The Lewis Legacy Series Box Set: 4-in-1 Special Edition

by JoAnn Durgin

  “Josh, you know how much I love you and value your opinion. Other than Mom and Dad, misguided though I may be, I trust you more than anyone else. Rest assured, I’m going to take care of this situation.”

  “Anything I can do to help speed up this process?”

  She resisted the urge to grin. “I’ll let you know, but we’re not here to talk about me.”

  “Sure we are. I’ve got all night, and I’m all ears. Tell me what’s going on in the fabulous world of Rebekah.”

  She considered her options. Time to get back at her brother for his teasing. She’d tell him everything but not the best part—that she was dumping Adam—until he’d heard the rest of the story first. “I told you to please stop calling it that but let’s see,” she said, not giving him the opportunity to speak. “I told you Kevin knows about Adam, but I’m not sure the reverse is true. He seemed pretty clueless at lunch the other day although I thought it was painfully obvious.” Her frown deepened. “Even if he did suspect anything, I honestly don’t think the man either cares or feels threatened by Kevin.”

  “Back up. Start at the beginning and tell me more about what happened at the restaurant.”

  As she proceeded to tell him the whole sad story, Rebekah could tell he was inordinately amused by her trauma. When she got to the part about the frog legs, he laughed. “Before you give me the I-told-you-so spiel, please know I feel absolutely horrid about this whole thing. Completely wretched.” Maybe that was laying it on a bit thick. “I’m glad my life is so amusing to you.” She couldn’t help it as the corners of her mouth upturned.

  “I do feel your pain, but even you have to admit it’s very entertaining.” Josh patted her hand resting on the table. Might be Mother’s Hen’s influence since he must have spent some time with Winnie in Houston.

  The server came to their table to take their order. When the girl left the table with a flirtatious glance at Josh, Rebekah shook her head. “What must it be like to contend with that all the time, women throwing themselves at you right and left?”

  “Do they? I hadn’t noticed. To use your phrase, looked in a mirror lately?”

  “It’s a curse, Josh. I hate it.”

  “I’m sure Kevin’s not complaining.”

  “That’s another thing,” she said, shifting her position in the booth as their drinks were delivered. “Kevin accepts me as I am and likes me best au naturel.”

  Josh spit out iced tea and it landed on the tablecloth between them. “Sorry. You took me off guard with that one.” He sputtered and swiped his napkin over his mouth. “What are you saying? Kevin likes you in the buff?” As soon as the words were out, he darted a look of apology her way. “Sorry. You’re too easy to tease. I can’t help myself.”

  Rebekah threw her napkin across the table. “Focus, Josh.” She crossed her arms and added a muffled, “Sex maniac.”

  “You know, to prove I’m redeemed and forgiven, I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

  “My apologies.” She leaned across the table, lowering her voice. “I’d be mortified if Kevin. . .or Sam. . .or pretty much anyone heard me say such a thing,” she said, taking her napkin as he handed it across the table. “You’ve come a long way. In case I haven’t told you lately, I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks. Please continue. This is just too good.”

  She laughed. “What I meant by that statement is that Kevin likes me pure and simple.”

  Josh roared at that one.

  “Oh, my word,” she groaned. “Get your mind out of the gutter. Pervert.” So much for regret at the name-calling.

  “Two-timer,” he shot back. They shared a grin.

  “Let me say it for you. What I think you’re trying to say is that Kevin likes you sans makeup or something to that effect?”

  She nodded. “Exactly. He hates makeup. He calls it goop, especially lip gloss. He thinks it tastes like soap.”

  “Then I suggest you wear it as often as possible so he’ll be tempted to kiss it off you.”

  She tilted her head. “You’ve got a point. On the other hand, he might be so repulsed he doesn’t even want to kiss me. Do you think it tastes like soap?”

  He shrugged. “I wouldn’t say it’s such a bad thing. Especially that fruity stuff. Strawberry’s definitely the best flavor. So, tell me,” he said as the salad and breadsticks were delivered, “have you seen Kevin since the whole frog legs incident?”

