This Time Forever

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  These thoughts filtered through her mind as Samuel waited for her response. He had opened himself to her, and she couldn’t hurt him—didn’t want to hurt him. “It sounds like a promising idea,” she answered softly. “I like the work, and I like you, too.” Now she made her voice firm. “But there are some unresolved issues I have to deal with here. I need to think about it a little more.”

  He grinned, causing her heart to dance. “At least that’s not a no.”

  “It’s definitely not a no.”

  “Is it Damon?” he asked.

  “Partly.” But her possible relationship with Damon was only beginning. More important was the issue of her religion and her relationship with the Lord. She liked Samuel; she felt sure she could even grow to love him. But did she want to put herself in a position where she had to choose between him and God?

  Samuel leaned toward her, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. She thought he might try to kiss her, and a part of her wanted to let him, but he simply stared into her eyes, as if drinking her in. The details of his tanned, good-looking face burned into her mind. Their breaths mingled, and the delicious tension between them deepened until she almost couldn’t stand the pressure. Just when she thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, he spoke.

  “There are good things in store for us, Rebekka with two Ks. Wait and see.”

  He kissed her then, but it was light and brief like something she would give a friend. When his lips left hers, she felt empty, unsatisfied. “That wasn’t a kiss,” she challenged, wondering how he would answer. It wasn’t exactly that she wanted him to kiss her more fervently, especially since she was going out with Damon that evening, but his reserve confused her, contrasting so completely as it did with what he had been saying.

  He smiled faintly, his eyes never leaving her face. “It’s hard to control myself when I’m around you.” His soft voice sent shivers down her spine. “Once, even last week, it might not have mattered, but if I give you a kiss now, I give you my heart, and I don’t want to do that until I know you want it.”

  She nodded in perfect understanding. Placing a finger lightly on his lower lip, she whispered, “Thank you.”

  He smiled again before making an attempt to nibble her finger. “When will I have your answer?”

  He would make a great missionary, she thought. He knows how to invite and commit. How many times had she asked a similar question: What day will you commit to following Christ’s example by entering into the waters of baptism?

  “Next week,” she said.

  He frowned. “After I’m gone.”

  “Yes.” She gave him her best smile. “Undue influence, you know.”

  “I see.” He touched her cheek with his hand, letting it slide down to her chin, and finally back to his side. The tension between them was palpable, both enticing and promising. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Opening the door, Samuel disappeared inside the conference room. Rebekka slumped against the wall, suddenly feeling weak in the knees. What was she supposed to do now? Silently, she prayed for an answer.

  She looked up to see Damon emerging from his office. “Hi, Bekka.” Gathering her wits, she smiled and nodded in greeting.

  “Going to get Belle from school?”

  She glanced at her watch. “I guess I am.”

  “Tan called. He needs to go pick up those parts for Mrs. Hansen’s car. Do you think you could take him to the dealership after you get Belle?”

  “No problem.”

  “I’m sure proud of that kid. You saw how he straightened out that fender, didn’t you? Pounded it out—I never knew he was so strong.”

  She laughed. “I could barely lift the hammer he showed me.”

  Damon practically beamed. “That was something, wasn’t it?” He hesitated and then added, “So are we still on for tonight?”

  “Yes. We’re going to a little restaurant in Provo. They serve escargots.”

  As she expected, he made a sour face. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that snails?”

  “It’s about time you tried them. They’re really good.” She knew this would be a night he would never forget.

  “Can I try one of yours and then have a steak?”

  “Nope.” She drew her lips into a pout.

  He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. I guess if I can clean up after the kids when they’re sick, I can eat snails.”

  She punched his shoulder. “Damon! Gross! Snails are delicious.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Shaking her head in amusement, Rebekka left Damon and went to her car. She drove through the streets as fast as she dared, wanting to make sure that this time she arrived at the school before Belle had a chance to run away again. Tonight, nothing was going to get in the way of her date. Once and for all, she needed to know where she and Damon stood.

