by Delia Latham
We do? Autumn frowned, but as the sermon continued, she remembered an earlier conversation with Miss Angie about love.
“God is love. Love is God. It’s as simple, and yes, as complicated, as that.” He chuckled. “I say complicated only because the truth is so simple that folks tend to complicate it. They can’t believe it really is as easy as the Bible states, but it is. God. Is. Love. Every definition of love, if it’s accurate, can be said of God. But, let’s see what the Bible says about all this. Turn with me, if you will, to First Corinthians, chapter thirteen. I’ll be reading from the International Standard Version, just because it’s so easy to grasp—and yeah, OK. I love that this passage reads like a poem in this version. Go ahead, laugh.”
He continued after the congregation did exactly that—laughed right out loud.
“The words in your Bibles may be a bit different, but you should be able to follow along easily. We’ll start reading at verse four.”
Autumn struggled to fill her lungs. How could this possibly be coincidence? Ever since she’d arrived in Cambria, those verses in that portion of the Bible had been literally “delivered” to her in a constant stream.
She whispered the words of the scriptures—in the only version she knew—along with the pastor as he read aloud. “Love is always patient. Love is always kind. Love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Nor is she conceited, and she is never rude. She never thinks of just herself or ever gets annoyed. She never is resentful, is never glad with sin. She’s always glad to side with truth and pleased that truth will win. She bears up under everything, believes the best in all. There is no limit to her hope, and never will she fall.”
His warm gaze searched the pews and landed on a man sitting about halfway back, his arm around a woman with beautiful, silvery blonde hair. “Logan, bring your Bible up here, would you? I’m going to read this again, but I’d like you to help me out, if you will.”
When the young man stood beside him, Bible in hand, the pastor administered a one-armed hug and grinned at the congregation. “I chose Logan for this because, well, he and Summer are our newlyweds, right? He’s all about love right now. Oh, and for the benefit of our visitors, my friend here is Logan Bullard, local artist extraordinaire and brand new husband to Summer. I know you’re a little shy, Summer, but give us a wave so our visitors know who you are.”
The blonde lifted one hand halfway up for no more than three seconds. Laughter arose from the crowd. By now, Autumn expected it, and even smiled along, but she was also a bit star-struck. This was the artist who’d created all those breathtaking oil paintings she’d been admiring. Miss Angie had told her Logan and his wife were married on Paradise Pines property.
“OK, this is what’s going to happen, folks. Logan will read from the—uh, Logan, what version do you have?”
“The NIV.”
“Good.” He returned his attention to the audience. “He’ll read the passage I just read, one lovely trait at a time. I’ll follow by reading that same verse from my fun little poetic version. Got it?”
“Got it.” Logan smiled and gave the pastor one firm nod.
“Good. Let’s go. You first.”
“Love is patient.” Logan spoke in a low, even tone into the mic.
The preacher launched right into his version. “Love is always patient.”
“Love is kind.”
“Love is always kind.”
“It does not envy.”
“Love is never envious.” Pastor grinned. “This is fun. We’ll have to try it on another passage sometime. Go ahead.”
The handsome artist smiled as he read on. “It does not boast.”
“Or arrogant with pride,” the minister said.
“It does not dishonor others.”
“And she is never rude.” The minister looked out at the audience. “Did you know that being rude is dishonoring others? Have you ever stopped to think that those you dishonor are also God’s children, and loved by Him?” He shook his head. “These verses are not just here for entertainment, folks. This is real. Go ahead, Logan.”
“It is not self-seeking.”
“She never thinks just of herself.”
“It is not easily angered.”
“Oh, my. Well, it’s Bible, my friends. Gotta preach it.” Returning his gaze to the Bible in front of him, the pastor added, “Or ever gets annoyed.”
“It keeps no record of wrongs,” Logan read.
