Whatever Comes Our Way (Everyday Love Book 2)

by Jaycee Weaver

  Hailee looked on from her place several yards away, still looking perplexed but trying to be discreet. Jaydon knew how she felt.

  “Thursday’s fine. I’m open and would love to join you.”

  Gina’s face relaxed with relief and she gave her mother a quick hug. The two said their goodbyes now that a plan was in place and Eva left. Jaydon reached for her fingers again.

  “Hey Hailee, can you point me in the direction of the steaks?”

  “Steaks, huh?” Gina whispered teasingly. “You’re such a guy.”

  He pointedly scratched his beard and stuck his fingers under the seam of his tee shirt sleeve, adjusting the snug fit for comfort and revealing just a bit of his tattoo while flexing the muscles buried under a bit of extra weight. All movements certain to emphasize his manliness. Shamelessly, he grinned. “And your point being…?”

  He intentionally let his voice trail off, lifting his brows as if waiting for her to fill in the blanks.

  She shook her head with a heavy eye roll, but her smile clinched it. He’d eat rabbit food if it meant she would smile like that again.

  With a bounce to her step, Gina grinned conspiratorially at Hailee and grabbed a hand basket. She gave a flick of her head and Hailee followed along like a little sister. Gina leaned in and whispered something to Hailee, who pointed to a shelf a few rows over.

  Jaydon shoved his hands in his pockets, suddenly uncertain what this new dinner plan was going to look like. And heaven help him, he didn’t even care what was on the menu. Much. He was simply happy to see Hailee so willingly come under Gina’s ready wing.

  With a shrug to himself, he grabbed another hand basket and set to filling it with his original plan. He could always throw the steaks in the freezer for another day if he had to. Preferably not.

  Ten minutes later, they all met back up at the register and Jaydon’s eyes widened at the selection of fruits, vegetables, and random ingredients that, as a simple grill guy, he had no clue what to do with. The green stuff, berries, flour, and sugar, he understood. Everything else looked unfamiliar.

  As his eyes flicked over to Gina, his whole body relaxed. She looked happy, less burdened. Ready to have fun. Whatever it was that had changed in her since Sunday night was big. Maybe it was a culmination of things. He wasn’t sure, but he liked seeing her this way. When their eyes met, she rubbed her hands excitedly and grinned.

  “This is gonna be good!”

  “What’s for dinner, Majesty?”

  “Well, Mr. Bunyan, you are in charge of the steaks. I’m taking over the sides and dessert.”

  She gave him an exaggerated eyebrow waggle and he nearly planted a kiss on her right there in the store. What was it about Gina that had him thinking of relationship things he hadn’t even considered for himself in years? After Kelly, he’d thought himself too messed up and broken to be able to give his best to another person. Ever.

  Turns out, when God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, he actually does a rather thorough job. Not that Jaydon had really doubted that God could do that for him, he’d just doubted that He would. Thankfully, God is always better at showing his love and faithfulness than his people give him credit for.

  Chapter 17

  Gina

  Gina’s cheeks were hurting from smiling too much, again. Seriously! When was the last time she’d smiled this much?! Jaydon had a gift for bringing out the joy in her that had been buried so deep, she’d almost forgot she ever had any.

  Sure, she was a fairly positive person. Yes, she knew there was joy in the Lord and rejoiced in her salvation. But this strange happiness that permeated her whole being? Yeah, not so much.

  While Jaydon was outside grilling the steaks he’d purchased, Gina took over his kitchen. It took nearly fifteen minutes to familiarize herself with the contents of his cabinets, which were amazingly well stocked with dinnerware, measuring cups, serving dishes, utensils…and pretty much everything a decent kitchen should possess. Weird for a grill guy, as he claimed to be.

  She made baked sweet potatoes using the microwave since it was already getting late on a Tuesday night and they both had to work in the morning. While they were cooking, she tossed together a spinach salad with sliced strawberries that had just been delivered to the mercado. She’d also purchased slivered almonds, pepitas, and red onions, then tossed it all with a balsamic vinaigrette for a sweet-and-savory, healthy salad.