  * * * * *

  Damon grinned to himself as he returned to his office. Snails. What a marvelous idea. He thought it best not to let on to Rebekka that he had not only eaten escargots before but thoroughly enjoyed them. Not yet, at any rate. He would surprise her later. It had been a few years, of course, since he had eaten the dish, so maybe he wouldn’t like it as much as he had during his younger and more adventurous days.

  Snails . . . the Snail. Unbidden, thoughts of Mickelle Hansen and her golden Snail came to his mind. What was she doing now? Was she enjoying his car?

  Similar thoughts had plagued him all week. At first he thought it was guilt because of the way he had treated her before, but now he wondered if it could be something else. She was an attractive woman, but so were many others he had met. What was it about her that preyed on his mind? Was it her helplessness? He recalled the angry woman with flashing eyes who had confronted him on his porch . . . no, she was far from helpless. And yet there was something vunerable about her.

  One thing was certain: her car was a complete disaster. Not only was the damage from the accident as bad as she claimed, but the engine didn’t sound right and the tread on her tires was almost gone. In his opinion it wasn’t safe to drive, but he didn’t yet know what he was going to do about it. At least the damage Tanner had caused would be fixed. He should let her know.

  Her phone rang three times before she answered. “Hello,” she said a bit breathlessly.

  “Hello. It’s Damon Wolfe. You remember me.” It was a statement. How could she not remember him?

  “I’m sorry. You must have the wrong number,” she teased. “I can’t talk now because I have to go pick up my son from school in my new Mercedes.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. She was funny! “I hope you’ve been enjoying the car.”

  “Oh, yes.” Now her voice was wistful, and Damon wanted more than anything else in the world to say, “Keep it, then. It’s yours.” But he knew she wouldn’t hear of it, and he would embarrass them both by the offer, sincere as it might be. Brionney had told him of Mickelle’s refusal to accept financial help from her family, and he, a virtual stranger, could hardly expect to accomplish what they could not. Still, he admired her tenacity.

  “I’m calling to let you know about your car.”

  “Oh, your son fixed it already?”

  “Well, almost. He had to order the door parts from the dealer, but they came in today. The car should be ready tonight, or tomorrow at the latest.”

  “That’s great!” she said, actually sounding like she meant it. Her next words told him why. “I’ll bet you’re missing your car.”

  “A little. But driving this other car hasn’t been too difficult.” He was glad when she didn’t ask what kind of a car it was. “I’ll give you a call as soon as I know more.”

  “Thank you. Oh, wait a minute. I might not be home tonight.”

  “Out joyriding in your new Mercedes?” He made his tone as light and teasing as hers had been earlier.

  “Uh, no . . . I have plans with a friend.”

  She didn’t explain further, and he couldn’t exactly force it from her. What did he car
e, anyway? It wasn’t his business who she went out with.

  He cleared his throat. “I actually have plans for tonight myself. So I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good.”

  There was nothing more to add, so Damon said goodbye, replaced the receiver, and leaned back in his leather chair. Almost immediately, he leaned forward again and placed a call to his dealer friend who had loaned him a Lexus for the week. “Hey Kirk, it’s Damon.”

  “Hello, buddy. So, are you enjoying that car, or what?”

  “Actually, I am,” Damon admitted.

  “You buying it?”

  “Probably. Only one problem. I can’t get used to the color. Red just doesn’t do it for me. How about something in a dark green?”

  “No prob. You can take your pick. In fact, I’ve been thinking of keeping the red one for myself. It’s good advertising.”

  Damon chuckled. “I’ll bet.” Kirk would probably continue to lend out the car to hook someone else with its undeniable comfort and luxury. “But I’m calling about something else. The thing is, I know this lady who needs a car really bad. It’s got to be something cheap, and I was wondering if you had any trade-ins that would fit the bill. She’s not looking for help, even though she needs it, if you get my meaning. And she doesn’t have much money. I’d like to help her out.”

