Chasing Sunsets

by Karen Kingsbury

  Anything would be better than feeling this way about a guy she could never have. The Wayne family rushed up to Marcus, congratulating him and hugging him. Mary Catherine and Sami and Tyler waited until he made his way to them.

  “Man, that was beautiful.” Tyler gave him a hearty hug. “I remember when I was baptized. Had a lot of years without God, but now look at us! Ready to change the world!”

  “You got it!” Marcus looked exhilarated. The water beaded on his light chocolate skin and his green eyes flashed with joy. He hugged Sami next and then stepped up to Mary Catherine.

  Every other time they’d been together, she had avoided hugging him, avoided being in his arms. Especially when it would only make it that much harder to admit the truth. That they could never be more than friends.

  But this was not a moment to resist.

  She put her arms around his cold, wet, bare waist and he pulled her into a gentle embrace that took her breath. Once, Mary Catherine had read about feeling born for a certain moment. If that was true, then this was that moment. Not jumping from a plane or swimming with the dolphins. But this.

  The way she felt in Marcus Dillinger’s arms.

  He held on to her longer than the others and when he drew back he put his hand alongside her face. “Thank you. For being here.”

  There seemed to be so much more going on between them than their words could begin to acknowledge. Mary Catherine couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t remember that there was anyone else on the beach. She hesitated long enough to hold on to the feeling. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”

  Marcus released her and turned to the others. The group talked for a few minutes, relishing the happy occasion. Sami shared about the dolphins, though now there wasn’t one in sight.

  “You girls and your imaginations.” Tyler pulled Sami close, grinning at her. “What’s next? You climbed on the back of a dolphin and took a ride up the shore?”

  “Hey!” Sami gave him a playful shove. “It’s true.” She looked to Mary Catherine. “Right? Tell him!”

  “I believe you.” Marcus was toweling off, shivering from the cold water. He winked at Mary Catherine. “I’ll bet it was amazing.”

  “It really was.” She laughed in Marcus’s direction and then looked at the others. “There had to be a dozen of them. For like twenty minutes.”

  The conversation turned to the volunteer program and their training that night. “Let us know how it goes.” Ollie Wayne looked at his daughter. “One of Sierra’s friends is going through the program.”

  Coach Wayne didn’t elaborate, but clearly the matter made Sierra uncomfortable. Mary Catherine remembered that Rhonda Wayne had said the family was struggling with their only daughter. She would have to ask Rhonda about it later.

  After the Wayne family headed back to the parking lot, Tyler pulled a wetsuit out of his bag. “I promised my girl I’d ride boogie boards with her.”

  “Finally.” Sami laughed and pulled hers back over her shoulders.

  “You can use my board.” Mary Catherine was still warming up from her time in the water earlier. Besides, she would rather stay on the beach with Marcus than get back in the ocean. She peeled off her sweatshirt and stretched out her legs. “I’ll get some sun.”

  “Is that possible?” Marcus grinned at her. “You don’t look much like the tanning type.”

  “I know.” She rolled her eyes. “I have British skin. I can actually spend an hour on the beach and look more pale.”

  Marcus laughed. “I’ll stay here with you. The water’s freezing.”

  He sat next to her. Again their arms touched and Marcus smiled at her. “You’re warm.”

  “The sun feels great.” She lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes. Could he tell how hard her heart was beating? Mary Catherine tried to still her nerves. What was she doing? And what was the point? This—whatever this was—couldn’t go anywhere. Sitting this close to Marcus was like a form of torture.

  But it felt too wonderful to even think about stopping.

  For a while they sat that way, their arms touching, watching Tyler and Sami riding the waves. Tyler wasn’t very good on the boogie board. No matter how hard he tried he kept falling off. The scene made for great entertainment, and after a few minutes Mary Catherine and Marcus were both laughing.

  “That’s my buddy! Mr. Surfer.” Marcus laughed again. Then he leaned his head close to hers. “Good thing I don’t have a wetsuit. Honestly, I’d be worse than him.”

  “I’d like to see you try. Someday.”

  “We’ll see.” Marcus sighed. “I should probably stick to pitching.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” She shot him a teasing look. “If Tyler’s any indication, pitchers might not be that great at riding waves.”

  Marcus drew one knee up to his chest and chuckled. He turned so he could see her better, but the move broke the physical connection between them. “So . . . what do you know about pitchers?”

  “Hmm.” She laughed. “Well, for starters they might be better on dry land.” Her smile came easily. “Oh . . . and the fact that you’re the best.”

  He tilted his head, searching her face, clearly trying to read her. “Have you ever seen me pitch?”

  “Yes.” Mary Catherine remembered it well. She had watched on TV as Marcus pitched the winning game of the last World Series. “You’re very good.” She felt the teasing in her eyes. “I’m actually a baseball fan.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah. But . . . not really the Dodgers. I grew up loving the Braves.”

  “The Braves?” He stood and walked a few steps toward the water before returning. “Are you serious? That lousy team?”

  “Yes!” She laughed out loud. “Definitely the Braves. We used to drive down to Atlanta for a couple of games each year.” She loved this, the easy way they had together. It was more fun every time they talked. “Nashville has the minor league Sounds. But if you wanted the real thing, Atlanta was the place to be.”

