by Amy Lyon
She dropped her work bag onto a nearby chair and went to stand next to him, her arm brushing his. “I’m done freaking out about my cover. What have you got?”
He glanced at her tentatively. “You sure?”
She nodded and he splayed four pieces of paper on the desk in front of her.
“A new logo,” she said and touched each sheet of paper like it was a piece of art.
“Complete rebranding,” Matt corrected.
“Really? That’s a major project.”
“Except that our interior designer—” he gave a playful head tilt Gloria’s way “—bailed on us.”
“What? Why?”
He shrugged. “I’m telling you, Andi, it’s hard to find reliable people. You’d have all the business you ever wanted if you started up Andi’s Designs down here.”
An exaggerated frown pulled her lips down. “Andi’s Designs? Terrible name. Leave the creative work to me, Pastor.”
“Boy might not be artsy, but he knows business,” Gloria piped up. “You’re looking at the newest president of the Mimosa Key Chamber of Commerce.”
There was a flutter in her belly. “Really?”
Matt waggled his head. “Not exactly the honor it sounds like.”
“He studied a little business and marketing along with all that hallelujah-praise-Jesus stuff,” Gloria said.
Andi laughed. “I didn’t know that.”
He shot Gloria a look. “Why are you still here? When is Betty coming back?”
Gloria bounced as she laughed. “I help the full-time receptionist when she’s out,” she said to Andi. “She’s got a lot of personal stuff going on right now—” she counted down on her fingers “—sister who’s pregnant and not married, mom with a drinking problem, dad with—”
Matt shushed her. “Discretion, Gloria. You’re privy to a lot of information up here.” He waved his hand over the desk. “Let’s be sensitive to the privacy of our staff and church members.”
Gloria took a swig of coffee and stood. “Don’t know how Pastor Matt keeps it all straight,” she said, addressing Andi again. “He’s doing the jobs of two people right now, you know, with Gary off gallivanting around the country.”
Andi nodded. “Yes, you mentioned that.”
The older woman ambled away from the desk and rounded the corner out of sight. The phone rang. Matt turned to see if Gloria would come back to answer it. When she didn’t after two rings, he answered it himself. He gave the caller information about Sunday worship times and put the phone back in its cradle.
“The jobs of three people,” he corrected wryly.
Andi picked up one of the logos. “I can help with this, Matt.” She met his eyes. “I really want to help with this.”
“Nope. You’re here to work on your design.” He ushered her down the hallway.
“But I only need a couple of hours, three max, to find some new images and incorporate them into the design.” She looked over her shoulder. “Hey, where’s your office?”
He kept walking. “You’re getting distracted, Andi. Time to focus.”
She laughed as he directed her to a door and unlocked it. The room looked like it had been stripped from the pages of National Geographic. At least half-a-dozen maps hung on the walls, some with push pins, and pictures of people in exotic locales. Trinkets that clearly came from other countries decorated every available inch of shelf space.
“Wow. This is amazing,” she said.
Matt put his hands on his hips and looked around. “Gary’s a globetrotter, that’s for sure. He’s always going somewhere. Seems he’s away more than he’s here.”
She took a seat behind the desk and pulled her laptop out of the bag. “Does that bother you?”
He leaned against the doorframe. “Not really. Just hard to move things forward here when we’re always waiting on him for final approval.”
“He’s older, isn’t he? Maybe he’ll retire soon and you can take over as lead pastor.”
Matt grunted. “Not likely.”
“Why not? You’re doing his job anyway. You’d be the natural replacement.”
“There are committees and requirements and, just not something I need to think about right now.” He gave a half-hearted shrug. “I’m happy where I’m at.”
“That’s what everyone says when they feel stuck and don’t know what to do about it.” She dared to look up. “Or scared.”
Matt didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed on the window just beyond her. In less than a week, she’d picked up on this diversion tactic. When he talked about the seniors, he was happy-go-lucky and playful and ready to roll wherever they wanted to go. When he asked Andi questions about herself or her life, there was an underlying buzz of attraction that made his voice drop even deeper and his hands find every possible reason to touch her. But when he talked about his future in ministry, he clammed up and went expressionless. Just like he did now.
So she pressed on. “Would you be interested in being the lead pastor?”
He straightened and backed into the hallway. “Enough chit-chat out of you. You’ve got work to do and I’ve got to go.”
For now, she accepted that this wasn’t the time or the place. Something was going on with his job and she’d get it out of him. Sooner or later.
“Where will you be?” She craned her neck to look past him. “Is your office down the hall?”
He shook his head. “I won’t be in this building distracting you, that’s for sure.”
She gave a little pout. “I’ll be here by myself all day?”
He smirked. “Gloria’s up front and—” he waved at her laptop “—you’ve got everything you need right there. Wi-Fi and work.”
She felt the sting of his comment and straightened.
“So, what’s on your agenda?”
