by Cindy Kirk
Dan had reminded Edna that Katie Ruth had fabulous credentials and her reputation in the community was above reproach. Not only that, he believed strongly that a person was responsible for their own actions, not the actions of others.
“I may not agree with their decisions, but that doesn’t change the fact that my parents are wonderful people.” Katie Ruth gazed up at him.
Had her eyes always been that blue? Or was it the light from the chandelier that made them look as lovely as a cloudless, summer sky?
Her blond hair, the color of winter wheat, hung loose to her shoulders in soft curls. Tonight, her full lips were a bright cherry red.
How was it that such a wonderful woman was alone on Valentine’s Day?
Katie Ruth leaned close. “Are you listening?”
Ignoring the intoxicating scent of her musky perfume, Dan recapped, “Your parents are wonderful people.”
She sighed. “I can see we need to find a place to talk that isn’t so distracting.”
“The moon is quite lovely tonight.” Katherine appeared out of nowhere to point to a small alcove. “That little area has a wonderful view. It’s also a quiet place to talk or gather one’s thoughts.”
“Thanks, Katherine.” Katie Ruth offered Eliza’s cousin a smile, then turned back to him. “How about we talk there and check out the moon at the same time?”
“Sounds good.” Dan stepped aside just in time to let a breathless and laughing Cassie Lohmeier and Krew Slattery rush past them.
Dan smiled, as their joy filled the air.
If anyone had struggled to find her place in the world, it was Cassie. She seemed to have found that place with Krew, and that made Dan happy.
There was a small table and two chairs in the alcove, but instead of sitting, Katie Ruth moved to the window, bracing both hands on the sill.
Outside, a large yellow moon beamed brightly in the inky darkness. Katie Ruth lifted her face, and moonlight bathed her skin as she talked, her back to him.
“My parents have been married for thirty-five years. While not churchgoers, when they lived in Good Hope they were active in the community and helped with Giving Tree fundraisers.”
“It’s a worthy cause,” Dan agreed, thinking of the fund set up specifically to help those who were struggling. Not a charity, but a neighbors-helping-neighbors program.
“They were good parents to me and to my brother, Nick. The funeral home they ran was known not only for its excellent service, but for the caring and compassion they offered to those who grieved.”
Though Dan couldn’t figure out why she was telling him all this, he didn’t cut her off.
Listening and providing wise counsel was all part of the job. Even if it wasn’t, he wanted Katie Ruth to get whatever was troubling her off her chest so, hopefully, she’d be able to enjoy the rest of the party.
“When I was in middle school and Nick was away at college, I discovered something about my parents’ personal lives. It was something I’d have preferred never to know.”
Dan heard the brittle tension in her voice. Stepping to her, he rested a supportive hand on her shoulder.
She shuddered, but her gaze remained on the moon. “For as far back as I could remember, my parents went to Milwaukee the first Saturday of every month to socialize with friends.”
He waited for Katie Ruth to continue, but she only sighed.
“It’s good for couples to get together with friends,” Dan interjected, more to fill the silence than to impart any words of wisdom. “Such actions strengthen a marriage.”
“I’d met some of their friends. I liked them.” Katie Ruth turned and rested her back against the sill. The moon’s glow illuminated her golden hair so that it resembled a halo. “When I was in eighth grade, my parents appeared troubled the morning after they’d gone out. I asked if everything was okay. I thought maybe they’d had a fight with one of their friends.”
A muscle in her jaw jumped.
When she didn’t speak for several long seconds, he stepped closer. Dan kept his tone low even though they were the only ones in the small area. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“You haven’t heard the rumors?”
The question caught him off guard. “Only that there was some scandal.”
“No specifics?”
He shook his head.
Katie Ruth clasped her hands together and expelled a shaky breath. “My parents told me there’d been a new couple at the party the previous night. They were from Egg Harbor.”
