“Down, boy, down. I’m glad to see you, too.” He chuckled and rubbed the dog’s head and moved inside. Cooper danced against his legs, but John stopped at the sight of the girl stretched out on his sofa.
“China.”
She sat up, yawning, lifting her hands above her head, stretching her legs in front of her. The shorts she wore left a long stretch of leg exposed.
“Hi.” A smile dimpled her cheeks.
He bent and patted the dog again then straightened. “What are you doing here?” He hadn’t meant the question as abrupt as it sounded, but every sense he had shouted caution.
“Waiting for my mom. You don’t mind, do you?” She lifted her arms again, and the short t-shirt exposed two inches of bare skin near her waist. “I had trouble with my car. She dropped me off and is coming back in a while.”
He nodded, but the unease didn’t disappear. “She dropped you off so you could walk Cooper?”
“Yes.” She reached for the dog, but the Lab ignored her, pushing against John’s hand. “We had a good walk. I was just napping until mom showed.”
“Okay. I appreciate all you’ve done. You’ll be glad to know this is the last day. Sharee is going home today.”
“Oh, really? I enjoyed being here—walking Cooper and all.”
He kept his face neutral not wanting to interpret what she said the wrong way. “Well, I dropped by to pick up something then I’m running back to take Sharee home.”
She slid off the sofa and stood in front of him. “You’re leaving right away? But you’ve spent every day and night there.”
“Which is why I’m grateful for your offer to feed and walk Cooper.” Her shorts hadn’t lengthened any when she stood up. She was attractive. The long black, brown eyes shadowed with some smoky color, and a bathing suit body. Standing so close he could almost feel her warmth. He averted his gaze, propped the crutches against the wall and headed to the bedroom. “I’ll be right back.”
He came to an abrupt stop just inside the doorway. He’d seen her offer to help as a problem-solver, but had it just become a problem-maker? The quick shower and change of clothes he’d planned could wait.
He crossed the room and pulled out the bureau drawer. His hand froze over the box, and his jaw tightened. Someone had moved it. Had she taken the liberty not only to sleep on his couch, but also to rifle through his stuff? He opened the box, eyed the contents, and snapped it shut. Closing his fingers around it, he slid the drawer closed and turned.
She had followed him and now watched from the doorway.
“When’s your mom coming?” He asked, slipping the box into his jeans’ pocket.
China settled against the door jam, a small smile lifting her mouth. “Not for awhile.”
He heard the meaning behind her words and grunted. She blocked the doorway, and he felt trapped, envisioning what might happen if he tried to get past her. No wonder Bruce had warned him. His height topped hers by six inches at least, and his weight by a good fifty pounds. Yet, here he stood, the fish in the fisher’s net.
Cooper had followed him into the room. Now, the dog shoved his snout into John’s hand.
“Get me the dog’s leash, will you?”
“Why?” Her voice wavered, making the word sound like two syllables. “I took him for a walk already.” She came away from the door and stepped inside the room, her eyes focused on his.
Well, that hadn’t worked. The girl’s open invitation set him back a moment. The difference in age didn’t matter to her. Wouldn’t matter to many men. But he wasn’t interested. He had someone he loved. Someone worth more than what she was offering.
Trapped by the Girl from Youth Group. What a joke. He chuckled at himself and saw her eyes widen. He wasn’t going to let her try anything else. Grabbing Cooper’s collar and keeping him between them, he pulled the dog past her into the living area.
“China, call your mom and have her come get you.” He released the dog, settled his crutches under his arms again and turned at the front door. “I appreciate your care of Cooper, but don’t think that appreciation is anything more than it is. Lock up when you leave, will you?”
He closed the door behind him, grinned at the muscles relaxing throughout his shoulders and headed for his truck.
***
John watched Sharee’s expression as she climbed from the hospital wheelchair into her older model Honda CR-V. Good thing he had stopped to get her car. Ridiculous to think of her climbing into his truck right now. She could use a step stool at the best of times; but—he smiled to himself—since he valued his life, he had never suggested it to her.
What would she think if he told her about China? Could he have misread the situation? He didn’t believe he had, but the possibility existed. Lassoing his mind from where it had wondered, he brought it to the present.
The hospital aide said goodbye and rolled the wheelchair away. Sharee leaned her head against the seat and drew in a deep breath.
“How’s the pain?” he asked.
“Not bad.” She stared out the car windows. “I’m thankful to be free. It feels like I’ve been cooped up for weeks instead of days. The weather’s beautiful.”
“Spring is here.”
“I’m glad. Winter this year was long.”
He glanced across at her, then back to the road. “Well, the heat and humidity are back. You’ll love it.”
“I will.”
He wheeled out onto the main roadway and slid a look her way. “The doctor gave a long list of do’s and don’ts. Are you going to follow them?”
Her smile changed to a frown. “Housebound for ten days? That’s ridiculous.”
“No housework.”
“I heard. No vacuuming, no loading the dishwasher, et cetera, et cetera. Just lie around and ice my back. I’ll go crazy.”
