The Matchup

by Laura L. Walker

  Azalea ended the performance with an acrobatic feat among the rafters that dazzled the audience, landing gracefully and giving a bow. “Let’s hear it for my vunderful assistant, Azalea,” Gordon Reno called, holding his arm out toward her. The audience roared. Ear-splitting whistles rent the building. “That is ze end of ze show. Thank you. Haf a goot eef-ning.”

  Valerie and Gage stood, along with the rest of the audience, for a lengthy ovation. When the crowd dispersed, Valerie bent to retrieve her handbag but Gage had already done so. Handing it to her, he lifted a brow. “I’m guessing you liked the show, judging from your beautiful smile?” The night air was still warm, but a gentle breeze was blowing as they left the building.

  “I loved it.” It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed an evening out with a handsome man. No checkbook to balance. No kids crying at her. No worries. “Thank you, Gage.” She stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

  His eyes lit up and he wrapped his arm around her waist. “You’re welcome.” Gently, he pulled her toward him, his intention clear. People milled around them, the colors of their finery blurring in her vision as she focused on the man before her. His clean-shaven skin and dark, mysterious eyes drew her in like a homing device. A soft sigh escaped when his lips settled on hers. In that moment, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

  Back in the Camaro, in the shadow of the streetlights, Gage looked over at Valerie. Soft music provided a nice ambience. He’d never seen her so relaxed or content. He was almost afraid to break the silence. “Valerie,” he said, “there’s one more place I’d like to take you, if you’re up for it, before I take you home.”

  “Where?”

  They’d crossed back into Mesa city limits some time ago and were now coming up on Main Street. “It’s a surprise.”

  “The only place I can think of to visit around Main Street at this time of night is the temple.” They both knew the Family History Center and Distribution Center, along with the other bookstores and shops around Main Street and First Avenue had long since closed.

  “That’s where we’re heading.” He couldn’t resist grinning at her furrowed brows.

  “Why?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe I just want to visit the grounds.”

  If possible, her features creased even more. “But it’s too dark to see the grounds. And the visitors’ center is probably closed too. What are you up to, Gage Logan?”

  Logan. Valerie Logan. He liked the sound. “You’ll see.” He parked the Camaro in the northwest parking lot by the visitors’ center and came around to open her door. Holding his hand out to her, he asked softly, “Care to walk with me?”

  Gage couldn’t even begin to explain the enormous relief he’d felt from reading Pierce’s one-word text message as they were finishing their dinner. Done! Knowing that his brother, who was busy with his own little family, had taken time from his wife and new daughter to perform this favor for Gage humbled him.

  Gage wanted so much to hurry her along to the place where Pierce had hidden the surprise, but he knew that he needed to play it cool. The moonlight illuminated Valerie’s questioning gaze. Not that he could blame her. The temple wasn’t exactly a favorite hangout spot for Gage these days.

  Finally, her face cleared and she tentatively took hold of his hand. Gage smiled in anticipation. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold onto his patience. He led her past the reflective pool on the west side of the temple as they slowly walked the perimeter of the grounds, keeping the conversation light and their hands entwined. Gage’s heartbeat sped up when they rounded the northeast corner of the temple. He led her to the stone bench located near the flower beds and water fountain, exactly where the photo sent from Pierce’s phone indicated.

  Gage leaned back slightly, feeling the tiny leaves of a potted fern brush up against the nape of his neck. As unobtrusively as possible, he reached behind him to feel around the base of the plant for the hidden object. His fingers brushed over something silky and smooth and he traced the curved edge just to be sure that it was really the object he was searching for. The fact that the object’s color blended so well with the night was an added blessing. He brought his hand back into the pocket of his suit coat for just a moment.

  Thankfully, Valerie didn’t seem to notice his furtive movements. Extracting the small jeweler’s box from his suit coat pocket, he slowly and carefully lowered it into the upturned hat. It was time to unveil his plan.

  Valerie stared at Gage, absently wondering why he kept reaching behind him. Was it a nervous gesture or what? His left hand found her right. With his other hand, he pulled a large, dark object out from behind his back and held it out to her. In the soft glow of the well-lit temple, Valerie could barely make out the shape of a—

  Magician’s hat?

  Gage reached inside his suit coat and pulled out a magician’s wand. He tapped the hat once. “Abracadabra, hocus pocus. I need you, my fair assistant, to pull the rabbit out of the hat for me.”

  What kind of silliness was this? A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Cautiously, she lowered her hand into the cavity of the hat, aware that Gage watched her anxiously. She gasped when her fingers found a small square box inside. Shivers ran down her spine.

  It wasn’t!

  Was it?

  She lifted the lid. A diamond solitaire caught the reflection of the temple windows, radiating a prism of colors.

  “Valerie Hall, I love you.”

  Valerie brought her hand to mouth. “You do?” she whispered.

  He nodded. “Since you came back into my life, I’ve discovered a woman of strength and courage. A woman of compassion who has shared her testimony and given me hope for a better life.”

