Blue Ridge Setup

by Kimberly Rae

  “Which obviously he forgot.” Stephen Bradley rocked his porch chair back and forth in a lazy rhythm.

  “Obviously. So after the phone call, Pastor O’Conner figured Kayla’s dad would talk to the mission board, and that was the end of it. Apparently Kayla’s dad got the impression that Pastor O’Connor had given in to him by sending me.”

  He sighed. “And now here I am with yet another problem of Kayla not trusting me. How many times does a guy have to prove himself?”

  Laverne Bloom rose. “That is an adequate and timely question.” She flipped her fan into her palm and tapped it there several times. “And I intend to go ask it.”

  Ryan shook his head. “No thanks, Miss Bloom. I’m in enough trouble already.”

  “Trouble which you did not cause, my boy. I’ve had enough of Jackson Madison’s ways. I should have stepped in when he bulldozed my niece into his idea of submission, and I’m not going to let him destroy the beautiful thing between you and Kayla because of his pride and need to be in control.”

  “But Miss Bloom—”

  “Oh for gracious sakes!” She stomped down the steps. “If you don’t start calling me Miss Blossom or Aunt Lavender, I’m going to fire you and send you off my lawn. Do you understand me, son?”

  “Yes, Miss Bloom — I mean Miss Blossom — Aunt Lavender.”

  Her regal smile returned. “That’s better. I’ll be back soon, dear.”

  She glided around the house toward the side door.

  “Trained to be a teacher, she did, back in the day. She told me so on the drive here.”

  Ryan looked over at Doctor Bradley. “She’s still got it.”

  He chuckled. “No kidding. Kind of fun watching her get all riled up.”

  Ryan was not having fun. He was fighting the nauseating desire to run for it while he had the chance. It was nice of Laverne — Lavender — to want to help, but he expected it would only dig his hole deeper.

  He stood. It was no use pretending to relax when even the sound of Doctor Bradley’s creaking rocking chair was setting him on edge. “Think I’ll go work on the tree house some. See you later.”

  “Later.” The man waved as Ryan headed for the storage shed, then toward the creek.

  At least he could work uninterrupted, since Jose had been spending all day at the Bible Club the teens were successfully running in his neighborhood. Maybe Ryan would be able to get the framework up that afternoon. Jose would appreciate that. It would be nice to be appreciated by somebody. Not exactly the person he was hoping to get attention from, but at this point, his bruised ego would take what it could get.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Hammering.

  “Not again.” Kayla rolled over in bed and put a pillow over her ears. Was he purposefully making it impossible for her to ignore his presence?

  She wanted to sleep. To forget the pain in her side and the pain in her heart and the throbbing in her head from trying to figure out who was friend or foe. When a knock sounded on her door, at least the continued hammering assured her it was not Ryan.

  “Come in,” she grumbled.

  Laverne Bloom swept into the room, marched over to Kayla’s bed, and gave her one swift swat on the backside with her folded-up fan.

  Kayla was instantly upright. “Hey! What was that for?”

  “For acting like a baby and believing the worst about that young man before you had any of the real facts. It is a shame your father’s lack of — fatherliness — trained you to be so insecure, but really, child, stop thinking of all the things you fear and start thinking about the facts. Stop thinking of your father and start thinking of Ryan. Has he ever done anything in selfishness toward you? Ever?”

  Kayla felt tears sting her eyes. She thought of his face over her when she’d been wheeled toward surgery, his tender touches as she’d recovered, even his concern back in Pakistan when they had barely met. “No,” she whispered.

  “What did you say?” The teacher in Laverne Bloom was emerging again.

  “I said no, he never has been selfish toward me.”

  “And yet you insist on needing reassurance after reassurance that the man cares for you. How much does he have to do before you will trust him? He has earned your trust over and again, but you are so afraid of him somehow secretly being like your father that you keep holding your heart back.”

