“Excuse me, but we’re on a date here.” Owen stood, squaring his shoulders and throwing his chest out.
JD didn’t take Owen’s bait. Instead, he crossed his arms and returned Owen’s stare. “And it just ended.” His words were cool but confident. He unfolded his arms and stretched out a hand, “Callie?”
I looked from one man to the next, mumbled an apology toward Owen, and took JD’s hand.
“Whatever,” Owen said and stomped away.
My world tilted as I stood up, and my knees buckled. JD wrapped an arm around me, and I leaned into him, placing one hand on his chest. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled clean and salty like the ocean. Sighing, I laid my head on his shoulder as he led me out of the bar. There was a safeness and security in his arms. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so protected.
“What’s your room number?” JD asked, shaking my shoulder.
“103,” I whispered, and my eyes closed again.
“Whoa, whoa, no falling asleep yet.” JD shook a little harder this time.
It was a struggle, but I managed to keep my eyes open until we got to my door.
“Key?” he prodded.
“Somewhere in there,” I mumbled and held out my bag.
He rummaged in the small purse until he found the key card, inserted it, and opened the door. Taking my hand, he pulled me into the room. The light clicked on and illuminated the room.
“Thank you.” I turned to face JD and fell into him, placing both hands on his chest. His muscles quivered, and I bit my bottom lip, turning my face up to his as desire coursed through me.
JD stared down at me, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Then he grasped my upper arms and tried to turn me around. “You need sleep.”
I doubled my effort, shaking off his hands. “I know what I need.” My hands moved up his chest, enjoying the feel of his taut muscles beneath them, and wrapped around his neck. “Don’t you find me attractive?”
JD sighed and removed my arms from his neck. He held both hands and stared into my eyes. “That isn’t the issue, Callie. You aren’t yourself right now; you’ve had too much to drink.”
A seed of anger flared inside, and I yanked my hands from his. “I’m fine.” The feeling of rejection was sinking in yet again, “You can leave now.”
“Callie – ”
“No, really,” I crossed my arms, “You can go.”
JD shrugged and sighed. “I’ll be around if you need me.”
“I won’t need you.” With the little sobriety I had mustered, I slammed the door behind him and threw myself down on the bed. “Why? Why is this happening to me?” I thrashed back and forth and pounded my fists on the bed. “I want my perfect life back and my Daniel back,” I shouted to the room. I don’t know who I expected to answer me; I just needed to get the words out. Grabbing a pillow, I covered my face and screamed into it. Slowly, the screams subsided to moans, and I removed the pillow, cradling it to my chest. “I don’t even care about the affair. Just send Daniel back to me please. I want my old life back.” I curled into a ball as the ocean of tears poured down my cheeks until I fell into a fitful sleep.
JD leaned against the hallway outside Callie’s room and rubbed his temples. The urge to knock on her door and talk things through coursed through his body. He hated leaving angry words as the last words. He’d promised himself after Alexa that he’d never do that again.
The more important question was why did he care so much about her? He barely knew her, but there was something in her eyes that affected him. He wanted to ease her pain and make sure she never felt any again, but what if he never saw her after this? What if he had ruined his chance with her? He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so affected by a woman. His hands shook as he ran his fingers through his hair. There was nothing more he could do tonight, so he pushed himself off the wall and forced his body down the hall to his room.
When his own hotel room door closed behind him, JD crossed to the nightstand where his Bible lay. He turned to the book of John in the New Testament, where he had been reading yesterday, but the words kept swimming together. His heart still drummed too fast in his chest, so he closed the Bible and got down on his knees. Placing his elbows on the bed, he folded his hands together and leaned his forehead against them.
Blackness filled his vision but words formed in his mind and flowed out from his lips: “Lord, I don’t know Callie or what her pain is about, but I sense that her heart is hurting. I want to be a good example for you before her. Please help me find the words I need to say and help me be the witness you would have me be.” He remained silent, listening for the still, small voice and hoping that tomorrow he’d get a chance to see Callie again.
