Hometown Courtship (Love Inspired)

by Diann Hunt

  “Mind if I join you?” Mark walked up beside him.

  “Feel free,” Brad said, scooting over on the boulder.

  “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?” Mark said, dumping sand from his shoes.

  “Amazing.”

  “You know, Brad, it doesn’t mean you are failing God if you don’t come here. You can make a difference anywhere.”

  Brad turned to him. “Why are you saying that?” He could hardly believe Mark had said the very words he had been thinking.

  Mark shrugged and threw a pebble out to sea. “There’s something that’s not quite right about all this.”

  “You don’t think I’m a good fit?”

  “It’s not that you’re not a good fit, but I’m not convinced you’re the one who’s supposed to come.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  Mark laughed and slapped his friend good-naturedly on the back. “I’m not making your decision for you. I’m just saying God may have other plans for you. You’re equipped to do the work here, no doubt about it, but you seem a little restless, man.”

  Brad nodded. “I know.”

  “Be open, buddy. Who knows where the Lord will lead you.”

  “What if it’s to Burrow?”

  Mark shrugged again. “There is no place you’d rather be than in the center of God’s will, bro.”

  “Yeah, but how do you know if it’s God’s will or your own will disguising itself to get you to do what you want?”

  “That’s a tough one. You’re the only one who can answer that. But you know if you’ve found a good woman who loves Him, too, you can do His work anywhere. You have gifts in carpentry, no question about it. You can use that gift in helping with your church, building homes for the poor, whatever. But you have other gifts to offer, too, Brad. Compassion is your biggest gift. That’s needed everywhere. Even in Burrow.”

  He nodded.

  “Maybe you’ll work abroad later.”

  Brad shook his head. “Callie would never leave Burrow.”

  “One thing I’ve learned where God is concerned—never say ‘never.’ If she truly loves God, she’ll follow where He leads.” Mark squeezed his buddy’s shoulder. “I’ll be praying for you.” He got up and walked back to his house, leaving Brad staring at the sea.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Callie backed the car out of her garage and headed down the road, willing herself to be strong. But Chaos was her dog—she didn’t have to give him away. He was happy with her. He didn’t know any better.

  But when visions of Chaos and Micah came to her mind, she knew without a doubt she was doing the right thing.

  On the drive over to the Sauderses’ home, Callie’s thoughts traveled to Brad. Was he having a good time? Had he already committed to staying there? Would she ever see him again? A vise strangled her heart. She couldn’t go there. Not now. She was giving up her dog and most likely the one man she loved all at the same time. A tear slipped down her cheek and she brushed it away.

  She pulled into the driveway, and Andrea ran outside to meet her.

  “You’re sure about this, Callie?” Worry lines deepened between her brows.

  “I’m sure. Are you? I mean, maybe my call caught you off guard. You don’t have to take him. It’s totally up to you.”

  Andrea smiled. “Micah loves him so much. All she talks about is Chaos this and Chaos that.” She laughed. “We welcome him into our family.”

  Chaos barked and shuffled around in his carrier. The two women laughed.

  “I guess he’s ready.” She smiled to disguise the struggle inside her.

  “Micah is reading in her room. I’ll call her out and we can surprise her.” Excitement shone from Andrea’s eyes. She turned to leave, then swung back around to face Callie. “Thank you.” She gave her a quick hug, then headed toward the house.

  Once Andrea disappeared from view, Callie took Chaos out of his carrier and knelt down in front of him. “It sure didn’t take you long to wrap yourself around my heart.” She scratched behind his floppy ears and nuzzled into him. “I’ll miss you.” After a moment she stood up. “Let’s go.”

  Callie tugged on his leash and Chaos trotted along happily beside her. They stepped quietly into the house. Chaos padded excitedly around her. “Stay still,” Callie whispered. Chaos settled at her feet.

  A door opened and footsteps approached from the hallway. Chaos’s ears perked and he stood. He let out a whine and his paws clacked against the hardwood in the entryway.