  “Yes, at his church last night. We’d both signed up to work the soup kitchen. Neither one of us got anyone to take our place so we were stuck with each other.” Not that they really had any time to find anyone else.

  Josh eyed her closely. “Admit it, Beck. You wanted to see if he’d show up.”

  “I’ll admit no such thing. When Kevin makes a commitment, he sticks to it no matter what.”

  “Bingo.” He sat back with a look that bordered on smug.

  She shrugged and frowned. “Must you always be right? It’s a very annoying trait. All I know is, it’s been quite a week. At least it sounds like your week went better than mine.” The look on his face was more than intriguing. Something was different about him but far be it from her to figure it out. Her brain was mush as it was. “Let me pray for our food and then you can tell me more.” He bowed as she gave thanks.

  “Go on,” Josh said, offering her a breadstick and biting into one. “You’re not done yet.”

  She blew out a breath. How does he always know these things? “It went pretty well until we walked out to the parking lot afterwards. We talked a couple of minutes and then he took off. Just tore out of there in his big blue truck without another glance. Gone.” She attacked her salad, more hungry than she’d realized.

  “Why?” He was going at that breadstick like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

  “Probably because I basically let him know I wanted to kiss him.” Her eyes widened. “Did I say that out loud?”

  He nodded. “You did. Were you wearing lip gloss at the time?”

  “Shut up.” She thought about it. “Actually, I don’t think I was.” She cringed at the “actually.” It was a hard habit to break. “It was written all over Kevin’s face that’s what he wanted, too. To kiss me, I mean.” She looked away and blew out a breath. “Forgive my inarticulateness tonight, if that’s even a word. My brain is gone.”

  “Maybe frog legs kill brain cells.” How he managed that one with a straight face she’d never know.

  “Will you never stop? What Kevin said was, ‘You know what you need to do,’ in that deep voice of his.”

  Josh gave her an infuriating grin and—even more annoying—snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Lost you for a minute there. What’d he do next? I need the rest of the play-by-play.”

  She shrugged. “That’s pretty much it. That’s when he climbed in his truck and hightailed it out of the parking lot. Left me in his proverbial dust and didn’t even stick around to make sure my car started.” She took another bite of her salad, pushing aside the jalapeño pepper, delighted to find the black olive hiding beneath it. “That’s so unlike the man.”

  Josh feigned surprise. “Really? How dare he?”

  She paused the fork halfway to her mouth. “Don’t even tell me you’re taking his side.”

  “All I’m saying is good for him. The man’s got a spine, bless his heart.”

  “What?” She put her fork beside her salad plate, surprised by the rush of anger that made her heart pound. “Kevin is not timid. He may be shy, but he’s a strong man. You should have seen the way he stomped over to our table, introduced himself and spoke to Adam at the restaurant. I was proud of him. As a matter of fact, in that moment, he reminded me of you. He was confident, proud and downright fearless.” Her shoulders slumped and her eyes welled with unshed tears. “Please don’t tell me you think he’s spineless.”

  “No, honey. If anything, it’s the opposite. I meant it took guts for the guy to walk away from you. Let’s think about it. The easy way out would
have been to kiss you, but no, the fearless wonder took the hardline approach.” Josh ignored her smirk. “There you were,” he said, waving his hand in the air, “offering your lips freely to the man, to the point of even telling him you wanted his kiss, and yet he had the strength—the backbone—to resist. A lesser man would have laid a big one on you and taken full advantage.” He took another bite of his breadstick, motioning for her to keep eating. “Beck, you know I think the world of Kevin, and I’ve seen him be as strong as the next guy out there.”

  At least his words appeased her somewhat. “So, you’re telling me he did the right thing by walking away from me last night.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yeah, I guess I am. One thing I find interesting.” He finished his salad.

  “Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me.” She nibbled on the end of her breadstick.

  “You seem so concerned about Kevin’s reactions and feelings, but you’ve said almost nothing about the Brit.”

  Rebekah stopped chewing. “Oh. Well, I guess other than irritation he didn’t try to come find me in the restaurant, I haven’t thought much about Adam.” And won’t be much in the future, either.