  Placing her hand over Gage’s, she said, “I’ve only done what I would have wanted someone to do for me.”

  “You’ve done more than that. I feel like a new man because of you. I want to share my life with you and I hope that you feel the same. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  When she hesitated, he said in a rush, “I realize that you may not return my affection yet. But I think we could make a good match. We have a lot going for us. I am financially able to support a large family. I want to be a good husband to you and raise our children together.”

  Valerie’s heart softened upon hearing the sincerity in his voice. It was admirable that he wanted to try, but could Gage, a longtime partyer, really change enough to stick a marriage with her and her children out? He’d been given a relatively easy child to raise. Could he handle Justin for the long term? He probably didn’t realize the full extent of Justin’s difficulties yet. “You’ve come a long way, Gage. But it’s not as simple as you think.”

  Gage must have anticipated her objection because he said, “Justin would be welcome to live with us for as long as he needs to, though I feel that we should do everything we can to help him achieve the highest level of independence possible. But however his autism plays out over time, he’ll always be an integral part of our family.”

  Tears clogged her throat from knowing that he genuinely wanted to make this work. “Wh-what about your inactivity in the Church, Gage?”

  He smiled at her tenderly. “Valerie, honey, why is it that every time I lay my heart out, I make you cry? Is it really so hard for you to believe that I’m a nice guy?”

  She swallowed hard. “No. But it has been a long time since someone has made me feel this way.”

  “Even though I can’t come to church every week with you, I’ll be there when I can. Please, Valerie. Give me some time to work this out. Hopefully, you can have your sealing to Nick cancelled by the time we marry.”

  His words brought hope. However, she wasn’t sure if she could take such a risk. “Gage, that sounds wonderful. But are you sure you’re ready for this step? I’ve known a few couples who were sealed in the temple only to get divorced a few years later. Marriage and parenthood aren’t easy.”

  “And since I back
ed out of my mission call nine years ago and never returned to church, you’re expecting me to do the same thing.” The bluntness of his words cut through her heart. “I’ve made some bad choices in the past. But I’m in the process of repenting for those mistakes. Maybe someone like you, who has never lost your faith, might think those years were totally wasted. But they weren’t. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I now know that what I want out of life can’t be found in a nightclub.”

  “What does the Church mean to you, Gage?”

  He paused to consider her question. “For the last nine years, the thought of going to Church was too painful, so I tried to block it out with other influences. But now I realize that without the Lord in my life, I can accomplish nothing.”

  “I feel the same way,” she said softly.

  Gage raised his hand to caress her face. “I honestly feel that He brought you back into my life at the point when I was finally ready to hear what He’s been trying to tell me.”

  “Really?” she whispered, marveling at the Lord’s timing.

  He nodded. “I’m ready to take this step, Valerie. I want to marry you and have more children with you.”

  Just like that, Valerie’s air supply dried up and she choked back a sob. No, Gage, she wanted to cry. She didn’t want to talk about this right now.

  Oblivious to her plight, Gage continued. “Valerie? I know you said you don’t want to have more children. But I sincerely hope you’ll consider the possibility. With me.”

  Oh, if only that was a possibility. But she knew better than to hope for a different outcome. “Gage, you know how I feel about that.”

  “I know what you told me. But I also heard what you didn’t say. I’m not the only one with trust issues. Life didn’t exactly turn out the way you planned. But you know what? I’m learning that the Lord usually has something better in store.”

  She pondered his words. “I’ll have to pray about it.”

  He smiled. “I knew you were going to say that.”

  “Have you prayed about marrying me?”

  He hesitated. “I haven’t because it just feels right. But if you want me to, I will.”

  “I do want you to pray about it, Gage.” Valerie paused and moved the diamond ring between her fingers. “I need some time to think and pray.”

  If he was disappointed about her cautious response, he didn’t show it. “Take all the time you need.”

  Valerie was ecstatic when Gage made it to church for the third Sunday in a row. He cautioned her that his schedule would soon return to its normal craziness now that the All-Star Break was coming to a close. When Gage met with Bishop Gregory after church, the bishop encouraged Gage to call his dad. Apparently, during Gage’s retelling of his father’s rejection to his mission preparation and subsequent call, Bishop Gregory had sensed a lingering resentment toward Jared Logan for his callousness that Gage wasn’t even aware he still harbored. He told the bishop that he would think about it.

  He’d also mentioned to Bishop Gregory that he had proposed to Valerie and was giving her the time she needed. The bishop had counseled Gage to pray about it and if it was right, to be totally committed to the marriage not only in chastity but in his activity in the Church and devotion to his family.

  Bishop Gregory had also kindly pointed out that Gage’s job might be a hindrance to his progression in the gospel. Gage tried not to take offense at that. He loved his job. Though it was demanding, it was also very rewarding. Sure, he’d been juggling his time a lot more lately between taking care of Zach and spending time with Valerie. But all of that would subside once they got married, right? If they got married.

