As he watched her leave, he wondered what to do about Brie. He was supposed to meet her tonight, but he no longer felt the desire. However, he also didn’t want to just stand her up. No matter what she’d done, no one deserved that.
With a heavy heart, he trudged to his truck. Why did he seem to have such rotten luck with women? Was he just destined to remain single? As he pulled out of the parking lot, he decided to stop at Java Hut and tell her in person he was calling their date off that night. He didn’t really want to affect her work, but it was the best solution he could think of, and he knew she would be getting off soon.
He pulled into the parking lot right at four. Brie should be heading out any minute. He took a deep breath as he thought of what to say to her. Before the thoughts settled in his head, the door opened, and she appeared. She hadn’t been expecting him, and he could see the surprise register on her face as she spotted his truck. Being bright blue, it didn’t blend in easily.
A smile lit her face and she hurried his direction. Jesse turned off the engine and stepped out to meet her.
“Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
Jesse folded his arms. “I wasn’t expecting to come here, but I got a visit today from a friend of yours.”
Confusion clouded Brie’s eyes, and she shook her head. “What do you mean? Why do you sound angry?”
Jesse scoffed. “I sound angry because your friend told me these last three weeks have meant nothing. That you pursued me to win a bet, so you could date some movie star.”
Brie’s hand flew to her mouth and her blue eyes widened. He wanted to see more confusion in her gaze, but there was a sick realization that shone through.
“How could you do that, Brie? People’s emotions aren’t toys. I thought you were different.”
“I am. I… I did make that bet with Ariel, but then I got to know you, and I fell for you, Jesse. You have to believe me.” Brie reached out to grab his arm, but he pulled it away.
“Believe you? You’ve been lying to me since we met.”
Tears flooded Brie’s eyes, and she shook her head. “I haven’t been lying to you. I may have pursued you because of that bet, but I kept seeing you because I liked you.”
“But not more than this movie star? Were you really going to dump me the moment I proposed to you?”
“No, the more I got to know you, the less I wanted Kade. He’s arrogant and dismissive, and he never paid attention to me. I bet Ariel didn’t tell you I called the bet off, did she?”
Jesse blinked but said nothing. Ariel hadn’t mentioned that fact, but did it really matter?
“Within the first week, I told her I didn’t want to do that to you. You changed me. This job changed me. Please, Jesse, I’m not the same girl anymore.”
“I don’t know, Brie, I need some time to think.” Jesse ran a hand across his beard and tried not to crumble at Brie’s dejected expression.
Brie’s lips folded into a tight line and she nodded. She looked like her tears would win any moment, and he didn’t want to see that. It might cause him to change his mind, and he really needed to think through everything before he made a decision.
“A few days, just give me a few days,” he said and then without waiting for a reply, he climbed in his truck and drove off.
As Brie watched him drive away, pain like she’d never felt before blanketed her. She walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, letting the tears fall. Why had she ever taken that bet? And how was she going to convince Jesse that she cared about him?
Suddenly words from a recent sermon popped in her head. “God whispers in our pleasures, He speaks in our conscience, but He shouts in our pain.” Brie closed her eyes and opened her heart. “Lord, please tell me what to do. I don’t want to lose Jesse, but even more I don’t want to do anything that would cause him to stumble. Help me to know your will.”
Brie sat there another few minutes just waiting and listening. Though no clear voice spoke to her, a sense of peace descended, and Brie knew it would just be a matter of time before she would be able to discern His will.
12
Brie looked around the room and smiled. She couldn’t believe she had pulled this off in a week. Of course, her father’s connections helped. He had made sure several wealthy friends would be in attendance, but the rest had been up to Brie.
She had secured the venue and the items for the auction. Quite a few had come from her own closet. Items she had purchased but never worn, but she had secured a few art pieces and expensive jewelry as well. Brie owed a lot of people favors now, but it would be worth it if Jesse showed up.
That was the only hitch in her plan. He still wasn’t talking to her, so she’d planned a different way to invite him. One she hoped his friends would go along with. Even if they got him there though, that was only half the battle. Then she had to convince him she was serious.
“Ms. Carter, do you have a moment to go over the menu for tonight?”
Brie turned to the older gentleman who was heading up the catering and nodded. “Of course, Pierre.” She followed him into the kitchen where he had plates lined up across the counter.
“I thought for an appetizer we would start with a glazed fig topped with mascarpone and wrapped with prosciutto.” He gestured to a small bite sized square. Brie could see just the hint of the fig and the mascarpone sticking out of the end. She picked it up and took a bite nodding at the delicate flavors that ignited in her mouth.
“This is wonderful. What’s next?”
“Next we have a Salade Nicoise.”
Brie took a bite of the colorful salad and gave her approval to it as well.
“For the main course, we will have Pappardelle with Sea Urchin and Cauliflower.”
The dish wasn’t as colorful as the salad, but the flavors were all there.
“And finally, for dessert, we have Mocha Pots de Creme.”
Brie smiled at the tiny cups filled with chocolate. She dipped the tiny spoon in and savored the taste. It took great effort to return the spoon and not eat the entire dessert. “This is fantastic, Pierre. They will love everything.”
