Enchantment: A Christian Romance Novel (The Lewis Legacy Series Book 6)

by JoAnn Durgin

  “You know, Lexa, I can see hero qualities in Felipe. I mean, I know he’s only 15, but he’s not all bad. He’s just had some bad breaks in his life. But he’s handsome, and he’s smart. I don’t want to see him go back home and steal more cars, or do anything else he shouldn’t. I don’t want to think about him being with other girls, either.” Angelina couldn’t believe she’d admitted that last one out loud, but it was the truth.

  “Keep talking with Felipe, and praying for him.”

  “I told him about Jesus, and he’s changing. I know he is, Lexa. Felipe asks me questions, and I can tell he’s thinking. But,” she stammered, “sometimes he says things I don’t understand.”

  Taking her hand, Lexa squeezed. “I agree with you. I can see the potential for great things in Felipe. He’s coming from a broken family home. Even though both of his parents are still alive, they’ve made some bad decisions. It doesn’t mean they can’t straighten out their lives, get clean, and stay out of trouble. They can still make a family with Felipe, but it means they have to want to do it. That’s the biggest stumbling block. A lot of people don’t have the strength of character to do it, even if they say otherwise. I’d encourage you to pray for his family, too.”

  “I will. Thanks for not judging me, Lexa.” At least Lexa hadn’t looked at her like she’d been doing something wrong by reading that book. Even though she had.

  “That’s not my place. You’re young, and we all have to make our own mistakes, but if I can help you by giving you real-life examples to help, that’s what I want to do. And you know what?” Lexa slowly rose to her feet and dusted off the back of her jeans.

  “What’s that?” Angelina rose to her feet beside Lexa. She found it so weird that she was taller than her mentor now.

  “Felipe has a sparkle in his eyes when he looks at you. The same sparkle I see in your eyes. I think you’ll be just fine, and I’ll be praying.” With a small wave, Lexa started to walk away.

  “Lexa, wait.” Reaching into her tote bag, Angelina pulled out the book. “Can you get rid of this for me, please?”

  A small smile creased Lexa’s face. “We can walk to the dumpster together now, if you’d like. I have some food scraps we can dump on top of that book. We can bury it real good.”

  Relief flooded through Angelina. “Perfect. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 22

  ~~♥~~

  Hallo mein Freund. Ja,richtig. Ich bin ende November in Berlin und in der ersten Januar wache in München. Alles ist in Ordnung. Ich rufe dich an wenn ich wieder zurück nach Park komme. Richtig. Vielen dank und auf Wiedersehen.

  “Eliot? You in there?”

  Sitting on his bunk as he disconnected the call, Eliot smiled at the sound of Marta’s voice outside the screen door. Her accent was a combination of her Kentucky roots mixed with a Texas drawl. Definitely appealing, and uniquely Marta.

  She knocked again. “Eliot? I know you’re in there. Was that German?”

  He chuckled. And proceeded to tell her in four languages that she should stop eavesdropping.

  “Show off. Want to come and help me set the tables for dinner? Cassie called and said the ladies are running late.”

  “Sure. Need me to strap on an apron and whip up some mac and cheese?”

  “Funny man.” He heard her soft laughter. “I’m tempted to say yes to see if you’d follow through on that threat. Winnie left casseroles, veggies, and bread with strict instructions for when to put them in the ovens. I think I managed to do that successfully since no one’s called the fire department.”

  “Yet. Are you sure the ovens are turned on?”

  “Listen, I feel silly standing out here talking through a screen. Please come outside or I’m going to barge in there right now and drag you back out here with me.”

  “Is that a threat? In that case, come right on in.”

  He didn’t hear anything for a few seconds then laughed when she appeared at the window closest to his bunk. Cupping her hands near her eyes, she pressed her face up against the screen. “On the count of three…”

  “I don’t startle easily, if that was your intent, but you drive a hard bargain. Hang on. I’m coming.” Stuffing his phone into the pocket of his jeans, Eliot rose from the bed and walked over to the screen door. He stepped outside and gave her his best smile. “My, my, aren’t you looking fetching this afternoon?”

