Forever Friends

by Murray, Tamela Hancock

  Copyright

  ISBN 1-59310-477-4

  Copyright © 2005 by Tamela Hancock Murray. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of Truly Yours, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., PO Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683.

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Niv®. Copyright © 1973,1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

  All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

  One

  Her duties as a bridesmaid all but over, Kassia took a sip of hot apple cider and watched Lexie and Theo make the rounds talking to their guests. Being a part of their happiness had been the perfect way to celebrate New Year’s Day. The North Carolina sun had shone all afternoon, though not too brightly. The outside chill permeated the reception hall, enticing some of the wedding guests to hover near the fireplace so they could enjoy the warmth of the bright flames.

  Kassia sighed. Lexie was so lucky. Only she could plan a huge wedding and reception in the middle of winter and enjoy the cooperation of the weather. Of course, Lexie would attribute the perfect day to a blessing from God, but Kassia figured Lexie’s good fortune could be attributed to simple luck.

  Liz, Lexie’s sister and matron of honor, nudged her. “She’s getting ready to throw the bouquet. Go on up.”

  Kassia looked at a throng of women and young girls that included Lexie’s five-year-old daughter, Piper. They clustered in the center of the reception hall, with Lexie standing only a few feet away. Shrieking and jumping up and down, they acted as though they believed the old superstition that the one who caught the flowers would be the next to marry.

  The bridal bouquet toss was Kassia’s least favorite part of any wedding. She wrinkled her nose. “Thanks, but I think I’ll sit this one out.”

  Liz tugged on Kassia’s elbow. “Oh no you won’t! I’m going, too, you know. And anyway Lexie will never forgive me if I let you sit here and watch everyone else! Do you want to ruin your chance of finding happiness?”

  “Who said I’m not happy now?” Seeming to have a will of its own, Kassia’s gaze fell on Teague Boswell, one of Theo’s groomsmen. “But maybe I shouldn’t take any unnecessary chances with my luck.” She set down her empty punch cup on the nearest table and headed toward the crowd of hopefuls.

  Kassia reached for the bouquet of white roses and baby’s breath amid forty or so other hands. The flowers became a blur of white and green, flying high over the crowd. She stretched her hands above her head and caught the cluster of flowers as several of the blooms brushed against her fingertips. Steadying the bouquet with the other hand, Kassia secured her prize. Squeals of delight ensued.

  “You’re next!” Liz teased.

  Kassia shook her head. How could she, a complete and utter failure at finding love in the past and with no promising prospects for the future, be next to marry? “I doubt it.”

  “Are you so sure?” Liz tilted her head in Teague’s direction.

  Teague caught her gaze and sent her a charming grin, his eyes bright.

  Feeling suddenly shy, Kassia pretended to examine the bouquet intently. In spite of her feigned disinterest in Teague, her heart fluttered.

  Throughout the prenuptial celebrations for Lexie and Theo, Kassia had been paired with Teague, assigned to sit by him at the rehearsal dinner and walk down the aisle with him when the bridal party departed from the church after the ceremony. The pairing was no accident. She just knew it.

  Deliriously happy with Theo, Lexie wanted to spread her joy to her friends. She wanted Kassia to find a good man and would stop at nothing to see her dreams for Kassia come true. She had to admit, Lexie knew her criteria for acceptable suitors. The sight of Teague’s smoky gray eyes and honeyed hair, the sound of his smooth voice, the pleasant aroma of his citrus cologne, all made her want to be closer to him. She suppressed a gleeful sigh. No man had made her feel so wonderful by his mere presence since—well, since—never!

  But despite all attempts to throw them together, Kassia was sure Teague was not available—in one way or another. Either he had a girlfriend no one knew about, or he was committed to his career, or he simply wasn’t interested. No matter how many encouraging looks Teague threw her way, she knew he was out of reach.

  With men that was the story of her life.

  ❧

  Fresh from decorating Theo’s car with shaving cream and a Just Married sign, Teague watched Kassia, clad in emerald green, catch the bridal bouquet then be teased and congratulated by the other women. He clapped along with the others. He couldn’t remember another wedding with so many bridesmaids and groomsmen. Ten gorgeous bridesmaids looked more like a cast from a movie set than an assortment of friends and family. But none was lovelier than Kassia.

  Teague wondered if Theo had paired him with Kassia on purpose. The two men had been friends since they had become study partners during a chemistry class in college. Theo knew he would be taken with Kassia’s intelligence and sophistication. He was transfixed by her creamy skin that blushed like a ripe peach, her lithe figure, and dark curls. In his eyes she was a living doll.

  She had been introduced as Lexie’s best friend and roommate from college. Despite her rather ordinary introduction, her brunette beauty smoldered with mystery. He found himself wanting to know more. Teague couldn’t recall a time when he was more intrigued with a woman. Any woman. Then again he hadn’t tried to interest himself in a woman in a long while.

