Carolina Grace (Southern Breeze Series Book 3)

by Regina Rudd Merrick

  “He is.”

  The laugh he heard afterward drew Rance’s eyes to the man coming up to him on the sidewalk.

  “Hey, Dr. Butler, how’s my favorite resident and baby-deliverer?” Tom held out his hand, and Rance shook it.

  “Great. Call me Rance.”

  “All right, Rance it is. You can call me Sheriff.” When Rance glanced up at him with uncertainty, Tom laughed. “Kidding. Call me Tom. I understand you’ve been seeing my sister?”

  “I have. She’s a special lady.”

  “She is. What brings you out here?”

  Rance paused. It was getting too complicated for him to deal with on his own. According to his brother, Tom was a guy you could trust. Being Charly’s brother made him hesitate, but maybe it was one of those “God-things” Sam talked about.

  “I’m visiting my brother.”

  Tom raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Brother? I thought you were an only child?”

  Rance grinned. “Charly told me you did a background check.”

  Tom reddened slightly. “Sorry, but––”

  Rance held up his hand. “I get it. She’s your baby sister. I would have done the same thing.” Rance looked over, noticing a bench near the entrance, most likely for released prisoners to catch their ride. “Got a few minutes?”

  Tom looked at his watch and then down at Rance. “I’ve got all the time you need.”

  Rance leaned on his knees as he sat on the bench, looking out over the parking lot. “I found out a few weeks ago I’m not who I always thought I was.”

  “Come again?”

  “Don’t worry, nothing illegal. The man I thought was my father is, in fact, my adoptive father, and my mother recently told me about my real father and the brother I never knew. Sam Watson.” He looked at Tom, waiting for a flicker of something.

  “Sam Watson is your brother? Half-brother?” Tom’s face was impassive. He was good at interrogation, kept his cards close to the vest when he wasn’t in a delivery room with his wife delivering twins.

  “Brother. Mom was pregnant with me when she left, and my real father never knew until recently.”

  “Tough situation.”

  “I never had anything to do with God before. My parents never talked about it. My grandparents, well, adopted grandparents, took me to their church occasionally, but it never clicked with me.” He looked up at Tom. “Since I started seeing Charly, God keeps coming up. Now even Sam is telling me about God.”

  Tom grinned. “Someday we’ll have to tell you the whole story about Sam. It’s pretty interesting.”

  “Sam’s told me a little of it, mainly how you and Jared Benton pointed him to God.”

  Tom looked out over the parking lot. “It’s interesting how people are put together for specific purposes, at specific times.”

  “Can’t God simply take care of stuff? If He’s all-powerful and all-knowing, and loves us so much, why does he leave things for us to mess up?” He was beginning to feel more frustration than curiosity.

  “This may not mean much to you right now, but the Bible is littered with people who made bad choices over and over again only to be forgiven and given a place of importance. Prostitutes, swindlers, liars, thieves . . . God loved them all. They made the decision to do sinful things, and then they made the decision to turn away from sin and follow Him.”

  “Sounds too easy.”

  Tom laughed out loud. “I know. I’ve been back and forth myself, trying to make it harder than it is. It’s a free gift. You know what you have to do to get a free gift?”

  “What?” Rance was totally baffled.

  “Receive it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The Baker/Rowan wedding, held at Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park, was going to be perfect. Such an interesting venue. What looked like a Moorish castle on the desert opened up to a green oasis complete with palm trees, wrought-iron accents, and what was once an art studio for a sculptor.

  Charly had helped with more than one wedding at this venue since Lucy went into business with Emma. Before Hurricane Rosa, Sarah and Jared Benton had planned to have their wedding here. They changed to the church when damage to the property closed the venue for a season.

  Clipboard in place, Emma was coming toward her, auburn hair shining in the bright sunlight, her summer dress the perfect color of blue to help her blend in but still look beautiful.

  “Charly, could you go and check those tablecloths over on the far end? I was watching as they put them on, and the hems are not level. See how bad it is, and if you need to, help them take everything off and fix it. Got it?”

  “Emma, are you all right?” Usually cool as a cucumber, Emma was flushed and a little out of sorts.

  “I’m fine.” She paused and looked at her young friend. She had to tell somebody. “I have a date.”

  “For the wedding? Emma, how long since––”

  “Since I had a date? Let’s see now . . . over ten years.”

  “Seriously? You haven’t had a date since I was old enough to think about dating?” Charly giggled and hugged Emma tightly. “You’ll be great. Anybody I know?”

  “Probably not. I met him in Charleston. He was a friend of Daniel’s, and they served together in Afghanistan.”

  Charly’s mouth hung open. “Wow. What are the odds?”

  “Seriously. He asked me out for this weekend, and I had this, so he asked if I’d like a date for the wedding. What could I say?”

  “Is he cute?” Charly winked at her. “And what time will he be here so I can watch for him.”

  “He’s cute, has red hair, and will be here for the reception. Then I can begin to relax.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Rafe. Rafe Jernigan.”

  Charly frowned. “His name sounds so familiar. I know I’ve heard it somewhere.”

