Moonbeams: A Christian Romance Novel (The Lewis Legacy Series Book 5)

by JoAnn Durgin

  “Lay off, man. Prayer won’t help me none. If that’s all you’ve got, I don’t want your kind of help. Take the stupid rings. They’re yours. Do whatever you want with them.” With one last glance at Cassie, he stormed off in the opposite direction.

  “What’s your name?” Mitch called after him, but he raised his hand in the air and kept walking. “Sorry for what he said to you, Cassie. I feel for the guy, but I hope he doesn’t go off and do something stupid.”

  “I didn’t take it personally. You tried, but he wasn’t in a rational frame of mind to listen. Sad, though, that he doesn’t want our kind of help when it’s what he needs most. What was that he threw on the ground?” Leaning down, she reached for something at his feet. “Mitch, this is a diamond ring!”

  Taking it from her, Mitch rotated it between his fingers. The sunlight reflected the facets of the stone. “No matter how mad he is, I can’t believe he’d toss something this valuable on the ground. Hang on. I’ll see if I can catch him. Wait here. I won’t go far. Promise.”

  “Go,” she said. “I’ll be fine. Standing in a park surrounded by people about to be joined in holy matrimony seems safe enough.”

  ~~**~~

  Within five minutes, Mitch returned. “He had too much of a head start and jumped in a cab at the edge of the park. Running after a guy and hollering ‘Hey, angry jilted groom!’ didn’t seem appropriate.” He glanced at his watch. “I figure the ceremony should be starting soon if it’s on the hour.”

  “Guess what else I found?” She held up the matching wedding band. “We have a few minutes, so maybe we could turn the rings over to the people in charge of the ceremony. Or take them to the police. In case he decides he wants them back later.” Shielding her eyes with one hand, Cassie nodded toward the left side of the crowd. “There’s an officer standing over there.”

  “Great idea. Let’s go ask.”

  “My advice is to keep them,” the officer said after they explained the situation. “Anybody else would hawk them for whatever money they could get, anyway. Let me see that ring.” Mitch handed the engagement ring to him but didn’t show him the matching wedding band. “Nah, it’s not worth anything. Cheap cubic zirconia.”

  “Denise wasn’t even worth a real diamond?” Cassie said as they thanked the officer and walked away. “That’s plain wrong and I say angry jilted groom doesn’t deserve her. He’s a cheapskate.”

  “I agree, but I still think we should stay.”

  She stopped in her tracks, giving him her best you’re crazy look. “Why? I don’t take marriage lightly, Mitch. It’s sacred and ordained by God.”

  “Agreed. Totally.”

  “Then why are we here?” Something unsettled her, but she hadn’t figured out what or why.

  “To see what it’s like. Call it a cultural or educational experience to broaden our horizons. Humor me. It’ll be fun.” He offered his hand. “Are you with me?”

  In spite of her lingering misgivings, Cassie put her hand in his as they walked to the edge of the crowd. Close enough to hear the ceremony yet not be mistaken for participants. How do I let him talk me into these things? The man couldn’t be boring if he tried.

  “According to our neighbor on the left, over five hundred couples will be enjoying marital bliss as a result of these ceremonies,” Mitch whispered a minute later.

  “We can only hope,” Cassie said. “Did you know that marital is commonly misspelled as martial?”

  He chuckled. “No. How can you possibly know that?”

  “I have a friend who’s a paralegal and she works with marital trusts. Unfortunately, a lot of that marital bliss turns sour and the couples end up in horrible battles. It’s a tragedy, really.” Wow, speaking of sour. Even though it was true, she could use an attitude adjustment.

  Mitch was silent as they waited for the ceremony to begin. She wondered what made him quiet since he rarely lacked for something to say.

  Cassie took a deep breath, determined to break the silence. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. It’s just that, when I marry, it’ll be for life.”

  “What brought that on?” The warmth of his breath tickled her ear.

  So, he wasn’t irritated with her, but now she felt foolish. “I’m only saying.”