Just what he thought. Some people would see it as a God-sent time to catch up on their reading or sleeping but not her. “You’ll do worse if you don’t follow instructions.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see.”
“Sharee…”
“All right, all right.”
He reached out and mussed her hair, and she slapped his hand away. “Hey, don’t take those frustrations out on me.”
“I’m sorry. It’s hard to hit the doctor.”
He chuckled. “You said your head was clearer today, your back better and you’ve been sprung from the hospital. Now you’re a crab? What gives?”
“I don’t have my life back. Whoever did this to me, to us, is still winning.”
“Winning? That’s an odd way of putting it.”
“Well, if they meant to hurt us, they’re accomplishing that.”
“So, you were exaggerating with Dean?”
“That’s the other irritation. I can’t believe he stopped by.”
He checked her face. “You want to talk about it yet?”
“No. It just annoys me.” Her hand touched his. “I am being a grouch, and you’ve missed sleep and meals because of me. I’m sorry.”
He winked. “Don’t worry about it. A home cooked meal will make up for it. I haven’t had one since I got back.”
“Then I owe you about a dozen.”
He reached for her. “Scoot over and sit next to me. What else are these bench seats for?” When she did, he slid his arm around her shoulders. “Are you up to a short walk?”
“A walk?” She sat straighter. “Seriously?”
“A short one. The doctor did say you needed a short walk daily.”
“What about your foot?”
“I’m fine. I get the air cast on tomorrow. No more crutches.”
“Mother will have our heads if we don’t get there soon. She’s probably cooked dinner. A home cooked meal just like you want.”
He gave her a squeeze, and she snuggled into his shoulder. They rode in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m going to put an extra lock on your door.”
“John—”
“Not up for deba
te. And be careful. Don’t open the door to anyone you don’t know. Don’t allow your mother to either. She won’t understand, but just act a little paranoid.”
“Here you go again.”
He tilted his head. “Sharee, until we find out what’s going on. It’s better to be safe.”
“Okay. Okay.”
He shook his head at her tone. In a few minutes, they pulled in at the church. He told himself to relax. It wouldn’t be like last time. He glanced across at Sharee. She looked tired. Perhaps he’d planned this wrong. Perhaps…
“What are we doing here?”
No backing out now. “Well, unless Alan is here working on his sermon, we should have the place to ourselves. Come on.”
They climbed out of the truck and made their way around the bleachers, across the field, to the pond that edged the back acre. An April wind ruffled the cusp of water. Cypress trees cast their long reflections into the shadows at the far end. He propped himself on one crutch and slipped his arm around her. They stood holding each other, not speaking. The mirror image of a red-tailed hawk sailed across the pond’s surface.
“Oh, look.” Sharee’s head rose. The hawk glided just above the tree tops.
John dug into the pocket of his jeans. When she dropped her gaze, he held out the small box. Down on one knee would prove awkward. She’d have to accept it as it came. Her eyes rounded.
“I thought this might be a good time.” He opened the box.
The large diamond solitaire caught the sun, throwing flashes of light in every direction. A wide gold band made of three smaller, separate bands curved and swirled in a free-form design, the intricate details highlighting the elegance of the diamond.
“Oh, John.” Her voice trailed off in complete surprise.
He watched her, waiting, nerves drawn tight.
“It’s beautiful.”
Relief loosened the tension. He and the jeweler had worked on the design a long time. He took her hand and slid it on. She turned it back and forth in the sunlight, her smile widening as she studied it. He took her hand again.
“I love you more than I thought possible, and I was devastated when you said you needed time. But now that I’ve done this right, will you marry me?”
She nodded once and again and a third time. The rest of the tension dropped away. His emotional control over three long days and two nights dropped, and he bent to find her mouth. Her answering hunger stirred him, and he dropped his arm around her waist, holding her close. The small box fell to the ground.
At last, she broke free. “John, I…we…” Her breathing was ragged.
He wanted to shout. She’d said yes. She’d taken the ring. Instead, he took two long breaths. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, but…” She bit her lip.
“I know, Darling.” A lopsided grin was the best he could manage. “I’m not trying to seduce you, but a wedding date would be good.”
“You want a date now?”
“You don’t want to put this off for a year or something, do you?”
The surprise in her eyes changed to amusement. “A year’s too long?”
“Way too long. Six months?” Before she could reply, he said, “But if we go back to Indonesia, that might be too long, too.”
“Will you give me a minute? Is everything going to be like this? Make a decision—now?”
“I think so. Sorry.”
“No wonder Pastor Alan said you needed some balance.”
“He said that, did he? Hmm. How about three months?”
“Three months? You’re serious?”
“I’m sure you can do it. We can do it. And by the way, the dragon lady said to tell you congratulations, that she’ll be watching the papers for the wedding announcement. She appears to agree with your mother. She said even I should know no engagement is complete without a ring.”
Chapter 7
She rode home staring at the ring. So unique and beautiful. Mrs. Sharee Jergenson. That name would be a change. Although, the youth group could still call her Ms J. No, Mrs. J. She smiled and caught John’s glance.
“I’m glad you like it. It would be hard to send back.”
She shook her head. “You were that sure?”
