Ah, now this was making more sense. Her friend was trying to play matchmaker. What was it with married people trying to set up their single friends? She could be annoyed, but instead, she found herself warmed by the thought that Israel was taken with her. “He did, did he? I find that surprising since today is the first day I’ve spoken with him.”
“You don’t have to talk to someone to find them attractive.” Merribeth flashed a smile and wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure you just need to have working eyes for that.”
That was definitely true. Tiffany remembered how her breath had caught momentarily when she’d first looked into Israel’s chocolate eyes that morning. “Maybe a conversation isn’t necessary for initial attraction, but a relationship needs more than initial attraction to last.” In her case, it needed a man who was okay with his wife’s job being a mother.
“Of course it does,” Merribeth shook her head as if Tiffany was being silly, “but, the only way you find out if there’s more than attraction is by spending time with people.”
“Point taken,” Tiffany rolled her eyes good-naturedly, “but he hasn’t asked me out, so that’s a moot point right now.”
“But if he did, would you say yes?” Merribeth glanced up, raised brows punctuating her question before continuing her work on the bench which now appeared nearly half done. That woman really was a whiz.
Would she? She hadn’t dated in so long that she wasn’t sure she still knew how to date, but there was something about Israel that appealed to her. Something that made her think he would be very different from Connor. Maybe she could try again. With the right man. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Merribeth finished tightening the last bolt and picked up the finished bench. “Where do you want this?”
Tiffany shook her head as an amused chuckle slipped past her lips. Leave it to her friend to shift her words. Still, she wasn’t wrong. Tiffany probably would say yes. “You’re amazing. Over there is fine.”
“Thank you. Now you know why Chance married me.” She grinned widely as she placed the bench down and gave Lucas a hug before turning her attention on Tiffany once again. “You know you’re pretty amazing too, and I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful wife to someone someday soon.”
Tiffany opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Merribeth held up her hands and backed toward the door. “When you’re ready, I mean. No pressure. Have a good day, Lucas.”
“You too, Mommy.”
When Merribeth disappeared around the corner, Lucas turned to Tiffany. “Are you going to marry Mr. Israel?”
“Oh, I don’t think so, honey. Your mom just wants us to get to know each other. Why? Do you know Mr. Israel?”
Lucas nodded. “Yep, and he’s very nice. I think he would make a good daddy. Not as good as Mr. Chance, but a good one.”
Tiffany chuckled and ruffled Lucas’s hair. “Well, I’ll keep that in mind though I don’t have a little boy who needs a daddy right now.”
“No, but you might someday, right?”
She certainly hoped so. “Someday, buddy, but how about you and I forget about that for now and check out these tools?”
Lucas’s eyes lit up. “Yes, let’s do it.”
5
Israel
“Good afternoon, Chance, you want the regular table today?”
The woman who greeted them looked vaguely familiar, but Israel couldn’t place how he knew her. He’d certainly never been in this restaurant before though Chance appeared to be a regular from the friendly greeting.
“You bet, Holly. By the way, do you remember Israel? He was my best man at the wedding.” Chance turned to Israel. “Holly was Merribeth’s maid of honor.”
Ah, yes. There had been more than one bridesmaid. Israel’s focus that night though had been solely on Tiffany, so it didn’t surprise him that he hadn’t recognized the woman at first. “Nice to see you again and officially meet you, Holly.” Israel smiled and stuck out his hand.
Holly took it and returned the grin. “You as well. Are you back for a visit or…?” She let the words trail off, and Chance jumped in to fill them.
“No, Israel has officially moved here to Courage and is now the head of maintenance at Patriot Peak.” Chance clapped a hand on Israel’s shoulder and beamed with a sense of pride more akin to a father or a coach than a friend.
Holly’s brow lifted as she picked up two menus from the counter. “Maintenance, huh? Does that mean you fix things?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Israel wondered where this was going. It was obvious from her tone that there was more than idle curiosity behind her question.
“Like dishwashers and things?” She posed the question nonchalantly as she led them to a table, but there was definitely an agenda lurking behind her questions.
“Do you have a problem with your dishwasher here?” Israel looked toward the kitchen. “I’d be happy to take a look.”
Holly shook her head and set down the menus at the open table, gesturing for them to take their seats. “Not here. At my house. My roommate was supposed to call someone to fix it, but she hasn’t, and since I trust Chance wouldn’t hire you unless you knew what you were doing, I’d like to offer the job to you. For payment of course.”
“I’d be happy to.” In reality, he kind of felt like pinching himself. All of this seemed a little too good to be true. First the job at the resort and now a side job as well? He hadn’t been worried about much except finances when he decided not to re-enlist, but it appeared God was taking care of them too. He should have known. When you follow God’s leading and take the right doors, He provides.
“Perfect. I’ll give you the address before you leave and you can come by whenever you have time. I’m not usually there in the evenings, but my roommate is. She’s off by six.”
“Great. I’m done about that time at the resort as well, so I’ll plan to stop by tonight and check it out.”
