She didn’t know who moved first, maybe they moved at the same time, but suddenly their faces were only inches apart and then their lips met.
When they pulled apart, neither one moved more than an inch. They just sat there staring into each other’s eyes.
Finally, Gil turned back toward the windshield and said, “I guess we’d better get back to the house so we can both get some sleep.”
When he reached for the gearshift, she placed her hand on his and said, “Gil, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask you about.”
He dropped his hand to his thigh and turned back to her.
“Go ahead, Jo. You can ask me anything you want.”
She swallowed hard and tried to get her voice to work but it only came out in a squeak. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before trying again.
“Gil, in the restaurant, when you were talking about your grandfather, you said something that I’m not sure I understood.”
He moved his head slightly thus placing his face more in the light. All she saw there was possibly an eagerness to find out what she wanted to know. That bolstered her spirit so she could continue.
“You said that your grandfather led you to the Lord.” She hesitated a moment. “What did you mean by that?”
By the time she finished, Gil’s serious face had turned into a full smile. He reached out with both of his hands and she placed her hands in his.
“Jo, you know that God loves you, right?”
She didn’t have to think about that. “Yes, and I know that He’s been with me many times in my life, especially during the attack. They said at the hospital that if he would have continued beating me much longer, I would have had a fractured skull and might have died.”
If anything, his smile grew broader and a twinkle came to his eye.
“I’ve noticed that you know most of the basics about the Bible and especially about what it says about Jesus.”
He paused and she realized he wanted an answer. “Yes, I think I do.”
“Well, the Bible says that Jesus is here just waiting for us to accept him into our lives.” He blew out a soft breath. “Well, that’s what I did when my grandfather helped me to understand.”
She thought about what he was saying for a bit then said, “Is that what makes you different from most other men?”
He chuckled and said, “I would like to think so. You see, when Jesus comes into our lives, we become a new person. The old person is gone.”
She knew then that she now understood what he was trying to say and that she wanted it too.
She touched his cheek with her fingertips. “I want that too, Gil. I want what you have. I want Jesus in my heart.”
His face turned serious then. “All you have to do is pray asking Jesus to forgive you and come into your life. Do you want to do that right now, Jo?”
She nodded her head so vigorously that her hair flew into his face. She leaned back a few inches, moved her hair aside, and said, “Yes, I would.”
“Okay, would you like me to lead you in that prayer?”
She nodded again, so he helped her to pray the prayer.
When she finished, they hugged and there were more tears in her eyes.
He pulled back and said, “Let’s go home now and tell the others the good news.”
That was exactly what she wanted to do too.
Chapter Fourteen
Jo had more or less floated through the next couple of days and now it was Sunday morning. She couldn’t believe how happy she was. There were so many things to be happy about.
She loved Gil and she was sure that he loved her too. She had accepted the Lord and felt free for the first time in at least seven years. She no longer thought about the attack. She was finally free from that terrible episode in her life.
Then she thought about the bar. She couldn’t believe how well things had worked out there too. She had met with J.C. Davis at the bank and he had given her the number of a real estate agent who had a buyer for the land. That deal was going through and J.C. had said that as soon as she gave the bank the money from that sale, on top of the insurance payoff, they would tear up both of the old mortgages. She was free from the bar too.
Now, as she stepped back into the bedroom she was sharing with Carla after her shower, she was surprised to see her little sister sitting on her bed with a frown on her face.
Jo knew that Carla needed to talk so she sat next to her on the bed and waited.
Finally, Carla turned to Jo and said, “Exactly what is it that you’re going to do this morning in church, Jo?”
Jo smiled up at her taller ‘little’ sister. “I’m going to go up to the front of the church at the end of the service and Gil is going to announce to the rest of the church that I’ve accepted Jesus and want to be baptized.”
Carla seemed to think about that for a long moment. Then she turned her head away from Jo and said, “I’ve been thinking Jo.”
When she didn’t continue right away, Jo prompted her. “What have you been thinking about Sweetie?”
“Jason told me that I needed to do the same thing.”
Jo was cautious now. “Who is Jason?”
Carla turned back and looked into Jo’s eyes. “He’s a boy I know from school. He goes to Gil’s church. He said that I was too nice a girl not to do it.”
When Jo couldn’t think of anything to say to that, Carla continued, “He said that I know all about Jesus and all I need now is to accept him like you did.”
She looked at the closed bedroom door. “Is that all you did, Jo? Is that all I have to do?”
Jo hoped she was going to say the right things. “Yes, Dear, that’s all you need to do and you’ll feel the way I do right now.”
“How do you feel?”
She smiled at Carla’s innocence. “I feel totally free and happy for the first time in my life.”
Carla grinned. “I want to feel that way too.”
Jo started to get up. “Let me go get Gil and he’ll help you pray.”
Carla grabbed Jo’s arm. “No, I want you to help me.”