“Really?” The minister made a show of pulling Logan’s Bible closer and reading over the man’s shoulder. “Sure ’nuff. That’s what it says. What does mine say?” He shoved his reading glasses higher on his nose and read. “She never is resentful.” He looked up. “Another version says, ‘It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.’ I don’t even need to say anything else about it, do I? There’s no misunderstanding that.” He nodded to Logan.
“Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.”
“Is never glad with sin,” the pastor read. “She’s always glad to side with truth and pleased that truth will win.” He looked up, both eyebrows hiked. “So before any of you get all huffy about anything I say this morning, remember it’s the Word of God, which makes it truth. Rejoice in it, even if tastes like vinegar on your tongue. Logan, read that entire next verse, please.”
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
“She bears up under everything, believes the best in all. There is no limit to her hope. First sentence in the last verse, please, my friend.”
Logan looked up and his gaze went to his wife. “Love never fails.”
“And never will she fall. Thank you, Logan—now get on out there and sit with Summer. She misses you.”
Amidst the brief laughter, the minister removed his glasses and leaned his elbows on the podium. “We’ve had fun with these verses this morning, but I don’t believe there’s any more serious passage of scripture in the Bible. Love is…well, it’s God. God is Love. Therefore, love is everything. Without it—without God—we have nothing. No hope for tomorrow, no anticipation of a life beyond this one.”
He stepped around the podium and switched on a tiny mic attached to his shirt collar so he could pace the floor in front of the pews. “The Apostle Paul was right up front about this subject—and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he voices his opinion in this same book, a couple chapters later. I know you remember what he said, but just in case…Paul’s words were, ‘If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.’ For the record, that’s a quote from the King James version. I know Miss Angie prefers that one most of the time.”
He took time to smile at the white-haired woman and then continued. “It is our belief and hope in Heaven that makes this life bearable. Love, my friends. Love makes this life bearable. Love for each other, for our children, for the man and woman on the street that we’ve never met. Love for the people in other countries who suffer under the rule of tyrants, or whose children die of starvation every day. Love for the heathen who’s never heard of Christ. Love, my friends. Love shines a light of hope through it all.”
He nodded to someone on the platform, and soft strains of music filled the air. “I’m not going to draw this out and make it lengthy—I did promise a quick lesson this morning—but I can’t close without extending an invitation. Do you ever wonder what love is? Or maybe you’ve just given up on it, decided love doesn’t exist. Maybe you’ve wondered if this life is all we have, sorry as it can sometimes be. My friend, I’m here to tell you that Love…God…is real. There is hope—in this life and afterward—if you know Him. Would you like to meet God and find out what true love is? If so, I invite you to join me right up here, and I’ll introduce you to Love.”
Autumn couldn’t breathe. She reached up to massage her throat, hoping to remove the large lump that seemed determined to cut off her air.
“Excuse me.”
She looked up, startled, when Cec
i stood up. Tears streaked her beautiful face, and she didn’t even seem to care. Ceci, who refused to even take out the trash without her makeup on, now appeared unconcerned about the black streaks of mascara running down her face, or that she’d pretty much removed all traces of foundation with the tissues she’d used, one after the other, throughout the service. Moving on automatic, Autumn shifted her legs, allowing her friend access to the aisle, where she made her graceful way toward the front of the church.
As Ceci stepped further away from their pew and closer to the pastor, a huge, yawning emptiness filled Autumn’s soul. She clenched her teeth against an almost irresistible urge to chase after Ceci and beg her not to do…whatever she planned to do up there.
Love—whatever and whoever it was—seemed determined to take Autumn’s best friend from her.
11
Russ was delighted when Ceci passed by him in the aisle, headed for the front of the church. He waited. Would Autumn follow her friend? When she didn’t, his heart sank. He desperately wanted…no, he needed her to find the Lord. Until she did, she’d be off limits to him.