  “Seems to me like you’re waiting for my response.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Jacobsen.”

  He chuckled. “Me, too. For life. Just saying, Miss Thorenson.”

  Oh, the man could be insufferable. Wonderfully so. When she crossed her arms over her chest, he must have assumed she was cold since he put his arm around her and nestled her close. She had neither the heart nor the inclination to shrug him away.

  A minister, wearing a long black robe that flowed in the gentle breeze, welcomed everyone. In his hands, he held a Bible. Opening it, he began to read a passage of scripture from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, famously known as the love chapter.

  “Love is patient,” Mitch whispered, echoing the words of the minister.

  “Love is kind and is not jealous.” Cassie kept her tone low and stared straight ahead.

  “Does not brag and is not arrogant.” Taking her hand, Mitch stroked his thumb over hers.

  “Does not act unbecomingly.” Standing beside Mitch, the words assumed an entirely new meaning.

  As the minister finished, Mitch’s expression was solemn as he turned to face her. He wasn’t teasing now. Something stirred in her belly and she couldn’t move. Couldn’t tell him they needed to leave. This was wrong and yet somehow it seemed incredibly right.

  The minister spoke again. “Grooms, repeat after me.”

  Mitch’s lips moved, but no sound came from his mouth as the minister continued with the vows. “In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful husband in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

  The warm breeze blew over Cassie’s eyelids like a soft caress when she closed her eyes.

  “I do.”

  What?

  Startled, she opened her eyes, staring at Mitch. “You can’t say that. You shouldn’t say that.”

  “Too late. I just did.” His hold on her hands increased. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to say it.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that.” This was nuts. Why did he say it? What did this mean? It certainly wasn’t legal, thank goodness. They had no marriage license. They weren’t even a couple. They shouldn’t be standing here. In essence, weren’t they mocking the other couples, mocking God? Hanging her head, shame flowed over her. Cassie stewed, her inner thoughts waging war as she half-listened while the women repeated their vows.

  “You’re safe,” Mitch said, leaning close and whispering. “He didn’t use the word obey.”

  She couldn’t even respond although that particular word had never been a problem for her. She’d willingly say it if she were actually getting married. If she loved a man and wanted to walk through life with him. Not that Mitch couldn’t possibly ever be that man. Still, this was completely crazy.

  “This is wrong, Mitch. We’re making a mockery of marriage, what they’re doing here”—she waved her hand—“everything.”

  “I disagree. We’re not mocking marriage. We’re celebrating and affirming it.”

  He sounded so confident and acted as though he wasn’t about to relinquish her hand and allow her to run away. Mitch could be very persuasive, but not in a controlling, manipulative way. She could leave if she really wanted and he’d respect her wishes.

  “If you want to leave, then lead the way.” She liked that he was giving her the out, but the problem was, she wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore. In some ways, how was this any different than playing dress-up as a little girl? Rebekah had mentioned that very thing when they were dres
sed in their finery for the birthday party. They’d played roles to make the day special for the children and had a lot of fun in the process. Pretend. It wasn’t real. And yet it was. Like it is now. The couples standing nearby considered it real and binding. This whole scenario was absurdly fascinating.

  They’d reached the ring exchange part of the ceremony.

  Cassie started to pull her hands from his, but the obvious affection in Mitch’s eyes stopped her. She hesitated, unsure what to do. He quirked a brow with a what do you want me to do now? expression and pulled out the ring—the fake ring, she reminded herself—and held it up with a look of expectancy.

  “Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Put it on my finger.” It wasn’t a wedding band, after all. Only a diamond wannabe. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that it fit. Perfectly. No sliding around her finger. Like it was sized specifically for her. How could that be? Fake or not, the round stone certainly looked real to her untrained eye. She’d never worn a ring on that finger before—never worn a ring on any finger—and she couldn’t resist as she twisted and turned it, admiring it from all angles.

  “This isn’t real, remember?” She could hear the smile in his voice.

