“Sure did. Help yourself.” She shot Blake a questioning look.
He shrugged. He’d noticed his sister’s haggard look, but short of ordering her to play at Emily’s, he didn’t know how to help her. He’d tried absolutely everything he could think of.
Katie took a plate and joined them.
“I was wondering if you’re busy tomorrow.” Susan looked to Katie with a raised brow.
The girl closed her top teeth onto her bottom lip. “Well...” Her eyes shifted to Blake then down to her plate.
“If you’re busy, that’s fine. I was just thinking of visiting The Gingerbread House for lunch. I thought maybe you could join me.”
“What about Blake?” Nervousness edged her voice, and she glanced at her brother again.
“Nope—girls only. I can swing by, pick you up and bring you home after lunch.”
Blake looked from one female to the next. It was clear Katie wanted to go, but an internal struggle held her back. Why was Susan excluding him? Didn’t she want to be with him? Surely they’d moved past all the garbage they’d been wading through.
Katie shook her head. “No, thanks, Susan. I need to take care of Blake.”
“He’s a grown man. I think he can handle being alone for an hour.” Susan winked at him
“Don’t stay home on my account.” Blake finally realized that she was trying to help his sister overcome her clinginess. He could kiss her for the effort.
Susan nonchalantly tossed the last bite into her mouth and wiped her hands on a napkin. “If you change your mind, Blake has my number.” She stood. “Hate to eat and leave you with the dishes, but—”
“I think we can handle loading two plates into the dishwasher. May I walk you to your car?” He held his breath. The last time he’d offered she’d declined.
She eyed him speculatively with pursed lips. “I suppose. Make sure to call by eleven if you change your mind, Katie.” She grabbed her purse and headed to the door.
He followed Susan to her car. She leaned against it, and he copied her action. “Thanks for what you’re trying to do.”
“She looks awful. What’s going on? Is she sleeping?”
“I think so, but I have heard the floorboards creak outside my bedroom a few times at night. I assumed she’d gotten up to use the bathroom or get a drink of water, but maybe—”
“She’s checking on you. Oh, Blake, I’m really worried about Katie.”
“Me, too, but I don’t know what to do. I tried everything Pastor Lake suggested and nothing works.”
“I feel bad for her. I know what it’s like to live in uncertainty, unable to trust the people you love because something bad always happens.”
“Susan, I—”
She held up a hand. “I wasn’t talking about you.”
He took her hand in his. “Your parents?”
She gave a quick nod. If he hadn’t been watching he’d have missed it.
“How are they doing anyway?”
She shrugged. “You’d have to ask Josh.” She laughed drily. “On second thought, you might not want to. You’re not his favorite person.”
He released her hand. He’d known he’d hurt Susan, but didn’t even think about her brother. Not smart. If anyone hurt his sister he’d be the first to come down on that person. “Maybe you could put in a good word for me.”
She hunched her shoulders. “There’s one thing I know for certain, Blake. God will help you through the rough patches. Since nothing else is working, maybe you should ask Him for help. Just a thought.”
The tenderness and vulnerability in her eyes drew him to her like a moth to light. “I’ll try.” He knew that God was big enough to handle his problems. But he’d kind of shut Him out where Katie was concerned and perhaps where Susan was concerned, as well. He fingered her long hair, enamored with its softness. “Thanks for dinner. You’ll have to let me reciprocate sometime.”
She grinned and gently pushed him away. “As I recall you fed me last night. See you.”
Before he could stop her, she slipped behind the wheel of the car and closed the door. A smile touched his lips, but quickly faded when thoughts of his sister invaded. What was he going to do with her?
He strode to the door and poked his head inside. “I’m going for a walk, Katie. Lock the door.” Before she could argue, he turned and hightailed it off the porch. Susan’s words played in his mind again. Maybe she was right. He’d been trying to handle everything on his own for a long time, and it wasn’t working out so well. His steps slowed, and he considered everything he’d said and done to try to help Katie—clearly his efforts weren’t cutting it.
His steps slowed. His gut wrenched. Why couldn’t he be enough for those he cared about? Why did he always have to mess up? If he hadn’t snapped at Katie, he never would have had to go looking for her and subsequently crashed his bike, the catalyst that sent his sister over the edge. He ran his hand through his hair. Frustration mounted the more he thought about that day. If only he could have a do-over. He stood at the end of the block and stared at the empty field. That’s how he felt—empty. He couldn’t do this on his own.
Lord, I’ve really messed things up with You, Katie and Susan. I keep hurting the people I care about most, and I don’t like that. I’m sorry for not including You in my life lately. In case You haven’t noticed, which I’m sure You have, I could use some help with my sister. I’m worried she’s going to regress into her own world again and shut everyone out. Please help her to know that You will always be there for her even when I can’t be. And if it’s not too much trouble, I’d love a second chance with Susan. Thanks and amen.
An invisible weight lifted off his shoulders and a wide smile stretched his lips. He turned toward home, his step lighter than when he’d started out. He paused on the front porch and shot up a quick prayer, and then he opened the door. “I’m back!”
