He does have a plan for me, and He has one for you. Yours will involve meeting me one day. I’d love for that to be sooner rather than later, but time will tell. In any case, I’m hopeful that I will find you soon, that I will love you soon and that we’ll have an exciting beginning to our marriage, and then—hopefully, you’ll feel the same—we’ll have children soon. As for me, I wouldn’t mind a honeymoon baby, but I suppose you’ll have a say in that, too, won’t you? (I’m smiling. Hope you are, too.)
Until we meet,
Troy
Destiny finished reading her favorite letter and made a silent vow never to forget a word. It’d been less than a week since she’d met Troy and already she found herself wanting to marry the guy and have those six kids.
“I must be losing my mind. I’m not the girl these are written to. Haley is. He said he found the one, and she’s it.” Destiny folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope, then added it to the mailer that she’d already prepared to send to Rita with the other letters Troy’s grandmother entered in the contest. Funny that she had to mail them back to Atlanta, when she could easily hand deliver them to Jolaine Bowers. But Troy’s grandma had no idea that his letters were back in Claremont, or that Destiny had read each and every word of them repeatedly over the past month, until she could almost recite them by heart.
Destiny sealed the mailer, then looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. Tingle pulling in the driveway to the B and B. They waved, and Destiny lifted her hand and forced a smile. She’d grown very fond of the sweet couple over the past few days, had grown fond of everyone she’d met in Claremont. The town was like something out of an old movie, so appealing and filled with happy, friendly people.
“Did you find the breakfast casserole in the kitchen?” Annette Tingle asked as they walked toward the porch.
“Yes, I did. It was delicious, thanks.”
“We were hoping you might ride to church with us this morning,” Mr. Tingle said, “but when you didn’t come down, we figured you either weren’t feeling well or overslept.”
“I overslept.” Destiny would’ve gotten up if she had set the alarm, which she didn’t. Oddly, she’d felt an urge to go to church this morning, but she didn’t want to see Troy again, not yet. She needed time to process and come to grips with the fact that he’d found the girl he thought he’d marry, and time to process the aching realization that she wished it was her.
As if Mrs. Tingle knew where Destiny’s thoughts had headed, she said, “Troy Lee asked about you.”
“That’s a nice young man, now, let me tell you.” L. E. Tingle pointed a finger to emphasize the statement.
Destiny nodded. No finger point was necessary. She knew he was a nice young man. A wonderful young man. A man any girl would love to call her own, for life. And he thought Haley was the one, but still... “He asked about me?”
Mrs. Tingle gave a firm nod. “Said he had looked forward to seeing you in church this morning.”
Destiny shouldn’t ask the next question that popped in her head. She knew she shouldn’t, but she simply couldn’t help it. “Was—was Haley Calhoun, you know, the new vet, at church this morning?”
“Yes, yes, she was,” Mr. Tingle said. “I actually talked to her a bit after the service to ask if she knew how we could keep the rabbits out of our garden out back, and she told me to use garlic powder.”
“Garlic powder, really?” Mrs. Tingle asked, and her husband nodded.
Destiny wanted to find out if Haley had been standing next to Troy when Mr. Tingle talked to her about rabbits and garlic powder, but she didn’t want to seem too interested. Instead, she glanced at the mailer in her hand. “I need to take this to the post office. Or is there a postbox nearby?”
“Would you like for us to put it with our mail going out tomorrow, dear? It wouldn’t be any trouble.” Mrs. Tingle offered her an easy smile.
Destiny’s fingers tightened involuntarily around the mailer. She knew she could mail it from the house, but she couldn’t bear handing Troy’s letters over and risking someone from his town reading his innermost secrets.
She cringed. If she got his permission to run them, his innermost secrets would be on display for the entire world.
“Annette, she may want to walk to the postbox to get a little exercise since she hasn’t been out yet today. There’s a box outside of Nelson’s Variety Store on the square.”
“Yes, I would like to get out and get a little exercise,” Destiny said, thankful that he gave her a way out of the uncomfortable question. She stood and started down the front porch stairs.
“Oh, that reminds me, Troy wanted me to give you a message, dear.” Mrs. Tingle’s words stopped Destiny in her tracks.
“A message?”
“Yes, about this afternoon. He said if you wanted to get out and do something fun today, you should go to the baseball field over at Hydrangea Park. The men’s league has a game there at two and he thought you’d enjoy it. He said a few couples would be there that you might want to interview, or something like that.”
“Thanks, I might.” She wanted to go to the game. If there were couples there, she might score a few more stories of how they met, and after her talk with Troy yesterday she’d almost gotten the nerve to submit them for potential publication. Almost. But going to talk to the couples meant seeing Troy at the baseball field. She didn’t know if she was ready to see him without letting on that her heart had fallen for the guy. And when she did see him again, she’d need to ask him for the rights to run those letters.
All in all, that didn’t bode well for her taking in the baseball game.
