Donuts & Daydreams

by Elizabeth Maddrey

  “You sure?” Jonah glanced at his brothers.

  Malachi nodded.

  “Thanks, guys. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you more about leaving. I wasn’t as serious about it as it seemed. I was just—”

  “Running away?” Micah sipped his coffee.

  That wasn’t how Jonah would’ve phrased it, but maybe the shoe fit better than he was willing to admit. “Yeah, okay.”

  “I’m glad you figured it out before you did something stupid.” Micah grinned.

  Malachi laughed. “Can we get back to work now?”

  “Yeah. Go. I need to call Morgan and tell her we’re set. I may start trying to hop over there as soon as next week. It’d be good to have some transition while she’s still around.”

  “Keep us posted, we’ll figure it out. Right now, Serena doesn’t have any idea when filming is going to start. There was some kind of hiccup that had her on the phone with her agent for hours yesterday. At this point, I’m beginning to wonder if she wouldn’t be better walking.”

  “She turning down other offers?” Jonah stuffed the last bit of his cookie into his mouth. They were a little dry. He’d work on that.

  “Not yet. But since she’s been clear that she’s only doing one a year, I suspect her agent is nixing stuff before even showing it to her. I don’t want her to miss out on something she’d really enjoy because of hassles with this project.”

  Jonah laughed. “Listen to you, all Mr. Hollywood.”

  Micah rolled his eyes. “I just want her to be happy.”

  “I suspect she’s good there. She has you.” Jonah’s gaze flitted over to the vase of flowers by the cash register. Could he really have that with Gloria?

  “Call Morgan. Then call Gloria. Maybe the two of you should sample the cuisine at L’Aubergine before you take over.”

  Jonah nodded slowly. “I like the way you think.”

  * * *

  Jonah smoothed a hand down his tie and tried not to frown. How had he not known these apartment buildings were here? And that they were so...ramshackle. That was the only word that came to mind. Why did Gloria still live here? Surely she made enough to get one of the little houses in town, like the one Ursula and Mal lived in. Ursula had bought it on her own long before she and Malachi met. Maybe Gloria just liked the convenience?

  The butterflies in his stomach were practicing for some sort of dance competition. As many times as he’d asked Gloria out over the last two years, he hadn’t expected nerves when she finally said yes.

  He grabbed the half-dozen roses from Blossoms by the Akers off his passenger seat and crossed the parking lot, making his way to Gloria’s apartment. He knocked on the door and held his breath.

  Gloria opened the door. “Hi.”

  She was wearing a dress. It was a simple, short-sleeved black dress, but it hugged her curves in all the right places and stopped just north of her knees. Jonah snapped his mouth shut and swallowed. “You look...wow. Um. These are for you.”

  Gloria took the roses, her cheeks pinking as she buried her nose in them. “Thanks. Want to come in for a minute while I put them in water?”

  He followed her through the door and stopped. The living room and kitchen were fully visible from the entry. A little hall poked off to the right leading, no doubt, to her bedroom and the bath. It was a straightforward apartment, not unlike the one he’d had in D.C. Although his apartment there had been in better shape. Housing prices there were such that run down generally wasn’t allowed to happen.

  “There.” Gloria set the roses, now in a tall vase, in the center of her kitchen table. “Ready?”

  Jonah nodded and held out his hand.

  She studied it a moment before slipping her hand into his with a smile and grabbing a little clutch purse and teal wrap from a tiny table by the door.

  He tried to ignore the electricity fizzling up his arm and his scrambling heartbeat. “Have you eaten at L’Aubergine before?”

  “Sure. Sometimes the higher ups will have a gift card that they give out for good work. I’ve won a few times. And Felipe and Constance have taken me and a small group out on their anniversary. They always say it’s more fun to celebrate with friends than alone.”

  Jonah chuckled. “I’m not sure I’d agree with that.”

  “Right? Maybe when you’ve been married as long as they have it’s different. I’d think any night you can get a sitter and get out of the house is a good one though.” She shrugged.

