by Jane Josephs
Alison waved her fork at him between bites. “Hmmm . . . Got some control issues going there for you, do you?”
Nick barely caught himself, he wanted so badly to scoop her up in his arms and kiss that silly grin off her mouth. He swallowed hard. It was as if the dam had burst and his feelings for her were gushing out of control. How long had it been since they’d flirted like this? Over a cinnamon roll of all things? The backdoor slid open, and he jumped, nearly knocking over the chair he’d been sitting in. He strode across the room. “Tony, Kayla. Glad you could make it. I still need to get the card table. I’ll just be a minute.” He strode down the hallway to the garage.
“Hey, Alison! How are you doing?” Kayla greeted Alison. “What are you eating?”
“Come around to this side so I can give you a hug.” Alison waved her around to her left side and embraced her when Kayla leaned in. “I’ve missed you. And CrossFit.” She gestured to her plate. “I’m just having a little snack. The best cinnamon roll ever.”
“I’ve missed you, too. The CrossFit team says ‘hi.’ From the looks of that sweet roll, you’d better be careful, or you’ll be starting all over to get back in shape.”
“Don’t remind me!”
Nick returned in time to hear Alison’s remarks, the card table hanging unopened at his side. He glanced at his own plate—now empty—and back at Alison’s. “Someone’s in big trouble.”
Alison shrugged her shoulders. “Oops.”
Shaking his head, he popped the legs of the card table out and set it in place. “Grab that chair, Tony. I’ll get Alison.” Leaving the empty plates, he positioned Alison’s wheelchair at the card table. “Let’s see what kind of blackjack player you are.”
~ ~ ~
Unable to help with the game night prep, Alison popped an M & M Peanut in her mouth and waited for the others to join her at the table. “Thanks for the candy.”
“I brought popcorn, too.” Kayla pulled out a packet of microwave popcorn and held it up. “Shall I pop this?”
“Fine by me,” Alison said. “I can always eat popcorn.”
Kayla removed the cellophane, opened the microwave and inserted the flat bag. “Do you have some small bowls, Nick?”
“Yeah, sure.” Nick handed two bowls to Kayla. Opening a drawer, he pulled out an unopened deck of cards and tossed it to Tony. “You open these and I’ll get the poker chips.”
The smell of popcorn filled the air and Alison’s stomach rumbled. If she kept this up, she’d be asking for her doggie bag of chicken next. She glanced at Nick, the hunger in her gut nothing compared to the hunger she felt for him. Did he feel it, too? Licking the icing off his finger had been a risky move. But worth it to see his eyes widen in surprise.
“Alison?” Nick startled her from her thoughts. “You do know how to play, right?”
She grinned. “Oh, yeah. Didn’t I tell you? I’ve been going to Sally’s Poker Posse group on Tuesdays.” She slid a poker chip out in front of her. “I can bluff with the best of ‘em.”
Nick passed Tony a knowing smirk and shuffled the cards. “You can cut the deck then, since you’re so experienced.” He pushed the cards toward her.
“My pleasure,” she beamed at him and lifted a third of the cards off the top.
~ ~ ~
An hour and a half later, Alison conceded that she’d met her match in Nick. His luck had been crazy good, and he’d played skillfully, too. But it was his teasing that had messed with her concentration and had her wanting to get him alone. Hadn’t the misunderstandings between them gone on long enough?
“It’s getting late,” Nick said. “Let’s make this the last round.” He dealt quickly, sending Alison’s stomach into her throat when a king of hearts landed on her hidden bottom card.
“Hit me,” Tony said, tapping his finger on his cards. Nick dealt him a six of spades.
Kayla hesitated, then conceded, “Me too.” Her hesitation turned to a groan when Nick tossed a queen on her pile. “I’m out.”
“How about you, Alison?”
“Okay, hit me.” Nick flipped over an ace of diamonds on her pile. She glanced at his cards. A ten of clubs was face up. Did he have an ace in the hole?
