A Match Made in Heaven

by Colleen Coble

  Chapter 6

  Nick’s hair glistened from his recent shower. He grinned at his image in the mirror. Whistling, he quickly shaved and splashed on his favorite cologne. He couldn’t help but wonder what Callie had up her sleeve for the day. She’d told him he could wear jeans, so she must not be planning to drag him to some high-class art show or something like that. Though he’d go if she asked.

  He finished getting ready then headed for Callie’s with a sense of anticipation. She kept him on his toes. He never knew what to expect from her. In her presence he felt alive and energized.

  She was dressed in her old jeans and a cotton T-shirt with her hair stuffed up in her hat. Her smile went straight to his heart. His spirits lifted even higher when he saw her suppressed excitement.

  “Follow me,” she told him.

  He followed her through the house, admiring the warm, inviting decor as he went. Maybe she was right, and Barbara needed more than elegance and a showy floor plan. This home made him want to stay.

  She led him through the kitchen and into the garage. “Think you can hook that trailer up to your truck?”

  His eyes widened. The trailer held two Fat Cats, a kind of three-wheeled motorcycle with wide tires. He’d always wanted to play around in the desert on one of them, but none of his friends owned the vehicles.

  A grin stretched its way across his face. “You know how to drive these?”

  She held out her slim arm and flexed her muscle. “I can wrestle a Fat Cat through the worst cactus in the state of Arizona.”

  He pressed against her rounded arm and winced. “You’ll put me to shame.” He slipped his arm around her and pulled her to him. “You are remarkable. I’ll bring the truck around. Let’s get to the desert while the getting is good.”

  Callie pressed a button and opened the garage door. Nick jogged down the driveway. The scent of jasmine and eucalyptus filled his lungs and gave him another boost of well-being. What a great day this was turning out to be.

  He backed the truck up to the trailer, and within minutes they were on their way. “Where’re we headed?” he asked.

  “Bloody Basin Road, where else?”

  “I couldn’t have picked a better place myself.” He turned the truck out of town and headed to the play area of movie stars and car mechanics alike. It was about an hour away, so they chatted about inconsequential things. Nick loved to hear Callie’s laughter. It enveloped him in a cocoon of warmth and joy.

  It seemed only minutes later that they turned into the rutted track that was Bloody Basin Road. He found a parking spot and stopped the truck. The sun was high overhead, a roadrunner scrabbled in the dirt several yards away, and cactus dotted the landscape as far as he could see. A perfect day for off-roading.

  He unloaded the Fat Cats. Their chrome sparkled in the sun, and he yearned to climb onto the wide seat of one and head out across the stark hills and valleys. “Which one is mine?” he asked eagerly.

  “They’re identical,” Callie pointed out.

  Nick rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go!”

  They climbed onto their vehicles. The sound of the engines whined through the thin air. “I’ll beat you to the top of the mesa!” Callie shouted. She didn’t wait for his response but revved up her engine and tore between two clumps of prickly pear cactus.

  Nick followed her, the tires of his Fat Cat kicking up the dust. They raced over mesas and ravines, through eerie landscapes of cactus and sage. Hours later they stopped back at the truck for lunch.

  Nick had insisted on bringing the food. He loved to cook and had whipped up his favorite potato salad and made turkey sandwiches. There was a picnic table near the truck, and he spread a tablecloth over the weathered tabletop then laid out the food.

  Callie’s smile was reward enough for his preparation. Her face was flushed from the sun, and her brown eyes sparkled. “You let me win,” she said.

  He held up a hand. “You beat me fair and square. You’ve had more practice than I have with those things. How long you had them?”

  “About three years. They belonged to my brother. When he moved to New York, he sold them to me. They wouldn’t be much use in the high-rise buildings.” She sat at the picnic table.

  “What are you going to do with them when you go to New York?”

  Her face clouded. “I hadn’t considered it.”

  “You belong out here, Callie. I can’t imagine you in New York, never feeling the Arizona sun on your face, never smelling the sage and creosote. That perfectly turned-out image you portray isn’t the real Callie Stevens. This jean-clad sprite is the real Callie. You should let her run free.”

  Twin lines appeared between her eyes. “People expect a designer to look a certain way,” she said.

  “Kind of like an architect, huh?” He jerked his thumb at himself. “Look at me. I don’t look like the typical architect, but I’m not hurting for business. God made you like you are. When you pretend to be something you’re not, you throw His gift back in His face. You’re special just as you are. You don’t have to put on any fancy facade. Just be yourself. And you can do that right here. I think you’d be miserable in New York.”

  Callie didn’t answer for so long that he was beginning to think she wasn’t going to answer at all. She slowly spooned potato salad onto her paper plate and took a sandwich from the plastic container. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “But New York has been a dream for such a long time that I’m not sure I can give it up. And what’s wrong with striving to be better?”

  “Nothing as long as you’re striving to be a better you and not something you’re not. I think you’re pretty perfect the way you are.” He said the words softly and realized as he did how much he meant them. He leaned closer until he could smell the scent of her hair. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Callie. You’re so caring of other people, so spontaneous when you let your guard down. I’d like to be more than friends.”

