“Sure.” They released hands as Brody assisted her by opening the rear, passenger-side door of his car. Maria unstrapped Lilly for the transfer from stroller to car seat and she looked at him over her shoulder wearing a saucy grin. “What’d you make me to eat?”
Brody rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder once Lilly was secured. “Well, Lady Maria, I’ve prepared for us some chicken salad sandwiches, fresh veggies with a ranch dipping sauce, and chips, of course, a pair of apples, too. For your desert pleasure, I’ve added lemon cookies to the basket, because they’re my favorite.”
Her eyes went wide. “Seriously? You did all that? We’re not going to pick up lunch at the grocery store or a restaurant someplace?”
“I promised you a picnic. Picnics don’t come from restaurants. Besides, I wanted to make you a meal.” He strode to the driver’s side of the car but stopped abruptly. “Uh-oh. I think I blew it. I didn’t bring any baby food.”
Maria’s laughter danced on air while she joined him in the car. “You didn’t blow it at all. Despite the frazzled behavior I demonstrated when we first met, I’m generally organized and prepared. I have Lilly’s lunch and it’s all set. No worries.”
“Whew. That was a close one. To Falls Park then?”
“Absolutely.”
They hit the road, and Brody cranked up the radio. The Big Daddy Weave song Love Come to Life launched across the airwaves of KWJD, the Christian station headquartered in Angel Falls. Maneuvering his truck through town, Brody functioned on automatic, resting in the peaceful joy of Maria’s company and the accompaniment of great music.
Then something caught his eye. Maria started to be-bop her shoulders a little. The be-bop intensified when she bobbed her head in time to the beat of the song. She began to hum as she looked out the passenger window and watched Oliver’s Diner, the Dress it Up, Dress it Down clothing shop, and the Sweet Stop candy store drift by.
Then she started to sing—in harmony. She was good, too.
The moment was a slow giving over to truest comfort and unrestraint. For the first time since Brody had met her, Maria seemed to thoroughly relax without even realizing it. That made the interlude twice as precious to him. Once again, he took care not to draw her attention or awaken any sense of self-consciousness. Instead, he kept quiet and hummed low along with the song.
But he did allow for a secretive grin.
Once the song ended, he decided to play for broke. “I think you and Big Daddy Weave need to hit the concert circuit together. You’re great.” As expected, she froze and heightened color painted her cheeks. On cue, her lower lip disappeared beneath the press of straight, white teeth.
“Yeah, sure.”
“I mean it. You’re a natural. Have you ever been in a choir?”
“When…well, Jacob…” She cleared her throat. She squirmed.
Take the first steps forward, Maria. If you brave the chance, they’ll lead you to me…and to God.
Silence stretched before she continued. “I used to go to services with Jacob every Sunday. We loved being active in our church. I helped out in the nursery and such. That’s what made us want to start a family so soon after we got married. He was an usher, and he’d read the Scriptures. I’d sing with the choir because it was fun, and it made me feel like I was glorifying God, saying thanks to Him in song.” She lowered her lashes in a shy way that charmed him. “Pretty corny, huh?”
“Not in the least. You stopped going?”
Her lips trembled until she pressed them together. “It was hard to go to church all by myself. People there knew me as half of a partnership. I hated walking down the main aisle and sliding alone into a pew. It felt like people were watching me…almost as if they were waiting for Jake to join me.”
“Understandable reaction. Still, I’m sure that wasn’t the case.”
She shrugged. Her sadness and longing rolled toward him like fast-building clouds. Plus, she provided no details about Jacob’s passing. There came no deeper revelations about the sorrow that lent dark textures to her eyes. Those impediments both frustrated and prodded him.
“Start new,” he encouraged. “Start over right here, like we talked about at Heart’s Haven. If you’d like, you can come to church with me on Sunday. I go to Falls Tabernacle, and I’d love your company. The pastor and the faith community there are awesome. Give it some thought and let me know.”
He parked at a public lot that skirted the park which drew their conversation to a close. He was grateful for that. The less pressure he exerted the better. Nonetheless, he itched for progress.
