He drove down Highway 17 toward Calvary Church, his still-tender incision feeling every bump in the road. He was trying to ignore it. Pulling in, he saw Charly and Mary Ann Livingston getting out of their car.
It took him longer to get out of the car than he was comfortable with, but Charly and her mother waited patiently.
“You made it.” Charly’s smile made him feel good all over.
“I said I would.” He limped a bit as he walked over to them. “Mrs. Livingston, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Rance. It’s I who should be asking you.”
“I’m recovering. Still a few twinges. Nothing major. I was released to drive today.”
“Well, don’t overdo it.”
Rance chuckled. “I got the same advice from my mother a few hours ago.”
“It probably bears repeating.”
Music began to play, and Rance walked in behind the two ladies and found their pew. Sitting by Charly was all he had thought about since he talked to her the day before.
Sharing a hymnal with her, he tried to keep up. He was unfamiliar with most hymns, so he mostly enjoyed reading the words and listening to Charly’s soprano and her mother’s sweet alto voice. Mrs. Livingston never missed a word.
During the prayer time, he found himself in his own prayer, even here with the other people. “God, thank You for bringing me to this point. Be with Charly and me as we talk. Help us to get it right this time and not depend on what we do, but what You’ve done.”
It was difficult for Rance to maintain his attention to the message. His mind was full of all the things he wanted to say to Charly. At one point in the message, he stopped thinking and started listening when he heard that word again. Grace.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [2 Cor. 12:9]
He started smiling. He knew people were looking at him like he was an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. He knew God’s grace. He glanced around and caught the eye of Tom Livingston, who was watching, nodding, and smiling back at him. He’d been weak the last few weeks, but he felt stronger in many ways than he had the last time he bungeed off a bridge or rode a mountain bike through the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a strength like no other. It was the power that Christ made perfect, even in the most imperfect.
He glanced down at Charly, who was looking at him, then back at her brother. She was curious.
When the pastor asked Sarah to come to the piano, all Rance could think was that if they “coincidentally” sang the one song that had been in his head and all around him this summer, he would know God was here, and His strength had been made perfect in Rance Butler’s weakness.
As soon as the song started, Rance began to smile. He’d never considered singing as anything he would like to do, but right now, right here? He was singing to the Lord.
“Sarah, I’m skipping choir tonight.” Charly couldn’t stay. She simply had to find out what was going on with Rance. He actually sang the last hymn. And what was going on between him and Tom? Her brother had a few questions to answer. Right now, however, she wanted Rance’s answers.
“I had a feeling.” Sarah looked over Charly’s shoulder at Rance talking to Tom as they stood in the aisle. “No problem. I’ll let you know what we’re singing. And you let me know what happens, okay?” Sarah winked at her and then pulled her into a hug. She whispered in Charly’s ear, “I’ve been praying for you today. You were on my mind, and now I know why.”
Charly hugged her back. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath and then smiled. “Here goes nothin’.”
“Or maybe somethin’.” Sarah smiled and waved at Jared before disappearing through the back door of the sanctuary and to the choir room.
When she got to Rance, Jared, Tom, and their mother, she smiled.
Tom spoke first. “I’m going to run Mom home. Lucy’s staying for a decorating committee meeting, so I’ve got an empty seat.”
“Sarah and I drove separate.” Jared looked down at his sleeping six-month-old son then looked up, eyes narrowed. “How about I come over with Beau, then the girls can ride to your house together, since you’re on the way to our house.”
Tom nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Braves game is on.”
“That’s what I know. Got any ice cream?”
“Yeah, for after we get the kids to bed or to sleep. Hayes can sniff it out.” Tom shook his head. “He’s just like his mother.”
Charly grinned as Hurricane Hayes careened down the aisle to barrel into his dad’s legs. She nodded. “Okay, if our logistics are settled . . .” She looked up at Rance. “I’m going to skip choir tonight.”
His eyes widened, and he had a grin on his face, just for her.
Jared’s eyebrows went up. “Did you have a note for Sarah?”
She dragged her eyes away from Rance’s and sighed impatiently. “Don’t worry, Sarah cleared my absence.”
Jared laughed then stopped, when he saw little Beau begin to wiggle. “Better get this guy back in the car. A car ride is the best way to ensure he’ll sleep during the ballgame.”
Tom shook his head. “Hey, bud, you know if he sleeps now, he’ll be up all night. I’ve been a dad for a while. I know this stuff.” Tom puffed his chest out.
Jared thought a second. He lifted one side of his mouth in a grin. “Sometimes it’s worth it.”
Tom nodded, lips pursed as he thought. “You know, I think we’ve got nacho dip too.”
“Sweet. Better get out of here. Beau and I will see you on your front porch. Nice to see you, Rance.” He shook his hand and waved at the others before hurrying out the door.
“Ready to saddle up, Mama?” He had a baby carrier in each hand, and his mother had Hayes’s hand.
“Ready. Hayes is going to help me to the car. You’re getting to be such a big boy.” Mary Ann smiled, loving the contact with her grandchildren. “Charlotte, have a good evening. You, too, Rance.”
