He bent his head and placed a finger under her chin to tilt her face up so he could look into her amber eyes. He saw so much in their shining depths. There was softness behind the hard edge of pain and experience.
“Thank you for sharing your story with me. You know, a few days after we had lunch in that microbrewery, I came across Hailee in a situation that had red flags all over it. And for some reason, I haven’t been able to separate my prayers for the two of you since. I was glad to see you in Dino’s today. I think God intentionally crossed our paths, knowing Hailee would need you.”
He paused for a heartbeat before reaching to clasp both her hands.
“Will you pray with me about Hailee and how we can help her?” he asked, their foreheads lightly touching in an intimate posture, arms straight at their sides but hands mingled.
She closed her eyes and dipped her head even lower with a sigh.
“That is exactly what I was going to ask you.”
He let the words flow freely as they came to mind. They simply stood there, barely touching, praying for what was probably only a few minutes but felt like so much longer. As he felt his spirit still, they said amen and he released her hands. He wanted to hug her again.
Gina licked her lips and seemed to be mulling something over.
“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
She gave him a smile that kicked him square in the gut. “You keep that up and I’m going to get a big ego.”
“Somehow I doubt that. But I’m serious. Both about you being pretty and that there’s something going on inside that mind. Spill.”
Her lips curved in a barely-there smile. “Well, as we were praying, I remembered that Hailee works at the same mercado as my mom.”
“Is that why you looked so uncomfortable talking about it at lunch?”
“Yeah, only not for the reasons you might think. See, I just had dinner with my mom last Thursday night. She told me she’s been clean and sober for six months. And that she’s accepted Christ and is going to church.”
“Thursday night?” What were the odds?
“Yeah, why?”
Jaydon scratched at his beard. Weird. What have you got going on, Lord?
“Thursday night I was up late praying for you and Hailee. I can’t explain why, but I felt led, so I prayed.”
Her eyebrows hitched skyward and then she smiled, shaking her head.
“God’s care never fails to amaze me.”
“His love knows no bounds, that’s for sure. Continue.”
She nodded and they started walking along the xeric landscaped path that looked more like a wild desert trail than most of the other more manicured garden paths. He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers as if it was the most natural thing on earth to do. Glancing down, he marveled at the contrast of his rough, paler skin against her soft, small, tan hands.
“It just struck me, how small a world it is here. I mean, Albuquerque’s not a huge city, but it’s not exactly a small town, either.” Her voice started to escalate in volume and speed as she let go of his hand and began to pace in long circles around him, hands waving excitedly.
“Hear me out, okay? So here I am, Thursday night, thinking something crazy is happening. I’ve never seen my mom’s eyes so clear, and she looked healthy. She cooked my grandmother’s recipes and everything. It was like stepping into an alternate universe. I’m not even kidding you.
“Okay, so now we know you were called to pray that night. I’m seriously freaking out a little here, by the way, because when I left that night, I could feel something was different. I felt hope—real, honest to God hope—for my mom for the first time. And peace!
“Now today I find out that the very place my newly stable mother has been working for almost half a year is the exact same place where this girl I just met today works. The same girl who is basically living a repeat of my family history. The same girl I felt a kinship and protectiveness toward the minute I slipped into the booth beside her. The same girl we’re praying for, right now, works with my mom.
“Can you feel it? Can you feel that gnawing in your gut that God’s up to something?”
Her face was bright with excitement and wonder. Man, if he’d thought she was gorgeous before, she was stunning now. And best of all, he knew exactly what she was talking about. Had he ever clicked on a spiritual level with a woman this much before?
He’d once thought he had shared a faith with Kelly, but she’d just been putting on a front. A good front, but false nonetheless, for nearly all of their marriage.
Gina wore every emotion across her lovely face. There was no guile in her, only genuine Gina Hernandez through and through. Utterly refreshing. And so very, very attractive.
“I know exactly what you mean. And I do feel it,” he paused to grin at her when their eyes met. “You know, I was thinking it would be good to get some of the youth to pop in to where Hailee works, to make her feel welcome and included. But now, I’m thinking we should talk to your mom.”
Gina’s eyes flew wide. He recognized her initial response was dread, but then her face reflected her rapid thought processes and he saw the resignation, quickly followed by hope, and then acceptance and peace. She nodded with an amazed smile, yet she seemed to be debating something. He could see it on the tip of her tongue while she bounced on her toes.
“Do you have plans later?” she blurted and then looked away quickly. She obviously hadn’t meant it how it had sounded, but there was no way he could resist the golden opportunity to tease her.
He laughed and reached for her hand again and pulled her to him without even thinking about it. Their eyes met and bodies tensed in the surprise of the sudden embrace.
“Are you asking me out?” His voice came out too growly.
He almost started laughing again at the look of shock and uncertainty on her lovely face. She didn’t back down, though. Nor did she try to move out of his firm grip. Man, he loved her spunk.
The mirth he’d felt quickly sparked with a completely unexpected shock of attraction he was sure she felt, too. He caught the moment her uncertainty flamed into awareness.
