“The problem with his generous heart is he’s always after me to join him,” Brock said. “I’ve never been to Nicaragua.”
“Yeah, but surely you can relate to kids who struggle.” I gave him a knowing look, and he shrugged.
“We all have our struggles.” With a curt nod, he disappeared onto the yacht with Sophia on his heels.
Rob’s father approached. I liked the silver-haired gentleman right away. He chatted at length about his boat, the pride evident in his voice. When he finished, I asked if he’d give me a tour, and he agreed.
“Man.” I let out a whistle as we descended into the boat’s interior. The beautiful hardwood cabinetry clued me in to the fact that this was no shabby ship. And the crafty layout of the galley and bedroom space was pretty impressive too. The leather seats at the table were the real deal. No faux stuff here. Even the linens on the beds impressed me. Talk about luxurious!
“How many people does this thing sleep, anyway?” Sophia asked.
“Six comfortably. Eight uncomfortably.” Rob laughed. “But there are just six of us counting my dad, so we’re good to go.”
I leaned close to Rob to ask the next question. “And your dad’s a good navigator?”
“The best. I’m not half bad myself.” He gave me a confident nod. “Don’t worry, Bella. We’ve done this dozens of times before.”
“Right. But never four days before your wedding. Have you given Marian your itinerary?”
“Yes, I left a copy with her. She can fax it to you. We plan to go pretty far south into the gulf, then spend some time deep-sea fishing. We’ll have the radio going at all times, so we’ll never be out of contact with others. Not to worry— we’ll be back by Friday morning in plenty of time for the dress rehearsal Friday evening.”
“Who, me? Worried? Do I look worried?”
He laughed. “I wish I had a picture of your face.”
“Okay, I’m a little worried. I’d hate for the groom-to-be to get distracted by a big fish and forget to come home in time for his big day. I read Moby Dick, by the way. I know how long these fishing trips can be.”
Instead of laughing at my little joke, Rob looked at me with such seriousness in his eyes that it threw me a little. “Bella, I’m going to tell you the truth. Marian is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love her more than life itself. I can’t wait to get back. So … no worries.”
Relief swept over me, and I whispered, “Agreed.”
We helped the guys unload their supplies, and I did a quick visual, making sure they had adequate life jackets. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Rob’s dad checked their fuel and went over their navigational plans. Looked like he knew what he was doing. Not that I really doubted Rob. I just found myself fretting over such a risky venture this close to the big day.
When I heard unfamiliar voices, I looked down the pier to discover several groomsmen headed our way. I’d never met most of them, but Rob quickly remedied that. They looked like a stalwart crew, and my fears gave way to common sense. This was just a group of guys headed out for a fishing trip. Nothing dangerous.
No worries, Bella. God has this under control.
The guys went into full-out prep gear, and Sophia and I took our cue to exit the boat. We watched from the pier as Maid Marian revved her engines and headed out to sea. Hopefully both she and Robin Hood would return in one piece at the expected time.
Sophia and I left the guys at the marina and headed back home. She spent most of the drive staring out of the window, and I thought I heard her sniffle at one point.
“You okay?”
“Mm-hmm.” She sighed with a bit more dramatic flair than usual, which was really saying something.
“What?”
“This is all just a foreshadowing of things to come.”
“Huh?” Since when did my sister talk like that?
“Brock is leaving in less than a week, and I need to get used to the idea that he’s going back to Hollywood. Back to the land of glitter and glitz, where the women are beautiful and the men are …” She started to cry. “Where the men are about as far away from Texas as the sun is from the moon!”
Wow. I needed to fix this—and fast. “You want to stop at Starbucks for a white chocolate mocha frappuccino?”
“Uh-huh.” She followed this with another award-worthy sigh.
I understood her plight, of course. She’d fallen head over heels for Brock. Who could blame her? He was tall, dark, and handsome … and he’d invited her to the opera, for Pete’s sake. Talk about a dream date!
Of course, she had no idea he’d expressed an interest in me just yesterday. All she saw was the handsome face, the broad shoulders, and the stylish clothing. Well, that and his millions.
Right then and there, I wanted to tell her. Wanted to share what had happened just yesterday with Brock. But I didn’t tell her. Protecting my sister’s heart was key.
Then again, I couldn’t help but wonder if keeping this information to myself was the best way to protect her heart. On the other hand, if I offered her a white chocolate mocha frappuccino, she might just forget the whole thing.
Yep. Suddenly that sounded like the perfect option.
18
How About You?
On Tuesday around noon, I met D.J. at Parma John’s for lunch. This was the first time in days I’d actually had a chance to kick back and spend time with my guy without thinking about the wedding. Or the Food Network. Or Brock Benson.
Anxious thoughts tumbled around in my head as I considered facing D.J. I’d wrestled with myself through the night, trying to figure out if I should tell him about Brock’s advances. While I wanted to be completely open with my hunky cowboy, I wondered if he would flip out, maybe make too much of it. After a serious amount of prayer, I decided to drop it. To leave things in the Lord’s hands. Surely he knew best. Besides, I needed to relax. Spend time with the man I loved.
