“Todd! That’s a wonderful idea. I saw a diner like that in Kansas City once. It was so much fun.” She laughed. “Don’t know how Hannah will take to wearing a pink uniform.”
“Maybe we can come up with something else.” He grinned. “Want to help me make some decisions about the place?”
“I’d love to.”
They spoke quietly while they dined then sat back as their dishes were cleared away.
The other couple had left the patio, so they were alone. Todd leaned forward and took her hands in his. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back. That I’d lost you forever.”
“But you didn’t argue with me about it. You let me decide. Thank you for that.” She blinked back the tears that threatened to escape.
“Only with God’s help. I knew I had to trust Him to lead you. As much as I wanted you back home, I wanted His best for you.”
She nodded. “I’m ashamed to say I didn’t think to pray about it until a couple of days ago. Once I prayed, it wasn’t long before I knew I didn’t want to stay here. As much as I love skating, I finally realized competition wasn’t for me.”
“It looks like we both needed to put our futures in God’s hands.”
“That’s right. We each had a decision to make, but our emotions, and in my case at least, some pride got in the way of my thinking clearly.”
Todd smiled, his eyes crinkling in the way she loved so much. She’d finally admitted to herself that she was in love with him. Even if he didn’t feel the same way, at least she hadn’t lost his friendship.
“I’m just happy we both listened to Him.” He gently squeezed her hand. “And that we’re here having this conversation.”
Carla said a silent amen to that. She looked into his eyes and saw longing there. Could it be he did love her?
“What is it, Todd?” Her heart beat rapidly as she waited.
He took a deep breath. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. Even if you don’t feel the same, I want you to know how I feel.”
“Todd.” She tried to stop the tears, but they rolled down her cheeks. “Oh, Todd.”
“It’s okay.” A dejected look crossed his face. “You don’t need to feel bad about not loving me back. Please don’t cry.”
“Not loving you?” She gave a little laugh that was half cry. “I love you with all my heart.”
The joy that crossed his face matched what was in her heart. He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”
They laughed all the way to his rental car. He opened her door, and she scooted over to the middle. He grinned as he walked around the car and got in.
They drove out of town, and he parked at a rest area with a fantastic view of the mountains.
“Todd, it almost looks like you could reach out and touch them, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” He glanced down at her and smiled, then took her hand, rubbing his thumb across it. A tingling sensation ran up her arm, and she closed her eyes and breathed a sigh. “Todd, you said you thought you’d lost me. I felt the same about you.”
He took a deep breath. “And I thought you’d fallen for that skater.”
She shook her head. “Hardly.”
“And you’ll marry me?” He grinned. “I know you want to get your degree, and I want you to, but after that, will you marry me?”
“Yes, of course I will.”
“Or better still, marry me first, then get your degree.” He grinned. “How does that sound?”
Laughter bubbled up inside her. “Well, it’s established we’re getting married. We can work out the details later.”
“You’re right. Details later. But for now …” He reached in his jacket pocket, and the next thing she knew, he was slipping a ring on her finger. The most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. She smiled. Maybe she’d be the only cousin wearing an engagement ring. A little laugh escaped her lips. There she went again.
He frowned. “You don’t like the ring? I’ll exchange it.”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “It’s the most beautiful ring in the world. I was laughing at myself.”
Her heart beat wildly as he gazed at her. Then their lips met and Carla knew that no Olympic flame could burn brighter, and that Todd was more precious than any gold medal. And helping him turn the Berry Patch into something special? Now that would be true success.
Frances L. Devine grew up in the great state of Texas, where she wrote her first story at the age of nine. She moved to southwest Missouri more than twenty years ago and fell in love with the hills, the fall colors, and Silver Dollar City. Frances has always loved to read, especially cozy mysteries, and considers herself blessed to have the opportunity to write in her favorite genre. She is the mother of seven adult children and has fourteen wonderful grandchildren.
UNRAVELING LOVE
by Cynthia Hickey
Dedication
To God, for never failing to give me story ideas, to my husband and children for their support, and to my grandmothers who instilled the love of quilts in me.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
ROMANS 8:28 NIV
Chapter 1
The 1965 Mustang sputtered, coughed, and died on the side of the road like a chunk of metal roadkill.
Zoe Barnes groaned and banged her forehead on the steering wheel. No. This could not be happening. Not now. She had less than a week until Saturday, the designated day to meet up with her cousins. Less than a week to fulfill Nana’s dying wish.
She pounded the dashboard then swung the door open. No cars passed in either direction. Served her right for taking her ancient rattletrap of a car down the back roads. She thought it’d be easier not dealing with traffic. Now look at her. Stranded in the middle of Nowhere, New Mexico. Her cell phone sat, dripping and unusable, in the car’s console where her soda cup had left a puddle of condensation. Where was a girl’s knight in shining armor when she needed one?
Climbing from the car, she studied the lonely highway stretching toward a gray landscape in one direction and disappearing into the sunset in another. On the horizon loomed mountains she knew Old Suzy would never make it over, and Zoe couldn’t find a way around no matter how many times she studied the map. She hadn’t planned on the car croaking on a straight road.
