The Shy Captain

by Michelle Sutton

  He answered on the third ring.

  "Howdy stranger," she greeted him with a sultry voice. "Long time, no see."

  "Hi," he replied, his voice sounding stiff and formal.

  She hesitated, not sure how to interpret that. "I've got something I think you might enjoy. Want to hear about it?"

  "Were you just calling to let me know you arrived home safely?"

  "Not exactly, but since I've got you on the phone you obviously know that I did. Seriously, I wanted to tell you what my neighbor said."

  "Okay." Again, he sounded stiff. Almost distracted.

  "You don't sound very happy to hear from me."

  "I'm glad you called. I've just been thinking…"

  Her stomach twisted at his tone. Though she'd never had a guy break up with her before she'd watched enough movies to know the prelude.

  "You were thinking you couldn't wait to get together again, right?"

  He sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."

  Unfortunately? She shrugged off that comment. "Trinity wanted me to come over to her house to ask me to do her a favor. The favor involves you."

  "Me? What could she possibly want me for?"

  He sounded annoyed. Not good. She tried lightening the conversation with humor. "She told me she liked your butt. But I told her she couldn't have you."

  "You didn't."

  "Didn't what?" She giggled.

  "Talk about my butt. Tell me you didn't."

  "Whatever. She wanted to know if I would be her cheering section tomorrow at the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Competition. She asked me to bring a friend and so far, you're it."

  "You don't have any other friends?"

  "Not a single one."

  "I can't believe that. You're beautiful. I thought pretty people had more friends."

  "Says who?" She bristled. "Never mind. Just tell me you can come, please?"

  "Well…"

  "She's really counting on me to do this for her. I can't do it by myself. Please?"

  "I'm not sure." His voice sounded far from enthusiastic.

  "Don't you want to get together?" Her throat knotted and tears stung her eyes.

  "It does sound like fun. And I've never seen mounted shooting. I might enjoy going with you as long as there is a crowd."

  "A crowd?"

  "Never mind. What time is the show tomorrow?"

  She held her breath and prayed he'd still say yes. "Tomorrow morning at nine."

  "That's the only time she's competing?" He was concerned just like she'd feared.

  "As far as I know."

  "Why do all the fun things always seem to be scheduled on Sunday mornings?" He grumbled. "I'll pray about it."

  "But I need to know now."

  "I… I'm sorry. I can't."

  She choked back her disappointment. "Why not?"

  "I don't miss church unless I'm deathly ill."

  "If I told you I'd go to your church next weekend would you miss this one time because it's important to me? Aren't Christians supposed to show concern by their actions? You don't want me to feel unloved, do you?" Sheesh, now that was pushing it.

  "Uh…"

  Her voice caught. "Please?" Ugh, now she'd resorted to begging. Not attractive.

  "Well…"

  In her most persuasive voice she asked, "Can't you miss church this one time?"

  "You're going to have to pick me up again. The parts are still on order, so I won't get my truck back until Tuesday or Wednesday next week."

  "Not a problem. Of course, I'll come get you."

  "When do I need to be ready to leave so we're not late?"

  Ecstasy at the idea of seeing him again made her heart pulse. Though eager, she answered as calmly as she could. "I'll pick you up between eight and eight fifteen tomorrow morning. That should give us plenty of time."

  "Okay. I'll be ready."

  She waited for him to say something else.

  He yawned into the phone. "Sorry, I'm beat. I've gotten go to bed. See you tomorrow, okay?"

  "Goodnight and sleep tight." She grinned as she hung up, then readied for bed. Her eyes drifted shut and tried to relax, but it was no use, so she put on her slippers and went outside. She sat on the porch and inhaled the fresh air. Life was good, there was no denying it. So why did she have the feeling their relationship was dangling by a thread?

  Sammie rested her head against the side of the house and gasped when she saw a shooting star. Its beauty pulled the breath from her lungs and made her think about how fleeting relationships could be.

