by Delia Latham
He turned to go and Lexi jumped up. “Mr. Hart!”
He turned back, one foot already out the door.
“Thank you.” Lexi raised a shaky hand to her face, surprised to find it wet with tears. “For the plant, and—for everything. Thank you.”
A genuine smile softened the man’s leathery features. “You’re most welcome. Now, you have a nice evenin’.”
Lexi hurried to the door as he stepped out into the night. He latched her gate, then lifted a hand in good-bye. “Better grab that basket, Miz Lexi. The coons’ll tear it up in the night.”
Then he was gone.
Puzzled, Lexi glanced down. Another basket rested on her front porch. Around the handle, a large purple bow made a vivid spot of color. She bent to pick it up and cast a glance around, but if her lady visitor was out there, the darkness kept her secret well.
Lexi closed the door and carried her gift to the table. Her fingers trembled as she lifted away several sheets of lavender tissue paper. When she saw what lay beneath it, another gush of tears spilled from her eyes and rained down her cheeks.
Her Bible. The gift from her mother that she’d been unable to locate. When she lifted it from the basket and hugged it to her heart, a slip of paper fluttered to the floor. Lexi retrieved it and squinted through her tears to read the words penned in a flowing, golden script: Proverbs 3:5-6—Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Laughter gurgled up inside Lexi’s heart and spilled from her lips. She settled back into her spot on the sofa and reached for the touch lamp at her side. “OK, God. Lexi Carlisle reporting for class. Just you and me and Trust 101.”
Cat jumped onto the couch and curled up in the corner.
“Well, maybe there’s one extra student, after all.”
6
The shrill jangle of the phone startled her just as she closed her Bible.
Lexi glanced at the clock. Who would be calling this late?
“Hello?”
“Hi, Lexi. It’s Pia. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You didn’t. Not quite.” She smiled, picturing Pia Myers’s pretty face.
Pia was the reason Lexi had known a cottage was available at Heart’s Haven just when she needed such an option. The younger woman lived in one of the four new two-bedroom units with her husband, David—Andrew Hart’s nephew, and pastor at The Falls Tabernacle.
“Oh, good, then you won’t be mad at me.” Pia breathed a hefty sigh. “I need a favor, Lexi.”
“Anything for you, sweetie—and I can’t imagine ever being mad at you. What’s up?”
“Well, David invited a friend of his for dinner tomorrow night. What is it with men…or is it just my man? He always does these things on the spur of the moment, so I never really have time to properly plan ahead. I know tomorrow’s Saturday, so if you have something else going on, please just say so, but I sure could use some female company for the evening. Would you please come, Lexi? Keep me from drowning in testosterone?”
Lexi laughed. “I’d love to have dinner with you and David. Unless—” She cringed at a sudden, unwelcome thought. “This isn’t some kind of matchmaking scheme, is it?”
Pia laughed. “No, of course not. Would you like it to be?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Good, because I’m not that inventive. I apologize in advance that you’ll be forced to eat my feeble efforts at cooking. Anyone can tell you I’m not known for being a world-class cook, though I’ll admit I’ve learned a lot from Viv since I married David.”
“Well, the two of you seem to have survived quite well.” She absently stroked the sleeping cat. “I can come early and help you put it together if you’d like.”
“That’s sweet, but I think I’ve got it handled. I’m not doing anything elaborate.”
“OK, then. What time?”
“Sixish? I owe you one, Lexi.”
She hung up, yawning, and picked up Cat, who meowed in protest.
“Sorry, my lady, but it’s bedtime. You didn’t expect me to sleep alone tonight, did you?”
“Meow.”
Cat’s drowsy response made Lexi smile. She deposited the animal at the foot of her bed. “Go back to sleep, lazy bones. I’m going there, too, right after my shower.”
****
Mitch passed under the Heart’s Haven sign and made his way through the complex as he’d been directed by David Myers. He drove slowly, taking in the attractive cottages with their tidy yards, each surrounded by a white picket fence and graced with a trellised gate. Quite nice.