Another wave to the Tingles and then she began the walk to the square to send away the letters that had consumed each of her days since they’d first arrived in Atlanta. Her hand gripped the mailer even tighter, already dreading the moment when she had to let them go.
The houses were still decorated for the holiday, with red, white and blue bunting draped along every porch railing and flags everywhere. Several families visited outside, the sound of children’s laughter occasionally filling the air, accompanied by chirping birds. A summer breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers and fresh-cut grass. And Destiny realized that of all the places she’d ever visited, Claremont had become her favorite. She’d miss it when she had to leave, which would be later this week, she supposed. She needed to get back home to work with Rita on getting their next issue ready, the one that would include Troy’s letters.
But Destiny knew she didn’t have to go back so soon. That was one of the blessings of a job that was done online: she could work anywhere. However, she’d have no reason to stay once she got Troy’s permission—if she got it. And she certainly didn’t want to stick around to see his relationship with Haley grow.
By the time she reached the square, she’d resolved that she could do what she had to do. She’d continue to befriend Troy and then talk him into letting her run the letters, the way she’d planned when she first arrived in Claremont. Then she’d head home and maybe attempt to find a Troy Lee of her own.
As if more than one guy like him existed.
She swallowed past that bitter pill and practically stomped across the square. But when she reached the red-and-blue postbox outside of Nelson’s, she hesitated. Once she put this mailer in, she wouldn’t have a chance to hold the letters again, read the tender words and pretend that they were written to her and her alone. She bit her lip, opened the hinged door on the box and slowly moved the mailer to the opening.
“Hey, Destiny!”
She jumped at the sound of her name, and her hand inadvertently released the mailer into the box, the hinged door snapping shut with a loud thud and Destiny felt the loss of knowing the letters were gone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Haley Calhoun had apparently just exited Nelson’s, because
she stood near the door but faced Destiny. She wore a bright pink sundress with a white cardigan, her hair pulled into a sleek ponytail and her makeup flawless.
Destiny hadn’t even put on makeup yet. She hadn’t thought she’d run into anyone she knew on the short walk to the square, so she still wore her tattered blue-jean shorts and navy Braves T-shirt. She never dressed this haphazardly. These were the type of clothes she wore when she knew for sure that she wouldn’t be getting out of the house. Why had she put them on today?
“Hi, Haley, how are you?”
“I’m great. I came to Nelson’s with some friends from church and saw you through the window. I thought I’d see if you still wanted to talk to me about the differences between Ocala and Claremont. I’ve got this afternoon free, if you do.” Her green eyes were bright and excited, extremely friendly, and Destiny thought about how well she’d fit into a town like Claremont, how well she’d fit into Troy’s life.
Then Destiny wondered whether Troy was a part of the “friends” Haley had mentioned who were sitting on the other side of the Nelson’s window. She was even more embarrassed at her outfit. “Who did you come with?”
“Mandy and Daniel Brantley, Casey Cutter, Nadia Berry and Matt and Hannah Graham. Hannah saw you, too, and was telling us that she shared the story of how she and Matt met with you. Mandy said she’d love to tell you her and Daniel’s story, as well. Daniel is the youth minister at the church. I don’t know how they met yet, but she said it’s a good story. I’m still learning everyone around here, too, you know.”
So, no Troy in the group. Destiny wondered why he hadn’t come along. And then she remembered the baseball game. Maybe he had to go get ready. But in any case, she knew where he’d be at two. And she had an idea about a better way to befriend Troy and earn his trust so he’d say yes when she asked about those letters.
She’d help him get the girl he wanted.
“If you’re free this afternoon, why don’t we go watch the men’s baseball team at two? I could talk to you about Ocala and Claremont while we watch the game, and that might give me the opportunity to interview some more couples about how they met so I can include their stories in my writing.”
“That’s a great idea. Mandy had asked me if I was going to the game, but I didn’t know. Daniel plays on the team, too. Do you want me to meet you there, or would you like to ride together? You know where the field is?”
“It’s at Hydrangea Park, not too far from the high school. I’ve seen the sign.” Destiny had another idea to help Troy out, too, and she’d go ahead and act on it before she changed her mind. “Why don’t I pick you up, and we can ride together to the game?”
Haley’s smile brightened. “Sure. I only live a couple of miles down Claremont-Stockville Road, but here is the address.” She withdrew a card from her purse and jotted her address on the back.
Destiny accepted the card. “I’ll pick you up at one forty-five.” Then she also accepted the fact that she was about to help Troy get together with his future bride.
* * *
Troy heard the crack of the bat and knew the heavy hitter from Stockville had connected well even before he saw the baseball hurtling through the air above the second baseman’s head. He’d always been able to cover a lot of ground at center field, but this fly ball was headed directly between him and Daniel Brantley, playing right field.
“I got it!” Troy yelled, and then he hoped that he’d make it in time. Running with all of his might toward the fence, he kept his eye on the ball and knew he wasn’t going to get there standing up...so he dived. His body collided with the ground in a pounding thud, the skin of his forearm scraping free against the hard grass as he stretched his glove out and felt that beautiful sting of the ball colliding with his palm.
