After he completed his morning routine and household tasks, Jimmy headed on over to the swap meet. He immediately found an item that made him pause. The set of figurines contained a Scripture verse that always inspired him. It came from I Corinthians, Chapter 13.
The first figurine was a blond-haired boy. It said underneath Love is Patient. The second was of a brown-haired boy and it read Love is Kind. His favorite, though, was the third. It was of a beautiful blonde girl that made him think of Sammie. The delicate inscription read Love Never Fails.
That thought made him smile. He felt God tugging on his heart to purchase the figurines even though they weren't worth much from an antique collector's point of view. As he admired the messages engraved on each, he had a strong feeling that he was supposed to share them with Sammie.
He paid for the treasures and brought them home. The delicate porcelain figurines were surrounded with tissue paper and carefully placed in a flower-covered bag that he had purchased at the dollar store. It was a very girl-friendly bag that it was sure to make her smile. He glanced at the bag and his palms grew sweaty just thinking about seeing her, so he prayed she wasn't home.
Jimmy arrived at Sammie's house and knocked on her door at five o'clock. He didn't wait more than thirty seconds and exhaled a sigh of relief when no one answered. Setting the bag on the porch, he then slipped back into his GMC and drove off before she came home and saw him riding away. He didn't want her to know where the gift came from. He just knew the Lord wanted her to have it, so he'd let God use it for His glory.
*****
Sammie arrived home late that evening and nearly tripped over a bag on her porch. She reached down and examined it. After deciding it was safe, she carried it inside. She changed out of her fatigues and into her pajamas. When she couldn't put it off any longer, she sat down and placed the gift bag on her lap.
Pulling the tissue paper out, she noticed there was something wrapped inside it. As she unwrapped each figurine her heart warmed further from the message painted on each one. But who would bring her such a gift? Gram? Maybe, but it didn't seem likely since the old woman rarely left her house and Trinity was out of town this weekend. In fact, she'd taken Gram with her.
So who would give her such a nice gift? She searched everywhere inside the bag and even checked her front porch to see if the person had left a card. She didn't find one, and that stumped her even more.
She dialed the number of the woman who ran the Bible study at the chapel. "Hi, Margie? This is Sam. I have an odd question for you. Did you or anyone from the group leave a gift on my front porch?
"Not that I'm aware of. What is it?"
"Just some figurines. If you hear from anyone that they'd done this can you thank them for me?"
"Sure. God bless you, sweetheart. Have a restful night."
"You, too. Bye."
Sammie pressed the off button and sat down. She had met numerous people through church and her Bible study but none of them knew her well enough to leave something on her porch. She was pretty sure of that. And all of the men in her church were married so that couldn't be it, either. At least she hoped not. She shuddered at the thought. If some married man had given them to her she'd make sure to tell the man's wife.
But something in her heart told her it was no one from church, but it was someone who knew her fairly well. Someone who would know the message would touch her heart. James came to mind and she looked at the blonde figurine again. Love Never Fails. Surely this must be a sign. She closed her eyes and prayed, "Lord, was it Jimmy? Did he give me this? Is this the right time to contact him?"
A surreal calm enveloped her and she just knew in her heart that Jimmy had given them to her. But what should she do about that? Was it some sort of peace offering from him? Should she go to his house and ask him about it? What if he didn't want to make up at all and just wanted her to go in peace?
Glancing at the clock she saw it was after nine. Had she really worked that late tonight? The special project at work had her so busy most days that time flew by. She'd even forgotten to eat dinner. Regardless, it was too late to seek him out tonight. She would deal with it tomorrow morning after church. In fact, she had a better idea. She'd show up and tell him she wanted to go to his church and sit with him. His reaction would tell her just where she stood with him. Yes, that's what she'd do.
With her heart full of wonder and the excitement from the unknown, Sammie closed her eyes and smiled. After seeking God's heart and praying until her eyes grew heavy, she finally drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face
*****
Even though he lived right down the street from his church, Jimmy usually drove on Sundays. But the excitement from his secret trip to Sammie's last night had filled him with indescribable energy, so he decided to walk. The overcast sky looked a bit ominous, but not enough to concern him because the clouds were scattered. They'd had a lot of cloudy days before with no rain.
His mind was deep in thought as he approached his church. As he stepped onto the sidewalk, he glanced up. Sammie stood off to the side of the church steps and gave him a smile that seemed half-hearted and even a bit sad. She wore a modest dress that covered her cleavage and sensible shoes. This time she really did look as prim and proper as a preacher's wife, but there was no way he was telling her that again. He just stared, unable to move.
She looked like she tried to paste on a cheery smile, but what she'd ended up with looked artificial and not very sincere. Had he wounded her so much that she couldn't even smile around him? So why had she decided to show up at his church today? Had she figured out it was him who had given her the figurines?
He finally moved forward until he stood in front of her. He lowered his voice so that only she would hear him. "Honey, are you okay? You look sad."
Her quiet voice trembled and he could barely hear her. "That's because I am sad. What I did with Chet was wrong and I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"Already forgiven, Sam." He touched her shoulder and squeezed, then removed his hand.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the whole story about my career. I was wrong to keep that from you."
