Dreaming 0f You (Christian Romance)

by Marie Higgins

  A few times he glanced at his sister who gave him a negative shake of her head. She, too, must have figured he was over doing it. Strange thing was that he rather liked playing this part. It made him feel like a real man, not the weakling his ex-wife had accused him of being.

  Elaine offered to watch the kids while Shane helped Katelyn take the bags to her vehicle. Katelyn’s sudden silence disturbed him, and his mind scrambled for something intelligent to say, but all he could think of doing was pulling her into his embrace and kissing her to distraction. Sure, it would be pleasurable, but it wouldn’t solve a thing.

  Whistling a Christmas song, he walked beside Katelyn with his arms full of luggage as she led the way to her car. She stopped at a newer vehicle, and opened the back to the Nissan Pathfinder.

  He stopped his whistling. “I see you’ve bought a new vehicle.”

  She glanced his way briefly before loading the luggage. “Yes. It’s not brand new, but close to it. My royalty check finally came in.” She chuckled. “Just in time, eh?”

  “Aren’t you the lucky one?”

  Her answer was to shrug. When everything was loaded, she closed the back, then turned and faced him. With hands planted on her hips, she stared at him with a scowl.

  “Shane, no more theatrics, please. I’ve had enough.”

  He arched a brow. “Theatrics?” Reaching up, he stroked her cheek. “Katelyn, my sweet, what are you talking about?”

  She smacked his hand away. “This is what I’m talking about. Have you forgotten we argued last night?”

  “No.”

  “Then why are you acting this way? Why are you pretending as if nothing has happened?”

  He didn’t like the way the conversation was leading. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he stepped closer. “Do you know what happened to me last night?” She shook her head, so he continued. “The earth moved, that’s what happened. I know it’s a cliché in your writing world, but something happened to me. Yes, we got into a little argument, but it was soon forgotten, especially in my mind. I have bigger things to think about.”

  “Like what?”

  He stepped closer, invading her space. “Like the way you make my heart accelerate every time I’m with you. Like the way you feel soft and cuddly in my arms. And like the way you make me breathless when we kiss.” His throat constricted, so he finished, lowering his voice. “I don’t like the idea of being away from you, and lady, I don’t know about you, but that scares me to death.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  She sighed heavily and smiled. Her scowl disappeared. “Distrusting me has nothing to do with it?”

  He laughed. “My mind is fighting a losing battle with my heart. My mind tells me to beware, yet my heart tells me you belong in my arms.”

  Although he’d meant to make the words up for her benefit, the more he talked, the more he knew his heart was involved, because right now he wanted to hold her. He needed her in his life. He tightened his hands into fists inside the pockets of his jacket, refusing to touch her. She’d have to make the first move this time.

  She chuckled. “I really don’t understand you, Shane. I mean, we’ve only just met, for heaven’s sake. How can you feel this way only after a few meetings?”

  “I’m as confused as you are. All I know is what my heart’s telling me.”

  Folding her arms, she leaned back against her vehicle. “So, what do you suppose we do about it?”

  He leaned his shoulder against the truck, facing her. “I’m open for suggestions.”

  “So you’re throwing the ball back in my court?”

  “Yup. It’s your serve, baby. It’s up to you now.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll keep seeing me.”

  Her tender gaze swept over his face and rested on his lips. Groaning inwardly, he fought for control.

  “What do you mean by seeing you?” She tilted her head, meeting his stare. “If you recall, lately our meetings haven’t exactly been arranged.”

  “No, they haven’t.”

  “So are you suggesting you want them arranged from now on?”

  “If that is what my lady likes?”

  Her brows lifted. “My lady? Why did you call me that?”

  He shrugged. “I’m feeling gallant this morning. Shoot, the way I’m feeling right now, you can put me in green stockings, stick a sword in my hand and call me Robin Hood.”

  She laughed heartily, falling into him. Automatically, he wound his arms around her the way he wanted to.

