“In light of all that,” Jacob said, using that soft tone again. “I’d really like it if we could be Jacob and Kristin tonight, not Mr. Young and Miss Swan.”
She wanted to readily agree but felt her defenses going up. This was all happening so fast. He would be kissing her good night at this rate, and she didn’t feel ready for that. She wasn’t certain she felt ready for him to be holding her hand and looking at her like he was. But at the same time, she knew she longed for another relationship and had told herself today that she would be open to the possibility when the opportunity came along.
She considered telling him about Brandon, but that seemed like too much to get into on their first date. Deciding to enjoy the evening for whatever it held, she would be herself and take Jacob at his word that at the end of the night she would be free to say ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’
Arriving in the small coastal town of Yachats after they’d been traveling for over an hour, Jacob drove to the restaurant that looked like it had been an early settler’s home. Climbing the front stairs and stepping inside, she could see by the numerous walls dividing the eating areas into separate rooms and many historical photographs decorating the walls that she was right. The hostess led them upstairs to a room overlooking the dark ocean. A glowing fireplace sat off to the left, and removing her coat, she could feel its warmth drifting her direction.
“This is so nice,” she said, scanning the cozy room illuminated by soft lamps and the candles on the tables. Only a half-dozen tables took up the spacious room, allowing for a very romantic setting. She could hear the sound of instrumental music coming from the speakers near their table.
After placing their orders, Kristin went to use the restroom. Touching up her make-up in front of the bathroom mirror and fluffing out her medium-blonde hair, she pursed her lips to even out her fresh application of natural pink lipstick. Were her eyes bluer than usual, or had Jacob’s comment about them being a perfect sky-blue gone to her head?
Finding his eyes on her when she returned, she walked gracefully across the room. She had never known the feeling of having a man let her know he found her beautiful by the way he looked at her, the way Jacob did. Brandon had always treated her like a good friend, like someone he cared about, but not like he was crazy about her.
Feeling famished by the time the waiter returned, she ate all of the delicious food set before her and didn’t think she had any room left for dessert. Jacob talked her into sharing a piece of chocolate cheesecake drizzled with raspberry sauce. It tasted heavenly.
“How did you find this place?” she asked.
“My uncle owns a beach house in Waldport. My family goes there every year, and one time we stopped here on our way back home. Now we always do.”
After dinner he drove to an area with a sandy beach, and they went for a walk, listening the ocean roaring in the distance. The moon played peek-a-boo with them, coming from behind the scattered clouds to illuminate the sand beneath their feet. Kristin felt granules seeping into her low-heeled pumps, but she didn’t care. This was the most romantic night of her life, and she wasn’t about to cut it short to save a pair of five-dollar tights.
The cool air, however, did make them keep the walk brief, and they returned to the car. Jacob made one more stop before they reached the highway that would lead them back to Eugene.
Heading south along the Pacific Ocean, they approached one of her favorite Oregon Coast landmarks: Haceta Head Lighthouse. As if reading her thoughts, Jacob pulled the car into a viewpoint area along the cliff, and they stepped out of the car for a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of the illuminated tower and the keeper’s house sitting at the end of the cape.
The beach they had gone to had been a cove sheltered by the wind, but up here the gusts hit them at full force as they stepped from the car. Enjoying the sound of the ocean roaring below them and the mesmerizing beam of light coming from the end of the cape, she felt Jacob standing close to her side. She glanced at him, catching the outline of his face in the light coming from an overhead lamp. He was looking at her rather than the view.
“It’s nice to have this time with you away from school,” he said, using that soft tone again. “I hope you’re not regretting that you agreed to spend the evening with me.”
“I agreed to have dinner with you,” she laughed, turning to face him. “I’m getting more than I bargained for.”
“Do you mind?”
“No,” she replied, being completely honest with herself.
He reached inside her coat that she’d left unbuttoned and placed his hand on her waist. She knew he was going to kiss her, and she dropped her eyes. “I’m not ready for that yet,” she said, glancing back at him.
He smiled. “Yet?”
She returned his charming smile and ran her fingers through her hair, brushing the wind-blown strands away from her eyes. “I’m not used to this, Jacob. This is the first date I’ve been on since um--for quite awhile, and I don’t think I’ve ever been kissed on a first date before.”
He pulled her closer to him and kissed her on the forehead. “I, Miss Swan, haven’t been on a date in over a year, and I’ve never tried to kiss a girl on the first date. I’m not exactly used to this either.”
She found his admission shocking. Jacob was a very handsome man, and with his friendly and warm personality, she knew any girl in her right mind would jump at the chance to go out with him, which meant he simply hadn’t been asking.
“Why me, Jacob?”
He moved his hand from her waist to her cheek. “You captivate me, Kristi. You always have. I can’t take my eyes off you. I love being near you.”