Nick caught her looking and grinned. “I’ll hold. What about it, Tony?”
Tony shook his head as an eight of spades landed on his pile. He flipped over his bottom card and grimaced. His cards totaled twenty-three points. “That’s it, Reid. I’ve had enough of your good luck tonight.” He stood and walked into the kitchen to recycle his beer bottle.
“Alison?”
“Hit me.”
A two of spades landed on her pile, still too far away from twenty-one to win. Sucking in her breath, Alison studied her cards: a king, a two and an ace. Thirteen points on top of her bottom card, a three of clubs. Did Nick have a face card or an ace under his ten of clubs? She inhaled. “Okay, hit me.”
Nick turned over a five of spades onto her pile. “Yes!” Alison pumped her good arm. Her stomach rioted. “Let’s see what you’ve got, babe.”
Nick’s eyes flashed. “Not so fast. Since it’s just you and me, want to make it all or nothing?”
“Don’t trust him, Alison!” Tony leaned over the table. “I’ve seen it happen too many times. He’s got an ace under there.”
“Go for it, Ali,” Kayla cheered from the other side of Tony. “But up the stakes. Ask for the moon, if you win.”
Alison flashed a smile at Nick. No way was she going to settle for a victory with no tangible reward. Did she dare ask for him to be her personal trainer for the next few months? She leaned back in her chair. “Yeah, you’re right Kayla. Just winning a bunch of chips doesn’t do me any good.” She tapped her cards with her finger and bit back a smirk. “How does three months of you being my personal trainer sound? You know, help me keep in shape while I rehab? If I win.”
Nick met her gaze, not bothering to hide his surprise. But he didn’t answer. Instead he looked again at her cards, then back at her. “Got a three under there, do you?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Nick’s eyebrow lifted. “And if I win?”
“Name it.” Alison caved, a laugh escaping. “Bring it on.”
He licked his lips. “How ‘bout you sell me your season tickets to the Padres for a hundred bucks.”
In unison, Tony and Kayla hooted. “Reid, you devil!” Tony barked.
Alison’s heart shot to her throat. If he’d lost the horseshoe match they’d had weeks ago, he was going to take her to a Padres game. Had she told him then that she had season tickets? She couldn’t remember, not when he was staring at her as if he had already won. He had to realize that if he had an ace hiding under his ten card, at best, they’d tie the game and neither one of them would get what they wanted. But if he was bluffing, and knew he was going to lose . . . Alison worked her teeth across her lower lip, suddenly not caring if she lost the tickets to Nick. “It’s a deal.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I’m sure. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Ladies first.” But he was reaching for his bottom card.
Alison flipped up her bottom card to make a total of twenty-one points. “You knew, didn’t you? I win.”
He hesitated, a corner of his mouth twitching and his eyes alight with mischief. Without breaking his stare, he threw down his bottom card, the ten of hearts.
“Ooooohhh. YOU!! Alison nearly fell out of her chair, trying to reach over and slug him in the arm. But she was laughing. She hadn’t lost her Padres tickets; he’d only confirmed how much he liked baseball. Alison’s mind rioted with possibilities. “You played me.”
Tony and Kayla laughed and high-fived.
“Thought for a minute there you had her.” Tony grabbed Nick’s
shoulders and pounded on him, still laughing.
“All’s fair in poker, babe. But yeah, looks like I’ll have to buy my own tickets. Or demand a rematch.”
“Any time. Babe.”
“Okay, time to split,” Kayla laughed. “You two need some time. Alone. Come on, Tony.” She slid her hand into Tony’s and patted Alison’s arm. “Good luck with the new workout routine, Ali.” She pointed her finger at Nick, then spoiled it by laughing. “She’s not one of your SWCC students, remember. Go easy, you hear?” She pushed Tony out the door. “See you soon.”
“See you. Drive carefully.” Nick slid the door closed behind them, grabbed the handles of Alison’s wheelchair and pushed the chair down the hall to her bedroom. “Your personal trainer, huh?”
