Summer's Belle

by Paige Winship Dooly

“It’ll come to you. Read over the information in the folder, give it some thought, and I’m sure you’ll have a great plan ready for us.”

  “I think you’re giving me too much credit. I don’t even know what the festival is. This is the first I’ve heard about it.”

  “The church puts on a festival every summer, centered around the Fourth of July,” Matt intervened. Caleb kept glancing out the window that looked into the gymnasium. His daughter’s actions were obviously distracting him.

  “I’ll be right back.” Caleb moved out of the small cubicle with purpose.

  “Poor girl,” Brit muttered.

  “Why do you say that?” Matt glanced over his shoulder and saw Sailor snuggle closer to her boyfriend. “Caleb made a statement, and she’s not listening.”

  “I know, but she doesn’t seem to be too happy to be here. It must be hard to have your father as the youth pastor, watching your every move.”

  “I suppose that’s true in a way, but Caleb’s a single dad and tries to do his best.”

  “What happened to her mom?”

  “Cancer. They lost her a couple of years ago.”

  “Oh. That’s rough. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken my thoughts out loud like I did.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know. But Caleb loves her like crazy and tries to keep her busy while he has to work. There are worse situations she could be in.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Brit said under her breath.

  Matt wished he could take the comment back. “Now it’s my turn to say I’m sorry.”

  Brit laughed. “No worries. We all have our burdens to bear, don’t we?”

  Matt wasn’t sure his burdens were anything like the ones Brit lugged around, but she seemed to want to change the subject, so Matt went along with it.

  “About that festival. . .”

  “We’ve had the festival for five years now. The first year we requested cash or food donations to stock up the church pantry for the new food-ministry outreach. The year after that we asked for clothing donations for the church’s clothing ministry. Year three we raised funds for a back-to-school backpack program. We basically supplied their school supplies, new shoes, and a few outfits for each child who had a need.”

  “That’s really nice. I think my siblings benefited from a program like that at various points in their lives.”

  “It is nice.” Matt smiled. “Last year we did a Christmas outreach for the needy. We bought everything they’d need for a nice Christmas dinner. We also supplied Christmas gifts and gift cards. Though the ministries have been different each year, they’ve been interconnected in ways, too. We usually see the same families for each event.”

  “And now we’re moving into year five, and I need to come up with the idea?”

  “Right.”

  “Does the festival itself have a theme?”

  “Yes. This year we’re doing Memories of Summers Past. Everyone will wear old-fashioned clothing.”

  “Everyone?” Brit sounded incredulous.

  “Pretty much.”

  “I have no idea what I’d wear to something like that. I suppose there’s a good chance I’ll be on my way out of here by then anyhow. I’ll help put the plans in motion, and I’ll be on my way.”

  Matt chuckled. “Sorry, sweetheart, that isn’t how this works.”

  “That isn’t how what works?”

  “You’ve been assigned the task of seeing this through. The final touches to the pregnancy center and the fund-raiser are yours to plan and follow through.”

  “Did I forget to read the small print?” Brit’s smirk softened her sarcasm.

  “It appears you did.”

  “Then I suppose I’ll just have to make the best of things.”

  Matt figured she’d make the best of things for everyone. Her uplifting personality seemed to affect everyone they’d met so far.

  Caleb reentered the room. “Did you get everything explained to you Britney?”

  “Call me Brit, please.”

  “Brit it is. Did Matt go over all the details? Do you have any questions or comments?”

  “Not at this time.” Brit moved to stand, and Matt followed suit.

  “I’m here if you need me. My number’s on the front of that file folder. Call anytime.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  They exited into the noisy gym, Brit in the lead. Matt noticed she glanced around and her gaze settled on Sailor. The girl sat alone but kept her eyes trained on her boyfriend, who had joined the basketball game. Matt knew Caleb was behind that recommendation.

  “Matt, think fast!” The basketball torpedoed Matt’s way, and he hurried to snatch it before it could hit Brit. He ran toward the goal at the other end of the court and did a hook shot. The ball swished through the center of the net.

  Matt played a couple more rounds before bowing out with a promise to play again soon.

  “You did pretty well out there,” Brit said as they walked out into the late-morning sun. “Did you play on a team?”

  Matt beamed. “I started in elementary school and continued all the way to my senior year.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “You should be. You’re in the company of basketball greatness.”

  “Oh?” Laughter danced in Britney’s brown eyes. “How’s that?”

  “I took our team to state our senior year.”

  “Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “And stated with such modesty. You did that all on your own?”

  He sent her a sheepish grin. “Well, I suppose I had a little help from the team.”

  “Well, all the same, I’m glad you shared that with me. If I’m going to walk in the presence of greatness, it’s only right that I be enlightened.”

  Matt knew there was only One whose presence outshone all others when it came to greatness. Even with Brit’s teasing comment, he felt she knew the same.

  Eleven

  Matt’s large bike gleamed in the late-morning sun. The day had turned balmy, and Britney found herself hoping he’d suggest a longer ride on the way home. She’d love to see more of the lake and the surrounding area, but since he was in charge of her probation, she didn’t feel she had the right to ask such a thing.