Soon she sat next to him on a plaid, woolen blanket he had stretched out upon the grass near the bank of a tranquil body of water locals referred to as Falls Creek Pond. Maria attended to Lilly’s feeding and Brody loved the tender and sometimes silly ways she interacted with her daughter while she spooned tiny helpings of applesauce.
“Tell me about Jacob. What was he like?”
Maria made an airplane sound as she aimed the spoon for her daughter’s open, waiting mouth. “He was a lot like you, actually. Noble and caring.”
Brody sputtered a harrumph. “Maybe on my good days. I have plenty of bad ones, though.”
Maria laughed, waiting for Lilly to swallow. She skimmed her free hand against fallen leaves that swirled and crackled at her touch. “So did Jake. He’d get so impatient sometimes. When that happened, I used to tease him and say it was a miracle God gifted him with the ability to build homes, which is a laborious, time-consuming process. Jake lived for results, and very seldom wanted to wait for them. Still, he was one of the most remarkable men I’ve ever known.”
Brody folded a leg and propped an elbow on his knee. He waited, watching her. It didn’t take long for Maria to pick up on his unspoken cue for more. She blew out a breath. “And…I suppose, since you’ve asked, I should just…I don’t know…come clean about everything.”
He caught hold of her leaf-chasing fingertips. “Only if you want to. I’m in no hurry. I’m simply curious about you. I want to know who you are and where you come from.” He looked at her pointedly. “We’ve got time. All the time we need.”
“Don’t be too sure about that.” Maria left her sharp-edged reply at that and resumed Lilly’s lunch. Perched in her carrier seat, Lilly gurgled happily and kicked her chubby legs. Brody captured a foot and gave her ankle a gentle stroke. A couple of beats later the intensity dissipated, and Maria continued. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” She tipped her head back and studied the ice-blue sky. “I used to be so different. I used to be full of enthusiasm, with so much energy and joy. I loved life and thought happiness was forever. Jake nicknamed me Sparks. According to him, I was electric, full of sparks and spice. Sadly, you’re being introduced to the broken down version of that girl.”
“I don’t think of you as being broken down, and that doesn’t bother me in the least. I’m a mechanic. I love to work with components and see how they all work together.”
Maria dug through the diaper bag near her hip and pulled out a jar of baby food. Green beans. Brody pitied poor Lilly. After using a napkin to wipe off the miniature serving spoon, Maria popped the lid off the jar and stirred its contents.
“It was April of this year. I was eight months pregnant. Like I said, Jake was a construction worker. He built homes as a contractor with a company in Fort Worth.”
Lilly gobbled down a helping of the vegetable serving, lips smacking as she took in the world with large, crystalline brown eyes that grew increasingly heavy-lidded. Brody grinned already in love with the munchkin.
“She actually likes that stuff.” He marveled.
Maria snickered using the spoon to gently swipe excess bean residue from her daughter’s puckered mouth. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Maria’s chest rose and fell. “Anyway, there was a storm brewing.”
Brody didn’t like the way her tone turned laden and husky.
“It wasn’t just a storm, really,” she clarified. “It was more
like a monster weather pattern with driving rains, hail…and tornadoes.”
Brody’s stomach spun, falling into a nasty side-to-side pitch. “Yeah, I remember. It was bad. Stretched across a good portion of mid-Texas. Scary stuff. Lots of people lost their homes. That storm system hit you guys?”
Maria’s lips firmed for a moment. She swallowed hard before continuing, and she seemed purposeful about avoiding his eyes. Her entire focus remained on Lilly. Still, Brody noticed the glittering moisture that built. He noticed the way she fought tears by blinking them away. “The weather forecast prompted Jake’s company to shut down work for the day. He came home early, and I was so glad to see him.”
Brody nodded, silently urging her on.
“I remember everything about that day so vividly. Our greatest joys and deepest horrors tend to imbed themselves into the farthest reaches of our lives. They’re indelible. Know what I mean?”