Holly flashed a smile that displayed both shock and gratitude. “That would be amazing. Okay, holler at me when you know what you want. I’ll be right back with drinks.”
As Holly walked away, Israel turned to Chance who was grinning at him like the Cheshire cat. “What?”
“You. You’re unbelievable. You’ve been in town less than two weeks and already you get called in for a job on the side.” He shook his head.
Suddenly Israel was confused. Was his friend upset he’d taken the job? “It’s okay, right? I didn’t think it would go against any policy since it will be after work time.”
“Relax, Iz. It’s great. The more you get involved here and realize how great this place is, the less I have to worry about you packing up and moving somewhere else. Besides, Holly is awesome, and I know she’ll do you right. Now, let’s talk about Tiffany? Merribeth told me she saw the two of you walk in together this morning.”
Israel dropped his eyes to the table as the heat crawled up his neck. “Yeah, we did, but it’s not what you think. She dropped some boxes and I helped them carry her in. End of story.”
“You didn’t ask her out? Did you change your mind about her? Because I remember your eyes being glued to her the night of my wedding.”
Israel shook his head, wishing he could push the heat creeping up his face back down. “No, I didn’t change my mind. It just wasn’t the right time.”
“It wasn’t the right time?” Chance’s eyebrow arched on his forehead. “You were alone with her, right? Are you waiting for a personal invitation?”
“I don’t know.” Israel bit the inside of his lip as he thought about why he’d hesitated asking her out. “It just didn’t feel like the time. She was late and focused on getting her day started.”
Chance let out a soft chuckle. “Well, don’t give up. I’m sure the right time will present itself, and I think you two could be great together.”
“We’ll see.” Israel hoped his friend was right, but only time would tell if there was something more between himself and
Tiffany than hope and a prayer.
6
Tiffany
Tiffany sighed at the sound of a knock at her door. After today, all she wanted to do was put her hair up and her pajamas on and lounge in front of the TV, but since Holly was at work, she had to deal with whoever this was first.
She didn’t even bother to check her appearance before opening the door, expecting it to be a solicitor or one of the neighbors asking to borrow an egg, but as soon as she saw the man on the other side, she wished she had. “Israel?” She blinked at him as one emotion after the other flashed through her mind. Surprise, curiosity, excitement, then apprehension. What was he doing here? And how did he even know where she lived?
“Tiffany?” Her nerves calmed when he seemed just as surprised as she was. “I didn’t know you lived here.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
He held up a tool box and flashed a crooked smile. “I’m here to fix the dishwasher. Holly told me it was broken, and her roommate…” He trailed off as he made the connection.
“Is me,” Tiffany finished with a shake of her head. Her lips lifted in a grin. “I can’t believe her. I told her I would fix it.”
Israel shrugged. “I guess she got tired of waiting. I don’t mean to step on your toes, but since I’m here,” he lifted the tool box again, “maybe I could just take a look? It’s kind of what I do.”
Tiffany bit the inside of her lip. She had wanted to prove she could do the job herself, but she had to admit she was out of her league. YouTube videos could only get her so far, and since Holly had brought the man all the way over here, she might as well let him see if he could fix it. “Sure, come on in.”
Israel smiled softly as he stepped into the living room, and Tiffany couldn’t help smiling back. Then her hand flew to her hair. Ugh. It was up in a loose pony at the top of her head, probably looking like a scraggly mess. If she’d known Israel was coming, she would have at least made herself a little more presentable. At least she hadn’t changed into her Winnie the Pooh pajamas yet. Still, Holly was going to get an earful when she got home, but as there was nothing Tiffany could do about it now, she led him into the kitchen and pointed to the dishwasher. “There it is. The bane of my existance.”
He chuckled as he set his tool box down and opened the door. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, it is, believe me. I thought I fixed it two weeks ago, and it was working for a few days, but now the water isn’t draining. That thing hates me.”
He flashed her another smile. “I doubt anything could hate you.”
He’d said the words softly and then immediately turned his attention back to the dishwasher, but Tiffany hadn’t missed them, and she felt fingers of heat climb slowly up her neck. She needed to do something, busy herself so that she wasn’t staring at him like a lovesick puppy or worse. “Can I get you a drink or something?”
He glanced back at her, the twinkle in his eye letting her know that he suspected the real reason for the offer. “Sure, I’ll take a glass of water unless you have some Agua de Jamaica.”
She blinked at him. “Agua de Jamaica? Okay, my Spanish is a little rusty but is that water from Jamaica?”
Israel smiled and shook his head. “No, it’s a Mexican hibiscus tea, but the English translation is close to what you said.”
Tiffany was thoroughly confused. “So, if it’s a Mexican tea, what’s the Jamaica part?”
Israel laughed, and it was a warm, sweet sound that wrapped around her like a comfortable, oversized sweater. “The flower used to make the tea is called flor de Jamaica, but it’s really just a hibiscus flower.”
“That’s so cool, but since I’ve never heard of it, I’m sorry to say I don’t have any laying around. Is it good?” She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and dropped a few ice cubes in before adding the water.