She popped the hood and stared at the engine. What was she doing? She didn’t have a clue what to look for. Tears sprang into her eyes as she leaned against the car. When she’d attended Nana’s funeral a year ago, she never thought she’d return to Colorado Springs, much less at Nana’s dying wish that the four cousins reunite to piece together a heritage quilt. Fear had struck Zoe with the force of a tornado. Go back home? The place she left with her tail between her legs while she and her mother watched the horizon from the rearview mirror?
Zoe hadn’t been sure she could, even for Nana. She’d learned quilting from Nana, although she was never good enough at it to sew one. But God’s persistent nudging spurred her into pulling the old car out of the garage and heading west. She’d planned a couple of days to sightsee before reuniting with her cousins. But now it didn’t look like the excursion was a good idea.
No help for it, she’d have to start walking. She fingered the tiny diamond ring in her pocket and glanced at the setting sun. Then again, maybe it’d be better to sleep in the car until morning. She didn’t want to get caught on a lonely highway at night.
A coyote howled, its mournful sound drifting across the desert. Zoe shivered and lunged inside the car. Standing outside made her a tempting dinner for a hungry beast. She glanced in the rearview mirror and frowned at the absence of headlights or the setting sun glinting off automobile windows. If she walked, should she head in the direction she wanted to go, or back to the one-horse town she’d passed through last? The coyote howled again. Nope. She’d stay put. Eventually someone would come by, and please, God, let it be a good guy. Or a woman. Yeah,
a woman would be nice.
Horrible visions of atrocities heard on the nightly news flitted through her mind. Stories of women traveling alone who disappeared, never to be heard of again. Why hadn’t she been more careful? She thought of her drowned phone. Her vulnerability at staying in the car scared her, but walking the deserted road frightened her more.
She pulled a nappy, faded Indian blanket from the backseat and draped it across the front of her against the evening chill. Surely, God would send someone to help her. She just needed to wait. Please, God, don’t let it be long.
The sun disappeared and blackness engulfed her. Zoe was tempted to turn on the dome light, but the last thing she needed in addition to whatever was wrong under the Mustang’s hood was a dead battery. She closed her eyes and dreamed of sunny days and how close she was to opening Zoe’s Garden.
After saving and scrimping every available penny, all she needed now was a building. Oklahoma City had plenty of empty spaces for rent. A new city where no one knew her or her mother.
A knock sounded on her window. Her eyes snapped open, and she shrieked before shielding her eyes from a flashlight’s blinding glare. The light clicked off, and a shadowy form took a step back.
Should she open the window? Get out of the car? Her heart pounded, threatening to burst free from its cage. She opted for cracking the car window. “Who are you?”
“Get out of the car, Zoe.”
She gulped. “How do you know my name?” She fought to see through the night and the colored spots floating in front of her eyes. “If you’re the police, I need to see your badge. If you’re not the police, I want to see some identification.”
The stranger slid a driver’s license through the small slit in the open window. Zoe stared at the picture of the boy, now a man, who had haunted her dreams for the last twelve years. Dewayne Hofford.
“Do you need help? I noticed the hood’s up.” Footsteps crunched to the front of the car.
With a quick prayer for strength, Zoe opened the door and slid out, keeping the blanket tight around her. With slow steps, she joined the man studying her engine. He straightened and turned. Zoe’s knees weakened. “Hello, Dewayne.”
The last person Dewayne expected to see outlined in his flashlight’s beam was Zoe Barnes, the girl who ditched him the night of high school graduation. He’d been tempted to leave her stranded, but the sight of her pretty face, peaceful in slumber, changed his mind. “One and the same. Didn’t expect to see you out here.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” From the surprised tone in her voice, he didn’t have a hard time imagining the look of astonishment on her face.
He wished he could see her better. See whether her eyes were filled with gladness to see him or guilt over the way she’d left him waiting at the park with a picnic basket on an old quilt and a little velvet box in his pocket.
“Do you know what’s wrong with it?” Zoe stepped closer, and Dewayne closed his eyes as her familiar perfume, something floral and musky, teased his nostrils.
“What did it do before it died?”
“Steam came from beneath the hood and it clunked. Then stopped.”
“There isn’t much I can do in the dark. Where are you headed?”
“Colorado Springs.”
She was going home? He wanted to ask why, and decided it would be better if he didn’t know. He’d help her get back on the road, and then walk away. That was the best way to protect his heart. “Where have you been all this time?”
“Oklahoma.”
Obviously she was going to be stingy with information. “I can give you a ride back to Mesquite and take a look at it in the morning.”
She sighed. “Is that the little town about twenty miles back? Do they even have a hotel?”
“If you want to call it that. They have one small motel with eight rooms. I’m sure they’ll have a vacancy.” He reached up and closed the hood then marched to his tow truck. “Grab your suitcase,” he tossed over his shoulder. “I’ll hook up your car. I was just returning from a tow.”
Within minutes she’d placed her case in the back of his truck and climbed onto the passenger seat to wait for him. Twenty minutes later, the Mustang hitched up, he joined her.
