by Jillian Hart
“I never had a single doubt,” she said and they shared a smile.
“Now I need to finish my bachelor’s degree and seminary.” He took another long drink. “I can’t wait for September to roll around so I can get started.”
“You like school?”
“I like learning.”
“Me, too.” She reached for her cup.
Don’t look at the future. She willed down the images struggling to life in her mind. She would not get ahead of herself. She wouldn’t wonder what it would be like to be married to a minister.
No, she was going to stay sensible and in control of her heart.
She took a cooling sip of cherry lemonade. “That’s probably why I’ve stayed in school for so long. I love everything about college. The classes, the research papers and even the exams. I don’t like the exams themselves, but I love preparing for them.”
“I like that every day is never exactly the same. There’s always something new to learn and something different to do. That’s what I like about this job, well, aside from working with the kids.”
“It is fun. Challenging, but fun.” She hadn’t realized it, but they were kindred spirits. Alike in so many ways, and even where they were different, it was a compliment. “I’m psyched about getting to do this all year long.”
“I’m psyched for you.”
She believed him. He wasn’t just being kind, he was truly glad for her. It showed in the warmth of his voice, in the honesty in his eyes and the way he seemed to focus on her. As if no matter what, he would always be on her side rooting for her.
Which was pretty nice, since that was how she felt about him, too.
“So Rebecca, what’s on your agenda for tonight?”
“I’m going to go over to Gran’s.” Was it her imagination or did he look disappointed? Rebecca shared his reaction. She loved her grandmother and wasn’t going to let her down, but the thought of being apart from Chad was a depressing one. She mentally rolled her eyes. Yikes. Was she in love or what?
Yes. She contemplated the pepperoni rounds on her piece of pizza. “Why? What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing specific. I thought we could hang out together.”
“That sounds nice.” She gathered up her courage. “I told Gran I would come help her with her garden. Spence and Lauren usually help her with the grounds and she has a gardener come in weekly, but she likes to putter and asked me to keep her company.”
“You’re blessed to have a grandmother who loves you.”
“Don’t I know it.” She thought about how lonely his growing-up years must have been and all that he was missing now. But that wasn’t the reason behind her sudden idea. “Why don’t you come? I’m sure Gran would love to meet you and we could always use another set of hands. There’s a lot of weeding and picking to be done.”
“Are you sure I wouldn’t be in the way?”
“How could you even think that?”
“I just wanted to make sure. Your grandmother might not want some guy hanging around when she’s planning on quality time spent alone with one of her favorite granddaughters.”
“We’re all her favorite grandchild, believe me. She’s that kind of grandma.” And just to put him at ease, she fished her cell out of her pocket. “Why don’t I give her a call and warn her that you’re coming.”
“That’s fair. If she says it’s all right, then I’ll come. I’ve never pulled weeds before, but I’ll do my best.”
And his best, she reasoned, was probably a far sight more than most. She scrolled through the numbers and hit Gran’s. “You have never gardened?”
“I’ve never actually been in a garden. Flower gardens, you know. Those museum kind of gardens with greenhouses? I’ve been in those. But not a vegetable garden. At least, I’m assuming that’s what you’re talking about.”
“Yes. You’re in for a treat. Pulling weeds is like the most fun experience a person can have.”
“Now you’re pulling my leg. You’re mocking the garden-challenged.”
“Not at all. I’m trying to build up your anticipation for the evening. So you’re looking forward to it.”
“Instead of regretting that I have agreed to trade my leisurely evening for hard physical labor?”
“Exactly.” Gran wasn’t answering, so she left a message and pocketed her phone. “Why are you trading your comfortable evening for working in my grandmother’s garden?”
“Good question. I could say I’m a workaholic, but that wouldn’t be the truth.” It was hard to tell what he was hiding as he stared down at his plate.
She had no right to hope. They had agreed to be friends only. He had said he wasn’t dating right now. She dug in to her second piece of pizza. Hadn’t he also said he was thinking about starting to date again? Her pulse fluttered with part fear and part hope as he lifted his gaze.
His heart was in his eyes. Full and tender and revealing. “The truth is, I would like to meet this grandmother of yours. I would like to spend the evening with you.”
Her fear drained away leaving hope to flourish.
“That sounds perfect.” Suddenly shy, she took a bite of pizza before she said more than she was ready to admit.
Chad nodded slowly, as if he understood exactly what she kept to herself. His tender look told her that she was not alone in her feelings.
All afternoon long a growing worry began to gnaw at her. Every time she caught sight of Chad, whether he was reffing the boys’ basketball games or sitting in a circle on the shady grass leading a prayer group, the love she felt for him shimmered like a new star.
During her afternoon break, she grabbed a banana from her bag and gave Lauren a call. While she waited for the phone to connect, she wandered through the grounds toward one of the flower gardens, where several benches offered an inspirational retreat. She hunkered down in a private spot and was ready to disconnect when she heard Lauren pick up.
“Whew. Hi, Becca. Are you still there?”
“Yes. Is this a bad time?”