“I think so. It’s a sweeter tea. Kind of fruity but good. My mother used to make it all the time in Mexico. That and tamales.” Though his face was buried in the dishwasher as he spoke, Tiffany could hear the love and the wistfulness in his words.
“She sounds amazing. Do you miss Mexico?” She handed him the glass as he paused his work and emerged from the dishwasher. Then she grabbed a glass of water for herself and leaned against the counter.
“Parts of it, I do. I mean it was my home for the first fifteen years, so it’s a part of me, but I also saw tragedies in Mexico that I was glad to escape from.” He took the glass and took a sip.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Tiffany had only been to Mexico once, but it had been a week trip for her father’s business and they had stayed in the more affluent part of Mexico. She wanted to ask what tragedies he’d seen, but the question felt too personal. For now. “Does your mother live in the US now?”
His eyes dropped to the floor. “She did, but she died a few years ago.”
Tiffany’s hand flew to her mouth. She might not have a close relationship with her parents any longer, but they were still around. “Oh, Israel, I’m so sorry. You must miss her.”
“I do, especially her cooking.” A wistful expression crossed his face. “She was an amazing mother. My father had to work, of course, but she stayed home with us. She taught us all her recipes. My sisters were definitely better at cooking than I was, but I still remember how to make a few things. And my sisters and brothers still live here, so I still have family around. What about you?” He took another sip before setting the glass on the counter.
“I’m an only child, sadly, and a disappointment to my parents, but they are still around.” She dropped her gaze to her glass and twisted it in her hands. “I don’t see them often though.”
“A disappointment? How could you be a disappointment?”
Tiffany chewed on her lower lip, unsure of how much she should say. After all, she barely knew Israel, but something about him made him extremely easy to talk to. “My dad is a lawyer and he wanted me to take over his practice when he retired, but, though I took law classes in college, I had no interest in law.” She shrugged, thinking back to the many ways her father had tried to convince her to follow in his footsteps and the disparaging words from Connor. “So I changed my degree to a job that would put me around kids. They didn’t agree, but I knew it was the right decision for me. I’ve always loved kids and want to have a large family of my own one day, so childcare made sense.”
Oh good grief, did she just tell him she wanted to have a large family one day? Would he think she was hinting at him? She certainly hoped not. There weren’t many faster ways to send men screaming for the hills than telling them you wanted a large family. However, he wasn’t running. Instead, he was smiling at her with that super cute, super charming smile of his, and she noticed that it was slightly lopsided but that only made her like it more.
“I want a big family too. Coming from such a large family, I can’t imagine a small one though I know it works for some people, and I think it’s amazing that you’re following your own dream. I bet you haven’t disappointed your parents as much as you think you have.”
As he held her gaze, a feeling of warmth flooded Tiffany, and the need to do something to break the intensity of what she was feeling bubbled within her. “Thank you, and you might be right about my parents.” She took a deep breath as he continued to smile at her and the silence stretched out. “I’m going to let you work. I’ve probably bothered you enough, and I know Holly will give me grief if I keep you from getting the job done.”
She crossed to the sink and put her glass down before making her way back to the living room. As she did, Israel’s soft chuckle reached her ears, and her face flamed. He knew he was having an affect on her, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Determined to get her mind off Israel and her traitorous heart that was now beating erratically in her chest, she grabbed a book off the coffee table and curled up on the couch. It did no good though. Her ears were attuned to every noise coming from the kitchen, and every clank created a desire to t
urn and see what he was doing. She forced herself not to, but she could not shut down her mind which continually replayed the conversation and his smile in her head instead of focusing on the words on the page.
When she heard what sounded like him closing the dishwasher and standing, she shut her book and returned it to the coffee table. Whatever she’d read would have to be read again as she had no idea what the words had said.
“It should be working now,” he said from the entrance to the kitchen.
Tiffany jumped at the sound of his voice even though she’d known he was coming. “Oh, thank you. Holly will be pleased. I am too,” she added hurriedly lest he think she didn’t appreciate him.
His shy smile spread across his lips again. “I’m glad. Look, I hope you don’t think this is too forward, but I’d really like to spend more time with you. Would you be free for dinner this weekend?”
A date? He was asking her on a date? Did she even remember how to date? As if on autopilot, she felt her head bob up and down. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” As his smile widened, a twinkle erupted in his eyes. “I’ll meet you here at seven? Maybe you can show me around the town. I’m still learning my way around.”
“I’d be happy to.” Again the words felt as if they were spilling out on their own, without any conscious thought from her.
The stare between them seemed to stretch on forever until the front door opened and Holly entered.
“Hi.” The word died in her mouth as she glanced from Tiffany to Israel and back again. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Israel sent another meaningful look Tiffany’s way, “We were just saying goodnight. I finished the job on the dishwasher. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“You finished already?” Holly’s eyes bugged and her mouth fell open in disbelief. “I need to pay you then.” She began fumbling in her purse, but Israel stepped to her and placed a hand on her arm.
Her First Love Page 3
