What he needed to remember was tonight was about Katelyn. Not Tori!
Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he focused back on his date. Hopefully, she hadn’t noticed he’d been preoccupied for the past few minutes.
“So tell me,” Katelyn said in between bites, “did Cori and Casey enjoy Disneyland?”
Slowly Shane’s anger left and he was able to smile without feeling like it was forced. “They haven’t stopped talking about it yet.” He chuckled. “They want me to bring you over to the house so they can play with you.”
She chuckled. “They are so adorable.”
“What about your nephews?”
Katelyn nodded and sipped her water. After setting it down, she smiled. “They had a great time. In fact, Steven told his parents about the field trip you wanted to take the boys on, and my brother and his wife gave their permission. So whenever you want to take the boys on your big trucks, let me know.”
“Great. I’ll see what I can arrange. I know Cori and Casey love those construction trucks.”
“You’ve never told me about your company.”
“I haven’t?”
“No.”
“When I was in college, I worked for a man who owned a construction company. He treated me like a son. It was a small company, and I could see possibilities for growth. But Ted Walker was old and because of his declining health, he knew he wouldn’t be around much longer. He had no sons of his own, and so he talked me into investing into his company. He left me his company when he died. From that point, I was able to turn it into something big.”
“How amazing.”
“I kept the company here, but took the opportunity to start an office in Montana. That’s where the twins were born. At first, I only had a small crew—and my secretary, of course—but that’s where the company took off and the money started rolling in faster than I knew what to do with.”
She finished chewing what was in her mouth and wiped the linen napkin across her lips. “Not many men have your good fortune, you know.”
“Yes, I know.” He took a small bite. “I had a great crew in Montana, and the best secretary around. In fact,” he swallowed, “I ran into Mags just the other day.”
“Mags?”
“Yeah. Her name is Margaret Hess. While in Montana, we had a falling out so she left the company, and I ran into her again at the grocery store.”
“It’s a small world, isn’t it?”
He shrugged and took another tiny bite. “Well, considering she was Ted’s secretary here and just stayed with me when I took over the company, it wasn’t that surprising to see her here. In fact, I might just hire her back. She hinted she’d be interested.”
“I’m sure you’re a wonderful boss.” She winked. “If you’re as kind to your employees as you are to your children, anyway.”
He belted out a laugh. “Yeah, I wish my employees were as easy to handle as my kids.”
“Well, I’m quite certain Cori and Casey love the big trucks at your company just like Steven and Luke will.”
He nodded. “I’m sure they would love to come with your nephews for our tour, too.”
“Definitely.” Katelyn took another bite. “It’s obvious how your twins love spending time with you.”
Shane’s heart flipped with happiness. “You can see that?”
“Of course. Can’t you?”
He shrugged. “A while before my divorce, I was working many hours and didn’t spend time with my family. My wife was...” He sipped his drink, mainly to think of a polite way to talk about Amber. “She wasn’t a very happy woman and complained all the time about my absence. Of course, I was starting up my business in a new state, too. After the divorce, she took the kids, and I was only able to see them once a month. When Amber died and I regained custody, I felt alienated from my children, and it worried me that I would never be close to them.”
Shane quit talking for fear he’d get emotional. This subject had always upset him because he knew Amber and Tori had been lying about him.
Tenderness touched Katelyn’s expression when she smiled. “Now I realize why Cori said what she had to me the day you saw me at the daycare.”
He lifted his brows. “Yes, what was said. All I know is that was the first time Cori had shown me her love since Amber died.”
“Cori told me her father wouldn’t let her go to Disneyland because he didn’t love her. When I enquired to her statement, she expanded by saying her auntie had told her that.” Katelyn touched his hand. “Shane, I’m worried that your sister-in-law is brainwashing them. That’s not good at all for their emotional state.”
Anger shot through him and he clenched the tablecloth. “I had suspected something like that.” He took a deep breath, then calmed himself. “I’ll take care of Tori. You can count on that.”
“Good. But you don’t have to worry about knowing if your children love you or not. I can see they love you very much.”
Shane had never cried in front of a woman—except for his mother—and he wasn’t going to break down now and cry in front of Katelyn even if his heart was full of happiness. “Thank you, Katelyn. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He caressed her fingers with the pad of his thumb.
The waiter came and filled their empty glasses with water. “How is everything?”
Katelyn smiled wide. “The meal is the best I’ve tasted.”
Shane nodded.
“I’ve never been here before,” Katelyn continued, “and I think this is such a magnificent place. It’s so beautiful... so romantic.” Her gaze softened when it landed on Shane. “I have to admit, this will be a time I’ll not forget.”
“I’m so glad you think so,” the waiter said.
Shane stared at Katelyn, his smile stretching the longer he looked at the wonderful woman across from him. This was so far one of the best moments of his life, too.
