Meeting Mr. Right

by Deb Kastner

  “Fell for her, you mean.”

  “Whatever.”

  “So, I repeat, what are you going to do about it? How long is it going to take you to admit that you need her in your life and you’re willing to forgive her for whatever it is that you think she’s done to you?”

  “What do you mean, what I think she’s done to me?”

  “I mean you haven’t really given her the benefit of the doubt, and I think she deserves at least that much. From what you’ve told me, she said that she only learned it was you right before we got called away for the emergency. She wouldn’t have had time to digest the shock, much less figure out a way to tell you anything.”

  Ben grunted and rolled to a sitting position. He didn’t want to admit that his partner might have a valid point.

  “What if the roles were reversed? What if she’d been the one to send her picture to you?”

  “So what if she had? I would have spoken up right away and let her know I was BJ.”

  “Would you really? Because if it were me, I would have been reeling from the shock of finding out. Of all the women in the whole wide world, of all the places she could be living, she’s right here in Serendipity with you—and not only that, but you guys even work at the same fire station together.”

  “What are the odds?”

  “Exactly. Which is why I think Vee deserves a chance. She’s a good woman, Ben, and I think deep down in your heart you know it. You have to admit, you’ve had your share of dating disasters. But maybe this is why none of those women worked out—so you’d be free when the right one came along. I can’t think of a better person for you to end up with.”

  Ben moved to the free weights and started his biceps curls, not even bothering to keep a count in his head.

  “Stop meddling,” he protested in a low voice.

  “Okay, I’ll shut up. But consider this. You really liked Veronica Jayne. You and she seemed like really close friends. You understood each other. You had the same goals and ambitions and dreams. Friendship is really important in a relationship, take it from me.”

  “Apparently I am taking it from you,” he growled.

  “I’m not finished. So on one hand you have Veronica Jayne, and then on the other hand there is Vee—you two have sparks flying so high that the fire department would have a hard time containing you.”

  That much was true, which was why Ben thought it was a good idea to stay as far away from Vee as possible. He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to keep his resolve once their eyes met or he saw her beautiful smile.

  “What I’m saying is this—Vee and Veronica Jayne are one in the same person. How much more of a blessing are you looking for, buddy?”

  Ben felt like he’d been flash-frozen. He dropped the weights to his side and stared openmouthed at Zach.

  “She made a mistake—fine. Is it really unforgivable? Is holding on to your grudge worth losing your chance of being happy? You love her, you dolt. So go get her, and stop being so stubborn.”

  Zach was right. What was he doing lifting weights with a sweaty guy friend when he could be in the company of Vee—Veronica Jayne?

  He hadn’t given her the benefit of the doubt. Trust went both ways. He’d been so shocked by the revelation that Vee was Veronica Jayne that he hadn’t given her a chance to explain. She was probably as stunned as he was by the discovery. Maybe she should have told him, but like Zach said, it was a mistake. He’d made plenty of his own.

  Letting her go would be the biggest mistake of all.

  He had to find her. Now.

  “I’m out of here,” Ben said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the towel draped around his neck.

  Zach laughed. “It’s about time.”

  Ben quickly showered and dressed and headed straight for Emerson’s Hardware. It was early in the day, but he hoped he’d be able to catch Vee alone so he’d be able to talk to her and clear up this whole mess once and for all.

  As he walked, he tried phoning her cell, but she wouldn’t pick up. She’d probably blocked his number. She obviously didn’t want to talk to him—not that he could blame her after the way he’d reacted.

  That only strengthened his resolve to make things right. And then he would kiss Vee senseless and prove to her once and for all that as Ben and as BJ, as Vee and Veronica Jayne, he was in love with her.

  When he got to Emerson’s, he went straight to the gardening department, but she wasn’t there, so he asked for her at the front desk.

  She’d quit Emerson’s Hardware just the day before. The news struck him mute. No two weeks’ notice. No explanations about where she was going or why she had decided to up and resign so suddenly. Just an apology and a farewell.

  She was leaving.

  A dark pit grew in the center of his stomach and filled with raw dread. Vee couldn’t leave. Or more accurately, she couldn’t leave him, though he’d certainly given her no reason to stay.

  He jogged as fast as his legs would carry him over to her apartment. He had to catch her before she left for good.

  But he ran into a dead end there, too. Her rent had been paid until the end of the month, and her apartment had been emptied. No forwarding address. No hints as to where she might have gone.

  He was winded and his heart was pumping overtime, but that didn’t stop him from making a sprint for Vee’s father’s house. Surely she would stop in there to say goodbye. And if she wasn’t there, she would have to have told her father where she was going or at least how to get in touch with her.

