Abide: A Christian Romance Novel (The Lewis Legacy Series, Book 7)

by JoAnn Durgin

  “I’m okay if you date her, Dad. You know when you were talking with Caty on the phone on Friday afternoon? When we were at the store? The saleslady thought Caty was my mom.”

  “She did?” His pulse jumped. With Caty’s coloring, dark hair, and blue eyes, he could see where someone might assume they were mother and daughter.

  “Caty’s a little young to be your mother. If she were your mother.” This conversation was silly.

  “How old is she?”

  He cleared his throat. “Not as old as me.”

  “Are you saying you might marry Caty someday?”

  “You should be a reporter, Lauren. You ask the hard-hitting questions. I only came in here to get you up for church, not an inquisition.” Rubbing his hand over his jaw, Caleb glanced toward the window. A bird landed on one of the tree branches outside her window. He began to sing, and that made him smile.

  “Talking love and marriage is premature. I will tell you that Caty Lewis is the first woman since your mother where I believe our feelings for each other could develop into something long term.”

  “Like marriage.” She grinned. “Just admit it already.”

  “You’d be okay with that?”

  “I can tell she makes you happy, so…yeah. I like it when you smile instead of being all tense and stuff. You get a goofy look on your face around Caty. You can be kind of fun when you let yourself relax.”

  “Thanks for that. Coming from you, that’s high praise.” Caleb fixed her with his gaze. “Not a word to anyone about this discussion, especially Caty.”

  “Okay, but I can tell she really likes you, too. I think you confuse her, but she thinks you’re handsome.”

  “She does, huh?”

  Lauren nodded. “She called you that on the phone with her friend.”

  “I see. The call you ‘inadvertently’ heard, I suppose? I hope you apologized for eavesdropping.”

  Lauren hung her head. “I told Caty I was sorry. It was kind of an accident.”

  How could he chastise her when he’d allowed someone else to pretend to be him? Were the situations all that different? He should never have allowed Steve to talk him into that ridiculous charade, but that still didn’t excuse Lauren’s behavior. She’d been in the wrong.

  “You made it worse by repeating something Caty said in a private conversation with a trusted friend. That’s wrong, Lauren. Don’t ever do that again.”

  “I won’t.” Lauren sniffled. Please, Lord, not the tears. Helena’s tears could alternately be a manipulative tactic or the result of genuinely wounded feelings. Without fail, hearing her cry always twisted his gut. The problem? Reality and dramatics got all jumbled together when his wife cried, making it difficult for him to differentiate between the two.

  He’d always been a “fixer” who tried to make everything better. Sometimes a problem couldn’t be fixed without divine intervention. Caleb only wished he’d learned that lesson long ago. Caty didn’t strike him as the type of woman to cry easily. Neither did she seem the type of woman to scare easily.

  Caleb lowered his voice. “When Caty comes to dinner on Tuesday night, I don’t want her to hear anything that’ll send her running out of our lives. Understood?”

  “My lips are sealed. Promise.” Lauren made a zipping motion across her lips. He hoped he could bank on that promise.

  Crossing the room to the bed, Caleb removed the bed pillow and then tossed it at her. “If you go with me to church this morning, I’ll take you to lunch.”

  “I thought bribery was against church rules.”

  He’d ignore that barb. “Whatever you want although a place with plates and silverware might be nice.” Then he’d drive them out to the country to meet with a dog breeder. For now, he’d hold off on that announcement or she wouldn’t listen to a word in the church service.

  Lying on her stomach, Lauren propped herself on the mattress with both elbows. “Here’s an idea. How about I go with you to lunch wherever you want and then you let me repaint my room?”

  He surveyed the room. “What’s wrong with this room? It’s bright and happy. Optimistic.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with it except it looks like a six-year-old lives here.”

  “Since you’re twelve, it’s like two six-year-olds live here.” Caleb laughed when she groaned and crossed her eyes.

  “You are sooo corny. And stop with the twelve-year-old stuff already. We’ve had this discussion.” Lauren plopped back down on the bed and then flipped over on her back. “You might as well add daisies or”—she danced her fingers in the air—“little smiley faces and cartoon characters.”

