Lost Down Deep

by Sara Davison

  “Really?”

  “Sí. Puedes confiar en mí.”

  Her dark eyes locked on his. “I do trust you.”

  That went a long way toward healing the pain of the evening before. He reached over and brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. “Bienvenida, Summer. Welcome back. I missed you.”

  She smiled faintly. “It’s good to be back, believe me.”

  “Have you been released?”

  “Yep. I’m free to go.” She settled back on the chair as if going anywhere was the last thing on her mind.

  “Did Evan find you?”

  A shadow passed over her face. “Yeah.”

  “Bad news?”

  She sighed. “I’ll tell you all about it, once I have a chance to sort it out in my head. Right now I only want to enjoy being here with you.”

  “Fair enough. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come up and see you.”

  “Given that you were being operated on to have the bullet you took for me removed, I’m willing to overlook it. This time.”

  He glanced down at his leg. “Really hoping there’s no next time.”

  “Me too.”

  “And you saved my life as well. That guy was about to take another shot at me, and I’m pretty sure this time it wasn’t going to be a warning.”

  “But you could have gone through the ice when you came after me, so—”

  Jude held up both hands. He’d missed sparring with her. If he wasn’t exhausted and in pain, he’d happily dive right in. “I saved your life, you saved mine. Can we call it even?”

  She smiled. “Sí. Claro.”

  “Gracias.” Jude started to shift a little onto his side, wanting to face her, but abandoned the attempt when pain shot down his leg. “Summer.” He might never get tired of being able to say her name. “Lo siento. Can you forgive me for lying to you?”

  She took his hand and wove her fingers through his. “It would be pretty hypocritical of me not to. I lied too, after coming here. To you and Nancy and Daphne and Shawn, all the people I care about. I have a lot of making up to do for that.”

  He shook his head. “No, you don’t. As Cash told me once, that’s what forgiveness is for.”

  She nodded. “You’re right, and I will forgive you. On two conditions. That you forgive me, and that you promise you’ll never lie to me again.”

  “I do and I won’t.” A smile crossed his face as he studied her.

  “What?”

  “The way you said that, it sounds as though you’re imagining a future for the two of us.”

  She lifted his hand to press the back of it to her cheek. “I’ve always imagined a future for the two of us, Jude. From the moment you passed me that ridiculous napkin with your number on it in the coffee shop.”

  “Then why did it take you nine days to call me?”

  Summer lowered his hand and studied their clasped fingers. “For the same reason you asked for more time before you could marry me, I guess. I felt as though I had nothing to offer you. I really had no idea how to love someone because I had never been truly loved. And that scared me, because even though we’d only spoken for a minute or two, I knew you were someone who deserved great love.” She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand and his stomach tightened. She knew his weaknesses, too. “In the end, though, I couldn’t get you out of my mind, and I decided I had to take a chance. I’ve been thankful every day since, because you taught me how to open up my heart and love another person completely and utterly. You make it pretty easy, in fact.”

  “You make it easy for me to love you too. Even when you’re driving me crazy.”

  Summer laughed and the last of the tightness gripping his chest eased.

  Someone knocked lightly on the door and they both looked over. Summer let go of his hand and stood as Maddie and his mom came into the room. Cash followed them and closed the door. “Jude.” His mother made a beeline for him and he lifted his hand. “I’m okay, Mom. Honest.” She stopped next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, scrutinizing him as though judging the truth of his words for herself.

  Maddie stopped at the side of the bed. “Did you really get shot?”

  He almost laughed at the mix of concern and awe in her voice. “I did, yes.”

  She gripped the bed rails. “Life’s not going to be boring with you around, is it?”

  Jude grinned.

  Cash stuck a hand into his coat pocket. “The two of you certainly gave this little town lots to talk about, anyway. Three people shot, one abducted, that’s the most excitement in one day Elora has ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised if they named a street after you.” He looked across the bed. “Hey, Summer.”

  “Hi, Cash.”

  Jude nodded at his sister. “This is my little sister Maddie, and this,” he reached for his mother’s hand, “is my mom, Leanne. Everyone, this is Summer.”

  Summer’s smile was warm. “Nice to meet everyone. Jude’s told me a lot about you.”

  His mother let go of Jude’s hand, rounded the bed, and pulled Summer close. “We McCalls are huggers, I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all.”

  Jude watched the two of them, his heart swelling. His mother stepped back and held Summer at arm’s length. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, thanks to Jude.”

  “Good.” Jude’s mother didn’t let her go. “Is he actually okay?”

  Summer nodded. “The surgery went well. If he takes it easy and does what they tell him to do, they’ll release him in a couple of days.”

  “Oh, he’ll do what he’s told.” His mother sounded fierce as she lowered her arms to her sides.

  Jude held up both hands in protest. “I’m right here.”

  Cash chuckled. “Give it up, Jude. You’re outnumbered now. You will be doing what the medical staff tells you to do.” He held out a bag. “Here’s the stuff you asked for.”