The fact seemed significant, though Dan couldn’t imagine why. “Just down the road.”
“Less than ten miles from Good Hope.”
“My parents weren’t acquainted with them. Another couple had invited them.” Katie Ruth’s gaze shifted over Dan’s left shoulder. “Apparently, there was a misunderstanding. The couple didn’t realize what type of party they were attending. When they discovered what went on, they were horrified.”
Dan cocked his head, surprised at the strong word. “Horrified?”
Even as he asked the question, Dan knew there were people in his own congregation who would be, well, horrified that Eliza and Kyle were serving alcohol tonight.
He found himself wondering if it was alcohol, dancing or cards that had gotten the Egg Harbor couple up in arms. His money was on alcohol.
“Sex.”
Dan blinked. That’s what he got for letting his mind wander. He actually thought Katie Ruth had said sex. “Pardon?”
“They’d discovered this was a group for swingers.”
While Dan had been told a thousand and one stories since he got out of seminary, he’d never heard a tale as strange as this one.
He cleared his throat. “Swingers.”
“If you think hearing it now is awkward, try having the discussion when you’re fourteen and these are your parents.”
Dan chuckled, then quickly sobered. “I can’t imagine.”
“They told me their ‘lifestyle,’ which was basically their participation in these parties, would likely become public knowledge. I needed to be prepared.”
Dan reached over and squeezed her clenched hands. “That had to be a difficult conversation. On both sides.”
“I cried.” Katie Ruth’s shoulders lifted, then dropped. The look in her eyes told him the memory still brought pain, even after all these years. “I asked why they did it. Didn’t they love each other anymore? I worried they were going to get a divorce.”
Dan resisted the urge to fill the silence.
“They assured me they loved each other very much and had no intention of splitting up. They said swinging was something they’d been doing since college. It was what kept their relationship exciting and fun.”
From a biblical perspective, there was plenty Dan could say on the matter. But her parents hadn’t come to him seeking his counsel. This was Katie Ruth revealing, with grace and dignity, a painful time in her life.
“That must have been hard for a young teenager to understand.”
“I still don’t understand. But I love them.” Katie Ruth swiped at a tear that had slipped down her cheek. “You’d love them, too, if you met them. Everyone likes Mike and Lisa.”
“I take it the details about the party came out?”
“By Christmas, everyone knew my parents went to parties where they had sex with other couples. I heard every possible joke invented on the subject.” Katie Ruth’s eyes turned bleak for a second. “Boys jangled keys in front of me, then laughed like hyenas.”
Dan felt his temper surge. “They should have been reported.”
“To who? To Miss Briggs, my holier-than-thou school counselor, who was as horrified as that couple from Egg Harbor? To Pastor Schmidt, who condemned my parents’ actions from the pulpit? The only other possibility was the police, and teasing and taunting aren’t crimes.”
Not for the first time, Dan realized how lucky he was to have been spared such trauma when he was a child. Still, he
r experiences at that tender age were probably part of the reason Katie Ruth was so good with kids. Especially the ones in middle school. She understood their struggles.
“I’m surprised your parents stayed in Good Hope then. I’d have thought they’d relocate to a place where no one knew them.”
“My mom and dad, they’re strong people. They weren’t embarrassed or ashamed. They were only sorry for how the news affected me. Besides, it wasn’t that easy to pick up and move. They had a thriving business here.” Katie Ruth’s eyes took on a faraway look. “They ran the only funeral home on the peninsula, which meant people had to deal with them.”
“But they eventually left.” Dan wasn’t sure exactly when that move happened.
“Eventually,” Katie Ruth agreed. “Once I was out of high school, they got an amazing deal on a funeral home that was struggling. They sold their business here and moved.”
“Where is the new one?”
“Not far. It’s in one of the Chicago suburbs.”
Dan tilted his head. “My parents live in Lincolnshire.”
“My parents are just down the road in Highland Park.” Katie Ruth flashed a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “They’re practically neighbors.”