  “Robin Hood? I think he was better at using a bow then wielding a sword,” she asked.

  “Would you prefer Sir Lancelot?”

  “If you want to get technical, Sir Lancelot didn’t wear green tights.” Her arms linked around his neck as she kept her warm gaze on him. “But really, I would prefer Shane Hunter over both of those men.”

  He couldn’t stem the rush of pleasure flowing through him. If only he could believe her. Doubt still lodged itself in the back of his head, reminding him that she might be using him for a future story. “Then are you saying I can call upon you when we get back home?”

  She looked at his mouth. “Yes.”

  “You won’t mind dating regularly?”

  She shook her head. “It might be interesting to date the proper way.”

  “Then what are you doing tomorrow night?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You are now. You’ll be dining with me at Roberto’s.”

  Her eyes widened. “Roberto’s? Do you have a standing engagement? Don’t you know how hard it is to get into that place?”

  He stroked her cheek. “You happen to be dating a man who has connections.”

  “A night at Roberto’s sounds wonderful. I’m now wishing the next twenty-four hours will hurry.”

  So was he...in more ways than one.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I can’t tell him the truth.” Katelyn groaned as she paced the floor in her friend’s dining room. Melissa was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal for her own date this evening. “I can’t confess why I wrote about him several years ago.” Katelyn shook her head. “I judged him so harshly in the beginning. If he knew now how much I’d loathed him, he’d hate me for sure. Even now I’m having a difficult time forgiving myself for that big mistake.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You can tell him.” Melissa’s voice echoed from the other room.

  Katelyn came to a stop in front of the kitchen’s archway. Melissa switched between stirring two boiling pots and checking the oven.

  “You don’t understand,” Katelyn continued. “Shane is a charming man. He’s nothing like I thought he was. Of course his ex-sister-in-law is going to degrade him. Why didn’t I see that before?”

  “So then tell him,” Melissa urged again. “Tell him this and follow it with the explanation of how you know him better now and you realize Tori had been lying.”

  “It’s not that easy.” Tears stung Katelyn’s eyes and she blinked them back. “Growing up I was a bookworm. I was a nobody in college. People who got straight A’s and were on the honor roll all of their school life, do not make stupid mistakes like I just did. By admitting to Shane what I had done back then makes me look like the biggest fool on earth.”

  Melissa faced her, cocked her head to the side and gave Katelyn that ‘all-knowing’ look. “So what you’re saying is that you’re too stubborn to admit you’re wrong?”

  “Augh!” Katelyn flipped her hand in the air, trying to dismiss this ridiculous conversation that was so close to the truth it scared her. “Melissa, I am rarely ever wrong.”

  Melissa chuckled. “So get over it already and welcome to the real world.”

  “Answer me one thing.” Melissa planted her hands on her hips. “Are you falling in love with him?”

  Katelyn massaged her forehead, trying to keep her headache from returning. “I don’t know what to think anymore. It’s a habit to ha
rden my feelings when I remember the things Tori told me, but when I see him with his children, my heart can’t help but soften. When he holds and kisses me so passionately, my heart melts.”

  Melissa turned down the stove and placed lids over the pots before moving away. She walked to Katelyn and squeezed her hands. “My dear romance writer, it sounds like you’ve finally fallen in love.”

  Katelyn frowned. “How can I tell him the truth now? I just don’t dare tell him I knew Tori and what she told me back then.”

  “Then don’t.”

  Katelyn released a frustrated sigh. “If I don’t, I know he’ll never fully trust me.”

  “Are you afraid to trust him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have believed he was a bad person for so long, that I think you still want to believe it. Your history with men hasn’t been very good, and I think you’re afraid to trust him.”

  “What history with men? I don’t have one!”

  “Exactly, but for some reason, you’re leery to trust them.”

