“Jealous? Of what?” Shayla asked in a raised voice. “Faith has absolutely nothing to be envious over.”
Pamela opened her mouth to respond, but she looked over at Rafferty and closed her mouth. Right then and there Micah knew she was putting on a big act for Rafferty. She wanted him to think she was sweetness and light and everything nice. By this point, Micah was pretty disgusted with the whole routine.
“Don’t waste your breath, Shayla,” Faith said. “It’s not worth it.” Her expression was mutinous which made Micah want to grin despite the tense situation they found themselves in. He was happy to see Faith showing pluck and grit. She wasn’t bowing down to Pamela’s mean girl routine.
Without another word, Rafferty led Pamela down the hallway and out of the house, closing the door with a bang. Micah winced. Rafferty wasn’t the type to get ruffled or to allow anger to color his actions. He’d just left the house incensed.
Faith was standing beside him biting her lip. “I’m sorry. I feel like my family dysfunction crept into your wonderful day. I hate that you and Rafferty are at odds.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” he answered. “I heard the things Pamela said to you. I’ve always had my suspicions about her, but this is way beyond anything I imagined.” He shook his head. “She was completely foul to you, Faith. I’m so sorry you had to be treated that way.”
Faith wrapped her arms around her middle. “Sadly, I’m used to it. She’s been doing it our whole lives. I haven’t spent a lot of time around her lately, so I was hoping she’d changed.” She let out a hollow laugh. “She did ask me to be her bridesmaid, which is fairly bizarre.”
“Why do you think she did that?” Shayla asked.
Faith shrugged. “Because she’s not really close to many people and there really isn’t much family to speak of. Her parents and brother are overseas and I don’t think they’re very close. I’m fairly certain she only asked me so she could show Rafferty she has family ties.”
“What set her off?” Micah asked. “Do you have any idea?”
Faith ran her fingers over the scars on her arm. “These. She thinks my scars are disgusting and she’s not used to seeing me wearing anything sleeveless.”
“Ugh. That’s terrible!” Shayla said in a raised voice. She slammed her hand down on the table. “What nerve!”
“Easy there,” Micah cautioned.
“I should probably go home,” Faith said, shifting from one foot to the other. “I feel badly about everything. It’s so embarrassing.”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” Shayla said, grabbing ahold of Faith’s hand. “We’re about to go outside and eat all the food my family has lovingly prepared. We have steaks and shrimp and hotdogs and potato salad.” Shayla made a goofy face and rubbed her tummy.
Micah winked at her. “Don’t forget about the grilled corn and the buffalo chicken wings. And dad’s famous cinnamon apple pie.”
Faith let out a groan. “Now I’m really starting to get hungry.”
“Then let’s head outside and forget about all this drama with Pamela,” Micah suggested. “You handled yourself very well.”
He ushered her toward the hallway, then followed behind her as they headed outdoors. Once they were outside the smell of food being cooked on the grill assailed his senses.
“Hey! What took you guys so long? We decided to start without you,” Parker called out. “Hot dogs and burger are done. Come and get ‘em while they’re hot.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Micah said, heading toward the grill where he took a plate and then brought it over to Faith.
“Thanks. This looks delicious,” she said, taking the plate from him.
“Where’s my plate since you’re being so chivalrous?” Shayla asked, placing her hands on her hips.
“You’re not a guest,” Jude said, ruffling Shayla’s hair. “Faith is. Your brother was raised with manners.”
“Daddy!” she said with a squeal. “How many times have I told you not to do that to my hair?”
“I’m sorry, Shay. I still think of you as my little girl,” Jude said.
Shayla threw herself against her father’s chest. “I’ll always be your little girl. Always and forever.”
Micah couldn’t help but notice Faith’s expression as she gazed at his father and Shayla. She had a wistful expression on her face. He imagined she was thinking of her own father and missing him. Suddenly, he was gripped with a desire to fill Faith’s world with love and support. From the sounds of it, she really was alone in the world, with the exception of Pamela’s family. He sucked his teeth. If Pamela was any example, the rest of her family probably hadn’t given Faith much support and love over the years.
He knew he was getting ahead of himself. At the moment he and Faith were merely friends and members of the same choir. They hadn’t even gone out on a real date yet. His Pops had always told him he would know when he met the one. Micah had always scoffed at his father for being a romantic soul. He hadn’t believed it for a minute. But he did now. Because the feelings Faith was stirring up inside of him were far from ordinary. For a man who had dated dozens of women and never found love in a single relationship, these feelings were awe inspiring.
He didn’t know what to do with all of these emotions bouncing around inside of him. Should he tell someone? Shout if from the rooftops? Play it cool as he usually did in relationships?
Micah felt clueless. All he knew at the moment was that he was falling for Faith. And even though it scared him to death, he knew he couldn’t walk away from something so extraordinary.
**
As the afternoon sun dipped down below the horizon, Micah walked Faith to her car and told her he’d see her bright and early tomorrow at church service. When he walked back into the house, Shayla was waiting for him by the door. He knew his sister well enough to know she had something she needed to get off her chest.
