Love's Providence: A Contemporary Christian Romance Page 13

  “I’m coming down to see you again!”

  He laughed. “Yeah, when? In about a hundred years when you’re done with school and volleyball and-“

  “No. I’m coming in one week.”

  “What?” He bolted upright. His heart lurched for a moment, and he jumped up from the couch. He headed into the kitchen to look at the calendar on the wall.

  “Wait, what date is that?” he asked.

  “Um, the fourth through the seventh of August, I think. We’re coming down on Monday and staying through Thursday.”

  He looked over the calendar and breathed a sigh of relief. If she were staying just two days longer things could get ugly. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was going to see her again after all.

  “Wait a minute,” he said. “Who is we?”

  “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My teammates Alison and Emily are coming with me. We’re going to make a little vacation out of it.”

  “Oh,” he said, unable to hide his disappointment. “I was hoping to get you all to myself.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time to ourselves. That’s why I invited two of them. They’ll hang out on their own some so we can be alone.”

  Perfect.

  “But don’t get any ideas,” she said. “I meant what I said about staying a virgin until I’m married.”

  “Oh but you haven’t been fully tempted by the irresistible Alex Walker,” he said. “You just got a taste.”

  She laughed, but he didn’t miss the nervous edge to it.

  “Alex, seriously, I hope you’ll respect how I feel. I need to take things slow, and not just physically. I’m not ready to get in over my head. The past couple of weeks have been great, and I’ve loved getting to know you better, but still-“

  “Hey, I get it. You’ve made it perfectly clear where you stand, and I respect that. I was just kidding around.”

  He let out a long breath and returned to the sofa. He’d have to keep himself in check with her. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off. If she really knew him, really knew everything he’d done, would she even speak to him? His conscience whispered doubt in his ear. He should just leave her alone. She deserved better.

  He downed the rest of his beer and shut the voice out of his head. He needed her right now. Even just talking to her helped. He was tired of all the meaningless things he’d been chasing after. He needed some faith, some positive direction. She was so good for him, so grounded and sure of who she was. He could make this work. He just needed some time.

  “I promise you can trust me,” he said. “I won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “I can’t wait to see you,” she said.

  Birmingham, Alabama

  Jackson knocked on the door a second time, but still there was no answer at Rebecca’s house. It had been a while since he’d been there, but he was sure this was the right place. Maybe Lily wasn’t here.

  He should have called first, but with the way he’d left things the other day, he wasn’t sure she’d want to talk to him. But he had to try. Their conversation had shaken him, and he’d realized how close he was to losing her.

  He stepped off the front porch and shielded his face from the sun as he glanced around the neighborhood. He still had a couple of hours before he had to be at work. Maybe he could wait here. She was probably out running.

  He walked around the side of the house to check the pool just in case. As he flipped the latch up on the gate, he heard a splash and paused. He’d hate to sneak up on Rebecca and surprise her. Who knew if she’d even recognize him?

  He inched around the corner and saw Lily gliding toward the edge of the pool. He froze, watching as she flipped her legs over and pushed off the side, pumping her arms and legs in perfect rhythm. He had no idea how long he stood there, mesmerized as she flew through the water with the same grace and power she had on the volleyball court.

  He finally walked over to the chairs lining the deck and sat down in the corner near the sliding glass doors. She didn’t even notice him. He leaned forward and propped his chin on his fists, continuing to watch her as his chest tightened with every stroke she took.

  He’d hoped to take things slowly, to rekindle their friendship before even thinking of anything more. But it wasn’t working as well as he’d hoped. Maybe he should just tell her everything and hope for the best, but that thought still terrified him. She was still hurt and angry.

  She finally stood in the shallow end and rested her hands on top of her head as she caught her breath. Then she ducked her head back under the water one final time. She walked up the steps of the pool and swung her hair over her shoulder, straining the water out.

  He wondered if she knew he was there, because if she was trying to torture him, it was completely effective. She had always been fit, but it was obvious she’d been working hard over the past several months. He cleared his throat and she jumped.

  “Oh my lord!” she said. “Are you trying to scare me to death?”

  He smiled as he walked over to her and handed her the towel from the back of a nearby chair. She snatched it out of his hand and wrapped it around her waist. He tried not to notice the drops of water glistening on her skin.

  “Sorry. I didn’t want to disturb your workout. Besides, I was enjoying the view.”

  She rolled her eyes and tried to hide the small grin that escaped.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Just wanted to come by and talk for a little while. I know I didn’t handle things well the other day, and I don’t want to mess up our friendship.”

  “Look, maybe this isn’t a good idea. It’s just too hard.”

  “No, no. Come on. We can do this.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course,” he said. “I can handle being your friend. I promise. Go ahead and try me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tell me more about this guy you met.”

  He couldn’t believe he’d just said that. Of all the things he wanted to talk about, some guy who had kissed her was last on the list.

  “No way,” she said. “You can’t handle that.”

  “Sure I can. Come on. Was he a good kisser? Better than me?” It was like an alien had taken over his mouth.