  Time to compromise. “Fine, then. Let’s talk. Tell me what colors you like.” Walking over to the closet, Caleb opened the door and started working on his customary Half Windsor knot in front of the full-length mirror. “Black’s not allowed. It’s not a color.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Not in my house, it’s not. Anything but that.”

  Giggling, Lauren kicked off the sheets with one foot. Caleb did a quick double take. “I see you’ve decided to paint your toes all one color.” Red was preferable than the metallic mishmash.

  “Thanks for noticing. A lady painted them for me while another one cut my hair at the mall.”

  His daughter had some new clothes, a cute haircut, and painted toenails without major damage to his credit card. He’d expected a much higher bill and would have paid a lot more. Caty’s influence, no doubt. Lauren had talked about Caty whenever he’d seen her in the house yesterday. He hadn’t seen his daughter smile so much in months.

  Lauren eyed him. “How do you feel about gray?”

  “Short answer? I don’t. It’s another non-color, and a dull one at that.”

  “Gray is better than boring beige. It’s a good backdrop. At least I think that’s the right word.”

  “Let me get this straight. You want to paint the walls gray just so you can cover them up with something else?” Caleb could envision her hanging posters of long-haired, tattooed guys, but he’d deal with that later. One hurdle at a time. The concept of pick your battles he’d heard from other parents began to take on personal meaning.

  “You are hopeless!” Lauren propped her back against the headboard. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she yawned again. “How about all that stuff you told me about how this is my house, too?”

  “It is your house, sweetheart. But until you pay the mortgage, I have the final say on what colors the rooms are painted.”

  “You don’t even have a mortgage, Dad.”

  Caleb groaned. “How do you know anything about that?” When he was her age, all he cared about was sports and model airplanes. His mother had used that line on him, and it had always worked. Lauren was too observant.

  “Can I paint my bedroom myself?”

  Caleb stilled his fingers on his necktie. “Why would you want to do that?” Wow, he sounded high-handed. When had he become so spoiled? He’d worked construction for years to help pay his expenses from high school through grad school. Together with a couple of his buddies, he’d renovated the first house he’d bought before he married Helena—painted, wallpapered, installed lights and ceiling fans—everything but the most sophisticated wiring. After his dad left, he’d basically taught himself, with minimum guidance from an older neighbor, how to do home repairs. He’d always found a certain catharsis in working with his hands.

  “You’re spoiled.”

  Caleb frowned. How ironic coming from his privileged daughter.

  “You know something?” He turned to her, dropping his hands to his sides. “You’re absolutely right, not that I need my daughter pointing out my deficiencies. Another reason I need to be in church. Time for a change in attitude.” His subtle meaning being that Lauren could also use a change in attitude.

  She gave him an impish smile. “So, how about that gray?”

  Returning to the tie, Caleb swallowed his sigh. “Next to white, gray is the most boring color ever
. For that matter, I’m pretty sure white’s not a color, either.”

  “Sure it is. Anything that isn’t clear is a color.” Lauren tossed a pillow at him. “Would you finish that tie and leave me alone so I can get dressed? It’s taking you forever. We’ll be late.”

  “One of these days you’ll be begging me to show you how to tie a man’s necktie,” Caleb teased. “Goes along with fastening cuff links. Valuable skills for when you get married one day.”

  She groaned and pushed her face into her pillow. “I hate boys. I’m never getting married.”

  Good answer from a girl her age. Guaranteed, in another year—two tops—she’d change her tune. Based on recent comments, Lauren was more focused on getting him fixed up with a woman, but he wasn’t about to bring up the subject.

  After finishing the knot, he straightened his tie. What was he saying? Lauren was growing up way too fast as it was. Caty was right in that kids Lauren’s age liked to say things to get their parents’ attention and then some. His daughter had certainly accomplished that. Likewise, the smoking had probably been a ploy of some kind, or else a desperate attempt to spend more time with her.