Which of these little doll houses did Lexi call home?
David’s familiar red sports car identified one of the four larger units at the back of the property as Mitch’s destination. He’d driven all the way through Heart’s Haven without spotting a single angel—or even the corny Caution! Angels Crossing sign he’d half expected to see.
As he stood waiting for someone to answer the door, his glance drifted to the wooden sign hanging over the gate. From the other side, he’d seen the words carved into it: May love find all who enter here.
He grinned. The pastor and his lovely wife Pia were newlyweds. Sappy sayings like that were probably par for the course around here.
The grin was still in place when the door swung open and Mitch turned to greet his host. David Myers stood tall and lean, staring at him through eyes that didn’t match. One blue, one green. Mitch had found the irregularity a little disconcerting at first, but he’d gotten used to it. To hear the ladies talk, the young minister’s dual-colored eyes only made him more attractive.
How can a guy ever hope to understand women when they think like that?
“Hey, Mitch—come on in.” David held the door open and waved him inside. “What are you grinning about?”
Mitch stepped inside and accepted a brief embrace. He’d long since gotten used to this type of physical greeting any time he found himself around folks from The Falls Tabernacle. The love of God seemed to radiate off them, and showing that love with a hug and, in some cases, even a peck on the cheek, was not unusual.
“The sign over your gate reminded me that you and Pia haven’t been married long.”
“Just a little over a year. But we didn’t hang that sign. There’s one just like it over every gate in Heart’s Haven.”
“Your uncle did that?” Mitch laughed as he followed David down a short hall, from the other end of which tantalizing aromas tickled his nostrils. “I wouldn’t have pegged him as a romantic.”
“You’d be surprised, my friend. But Uncle Andy aside, Heart’s Haven has a reputation for being a bit of a gateway to love. You hadn’t heard that, huh?”
“No, I can’t say I have.”
They rounded a corner into a bright kitchen and Pia Myers hurried across the room to greet Mitch. He smiled—couldn’t help it. David’s pretty wife brought smiles to even the most frozen of faces.
“Mitch! How wonderful to see you. Come on in and have a seat. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.” Pia gave his hand a squeeze. “How about a glass of sweet tea?”
“Sounds great.” Mitch took the chair his host indicated at the table. “I love sweet Texas tea, but I gotta admit, mine never tastes like my mother’s did.”
“Pia makes great tea.” David’s winked at Pia. “And I think you’ll find her lasagna quite tasty, as well.”
“Lasagna!” Mitch sighed and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Heart’s Haven really is a heavenly place!”
They were sharing a laugh when a soft tap on the door sent Pia hurrying from the room. She set a glass in front of Mitch, explaining on the fly. “That’ll be my friend. Excuse me for just a moment.”
“Who else is coming?” Mitch hiked a brow at David. “You didn’t tell me this was a party.”
David laughed. “It isn’t. I think Pia wanted a little female backup tonight. She invited a lady who just recently moved
into Heart’s Haven. She owns that little beauty shop on the corner of Main and Halo. Do you know Lexi Carlisle?”
****
Lexi followed her nose—and Pia—down a short hall and into a kitchen done in cheery reds and yellows. The knock-your-boots-off color scheme gave the room a bright, welcoming atmosphere that invited a smile.
But Lexi’s smile had barely started to show itself when she was distracted. At the table, a man sat with his back to the door, coughing hard. David pounded him between the shoulders with sharp blows that looked nothing less than dangerous.
“Breathe, Gaynor!” His fist landed between the other man’s shoulder blades again.
“I’m breathing, I’m breathing.” The poor fellow reached for a glass of tea and sucked down a sizable swallow then managed a deep chuckle. “But if you keep beating me like that, I may need a doctor after all.”
Lexi stood immobile as Pia rushed across the room to check on her guest. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. Besides, she worked with hair five days out of every week, and had never seen the exact, rich color of Mitch’s thick waves anywhere but on his head.
