Caitlin’s cheeks warmed as she gave Chase a shy smile. They hadn’t had time to talk alone since leaving the cabin last night. First the ambulance had whisked her off to the hospital, and then she’d been surrounded by doctors and police officers. Then Jazzy and Liz had shown up after seeing the AMBER Alert on television. They’d been even more hysterical than Caitlin.
As the group headed for the exit, Caitlin tugged on Chase’s hand and they fell in step behind the others. “I haven’t properly thanked you for coming to rescue me.”
“Don’t thank me. It was my fault you got tangled up with Alex to begin with.” A soft sigh deflated his shoulders. “I am so sorry, Caitlin. I never meant to put you in danger.”
Caitlin stopped in the aisle and faced him. She couldn’t believe her ears. “What are you talking about? None of this was your fault.”
“I worked with him for a year and never saw what he really was. And then I gave you that candle. If I hadn’t—”
She stopped his words by placing her fingers gently against his lips. “Don’t ever regret your acts of kindness, Chase.”
Emotion glowed in his eyes as he brought his hand up to cover hers. “I heard what you said to Alex. Right at the end, I was outside the window, trying to decide how to get in.” He shook his head slowly. “I’ve never known anyone who would spend their last breath trying to convince their killer that God loves them.”
“You don’t know how you’ll act until you’re in that situation. You might do exactly the same thing.” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Not that I was all that persuasive.”
He put a finger beneath her chin and gently raised her face. “You never know. He’s going to have a long time to think about what you told him. God might use your words yet.”
Chase was right. She closed her eyes. Lord, don’t let Alex forget. Remind him of Your love every day.
She opened her eyes to find Chase’s face inches from hers. Had he leaned close to her, or had she moved toward him? Either way, he was close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her cheek.
With a sharp pang of regret, she backed away from him. “We’re about to violate the dateless year.”
He heaved a regretful sigh. “So, you’re still determined to continue that, huh?”
Caitlin bit her lip. She’d spent much of last night struggling with that question, and she didn’t like the conclusion she’d come to.
“I have to, Chase. Please understand.” She placed a hand on his arm. “I love you. I’m certain of it. But I made a commitment, and I don’t take that lightly.”
A slow smile curved his mouth. “You know, when I left you and your friends at the hotel last night, I had a long talk with my cousin. He’s planning a trip to Florida to meet a woman he’s been corresponding with through e-mail. He’s never met this woman, and he’s starting to sound like he thinks she’s the one for him. It made me realize that we don’t have to live in the same town to get to know each other.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “We can be long-distance … friends. It really could work, if we try hard.” He grinned. “At least for a year.”
“Not even a full year. Three hundred sixty-three and a half days.” Caitlin couldn’t hold back her own grin. “But who’s counting?”
He leaned close. For a breathless moment, she thought he might kiss her, but instead, his lips brushed her ear with a whisper. “I am.”
Joy settled in Caitlin’s heart as she looked into Chase’s eyes. She’d come to Little Nashville devastated over a broken romance and the loss of her best friends. But God had given her a precious new friend—and one day, he would become much more. A giggle broke free as she left the church, hand in hand with her favorite candle maker.
EPILOGUE
Three hundred sixty-three and a half days later
Caitlin turned in front of the mirror. The silky red fabric of her skirt fluttered below her knees. A flush rode high on her cheeks, and the color set off a sparkle in her blue eyes.
She whirled toward Jazzy, who lay propped on pillows against her headboard, Sassy snuggled close to her side. Her friend had made the four-hour trip from Waynesboro to be with Caitlin on this oh-so-important day. “What do you think?”
Jazzy’s hand rested on her pregnant belly. “You look incredible.”
“No fair!” Liz’s voice projected from the speaker phone on the night stand. “I want to see. Jazzy, take a picture and send it to me.”
“Okay, hold on a minute.”
Caitlin struck a pose while Jazzy snapped a picture with her cell phone, and then returned to the mirror to brush a tiny bit more mascara on her eyelashes. The moment the photo arrived on Liz’s phone in Utah, she heard a gasp through the speaker.
“Caitlin, you’re stunning! Chase won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.”
Jazzy snorted. “After making the guy wait a full year for your first date, you could be wearing a potato sack and he’d fall at your feet.”
“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d make it.” Liz’s voice held a grudging respect. “I figured he’d get tired of waiting and find someone else.”
Caitlin gave the dress a final whirl, then sank onto the mattress beside Jazzy. “I worried about that at first,” she confessed, “but I shouldn’t have. We’ve grown close.” Her cheeks warmed. “We didn’t have to go out on dates to fall in love. I think we’ve gotten to know each other better than some couples ever do. We’ve e-mailed and talked a dozen times every day, and we Facetime every night. And we have spent some time together, just as friends. It hasn’t been easy, but we made it.” She giggled. “I think it’s been harder on Chase’s mom than anyone else.”
