“What’s going on with you two?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, why isn’t it?”
“That should be obvious.”
“Not to me. Over six feet, good body, totally gorgeous smile—which you seem to have brought out. After two years, at that. He likes you, Sharee. He went from ignoring you, to snapping your head off, to—whatever he’s doing now. Which is…”
“Driving me crazy.”
“Un huh. That’s what I mean.”
“Lynn…”
Lynn leaned against the car’s seat, her blue eyes holding unconcealed bewilderment. “What’s the problem?”
“He doesn’t know the Lord. You must know that.”
“Oh. Well, I know he doesn’t come to church, but I thought…”
“Thought what? That because he works at a church, he’s a Christian?”
“Well, yes. Are you sure?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m not the only one who’s tried to talk to him about God, especially when he first came.”
“Well, it’s not like he’s asked you to marry him or anything. Can’t you just go out and have fun?”
Sharee rolled her eyes. “Just have fun doing what you know God doesn’t want you to do? Just have fun and pick up the pieces later?” She shook her head. “I’m too old to just have fun anymore, girlfriend.”
“Yeah, almost thirty and desperate.”
“Hey! You’re only two years behind.”
“Exactly what I’m saying. I know. You can’t afford to throw someone this hot overboard. He’s obviously interested.”
“Stop that!” Sharee shook her head, laughing, and climbed from the car. “You’re corrupting me.”
Lynn started the engine again and put the car in reverse. “Well, I’d give it a little more thought if I were you.” She waved and drove toward the highway.
Sharee watched the car disappear around the bend and glanced heavenward. “Lord, you know I don’t have to think about it. All I have to do is tell him.”
After a minute, she walked past the bleachers, across the field, to the pond. Sunlight slanted through the treetops. Around the pond, silence settled. The fading light darkened the water. Here and there, silver rings formed on its surface where minnows tried to find supper while not becoming appetizers themselves.
She lowered herself to a soft mound next to the water’s edge, glad for the old, broken cypress knees made smooth by years of wear. Sadness gathered in the pit of her stomach.
I like John, Lord. I’ve let that influence me. I haven’t told him because I don’t want to. Forgive me.
A cardinal’s quick tweet sounded close, and the red flicker of its body flashed through the trees. The sun dropped behind the horizon, leaving only gray and pearl light. She hugged herself, pulling her knees up to her chest. As the minutes passed, the birds’ songs disappeared. The crickets’ chirping replaced them. The damp, earthy smell of the ground rose to her nostrils. The shadows lengthened, and her chin rested on her knees.
A sudden rush of footsteps startled her. Her head jerked around. From under the trees, amid the deep shadows, a figure raced toward her. She leaped to her feet, heart pounding. She could make out the shape this time. Cooper broke from the undergrowth and leaped at her.
His heavy paws hit her chest. She screamed and tumbled backward into the cold, dark water.
Chapter 12
The pond’s surface closed over her head. Cold shocked her arms and legs. She flailed upwards, feet shoving against the bottom, slipping in the muck beneath her sandals. Her head broke free, and she gasped the warm air. The dog’s tail slapped her as he made for shore. She jerked back, and her feet hit bottom again.
“Cooper!” John’s voice came from the other side of the undergrowth. He darted around the brush and skidded to a stop before the pond.
Sharee’s breath came hard and fast from the cold, but she treaded water as the dog scrambled for dry ground—better than standing in the cloying mud. Cooper clawed onto the bank and sent sprays of silver flying as he shook off. She swam forward a few feet and tried to stand again.
“Sharee?” John’s voice rose an octave. “What happened?” He stepped onto the moss-covered platform and stretched his hand toward her.
The icy water plastered her hair to her head. It ran and dripped from her arm when she reached for him. Behind him, the dog wiggled and squirmed. His dog. Sharee glared at the animal then at John. What if she grabbed his hand and yanked him in?
John snapped upright, yanking his hand back. He’d read her like a book. Too bad.
“Good reflexes.” She reached for a plant on the bank. He leaned forward again, offering his hand once more, but eyeing her warily. She slapped his hand away.
“Come on.” His mouth twitched. “Let me help.”
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“Of course not.” But he didn’t try to hide the grin as he reached past her hand, grabbed her arm, and dragged her out.
She stepped onto the bank, slipped, and fell hard against him. His arms went around her, but she’d knocked him off-balance, too. They teetered, swayed, then sprawled to the ground. His chest rocked her head when he laughed. She wanted to pummel him.
Lord, this is not how I planned…
The dog leaped forward, pawing at them. Sharee jerked back, trying to bury herself against John’s chest.
“Get him off me. Please!”
“It’s all right. You’re all right.” John tightened one arm and shoved the dog away with the other. “Cooper, sit! Stay!”
Sharee peered from under his arm to see the dog settling on its haunches, mouth open, tongue lapping, tail wagging.
“He’s just trying to join the fun.” John pushed them both to a sitting position. “Or what he thinks is fun. Are you all right?”
“Does it look like I’m all right?” Her voice shook, and her arms hugged her chest. Water dripped from her hair, running in frigid streams down her back. She shook.
