by Teri Wilson
When he walked back into the coffee shop, Cinnamon immediately looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of him. “What happened?”
“Nothing. I just had some things to work out.”
Joe noticed that at the sound of his calm voice, Cinnamon’s shoulders dropped and she became visibly more relaxed. “Did they require you to roll around in the sand?”
He looked down at his knees, coated in wet sand, and laughed. The bottom half of his jeans were soaked and left a little puddle at his feet. “Not exactly. I guess this does look a little strange.”
“It’s OK,” Cinnamon said. “We were crowded for the lunch hour, but everyone’s gone now. Don’t worry. No one’s here to see you.”
“That’s OK. There are worse things than getting caught on your knees praying.”
Cinnamon’s gaze darted to his sandy knees and she bit her lip. “Is that what you were doing?”
Joe unsnapped Java’s leash and wiped sand from the big dog’s face with a gentle movement. “Yep.”
“It seems like it helped.” Color rose to her cheeks. “I mean, you seemed upset before, and now you seem better.”
Unsure exactly what to say, Joe just nodded as he hung Java’s leash on its hook.
“Joe?” Cinnamon’s voice was small and quiet, like a little girl’s.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to church yesterday.” She didn’t offer an explanation, simply an apology.
Joe answered her with a genuine smile. “It’s OK. You’ll come when you’re ready.”
And, for perhaps the first time since they made their deal, Joe wanted her to come for reasons that had nothing to do with him and Goldie. He wanted her to come simply so she could meet Jesus on the beach, just as he had.
Cup of Joe
Inspirational romance, Christian romance, Christian fiction, romance novel, christian romance novel, teri wilson, white rose publishing
Cup of Joe
Chapter Ten
Hi, Goldie. This is Josh. It was great to see you at the library today. I was, um, just wondering if you’d like to get together sometime this weekend. Maybe we could go the beach together on Saturday afternoon or something? I’ll try and call you back later or maybe I’ll swing by the library again. See ya.
Goldie stood, rooted to the spot, and stared at the answering machine in horror. With every blink of the dancing red light, and every rise and fall of Josh’s recorded voice, she felt the giddy energy drain from her body. Walking home from the library, with Bliss bouncing alongside her, she’d felt so carefree. Happy even. The memory of reading to the children during story hour, and how they’d delighted in the tale of the part-puppy, part-fraidy cat character, warmed her heart and made her feel as though she floated home on clouds. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so filled with purpose.
Then she’d drifted into the house, stealthily avoiding her grandfather’s bedroom behind its firmly shut door, and listened to the answering machine.
She wasn’t floating anymore. Or drifting. In fact, she was doing pretty good just to remain upright.
Goldie looked at the sofa with longing. It would be so easy to plop right down and stay there for the rest of the night. She and Bliss could curl up into a ball and forget all about Josh. Maybe she could even step back into the Sponge Bob pants.
Goldie forced herself to look away from the couch.
No. I’m not going there. What good would it do? Josh might just saunter back into the library next time Joe’s there.
And then what? She didn’t think she could take another awkward moment like this morning.
No. This had to stop. Now.
Goldie picked up the phone, but her finger lingered over the keys. What was she doing? He hadn’t even left his number.
I’ll bet Eve has it.
Surely, there was some sort of Sunday school roster with everyone’s telephone number in it. Her stomach churned at the thought of calling Eve, though. Asking her for Josh’s number would send the worst kind of message. She would jump to the conclusion that Goldie was still very much interested in him and that just wouldn’t do.
No, it wouldn’t do at all.
In fact, the more she thought about it, before she even talked to Josh, she really needed to get this whole thing straightened out with her friend. After all, what if she called Josh, told him she wasn’t interested in being anything more than friends, and then he told Eve all about it at Sunday school? Goldie couldn’t imagine a worse scenario.
But if she was going to break the news to Eve, Goldie needed some backup. Someone who could help her fend off Eve if she blew a gasket over this whole thing. And she knew the perfect person for the job.
After calling Eve to invite her over for an impromptu dinner, and rushing to get off the phone before Josh’s name could be uttered, Goldie marched across the front yard and knocked on Peggy’s front door. Goldie gulped while she waited for Peggy to answer the door and tried not to think about the last time she’d stood here in her Sponge Bob pants begging to be let into Care Group. No, it was definitely best not to go there.
Peggy swung open the door and greeted her with a cheerful smile as though the unfortunate Care Group incident had never happened. “Hi there, Goldie.”
Goldie cleared her throat, preparing to sound every bit like a person who was getting on with her life. “Hi,” she chirped, in an octave a tad too high.
“How are you doing, dear?” Goldie noticed the corner of Peggy’s mouth lift a bit as she took in the sight of Goldie standing there in a soft pink sweater and jeans. It was pretty pathetic when you could impress someone merely by wearing a pair of pants that didn’t have goofy sponges cartwheeling up and down the legs.
“Good.” For some reason, Goldie’s throat tightened as she answered.