  Dessert was coming together nicely as well. Using up the rest of the pint of strawberries, she made strawberry cheesecake blondies from a recipe she’d pinned ages ago and had been dying to try. She crossed her fingers that they’d be as delicious as promised.

  Her head whipped around at the sound of Jaydon’s sliding glass door. And boy, was she rewarded with a view. He’d worn his usual tee shirt and jeans today, but instead of the black or navy she’d already grown used to seeing on him, he’d gone for plain white. And goodness gracious, did that plain white tee do crazy things to her. Add to that the tantalizing aromas of grilled meat and the sweets in the oven, and she was on sensory overload.

  He caught her expression and winked. A few steps closer, he leaned. Sweet mercy, if he kissed her right now she’d go into nuclear meltdown.

  But he stopped inches from her face.

  What. The. Heck?!

  “Time to eat, Gorgeous. These steaks won’t stay hot long. And if I give in to the kiss I’m dying to give you right now, we might not eat until they’re cold. And trust me when I say, you do not want to waste my steaks.”

  She laughed then, shaking her head and swatting him with the towel she’d been drying her hands on. “I suppose I can deal with that. For now.” She punctuated that with a wink.

  They enjoyed their delicious meal with a steady flow of conversation. The minutes they spent talking made her feel like she’d known him forever. There were so many things they shared in common. Not just preferences, but beliefs and philosophies and political ideals. The only thing they didn’t fully agree on was church.

  Of course, she’d known all along that as a pastor he’d probably have a big problem with her stance on not going to church—despite her faith and Bible knowledge—regardless of her passion for understanding and hearing the Word. She accepted that, knowing his heart was for his people. And it was fine with her that he loved the atmosphere and his work. All good. For him.

  But rather than sit there and debate, he’d impressed her by letting it go and changing the subject. He didn’t object to the impasse they’d reached, and he wasn’t smug about his hopes of changing her mind. In fact, he reminded her a lot of Brynn whenever the subject came up. Neither shoved their obviously firm opinion in her face.

  Side by side they cleaned the kitchen. He scraped the food from the dishes while she loaded them into the dishwasher. Well, that was after he’d started loading it and had placed everything in the completely wrong places. After she’d rearranged things a time or ten, he’d stepped aside with a knowing grin and let her do it. The right way. Because there is most definitely a right way to load a dishwasher.

  He offered her a cup of coffee to go with their blondies, but she declined. It was already so late. How was it already after nine?

  He guided her to his oversized, plush couch, and they sat at opposite ends. Both turned and put their feet up toward the middle. He stretched and tucked his toes under her butt and gave them a playful wiggle that made her jump.

  “Dude! Personal space!” she laughed.

  The deep rumble of his laugh warmed her thoroughly. Everything about this man appealed to her. They were just getting to know each other, and yet, she already felt like she’d known him forever. Call it cliché, but totally true.

  His eyes revealed so much about who he was. She could see layer upon layer of what made him tick the longer she stared into them.

  “You keep staring at me like that, woman, and we’re going to be in trouble.”

  Gina doubted that. He was honorable through and through. That was as
plain as the beard on his face. She slowly chewed her first bite of the cheesecake blondie and moaned. So good. She laughed when his eyes narrowed and—wait, did he growl?! What was that about?

  Gina’s tongue darted out to swipe a smudge of blondie from her bottom lip. Jaydon made that weird rumbly sound again.

  “Woman, have mercy!”

  “Sorry,” she mumbled around another bite. And then grinned. “All this sexy too much for ya?”

  He pulled on one of her toes with a sharp jerk until it popped.

  “Hey!” she protested the unexpected shock, though it hadn’t hurt.

  He winked at her while eating half his blondie in one huge mouthful. Crumbs fell into the auburn hair around his mouth and she erupted in decidedly unsexy laughter. Ugh, I sound like a dying goose when I laugh like that.