Katie sat on the couch with tears streaming down her face.
Chapter 18
“Hey, kiddo, what’s wrong?” Blake sat beside Katie on the couch and wrapped an arm around her, tugging her close to his side.
“Y-you l-left me.” She hiccupped and swiped at her drenched cheeks.
He reached for the box of tissues he kept on the side table and handed her a fistful.
She wiped her face and blew her nose. “I don’t like it when you leave me. What if you never come back?”
“Of course I’ll come back. I love you, Katie. I only went for a walk.”
“But you were gone for a long time!”
He checked the clock on the wall and sighed. “Kiddo, it was only fifteen minutes, tops. I walked to the end of the block and back. All you had to do was step outside, and you would’ve seen me the whole time.”
“Oh.”
“What’s this really about? I have a hard time believing that you are this upset because I went for a walk.”
“What if you die like Mom and Dad?” She clenched her hands and after a long pause looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “I’ll be all alone. What will happen to me?”
“First off, I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.”
“Well, you could’ve died twice in the same week.”
“True. None of us is guaranteed our next breath, but I’m choosing to trust God to take care of us.”
“Why are you so religious all of a sudden? We never went to church back in Maine.”
“Actually we did, but you’ve forgotten. We used to go every week before you got serious about gymnastics. In the beginning, I still read my Bible and kept in touch with a few friends from church, but gradually I stopped reading my Bible, and eventually my friends and I drifted apart.”
Katie stared at him with wide eyes. “I guess I kind of remember going. How old was I?”
“I suppose
you were about seven when we stopped. I want that to change. We need to start back into the habit of attending services and we need to get involved so we can meet some people besides Emily and her family.”
“We know lots of people. What about Susan, Holly, Keira and Cody?”
He laughed—all women, besides little Cody of course.
“That wasn’t funny, Blake.” Katie frowned at him.
He ignored her comment. “I’m sorry for not getting us to church and for letting my relationship with Christ slide.”
She shrugged. “No biggie.”
His heart ripped in two. He’d caused this. Lord, help. “Actually it is.” He went on to tell her about Jesus and how He died on the cross and on the third day rose from the dead. “He’s the reason we celebrate Christmas and Easter. He loves us very much and wants to take care of us if we will let Him.”
“Cool. I think I see what you’re saying. So if Jesus loves me enough to die for me then He loves me enough to take care of me, too?”
“Exactly.”
She reached for his hand. “Thanks for telling me all of this, Blake. I kind of like going to Emily’s church. Maybe we could go there every week?” She lifted a brow and gave him a half smile.
He tweaked her nose. “Sounds like a plan and, Katie, you don’t need to worry about me. You’ll be taken care of. I made a will when you were six assigning custody of you to Aunt Traci if anything happened to me.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never even met her, and isn’t she really old?”
“She’s Mom’s sister. You’ve spoken to her on the phone.”
“Right, but can’t you come up with someone I actually know?” She rolled her eyes. “Really, Blake.” She hugged him. “Thanks for telling me all of this. I feel a lot better knowing someone besides you is watching out for me, because you have been awful clumsy lately.” Her dry eyes now twinkled.
He saw a hint of the happy girl that had emerged when they moved here and hope surged. Maybe she just needed to air her concerns. It seemed women were like that, and since Katie was a girl, it only made sense. However, he didn’t like the morbid turn their conversation had taken. “If we’re good, how about you call Susan and tell her you’d like to have lunch with her tomorrow?”
She touched a finger to her chin. “Hmm. Wouldn’t you much rather have lunch with her? After all you’re the one who wants to kiss her, not me.”
“Katie!” He tossed his head back and laughed. Once he regained control he handed her his cell. “You can pick her brain and see if there’s any hope for me.”
His sister took the phone, and her eyes gleamed mischief. “Great idea!”
* * *
Susan settled into the seat next to Katie at a metal table on the lawn in front of The Gingerbread House, aka The Gingerbread Factory. The place didn’t resemble a factory in any way, but looked very much like a storybook house with brick-red paint and white, scalloped filigree trim. The covered porch with white posts added to the effect.
Susan took a long draw from her cup of ice water. “I’m glad you changed your mind about lunch today. I hate eating alone.” She almost laughed out loud as Katie tried not to look at the bag holding their dessert—gingersnaps and frosted gingerbread girls. Probably too much, but Katie could take the leftovers home.
“Thanks for inviting me. I’m surprised you didn’t include my brother in the invite.”
“Like I said, girls only.”
Katie took a bite from her turkey sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. “You do know he’s crazy about you and wants to marry you?”
Susan choked on her water and started coughing. He’d said he loved her, but did he sit around and discuss this with his sister? Then again, she talked to Josh, but that was different. They were both adults. Katie was a child. “You’ve taken me by surprise, Katie. To be honest, I’m not comfortable discussing this with you.”
“Well, just in case you change your mind I can tell you anything you need to know about him.”
“Change my mind?” Maybe she’d clung to her brother a little too long, and the strain had finally overcome her.