  “Thanks.” Jude took the bag and tossed it onto the table beside him. The small blue box, the one he’d taken from Summer’s room the day she stopped by her house to pick up her car, tumbled out of the bag and he grabbed for it, biting back a groan at the pain that shot through his leg. Gritting his teeth, he opened the drawer, intending to drop the box in.

  Summer’s lips quirked. “Is that for me?”

  He stopped with the drawer partway open and looked over. “As a matter of fact, it is.”

  “Aren’t you going to give it to me?”

  Jude glanced at his family. “You want to do this now? In front of everyone?”

  She lifted her slender shoulders. “Why not? The last time it was only the two of us in that hot air balloon, and as romantic as the proposal was, the engagement didn’t end very well. Maybe it would be a good idea to do things differently this time.”

  Suddenly he wanted very much to share this moment with Cash and Maddie and his mom. “I can’t get down on one knee.”

  “Been there, done that.”

  Maddie snickered.

  Jude pushed up onto his elbows and his mother straightened the pillows behind his back. “All right, but years from now, I want you to remember that you asked me to do it this way.” Years from now. That thought sent a rush of warmth through his chest.

  “Got it.”

  Maddie clasped her hands in front of her chest as Jude opened the box and grabbed the ring. He held it out to Summer. “Summer Velásquez, te amo. There’s nothing I want more than to spend my life with you. ¿Te quieres casar conmigo?”

  A smile lit up her dark eyes. “Sí. Yes, Jude McCall. I will marry you.” She held out her left hand and he slid the ring onto her finger. When he finished, he tugged her down and kissed her, not caring that his entire family was standing around watching.

  When he let her go, his mother and Maddie swarmed around her, admiring the sapphire ring he’d picked out for her what felt like a lifetime ago.

  Cash held up his hand and Jude clasped it. “Congratulations, little brother. I’m really happy f
or you.”

  “Thanks, Cash.” Jude tilted his head. “Things with you and Renee any better?”

  Cash waved a hand through the air. “Not really. But today isn’t about me and Renee, it’s about you and Summer. Let’s focus on that.”

  Jude shifted his attention to his fiancée. He really hoped she wasn’t planning on a long engagement, because the only thing he wanted in the world right now was for her to be his wife and for them to start their life together. She met his gaze and gave him that smile of hers that touched some place deep inside him, and suddenly he forgot everything else, including the throbbing in his leg.

  They’d both been lost but, through the grace of God, had found their way back to each other. He had no idea what would happen in the future—what they would do or where they would live. At the moment, none of that mattered to Jude.

  All he knew was that, wherever they ended up, if Summer was there, he would be home.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for taking the time to read Lost Down Deep. As with all my stories, my hope and prayer is that it had an impact on you in some way. That, as you read, you were reminded of the powerful truth that, whatever you are going through, you are never alone.

  One of the questions the book explores is: On what level does our relationship with God dwell? Summer loses the memory of the last few years, during which time she came to faith in God. What does that mean for her? Is that faith lost, or does it exist on a plane other than conscious memory? In Lost Down Deep, I propose one answer, but I leave it to you and God to determine for yourself what you believe.

  Jude’s return to his family is, of course, a type of prodigal son story. His situation was extreme, but are we not all, on some level and at various points in our lives, prodigals in need of forgiveness? In the words of the great hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” I am deeply aware that I am “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” I don’t understand how we can so easily drift away from our loving Heavenly Father, but I do know that I am grateful beyond words that, when we return, He is waiting with open arms to welcome us home. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Psalm 103:13,14: “As a Father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” Being deeply aware of how much I need God’s compassion—how often I need him to remember that I am dust—these verses bring me tremendous comfort.

  Whether or not we have a loving earthly family, those who believe can rest in the knowledge that we have a spiritual family that spans all of time and the entire globe. And we have an eternal home waiting for us. When we arrive there, the pain of abandonment, loss, betrayal, or heartache that we have endured will vanish as though it never existed.

  In the meantime, my hope and desire for each of you is that you experience the deep love and acceptance of God here on earth and the peace, joy, and hope of knowing that one day he will welcome us home to dwell with him forever.

  Sara

  Let’s Connect!

  I would love to connect with you further. You can find me at the following places:

  Website: www.saradavison.org

  Twitter: @sarajdavison

  Facebook: @authorsaradavison

  For news and encouragement about upcoming books, contests, giveaways, and other activities, sign up for Sara’s monthly newsletter.

  If you’ve enjoyed Lost Down Deep, please consider leaving a review. Your words bring hope and encouragement to the author as well as to other readers.

  Discussion Questions

  Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you, like Summer felt she was by her parents? How did you deal with that?

  On what level do you believe our relationship with God exists? Even though she has lost the memory of the last few years, during which time she came to faith in God, Summer does know deep in her bones that she has a relationship with him. Do you believe this is possible? Why or why not?