  “I’m sorry, son,” her father said when he opened the door to Ben. “Vee only told me she’d be in touch after she was settled. I wish I could tell you more. Here, though—she left you this note. Maybe that has a clue to where she is.”

  Ben took the folded piece of lined notebook paper and opened it, holding his breath as he scanned the contents. It was short and to the point, with beautiful, measured handwriting that for some reason reminded him of the emails he shared with Veronica Jayne.

  Dear Ben,

  I know that nothing I can say will change what happened, but I want you to know how truly sorry I am for the way things went down.

  Since I don’t know whether you will even speak to me or not, I’m leaving you this letter, which in a way seems oddly appropriate. I want to let you know that nothing that happened between us was make-believe. What I felt for you—feel for you—is and will always be real.

  For what it’s worth, I really care about you.

  Love,

  Vee

  Stunned, Ben left Vee’s father’s house and walked aimlessly, eventually finding himself in the park. He slumped onto a bench and held his head in his hands.

  What was he going to do now? She evidently hadn’t told a solitary soul where she was going. She was running away, not only from him, but from everything she knew and loved.

  There was no question that he would go after her. He just had to figure out where she’d gone. It wasn’t going to be easy. But then memories flashed through his head of long conversations via email of plans for the future.

  Maybe finding her was going to be the simplest thing in the world.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vee sat at a desk in the far end of the classroom, staring out the window, watching children running around on a playground. They all seemed so energetic. So innocent. So carefree. So happy.

  She sighed. She should be examining her syllabus for the class ahead. The introductory training manual for the Sacred Heart Mission was enormous. It was a week-long class, and Vee imagined it would be quite demanding.

  She’d been through the fire academy, so she wasn’t too worried about mastering the material, but she needed to keep her mind where it belonged—here at the mission and not home in Serendipity, where Ben was probably at the
station, kicking back with Zach and the other guys, eating his secret chili and not giving her a single thought at all.

  The mission teacher moved to the front of the room and started writing his lecture notes on the whiteboard. Vee closed her eyes. This ought to be one of the most exciting moments of her life—beginning the training she’d waited for years to do.

  She had to cling to that—the external goals she’d set. The calling she felt from God to help other people. She had to do something, and this was it. She opened her eyes, determined to make this work despite how her heart ached.

  She had read the first paragraph of her syllabus when there was a noise at the door on the other side of the room.

  “Excuse me. Pardon me. I’m sorry. I guess I’m late.”

  Suddenly, it was as if the atmosphere grew warmer. More humid, making it hard to breathe. Vee’s heart leapt into her throat at the same time she tried to sweep in a breath, and the result was audible.

  She would know that deep, rich voice anywhere.

  She glanced across the room, unwilling to believe what her ears were telling her.

  Ben was there—with his dark curly hair and his luminous green-bronze eyes and his biceps so huge they were straining through his black T-shirt.

  Their eyes met and locked. Her world tipped, turning sideways on its axis and making her head rush in a dizzy loop while her heart pounded maddeningly in her chest.

  What was he doing here?

  Ben—her BJ—was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, better even than she could have imagined.

  His eyes glimmered as he smiled his charming half smile, and she was certain every woman in the room grew just a little bit giddy. Somehow she knew, though, that his smile was only for her.

  “Ben,” she choked out as he strode across the room, not even bothering to excuse himself when he bumped a couple of desks.

  “Vee.” That was all he said before he framed her face and kissed her. This time there was no doubt of his feelings. He was pouring out all his emotions right here in front of everyone.

  And Vee wanted to be nowhere else in the world but in his arms.

  “Vee,” he repeated, kissing her once again for emphasis. “You left without saying goodbye.”

  “I didn’t think you’d want to hear it from me.”

  “I don’t.”

  She frowned, confused. “Then why are you here?”

  “I don’t want you to say goodbye, Vee. Ever. We can both stay here and complete our introductory courses for the Sacred Heart Mission, but first I have something to say. I love you. Will you marry me?”

  Vee would have suspected that she’d heard wrong had the entire class not broken out shouting and clapping. There was no mistaking that.

  But the sound faded as her eyes met Ben’s and she read the love shining in his gaze. He meant it. He wanted to marry her—Veronica Jayne Bishop, for all she was both on the inside and the outside. He knew her—everything about her, just as she knew about him. And she felt the same way.

  “Vee, honey?” Ben said with a nervous chuckle. “You’re kind of leaving me hanging here.”