"Apology accepted. I was wrong to accuse you the way I did."
She sighed and looked on the verge of tears. "Thank you for saying that. I forgive you."
He opened his arms and she hugged him and buried her face in his shirt. He stroked her hair and thanked God that his feelings for her at that moment were spiritual and not carnal. They remained silent for a few minutes and he enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms. He scooted over to the side of the stairs, still holding her.
"Thank you. I was afraid to talk to you about it."
"You can always talk to me, Sammie. Anything that bothers you, anything at all, you just come to me with your concerns and I will listen and pray for you. You have to believe you can trust me, okay?" He meant it sincerely and prayed that she'd believe him.
He searched her brown eyes and waited for some reassurance that she would trust him with her heart. For a moment he thought he saw a flicker of surrender in her beautiful eyes. It warmed him to his toes. Things were definitely looking up.
"Okay. I… I will."
"Thank you, God." He sighed and prayed for her right there on the church steps that the Lord would comfort her and give her peace. The clanging church bell interrupted his rather long prayer.
With a chuckle, he released her hands, and as he ascended the church steps she clutched his arm. He couldn't help noticing her slight limp.
Once they reached the top step and drew near to the door, he touched her arms and turned her sideways so he could look in her eyes. "Thank you for meeting me here. It means a lot. In fact, it was an answer to prayer."
Her eyes brightened. "That gift you left on my porch made it hard for me to resist."
"You knew it was me? But how did you figure that out?"
A knowing grin appeared on her face and she tipped her head down. "I prayed about it. The Lord told me it was you
."
All the air left his lungs and for a moment he couldn't move. She limped over to the door and yanked it open. He clamored up behind her. "The Lord told you?"
She glanced over her shoulder and offered a shy smile. At that moment she looked more attractive to him than she had at any time before.
"Yep. And that's all I'm telling you right now. Hurry now. We're going to be late."
Chapter Seventeen
It was raining outside. Pouring, actually. Neither of them had thought to bring an umbrella because there weren't that many clouds in the sky when they entered the building two hours ago. Most of the time he loved Arizona's weather because it was so unpredictable and changed quickly. He'd thought the monsoons were over.
He was wrong.
The rain was cool, but not cold. His home was only a few blocks away and they had both had worn comfortable shoes. But she still had a limp, so running wasn't an option.
"Is your truck close by?"
She pointed across the parking lot. "It's over there."
Her truck was far enough away that even if they ran for it they would get soaked.
"At least I have a leather Bible cover." Jimmy joked and held up his Bible. "Wouldn't want to get the Good Book wet."
She peered at the sky. "I'm glad I forgot to bring mine. It doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon."
He shot her a mischievous grin and said, "If you want I will carry you there."
Red circles appeared in her cheeks and she acted like she hadn’t heard his comment. "My ankle is still a bit sore so I don't know how fast I can walk."
"Here, you hold my Bible and your purse and I'll carry you."
She gasped as he scooped her into his arms. The delighted look on her face had made it worth the risk, though she wasn't as light as he had expected.
On light feet he grunted and took off running. She giggled the entire way and distracted him. He almost lost his footing when his shoes sank into a puddle.
He set her down. "Hurry and open the door."
She fumbled with the keys and dropped them. He bent down to pick them up at the same time she did and they clunked heads. "Ow!"
Stars formed in front of him and he rubbed his forehead. She squealed as she attempted to thrust the trembling key into the door again but missed. He decided to help her and took her hands in his to steady them. The lock clicked and he opened the door for her.
He ran around to the other side and she leaned over to open his door. He shivered and growled in a teasing tone, "Took you long enough."
She giggled. "You are soaked to the bone and you look just like a wet cat!"
Peering at her clothing, he noticed that her tan cotton dress not only clung to her curves, but he could see her bra and underwear beneath her clothes. Not good.
He glanced away and felt his neck heating. "You're, um, kinda indecent…"
Gasping, she slapped his arm. "Don't look."
Of course, that made him peer up. He watched her pull her wet clothes away from her skin so they were less clingy. Whew.
She hit him, but harder this time. "You looked!"
"Ow!" He rubbed his arm. "Sorry. I won't do that again."
"Good." She sniffed and turned the truck key.
When they arrived in front of his house sadness washed over him. He didn't want their time together to end so soon. At the same time he knew that being in the same house with wet clothes on would be disastrous. Already her dress had begun to re-attach to her wet skin. He groaned when he saw how much was visible and looked away. She was far too tempting. Even with stringy wet hair he found her irresistible. And the pink flush in her cheeks made her look even cuter.
Closing his eyes, he whispered a prayer in his heart. "Search my heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me."
She giggled again and touched his arm. "Are you gonna get out now, or are you gonna sit there and continue praying until my truck washes down the street.
He peered out the window. She wasn't kidding. The roads were flooding fast and he couldn't help worrying about her driving home alone in the rain. "Listen. I don't feel comfortable letting you drive home in this rain. At least come in my house and wait the storm out, okay?"