  The soft brown of her eyes melted his heart. He reached out and touched her cheek. “I’m giving you fair warning, Callie Stevens. I intend to court you. I don’t care about the Miller house as much as I’m beginning to care about you.”

  He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned forward until his lips touched hers. The sweet scent of her breath touched his face. Warmth flooded him when she returned his kiss. When he pulled away, her lashes still lay on her cheeks. She finally opened her eyes, and their gazes locked.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “Inside and out.

  She blushed and touched his cheek. “So are you, Nick.”

  §

  The next two weeks sped by. Callie knew she went around like some teenager with stars in her eyes. The first time Nick kissed her she knew she would never feel about another man the way she felt about him. It wasn’t infatuation because it wasn’t his physical appearance that drew her so much as his inner qualities. Integrity, compassion, and, most important, a love for God that showed in everything he did.

  He wooed her in earnest, calling every night and taking her out at least three times a week. It was hard to keep her mind on her work.

  But the deadline for the Miller house loomed closer. Callie knew she could never move to New York now, so she decided to give Barbara the design Nick’s house demanded. But every time she sat down to see what she could come up with, her mind was blank. Creativity hid its face from her like a child playing peek-a-boo.

  She was going to have to withdraw from the project. Barbara would be crushed since they’d become friends, but interior designers were as plentiful as cactus. Someone else would find the inspiration she had lost for the project.

  Stopping by Nick’s office, she paused outside the door when she realized he was on the phone. She sat on a chair in the waiting room and idly flipped through a magazine. His deep voice carried through the door, and her hand hesitated of its own accord as she started to turn the page.

  “I know you promised she could do it, but things have changed. We don’t s
hare the same vision. You’ll have to trust my judgment on this one. Another designer will work just as well. Better really. The new one has twice the experience she has. I promise you’ll be pleased with the end result.”

  He could only be talking about her. Callie’s throat tightened. All the time he was professing he cared about her, he was making plans to replace her on the Miller project. She jumped to her feet and rushed toward the door. Dimly aware of Nick coming to the doorway and calling after her, she stumbled blindly down the steps and out to her car.

  She jumped into her car and drove around town. Nick would find her at home, and she wasn’t ready to face him. Tears blurred her vision. Though he hadn’t said the words yet, she had thought he loved her. He’d acted it in everything he did. To find out he was like all the rest, that he was only out for what was best for himself, left her bereft.

  “I thought this was Your leading, Lord,” she whispered as she drove to Gram’s. “I thought You had brought me and Nick together. What am I supposed to do?” Her lips trembled, and she fought the tears. She parked in the lot outside the retirement home and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. “What now, God?” She stayed like that for what seemed like forever then began to feel a sense of peace and purpose.

  Nick may have let her down, but God was still there and in control. She would do the best job she could. If Nick wanted a design that matched his own vision, she’d give him one he’d never forget. She grabbed her drawing pad and supplies from the trunk and hurried inside.

  Her grandmother met her at the door. “Why, Callie, whatever is wrong? Have you and Nick had a fight?”

  “Not exactly,” she said shortly. “But I don’t want to talk about it. Can I use your spare room tonight? I have work to do, and I’ll be interrupted at home.”

  “Of course, Darling. I’ll fix you a cup of tea. That will calm you, and maybe you’ll be ready to talk about it.”

  “It would take more than tea to calm me, Gram,” she said with a sigh. Carrying her supplies, she went down the hall to the spare room and shut the door. Through the long evening she drew feverishly and prayed just as fervently for inspiration. Using her laptop, she downloaded pictures of furnishings from the Internet. She pasted swatches of material on her presentation board along with the sketches and pictures. By dawn she had a new design that would wow the Millers. It wasn’t what Barbara needed, but at least it would match Nick’s design.

  A fresh wave of despair flooded her at the thought of Nick. His perfidy had knocked the even keel out of her world and left her disoriented. If Nick could be that self-seeking, no man could be trusted. And that’s what she would remember from now on. No more blind dates for her.

  She slipped out of Gram’s apartment and locked the door behind her. Driving through the empty streets of Heaven, she felt invigorated. Nick wouldn’t be able to replace her when she showed up at that meeting with a perfect proposal. Barbara wouldn’t desert her. Of course, working with him under the circumstances would be excruciating, but it couldn’t be helped. Maybe it would be a reminder not to be so gullible again.

  She went to her apartment to shower and get ready for the meeting. There were ten messages from Nick, each one more frantic than the last. Too bad she couldn’t believe the tenderness in his voice. She blinked away the tears with determination. She had no time for weakness. There was a battle to be won, and she intended to be the victor.

  She dressed in a lime green suit with a cream blouse. Twisting her hair into its familiar bun, she gazed at her reflection and shook her head. If there was one thing she’d learned from this, it was to be her own woman. With a flourish she pulled the pins from her hair and let her red locks cascade to her shoulders. She caught the sides back with a clasp then changed into a pair of khaki slacks with a blazer.