“Hey, Micah.” Shayla tugged at his arm. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“If this is about Rafferty, don’t say a word. It’s between the two of us. We’ll work it out.” Honestly, Micah wasn’t sure they would, but he needed to stay positive.
Shayla scoffed. “I wasn’t going to add fuel to the fire, but let me tell you, that woman sure knows how to twist him around.”
Micah gritted his teeth. “She sure does. In the end she’s going to hurt him. I’ve known that for some time.”
Shayla sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Rafferty doesn’t deserve that.”
“He deserves the best.” Micah tweaked her nose. “Someone like you.”
Shayla dipped her head down. He wasn’t sure but he thought she might be hiding a sheen of tears in her eyes.
When she raised her head up, he could see traces of moisture in her eyes but she’d collected herself. He knew it was killing her to see Rafferty engaged to Pamela. And it must hurt even more seeing him with someone so calculating and manipulative.
“Micah, I couldn’t help but notice you vibing with Faith.”
He nodded. “Yeah, we get along great. She’s pretty fantastic.”
“I don’t want her to get hurt.”
Micah felt a small burst of anger flow through him. “Why is that the first assumption you jump to? That I’m going to hurt her.”
“Because women always fall for you.”
“For the record, I don’t go around hurting women.”
Shayla raised her eyebrow.
“At least not on purpose,” he muttered. There had been a few women in his past who had been hurt when the relationship ran its course, but he had never engaged in deception or cheated on a single one, nor had he been cruel or demanding. He just hadn’t been able to give them what they wanted—forever.
“I know you never meant to hurt any of them, but let’s face it, you did. Women fall for you, Micah. Head over heels. Totally smitten. One compliment from your lips and they soar straight to the moon. One break up call from you and they think life as they�
��ve known it is over.” She shuddered. “I’m not saying you’ve done anything wrong, but you have always been the one in the driver’s seat in your relationships. There’s power in that. You just need to be aware of it so you tread softly.”
“I never make promises,” he said, trying in vain to ward off the frustration his sister’s words evoked.
Shayla sighed. “So are you and Faith…heading toward something?”
“After all you’ve said, I’m not sure I want to discuss it,” he said in a curt voice.
“Don’t be defensive. I’m just trying to protect Faith.”
“So what about me? What if I’m really falling for Faith? Who’s going to protect my heart?”
“I love life’s little moments. A walk on the beach. A picnic in the park. Singing in the rain. Those are the moments when I fell in love with Heath.” Bella Donahue
Chapter Six
As the church service ended, Faith led the choir in a rousing version of “How Great Thou Art.” It rang out from the rafters. She always knew when they hit one out of the park because people would turn around in their pews and look up at the choir. It made Faith feel as if she and the choir really were enriching the congregation and singing for God’s glory. A feeling of happiness settled inside her.
Every now and again she snuck a glance in Micah’s direction. Although he still didn’t know all of the songs, he was giving it his all and gelling well with the other members of the choir. Even Clyde seemed to have toned down his attitude toward Micah and had actually given him some pointers.
Last night she and Lanie had stayed up until after midnight talking on the phone. She had told her best friend all about her interactions with Micah and how he’d asked her out on a date.
“Wow. You hit the jackpot there, Faith. He’s gorgeous and sweet. And from what I hear, his family is amazing. One of his brothers, Daniel, is very well-established with a video game empire. Maybe you could fix us up! Who knows? If things go well, we could have a double wedding.”
Faith had laughed herself silly over Lanie’s comments. Everyone should have a friend like Lanie in their lives, she thought, one who provided them with the gift of laughter. If not for Lanie, Faith wasn’t sure where she would have gotten emotional support over the years. She prayed she’d been as good a friend to Lanie as she’d been to her.
Once church service was over, Faith handed out the practice schedules for the next month. It felt so wonderful to see the choir group growing and strengthening in their purpose. Her parents had both belonged to a church choir and it made her feel connected to them. It was important to her, since on some days it felt as if her connection to them was slipping away.
Suddenly, it was just her and Micah. She felt a little hitch in her heart when he smiled at her, a slow, easy grin that threatened to take over his entire face.
“Ready to get some sun?”
Faith nodded. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”
She didn’t head to the beach all that much. It had been a long time since she’s been able to spend a carefree day at the beach. She avoided it for more than one reason. It reminded her of those carefree summers she’d spent with her parents vacationing in Miami or swimming at Pelican Bay beach. She was very fortunate that her burns hadn’t been worse. While she was recuperating in the burn unit, Faith had met many other teen patients whose sweat glands had been destroyed by fire, which meant they couldn’t perspire or sit out at the beach. Faith had no such issues. Her main one had been her self-esteem and being able to wear a bathing suit with her head held high. But life, with the assistance of Micah, had been showing her lately that her beauty wasn’t determined by a few scars.
These days Faith felt determined to focus on her blessings. Her scars would serve as reminders of all she’d been through, but mostly, they were evidence of her survival. She could so easily have perished in the blaze, and yet, she had survived. God had been watching over her that day and every day since then.