Chapter 7
The ringing of my cell phone jolted me from sleep the next morning. Eyes still closed, I patted the bed until I found my purse and pawed through it until my fingers touched the phone. Pulling it out, I swiped the screen without looking at the caller ID. “Hello?” My voice still held the heaviness of sleep.
“Callie?” My eyes snapped open at the familiar voice on the other end, and I scrambled into a sitting position, instantly awake. “Callie? Don’t hang up,” Daniel’s voice pleaded.
My heart thudded in my chest and my pulse quickened. Why was he calling? Had he broken it off with Shaina? My nostrils flared, and my grip tightened on the phone. “Why shouldn’t I?”
“I . . . okay, you have a right to, but Callie, I think I made a mistake.”
“You think?” My shrill voice echoed in the hotel room, and my hands began to shake. Heat flared inside me as my eyes narrowed to slits. “You bet you did.”
“I know. I know,” Daniel stammered. “I just...I guess I got cold feet, but Callie, I miss you. I can’t concentrate or eat.”
A small segment of satisfaction flooded me at his admission. I was glad he was suffering, now he knew how I felt. “What about Shaina?” The poison in my voice matched the ice flowing through my veins.
He sighed, “That was a one-time thing, Callie. I never meant for it to happen, but you were always so busy.”
“I was trying... to get a promotion... to junior partner... to make a better life for us,” I spat, biting off the string of obscenities I wanted to scream at him.
“I know and I should have been more understanding,” he paused, “Hey, did you get the partnership?”
“No,” I snapped. “I couldn’t concentrate either, and I made some stupid mistakes. I’m lucky my boss didn’t fire me.”
“I’m sorry. I should have handled the situation better.”
“You think?” A pregnant pause ensued, and I held the phone out, my finger hovering over the “end call” button. I should just hang up on his sorry butt, but the memory of my late-night plea made me pause. Maybe he was sorry. He did sound remorseful, but could I trust him? Would I ever be able to trust him again? I returned the phone to my ear and plucked at some lint on the comforter, waiting to hear if he had more to say.
“Can I come see you?” he blurted out.
I sucked in my breath. Did I want him here? Yes, I missed him, and I had asked for his return, but did I really want it or had that been the alcohol and JD’s rejection talking? “I...I’m not home. My boss told me to take some time off, so I changed our honeymoon tickets for a trip to the Caribbean.”
More silence. “Then I’ll come there.”
“What?” My head shot up.
“I could use some time away too, and it’s not like I can’t afford it. Besides I think the time together would help us reconnect.”
I chewed on my thumbnail as I thought about it. The biggest question was whether I could forgive Daniel or not. Maybe it had been a one- time thing; I had been working a lot of hours, but that didn’t make what he did right. Plus, we had been together for three years; that was a long time to throw away, but could I take him back? And what would my friends and family say? I sighed; I knew exactly what they would say. They would t
ell me to kick the creep to the curb, but they weren’t the ones in love with him. If I was going to give this a try, this would be the perfect place to take the first step, away from prying eyes and accusing or pity-filled stares of those who knew. “Okay, but you’ll have to get your own room.”
Daniel chuckled on the other end. “Okay, it’s a deal; I’ll be there in a few days.”
As I hung up the phone, I wondered if I had just made a horrible mistake. I wasn’t the type to give cheaters a second chance, but what if there was a God who had listened and heard my plea last night, drunk though it was? What am I saying? Rolling my eyes, I tossed the phone down. I didn’t believe in God any more than I believed in the Lochness Monster or Big Foot. I need to clear my head. I must be suffering from extreme hunger.