  “Thanks.” She looked a little off-balance. He’d tuck away the word fetching for future use since that compliment brought a pretty flush to her cheeks. “You just saw me a couple of hours ago at the church.”

  “Yes, but you didn’t have…this…on your cheek a couple of hours ago.” Marta’s eyes widened when he skimmed the pad of his thumb over her cheek, dislodging dirt. “Were you playing in the dirt again?”

  “I was helping to build a fort over at the church for the kids, if you must know. Then I made a fool of myself by leaning on a window screen to get some oblivious guy’s attention.”

  He pulled back as if offended. “Oh, I’m not oblivious to your charms. Trust me.”

  “And you seem to like touching me,” she said, her cheeks coloring an even darker pink. “Oh, never mind.” With a sassy glance at him over one shoulder, Marta stomped off in the direction of the dining hall. She cried out in surprise when he caught up to her and put his hands around her small waist, stopping her. Lurching slightly forward, she leaned back against his chest with her hands resting on his arms. Nice. He wouldn’t mind staying in this position until his pulse slowed. Or forever sounded pretty good, too.

  “Shall we dance?” Turning around, Marta moved her hands around his neck and looked up into his eyes.

  “I think we already are, in a manner of speaking.” His eyes roamed over her face, drinking in her features. Ah, she was lovely. Until she pushed against his chest and stepped back a few steps.

  “Eliot, why haven’t you kissed me? Is there something repugnant about me? Do I have bad breath? Body odor? Talk too much? Laugh too much?”

  He raised his hands and balked. “How about I’m waiting for the right moment? Is that acceptable to you?” He liked that she’d brought up the subject of kissing. Seemed it was all he could think about lately when in her presence.

  “Not sure. Sounds rather lame.”

  “You seem pretty independent,” he said. “Kissing is a two-way street. You can initiate a kiss, if you want. I won’t stop you.” Crossing his arms, he waited.

  “I happen to think the man should be the one to make the first move when it comes to kissing. Or pretty much most things in that…part of life.”

  “Oh, is that right?” Eliot laughed. “I just called your bluff. You’re a whole lot more old-fashioned than you want me to believe.”

  “What if I am? Is that a problem for you?” Turning, she took off at a fast walk toward the dining hall.

  “Here we go again.” Within seconds, he caught up to her again and tugged her into his arms. “You are completely enticing, Marta. You have sweet breath from what I know, and you smell pretty, just like a woman should. And yes, sometimes you talk a little too much, but you can never laugh too much.”

  “Well, okay then. Are you done?”

  “Oh, not by far, sweetheart. As they say, we’ve only just begun. One little kiss. But that’s all.” The corners of his mouth curled. “Try not to get too carried away.” Leaning forward, he enjoyed the way Marta moistened her lower lip with her tongue as her long, dark lashes fluttered. Oh yeah, this would be fun. Lowering his head, Eliot ever-so-slightly touched his lips to hers and then brushed his mouth over hers. He’d meant to tease her, but he was the one suffering. Such sweet torture he’d never known. Against his every instinct, Eliot released her.

  Marta staggered a bit, appearing slightly dazed. “You’re teasing me.”

  “And what do you call what you’re doing? Want another one?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Oh, he liked it when a woman told him what she wanted. Years ago, that meant so muc
h more than a kiss. Lord, forgive me. Keep my thoughts pure. He couldn’t allow his thoughts to go there. He couldn’t disrespect Marta. Still, he’d give her the kind of kiss that would wipe the memories of any other men she’d kissed from her mind. Forever. Yeah, that might be arrogant, but—since Marta had asked—he wasn’t going to ignore her request without giving her what she wanted. Those soft blonde curls, those luscious lips, that gorgeous smile. How had they waited this long?

  “Come with me.” Eliot took her by the hand. “I’m not going to do this standing in the middle of the camp for anyone, including wild animals, to see us.”

  “I think the wild ones are the two of us. By the way, your eye is healing up nicely from the looks of it.”

  “Nice of you to notice.” Pulling open the door to the dining hall, Eliot ushered her inside. He leaned against the inside front wall and threaded his fingers through her hair, luxuriating in the silkiness of her blonde curls. Marta raised her chin in expectation. She tempted him without conscious effort just by virtue of everything about her.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” It took every ounce of self-control he had not to crush her mouth under his without waiting for her answer.