  Laverne gave a flip of the wrist and began fanning herself again. “Oh my, that was a good speech. I should put that in a book.”

  She turned toward the door, then peered back over her shoulder. “That man cares for you a great deal, Kayla. He has shown it in many ways, on many occasions. Do not let a gift like that slip away because you are afraid to let yourself be loved.”

  For a moment, Laverne hesitated near the door. “I think I myself am just learning that even imagined love, as perfect and pristine as it may be, is lonely and lifeless compared to the real thing. All my books, all those beautiful words, are nothing compared to a real, living heart that beats for you.”

  She started out the door, and Kayla heard her mumble, “Even if the heart comes out through a mouth that wouldn’t know a romantic phrase if it slapped him over the head. Maybe I can…”

  Kayla reached up to stifle a giggle, then reached higher to wipe the tears from her eyes. Aunt Laverne was right. She was only thinking of her own fragile heart, not considering Ryan’s at all.

  Did he really care for her as her aunt claimed? Or was he just being the kind minister he was to everyone in his church?

  Well, there was one way to find out. Kayla left the pink blanket lying on the chaise lounge. Before leaving the room, she stopped, turned back, and bent her knees to pray. If she was going to risk her heart, she wanted God right there with her.

  ****

  He had not seen her coming. Ryan had been hammering so hard he hadn’t even heard when she’d slowly and laboriously climbed the tree ladder. It was only when her head emerged through the tree house floor, the rest of her still on the ladder, that he’d finally heard her.

  “Hey!”

  Ryan may have learned to be good in a crisis, but he still was not good when startled. His hammer missed the nail and hit his thumb. “Ouch!” He dropped the hammer, and it landed on his foot. “Ow!” He started hopping on one foot, holding his thumb, looking to where Kayla’s head had popped up from the floor like a budding flower.

  “What are you doing here?” His words came out harsh. He stopped hopping, realizing how childish he must look, and reached down for his hammer. Then he reached for her.

  “Thanks.” She accepted his offered hand and finished climbing the ladder until they both stood on the floor of the tree house. “I still can’t get over how quickly I get tired out, even though it’s been a week already.”

  He normally would have given some typical pastoral response about giving herself time or not expecting too much too soon, but his very non-pastoral irritation kept him mute.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you earlier.” Her eyes were on his and, frustrated as he was, he still had a hard time concentrating on the words coming from those full, pink lips. “I don’t even know what happened, really, but I know you wouldn’t agree to something like that.” Her head bent. “You treat me like I’m worth something, and I have a hard time sometimes believing that you could honestly feel that way.”

  He moved forward in the small space available. She spoke again.

  “So I came to ask you, so I can find out and stop staying up at night wondering…”

  He moved forward again. They stood inches apart.

  “Do you treat all your churchgoers the same way you treat me? I mean, are you like this with everybody?”

  She startled when he threw his head back and laughed. The sound was loud, and Kayla was not the only one startled; several nearby squirrels scurried away at the noise.

  He sat and helped her sit across from him, Indian-style, their knees touching on the small platform. He took both her hands. “Kayla, you b
eautiful, ridiculous woman.” He reached up and touched her cheek. She flushed an attractive pink. “I have absolutely no intention, ever, of kissing your Aunt Lavender, or any other person in my church, the way I kissed you earlier today.”

  Her blush went from pink to bright red. “Well, no, I wouldn’t expect that you would…” She stumbled over her words. “I just wondered, I mean…”

  She looked at him as her hands fluttered, and his heart turned over.

  “Maybe I can explain it a little more clearly.” He reached out his right hand. Kayla, clearly confused, placed hers in his. He shook her hand with congeniality. “This is how I feel about the people in my congregation.” His voice turned husky as he leaned forward, wrapping his hand behind her neck through her dark brown hair and pulling her gently towards him. “This is how I feel about you.” Their lips met in the middle, his kiss tender and full of promise.

