by Simmons, Pat
Royce couldn’t help but think about the woman sitting near him, with only Lindsay separating them. He was actually in a contented place. His mind began to drift until Pastor Reed closed his Bible.
“Will you come today?” his pastor asked the visitors. “God’s mercies are new every morning. Be thankful in your heart for another chance to repent and to get your sins washed away in Jesus’ name. God will equip you with the Holy Ghost to live right. Won’t you come?” Three people heeded his call for repentance. Ministers prayed for them while another prepared for the baptism that two of them had requested.
Standing with the rest of the congregation, Royce reached for Candace’s hand as her eyes watered.
“This is the best part of the service. That’s one less soul the devil has control over.” Candace dabbed her eyes, witnessing two women be submerged spiritually dirty, then brought up gleaming sin free—redeemed.
Following the benediction, Royce and Hershel introduced the ladies to a few church members before heading to Trent and Julia’s house with Candace’s dish of potato salad and homemade rolls. Hershel wasn’t too far behind with the boys and Solae. His brother had raved about Solae’s desserts, so she brought sweet potato and pecan pies. Royce’s mouth watered. This was one Thanksgiving he would never forget.
“Welcome,” Julia met them at the door. Her eyes sparkled as she swallowed up Candace and Lindsay in hugs, then winked at Royce. As an afterthought, she gave him a hug. Minutes later, Julia repeated her routine with Solae.
Julia banished the Kavanaugh brothers to the family room to babysit the children. That translated to them watching a football bowl game on TV. When Trent’s baby fussed, he gathered Ariel in his arms. That caused Lindsay to sit next to Royce to play with her. Royce smiled. It was so natural between him and Lindsay. Strangers assumed they were father and daughter whenever they went into a restaurant or store, and he didn’t have a problem accepting that role.
Soon the aromas from the kitchen made Royce’s stomach growl while he strained to overhear the women’s conversation. Losing interest in the game, Royce angled his body to have an unobstructed view of the kitchen to match Hershel’s stare. He began to stroke his jaw in thought. “Are you thinking the same thing I’m thinking?” he asked Hershel without taking his eyes off Candace.
“What are you thinking?” Hershel countered.
He lowered his voice. “Thinking that it’s time to ask the most beautiful woman in there to marry me.”
“Solae is taken.” Hershel didn’t crack a smile. They stared at each other. Royce had wondered if his brother would ever allow another woman into life, not to mention in his heart again. Royce had his answer.
“You know I was referring to Candace. I think I’m ready.”
“Me too,” Hershel stated casually, as if he was about to purchase the same pair of socks Royce wanted, and just that quickly he turned his attention back to the game.
CHAPTER twenty-two
Candace and Solae were sitting side by side in the same pew they had occupied on Sundays for years while Sister Vanhorn read the morning announcements. From the upcoming fundraiser to choir rehearsal, nothing was sticking
Memories from spending Thanksgiving Day with Royce from the church service to the good night kiss at her door to the whispers of ‘I love you’ when he got home, saturated her mind, then Royce’s text that awaited her when she woke was on instant replay in her head.
Can’t sleep thinking about you and me—and Lindsay. I love you and miss you so much. I think we should do something about it. Pray for me at church. Love R
“What did Sister Vanhorn say about the Christmas play?”
“Huh?” Candace blinked and stared at Solae. “Girl, I have no idea. My mind was elsewhere.” She grinned sheepishly.
“Mine, too, but when she said something about the Christmas play, I thought about Hershel’s boys.”
Candace smiled, then chuckled. “Did you know Brandon has become protective of Lindsay at school when a classmate was picking on her?”
Solae snickered. “The big brother Lindsay never had.”
“Yeah,” Candace said softly. Lindsay would be an only child if she didn’t remarry. Years ago she wouldn’t have entertained that notion…now in love with Royce and his cryptic text message about “doing something” she didn’t want to assume he meant a permanent spot in her life. After all, they hadn’t been dating long.
As Sister Vanhorn continued to run through the church announcements in her monotone voice, Solae stared ahead, but mumbled, “Lately, I’ve been feeling Hershel watching me, and when I catch him, he just smiles.”
“And the problem with that is?” Candace teased.
“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to know his thoughts,” Solae said a tad frustrated.”
“Well, one, he’s attracted to you. Two, he does love you—”
Shaking her curls, Solae didn’t wait for her to make it to number three. “Will he ask me to marry him, especially…” She scooted closer to Candace and whispered, “I told him about my inability to bear children.”
Holding her breath, Candace swallowed. “What did he say?”
“He said it didn’t matter.”
Candace exhaled and squeezed Solae’s hand. “Then believe him. You said yourself that Hershel is completely different from the others. Maybe it’s because he’s already a father.”
“Please govern yourselves accordingly and make note of the changes for this week’s services,” Sister Vanhorn stated and stepped down from the pulpit.
Candace and Solae exchanged bewildered glances. “What changes?”
Missing the important stuff, it was as if God said, “That’s what you get for talking when you should have been listening in My house.”
CHAPTER twenty-three
Just because was Royce’s reasoning for surprising Candace with flowers this morning. Although he was off and they were to have dinner later, Royce couldn’t wait to see her.