“It’s a small world.” Dan chuckled and shook his head. “If your parents ever invite mine to a party, I’ll be sure to tell them to decline.”
Even before Katie Ruth’s lips pressed together, Dan regretted his pathetic attempt at humor.
“I’m sorry, Katie Ruth. That was out of line.”
She brushed off the apology with a flick of her fingers. “It isn’t anything I haven’t heard before.”
“You shouldn’t have to hear it from your pastor.” He took each of her hands in his and gazed straight into her eyes. “Or from your friend.”
Katie Ruth offered him a grateful smile.
“I understand how difficult families can be.” Dan kept his voice even and his eyes on hers. “I have a sister who’s often gotten into trouble. It’s not the same as your parents, but Oaklee is always doing or saying something that makes the family cringe.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “Just like there’s no reason for you to feel any guilt over your parents’ choices. You’re a good, honest person who is a credit to the community.”
Ever since she became the volunteer youth director at the church last year, Dan had worked closely with this woman. He knew her dedication, her caring nature. What he couldn’t figure out was, how had he never noticed before that she was so beautiful?
Of course, during much of that time, he’d been dating and then engaged to Lindsay Lohmeier. That relationship had ended last summer.
Dan gave her hands a squeeze, then released them. “I’m happy to have you in the congregation. I want you to know that I consider you a friend.”
“Thank you.” Emotion thickened Katie Ruth’s voice, and her eyes held a sheen.
As Dan stared into her cornflower-blue eyes, he realized that friend wasn’t the correct word for Katie Ruth and the feelings she engendered in him.
Blame it on the scent of roses in the air or the romantic classical music playing softly in the background. Perhaps it was her shiny red lips or the sweetness of the perfume teasing his nostrils.
Something had prompted the change. Did the cause really matter? All Dan knew was he’d never look at Katie Ruth the same way ever again.
Behind the colonnade, Gladys kept her voice low, her words for her two friends’ ears only. “They don’t have a clue we’re watching.”
She’d been a stage actress for more decades than most people in this town had been alive. Gladys knew all about vocal variation and how to project—and not project—her voice.
“He’s holding her hands.” Ruby, the most excitable of the three women, would have clapped her hands, but knew Gladys would slap them down.
“They’re talking.” Katherine, the sensible one, gave the couple a sharp and assessing gaze. “Still, they’re standing closer than I’d expect two friends to stand.”
“Yes, indeed.” Gladys couldn’t help but smile. There was nothing she liked more than matchmaking. Bringing couples together beat endless games of dominos, cards and bunco.
“Now that Cassie and Krew are happily together, it’s time for our next love match.” Gladys didn’t like to be proven wrong, and the failed match between the minister and Lindsay Lohmeier last year still stuck in her craw. The ring had been on her finger and Lindsay had even picked out her wedding dress when she’d rabbited.
Of course, Lindsay and Owen Vaughn had been her next project, and that match had been a rousing success. The two were married now and blissfully happy, with a baby due at the end of next month.
Katherine tapped a finger against her lips. “Are you confident Katie Ruth and Dan are a good match?”
The doubt Gladys saw in Katherine’s eyes rattled her confidence.
“You predict problems?” Gladys kept her tone offhand. She had her reputation as the wisest sage to preserve.
“I’m concerned that Katie Ruth showed up tonight with Dexter,” Katherine admitted. “But my observations indicate the man is—oh, what is that term—no more into her than she is into him.”
Gladys felt herself relax.
“Katie Ruth has spent more time this evening speaking with the preacher than she did with Dexter.” Ruby’s eyes grew soft as she watched the couple. “We need to get them on a date. They can’t fall in love if they don’t spend quality time together.”
“What about the pancake supper at the church?” Gladys had planned to skip the event and attend the Wii bowling tournament at the Living Center instead.
