His hand didn’t leave her face, and she felt him brush away a runaway tear with his thumb. “Kristi,” he whispered, saying her name with so much love she had to close her eyes. She loved it when he called her that. “Can you tell me why?”
She shook her head, willing to pull herself away from his touch, but she couldn’t.
“May I ask you one thing?”
She opened her eyes.
“When we get back, are you going to let whatever it is that’s keeping you from going to this wedding keep you from letting me love you?”
She didn’t know the answer to that.
***
Without waiting for Jacob to come around and open her door, Kristin emerged from the car, grabbed her gift from the back seat, and headed toward the church a few blocks away. Jacob had not driven her back to Eugene as she had requested, and his silence added to her fury. She would not cause a scene, but she planned to find Kendra and ask for a ride home. He had gone too far and betrayed her trust. She should have gone with her initial instinct that she wasn’t ready yet. Maybe she never would be.
Standing in line for the guest book, she didn’t see anyone she knew and continued to give Jacob the cold shoulder. Signing her name alone, she took a program from the girl attending the table and headed for the auditorium. Taking the arm of an usher dressed in a black tux, she allowed herself to be led to an open seat near the center aisle, rather than requesting to sit in the back as she had planned. She could do this. She would make it through this day with her dignity intact. Kristin Swan did not need any man telling her what to do.
Jacob had followed her and took the chair next to her. She turned her eyes to the program in her hands and swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw the names, Brandon and Josie written on the inside. Scanning the list of wedding party members, she recognized some of the names. Wesley, Brandon’s brother, would be the Best Man. No surprise. Two of the groomsmen were also guys she knew, having been Brandon’s longtime friends.
Looking up to the stage, she saw the beautiful white flowers, candles, and greenery, and she knew it would be a lovely wedding. Anxious for it to begin so that it would be over that much sooner, she scanned the room for members of her family but did not see any of them yet.
Turning her eyes back to the paper in her hand rather than give Jacob the time of day, she looked to the back and read a note Brandon and Josie had written for their guests:
Thank you for coming and sharing this day with us. Your love and support means the world, and we ask for your prayers as we begin our life together.
Below that, their name and address appeared. Kristin blinked at the script and stared at it for several seconds, confusion filling her senses:
Brandon, Josie, and Tommy Mitchell.
Tommy? Who’s Tommy?
Knowing Brandon and Josie had not been together long enough to have a child together, not that she would expect that from Brandon anyway, she realized Josie must have a child from a previous relationship. That reality did strange things to her heart. She wanted to hate her, and she had been for the last month. She had never voiced that truth to anyone, not even herself, but it had been there just the same.
But now? Josie had her own heartaches that were coming to a happy end today? She’d never considered that.
“You okay?” Jacob asked, speaking for the first time. Feeling him place his hand on her arm, she didn’t attempt to pull away as she would have thirty seconds ago.
“Yes,” she said. “I was just thinking.”
The music began, and the families of the bride and groom were seated, followed by the candle-lighting and the procession of bridesmaids down the center aisle. After the attendants had been assembled on stage, she saw Brandon come in from the side door dressed in a tuxedo, accompanied by his brother, the pastor, and a young boy who appeared to be about six or seven. The boy’s sweet face was beaming, and she saw Brandon look at him several times with love and joy in his eyes.
Before she had a chance to sort through her thoughts, people around her stood, and she realized the bride had stepped into the room. Feeling Jacob take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze, she knew he was trying to be loving and supportive in this moment, like he’d been trying to do all day, and she didn’t shut him out this time, clinging to his love instead of trying to push it away.
Kristin allowed God to speak gently to her heart, bringing to mind some things she hadn’t considered before. Ever since she’d heard about Brandon’s engagement, she had been feeling cheated out of love and was convinced God had forgotten about her. She had tried to pray, but she was angry and didn’t think she could trust Him after what He had allowed to happen with Brandon.
But He hadn’t forgotten about her. Jacob was here with her today. And when she’d heard the news about Brandon getting married, he would have been with her then too if she had allowed it. She’d been too afraid to trust in Jacob’s love at the time, or God’s, but they had both been there just the same.
