by Leah Atwood
Come to Me Free
A Come to Me Novel
Leah Atwood
Copyright © 2015 by Leah Atwood
Cover Design © Covers by Ramona
Cover Image © Wavebreakmedia Ltd | Dreamstime.com
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
A Note From Leah
Other Titles From Leah
The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior,
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in his love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
(Zephaniah 3:17)
Chapter 1
Lesson learned–don’t wait until the last minute to buy shoes for a wedding.
Cramped toes, squeezed into shoes a size smaller than needed for her solid size-seven feet, screamed for relief in the form of blisters and pinched nerve endings. Dani Trahan lifted her right foot a sliver of an inch to relieve some pressure off her aching extremity, thankful for the long gown that covered her subtle movement.
Momentary relief attained, she put her foot back on the ground and returned her attention to the ceremony. Her cousin, Bryce, and his very soon-to-be wife, Sophie, were exchanging vows. The bride’s back was to Dani, but she could see the groom clearly. A calmness surrounded him, a long-absent peace settled into his smile as he pledged his life to Sophie.
If anyone deserved a slice of happiness, it was Bryce. Though cousins, Dani had always looked at him as the brother she never had, and she wanted nothing but the best for him. They grew up a thousand miles apart, but Bryce’s summers were spent with their grandparents, here in Oden Bridge, Louisiana and were always the highlight of Dani’s year. There was a time he had drifted away, but when he returned two years ago, it was like he’d never gone.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Even the preacher couldn’t conserve his smile.
Sun streamed through the church’s window, a blessing from Heaven, on the day of celebration. The recessional began, and the beaming bride and groom walked down the aisle to the music of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” The audience stood, applauding the newlyweds.
Due to an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen, Sophie’s sister, Mia, and best friend, Kate, escorted Gracie, the flower girl who was Bryce’s daughter, down the aisle. Dani’s turn was coming. With a smile on her face, she kept her gaze on the center aisle.
The wedding planner nodded the signal. Dani stepped forward and so did Rob, the groomsman by whom she’d be escorted. They faced each other for only a split second, but it was long enough for Rob to flash her a subtle wink.
She ignored it.
His insufferable flirting over the last few days was driving her up the wall. If, and that was a big if, she was interested in dating, it wouldn’t be with someone like him.
Turning, they faced the crowd. Rob crooked his arm, and she slid hers through until they were locked at their elbows. Each step further pinched her feet. She blocked the pain. Too bad she couldn’t also block Rob. Soon enough.
Twenty-five steps. That’s how many she counted from the front of the church to the back. The moment Rob and she exited the church, she removed herself from his touch. She jerked her arm from his with an unnecessary force.
He chuckled, but didn’t say anything. His azure blue eyes, however, spoke volumes. Amusement danced in them, and Dani’s ire rose with the realization that he was well aware of his effect on her. Her face flushed, and she spun away from him, the lavender silk of her dress swishing as she walked.
Standing to the side, she watched the wedding planner scurry to place the receiving line members in their proper order as the bride’s and groom’s parents came out from the church. The bridesmaids and groomsmen wouldn’t be participating in that ritual. Instead, they would mingle among the guests and make sure everyone had a satchel of lavender buds, which would be thrown in lieu of traditional rice.
“Was I a good flower girl, Aunt Dani?” Gracie tugged on her hand.
Dani looked down at her adorable niece and forgot her irritation toward Rob. “You were the best—the prettiest one, too.”
Gracie grinned at the praise. “I was quiet the whole time, just like they told me to be.”
“I’m very proud of you.” Gracie was famous for her ability to talk non-stop, even during the rehearsal last night.
“Come here, Gracie,” Bryce called from a few feet away.
Gracie skipped to her dad and new stepmom. Guests filed out of the church now, stopping to greet the newly married couple. Dani spotted a distant cousin leaving the receiving line and went to speak with her.
The pregnant cousin waddled to meet her halfway. “I’m so happy to see you again.”
“You too, Gina. How long’s it been?”
“Too long. I think the last time I saw you was a few months after my own wedding.”
“And now you’re having a baby.” Dani stepped back and gave a pointed look to her cousin’s distended belly.
Gina giggled and rested her hands on her stomach. “The little one is due on our anniversary.”
“What a great present.”
“I just hope we get moved in time.”
Dani cocked her head—even though they weren’t very close because Gina was six years younger than her and lived a couple hundred miles away in north Louisiana, the news took her by surprise. “Where are you moving to?”
“Here, Oden Bridge. Greg’s going to work for one of his uncles who has a construction company in town.”
“Milton Construction?” It was the only one she knew of in Oden Bridge.
