Poor girl. He knew what it was like to have to leave a place you loved. At least he still had family.
He gently closed the door then walked down the hall. Evangeline was wiping the counter when he got to the kitchen.
“Ella go down okay?” she asked.
“Out like a light.”
“I’m so glad she’s sleeping better. Those teeth were really bothering her.”
He nodded then smiled again as she rinsed out the cloth and hung it over the divider between the sinks.
He propped his shoulder against the door frame. He watched her working a moment, letting the thoughts that had roamed around the edges of his mind get closer to the foreground. Did he dare think something was building between them? Did he dare bring her into his life?
She dried her hands then turned to him. “So, did you want coffee or anything like that?”
He shook his head then angled his chin toward the living room. “I got the movie ready to go.”
She waited for him to lead the way.
He had turned off all but one light and angled the love seat so it faced the television, an unspoken invitation for Evangeline to join him there. Thankfully she got the message and as he sat, she sank onto the seat beside him.
He hit the remote, laid it down and then, as easy as anything, slipped his arm across her shoulders. She sat still a moment, as if debating with herself what to do, then, thankfully, leaned against him.
A sense of fulfillment he hadn’t felt in years slipped over him as the music began and the introductory credits flashed on the screen.
He looked over at Evangeline, surprised to see her looking at him instead of at the television.
“Aren’t you watching the movie?” he asked.
“Aren’t you?” she countered.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, the light from the screen flashing over her features. “I like it when you wear your hair loose like this,” he murmured.
She smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He dragged his attention back to the movie but couldn’t look away.
Evangeline was far more interesting to him, at this moment, than Sandra Bullock’s adventures.
“I want to kiss you again,” he said.
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
He let his fingers linger on her face, stroking her cheek gently, feeling guilty at the roughness of his fingers on the delicate softness of her skin.
“Warning you? Giving you a chance to stop me?”
Evangeline reached up and clasped her hand around his wrist, then turned her face into the palm of his hand, pressing her own kiss to it.
Denny’s heart thudded heavily and began racing.
“I know we agreed to take our time, but I think we both know what’s happening here,” she said quietly, holding his hand against her cheek.
“Why don’t you tell me?” he prompted.
Evangeline gave him a coy smile. “Why don’t you?”
“I have a better idea.” He bent closer, catching her lips in a gentle kiss followed by another, then another.
Her gentle response erased his misgivings. Created a sense of rightness and belonging. He cupped her face, his fingers caressing her cheek. “You light up my life, you know.”
She gave him a careful smile, as if she hardly dared believe what he said. “Is this really happening? You and me.”
He released a gentle sigh. “I hope so. I know I like being with you.”
“I like being with you, too.” She laid her head in the crook of his neck, her hand catching his and clinging to it. “We’re missing the movie,” she said.
“Then we’d better pay attention. I don’t want to waste my money, after all.”
She chuckled and nestled against him, her eyes on the television.
But as the movie played, he couldn’t concentrate on the story line. He could only think of Evangeline lying in his arms and wondered if he dared make plans beyond this evening.
When the final credits rolled, he picked up the remote and clicked the television off.
“Thanks for the movie,” Evangeline said, pulling away from him. “That was fun.”
She sounded like a junior high school girl thanking her date.
“It was okay,” Denny returned with a grin. “I think next time we should do the Three Stooges, though. I might actually pay attention.”
Even in the dim light he could see her blush. He found it utterly beguiling. A woman who blushed.
“I should go,” she said, slowly getting to her feet. “That alarm clock rings early in the morning.”
Denny stood, as well, shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans as he walked her to the door.
“Will you be bringing Ella to the store tomorrow?” she asked.
Denny shook his head as he held the door of the porch open for her. “I won’t be working tomorrow. My truck broke down when the new guy was driving it.”
When Carlos had called him with more truck trouble, he couldn’t help feeling frustrated. Every minute counted with contract work.
But, somehow, it didn’t bother him as much as it would have another time.
“So you won’t need me then?” she asked as they walked in the cool of the evening to her car.
The sun had slipped behind the mountains, but it wasn’t fully dark yet. And in the gathering dusk he easily read her expression.
Was she disappointed?
Denny gave her a slow smile. “Not to babysit, but if you want to stop by tomorrow again, that would be great. Only if you’re not busy or if you have no other plans.”
“I’d love to come by.”
“Great. That would be great.”
He hesitated, wondering if he should kiss her again. Then thought, why not? She hadn’t objected the last time.
So he bent his head, brushed his lips over hers and slowly pulled back.
“See you tomorrow,” she said, then ducked into her car and drove away.
Denny watched the taillights of her car go down the driveway, then flash as she braked before turning off onto the road.
He looked up into the sky.
“Am I doing the right thing?” he said aloud, his question a prayer. “Am I moving too quickly?”
He waited, but no answer floated down from above. He trudged back to his house, but even though he hadn’t received any direction, he couldn’t shake the feeling that what was happening between him and Evangeline was right.