  She had to find a way to work things out with James.

  She'd always known that finding a man who could handle her career would be difficult at best, making her wonder if she'd ever have a chance at motherhood or marriage. She'd never understand why God allowed so much pain to seep into her young life. Maybe if she'd been spared even a little bit of suffering, she might not feel so dead inside… and so lost. She might even feel a sense of devotion for God like her father had enjoyed while he was alive.

  A sigh escaped her. Who was she kidding? She'd never feel the same pure devotion toward God that she'd felt toward her father. She knew she'd eventually have to forgive God for not answering her cries for help. She simply wasn't ready yet.

  She remembered a few years ago her father had explained to her why her mother had suddenly cut Sam's hair and forbid her to wear dresses. He'd told her that her Uncle Fred had started looking at Sammie with inappropriate interest and her mother was terrified. He always wanted to be alone with Sammie, but she was so young she didn't remember any details. She just took her father's word for it that her uncle was a perverse man.

  She remembered her mother saying she was worried that her uncle would try to molest her, so she protected her by masquerading her as a tomboy and trying to control everything in her life. It must've worked because Uncle Fred never touched Sammie. Not that she could remember, anyway.

  But that might explain the strange feelings she got when she was around older men, especially when they ogled her. She just hoped that wasn't true. Since her uncle and mom had both died she would probably never know.

  *****

  The next morning Sammie arose bright and early to watch the sunrise. She followed her usual morning routine, but she cut her chitchat with Lady short this morning, because she wanted to look her best. She needed to look perfect for James.

  When Sammie exited the shower, she appraised herself in the mirror. If she were honest with herself she had to admit she was quite attractive. Even though she didn't care for her large breasts, they did look good when she had nothing on. And her curvy waist dipped in just enough to be proportionate. She could've had it worse and been flat chested. She shivered at the thought and thanked God for what she had.

  She towel dried her hair and combed it out. As she blew it dry with her hair dryer she thanked God for giving her shiny blonde locks. Even though it tended to be poker straight, she got a lot of compliments on its naturally golden color.

  Her full lips had a perfect shape. Her high cheekbones made it easy to apply a light dusting of blush without overdoing it. After her awkward teen years she never would have guessed she'd turn out this nicely. Thanks to braces, her white teeth were perfectly straight. The eye surgery gave her perfect vision. She couldn't ask for more.

  Glancing at the time, she nearly choked at how late it was. She tore through her closet looking for the sexiest outfit she could rustle up. Unfortunately, most of her garments were Army fatigues. In fact, her uniforms took up over half of her walk-in closet. The other side contained everything from blue jeans and tee shirts to short dresses with spaghetti straps that she never wore. She tried on five different outfits before she found the perfect one.

  She chose her favorite tee shirt. It has short sleeves and a low baby-doll cut in the front that showed just enough cleavage to draw a man's attention. The gold color matched the gold flecks shading her eyes.

  This was the first time she'd had the courage to wear t
he shirt in public. No doubt Jimmy would find it irresistible since he seemed to have a fixation on her chest anyway. His eyes strayed there often.

  Her face tingled when she thought about the awed look Jimmy had on his face every time she wore that saloon girl dress. She wanted to see if this shirt would have the same effect on him.

  Black shorts made more sense than pants, because the weather channel said it was going to be in the low 90's today. She didn't want to get overheated again, but at the same time she loved the low cut of her favorite jeans. She just had to be careful when she sat down to make sure her shirt covered her hips.

  After getting completely dressed, she appraised herself one last time in the mirror. When she felt satisfied with her appearance she entered the kitchen in search of a light breakfast. She picked up a banana and a box of cereal and sat down to eat. This was the first time in a long time that she'd eaten something other than yogurt for breakfast.

  She ate the entire banana, but dumped her cereal before she finished it. She didn't want to get too carried away. Now that she had a reason to watch what she ate, she didn't want to mess things up and get too fat.