  “I’m not even going there with you.”

  She shook her head as she walked over to the lounge chairs beneath the awning. He followed and stood in front of her, frustrated by his desire to know what happened, and the nausea he felt coming on.

  “Why can’t you tell me?” he asked. “I’m just another friend.”

  “You’re hardly just a friend. That’s the problem with all of this.”

  “Look, seriously. How far did things go with this guy?”

  “Why do you want to know that? You’re just making things harder.”

  “And you’re avoiding the question.”

  She rubbed her temple and sighed. “I don’t think it’s any of your business. I just did what you told me to do.”

  “I did not tell you to go jump a total stranger the moment you met him.”

  “Excuse me?” She stood and shoved a finger at him. “You don’t know anything about it.”

  “Because you won’t answer a simple question!”

  His heart was racing with all the images flying through his head. This was not how he’d pictured this conversation.

  “Fine,” she said, glaring at him. “You want to know what happened? I’ll tell you. He kissed me and it was incredible. We took long walks on the beach and he ran his hands all over my skin and I loved it! Is that what you want to hear?”

  He turned away from her and kicked a beach ball clear across the pool. His stomach twisted, and he fought back the taste of vomit. How could this have happened? He’d turned his back for a minute, and like that she’d moved on.

  He was an idiot.

  He took another moment to steady his emotions, and when he turned back around she was seated in the chair again, her arms fo
lded over her chest like armor. He’d completely screwed this up.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “This is my fault. I was a jerk. I really don’t care what happened on your vacation. It’s none of my business, just like you said.”

  “If you didn’t care you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did. Besides, it’s not going to get any easier. How are you going to react when I actually start dating someone?”

  “Not a problem.” His stomach lurched in protest.

  She laughed, though it wasn’t exactly pleasant.

  “You barely got that out of your mouth, liar. And you know, I don’t think I would be comfortable with you dating someone either. It’s just weird.”

  He dragged a chair over and sat in front her where she’d have to look at him.

  “Come on, Lil. People break up and stay friends every day. I still have a little time to deal with all of this. It’s not like you’re dating someone now. Just give me a chance to get used to the idea.”

  She glanced at him then, but only for a second. Still, it was long enough to catch the guilt. She hadn’t told him everything.

  “Lily?”

  “This is exactly why we can’t stay friends. I feel nauseous just thinking about talking to you about someone else.”

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “Alex.”

  His mouth went dry. “Alex? Who’s Alex? The guy from your vacation? That has to be what, five or six hours from here? How could you be dating him?”

  “I’m not really dating him. We’ve been talking on the phone a lot, though. And I’m going back down there for a couple of days.”

  “What?” He jumped up and started pacing the deck. “You can’t be serious. Do you know anything about this guy? He could be a murderer or a rapist!”

  He faced her, and she was staring at him like he had suddenly grown a horn out of his head.

  “Could you just calm down for a minute?” she said.

  “You can’t go down there by yourself. It’s not safe. Is this guy even a Christian?”

  “Ugh. You sound just like my dad.”

  “I can’t believe he would be okay with this. Does he know you’re going?”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t matter. I’m not a kid. I can take care of myself. Besides, Emily and Alison are going with me.”

  His heart thudded in his ears. She was going back down there. To see him. It wasn’t just a fling she’d had on vacation. She was getting involved with someone else. Now there was no way he could sit back and take things slow. He had to tell her.

  “Lily, listen to me. Don’t go down there.”

  “Just stop.”

  “No. Just hear me out. I was trying to take this slow, to be your friend first.”

  “First? What are you talking about?”

  “I thought that if we could be friends, you would start to trust me again. That I could show you I’ve changed, and we could be happy again. I had no idea you were getting involved with someone else.”

  She let out a slow deliberate laugh then pushed herself up from the chair. Her eyes bored into him with utter contempt.

  “This isn’t about us. It’s about you. You just can’t stand the thought that I could be happy with someone else.”

  He dropped his head and swore under his breath. He could crack himself wide open and she wouldn’t believe a word of it. She’d made up her mind, and there would be no changing it. He stood up from his chair and took his keys off the end table near the door.

  “I know I can’t stop you from doing this,” he said. “But I think you’re making a huge mistake.”

  “I think you should go.”

  “Don’t.”

  “I said go!”

  There was nothing left to do but walk away, so he did, slamming the gate behind him. If she wanted to throw everything away for some stupid fling, he couldn’t care less. Alex could have her, and good luck to him.

  He climbed into his car and slammed the door, trying to force the air in and out of his lungs. I don’t need her. I don’t need her. If he just kept saying it over and over, maybe he could start to believe it.

  Chapter Ten

  August 4

  St. Simons Island

  Lily stepped out of her car and smiled as the familiar salty air hit her lungs. She’d never believed it would happen, but she’d actually made it back to St. Simons.

  “Wow, Lily, this place is amazing!” Emily said.