Get it together. You cannot break down in front of Peggy or she’ll never let you back in Care Group.
This was harder than she thought it would be. Why? She’d known Peggy for years. “I started my new job today.”
Peggy enveloped her in a tight hug. “Oh, honey. I’m so proud of you. That’s wonderful.”
In the warmth of the older woman’s embrace, the tightness in Goldie’s throat subsided. “Eve’s coming over for dinner, and I was hoping you could come, too.”
“That sounds fun. Just let me clean up for a minute, and I’ll be right over. What are we having?”
Goldie suppressed a grin. “Why, casserole of course. Take your pick. I’ve got King Ranch Chicken casserole, chilimac casserole, and tuna noodle casserole. In fact, I think I might even have casserole casserole.”
Peggy laughed, sending her white curls bouncing. “Sounds great. I’ll be right over.”
By the time Goldie fed Bliss her dinner and defrosted one of the many casseroles still packed in her freezer, both Eve and Peggy had arrived. While they ate, Bliss curled up in a ball on top of Goldie’s feet and Goldie filled her friends in on her first day of work at the library.
“Tell us everything. Spare no details,” Peggy urged, her eyes sparking with enthusiasm.
So, she told them all about story hour and how she’d poured over books all afternoon in an effort to choose just the right one for the next time she was supposed to read to the children.
“Are you bringing the dog with you to work again tomorrow?” Eve pointed her fork at Bliss and frowned.
As if she could understand, Bliss peered up from underneath the table with sad puppy dog eyes. Goldie sighed. Eve may have forgiven her, but it was obvious Bliss was another matter entirely. “She has a name, you know.”
Eve rolled her eyes while Peggy suppressed a snort of laughter. “I know. Bliss. Are you taking her royal highness, Bliss, to work with you again tomorrow?”
Goldie decided to ignore the royal highness remark because, after all, she had bigger battles to fight with Eve. Namely, Josh vs. Joe. “Yes.” She inhaled a shaky breath before adding, “In fact, Joe is coming by tomorrow to set up an exe
rcise pen in my office so she’ll have her own little area out of the way.”
There. She’d brought up Joe. That was sure to start the ball rolling.
Peggy laid her hand on her heart and sighed. “What a sweetheart.”
“Are you talking about the dog or the man?” Eve’s tone of voice told Goldie her friend didn’t think either of them fit the description.
“The man.” Peggy winked suggestively.
“He brought me coffee this morning,” Goldie added, her voice turning breathy and dreamy.
Oops. She hadn’t really meant to say it out loud.
Eve huffed in frustration. “By any chance, did any one else come visit you today?”
“Actually, yes.” Goldie paused, gathering every last bit of confidence within her before she continued. She had a feeling she would need it. “Josh came by. And he left a message on my answering machine, too.”
Eve gasped, so obviously thrilled she dropped her fork on her plate with a clatter. From her spot underneath the table, Bliss let out a little growl.
Peggy just looked back and forth between Goldie and Eve, confusion clouding her features. “Who’s Josh?”
“Goldie’s dream guy. She met him at church last Sunday.”
“Is this true?” Peggy raised her brows at Goldie. “You went to a new church last weekend and met someone?”
“Yes. I mean…no.”
“What do you mean ‘no’? That’s exactly what happened. I should know. I was there.” A smug smile played on Eve’s lips.
“That’s not exactly how it went. Yes, I did attend a new church.” Goldie wanted to place special emphasis on this point, for Peggy’s benefit. “And I met someone named Josh. But it wasn’t at all like it sounds.”
“Yes it was. You said you thought he was handsome. You practically begged me to introduce you.” Eve’s voice bordered on whiny.
Great. Now she’s hurt. I would actually prefer anger.
Goldie had to get it over with before it got any worse. “Well, I may have exaggerated the tiniest bit.”
Eve’s green eyes flashed and Peggy leaned closer, her jaw hanging open. Goldie offered a weak smile and continued, “I really wasn’t so eager to meet Josh. The truth is…I just made all that up.”
“Oh, this is getting good.” Peggy propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands.
Eve threw her napkin on the table, narrowly missing her plate of casserole. “What? Why would you do something like that?”
“Well, I knew you would be upset if you discovered Bliss in my handbag. I mean, carrier.” Because really, it wasn’t a handbag. “So, I said those things as a diversionary tactic. I never imagined it would lead to all this.”
“I cannot believe you, Goldie.” Eve shook her head, then stopped and remained eerily still.
Goldie and Peggy stared at her, wide-eyed, and waited for her to move. Or say something. Anything.
“But wait,” Eve said in such a calm manner that Goldie instantly felt chills rise on the back of her neck. “Let’s just wait a minute. So you weren’t as, er, enamored with him at first as you led me to believe. But surely, now that you’ve gotten to know him, you like him. You do, right?”
This was the moment. It was now or never. “Not in that way. No.”