“Not really.” Again the amusement.
“That…that beast jumped me.”
“I know it sounds crazy, but he probably just wanted to say hello.”
“Hello?” Her voice squeaked.
“When dogs get excited, sometimes they jump.”
“Yeah, right into people.”
“Exactly.” He moved his arm and brought a hand up to push wet hair from her face. “He wasn’t attacking. He was saying hello. If a Chihuahua jumped on you, you would know he was greeting you. It’s just that Cooper’s bigger.”
“Yeah. Much.”
The dog poked his nose at her, and she sunk into John’s chest again.
“He likes you.”
“The feeling is not mutual.”
“Come on.” Climbing to his feet, he put a hand down to her. She glared at him. His teeth flashed white in the twilight, and he hauled her to her feet. “You’re soaked.”
“Gee, nothing gets past you either, Sherlock.”
He unzipped his jacket. “Here.”
“No. No. That’s leather.” She shook her head, but he removed the jacket and settled it on her shoulders. “John, no, I’m filthy.”
“Filthy and freezing.” He took her hand. “Come on. I’ve got towels at the work building.”
The moon hung low in the sky but scattered shadows across their path. They stumbled once or twice crossing the field to the buildings as darkness dropped. John led her to the larger building.
“There’s a shower here and hot water. You can clean up.”
“Are you crazy? I’m not showering here.”
“You’re soaked and freezing. You can’t go home like that.”
“Just give me a towel.”
He opened the door and hit the light switch. Her eyes darted around the room. She’d been here before. On one side, tools hung on the wall, labels attached above them. Beneath them, an empty but decent sized work table stood. On the other side, the wa
ll and the hooks were bare. Hand tools littered the worktable.
“Alan and I share the shed.”
“And you’re the neat freak,” Sharee muttered, still shaking.
“Yes, and be thankful. It’s the reason I have clean, dry towels for you.”
He led her to a bathroom in the back. “Look, the bathroom’s clean. So are the towels, and here.” He reached up into an open closet, grabbed a bar of soap still in the wrapper, and handed it to her. “Clean soap.”
“I said…”
“I know what you said. You haven’t looked at yourself. Take a shower. There’s shampoo. There’s a lock on the door, and,” he reached into a basket of clothes sitting on top of the washing machine to drag out a pair of jeans. “These are clean, too. I keep them here in case I want a shower and clean clothes before I leave for home—or anywhere else.”
The amusement in his eyes riled her. “I am not…”
“You’ll have to roll the jeans up two feet. And here,” he pulled a t-shirt from the basket, “this will do fine.”
“John…”
“I think that’s everything. Did I mention there’s a lock on the door?”
“Yes, but I…”
“Cooper and I will be outside. Leave the wet towels on the floor. I’ll get them.” He went out and closed the door.
~.~.~
The man was infuriating. She stood shivering, hugging herself for warmth, teeth chattering harder now. She surveyed the room. If he did the actual cleaning, he did a good job. So, he is a neat freak then. It fit the way he worked. Her mind turned to the hot water. She gave a deep sigh and reached for the lock.
After the shower, she towel-dried her hair, and put on damp underclothes then pulled John’s jeans and t-shirt over them. The t-shirt reached halfway down her thighs. She rolled the jeans at the waist and the ankles. She couldn’t find a belt and rolled the jeans at her waist once more. That should keep them up.
When she straightened, she saw the dolls.
Each plastic head showed on the top shelf of the closet. No doubt what they were. But why had he kept them? She shuddered and picked up a comb, staring at the dolls as she pulled it through her hair. Did Abbey think that by harassing Marci, it somehow made it better for Ryann? Or even for herself? Crazier things happened these days.
Sharee reached for her wet shoes then dropped them back to the floor. No way. Digging through the basket, she found a pair of clean socks. Their warmth on her feet felt like holding them toward a fire. She slipped her arms into John’s jacket and glanced in the mirror. No telling what this outfit looks like.
~.~.~
Lights shone down the hall from the main room, but neither he nor Cooper was anywhere around. She padded through the tool room to the outside door and opened it. He leaned against the building, eyes closed, arms crossed, Cooper curled at his feet. The dog lifted his head, and she took a quick step back.
“John?”
He turned her way, one eye open.
“I…I’m sorry I took so long. I forgot about your jacket. Here.” She began to pull her arms free. He peeled himself off the building.
“Keep it.” Pushing her back inside, he stopped and looked down at her. A grin crossed his face. She scowled at him, daring him to say anything.
“Let me get a sweatshirt from the basket.” He walked to the bathroom and returned pulling it over his head.
She bit her lip. He’d waited outside in the cold. To make her feel safe? She swallowed. “Thank you for the shower and…” She looked down at his clothes.
“You look cute.” The grin returned. “I’m glad you found the socks. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Oh! My clothes.” She ran back to the bathroom and wrapped them in the towel she had used and returned.
“I would have taken care of them.”
“Uh uh. Not my clothes.” She went past him. “And if Pastor Alan came in before you did?”
