He covered her hand with his again. “Shh, that’s why I want to spend time with you. Let’s take this to the next level and see.”
“I’m just afraid.”
“Honey, I know you’re afraid, and I’ll try not to hurt you. But if we put God as the center, He’ll make it clear whether we should go forward or if we should simply shake hands and be friends.”
Did she trust God? Could she trust God with her heart? “All right, I’ll try to step out in faith and trust the Lord knows what He’s doing. Because truthfully, I promised myself I would never fall in love with another boss.”
“I can remedy that.”
“How?”
“You’re fired.” He wiggled his eyebrows and flashed a white toothy grin.
“You can’t be serious,” she protested.
“Of course not. But if that’s what it takes, I’m attracted enough to you that I’m willing to risk losing the best employee I’ve ever had in order to date her and explore the possibilities of another partnership.”
“You’re that confident?”
“Renee, I’m not looking for a business partner. There are tons of people who could do your job. Probably not as exceptionally as you can, but there are others out there. What’s developing between us is worth far more than any business. I’d risk it all, if I was certain you were the one.”
“But you don’t know me.”
He paused at that.
What is he thinking?
“Look, I know you have things in your past. I have things or events in my past you don’t know about either. You don’t know how I fell in love with Hannah, how she meant so much to me that she was a part of the very air I breathed.”
“Could you love someone like that again?” she asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose it would be a different love because we are different people. But I swear to you, I would never enter a relationship in which I didn’t feel God making us into a threefold cord.”
“Threefold cord?”
“Ecclesiastes 4:12. Solomon writes that a threefold cord is not easily broken. One cord made of three parts.”
“Ah.” How can I argue against Scripture? She’d never met a man with his head so straight about the Word, life, love. It was a wee bit scary. “Are you like some sort of superhuman, spiritually topnotch kind of icon?”
Aaron laughed. “Once you get to know me better, you’ll start finding my faults. But it’s nice to know I don’t have any at the moment.” He winked.
“Hmm,” she mumbled and looked ahead to the oncoming traffic. They’d be at his house in a couple minutes. “Aaron, why don’t you take my car to the office, and we can let Adam rest for a moment or two longer in yours.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Nope. I like my car, but I’m not overly attached to it.”
“Woman, you scare me. That’s a classic in prime condition.”
“I bought it secondhand, possibly thirdhand, when I was a kid. I gradually had the work done on it. It was a real bomb when I first got it. Which is why I could afford it. Brent paid me well—that’s one good thing I can say on Brent’s behalf. As you can see by my apartment, I keep a simple life. Computers and gadgets are my biggest weakness. I don’t know if you saw my system.”
“I noticed. Okay, I’ll take your car, and I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He pulled into the parking space next to her car and turned off the engine.
She handed him the keys.
“I’ll call you when I know what’s up. Take my cell phone.” He unclipped his phone from his belt and handed it to her.
A pregnant pause passed. Did he not want to leave as much as she didn’t want him to leave? They were just beginning to open up to each other. Could she be patient and allow the Lord to work here? “Be careful.”
“I will.”
He leaned closer. Was he going to kiss her again? Did she want him to? Ha, no question. Her skin tingled in anticipation. He cupped her chin in his palm.
She reached out and traced his lips.
He rested his forehead on hers and slipped his hand behind her neck. “Father,” he whispered. “Help us stay focused on You and not our own desires.”
The tension broken, he kissed her gently on the lips. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
Before she opened her eyes, he was getting out of the car and into hers, murmuring, “Lord, give me strength.”
Stunned and uncertain if she was pleased with his prayer, she leaned back in the bucket seat and looked toward the white wisps of clouds spun like cotton candy. Who is this man, Lord? I’ve respected him in the way he’s conducted his business. But he’d never seemed overly Christian. Am I less of a Christian? Have I messed up that part of my life too? She had remembered the verse he quoted once he said where it came from, but. . .
I feel like a beginner next to him. Lord, something’s wrong here. You can’t possibly think that I have anything to offer him to make him complete.
Then it hit her. Aaron was complete without her. Just as she was complete without him. The cord was something God created when He united two people. It wasn’t something lacking in her or in Aaron, or Brent, for that matter. Why have I believed for so long that a man would complete me?
Because your aunt did and tried on every man she could find.
Renee nibbled her lower lip. Lord, help me trust You, not myself.
“Renee, why are you crying?” Adam asked.
❧
Arriving at the office, Aaron found a minor mess. Nothing missing, nothing disturbed. Even Detective Diaz had left word at the scene that he felt the two events were unrelated. Aaron called a glass company that said they could have someone there in an hour. He dialed his home phone number. No answer.
He dialed his cell. Adam answered. “Hi, Dad.”
“How’s it going, Buddy?”
“Good. We’re shopping.”
“Oh, what’s Renee buying?”
Adam giggled. “She said I couldn’t say. It’s a secret.”
“Oh. Can I talk to Renee?”
“Okay. Renee,” Adam yelled. Aaron pulled the phone from his ear.