Ten minutes later Jo was dressed and went downstairs. She thought that Carla might need a moment of quiet time alone. She’d already promised Carla that she wouldn’t say anything to Gil or anyone else for that matter. Carla wanted it to be a surprise to everyone else. That was okay with Jo. She understood how Carla felt. After all, didn’t she feel the same way?
Gil wasn’t downstairs yet, but she found his mother and aunt sitting at the kitchen table. They both jumped up, gave her a hug, and made her sit down so they could serve her breakfast.
She was half-way through a stack of pancakes when Gil came into the room. He took one look at her and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. She turned her head slightly so that their lips met.
He pulled back and smiled down at her. “That was a nice good morning.”
She just smiled back at him and continued eating her pancakes but only she knew how wonderful she felt.
Eunice sat down across from her and Gil. “I’m just simply tickled pink that you’re going forward today, Jo.”
Out of a newly formed habit, Jo looked toward Florence expecting her to follow with something and she wasn’t disappointed.
“That’s right, Dear. Everything is working out so perfect for the two of you.”
She slapped her hand over her mouth and actually blushed. Her complexion wasn’t as pale as Gil’s since she didn’t share that or his red hair. Jo had the idle thought that he must have gotten his red hair from his father.
Then Jo realized what Florence had just said. Did they already look at her and Gil as a couple? She smiled to herself. Well, didn’t she?
The embarrassment of the moment was relieved when Carla came into the room with a lively step. She went over to each of the older women and gave them a good morning hug. Then she sat down and attacked the stack of pancakes that Florence placed in front of her.
Jo was so excited for her l
ittle sister. For that matter, she was more than a little excited for herself as well. Everything was going so perfect. And she wasn’t even going to think like she always had before that something bad was going to have to happen next.
It felt so natural to Jo when all five of them walked to the church together that morning. She and Carla were going to Sunday School for the first time and she had no reservations at all about that. She knew that Gil would always be close by.
Gil! He was responsible for so many changes in her life. Of course, they were all good changes too. She just hoped that there were a few more good changes coming. Well, at least one more, for sure.
With that, she tried to clear her mind as she clutched the new Bible that Florence and Eunice had given her yesterday and went into her class.
* * *
Gil had had a difficult time not giving Jo a real kiss at breakfast. Then when she turned so that his kiss to the cheek had turned out to be on her lips, he’d nearly lost it right there in the kitchen in front of his mother and Eunice.
Now, as they were all walking down the hill to the church for Sunday School, he couldn’t keep his eyes off Jo. She seemed so right for him in so many ways. He knew that she thought she was not attractive with her dark red hair, pale complexion, and freckles, but to him, she couldn’t be more beautiful.
At the rear door of the education building, a boy about Carla’s age was standing there as if waiting for someone. That proved to be true when Carla broke off from the others and joined him as they entered the building together.
Gil turned to Jo and said, “Well, I guess I don’t need to show her to her class.”
Jo giggled and said, “That must be Jason. She just told me about him this morning.”
His mother and Eunice went to their class, and that left him alone with Jo for the first time that morning.
“I wish I could kiss you right now.”
She giggled at that and said, “Me too. Later, okay?”
He nodded and opened the door to her classroom.
After introducing her to the teacher and the others who were already there, Gil headed toward his office. He was feeling surer every day that he and Jo were meant to be together. They’d gone out the last three nights to a movie or dinner or both and he was feeling fantastic.
The time he always spent in his office during Sunday School usually went by very quickly, but not today. He couldn’t keep his mind off Jo and what she would be doing at the end of this morning’s service. So as always with Gil, when he was anticipating something, time seemed to crawl by.
Finally, it was time for Sunday School to end and he was waiting outside Jo’s classroom door when she came out.
“Hi, don’t you think I know my way to the sanctuary by now.” She asked in a rather flippant tone.
He grinned back at her and said, “Yes, but today, I think I may need you to show me the way.”
She seemed to know exactly what he meant for she laughed and placed her hand on his arm as they started toward the building next door.
All through the service, Gil had difficulty keeping his mind on what was going on around him. He kept looking down at Jo sitting there in a pale pink dress that she really looked good in. She was sitting on the front row with his mother and Eunice on one side. Carla and Jason were on the other side. And to make things worse, every time he looked her way, she was looking up at him and smiling. There was no way he could concentrate, at all!
Finally, he had made it through the service, sermon and all, and it was time for their invitation or time of commitment as they called it.
As soon as the song began, Jo stood and he was not surprised but very happy. Then he really was surprised when Carla stood too. And together, they walked to the center where he was standing in front of the pulpit.
He quickly turned off his lapel mike and waited for them to join him. When they did, Jo said, “Carla has something she wants to tell you.”
He looked at Carla and she looked up but didn’t quite meet his eyes.
“I accepted Jesus this morning. Jo helped me.”
He turned to Jo and she was grinning and nodding happily.
He turned back to Carla and said, “Do you understand about baptism?”
Nodding, she said, “Yes, I do and I want to be baptized when Jo is.”