He had calculated to be at her crosswalk about the same time the last school bell rang. Royce grinned, imagining her smile. He was almost there when the traffic snarled.
“Come on.” People were messing with his agenda now.
Moments later, sirens grew louder as an emergency vehicle whizzed by him. Like the other drivers, Royce cranked his neck to see what was going on. That’s when he noticed a news chopper hovering about three blocks in the distance.
Royce experienced a sinking feeling in his chest. He wondered if the source of the chaos was near Brandon’s school and Candace’s crosswalk. Swallowing back his emotions, Royce refused to believe the worst.
“Fine time to be off duty,” he gripped as another driver watched him talk to himself. Otherwise, he and his crew would be working the scene.
He clicked on the radio for a traffic report. “Police are on the scene of three car crash involving a school bus at the intersection of North Lindbergh and Cougar Lane. There are reports of injuries. You might want to avoid that area…”
“I don’t think so!” Royce grunted as he performed a one second head check, then activated his blinker as a courtesy, but swerved into the right lane as if he was a race car driver in another life.
He inched his way until he could cut into a nearby Denny’s parking lot. Royce scrambled out the car and starting running toward the scene, praying, hoping that everyone would be all right and Candace wasn’t involved.
Despite being in shape, Royce panted as his adrenaline propelled him faster. His fellow medics were tending to someone on a stretcher and another person’s legs dangled from the back bumper of an ambulance— Candace! He would recognize those legs anywhere.
He bypassed colleagues with his mind set on the person in the back of the ambulance. Candace seemed fine as she sat still while the blood pressure cuff was being removed from her arm.
Looking up, she saw him and waved. The smile she graced him caused him some ease—some.
“Baby, are you okay? What happened?” Royce gentl
y patted her shoulder while frantic with questions.
“I’m fine, but the driver of the school bus is probably going to need a doctor and lawyer. Thank God no children were on board.”
Nothing was making sense. “So…you’re okay? I mean, I know how these accidents affect you,” he said carefully.
Candace reached out and stroked his jaw. Now who was comforting who? “Shaken up a little, but okay. I’ve learned that when God called me to do this job, He worked with the little faith I had and increased it, so I could be the best crossing guard possible.”
“Uh-huh.” That sounded good and he enjoyed testimonies like any other saint of God, but he needed answers. Royce turned to the medic who he recognized. “What happened, Jackson?”
“Witnesses say the bus driver ran the light, hitting two cars that were already in the intersection, including Miss Clark’s, here.” The smile Jackson gave his woman was too friendly in Royce’s opinion.
“And…” Royce prompted, making a show of linking his fingers through Candace’s hand.
Jackson noticed. “Apparently, the children were just dropped off. The driver was arguing on the phone while attempting to drink hot coffee and drive, a bad combination. He has burns and probably has a concussion from jamming on the brakes and hitting his head against the windshield…”
“Now, are you okay?” Candace flipped the tables on him. She looked concerned.
Royce seemed to exhale for the first time. “No, I probably need them to check my blood pressure. I almost had a heart attack, thinking something bad happened.”
Relieved that everything was okay, Royce wanted to collapse. Knowing he was much too heavy for Candace to catch his fall, he scooted her over instead and reached for the blood pressure cuff.
***
Candace had never seen Royce so beside himself. At least he had recovered from that morning fiasco. However, since he picked her up for dinner an hour ago, Royce hadn’t let go of her hand and she wasn’t complaining.
As they stared at each other across the table, the candlelit setting played on all the love he had for her that shone from his eyes.
“I’m fine, sweetie,” she tried to convince him. “You respond to emergencies all the time, so why don’t you believe me?”
Royce shook his head. “I consider myself fearless in order to do my job, but I’ve never been so scared in all my life. I thought I had lost you or that you were injured…” he looked away and swallowed.
At that moment, Candace knew he understood what it felt like to lose someone you love. After squeezing his fingers, she brought his knuckles to her lips. “I love you, Mr. Kavanaugh. You once told me that in this life, nothing is for certain and that I should live each day as if were my last. I’m fine. I’m sorry for the scare, but let’s enjoy the moment and our love.”
“I can definitely do that.” Clearing his throat, he waved for their waiter. “I guess I’ve worked up an appetite.”
CHAPTER twenty-four
Candace and Royce were about to have their first petty argument on Christmas Day. “Mr. Kavanaugh, you’ve got to be exhausted. Solae has turned me into a fire junkie. I watched last night’s news about that building fire that took hours to put out.”
Despite a horrific twelve hour shift that Royce worked on Christmas Eve, he insisted on accompanying Candace to church on Christmas Day and spending time with her and Lindsay.
“Thank God no one was injured, or that it was a house fire where gifts would’ve been destroyed. Those are the most heart-wrenching incidents near the holidays.” Royce made a stretching sound.
“I can hear the tiredness in your voice,” she argued to no avail as he informed her he would be at her house in an hour.
“Be ready, Miss Clark.”
“You are one stubborn man, but I love you. Merry Christmas.”