  “Who’s here?” Micah asked her mother just as they rounded the corner. Her face broke into a smile when she saw Chaos. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. Andrea and Callie laughed as they watched a tangle of arms and paws roll around on the living room floor.

  “Should you tell her or should I?” Callie asked.

  Andrea smiled. “I think you should.”

  Once Chaos and Micah settled down, Andrea called to Micah as they sat on the couch. “Honey, come over here a moment. Miss Callie wants to tell you something.”

  Micah immediately got up and walked over to Callie. “Is everything all right?” Her wide blue eyes showed concern.

  “Everything is fine.” Callie tucked a strand of hair behind Micah’s ear. “You see, I have to work so much these days that Chaos has been lonely. I’m very sad because he spends most of his days alone.”

  Micah turned a sad face to Chaos and nodded.

  “Well, I’ve been thinking how much fun he would have if he could spend his days with you.”

  Her wide eyes just grew wider. Excitement practically exploded on her face.

  “Do you mean—” Micah jerked around to look at her mom, who was smiling and nodding, then turned back to Callie.

  “Yes, honey, your mom and dad agreed, and I’m going to give Chaos to you.”

  She let out a loud squeal and jumped up and down. Chaos joined her in the fun, barking and jumping about. Despite the pain in Callie’s heart, she knew she was doing the right thing. She had no doubt whatsoever that Chaos would be happy in this home.

  “I know this isn’t easy for you,” Andrea said. “You’re more than welcome to come by any time to visit Chaos.”

  “Thank you, Andrea. I truly appreciate that. I know he will be happy here.”

  “You have shown the greatest love of all.”

  Callie looked up at Andrea.

  “Sacrificial love. The kind that says I’m putting my own wants aside so you will have a better life,” Andrea continued.

  Callie’s breath stuck in her throat. She knew Andrea was talking about Chaos but the comment hit her hard. All these years she had blamed her father, resented him and at times loathed him. But maybe he truly had left her for her own good.

  The possibility made her heart freer than she’d ever felt before. A tiny sliver of hope ran through her veins, and she knew that whether she ever saw her dad again, she would be all right. She would cling to the idea that perhaps he truly did love her and gave her his best—and if that wasn’t the case, she would forgive him anyway. Because that’s what true love did. It offered forgiveness.

  Giving up, letting go, setting free, putting her own wants aside so someone else could be happy—that was the person she wanted to be.

  Now the question was did she love Brad Sharp enough to set him free?

  Stepping out of the air-conditioned salon, Callie groaned at the stifling summer heat. This weather, especially on a Monday, definitely called for a stroll over to the ice-cream parlor for a chocolate shake. She glanced at the giant tubs along the walkway that exploded with colorful petunias, roses and daisies. Honeysuckle vines spilled from a nearby fence. Their fragrance mingled with the nectar of roses and perfumed the air.

  Callie loved Burrow in the summer. Truly, she loved every season. Each one brought its own thrill to her, and she had to experience them all.

  The bell jingled softly as Callie stepped inside the parlor. The chilled air not only kept the ice cream in check, but also brought muc
h relief to Callie. Though she loved the summer, she was not a huge fan of sweating.

  “Hi, Callie,” Olivia called out.

  “How’s the ice-cream girl?” Callie stepped up to the counter.

  “Doing great.”

  Callie placed her order for a chocolate shake, and Olivia made it for her.

  “Here you go,” Olivia said, handing her the shake.

  Callie grabbed her straw and took a drink. “Mmm, this is delicious. Good job, Olivia.”

  The teenager beamed. Just as Callie was trying to figure out how to ask about Brad, Olivia said, “Have you talked to Uncle Brad since he got back?”

  Disappointment filled Callie’s chest. She didn’t even know Brad had come home. She had hoped he would contact her, but it wasn’t as though he had to check in with her.

  “No—no, I haven’t.”

  Olivia slumped. “Oh, I thought he would call you.” She shrugged. “Oh, well. I’m sure he will soon enough.”