  He turned to her. “Compromise time. I’ll help you paint your bedroom a new color if you mix another color with the gray. To give it a hint of color.”

  “You and your colors. How about purple?”

  “You’d end up with lavender if you mix purple with gray.”

  “I could live with that,” Lauren said. “I think. Ask me tomorrow.”

  Caleb nodded. He’d accept that response as a victory. Hiking his sleeve, he checked his watch. Knowing he might have trouble getting Lauren out of bed, he’d allowed an extra thirty minutes. As it turned out, that rationale had been providential.

  “We’ll talk about it more later this week and maybe visit a paint store. For now, I’ll meet you in the kitchen in ten minutes. By the way, I’m making chocolate chip pancakes.”

  Lauren’s brows shot up. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” As he left the bedroom, Caleb heard her scrambling behind him. There wasn’t much Lauren wouldn’t do for his pancakes. Granted, it was one of the few foods he’d managed to master, but it was becoming tradition whenever Lettie was off for the weekend.

  Caleb bounded down the front staircase, smiling the entire way. Today was off to a very good start.

  Chapter 28

  After greeting church members and taking a bulletin, Caty spotted Marta sitting on the left side of the sanctuary near the front. She walked down the center aisle and stopped by the end of the pew. “Good morning.”

  Marta looked up with a bright smile. “Hey there! I’m so happy you could join us. Have a seat.” She scooted farther down the pew and moved her purse to the floor.

  “Is Eliot here?” Caty sat beside her and gave Marta a quick hug. In her chic blue dress and high-heeled sandals, her friend looked every bit the professional television meteorologist.

  “He’s ushering this morning and will join us once the service starts. How is the Lewis clan dealing with your defection?”

  “Defection?” Caty laughed under her breath. “They understand I need to find my own place to worship. Contrary to popular opinion, we’re not all joined at the hip.” Caty glanced around the sanctuary. “Have you seen Rebekah? I talked with Kevin the other day and told him I need to meet their adorable tykes.”

  “Oh, those kids are precious. Beck might be working in the nursery, but I’m sure you’ll see her.” She leaned close. “Eliot had a fun surprise waiting for me this morning, and I could use your help.”

  “Well, if that’s not a multilayered statement. Is it PG-rated?”

  Marta winked. “This one is. He’s put together clues for me, sort of like a scavenger hunt. Supposedly there’s a surprise after I solve them.”

  Caty grinned. “I’ll bite. Sounds like fun. How many total clues are there?”

  “Three, I think. Maybe four. I’m not sure. I only have the first one so far.”

  “Do you have any idea what the surprise is?”

  “Of course not. What would be the fun in that? It could be a plastic ring or a chew toy for Barney for all I care.”

  “What’s the occasion?” Marta’s birthday was last month and their anniversary was in October.

  “No special reason. Eliot doesn’t do what’s expected. That’s one of the things I love most about him. Take notes, my friend. I’m telling you, this is the kind of thing that keeps a marriage fresh.”

  “A creative mind is a definite plus in a relationship,” Caty said. “I’m guessing you need my help with the first clue?” Caleb seemed to be the same type of man from what she could tell.

  “You read me so well. Are you game?”

  “Why not? I’ll look forward to living vicariously through your romantic love games or whatever, but it might be better to wait until after church to discuss it.”

  “Why? The Lord is the greatest promoter of romance there is, especially in a marriage.”

  “You’ve got me there.” Spying Kevin on the platform at the front of the church, Caty waved.

  After digging through her purse, Marta retrieved a small white piece of paper and handed it to her. Clue #1: It goes Around the neck and gives one identity.

  Caty puzzled over it for a few seconds. “What do you think this means?”

  “My first thought was that it has something to do with my swimming medals.”

  “That would make sense.” Marta had been a swimming champion all through school.

  “Then I checked every last one of them. Nothing.”

  “It seems like it’d have to be a necklace, or maybe a collar of some kind,” Caty said. “Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.”

  Marta leaned close. “Don’t look now but the handsome cowboy just walked in the door.”