  “A suggestion? When you’re doing all your multi-tasking tonight, you might ponder why that is. And another thing?” He shook a breadstick at her. It was very annoying.

  She pulled it from his hand, tossed it on his plate, then sat back and crossed her arms. “Yes?” She gave him a sappy-sweet smile.

  Josh picked up the breadstick and waved it at her again. “Moving right on. Did Kevin happen to tell you why he was at the restaurant?”

  “He was there with some older, fawning woman. Don’t even get me started.”

  Josh shook his head. Considering he stopped chewing on his hundredth breadstick, he must have another important point to make. She had to give the man credit: he made a lot of sense.

  “I repeat, did he say why he was there?”

  She waved her hand. “Said it was a business lunch.”

  “Any reason to doubt it?”

  “Kevin would never lie.”

  “Bingo. Okay, now, let’s think about the Brit for a moment.” He was getting fired up now. Although she’d never seen him in action in a boardroom conducting one of his big mergers, she could just imagine. His calm sense of reason and ability to think under pressure were two of the many reasons he made such a great lawyer. “Any theory on why Adam took you for lunch instead of dinner?”

  She shook her head, puzzled. “I have no idea. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Did he tell you what he was doing later that evening? From what I know, most of his dates with you are for lunch, no?” His brow quirked.

  “True, but you’re making no sense other than to plant a big seed of doubt in my mind. Are you suggesting Adam might be seeing someone else on the side?” When he didn’t answer, Rebekah sat up straighter and captured his eye contact. “Josh? Is that what you think? Tell me.”

  “Okay, here’s the deal.” He took a long drink of his iced tea. “Lord forgive me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. When a guy has designs,” he said, with a pointed look, “on a woman, he takes her out on Saturday night. I’m not talking about Kevin or an upstanding kind guy like him. I’m talking more about the sophisticated—debonair, if you will—smarmy type. For the sake of illustration, let’s say he’s, I don’t know, British perhaps.” He winked when she scowled. “Sorry. I hate to break it to you. The girl a man like that takes to lunch is the girl he’ll marry, but she isn’t the girl he wants.”

  “Leaving his evenings free.” Rebekah swallowed her gasp. “I think he’s getting ready to ask me to marry him again. I mean, the signs are there. At least you’re saying I’m the marrying type. Thank you for that. I think.” Disgruntled, she sank further down into the booth, not sure she had much of an appetite left. “So, you think he’s got another woman on the side.” Again, it wasn’t a question. When he nodded, she groaned. “Oh, I’m such a fool.” She planted her hands on the table. “I deserve it without a doubt. I’ve played with the affections of two men and this is my comeuppance or whatever they call it.” She caught his chuckle. “I really haven’t been reading Mom’s old Christian romances,” she said before he could suggest it again. For the briefest of moments, she considered the idea Josh might be wrong. Her heart told her otherwise. Not that she had any proof, but it didn’t matter now.

  “Beck, bottom line here. Does Adam know the Lord like you know the Lord?”

  Her brother always had a way of drawing out the truth even when she couldn’t admit it to herself. At least he’d finished the last breadstick. “No. And before you can say it, Kevin does. You know that.” She raised a hand. “Don’t start on me about being unequally yoked. Adam says he’s a Christian, but to be honest, I can’t be certain.”

  “The proof’s in the pudding, sis. You know I’m the last person who wants to upset you, but I hope you appreciate I love you enough to tell it like it is. Doesn’t seem to me like there’s much to figure out.” He leaned closer. “Come on. You can’t tell me your heart’s not talking to you in the case of these two men.”

  “No, it’s talking to me all right, but I’m tired of thinking about it.” She mustered a small smile. “Believe it or not, I decided last night—during prayer meeting with Kevin, of all places—to dump Adam.”

  “Then why—”

  Her smile grew wider. “Because you’re so much fun. And it does help to talk about it. It confirms I’m doing the right thing.” She tilted her head, watching him. “Why do I get the feeling if our lives were fictionalized, you’d come across as the sympathetic one?” He shot her a grin as the server brought their entrées and sprinkled grated cheese on their food. “So, your turn. Time to tell me what’s going on in your life.”