  Jaydon’s eyes sparked with laughter as he finger-combed his facial hair, crumbs littering the front of him. He rose and smacked himself clean, extended a hand, and pulled her from the couch.

  Her feet were barely planted on the carpet when he poked his fingers into her sides in a tickle that bordered on too-rough.

  “Ouch!” she laughed.

  “That’s for tormenting me and then laughing at my beard.”

  “It wasn’t the beard, it was the messy little boy look on your face combined with the beard.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He gave a throat-clearing cough. “I know this thing between us is happening kind of fast, but I want to see you again.”

  Her heart and stomach joined in an abdominal happy dance. “I’d like that. How’s Friday?”

  “Lunch tomorrow. We have dinner with your mom Thursday, right? Friday’s too far away but I have youth service tomorrow night.”

  “Deal. Meet me at the sub shop again at 11:30?”

  “How about you text me your order and I meet you in the school parking lot at 11:30. We’ll tailgate picnic and have ten extra minutes.”

  Her kiss was a more than adequate answer.

  With a satisfied smile, he walked her out and gave a final quick peck to her lips before tucking her into the car.

  That man. So unexpectedly hot and intense the other day, and so thoughtful and goofy today. Whatever this was growing so quickly between them felt incredible. I want to learn everything about this man. Keep him around while.

  Chapter 18

  Jaydon

  GPS guided Jaydon turn by turn to the address Gina had texted. The neighborhood was a little older than his, but nicer. He imagined the original developers back in the day were slightly more upscale than his own neighborhood. It wasn’t far from the two major malls and new shopping district and was tucked back away from the hustle and bustle like a hidden gem. The homes were all probably built in the 1960s but had been fairly well preserved or remodeled as the years marched on.

  The same couldn’t be said for every neighborhood in this area, which had a spotty mix of aging, sagging, homes with peeling stucco and weed- and rock-laden expanses that tried to pass themselves off as yards. Every so often there’d be a nice, well-kept home tossed in for good measure in between the ramshackle yards with broken down cars and sun faded plastic children’s toys. This area was a far cry from the pristine custom homes and golf courses of the far northeast heights, but it had charm.

  Gina had texted him to park on the left side of the driveway, and as his truck bobbed unevenly into place, Jaydon admired the exterior of her home. The older ranch-style home had been painted a crisp white. Dark shutters adorned the windows, and a brick half-wall lined a portion of the front of the house next to the deep green door to create a partially enclosed porch that held a single chair and several potted trees and plants.

  Only about a quarter of this town had front lawns, or even small patches of grass that barely passed for lawns. Gina’s was most definitely within that percentile, carefully manicured and lush. She’d clearly taken great pains to keep it this healthy and he couldn’t imagine her water bill. A huge tree dominated the center of the yard, though he couldn’t tell you what kind. Probably a cottonwood or Chinese elm since those were the most common here. A long concrete walkway divided the grass and led to the front door.

  His favorite sight, though, was when he crossed that first step onto her porch and the door swung inward. Gina stood there, her glossy dark hair falling in slight waves below her shoulders. She was dressed in another new outfit that accentuated her curvy silhouette and a smile that set his heart thumping.

  She tipped her chin up and delivered a welcoming kiss that had him thinking crazy thoughts of coming home like this every evening. Of sitting on that front porch, sharing about the kids’—meaning his youth group kids’—latest dramas and the ministry work he’d done that day with his father. Listening to her share about her students’ antics while rewarding him with that stunning smile. And…maybe a few actual kids.

  Don’t get ahead of yourself, man.

  He couldn’t really help it, though. He’d been married and knew what the good times could be like. He missed times like those, however rare they’d been. The comfort of sharing the pieces of yourself everyday with someone who cared about the little things. He’d never been able to imagine having those experiences ever again. Until now.

  A peal of higher pitched laughter rang out as he stepped past her into the entry. He took in the pile of shoes against the wall and left his with them, searching for the source of the happy sound. Eva’s head popped through the nearby doorway and she greeted him like a beloved son.