Again, Brody remained silent. He refused to diminish what she was about to say by offering some form of a pat, fast-acting response. He sensed horror on the horizon. In reverence, he refused to diminish the revelation.
“I had the radio on so I could hear the weather reports while I worked on the nursery. I was stenciling the walls. Balloons and butterflies.” Her voice drifted. Her eyes emptied, glazing over as she visibly walked into memories. “Jake charged into the house, calling for me. It happened all at once after that.”
It.
Such a tiny, fateful word. Oh, how he longed to leap into her story, into the pages of history that had formed her layers. And scars. At the same time, he didn't want her to be hurt by the telling of her past. That noble wish didn't matter, though. Pain echoed around her in waves so strong he couldn’t help but feel the burden of the tears that now hung along the edges of her lashes.
She brushed the trickling moisture away with strokes of her fingertips. “The storm hit like the runaway locomotive everybody talks about on the news when they try to describe the destruction of a tornado. We lived in a cute little Cape Cod, a perfect starter home for newlyweds. But our home didn't have a basement. We ran for the only protection we had. The bathtub. Sirens screamed. We grabbed pillows and Jake ripped a heavy comforter from the bed in our room as we took cover. The wind already pounded the house and shook the windows.”
Brody braced, willing himself to stillness.
“Jake wasn’t his usual gentle, careful self. He shoved me into the tub. He was yelling something. I figured he was asking if I was OK. I covered my head and face, and I kept screaming that I was fine, that he needed to get in the tub with me. He tried to pull the comforter over us. At that point, I turned my head just enough to see that the window had exploded, and he was bleeding all over, cut to shreds by flying glass. Meantime the wind caught the blanket and blew it out of his hands.”
Brody heard her hitch a staggered breath. He detected the tightening of her throat in the way her words came out sounding choked. He remained quiet, attentive, letting her release this piece of history into his care.
“There he stood, completely unprotected.” Maria continued to stare into the distance, trembling. “The entire world shook. The roof sailed away like a flimsy piece of cardboard. Bricks crumbled and broke and turned into missiles. Jake dove on top of me, bracing against the tub, but debris pummeled him as the walls of our home literally crumbled. Stones bashed into everything—mirrors and cabinets disintegrated.” Tears rolled down her face, heavy, fast, and unstoppable. “Jake wasn’t talking anymore. He felt heavier and heavier on top of me. I didn’t know what was going on. I was buried beneath him. Protected. While he…while he…”
Brody couldn’t sit by any longer. He tucked next to Maria and wrapped his arms tight around her slender, quaking body. He cuddled her, resting his chin atop her head.
It was all he could do.
“He died in that horror,” she concluded in a choked whisper. “He gave up his life for me, and for Lilly, but he never even got to hold her. He never met his daughter. Never gave her kisses or sang her lullabies. She’ll never know his strength, or his love.”
“Maria, he gave her, and you, every last bit of his love, in the most heroic way imaginable. She’ll have that forever. And so will you.”
At last, she moved slightly and looked into his eyes. Her face was splotchy, her cheeks were damp, and her eyes were moist and red. Slowly, with gentle care, Brody used a thumb touch to soothe and assure.
“I’ve tried so hard to keep it together since he died, but I’m drained. Insurance money barely covered the bills. The radio station where I worked was forced to ‘right size’ when the national economy went through one of its teeter-totter cycles, and I found myself without a job.”
She rested her head against his chest once again. The gesture spoke eloquently of bone-deep weariness, and a long-suppressed desire to be cared for.
“My parents retired to Huntington a few months ago, so when I ran out of options in Fort Worth, I asked if I could stay with them for a while. I’m lucky to have them, but I need to stand on my own. I need to take care of Lilly. Anything less dishonors Jacob’s sacrifice.”
“You’re a credit to him, Maria—and to the relationship you created. Don’t ever doubt that.”
Pulling away, gathering her composure, Maria nabbed a small plastic sack meant for trash and began to scoop up empty jars, used paper plates, and cups. When she started to pack food containers in a nearby carry-all, Brody did battle against letting her divert and the urge he had to pull her close all over again. For now, she needed space; he forced himself to respect that fact.
