by Amy Lyon
CHAPTER TEN
The next morning, Andi was back in the church parking lot at ten. As she parked the rental car, Matt stepped out of the church bus and headed toward her. He wore khaki cargo shorts, a dark blue T-shirt and a ball cap bearing the logo of the island’s new baseball team, the Barefoot Bay Bucks.
“You look like you’re gearing up to coach a game,” she said.
“Casual Friday.”
She laughed. “It’s Thursday.”
He gifted her with a quick hug and a kiss in her hair. “I lose all track of time when you’re around.”
Even under the brim of a hat, his blue eyes struck her like summer lightning. “Don’t rush the days,” she said. “I’ve only got a few left.”
“Don’t remind me.”
A car pulled into the parking lot and he stepped away to load a cooler onto the bus. Her knees went weak at the sight of him hefting the cooler, so she leaned against her car for support. His T-shirt had the old Hope Presbyterian logo on the front, but the back was what really caught her attention. The fabric pulled tight across his thick shoulders and strong back. The muscles in his forearms were accentuated as he hoisted the cooler into position and she had a strong desire to have those arms wrapped tight around her.
Whoa, girl! Andi pushed away from the car and took a deep breath. Kissing inside the church. Imagining Matt shirtless outside the church. She had to get hold of herself.
A few more cars pulled into the parking lot and Matt directed the seniors to the open church if anyone needed to use the restroom before they left.
“It never fails,” he said and slipped an arm around her waist. “Someone has to use the bathroom the second we get on the bus.”
She laughed. “You’re so good at this, Matt. The church, the seniors, dealing with people.” She tapped the brim of his cap. “You’re wearing ten different hats and juggling it all like a pro.”
“What can I say,” he said and playfully turned up his palms. “It’s my gift.”
“And you’re humble.” She smiled, but then she dug the edge of her flip-flop into the sand. “It must be reassuring to know you’re on the path God wants you to be on.”
“I have my days. I’m always questioning if I’m on the right path. I’m human. That’s what we do.”
She gave him a once-over. “Doesn’t seem that way to me. You seem like you’ve got it all together all the time.”
He huffed. “Glad it looks that way.” He turned to face her and ran his hand over her hair. “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
Was she that easy to read? Or was he just that good at reading her? Now wasn’t the time and this parking lot wasn’t the place. So she shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Not nothing. Did you hear from Angel? Is something wrong with work?”
Of course he would figure that. Work was her life, wasn’t it? “No. Just feeling a little overwhelmed, I guess. A week ago I got the call from you and so much has happened with my mom and, yes, work, and...” She trailed off.
He took her wrist in his hand and rubbed his thumb over her tattoo. “When I get overwhelmed, which happens often, it’s usually because I’m trying to gain some sense of control over my situation. What works for me is to step away from the big picture, take my ego out of the equation, and remind myself of this: If I can honor God with the next decision I make, no matter how small, I can take comfort in knowing I’ve done the right thing.”
Andi stared at him. “You make it sound so easy.”
His hands slipped up her arms, bringing her closer to him. “It can be that easy. If it’s truly good, it will lead you to God.”
“Enough, you two lovebirds!” Fancy skittered past them with a silly grin on her face. “Let’s motor!”
“She’s your mom,” Andi said and gave him a little hip-check.
“That she is,” Matt said and let his arm hang loosely over her shoulder as they walked toward the bus.
A dozen or so seniors boarded the bus and Andi slipped into the front seat behind Matt.
“The church is paying you for last night, by the way,” he said as he buckled his seat belt. “You had a lot of great ideas.”
She met his gaze in the over-sized mirror. “That was a free consultation.” She winked. She’d consult with him any day of the week. “Plus, today is payment enough.”
He put the bus into gear and slowly rolled out of the parking lot. “We’ll see how you feel after four hours with this rowdy bunch.”
She laughed. “Three simple dishes in under an hour? I’m sure I need this cooking class more than they do.” She touched his shoulder. “And thanks again for coordinating with Ginger to pick up my mom and bring her today.”
Matt met her eyes in the mirror. “Anything to see you smile like that.”
And Andi was smiling. Ear to ear. She knew her cheeks were flushed and the color didn’t come from the high humidity that never seemed to leave the island. No, the happiness in her heart that shone all over her face was purely Matt induced.
* * *
When they rounded the driveway to drop Millie off at Circles of Care later that afternoon, Andi saw the familiar veil come over her mother’s face.
“Where are we now?” she asked Andi, then looked across the aisle and jabbed a finger in Fancy’s direction. “You said we were going home.”
“This is home,” Fancy said.
Matt parked under the overhang at the main entrance and Millie’s protests were drowned out by the well-wishes of the other seniors on the bus. Ginger appeared at the door with Gabrielle by her side, and Andi felt thankful for the two women who showed so much compassion for her mother.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mom,” she said and helped her down the steps.