“I’m going crazy sitting around all day. So, yeah. My personal trainer.” Without missing a beat, she added, “Just think. It’ll give you an excuse to put your hands all over me.”
Spinning the wheelchair on its back wheels, Nick turned her to face him. He reached out, pulling her by her waist out of the chair and into his arms.
“I don’t need an excuse,” he growled, the light from the hallway outlining him from behind but keeping his face in the shadows.
Alison’s stomach tensed, and she lifted her chin. “How about an invitation?”
His eyes darkened a second before his lips claimed hers. Alison melted into him, hungry for his touch.
“Alison.” He leaned back and palmed her cheek. “We need to talk.”
Her breath escaped with a sigh and she nodded. “I know. But not tonight, okay? Just hold me. Please.”
He pulled her close in a tender hug and whispered into her hair. “Okay.”
A light knock sounded behind them. Nick drew back and eased her down into the wheelchair.
“Hey, Ma. Come to put Alison to bed?”
“Am I interrupting? I can come later.”
“No. It’s all good.”
Ginny stepped into the room and took over as Nick backed out the door.
~ ~ ~
Sleeping on her back had never been easy, and as the hours ticked by, Alison’s thoughts churned. She pulled her phone out from under her pillow and checked the time: one-fifteen a.m. Was Nick asleep? Had their kiss left him as restless as it had left her? Would they finally be able to talk tomorrow after church? What would she say? How could she even start the conversation? More than anything, she wanted him to love her. To see that they could have a future together. What words would open the door of his heart?
Alison chewed on her bottom lip and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts shifting. Words she had found on the back of the front cover of her grandmother’s Bible replayed in her mind: I’m sorry. Please forgive me. The phrase had ended with the word “Rom” and some numbers.
The next two phrases had the same connotation but different numbers:
Thank you for dying on the cross for me.
Please come into my life.
Was it a prayer? Why had her grandmother written it in the front of her Bible? What did Rom mean? Alison closed her eyes and whispered the phrases. Was she talking to God? Was he listening?
Murmuring the phrases over and over, she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 29
“The first recorded miracle Jesus ever did was at a wedding.”
Seated at the end of the church pew next to Nick, Alison listened intently to the pastor’s message. But she couldn’t help nudging Nick. “I just read this story yesterday.”
“Really?”
A sense of contentment filled Alison and she returned Nick’s smile. Being with the Reid family felt good. Even if it meant going to church every Sunday instead of sleeping in. She sucked in a deep breath, contrite. The opportunity to go to church had been there when she lived with Grandma Kate, but she’d chosen to ignore it. Aunt Grace’s words echoed in her mind: Get to know Jesus; the rest will start to make sense.
Reining in her thoughts, Alison gave her full attention to the pastor’s sermon about Jesus turning ordinary water into wine. And not just into any wine, but “the best” wine. What would it have been like to be there, to taste the difference in the wine and understand that something supernatural had happened?
“That day in Cana,” the pastor concluded his message, “Jesus’ disciples put their faith in him.”
Alison felt a stirring in her heart.
“You can put your faith in him, too,” the pastor said. “And just as he turned water into wine, he can turn your ordinary life into one that blesses others in extraordinary ways. The first step is to invite Jesus into your life.” He put aside his Bible on the podium. “Join hands please and let’s pray.”
Alison slipped her hand in Nick’s, his rough calluses rubbing against her smooth skin. She closed her eyes, loving the feel of his hand engulfing hers. What would it mean to put her faith in Jesus? Uncertain, Alison bowed her head and silently repeated the words from her grandmother’s Bible again. But this time she added another request: Help me understand, Jesus. Please.
~ ~ ~
Back at the ranch house, the tantalizing aroma of lasagna filled the house. Nick did a quick head count since Ma had invited Jeff, Emma, and Travis to join them. Leaving Jeff to talk with the others, he found a table leaf in the laundry room and brought it into the kitchen.
