Out of Focus
Page 28
She took his hand in hers. “That’s a bunch. I love you, too.” Kasey put her finger to her lips and whispered, “Time to be quiet.”
He nodded and sat still.
The sermon was about God giving us second chances when we ask for them—perfect for the day. The preacher’s voice reverberated through the church, a kindness in his tone that felt like a warm blanket.
“Since those second chances take place in the parameters of the life we already have,” he said, “second chances include baggage and ghosts of our past.”
Kasey turned to Scott. He was looking at her.
She smiled.
He reached over and held her hand.
* * * *
After brunch, Scott dropped off his mother first.
“It was so nice to meet you,” Kasey said to her, and gave her a hug.
“You’re right down the street. If you need me to sit with Jake, don’t you hesitate to ask. I’m old, but I love little boys.” She put her hand on Scott’s cheek. “I raised a pretty good one.”
“You sure did.” Kasey admired the tender relationship between Scott and his mom.
It was only a two-minute ride from her place to Kasey’s house. Jake changed clothes and raced outside to play with Shutterbug. Kasey poured two glasses of tea, then she and Scott went outside to sit and watch them.
Jake ran over to her, looking serious. “Hey, Mommy? Do we have a ball to throw?”
“Hmmm. Let me see.” Kasey pretended to match his serious look. “I think I saw one in the hall closet.”
“Can I go look?”
“Sure.” She watched him run into the house. “He knows this place better than I do.”
A minute later Jake came out with the ball and a glossy white box with a big teal-blue bow on it. “Mommy, what’s this present?”
“I forgot all about that. Bring it to Mommy.” She took the shiny wrapped gift from Jake and turned to Scott. “Cody gave me this when I left the tour. I never opened it.” She shook the box. “I forgot all about it.”
“Can I open it?” Jake asked.
“Sure. Here you go.” She handed him the box.
He climbed up in one of the chairs and pulled on the ribbon, which captured his attention more than the idea of the gift. He jumped from the chair with the streamer, tempting Shutterbug to run after him.
“Can’t get good help these days,” Scott said, laughing.
Kasey peeled off the paper, crumpled it into a ball, then lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a note and a CD. “It’s the original cut of ‘A Mother's Love’.”
“He wrote that song about you and Jake, didn’t he?”
“Yes. On the plane when we were on tour. In fact, I knew the melody well before I’d ever heard the song. He’d been working on it on the plane every night while I was reading. He played it live the last night I was on tour with them.”
Her eyes met his. “That was in Raleigh. That’s where Billy Goodwin saw the picture of Jake and heard about the kidnapping.”
“Cody is a good friend.” Scott smiled.
“He is a good friend. But it’s not like our friendship,” Kasey said. Her heart felt full.
He reached across the table, and she laid her head on his arm.
Scott stood. “Come walk with me.”
She popped back up. “Okay.”
He took her hand and led her to the side of the house.
“Mommy? Where you goin’? Can I come?”
“Sure. Bring Shutterbug,” Scott said.
Jake and Shutterbug caught up just as the big oak tree came into view. The tree was similar to the one that Nick was buried under: strong and tall, with one long, low branch. Two fat ropes hung from the limb with a red, white, and blue wooden seat.
“You made the swing.” She took both of Scott’s hands in hers. “You are the most thoughtful man in the world.”
“You like it?”
“It’s like that one I saw in the magazine that day at your house. I love it.”
“A swing! Cool!” Jake ran up and jumped in the seat. “Push me.”
Scott pushed while Kasey smiled and clapped. Jake soared higher and higher. Fearless.
The swing slowed and Jake leapt to the ground. “That was fun.”
Scott caught the seat mid-air and bent down beside it. “Come here, Jake’s mom.”
Kasey gave him a what-the-heck-are-you-doing look but stepped up to the swing.
He put his hands on the edge of the swing. “Someday. When the time is right.” He tipped the seat of the swing up, the bottom facing her. Painted in bright red letters:
SOMEDAY...
Will you be my bride? Yes ___ Maybe ___
Kasey tilted her head. “Hedging your bets a little there, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Yes or maybe? I take it you won’t take no for an answer.”
“Whoops. Sorry. Turtle Mike and Maggie did the editing, they must have missed that.” He put the seat back down and patted it, encouraging her to sit.
“Scott, you’ve been a true angel in my life.”
“You are the angel.” He leaned forward, brushing her lips. “I love you, Kasey Phillips. I want you and Jake to be a part of my life always, and in all ways.”
The words poured like melted chocolate over her heart, sweet and warm. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
She missed Nick. Her heart broke every day without him, but there was a feeling when Scott said those words. A feeling of joy that her body recognized before she did.
She put her hand on top of his. “My head isn’t ready for this, but my heart feels it. Something. Someday...when I am....”
“I’ll be here. Waiting.”
“It might be a month. It might be five years. I can’t make any promises. But I can’t imagine sharing my heart with anyone but you. My life has been out of focus this past year. It’s starting to become clear again, thanks to you.”
This must be what joy feels like.