  The clock read seven thirty, but she decided to head out anyway in case he was ready and waiting to go. If not, she would just wait outside in her truck. She guessed if his night had been as restless as hers, then he'd be on the porch waiting for her anyway.

  *****

  Jimmy forgot to set his alarm for an earlier time before he went to bed. When he turned over and saw that it was after seven thirty, he started sat up in a panic. His church didn't start services until nine, so normally he would get up at seven forty-five and he'd have plenty of time to get there, even if he walked.

  But today he was skipping church to attend that rodeo with Sammie. He might not have agreed, but when she said she would go to his church and he couldn't pass an offer like that up. What if she became a Christian as a result? How could he deny her that opportunity?

  He hopped out of bed and skipped his morning Bible reading and prayers. He'd have to hurry if he were to get showered and shaved before Sammie arrived. He didn't want to have another awkward encounter like they did the last time. Not if he could help it.

  Before he showered, he wolfed down a bowl of cereal, barely tasting it. He hurried into his bedroom to pick out some clean clothes to wear.

  In the process of going through his things he picked up some of his dirty clothes lying on the floor and tossed them in the hamper. He quickly made his bed and headed for the shower. It was after eight o'clock. He was fast, but apparently not fast enough.

  He heard someone knock but wasn't dressed yet, so he didn't answer the door. As he pulled his jeans on he heard the front door creak and click shut.

  "I'm here!" Sammie yelled in a singsong voice.

  "I'll be out in a minute." His pants stuck to his legs and backside as he hadn't fully dried yet, but he rushed along so she wouldn't be waiting more than a few minutes. It didn't help matters that his hands were shaking.

  When he emerged from his bedroom he found her sitting in his La-Z-Boy recliner looking more voluptuous and beautiful then she did yesterday. That tee shirt was like eye candy. Keeping his eyes on her face and hands off her body was going to be tough even with crowds around them all day long.

  He rubbed his cleanly shaven jaw. Lord help him.

  She scanned him from head to toe. He saw the appreciation in her eyes and remembered he was still half naked. His chest was bare and he'd worn his favorite jeans with little tears in them. Her smile told him she liked what she saw.

  "Sorry I'm not ready yet," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I forgot to set my alarm for an earlier time."

  "That's fine. I can wait."

  As he stepped inside the room, she rose from the recliner and moved toward him. He lifted his finger. "Just a sec. I'll be right back."

  He stepped around her and headed for the laundry room at the back of the house. He prayed she wouldn't follow him. Things were already awkward, but if she saw his dirty boxers he'd want to curl up like a potato bug from the humiliation.

  He peered over her shoulder. She hadn't moved. Whew! "Just looking for a clean pair of socks. It shouldn't take but a minute," he called from the other room.

  Pretty sure his socks were still in the dryer; he reached inside and found them as anticipated. He emerged from the laundry room with a satisfied grin and held up his prized socks. But she wasn't on the recliner. Somehow she'd gotten out of the chair and slipped across the room to stand next to him.

  His smile faltered and he cleared his throat. "I just need to get my um, my sneakers… and… my shirt and then I'll be ready to head… out."

  Sliding his feet toward his bedroom door like a dance step in the Electric Slide, he angled his body sideways to get past her. She stood in front of the entry and leaned on the frame. Part of her body blocked his way. A very sexy part that he didn't dare brush up against. Oh man, that was tempting.

  Her incredible brown eyes watched his every move. Her lower lip jutted out just a little. Those pouty lips would be the death of him yet. They seemed to dare him to do something about her standing in his way. She smiled up at him and he returned the same, trying to make light of the situation by wiggling his brows.

  Which was difficult because his pulse was racing.

  Again he tried to pass her to enter his bedroom, but she moved until she fully blocked his entrance. He examined the feisty grin on her face and tried to guess what she was thinking. Maybe she just wanted him to kiss her and acknowledge her presence, and then she would let him pass by. That was what he'd do.