  “Handsome cowboy?” Couldn’t be Caleb. Why had her pulse shot to the rafters?

  “Your handsome cowboy, Caty. Caleb Reid is in the house and talking with Eliot.”

  “Why am I sensing a set-up?” Caty couldn’t even pretend to be mad this time.

  “I know nothing. This is the first time I’ve seen him here in church, same as you. Imagine that. Praise the Lord and scoot on down the pew.” Marta glanced over her shoulder.

  “You could stand to be a little more subtle,” Caty whispered.

  “There’s a time and place to be subtle. This isn’t it.” Marta turned and waved. “Caleb, hi! Come and join us.”

  Caty twisted her lips. “That’ll teach me to tell you what not to do.”

  “There’s a pretty young girl with him. Do you think that’s his daughter?”

  Caty refused to turn around. “If she has dark hair and looks a lot like him, it’s Lauren.”

  “That’s a pretty name.” Marta shot her a look of surprise. “Have you met her? Why didn’t I know this?”

  “Calm down. I haven’t talked with you since Friday morning,” Caty said. “You could say some things have transpired.” That was a vast understatement. Even if she could, where would she begin?

  “It was that peach pie you made for him, wasn’t it?” Marta laughed. “I’m telling you, you Lewis women and that peach pie. Your baking skills just reel a man in.” She gestured as though she were tossing out a fishing line and then reeling in a big fish. “By the grace of God, Eliot fell in love with me even though the only thing I could make at the time was blueberry muffins.”

  “At least you know he didn’t marry you for your culinary talents.” Caty laughed. “No wonder we get along so well. You’re as nuts—and as challenged in the kitchen—as I am.”

  “You know it, girlfriend. Here comes Eliot with Caleb and Lauren. Put on your best smile.”

  Eliot stopped at the end of the pew and introduced Lauren to Marta. “I have more ushering to do, and then I’ll come back to join you.” He said something to Caleb under his breath and then gave him a man-slap on the back before heading down the aisle.

  “Gl
ad you two could join us,” Marta said.

  “Morning, Caleb. Hi, Lauren.” Caty gave them both a bright smile.

  Caleb nodded to Marta and then his gaze found hers. “Best surprise of the week to see you here, Caty.” He carried a navy sport coat over his arm and wore a blue and white striped dress shirt, opened at the neck and tucked into khaki slacks. She knew he was more comfortable in his jeans, leather jacket, and boots, but the man cleaned up incredibly well.

  “The week just started, Dad.” Brushing past her father, Lauren sat down beside her. “Does my hair look okay, Caty? I tried to fix it like the lady at the salon.”

  “It looks even better than it did on Friday.” Caty ran her fingers lightly over Lauren’s bangs. “You did a great job.”

  Lauren beamed from Caty’s praise and turned to Caleb. “Dad, doesn’t Caty look especially gorgeous this morning?”

  “That she does.” With an amused grin, Caleb settled on the other side of Lauren and draped his jacket over the empty pew in front of him.

  Lauren leaned across her and stared at Marta for a few seconds. “Now I know why you look so familiar! You do the weather on TV, don’t you? You’re so funny, and you make weather fun.”

  Marta’s cheeks pinked. “That would be me. Thanks, Lauren.”

  “What do you have there?” Lauren leaned over Caty’s shoulder to see the clue she still held in her hand.

  Marta quickly explained the game to Lauren.

  “Can I help you solve the clues?”

  “Of course.” Marta lowered her voice when the keyboardist began playing the opening prelude.

  Eliot walked toward them from the opposite end of the pew and sat beside Marta. Caty counted under her breath. One, two, and three. As expected, his arm slid around his wife, and he tugged her close. Eliot might not be traditional, but when it came to Marta, he was predictable in all the best ways.

  Sensing Caleb’s gaze on her, Caty tried to focus on the church bulletin. The list of services and ministries blurred. Caleb definitely wasn’t traditional. Since she’d met him, nothing he’d done could be classified as predictable. Although she liked her job to be boring and traditional, she liked how she never knew what her boss would say, or do, next.