  “I know that,” she said, sounding more flippant than she intended. “I’m sorry that I don’t have a fake ring for you.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Their hands still laced together, Mitch turned to face the front. “Here it comes.”

  “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. I now pronounce you husbands and wives. You may now share your first kiss as a married couple. Congratulations, one and all.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Cassie said, pushing against his chest, laughing more from nerves than anything else.

  “It’s all I can think about since last night.” Mitch’s voice was husky. He tilted his head and gave her his best smile.

  “Fine.” They’d already gone through the rest of this charade. Why not?

  I’m crazy for indulging this whim. Leaning on her tiptoes, Cassie kissed him, but she pulled away a few seconds later. No sense in lingering and prolonging it. Wait a second. When she met his eyes again, she knew he wanted more. Her breathing grew shallow. She wanted more, every bit as much as Mitch did. Step back. Do something. Why couldn’t she move?

  Without a word, Mitch slowly drew her to him again. He moved his arms around her waist and wrapped her in his warmth. So close she felt his strong heartbeat.

  “Mitch. . .” She sighed as he lowered his lips to hers and cupped her jaw with one gentle hand. This kiss was sweet and achingly tender. No kiss had ever moved her. . .until now. But this kiss? She felt it everywhere.

  Quite simply, it was perfect.

  “Thank you.” Mitch leaned his forehead on hers. “If you were faking the emotion just now, I don’t want to know.”

  “I wasn’t,” she whispered. “You’re the one with the acting gene in the family.”

  “This isn’t acting, Cassie.” To prove his point, he kissed her again.

  Chapter 19

  Cassie reached into the bag of food beside her. “Want another leg?”

  “Are you trying to fatten me up?”

  She laughed, surveying the remains of their feast after they’d grabbed dinner at a fast food restaurant within a few blocks of the park. “I sure am. After all, isn’t it a fake wife’s job to keep her fake husband fat and happy?”

  Taking the piece of grilled chicken, Mitch winked. “I don’t like the word fake. Let’s say pretend, if you don’t mind. And, based on that theory, it’s my duty to keep you barefoot—”

  “You are unbelievable! Fake—pretend—or not, you’re a total chauvinist.” Shaking her head, she took a bite of her biscuit dripping with honey.

  “Nah. I’m just insufferable.” They shared a grin. “I’ve witnessed your fondness for pickles. Isn’t that what pregnant women crave?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” she said, reaching for a napkin. They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, sitting under a tree in the same park. This was nice. “For the record, I love ice cream, too, but that’s neither here nor there. There’s a great little ice cream shop not far from Sam and Lexa’s house. It’s called Richardson’s.” The owner, Bea Richardson, was one of TeamWork’s biggest cheerleaders. She should also have a degree in Matchmaking 101. “If you’re good, I might take you there tomorrow. What else is on your schedule?”

  Mitch finished off the chicken leg and tossed it in the bag. “Sam and Josh are taking me downtown to the TeamWork office. They want to tell me more about upcoming projects. I think they recognize a potential recruit in me. For the Houston branch of TeamWork, that is. Imagine that.”

  That surprised her, but in a good way. “That’ll be fun for you. Beck works in the office, too.” She handed him a napkin to wipe his mouth and hands. “She used to teach and sets up the schoolroom operations for the TeamWork missions all over the world.”

  “Wanna come with me?”

  She smiled. “I should probably show up at my job. We have a huge catering event on Thursday and lots to do to get ready for it. Not that your offer isn’t tempting.”

  “How about I talk to Lexa and see if I can get the afternoon off for you? I can play the whole it’s my last day here in Houston card on her. I can be pretty persuasive.”

  “Yes, I know. Let’s play it by ear, shall we?” Mitch knew as well as she did they’d spend some quality time together tomorrow. No way would he start the drive back to New York without saying good-bye.

  Mitch’s cell phone rang. Retrieving it, he flipped it open. “Hey, Amy.” Nodding his head a few times, he was obviously trying to get a word in edgewise between her questions.