“Don’t forget Friday is bingo night,” Ginger said.
Millie’s eyes lit up. “Andi loves bingo,” she said.
“See you tomorrow night at six then,” Ginger said and helped Millie down the last step.
“We’ll be here,” Matt and Fancy called in unison.
Andi kissed her mom on the cheek and hugged her hard. She never would have imagined an afternoon with her mother and this rowdy bunch could fill her so completely. Her social life in Minnesota consisted of brainstorming sessions after work at the street-level restaurant in the same building as CityStyle Magazine. Who would have thought a busload of seniors could show her such a good time.
And Matt.
She caught him watching her again in the big bus mirror and couldn’t hide her smile. She leaned forward in her seat. “Keep your eyes on the road, Pastor Cooke,” she whispered in his ear.
* * *
Matt realigned his hands at ten and two on the steering wheel. It was hard to concentrate on the road when he’d rather look at the beautiful girl seated behind him.
When they arrived back at the church, he struggled to let her go for two hours so he could get some work done. But she promised to see him that night, and they agreed to go someplace casual for dinner. He decided on Naples Pier. The patio overlooked the Gulf and was laidback enough that they’d be able to have a conversation. And they needed to have a conversation.
About Lily.
Three hours later, he stood in front of the men’s room mirror wondering how he would broach the subject. Andi was her sweet, gentle self, but she seemed a bit more fragile than usual. Would his news be just enough to tip her over the edge?
A reggae band played as he walked back to the table and he felt the island charm wash over him. Andi was bent over the table scribbling something in her notebook when he approached.
“Another list?” he asked, letting his hand graze her back.
She flipped the book shut. “No.”
“Then what? My name with hearts?”
She flushed. “You don’t want to know.”
“So it is my name with hearts.”
“Not quite.”
“So tell me, List Girl, what are you writing if not to-dos?”
Matt held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
She tipped her head. “Were you ever a Boy Scout?”
“Nope.”
She laughed and gave the notebook a shake. “This is full of lists and... poetry.”
“Poetry?” His brow wrinkled. “About me?”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “You’re such a guy.”
“So not about me?”
She smiled. “Well, maybe you’ve inspired a few lines.”
He leaned forward and sized her up. “Tell me more.”
She thumbed the edges of her notebook. “It’s not just poetry, but poetry that could be songs.”
“Don’t they call that songwriting?”
“Except that I don’t sing and I don’t play a musical instrument, so I just have a notebook full of poetry...”
“...that could be songs.”
She smiled. “It’s weird, I know.”
“Not weird at all.”
In the distance, lightning flashed high in the sky, dancing in the clouds, and a low rumble followed. Andi was an open book. Literally, if one counted words from the heart as what defined a person. She had her notebook open on the table in front of them and she thumbed through the pages, sharing the inspiration for various poems. She felt things deeply, he sensed that the first day he met her, so maybe she’d be more understanding about Lily than he assumed. But first, he needed to know a little more about these poems that could be songs.
“Share something with me,” he finally said.
“I just did.” She feathered the pages.
His eyes locked on her. “Share something you’ve written this week.”
She exhaled hard. “I haven’t shared my poetry with anyone—”
“Please.”
Her shoulders hunched forward and she clutched at her sides, hugging herself. “I don’t know...”
Matt leaned closer and extended his hand for her to take. “It’s just me.”
She laid her hand in his. “Okay, but I need to preface this with—”
“No preface.”
She held up her other hand. “I’m talking now.”
He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Feisty,” he grumbled. “I like it.”
She clutched her notebook in both hands. “On the day of Dwight’s funeral, I was running late, and when I got to the church, I was rushing across the parking lot when a woman stopped me.”
“Who?”
Andi shook her head. “Dunno.”
“What did she look like?”
“Don’t remember, really. She was older, with big sunglasses. I was only half listening to her as she completely invaded my space and asked me a bunch of personal questions.” Andi shook her head at the memory. “But it was like she saw right through me and her words stuck with me. She inspired me to write something this week.”
Matt shifted in his chair and sat up straighter. “I’m dying to hear this.”
Andi looked over his shoulder at the Gulf, closed her eyes and sang in a soft, sweet voice that was musical despite her protests to the contrary:
“Standin’ in front of the church/
For years I hadn’t gone
Too ashamed to admit I’d maybe done something wrong/
But there in the parking lot/Headed my way
She came out of nowhere with this to say...
You look so sad and so all alone/
Maybe it’s time you think of comin’ home.
My dear, sweet child as your life unfolds/
The wrong path, it can kill your soul/
And it’s killin’ your soul.”
She opened her eyes and dared a glance at him. “That’s just the beginning, I—”
Matt rounded the table and took her into his arms. “Thank you for sharing that with me,” he whispered into her hair, then pushed back to look at her. “I can’t believe you wrote that. And your voice. Andrea, you sing like an angel.”
Bright pink spots appeared on her cheeks.