Without deliberating on the wisdom in it, he kissed her.
He’d intended just to plant a hard, fast smack on her mouth. She was so cute, so feisty. So passionate. Compassionate. He was floored by the connection he felt. But instead of keeping it a spontaneous, playful smooch, he found himself drawn in for another. And another.
Heaven help him, but he couldn’t stop pressing soft, gentle kisses on her full, perfect lips. And she wasn’t freaked out, judging by the intensity of her response.
He wrapped her closer to him with one arm, while the other hand reached behind and softly cupped her head as he pulled her closer to take the kiss just a little deeper. Her hands brushed up the front of his chest and wrapped around his neck as they pressed closer. It didn’t feel close enough. His massive arms held her so tightly to him that she broke the kiss with a gasp.
He realized what he’d done and felt his neck grow hot and his ears flame.
She laughed.
Gina
“Holy smokes, preacher man. I think I’m gonna spontaneously combust here.”
She fanned herself with one hand dramatically while grinning up at him.
Seriously, though. Holy heck, that was hot.
She sucked in a mouthful of air and blew it out with a fast whoosh.
“That wasn’t exactly what I meant about having plans,” she smirked, plenty of sass injected into her tone. “Not that I’m complaining.”
Her brain was short circuiting or something. She couldn’t even figure out what she was supposed to say or do next. But there was no way she could hold back the bubble of laughter that kept filling her chest, begging to be set free.
Jaydon was scrubbing his hand through his beard again. She’d noticed it was an unconscious gesture he did often. One she almost mimicked, having just felt that beard all up on her own face. It had been softer than she wou
ld’ve thought, but rougher than she’d have normally liked.
He looked almost sheepish, but there was humor in his eyes.
“I, uh, didn’t mean to get carried away there like that. But I’m not really sorry.”
His eyes glinted with mischief. She gave him a teasing look of her own.
“Me, either.”
They stood there a moment, both still reeling from the intensity neither had really expected.
And then as if in a scene from a romantic comedy, they snapped back together like magnets and the kissing started all over again. It was a flurry of arms and breath and lips. And that beard. Who’d have ever thought she’d find a full beard appealing? She’d deal with a chafed chin any day, though, if it meant kisses like this.
Jaydon was the one to break the kiss this time. He held her upper arms firmly, his forehead leaning against hers as they struggled for breath.
“What you do to me, woman.”
She laughed again. Gah! His playfulness only made him more attractive.
She took a big step back and they both stood there with everything still sparking between them, humor dancing in both their eyes. He raised his eyebrow at her, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He started to step forward and she held her hand up.
“Oh, no, you don’t. You just stay right there.” She dragged the toe of her shoe and made a line in the dirt. “You keep to your side of the line, I’ll keep to mine. At least ‘til we finish talking and have a game plan in place.”
“You’re right,” he grinned, “this is serious business.”
She rolled her eyes. “It really is, you know.”
His face went slack and the mood changed. He dipped his head in surrender.
“I know. I get it.”
He looked up at her then and shook his head with a smirk.
“Can’t blame a guy, though. And we will talk about the kissing later. For now, I’ll admit you’re right that we need to make a game plan for approaching the situation with Hailee. I meant it when I said we should talk to your mom. She might know more about Hailee since they work together. She might be able to give insight into the situation from a completely different perspective. And if nothing else, as a believer, then she’ll be willing to pray.”
The idea was still so strange to Gina. Her mother, praying. Her mother, someone who might have insight. Disbelief had her head shaking. It was too weird.
“You don’t agree?” He asked in confusion.
“Oh, no, I do. That wasn’t why I was shaking my head. It just sounds so ludicrous to me, still. The whole thing with my mom just happened the other night and it doesn’t feel real yet. Did you ever have someone in your life who was one way for so long, and then they just…changed?”
The transformation in his expression was shocking and swift. The look of utter desolation that marred his face cut her deeply. What had this wonderful man been through to have such pain pour out like that? Her heart clenched, and she felt fiercely protective toward him. She hoped whoever hurt him had paid dearly.
His face quickly returned to neutral, like he’d sealed his emotions and the memories behind a cinderblock wall.
“I take it you’re not ready for that conversation,” she said, her index finger swirling in a circle to indicate his face.
He jammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and shook his head.
“Someday. Not today.”
“Okay,” her tone more cheerful than she felt.
Gina decided to lighten the mood back up again, so she intentionally crossed her line in the dirt and brushed up against his side. Then, she hip-checked him, hard. Dude didn’t budge. So, she shoved her hand through the crook of his elbow and wrapped her arm through his. She gave a hard, playful tug until he walked with her.
They continued down the dusty path lined with desert willows and sage and a horde of other native plants in various stages of bloom. She chanced a peek at him out the corner of her eye and found he was staring off into the distance. She frowned, not knowing how to pull him out of the funk that had settled. Whoever had hurt him left deep scars. Really deep scars.
“Okay,” she said again, this time gathering in her mind what she wanted to say. “So…should I go ahead and call my mom?”
