I have been doing a lot of praying and thinking about something that is rather major and would like to talk to you about it. Actually, I have already set the wheels in motion, but still want you to know about it and what you think about it is important. When you get this, if you aren’t very mad at me, can you please write back or call? I would like to talk about this with you. I will be going back to Florida tomorrow. Hope you are well. I miss you! Xo
Sam
Sam hit the enter button and sat back staring at the screen. She wondered if what she said was the right thing to say. Should she have just told him what it was? She knew leaving him wondering was probably not the nicest thing to do, but hopefully it was a way to get him to answer. Pursing her lips, she closed her laptop and set it aside. She couldn’t stress about it. The email was sent and out of her hands.
As she continued to wait for her food she looked around at the surroundings. Across from her she noticed a little girl staring at her with one of the cutest grins spread across her freckled face. She had long blonde hair in pigtails and Sam couldn’t keep her own grin at bay. She waved hello to her with her fingers and the little girl smiled broader, if that was possible. Sam laughed and the girl waved back before her mother told her to turn around.
Sam could see flat screen televisions hanging in the corners of the dining room. On them were various sports shows or games. Sports were very popular in Connecticut, especially during basketball season. The past four years the Women’s Huskies from the University of Connecticut won the National Championship and were expected to repeat again this year. It was a few months off before they started another season, but she looked forward to that herself.
Sam’s waitress brought her food and she was more than ready to begin, but she closed her eyes to thank the Lord for blessing her with it first. To her, it didn’t matter where she was or what she was doing. If she was getting ready to eat, she always gave thanks first. She was fully aware of millions of people in the world who didn’t have the same privilege of what she was about to enjoy.
***
Marion
Marion sat across from Sam, unseen. Being an angel had some privileges. One of them was she could watch who she was trying to help without them knowing she was near. She had the capability to do certain things to help God’s children. One of the most powerful gifts she had was prayer. She believed strongly in the power of prayer. Not having to show herself had helped in times when she was on a job for God. She couldn’t be seen from anyone in the building, but she was there, trying to earn her wings.
If humans could see her they wouldn’t know who she was. She wouldn’t look any different from them unless she appeared as she would in Heaven, in her glowing pure white gown. Normally, she would dress in the type of clothes she saw humans wear, as she was dressed to watch Sam. Up to date apparel like jeans and a blouse or maybe a dress. Her long, bright red hair flowed gently over her shoulders and her eyes gleamed. She watched Sam write to Junior and she was glad Sam had finally given up on at least a little of her stubbornness. When she saw her close her eyes she smiled at the love and gratitude she knew Sam had for everything God provided for her. She closed her eyes with Sam and prayed along with her, although differently.
“Master, thank You again for blessing me with the opportunity to help Your child in need. It is an honor to do Your will. I ask You, Lord, to continue to guide me on this path. I ask You, Lord to give strength to this child of Yours as she walks the narrow road that is in front of her. She has come a long way with Your blessings of course, but I feel she is still in need of much guidance and strength from You, God. Please shower her with Your blessings, Heavenly Father. Please help her with knowledge of what to do on her journey. She is confused about loving again. She is afraid of letting someone love her again, Lord. She is doing Your bidding and moving back to Connecticut, but I’m afraid if she isn’t careful she will lose her way again. I beg You, Father, to please help her. In Your glorious name, I pray, amen.”
Marion folded her hands and let her gaze rest upon Sam as she finished her prayer of thanks. Her heart beamed with love for her. Her heart swelled with love and gratitude for her Father who had allowed her to be there with Sam. But, as those wondrous emotions passed through her, there was a dreadful feeling that something might sway Sam from doing what would be right for her. That something might happen to make her change her mind at the last second and pass up the chance at love. If there was anything Marion could do to prevent that from happening she would do it with everything she had in her.
***
Junior
Returning from a five-mile run, Junior stepped onto the elevator of the hotel where he was staying. Sweat poured from his brow and he wiped it with the shirt that was already soaked. He wasn’t much into running, but he had to do something. Even with a day on the beach and playing in the ocean he couldn’t get his brain to stop overworking. He was on vacation, but he felt as if he was going to lose his mind if he didn’t stay busy. He had gone for a long walk, but it had quickly turned into a brisk jog. Tired and sweaty, he felt better.
As he leaned against the wall of the elevator it stopped several times at other floors. He nodded to the guests as they got on. When the elevator stopped at his floor he stepped off and bumped into someone because his head was down and he wasn’t looking where he was going. Immediately he heard a female voice full of surprise. He stepped back and started to apologize and as he did his voice caught in his throat. He was staring into the brown eyes of one of the most incredibly beautiful brunettes he had ever seen. Eyes that quickly went from anger to appraisal of who ran into her. Thankfully, before he made more of a fool out of himself, he found his voice.
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was stepping when the doors opened. Are you okay?”
“Obviously, you weren’t,” she smiled at him. “Yes, I’ll be fine. You caught me off guard, I have to say.”