  “Very much.” The heat radiating from her eyes was undeniable.

  “You’re dangerous for me, Marta. Maybe we should wait…?” What was he saying? Maybe he was delirious with her nearness.

  “We’re not other people.”

  “True enough. I, for one, am very glad about that.” The way she moved her fingertips along the side of his face and traced his dimple…that was good. Combined with the look in her eyes, Eliot was helpless. If she were the enemy, he’d be dead by now and wouldn’t even care. Being with Marta was worth it.

  Lowering his lips to hers, Eliot teased her a little before settling into the kiss. He cradled her face between his hands, murmuring her name as he kissed her, enjoying the feel of her smile against his mouth, the softness of her lips on his. Every fiber in his being screamed to deepen the kiss, but he forced himself to pull away. “We need to stop.” Leaning his forehead against hers, he tried to steady his breathing.

  “I know.” She planted both palms on his chest, her breaths ragged. Even that urged him to kiss her again and keep on kissing her. But he couldn’t, no matter how much he wanted it. No matter how much Marta wanted it. One thing he knew: they were good together. Not that he’d ever doubted it. That kiss only confirmed it, but it made him want more. Want her. He should have known better. Greed and hunger for this woman could consume him if he didn’t stand steadfast. He’d be doing a lot of praying later on tonight.

  Eliot heard voices approaching the building. It was too late to think, too late to react.

  “I don’t know why you think—” Cassie stopped just inside the door, her blue eyes growing wide as she spied them. Right. Nothing going on here, with his fingers tangled in Marta’s hair, and with her hands on his chest.

  “Oh. Sorry. Let me, um, go back outside and come back in again in a few seconds. Give you a little time to…regroup.”

  He’d been so engrossed in kissing Marta, Eliot hadn’t heard the group coming back to the dining hall. Not good. He needed to refocus his energies. Now would be good.

  “No, it’s fine.” Marta moved out of Eliot’s arms and smoothed a hand over her curls. He’d enjoyed playing with those curls and they were more tousled than ever. He didn’t care that they’d been caught but hoped Marta wouldn’t be mad or upset. They were adults and that kiss had been coming on for years, not just a few days. Even if Cassie hadn’t caught them together, with Marta’s messy hair, flushed cheeks, and breathy voice, it was a dead giveaway to what they’d been doing. Not to mention her lips were full and rosy and she had the dazed look of a woman who’d just been thoroughly kissed. He probably looked pretty goofy himself, but he didn’t care. That kiss had been better than anything he’d imagined, and he’d done a whole lot of imagining since he’d met Marta.

  Stop or you’ll drive yourself crazy, man. Averting his gaze from Marta, Eliot looked at Cassie. “What happened to your hair?” When she blanched under his scrutiny, he felt like a heel. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. You look good.” Based on Cassie’s frown, he was only making it worse.

  “Smooth,” Marta said under her breath as she walked all the way around Cassie. Her auburn hair now reached her shoulders instead of falling almost to her waist. “I have to say, you look adorable, but what made you decide to cut your hair?”

  Cassie grasped hold of her shorter locks. “We went to a couple of fabric stores to get some supplies. There was a hair salon nearby that was offering free haircuts in exchange for donations for Locks of Love. You’re making me nervous. I hope Mitch doesn’t hate it.”

  Marta gave her friend a quick hug. “It’s only shorter and you cut it for a great cause. Mitch will love you even more for that.”

  True enough, but Eliot also hoped Mitch wouldn’t freak. Since they’d been in New Mexico, his new friend had mentioned how much he loved his wife’s long hair and how he’d asked her to promise she’d never cut it. He wasn’t sure whether or not Cassie had ever made that promise. The way he saw it, hair was hair, and Cassie could always grow it long again. What was the big deal? Plus Mitch didn’t strike him as a shallow guy by any stretch of the imagination.

  Angelina bounced in next, clearly happy with her new, chin-length cut. Eliot chuckled when Felipe strutted in right behind her. That kid put in a lot of time trying to hide his insecurities. Felipe’s long ponytail was now gone and his hair was cut higher than his ears. He looked good, much more put-together.

