by Diann Hunt
Brad stared into his cup. “Yes.”
“I’m listening.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “This is all your fault, you know?”
Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. A smile lifted at the corners of his mouth. “Oh?”
“Bringing Callie onto my job site when you could have had her serve time anywhere else in the city—” He stopped midrant and looked him straight in the eyes. “Why did you?”
“Why did I what? I thought we were talking about the job offer.” Ryan held back a smile, and for a moment, Brad considered slugging him.
“Assign Callie to my job site?”
Ryan leaned forward, folded his hands together on the table and looked at Brad. “I knew she had been Nicole’s friend. I also knew you had to work through some things concerning Nicole’s death. I had hoped that Callie would help you do that.”
His brother’s concern took the fight right out of Brad. “You know, when we were growing up—after Dad died—I used to get really mad at you for being so overprotective. But I finally realized that’s what I did with Nicole. I worried about her every move and wanted to protect her from everything. Then when she needed me most and I wasn’t here, well, I couldn’t come to terms with it.”
“I get it, Brad. I really do. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help you get the life you truly want. I’ve always wanted the best for you. Sometimes I went a little too far, granted, but it was always with the best of intentions.” Ryan shifted in his seat.
“I see that now, Ryan.” Brad looked up. “Thanks.”
“So, have you come to terms with it?”
Brad nodded. “After much prayer and soul-searching, I think I have—finally.”
Ryan grinned. “Glad to hear it, little brother.” He sat back. “Now, about that job offer?”
“I’m going to take it.”
Ryan’s brow furrowed. “Which one?”
“The one in Burrow.”
Ryan broke into a full-fledged grin. “Hey, Brad, that’s great. I’m so glad to hear that.”
The look of genuine pleasure on his brother’s face encouraged Brad. He appreciated how Ryan had waited patiently for his answer. He felt as if their relationship had finally shifted somehow.
Then Ryan leaned into the table and said, “Where does this leave you and Callie?”
Brad grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“I really wish you would let me throw you an anniversary bash,” Callie said to her aunt and uncle over lunch on Sunday.
“Pass the potatoes, will you?” Uncle George asked.
Aunt Bonnie obliged. “I know, dear. But honestly we’ve never enjoyed attention like that. Have we, honey?”
“We sure haven’t. Makes me uncomfortable.” He scooped so many potatoes on his plate that Callie wondered if there would be any left.
“Well, then you won’t mind my gift to you.”
They both looked at her and she smiled, handing a bag to Aunt Bonnie.
“But it’s not our anniversary until next week,” Aunt Bonnie said, taking the bag from Callie.
“I know, but I wanted you to have this ahead of time.” Callie’s heart nearly thumped out of her chest. For years she’d been wanting to do something really special for them, and after all her hard work, plus the money Gram gave her, she was finally able to do it.
When Bonnie pulled out the envelope, she looked at her husband. “Look, it’s an envelope, George.”
“Uh-huh, that’s what it is, all right,” he mumbled between bites of potatoes.
Bonnie nudged him with her arm. “Oh, you.” She opened the envelope and once she spotted the airline tickets, she squealed. In all her years, Callie had never heard her aunt squeal. Not once.
George dropped his fork. “Now, look what you made me do.”
Wide-eyed, jaw unhinged, she handed the envelope to her husband. “She’s sending us to Hawaii.”
Uncle George choked on his potatoes.
Callie noticed Brad’s truck in the driveway but re-checked the address on her paper anyway. How odd. This house appeared larger than the homes Brad normally constructed. The new subdivision had three other homes besides this one. Maybe this was one of Brad’s side projects.
Pulling her car into the driveway, she shut off the engine and walked up to the door. With her being so new to the building business—that thought in itself made her chuckle—she wondered why he would want her opinion about anything. Though she had to admit she was pretty good with colors. On fingernails or walls, it made no difference to her. She knew a good color when she saw one.
She knocked on the front door. Was that music she heard? Maybe Brad was listening to music while he worked. Footsteps approached the door.
“Hi.” The sight of him melted her, as always. She stepped inside and he pulled her into a long hug. He whispered into her hair, “It is so good to see you again.”
To say that greeting surprised her was an understatement. She’d take it, though. Was he setting her up for the big news of his move? He was excited and probably assumed she would be, too.
Lord, please help me to be happy for him, wherever You lead him.
He pulled back and looked at her, his hands cupping her shoulders. “You should have seen Belize, Callie. It was incredible.” Uh-oh, here it came. He was definitely setting her up. Her stomach sank and she hardly noticed the unpainted drywall and cement floors. But as he led her to the kitchen, she did notice a pleasing aroma in the air.
“What is that smell?”
He walked over to a crockpot, pulled the lid off and took a pleasurable whiff. “Beef stew.” His hand swept sideways, pulling her gaze to a corner table with candlelight and linens.