“About Blake.” Katie took another bite of sandwich then washed it down with some soda.
Blake had said his sister was precocious, but Susan never imagined this. She narrowed her eyes. “What’d you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you’d like to know that he loves to hike and ride his motorcycle or that he’s never been out on a date that I can remember.”
“Never?” Her voice squeaked.
“Nope, and believe me, I’ve tried to set him up with several of my friends’ single moms. Of course he always claimed they were too old for him, but most of them were only a few years older.” She shrugged. “Now that I know about you, though, it makes sense that he wouldn’t give any of them a second look.” She finished off the last bite and lifted the bag. “May I have a cookie now?”
“Sure.” He’d never dated anyone else. So his excuse for breaking their engagement was really sincere. He had loved her that much. A chunk of armor broke off from her heart. Maybe, just maybe, she could trust him.
* * *
Blake stood in line at the cash register in Keira’s candy store. Since Katie was having lunch with Susan, this was the perfect time to approach Susan’s best friend. He looked at his watch—just so long as the customer ahead of him hurried up and picked out his chocolates.
The man handed Keira a credit card and a moment later walked out with his purchase. Keira greeted him with a smile. “Hi, Blake. What can I get for you?”
He hadn’t thought about buying anything, but it was the right thing to do. “I’ll take a box of six.” He quickly pointed out his selection. “So, Keira, I was wondering if you’d help me with something.”
“Depends. What do you have in mind?”
He chuckled—smart lady. “Things with Susan and me are thawing, and I’d like to get her alone so we can talk without distractions vying for our attention, but it has to be someplace where she can’t run away if she gets mad.” Plus, he’d finished the book Katie suggested writing for Susan, and he wanted to give it to her. He’d throw in the box of chocolates for good measure.
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
He nodded. “Any ideas?”
“Let me think.” She frowned and her shoulders sagged slightly. “I’m not sure, Blake. I don’t want my best friend angry with me.”
“I’m desperate. Please.” He winced at the despair in his tone. When had he become that person? No matter, Susan was worth a little groveling if that’s what it took.
Keira’s expression altered so fast he couldn’t follow her thoughts. She seemed ready to agree and opened her mouth, then she snapped it shut and paced behind the display case. She opened her mouth again then sighed. “Okay. I’ll help. I believe you two belong together. Call me a hopeless romantic.” She shrugged. “Here’s what you should do.” She kept her voice low and explained her plan.
“I love it! You set things up with her and let me know when. I’ll be there.”
“Don’t mess this up, Blake. I’m not helping you again.”
He hesitated a moment. “I understand. I’ll do my best to make sure she hears me this time.”
“See that you do. I’m tired of my friend being unhappy.” She shot him a teasing smile, but the seriousness in her eyes spoke volumes.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Thanks, Keira.” He spun on his heel and left. Hopefully, he’d make it to his house before Susan and Katie. Fortunately, he’d gotten his bike back that morning. Confronting Keira in person had been the way to go. She might not have helped him if he’d only phoned. A smile tugged at his lips as he strode to his bike. This was it—his opportunity to finally convince Susan to give him a second chanc
e.
* * *
“How was lunch, Katie?” Blake waved to Susan as she backed out of his driveway, then closed the door and followed his sister to her room.
Katie plopped across her bed and lay on her stomach with her knees bent and feet entwined. “Great. We ate outside, and I had the best gingerbread cookie for dessert. Why don’t you ever take me there?”
“Never thought of it.” He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, clearing his throat. “So, did you pick her brain about me like you said?”
“Tried. She wasn’t talking. But I think she likes you.”
“What makes you say that?”
“When I mentioned you, she choked on her water and turned all red.”
He took a step forward. “What did you say to her?” That didn’t sound like a good response.
“Nothing much. Just that you’re crazy about her and want to marry her.” Katie rolled onto her back and grabbed a book from her nightstand.
“Please tell me you’re joking.” If Katie really said that he’d ground her.
“You’re the one who says honesty is the way to go. I did what you said.”
“But...”
“You are crazy about her, aren’t you?”
“That’s not the point. You don’t go around announcing that to people.” He raked his hand through his hair and walked to her window. “No wonder she didn’t get out of the car when she dropped you off.”
“Oh, that’s not the reason. She had to hurry and get back to work. Some dude was coming in for an appointment.”
Blake left her room without comment. He should probably cut his sister some slack. She was right, after all, and he had told Susan how he felt about her. He just wished Katie had some filters in place about what to say and when to keep quiet.
* * *
After work, Susan set out on a walk to Keira’s apartment. The bustling village made walking an easier choice even though it was a nice little trek in the heat of the day. Good thing she always kept a pair of tennis shoes in her trunk.
Musicians played traditional Bavarian music in the gazebo, and several spectators sat on the bleachers provided for the summer concerts. She jogged down the steep grassy area alongside the concert and dodged children rolling down the hill, recalling doing much the same as a child. In fact it was one of her happiest memories.
A Romance Rekindled (Heartsong Presents) Page 14