“And my love for you is just as stubborn, babe. See you in fifty-nine minutes and Merry Christmas.”
She gasped as he disconnected. Most times his persistence was attractive. At the moment, it was frustrating her because he didn’t give much time for her and Lindsay to get dressed. At least they had taken their baths the previous night and laid out their clothes.
First, she would have to tangle with Lindsay to put away two of the five Christmas gifts she had already opened, which was her limit and it had nothing to do with her budget.
Her pastor reminded the congregation each year that Christmas was about celebrating Jesus’ birthday, not anyone else’s, and that God’s offering should outmatch other’s presents. That point hit home.
She dressed Lindsay in a dark green velvet dress with a satin bow tied in the back with green satin shoes. Her daughter primped in front of the wall length mirror as she twirled and danced from side to side.
With ten minutes and counting, Candace hurried and piled her mass of curls on top of her head and applied light makeup, then slipped into a red suede dress.
“You look pretty like me, Mommy.”
“Thank you, sweetie,” Candace said as she eyed her reflection in the same mirror temporary vacated by her daughter. The dress outlined her figure; her legs were hidden in suede knee boots.
Royce’s face came alive when she opened the door not long after that. “Wow, woman.” He stepped into her foyer carrying gifts, but couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. Only Lindsay’s piercing scream of delight at seeing him broke their connection.
“Hi, baby,” he greeted Candace with love in his eyes, lowering his voice before Lindsay threw herself at him.
The moment was heartwarming as Candace freed him of the presents, so he could lift Lindsay into his arms. He gave her his full attention. “Don’t you look like a princess?”
Lindsay nodded her head in agreement. Royce and Candace laughed as he graced them both with a kiss.
“We can open gifts after service,” Candace informed Lindsay as she eyed the packages Royce brought. As expected her daughter pouted.
Seemingly taking pity on her sulking daughter, Royce tickled Lindsay, then made a production of bundling Lindsay up to her giggles. “I love you, Mr. Royce.”
“And I love you, too.” He capped off his declaration with a juicy smack on each cheek. “You’re next.” He turned to Candace and gave her the same treatment, bundling her up in her coat. His tired eyes seemed to take on new life when he delivered several juicy smacks to her cheeks, nose, and forehead, purposely teasing her, leaving her lips untouched. Candace withheld her own pout.
As tit-for-tat, she planned to send him home packing soon after they returned from service, ate, and opened their gifts. En route to church, Lindsay led them in a round of familiar Christmas carols.
Twenty minutes later, they strolled into Jesus Saves Church as if they were a family. Locating a pew, they knelt and offered a prayer of thanks, almost in unison before taking their seats. Once their coats were off, Candace snuggled as close as possible to Royce with Lindsay sandwiched between them. Lord, thank You for the good man You allowed to find me, she said silently.
You had to overcome your fears in order for your blessings to find you, Jesus whispered in the wind.
Yes, I did. Candace smiled, grateful for that moment of fellowship with the Lord.
“What’s so funny?” he whispered.
She hadn’t realized Royce was watching her. “You make me smile for no reason at all.”
It appeared her explanation brought out the cockiness in him as his lips curled into a smirk. Before he could respond, her pastor began his sermon. They both scrambled to flip through the pages of their Bibles, but he started without selecting a text.
“This is the day most of us have been waiting for, so today, it’s time. God wants you to unwrap your gift,” Pastor Alexander told the congregation. “And guess what you’ll find…Jesus revealed.”
Candace jotted down the sermon title in her Bible.
“There is no guessing. After unwrapping Grace, we discover Mercy. Joy escaped and danced behind Peace. Salvation and P
ower stood at attention before Healing and Deliverance was uncovered. Somehow Love seemed to be a small package, but once opened, it exploded, covering all the other gifts, Pastor Alexander quoted scriptures verbatim, faster than Candace could write, so she stopped. She would purchase the DVD.
Everyone seemed to be riveted, including Royce who was surprisingly wide awake. Her pastor concluded the short sermon with an altar call. Stretching out his hand, he offered an invitation, “There is never any reason for you to leave this church hungry. There’s more food from where this came from, and you know what?”
The crowd responded, “What?”
“There are more gifts, too. If you want your presents, ask. Daddy, I want the box labeled Peace, I need two packages of Power. Need Joy? Yeah, it looks like that’s here, too. C’mon. Today is a good day to ask. Repent first, confessing your sins, not to me, but to the Lord Jesus. Tell Him you’re sorry. Ask Him for help.
“Once you’ve made up your mind, c’mon down for prayer. If you want to get rid of your filthy garments, let God wash your sins away in Jesus’ name. He offers a full service makeover. He will wash, dry, press, and dress you Himself. C’mon now. There’s no sense in letting these gifts go to waste.”
After the benediction and witnessing three repentant souls get baptized in Jesus’ name, members processioned to the altar to joyously give their Christmas offering to the deacons. Afterward, Royce reached for her hand. “Well, let’s go unwrap gifts and create some more memories.”
“Okay.” She playfully wrinkled her nose. “After I feed you, then I’m putting you out, so you can go home and get some rest.”