She stared at him.
“Surprised?” he asked.
“Confused.” She dare not hope this setup was for her—for them.
He walked across the concrete floor and pulled the chair out by the table.
She still stared at him.
“Um, this is where you would sit down.”
In a zombielike state, she walked over to him and sat down in the waiting chair. She watched as he scurried to the kitchen, lifted chilled bottled waters from an ice chest and then scooped beef stew into deep soup bowls. She had to admit, even though he was preparing her for the worst, he didn’t have to go to all this trouble.
Once the French bread was cut and placed on the table, along with the stew and drinks, Brad grabbed Callie’s hand and prayed over their meal. Her brain was numb with disbelief and she hardly heard a thing.
When he finished, he picked up his spoon. “I hope you appreciate this meal. It’s my first attempt at cooking, you know.”
The reality of what he had said nearly bowled her over. “You made this meal?”
“Yep. Well, okay, Mom came over and guided me just a little.”
Callie stared at him. Again.
“All right, it was a meal in a bag and all I had to do was cook it in the crockpot, but still.”
She laughed. “I’m flattered. Truly.”
Pleasure glowed from him. “You are?”
“Yes, I am.” She swallowed hard and gathered the courage to ask her next question. “To what do I owe this honor?” Did she really want to know now, before their lovely meal was over?
“Well, I haven’t talked to you since my trip to Belize, and I thought this would be a nice private way to do so.”
She looked around at the unfinished walls and laughed. “If you wanted privacy, why not go to your house?”
“I told you, I needed your help with colors.”
“I have to admit I was surprised by the house. It’s quite a bit more elaborate than your usual ones.”
He coughed. “Um, yeah. I’ll tell you more about that later. For now, let me fill you in on Belize.”
He told her about the country, the beauty of the setting, the ministry, his prayer time—and how he’d decided not to go. It took a moment for it to sink in.
“Callie, di
d you hear what I said? I’m staying in Burrow to take that job Ryan talked to me about.”
“But don’t you want to go to Belize?”
“I thought I explained that. My struggle with God, the surrendering, all that?” He glanced at his watch, rose from his chair and walked over to her, extending his hand. She took it and he raised her to her feet. “I want you to see this house.”
Brad walked her from room-to-room, asking her what she thought would look good on the walls, where she might see furniture going in each particular room, getting her insights on decorating. By the time they were finished, they were back in the kitchen.
He faced her and took both of her hands into his. “Callie, I know this may seem crazy, but please don’t say anything until I’m finished.”
“Okay.” She didn’t have a clue where this was going, but she liked the feel of his hands over hers. And the look on his face told her good things were ahead….
“I brought you here and made dinner because I wanted to show you that sometimes we do the things we think we can’t because love compels us. Oh, I know the dinner was a little thing, but I wanted to show you that I love you and I’m willing to go the extra mile to make you happy.”
“Wait, Brad, if you’re telling me that you’re staying in Burrow because of me—”
He put his fingers against her lips. “Let me finish, okay?”
She nodded.
“I feel confident that Burrow is where I’m supposed to be—for now. Maybe for always. But the other thing I learned while I was gone is that I can’t live without you. Your image followed me every moment. I could not get you out of my mind.” He leaned closer. “I love you, Callie Easton. I have loved you from the day I first set eyes on you at the bakery and you ordered that ridiculous fat-free muffin.” He searched her face. “Tell me you feel the same way.” His eyes pleaded; his voice held hope and longing.
She smiled up at him. “Yes, Brad, I love you, too.” He let out a sigh and pulled her close to him.
“I know how you feel about Burrow. I have plenty of work I can do right here. And maybe once a year I could help out on a short-term mission trip.” The words rumbled in his chest as she leaned against him. He pulled away and looked at her again. “What do you think?”
“If that’s what you want to do.”
“Would you go with me?”
She nodded. “I’ve learned a little about the agape love myself.”
“Oh yeah?”
“It’s a sacrificial kind of love. And that’s the love I have for you. I’d be willing to go where we need to go, as long as we’re together. That’s how I know I love you.” He pulled her close once again.
“So, Callie, a friend of mine started this house but ran into some financial trouble. I came over and took a look at it, liked what I saw and thought maybe you would, too.”
She puzzled at what he was saying.
Then he pulled something out of his pocket. He knelt down on one knee, her hand in his, and said, “Callie, I want to live here in this house—with you.” He flipped open the little black case and revealed a beautiful oval-shaped solitaire diamond. “Will you marry me?”
Tears slid down her face. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you!”
A huge grin broke out on Brad’s face. He scooped her into his arms and swung her around, both of them laughing together. When he finally put her down, they were breathless. He tenderly slipped the ring onto her finger, pleased at the perfect fit. He leaned in and claimed his bride-to-be, kissing her face, her ears, her hair. “I’ve waited for you all my life. I guess big brother really did know best.”