  Katelyn huffed and walked to the bay window. Parting the lace curtains, she peered outside. Refusing to reply to her friend’s comment, she stewed inwardly, trying to convince herself that her friend didn’t know what she was talking about. Yet, Melissa was right. Melissa was usually right, in fact. After the few failed relationships Katelyn had had, it was hard to put her trust in anyone—especially a man she thought to be jerk—the king of all jerks. And more importantly, it was hard to admit she’d made a huge mistake in college.

  “Yes, you’re right.”

  Melissa came up behind her and rubbed her shoulders. “Katelyn, my girl, you have to start somewhere. Let yourself trust him. Let yourself fall in love. It’s obvious you’re half-way there already.”

  Glancing over her shoulder, Katelyn smiled at her friend. “How did you learn to be so smart?”

  Melissa laughed. “Experience, my dear.”

  Katelyn hugged her friend then left for home. During the drive, Katelyn decided to follow Melissa’s advice. She had never let Katelyn down before. Yet, allowing herself to trust a man scared her to death. Why did love have to hurt so much?

  Back when Katelyn dreamed of Shane in college, she didn’t have room in her heart—or mind—for any other man. She’d wanted Shane, even if all she could do was dream of him as the perfect hero. When he’d married Amber and left California, it crushed Katelyn to know her dreams would never come true. Then Tori had told her those terrible stories Katelyn didn’t want to believe, but she did anyway.

  But Katelyn was younger back then and really should have known better than to listen to gossip. True, it broke her heart when she thought Shane wasn’t the man she had wanted him to be, but now it was time to get past that and finally live!

  She arrived home and hurried straight to her bedroom. After picking out the black shimmering dress she wanted to wear, she collected the rest of her clothes and rushed into the shower. The more she thought about being with Shane tonight, happiness grew inside her. Inwardly, she prayed this evening went well, and that he made her dreams come true.

  Yet what was her dream now? She still wanted to marry a man in church—in front of God and her family—but was that something she could have with Shane? He’d mentioned once about being a religious boy, but that he had lost his faith. Would he allow her to help him return to church and become the man he wanted to be?

  It didn’t take her long to get ready for her date, and now she paced the carpet in front of her door, waiting for Shane to ring her doorbell. Twisting her hands against her middle, she worried that something would happen to ruin this perfect night. As long as they didn’t talk about her books, everything would be fine.

  Time seemed to pass very slowly, and her thoughts drifted to the time they’d spent at Disneyland. Her nephews were in the Pathfinder, and Shane’s sister and kids were belted in his car, yet he still had no qualms about planting a passionate kiss on her lips before they left. When she’d climbed back into her car, her nephews riled her mercilessly, singing that familiar childhood rhyme, “Katie and Shane sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First comes love, second comes marriage—”

  Katelyn’s thoughts stopped. Marriage? Was it really a possibility?

  Her heart pounded faster at the idea. But thinking that far ahead was dangerous at this point.

  The buzzing of the doorbell snapped her out of her thoughts. She hurried to the door and opened it. Shane stood, handsome as ever, wearing a pair of dark blue trousers and a white shirt. From behind his back, he withdrew a single red rose and handed it to her. “For you, my lovely lady.”

  Taking the flower, she brought it up to her nose and breathed in the heavenly scent, holding his gaze over the rose. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  He took hold of her free hand, linking his fingers with hers as his attention roamed over her.

  “You are definitely dressed to steal someone’s heart tonight.” His eyes met her stare. “I hope it’s mine.”

  She grinned, knowing how he felt. “It’ll be interesting to find out, won’t it?”

  “Yes, it will.” He wagged his eyebrows. “So is my lady ready?”

  She laughed. “Are we back to that again?”

  “Back to what?”

  “My lady?”

  He shrugged. “I want to be the hero you’ve created in your books.”

  A tug pulled at her heart, and she wondered if the constant referring to her books was going to ruin the evening. “Shane, you don’t understand. You don’t have to pretend with me. You’re already a hero in my eyes.”

  His expression softened as he stepped closer and gathered her in his arms. His mouth swept over hers, and she met his passionate kiss. As she clung to him, she realized her heart was definitely involved.