Junior couldn’t help but feel himself almost swaying as her smile did something to him, something to his insides. He tried to think of something to say, but his brain seemed to have malfunctioned.
“Umm, well it won’t happen again,” he told her and grinned. He felt like an idiot and thought he sounded like one, too. “Are you on this floor?”
“Yes, but I’m on my way to the pool,” she answered as her eyes travelled down his torso taking in the fact that he was drenched with sweat. Her smile turned into pursed lips as her expression softened. He wasn’t sure how to read her. “You look like you could use some cooling off yourself.”
That was when he noticed the fact that she was carrying a towel and was wearing shorts with a bathing suit. He also noticed she was blessed with an ample amount of freckles. He wasn’t sure if what she said was an invitation or not, but with how their first meeting affected him, he knew going to the pool with her would be a bad idea. Cooling off would have to take place alone, in his room.
“Umm, yeah you’re right. I think a shower would be a good idea for that.”
Nodding, she told him, “Well, if you change your mind I’ll be there for at least an hour. You are more than welcome to join me.”
“Thank you,” he almost stuttered and didn’t realize that he had been going from one foot to the other. “Maybe I will bump into you again sometime.”
“Maybe,” she grinned and stepped onto the elevator once it had returned. She grinned at him again and he realized he had been smiling the entire time he had been standing in front of her. When the doors closed he suddenly felt a wave of tension leave him. Shaking his head as he walked toward his room he asked himself what had just happened. He thought he should have at least asked her what her name was. That was when Sam came to mind and his heart turned to her. He took a deep breath and wondered if it mattered anymore what he felt for Sam. He was beginning to believe there would never be anything between them.
He stepped into his room and closed the door. He needed a shower. Not only to wash the sweat off him, but to
change the thoughts that entered his mind and which he was sure shouldn’t be there. Undressing he tossed his clothes into the corner and didn’t think another thought about them. Once he was under the water he enjoyed the pressure and took his time. He had no reason to rush. He did his best to convince himself of that, but it wasn’t working.
What if he did go to the pool? What harm would it be? It had been an innocent encounter between him and the gorgeous brunette. He was single and obviously, Sam didn’t want him. It hurt to think that, but he was seriously beginning to believe it. Sure, she said she thought about him and missed him, but in no way did she ever make it seem for anything other than friendship. She had made it clear to him on more than one occasion she only wanted friendship.
He finished his shower and got dressed in swim trunks and a t-shirt. Within the fifteen minutes it took him to shower he had convinced himself he had no chance with the woman he loved. It was time to move on. Would he have a chance with the brunette at the pool? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he was on vacation and he didn’t have to spend it by himself just because he arrived there alone.
With his towel and keys, he walked out of his room and back to the elevator in search of the pool. On the way, he grinned and felt a little more at ease.
Chapter Fifteen
Junior woke up with the sound of the waves crashing and mixing together. The salty cool breeze flowed through the open patio doors and caressed his skin as he lay half covered by the sheets. He opened his eyes and could tell it was still very early as only a shimmering of sunlight peeked over the horizon and into his hotel room. He had woken earlier than he wanted and he groaned. Once he woke up that was usually it. He normally couldn’t go back to sleep no matter how long he stayed in bed.
He thought about the previous evening. He hadn’t spent it alone and it had been the first time in years. At least as far as being with a lady was concerned, and thankfully Sheila had turned out to be exactly that. A lady. He liked the name Sheila. He had gone to high school with a girl by that name. The Sheila he met yesterday was a totally different person and when her face passed through his foggy brain he grinned. She had a demeanor about her that touched certain chords in him. It also didn’t hurt how beautiful her smile and eyes were, and that she had tons of freckles. For him, freckles were not the icing on the cake. They were the entire cake itself. They were his soft spot; he quit trying to figure out why a long time ago.
Junior and Sheila didn’t spend the entire night together nor did they sleep together. It may have happened if neither of them had decided to say goodnight, but he was glad it didn’t. He had too many emotions going through him to have gone there with her. He had decided to try and not look at Sam as anything more than a friend, but she was still in his heart. He very much enjoyed his evening with Sheila, but it was also his first time with a woman in a few years. He felt like a teenager in high school. He laughed to himself at that realization as he turned onto his side.
They did enjoy each other’s company over dinner and got to know one another. They shared a lot of laughs and didn’t go too deep into the other’s mind. As the sound of a seagull filled his ears he thought about the initial moment when he went to the pool.
He was nervous. He walked into the hotel’s pool room and the smell of the chemicals filled his nostrils. It was something he hadn’t smelled in a couple of years, even going to the YMCA to work out. He didn’t frequent the pool. Swimming wasn’t his forte and he hoped he didn’t look ridiculous on their first attempt together.
When he stepped into the room he saw a large pool, filled with several guests. He was thankful for that. He slowly walked to the side where he could get a bench on which to lay his towel and leave his flip flops. When he first walked in he didn’t see her, but as he approached the bench she came out of the water, her long dark hair flowing down her back. Her eyes were closed and as she stood and wiped them she was facing in his direction. She was breathtaking.