“Yes.” Small wrinkles creased Gina’s forehead and her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
A gut feeling told Dani there was more to the story that Gina didn’t wish to disclose. “Give me a call when you get here. I’d love to get together sometime. And if you need any help to move or unpack, let me know.”
“Thank you, I will. How have you been?” Gina asked. “Any wedding bells in your future?”
The miserable question that every married person felt necessary to ask this weekend.
“No, I’m married to my career for now.” The answer slipped off her tongue with a practiced ease and was usually met with a look of disgust or a condescending nod that said ‘that’s what everyone who hasn’t found someone says
.’
In her case, it was true. Bayou Bits was her passion and most of her time was dedicated to keeping the restaurant afloat. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a family someday, but now wasn’t the time. She was only twenty-eight—she still had plenty of time to fall in love, marry and have children.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t still date.” Gina leaned in, her head inches from Dani’s face. “That guy who escorted you down the aisle is a major cutie. Isn’t he one of Bryce’s band members? He couldn’t keep his eyes off you during the ceremony.”
“Rob? He’s Bryce’s guitarist.” An unladylike snort escaped, drawing a glance from a nearby couple. “And I don’t think so, not even if he were the last man on earth.”
Gina’s features froze, and she covered a cough with her hand.
“Is that so?” The identity of the deep timbre voice was unmistakable.
Heat rushed to cover her face. Her cheeks undoubtedly looked like tomatoes.
“I see Greg waving me over.” Gina took a step away. “I’ll get in touch with you next week sometime.” Her rapid departure was anything but discreet.
Scanning the people milling about outside the church, Dani couldn’t find a single person not already engaged in conversation to whom she could escape from the man behind her. Sucking in a deep breath, she tamped down her embarrassment.
She would not give him that satisfaction.
Before she could turn around, he moved to stand in front of her. “Last man on earth, huh?”
“I see Kate gathering everyone together to send Bryce and Sophie off to the reception.” Choosing to ignore his jibe, she pointed to a small group standing off to themselves. “Can you go let them know? I’ll ask Kate if she needs my help with the others.”
“Sure thing.”
That was too easy. No verbal exchange with Rob this week had been that simple. He’d made it his personal mission to annoy her at every corner. “Thanks.”
“Just make sure to save me a dance.” And there it was. His lips slanted in an arrogant grin before he sauntered away.
Inhaling a grimace, she chided herself for noticing his cheeks dimpled when he smiled. Even worse, she’d noted his hair looked lighter under the sun’s natural light—almost a dark blond instead of brown.
But she definitely had not paid enough attention to him to know that the ends of his hair curled or that the front locks were casually tousled like he’d run a hand through them.
She began walking toward Kate but was waylaid, if a talk with Gram could be considered an interruption. Gram was in her seventies and wore an outfit reminiscent of days gone by—a pastel pink dress jacket with a matching skirt and hat with little tufts of feathers and netting affixed to the rim. The outfit was not en vogue but the clothes suited her with their soft colors and graceful lines.
“Don’t let that boy get under your skin, dear.” Gram reached out and patted her arm. She must have witnessed the most recent exchange.
“I’m not,” Dani started to protest, but the words dried on her lips. There was no point lying to Gram, whose keen eyes didn’t miss a thing.
“That’s what I thought.” Gram chuckled behind clamped lips. “I think he genuinely likes you.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “Rob’s a shameless flirt. I wouldn’t take a single word he says seriously.”
“Mmhmm.”
“What? You know my thoughts on dating at this point in my life, and you know how I feel about Rob’s attention,” she hissed. Instant guilt for her harsh tone stabbed her. “I’m sorry.”
“All’s forgiven, child.” The twinkle in Gram’s eyes was almost as obnoxious as Rob. “But no one ever said you can’t enjoy his attention for a little while. This is a wedding—indulge in the romance for a few hours.”
“Gram!” She’d thought after last night, when she’d confided to her that Rob’s flirting made her uncomfortable, that Gram would be her ally, not encourage a weekend romance. “Are you joining us in the limo?” she asked, changing the subject.
“No.” Gram gave two brisk shakes of her head. “That’s for you young ones.” Her gaze travelled, and Dani watched it land on Gramps. “I have my own knight waiting to carry me away on a white horse.”
Warm emotions tugged at Dani’s heartstrings. When the time came to marry, she would settle for nothing less than a love like her grandparents shared. They were the perfect example of a happy couple, married over fifty years. Her parents also had a wonderful marriage, and she was positive Bryce and Sophie would as well.
Contrary to the naysayers, she did believe in love, marriage, and happy endings. She wasn’t against it whatsoever, wasn’t embittered by a past relationship or anything so sordid or sad. Why was it so hard for people to accept that her career came first at this point in her life?