He took another glance at Tori’s table. Her gaze had been on him, but she quickly turned her head. He hoped she wouldn’t do anything to disturb his date. Yet, knowing Tori, she would have done something already, so maybe Shane was safe. For now.
After the waiter left, Shane lifted Katelyn’s fingers to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Do you know how special you’re making this evening for me?”
A blush stole across her cheeks. “No.”
“Well, you are. It’ll be hard to let you go tonight.”
Her blush darkened on her cheeks. She gently pulled her hand away and smiled. “You are certainly a charmer, Mr. Hunter. I’m seriously starting to wonder about you now.”
He laughed. “Wonder about what?”
“About what you really want from me.”
He scowled at her playfully. “You are a very distrusting person, you know. Why would you think that about me? Don’t you know I like you for yourself?”
“Well, I would hope so. What you see is what you get.”
“I sure like what I see.” He winked.
“There you go again, turning on the charm.” Grinning, she shook her head. “Now I’m worried what else you have in store for our evening.”
Shane laughed. “It’s a surprise, but I know you’ll love it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Katelyn’s face hurt from smiling too much. Yet the happiness jumping inside her was the best feeling in the world.
Shane had made her put on a blindfold before taking her to his ‘surprise’. She worried what other drivers would think of her being blindfolded, but it was night and she hoped not many would see. Besides, Shane looked excited about this excursion, and she didn’t want to ruin his enthusiasm.
The truck finally stopped and Shane turned to her and touched her arm. “Don’t peek.”
“I won’t.”
He climbed out of the truck and a few seconds later, her door opened. He clasped her hands and gently pulled her down before leading her away from the truck. A light wind stroked her skin and blew through her hair. Tonight’s weather was slightly wa
rmer, for which she was grateful.
Shane stopped and stood in front of her, his hands cupping her head. “I hope you like the surprise.”
“I’m sure I will, Shane.”
He kissed her briefly on the lips before removing her blindfold and stepping out of her vision. Ahead of her, large and beautiful in all its glory stood a church...magnificent enough for God Himself. Against night’s dark backdrop, the church was lit up—looking like a white castle in heaven—glowing so beautifully it brought tears to her eyes. The overwhelming feeling of love for the Lord burst in her chest.
“Oh, Shane,” she whispered as her throat choked with emotion. “It’s so beautiful.”
He slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, it is.”
“I—I—I really can’t believe you brought me here.”
“Well, the other night I drove by this place and I was somehow drawn here. I sat in my truck and just looked at the church. I felt so peaceful. And I was also thinking of you.”
She tilted her head to look at him. “Really?”
“Yes. I wanted to be here with you.”
Her heart melted—for the hundredth time today. She laid her hands over his that were wrapped around her middle. “Thank you. You have made this the perfect evening.” Relaxing against him, she was content to stare at the church all night.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said softly.
“I’m thinking how wonderful I feel right now. My heart is just bursting with happiness that I know God resides here. The grounds around the church are all lit up with Christmas lights, too. The reason I was shocked that you would bring me here was because when I was a child, my family would come here every Christmas to see the lights. Dad would tell us the story of Jesus’ birth. Picking this location was the perfect setting because there would always be a manger scene over there.” She pointed in the direction of the grounds. “After Dad told the story, we’d sing a few Christmas songs, and then Mom would take some pictures of us kids before we left.” Katelyn smiled from the memory. “Coming here on Christmas Eve made our Christmas Day even more perfect.”
Shane nuzzled against her ear and kissed it. “What a wonderful memory.”
Katelyn turned her head to look at Shane. “What about you? Do you have any memories like that?”
“Not like yours. All my parents ever did around Christmas time was drive us kids around to look at the Christmas lights. When we got home, Mom fixed hot chocolate with marshmallows.”
“What a lovely memory.”
“You really think so?”
She nodded. “You spent time with your family making memories...which is one of the things Christmas is all about. As long as you include God in your life, you’ll have lots of great memories to cherish.”
He pulled away and held her hand as they walked closer to the church. “A few weeks ago I attended church with my parents. I hadn’t been inside a church since before I went to college.”
“How did you like it?”
He shrugged. “I felt peaceful, yet at the same time, I felt...” His cheerful expression turned into a frown.
Sadness tugged at Katelyn’s heart. “What did you feel?”
He shook his head. “I felt like I had wasted my life being married to Amber. Sure, we had two amazing children, but...things could have been better. Going to church with my family and watching how excited it made my kids, made me feel guilty. I should have held on stronger to my faith and kept going to church, even after I was married. Maybe then, my life—and my children’s lives—wouldn’t have been so miserable.”
She stopped, faced him, and clasped his hands. “Everyone makes mistakes, Shane. Everyone sins. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay away from church. That doesn’t mean God will never forgive us.” She slid her arms around his waist, and he held her close.
“You make it sound like changing my life is easy.”
Katelyn shook her head. “It’s not easy at all—but it’s worth it.”