  “Yes,” Mitch repeated more than a few times. “If you’d ever let me speak, I’ll tell you. Cassie and I are having a great time together. She’s an absolutely incredible girl. You were exactly right about her.” He gave her a wink. “Maybe I should trust your instincts, after all.” He listened for a moment more. “Well, I’ve got to go. Thanks, but we’re having dinner now, as a matter of fact. Tell Sam and Lexa not to wait up. Something tells me we’re going to be out very late tonight. Catch you later.” With that, he snapped his phone closed.

  She frowned. “Was that last comment necessary? Now, they’re going to think the worst of me if we’re out really late. On top of everything else, are you purposely trying to sully my reputation?”

  “Haven’t you ever done anything really spontaneous and fun in your life? Besides, teasing my sister is fun. One of the joys of my life.”

  Cassie’s cell phone rang. She mouthed Winnie to Mitch. “Hi, Winnie. Yes. We’re having a great time. Yes, he’s wonderful. Everything Amy said about him and then some. What’s that?” she asked, giggling in surprise when Mitch kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” She waved him away when he made silly faces, trying to distract her even more. “I don’t know. Don’t worry. Sure thing. I’ll open the Doyle-Clarke Catering office in the morning like I always do.”

  She closed her phone a few seconds later after signing off with Winnie. “Wow, I am such a creature of habit.”

  “Well, having a job is important,” he said, chuckling. “I was talking more about doing things out of the normal routine.”

  She laughed. “I’ve been doing that ever since a certain Wall Street broker arrived in town.”

  “Time for a confession. You love it.”

  “I’ll admit to no such thing.” Cassie wiped her hands and tossed the last of her biscuit—the hard edge she didn’t like—in the trash bag. Standing, she stretched. “We’d better be getting back now, I suppose.”

  “We don’t really have to go back yet. Do we?”

  Something in Mitch’s tone made her look at him. “I’m almost afraid to ask what you have in mind.”

  Leaning back against the broad base of the tree, he crossed his arms behind his head. That grin of his was irresistible. “You tell me. We’ve got a blanket, God’s beautiful world a
ll around us, and each other. What more could we possibly need?”

  The each other part of his statement gave her pause. Winnie’s warning came to mind. “Okay, but only for a few minutes and then we should head back to the house. Sam’s planning on devotions tonight at ten.” Perhaps keeping that in mind would keep her thoughts on the right track.

  “Sounds good,” he said. “Come over here and tell me more about yourself. Time to get better acquainted.”

  They talked. And talked some more, unable to get enough of each other’s stories. Mitch told her how they’d lived on a tight budget when he was little since his dad’s pastoral salary didn’t cover anything more than the necessities. His mom taught school part-time. “Mom and Dad taught us the value of a dollar,” he said. “They wouldn’t allow Grandpa Carlisle to give us anything more than twenty dollars for birthdays and fifty at Christmas. I think they knew he slipped us extra money here and there, but they never said anything.”

  Cassie loved hearing his memories. She relaxed and rested her head on his chest. When he moved his arms around her and nestled her closer, she felt protected and safe. “What about your grandparents on your dad’s side?” she asked, loving the way she could feel the steady beating of his heart.

  “They lived in Pittsburgh and the three of us kids spent a couple of weeks with them every summer until we were teenagers. They’re both still living and in the same nursing home. It’s sad to see them there. Granda—my grandfather—is still sharp as a knife but Gran has suffered from Alzheimer’s for years and doesn’t remember him. I can’t imagine not recognizing, not knowing, the person you’ve loved for over fifty years.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I’m sure that’s difficult. Maybe somehow—deep down—she knows.”

  Mitch kissed the top of her head and leaned his cheek against her hair. “I love your optimism. Knowing how fragile life is makes me appreciate the relationships in my life more.”

  Did he consider whatever this was between them a relationship of some kind? Well, considering they’d participated in a mock wedding—sort of—that question was debatable. Cassie pushed the thoughts from her mind, determined to enjoy the evening with him. The harsh realities would stare them in the face again soon enough.