He was tempted to turn on the light to see whether she’d changed. Not much, from the little he saw through the window. Well, he had. He was no longer a teenage boy with stars in his eyes and big dreams with her by his side. He turned the ignition and steered back onto the highway.
Zoe sat as close to the door as possible and stared out the window. Dewayne shook his head. He didn’t mind the silence. Better than the alternative. He didn’t want to know what she’d done in the last twelve years. Whether she missed him or not and if she cried when she’d deserted him.
“I’m surprised to see you moved out of Colorado Springs.” She spoke softly, and he barely heard her over the country music on the radio. If she hadn’t turned to look at him, he doubted he would have.
“Nothing left for me there.” He gritted his teeth at the sarcastic tone coming from his mouth. No way would he let her know how much she’d hurt him.
“What kind of town is Mesquite?”
“About two hundred residents. I don’t live there. Just passing through.”
“Where do you live?”
“Anywhere between Denver and Albuquerque. I travel a lot, and stay in small rooms built onto the backs of my shops.”
“Interesting.”
He shrugged. Most likely she thought him a traveling vagabond. Well, he didn’t care what she thought. He glanced in the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of the suitcase leaning against the truck’s bed. “How long are you staying in Colorado Springs?”
“Only a couple of nights.” She stared back out the window. “I’m meeting my cousins.”
“Have you kept in contact?” Dewayne steered for the access road.
“I haven’t seen any of them since Nana’s funeral.” She faced him. “Why all the questions?”
“Just trying to pass the time. Doesn’t matter. We’ll be there in five minutes, and I’ll take a look at your car.”
“I appreciate this, Dewayne. I apologize if I’m keeping you from something.”
He glanced sideways at her. Did he detect a trace of remorse in her words? “It’s no problem.” He pulled into Hofford Motors.
Her eyes widened. “You work here?”
He grinned. “I own it. This one and ten more. I’m in the process of buying number twelve. My lucky dozen.”
Dewayne owned eleven automobile shops? Zoe glanced at the dark blond hair brushing his collar, the flannel shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows, and faded blue jeans with the knees torn out. She’d thought he hadn’t risen much above his simple childhood. How mistaken could one person be? Her cheeks heated, and she was grateful for the darkness.
At least, as the owner, he ought to be able to fix her car. Then she could get back on the road and get the family reunion over with. She couldn’t deny seeing her cousins would be nice, but they’d asked too many questions at Nana’s funeral. Questions Zoe didn’t want to answer.
They pulled in front of a white stucco building with giant stalls lining the front. The rolling metal doors were painted in what Zoe thought might be a bright blue in the daylight. A sign, HOFFORD MOTORS, hung unlit above the building. Looked like Dewayne had managed to do all right for himself.
She glanced up and down the street. A coffee shop, a bookstore, and a corner grocery. That was about it. Across the street, she could see a pink blinking neon sign that shouted MES UITE MOT L. Wonderful.
She shoved open her door, slid out, then went to retrieve her suitcase. Dewayne pulled the truck inside one of the stalls and exited. He popped the hood on Old Suzy, rummaged around a few minutes, then straightened to wipe his hands on a greasy rag.
“Needs a new radiator. When was the last time you put antifreeze in?”
“I took it to a mechanic a couple days ago. Right before starting th
is trip.” Zoe set down her bag and stepped toward him. “Can you fix it?”
“Yep. Have to order the part though. Will take at least three days.” He grinned. “Won’t be here before Thursday.”
Did he think this was funny? “Can’t you do something? Is there a bus station in this town?” She had really wanted time to explore her old haunts in Colorado.
“Yeah. But it’s closed. You can see about getting a ticket in the morning.” Dewayne tossed the rag on a wooden counter. “The motel most likely has a vacancy.”
He’d said that before. Zoe frowned. “Most likely.” She sighed. No help for it. She’d spend the night in a rundown motel and take the bus in the morning. If getting together with her cousins to sew a quilt had been important to Nana, then that’s what Zoe was determined to do.
She turned as Dewayne stepped from the shop, his muscled form outlined by the streetlamp. Staying in the same town as him was not a good idea. The more time she spent with Dewayne Hofford, the more likely she’d have to explain what happened all those years ago. She didn’t think her heart could take it.
Chapter 2
When Zoe exited her motel room the next morning, the parking lot sat empty except for a battered Toyota and an ancient Ford truck. She pulled the door shut behind her and clutched her suitcase. She was thankful the town wasn’t large. Wouldn’t take more than five minutes to walk to the bus depot. She wouldn’t have to wait on the car part. She’d come back after her visit to Colorado Springs and pick up Old Suzy then.
Not wanting Dewayne to think she skipped out again without saying good-bye, she scanned Main Street. No sign of him or his tow truck. She shrugged. Maybe she’d have time to look him up and thank him for his help after she purchased a bus ticket. She stuck her hand in her pocket and fingered the ring. She wasn’t sure how she felt about landing in probably one of the only towns where they could bump into each other. God definitely had a sense of humor.
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