Until I Met You

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  UNTIL I MET YOU

  Brides of Seattle Series

  Prequel

  Kimberly Rose Johnson

  Until I Met You

  Published by Kimberly R. Johnson

  U.S.A.

  Smashwords Edition

  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 hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission from the author.

  Until I Met You is a work of fiction. References to real places, establishments, and incidents are used fictitiously. All other characters, names, and incidents are a product of the authors imagination.

  Copyright © 2018 Kimberly R. Johnson

  Edited by Miralee Ferrell

  Cover Design Castle Creations

  Formatting by Cindy Jackson

  Books by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  Brides of Seattle

  The Reluctant Groom

  Simply Smitten

  Melodies of Love

  A Love Song for Kayla

  An Encore for Estelle

  A Waltz for Amber

  Sunriver Dreams

  A Love to Treasure

  A Christmas Homecoming

  Designing Love

  Wildflower B&B Romance Series

  Island Refuge

  Island Dreams

  Island Christmas

  Island Hope

  Contemporary Inspirational Romance Collection

  In Love and War

  Contemporary Novella

  Brewed with Love

  Chapter One

  Early Saturday morning, Brandi Prescott held her latte in one hand and opened the door to leave her favorite coffee shop in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle. She raised her hood and tightened the belt of her trench coat as rain pounded the ground.

  “Bring it on.” She tilted her head and spoke to the black cloud overhead. Nothing was going to ruin her good mood. It might be a dreary fall day, but it was the weekend, and she planned to spend it reading beside a cozy fire in her apartment a few blocks away.

  She walked to the crosswalk and frowned at the huge puddle of water blocking her path. How had it rained that much in such a short time? When she’d crossed the street, ten minutes ago, it had been fine. No way could she use the crosswalk without soaking her feet. She should have worn rubber boots instead of sneakers.

  A vehicle careened through the yellow light. “Oh no!” She ducked her head as a wave of water splashed over her, knocking her latte from her hand. She balled her fists at her sides and glared after the red SUV.

  “Of all the nerve!” She wiped water from her face, which had managed to get her even though she’d ducked her head.

  The car braked and pulled into a parking spot. A man with dark hair hopped out. He jogged toward her. “Are you okay? I didn’t notice the standing water until it was too late.”

  She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “My coffee is ruined, and I’m soaked. Otherwise, I’m fine.” She bent down and picked up the paper cup and the plastic lid that had popped off.

  “I’m really sorry. Let me get you a new one.”

  She studied the man a moment. His neatly trimmed beard and mustache framed a young face with kind brown eyes. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I can do, considering I nearly drowned you.”

  She chuckled. “Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far. My coat did a pretty good job of keeping me dry.”

  He raised a brow. “Come on. Let’s get out of the rain.” He walked toward the coffee shop and pulled open the door. “After you.”

  “Thanks.” She stepped over to the counter. “I’m back.”

  Lori, her favorite barista, smiled. “That was fast.”

  “Yeah. My drink met an unfortunate demise. Could I get another medium vanilla latte please?”

  “Sure thing.”

  Brandi looked over her shoulder to the man. “Are you ordering anything?”

  “I think I’ll have a large peppermint mocha.” He pulled out his wallet and paid for their drinks. “By the way, I’m Ian.”

  “Brandi.” She strolled over to the pick-up side of the counter. “Thanks for replacing my coffee. That was really nice of you.” Okay this man was seriously good looking—as in the cover of GQ Magazine, even in sweats and a T-shirt. Yes, looks were a matter of taste, but she’d challenge anyone to disagree.

  “Don’t mention it. Do you mind keeping me company?” He raised a brow.

  “I should be going.” She had no intention of having coffee with a stranger, good looking or not.

  “Here’s your latte.” Lori placed the lidded cup on the counter. “I’ll have your mocha up next.” She looked back to Brandi. “There’s a hand dryer in the bathroom and paper towels.”

  “Good idea. Excuse me.” She locked herself in the one-person restroom and looked in the mirror. “Oh my goodness!” He probably invited her to have coffee with him because he felt sorry for her. Her light strawberry-blonde hair clung to the side of her face. Her mascara sent rivulets of black down her cheeks. She gasped. Okay, maybe she could trust a man willing to have coffee with someone in such disarray, because he clearly couldn’t have ulterior motives other than being nice.

  She pulled out several paper towels and cleaned up the best she could, then slipped off her coat. At least everything under the coat was dry. She pulled out lipstick and pressed powder from her purse and reapplied them. Her hair was a lost cause, though. After running her fingers through the wavy mess, she turned with a sigh and left.

  Ian still stood at the counter. “What happened?” She bit back a frown. They never took this long to make a drink.

  “They made the wrong kind.”

  “Oh. That’s a bummer. Do you still want company?”

  His brown eyes lit. “Sure.”

  “Here’s your peppermint mocha.” Lori handed it to him. “Sorry about the wait.”