“Help me with this table, Richie.” Together, they opened the pedestal table, inserted the board and closed the table tight again. “There, that should make room for all of us.” He turned to see Ma pushing Alison down the hallway. “Richie, can you get out the plates? I’ll get the silverware.”
“Sure, coming right up.”
“I’m glad you could come to church today, Emma,” Jeff said, standing off to the side. “Travis is all settled in at the room in the clinic, and he already has the place looking cleaner than it’s ever looked. How’s everything going with you?”
Emma squeezed Travis’ arm and smiled at him. “He’s a good worker? I knew he would be. I’m still having morning sickness but eating a few saltine crackers before I get out of bed helps a lot. Plus, I’m taking some special prenatal vitamins that Alison ordered from Amazon for me. They’ve really boosted my energy so I’m not as tired as I was.”
Travis draped his arm around Emma’s shoulders. “Alison’s been amazing. She researched and found this pregnancy center where they give ultrasounds for free.”
Emma nodded. “We went last week for the first time, and the people there are so nice. They hooked us up with a doctor who works for a reduced fee. We see him in a few weeks.” She patted her stomach, where only the slightest bump was visible. “As soon as we figure out the due date, we can make some more plans I guess.”
Nick stopped in the act of setting out silverware to listen. Having heard Emma and Travis’ appeal at the hospital, Alison, it now appeared, had reversed her position on Emma having an abortion and was making sure she received the care she needed during her pregnancy. Smiling to himself, Nick resumed his work. Why should he be surprised? Alison was the most kindhearted, generous woman he’d ever known. Next to Ma. He hadn’t even realized the extent of her volunteer work until Ma mentioned the number of calls to different agencies Alison had made after she came to the ranch. Lots of people would be missing her while she recuperated.
“Did I hear you say you’re going for that ultrasound this week?” Alison asked as Ginny pushed her wheelchair into the room. “Is it too soon to see if it’s a boy or girl?”
Travis spoke up. “Yeah. They probably won’t be able to tell. But at least we’ll see how far along she is.”
“Oh, well, that’s good. But do you want to know the baby’s gender? Eventually?”
A dreamy look came into Emma’s eyes. “I do. But Travis wants to be surprised.”
Travis shrugge
d. “I’ll be happy either way. I just want Emma to get the care she needs.”
Alison patted Emma’s arm. “I’m sure she will. This pregnancy center is a non-profit, but they provide a very good network of services thanks to their large number of supporters.”
“Dinner’s ready.” Ginny set a large bowl of salad on the table and began directing the seating arrangements. Wearing oven mittens, Nick put the pan of lasagna on a placemat in front of Ginny’s seat and turned to push Alison up to the table.
“This looks and smells delicious, Ginny,” Alison said. “Thank you.”
Grabbing a seat next to her, Nick sat down.
“Let’s join hands and pray,” Ginny said. “Jeff would you ask the blessing, please?”
Nick gently gripped Alison’s hand as Jeff prayed for favor for Emma, Travis, and their baby and gave thanks for the food.
“Amen.” Alison said in unison with the others before turning to Nick. “So, are you ready to be my personal trainer?”
“I’ve given it some thought since last night. I have some ideas for a workout routine that will keep at least one side of your body from getting flabby.” He winked. “But we’ll do that later. Pass the salad, please.”
“Planning to torture me, are you?” She took the bowl of salad from Jeff and held it out for Nick.
“Something like that.” Nick caught the impish grin on Alison’s face as he forked salad on his plate. “Pretty sure I’ll be the one tortured though.”
~ ~ ~
“I’m just going to get in a quick workout,” Nick said, stopping at the sofa on his way to his room to change after lunch. Seated next to Ginny, Alison had her laptop open and was discussing furniture options for the veranda. Jeff, Richie, Emma, and Travis were at the kitchen table playing Scrabble, their concentration on the game shutting everyone else out.
Ginny looked up. “Oh, okay, have a good workout. Thanks for doing the dishes.”