  He pulled away and looked into her eyes. “I better slow down,” he said, his breaths coming quickly, “or I’m going to want to skip dinner and just be satisfied with holding and kissing you tonight.”

  Threading her fingers through the hair resting on his neck, she leaned into him and smiled. “I, too, better control myself. I really do want to go to Roberto’s.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  SHANE STARED INTO KATELYN’S incredible blue eyes from across the table. Once they’d been seated, he took her hand in his and didn’t let go as they waited for their food. The dimly lit room and violinist wandering throughout the dining area created such a serene mood that made Shane not want to have this evening end. She looked so beautiful, and he couldn’t believe he’d once thought of her as plain. Then again, he didn’t know her well. The more he knew about her, the more beautiful she became both inside and out.

  Unfortunately, she still held secrets. The very idea was the key keeping him from falling in love with her. She’d melted his heart, but he refused to confess his feelings yet. Knowing now that he’d jumped the gun with his first marriage when he fell in love with Amber so quickly, he knew he wanted to use more caution this time. His kids deserved vigilance.

  Then again...it was his kids who were making it hard for Shane not to fall in love with Katelyn. They loved her, and her genuine care for them nearly had him weeping with happiness.

  Since returning from Disneyland, his head had been spinning with indecision. So then why when he was with her, did his mind finally slow down from the whirlwind of confusion?

  “Oh, Shane, this place is everything I’d imagined and more.” Katelyn smiled and her eyes sparkled like gems.

  “Roberto’s has a reputation for being very romantic.” He ran his thumb over the soft skin of her knuckles.

  She nodded. “They’re living up to their reputation, that’s for sure.”

  The waiter brought their food—two pasta and seafood dishes. Reluctantly, Shane released Katelyn’s hand. As he took his first bite, he watched her lift the fork to her mouth and taste her food. Her eyes closed and she smiled with an expression of pure bliss.

 
; “Oh, Shane.” Her voice was so soft it practically purred. “I’ve never tasted anything so heavenly.”

  He smiled. She’d definitely chosen the right word to describe the food. Even the setting was heavenly. Shane tore his gaze away from her and glanced around the room. Waiters wearing the traditional white shirts with black vests and matching pants hurried around the dining area, stepping carefully so as not to spill their trays of food. Slowly, the violinist moved from table to table, creating the mood with his talent. Fancy-dressed couples sat together holding hands, staring dreamily into each other’s eyes as they listened to the music. Shane recognized a few people, but most of them he didn’t.

  Then his gaze landed on a very familiar person, and his happy mood disappeared. Anger filled his chest, and he wished it hadn’t.

  What is she doing here?

  Tori—the very devious and overbearing sister-in-law—was going to ruin Shane’s night. He just knew it!

  Shane didn’t know the man Tori batted her overly caked-on eyelashes at, and Shane didn’t care, either. The point was that she was here on the very night he wanted to have a romantic dinner with Katelyn. What were the odds? Then again, knowing his control-freak sister-in-law, he suspected this was not a coincidental meeting at all.

  Tori’s gaze moved away from her date to focus on Shane. She arched a dark-penciled eyebrow at him and gave him a wicked smile. Irritation grew in him like a poisonous plant. No, this was definitely not a chance meeting.

  Shane’s sister-in-law moved her eyes to Katelyn. Within seconds, Tori’s eyes widened and her expression turned to one of surprise. Silently, he grumbled. Did Tori think he wouldn’t date anymore? Maybe it was Katelyn’s beauty that Tori found so shocking. At this point, he didn’t care because Katelyn made him happy.

  He tore his eyes off Tori’s offending sight and looked back at his plate of food. He speared his fork into his shrimp scampi and shoved it in his mouth. His bitter mood had grown and festered, making him want to get out of this place quickly. This was supposed to be the perfect date—first real date, he reminded himself—with Katelyn. So why was he allowing Tori to ruin it for him?