  When Jude faces his family for the first time in five years, he realizes that, “He deserved everything Cash threw at him and more. And getting what he deserved was a lot easier than accepting what he didn’t.” Have you ever struggled with accepting forgiveness for something you have done? Why do you think it is so hard for us as humans to accept forgiveness? Can this be a barrier to us experiencing God’s grace and forgiveness?

  Nancy fills the void in Summer’s life left by a cold, detached mother, and Daphne informs her that, “You can choose your own family, you know, especially if the one you’re born into turns out to be a dud.” Do you have someone in your life to whom you are not related by blood, but whom you have chosen to be part of your family? How did that come about?

  On a lighter note, when Summer first walks by the Taste of Heaven Café, she inhales the scents of chocolate, fresh-baked bread, and coffee, and suggests that the combination must be what heaven smells like. Of the three, which aroma is your favorite, and what kinds of emotions, memories, or experiences does it invoke for you?

  Due to circumstances beyond the control of either of them, Summer and Jude are forced to lie and keep secrets from people they care about. Have you ever had to do this? What happened? Are there ever times when it is acceptable to lie?

  Jude refers to Elora as “His Ninevah. The place God had been telling him to go for a long time and he’d been resisting.” Have you ever felt God calling you to do something and you resisted? What happened?

  Do any of the items on Summer’s bucket list (go up in a hot air balloon, learn to ski, meet Javier Hernández Balcázar in person, become fluent in French, and travel to the seven modern wonders of the world) resonate with you? Have you done any of them? Do you have a list of things you would like to do, people you want to meet, or places you want to go in your lifetime? What are your top five?

  Summer struggles with the command in the Bible not to seek revenge, until she concludes that, “Maybe it wasn’t so much that she couldn’t seek revenge but that she didn’t have to. It wasn’t her responsibility. That job fell to one much greater, more powerful, and more perfectly just than she was.” What do you think about these statements?

  When Summer hesitates to get involved with Ryan, Nancy tells her, “Don’t keep closing doors, darlin’. Life is precious but fleeting.” Have you ever let fear prevent you from doing something that, deep down, you really wanted to do? Were you able to overcome it? What happened?

  Other Books by Sara Davison

  The Seven Trilogy

  Bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly and Army Captain Jesse Christensen are on opposite sides of a battle. When the army is sent in to keep an eye on believers, Jesse is equally amused, intrigued, and terrified by Meryn’s spirit. Jesse’s worst fears are realized when Meryn commits a crime and faces consequences he cannot protect her from. As the world descends into chaos, Jesse and Meryn face the greatest barrier to their love yet—a barrier that may prove too strong to breach.

  The Night Guardians Series

  Children are disappearing in the night. When Detective Daniel Grey comes to see diner owner Nicole Hunter to enlist her help, she realizes everything—and everyone—she has clung to so tightly may soon be ripped from her grasp.

  Detective Daniel Grey is back in town and Nicole isn’t sure how she feels about that. Someone is working hard to disrupt her present with reminders of the past she has worked hard to forget. As much as she might want to push Daniel away, Nicole needs him closer now than ever before.

  But the one she trusts to keep her and her son safe has a secret that may prove to be the biggest threat of all.

  Coming Soon to The Mosaic Collection

  The Mischief Thief by Johnnie Alexander

  Two wrongs don’t make a right . . . except when they do.

  For con artist Chaney Rose, life hasn’t been easy. In desperate need of cash, she readily accepts a gig from an unethical attorney to recover Mischief, a stolen racehorse. Hunting for clues, she breaks into the sus
pected thief’s home only to be caught—with a few pilfered items in her pockets—by the police detective who’s tailing her.

  By-the-book Adam Thorne was fired from his church ministry because of his father’s involvement with the valuable racehorse.

  He arrives home to find a detective arresting the young woman who broke into his house. In a burst of Les Miserables-inspired charity, he claims he gave Chaney the stolen items.

  Adam needs Chaney’s help to find his father who has disappeared along with Mischief. But when Chaney learns that Mischief’s owner intends to kill the horse, she needs Adam’s help to expose the cruel plan before it’s too late.

  Can a con artist with a conscience and a minister without a ministry team up to do the wrong thing for the right reason?

  Chapter One

  “The best way of successfully acting a part is to be it.”

  ~ Arthur Conan Doyle ~

  The shadow, in the squat outline of a broad-shouldered man with a slight paunch, slid across the wrought iron table where Chaney Rose read a dog-eared paperback.

  “Fancy finding you here,” the shadow said. “You don’t mind if I join you, do you?”

  Chaney minded very much. But before she could respond, the shadow shifted as Detective Benjamin Grant settled into the seat next to her. He leaned back, propped his ankle on his knee, and stared at her behind tinted sunglasses that hid his eyes. He wore khakis and a pale green polo shirt sporting the Orlando Police Department’s logo above his heart.