Grinning in spite of the blood seeping freely from the grazed flesh, he held up his prize and laughed at the cheers from his teammates. And then he glanced toward the stands and saw that somewhere between his last look at the bleachers and the catch of a lifetime, she had arrived. Destiny was here, and right now, she had a hand over her mouth, her eyes were wide and she’d undoubtedly witnessed the best play he’d made since high school.
Thank You, God.
“Hey, Troy, you gonna throw it back in or stand there holding it all day?” John Cutter, the pitcher, had a huge smile as he yelled. “You’d think you made a decent play or something.”
Troy threw the ball in. “Same kind of play I always make, Cutter.”
John’s laugh filled the air, as did some teasing remarks from the rest of the players on the field. The guys had been friends and fellow athletes since they were in grade school, and their hurled insults were only a sign that they had been impressed with Troy’s catch. He glanced again at the stands and hoped that Destiny was equally impressed.
And that’s when he noticed Haley sitting beside Destiny. She hadn’t been there before either, and the two of them were chatting as they watched the game. Troy had felt awkward after church when Haley and a few of his friends asked him to go to Nelson’s for lunch. He’d hoped to see Destiny this morning and had been surprised when she hadn’t shown at the service. He’d so enjoyed their time together at the fishing hole yesterday and had looked forward to sitting with her again at church this morning, had actually planned to invite her to lunch on the square after the service. He’d politely declined the invite with Haley and had hoped that he still might get a chance to spend time with Destiny today if she came to the game. Which she had done. Apparently with Haley.
Troy kept an eye on the women in the stands as best he could while also trying to show off a bit on the field. Everyone in town knew how he played in high school, but Destiny wouldn’t know. He found himself working up a good sweat trying to make sure he didn’t miss any fly balls headed anywhere near his vicinity in the outfield. At bat, he put so much into his swing that he hit his first home run in two years. And each time, he’d glanced toward the stands to see if she’d noticed, then he’d inwardly chastise himself for his portrayal of a male peacock displaying his feathers.
God, help me out, here. I want her to think I’m special.
By the time the game ended, Troy had caught four additional fly balls, hit a triple and then followed that with another over-the-fence homer that ended the game and sent him running the bases, all of which made him think that God was indeed helping him out. He passed third base and looked to the stands prepared to smile at the woman he believed he was falling for and saw that...she was gone.
His run slowed during the final stretch to home and he accepted the high fives from his teammates with a smile, even though he felt the adrenaline already depleting. Destiny had left before the game ended, before he even got a chance to talk to her.
Packing up his things, he noticed Haley walking toward the dugout, her white-blond hair in a high ponytail, her green eyes sparkling, with a beaming smile. “You played a great game.”
A week ago, before a little red Beemer rolled into the filling station, he’d have been thrilled to hear the compliment from Haley. Now he wished he was hearing it from someone else.
“Thanks.”
“Destiny Porter came to the game, too,” she said, unaware that he’d attempted to keep an eye on the lady ever since he spotted her in the stands. “I actually rode here with her, but she had to leave early to work on one of her stories.”
Troy grabbed his glove. “Well, I’m glad y’all came.”
“Destiny suggested that since she had to leave early, you might be willing to give me a ride home?”
He was thrown. Destiny had suggested he take Haley home? Why?
Obviously his confusion was written all over his face because Haley added, “But if you’d rather I ask someone else for a ride, I can check with Daniel and Mandy.”
Troy shook his head. “No, I can take you home. No problem at all.” H
e forced a smile and decided that, after he took Haley home, he was going to the Claremont Bed and Breakfast and getting some answers.
Chapter Eight
Destiny read through her email one more time, moved the cursor to the send button and then jerked it away. Again. She’d been battling her nerves ever since she finished writing it and still couldn’t get the courage to send her work to Lamont Sharp. The attachment was there, a proposal of small-town love stories from Claremont and a pitch to write stories about additional Southern towns. The idea excited her, collecting true Southern love stories and then sharing them with the world.
But her fear was more powerful than the possibility that Lamont Sharp might actually like her proposal.
“You ask God for His help, tell Him to guide you when you submit your work, and He won’t let you down.”
Troy’s words echoed through her thoughts, his faith in God obviously pushing away any doubt. Why couldn’t Destiny find that faith?
As soon as she’d arrived home from the baseball game, she’d brought her computer and her Bible out to the front porch. She’d powered up the laptop and started composing this email, but she had yet to open the Bible that currently rested on the wicker table nearby. Reaching for it, she decided to put her priorities in the right order. She would ask God for help, and then she’d decide whether to submit her proposal to Lamont Sharp.
The Bible still felt new, the leather scent strong and the pages crisp. Since she’d rarely used it before last Wednesday night, the book opened to the exact scripture that Troy had found for her during that Bible lesson. Destiny read the verses from Philippians 4 again.
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