He gave his head a shake. Where in the world had that come from? He wasn’t looking for a personal relationship, despite his overwhelming desire to kiss the spunky redhead yesterday on the beach. That had been nothing more than a moment of weakness. Russ hadn’t held a woman in his arms since Linda left, and having Autumn so close, feeling her soft curves against him…it was just a physical reaction, that was all.
If he were looking to find a wife, he sure wouldn’t be searching out a mouthy, stubborn, hard-headed woman like that firecracker. She didn’t have it together. Autumn wore flimsy sandals to go tide pooling. She blatantly refused to even consider getting a tetanus shot. From the first moment they’d met, she’d proven careless, uncooperative, and too stubborn for her own good.
Being around her was addictive, but her unstructured behavior would drive him over the edge in a quick flash. Even as he came to that final conclusion, a smiled tugged at his lips, because he had to admit Autumn possessed a softer side that completely captivated him. His daughter adored her. Her sense of humor was fun and contagious. He’d smiled more since he met her than in the entire past two years. She’d taken care of Dalynn when she got lost, sacrificed time from her day to deliver his child safely back to him. She’d bought her cookies and refused payment—what a spectacle that had been.
Dalynn tugged on his hand. “Daddy, church is over. Are you just gonna stay here all day or what?”
Stunned, he stared at her. Where had she learned to be so sassy? Surely, she hadn’t been like this before Autumn came around…had she?
“Funny you should ask, kiddo.” He grinned and tugged on a long curl. “I was thinking Barbecue Haven, but if you’d rather…sure, we’ll just stay here all day.”
She planted a little hand on one hip and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say I wanted to stay here, did I?”
He laughed, even though he probably should have reprimanded her for being so mouthy. But then, if he let her hang out with the likes of Autumn Warren, he couldn’t complain when she picked up bad habits.
Well, that shouldn’t be a problem anymore. After his momentary capitulation to that fleeting desire to kiss her, it was safe to assume Autumn wouldn’t be spending any more time with him and his daughter.
“Come on, princess. Let’s go eat.”
“Yeah, ’cause I’m hungry. Can Autumn come too?”
“No, sweetie, not today.” He stifled a sigh and ignored the little stab of guilt for not giving her a reason. What could he say? Sorry, princess. Daddy tried to kiss Autumn and got knocked on his rear for the effort. Probably not a good idea to be asking her to lunch. Best just say no and leave it at that.
Dalynn pouted but allowed him to take her hand and lead her out of the church without a fuss. Had he mentioned a dining spot other than one of her favorites, she might have given him a little more flak.
They had barely settled in at their table in the dining area of the busy restaurant when Dalynn screeched in delight. “She’s here!”
Russ didn’t even need to look to know who “she” was. He looked anyway.
Autumn and Ceci stood near the counter, waiting in line to place their orders. Autumn waved at Dalynn while Ceci smiled in their direction.
Dalynn slid off her chair, grinning ear-to-ear, her blue eyes shining with pure delight.
“Wait, sweetie…”
Too late. He should have anticipated her quick dash across the room. Autumn seemed to possess some kind of magnetic pull where his daughter was concerned.
He refused to join them, but he couldn’t talk himself into looking away. Autumn welcomed Dalynn with a big hug and a huge smile. Good to know she wouldn’t let her anger at him change how she treated his daughter.
Dalynn said something and pointed in his direction. Oh, no. Was she inviting Autumn to join them? To his relief—and extreme disappointment—Autumn shook her head. She gave Dalynn another hug and stepped up to place her order.
Dalynn returned to their table, her lips drooping. “Autumn won’t come eat with us, ’cause she’s got a friend.”
Russ laughed. “Well, having a friend is a good thing, isn’t it?”
“Autumn’s my friend. I want her to eat with us.”
Russ’s heart sank. What was he doing to his daughter by refusing to let her go anywhere with schoolmates, not allowing her to have friends over for sleepovers? Dalynn had no close friends. No one she played house with. No one besides him with whom to watch her favorite cartoons. No special little girl she called ‘best friend.’
