by Cindy Kirk
As he continued, the words poured out. Dan’s faith was as much a part of him as the air he breathed. What he’d told Ted and the committee was true. His passion was serving the Lord.
Once the prayer concluded, Dan stood by the rocker and placed one hand over the infant’s head.
“Olivia Vaughn, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May…”
When Dan finished the blessing, he looked up, shifting his gaze from Lindsay, who now had tears in her eyes, to Owen, whose eyes also appeared suspiciously moist.
“I’ll let you enjoy your daughter, and your coffee, before all the friends and family arrive.”
“Thank you, Dan.” Lindsay’s gaze locked with his. In that moment, Dan realized he’d received his own kind of blessing. Any lingering hurt and heartache between them were gone.
“You’re very welcome. Congratulations, again.”
“I’ll walk you to the elevator,” Owen told him before kissing his wife. “Be back in a sec, Lin.”
She smiled. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Owen stepped from the room, and once the door had closed behind them, he turned to Dan. “Thanks for coming and for your kind words about Mindy.”
“Your daughter was very loved.” Dan rested a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “Give Olivia a few years, and I’m sure she’ll capture everyone’s heart, too.”
“Things are okay between you and Lin now.”
Though spoken as a statement, Dan heard the underlying question. “Yes, we’re okay. She’s with the man she was meant to be with and—” Dan paused, not sure how far he wanted to take this.
“You’re with the woman you’re meant to be with.” Owen grinned. “I’d say we’re both lucky SOBs.”
Dan laughed. “We certainly are.”
Katie Ruth tossed the heavy ball down the lane and crossed her fingers, hoping at least a few pins would fall. She and Oaklee had met ten kids from youth group at Pin Chasers, a bowling alley in Sister Bay.
This was one of the monthly Thursday-night activities set aside for fun and team-building games. At the moment, they were engaged in a game called Spare Me.
After dividing into three teams, Katie Ruth and her teammates took turns in the same frame until all the pins were knocked down.
This game had followed several others. When they first arrived, they’d paired up in teams of two for “blind” bowling. The teammate’s job was to help the blindfolded partner line up and take a straight shot without crossing the foul line.
Oaklee had been hilarious. Blindfolded or not, she couldn’t escape throwing gutter balls no matter how hard she tried. Because Oaklee was clearly the worst bowler of the group, and the most good-natured, it made everyone else feel comfortable regardless of their skill level.
They were in the last frame of the final game of Spare Me. Being around kids and being physically active were in Katie Ruth’s wheelhouse. Toss in that it was a church activity, and she couldn’t imagine anything better.
Unless Dan had been able to come.
But he’d had the church budget to contend with, and she understood he couldn’t come to every youth activity.
“Woo-hoo,” Oaklee called out, then put her fingers to her lips and whistled. “WTG, Katie Ruth.”
Katie Ruth turned to the alley just in time to see the last pin wobble then tumble down.
“You got a strike.” Astrid, who’d unexpectedly come along, took Katie Ruth’s hands and began jumping up and down. “A strike.”
When the others poured into her lane to congratulate her, Katie Ruth felt a surge of satisfaction. The kids hadn’t gotten caught up in winning and losing, but had worked together and cheered each other’s successes.
The parents began arriving to pick up their kids, and soon only Oaklee and Katie Ruth remained.
“Do we need to pay?” Oaklee asked.
“Already taken care of.” Katie Ruth sat beside Oaklee on one of the plastic chairs to remove her bowling shoes. “Are you hungry? We could—”
“I’m hungry.” Dan sat down on the other side of her, looking overdressed in his tailored slacks and button-down shirt and tie. “May I join you?”
Oaklee’s shoes were already in her hands and the boots back on her feet. She stood. “Sounds like fun. You two will have to enjoy yourself without me tonight.”
“I didn’t realize you had plans.” Katie Ruth looked up from the knot in her laces.
“I have a date,” Oaklee announced.
Dan’s eyes narrowed. “With who?”
“With a sewing machine.” Oaklee tied the laces of her bowling shoes together. “Lindsay asked me last week if I could get together some items to sell at her booth at an upcoming craft festival. I want to get started.”
“But we skipped dinner,” Katie Ruth reminded her.
“There’s food in the fridge. Trust me, I’m a girl who can take care of herself.” Oaklee turned to Dan. “Since you’re here, you can give Katie Ruth a ride home. I’ll drive her car.”
“I don’t know if that’s a—”
Katie Ruth had already reached into her pocket. “Heads up.”
Oaklee caught the keys in midair. “I’ll be safe.”
“I know.” Katie Ruth smiled. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t give you the keys.”
“You’re really okay with her driving your car?” Dan asked, even though by this time Oaklee was out the door.
“Yes.” Katie Ruth huffed out a breath, her gaze focused on her feet. “These darn laces. In a second, I’m going to cut these shoes off me.”
“Let me see what I can do.” He took her foot, placing it on his lap. He bent his head to study the lace, then went to work.
His dark hair glistened in the overhead lights like rich, polished walnut. The subtle scent of his cologne teased her nostrils.