  “He said he grew up here, but after the service, his family had moved to Charleston.”

  “Interesting. Okay, I’ll look for a cute guy with red hair. Big guy?”

  “Kinda. Tall, looks like he used to be a soldier.” Emma laughed, sounding more relaxed than she had earlier.

  “What does Sophie think about it?”

  “She’s been after me to start dating for a while. I think she’s come to the realization she may have missed out by not having a father-figure in her life.”

  Charly nodded. “It’s tough. I had mine until I was a teenager, but it was hard. I can’t imagine never having known my dad.”

  “I’m going down to the beach and see how things are looking for the ceremony site.” She wrinkled her nose in irritation. “It’s hard to put it together without a crowd gathering.”

  “I’ll keep things going here.”

  “Tell Sophie to make sure there’s plenty of ice. If we need more, have one of the guys go for more. I’d rather have too much than not enough.”

  “Will do.” Charly turned to walk back to the tables that needed checking. She stopped and looked back. “Does Lucy know?”

  “Not yet.” Emma twisted her lips, trying to hide her grin.

  “Ha! I know something before Lucy! Finally!”

  Emma shook her head and waved her on. “Go. Work. Now.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Charly saluted then skipped to the tables in the back to make them perfect.

  Ceremony done, Emma looked over the reception area. She was good at her job, and the gentle smile on her face showed confidence in her abilities.

  Rafe stood off to the side, avoiding the receiving line, watching Emma and wondering what would have happened if he’d met her before Daniel. She probably wouldn’t have given him the time of day. He had been pretty rough back then.

  “You must be Emma’s friend, Rafe. I’m Charly Livingston.” She held a tray of finger foods and smiled.

  “Related to Tom?”

  “Yes, he’s my brother.” She grinned. “You know him?”

  “You could say that. We’ve met a few times. Nice to meet yo
u.”

  “Thanks, same here. I’ll let Emma know you’re here. She’ll be done in a few minutes. The receiving line is finishing up, and then they’ll announce the wedding party, and then I’ll give her a break and keep things rolling. She’s got a place for you over at the back table.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll wait for her here, if it’s okay.”

  She nodded. “Fine with me.”

  As soon as the receiving line was done, he noticed who the bride was. Cynthia Baker. Annabelle’s best friend and the girl he had avoided like the plague when she was a hormonal teenager with a crush on him. He chuckled and shook his head, then turned quickly when he felt a hand at his elbow.

  “Hi Rafe.”

  Emma. She looked amazing. “Hey, yourself.” He looked at the bride and groom and had to laugh. “If I’d known it was Cynthia Baker’s wedding, I might have ditched.”

  She tilted her head curiously. “History?”

  “Ancient. She was my sister’s best friend and had a raging crush on me when she was a teenager.”

  “Well, I think she got over it.” Emma laughed, noting the passionate kiss the groom gave his bride as the master of ceremonies announced them.

  “Dodged a bullet there.” He made a show of wiping sweat from his brow, enjoying seeing her smile and making her laugh.

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “Me too. What kind of schedule do you have to keep here?”

  “I’ll be on call during the reception, make sure everything is going all right, then when the bride and groom leave, the clean-up crew takes over.”

  “Any time for a walk on the beach?”

  She looked around and saw Charly. She pointed to the gate leading out to the sand, and Charly nodded with a smile. “As long as somebody knows where I am, I’m a free woman for about thirty minutes.”

  “Good, but then you look too pretty to go walking on the beach.”

  “Thank you, kind sir, but I recently supervised nuptials on the beach, so I came prepared.” She opened her bag to show flip-flops matching her dress.

  “I like a woman who is prepared.”

  “Thirteen years of being a single mom has taught me a few things.”

  “I’m sure it has.” He cleared his throat and held out his arm. “You look like you’ve done well for yourself.”

  She tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and walked out the gate with him. “It was tough, at first. Sophie was so little, and I had started wedding planning for fun. After Daniel died, I went full-time. God was certainly good during those times and still is.”

  “I hear you. I didn’t have much time for God back then.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He grinned at her. “Me too.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  He looked at her intently as they stood on the beach. “It’s been a while, but that doesn’t sound like a first-date question.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Hey, I’m forty. I figure why act like a twenty-something? I figure it’s a good idea to separate the wheat from the chaff early.”

  He nodded and twisted his lips in a half-smile. This was no ordinary woman.

  Had she messed up already? Emma strolled along the beach with a silent Rafe, wondering. Her experience with first dates was sketchy, but there was something about him. There was a sadness she sensed had nothing to do with the loss of his sister but had everything to do with the fact that he had spent many years pushing God aside.

  He stopped for a moment, away from other people, and turned toward her. “You really want to know?”

  “I do.” She didn’t reach for his hand, but she was tempted. His unruly red hair blew in the breeze and was more unruly when he raked his hands through them. She wanted so badly to touch the curls, to smooth them over to one side, but instead linked her fingers together and tilted her head. “It’s not a deal breaker, so don’t feel as if you have to share if you don’t want to.”