Gil waited for the music to stop and turned his mike back on to address the congregation. He told them about the decisions the two had made and that they would be baptized next Sunday.
After church, all five of them went to Thelma’s for lunch where Sue Ann joined them. She had also been in attendance and was so excited for Jo.
Jo turned to Gil while Sue Ann was talking to the others. “You can’t imagine how happy I am Gil.”
He smiled down at her and said, “Yes, I think I can because I’m sure I’m just as happy.”
Gil was afraid that there was trouble coming when Mike Bates stopped at their table and tried to get Sue Ann to talk to him. Jo had told Gil about Mike still being married and he was ready for an explosion from Sue Ann.
When it didn’t happen, he looked a little closer and realized that Sue Ann was actually listening to what Mike was saying so he did too.
“I’m sorry Sue Ann that I didn’t tell you sooner that the divorce wasn’t final yet. But it is now, and I’m a free man.”
Sue Ann didn’t answer right away, but looked at Jo who didn’t seem to make any kind of sign or anything. Then Sue Ann said, “That may be true now Mike, but still, it’ll be a while before I can get over the fact that you didn’t tell me right away.”
He just said, “Okay, I can wait.” With that, he left the café.
Jo turned back to Gil and he said, “Whew, I thought for sure she was going to explode and we would have a big scene.”
Jo shook her head and said, “Sue Ann and I have been talking quite a bit lately. She has realized that she’s pulled away from church and God. Now, she’s trying to come back.” She smiled fondly at her best friend. “I think that little scene proves that she’s sincere, don’t you?”
He could only agree and wonder what in the world was going to happen next.
* * *
Lunch had been so enjoyable for Jo with all her loved ones around her. She stopped to think about it and realized that it did include Florence and Eunice. How could she not love the two most important women in Gil’s life? She almost laughed to herself at her next thought. She hoped that they were now second and third in his life. But even if they weren’t so important to Gil, she would love them for the sweet, caring persons that they were.
As she thought about those things, Jo realized that she was so happy that she could barely sit still. She was sure that Gil had noticed since they were now sitting together on a bench on the back patio. She stole a glance at the man sitting beside her who was holding her hand with one hand while his other arm was around her back on the seat.
He caught her peeking at him and looked into her eyes. With a smile, he leaned over and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on trying to make the kiss last.
Harsh, loud laughter pulled them apart. They looked up and saw Clyde Jenkins standing before them weaving slightly. They both came to their feet in front of their chair.
“Well, if that ain’t a purty picture. I told Earl this was coming. Well, I intend to break up this little tea party.”
He stepped forward and pushed Gil away from Jo. Then he grabbed Gil by the collar and pulled him to within a few inches of his own face.
Jo let out a cry and immediately ran into the house for a phone to call Floyd.
When she stepped back out on the patio, Clyde had Gil on the ground and was sitting on top of him. She didn’t know what to do. She knew that if Clyde intended to hurt Gil, Floyd wouldn’t be able to get there in time. She looked around and found a small baseball bat that Bert had been using earlier to hit tennis balls for Harry to chase.
Just as she reared back to hit Clyde in the back with the b
at, he jumped off Gil and turned on her. She could see Gil get to his feet behind Clyde motioning for her to throw the bat to him. When she did, he caught it and faced Clyde with it when Clyde turned back toward him.
Clyde was swaying so much that Jo wondered if Gil would actually be able to hit him if he had to.
As it turned out, Gil didn’t have to hit Clyde. The drunk must have had a moment of clarity for he looked back at Jo then at Gil, shook his head, and staggered through the back gate out into the woods behind.
Jo ran up to Gil who had tossed the bat down and held out his arms for her.
“Are you all right, Gil?”
He squeezed her and said, “I’m all right. Are you?”
“Yes.”
Floyd came around the corner of the house and passed through the side gate to where they were standing holding each other.
Even though it looked like Clyde was gone, Jo sure was glad to see her cousin.
Floyd looked her over then looked at Gil. “Looks like he roughed you up a mite Gil.”
Gil tried to grin. “Not much really. Just got me dirty when he tripped me and then sat on top of me.”
“You want to press charges? Added to what he did to Bert, I might be able to keep him a while longer this time.”
Gil looked down at Jo and shook his head. “No, Floyd, I’m afraid that might only make matters worse.”
Jo wasn’t surprised. “But, Gil, as long as Clyde’s in jail he won’t be able to bother us.”
Neither she nor Floyd could convince Gil to press charges against Clyde so Floyd left muttering under his breath about do-gooders and drunks.
They went inside then so Gil could go upstairs and clean up for the evening service.
Jo didn’t want to go to the room she and Carla were sharing since she knew Carla was probably on her cell phone talking to her friends. So she went in search of Florence and Eunice. Of course, she found them in the kitchen, so she joined them in a cup of coffee. She just sat there marveling at how those two sweet women had become such a vital part of her life in so short of a time.
No Easy Solution (Crowley County Series Book 1) Page 21