And hadn’t David said “Gaynor”?
“M-Mitch?” She reached for a normal tone but fell far short. Pia had promised her this dinner was not a matchmaking scheme, but what were the chances of this being a coincidence?
Yet her stuttered inquiry elicited expressions of blatant surprise on both Pia’s face and David’s. Even Lexi’s suspicious nature couldn’t deny the authenticity.
Mitch stood and turned to face her. His precisely molded lips twisted into a crooked smile, and just for an instant, undiluted delight lit his blue-gray eyes. Then he hiked one dark eyebrow and winked. Lexi had become far too familiar with that expression over the past weeks.
But she hadn’t expected to see him tonight. There’d been no reason to give herself a preparatory lecture about mistaking his friendliness for something more serious or letting his charming manner get under her skin. She’d had no time to erect a wall between her heart and his powerful masculinity. Tonight, Mitch’s lighthearted…flirtatious?...demeanor jolted her heart into a flurry of irregular beats and frantic flutters.
Ridiculous. One would think she’d never seen a nice-looking man.
Lexi swallowed hard. Male customers made up a healthy chunk of her clientele at Angel Hair, but Mitch’s rugged good looks trumped them all. Hands down.
“Lexi Carlisle, are you stalking me?”
She gasped. Because it had happened more than once already, she was aware that she could easily get lost in the deep rumble of his voice. Right now, though, its uncharacteristic sternness triggered an instinctive defensive reaction, honed by years of necessity. She instantly switched into flight mode, half turning to run away.
Pia laughed, and David joined her. Stunned and hurt, Lexi’s gaze flew to her hostess.
The younger woman’s lovely face revealed no malice. No hint of meanness or desire to harm.
This was not a cruel joke. David and Pia hadn’t been aware that Lexi and Mitch knew one another. And Mitch was not angry. He was teasing. Before she could completely relax, he crossed the room and pulled her into a quick, warm hug.
“Just kidding, Lexi, but for the record, you can stalk me any time you’d like. I promise not to press charges.”
Lexi’s choking fear dissipated in an instant. What a silly thing she was. Mitch didn’t have it in him to be mean or spiteful. Not to her and not to anyone else.
He wasn’t Todd. And she was no longer that Alexa Carlisle, the one who lived under a dark shadow of fear. She was a child of God, and her Father was greater and stronger than anyone or anything that might desire to harm her. Sometimes it seemed she was learning so slowly she was almost going backwards.
Releasing her breath, Lexi straightened and stood to her full height. She even managed a shaky smile.
“Well, I take it we don’t need to introduce y’all.” Pia opened the oven door and used a couple of dish towels to lift a pretty casserole dish onto the stovetop. “That’s good. Now we can get right to the good stuff—meaning food, of course.” Laughing, she waved a slim, tanned arm toward the table. “Come on, you two. Let’s eat.”
7
Lexi couldn’t recall ever having such a wonderful time. The four of them talked and laughed non-stop throughout the meal, which tasted heavenly, despite Pia’s warning about her cooking. Afterward, the men shocked her by jumping in to help with the cleanup so they could all take a stroll on the Angelina Trail.
Outside their trellised gate, David and Pia joined hands and set off together, leaving Mitch and Lexi to follow. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised when a big, strong hand took hers. Her cheeks warmed, and she prayed the darkness would cover that immature response. He placed himself between her and any traffic that might come along, and she told herself he’d taken her hand as a safety measure. Mitch’s gallant nature dictated that he be protective.
But then his arm slid around her waist, and her tidy summation went right out the window.
His voice dropped to a near growl. “You gonna be OK tomorrow?”
Her teeth clamped down on her lip hard enough to hurt. He’d brought up the one subject she’d avoided thinking about for weeks. Even her trip to Rosewood the day before had been an act of desperate insistence on familiar routine...even knowing she’d have to make the drive again tomorrow.