Katie Ruth’s breathing quickened. She resisted the urge to stroke his hair, remembering how soft it was between her fingers whenever they kissed.
“There you go.” He straightened and shot her a triumphant smile.
Their eyes locked. The room around them shrank until it was just her and Dan, tethered together by an invisible force. She couldn’t look away.
“Katie Ruth.” His voice was hoarse as his hand reached out to cup her face.
She leaned slightly forward, her gaze never leaving his face, eager for the feel of his skin against hers.
A loud cheer erupted from the lanes in front of him.
“Three strikes in a row,” a male voice called out. “You’re on fire.”
Dan jerked back, his hand dropping to his side. His smile turned rueful. “For a second, I forgot where we were.”
Not trusting herself to speak, Katie Ruth nodded.
Dan stood, waiting while she took off the other shoe, then put on her sneakers. He didn’t touch her again until they’d dropped off her shoes and were outside.
He linked his fingers with hers. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you.”
Katie Ruth could tell the thought troubled him, so she forced a light tone. “I’m simply irresistible.”
He stopped at the car, and his gaze met hers. “You are to me.”
She gave a soft laugh and slipped into the passenger seat. On the way to Good Hope, she gave him the highlights of the bowling activity, focusing on the team-building aspects.
“It was fun. We’ll definitely have to do it again.” She stopped. “I wonder if the church in Lincolnshire does these kinds of activities.”
“I don’t know.” He slanted a glance in her direction. “That would be the youth pastor’s call.”
“I know,” Katie Ruth responded quickly, not wanting him to think she was reminding him that he would have no say in the matter if he took the job. “I’m just interested in knowing what kinds of activities other youth leaders find beneficial.”
“You’re great with kids.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you ever thought of making youth ministry your full-time job?”
K
atie Ruth cocked her head, confused. “I have a full-time job. Besides, there isn’t any money in the church budget for a full-time youth director.”
“You’re right. Not at First Christian.” Dan shifted in his seat to face her. “There are other churches, other communities.”
Katie Ruth’s heart slammed against her ribs. “What are you asking me, Dan?”
“If I take the position in Lincolnshire, would you consider coming with me?”
Chapter Seventeen
Katie Ruth waited so long to speak, Dan wasn’t sure she was going to answer. He wasn’t sure he wanted her to answer.
The question had popped out. Every time he thought about accepting the position in Illinois and leaving her, a knot formed in the pit of his stomach.
“What is it you’re really asking me, Dan?”
The quiet words had him answering honestly.
“I don’t know. I haven’t been offered the position, but I can’t imagine you being here.” He gestured wide with his arm. “And me being there.”
“I understand.”
“You do?” How could she when he didn’t understand himself?
“I feel the same way when I think about not seeing you every day.” She chuckled, her face softening into a smile. “You’re addictive, Dan Marshall.”
He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek again. “You’re important to me.”
She leaned into his caress, and her eyes fluttered closed for a second. Then she straightened. “Nothing needs to be decided now. Once you’re offered the position, we can talk.”
“They may not offer.” In some ways, he wished the decision could be taken out of his hands.
“They’ll offer.” She took his hand and brought it to her mouth, pressing a kiss in the palm. “No one measures up to you.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
She winked. “That’s why you keep me around.”
“I wondered why.” He grinned and set the car on a homeward course.
On the drive back to Good Hope, Katie Ruth gave him more anecdotes that occurred during the bowling event.
Dan listened and even made a few of what he considered insightful comments. Inside, his brain whirled, and he found himself praying for clarity.
Could you really fall in love with someone you’d dated for only six weeks? Could you really even know someone fully in six weeks? Of course, Katie Ruth hadn’t been a complete stranger before. Still, he couldn’t deny things were moving quickly. The practical side of him said he needed to take this slow, but one fact remained absolute.
He couldn’t imagine leaving her behind.
Dan’s voice broke the silence. “I didn’t realize you were working in the shop today.”
The “shop” was Mindy’s Closet, a small area connected to the church that accepted donations of children’s clothing. Every Friday, people in the community could stop by and shop for free.
Katie Ruth looked up from where she was sorting donations. How could one man make her heart beat faster simply by walking into the room?
“One of the volunteers called in sick, and I had time free this afternoon. With spring in sight, everyone is thinking about lighter-weight clothes. The shop was super busy up until about ten minutes ago. Since then, nothing. Of course, we close in fifteen minutes, so that might be part of it.”
She was babbling. Some of it she knew was because Dan had stepped close and her nerve endings were pinging. The other was because of their talk last night. Once he heard from the church in Lincolnshire, there would be a lot for them to discuss.
As she resumed sorting, Dan’s arms came around her from behind, his breath warm on her neck.
She leaned back against his broad chest and sighed. “How can a day seem like a year?”
“That’s how it seems to me, too.” He brushed her hair with his lips. “Spend the rest of the evening with me.”
“You’ve got your sermon to work on tonight,” she reminded him. “And I—”
“I forgot you had plans with Izzie tonight.” Dan staunched his disappointment.
“Actually, Izzie canceled.”