  Callie smiled. Girls at that age were hopeless romantics. No need to burst her bubble.

  “Did he have a nice time?” Callie considered asking if he had made a decision, but she didn’t. In not knowing, she held on to hope.

  Olivia thought a moment. “I guess so. Dad talked to him on the phone for a little while.” She gazed out the window. “I can’t imagine having the ocean nearby.” She turned to Callie. “No wonder he’s excited about it.”

  He was excited? Callie’s mood headed south at record-speed. “Yeah, I’m sure it’s beautiful.” Callie looked into her cup. Unfortunately, her shake had lost its appeal.

  “Sure beats Burrow,” Olivia said with a laugh.

  Her comment hit Callie like a punch to the abdomen, making it hard for her to breathe. “Well, I guess I’d better be going. I have a lot to do tonight.”

  “Better not get too busy. Uncle Brad might be calling, you know.” She winked.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Callie smiled and walked away.

  Once she was out of view, Callie tossed her shake into a nearby trash bin. She didn’t have the stomach for it. She’d lost her appetite somewhere between learning that Brad was home and hearing Olivia say that he might call her.

  She had to face the raw truth. If he loved her, truly loved her, he would have called her by now. Instead, he was avoiding her. That could mean only one thing.

  Brad was moving to Belize.

  A week ago today Brad had returned to Burrow with a major decision ahead of him. It had been a week of agonizing prayer, gut-wrenching honesty, laying everything on the line, begging God for direction. A bolt of lightening didn’t cut through the clouds and spell out the answer. He didn’t receive a postcard from Heaven. The Scriptures gave him food for thought, but no absolutes.

  But the more he prayed about it, the more he learned about himself. He had blamed himself for Nicole’s death. And he’d blamed others. It was time to let it go and forgive—others as well as himself. Not only that, but he needed to stop comparing himself with his brother. Ryan was a successful judge because he chose that path. Brad chose carpentry. Choosing a different direction did not make him a loser; it made him independent. And though Ryan had encouraged him to go to college, he had never belittled his choice. Brad could see now it was his own insecurity that had made him want to run to faraway places.

  Going to Belize would be a great choice but for the wrong reasons. He needed to serve God wherever that would lead him, but more important, he needed to serve for the right reasons.

  Those revelations brought healing and peace to his soul, which then settled the decision in his mind.

  He would stay in Burrow.

  Besides, just because he chose to work in Burrow didn’t mean he couldn’t occasionally go on a trip to help out.

  Staying away from Callie all week had been an exercise in discipline. The past two weeks had been the longest weeks of his life. He hungered to see Callie like a man starved for food. But he hadn’t wanted her presence to sway him one way or the other. He didn’t want to fill either one of them with false hope until he knew the direction he would take.

  It had been risky, no doubt. He could not imagine what she thought of him by now—or if she thought of him at all.

  Still, he wanted to see her. Needed to see her. To explain his decision and to learn what that meant for them—if anything, on her part.

  He could only pray they had a future together, but whether they did, he decided to take the job with the city.

  If it wasn’t too late.

  Callie’s heart thumped hard against her ribs as her car edged closer to Brad’s home. Why she was worried, she didn’t know—he would never be home on a Saturday afternoon. Still, she didn’t want him to see her. They both knew she never traveled in the country, especially near his house, without reason. Glancing at the corn, she wondered if that “knee-high by the fourth of July” thing still applied. The corn was much higher than that, so she supposed the farmers were happy.

  The car idled at the stop sign, and her fingers thrummed on the steering wheel. Two more blocks.

  Please, don’t let him see me, she said to herself, not minding in the least if God listened in and answered.

  She was greatly relieved to see Brad’s car was gone and the house appeared closed up. No signs of Hammer, but he would likely be in the house.

  Disappointment swept through her. She didn’t want him to see her, but she had hoped for a teensy glimpse of him. A lot could happen in two weeks. Hair growth, shedding pounds, all that.