  “No problem. Thanks.” He raised the cup to his lips and sipped. “It’s really good.” He motioned to a nearby table. “Is that spot okay?”

  “Sure.” Brandi followed him to a seat along a wall then sat across from him.

  “Why’d you change your mind?”

  “I looked in the mirror.” She made a silly face. “And decided any man willing to be seen in public with someone who looked like me was someone I’d like to know.”

  He chuckled. “Well, thank you. I guess you did look a little worse for the wear, but it seems the dryer helped.” He pulled out his phone. “Excuse me for a minute. I need to send a quick message.” His thumbs flew over the screen and then he stuffed it back into his jacket pocket.

  She placed her cup on the table and wrapped her hands around it. “Do you usually spend your Saturday mornings drenching and then rescuing your victims?”

  His eyes twinkled. “This is a first. Thanks for being so nice about it. I can only imagine how some people might have reacted.”

  Her heart warmed. “Most drivers wouldn’t have stopped and apologized.”

  He shrugged. Was that a tinge of pink on his cheeks? It was difficult to tell behind the beard. “This was a first for me. I’ve seen things like that happen on TV but never thought it would happen to me.”

  “Same here.” She took a long draw from her cup. The liquid slid down her throat, warming her all the way. She couldn’t help being intrigued by this man who not only owned up to his mistake, but sought to make it right, as well. From past experience, she understood that everyone wasn’t like that. “Tell me about yourself.”

&
nbsp; He sobered and appeared at a loss for words. “What do you want to know?”

  “Anything. What do you do? What do you like? Favorite food? Do you live in Seattle?”

  “Okay. Yes, I live in Seattle. I’m a software engineer. I like movies, books, indie music, and being out on the water.”

  “Cool job. You’re in the right place if you enjoy the water.” She grinned.

  “How about you? Same questions?”

  “Me?”

  He nodded.

  She hadn’t expected him to ask about her, but then again, he had been surprising her since the moment they’d met. She cleared her throat. “My roommate and I have a little apartment not far from here. I like to read and spend time with my friends. I love a good burger and coffee.” She took another sip of her latte. “Oh, and I’m an assistant to a graphic designer for an ad company. I have a double major in graphic design and marketing. My plan is to work my way to the top.”

  “Interesting.”

  She frowned. “Interesting good or interesting bad?” Did he agree with her parents that her talent was being wasted as an assistant? Or did he think she was being smart by learning the ropes from the ground up?

  He chuckled. “I’m intrigued.”

  “Oh.” She looked down at the cup she cradled between her hands. “My degree is in graphic design, and I was hoping that once I got my foot in the door, I’d land my dream job.” If only her boss would trust her with something other than her coffee and dry cleaning—she had spent too much time doing menial tasks and wasn’t being challenged or working to her potential.

  “How long have you been there?”

  “Five months. I was hired right after I graduated.” Maybe she expected too much too soon. Then again, her parents constantly asked her if she’d been promoted yet. She hated to let them down, but she was doing her best.

  “I wouldn’t worry. It takes time to work your way up. I assume there are other ad companies you could apply to if needed.”

  She nodded. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it. But I really like where I am.” She sipped her latte then held the cup between her hands, wondering how old Ian was. He spoke as if he’d been around the business world for a while, but she’d been taught it was rude to ask a person’s age.

  “If you don’t mind me asking. How old are you?”

  She almost spewed the coffee in her mouth. She swallowed, feeling her cheeks heat. “I’m twenty-two. How about you?” So much for manners, but he had asked first.

  “Twenty-six.”

  “Did you always want to be a software engineer?”

  “I kind of fell into it. I enjoy gaming.”

  “So you create games?”

  “No. I code them sometimes, but the company I work for specializes in creating software for businesses. They tell us what they need and we create it.”

  “Cool.”

  “Yeah, and I get to travel now and train people on the software. The company is expanding to Europe next year. So maybe I’ll get to go there sometime.”

  “That would be exciting.” She’d never been to Europe, although her parents had gone once while she was in college. She’d begged them to let her tag along, but they’d claimed it was a second honeymoon. No way did she want to intrude on that, so she’d acquiesced.

  She drained the last of her latte—so much for drinking it by the fire at home with her new book. But this was fun, so it was fine. A Christmas tune piped through the speaker overhead. “As much as I love Christmas music, I wish they’d wait until after Thanksgiving to play it.”

  His eyes twinkled.

  Was he laughing at her? “Have you ever noticed that by the time Christmas rolls around it feels anticlimactic because the decorations have been up for so long and stores have been playing Christmas music since October?”

  He laughed. “To be honest I’ve never thought about it. I enjoy Christmas music, and I’ve been playing it since October, too.”

  Brandi blew out a puff and shook her head, grinning. “To each his own.” She glanced toward the plate-glass window. The clouds were thinning and sunlight filtered through. “I should go. I walked, and it’d be nice to get home when the sun is shining. The water on the street has probably subsided enough by now that I can cross the street.”