She gave Gram a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Two sleek, white limousines pulled up to the curb of the church’s sidewalk. A chauffeur stepped out from the one parked in front. He circled to the passenger side, and the scene was promptly repeated by the second driver. Each man wore a cap with a shiny visor, a black tuxedo and white gloves. Both men stood at attention by their respective vehicle.
Dani moved to the edge of the walkway as did the others in the crowd. A path formed, and the newlyweds coasted through, ducking their heads, smiling and laughing as lavender buds landed on and around them.
The driver of the front car opened the door. Bryce and Sophie climbed in, waving to their guests. They shared a kiss before the door was closed, creating a wave of cheers and applause.
Adult members of the wedding party filed into the second limousine. Dani found herself in the awkward spot located in the bend of the l-shaped seat, where she had to either sit up straight with no back support, or lean far back in a resting position. She chose to sit on the edge and breathed a sigh of relief that Rob was on the complete opposite side of the limo.
Champagne glasses were lined up on a miniature bar illuminated by tiny, built-in blue lights. A bottle of sparkling cider sat in a bucket of ice atop the bar.
Jay, another bandmate and groomsman, leaned forward and began passing a flute to each person. When everyone had one, he grabbed the bottle of sparkling cider and popped it open. He poured the bubbly liquid in each glass. “I propose a toast—to happy couples and good friends.”
“Hear, hear.” All eight passengers raised their flutes and clinked them.
Kate made a point of slipping off her shoes and smirked. “To feet that don’t scream.”
All the females laughed and took off their shoes. “Hear, hear,” they shouted with conviction.
With her feet freed and laughter filling the air, Dani, at long last, began to relax. Although she hadn’t known any of her car mates for longer than a few months, she was in the company of friends. Bryce and Sophie were lucky to have such a great support group.
She leaned back, the tension leaving her body. When had she become so uptight? Despite her drive and determined attitude toward her restaurant, she’d always been an easygoing person. Maybe she just needed a break. After all, she’d been going nonstop, working upward to eighty hours a week, if not more.
No, that wasn’t it. Working long hours never bothered her—owning her own restaurant was her dream, and she thrived on making it a success.
Then what was it?
Her attention was drawn back to the toasting when she heard Rob’s voice. Only, by the time her brain registered it, she had missed what he said. To her dismay, everyone else must have heard it loud and clear because they all stared at her with a mix of raised eyebrows and curious glances.
All the tension came running back at full force, clamoring for a spot in her tightened muscles.
Chapter 2
There was a small possibility he’d pushed too hard this time. Scratch that—definitely he’d gone too far. When would he learn to keep his mouth shut?
Launching a full-scale flirtation, he’d been at Dani since he arrived in Oden Bridg
e earlier in the week. At first he only did it because she was cute and a distraction from his reason for being there. Weddings weren’t his thing. They were so far off his grid of things he enjoyed, they didn’t even make the list of things he could tolerate.
If there was any way he could have gotten out of participating in Bryce’s wedding without looking like a narcissistic jerk, he would have. But short of explaining why he hated them so much, there was nothing he could do. Even fessing up would have had repercussions worse than suffering through the ceremony.
Dani stared at him while everyone else shifted their gazes from him to her then back to him. What would she do if she knew his interest had turned real? That he wanted to know everything about her—what made her tick, her favorite movie, her hopes and dreams—all that sentimental mush.
Probably run for the hills. Ha, even he wanted to run from his attraction to her.
Because he was Robert James Jackson and, by his own rules, he didn’t do relationships or anything remotely resembling them. Hadn’t done so in ten years.
It was that threat to his resolve, his self-imposed code, which pushed him to the point of giving excessive attention. Push her away, create an artificial distance—that was his game plan, at which he was failing miserably. Worse, it was backfiring, and the attraction only continued to grow.
Their eyes locked. Hers were masked with confusion, and he realized she hadn’t heard what he said. For a second, he thought he might escape her wrath, but the silvery glint in her eyes acknowledged that she knew, had she heard what he’d said, it would have riled her. Of course, with everyone staring back and forth at them, it was blatantly obvious he was egging her on again.
A challenge rose from the depth of her glower. He recognized the steely determination of her hard-lined smile—he’d used the same one many times.
She sat up straight and was inching forward in the seat. Her eyes never left his. Was she deliberately moving in slow motion or was it his imagination? He matched her stare, unflinching, unwavering.
She raised her glass. No one else joined in. This was between him and her, and everyone else backed off, as much as the small space allowed. He raised his glass to meet hers.