“My list?” he asked with a wink. “Discipling a young man at the coffee shop over the lunch hour and then I’ve got hospital visits this afternoon.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Hospital visits? Is that your job or someone else’s?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter as long as I’m working for the Man.” He pointed up and Andi sucked in a breath as she watched him walk away. There was nothing sexier, she decided, than a man with an unabashed heart for God. He took what life handed to him without complaining and he helped others along the way. Oh, to have a heart like his.
She flipped open her laptop. Now if she could just figure out what he thought about when his eyes went cold and his head tipped low, she might be able to concentrate on her work.
* * *
The hospital visits took longer than he expected, so Matt was surprised, pleasantly so, when he called Andi’s cell at quarter to five to learn she was still at the church.
“I’ve created the coolest cover ever and just sent it off to Angel.”
“Good news. When will you hear back?”
“They’re making a decision Friday.”
“So I’ve got you all to myself until then. No more work distractions.”
Andi laughed. “Except now I’m focused on your work. I’m looking over the logos and rebranding info. I have some ideas.”
Matt shook his head, imagining her writing up a list as they spoke. “You’re on family leave. No more work.
“No, Matt,” she insisted. “I love this and I... well, I care about you, so I want to help. This isn’t work to me. This is fun.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely sure. Two of my favorite things in the same room. Design and you. No better way to spend my night.”
A slow smile built on his lips and his fingers ached to touch her. Her hand. Her arm. Her hair. Anything. He checked the dash clock. “I was planning to take you to dinner tonight.”
“Good, I’m starving. Bring me dinner.”
He laughed. “Feisty today, aren’t you?”
“Yep, and there’s more where that came from.”
Matt couldn’t contain the goofy grin that came over h
is face, and though there was an extra energy to his day knowing he’d see her at the end of it, he couldn’t lose sight of the fact that her stay here was temporary.
Stay in the present, he reminded himself, and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “I’ll pick up dinner and see you in a few.”
“Lucky you. Bye.”
Matt took his goofy grin into China Max where he ordered takeout. Bags of fragrant food in hand, he found her in the church’s conference room with papers spread out all around her—the logos, some sketches and, of course, a list.
She was quiet while he unpacked the food, watching him.
“Don’t tell me,” he finally said. “You don’t like Chinese food.”
She shook her head. “I love Chinese food.”
She was tucked into a large conference room chair, her legs curled up under her and her cheeks glowing. Something was up. “Then what?”
She shrugged and stared. “I missed you today.”
The goofy grin came back. “You did?” he asked and used all of his powers of restraint to remain on the other side of the table. He wanted to slide over the top, wrap his arms around her and kiss her silly, but his mind told him to proceed with caution.
So he stood still.
“I did,” she said.
“I missed you, too.”
She unfolded her legs and scooted the chair forward. “You’re just saying that because I said it.”
As she grabbed for a plate, he reached across the table and put his hand over hers. She met his eyes and he shook his head. “I think you know better than that,” he said.
She shrugged and dished General Tao’s Chicken and some lo mein onto her plate. “Whatever.”
No way, he thought. He wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by. He sat in the chair, leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee. “As I was driving around today, I saw dozens of things I wanted to do with you.” He held up his hand and ticked off his points on his fingers. “A hot air balloon ride, bike ride along the beach and ice cream at Ms. Icey’s, bowling at Mimosa Lanes, a baseball game at the new Barefoot Bay Bucks stadium, a hike up Barefoot Mountain, an evening stroll at Pleasure Pointe Beach—” he gave her a wink “—and maybe a late-night swim there.”
She put her hand to her mouth and smiled at him sheepishly.
“And that was just on Mimosa Key,” he said. “Then I went over the causeway and another list started.”
Andi grinned. “Gonna be hard to get all that done in three-and-a-half days.”
“Impossible,” Matt corrected. “And that made the reality that I’ll miss you in the future twice as heavy as just missing you today.”
She sucked in a breath at his serious turn and he saw the wheels spin. She twirled noodles on her fork, but didn’t eat any. “So, basically you’re saying you missed me more.”
Always with the humor, Matt thought. Another one of her defense mechanisms. “Let’s just say I’m not looking forward to Sunday and that’s always been my favorite day of the week.”
She mouthed the word sorry and Matt stood to dish up his food.
“You ready to hear my ideas for the rebranding?” she asked between bites of food.
Matt nodded. “Shoot.”
There was an energy in the room and it wasn’t just the electricity of obvious attraction. For the first time, he saw the future of Hope Presbyterian through fresh eyes. Andi’s eyes. She understood his desire to balance his mission of bringing people to the church, so he could share the larger mission: To bring the lost and saved closer to Jesus Christ.
“And we need to draw the younger crowd,” he said. “The core of this island has always been the original founders and their families. But Mimosa Key is growing as those families have families of their own and newcomers learn about this hidden treasure. We’ve got ten thousand people living here, a new baseball stadium, a booming tourism industry and people coming over all the time from the mainland.”
“So how do we encourage them to take that short drive over the causeway to come to this church?”