  When did he have time? He had completed his advanced degree recently and landed a great job in the computer industry, his chosen field. How much more blessed could he be? His boss was a driven, energetic entrepreneur. He couldn’t pay Teague the salary he might have demanded at a larger organization. But the upstart company’s long-term promise of fulfillment emotionally and financially made Teague jump out of bed with anticipation the moment the alarm clock rang each morning. Now, unencumbered with graduate school and situated in a small house he’d just rented, Teague felt he was in a position to offer a woman some stability and thus seek a wife.

  He looked at Kassia and grinned. She averted her eyes, reminding him of a heroine in an old-fashioned book, or one of those silent movie stars in the films he caught on television occasionally after most normal people had gone to bed for the night.

  Kassia Dahl just may be The One.

  He had to take a chance. If he missed the opportunity now, she might slip out of his sights forever.

  Since Kassia had become engrossed in conversation with one of the other guests, Teague took his time inching his way toward her—an easy feat since the reception hall was filled to capacity.

  Finally he was close enough to her to take in the fragrance she had been wearing since they met. He thought he could identify her in a dark room just by her pleasant scent, now so familiar.

  He tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him. Now that he was looking her in the face, he was speechless. What could he say?

  “Having fun?” he blurted. Oh, now that was one brilliant question.

  “Everyone seems to think I should be. I caught this.” She held up the white roses.

  “I know. I saw you. You must have played softball in high school.”

  “Hardly. But I was pretty good at tennis.”

  �
�Me, too.” Something else they had in common. That was a good sign. He rubbed the edge of his half-empty punch glass. “So have you gotten any marriage proposals yet?”

  “Not yet. What’s wrong with this crowd? You’d think at least one of the men here would get the hint, wouldn’t you?” Her dark irises stared at him from the corners of her heavily lashed eyelids. “Unless that’s why you wanted to see me.”

  “Of course. I’m just the first in line.” He winked.

  “I see.” She looked over his shoulder and pretended to spot a long line of suitors. “You’d better make your offer good then.”

  He swallowed the rest of his hot cider, now lukewarm, allowing the burst of cinnamon and tinge of apple to fortify him with courage. “I’d like to. But I’m afraid it looks as if we won’t be seeing much of each other after today.”

  Her mouth drooped with what he hoped was disappointment. “Oh, really?”

  His heart raced. “Unless you’d like to change that,” he added quickly.

  “Well, I do live in Richmond.” She paused. “And didn’t you say you live in Amelia County?” She named a fast-growing area that, thanks to new development, was burgeoning into a popular outer suburb of Virginia’s capital city.

  “I sure do.” He grinned. “So, considering this wedding is in another state, what’s the probability we’d end up living so close together?”

  “Considering that both Lexie and Theo live in Richmond, I’d say the probability is pretty high.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. Yet her diplomatic response didn’t give him much to go on. Was she being nice, or did she want to see him again once they returned home? There was only one way to find out. He had to ask her out to something. Anything.

  Teague wished he had tickets to a concert or a sporting event. Now that he had broached the subject, he realized he had no idea what might interest her. What would be logical and safe? He racked his brain.

  Ah. Dinner. Everybody has to eat. But where? He thought about the trendy places around town. The historic district was always a safe bet. But which place? He’d seen the menu posted on the window at the Berkley Hotel, and though their five-diamond restaurant was pricey, he’d always wanted to try it. “How about dinner at the Berkley Hotel?”

  She let out a little gasp. “The Berkley? Wow! You go all out, don’t you?”

  He shrugged, hoping to conceal the fact that he was pleased he’d impressed her. “What else is money for?”

  “You’re right. I like a man who doesn’t mind going to a nice place,” she said.

  “Good. Not that I go there every night, mind you.”

  Kassia laughed. “I would hope you wouldn’t have to eat out every night.”

  He chuckled, not wanting to admit she had hit a little too close to home for him. Not that he ate in a restaurant every night. Even worse. He ordered carryout most nights, then took it either home or to the office to munch on mindlessly while he worked. He hadn’t developed many cooking skills beyond boiling water for macaroni and cheese. Any woman who wanted a relationship with him would have to be a good cook. Or she would have to master at least meatloaf and mashed potatoes if she wanted to eat a home-cooked meal at the Boswell house.

  Suddenly he realized Kassia was still looking at him. No wonder. He hadn’t made the date and time firm. “I’ll make reservations for next Saturday night then?”

  “Perfect. I’ll look forward to that.”

  He took out his wallet and withdrew a card. “Here’re my address and phone number.” Well, that had been easier than he imagined. A surge of confidence filled him. “You know something?”

  “What?”

  “The minute I saw you, I knew for sure the Lord had answered my prayer.”

  She stiffened. “Oh, really?”

  Teague knew he shouldn’t have blurted out such a strong sentiment. After all, he hadn’t known Kassia long, not even out of her role of bridesmaid. What had he been thinking to drop the J-bomb so early? “I–I’m sorry. If you hang out with me long enough, you’ll find I have a big mouth.”

  “I think I already have.” Instead of being light, her tone was sharp, and her expression darkened.

  Teague chuckled, but Kassia didn’t take the hint and lift her own mood. She looked at the bouquet she held and fingered several petals of one of the roses.