  “It’s rather difficult to know where to begin.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  Josh took another gulp of tea. “Right. Brace yourself, Beck.”

  “Okay. This sounds pretty serious. Are you all right?” His expression was interesting, but he didn’t look sad, upset or angry. If anything, it was the opposite. Whatever it was, it hadn’t affected her brother’s appetite.

  “Honestly? I’m better than I’ve been in years. I need to come clean about some things and it starts right here and now.”

  Chapter 30

  Three Weeks Later — Mid-April

  “Miss Grant? Phone call on line six.” The school secretary’s voice on the intercom sounded loud in the otherwise empty teacher’s lounge. She should have known her morning break would be interrupted. This day wasn’t off to the best start. Danny punched Trevor in the stomach, sending him crying to the nurse, followed not long after by Jenny stepping on a thumbtack and screeching like she’d been shot. The assistant principal, in the classroom next door, had flown around the corner, demanding to know what happened. Maybe it wasn’t fair to leave Hannah alone to handle her rambunctious class but it would be good experience for her plus she’d get a much needed break.

  “Rebekah Grant. Phone call on line six.” She snapped out of her reverie. It was rare to get a phone call during school hours on the main line. Her cell phone was in her purse and locked away in the bottom drawer of her desk.

  Getting up from the table, she picked up the receiver on the phone mounted on the wall and leaned against the counter. “This is Rebekah Grant.” The banter between two television talk show hosts droned in the background as she stared absently at the screen.

  “Hi, honey.”

  “Hi, Mom. Everything okay?” Her Aunt Janice hadn’t been well, and she hoped nothing had happened. A couple of her fingers tingled with numbness. Balancing the phone on her shoulder, she anchored it with her head while she massaged the affected fingers.

  “I just got word on the church prayer chain that Elizabeth Moore was taken to the hospital this morning with severe chest pains. That’s all I’ve heard so far, but I thought you’d want to know.”

&nb
sp; Kevin’s mother. “Of course. I appreciate the call, Mom.” She’d had a heart attack three years before, a mild one that was a wake-up call. As far as Rebekah knew, she’d altered her diet and exercised a bit more. Kevin told her heart disease ran in his mom’s family. She hadn’t confided in her mother about the awful confrontation with Kevin at the restaurant. It was too complicated, and it had been a long three weeks. Even though she never said anything, Rebekah knew her mother was irritated with her indecisiveness. She really needed to tell Adam and get this over with, but he’d been preoccupied with business or out-of-town a lot.

  Glancing at her watch, she frowned. It was still so early, and a long time to go in the school day before the students were dismissed. As she canvassed the distance from the lounge to her classroom, Rebekah prayed for Elizabeth, for her husband, Richard, as well as Kevin and his two brothers.

  Please, Lord, let her be okay.

  “What’s wrong, Beck?” Hannah whispered when she returned to the classroom. At least the kids were quiet and trauma-free for the moment.

  “Kevin’s mom is in the hospital with severe chest pains. She’s had one heart attack before and I’m worried.”

  “Then go. I can take care of things the rest of the day.”

  Rebekah hoped her glance conveyed her gratitude. “Let me check with Betty and explain the situation since I’m not sure what’s protocol. Are you sure you want to tackle this crew? They’re acting a little wild today.”

  “I think the other incidents scared them a little and they’ve been pretty quiet,” Hannah told her. “You won’t be able to concentrate so you should go. Talk to Betty, but rest assured someone will cover for you. The kids will be just fine.”

  “Thanks, Hannah. This is why you’ll make such a great teacher. I’ll have my cell so please call if you need anything.”

  ~~**~~

  Arriving at the county hospital a short time later, Rebekah learned Elizabeth was transported by ambulance earlier in the day to a Baton Rouge hospital another twenty minutes away. Not hesitating, she hopped back in her Camry and took off again. A half-hour later, she walked into the main lobby of the hospital. No one sat behind the information desk. As if drawn to him, she spied Kevin in one corner of the lobby, his dark head bowed, deep in conversation with another man. Sam.