  Vee laughed along with him, her joy bubbling over. “Of course I’ll marry you, Ben, or BJ, or whatever your name is today. I’ve been waiting for quite some time to tell you that I love you with my whole heart.”

  Ben whooped and pulled her into his arms, kissing her again, more fervently this time. He kept repeating the same line between kisses.

  “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

  Vee couldn’t hear those words enough.

  “Um, excuse me,” came a deep voice from the front of the room.

  Ben and Vee turned as one, without letting go of each other.

  It was the teacher who’d spoken. He had a wry smile on his face. “We’re all really happy for you, and congratulations are definitely in order.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Ben responded.

  “However,” the teacher continued, “do you think you could continue this happy reunion later, after my class is finished?”

  Ben and Vee laughed and slid into adjoining chairs, his warm fingers still clasping hers across the aisle. It was then that Vee knew they would never be parted again.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Reunited for the Holidays by Jillian Hart!

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for joining me for another heartfelt romantic adventure in Serendipity, Texas. If you happened to have missed the prior books in the Email Order Brides series, the titles are Phoebe’s Groom, The Doctor’s Secret Son and The Nanny’s Twin Blessings. You can find these books and many others of my backlist available for order from online booksellers in both print and ebook format.

  In Meeting Mr. Right, both Vee and Ben struggled with their identities as adults because of traumatic bullying instances in their childhoods. Our past is so firmly etched into our hearts that sometimes it’s hard to let go and learn to live in the present. But unless we focus on what’s going on around us in our day-to-day lives, we’re going to miss out on many opportunities to see God working in our lives and to discover new occasions to love and serve one another.

  I hope you’ve been encouraged by Ben and Vee’s story and that it’s been a blessing to you. My thoughts and prayers are always with the readers of my stories, and hearing from you is a great treasure to me. Please email me at debkastnerbooks@gmail.com or leave a comment on my fan page on Facebook. I’m also on Twitter (@debkastner). Hope to see you online soon!

  Keep the faith,

  Deb Kastner

  Questions for Discussion

  At the beginning of the novel, Vee is suspicious of Ben’s behavior. Why? Do you think she’s right to be suspicious?

  Both Ben and Vee had trauma in their childhoods that influenced the people they became as adults. How have the events in your childhood affected the person you are today?

  Ben and Vee were tormented by bullies in their younger years. Do you think bullying is still a problem in today’s schools? How can we work toward a better experience for all of today’s schoolchildren?

  What are the major themes running throughout this book? Which are important to you, and why?

  Vee tried not to care for Ben, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. What character traits did Ben possess that appealed to her despite her initial misgivings?

  If you could meet one character in this book, who would it be? Why?

  Vee’s best friend Olivia forgave Ben for the way he’d burned her in their relationship, yet for most of the novel, Vee seems unable to do so. Why do you think that is?

  In chapter seven, when Ben becomes personally affected by Vee’s dress-and-heels transformation, he begins to doubt his own ability to look beyond outward appearances. Was there ever a time you judged someone by their outward appearance only to ultimately discover you were wrong about them?

  Discuss the meaning of the following scripture verses as they relate to the novel: As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man. Proverbs 27:19 and For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. I Samuel 16:7.

  At what point in the novel do you think Vee started to soften toward Ben?

  What do you think Vee should have done when she discovered that her online friend BJ was actually Ben Atwood if the fire had not happened directly afterward?

  Why do you think Ben believed Vee had been intentionally deceiving him? How would you have felt in his circumstances?

  How do you think Vee felt when Ben accused her of viciously and deliberately misleading him?

  Both Ben and Vee receive wise counseling from their friends at different points in the novel. Relate a situation in which God has
used a friend to help guide you to a good decision.

  What is the takeaway value of this book? What will you remember the most?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

  You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.

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  Chapter One

  Dr. Brian Wallace plucked the ceramic frog out of the flower bed, tipped it upside down and shook hard. The spare front-door key fell onto his palm as he squinted into the watery afternoon sun. It was good to be home. Late November air crisped over him and he shivered, goose bumps traveling down his arms. Weak from an extended illness, he gripped the railing to steady himself. The long trip from rural Texas had taken a toll on him.

  The old adage There’s No Worse Patient Than a Doctor had never been more true, he thought, as he struggled up the stairs. Easily winded, he paused a moment at the top, thanking God he was here to see the colors of sunset. His near brush with death had marked him. He couldn’t deny it. He’d missed his life here in Fort Worth. He missed his kids—although they were grown, they were what he had left of his heart.