She snuggled into his shoulder. “I think Nicole would be pleased.”
He squeezed her tightly. “I know she would.”
How long she stood wrapped in his embrace Callie didn’t know. What she did know is that she didn’t want this night to ever end.
A honk sounded outside the door. “Who would that be?” she asked.
Brad glanced at his watch. “Oh, man, I forgot!”
“Forgot what?”
“Grab your bag or we’ll be late for the concert.”
She looked at him. “Concert? What concert?”
“The Philharmonic.”
“But I thought you said you’d never go to one of those concerts.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past few months it’s that a person should never say never.”
She laughed and pulled her sweater around her shoulders. He closed the door behind them and hugged her close to his side as they made their way to the black limo waiting at the end of the drive.
Callie glanced at the beautiful home that would one day be hers and Brad’s, then back at the limo. “Please tell me this thing won’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight. Because for the first time in my life, I feel like a princess.”
He pulled her close. “You are a princess, baby. My princess.” His hand brushed against her handbag and knocked it to the floor.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He reached down to pick it up for her. A paper had fallen out.
“Whoa. Isn’t this a parking ticket?”
She snatched it from his hand. “Just trying to get a head start on my next building project.”
“I think we should frame it.”
They both laughed and took their first steps toward their future—as God had intended all along—together.
Dear Reader,
I have to confess I have far too much in common with Callie Easton when it comes to losing things. Fortunately, I’ve never been hauled off to jail or had to do community service. Though I’m happy to say that for Callie things seemed to work out.
You undoubtedly noticed that Callie and Brad didn’t start off in the best of circumstances, but fortunately, it all worked out in the end.
Of course, this is fiction, and life isn’t always like that. Sometimes things work out the way we hope and other times not. But the good news is that God is in control, and He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Did you get that? Not necessarily the way we want but always for our good.
I’ve had disappointments in my life, as I’m sure you have, too. But God has never failed me. Not ever. For you see, no matter what I go through, He is always right there beside me, guiding, guarding, encouraging, getting me through.
Callie wanted desperately to reconnect with her dad and that never happened. She had to learn to accept things as they were, forgive and move on.
Brad learned to let go of his own ambitions, admirable as they were, and trust God with his future.
Sometimes we get so busy doing the “good things” that somehow we forget to stop and talk to God along the way, making sure we’re still on the right track, doing the work He has called us to do.
We can’t always see our way clear in a situation, but God can! When life’s disappointments come, trust Him. When confusion settles in, trust Him. When all hope seems gone, trust Him! He will see you through! Scatter Joy!
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Callie Easton’s life was out of control. Her organizational skills, or lack thereof, were only part of the problem. Does your life ever feel that way? How do you deal with it? Can you think of a better way of handling things?
Community service was not part of Callie’s plans. She had a life to live, after all. Have you ever had an interruption to your life that upset your plans? What did you learn from it?
Brad Sharp thought he had his life all mapped out. Building homes for needy people overseas seemed a worthwhile ministry. But he soon discovered that God had a different plan for his life. Have you had a time in your life when you were on one path and you later realized that God had a different journey in mind for you? What did you do about it?
Callie’s father abandoned her when she was young, which made it hard for her to trust others. And though her aunt reminded her that God would never leave or forsake her, Callie had her doubts. Have you ever doubted God’s presence?
Though
Callie hoped to one day reconnect with her father, it never happened. She was disappointed, but she learned to leave the outcome to the Lord. Is there someone in your past with whom you want to reconnect? Things don’t always work out the way we want, but God is still in control. Are you trusting Him with the relationships in your life?
Brad struggled with the death of his sister and letting go of self-imposed guilt. Is there guilt in your own life that you’ve brought before the Lord but can’t seem to find victory over?
Brad couldn’t control his sister. Brad’s brother, Ryan, couldn’t control Brad. Callie couldn’t control her father. At some point in life we all learn that we have to “let go” of life’s worries and trust God. Is there something in your life that you’re struggling to surrender to God?
Callie and Brad hadn’t foreseen that little Micah would have a part in bringing them together. Is there someone whom God is using in your life to bring you closer to Him—or are you perhaps that someone in the life of someone else?
Callie’s aunt and uncle took her in and loved her as their own. They generously welcomed her into their open arms and offered her a life far different than the one that could have been. God stands ready to do the same for us—take us in as His own and offer us a new life. Have you accepted His lavish gift? If not, what’s stopping you?
God may lead you to faraway places, or He may show you that He has you where you are for a reason. Are you chasing dreams, or have you bloomed where you’ve been planted? You are here for such a time as this. What are you doing about it?
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3628-2
HOMETOWN COURTSHIP
Copyright © 2009 by Diann Hunt
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.