  When he released her, her eyes remained closed, and a wistful smile touched her parted lips. He wanted to kiss them again and did.

  She sat back and her smile was shy. “Oh,” was all she said.

  “Was that the clarification you were hoping for?” He could not help teasing a little, longing to see that pink blush decorate her cheeks again.

  He was not disappointed. “Well, I was hoping… I mean… oh dear.” Her hands were fluttering again. He captured them in his own.

  “Kayla Madison, I care about you. I have feelings about you I didn’t know were possible for a man to have. You make me want to start spouting romantic things like your Aunt Lavender writes.” He grinned. “Unfortunately for you, none of them actually come to mind, but you make me want to think of some.”

  He winked, and she blushed again. He could feel his heart swelling up with delight every time it happened.

  He wanted to marry this woman. The thought widened his eyes and tightened his hands on hers.

  “What’s the matter?” Kayla looked down at their hands.

  “Nothing.” Should he tell her now? No, he needed to pray about this. A lot. And make a plan. A good one.

  “Ryan?”

  He shook himself. “Sorry, I just—”

  “Mr. Ryan! Miss Kayla! Look at what I made at Bible Club today!” Jose stood at the bottom of the tree, trying to figure out how to climb the ladder without dropping his craft. With a grin, he put the decorated paper plate in his mouth and started upward.

  Ryan was just deciding that, if they did get married, he wanted to wait a year or two before they had children so he could have Kayla all to himself for awhile, when she smiled and spoke. “I guess it’s time for you to get back into pastor mode, Pastor.”

  “I guess so.” He smiled at her. “I was liking the other mode a lot better.”

  There was that blush again. He fed off the sight like it was candy. “Kayla Madison, one of these days you and I are going to have a long talk, alone, without interruptions.”

  She blushed deeper and stuck her head down to hide it, but he could see that she was still smiling.

  He released her hands to help Jose onto the platform. When he looked back, he realized something important. Her hands. They weren’t fluttering anymore.

  Maybe they, along with her heart, had found a safe place to land.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “I feel awful today.”

  Kayla looked across the swing at Ryan, certain the compassion in his gaze let her know she looked as badly as she felt. “I wish I knew why.”

  “Why don’t you ask Doctor Bradley?”

  “He and Aunt Lavender went for a walk over to Jose’s neighborhood to see how the Bible Club is going. They’re so cute together. I hate interrupting to ask medical questions. He is retired after all.”

  “Think they’ll end up together? Maybe we could write a book about them.”

  She grinned back at him. “Time will tell.”

  His look told her he was applying her words to them as well. She felt herself blushing. Why was she always some shade of red around this man?

  His deepening grin only made it worse.

  “So tell me about how you feel.” Ryan rescued her from further humiliation by getting back on topic. “I’ll pretend to be your doctor today. What are your symptoms?”

  “Well, I’ve had a headache for the past three days. I’m tired all day, but then have a hard time sleeping at night, my stomach feels ucky, and I just feel blah. Kind of down, which is silly, I know.”

  “Now don’t start blaming yourself for something that is likely caused by your body recovering, or your medication, or something like that.”

  “I can’t blame everything on my health, Ryan.”

  “Well, then, let’s get some answers.”

  “I really don’t want to bother Doctor Bradley today.”

  “Who says we have to?” Ryan stood and helped her stand. “I know where we can get all the answers we want. Let’s go to the library and do some research.”

  Kayla stared. “That’s a great idea. You’re a genius.”

  “I like the sound of that.” He grinned.

  “But don’t you need to get back to work?”

  Ryan looked over at the nearly-completed walkway. “Tell you what, I’ll work on Saturday, and you and I will take today off instead. What do you say? Let’s make a whole day of it.”

  “A whole day of research?”

  He bent toward her, mystery in his eyes. “And whatever else I may plan to chase away those blah feelings.” He nudged her toward the door. “You go do whatever a girl has to do to get ready, and I’ll meet you back here.” His smile sent shivers down her back. “But don’t take too long.”

