date. Once and for all, she needed to know where she and Damon stood.

* * * * *

Damon grinned to himself as he returned to his office.
Snails. What a marvelous idea
. He thought it best not to let on to Rebekka that he had not only eaten escargots before but thoroughly enjoyed them. Not yet, at any rate. He would surprise her later. It had been a few years, of course, since he had eaten the dish, so maybe he wouldn’t like it as much as he had during his younger and more adventurous days.

Snails . . . the Snail.
Unbidden, thoughts of Mickelle Hansen and her golden Snail came to his mind. What was she doing now? Was she enjoying his car?

Similar thoughts had plagued him all week. At first he thought it was guilt because of the way he had treated her before, but now he wondered if it could be something else. She was an attractive woman, but so were many others he had met. What was it about her that preyed on his mind? Was it her helplessness? He recalled the angry woman with flashing eyes who had confronted him on his porch . . . no, she was far from helpless. And yet there was something vunerable about her.

One thing was certain: her car was a complete disaster. Not only was the damage from the accident as bad as she claimed, but the engine didn’t sound right and the tread on her tires was almost gone. In his opinion it wasn’t safe to drive, but he didn’t yet know what he was going to do about it. At least the damage Tanner had caused would be fixed. He should let her know.

Her phone rang three times before she answered. “Hello,” she said a bit breathlessly.

“Hello. It’s Damon Wolfe. You remember me.” It was a statement. How could she not remember him?

“I’m sorry. You must have the wrong number,” she teased. “I can’t talk now because I have to go pick up my son from school in my new Mercedes.”

He threw back his head and laughed. She was funny! “I hope you’ve been enjoying the car.”

“Oh, yes.” Now her voice was wistful, and Damon wanted more than anything else in the world to say, “Keep it, then. It’s yours.” But he knew she wouldn’t hear of it, and he would embarrass them both by the offer, sincere as it might be. Brionney had told him of Mickelle’s refusal to accept financial help from her family, and he, a virtual stranger, could hardly expect to accomplish what they could not. Still, he admired her tenacity.

“I’m calling to let you know about your car.”

“Oh, your son fixed it already?”

“Well, almost. He had to order the door parts from the dealer, but they came in today. The car should be ready tonight, or tomorrow at the latest.”

“That’s great!” she said, actually sounding like she meant it. Her next words told him why. “I’ll bet you’re missing your car.”

“A little. But driving this other car hasn’t been too difficult.” He was glad when she didn’t ask what kind of a car it was. “I’ll give you a call as soon as I know more.”

“Thank you. Oh, wait a minute. I might not be home tonight.”

“Out joyriding in your new Mercedes?” He made his tone as light and teasing as hers had been earlier.

“Uh, no . . . I have plans with a friend.”

She didn’t explain further, and he couldn’t exactly force it from her. What did he care, anyway? It wasn’t his business who she went out with.

He cleared his throat. “I actually have plans for tonight myself. So I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

There was nothing more to add, so Damon said goodbye, replaced the receiver, and leaned back in his leather chair. Almost immediately, he leaned forward again and placed a call to his dealer friend who had loaned him a Lexus for the week. “Hey Kirk, it’s Damon.”

“Hello, buddy. So, are you enjoying that car, or what?”

“Actually, I am,” Damon admitted.

“You buying it?”

“Probably. Only one problem. I can’t get used to the color. Red just doesn’t do it for me. How about something in a dark green?”

“No prob. You can take your pick. In fact, I’ve been thinking of keeping the red one for myself. It’s good advertising.”

Damon chuckled. “I’ll bet.” Kirk would probably continue to lend out the car to hook someone else with its undeniable comfort and luxury. “But I’m calling about something else. The thing is, I know this lady who needs a car really bad. It’s got to be something cheap, and I was wondering if you had any trade-ins that would fit the bill. She’s not looking for help, even though she needs it, if you get my meaning. And she doesn’t have much money. I’d like to help her out.”