“Not sure at all. Desperate, I think.”
She laughed.
Exhaustion hovered near the surface of her laugh. He parked in front of her apartment, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m worn out. Completely.”
“I’m glad you told me. Why don’t you get some sleep then? I’ve got to pick up some things at the store. I’ll give you a couple of hours. Think your mother will hold dinner?”
“She’ll have to.”
He chuckled. “Good. I’m looking forward to the home-cooked meal.”
Later, when she woke, the tiredness had disappeared. She changed her clothes and wandered into the living area to talk with her mom.
“Someone called, Sharee,” Mrs. Jones said. “They wanted to know if you were home from the hospital yet.”
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know. They didn’t leave a name. They just hung up when I told them you were home and in bed already.”
Sharee’s brow wrinkled. Not like the other calls, but still strange. “Well…” She lifted the phone from the end table near her and stared at the caller ID. The ID merely showed “RING.” She waited a moment longer then punched in John’s number.
“Hello?” A girl’s voice answered.
Sharee frowned. Wrong number?
“Hello?” The voice said again. “Sharee?”
“China?”
“Yes, hi, it’s me. John’s out—taking Cooper for a walk. I’m just waiting ‘till he gets back. He left his phone.”
“Oh.” Complete surprise. What to say?
“Do you want me to tell him you called?”
“No…” She glanced down at her hands. The diamond on her left hand winked at her. “I mean, yes. Yes, please make sure he knows that I called. It’s important…China, what are you doing there?”
China laughed then giggled, making her seem younger than her 19 years. “You know I’ve been feeding Cooper for him while you’ve been in the hospital, right?” Sharee said nothing. “Well, I didn’t realize you were coming home today until he told me. My mom dropped me off a while ago, but hasn’t been back to get me, so I’m waiting for John to take me home.”
“Where’s your car?”
“Well,” China drew out the word, sounding young again, slightly embarrassed. “My car is having some work done on it. So, I had my mom drop me off on her way to play Bingo. She was going to pick me up on the way back. But then John showed up again, and he said he would take me home. Mom won’t be back for another hour or two.”
"You were going to be there for hours just feeding the dog?"
"Yes. Well, I would have to, wouldn't I?”
“Yes, I guess you would. Please make sure you tell John I called. She stopped for a minute. “China, you didn’t try to call me before, did you?”
“No. Why would I call? Don’t you have Caller ID, anyway?”
“The Caller ID was blocked. My mother answered the phone.”
“You live with your mother?” China’s voice sounded startled.
Sharee smiled at the tone. “No, she’s here because I was in the accident.”
“Oh.”
“You’ll tell John?”
“Yes, yes, goodness.”
“Thank you, China,” Sharee forced a sweet tone but hated it. “All right. Goodbye.”
She looked heavenward. Lord, I’m sorry; you’re going to have to work on me in this area. She turned around.
Her mother was standing by the sofa. “There is some girl at John’s apartment?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Sharee moved over to her favorite chair and sank down. She looked at the Caller ID again. Ring? She questioned. What’s that?
“You know, Sharee….”
“Mom.”
&nbs
p; “I don’t know what to think of that man.”
“I love him.”
“Yeah, well, in your current condition, you may be excused for that.”
“Mom, I want you to be nice to John.”
“Oh, I will. After I tell him…”
“You’re not going to tell him anything.”
“Sharee,” her mother’s voice changed, and the bantering stopped. “I really don’t want you to get hurt again. You know I liked John when we met him at Christmas. He seems like…well, he seemed like someone with a head on his shoulders. Now, I’d just like to shake him.”
Lord, help me. I don’t need this. She flung her legs over the side of the chair and squirmed around until she felt some relief for her back. I’m supposed to put ice on it. Then she looked at her hand again, and held it up towards her mom.
“What are you doing?” her mom started. The next moment, she jumped from the chair. “Sharee! You have a ring! And a nice one, too! Why didn’t you tell me? When did he give it to you?”
Sharee giggled. “On the way home.”
“Today? Goodness, and I was wondering what was taking you two so long. I thought there was another hold up at the hospital. Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“Well, I wanted to, but you’re always picking on him; and I was too tired.”
Her mother kneeled down and hugged her. “Sharee, I love you, and I want you to be happy. You know that. If this man does that for you, and for some unknown reason, he seems to; then he’s welcome in this family, and you know it.”
Sharee giggled again. “I know.”
Her mom sat back. “Well, we’ve got to plan a wedding.”
“Yeah, in three months.”
“Three months? That’s outrageous. You can’t plan a wedding in three months.”
“Mom, three months.”
“Sharee, that’s almost embarrassing. Can’t you wait a little longer? It takes time to plan a wedding.”
“I’ve waited thirty years. Why would I want to wait any longer?”
“Well…well…” And then to Sharee’s surprise, her mom giggled.
Forty-five minutes later, Sharee leaned against the chair cushions once more, her back giving reason to remember it. The wedding discussion had replaced needed pain medication. She’d remember that.
As Long As You Both Shall Live: A Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense (Dangerous Series Book 2) Page 9