  Jonah held the car door for her before zipping around to his side. There was a vague element of disbelief that hovered on the fringes of his mind. He glanced over. No, it wasn’t a dream. Gloria was really sitting there, waiting for him to start the car. “I’m glad you were free tonight.”

  Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “I’m glad you called. I have to admit, I thought it might take longer.”

  “What would take longer?”

  “Getting you to realize it’d be okay to ask me out again. I have another two weeks’ worth of plans. And even then, I thought I might have to ask you.”

  He put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot. What was he supposed to say to that? “I didn’t want to rush you. After a break up...”

  “And I appreciate that. I do. But Jonah? Frank and I were over so long ago. If you’d showed up the first two or three years I was here, then, sure, I wouldn’t have been ready. But I made peace with the end of my marriage a long time ago.”

  “Not enough to actually do the ending though.”

  Gloria winced. “Ouch. Though I suppose that’s a fair point. I never had peace about being the one to initiate it. I prayed about it so many times and felt like the answer was always to just wait. I don’t know why. Especially when there was no miraculous restoration. When you did show up and I realized I was falling for you, it gave me some hard moments. What kind of person falls in love with another man when she’s still married? Even if the marriage is just a technicality?”

  In love? He risked a glance at her before pinning his eyes back on the road. Did she realize what she’d said? “It’s tricky, to be sure. I had similar questions in December.”

  “I imagine you did. I’m sorry to have put you in that position.”

  “You didn’t. You never did anything untoward or out of line for someone who was married. I read a lot of things as more than friendship when you clearly hadn’t meant them that way. I’m glad, at the end of the day, that we ended up with a solid friendship anyway.”

  It was a good foundation to build more on. His parents had always stressed the importance of friendship with your spouse. That was one of the things he and Gloria had that Jonah had never really had with someone he dated. Now they had time. Even if Gloria was hinting that she didn’t need it—he wanted to give her time to heal. To be sure she was over everything. He could take it slow.

  “Maybe.” She sighed and looked out the window. “I just pray that somehow God will use this whole situation to bring Frank to faith in Jesus.”

  Jonah nodded and pulled into the parking lot at L’Aubergine. “I’ll pray for that, too. As long as it doesn’t mean you’d want him back?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not in love with him anymore. I’m not sure what we had was ever more than hormones and proximity.”

  “Okay.” He glanced at the restaurant, admiring the quiet, cozy feel that even the parking area exuded. “Ready to go in?”

  “Absolutely. I’m surprised you got a reservation so easily at short notice.”

  He smiled, taking her hand in his again. Nothing had ever felt so right before. He sent up a quick prayer of thanks. “That’s an interesting story. Why don’t I tell you over dinner?”

  16

  “Tell me all about it, don’t skimp on the details.” Serena grabbed Gloria’s arm and pulled her out of the line at The Beanery.

  “Am I booking you for assaulting an officer now?” Gloria glanced longingly at the line which would, eventually, get her coffee. C
offee that she needed desperately if she was going to make it through the Saturday shift that got sprung on her at 6 a.m. when Miller called in sick. Coffee she needed now, which was why she’d stopped at The Beanery rather than crossing town to visit the bakery.

  “Cranky. Hmm. That’s not a good sign. The date wasn’t good?”

  Gloria groaned. “The date was fine. I need coffee. And I’m on duty. How’d you find me, anyway?”

  “Seriously? It’s not hard. I called your cell, it went to voicemail so I knew you were on duty. Then I just had to look for a cruiser. Cause you’re the only one who routinely visits the shops while serving and protecting.”

  “No, I’m not. Everyone stops in when they’re on patrol.” She sighed. “Can I please get my coffee? Then I promise you I’ll tell you all about dinner with Jonah.”

  “Fine. I’ll grab a table.”