“Tried to get it out of him, huh?” she teased.
“Can’t blame a man for trying. I’m stuck here for two hours, I think. The glass man said he’d send someone here in an hour.”
“No problem. Adam and I are having a good time. And he’s telling me all your secrets.”
“Oh, and what secrets are those?”
“Something about how I shouldn’t open up any of your closets because I might not be able to get the doors shut.”
Aaron groaned. “Hey, I never said I was a good housekeeper. Mom comes by every few months and takes care of some of my cleaning.”
“You don’t pay that woman enough.”
“I know. I don’t know what I’d do without her. I’ll let you get back to your shopping. I should be home around five. I’ll call if it’s going to take longer.”
“Bye, Aaron.”
“Bye.” He hung up the phone. “What could she possibly be making?”
❧
Over the next few weeks Aaron discovered that Renee definitely could cook. From Italian to stir-fry, he hadn’t sampled anything that didn’t please his palate. They’d also gone out a time or two alone and several times with Adam. Work had kept them busy, but with fewer and fewer sales. Even his attempts to approach new customers had failed. Someone else consistently beat him to them. How could one area of his life be going so well and another area be failing so miserably? It was almost like someone was reading his mind.
The initial contact with the FBI seemed pointless. Even Detective Diaz had uncovered nothing. All that equipment and not one item showing up in a pawnshop.
Aaron came into his office and found John working at his new drafting table. “Hey, John. Where’s Renee?”
“She said to tell you she was picking up Adam and that they had a surprise for you.”
“A
surprise, huh?” Memories of the first surprise meal still warmed his belly.
“You two are getting pretty thick. Anything serious?” John put down his pencil.
“Too soon to tell. We’re just taking it one step at a time.”
“Yeah, right. One minute you’re just working together, the next you’re thick as thieves.”
Aaron chuckled. “Maybe so.”
The computer hummed to life with a few keystrokes. “John, did you use my computer to upload today?”
“Nope, haven’t touched it. What’s up?” John straightened on his stool.
“Nothing, I guess. Renee must have used it.” But that doesn’t make sense since she has everything on her system. Aaron scratched the day’s growth on his jaw.
“What on earth?”
“What’s the matter?” John came up beside him.
“My passwords aren’t working.”
“Did you type them in wrong?”
It was a dumb thing to say, and he knew the kid meant well but. . . “Yes.” He tried again. No response.
The phone rang.
“Sunny Flo Designs, Aaron speaking.”
Click. The receiver went dead.
“Try your passwords, John.”
John leaned over and typed in his code. He had access––limited, but still he had access.
“Try Renee’s,” John suggested.
Aaron typed in Renee’s codes. He entered and had total access. But what he found on the site was a folder he’d never seen before. He clicked it open and collapsed in his chair.
“No way,” John objected.
Twelve
“Are we really going to fry a whole turkey?” Adam asked.
“Yup.” Renee loaded another gallon of peanut oil into her trunk.
“Cool.”
Thanksgiving was a few days away, and together she and Adam had been planning a surprise for the holiday. A traditional family Thanksgiving lodged somewhere in the back of her mind. She remembered being six and visiting with all the relatives, everyone laughing, the house loud, and so much food. Plans with Gladys and Charles Chapin would help to make this a special Thanksgiving for Aaron and Adam.
“Okay, let’s get these things to my apartment before your daddy figures out what we’re doing.”
“I like surprises.”
She raked her fingers through his curls. “Me too.”
Adam secured himself in his booster seat, and she crossed herself with the seat belt.
“Can we put the top down?” he asked.
“Sure.” Renee unbuckled her seat belt and unhooked the top’s latches. She turned on the power. Adam swiveled back and forth, watching the end unfold and the roof go higher. She opened the trunk and pulled out the leather saddle that covered the collapsed top. Putting the roof down took some work, but for Adam’s pleasure, why not?
Her new cell phone rang. Aaron hadn’t needed to twist her arm too much to purchase one. “Adam, could you answer that for me?”
“Okay. Hello?”
Renee snapped the last snap into place.
“Hi, Daddy.”
She slipped behind the steering wheel and held off starting up the car.
Adam nodded his head.
“Say yes, Adam. He can’t see you shaking your head.”
“Yes,” he replied and smiled. “Okay.” He handed her the phone. “Daddy wants to talk to you.”
“Thanks, Buddy.” She slipped the phone up to her ear. “Hi, Aaron, what’s up?”
“Renee, did you change my passwords today?”
A little testy, are we? “No, what’s wrong?”
“My passwords aren’t working. Yours and John’s are, but mine aren’t.”
“That’s weird. Are you sure you typed—”
“Yes, I tried and retried it several times. Renee, that’s not all. There’s a file in your secure area,” he stammered. “Ah, well, it appears as. . .”
“What are you trying to say, Aaron?”
“I think you’d better come here and see for yourself. It’s rather hard to explain.”
Renee nibbled her lower lip. It didn’t sound good, whatever it was. “Sure, I’ve got to run to my apartment first so some food doesn’t spoil, but I’ll be there shortly, okay?”