  The thought of wanting to see more of the layout of the town made her smile. Her frame of mind had changed completely since they’d left Gram’s house earlier that morning. Most of her apprehension about what the future held had faded as soon as they’d arrived at the church. Matt was warm and kind. Caleb welcomed her like a long-lost friend. Some of the youth had called out to her or waved in greeting as they’d waited for Caleb in his office. The experience felt like a homecoming, though she hadn’t ever been to the town before. She couldn’t help but compare it to her stressful arrival at her home in Atlanta.

  They walked in silence as they approached the black-and-chrome motorcycle. Her thoughts scattered when he stopped and reached for her helmet. The moment felt so right and natural. She noticed details about him she wouldn’t normally think about when it came to other men. The way his hair continued to curl around the collar of his shirt. The way his brown eyes crinkled as he stared at her and then smiled. He handed her the helmet. “Do you need help putting it on this time?”

  “No. I think I can manage.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a part of her wished she’d said yes. If so, he’d have stepped closer, and she would have been momentarily fussed over by this kind and handsome man. His gentle fingers would have brushed against her cheek as he’d fastened the helmet just as they had earlier in the day. She would have felt his quiet strength as he’d adjusted the straps. She would have been able to continue to have ridiculous thoughts like the ones she was having right then.

  She stopped her musings and shook the crazy ideas out of her head. The only thing that would be on his mind as he tried to squish the heavy helmet over her melon head would be why she couldn’t do it herself. Where was the romance in that?

  She donned
the helmet while trying to look as graceful as possible. The maneuver didn’t come easily. After the feat was accomplished, she glanced up at him, hoping he hadn’t been watching.

  He had been. His mouth twisted into a smile of amusement. “Are you about done? For a moment there I wasn’t sure who would win the battle—you or the helmet.”

  So much for graceful.

  “I think it’s too small.” The comment explained everything. Her irrational thoughts whenever Matt was around. Her musings about him and the way she noticed every detail. The tight helmet was squishing all rational thought from Brit’s head and making her think crazy things.

  He reached over and gave the helmet a tug. It wasn’t exactly the romantic gesture she’d been imagining, but it would do. “No, the helmet is a perfect fit. I know it seems small, but it’s supposed to go on tight. Otherwise it would pop right off in the event of an accident and wouldn’t do any good. The whole point is for it to hug your head and protect it.”

  “Oh. I see.” She needed to divert the topic away from her large head. Brit was several hours into her community service. Maybe she’d be able to talk him into putting another dent in her service-hours countdown during the afternoon. She decided to push the topic. “So what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

  She knew Matt might have other plans for his time off. He’d already given up a good chunk of his day to bring her over here to see the church and meet the staff. And he wasn’t the one who’d broken the law. Surely he had better things to do on such a pretty day—a day that was obviously his day off since he hadn’t mentioned work—than to hang out with someone like her. She wouldn’t blame him if he cut the day short now that he’d shown her around.

  He studied her. “How about we hop on the bike, I’ll show you around the rest of the area, and then we can grab a quick bite of lunch. After lunch, I’ll take you over to the center, and we’ll go over the plans from there.”

  Brit couldn’t even begin to hide the large grin that spread across her face. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

  He looked confused. “Which part?”

  “All of it.”

  “Okay then.” He swung his leg across his bike, and a moment later the motor roared to life. He smiled at her and yelled over the commotion, “You gonna stand there and think about it, or are you gonna hop on and ride along?”

  She hurried to hop on. She wrapped her arms around him and realized that this time the action felt more natural. She wrapped her arms around his chest, gripped his shirt, and held tight. The bike roared louder as he accelerated. They moved out of the parking lot and headed away from town. Brit wished everyone back home could see them. For the moment, she felt every bit the new college grad riding off to her future instead of the responsible big sister she’d always seemed to be. God was so good to bring them to this place.

  ❧

  The day continued to be better than anything Brit could have imagined. Her worries about her new position were unfounded. She felt a natural connection with Matt that she hadn’t expected or experienced before. And she actually found herself hoping the passing hours of probation would slow so she could analyze the crazy emotions she felt while in Matt’s company.

  By the end of the day she’d already be 20 percent of the way through her community service. Since she didn’t want her time with Matt to end, she needed to rethink her plan to whip it out in two weeks. If she did, she wouldn’t have an excuse to spend time with Matt for the rest of the summer.

  They circled the large lake, and Brit saw many places she wanted to go back and explore. Some were places she’d love to bring the kids. Others were places she’d love to explore with Matt. There were hiking trails, streams, small waterfalls, old cabins. Everything opposite the trappings of the cement city she’d grown up in.

  The scenic area called to her heart. She longed to make it her home. It was as if God had flipped a switch and her life had suddenly become full color instead of drab black and white that combined into too many gray areas. She didn’t know if it was the fresh lakeside air or Matt that put the kaleidoscope of emotions into her head. Perhaps it was both. She only knew that she wanted to freeze time frame by frame as they pulled the motorcycle into a spot near the small café in the heart of Lullaby.