  “Now what did that poor little flower ever do to you?” Teague joked.

  She pouted.

  For an instant Teague was tempted to retract his offer for dinner. Why had the mere mention of the Lord brought about such a dramatic change in attitude and so quickly?

  A sense of sadness engulfed him. He was all too aware of the Lord’s instructions to take the gospel out into the world, and so he rarely missed an opportunity to be friendly to all types of people. But he would never consider a committed romantic relationship with a woman who didn’t share his faith. Judging from her reaction, clearly Kassia didn’t believe as he did. Not even close.

  No. I’m a gentleman and a Christian. I won’t go back on my word.

  A silent prayer rushed through his mind. Lord, help me to be pleasant when we go out. And let her see You in me.

  He forced himself to smile at her. “I’ll look forward to Saturday night.”

  Her unenthusiastic nod did little to console him. He found himself hoping that maybe she would find an excuse between now and then to cancel. Perhaps that would be the Lord’s answer to his prayer.

  ❧

  Moments after Lexie and Theo had departed amid a cloud of soap bubbles, the wedding guests retreated into the reception hall to enjoy more food and company. Kassia was in no mood to celebrate or talk to anyone. She snuck undetected into a small room in the church and slipped out of her bridesmaid’s dress. Though she suspected the frothy number, with its long, puffy sleeves and a bow tied in the back, would never again see the light of day, she was careful as she hung it on a padded clothes hanger and slid a breathable cloth storage bag over it.

  If only Lexie had been as careful about Kassia’s feelings. How could her best friend have tried to set her up with someone who was such a religious fanatic? During the wedding activities Teague hadn’t mentioned God at all. She had been led into a false sense of security, thinking he had a warm and fuzzy feeling about God, but not much more. But for him to tell her their meeting each other was an answer to prayer? She shuddered.

  Then again what was she thinking? Lexie talked about God all the time. Theo entered the doors of the church every time they opened. She should have known any member of Lexie and Theo’s wedding party would be an unabashed Christian. The type of raging, fanatical, maniacal Christian she’d seen all too often. The type of Christian who couldn’t utter two sentences in a row without talking about God. Like her family, the family she rarely saw. Not that they missed her. They were too busy doing good, running to events for this worthy cause and that one, making a big splash at church. They never accepted Kassia’s belief that you couldn’t work your way into heaven—and never ceased to remind her she wasn’t trying hard enough.

  It only stood to reason that a devout man like Teague would not accept her either. Not a woman who was anything less than perfect.

  Kassia left the reception and got into her car. Looking for a distraction, she found a rock music station on the radio and tried to take her mind off her angry thoughts as she made her way home. Yet after she arrived at her small apartment a few hours later, her mind revisited her ire as she unpacked her bridesmaid dress. She stuffed it in her already crowded clothes closet and reminded herself she needed to weed out her unwanted items and give them to charity. But she was in no mood to undertake such a big project at the moment.

  With a huff, she headed to the refrigerator and opened the freezer door. Yes! The pint of chocolate chip ice cream was still there, waiting for her. The ice cream was one of many gastronomical indulgences she’d enjoyed during the dry spell since Brad dumped her after two dates. Two dates! That was a record, even for her.

&nbs
p; Kassia took the ice cream out of the freezer and grabbed a soupspoon out of the drawer. Too angry even to look forward to it, she headed toward the floral-patterned couch and plopped down on her favorite spot. After turning on the television, she clicked through the channels until she found a show about interior designers transforming someone’s living room, an expansive space that overlooked a mountain lake. Kassia wondered what it would feel like to own a living room that was bigger than her entire apartment.

  As she watched the interior design team paint a large wall a loud shade of rusty orange, her thoughts returned to her beige walls, which reminded her of her own drab life, and then to Brad. She still winced when she remembered how he’d dumped her. She had desperately wanted a friend to share her defeat but couldn’t talk about it with Lexie. She had made her disapproval of Brad known to Kassia. In a fit of spite fueled by the confidence that Brad was The Real Thing, Kassia had let Lexie believe she’d allowed Brad to become physical beyond a public display of affection. In truth, Brad bolted when Kassia refused him. She knew she put on a flirtatious front, a lingering behavior from her confused and uncertain teen years. Her habitual coyness resulted in men treating her the way she believed she deserved.

  Scraping the bottom of the ice cream carton, Kassia resolved not to give away her heart too quickly in the future. And that included any relationship with Teague Boswell, groomsman extraordinaire.

  Her thoughts turned to Lexie. She had led a charmed life. Lexie had a gift for finding—and keeping—good men. The husband who left her a widow had been the kind of man most women only dream about. Kassia knew the extent of her friend’s loss, especially since Lexie’s husband left behind their little girl, Piper, too. Lexie spent years grieving before she would open her heart to anyone else. But Theo was just as wonderful. Kassia sighed. How could Lexie land two great men while Kassia couldn’t find even one? Her mouth twitched into a sardonic grin. If she could call Lexie on her fabulous honeymoon in the Bahamas, Lexie would tell Kassia that God was responsible for all the good in her life.