I headed down to one of the hotel restaurants on the ground floor and chose a table near a window that faced the ocean. The waiter took my order of oatmeal and fruit and then left me with my view of the enormous ocean and the waves that ebbed forward and backward – endlessly lapping the sand and then returning. The water appeared peaceful today, like a shimmering sea of blue glass. I wished my mood matched the serene picture, but churning inside me was a ball of turmoil, partly from Daniel’s phone call and partly from the previous night with JD. I had no idea why, but I didn’t want that to be the last impression he had of me. Maybe I’ll take a walk outside; the fresh air would do me good. When breakfast was finished, I placed a small tip on the table and wandered out the side door to the beach.
The warmth hit me first, and my face turned up to grant the sun’s kisses. The hotel had been cooler, and the warm air pressing down on my body sent a shiver down my spine. I inhaled a deep breath of the still, salty air, invigorating my senses as I strolled to the water’s edge. Slipping off my shoes, I dug my toes in the sand, enjoying the feel of the tepid water licking my ankles and tickling my toes. If only I could stay here where life seemed easier and clearer.
As I turned to the right, my heart sped up at the sight of the familiar figure. The strong shoulders and longer hair gave away JD’s identity before he even turned around. I opened my mouth to call to him and then shut it again. Would he want to talk to me? I had been so awful last night, but at least this would give me a chance to apologize to him. I scooped up my shoes and jogged toward him.
“JD,” I hollered when I was within ear shot. He turned, and his face brightened. Relief flooded through me; he didn’t seem angry.
“Hello Callie.” He smiled as I stopped in front of him, “Are you feeling better this morning?”
My gaze dropped to the ground, and I dug a toe in the sand. “I am so sorry about last night. That wasn’t me.”
He placed a finger under my chin, lifting it until my eyes met his. Up close, his emerald green gaze was even more arresting. I felt like he was staring deep into my soul. “I know it was the alcohol talking, but Callie, maybe you should stop drinking.”
My chin tingled at his touch, and I licked my lips. The tingle was crawling down the rest of my body, which wanted to press against his. “Says the bartender who gave me a double my first night here.” I had meant it as a joke, to lighten the desire I was feeling and to keep my arms from wrapping themselves around his neck, but his gaze remained serious. I cleared my throat. “The funny thing is that I rarely drink at all. This has just been a horrible week for me.” His eyes never wavered from mine. How different he was from Owen who couldn’t seem to keep his eyes focused on mine. The urge to lean forward and taste his lips blared in my brain, but I pushed it back.
“I was doing my job,” he said finally, dropping his hand, “but your day must be getting better. You’re smiling.”
“Well, it might be.” I tucked a dark strand of hair behind my ear and lowered my eyes. “My fiancé is coming to spend some time with me.” I glanced up to see his reaction, unsure exactly why I cared.
JD’s eyes widened, and his mouth parted. “Your fiancé? You mean the one who left you at the altar?”
“Well, yes,” I stumbled, my toe twisting in the sand again, “but he called this morning and apologized, and maybe we can work things out.” What am I doing? He doesn’t even know me and he’s not convinced. Why did I say yes to Daniel?
JD tipped his head to the side as he stared at me. “For your sake, I hope so, but I also hope you know what you are doing. Remember, Callie, sometimes things happen for a reason.”
“Are you trying to tell me God planned for him to leave me?” I replied, taking a step back and lowering my brow. “Maybe Daniel’s call was an indication that God wants us back together. I mean, I did pray for it.”
“You prayed?” His eyebrows shot up, and his eyes gleamed.
I bit my lip. It hadn’t exactly been a prayer. “Well, sort of. I asked out loud for certain things to happen.”
JD’s shoulders fell. “That sort of request isn’t what God wants to hear from any of humanity. He wants to hear our plea for help and that we need Him to guide our lives. Besides, God isn’t the only being who listens to the verbal requests and prayers we make.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Satan also listens to what people say out loud, and he intends to interfere with God’s plan for individuals – especially believers. That is the whole point of the book of Job in the Old Testament. If you haven’t read it, you should.”