Hearing him shorten her name broke down what few defenses she had left. And standing there so close to him, she realized that for months she had seen him as an authority figure, as a leader, as a professional. But now he stood before her as a person--as a man. Someone who had a heart like she did, someone who had hopes and dreams. And tonight they were Kristin and Jacob, not coworkers.
On the drive home, they talked less than they had going the opposite direction, but their conversation took on a deeper quality. They didn’t just share facts about themselves but also their thoughts, concerns, and hopes on subjects close to their hearts. She asked him why he had become a principal, and he shared openly.
“I had a good one in high school,” he said. “One that sort of took me under his wing and helped me get out--and stay out of trouble.”
“You were a troublemaker?” She found the thought amusing. He was one of the most mild-mannered and by-the-book men she had ever known.
“I got in with the wrong crowd, started to rebel against my parents,” he said. “My principal caught me with a beer at a football game during my sophomore year, and I’ll never forget what he said to me.”
“What?”
“He said, ‘Son, I’m disappointed to see you back behind these bleachers trying to escape your problems instead of being out there on the team where you could be learning how to solve them.’ Then he sat down and talked with me for a long time, asking me questions and making me feel like he really cared about me. Three weeks later I decided to go out for the basketball team because he suggested it, and I made varsity. I started out on the bench, but my coach pushed me and by the end of my senior year I was captain, led us to the State Playoffs, and I got a scholarship to go to college, something I never thought I’d do. I always wonder where I would have ended up if he had suspended me that night instead.”
“Well, we all think you’re doing a great job,” she said. “The staff is so much more unified this year. You have brought us together and helped us to see the students with new eyes. And the kids--they think you’re the best thing since they finally got a soda-pop machine in the cafeteria last year.”
Jacob reached for her hand once again. “I knew there was a reason why I liked you,” he teased.
He pulled the car into her driveway at ten-thirty and walked her to the door.
“I ha
d a great time, Kristin. I know I said it would only be one date, but I’m having a hard time thinking about never doing this again.”
Taking a deep breath, she dared to say what she was thinking. “Me too.”
He reached for her hand. His touch was as warm and gentle as it had been all night.
“I hope keeping you out so late won’t keep you from making it to church on time in the morning.”
“I’ll be fashionably late like always,” she said and laughed.
“I like your laugh,” he said.
“Thank you. And thanks for the nice dinner. I wasn’t expecting you to go to so much trouble.”
“It was no trouble. But next time I’ll choose someplace local.”
Kristin held his gaze. She knew she didn’t want this to be their only date. It had gone by so quickly, and the thought of only seeing him on a professional basis after this would make her heart feel like it was in a vice.
“That will leave time for a movie,” she said, feeling her heart race as he closed the distance between them and placed one hand on her waist, like he’d done at the lookout point.
“May I call you tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He smiled and she knew he wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t.
“Until tomorrow then,” he said, stepping away and kissing the back of her hand.
“Good night,” she whispered.
“Good night, Kristin.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Daisy! You’re supposed to use the litter box,” Kristin scolded, picking up the kitten and plopping her onto the gray granules. “Make wet in here, not on the floor.”
Pulling an old rag from under the sink, Kristin knelt on the kitchen floor to clean up the mess. Her better judgment to put her new house-guest in the garage before she left had been forgotten in her nervousness. Now she realized she should have been more concerned about the cat than her date with Jacob. Everything had been perfect, and even Daisy’s mishap could not spoil her mood.
She went to bed after putting the mewing kitten in the garage for the night along with her sleeping box, the litter pan, and a dish of warm milk. Turning on the sleep-timer on her clock radio, she listened to the music, hoping it would help her drift off. Replaying the entire evening in her mind several times, Kristin knew it had been a perfect Valentine’s Day: A surprise date, a wonderful evening with a special man, the return of hope.
Despite the wonderful evening with Jacob, Kristin could not keep her thoughts from returning to her relationship with Brandon. She had felt the same anticipation for the future exactly one year ago, and she couldn’t stop the fear from rising inside. Brandon had proposed after their romantic Valentine’s Day dinner at the nicest restaurant in the city, and she had gone to bed with an engagement ring to twirl on her finger. She had planned her wedding that night while trying to fall asleep. She could see the flowers, the dresses, and hear the music playing. After two years of dating her, he had asked her to be his wife, and it had been the happiest night of her life.
A stab of pain pierced her heart thinking of his words a few weeks later. “I’m sorry, Kristin. I can’t marry you. I love you, but not in that way.” The best day of her life had led to the worst. She had forgiven him and knew she didn’t want to marry someone who was not in love with her, but it hurt.
Jacob and Brandon were alike in many ways. They both had a gentle quality about them and good-natured, laid-back personalities. Realizing she could easily fall for Jacob, if she hadn’t already, a feeling of panic seized her. She couldn’t keep her guard from going up. She didn’t want to go through that kind of disappointment again.
Managing to drift off to sleep with the mixture of happy and troubled thoughts, she woke in the morning and did her usual mad-dash-to-church routine. Whether her morning started at six or eight-thirty, she could never seem to get out of bed on time.