  “Hey, dude.” Felipe bumped fists with Eliot. “What do you think? Do I look less like a punk?”

  Eliot cracked a grin. “You look sharp, man.”

  Cassie clapped her hands, startling him. “Okay, everyone. Let’s get ready for dinner. Casseroles are in the oven, right?”

  Marta saluted. “Yes, boss.”

  “Great. I gave Lexa and Winnie the night off. Amy and Gayle are coming over in a few minutes to help in the kitchen. If you two”—she nodded to Eliot and then at Marta—“can behave yourselves, why don’t you set the tables?” She motioned to the teenagers. “Angie and Felipe, you come with me and we’ll get started on the lemonade and iced tea.”

  “Cassie, you could fell a battalion of troops with that sweet Alabama accent,” Eliot said. “They’d fall all over themselves to do your bidding.”

  Cassie laughed. “Yeah, right. Your flattery comes a little too late, Mr. Marchand. The napkins and supplies are in the cabinet right behind you.”

  “You take the table on the left and I’ll take the one on the right,” Marta said. After opening the cabinet, she handed over a stack of paper plates.

  “Race you?” This should be fun.

  “I’m not that juvenile.” She avoided his gaze and started to work.

  “Sure you are. That’s one reason we’re so good together. Come on. It’ll be fun.” Standing a few feet away from his assigned table, Eliot tossed four plates like flying discs onto the table with precise aim. Not bad considering he was out of practice.

  “You’re good.” If he wasn’t mistaken, admiration shone in Marta’s eyes as she started to set her table. “I’m glad they’re not breakable.”

  “Quiet. You’re slowing me down.” Soon enough, he was finished with that task and headed back to the cabinet counter to retrieve cups and napkins. “Here,” he said, tossing a package of paper cups and a handful of napkins toward her. “Make yourself useful.”

  “Eliot!” She caught the cups but the napkins floated through the air and landed on the floor. “Now look what you’ve done. We can’t use those napkins now that they’ve been on the floor.”

  “Sure we can.” He quickly scooped them up from the floor. “The three-second rule applies.” He put one finger over his lips. “No one else ever has to know. It’ll be our little secret.” He started to put the napkins on the table with methodica
l precision just to spite her.

  “That rule’s only for food. Better napkins than food, I guess,” she said. “Still, how do you think the mothers here in the camp would feel knowing the napkins their precious children are pressing against their mouths spent time on the floor?”

  “I was on clean-up duty last night, and I’ll have you know that I swept up so well that baby Emily could eat off the floor.” Opening the package of cups, he placed one at each place setting. “Winnie and Lexa don’t seem preoccupied with such things. Natalie, maybe, but what do I know? Besides, don’t kids at camp eat bugs and worms? At least one a day for added protein?”

  She laughed. “I suppose you think it builds up their natural immunity.” Marta motioned to the package of napkins. “Give them to me. I’ll replace the ones that fell on the floor and finish. You can do the silverware.”

  “Why? They’re just fine, Marta.”

  “No, they’re not. Give them here, Eliot. Hand them over. Gimme. Now,” she insisted, one hand out, the other on her hip. Cute. This woman was getting to him, inching herself into his heart one little jab, one little quirk, one little smile at a time. Not to forget that one unforgettable, over-the-top kiss. Best kiss of his life. Hopefully, he’d passed Marta’s lip-lock criteria. Based on her eager response, she’d been pleased.

  “This is a pretty inane conversation all the way around. Although,” he said with a shrug, “it could be amusing to tell our children someday.” He couldn’t resist teasing her.

  “You’re a child sometimes. Insufferable and arrogant.” Her smile belied her words and she’d handily won this round.

  After snatching the offending napkins from the table, Eliot handed the stack to her.

  “Thank you.” He watched as she deposited them in the trash can. “Please be more careful with this stack. No more throwing things.” She handed him a new stack of napkins.

  Fine. He’d show her. As she continued working on her table, Eliot could tell she watched from the corner of her eye. He made a big show of pulling out one of the napkins, folding it first one way and then another. Turning it over, he continued to fashion a shape from the plain white paper napkin.