“Well, I’ve said more than enough. It’s your turn, Brody Lang.”
“OK. Ask me anything.” His playful response seemed to set her at ease. She stilled somewhat and sat cross legged, giving him a nod while the last of her tears dried away.
“All right, then.” She eyed him in exaggerated speculation, drawing out the suspense, and his smile, as she pretended to ponder. “Car Angels. Tell me what that’s all about.”
Shock swept through him. “How’d you know about that?”
“I saw the plaque on the wall at your shop when you fixed my car.”
“Good eye, Maria Wilde.” He sipped lemonade from a plastic cup, savoring the tart, sweet burst of citrus on his tongue. “Car Angels is a charity I work with that helps repair and restore cars for the less fortunate. Usually the cars I find and help to fix are used as part of a vocational training program at Hope Centers United.”
“Hope Centers United?”
Brody nodded, adding his empty cup to the garbage bag. “It’s a facility north of town that takes in displaced families and gives them training, housing, and meals. They’re expected to earn their keep and learn a trade, but in return, they’re provided for and given a chance to land on their feet again. The cars we fix are given at low cost to those in need. Car Angels gives me the chance to channel my love of cars into a means by which to share my faith.”
Maria pulled up her legs and rested her chin on her knees. “Tell me more.”
Brody leaned back on his hands. “There’s nothing extraordinary to say, really. I grew up in Angel Falls. My mom likes to tease me by saying I was born an old, wise soul. I was raised by a dad who serviced cars, pumped gas, and ran a shop for his profession. He’s humble, but he’s lived and breathed a happy man. He showed me there’s joy and goodness to be found in hard work, determination, and serving others. I didn’t go to college. I learned at my dad’s elbow, and his passion for mechanics became mine as well. I like tune ups. I like making components hum and repairing damaged parts.”
Silence drifted on the breeze until birds swooped and cawed high above. Maria reached up and stroked his cheek. The gesture was so unexpected, so welcome a treat, Brody’s breath stuttered for a moment.
“See what I mean? It’s just like I knew from the beginning. You’re noble and caring.”
****
Once the picnic concluded, it was time to get Lilly home fo
r a long, uninterrupted nap. Following the intimacy they had shared, Maria’s spinning mind needed time to settle as well. What was going on? What was she doing? Where was her heart leading with regard to Brody Lang? She needed to figure that out in a hurry.
The thoughts tumbled through her mind while Brody turned his vehicle into the driveway of her parents’ house and parked.
“Thank you for today.” His words ended her bout with introspection. “I had a great time.”
“Me, too.”
What stunned Maria was that the declaration was completely true. She had been warmed by his affection and easy care, compelled by his giving heart. Would she be able to hold off guilt’s sting, or would it continue to strike at her with those sharp, knowing talons?
She reached for the door handle, preparing to leave, but Brody touched her arm. “Hang on a second.” Maria turned back, waiting. “I’d like to ask something of you.”
“What’s that?” His chest rose and fell on a deep breath. Maria’s brows pulled together. He regarded her intently. Steadily.
“May I kiss you goodbye?”
Caught utterly off guard, Maria had no clue how to respond. An instant yes sang through her body. In the next pulse beat, her mind and heart went to war. Logic poured cool water over her ready acceptance of any man’s presence in her life save one: Jacob Wilde.
How could she consider such a thing? How could she even think about…
In the end, resistance to everything Brody Lang offered became futile. She gave him a subtle, silent nod. Her heart began to pound and her lashes swept low. Diverting her eyes from his view, Maria dipped her head, terrified of confronting her rising emotions—and needs. Protective walls that barricaded her heart threatened to crumble.
As though sensing her hesitance, Brody quirked a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head gently upward. There was no escape…no turning back.
Maria’s pulse sizzled, and she braced. Brody moved close, tucking an arm around her shoulders. Warmth flooded her at once. As soon as his lips touched hers, Maria’s eyes fluttered closed, and she dissolved.
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