“Other than the fact that Spence is glaring at me across the bookshelves, no.” There was a thump in the background. Lauren must be shelving new books. “What’s up? Aren’t you at work?”
“I actually took one of my breaks.”
“Shocking.”
“I know.” She leaned against the wrought iron arm and put her feet up on the bench. “I needed to ask you something.”
“Sure, just wait a sec, okay? I’m going to be impervious to Spence’s frown. It drives him nuts.” There was another thump. “Now he’s storming away. We can talk in privacy.”
“Good. The last thing I want is for Spence to overhear any of this.”
“Oh no, not Chris again.”
“No, although I did see him. Wait, that’s a story for another time.” She had limited time. She had to stick to the point. “I need your honest opinion, no holds barred, even if it hurts my feelings.”
“You’ve got it. What’s going on?”
“I’m in love with Chad.” She heard the shocked silence on the other end and squeezed her eyes shut. “I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that. It sounds so serious, and I haven’t even let myself think too much about it.”
“Love is serious. If you’re looking for a reaction, I think that’s great. Chad seems like a good guy.”
“He really does.” She opened her eyes, and it wasn’t the serene rosebushes and lilies nodding in the breeze that she saw. It was Chad the afternoon she’d first seen him carrying a box of books. Her first impression then had been a good one. Her opinion of him had only gone up from there. “It’s as if we’re perfect together.”
“That’s how I see it.” There was a final thunk and a rustle, as if Lauren had given up shelving entirely and had sat down to devote her full concentration to the call. “Chad seems like a really nice guy. When we all went out to the movie, I noticed how he treated you. He held every door for you. He paid for your movie and popcorn and drinks.”
/> “He was so nice then. He gets nicer to me every time we are together.”
“And the way he looked at you. Wow.”
“Really?” She hadn’t been aware of it. Maybe because she had been busy reminding herself how they were only friends and things had to stay that way. When she looked back, maybe down deep she had known all along how right they were together. Why else would she have been so worried about staying friends? “How did he look at me?”
“As if you are his dream come true.”
Double yikes. That only fueled her panic. Rebecca took a deep breath to steady herself.
“I think you two are right for each other. You both like the same things. You both have similar senses of humor. You have similar beliefs and values in life. He’s like the perfect guy.”
“I know.” Wasn’t that the trouble? “The last time I thought someone was so perfect for me, it was Chris. What if I’m wrong? What if I have lousy judgment and I’m doomed to having disappointing relationships?”
“You’ve been hanging around Ava too long,” Lauren sympathized. “There is no doom. You don’t have lousy judgment. Chris made the choices he did in how he treated you and how he lived his life. You had nothing to do with that.”
“Chad seems perfect, too. I want to believe, don’t get me wrong.” She traced her finger along the edge of the bench railing. “I don’t want to get hurt.”
“There are no guarantees, but you have to ask yourself what is different this time with Chad. Is this love something your heart and soul is telling you, or something you are trying to make fit?”
Hours later while seated in Chad’s truck as he pulled into her grandmother’s driveway, she was still mulling over Lauren’s question. Okay, so she already knew the answer.
There was no denying the truth. Her love for him just was—it was precious and tender and brand-new. She didn’t have to try to change herself for it to fit. She didn’t have to try to change who she was for Chad’s affection.
Perhaps this was good enough to be true. True love had happened to everyone else in her family—except for poor Spence. Maybe it was finally her turn. Maybe God had answered her prayer and she should accept this great blessing to her life, open her heart and take one day at a time with Chad. See where this was leading her.
“You’re sure quiet.” Chad glanced over at her as he navigated the private country driveway. “You’re not regretting bringing me along, are you?”
“Never. What a thought. Nothing could be further from my mind.”
“Oh, does that mean you’ve been thinking how glad you are that I’m here?” He shot her a charming grin.
Her heart somersaulted. Yep, she was pretty susceptible to his charm, probably because she loved him. The tender look he gave her was the exact match for the tenderness she felt for him.
She rolled down the window and let the hot August breeze blow against her face. It tangled in her hair and scorched her skin, but the fresh grass-scented air reminded her of all the joys in her life she had let slip by her. Too busy with school and then too busy with her job. Worried over Chris and then the breakup. How come she seemed to notice how full of joy the world was and wanted to take the time to appreciate it whenever she was with Chad?
That was just another sign. “I’m taking the fifth.”
“You plead the fifth amendment a lot, Rebecca.”
“Because it’s safer being silent than admitting to some feelings.”
“Like caring feelings?” he asked, waiting.
“Exactly.” She spoke the word before she’d realized it. She blushed and looked out the window. Vulnerability washed over her like the breeze. She had opened her heart just like that.
“I could say the same thing.” His answer vibrated deep and quietly as he pulled the truck to a stop in the gravel turnaround in front of the house. “I’m going to plead the fifth, too.”
He reached across the console and covered her hand with his much bigger one. His touch felt solid and dependable, as if there wasn’t anything she couldn’t trust him to do. When she gazed up at him, she saw a man she could grow old with, laughing all the way.
“Your grandmother’s coming.” Chad nodded toward the wraparound porch where a slim figure moved through the shade beneath the roof’s outcropping. “How are you going to introduce me?”