“Good, and Renee, for what it’s worth, I trust you.”
“Thanks.” I think. She glanced in her rearview mirror. A man stood across the street staring at her. A chill wrapped its icy fingers around her spine. She looked again. He was gone. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Get a grip, she reprimanded herself.
“Change of plans, Buddy. We’ll drop off the turkey at my house, then head over to the office. Your dad needs me to look at something.” Slowly, she backed the car out of its parking space, still looking for the stranger. Maybe she shouldn’t have watched that gangster movie last night.
“Okay.” Adam wiggled his feet, covered with tennis shoes.
The wind whipped Renee’s hair. She grabbed a scrunchy and pulled it back at the next stoplight.
“I like the wind.” Adam beamed.
“Me too.” Dreams of traveling the shoreline with no other cars on the road, the wind, the sun, the sandy beaches, filled her mind. Get real. This is Miami. Skyscrapers and tourist-filled streets––she wouldn’t be putting the pedal to the metal here. Ah, but one can dream, she mused. A gentle smile erased the tension she’d been feeling since Aaron’s call.
A few minutes later she was in the basement garage of her apartment building. “Okay, Buddy, let’s get this turkey in the refrigerator.” Renee sorted through the various bags, taking out the food items that needed refrigeration. The rest could stay in the trunk.
“What can I carry?”
A grin swept over her face. “Here ya go.”
“Renee?”
“Yes, Adam?” They walked toward the elevator.
“Do you like my daddy?”
Uh-oh, where was this going? She gave a tentative, “Yes.”
Adam nodded his head. She pushed the up button. He held the plastic bag with two hands. “Do you want to be a mommy?”
Swoosh. The elevator doors opened. “Uh, yes, someday,” she stammered.
They stepped inside. She pushed the button to her floor.
“Grandma says mommies and daddies have to marry before they have children.”
Renee nodded her head. She looked down at him. His eyebrows were knit together, his lower lip puckered slightly. Something was really troubling the poor boy. The doors opened. “Come on, Buddy.”
He followed, carrying his load.
She placed her key in the lock and turned it.
“Renee?”
“Yes, Buddy?” Perhaps he was ready now to ask his question.
She opened the door. One look inside and she dropped the turkey, pushed Adam back, grabbed him, and ran.
❧
Aaron flew out of the office, stopped, and ran back in. “John, lock up for me.”
“Sure.”
John opened his mouth to continue but didn’t have time. “Later, John.” Aaron rushed through the door again.
“God, keep them safe,” he prayed, jumping into his van and heading toward his parents’ house. Renee had called saying she was taking Adam to his grandparents and that Aaron needed to be there as soon as she arrived.
The fear in her voice and the short message, “I can’t talk now,” brought instant adrenaline to his veins. “What’s going on, Lord? First I find the bogus file, now this. What’s happening?”
He wormed his way through the city’s back streets. Rush hour and highways were not a good combination in Miami. He’d make better time with the stoplights of the residential sections.
The classic blue Mustang in his parents’ drive gave him a smidgen of relief. He skidded up to the curb and cut the engine before coming to a complete stop. He leaped out of the car and took the front lawn in five long strides. “Adam, Renee,” he hollered as he ran through the front door.
His
mother’s worried face nodded they were in the kitchen.
“Daddy.” Adam came running into his arms. “Renee saved me from a bad man.”
“What?” Adam held his son closer.
“She ran real fast. And we didn’t take the elevator. She ran down the stairs so fast. We. . .we. . .”
“Slow down, Sport. Where was the bad man?”
“In her apartment.”
“Who is this bad man?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see him. Renee just told me that’s why we were running. She’s still on the phone with the police.”
He needed to speak with Renee, but it was essential to calm Adam. He appeared to be settling down. But. . . “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I was scared at first. She held me tight. I didn’t put on my seat belt right away. Renee said I could do it while we drove.”
Who was in her apartment? Aaron stepped toward the kitchen and heard Renee’s mumbled words from the back patio.
“Adam, will you stay with Grandma while I talk to Renee?”
“Okay.” Adam hugged him hard. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too.” Adam slid down. Aaron watched him go to his grandmother. Thank You, Lord. You protected him.
He stepped onto the patio where Renee paced back and forth. She held up her hand to him, then spoke impatiently into the phone. “I’m telling you, he was there.”
She walked farther away. “Then arrest me. Look.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “I know what I saw. Why would I call you if I hadn’t?”
She turned back toward Aaron and rolled her eyes in apparent frustration.
“Give me a break. Look, remember that sealed file you came across?”
Sealed file. What is she talking about? Aaron wondered.
“It has to have something to do with that case. No, I don’t want to tell you what it’s all about.”
Renee stood still. “All right.” He watched her close her eyes, then open them slowly. She’s shutting down her emotions.
“Good-bye.”
She closed the phone and stared blankly in front of her.
He eased forward a step.
She turned to face him. “Aaron, I can’t tell you what’s happened.”
Cords Of Love Page 10