“Well, she’s got to be happy that you’re moving to Indiana,” Liz said.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Jazzy asked. “Your life is here. Your parents, your students. Everything.”
“It’s only a few hours’ drive.” Caitlin patted the hand on her belly. “Mom and Dad are fine with it. And Little Nashville is an artist colony. What better place for a flute teacher? I already have one student. I’ll get more.”
The memory of Nicky’s excitement when Caitlin told her she was moving to town brought a smile to Caitlin’s face. The girl had already started spreading the word among her friends that “the world’s most awesome flute teacher is coming here!”
Jazzy glanced out the window, then leaped to her feet. She held the curtain back and turned a grin Caitlin’s way. “Come look at this.”
Caitlin looked through the window. A shiny black limousine was parked outside her apartment building. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, my.”
“What? What is it?” Liz’s voice demanded.
“This guy is pulling out all the stops tonight,” Jazzy told her. “He just arrived in a limo.”
The doorbell rang. Sassy leaped off the bed, yapping, and raced from the room. The flutter of a dozen hummingbird wings erupted behind Caitlin’s ribcage. “He’s here!”
As she ran out of the bedroom, she heard Liz’s voice issue a command from the speaker. “Jazzy, get pictures.”
Caitlin rushed to the door.
“Slow down,” Jazzy hissed. “It’s totally uncool to look like you’re in a hurry.”
But Caitlin had waited long enough for this night. No more waiting. She threw the door open wide.
Chase stood outside, his warm smile betraying a hint of the eagerness that pounded in her chest. Her breath caught in her throat. Some part of her brain registered his black tux, his hair the color of ripened wheat, the bouquet of red roses in his hand. But it was his eyes that held hers captive.
He opened his arms, and without a second thought, Caitlin stepped into them. As she raised her arms to circle his neck, she heard the click of Jazzy’s camera phone behind her. A giggle erupted from her throat. Oh, what an incredible feeling, to be held in Chase’s embrace. Her heart thundered, and she wanted never to move—ever.
Chase’s warm breath caressed her cheek as he whi
spered, “Hello, my friend.”
In the next instant, his lips touched hers. The dateless year had come to a perfect end. The world fell away as Caitlin surrendered to the kiss of her best friend.
Books by Virginia Smith
Mystery and Romantic Suspense
Murder by Mushroom
Bluegrass Peril
Into the Deep
A Deadly Game
Classical Trio Series
A Taste of Murder
Murder at Eagle Summit
Scent of Murder
Falsely Accused Series
Dangerous Impostor
Bullseye
Prime Suspect
Available through Annie’s Book Club
Horse and Burglary
Triple Layer Treachery
Just Desserts
Thorn to Secrecy
To Hive and to Hold
Available from Guidepost Books
A Flame in the Night
The Last Drop of Oil
Contemporary and Romance
Lost Melody*
The Zookeeper’s Daughter
Incredible Mayla Strong series
Just As I Am
Sincerely, Mayla
Sister-to-Sister Series
Stuck in the Middle
Age before Beauty
Third Time’s a Charm
Historical Romance
The Heart’s Frontier*
A Plain and Simple Heart*
A Cowboy at Heart*
A Bride for Noah*
Rainy Day Dreams*
Fantasy ߝ Written as Ginny Patrick
Sister of the Brotherhood
* co-authored with Lori Copeland
ABOUT GINNY
Virginia Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of nearly forty novels and a bunch of other stuff. She wrote her first story back in 1985 and submitted it to a magazine. It was promptly rejected. Thus began a long and painful lesson: writing well is a lot harder than it looks. Over the next twenty years she received 148 rejections, but finally managed to produce a piece of publishable fiction and in 2006 celebrated the release of her first novel, Just As I Am.
Known as Ginny to her friends, she loves Jesus, her family, writing, and geeking around on the computer, in that order. She also enjoys riding her motorcycle (a Triumph Bonneville T100 named Vickie) and scuba diving. Murder (writing about it) is merely a pastime.
You can write to Ginny through the contact page on www.VirginiaSmith.org or, if you’d prefer to send a real letter, her mailing address is:
Virginia Smith
P.O. Box 4563
Frankfort, KY 40604-4563
Learn more about Ginny and her books at www.VirginiaSmith.org. She occasionally manages to Tweet @VirginiaPSmith, or you can really get to know her on Facebook, where she spends far too much time as ginny.p.smith.
Someone laced the casserole Jackie Hoffner brought to the church potluck with poisonous mushrooms... and the deadly dish has the town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspect Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decides to conduct her own murder investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh's helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm are most welcome. Meanwhile, the town's mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victims in mind....
Murder in D Minor Boxed Set Page 54