* * *
Evangeline parked her car in her usual spot behind the bookstore and turned the engine off. In the quiet that followed, the only sound she heard was the far-off plaintive sound of a train’s horn echoing through the valley.
The melancholy sound was at odds with the excitement thrumming through her.
Denny had kissed her again. She had kissed him back.
She reached her hand up to her lips as if to check for evidence of Denny’s kiss. Then she smiled.
It was real. As was her reaction to him. Her heart felt like bursting and her mind spun with thoughts of him.
She got out of the car, suddenly restless, needing to talk to someone. She looked up at the apartment above the flower shop beside hers.
A light was still on. Mia was still awake.
She hesitated, knowing how much Mia valued her quiet once she got all her kids into bed.
And yet...
Evangeline turned and climbed the wooden stairs at the back of the building leading to the outside entrance to Mia’s apartment. She knocked on the door, lightly, in case Mia had left the light on and was in bed herself.
The door opened almost right away.
“Hey,” Mia said, stepping back as she opened the door fur
ther. “Come on in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Kids are down for the count. Renee took the boys swimming after supper and the twins didn’t nap this afternoon, so everyone’s tired.”
Including you, thought Evangeline, concerned about the shadows under her friend’s eyes.
“You’re not just being polite?” Evangeline hesitated, not wanting to intrude.
“Please. I’m getting tired of my own company.” Mia waved her in and then strode to the sink and filled the kettle with water. “Tea or hot chocolate?” she asked as she pulled a couple of mugs from her cupboard.
“Tea sounds good,” Evangeline said, sitting at the table.
“So, where were you so late?” Mia asked, shooting Evangeline a mischievous look over her shoulder as she dropped the tea bags into the mugs.
“At the ranch.”
“Was Ella fussy?”
“No. We...that is, me and Denny...we watched a movie.”
“Sounds like fun,” Mia said, taking out some cookies and setting them on a plate. “Which movie?”
Evangeline bit her lip, suddenly unable to remember.
“Right.” Mia picked up an overflowing laundry basket from the table and set it aside.
“Do you want help with that?” Evangeline asked, gathering up the storybooks scattered on the table, as well.
“No. It will keep.” Mia grinned, set the cookies on the table and leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle. “So. You and Denny. Did he kiss you? Did you like it?”
“Mia,” Evangeline scolded, feeling her cheeks warm again.
“I think you’re the only person I know who still blushes,” Mia teased as she turned off the kettle and poured the boiling water into their mugs. “So delightfully old-fashioned.”
Evangeline’s only response was a quick shrug as Mia brought the mugs to the table.
“So, what brings you to my humble home?” Mia asked, dropping into her chair with a sigh. “You want to indulge in some of our usual girlie talk? Dissect the nuances of your conversations with him? What you said and what he said and what it may or may not have meant? How he smiled and what it made you feel like?”
Evangeline laughed at her friend’s recitation of the things she’d often discussed with Mia when they were growing up.
Mia’s eyes flashed with curiosity. “Is he a good kisser? Does he close his eyes? Put his hand on your shoulder or your cheek?”
“You sound like an investigative reporter.”
“I was hoping I sounded like a police detective,” Mia said. “Just finished reading our book club book and I’m still deep in the heroine’s point of view.”
“Any good?”
“I suppose you’ve been too busy with Mr. Norquest and his little baby girl to read it.”
“I have.” Evangeline sighed lightly. “And I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing.”
“So what’s wrong with it?”
Evangeline stirred some honey into her tea, staring down at the amber liquid in her cup, trying to put words to the thoughts crowding her brain. “I don’t think anything is. And that’s the problem.”
Mia held up her hand. “Whoa. Stop there. You lost me.”
Evangeline took a sip of her tea and looked through the rising steam at her friend. She cradled her cup and shrugged. “I really like him. I’m fairly sure he likes me.”
“He kissed you. I think you’re beyond fairly sure.”
“That’s the trouble. I’m scared to think past that.”
Mia chewed her lower lip. “Is this about Tyler?”
“And my previous boyfriend, Dave, and my father.” Evangeline ran her finger along the edge of her mug, her concerns taking form. “It’s like I keep latching my hopes on to the wrong person. And I’m afraid I’m doing the same thing with Denny.”
“So you don’t trust your judgment anymore.”
Evangeline released a harsh laugh. “Not at all.”
“Let’s analyze this. Your other boyfriend, whatzis name, was a good-looking, suave kind of guy who had that tall, blond, Greek-god thing going for him. Tyler? Ditto.” Mia ticked off her previous boyfriends’ attributes on her fingers. “They were your typical hero type. Successful in their field. Had money. Always dressed well. Neat and tidy life. But, basically, louses. Now there’s Denny. Tall, yes, but dark. A bit scruffy. Drives a gravel truck. Had a kid dumped on his doorstep. A kid he never even knew about. Not the kind of hero you usually are drawn to.”