Cooper rose from the ground. The large head swung her way. She stopped.
John shut off the lights, locked the door, and chuckled. “Well then, we would have some explaining to do.”
The dog stepped closer, and she leaned away. “John.”
“What—” The question died, and he stepped past her and shoved the dog away. “Cooper, sit.”
The dog whined but sat, his eyes still on Sharee.
“I’ve got a leash. I can tie him up here.”
“No, I…I’m fine if you’re with me.”
“You’re shaking.”
“Sorry. Too bad he’s not a Chihuahua. I think I could handle that.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“Cooper jumped me, that’s what happened. He knocked me into the pond.”
“The other time. Tell me why you’re afraid of dogs.”
She hesitated. “It’s…it’s no big deal.”
“Of course it is.”
“I…” She put her head down. Stupid that something so long ago could still affect her.
Tell him about the other.
Her head rose. “What?”
“You were attacked at some time?”
“Yes.”
Tell him why you can’t date him.
“Can you tell me?”
“I…uh…” Tell him. “I need to tell you something else. I…”
He stroked her jaw. “Just tell me what happened.”
His touch sent waves of warmth throughout her body. She took a step backward. “It was my aunt’s dog. I knew him. We had visited numerous times.”
“Had he bitten anyone before?”
“No. At least, he’d always seemed friendly. But I went there with friends. They petted him and went on, but when I tried to pet him, he growled. It startled me, scared me actually, and I backed away. When he growled again, I ran. He chased me and knocked me down.” Her hand went to her head where the scalp rose tight and rough. “He bit me numerous times on the back of the head.”
“How old were you?”
“Six.”
He groaned. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sure it was horrifying.”
“It was.”
“Did they take you to the hospital?”
“Yes.” She swallowed.
“And you’ve been scared of dogs ever since.”
“Yes. People always think their dogs are harmless. You read that in the news all the time when someone is attacked.”
He glanced at Cooper. “Well, I have to admit, I think Cooper’s harmless—unless someone broke into my condo or tried to harm me. That would be a whole different story.”
“Yeah. And he’s huge.”
John laughed. “So you’ve said. Come on. Let’s walk back. I’ll keep you safe.”
The moon’s light bathed the path, and the cold, clear night circled them. When she shivered, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her close.
Just walking beside him stirred emotions that overwhelmed her. She had to tell him. When they got to the car, before she left…
They stopped in front of her car, and she froze. He took the bundle of clothes from her arms, setting them on the hood of the car. Other cars were parked in the parking lot now, but she couldn’t see anyone. Lights from the church windows stroked the darkness. Music drifted in muted tones across the night.
He pulled on a wet strand of hair. “You see I can be trusted. Whatever the problem is, can we put it aside? Can we stop the games? You must realize I care about you.”
“John, I…” Her voice trailed off as his hand went to her throat, his fingers gentle, caressing. She felt the tension between them, the electricity just as it had been the week before.
He bent his head. She tried to step back but the car stopped her, and her neck arched at his touch. She moaned, and then he was kissing her with an intensity that startled her. His hand moved from her throat, catching her around the waist and drawing her close. She could feel the whole
length of him, his body warm against hers, and she began to shake with the struggle going on inside.
Her hands rose to push against his chest. “John, I can’t. I…” His mouth stopped her, and her defenses dropped. She returned his kiss, bathing in the emotions surging through her. His grip tightened, but a warning—like bowling pins crashing—went through her. She shoved against him this time, her heart beating so hard that words came with difficulty. “No. Please. I can’t.”
Moonlight brightened both their faces, and she knew her dismay must be clear to him. Lord, why does it have to be this way? Why? She tried to speak again, but her voice sounded strange, and she stopped.
“What are you afraid of?” His voice was as uneven as hers. “I won’t hurt you, Sharee.”
“It’s not that. It’s…” her voice trailed off.
“It’s what?” His eyes searched hers. His mouth quirked. “Are you married and not telling me?”
“Of course not.”
“Then what?”
“It’s because…” She struggled to find the right words and forced two more. “God says…”
Lord, how can I do this? How do I say it?
His head moved to the side, watching her. In the moonlight, she saw his brow crease. His arms dropped, and he stepped back.
“So, that’s it.”
“What?”
He stared down at her, his face changing the way his voice had, the withdrawal clear. He reached past her and picked up her clothes and put them into her hands.
“Well, you better go home then.” He opened the car door. She could only stare. “Go ahead. Get in.”
She slid into the driver’s seat. He closed the door and stepped away. She set the wet clothes in the passenger seat, fumbled under the mat and pulled out her keys.
“John?”
“Go home, Sharee. Goodnight.” He turned and walked back the way they had come. Cooper trotted at his heels.
Chapter 13
Sharee glanced at the homeless man in the passenger seat. Pedro Gonzalez’s ready smile served as her reward for the long, hard day. He had appeared on a regular basis at the homeless shelter until six weeks ago. When she saw him today with his hand-lettered sign, she pulled off the road and offered a ride.
Amber Alert: Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense (Dangerous Series Book 1) Page 11