  He frowned. “Okay. Do you come here often?”

  “Often enough. You?”

  “It’s my first time, but I think I’ll become a regular after today. I’d like to do this again sometime. Without the soaking.” He quickly added.

  “Oh.” That sounded like he wanted a date. Her heart thundered. What should she say? She’d been without a boyfriend now for almost five months after a yearlong relationship, but her six-month-long pledge wasn’t up. She’d jumped from one boyfriend to the next since she was sixteen and was ready to find Mr. Right. Her small group leader had challenged her to focus on her relationship with the Lord for the next six months and to not date. It had sounded like superb advice at the time, especially since she’d felt lost not only in her relationship with the Lord, but like she’d lost who she was. However, right now, she wished the six months was up. “I umm…the thing is—”

  “You’re not interested. I get it. Forget I asked.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “It’s not that. Look, I’ll play it straight. This is going to sound crazy to you.” Maybe she shouldn’t tell him.

  “I promise not to judge or laugh.”

  She studied his face and saw sincerity. “Okay, but don’t forget your promise. I broke up with my boyfriend four-and-a-half months ago and decided I needed to take the next six months to get to know God and me again. I really want to complete this challenge I gave myself. It’s important to me.”

  He nodded. “You don’t know yourself?”

  She blew out a puff of air. “I allowed myself to get so wrapped up with my boyfriend, I feel like I lost who I am, and I set God aside. So it’s not that I’m not interested, but I really want and need to follow through with this.”

  “Okay. I can respect that.” He looked off, seemingly in a daze, for a moment. Then his face cleared. “May I have your number?” He pulled out his phone with his thumbs poised over the screen.

  She laughed. “Why? You just said you respected what I’m doing.”

  “And I do. But you’ll be free soon, and I’ll call you then. What date can I call?”

  She chuckled. “December twenty-fifth.”

  “Christmas?” His eyes widened.

  “Yes. So I guess it’s closer to two months. Are you still willing to wait?”

  He nodded.

  She’d never met a man like Ian. Excitement filled her. “Good.” She rattled off her cell number and pulled out her phone. “What’s yours? I don’t answer numbers that aren’t attached to a name in my phone.”

  He gave her his number then stood. “May I be honest?”

  “Of course, and for the record, honesty is preferred.” She stood and walked toward the door with him.

  “I’m not sorry about soaking you—I mean, I am, but I’m really glad we met. Even if I won’t see you again until December.”

  She laughed. “Me, too.” Her roommate would tell her she’d lost her mind. Katie was cautious and with good reason, but Brandi sensed she could trust Ian to respect her timeline.

  Ian Parker whistled, “Joy to the World” as he strode to his SUV. If someone had told him he’d drench a woman, ask her to coffee, then ask for her number today, he’d have laughed. He wasn’t a ladies’ man, and he never acted on impulse. Surreal was the only word that came to mind. He’d only been on that road because he’d made a wrong turn.

  He pointed his SUV in the direction of downtown Seattle. His buddy Ray O’Brien expected him thirty minutes ago for a game of one-on-one basketball at the community center. When he’d pulled over to apologize to Brandi, he’d texted Ray to say he’d be late. Then he’d texted his friend again when she’d accepted his invite to sit together.

  He chuckled at the image of Br
andi after she’d been drenched. He shouldn’t laugh, but she was adorable in a pathetic kind of way. Could she be the answer to prayer he’d been watching for?

  Three months ago, he’d turned twenty-six and asked the Lord to send him his future wife before the end of the year because it had become painfully clear he wouldn’t find her unless the Lord intervened. It was too soon to say for certain, but he had a feeling Brandi was his answer to that prayer—even if he had to wait over a month to start dating her.

  He pulled his thoughts to the road and focused on driving. He didn’t have time to make any more wrong turns today. Ray wouldn’t be able to wait for him forever.

  Ian finally found street parking and made his way inside the community center. Sneakers screeched on the gym floor. He loved that sound. He dropped his bag along the wall then looked around the court for his buddy. Ray wasn’t anywhere—odd.

  “’Bout time you got here.”

  Ian looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Ray. Sorry. This morning has gone nothing like I planned.”

  “The court’s full now. We’ll have to try again next week.”

  Ian ran a hand along the back of his neck. “Aw, now I feel bad.”

  Ray shrugged. “It’s fine. Grab your bag. We can go talk in my office. I want to hear about this woman who caused you to stand me up.”

  “Sure.” He grabbed his stuff and headed outside. Ray owned The Ring Athletic Club at the other end of the block. A car in need of a new muffler roared past. “Since when do you work on Saturday?”

  “I don’t, but figured you wouldn’t want another cup of coffee, and finding a quiet place to talk at the community center is out.”

  They made their way to the athletic club, then up the stairs to Ray’s office, which had a large window that looked down on the room filled with exercise equipment and weights. Ian eased into an old chair and rested an ankle on his knee.