God hadn’t forgotten her. She’d forgotten God. She had forgotten His faithfulness. The plans He had for her weren’t always what she wanted. They were better. They were right. He hadn’t given her the man she had chosen. But He was giving her the one she needed--the one who had chosen her.
Jacob had been so patient, and she couldn’t believe he was here after the way she’d behaved, today and many other times. But he was. And he loved her. And she loved him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When the ceremony ended, Kristin waited along with everyone else to be dismissed from her seat. Wadding up the well used tissue in her hands, she turned and looked at Jacob for the first time and caught him staring at her. She felt like an idiot for the way she had acted.
“I love you, Kristi,” he whispered. “You okay?”
She reached for his hand. His fingers interlaced with hers, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. The guests had been instructed to make their way downstairs for the reception, but when they emerged from the sanctuary, Jacob pulled her toward the door where they had come in, and she followed him outside, down the front steps, and around the building to a secluded spot.
“Are we okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sorry I was mad before. You were right. I needed to be here.”
“You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” he teased, stepping forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.
She made a vain attempt to push him away. “Bet you didn’t know I had a temper.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of things I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to finding them out.”
“Oh, really? And what makes you think you’re going to have a chance, Mr. Young?”
“I’ve got a feeling,” he said, stroking her back gently and pulling her close. “Do you want to get some cake now?”
“Sure,” she said, feeling him leading her back the way they had come. They reached the top of the stairs when she saw Brandon coming out the door toward them with Tommy in tow. He stopped when he saw her, and his wonderful smile emerged.
“Kristin, you made it!” he said, stepping forward in one long stride to envelop her into a warm embrace. His words were loving and sincere. “It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you,” she echoed, meaning every word. An incredible sense of peace filled her, allowing her to finally let go of the man she’d held on to for such a long time. Now she honestly could think of him as a friend again instead of someone who had broken her heart.
“Thanks for inviting me. It was a lovely wedding.”
He stepped back and smiled. “Thank you for coming,” he said, an unspoken understanding passing between them. He knew this was difficult for her, but she assured him she was fine. His eyes darted to the man standing at her side.
“Brandon, I’d like you to meet Jacob Young,” she said. “Jacob, this is Brandon, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now.”
“It’s good to meet you,” Jacob said a
s they exchanged a handshake. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Brandon said, pulling Tommy to his side. “Have you met my son?”
“Hi,” Tommy said.
“Hello, Tommy,” Kristin said. “This must be a big day for you.”
Tommy grinned. “This is my dad,” he said, and Brandon pulled him up into his arms. “We have to go get something for Mommy. Come on, Daddy. She said to hurry!”
“You're right,” he said. “You go on ahead. Here are my keys. I’ll be right behind you.”
Tommy scampered away, and Kristin felt the need to say one last thing. “He’s a lucky boy,” she said, stepping forward to give Brandon a kiss on the cheek. “I’m happy for you. Take good care of them, okay?”
“I will,” Brandon said. “You take care of yourself,” he said, then leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“I expect an invitation too.”
***
Strolling along the Portland Waterfront an hour later, Kristin and Jacob stopped to lean against the railing overlooking the Willamette River.
“Can you tell me what happened to make you accept Brandon marrying someone else?” Jacob asked. “You were a different person when you came out of there.”
Yes she was. She felt renewed, and restored. She thought about several factors before responding.
“I had met Josie once, at Christmas,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about her or try to find out anything. All I knew was that she was dating the man I had planned to marry. I didn’t know she had a son, and when I realized that today, I realized that she is a person too. Someone that’s had her own heartaches.
“Brandon and I weren't meant to be together. He’s a wonderful man, and I thought I wasn’t good enough for him. But now I know that didn’t have anything to do with it. God brought him up here to meet Josie. He was meant to be her husband and a father to that little boy.
“This might sound weird,” she continued, “but I felt like God was whispering in my ear, ‘See, this is a part of My plan. Everything will be okay if you trust Me, Kristin.’”
“Does that mean you’re starting to see me as a part of God’s plan too?”
“Possibly,” she replied shyly. “Thank you for pushing me here. I was very mad at you, you know?”