When I walked into the restaurant, I found it crowded as usual. Tuesdays were always pretty crazy because of the Pennies from Heaven Special—a large meatball pizza. I couldn’t wait!
As I made my way through the crowd, I saw D.J. waiting for me at the counter. I smiled when I saw his parents sitting next to him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked as I drew near. My arms immediately went around Earline’s neck, and she responded with her usual bosomy hug.
“We’re headed down to the state park again,” Dwayne Sr. said. “So I’m glad the weather is cooperating.”
“It’s our monthly meeting with the motorcycle ministry,” Earline said.
That would explain their attire. Both Earline and Dwayne Sr. were wearing their jackets with the emblem Shade Tree Bikers—Hitting the Trail for Jesus.
“I thought I saw a Harley in the parking lot but didn’t make the connection.” I nodded.
“That’s our baby.” Earline’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “Oh my! I guess it is our baby, now that the boys are grown.” She reached for a napkin and dabbed her eyes, then offered a winsome smile. “It keeps us busy, and that’s a good thing.”
“What are you guys eating?” I sat down on the barstool next to Earline.
“You have to ask?” D.J.’s eyebrows elevated.
“Nah.” I knew they’d probably ordered the Pennies from Heaven. Everyone did.
“I’m not sure why we’re eating anything at all.” Earline laughed. “I had some of the folks from church over last night and made chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. Oh, and homemade yeast rolls.”
My mouth watered at the revelation. I’d tasted Earline Neeley’s chicken-fried steak before and knew it was the best in the state. Probably in the country.
“You ate chicken-fried steak without me?” I offered what I hoped would look like a convincing pout, and Earline laughed.
“Next time I’ll invite you. But I know how busy you are with the wedding and all.”
“Speaking of busy, what did you th
ink of your son in that opera performance the other night?” I asked.
Earline’s eyes filled with tears once again. “Oh, Bella. It’s the craziest thing. As a mom, you always pray for your kids. You want them to grow up and be all they’re called to be.” She paused a moment and shook her head. “I always knew Bubba could sing. From the time he was a little guy in church, he would sing his heart out. It was such fun to watch him because he never paid much attention to what people thought. Just gave it his all.”
“Both of our boys are worshipers,” Dwayne said. He reached for his cappuccino and took a swig, then glanced at D.J. “But Earline’s right. You never know how things are going to turn out. Just because your boy can sing when he’s little doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything with it when he gets older.”
“Though, of course, you hope he will.” Earline smiled. “But when I saw him on that stage the other night … when I saw him up there, singing his heart out, I realized that God had gifted him, not just so that he could minister to people in the tiny town of Splendora. God gives us gifts so that we can make a difference for the kingdom. And sometimes that means getting out of your comfort zone.”
“I can tell you for a fact, Bubba was way out of his comfort zone.” D.J. chuckled.
“I’m still not sure how I feel about my boy wearing tights,”
Dwayne said, shaking his head. “But I have to agree with Earline about all the rest. It’s nice to see your kids using their gifts.” He reached over and slapped D.J. on the back. “That’s why I’m so thrilled with what you’re doing down here, helping folks rebuild their homes.”
“Thanks, Dad.” D.J. smiled at his father, then cleared his throat. “Actually, that brings up another subject. I’ve been wanting to tell you about this man I met named Willy Maddox. He’s an African American pastor on the west end of the island. Both his church and his home were destroyed during the hurricane.”
“Oh, D.J., that’s awful!” Earline reached to touch his arm, such a sweet gesture that I paused to take note of it. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“Several of us in the construction business are helping to rebuild his home. We’re putting the finishing touches on it now. We managed to get vendors to donate most of the supplies to get the house fixed up. But the church …” D.J. shook his head. “That’s another situation altogether. The whole thing’s got to come down and then be rebuilt. It’s going to be a huge project, and I can’t afford to take it on by myself.”
As I listened to D.J. pour out his heart, I was overcome with pride. How many men spent so much time focused on others and not themselves? Very few these days.
“What can we do to help?” Earline asked.
“Glad you asked.” D.J. grinned. “Since you’ve got your motorcycle ministry meeting today, this is the perfect chance to mention it. When the time comes, we’re going to need workers. Contractors. Laborers. Regular Joes. Anyone and everyone who can swing a hammer.”
“But first you have to come up with the money?” Dwayne asked.
“Yes. That’s a prayer request. But since you’re going to be with praying people, I’m sure you won’t mind passing along the message.”
“Not at all.” Earline nodded. “But honey, let’s don’t wait till then to pray. Let’s pray right now.” She bowed her head and ushered up a Holy Ghost–anointed prayer, one that caused several people around us to turn and stare.
Not that I was looking.
When she finished, I smiled at her. “Earline, I want to be a prayer warrior like you.”
With a wave of her hand, she said, “Girl, it’s easy. Whenever someone tells you they need prayer, don’t say, ‘Oh, I’ll be praying about that.’ Stop right then and there and pray with that person.”
“R-really?”
“Sure! Might be tough at first. And, of course, you might not always be in the best place to pray. But do it if you can.” She giggled. “You know, I’ve prayed just about everywhere. In women’s restrooms. Hospital waiting rooms. Hotel lobbies. Airport gates. You name it, I’ve been there. And here’s the best part—God was there too. That’s why it was so important to stop right then and join him!”