He nodded. “I am so glad you approve. We will have everything ready to be served at six, no?”
“Yes, the appetizers should start at six. I’d like to be eating the main course at seven so there is plenty of time for the auction.”
“As you wish, Ms. Carter. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor tonight.”
Brie thanked him before heading out of the kitchen. She would need luck, but she’d need much more than that. A miracle was more like it.
“What’s going on with you, man? You have been quieter and moodier than normal.” Patrick shut the door to the office and turned to face Jesse.
Jesse sighed as he regarded the team leader and tried to decide how much to tell him. He didn’t want to admit a girl was messing up his game, but he needed to assure Patrick he could still do his job. The fact that Patrick had called this meeting in his office told Jesse that Patrick needed some reassurance.
He jammed his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. “It’s Brie. I found out she only pursued me because of a bet.”
Patrick leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms. “That doesn’t sound like the girl I’ve gotten to know.” Patrick hadn’t been around Brie all that often, but she had stopped in a few times over the last couple of weeks with lunch or dinner for the guys. “Are you sure there isn’t more to the story?”
Jesse shrugged and plopped down in one of the open chairs. “She said she called it off the first week when she started to fall for me, but I don’t know, how can I be with a girl who lied to me?”
“I’m not saying she was right, but she wasn’t exactly lying to you. She just didn’t offer up the information, and this is probably why. She probably thought if she told you that she would lose you.”
“Yeah, but, how do I trust her going forward? I’ll always wonder if her feelings are real.”
“Don’t they teach you at that church of yours about forgiveness? It sounds like Brie made a mistake, and she is asking you for forgiveness.”
“Or else she made up the part about calling off the bet, and as soon as I propose, she’ll dump me.”
Patrick’s brow inched up creating tiny creases across his forehead. “Were you going to propose?”
“Not yet, but I was falling for this one, Patrick. She was so different from what I had thought she was.”
“I think she still is. Yes, she made a mistake making a bet like that, but look at it this way, if she hadn’t you two might never have met.”
Jesse leaned back in the chair and ran his hand across his stubbled chin. He hadn’t thought about it that way. He believed God put people in his path for a purpose. Maybe his purpose had been to ground Brie and hers had been to get him to open up again. Still, that didn’t make trusting her any easier. He was about to say so when the phone on Patrick’s desk rang.
Patrick held up a finger and circled the desk to answer the phone. “Sergeant Hughes.” There was a pause and his eyes flicked to Jesse before returning to the phone. “Yes, he’s here. Hold on.” Patrick punched the hold button on the phone and faced Jesse. “You have anything going on tonight?”
Jesse shook his head. Now that he was no longer seeing Brie, his evenings were empty once again.
“Yes sir. We’ll be there.” Patrick hung up the phone and stared at it a moment. “That was Mark Avery, head of the Children’s Hospital. I guess you are being recognized at some banquet tonight, and we’re all invited.”
“What? I don’t know anything about a banquet.”
“Yeah, he apologized for the late notice. Said it was set up out of the blue by a generous donor. Guess we better go tell the guys to dust off their dress uniforms.”
Jesse nodded but his mind was a million miles away. What was this surprise banquet? Would he have to give a speech? He hated giving speeches as he’d never been good at it, and this was even more nerve wracking as he had no idea what it would be about.
“All right guys, listen up. Jesse here is a guest of honor at a banquet tonight, and we have all been invited. So, go home, clean up, and be back here at seventeen hundred in your dress uniforms.” He looked to Carter. “Spotless and pressed.”
Carter balked. “What are you looking at me for? I am always spotless and pressed.”
“If you have a wife and can find a sitter, your wife is also invited. If you are single, do not bring a date.”
“What? How is that fair?” Brendan argued. “I finally get invited some place fancy, and I can’t even show off?”
“I’m sorry, those were the stipulations,” Patrick said.
Jared laughed and clapped a hand on Brendan’s shoulder. “Guess the old ball and chain isn’t so bad after all, huh?”
Brendan returned a jab and Jesse took the opportunity to slip out and grab his things. He didn’t want any of the guys asking him questions when he had so many himself. And no answers.
Jesse arrived back at the station with five minutes to spare. He felt stiff in his dress uniform. This would be his first time wearing it.
“Well, don’t you look nice,” Penny said as he entered.
“Thank you. I feel a little like a wooden soldier.”
“You should have stretched it out more like I did with mine,” Brendan said as he entered the foyer. “I put mine on once a week just to see how good I look.”
“Hah, you probably put it on every day,” Carter said. He had entered just behind Brendan. Patrick showed up next minus his wife due to her very pregnant state, but Cam and Jared both entered with their wives on their arms.
“We all here then?” Patrick asked looking around the room. “Good, you all look nice, and our ride should be here,” he looked out the front door, “right now.”
Jesse turned to see a black stretch limo in front of the station.
Brendan let out a low whistle. “Wow, we get to ride in style.”
“Hey, what’s with the limo?” Jesse asked Patrick as the rest of the group filed out.