“Is that a maybe?” His mood seemed buoyant. He glanced over at Jake and Shutterbug, running through the yard with a smile.
“It’s not a no. So much has happened, I’ve put off dealing with most of it. But if you can be patient with me....”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He gently pressed her hand to her cheek, kissed the tip of her nose, then pulled her close. “We’ll take it a day at a time.”
THE END
~*~
Thanks for spending your time with me in Adams Grove. If you enjoyed OUT OF FOCUS, I hope you’ll leave a short review on your favorite bookseller website so other readers might it in the vast number of books available.
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sign up for my free newsletter at www.NancyNaigle.com/ncont.htm,
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and spread the word.
~*~
As a bonus: ENJOY THESE RECIPE FAVORITES
FROM ADAMS GROVE
Ms. Huckaby’s Applesauce Cake
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon of crushed cloves
½ teaspoon of allspice
½ cup water
1 ½ cups applesauce
¾ cup chopped pecans
½ cup raisins
Place the raisins in a bowl of warm water and set them aside to let them plump.
Cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Now, combine all the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with splashes of the water.
Stir in applesauce.
Drain and dry the raisins, then dust the nuts and raisins with flour before adding them to your batter.
Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
/> Let the cake cool completely then frost with Ms. Huckaby’s Quickie Glaze.
Enjoy y’all!
Ms. Huckaby’s Quickie Glaze
This quick and easy glaze is perfect for your home baked goodies or use it on store-bought cookies, cakes or treats to make them extra special!
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or your favorite flavor)
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat as soon as the butter is melted. Add sugar, milk and extract to the saucepan. Stir until smooth.
Drizzle and Brag!
Sheriff Calvin’s Mooin’ Marinade
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup Worcestershire
½ cup oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon of your favorite BBQ Sauce (Sheriff Calvin’s favorite is Rudy’s Sause from rudysbbq.com)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon basil
Place your steaks in a glass casserole dish.
Combine all the ingredients in another bowl, and mix well. Pour the mixture over the steaks. Cover refrigerate for 4-8 hours, no more than 24 hours.
Let meat reach room temperature before cooking.
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About the Author
Nancy Naigle writes love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.
Living on the cutting edge of technology in her day job, Nancy spends each night creating make-believe small town worlds filled with community, heart, and suspense. She hopes readers will accept her invitation to visit Adams Grove and will grow to care about the residents as much as she does.
A Virginia native, and spending most of her life in the Tidewater area, she and her husband of 16 years moved inland to quiet Southampton County. They now live in a log-sided home on a working goat farm with their two labs and more kids (the four-legged kind) than they keep count of, where they are living out their own small town love story.
Stay up to date on releases, appearances and news on facebook, twitter @NancyNaigle and on Nancy’s website:
www.NancyNaigle.com
Love stories from the crossroad...
of small town and suspense
You might enjoy these other novels by Nancy Naigle in trade paperback and digital formats.
..
Sweet Tea and Secrets
An Adams Grove Novel
The sleepy little town of Adams Grove is wide awake and locking its doors after a series of break-ins over at Pearl Clemmons' place. Adams Grove is mourning the loss of Pearl Clemmons, known for her award-winning chocolate pecan pie and the best unsolicited advice in the county.
When Jill returns to settle her grandmother’s estate, she’s greeted by a Clydesdale-sized guardian dog who doesn't seem to be earning his stripes (although he drools on them pretty well), and Garrett Malloy, the ex-fiancé she left behind a year ago.
Jill insists on staying at Pearl’s amidst the string of break-ins, but Jill’s past with Garrett becomes the least of her worries when she learns that their lives are in danger. She is the only person standing between a desperate conman and a secret from Pearl’s past.
Will Pearl’s past kill any chance of Jill and Garrett’s future together?
* * * *
inkBLOT: the Novel
by Johnson Naigle
co-written by Nancy Naigle and Phyllis C. Johnson
All ages will enjoy the suspense in inkBLOT.
YA appropriate and adults love it, too.
Eighteen-year-old web entrepreneur Ronnie Wright owns the virally popular website, INKBLOT. Determined to sweep local newspaper reporter, Chelsea Pressman, off her feet, he tries to wow her with his internet success.
Chelsea has one goal, making it big as a reporter. Unfortunately the editor isn’t tossing any good stories her way. Her luck changes and she is first in line to cover a string of bizarre crimes. The notoriety she’s gaining from the front-page stories is addictive.
The police finally trace the crimes to a common link – INKBLOT.
Now, Ronnie has to clear his name as the number one suspect in Chelsea’s headline crimes.
* * * *
If you like your suspense a little darker, you might enjoy these books by Sam Phillips.
DEADLY VOYAGE by Sam Phillips
A Rick Cunningham Suspense
To escape discovery of their crimes, murder becomes the only option for crooked bank executives.
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DEADLY FRIENDSHIP by Sam Phillips
A Rick Cunningham Suspense
As an anonymous killer playfully stalks his victims, a shocking conspiracy is discovered.
* * * *
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