Jenna showed up with our pizza just then, and I pondered Earline’s words. She was clearly a woman of great faith. And great courage. If she could stop in a ladies’ room and pray with a complete stranger, she must be.
What kind of family was this—these Neeleys? They used their God-given talents for others. They gave freely. They put others first. They genuinely cared about people. They prayed for people, even in public places. They shared the gospel freely.
These were all things to aspire to. Oh, I wanted that kind of free-flowing faith, the kind that lived out what you believed on a day-to-day basis. Not that I didn’t already have it, at least to some extent. But being with the Neeleys made me want to go deeper. To give more.
As I bit into the spicy pizza, I pondered all of these things. How could I begin again with the Neeley brand of faith?
Maybe, like our pastor said on Sunday, I just needed a fresh start.
19
Too Close for Comfort
Later that afternoon, I found Uncle Laz sitting at the dining room table alone, looking more downcast than I’d ever seen him.
“What’s up?” I drew near. Surely this had something to do with Rosa.
“It’s Sal.”
I gasped as he mentioned his friend’s name. “Is he … did he … ?”
“No.” Laz shook his head. “Nothing like that. He’s recovered from his stroke and wants Guido back. He said he’s planning a trip down here in a few weeks to get him.”
“Oh no!” My heart nearly broke for Uncle Laz. Though everyone else found Guido a bit of a nuisance, he’d taken a liking to the old bird. In fact, I had my suspicions Laz would really grieve when his colorful sidekick left.
“I guess it’s for the best. I’ve been training Guido for weeks, after all. Hopefully he’ll remember the plan of salvation and the Lord’s Prayer. Those are the important things.”
“What? You didn’t ask him to memorize Leviticus too?” I grinned.
Laz gave me a hug. “I can always count on you to cheer me up, Bella.”
“And vice versa.”
As I walked away from Laz, I had to admit he’d needed more cheering up than usual lately. What was up with that?
I didn’t have time to think about it for long. A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I answered it, surprised to find Phoebe and Dakota standing there. Talk about God’s merciful timing! Thank goodness Brock was gone.
Something about this mother-son duo looked a little … off. Phoebe appeared dazed, but Dakota just looked mad.
Phoebe nodded my way. “Bella, would you mind if we came in? Dakota has something he’d like to say to you.”
“Um, okay.” I gestured for them to come inside, and within seconds Mama joined us.
“Phoebe! I didn’t know you were stopping by. What’s up?”
“Dakota has something he needs to say to Bella.”
Mama offered a gracious smile. “Well, come into the living room. Let’s get comfortable.”
I had a feeling I didn’t want to be comfortable. In fact, I had a feeling I might never be comfortable again.
As we settled onto the sofa, Phoebe reached into her oversized handbag and came out with a tiny camera, which she handed to Dakota.
“Go ahead, Son.”
He groaned as he clicked the camera on. Extending his palm upward, he seemed to be waiting for something else. She handed him a long cord, which he plugged into the camera. Then he walked over to our television and linked the camera to it.
“What is this?” Mama asked with a laugh. “Home movies?”
“Hardly.” Phoebe gestured to Dakota, who flipped a switch on the camera.
Our television filled with a huge image of Brock and me sitting on the front porch. I gasped, then looked at Dakota, who shrugged.
“You think that’s
something, look at this one!”
The screen now filled with another image. In this one, Brock had his hand on my arm and was looking into my eyes. Great. I could almost read the caption in the newspaper now: Is the Pirate Taming Another Lady?
“They get better,” Dakota said.
The next one had to have been taken from his roof. It was a picture of Brock opening the car door for me. Great. The picture that followed was the two of us sitting next to each other in the front seat of my car.
I shook my head, not quite believing this. The kid had made invasion of privacy a full-time business.
“Just a couple more,” Dakota said, messing with the camera.
I gasped as the photos of Brock dressed as Vinny DiMarco filled the screen. These were the shots Dakota had gotten at the opera. But why?
After those, a couple of shots of Brock and Rob playing basketball appeared. I groaned, realizing Dakota had followed our every move over the past several days. How much was his silence going to cost our family?
As the pictures cycled back around to the one of Brock and me on the porch, Phoebe turned our way with a woeful sigh.
“First, I have to apologize. I would never allow my son to take pictures of anyone without their permission, especially someone like”—she pointed at the screen—“Brock Benson.”
Oh man. We were sunk. Totally, completely sunk. And Rob and Marian were going to kill me, no doubt about it. This whole thing was sure to upset their big day.
“I should have known something was up when Dakota wanted to stay home from school on Friday,” Phoebe said with a sigh. “He said he had the stomach bug.”
“Hey, my stomach did hurt,” he said.
“I had my doubts but left him anyway. There was so much to be done that day.” Phoebe turned to my mom. “You remember, Imelda. That’s the day I went up to the opera house to help some of the other ladies finish the programs. I think you went to town that day with Earline to go shopping.”
“Of course. We found a fabulous dress. Did you see it?”
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