“I love pancakes.” Ruby gave a trill of laughter, her hands moving as fast as hummingbird wings as she spoke. “Especially with a lot of butter and syrup.”
“Forget the food.” Gladys narrowed her gaze. “We know Dan will be there. Katie Ruth is the wild card.”
“She usually attends church functions,” Katherine reminded them.
“Usually isn’t good enough.” No way was Gladys missing the tournament on a maybe. She pointed to Ruby. “You need to make sure Katie Ruth shows. Katherine and I will take care of the rest.”
Katherine arched a brow. “We will?”
“We will.” Gladys gave a decisive nod, then narrowed her gaze when Ruby chewed on her lower lip.
“Is there a problem, Ruby?” Katherine asked.
Ruby offered an apologetic smile. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to convince Katie Ruth to attend. What if she’s already got plans with Dexter? Or maybe she won’t be in the mood for pancakes. What then?”
Katherine exchanged a pointed glance with Gladys.
Gladys kept her tone pleasant, though irritation chafed like an unpleasant itch. “All I ask is that you do your best.”
Ruby hesitated. “I’ll try.”
Gladys met Ruby’s gaze with a confident one of her own. “My father used to say, ‘Don’t try. Make it happen.’”
For a second, Ruby looked confused. Then she nodded. “I’ll try really hard.”
Gladys expelled a breath. Whoever said matchmaking was a breeze had never met Ruby Rakes.
This appeared to be one task Gladys would have to take care of herself.
By the time the clock chimed midnight, signaling the end of the party, Katie Ruth had danced with Dan under the mirror ball in the shape of a heart and eaten way too many lovebug marshmallow cookies.
She’d also laughed more tonight than she could remember laughing in the last month. If Dan’s relaxed posture and easy smile were any indication, she wasn’t the only one who’d enjoyed the evening.
It wasn’t until everyone started leaving that Katie Ruth realized the man she was with wasn’t the one who’d brought her. She glanced around the front parlor for Dexter and came up empty.
“Will you come with me while I look for Dexter?” Katie Ruth asked Dan,
snagging two red-and-black lovebug cookies on their way past the dessert table.
Keeping one for herself, she handed the other to Dan.
“Sure.” He popped the cookie into his mouth.
She’d noticed he liked them as much as she did. One more thing they had in common.
Dan didn’t take her hand or her arm as they walked through the rooms. Katie Ruth knew that would be wrong, considering she’d come to the party with another man. But, oh, how she wished she could link her fingers with his so she could enjoy the warmth of his skin against hers.
How long had it been since she’d held a man’s hand or wrapped her arms around a strong male body? It certainly had been way too long since she’d kissed anyone.
Her gaze drifted to Dan’s firm, sculpted lips. Katie Ruth’s mouth began to tingle. What would it be like to kiss him? To press her mouth against his? To open to the sweep of his tongue and feel the heat?
“I don’t see him anywhere on this level.” Dan frowned. “The upstairs is off-limits.”
Katie Ruth nodded absently as she inhaled the tangy citrus scent of Dan’s cologne. She was glad he hadn’t worn a suit and tie this evening. Dressed casually, he looked more approachable. Less like a minister and more like a man.
“Why don’t you try calling or texting him?” Dan suggested.
“Good idea.” Katie Ruth pulled her phone from her tiny beaded bag and texted. In seconds, she had her answer. “He went with Ethan, Clay and Ryder to play poker at the Ding-A-Ling bar.”
Dan frowned at the mention of the rickety shack on the edge of town. “That dump?”
Katie Ruth chuckled. “Though I haven’t been out that way in years, I’ve heard it’s becoming somewhat of a trendy spot.”
“If you say so.”
She smiled. “He assumed you’d take me home, but says he’ll come back if I need a ride.”
Dan gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “Tell him not to bother. I’m happy to escort you home.”
Katie Ruth’s heart sighed, knowing he meant every word. “Thanks.”