  “Mijo, I have heard so many good things about you!” The exclamation came out in a cheerful sing song, Spanish-influenced lilt. Her tiny arms wrapped as far around him as they could in a familial embrace.

  She was a bundle of energy, and if he didn’t know so much about her history already, he’d never guess what kind of life she’d led. Well, not much. Her skin still had shadows of a life lived rough. But her dyed hair was a deep, rich brown and those eyes so like her daughter’s glimmered with happiness.

  “Gina tells me that you know Hailee.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I do. She attends the youth group at my church.”

  “Where you are a youth pastor?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Oh, please,” she waved him off. “Call me Eva. Ma’am makes me feel so old.”

  “Okay then, Eva. And I heard you’re being promoted to lead cashier. Congratulations.”

  She beamed with pride and he saw the same expression light Gina’s countenance.

  “What else has Gina told you, ma’am? Uh, I mean Eva.”

  “Not much. I only arrived a little bit ago to find Gina fluttering around the kitchen like the hummingbirds that are all over her yard already. She said we’d talk during dinner. Although I don’t know how she plans to have such a conversation when she has to dash out of here for that other job she has. What is it again, mija? Adult babysitting?”

  Gina shook her head with a teasingly exaggerated eye roll.

  “It’s just checking in on an older couple until they get settled for the night. I got a message from their son that he was called in for a late conference call and just needs me to pop in for a little bit. Actually, Jaydon,” she turned to him, “I need to go now for just about 45 minutes, an hour tops. I hate to leave you and Mami like this when I’m the one who invited everyone over, but it will be better this way in the end. He just called about a minute before you pulled into the driveway so there wasn’t time to call you.”

  She led him out of the kitchen with an excuse us look in Eva’s direction.

  Lowering her voice, she leaned in close. “If you wouldn’t mind talking to her about some of your concerns about Hailee, and then maybe brainstorm a little, that would be amazing. I wanted to be here for all of that, but I can’t imagine what else the two of you would talk about otherwise. I put a lasagna in the oven. When the timer goes off, Mamá will take it out to set up and we can eat right when I get back. Is that okay?”

  It was a strange request, to be sure
, but he’d do whatever she needed. Even hang out making awkward conversation with a woman he’d barely met. He could see her hesitancy in even asking and that made him want to help even more.

  “I think I can handle that. Are you sure you won’t mind if I try to squeeze embarrassing information about you out of her?” He winked.

  A brief look of sadness flit through her eyes before disappearing. “If she can remember anything about my childhood, I’d be surprised. But you’re welcome to whatever info she’s got.”

  “I bet there’s more than you think, babe.”

  They leaned in for a quick peck and she rushed out to her ancient sedan, squealing all the way down the street. He really should look into getting that fixed for her.

  Turning to Eva, he knew exactly the kind of information he wanted to get out of her.

  Gina

  An exhausting hour and change later, Gina managed to coax her rust bucket back home. It had grown dark while she’d been gone, but the coach lights on either side of her driveway and the single light to the left of the front door glowed like beacons of hope. The soft glow through the living room’s gauze drapes brought a smile to her lips.

  I hope everything went okay.

  Jaydon’s enormous truck was still in the drive, so that was something.

  Gina let herself in through the garage and was greeted with the fragrant aroma of fresh-from-the-oven lasagna. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation. She could hear laughter and was stunned to see Eva and Jaydon sitting in her living room, chatting away like old friends.

  “Hey!” Jaydon called across the room to her with a wide smile to his face.

  Her body immediately relaxed at the sight of him. She was so exhausted, but just a glimpse of him waiting in her home like he belonged there gave her a renewed energy. She heaved a satisfied sigh and smiled back at him.

  “Hi.” She made her way to her mother first and leaned in for a hug. A short step to the side and she was wrapped inside those tree trunk arms of his, breathing in the smell that was completely Jaydon. As cheesy as it sounded, he smelled like home. And not just her home, but…coming home.