  With socks in one hand and his other free, he anticipated brushing her lips with his. He would just give her a quick peck and move past her and into the bedroom. They'd already had too many steamy encounters. One more could be cliff hanger dangerous.

  He leaned down and she placed her palms on his bare chest. His kiss was intentionally brief. She surprised him when she ran her hands lightly over his chest hair and regarded him with amusement as if to say, 'Is that all?'

  His throat clogged. He couldn't speak. She'd drawn him in to that sticky web again with the sultry look in her eyes. He knew exciting, yet bad-for-a-Christian activities were ahead if they stayed in his house alone.

  She offered a coy smile and pulled his head down until his mouth touched hers. He intended to pull away, but found himself resisting common sense. Then she kissed his neck, working her way up to his ear, and he forgot what he'd intended to do.

  In fact, the pleasurable sensation was so powerful he failed to move at all. He made the mistake of lingering as she kissed him. When she pressed her body against him, he stopped resisting and dropped his socks. He pulled her closer and pressed her against him as he ran his hands down the length of her and buried his face in her hair. He inhaled her intoxicating scent until he felt lightheaded.

  Her hair was so soft, her lips so luscious and sweet. He claimed her mouth again and became so enthralled in the sensations he was experiencing it was as if nothing else existed. She whispered his name against his neck, but she'd called him James. The husky way she'd said it made him shiver with anticipation.

  She was making him crazy with wanting her and started pulling him into another deep kiss. He felt her take a step back and then another until they slowly entered his bedroom. His lips and tongue traveled down her neck. Her hands became bolder as minutes passed.

  A sensual whimper shook him deep inside. What was he doing? Conviction about his lack of restraint clutched him by the throat. He'd promised himself he wouldn't put himself in another situation like he'd found himself in yesterday. Not even twenty-four hours had passed and he'd already ended up back where he started. Her pull on him was too strong. He couldn't do the right thing without God's intervention. Please, God, help?

  He pulled away from her, breathing heavily, and he moaned, "Sammie, I can't keep doing this. I just can't."

  She stared at him as if she didn't know what to s
ay.

  "Listen, maybe it sounds crazy to you, but I plan to save myself for the woman I'm going to marry someday." His eyes pleaded with hers, hoping she'd see his intention and understand.

  Shock registered on her face. "You mean you've never…"

  "No," he said with conviction, though his voice shook. "I don't plan to. Not until I am sure she's the one and we've said our vows before God and man."

  Sammie looked like she wasn't sure whether to be pleased or hurt by his revelation. The confusion in her eyes cut him deep. He wished he could please her, but he needed to obey God more. Yes, he'd obey God even if his flesh fought him all the way.

  Chapter Ten

  She too, had saved herself for marriage, but now that she'd found James again she wanted to do whatever was necessary to keep him. Didn't true romance mean giving the man everything he wanted? She could not lose him again. If he would just stop fighting his desire and give in to his passion, they would be one. Then nothing could separate them again.

  A shiver of realization and a twist in her gut made her pause. She wanted him to marry her because he loved her, not because he felt guilty that he had fallen into bed with her. How could she even think that way? She felt like the worst influence in the world. Now she just wanted to run and hide from the humiliation.

  "Sammie. Did you hear what I said? It's not personal. It's just—"

  "No, that's okay. I feel the same way." Still breathless from their deep kissing, she smiled and hoped she sounded convincing. Hopefully he would believe her.

  The look on his face told her that he doubted she had saved herself for marriage. That stung, but given the way she'd acted so aggressive with him today, she didn't blame him for assuming that. From now on she vowed that she would follow his lead, no matter how hard it proved to be.

  If he wanted to abstain, she would be supportive. She was still a virgin herself, and was well aware that not many people were by the time they were her age. The fact that Jimmy had waited was even more unusual because he was such an attractive man and already twenty-seven years old. If she hadn't known him, she would not have believed his statement. But it still stung that he refused her. How could it not? It was another rejection and all rejection hurt.