His pulled pork sandwich suddenly tasted like sawdust.
“Is that invitation still open, Dalynn?” Autumn appeared on the other side of the table as if she’d been transported. “Ceci and I can’t find a table. It’s crazy busy in here.”
“Yes, yes! I still invite you. Sit by me, ’K?” Dalynn beamed her pleasure and slid off her tall chair so she could scoot it closer to the one Autumn stood beside.
Ceci chuckled. “Russ, do you mind us crashing your lunch date with this lovely girl?”
Autumn focused on Dalynn, clearly trying to pretend Russ wasn’t there.
“Of course not.” He stood and pulled out a chair for the beautiful, violet-eyed woman. “We’d love to have you join us.”
Autumn jumped up into her chair in a hurry, and he bit back a grin. She didn’t want him to pull her chair out.
“This is my bestest place to eat,” Dalynn offered. She popped a French fry into her mouth as if to prove her statement.
Autumn laughed. “I thought that was Boardwalk Burgers.”
“Yep.” Autumn bobbed her head up and down. “That’s my bestest place too.”
“Oh, I see. Well, I’d say you have great taste, kiddo.”
“Yep, I do.”
They all laughed, and Russ breathed a silent sigh of relief. He’d feared an overload of tension between Autumn and him.
“It was a nice surprise to see you two ladies in service this morning.”
“The pleasure was entirely ours.” Ceci grinned while holding a long French fry close to her lips. “Although, I should probably speak for myself. Autumn was my unwilling tagalong after I promised Miss Angie we’d go this morning.”
Russ chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t think Autumn could be hogtied and dragged anywhere, if she seriously didn’t want to go.”
The brown eyes across the table shot daggers in his direction. “Well, then it must be true, since you know me so well.”
He laughed outright, despite knowing the invisible darts would grow in number and intensity. “I knew that much about you within half a minute of our first encounter.”
She wanted to stay angry. He saw the battle raging in her fiery gaze, but then one corner of her lips twitched. The other side of her mouth joined the revolt, and soon she was laughing along.
“All right. So I can be stubborn at times. You’re right. If it hadn’t been for
Miss Angie, I probably would have outright refused to attend that service this morning. But there’s just…” She hesitated and then grinned when Russ and Ceci both finished her thought in unison. “Something about Miss Angie.”
“What do you think it is about?” Autumn’s question seemed a bit hesitant. “She’s not like anyone I’ve ever met. No matter what she says or does, I can’t be angry with her, and I can’t say no to anything she asks. She’s incredible.”
“That she is.” Russ swallowed the last bite of his monster sandwich and wiped his lips with a napkin. “I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t love her. She’s a beautiful soul.”
Ceci nodded, but said nothing, having just filled her mouth with a generous bite of barbecued chicken.
Autumn’s gaze widened. A French fry fell from her fingers and landed in a pile of catsup. She didn’t even look down. “That’s it. Miss Angie has a wise soul. A beautiful, pure, filled-with-wisdom soul.” She looked up, clearly gauging his and Ceci’s reactions. “She’s not like us, you guys. She’s—”
“I’m not a guy!” Dalynn interjected.
“Oops. Sorry, sweetie.” Autumn grimaced. “But you—uhm, people—know what I’m saying, right? Miss Angie’s different. She’s special. Really, really special.”
Ceci didn’t laugh, and Russ didn’t much feel like laughing either, because Autumn wasn’t wrong. Miss Angie was different. He’d never put this much thought into it before, but with Autumn’s assessment right out there on the table, he couldn’t deny its truth.
Miss Angie wasn’t like everyone else. The things that were different about her were inexplicable, but they existed.
Ceci broke the silence. “Well, I have to agree that she’s unique. She’s certainly different from anyone I’ve ever known, and in the best kind of way.” She dropped her napkin onto the tray and smiled. “She’s my new ‘goal personality.’ Whatever she’s got, I want it.”