After she kissed Charly on the cheek, she walked out with Hayes, leaving Charly and Rance standing on the front stoop of the church.
“Do you want to go to the patio at my house? I think Lydia is working tonight at the hospital.”
“I’d like that. See you there.”
She watched as he walked carefully to his car, then as he squinted his eyes in pain as he folded himself up into his low-slung car.
Rance was more tired than he thought. As soon as he got to Charly’s house, pulling in right behind her, he pulled himself up out of the car, shut the door, and stood there a minute.
Charly walked over to him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s been a big day.” He stood straight, hoping she wouldn’t notice the grimace on his face.
“You’ve driven too much. I saw you getting out of the car at church.”
“I’ll be okay. Recovery is tough.”
She nodded. “All kinds.” She gazed into his eyes, and then turned toward the door with her key. “Come on in. Would you like a glass of tea?”
“Is it sweet?”
She looked at him in horror. “Is there any other kind?”
“I’ve heard of people not sweetening it. Personally, I think it’s an urban legend.” He grinned as he caught up with her on the porch.
They entered, and Charly put her bag down and went straight to the kitchen. “Do you want to have a seat in here where it’s more comfortable?”
“Might not be a bad idea. I wanted to walk on the beach, but I think I’ve done enough walking today.”
She came in carrying his iced tea and put it on a coaster on the coffee table. She hesitated, as if unsure where to sit.
“Sit with me?” He looked up at her, hating the uncertainty in her eyes.
“Okay.” She waited. After all he was the one to make first contact, and he was the one who wanted to talk.
“Charly, a lot has happened in
the last few months. Most of it you know, and after the fool I made of myself in Nashville, I wouldn’t blame you if you asked me to leave.”
“I haven’t, have I?” She looked at him calmly.
“No, you haven’t.” He looked into her eyes. He knew, weeks ago, that he loved her. He knew he would do anything for her. She had to know he hadn’t turned to God to gain her favor.
“When I went to Nashville, I did a stupid thing. Ever since, God has surrounded me with people pointing me to Him. I can’t explain it.”
Her eyes widened, and she stopped him. “I can. It was prayer. After that night, the next morning Jake and I prayed for you. We prayed for someone to come by your side and help you.” She paused, gazing at him. “Tell me what happened.”
“First, it was Phil, the corporate headhunter that got me the interview. He reamed me out and set me straight before I left. Then, when I got home, I saw Sam, who is a Christ-follower now because of your brother and Jared.”
“Wow. I never knew. He’s been in contact with Sam all this time?”
“Yes. On my way out of the prison, I saw Tom, and he answered a lot of questions for me. Questions about why God would love somebody like me.”
“God’s grace.”
“And then there was that song. ‘Amazing Grace.’” He chuckled and shook his head in amazement. “Would you believe everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve heard that song? When I heard it walking down the street in Nashville, coming out of a music venue, I was so angry I found the nearest bar and got drunk.”
She nodded, listening intently. “God loves us enough to not let us go.”
“I’m discovering that.” He took her hand and rubbed the top of it with his other hand. It was so soft, so smooth. “Charly, I don’t pretend to know everything about this, but I know I have faith in God and that he loved me enough to die for me.”
Charly flung her arms around his neck and held him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder.
“Hey . . .”
She pulled away finally and smiled at him. “I’m sorry. I just . . .” She reached for a nearby tissue and blew her nose. “. . . I’m so happy to hear you talk like this. I was so afraid I’d messed things up.”
“Messed things up, how?”
“Oh, I’ve held a lot of bitterness inside, and it made me angry with God. First, for taking my dad away and then for Mom’s blindness. It started out with me going through the motions, doing all the things I was expected to do, and then it got to be a battle of wills. My will against God’s, all the while, fooling myself and everyone else. Except I couldn’t fool Him.”
“No, I don’t think we can.” He pulled her to him and sat there, holding her.
“I wanted to prove I could do all the stuff without having to depend on God, and it hasn’t worked out very well.”
“I know. I was doing the same thing, but from a human standpoint on the other side of faith.” He pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes. “Charly, I love you.”
She smiled, touching her fingers to his face. “I love you too.”
He couldn’t stand it anymore. His lips automatically caught hers in a kiss that had to tell her all she needed to know about how much he had missed her.
His kiss seared its way into her heart. She had known for a while her heart had been captured by Rance Butler, and God used so many things to draw them together.
Sitting together on the sofa, arms entwined as they relaxed in their new love, Charly suddenly had a thought, and she sat straight, looking him in the eye.
“Rance, what job did you take, or have you taken one yet?”
He grinned and reached over to kiss her once more. “I have a couple of options. I didn’t want to decide until I talked to you.”
“What if things hadn’t gone the way you wanted?”
“I had a feeling.” His lips found hers once more, and he laughed when she pulled away. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. I’ve had two offers. One is with Dr. Hobgood, who did my surgery, and one is with a family practice on Pawley’s Island.”