  Slipping her feet into loafers, she turned and marched to the door. It was time the world met the real Callie Stevens. Including Mr. Nick Darling.

  Nick sprang to his feet when she walked in the door to his office. Dark circles rimmed his eyes. “Callie, I’ve been worried sick. Where have you been?” His gaze traveled over her face, and a tender smile tilted his lips. “You finally have your hair down. It’s so beautiful.”

  Heat flooded her face, and she ignored his comment about her hair. “I was at Gram’s,” she said shortly. “Are you ready for our presentation?”

  “Yes, but I have your presentation board on the table with my drawings. You don’t need another copy.”

  Barbara and Warren were already perusing the plans, Callie noted with a sinking heart. She was too late.

  Barbara looked up with a radiant smile. “Callie, these are wonderful! I didn’t know what I wanted, but you’ve captured the essence of Nick’s design perfectly. I can’t wait to get started.”

  The essence of Nick’s design? How could that be? Her original plans were poles apart from that cold, sterile building he planned.

  Warren slapped Nick on the back. “Great job, Nick. Can we take these drawings to the builder? He’s eager to see them.”

  “They’re all yours,” Nick said.

  Callie frowned and started to object; then her gaze was drawn to the display board where Nick’s design was posted. Her heart sped up when she saw the changes he’d made. “Oh, my,” she said softly.

  Nick came up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist. “Like it?”

  “I love it,” she breathed. “But I thought you didn’t have time for a whole new design.”

  “It’s not. Look closer. I stuccoed the exterior with dark stucco instead of leaving it concrete. Changing the roof line helped a lot. Then I added a back portico with those peeled logs you wanted and added inside details in keeping with what you’d asked. I had a mental block for a long time and couldn’t see past what I had already done. All I can do is blame it on love.”

  Love. He’d finally said the word. Callie’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to cry at the way she hadn’t trusted him. But she’d heard him.

  “You were talking on the phone at the office last night,” she whispered. “I thought you were telling the Millers you were pulling me from the job.”

  His eyes widened. “I would never do something like that. I was covering for another designer who had decided not to do a small house for another client when a bigger plum of a job came her way. I didn’t want to trash her reputation, even though she deserved it.” He stepped closer. “You can trust me, Callie. I would never hurt you.”

  Callie felt as though she couldn’t breathe. She pulled away as the Millers stepped up to them.

  Barbara hugged her. “Thank you, Callie, and for more than just the design. Thank you for being a friend to me. And thank you most of all for sharing Jesus with us. The pastor came to visit last night, and Warren and I both have realized we lack something in our lives. The pastor has a seeker’s class we’re going to attend. For the first time, I’ve seen what being a Christian is really about. Now we have to find out more.”

  “Oh, Barbara, I’m so glad!” Callie threw her arms around Barbara and squeezed her tight. Joy bubbled within her. Maybe God had used her in spite of her shortcomings.

  Barbara sniffled then drew away. “We’d stay longer, but I think Nick has something he wants to say to you.” She stepped back then followed her husband out the door.

  Nick placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I realized what you thought when you raced out of here last night. Trust is something that’s hard for both of us, but we’re going to have to learn it if we want a future together. And I want a future with you, Callie. I love you.”

  The tears began to flow in earnest down Callie’s cheeks. “I love you, too, Nick. More than I can say.”

  “I’ve been waiting to hear those words. Tell me again,” he whispered as his lips came down on hers.

  “Oh, Nick,” she gulped when she could catch her breath again.

  “You can call me darling,” he said.

  So she did.r />
  If you love romance with adventure and mystery, Fire Dancer by Colleen Coble is one you won’t want to miss!

  Fire Dancer is a reader favorite!

  A decade ago, Tess Masterson’s parents died in a terrible barn fire. Now she’s become one of the best smoke jumpers in the business. Though she makes a living jumping out of planes into roaring wildfires, she’s never found the courage to face the wounds of her past—or to deal with the anger that flares whenever she encounters Chase Huston.

  When a serial arsonist known as The Fire Dancer strikes near her old homeplace in Arizona, Tess is forced to examine the past as it relates to the present. How will she confront her own demons while at the same time putting a stop to the terror that has the area in flames?

  “Colleen weaves intrigue and God’s love into a story full of carefully crafted characters. If you’re looking for an awesome writer, I highly recommend her!” —Tracie Peterson, best-selling author of Dawn’s Prelude, Song of Alaska Series

  “Colleen is a master storyteller.” —Karen Kingsbury, best-selling author of Shades of Blue

  Watch for Tidewater Inn—coming in July 2012!

  Welcome to Hope Beach

  Where the sea breeze is fresh, sun sparkles on sand . . . and trouble appears with the force of a hurricane.

  I love to hear from my readers! Drop me an email at colleen@colleencoble.com and visit my website at www.colleencoble.com for more information about my many novels.

  Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com.