By the time they reached the beach it was almost noon time. The beach was fairly crowded with families and beach umbrellas and couples walking in the sand. Happiness radiated and pulsed in the air around them. The day was promising to be hot and hazy. The perfect beach day. Faith couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a day at Pelican Bay beach. Micah drove his convertible into the beach lot and parked close to the entrance. Since they had both changed in the church bathrooms, Faith already had her bathing suit and cover up on. She’d packed a beach bag filled with a change of clothes, sunglasses, a big hat, some magazines and a few towels. Micah had packed several beach chairs and a bag filled with snacks and sodas.
“Where should we sit?” Micah asked as they scoured the beach for the perfect spot.
“It’s nice to be close to the water in case we decide to take a dip,” Faith said, pointing toward an area close to the ocean and near the lifeguard station.
Micah led the way over to the spot and began setting up the chairs while Faith laid out the towels. He pointed to his insulated bag containing the sodas. “Help yourself to a cold soda if you like. Snacks are in the other bag.” Faith leaned over and picked out a cold orange soda then settled back into her chair.
Once she was settled, Faith shrugged off her cover up. In her one-piece bathing suit, she would be more exposed than ever. In addition to her burns on her arms and wrist, she also had them at the side of her right thigh and on her lower stomach. She probably would never be brave enough to wear a bikini. Everything considered, she felt good about herself and being at the beach today with Micah.
Thank you, Lord. For giving me the courage to step outside of my comfort zone and for bringing Micah Donahue into my life.
Micah cast an admiring glance in her direction. “Nice suit,” he said with an approving nod of his head.
“Thanks. I just picked it up the other day.” The one-piece suit was a brilliant emerald green color. It had a scalloped neckline and accentuated her figure without being overly revealing. Wearing it made Faith feel womanly and beautiful. It had been a long time since she’d thought about her looks in such a complimentary way. Micah was bringing out the best in her in every way imaginable. Since meeting him Faith had felt lighter and more carefree. With each and every passing day Faith felt like a more whole human being. Although the past was still painful, Faith finally had hope she could move beyond it.
Faith grabbed her hat and sunglasses, then looked over at Micah. He was wearing a pair of bright blue board shorts and a big straw hat on his head. When he saw her looking at him he pointed at the hat. “I can’t get too much direct sun since I have a tendency to burn. Clients want you to show up looking the same way you did when you they booked you for the gig.”
“It makes sense, although I never would have figured models had to think about things like that.”
He winked at her. “I know people think models don’t do anything but stand around and look pretty, but we actually work pretty hard. We’re not just pretty faces. And we’re pretty intelligent to boot.”
“Anything special going on this week?”
Micah took a big gulp of his soda, then swallowed. “I have a commercial booked. It’s pretty nerve racking stuff though. My toughest assignment yet.”
“You seem like a man who enjoys challenges,” Faith observed. “I admire that.”
“This is a bit out of my element.” He had a wistful expression etched on his face. “I wish you could come with me to the shoot. You’d be such a calming influence, Faith.”
“Really? They let outside people watch?”
“Sure. Not an entourage or anything,” he said with a chuckle. “But a few people are permissible. My agent will probably be there. So, are you interested?”
Faith loved the idea of attending one of Micah’s professional gigs. It would allow her to see what really transpired during the shooting of a commercial. It would also give her more time to spend in Micah’s presence.
“School’s out for the year, so I’m free.
You can give me the details later.”
“Seriously?” he asked, letting out a deep breath. “That would be amazing. This commercial is for a big name in the fashion industry, so it could really lead to bigger and better things. Usually they don’t give us lines, but we actually have some dialogue in this one.”
“It really sounds like a great opportunity, Micah, especially if you want to go the next level and incorporate acting into your repertoire.”
Micah frowned at her. “How did you know that’s what I want to do?”
“I saw the way you lit up yesterday when we were talking about dialogue and learning lines. I just connected the dots.”
He quirked his mouth. “Modeling is great, but I’d love to branch out and do other things. I’ve been blessed to have a great career, but in another five years or so the jobs might dry up. Unfortunately, the modeling profession tends to value youth above all else. I want to have a second act ready.”
“Smart,” Faith said with a nod. “It’s always wise to have a backup plan.”
Micah wiped some beads of sweat from his forehead. “It’s getting a bit warm out here. Want to take a dip before we head out to lunch?”
“I’d love to,” Faith said. Micah stood up and offered his hand to her, pulling her up from the beach chair. He didn’t let go of her hand as they walked down toward the water with their hands joined. She’d never known such a small gesture could be so romantic. Never in a million years had she ever imagined she would be holding hands on the beach with a man like Micah and wearing a form fitting bathing suit. Faith wanted to throw her hands in the air and do a triumphant jig.
God had never forsaken her and she’d never given up on herself.
Once her toes felt the water she retreated a bit, daunted by the cool temperature. She took a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to dive in.
“Come on, the temperature is perfect,” Micah said, still holding on to her hand.
Tenderly (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay) Page 10