“Seriously? Both of them are here? What about Nashville?”
He twisted his lips. “Honestly, after that night, I kinda lost interest. It would be a great gig, but I don’t want to be so far from my family. Sam gets out next week, and Dad’s not getting any younger, and then there are my parents.” He shrugged. “I’ve found home. Do you know the main reason? I don’t think I could leave you again.”
She smiled. “I like your reasons, especially the last one. Although, I don’t think you could have gotten rid of me so easily.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
February
Rance pulled Charly into the pantry of Pilot Oaks after making sure there were no onlookers then proceeded to kiss her senseless. “I’ve wanted to do this all day.”
She swatted his arm. “You’re incorrigible.”
He pulled her closer and leaned his forehead on hers. “And you love it.”
“I do.” She grinned, knowing from experience she was turning several shades of red.
“And you’ll be saying those words to me soon. How soon?”
“We haven’t even told our families yet.” She snuggled into his arms and played with his tie, then the sparkling ring on her left hand, third finger.
“Well, you didn’t want to steal Emma and Rafe’s thunder.” He bent down to kiss the little bit of shoulder he could access with the wide neck of her dress, making her shiver, which made him chuckle.
“I guess I should take my ring off until we announce it.”
“Leave it on. See if anybody notices.”
She nodded. “We’ll announce it tomorrow. How’s that?”
“I guess it will have to do. Unless somebody notices, and then all bets are off. Then can we set the date? And by set the date, I mean, how soon can we possibly get married?”
Her arms snaked up and around his neck, pulling closer to him. “Less than a year.”
“A year? Are you kidding me? There’s no way we’re waiting a year to get married.”
“I said less than.”
“Not good enough.”
She felt the giggle bubble up as his hand clutched her sides tighter. He knew she was ticklish, and he knew exactly how to use the hard-won information. “Stop tickling me, or I’ll start planning for a destination wedding in Hawaii two years from now.”
“I can think of worse places, actually. I figured you wanted to get married here.”
“I do.” She sighed. “I want to get married at the church and have the reception here.”
“Me too. And, since we kind of have an ‘in’ with a local wedding planner, as well as the venues, don’t you think we could throw something together for, say, June?”
“Rance Elliot Butler, it’ll take longer than four months to get my dress.”
His face fell a little.
“I can see we’re going to have to start watching Say Yes to the Dress together, so you’ll get the idea.” She shook her head. “Poor thing, you have no idea, do you?”
He gazed into her eyes. “However long we have to wait, it will be worth it.”
“It will. And by the way, I’m not any happier about it than you are.”
“Good. Maybe that will speed things along.”
When the pantry door opened, Prudie, the housekeeper, gave them a pointed look. “What are you two young-uns doin’ in here?”
Their eyes met, and then both of them said, “Um . . .”
Prudie laughed. “I wasn’t born yesterday, and there’s been more than one courtship going on around here, looks to me like. So, when’s the wedding?”
They simply stared at her.
“I noticed a little more sparkle in my pantry than usual.” She pointed to the ring on Charly’s hand still draped over Rance’s shoulder.
“Don’t tell anybody. We don’t want to spoil things for Emma and Rafe.” Charly whispered. “It happened last night, and we’re going to tell everyone tomorrow.”
Prud
ie waved her hand and laughed. “You’ll never be able to keep it to yourself. Trust me. Remember when Lucy and Tom got engaged? It was at Sarah and Jared’s reception. Everybody was thrilled, and nobody thought of it as stealing anybody else’s thunder. Instead, they were glad it finally happened.” She chuckled. “They sure did beat around the bush, those two.”
“Tell me about it.” Charly looked up at Rance. “What do you think?”
“I think we wait and see what happens.”
“Okay, it’s the non-plan, then.” She gave him her most brilliant smile.
“I know one thing that would help Emma and Rafe.”
“What?”
“If you two would get out of the pantry and set those tables up in the dining room like you were supposed to be doing.” Prudie gave them the stink eye and then softened it with a wink and a grin.
“Yes, ma’am.” Rance saluted and followed Charly, who was pulling him by the hand into the dining room.
Valentine’s Day weddings were popular, and Quince Wedding Designs had already put on an afternoon wedding. But the one this evening was special.
Charly and Rance arranged and set the tables in the large dining room with cloths, fine china, silver, and beautiful peonies imported from South America. It was a truly elegant Southern wedding at Pilot Oaks. Lucy was discussing logistics with the caterers and Prudie in the kitchen, Lydia was putting the flowers together with her artistic flair, and Sarah was in the parlor getting her music ready for the ceremony.
Emma came into the dining room two hours before the ceremony to check on things.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be upstairs resting and getting beautiful for your own wedding?” Charly shook her head in despair. “You’re the bride, for goodness sake!”
Emma turned pink. “I know. I guess I’m not used to not being in charge.”
“Well, you’d better get used to it, because Lucy and I have things under control for the next month.”
Carolina Grace (Southern Breeze Series Book 3) Page 23