Patrick shook his head. “Just part of the package. You’ve made quite an impression on someone.”
So, it would seem. The questions Jesse had was who? Who had he impressed so much that all of this would be offered to him? He climbed in the limo curious as to what the next few hours would hold.
13
Brie peeked out at the crowd and took a deep breath. She was not a public speaker by nature. Instagram and Facebook videos were about as close as she got, but tonight was important for many reasons. Not only would it be her opportunity to connect with Jesse again, she hoped, but it would also be an opportunity to raise a lot of money and awareness for the Children’s hospital.
“If you’re ready, Ms. Carter, they are ready for you.” Nancy, the sound coordinator, nodded at her. She held a clipboard in her hand, and a mic and earpiece extended from the right side of her face, so she could give directions to the lighting and sound crew.
Brie closed her eyes and whispered a quick prayer and then she stepped up to the microphone. Her eyes scanned the crowd for just a moment, and she smiled when she saw Jesse. She could see the confusion in his eyes. “Thank you all for coming. We are here tonight for two reasons. One, to honor a wonderful man I have gotten to know who has a love for these children. And two, to raise money for some wonderful children. I’d like to show you a video of some of these kids as they are too sick to join us in person. Then I’ll share a little about the amazing man I met.”
Brie stepped back and watched the video play. She had gone into the Children’s hospital a few days prior with a friend who was a videographer and filmed the children after getting permission from their parents. Some shots were of the kids playing, but a few brave souls had agreed to speak on film. They spoke of their illness and how hard it was to be stuck in the hospital, and they spoke of Jesse and how much joy he brought every time he showed up.
When the video ended, Brie surveyed the crowd. Tears glistened in many eyes across the room. It was moving to see that so many people had a soft side. “A few weeks ago, I thought having the newest purse or pair of shoes was the only thing that mattered. I had a closet full of things I hadn’t even worn, but then I met this amazing man. He introduced me to these kids and my view began to change. I saw a man who was so giving of his time and his money, and it made me want to be better. I would like to introduce that man to you. Jesse Calhoun, will you come up here?”
All eyes turned to the SWAT table as Jesse stood. Brie could tell he was uncomfortable, but she also knew the crowd would relate to him. As soon as he joined her at the mic, she turned back to the crowd. “This is Jesse Calhoun. He is a member of New York’s SWAT team. More importantly, he is a hero to these children. When he has time, he delivers toys to these kids, and tonight I would like for us to help him. We are going to have an auction in a minute, and all the proceeds are going to this hospital. Even if you don’t find anything you would like to buy, I hope you will still donate. These amazing kids are the sweetest ones you will ever meet. They don’t ask for anything other than healing, but they find joy in those little things. And this is something we can do for them. So, without further ado, I’m going to ask Robin, our auctioneer, to get this started.
The crowd clapped, and Brie smiled and took Jesse’s hand and led him off the stage as Robin took the stage.
“You planned all of this?” he asked as they entered the wing.
“I did. When you left the other day, I was heartbroken, but I finally understood what you meant about needing God. He was there for me when I was at my lowest, and when I prayed for a way to show you that I cared, this came to mind. I know it isn’t that personal-”
“It’s perfect,” he said cutting her off and taking her hand. “Brie, I’m sorry I doubted you. I have hurt in my past that I’m still dealing with, and a friend reminded me that we all make mistakes.”
“It’s okay, Jesse. I would have doubted
me too, but I meant what I said out there. You have changed me. Well, you and God. I would say I’m sorry I ever took that bet, but I’m not really because if I hadn’t, I would never have talked to you. I would have kept living my empty life searching for something I never would have found there.”
Jesse smiled, and his hand cupped her face. Brie leaned into it and placed her hand on his enjoying the touch she had been missing for a moment. “We better get back out there before they send a search party for us.”
“All right,” Jesse said, but the desire remained in his eyes.
Brie led the way back to the floor, and they joined the rest of the SWAT team at the table.
Jesse grabbed Brie’s hand under the table. He still couldn’t believe she had put all this together. There were so many items to bid on and the crowd seemed especially generous after watching the video she had put together. When the auction ended, she had raised over a million dollars for the children.
“I have one more gift for you,” she said after they had said goodbye to his friends. They had ridden back to the station in the limo and were now standing at his truck.
“Another gift? Brie, you have given me so much already. The children are so lucky to have you as a friend.”
“I know, but I wanted to give you something just for you.” She opened her purse and pulled out two rectangular tickets.
Jesse took them, and his eyes widened. “Tickets to the Superbowl? Brie, I can’t.”
She smiled and touched his arm. “You can, and you will. I had to promise a lot of favors to get these tickets.”
“Nothing too awful I hope.”
“I have no idea,” she said with a laugh, “but whatever they are, it will be worth it. You are worth it.” She placed a hand on his chest, and Jesse wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Well, thank you. I know your team isn’t playing, but I hope you’ll accompany me to the game. I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather take.”
Lawfully Pursued (Christian Opposites Attract Romance): A SWAT Lawkeeper Romance Page 8