“Lexi?” He stopped and turned toward her, using the arm around her waist to pull her close. With his other hand, he gently lifted her chin. “Mother’s Day is bound to be difficult for you. If you’re going to Rosewood, and if you’d like company, I’d love to come along.”
Unexpected tears stung her eyes, and she turned her face away, mortified. When had she become such a crybaby?
“Lexi, sweetheart, please let me be there for you. I want to help you through this.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze again but only briefly. Then she leaned into his embrace and rested her head against his broad chest. This wonderful man wanted to be strong…for her. Not since she lost her father had she been offered that kind of support. Ten-year-old Lexi had been mercifully unaware that Daddy’s would be the last genuine masculine affection she would experience for decades.
Now she stood trembling in Mitch’s arms, overwhelmed by his desire to be there for her. Her former husband never once offered his shoulder or strength. How was it then that Mitch, without so much as a hint on her part, had picked up on something Lexi had difficulty facing even in her private heart of hearts?
She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his embrace and let Mitch buffer all the pain she’d been pushing away. Mother’s Day had become a source of such intense dread that she’d refused to acknowledge its approach by so much as shopping for a gift.
“You two coming?” David’s voice carried through the still evening.
“We’ll be right there.” Mitch called out an answer without breaking his hold on Lexi then pulled her a little closer, holding on just enough to take her breath away. “I’m coming with you tomorrow.”
“I’d like that,” she breathed.
His lips brushed against her forehead—a soft, sweet, all-too-brief hint at a kiss. Then he pulled away, took her hand and winked. “I guess we’d better catch up with those two before they come back to rescue us.”
Lexi nodded. Smiled. Hurried on down the road at Mitch’s side. But what she really wanted was to stay right where they were forever.
She hoped this man who seemed to see right into her soul would not also see that, after even such a short visit, she already missed being in his arms.
****
She paused before answering the door the next morning. Deep breath. Good. Now, smile and be friendly, but for heaven’s sake, behave like a sensible woman of forty-three—not a giddy teenager.
She’d spent half the night berating herself for allowing Mitch to break through the emotional barriers she’d spent years constructing. The other half of the l
ong hours, she’d dreamed of being in his arms, relishing the sense of safety she found there.
“Good morning, pretty lady.” He gave her his signature tilt of the head and hike of the eyebrow, and then curved his lips into the familiar lopsided half smile.
And all of Lexi’s sensible advice took a permanent hike.
“Would you like a cup of coffee before we go?” she offered.
“I’ve had my limit for the day. But I’ll wait while you have a cup.”
“No, I’ve had mine as well.” Lexi hoped her smile looked more natural than it felt. “I’m ready, I guess.”
Mitch chuckled and reached out to squeeze her hand. “You look like you’re preparing for an inquisition. Try to relax. It’ll be all right.”
She pinched her lower lip between her teeth and nodded, fixing her gaze on the pocket of his western shirt.
“Lexi.” Mitch stepped close and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.”
If I look at you, I’ll either cry or…do something even more stupid.
She shook her head.
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Sweetheart, look at me. Please.”
Grow up, for heaven’s sake.
Drawing in short, hard blasts of air, she forced herself to make eye contact. Then she couldn’t find her breath at all. Her knees trembled and threatened to buckle beneath the tenderness in his eyes.
“Can you find just a little faith, Lexi? Trust God. His grace is sufficient for every situation.”
She sighed. When would she start trusting on her own without constant reminders and encouragement? “I know. I just keep forgetting to remember.”
Mitch grinned and touched a finger to the tip of her nose. “Forgetting to remember?”
She nodded. “I’ve left God out of my life for too long. I’ve been talking to Him again, and I really want to trust Him the way you do, but sometimes I forget.”
Mitch’s grin became a beaming beacon of joy. “You don’t know how happy I am to know that, sweetheart. Trusting Him will become a way of life. Don’t worry about that. Until it does, though…” He winked and tugged on a strand of her hair. “I hope you won’t mind if I keep reminding you.”