“You make me sound superficial,” Evangeline protested.
Mia shook her head. “Not superficial at all. Maybe just looking for love in the wrong place.”
“And you think Denny is the right place? In many ways he reminds me of my father. Who, if you want to get analytical and psychological, was the first man who let me down.”
Mia was quiet a moment. “Maybe in some ways he’s like your dad. He drives a truck. He’s a single dad. But I think there’s a big difference. I hear you talk about him, how he is with Ella. Some of the sacrifices he’s made for her.” She released a short laugh, holding a bitter edge. “I think he’s the real deal.”
Evangeline pressed her lips together, then looked up at her friend. “But his life seems so...messy. I’m not holding it against him, but his divorce bothers me. I’m not narrow-minded about it, but it is part of his past.”
“Ask him about it if you think it’s a barrier.”
“It’s more of a concern. But you’re right. I need to talk to him.”
Mia’s expression grew serious. “Everyone’s life is messy. Neat and tidy only comes at the end of the story. You’re in the middle of your own story and you can’t see the end. Which is a good thing. I never pictured myself a single mother with four kids living above a flower shop, working my fingers to the bone, and no sign of a tidy ending. We keep going and hope and pray we make more good decisions than bad ones.”
“I’ve made enough bad decisions in my life,” Evangeline said.
“Haven’t we all.” Mia reached over and squeezed her friend’s arm. “I know you gave Renee some good advice when she was struggling with what to do about Zach. You told her she deserved some happiness. Maybe you do, too. But maybe you need to adjust your idea of what that happiness should look like.” She squeezed her arm again. “You like Denny. I know you do. I see your face light up when you talk about him like I never saw when you were dating Tyler. I think you went out with Tyler and Dave because they seemed an obvious fit. The hero you’d been looking for. The complete opposite of your father. Stable. Solid. Predictable. But when I hear you talk about Denny, I see a joy and spark I’ve never seen in you before.”
Evangeline sat straighter, as if a burden of confusion had slipped off her shoulders.
“Can we do something we don’t often do?” Mia asked, holding her friend’s hand. “Can we pray together? I know your faith has been shaky of late, but I know I depend so heavily on God, maybe you need to, as well.”
Evangeline gave her friend a thankful smile. “You’re right. I do need to do that.”
“Then let’s pray,” Mia said, reaching across the table and taking Evangeline’s other hand in hers. Then she bowed her head.
“Dear Lord,” she prayed. “Evangeline is so confused right now. Help her to know that You understand her seeking for order in the mess of our lives. Help her to cling to You, our rock and refuge in the turbulent times of our lives. The only wise God and Father. Help us all to trust in You, our God who holds us all in the palm of Your hands. Who will be beside and behind and before us in the decisions of our lives.”
Evangeline let the prayer settle on her soul. God was her solid foundation. The Father she could trust in. Then she looked up at her friend and smiled. “Thanks, Mia. I knew I could count on your wisdom.”
> “Not so much wisdom,” she said, shooting a glance around the cramped apartment. “Or else I wouldn’t have ended up here.” Her smile negated her morose tone. “Life is messy. But we have to muddle on as best we can and trust that if we make our decisions prayerfully, then God will guide us through them.”
“Thanks, my friend.” Evangeline glanced at the clock. “And I better go. You’ll be up early tomorrow, I imagine. Kids have a way of keeping their own time.”
“And you should know,” Mia said. “But I’ll keep praying for you. And give the guy a chance. I think he’s gold.”
Evangeline gave her friend a quick hug. “Thanks, Mia. You’re a blessing.”
She left the apartment feeling more confident, more certain she was moving in the right direction with Denny.
Chapter Eleven
“No, honey, don’t eat that.” Evangeline carefully pulled Ella’s hand away from her mouth, chuckling at the dirt rimming her button mouth. Ella protested, clutching the stem of a weed that she waved around.
“Aren’t kids supposed to eat a certain amount of fiber?” Denny grunted, pushing the shovel into the ground with his boot.
“Not before it’s turned into carrots or vegetables,” Evangeline said with a laugh as she extricated the weed from Ella’s hand. Ella pouted but clambered to her feet and toddled off the blanket Evangeline had laid out for her to sit on. She was headed toward Denny, who was turning over the clump of dirt he had just dug up.
Evangeline wiped her hands on her pants, giving up on keeping her lemon-yellow capris clean. Ditto the white silk tank top with its beaded neckline.
When she found out what Denny had planned for the day she had removed her leather sandals and tied her hair back with the yellow-and-green scarf she had draped around her neck this morning and pitched in.
The pants were now liberally streaked with dirt as was the tank top. Sweat dripped down her temples and into her hair, but she didn’t care.
Denny was working up her mother’s flower beds. They were such a tangle of weeds and perennials, it was difficult to say where one ended and the other began. But Denny was slowly bringing order to the chaos.
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