“Right,” he said. “And encourage those who already live on the island and aren’t attending church elsewhere to come check us out.” He sat back in his chair and looked around. “The church is the people, not this building. We’ve got an incredible program for seniors that is well-known, but we also have programs for families and young adults to help them stay connected throughout the week. We need to get the word out there.”
She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, mimicking him. “Green Flash,” she said definitively.
“What?”
“It’s one of Pantone’s colors of the year and I can totally see it being the foundation for Hope Presbyterian.”
“Green?” He didn’t know what a pantone was, but he figured she did. “Keep talking.”
She clicked away at her keyboard and turned the laptop to face him. “See? A very natural green that’s classy but still earthy. We need a more vivid pop of color that will get Hope Presbyterian noticed and bring the design into this decade.” She glanced over the computer. “I hope that doesn’t offend you.”
“Not at all,” he said and sat forward. “I’m listening.”
She typed more and pulled up a page of blue boxes in varying shades. “If we pair that green with Snorkel Blue for the lettering and use Limpet Shell for the shadow—” she pointed to the screen “—that’s this lighter blue. And for a font, I’d stay close to what this other designer suggested. The font has a Spanish style that goes with the architecture of the building.”
“I like those colors, but how will that look on a sign with the red clay roof and yellow stucco exterior?”
Andi stood and walked to the window. “This building blends in with the other buildings in the area and the overall style of the island.”
“The island has a style? What, like beachy?”
She turned. “Oh no, beachy doesn’t do Mimosa justice. Sure, by default of being an island on Florida’s Gulf Coast, it’s beachy, but the overall style is more...” She looked out the window again and tapped her finger to her lip. “...Old Florida charm that transcends a touristy surface. Mimosa Key is authentic and deep.”
When she looked at Matt her eyes sparkled and he caught a glimpse of the pictures that came together in her mind.
“Well, good, I guess. We should blend in with the style of the island.”
“Yes, but your branding shouldn’t. That’s how you get lost in the shuffle and forgotten. And this follows through to your web presence, too. How do you take proactive ownership of your virtual street corner?”
Matt met her by the window. “You sound just like Emma.”
Andi turned. “Who’s Emma?”
“She’s the new VP of marketing at Casa Blanca Resort and Spa. I met her at the last Chamber meeting. You should meet her. I know you two would blow each other’s minds with your ideas. You speak the same language, which I—” he touched his chest “—have trouble interpreting.”
“Add that meeting to the list of activities in the next three days,” she said.
“Chamber meets next Tuesday. You’ll have to stay. She’d be a good contact for Andi’s Designs.”
“I’m not using that name,” she said and playfully pushed her hands to her hips. “And don’t tempt me with chamber meetings and cool people.” She turned back to the window. “First things first, though. We’ve got to do something about that sign.”
Matt moved in closer and looked over her shoulder even though he didn’t need to see the sign. He drove by the wooden albatross multiple times a day and knew exactly where the rotten boards were and how many nails he’d pounded in to keep that bottom plank in place. He was more interested in being close to her and seeing the sign through her eyes.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he whispered in her ear.
She tilted her head slightly. “Sturdy and attractive,” she said. “Something solid that will stand the test of time, even when it’s strained by
wind and rain.”
He rested his hands on her shoulders and she leaned back against his chest. “I like that. What else?”
She sighed. “Building on shifting sand is hard. We need supports that drive down deep to find firm footing. The colors and appearance are superficial, just icing on the cake. It’s what’s underneath that matters. And all this pre-work and planning will determine the longevity.”
“How do we plan for an uncertain future?” He rubbed his hands down her arms and felt the chill bumps rise on her soft skin. “The tropical storms. The hurricanes.”
“We communicate our needs,” she said. “About every last... piece of that sign.” She turned to him and her eyes twinkled.
“You know I’m not thinking about the sign.”
“I know.” She smiled. “But it’s a good metaphor for this.”
“This?” He dipped his head and kissed her. Slowly. Thoughtfully. And she responded with an intensity that surprised him. They held each other like they were both painfully aware of their limited time.
Raising his lips from hers, he gazed into her eyes, his mouth burning with the desire to connect with her on a deeper level. But she pushed back a step.
“Mmmm,” she hummed. “I better be careful. I could get used to this.”
He gathered her in his arms again. “Let’s get used to this.”
She buried her face in his neck. “Matt, no,” she said on a laugh. “We’re in a church.”
“People kiss all the time in churches,” he said, then kissed her cheek and her chin and moved back to her mouth. “It’s expected.”
“When they get married. We’re not getting...”
And there was the reminder again. The stark reality that this was all temporary. Matt loosened his grip.
She cleared her throat and stepped back. “Back to the sign,” she said and looked out the window. “That poor thing is a mess.”
“No worries,” he rounded the table back to his seat. “Something new is on the horizon.”
The horizon, indeed, Matt thought. But the future might not look as shiny and new as the sign she imagined when he shared the secret he’d been holding back.