She felt what he was asking, which was much more than his words could say. Fear skidded down her spine and she pushed it away. She was not afraid. She was sure beyond all doubt. “I have a few options. I could say that you’re a stray I found alongside the road.”
He chuckled. “Or?”
“Or I could say you’re the new chauffeur I hired to drive me around.”
“That’s the one I would go with.” He winked at her and leaned across her to open her door. “It would be great if you would wait for me to come help you down.”
“I can do that on my own.”
“I know,” he shot over his shoulder as he closed the door. He kept an eye on her through the windshield as he circled the truck.
“Hello there, young man!” Gran called out from the top step. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”
“I’m glad to be here, ma’am.”
Rebecca watched, jaw dropping, as Chad held out his hand and helped her frail grandmother down the steps like a gentleman of old.
“What a nice young man you have here, Rebecca.” Gran beamed as she walked with her hand on Chad’s arm, carefully stepping in the loose gravel. “I approve of this one.”
“Good to know, Gran. Thanks.” She bit her lip, watching the blush steal across Chad’s face—and the joy, too. There was an unmistakable joy. “This is one boyfriend I just might keep.”
“Boyfriend?” Chad held out his hand, palm up, to help her down from his truck. “I like the sound of that.”
“So do I.” The hope rising within her seemed to take wing. Her feet hit solid ground but her heart and her soul felt light as the fluffy white clouds sailing high overhead.
She accepted Chad’s other arm and the three of them retreated to the shade of the porch. The hot breeze blew the sweet scent of blooming roses from the flower beds and ripening fruit from the nearby orchard. It felt wonderful to be at his side.
“I hope you kids haven’t eaten yet,” Gran was saying as she led the way around the corner to the kitchen door. “I have chicken marinating for the barbecue. Chad, you look like a capable young man. How good of a barbecuer are you?”
“I can get the job done.” He held the door for Rebecca, too. Their gazes met. They both bit their lips to keep from laughing.
“Perfect.”
“Gran? Now that you’ve got Chad on barbecue duty, what do you need me to do?”
“I need you in a supervisory capacity, dear. Someone has to keep an eye on this young man.”
“I do need supervision,” he agreed, laughing. He couldn’t help it. He hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
“You’re right, Gran.” Rebecca gave him a merry look as she passed by. “I’ll keep him in line. Do you want us to go fetch some fresh veggies before we put him to work?”
“That would be a help.” The fragile, stylish older lady pushed a lock of silver hair behind her ear and headed for the refrigerator. “Chad, I hope you like chocolate pie. I picked up one at Ava’s shop this morning. My, but her place has gotten busy.”
“How is Ava? I haven’t returned her call from last night,” Rebecca said as she handed him a cloth basket, which he gladly took. Since she was heading toward the kitchen door, he opened that for her and earned her smile.
“She wasn’t at the bakery when I was there. It’s not like her to miss a day of work. I called and left a message on her voice mail.”
“You know how she is. She forgets to return messages.” Rebecca slipped past him with a smile and a crook of her finger. “Gran, Chad and I won’t be long.”
He closed the screen door behind them and followed Rebecca down the side steps. It was like stepping
into paradise. Vines of roses climbed a pristine white fence and archways. Mature trees swayed solemnly in the breeze. He took in the enormous garden in neat rows, lush and plentiful. Horses, grazing in the far field, lifted their heads from the grass in curiosity. One horse gave a neigh and stomped its foot.
“Hi, Tasha!” Rebecca called out. “I promise I’ll save the corn husks for you.”
The horse nodded her head in a regal manner, as if that was the least Rebecca could do, and went back to her grazing.
He followed her into the rows of tall stalks where tasseled ears of corn were plump and fragrant. “You spent your summers here, didn’t you?”
“The better part of every summer. Mom worked in the store when she and Dad were running things, so Gran kept an eye on us younger kids during the workday.” She stopped to study several ears on a stalk. She gently peeled back a few of the yellow silks to study the kernels. “We always had so much fun we wound up staying overnight. There was always something to do. Trees to climb. Horses to ride. Adventures to go on.”
“I can picture it.” He held out the basket for her when she picked an ear. “That must have been an idyllic way to grow up.”
“I think so.”
He could see his future. As Rebecca picked corn ears, his heart dreamed of summers tending a garden of their own. Of horses in a field for their kids to ride. He saw a happy marriage and a good life to come with the woman who emerged from the cornstalks with the wind in her hair and similar dreams in her eyes.
Chapter Thirteen
Chad had the best evening with Rebecca. Gran, as he had been invited to call her, was a sweetheart of a lady who had kept them all laughing with one story after another of Rebecca as a little girl. She had even dug out the photo albums and he hadn’t been surprised to see the little girl Rebecca had been with the pixie’s face and brown ringlet curls. Lauren, who lived down the road, had come home around dessert time and had joined in.
Even the ride back to town was fun. He and Rebecca talked about everything and at the same time nothing at all. He had never laughed so much. His face hurt from smiling. With every passing minute he spent with her, he grew more in love with her.
