Trusting Him
Page 20
She peeked out the window. Michael was heading her way, looking like someone about to storm the gates of the castle.
She opened the door as he lifted his hand. "Michael, I don't— "
"No— " he put his hand up "— you're going to listen to me. I won't let you walk away from me without telling you this."
The fight left her. "Okay, I'll listen."
He reached for her hands and then he took a step closer.
"You told me to find my own path." His voice was husky and shaky with emotion. Maggie felt her heart quiver, and start to cave in response to his touch.
"Yes."
"Maggie, you might not see this, but I do. You said I have to find my own path, and I have. You're my path. Every time I want to hear something funny, if I need someone to lean on or a friend to share with, I think of you. You're the person I want to turn to. You are my path. These last few weeks were miserable, but I had to keep you safe. To do that I had to distance myself. But you were never far away. You were always with me. Thoughts of you kept me going."
"Michael, I missed you." She didn't know what else to say. She had planned on fighting him, on keeping her distance from a broken heart.
"Maybe God's plan has always been about the two of us."
She closed her eyes, trying to imagine that and wanting it to be true. "Maybe."
"Maggie, I want to be the person who doesn't let you down." He half laughed at that. "I guess I'm not off to a good start. Maybe now is a good time to accept that sometimes I might let you down, but not because I want to or mean to."
"Am I missing the first part of this conversation?"
"Yes, I had it with myself on the way over here. It started with me realizing how much I need you in my life and how imperfect I am. And it ended with me realizing that I never want to let you down, but because I'm human, I probably will."
"None of us is perfect."
"No, we aren't. But we have a God who is, and He's my reason for walking a little straighter and trying a little harder. And you're the reason that I wake up every day, knowing I can walk that line."
Maggie's heart tripped all over as he said those words.
"I'm not perfect, either." Her words came out in a breathless rush. "I spent a lot of time thinking the worst. I wanted to jerk you out of the mess you seemed to be making of your life."
"I love you for that, for wanting to rescue me."
"You love me?" With breathless wonder she stepped into his arms.
"I'm sort of hoping that you feel the same way."
"I do." She leaned into his embrace, resting her forehead in that comfortable place on his shoulder, a place where she fit so perfectly. "I love you. I've missed you so much."
"So much it hurt?"
"How did you know?"
"Because I felt the same way." His tender gaze held hers in its grasp, the way he had held her hand just moments ago, melting her heart in the process. "And it hurt when I knew you had stopped trusting me."
A flash of pain shot through his eyes.
"I'm sorry. But I didn't stop trusting, not really. I was hurt because you kept pushing me away."
He pulled her into his arms. His gaze swept over her face as he lowered his head and his lips touched hers, grazing them lightly and then returning for something deeper, something that answered all of Maggie's questions about Michael and what she felt for him.
She pulled back, brushing her cheek against his as his arms captured her and held her close.
"I love you, Maggie. You helped me realize that I'm strong enough for myself and strong enough for you." He whispered the words against her ear.
She turned into his embrace. He held her lightly, giving her the freedom to lean back and look up into his eyes. "I love you, too. And I don't ever want to repeat another three weeks like the ones we've had. I felt lost without you."
"Trust me, Maggie, I won't ever let that happen again. If I have my way, we'll be together forever."
"I trust you."
He kissed her again, with the sun setting behind the deep green of the trees and the sky a delicate lavender and coral backdrop. And he promised he'd do his best to never let her down.
She believed him.
EpilogueFour months later…
Michael stood at the front of the church and if he tried, he could convince himself that this day was like any other. But it wasn't. Today the church was crowded with friends and family who would witness Maggie Simmons and Michael Carson becoming husband and wife.
His wife. His heart reacted to that word, to the amazing truth. Maggie was going to be his wife. Pastor Banks stood at the front of the church.
The music started and emotion welled up in his throat. He didn't know if it would be possible to feel even more than he already felt, not without his heart exploding. And what if the guys saw his tears?
They were walking down the aisle. Jimmy walked with Faith, and he could tell from her grin and Jimmy's pained look that Maggie was wrong in thinking their two friends would make a good couple.
Next came Chance with Cathy.
The wedding march started and the guests stood. Could a person's heart explode? Michael thought he might find out. Instead tears started to trickle down his cheeks as Maggie walked toward him, her hand on her father's arm.
Late-afternoon sun poured through the stained glass in the front door of the church, creating a halo of golden light behind his bride. Her smile reached out to him, and he saw the tears that streaked down her cheeks and the tears in Jacob Simmons's eyes.
Not sad tears, happy tears, rest-of-his-life tears. Michael's breath caught as she stopped and her dad gave her hand over. To have and to hold, forever.
Michael ignored the crowd and the questioning look that Pastor Banks shot at him. He couldn't wait for the service to end to kiss the bride. As their lips touched, soft and sweet, Michael thanked God for knowing the right path.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-0468-7
TRUSTING HIM
Copyright © 2007 by Brenda Minton
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
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