Teaching her class of four and five-year-olds, Kristin found her mind wandering to Jacob often throughout the hour. She had enjoyed their date thoroughly and couldn’t think of one thing she didn’t like about him. Other than her concerns about them working together and her fears of getting hurt again, she had no reason to tell him anything different when he called her later today than she had last night. In fact, she hoped he would want to see her again today.
“Good-bye, see you next week,” she said to the last child leaving the room with her parents. Putting away the crayons and small puzzles, she tidied up the shelves and picked a few scraps of paper from the floor that remained. Making her way to the sanctuary for the worship service, she saw Kendra talking to Garrett at the end of the hall.
“Hello, Kristin,” he said.
“Good morning,” she said. “How are you?”
“Can’t complain,” he said. “How’s school going?”
“Fine,” she said. “I forgot to tell you how much my students got out of that fire prevention video you showed when your station visited. Usually they are sort of ‘ho-hum, we’ve heard all this before,’ but that one made them think--It made me think.”
“Yeah, that’s a new one. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from it. Hopefully it will save lives,” he said.
The three of them heard the music begin down the hall, and they walked to the sanctuary together. Kristin and Kendra headed for their usual seats near the front, and Garrett followed them. Kendra stepped into the row first, leaving Kristin to sit by Garrett. After singing a few opening praise songs, they took their seats, and the limited space left Kristin sitting quite close to him. She could tell by the way he acted that he was sweet on her like Kendra had said.
If she hadn’t gone out with Jacob last night, she may have done something to return his interest, but now she knew there would be no point. He was a decent guy, very nice and amiable, but his presence did not stir up feelings like Jacob’s had yesterday.
Knowing her friendly behavior had encouraged Garrett to sit by her, she turned her attention to others around her after the closing song to avoid giving him the chance to ask her to lunch. He had a couple of times before. She’d always made up some excuse but didn’t want to lie to him today.
She felt bad for her previous dishonesty and for ignoring him now, but she had never been good at saying no. Today she had a legitimate excuse: she was dating someone else, but she didn’t want to tell anyone about Jacob yet. She had tried to downplay her excitement when Kendra had met her in the parking lot earlier.
After talking to several others around her, she saw Amy and Wesley Mitchell merging into the line heading down the aisle, and she waved to catch Amy’s attention.
“Kristin. How are you?” Amy asked, stepping back and giving her a hug.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “How are you?”
“Good,” she said, glancing at Garrett who had remained by her side.
Kristin continued to chat with Amy. When they reached the foyer, Amy’s husband left to go get their boys, and Garrett slipped away also after mumbling a good-bye.
“I wish we could see you more,” Amy said. “Come out to the house sometime. You are always welcome.”
“Thanks, I’ll try and do that.”
“Are you and Garrett seeing each other?” Amy asked, a mixture of doubt and hope filling her voice. Amy was married to Brandon’s older brother and had been a very close and supportive friend following the unraveling of her and Brandon’s engagement. She felt comfortable sharing the truth with her.
“No. We’re not.”
“Why not? He looked plenty interested to me.”
She shrugged. “I know he would like it to be more, but--”
Kendra interrupted them from behind. “A bunch of us are going to lunch, do you want to come? Oh, hi, Amy.”
“Hello, Kendra,” Amy replied.
Kristin wasn’t certain when Jacob was planning to call. She supposed they would still have time to get together later this afternoon if she went to lunch with the others.
“Sure,” she repl
ied. “Garrett’s not going, is he?”
“No, but James is.”
Kristin rolled her eyes. Kendra dashed away to grab some more people she wanted to invite. Amy laughed. “Kendra up to her matchmaking schemes again?”
“You have no idea,” she laughed. “Yesterday I told her I thought I was ready to start dating again, and now she’s on a crusade.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Amy said. “About you dating again, I mean. I know this has been a hard year for you.”
Kristin nodded. “How is Brandon?” she asked trying to sound casual. “Has he been down since Christmas?”
A look of confusion crossed Amy’s face. Kristin couldn't help but notice it. She often asked Amy about Brandon, but Amy had never looked at her like that before.
“Is he all right?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Amy replied, still looking uncomfortable.
“Amy? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Did you hear that he’s engaged, Kristin?”
Kristin felt the color drain from her cheeks. Brandon, engaged? To whom? If Amy hadn’t been the one standing here telling her such an absurd thing, she wouldn’t have believed it for a second. “N-No,” she replied.
“Did you meet Josie when she was here at Christmas?”
The memory of seeing him with someone else was difficult for her to dredge up again. “Yes,” she said softly. “I thought they had only been dating a few months.”
“They moved pretty quickly,” Amy said. “The wedding is next month.”
Kristin felt numb. How could Brandon be getting married so soon? It had taken him two years to ask her, and then he had changed his mind. Now after dating this Josie for a few months they were getting married? It didn’t make any sense.
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