Eve’s face fell. “But why? He’s such a great guy. And he’s a Christian, too. I don’t get it.”
“I know why.” Peggy drummed her fingers on the table and wiggled her eyebrows.
“What do you mean? How could you possibly know? You hadn’t even heard of Josh until about two seconds ago.”
“It’s obvious.” Peggy fixed her gaze on Goldie and lifted a brow. “Are you going to tell her or should I?”
Goldie took a deep breath and thanked God for Peggy. But as helpful as she was, Goldie just couldn’t let her do the dirty work. She bit her lip and glanced solemnly at Eve. “Because of Joe.”
For a second, Eve looked uncharacteristically disoriented, as if she didn’t have a clue who Joe was. This, of course, irritated Goldie to no end. She was determined to smooth things over with Eve, however, so she offered a prompt. “Remember? Coffee guy?”
“Oh, I know very well who he is. I just hadn’t realized you were dating him. How many times have you gone out?” Eve crossed her arms and cocked her head.
Goldie swallowed and twisted the napkin in her lap. “Well, we haven’t exactly gone out on a date.”
“Yet,” Peggy chimed in. “They haven’t gone out on a date yet.”
“But he has asked you out, right?” Eve waited for an answer, her French manicure drumming a beat on the tablecloth.
“Um.” Goldie felt heat rise to her cheeks as she remembered that day outside the coffee shop when she’d been so sure Joe was about to ask her out on a date.
OK, so maybe he hadn’t asked her out yet, but he would. She was sure of it. “No. But I’m sure he will. We’re still getting to know each other.”
The burning in Goldie’s face only grew worse when she heard how small and pitiful her voice sounded. She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. She had nothing to be ashamed of. If she closed her eyes, she could feel the warmth of Joe’s hand in the center of her back and the shivers that ran up and down her spine when he’d laced his fingers through hers at dog training class. No, they had not gone on a real date yet, but that was only a minor detail.
“For goodness’ sake, Eve. Leave her alone.” Peggy wagged a scolding finger in Eve’s direction.
“What?” Eve shrugged her shoulders. “I was just getting the facts straight.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter if they’ve gone out on an official date. Sheesh, you young people. Always trying to rush things.” Peggy shook her head and made clucking noises. Goldie noticed Eve squirming in her chair under Peggy’s scrutinizing gaze. “He’s bringing her coffee every day. They’re going to dog training class together. With the dog he gave her.”
Goldie scooped Bliss into her arms and kissed the orange spot in the center of her furry head. She shot a glance toward Eve, who just rolled her eyes at the spaniel.
“He’s courting her, plain and simple.” Peggy nodded and scooped another forkful of casserole into her mouth.
“Courting her?” Eve spat out. “This isn’t the eighteen hundreds, you know.”
“Courting, wooing, flirting. It’s all the same thing. He’s taking things slowly.” Peggy winked in Goldie’s direction. “If you ask me, it’s sweet. He’s quite a gentleman.”
Courting. Goldie turned the word over in her mind and decided she liked the sound of it. Quite a bit, actually.
“OK, OK. So he’s a gentleman and all.” Eve’s lips curved into a sweet smile, which was somehow more than a little unsettling. “I just don’t see why this means Goldie can’t go out with Josh. I mean, she and Joe aren’t even dating. What’s wrong with her getting to know Josh, too? Is there some rule that says you can’t court more than one person at a time?”
“Hello? I’m still sitting right here.” Goldie waved her napkin in the air and Bliss lunged at it, catching the corner with a snap of her teeth. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it.”
Eve’s eyes widened but, thankfully, she sat back to listen to what Goldie had to say.
“It’s not fair to Josh. I don’t want to lead him on when I know that my heart already belongs to Joe. I like him, Eve. A lot. I may even be falling in love with him.”
No one at the table uttered a word or dared to move. Besides Bliss, who gnawed on the napkin and batted it around with her paws.
After what felt like an eternity, Eve finally spoke. “I didn’t know you felt that way, Goldie.”
“I know. That’s why I needed to explain.” Goldie smiled weakly. This whole ordeal had been even more emotionally draining than she had imagined. “And who knows? Maybe nothing will ever come of Joe and me. But right now, I’m happy spending time with him. And I don’t mind taking things slowly. I kind of like it. I guess I’m ol
d-fashioned that way.”
Eve smirked. “That’s one thing you two have in common.”
Peggy picked up her fork again. Before she dug in, she added, “You know who else was that way? Your Grandpa. I think he would be very happy if you and Joe ended up together. Very happy indeed.”
The thought gave Goldie a warm glow all over. She had to agree.
Apparently, so did Eve. “I see what you mean. And I, for one, wouldn’t want to argue with the big guy.”
ef
“Thanks so much for coming over tonight.” Goldie handed Peggy a steaming cup of hot tea as they headed toward the sofa. Eve had left soon after dinner to attend a special event at her church, but Peggy stayed to help clean up. “As you can see I needed some back-up.”