She opened her eyes and when she saw him gawking at her, she grinned and slowly started toward the pool’s edge, closer to where he stood. The sounds of kids screaming and parents laughing at their children were in the air, but he barely registered any of the commotion. His attention was fully on the beautiful woman in the pool whose gaze held his.
“Hi there,” she greeted him in a mesmerizing tone. “I’m glad you changed your mind. I was actually thinking I wouldn’t get to see you again and was thinking about going back to my room.”
He got a grip on his senses and dropped his towel onto the bench and stepped in her direction. He eased himself onto the edge of the pool and let his feet dangle in the warm water.
“I’m glad I didn’t miss you then.”
“What changed your mind?” she asked him as she looked up at him with her large brown eyes. His breathing seemed to have slowed down.
He shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant. “I was taking my shower and your smile kept coming to mind. I thought seeing you again would be good so I took you up on your offer.”
She laughed out loud and he looked at her, baffled.
“Sorry, but I find that rather funny that you were thinking about me in the shower.”
When she said that his expression turned shamefaced and he quickly apologized.
“Oh, my God I am so sorry!” he pleaded and his face burned red hot. “I didn’t mean it like that. That totally came out wrong.”
His urgent begging caused her laughter to fill the room again and the sound of it greatly pleased his ears.
“I’m teasing you. I know what you meant.”
God, please help me not make a fool out of myself with her!
He grinned back at her, thankful she knew what his meaning was. His eyes searched her face as the water ran from her hair and down her brow. Her freckles were hypnotizing and she broke his lack of attention by asking if he planned to get in the water.
“Umm, yeah, but I can’t swim so I’ll stay in the end where it isn’t so deep.”
“Really? You can’t swim?” She didn’t sound as if she was being rude or making fun of him, which he found comforting.
“No, I haven’t ever been able to relax enough to learn. It’s a long story,” he informed her and slid into the water. Even though the water was warm on his feet it was still slightly sensitive in other areas. He heard her snicker as she watched, but she didn’t say anything about it.
For what felt like ten minutes, but was actually an hour, he walked around and waded in the pool as she occasionally swam. Mostly, they talked about their time at the beach and where they were from. She informed him she only lived an hour away from Torrington, on the other side of Hartford. He learned she was there alone and he admitted the same. When they parted ways, they did so with plans for dinner that evening. They had stepped from the elevator and onto their floor, both dripping water from their swimwear.
They walked down the hall together, neither seeming nervous. Her room came up before his and he looked at the room number on her door. Five zero seven. His room was only four doors down and when she asked where his was, he had no problem telling her.
“Hmm, well that’s convenient,” she laughed.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he grinned and didn’t have a clue as to why.
Breaking the moment, she asked, “So we will meet downstairs in the lobby at eight o’clock, then?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. Unless, well you know, if you get ready before me you can call my room and tell me to get my butt in gear or something.”
She laughed. He loved how her laughter touched his ears and he grinned.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
She went into her room and he walked away. He couldn’t believe how it had all played out. He hadn’t had any plans on meeting someone or having dinner with a beautiful woman, but obviously, someone else had.
At 7:45 his hotel room phone rang and he snickered to himself because he had a good feeling who it was. He wasn’t disappointed.
“Okay, you. Get your butt in gear,” she told him when he answered and laughed in his ear.
Laughing, he replied, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I’ll see you in front of your door in ten seconds.”
They hung up and he grabbed his wallet, phone, and room key. Again, he was filled with surprise at what was happening. A date with a beautiful woman. He just had no idea how beautiful and wasn’t prepared for what he saw. When he stepped out of his door and walked the short distance to hers, she was stepping into the hallway. When his eyes fell upon her his breath completely left him for a couple seconds. Only a few feet away was Sheila, dressed in a short lavender sundress and her long dark brown hair twisted in a bun on top of her head. She wore barely any makeup, just enough to show off her eyes a little more, as if it was needed. Long dangling earrings accentuated her face and she filled out her dress as if it was one of a kind, created only for her. Her perfume was one he didn’t recognize, but it might as well have been an intoxicating drug. He felt completely out of his league.
“You see something you like?” she asked him. Obviously, he was staring at her with bug eyes and an expression that gave him away.
“You’re gorgeous.”
Grinning from ear to ear she thanked him. He didn’t realize until he lay in bed thinking. He was so busy having a great time with Sheila and overtaken with their conversation that Sam never entered his mind.
He sat up on the edge of the bed and looked through the patio doors. Another soft breeze entered the room, causing the curtains to stir. The sun let the world know it was time to get out of bed as it spread its bright and brilliant colors across the sky. A bird flew across the sky and in front of the waking sun. He took a deep breath. He didn’t know how to feel about the revelation. Sam.
When Never Again Happens (Never Again Series Book 2) Page 9