  “Okay, then.” He grinned. “I guess I can sit by you. Since you grew up not knowing better.” He settled back on the towel and this time they sat closer than before.

  “Very kind of you.” The feel of his arm against hers was intoxicating. Mary Catherine had to work to feel the sand beneath her. Otherwise she would’ve thought she was floating.

  “You know. Southern gentleman and all.”

  “Yes, sir.” She milked her accent for all it was worth. “Kind gentleman like you doesn’t come around every day.”

  He tipped his head back and laughed. “I love that! I should’ve been born in the South.” He gave her a mock stern look. “That part about not coming around every day, don’t forget it, young lady.”

  “Deal.” She thought about finding her sunglasses in her bag, but the sun was still at their backs. Their faces still had enough shade to talk without the glare of the sun being a problem.

  He stretched out his legs again. They were several inches from hers, but with every movement, his arm brushed against hers again. They fell quiet, watching Tyler and Sami. Finally she felt Marcus inhale. He looked at her. “I keep thinking about the other day, you at Elysian Park with Lexy.” He shook his head and stared at the ocean for a beat before looking back at her. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if . . . if something had happened to you.”

  “I’m glad the police were there.” She was touched by his concern.

  “The world can never lose a girl like you, Mary Catherine. You’re the rarest kind of real.”

  Her head was spinning again, her heart leaping like the dolphins in the waves earlier. “Thank you.” She had the strongest desire to rest her head on his shoulder. But she couldn’t. This was all pretend. She wasn’t being fair to him or to herself. If they were going to get close like this, she would need to tell him the truth about her heart.

&n
bsp; Truth she was going to learn more about any minute, when her phone rang.

  “Tell me . . .” His voice was softer now. He looked at her eyes, straight to her aching heart. “Why do you run? When I’m around?”

  “I don’t run.” She broke eye contact and turned to look at Tyler and Sami again. “I’m busy, that’s all.”

  “No.” His fingertips touched the side of her face. He waited until she looked at him. “You’re not that busy. Only around me.”

  She wanted to beg him to stop this part of the conversation, stop it before she had no choice but to be honest. She shrugged and smiled. “Of course, you had Shelly, remember?”

  “She wasn’t the problem. You know that.” He wasn’t giving up. “I just want to know. Like . . . is there someone else? I know you said you hadn’t found that guy, but maybe there’s someone. Someone you didn’t tell me about?”

  A single sad laugh came from her. “No. That’s not it.” She wasn’t sure how much longer she could look at him without giving in to her feelings, without forgetting every true thing about her health and her future and letting her heart win.

  Just this once.

  “So what is it?” He lowered his hand and allowed the slightest space between them. “You don’t like ballplayers?”

  “You’re the first one I’ve been friends with.” She let her smile ease up some, enough that she hoped he could see she was being honest. “Relationships . . . they just aren’t for me. It’s complicated.” She didn’t wait for him to protest. “Maybe I’ll explain it someday.” She stood and stretched out her hand to him. “For now let’s not think about it. Life’s too short to worry.”

  He reached out his arm and their fingers touched and held. The feeling was as familiar as it was consuming. Like they’d held hands a thousand times before. He hesitated and then stood, still holding her hand. He looked down into her eyes and she could only allow the feeling between them. A heady wonderful feeling she was sure they were both experiencing.

  When he spoke, his words were barely louder than the sound of the surf. “It feels right . . . being with you.”

  His words hit their mark. She hesitated and then grinned. “Come on!” She gently pulled him toward the shore.

  “Don’t tell me you’re taking me back out into that water.” His easy expression said he wasn’t going to push the issue, wasn’t going to insist on understanding everything about her right now.

  But he also wasn’t going to give up.

  “Yes!” She led the way to the surf. “It’ll be warmer now.” They ran to the water. If she had wondered how he felt about her, now she knew. The pull she felt toward him, the way he could look straight through her, Mary Catherine could feel it long after they were waist deep in the water. She knew it because of one thing.

  Marcus still had hold of her hand.

  22

  MARCUS WAITED UNTIL HE and Tyler were halfway home before he laughed out loud. “Okay, so what’s with that girl? Just when I think I have her figured out, she throws me off again.”

  “I thought you might be thinking about her.” Tyler laughed, too. He leaned against the passenger door and looked at Marcus. “Man, you got it bad for her. The whole beach could see.”

  “Just a couple of friends celebrating a great day at Zuma.” He shook his head and kept his eyes on the road. “That’s how she sees it.”

  “What about that holding hands thing?” Tyler was definitely enjoying the banter. “She didn’t seem to fight that very much.”

  “True.” He felt baffled. “She said she’s not into relationships. Something like that.”

  “Well . . . maybe you’ll actually have to chase her.” Tyler grinned. “She might be the only single girl in the world who wouldn’t jump at the chance to date you.”

  “She’s definitely on the list.” He replayed the moments with her again in his mind. “I know this. There’s no other girl like her. It’s like nothing could take her down. Like she’ll be celebrating life until she’s a hundred years old.”