Slowly a smile stretched across Shane’s mouth. He stroked Katelyn’s cheeks. “Doing a little conversion yourself, are you?”
Katelyn shrugged. “I don’t know...is it working? Besides, there’s always an opportunity to share God’s love with others.”
“You’re an amazing woman, Katelyn Palmer.”
She laughed and melted against him. “Just as amazing as you are.”
Happiness filled Katelyn’s heart. Once again, dreams of becoming his earthly companion stuck in her mind. Because of their talk, she felt her dreams were finally within reach.
Shane kept his arm around her shoulders as they continued their walk. “Being with you like this makes all my worries seem like there’s hope of working them out. Katelyn Palmer, being with you makes me think I can accomplish anything.”
“And why would you think differently? You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
He sighed heavily. “Tomorrow when you’re not with me, I’ll feel differently, I’m sure.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel different when I’m around you, and when you’re not there, I’m back to being the same, distrusting, pain-in-the-rear Shane Hunter.”
Katelyn laughed. “You are just too charming.”
He tightened his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, Katelyn. For everything.”
He walked them back to the truck, then climbed in. Katelyn worried that the time to tell Shane the truth was getting closer. Confessing the truth would definitely help her release this guilt that weighs heavily on her chest. And it was right. But would he still believe she’d been stalking him in college? If he ever discovered where she’d gotten her information about him, she feared he’d never forgive her. And now that she knew she was in love with him, she didn’t want to do anything to ruin her happiness.
At the same time, she needed to stop cowering. Telling him the truth would either make or break their relationship. But before she confessed, she had some praying to do, because she didn’t think she had the courage to do it without God’s help.
She wouldn’t tell Shane tonight. Their first date had been wonderful and she didn’t want to ruin it. Tomorrow would be soon enough.
“I really hate to cut our date short, but I have a busy day tomorrow,” he said, starting the truck.
“You don’t have to apologize. I understand.”
“My company is going paperless.” He glanced at her. “Do you know what that means?”
She nodded. “That means you’re finally getting rid of all your paper files and transferring them to electronic files.”
Shane blew out a breath and frowned. “Exactly. Do you know how hard that’s going to be?”
“Why haven’t you done it already?”
“When the company was turned over to me, I was too busy to get things scanned into the computer.”
“It’s easier than you think.” Katelyn laid a hand on his arm. “Do you want my help?”
“I couldn’t ask you to help me.”
“You’re not. I’m volunteering. Besides, I’d love to see you at your job.” She grinned.
He chuckled. “I really should hire a secretary. I haven’t had one since Mags left.”
Katelyn shrugged. “So hire her, but I will still come and help if you’d like me to. In fact, let’s go tonight. It’s still early in the evening. We can get a lot done. I’ll even show you how to do it. I promise you’ll catch on fast.”
Shane leaned closer to her, his gaze fastening on her mouth. Katelyn’s heart skipped with excitement. He wanted to kiss her again. She would never get tired of that.
“Admit it,” he said softly. “You just don’t want to leave my side.”
A blush stole over her face, but she didn’t turn her face like she usually did. Instead, she smiled wider. “You can read me well, can’t you?”
He stroked her hot cheek. “Yes, I can.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “But I’ll
make a confession, too.”
“What?” she asked, breathless.
“I don’t want to leave your side, either.”
Warmth spread through her. It pleased her to know he felt the same happiness she experienced. If she gave herself time to really think about their relationship, she’d realize things were happening way too fast. But she didn’t want to think of that because she’d never been happier than she was right now.
“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go to your office and start transferring those files.”
He laughed and pulled back, then shifted the truck into gear and drove away from the beautiful Christmas lights.
THE NEXT MORNING, KATELYN couldn’t remove her smile and she couldn’t stop sighing with happiness. For the past little while, she’d awakened with Shane on her mind, but this morning was different. The perfect date with Shane kept returning to interrupt her thoughts even as hard as she tried to work on her current story.
They’d worked together in his office until one o’clock in the morning. She showed him how to convert his files to a paperless system and he caught on quickly. They didn’t get everything done, but the time they spent together was very enjoyable. She found it easy to laugh around him. His fun personality often caught her off guard.
Shane had given her a very passionate kiss last night as he dropped her off, and before climbing in bed, she had prayed for courage to tell him the truth. She’d awakened with a light heart, and surprisingly, no worry. Today was the day to tell him, but more importantly, she felt that he would understand and forgive her.
Although Katelyn wanted to rush to him right now and confess, she wouldn’t bother him at work. Tonight would be soon enough. He’d asked to take her out on another date, and she agreed. This time the twins were coming. Katelyn couldn’t wait.
She stared at her computer screen, wishing to clear her head enough to write, but it wouldn’t happen. She pushed away from her desk and dressed for the day. It had been a few days since she’d visited with her sister, and helping Stacey at the daycare would take Katelyn’s mind off Shane.
Dreaming 0f You (Christian Romance) Page 14