My eyes narrowed, and I crossed my arms. Who did this guy think he was? Why couldn’t he be happy for me, and why did I care so much what he thought? “Are you suggesting that my fiancé is only returning to me because Satan wants to hurt me?”
He held his palms out like a peace offering, “That’s not what I said; I’m saying that Daniel’s coming back to you might be Satan’s doing to distract you from God’s purpose for your life.”
Uncrossing my arms, I moved them to my hips in a show of defiance. “Well, then why doesn’t God stop it?”
JD cocked his head and gazed evenly at me. “You haven’t asked him to, Callie. If you want God to influence your life, then you have to let Him into your life. Jesus said that He will give us rest and carry our burdens, but we have to ask Him to. We have to confess that He is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead in order to be saved. Salvation is the starting point in having a working relationship with God.”
I had no idea what to say to that. Why does he have to bring God into everything? The silence stretched out.
“Look, I head back to the states in a few days, Callie, but I’d like to show you more of what the island has to offer while I’m here, if you’re up for it.”
I paused for a moment. I was a little miffed that he couldn’t just be happy for me, and I certainly didn’t buy into his religious nonsense, but I did have some time to kill, and he had saved me last night. Plus, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t deny that I wanted to see him again. “Sure, I’d like that.”
He smiled, “Great, I want to show you Dunn’s River Falls. Why don’t you change into an outfit you can hike in and meet me back at the hotel entrance in half an hour?”
We walked back to the hotel, parting at the front desk to go to our separate rooms. I changed into a pair of shorts and a crop top and then made my way back to the atrium to meet JD, who stood by the front door, looking quite handsome in tan cargo shorts and a green tropical shirt.
I pointed to the bag at his feet, “Did I need to bring a bag?”
“No, I packed us a lunch, some water, and my camera. Follow me.” He led the way out the front door where a grey shuttle van was waiting. As he opened the door, I noticed five other people already squished inside, and my heart sped up. Only two spots remained in the far back, just enough room for JD and myself. The space was tight, and as he scrunched in, his skin pressed against mine from the top of my shoulder down to my foot. A tingling shot down my skin, and I breathed in his clean, masculine scent.
As the van pulled out of the parking lot, I sneaked a glance at him from the corner of my eye, but his gaze focused out the window
at the scenery. I took the opportunity to study his features. While his face wasn’t as chiseled as Daniel’s, his strong jaw commanded attention, and his soft lips eluded gentleness. What would it be like to kiss them? Would they be soft and gentle or hard and passionate? What are you doing? You can’t fall for this guy; you agreed to give Daniel a second chance. I forced my eyes from his face and stared down at my hands. What was happening to me? My whole life, I had always been so sure of what I wanted, and now I seemed to have no clue.
A few minutes later, the van parked and everyone tumbled out. Though not extremely loud, I could hear the roar of the falls. We must be close. A sign near the parking lot indicated the direction to follow, and I fell in step beside JD as we climbed the path. “Have you been here before?”
“Yes, it’s one of my favorite places, though it’s much more fun to come with someone who hasn’t seen it before.”
His smile warmed my heart and caused another flush to spread across my face. The way he looked at me was so different from the way any other man ever had. I couldn’t quite place the difference, but it made me feel special.
Trees and other green fauna surrounded us on either side as we continued up the gradual incline of the trail. My breath grew more ragged as the ascent grew steeper. I had thought I was in shape – I made it to the gym on average four times a week and walked the other days, but the incline was testing my endurance. Sweat broke out on my forehead and trickled into my eye. As I raised a hand to wipe it away, I bumped into JD’s unmoving back.
“Why’d you stop?”
JD stepped to the side, and I gasped. The falls lay ahead. Clear blue water rushed over the edge, and white rocks peeked out from under the overflowing waves. The green of the jungle around complemented the blue and white foam making the view pristine and untouched. Breathless, I whispered, “Wow, it’s beautiful.”
The Power of Prayer Page 5