  He nodded. “I get it. If I had a daughter, I’d be careful who I spent time with too.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I guess I started down the wrong path before I joined the Army. The usual stuff, drinking, drug use, and a little dating extra-curricular activity. When my sister, Annabelle, was in the wreck, I had found out she was pregnant, and it floored me. It made me mad. I guess anger, combined with a little PTSD from two tours in Afghanistan, made the violence worse and made the dependence worse. I was one unhappy camper.”

  “I can’t even imagine.”

  He reached for her hand, and she let him take it. “I decided God, if He existed, was for other people but not for me. How could He take my kid sister? And how could He sit back and watch while she was fooling around, acting stupid? But then I wasn’t exactly a good role model.”

  “Survivor’s guilt?”

  “Yes, on several levels. I’d lost a few of my buddies and couldn’t figure out why they had to die, and I lived. I knew I was being unreasonable, and that’s what unreasonable people do, they don’t think straight. I unleashed my anger on the young man in the wreck with her and blamed everything on God and Jared Benton.”

  She blanched. “Jared Benton?”

  He shook his head sadly. “Wasn’t his fault, none of it.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, and you know what? Jared forgave me even before I found out he wasn’t responsible.”

  “He’s a good man.” She squeezed his hand, giving him a sad smile when he squeezed back.

  “One of the best. I spent a lot of time angry with him, angry with God, and wasted a lot of time thinking about nobody but myself.”

  “What made the difference?”

  “One night a few years ago in Charleston I came across Jared and Sarah. I was drunk, and I was mad at the world. It wasn’t pretty, Emma. I found out a year later he wasn’t to blame for Annabelle’s death or the trouble she was in, and I came to him and apologized. He didn’t like me scaring Sarah, but he told me the most important thing was that God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son to die for me. All I had to do was accept it was true and that it was for me. Nothing else mattered. Not my anger, not his or my guilt over surviving. Nothing. God’s love was the important thing.”

  She grinned at him, a mist of tears in her eyes. “The Gospel in a nutshell.”

  “The Good News. That’s when I started getting sober.”

  The wedding reception was drawing to a close. Cake had been cut, toasts made, and the bouquet was about to be tossed. Emma walked over to Charly and Sophie after settling Rafe in a chair with a plate of food. It was almost over.

  “So, ladies, are you going up for the bouquet toss?”

  Charly laughed. “Not unless you do.”

  Emma let out one loud “Ha!” making everyone turn and look. She felt herself turning red. “I’ll leave bouquet catching to you young folks.”

  Sophie poked her mother in the ribs. “Hey, how’s the date going?”

  Her mother smiled. “Very well. Thanks for asking.”

  “Good. He’s a ginger. I like it.”

  Emma winked at her daughter. “I do too.”

  The three ladies laughed together as the master of ceremonies asked for their attention. The bride beckoned for the three of them to join the fray as the other single ladies assembled. Emma waved them off and pushed the other two forward.

  She grinned over at Rafe and noticed at the entrance a young man that would certainly be of interest to Charly. Emma wanted to get her attention, but about the time Rance Butler got to her side, Charly was entirely too busy . . . catching the bouquet.

  Charly laughed as she easily caught the bouquet. Sophie was tickled pink, and Charly could feel her face turning pink. Very pink. Especially when she looked over and saw who was standing next to Emma.

  What was Rance doing here? She thought he was coming home yesterday, but she hadn’t heard from him. But then, she hadn’t checked her phone since she started working this afternoon.

  She walked over to hi
m, and Emma excused herself to confer with the bride and groom about their exit.

  “Hey.” She stood there, looking down at the beautiful blend of real peonies, roses, and other flowers. Cynthia had spared no expense for even the “throwaway” bouquet. She loved peonies. Maybe she’d have them at her wedding.

  “Hey, yourself.” Rance took her free hand and pulled her closer. “I missed you.”

  She gave him a partial smile. “Did you?”

  He looked down then away from her. “Charly . . .”

  “Rance, I don’t know if I can do this.” She waited until he looked at her then tilted her head and looked him in the eye.

  “I know we’re different, but maybe being different is a good thing.” He held on to her gaze and squeezed her hand. “Charly, I’m sorry.”

  She nodded and looked away, suddenly not wanting to meet his eyes. “It’s okay.” She pulled her hand away and rubbed her arm. She felt chilled.

  “No, it’s not.” He looked around at all the people milling around in the aftermath of the reception and put his hands in his pockets. “We need to talk, and this isn’t the place.”

  She dipped her head. “I need to help Emma get things wrapped up.”

  “Can I come over later?” His eyes pleaded with her to accept his apology. “Charly?”

  She chewed on her bottom lip and looked down at the flowers in her hand. The decision to cut ties with him had been easy when he wasn’t standing in front of her, but now she was so torn. She might be falling in love with him, and she didn’t know what to do about it. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Please?”

  When she looked up, she was startled at the pain on his face, in his eyes. She couldn’t refuse. “Lydia will be there, I should be home by eight-thirty or so.”

  “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It had been a fun night, right up to the point when she saw Rance.