  Tyler laughed again. “I just hope it doesn’t take you that long to get her to change her mind.”

  Marcus rolled down the window and let the warm January air drift through his SUV. “I might just wait that long.” He leaned back and smiled. “If she doesn’t drive me crazy first.”

  NOT UNTIL AFTER Marcus and Tyler left did Mary Catherine realize she hadn’t heard from either her mom or the doctor. Strange, she thought. She dug around on her towel and found her phone.

  It was turned off.

  That’s weird, she thought. Maybe the battery died. She held the button at the top of the phone and the screen came to life. After a few seconds she could see for herself. The battery was still full.

  So when had she turned it off?

  Before she could figure out an answer she watched several messages come through. Two of them were voice mails, one from her mother, one from her cardiologist. Sami was gathering her things, but Mary Catherine needed to check the messages first.

  She noted the time of the calls. Her mother’s came in right as Marcus was being baptized. The doctor’s happened fifteen minutes later, when Marcus had just taken the spot beside her on the towel. She would’ve missed all of that if her phone had been on.

  She had no time to worry about it. She played the message from her mom first. Her mother’s voice came on the line and Mary Catherine put her hand over her other ear. She needed to focus, needed to hear every word.

  “Honey, call me. Good news.” That was it. All her mother said. The message was the last thing Mary Catherine had expected. She dialed her mother’s number and waited.

  “Hello, honey!” Her mom sounded happier than she had in months. “Your father’s doing so much better!”

  “What happened?” Mary Catherine felt the sting of tears. Her father wasn’t healthy. She would need to get out to Nashville again soon. Before she could think about a trip to Africa. But for now he was at least out of danger. Thank You, God . . . thank You.

  Her mom was explaining what had happened, how they’d gotten much closer since his illness. And how she’d been spending more time at the hospital with him. “He looked like he’d need heart surgery, and you know your father. With his weight . . . he’s just not a candidate right now.”

  “I know.” Mary Catherine felt the burden of her father’s health again. “One day, maybe.”

  “Anyway.” Her mother paused only long enough to catch a quick breath. “This new doctor visited us today. A pretty woman. She found a better medication for the IV. It only took an hour and his numbers were so much better.” She sounded deeply relieved. “Makes me wonder if the woman was an angel. Anyway, just wanted you to know he’s good for now. Your dad asked me to tell you that he misses you. We both do.”

  “Miss you, too. Tell Daddy I love him.”

  “I will. Love you, too.”

  The conversation ended and Mary Catherine stared out at the water, to the place where Marcus had been baptized little more than an hour ago. God was with them. No matter how terribly the week had gone or what evil existed in the world, the Lord was still at work.

  He had allowed her divorced parents to find friendship again. And He had sent a doctor to heal her father.

  Which meant now she could still do the Last Time In program with Marcus. Mary Catherine stared at her phone. The other message was from her cardiologist. But suddenly she didn’t want to hear it. The news could wait. She only wanted to live in the moment and remember every amazing thing about the morning and her time with Marcus.

  She stood and walked to the edge of the water, her eyes trained on the horizon. The time with Marcus today had been a dream. Better than a dream. He was funny and sensitive and he wanted to take their friendship deeper. To a place where there were no secrets.

  Mary Catherine thought about the message waiting for her, the one
from the doctor. Her failing health was her greatest secret, the one thing she never wanted to share with Marcus. She didn’t want him feeling sorry for her or trying to convince her she was wrong about her decision to stay single.

  Sami came up alongside her. “How’s your dad?”

  “He’s great.” She turned and smiled. “Some new doctor came on the scene today and gave him a different medicine.” She still couldn’t believe the news. “He won’t need surgery after all.”

  “So you can stay with the prison program.”

  “Yes.” She grew quiet, looking back at the ocean again. “Was it obvious?”

  “You and Marcus?” Sami laughed quietly. “Very.” She faced Mary Catherine. “Did you tell him? About your heart?”

  “No.” Mary Catherine wanted to run down the beach, far from the reality of her health. “I can’t tell him. I shouldn’t have told you.”

  “Why?” Sami sounded hurt. “Don’t say that. I won’t tell anyone. Not even Tyler.” She didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “It’s just . . . with Marcus . . . you told me you didn’t want to date. You might only have ten years. Remember?”

  “I still feel that way.” She exhaled and felt the weight of the entire beach on her shoulders. “I tried to tell him.”

  “What’d you say?” Sami wasn’t pushing. She was only being a friend.

  “I told him relationships weren’t for me. I said it was complicated.”

  Sami looked surprised. “He didn’t ask for more of an explanation?”

  “He would’ve.” She ignored the hurt inside. “I made him go to the water with me instead.”

  “The hand-holding?” A sparkle started in Sami’s eyes and turned into a smile. “It’s okay, Mary Catherine. Why do you have to be so hard on yourself? You don’t know what’s going to happen. You might end up in a rocking chair next to me when you’re eighty.” She hesitated. “Only God knows the number of your days.”

  “True.” She longed for the scenario Sami described, longed for a reason to believe it was possible. “But my heart condition . . . it’s a real thing, Sami. I can’t put that on someone else.”