  “How much she got?”

  “Five hundred, six tops. She really needs this car. You know I wouldn’t ask if she didn’t. I wouldn’t mind tossing in a bit more if we keep it between us.”

  “We don’t carry things that cheap here.”

  “You’ve already sold me on the Lexus,” Damon reminded him. “Come on. You have to know somebody who can find what she needs.”

  “My brother may have some on his lot. Let me see what I can come up with. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

  “Terrific. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  Damon hung up, feeling pleased with himself. He wondered what her response would be when he told her about the nice little car she could get for the six hundred he would give her. Would her stormy eyes flash with excitement and gratitude as they once had in anger? He could hardly wait until to find out.

  * * * * *

  Barely half an hour had passed since Damon had talked to Mickelle. When his office line rang, he picked it up quickly, expecting Kirk to be calling about the car. He knew the man would be anxious to find Mickelle a car so that Damon would hurry in to purchase the Lexus.

  To his surprise, it was Rebekka. He could tell she was upset because her usually faint accent had become noticeable.

  “Belle’s gone again!” she announced.

  “Oh, you’re kidding!” But he knew she wouldn’t tease about something like this.

  “We’ve searched the school and the grounds. Should I call the police again?”

  “Let me check with Bri first. I wouldn’t put it past Belle to try that hiding stunt again. This time, I swear, she won’t escape a spanking!”

  He disconnected and called Brionney, hastily explaining the situation. “She didn’t come home with the girls,” Brionney said. “Savannah had a project that was too big to carry all the way home, so I picked the girls up today. Belle wasn’t with them. Of course, she knows the way and could have come by herself. Hold on a minute, and I’ll look for her. If she’s here, my girls are in big trouble.”

  While he was waiting for Brionney to return, a call came through on his cell phone. This time it was Kirk. “What’s the news?” Damon’s voice was strained, but Kirk didn’t appear to notice.

  “I didn’t expect to find anything so soon, but my brother has a nice little car on his lot. A Geo Metro. Old by your standards, but in surprisingly good condition. My brother gave ’em three thousand for it in a trade-in, so we can’t go any lower than that.”

  “No? I’m sure you can do something,” Damon prodded.

  “You trading in the Mercedes?”

  “Uh, no. I guess not. I like it, too.”

  “Well then, since you’re buying the Lexus outright, I could probably manage to get you the Geo for twenty-five hundred.”

  Damon tapped his fingers on the other receiver he held to his ear. What is taking Bri so long? Maybe the delay meant she had found Belle. “I’ll think about it,” he told Kirk.

  “What?” Brionney’s voice said on his office line.

  “I might go as low as two thou,” Kirk said. “But that’s the bottom line.”

  Damon spoke into his office phone. “Hold on a sec, Bri. I’m on the cell, too.” Then he spoke to Kirk. “Look, I apologize, Kirk, but I’m a little busy here. My daughter has disappeared, and I need to find her. I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.” Without waiting for a reply, he hung up and said to Brionney, “I’m back. Sorry about that. I answered my cell because I thought it might be about Belle. What did you find out?”

  “She’s definitely not here, and she didn’t tell the girls anything. But I’m sure she’s okay. Belle’s a smart little girl.”

  “She’s going to be a smart little girl with a burning butt,” Damon said, letting his anger cover the fear that was eating at him. Belle was a beautiful child and trusting of strangers. She could have been kidnapped. “I think I’d better call the police.”

  “I’ll start calling the other girls in her class,” Brionney said. “Maybe they know something.”

  “Thanks.”

  Damon dialed the American Fork police, and was explaining his dilemma when his cell rang again. Kirk! “Please excuse me just a second,” he told the police officer.

  “What!” he barked into the cell phone.

  “Uh, hi,” replied a hesitant voice. “Is this Damon Wolfe? This is Mickelle Hansen.”