  Gloria walked to the back of the line. She’d be three people closer to glorious caffeine if Serena hadn’t grabbed her. Throw in that she wasn’t sure she wanted to spill all the details of her date with Jonah. It was still a warm memory that she could pull out and replay just for herself. Would sharing it with Serena make it lose that shivery edge? She inched forward. It was too late to weasel out of it, most likely, and that was adding to the general grumpiness of her sleep-deprived morning.

  When she finally had her coffee in hand, she found Serena and sat. “Why didn’t you get something?”

  “I had some at home. Come on. Details. Was it everything you hoped it would be?”

  Gloria hadn’t had any particularly huge expectations. “I don’t even know what that means. It was nice.”

  “Nice? That’s all I’m getting?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know how to do this girl gushing thing, okay? He picked me up, looking even more amazing than usual in a tie and sport coat. We ate at L’Aubergine which, as you know, is always an incredible experience. And for the first time since probably August, nothing was stilted or weird between us.”

  “Did he kiss you good night?”

  Gloria shook her head, frowning. “It was our first date.”

  “After three years! You two are going to be sixty by the time you get around to getting married.”

  “He held my hand.”

  Serena angled her head to the side, her eyes lighting up. “Ah ha. So there were sparks.”

  “You knew there would be. I’m not sure he’s convinced he’s ready for sparks. Or he’s not convinced I’m ready for them. Something was holding him back.” It had been the only tiny damper on the evening. As much as she’d like to say she wouldn’t have kissed him on the first date, the reality is she probably would’ve. Happily. “So I’ll keep on with the plan. Clearly it’s working.”

  “That’s it?”

  Gloria sipped her coffee. “What do you want me to say? Am I glad he asked me out? Absolutely. Did it go well? Yep. Do I think we’ll go out again? I hope so, but I’m not sure.”

  “Okay, sorry. I had this vague idea that he’d sweep you off your feet. I forgot for a moment that you’re not someone who’s willing to be swept.”

  Gloria frowned. That wasn’t true. Just because she wasn’t the girliest woman on the planet didn’t mean she didn’t want to have romance. “I should get going.”

  “Tell me one more thing?”

  She sighed and scooted out her chair. “What?”

  “What’d you wear?”

  “It was L’Aubergine. I wore a dress.”

  Serena’s eyebrows lifted. “You?”

  “It’s been known to happen. I’m sorry my date was a disappointment to you. I’ll see you later. I need to roll.”

  “Gloria.”

  Gloria shook her head and strode from the shop. Serena meant well. She probably didn’t even realize how insulting the whole conversation was. Well, maybe she’d gotten the picture when Gloria walked out. It would be nice to be able to share stuff like that with friends. Maybe something in her was missing? Did it all tie back to not being as girly as it seemed like other females were? At least it hadn’t ruined her memory of the date. She could still savor the evening and call up the sensation of Jonah’s hand in hers.

  That brought a smile to her lips. Hopefully that was an experience she’d get to repeat sometime very soon.

  * * *

  Gloria hovered in the doorway of the sanctuary. She didn’t normally sit with the Baxters. Was it presumptuous to think Jonah would want her to today? It wasn’t like they hadn’t offered before, but making it to church on time was an iffy proposition for her. It was better to plan on slipping in the back when she could make it. She should just grab her usual spot and—

  “Hey, you made it.” Jonah’s hand glided down her arm from elbow to wrist leaving shivers in its wake. “I wasn’t sure if you’d have to work today or what. I planned to call you after and see if you could at least swing by the house for lunch with everyone.”

  Everyone. For a moment there, Gloria had glimpsed a quiet lunch at his house, just the two of them. Of course, the Baxters always ate lunch as a family. It was one of the things she loved about them as a clan. “I traded shifts. I’ve got a double later this week, but I wanted to see you.”

  The smile bloomed slowly on Jonah’s face and he slipped his hand in hers. “I know how that feels. Come on, we should get a seat.”