  She felt foolish, like a teenager spying on her boyfriend. What had gotten into her? Brad had been missing in action since returning from Belize. Clearly he didn’t want to see her. Maybe he was afraid to tell her his decision.

  She’d been praying for him, but her prayers had been for herself, too. And it seemed God had a few things to discuss with her. For example, it was time she stopped depending on others for her happiness. Everything she needed could be found in Him. Man could disappoint and fail, but God never failed.

  She learned something else, too. God was in control. He would be with all of them and see them through life’s journey. Aunt Bonnie and Uncle George knew her love went deep for them, and no matter where life took her that love would never change.

  For the first time in her life, Callie truly understood sacrificial love. She could go or stay wherever God wanted her, with or without Brad, and she would be okay. But now she knew that her love for Brad was strong enough to carry her away from Burrow, if they were supposed to be together.

  Callie pulled her car into the grocery parking lot on her way home. The small heel on her shoe had broken at the salon, but she figured she wouldn’t see anybody on a lazy Saturday afternoon. So she hobbled a little—who cared? Most people would be picnicking in the park or participating in some other fun summer activity. If her yogurt supply hadn’t dwindled to one container, she might have put if off, but she had no choice.

  She climbed out of her car and clip-clopped to the store entrance. The air inside the building was refreshing. Grabbing a cart, she was halfway down the aisle when the wheel started squeaking. A groan escaped her. She had grabbed Rusty—that was her nickname for the cart—again. It seemed she had a knack for grabbing this cart. In fact, she’d used it so often she was sure she owned it. Everyone looked her way as she passed. Rusty had no problem drawing attention to himself—or maybe they were watching her hobble her way through the aisles on uneven heels.

  Crossing the aisles to the dairy section, Callie stopped in her tracks when she spotted Brad reaching for a carton of eggs. Her heart flip-flopped while a butterfly convention settled in her stomach. The two weeks’ hair growth looked good on Brad. She lingered a moment, then realized she needed to make a quick getaway before he saw her—what with that whole shoe thing and all.

  Just as she turned her cart, Rusty squealed and Brad looked up.

  “Callie, hi.” He waved.

  She waved back. They both stood there, transf
ixed in time, just staring at each other. Then Brad took bold, strong steps toward her. By the time he reached her, amusement lit his eyes and his lazy grin made her heart soar.

  “Your foot okay?”

  She lifted the heel of her shoe. “One of those days. Say, what are you doing grocery shopping?”

  “I said I didn’t cook—I didn’t say I don’t shop. A man’s got to have food in the house.”

  She laughed. “I guess so.”

  His eyes gazed into hers. “I’ve missed you,” he said.

  Air tried to circulate in her chest. She could feel it swirling around, but it just couldn’t seem to find her lungs. “I missed you, too,” she managed.

  “I want to tell you all about it. I had planned to call you today.”

  Breathe. Just breathe.

  He took out a piece of paper and pen, wrote something, then handed it to her. “Meet me here tomorrow night at six-thirty. Can you do that—or do you have plans?” His eyes probed her face as though searching for something she wasn’t saying.

  “No, I don’t have any plans.” Great. She had just told him she had no life.

  “So you’ll meet me there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I need your advice on some colors for this house.”

  Her spirits dropped. This wasn’t about being with her. It was about a house he was building.

  “I’ll take you out for a sandwich afterward, so come hungry.”

  She smiled, thinking that choosing paint and eating a sandwich didn’t sound all that romantic. Which could only mean one thing.

  He was going to dump her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Thanks for meeting me tonight, Ryan.” Brad stirred some cream into his no-frills Americano. It suited him. Whipped cream, chocolate, flavorings—they only covered up the coffee taste, to his way of thinking.

  Classical music played and Brad smiled, thinking of Callie asking him to the Philharmonic concert.

  Ryan took a drink from his cup, then settled comfortably into his chair. “Glad to do it. It’s been a while since we’ve had a heart-to-heart.” Ryan watched him. “I take it you’ve made a decision about the job offer?”