  The sound of the motor echoed in her head even after Matt shut it down.

  “You’re going to love Mavis’s cooking. I know you have good Southern cooking where you’re from, but Mavis can give any chef or cook a run for their money.”

  Brit smiled. “Sounds good. I can’t wait to taste it for myself. I don’t think I’ve ever been this hungry before.”

  “Me either.”

  “Must be the fresh country air. The day couldn’t be any more beautiful.”

  “I have to agree. The view certainly is beautiful from where I stand.”

  She looked up to find him staring at her. He seemed to be analyzing her, and when he noticed her watching him, he looked as confused about his emotions as she felt.

  He motioned her toward the door, and they entered the cozy café. Brit’s mouth watered as the down-home aromas pulled them in. “I see what you mean! I think I’m gaining weight just smelling Mavis’s cooking.”

  “I’ve never heard it stated quite that way, but I told you so.”

  A waitress entered the room from the kitchen, and her face lit up when she saw Matt. “Hey, I didn’t know you’d be in today! You usually spend your days off on the boat.”

  Brit frowned at the intimacy of her comments. The girl didn’t look a day over seventeen. And while it was none of Brit’s business, the woman-child apparently knew Matt and his schedule quite well. The thought riled her.

  “Is this one of the teens from your youth group, Matt?” The words were out before Brit could think them through. She felt herself flinch.

  “Um.” Matt coughed into his hand. “No, not exactly. Tammy here is Mavis’s daughter. She did attend the youth group, but that was a few years back.”

  “Oh.” That meant Tammy was close to Brit’s age. Brit didn’t know if she should apologize or let the comment stand. From the glare on the other woman’s face, she decided the best thing to do would be to stay quiet. She’d already offended the girl; she didn’t want to make things worse.

  “Why don’t I show the two of you to your table.” Tammy all but hissed the comment at them. It was obvious she’d prefer to show Brit the door.

  “Thanks, Tammy.” Matt placed a hand at the base of Britney’s back and encouraged her to move forward.

  Brit hung back, fearing that the irritated woman would try to trip her or worse.

  “Here ya go. Your usual.” Tammy turned on the charm and was all smiles for Matt, but the warmth evaporated as soon as she made eye contact with Brit. She dropped her eyes to stare at Matt’s hand on Brit’s back, and daggers of hate shot out when she raised them back to Brit’s. She gritted her teeth. “Please, enjoy your meal.”

  She stomped off.

  “I think I offended her.”

  “Probably. Tamara isn’t the friendliest person I’ve ever met.”

  “That’s certainly an understatement.” Brit reached over to pick up one of the menus that Tammy had dropped in front of Matt. “She seemed friendly enough toward you.”

  “She has aspirations.”

  “They aren’t mutual?”

  “No, not at all.” He glanced at Tammy, who stood behind the counter filling glasses with ice water. “I like her well enough, but she and her mother have ideas about me that I have no desire to fulfill.”

  Brit raised her eyebrows in amusement. “Why Matthew Maxwell, did you bring me here to make a point?”

  “Maybe.” He ducked as Brit threw a packet of crackers at him. “But in my defense, I brought you here because they truly do have amazing food.”

  “Fine.”

  “Here’s your water, Matt. Ice cold and with a slice of lemon on the side—just the way you like it.”

  “Thanks, T
ammy.”

  “And here’s some for you.” Tamera plopped Brit’s glass on the table. A lone piece of ice swirled around in the vessel. No lemon adorned the rim.

  “Now, Tammy—”

  Brit stayed Matt with a hand to his forearm. “Thanks, Tammy. You made mine just the way I like it, too. I appreciate your perception.”

  The waitress looked both startled and annoyed. She snapped her gum as she took their orders and then snatched up the menus and hurried toward the kitchen.

  “Wow.” Brit swirled her ice cube and stared into the water. She didn’t have many close friends, but she did try to be nice to everyone who came her way.

  “Yeah, wow.” Matt’s frown continued as Tammy’s retreating form stormed out of sight into the back of the diner.

  “I’m not used to making enemies before I’ve had a chance to make the person a friend.”

  “Don’t sweat it. The issues are all hers. Let her deal with that burden. Obviously she has a bee in her bonnet, and she’s taking it out on you. She needs to walk away from the situation, not try to make it worse.”

  “I agree. You sure she doesn’t have cause to be angry?”

  “Not on my part. I’ve never given her reason to think she has a claim on me. I’ve made it more than clear that I’m not looking for a relationship with her or anyone else.”

  Brit felt like he’d put her in her place. She’d had a great morning with Matt, but it wasn’t like she had aspirations to marry him or anything! They’d only just met.

  It was just as well. Brit needed to focus on her family and finish up her requirements so they could move on if necessary. She didn’t have time for a summer fling, especially with the town Romeo. She decided to change the subject. “You know everything about me. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

  “I wouldn’t say I know everything. There are a lot of things about you that I don’t know. For instance,”—he glanced at the swinging kitchen door—“I didn’t know you could be so direct with your words yet say them so politely when someone is intentionally rude to you.”

  Brit had met her match when it came to dodging questions. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”