  ****

  “Sorry, we don’t have any books about Addison’s disease,” the librarian said.

  “Not any?”

  “I’m guessing it’s kind of rare? I’ve never heard of it before.”

  Another librarian joined them at the desk. “Wasn’t that the disease John F. Kennedy had?”

  Kayla nodded. “My doctor told me some people think it’s what Jane Austen died of, as well.”

  “Well, we may not have any books on the subject,” the man clicked a few buttons on his computer, then turned the screen so they could see, “but we have a huge database of articles and such on the Internet that you can look through.”

  The librarian turned on two computers for them, and for the next hour, Ryan and Kayla sat close, side-by-side, researching Kayla’s disease.

  “Well, this explains why you feel so bad,” Ryan finally said. “It’s because you’re going down on your hydrocortisone. Your body loved those huge doses you were on in the hospital to help you get through the surgery, but the daily dose the doctor wants you on is only one-tenth of that, so it makes perfect sense that you’re going to have symptoms going down off something like that.”

  “This one here says I have to be careful while I’m going down. If I have any sort of trauma, like a car wreck or infection, I could go into an Addisonian Crisis.”

  Ryan frowned. “I remember the doctor mentioning that when you were in the hospital. He said that was what he thought was happening when you were throwing up so bad before we brought you in. He said if you have one of those and don’t get a stress dose shot, you could die.”

  “Well, now I know why he insisted I wear this medical alert bracelet and carry an emergency shot dose in my purse just in case.”

  “Do you have it with you today?”

  Kayla bit her lip, looking sheepish. “Oops, forgot.”

  Ryan’s lips lowered farther. “Kayla, you need to take this seriously. What if we got in a fender-bender and you didn’t have your shot?”

  She sighed. “I know. You’re right. I guess part of me keeps hoping that once I recover from the surgery I’ll be well again.” She stared blankly at the computer screen.

  Ryan reached across her and shut it down. “I think we’ve had enough research for one day.” He stood and reached for her hand. “Let’s go back to the house and get your shot
, and leave a note for your aunt. Then we’re going to lunch at a place so crazy you can’t have the blahs.”

  “Okay, just give me a minute first. I want to print out a few pages for Jainey.”

  “On Addison’s disease?”

  “No, on something else.” She pressed several buttons, then went to the printer to retrieve a handful of papers. “Ready.”

  “Let’s go then.” He grinned. “We’re wastin’ daylight.”

  Thirty minutes later, Kayla was standing in front of the BBQ Man restaurant, gaping. “It looks like someone dumped a truckload of bright pink paint all over the building.”

  “Wait till you see the inside.”

  Midway through their lunch, Kayla laughed across the table at Ryan. “You were right. This place is crazy. So far I’ve counted one hundred and twelve pigs, and I haven’t even gotten to the other sections of the restaurant yet.”

  “I’m guessing this place is run by someone who really, really likes pigs.”

  “Which would be odd since we’re eating pork.”

  He laughed. “True. But it sure is good.”

  “Mmm. I can’t decide if I like the barbequed pulled pork or the hush puppies the best.”

  “I may convert you into a Southerner yet.”

  She smiled. “You just may at that.”

  “After lunch, I’m taking you up Blowing Rock Mountain to the downtown section of shops. There’s a great candy store where we can watch fudge being made and get some ice cream. Blowing Rock was voted the prettiest little town in North Carolina.”

  “I’ll add my vote to that,” Kayla said later at the candy store, happily spooning ice cream into her mouth. “Let’s go across the street to the playground and swing.”

  When the atmosphere hinted of sunset, Ryan took Kayla to The Canyon Restaurant, where they sat on an outdoor deck overlooking miles of Blue Ridge Mountains. “Oh, Ryan, what a perfect way to end the day.”