“An amazing designer and a songwriter,” he said, pulling his stool over without letting go of her hand. “You’ve got incredible talent.”
“It’s just a hobby.”
“It’s a gift,” he countered.
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek lightly. “Now it’s your turn,” she said into his ear.
Matt craned his neck. “Sorry, I don’t write poetry.”
She laughed. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
Lightning trailed across the sky near the shoreline and thunder clapped a moment later.
The waitress appeared with their tab. “Would you mind settling this before we get washed out?” she asked.
Matt gave her his credit card and she sprinted away, as though expecting a deluge at any moment.
“We should get going—”
“Convenient,” Andi grumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She pushed off her stool. “I share this—” she shook her notebook at him “—and you won’t share anything with me.”
This was the opening he’d prayed for and he couldn’t walk through. “I’m not that deep.”
“You’re plenty deep,” she said through gritted teeth. “Share something real with me, Matt. What do you dream about? Tell me something you enjoy.”
He stepped closer. “I enjoy you,” he said and locked onto her hips with his hands.
But she pushed back. “Matt—”
“What?” He turned his palms to the sky as the waitress appeared with his receipt. As if on cue, large raindrops began to fall.
* * *
Matt wanted to tell her. Really he did. If that counted for anything. But now she was irritated and the words were stuck in his throat.
I’m a...
Lily is my...
He’d never had so much trouble getting out a sentence in his life. But he’d never felt like he’d had this much to lose. He glanced at Andi in the passenger seat, her face turned toward the window. The rainstorm wasn’t a good enough reason to drive home in silence, but she wasn’t talking and he was at a loss for words. He couldn’t risk telling her about Lily and having her slowly fade out of his life. But if he didn’t tell her, he wasn’t being truthful.
And you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
Water splashed up to the windows when his truck dipped into the pool that had formed at the bottom of Millie’s driveway. When he put the vehicle in park, Andi grabbed her purse and reached for the door.
He put his hand on her arm. “Wait, I’ll come in. I do have something I want to talk to you about.”
She shook her head. “I’m exhausted, Matt.”
“There’s someone I want you to meet.” There, he’d said it. And while he expected more relief from his pounding heart, the fear of what she’d say rose to the surface.
She lifted heavy eyelids. “Another business owner?” she asked. “Matt, I don’t even have my own business yet.”
Yet.
So she hadn’t shut down the idea completely.
“No, someone closer to me.” He didn’t meet her gaze but he felt her eyes on him. “Plan to come by my place Saturday afternoon for a barbecue. We’re having a little get-together and since it’s your last night here—” He looked up. “Is it too early to beg you to stay?”
She visibly softened and scooted closer to him on the bench seat as rain pounded the windshield. “Hey, you’re not going to introduce me to your wife on Saturday, are you?”
Matt let out a low laugh. “No wife,” he said. But his someone wasn’t that many branches off on the family tree.
She cocked her head. “Okay, Mr. Secrets, let’s make a deal. You have tomorrow off and want to do something fun with me. Come over at ten. I’ll have breakfast ready, and we can hang out at the beach for awhile.”
He nodded. He’d agree to a
lmost anything right now. They were mere inches apart and he could smell the sweet scent of... Andrea. He’d already committed it to memory. He bent his head to kiss her, but she blocked his lips with her index finger.
“And you need to tell me something.”
“Anything?”
“Something,” she insisted, “more than the textbook version of facts you’ve given me for the last week. I want to know what’s in here.” She tapped his chest. “You’re holding back from me.”
Man, she was right about that. Multi-talented and perceptive.
“And I need you to open up to me if...”
“If?”
She met his eyes. “I’m really thinking about what you said, about honoring God with the next decision I make.” She licked her lips. “I keep thinking that I need to put family first and maybe you’re right, I should start my own design business. You know, really try to make a go of it here.”
He sucked in a breath and held it. This was everything he’d prayed for. So why did he feel like his burden just got heavier?
She put her hands on his chest and he finally exhaled.
“And making a go of us, if you’re interested.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Of course he was interested. Matt spent half the night and the better part of Friday morning thinking about just how interested he was and how much he wanted to make a go of it with Andi.
Which was why he had to come clean with her.
His resolve was set as he made the short walk down Hibiscus, up Millie’s porch steps and to the front door. He was just about to knock when he saw movement to the side. Andi was curled up in one of the wicker chairs, her eyes red and puffy.
“Hi,” she said and her voice cracked.
“What’s wrong?” He crossed the porch and pulled a chair in front of her. Sitting down, he asked, “Is it Millie?”
“No, she’s fine.” She held up her phone. “Got a text from Angel.”
“And...”
“Didn’t get the promotion.”
Matt leaned forward and rubbed his hands on her knees, the worn denim of her jeans surprisingly soft under his palms.
“I’m so sorry, Andi. I know how much you wanted that.” He wrapped her in a hug.