  “Oh, sorry,” he said. “I thought you were someone else. My daughter’s missing, and I’m a little impatient right now.”

  “That’s what I’m calling about. Your daughter.”

  “You know where she is?”

  “She’s here. She followed my son home.”

  Damon’s relief was so intense that he nearly dropped the phone. “Can you hold on a minute? I’ve got the police on another line.”

  With more than a little embarrassment, Damon told the woman on the phone that his daughter had been found and then apologized for taking her time. “Better safe than sorry,” she quipped.

  “Okay, I’m back,” he said to Mickelle. “Now, how did Belle get there?”

  “Well, it seems she followed Jeremy and his friends home from school. He claims he didn’t see her until they were almost home, and then they walked the rest of the way together. I tried to call you as soon as they arrived, but you didn’t answer. I left a voice-mail.”

  “I’ll be right there to get her,” Damon said. “Don’t let her leave.”

  “Don’t worry. She’s at the piano now. I think that’s the reason she came—she wanted me to teach her some more of the song. And you know, I really think she’s got talent. You might want to consider giving her lessons.” She paused, as though considering her words carefully. “It might relieve her boredom.”

  Damon was amazed. “Her boredom? She’s only five years old! How can she be bored?”

  “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.” Mickelle’s voice had grown stiff and polite.

  “You haven’t. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling really inadequate as a parent right now.” He took a deep, calming breath. “I’d love to hear what you have to say when I get there. But I hope it includes a good spanking!”

  She laughed, and the warm sound seemed to offset his inadequacies, or at least forgive him for them. “We’ll be right here waiting.”

  On the way to Mickelle’s home, Damon rehearsed what he would say to Belle. She had to stop this nonsense. But why was she acting out? Was she still worried about Rebekka leaving her? Did she hate Rebekka so much that she couldn’t stand the idea of his going out with her? Or was it all just a ploy to gain his attention?

  She’s only five years old,
he kept thinking. She’s too young for this kind of thing. What’ll she put me through when she’s a teenager?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Mickelle had fun teaching Belle another few bars of “The Entertainer.” Her tiny fingers seemed to remember the correct place on the keys of their own accord.

  “Wow, it’s like magic!” Jeremy said. “I can’t believe she can play that. She’s so little.”

  “Am not.” Belle’s lower lip poked out. “I can do anything you can do.”

  Jeremy didn’t take up the challenge. “Maybe you’re like that girl in Ella Enchanted. It’s a book my teacher’s reading to us at school. When someone tells her something, she has to obey ’cause she has a curse on her. So it’s like you’re her, and Mom told you to play, so you can. Cool.”

  “I read that book,” Belle said. “I have it at home. It was great!”

  Jeremy’s brow wrinkled. “You’re only in first grade. You can’t read that big of a book.”

  “Can too.” Belle lifted her chin stubbornly in the air. “And even bigger books. Want me to show you?”

  “Hey, maybe someone ordered you to read big books, so you have to!” Jeremy said, looking pleased. “Just like Ella.”

  Belle giggled. “I hope someone doesn’t tell me to like Rebekka.”

  “I could always order you to hate her again,” Jeremy declared. The two laughed until their eyes watered.

  Mickelle smiled, but she was curious about Belle’s apparent aversion to Rebekka. “Why don’t you like Rebekka?”

  Belle shrugged. “Just don’t.” Her eyes darted to the piano. “But Rebekka can play the piano really well. Sometimes Bear and I sit on the stairs and listen. She never sees me at all.”

  “From what I hear from Brionney, Rebekka is a very nice person,” Mickelle offered.

  “I guess. I just don’t want her to live with us. I don’t want her to go out with my dad.” Belle’s eyes were troubled, but Mickelle didn’t know how to fix the worry there. Maybe she should talk to Damon. Like it’s any of your business, she thought. But she had heard so much about the family from Brionney that Mickelle did care. Besides, the resemblance between Belle and that girl in her dream was uncanny.