She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "You sure that's a good idea? You know how bad we can be when left alone for more than a few minutes."
He shivered. Whether it was from the cold or delight at her implication, he wasn't sure. But one thing he knew for sure, he needed to guard his heart and mind if she came inside. "Let me pray about it first." Closing his eyes and stilled his heart and mind before the Lord until he felt the answer had come from God and not from his flesh.
"We can behave. It's not safe to drive and I have a bad feeling about you going home in this weather. You'll be safer in my house with me, I promise. I will be good, okay?"
She shrugged as if she didn't quite believe him. He promised himself and the Lord that he would keep his hands to himself and his mind in a good place.
Jimmy opened the door and walked around her truck to help her out. She slid from the seat and he remembered their first kiss and how similar the setting had been. He brushed the memory aside as she hobbled all the way to his porch. He should've helped her but he wasn't quick enough. She raised her foot as if to climb his steps but he scooped her into his arms. "I'm taking it from here."
*****
Closing her eyes, she imagined him carrying her under the threshold. It would take a miracle of God for them to ever be married since her leaving soon on a reassignment was so appalling to him. He hadn't mentioned it yet, but she knew it would come up eventually. And when it did happen she worried that her heart would break all over again. She prayed silently in her heart, "Please God, help Jimmy to understand this is who I am."
She heard the front door lock click and the sound of him pushing the door open. "Here we are. All safe and sound."
Opening her eyes, she glanced down and saw puddles forming around their bodies. "Aren't you worried about us messing up your hardwood floors?"
"Nah, but since you mentioned it, we probably should stay in the kitchen."
They stared at each other for several minutes. "Are you cold? I'm a bit chilled."
"A little. Maybe if I changed out of these wet clothes…" She glanced down and saw that her chest revealed just how chilled she was.
Jimmy's face turned red as he glanced away from her. "Great idea. Hold on a sec and I'll find you something to wear. Why don't you go in the bathroom and dry off with a towel."
She saw the direction he pointed in and walked over to the bathroom. Her waterlogged shoes made funny squishing noises as she took each step. She walked extra slow so she wouldn't slip and fall. Opening the door, she stepped inside and grabbed a plush towel. It was difficult, but she wrestled with her wet clothes until they finally peeled off. She hung them on the towel racks to dry.
A tapping sound on the door made her pull the towel tighter. The knob turned and an arm slid inside. Jimmy spoke through the crack. "Here are some dry clothes. It's the smallest stuff I own."
She reached for the bundle in his hand. "Thanks."
He shut the door again and she slipped on the tee shirt and sweatpants. Both were a bit large on her and wearing the shirt without a bra was almost obscene, but she couldn't help that since her undergarments were soaked as well. She removed her wet clothing from the rack and held it away from her so she wouldn't get the new clothes wet. "Can I use your dryer?"
Jimmy glanced up from being crouched on the floor in front of the fireplace. "Sure. Hold on a sec."
He blew on the newspapers and kindling. How sweet of him to get a fire going to help her warm up. "How nice of you. I love sitting in front of the fireplace."
He wiggled his brows. "Me, too."
She chuckled as he led her to the dryer in his laundry room. He started to take the clothing from her when his hand touched her panties. "Um, maybe you should put them in the… yeah, okay, you got it
. Here…" He opened the dryer door and then handed her a dryer sheet.
"Thanks." Her cheeks warmed as he stared at her with his eyes softening. The more he looked at her with such tenderness, the more she wanted him back in her life. But was that even possible now?
After several seconds of staring, he snapped out of it and said, "No problem. I'll be right back." He took off into a back room and emerged a few minutes later wearing different clothing. He also carried a stadium blanket in his arms.
"What's that for?" She reached for the blanket and saw his neck redden as he peered at the front of her shirt. Uh oh, he must've noticed she didn't have a bra on. She flipped the blanket open and quickly covered herself. Her limbs warmed and contentment washed over her as she sat on the floor by the fireplace and leaned her back against the recliner.
The fire hadn't even started to warm the house but the emotion filling her heart warmed her to the core. In fact, the flame was so weak a slight breeze could easily extinguish it. Jimmy got down on his knees again and started blowing gently on the smoldering twigs.
The irony of his action wasn't lost on her. She thought about how it didn't take much for a smoldering kiss to turn into a blazing fire if the right amount of air blew by… and that air resembled temptation. She marveled at how often she couldn't see temptation coming until it moved her to action, like the wind blowing leaves on a tree. So far she hadn't made things easy on him. In fact, she knew she'd tempted him several times beyond what he could handle. She vowed not to do that again.
"Finally!" He crossed his arms and gave her a triumphant smile. "Your fire awaits."
She couldn't help chuckling at the satisfied look on his face. He really was pleased that he was able to get the fire going enough to help her warm up. "Thank you."
Crawling on his knees several feet until he rested beside her, he asked, "Can I just hold you for awhile? No funny stuff, I promise."
She smirked. "Good, because we just got out of church."
The Shy Captain Page 18