Dan turned her in his arms. “Why?”
“Her mom had a small stroke.” Katie Ruth pulled her brows together. “Izzie took a quick trip to Michigan.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll keep her and her mother in my prayers.” Dan took a moment, then cocked his head. “Does that mean you’re available tonight?”
She brought her hands up to rest on his shoulders. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
“We can do whatever you want.”
“Do you have your sermon ready to go?”
Dan shifted uncomfortably. “It’s coming along.”
When had she started to be able to read him so well? “Which means there’s still work to do.”
He tapped her on the nose. “You let me worry about that.”
“I’ve got a better idea.” Katie Ruth smiled at him. She couldn’t help it. Just knowing she would get to spend the evening with him made her smile. “Why don’t I come over? We can get a pizza from Bayside and work on your sermon.”
“Sounds wonderful.” His gaze narrowed as his eyes searched her face. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
She kissed him. “I’d rather spend a quiet evening at home with you.”
Dan stilled and muttered something under his breath.
“Problem?” Katie Ruth arched a brow.
“Oaklee is working on something at the Living Center with Gladys tonight.”
“Why is that a problem?” The second the question left her lips, Katie Ruth realized she already knew the answer. “Oh.”
Dan nodded. “We can’t be alone in the house.”
The disappointment in his eyes had Katie Ruth swallowing what she’d been about to say. The unfairness of it didn’t matter. It was important to Dan not to give even the slightest hint of impropriety.
As that was important to him, it was important to her as well.
“Okay, forget the quiet evening at home.” Katie Ruth kept her tone matter-of-fact. “It’s still the off-season, so restaurants won’t be nearly as crowded, even on a Friday night. That said, I think we should avoid Bayside Pizza. It’s always busy on weekends.”
“I agree,” Dan said a little too quickly.
Katie Ruth wondered if he, like she did, thought of his proposal to Lindsay every time he stepped through the doors.
“Muddy Boots will be crazy, too,” Dan said. “Their fish-and-chips Friday special is extremely popular.”
“We could eat at the restaurant in the hotel, but that might look weird.” Katie Ruth puffed out her cheeks. “What about eating before, then getting together, say, at the Grind for coffee and to go over the sermon?”
“That isn’t much of a date.”
She reached down and took his hand. “Being with you is enough.”
“I promise we’ll have a nice meal together on my birthday.” His smile, so open and trusting, tore at her heart.
Technically, Katie Ruth hadn’t promised not to say anything to Dan about Gladys and Oaklee’s party plans. She knew Dan was envisioning a different kind of evening to celebrate his birthday. One that didn’t involve a surprise and a roomful of people.
“Come over here.” Katie Ruth tugged him by the hand to two straight-backed chairs against a far wall in the small shop. “I’ve something to tell you.”
Once he was seated, she glanced at her watch, saw the time to close the shop had passed and locked the door. Only then did she return to sit beside him.
“What’s this about?” A frown worried his brow. “If you can’t come tomorrow, we can postpone and celebrate my birthday another time.”
“I want to celebrate with you.” Katie Ruth swallowed, hoping she was making the right decision. “The thing is, Oaklee and Gladys are planning a surprise birthday party for you.”
She went on to give him all the details she had, which weren’t many.
“Wow.” Da
n raked a hand through his hair. “I thought Oaklee knew I didn’t like that kind of thing. Then again, I’ve been gone from home since she was eight, and my parents were never into parties.”
“I didn’t know whether to tell you or not.” Katie Ruth chewed on her lower lip. “Keeping this from you felt like I was being disloyal to you.”
At his questioning glance, she continued. “If our roles were reversed, I’d want you to tell me. Not so I could stop the party, but so I could be prepared. I wouldn’t be expecting a quiet evening and find myself in the middle of a party.”
“Thank you for telling me.” He tipped her chin up with his finger. “I was looking forward to a different kind of evening. Don’t worry, I’ll act surprised.”
“Okay.” Still, the doubt niggled. Had she ruined the fun? Maybe Dan would have enjoyed the surprise.
“Hey.”
Dan’s voice had her pulling her thoughts back to the present.
“You did the right thing.” He pulled her to him and held her tight. “I’m glad there are no secrets between us. Just know you can tell me anything.”
Katie Ruth rested her head against his shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Could she really tell him anything? Or was it sometimes best to keep the past in the past?
The next morning, Dan glanced at the number of bowls his sister set out on the counter. “What’s with all the bowls? Are you expecting a crowd?”
Oaklee whirled. Two bright swaths of pink slashed her cheeks. “I’m trying to see what bowls we have while I plan what salads to make.”
“Is that what we’re having? Salad?”
Oaklee scowled. “No, that’s just what I’m making, ah, right now.”
“Okay.” Dan gazed at the tablet that held his sermon and read through it for the final time.
He couldn’t believe how enjoyable it had been to fine-tune it last night with Katie Ruth over cups of hot chocolate. Her questions and comments had prompted him to hone his message until they both felt good about it.
What would it be like to have her at his side for the rest of his life? If she was his wife, they could be alone together. Every day. Every night.