  Very early the next morning, he drove to Tucson to pick up Zach. When Gage dropped him off at Valerie’s before heading into work, Valerie seemed a bit tired and distracted and Whitney seemed out of sorts. Feeling certain that he’d made some good progress with Whitney on Saturday night, Gage sensed that her agitation stemmed from another source.

  “What’s eating at her?” Gage asked Valerie after Whitney stomped past them with a glare.

  Valerie pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “She’s angry with me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t prescribe to the same underhanded parenting methods as Nick. Apparently, Whitney has decided that going to church is pointless, especially since Nick took her out on his boat last Sunday with his girlfriend. I didn’t even know he had a boat. We had a huge argument about it yesterday morning right before church. And then, to top it all off, she feels that I’m being too harsh by asking her to do her chores. As she put it, ‘Daddy doesn’t make me do anything!’ ”

  “And you didn’t know about the boating trip until yesterday?”

  “No. I’m so upset, I could scream.”

  Gage pondered this before asking, “But what can you do about it? If he doesn’t want to take her to church, then that’s his choice, isn’t it? Not that I agree with it,” he said quickly when she looked like she was ready to argue. “I’m just trying to understand the legalities.”

  Valerie shook her head. “When we signed the divorce papers, it was agreed upon that whichever of us had Whitney for the weekend would take her to church. I guess I never considered the possibility that Nick might become inactive.”

  “Stand your ground.” Hating the look of discouragement that came over her, Gage gently lifted her face toward his. “Be patient with Whitney while she figures things out. From what it sounds like, she’s caught in the middle between two parents whose ideas and lifestyles are completely different.”

  “I know.” She frowned. “I’m worried because Nick is making himself out to be the fun parent while I’m a fire-breathing dragon. She’s too young to know the difference.”

  “Things will work out with her in time.”

  “But right now, she needs to know that skipping church and chores is not an option.”

  “I agree, at least during the time she’s with you. And if you’ve got it in writing that Nick is supposed to take her to church too, then you’ve got a right to be that fire-breathing dragon.”

  “So what should I do?”

  Gage thought about it for a moment. “Talk to Nick first. Then, if he’s uncooperative, we’ll call Noelle’s father. He’s an attorney who practices in family law. He’ll be able to help you file a request for a modification of the custody agreement.”

  “All right.”

  He hugged Valerie, wishing that she would agree to become his wife. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that this would solve all their problems, but a marriage between them would give her some fighting powers that she didn’t otherwise have. He was praying that she would soon come to the same conclusion.

  The next morning, Valerie’s phone rang as she was buckling the kids in the car for swim lessons. Glancing at the screen, Valerie grimaced when she saw that it was Nick. “Hello?”

  “Val.” His voice, which had once sounded pleasant to her ears when they were dating, was condescending now. “I need you to do me a favor. I want to take Whitney early this weekend.”

  “For what reason?”

  “We’re going to the White Mountains to stay with my girlfriend’s family in their cabin.”

  “And is there a church nearby that you’ll be attending?” she asked pointedly.

  “There are several LDS church buildings in the outlying areas. But I’m not sure what Olivia’s family is planning.”

  “You can plan on attending with her whether they are or not. And from now on, if you can’t take her to church on your designated weekend with Whitney, then I will be coming to get her,” she declared, her voice rising with each word.

  “Listen, Val.” When he spoke like that, his voice oozing with false charm, Valerie wanted to grind her teeth. “I knew you would get all bent out of shape about the outing at the lake. We were borrowing a friend’s boat. It was a one-time occurrence.”

  In the past, he had been able to sway her with his flattery, but now she
recognized it for what it was. Manipulation. “You’re right about that because I meant what I said. If you can’t schedule these outings for more appropriate times, I will be contacting an attorney.”

  “Come on, Val. You can make an exception for Whitney. It isn’t like she gets any attention at your house, anyway.”

  Valerie sucked in her breath. “Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’ve always ignored her and given more time to Justin than he deserved. That’s how it was after he was born until the time you decided to leave. Whitney and I were never good enough for you.”

  “What are you talking about?” She’d had this same old argument time and again, yet she still couldn’t unscramble his convoluted ideas.

  “Come on, Val. Drop the act. You know that Whitney and I always took a backseat to that kid. You’re still doing that now.”

  “Nick, get it through your head. Justin is a special needs child.” She spoke very slowly and distinctly. “Special needs children naturally require more time and attention. And I didn’t just walk out on our marriage. If you had been willing to give more of yourself to our son and help me out once in a while, we would still be married.” She wondered why she was bothering to fight this same fight yet again, when a thought occurred to her. “Does Olivia even know that you have a son?”

  “Of course she does,” he replied. “But she agrees with me that kids like Justin have no practical sense or social skills. Frankly, he would just be in the way if we brought him along.”

  Which was just as well because Nick didn’t even have the decency to keep the note of derision from his voice when speaking of his own flesh and blood. “You know, you can say it out loud, Nick. Autistic. It’s neither a bad word nor a disease.”

  “This isn’t the point of my call, Val. Are you going to let me take Whitney early this weekend or not?”