“Sure,” he said absently. All right, Jay, where’d you go?
“How about dinner? You hungry?”
A monotone “sure” was his reply, again. The guy wasn’t even there anymore, was he?
“I’m thinking squid sounds good,” she hedged.
“Yeah.”
“Maybe some fish eyes and cow brains?”
“Uh huh.”
“And then we can get totally hammered and dance naked through the park.”
Ah, that got his attention. She held back a laugh at that. Pastor or not, he was still a man.
“Say what, now?”
She laughed, then. “Just making sure you were listening. Which, you totally weren’t. Until I said ‘naked.’ You know, with that and the way you kiss, I’m starting to have my doubts about you, preacher man,” she teased.
The side of his mouth lifted and she could tell he was finally back from wherever he’d drifted to. His gorgeous, dark blue eyes crinkled at the corners and he dropped her arm from the crook of his elbow to hold her hand.
“Good thing I never claimed to be perfect, your highness.”
Ah, yes. Because Regina meant “queen.” She always wondered why her bilingual, heritage-proud mother had named her the European Regina instead of its Spanish counterpart, Reina.
“So you know what my name means. Tell me about yours. You don’t find a lot of people your age named Jaydon. It really didn’t get popular until the past several years.”
“Yeah, my grandfathers are Jay and Donald. And being a bit of a Bible nerd, my dad remembered there being a Jadon somewhere in Nehemiah. They thought it was cool to name me after my grandfathers and still have a somewhat obscure—at the time—Biblical name.”
“That actually is cool. What does it mean?”
“I’ve heard a few different things. Some say it means ‘thankful,’ but my mom prefers the Hebrew, ‘Jehovah has heard.’ I guess they tried for a long while before I was conceived.”
“You have any brothers or sisters?”
“A younger brother. You?”
“Just Tonya.”
“Are you guys still close?”
“Not really. What about your family?”
“Nate’s one of my closest friends. His wife is an incredible cook and their kids are pretty much the coolest human beings on the planet.”
“I feel the same way about my nephew. He is the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. I wish I could see him more often.” She waited a few beats before turning. The question was burning in her brain, but she wasn’t sure if he’d even answer.
“Care to tell me where you went back there?”
His face clouded over and his jaw went tight. She didn’t think he’d answer, but she still wanted to try.
“I’m working on it. Getting there. But it’s too much for right now.”
“That’s cryptic.”
He chuckled and reached for her hand again, lacing their fingers together. She smiled, thinking how holding hands with Jaydon was already becoming a new habit that she really, really liked.
“I know, I’m sorry. While not a secret, it’s a fairly big bomb I’m not ready to detonate just yet.”
Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. What could be so bad he considered it a bomb? Was it something he’d gone through? Was it all of this stuff with Hailee? She wanted to stomp and demand he tell her what was going on, right then.
Out of nowhere, his thick index finger was pushing on the creases in between her eyebrows. He laughed, a deep rumble that was completely Jaydon, and dropped his hand.
“It’s nothing so terrible, Gina. Quit frowning so hard or you’ll get a wrinkle right there. Let it go for now, please. Just know that I will tell you. Eventually.”
As they wound their way back to the main concrete walkway through the botanic gardens, they talked about anything and everything else. The sun began to dip toward the horizon, coral and pink sunbeams bright against the elongating shadows. Still they walked, hand in hand.
Gina heard the announcement of the garden’s impending closure over the intercom system. She gave Jaydon’s hand a tug toward the entrance.
“Time to go, big guy.”
He used their clasped fingers to tug her into his arms. He looked down into her eyes and she was lost. She could really, really fall for this guy.
“Have dinner with me.”
“You mean you aren’t sick of me yet?”
“Not even close, princess.”
“Okay. And don’t call me a princess.”
Jaydon’s deep laughter rumbled through the park. The shadows were already stretching longer as they strolled comfortably to his truck.
In minutes, Jaydon pulled into a little 50’s place on Central, which was a part of the historic Route 66. They enjoyed old fashioned diner fare with a modern twist over a steady stream of conversation and laughter. She couldn’t seem to stop staring at the man across from her and wondered how such a sexy, protective, funny, and caring man was interested in her.
Doubt kept creeping its way in, whispering all of the ugly things that made her feel less than. She used to be pretty and thin. She used to have an abundance of confidence, or at least a better ability to fake it. She used to be admired and desired.
Now? She was a chunky, approaching-30s preschool teacher-aide, more comfortable in loose jeans and sneakers than figure flattering outfits with matching jewelry. Her hair needed a cut desperately, all its natural waves starting to frizz at the ends.
It took every ounce of fight she had to push back against the thoughts. She was working on it. Jaydon must find her somewhat attractive. Surely, he wouldn’t have devoured her lips like he had earlier if he didn’t, right? Besides, he was a big guy himself and had no room to talk. Right?
Right. Knock it off, Doubt. Get out of my head.
Whatever Comes Our Way (Everyday Love Book 2) Page 10