  Gloria followed as he tugged gently on her hand. Malachi and Ursula grinned and scooted down a little to make room. It was still weird not to see Corban and Ruth sitting with the family. She leaned closer and whispered in Jonah’s ear, “Any word on when Ruth and Corban will be home?”

  He nodded. “Maybe two weeks. At this point, they’re just waiting on weight gain. Once he’s closer to what his birth weight would likely have been, he should be able to regulate his temperature outside the incubator. That’s the last major milestone they’re waiting on.”

  That was good news. Gloria opened her mouth to speak, but the band got into place up front and invited everyone to stand for worship.

  Her gaze kept drifting to Jonah next to her as they sang. It was always an experience to watch him at church. Not that she’d made a study of it. At all. He had a way of losing himself in his singing, and even though his hands stayed at his sides, he looked as though he should have them raised in the air with abandon. Had she ever worshipped like that? Maybe. There was a little part of her that wondered how much she held back from God the way she tried to hold pieces of her heart back from the people she loved. But if she didn’t give them her whole heart, they couldn’t destroy her completely. Wasn’t self-preservation allowed?

  As the singing continued, Gloria’s eyes filled. She blinked back the tears as God broke through the last walls around her heart. Self-preservation might work well in the short term, but long term? Long term required surrender. If she was going to have the relationship she craved with Jonah—or with God—she needed to choose to trust. Trusting Jonah was easy. Trusting God was harder. She’d paid lip service to that trust for a number of years. Now it was time to fully surrender.

  The rest of the service passed in a blur. Gloria’s thoughts were scattered. Somewhere during the sermon, Jonah had inched his hand over and closed his fingers around hers. The contact was a quiet, solid anchor to the present.

  When the benediction was finished and quiet piano music started up, Jonah turned, curiosity written in his features. “You all right?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  “You’ll come for lunch?”

  Something in Gloria’s chest loosened. “I’d like that.”

  He grinned. “Great. See you soon?”

  “Absolutely.”

  It took several minutes to work her way out of the sanctuary. It seemed like everyone wanted to stop and chat today. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the Baxters had managed a cleaner escape. Ah well, that just meant lunch was more likely to be ready when she arrived. Finally, she extricated herself from the friendly overtures that, today, seemed overbearing and unwa
rranted, and made her way to Jonah’s.

  At the front door, she paused. Should she knock or had she moved past that somehow? Spock smiled at her from the foyer, his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth. That was enough invitation. Gloria slipped through the screen door and paused to scrub the faithful dog’s head before making her way into the living room.

  Malachi and Ursula stood facing one another in front of the fireplace, their hands moving at lightning speed. From Ursula’s stony expression, their conversation wasn’t a pleasant one. Should she...uh oh. Malachi glanced in her direction and froze, his glare slowly morphing into a strained smile.

  “Everyone’s in the kitchen. You can go on back.”

  Ursula crossed her arms. “Or you can tell Mal he’s being an idiot.”

  Whoa. Definitely not getting involved in a fight between married people. Gloria held up her hands and backed up. “I’ll just be going.”

  “Coward.” Ursula hurled the word at her.

  “You know it, sister,” Gloria muttered under her breath as she backtracked into the kitchen.

  Micah and Serena were moving dishes to the table after Jonah filled them.

  “Hey. How can I help?” Gloria fought the urge to reach out and brush Jonah’s arm—anything that would return that pleasant sense of belonging she’d had in church that Malachi and Ursula had shattered.

  “They still fighting?” Jonah jerked his head toward the living room.

  “Yeah.”

  Micah shook his head. “Maybe we should—”

  “Oh, no, we shouldn’t.” Serena reached for Micah’s hand. “They’re adults. Married adults. They’ll figure it out.”

  “I take it nobody knows what the problem is?” Gloria reached for the bowl of salad Jonah grabbed out of the refrigerator.

  “Nope.” Jonah shrugged. “After you get that on the table, would you prop the tablet up against the chair at the end of the table?”

  Gloria’s eyebrows lifted. “Sure.”