She looked amazing. Bright. Fully alive. She should wear that color all the time if it did that for her.
He set off in her direction. She didn’t see him right away as she talked to Edna Franklin, a history teacher at Kings Meadow High. But then she glanced up and grew still, her gaze never wavering as he closed the last distance between them.
“Hey, Charity.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Terri and Rick move away. He sensed it was a kindness and not because they didn’t want to speak to him.
“Hey, Buck.”
He touched his hat brim as he looked at the teacher. “Evenin’, Mrs. Franklin.”
The older woman smiled. “Good evening, Buck.” After a quick glance back and forth between her two former students, she excused herself.
Buck hardly noticed the teacher’s departure. His attention was back on the vision in pink. “You came. I wasn’t sure you would.”
“No more hiding. I’m done with that.”
It wasn’t the pretty color she wore that had made the difference. He saw that now. Something was different on the inside of her.
The band started playing a Lady Antebellum song. A country waltz. A love song.
“Care to dance, Miss Anderson?”
She looked up at him for the longest while without answering. Would she refuse? Had he hoped for too much? But at last, she offered him her hand. He took it and led her to the dance floor.
THE MELODY COULD BARELY BE HEARD ABOVE THE beating of Charity’s heart as Buck placed his hand on the small of her back. Before he could clasp her right hand in his left, she whipped off her hat and let it dangle from her fingertips against his back. Then they began to turn and flow and slide.
For a long while, she rested her forehead near his collarbone. But then she looked up and found him watching her, and it seemed her heart stopped beating for several seconds. She stumbled, but he didn’t let her lose her balance.
It would be like that, always, if she let him love her. He wouldn’t let her lose her balance. That’s the kind of man he was. He would make certain they kept time to the same music.
So this is what it feels like.
To be loved.
To be cherished.
And to love and cherish in return.
She would have to make a few tweaks to the book that was nearly finished. The words she’d written hadn’t captured this emotion that welled inside of her. How could she have described how it felt when she’d never experienced it until now?
Buck smiled, and a slow burn began inside of her chest. He mouthed the words of the lyrics, and she tingled all the way down to her toes.
No, she definitely hadn’t known about this. About the way a crowd could fade entirely away, leaving only this man and the melody. About the desire to laugh and cry at the same time. About—
The music didn’t stop, but Buck did. He released her from his embrace. But it wasn’t long until his hands gently cupped the sides of her face. And there, in front of a gymnasium full of friends and strangers, Buck kissed her. A kiss that made her weak in the knees, completely breathless, and every other cliché she’d ever read or written.
When he ended the kiss, he didn’t draw away. He pressed his forehead against hers and said, “In case you’re wondering, Charity, I plan on kissing you a lot. For the rest of my life if you’ll let me. Because I can’t imagine living even a single minute without you.”
Perhaps she had been a little afraid when she’d come here tonight. Not of who she might see or of what she might remember. No, she’d been afraid of never hearing him say those words.
“I love you, Charity.”
And those words.
They were writing a brand-new story now, she and Buck, starting tonight. And like every good romance novel, the happily-ever-after ending was guaranteed.
Reading Group Guide
1. Charity kept a painful secret all to herself for many years. In what ways was she adversely affected because of her silence?
2. Buck gave up his own dreams to care for his parents and to help his older brother finish college and get his Master’s Degree. Now it is hard for Buck to accept help in return. Is it easier for you to give help than receive it? If so, why?
3. Charity finds a sense of healing with her dog and Buck’s horses. Have animals ever been a source of comfort for you?
4. Charity realizes that sin, even when forgiven, has consequences that can linger. Has that been true in your life? How did you move forward in victory in those situations?
5. Charity and Buck both tried to protect themselves from future hurt by keeping others at arm’s length. Have you ever done the same? Did it work?
6. Charity came to believe—without realizing it at first—that God wouldn’t want her to be happy because of her sinful actions/feelings. Have you ever viewed God that way? How do you avoid misunderstanding the invisible God?
7. Charity and Buck have older siblings who speak wisdom into their lives. Do you have a family member or friend who does the same for you?
8. Do you have a favorite character from Whenever You Come Around? Who is it and why?
9. There comes a moment when Charity realizes that Buck sees the “real” Charity. Everyone wants to be seen, to know their lives matter to someone. Have you experienced the love of Elroi, the God who sees (Gen 16:13)? If not, I encourage you to look to Him today. He sees you, and you matter to Him.
A Letter from the Author
DEAR FRIENDS:
I hope you enjoyed returning once again to Kings Meadow in Whenever You Come Around. I have had so much fun spending time in this very special community. With each story, I treasure my “friendship” with these characters more and more.
When the idea for Whenever You Come Around first starting rolling around in my head, it was a very different story from the novel you are holding in your hands. It’s one of the things I love so much about being a novelist. As I write, I get to see both the characters and plot change and mature until I finally type “The End”.
Next up is my novella in the Year of Weddings novella series, I Hope You Dance. It will release as an e-book in July 2015 and will be in print with the two other summer novellas at a later date. I Hope You Dance is set in Kings Meadow in the weeks leading up to a big wedding (not telling whose, but I bet you can guess). Readers briefly met the hero and heroine in Whenever You Come Around. Skye Foster, dance instructor, and Grant Nichols, a man with two left feet, have to be all wrong for each other. Right?
As I write this note to readers, two new characters with hurts and hang-ups of their own are braving a cold and snowy December in Kings Meadow. Maybe love can warm their hearts. Look for Keeper of the Stars in early 2016.
I look forward to hearing from my readers on Facebook (http://facebook.com/robinleehatcher) and on my website and blog (http://www.robinleehatcher.com), so I hope you’ll drop by. Until next time . . .
In the grip of His grace,
Robin
About the Author
ROBIN LEE HATCHER IS THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR of over seventy books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA® Award for Best Inspirational Romance, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and for Inspirational Fiction, the Carol Award, the 2011 Idahope Writer of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of America (2001) and American Christian Fiction Writers (2014). Catching Katie was named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.
Robin began her writing career in the general market writing mass market romances for Leisure Books, HarperPaperbacks, Avon Books, and Silhouette. In 1997, after several years of heart preparation, Robin accepted God’s call to write stories of faith and hasn’t looked back since. She has written both contemporary and historical women’s fiction and romance for HarperCollins Christian Fiction (Thom
as Nelson and Zondervan), Revell, Steeple Hill, Tyndale House, Multnomah, and WaterBrook.
Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon, and Princess Pinky, the DC (demon cat).
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