  She stood from the passenger side and stretched her arms. She twisted her torso back and forth then walked around to the back of the car and stepped up onto the sidewalk. Alison groaned from the back seat.

  “Remind me never to ride in the back of your car for more than an hour.”

  She pushed her arms and legs through the small space between the passenger seat and the doorframe like a granddaddy long leg spider squeezing out of a crack. She unfolded her body into a long stretch and rubbed her back.

  “Sorry about that,” Lily said. “You should have just told Em to take the back. She’s the runt around here.”

  Alison smiled, her face the picture of pure sunshine Lily had come to love over the years. The wind whipped Alison’s hair into a blonde tornado around her face, and she reached up to push it behind her ears.

  “Ah, I didn’t really mind that much,” she said. “She’d have just driven us crazy with complaining for five and half hours.”

  “True.”

  Lily glanced around at the hotel Alex had arranged for them. He’d said it was nice, but this was much more than she’d expected. The majestic palm trees surrounded the pool and tennis courts, and the grass looked as though every blade had been hand cut at just the perfect length. She was afraid to even step on it. The grounds and buildings looked like they belonged in a Spanish palace rather than a hotel.

  “How much did you say we’re paying a night?” Alison asked.

  “Who’s ready to hit the beach?” Emily clapped her hands and rubbed them together, her wide smile beaming.

  Lily popped the trunk of the car open. “There’s plenty of time for the beach. Let’s get checked in.”

  She walked around to the back and leaned into the trunk to pull out her bag, but the sudden screech of a siren sent her head flying into the roof of the trunk.

  “What the heck?” she mumbled. She stood up and rubbed the pulsing pain in her head.

  A police car pulled in front of hers, and Alex stepped out of the passenger side. They smiled at each other for a moment before closing the gap between them like two magnets suddenly flipped over. He threw his arms around her and rocked her back and forth, mumbling in her ear.

  “You have no idea how good it is to see you.”

  She savored his embrace, soaked in the familiar smell of salt and sweet that reminded her of their last night together. Had time really passed since then?

  “I missed you too.”

  She managed to pull away from him long enough to remember her friends.

  “Oh, yeah. This is my roommate, Emily Sanchez.” She pointed behind her at Emily, whose dark skin was already glistening in the heat. She waved and ducked into the trunk to retrieve her suitcase.

  “And that’s Alison James.”

  He nodded his head toward her, and she smiled in return.

  “So you both play volleyball with Lily?”

  “Yep.” Alison walked around the front of the car and stuck out her hand. “We’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to finally meet.”

  “Definitely.” He let go of Lily and took Alison’s hand. “I hope you like the hotel. I know it’s a bit extravagant, but a buddy of mine does security here and owed me a favor.”

  Emily stuck her head around the side of the car.

  “Seriously? Did you save his life or something?”

  “No,” he said. “It wasn’t that glamorous. I just dropped a ticket for his wife.”

  Lily frowned. “Forgive her. She’s enthralled with law enforcement.”

  “Really?” Alex’s
eyebrows shot up.

  “Yes! I want to be an FBI agent.” Emily slung her bag over her shoulder and joined the rest of them.

  “Well, maybe we can swap stories sometime,” he said. He glanced over his shoulder at the other officer waiting in the car.

  “Where’s Steve?” Lily asked.

  “He’s off today. I’m sure Chloe has him swamped in wedding stuff. But I should get going. I’ll be done around five. What do you ladies want to do this evening?”

  Lily fixed her gaze on Emily, hoping her message was clear. Emily grinned at Alison before answering.

  “I think Ali and I will just hang around the hotel tonight. This place is awesome. You guys go out and have a good time.” She winked at Lily.

  Alex shrugged. “Okay. I’ll come pick you up when I get off around five.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on Lily’s forehead. “See you later.”

  She watched him climb back into the car and ride away, her stomach still flipping and fluttering. Just a couple of more hours and they would be together again. She’d probably go nuts waiting. Emily stepped beside Lily and watched the patrol car turn out of the parking lot.

  “You did not do that boy justice when you described him. No wonder you drove so far to see him again.”

  Lily grinned and turned back toward her car, picking her bag out of the trunk.

  “Come on, let’s get checked in.”

  Alex leaned across the checkerboard table cloth with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, like he knew the most wonderful secret he was dying to share, sending Lily’s insides into a frenzy again. She’d barely eaten half a slice of pizza, had hardly registered whether she even liked it or not, and had no idea if it was hunger or excitement that was keeping her stomach in knots.

  “So what do you want to do next?” he asked.

  Freeze time. Drown in your eyes. Kiss you from head to toe.

  God, she was turning into a romantic sap. She grinned and reached across the table for his hand.

  “It’s your town. Why don’t you choose?”

  He smiled back at her, and she wondered if everyone in the restaurant could see the glow around them. It seemed so bright and warm. How could anyone miss it? She glanced around, convinced the world was watching in envy of their real-life fairy tale. The clatter of the kitchen mixed with love songs drifting from the jukebox and circled throughout the couples and families sharing in her moment. It was perfect.