“I know,” he said, giving her his best smile.
“You took a big risk,” she said. “I planned to leave without you.”
Pulling her into his arms, he lifted her chin and stroked her jaw. “I wouldn’t have let you get away that easy. I would have sent you flowers every day and had them delivered to your classroom until you could forgive me.”
Aware that Jacob only had to move inches to kiss her, she remained in place and let him. It was gently passionate. She liked it very much, and she wasn’t thinking about Brandon, not even for a moment.
They decided to find someplace to eat and enjoyed a quiet dinner before they drove home. Kristin fell asleep along the way and didn’t wake up until they were turning onto her street.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t very good company.”
“I enjoyed watching you sleep,” he said, pulling into her driveway and reaching to take her hand. “I could get used to that real quick.”
She wondered if he would come in and stay awhile, but he said something else before she could ask him.
“I didn’t mean anything improper by that. I will make you my bride before I allow myself the privilege of watching you fall asleep every night by my side.”
He kissed her gently several times. The tenderness of his touch melted into her soul, and the passion took her breath away. For the first time in her life she understood what it meant for a man to desire her. She didn’t try to stop him or feel the need to do so. He kissed her more passionately than Brandon ever had, but with the same kind of respect and control.
“I think I better be a gentleman and walk you to your door now,” he said. She knew why and didn’t want to tempt him to stay any longer than he felt like he should, but she did have one more thing to say when they were on her doorstep.
“God mended the broken pieces of my heart today, Jacob. I couldn’t give it to you before, but I think I can now.”
He took her into his arms and held her close. “I’ll take good care of it, Kristi. I’m giving it right back to God for safekeeping.”
***
“I have your term projects graded,” Kristin told her advanced geography students on the last full day of school. “If you come up when I call your name, I’ll give you your report and tell you your final grade for the semester.”
Putting in an educational video for them to watch while she took the time to meet with each of her students, all eighth graders who would be going to high school in the fall, Kristin returned to her desk and called Missy Anderson up to the front.
At two o’clock, after she had dismissed Joseph Lopez and prepared to call her next student, a knock sounded at the door. Without waiting for permission, Lee stood to open it, and the familiar sight of an office aide entering with a large bouquet of flowers made Kristin smile.
Ever since Brandon’s wedding, Jacob had been sending her flowers once a week at this same hour, expressing his affection while keeping her students in the dark. They had been speculating about who her secret admirer was and had it narrowed down to Mr. Drake, the good-looking P.E. teacher who had been hired halfway through the year, and Mr. Sand, who taught literature next door to her classroom. Most of the flower arrangements had been simple, and Jacob stuck to varieties that he knew would not make her sneeze too much, but today he had broken both rules. Gazing at the arrangement of a dozen red roses set in a large vase, she hit the pause button on the movie, knowing her students would not let class proceed until she had read the card aloud.
Without having to call for attention, she pulled the envelope from the flowers and removed the card. “To my darling,” she began, blushing at such an intimate term of endearment. Most of the time Jacob had written little poems. “I can no longer keep my love for you a secret.”
She paused, feeling her heart begin to race and wondering if she should keep reading.
“Come on, Miss Swan,” several students coaxed. “You have to read all of it.”
Knowing the school year would be over by tomorrow afternoon and the fact that Jacob knew his notes did not remain private, she plunged ahead.
“I can no longer keep my love for you a secret,” she repeated. “I’ve included a token of my love with this delivery. Look for the red ribbon. Yours forever.”
“He didn’t sign it?” one of her students blurted out. “I thought he said he couldn’t keep it a secret?”
Kristin shrugged and laid the card aside, wondering herself what Jacob had meant by that. Searching the roses, she found the red ribbon attached to the base of one of the fragrant buds and sneezed twice. Pulling the long end of the satin strip from where it had been tucked into the surrounding greenery, she heard murmurs circulating throughout the room.
“Oh, my!” she exclaimed when she saw what was attached to the end of the ribbon.
“What is it?”
With trembling fingers Kristin reached for the shiny ring and held it between her thumb and forefinger. Her students pleas continued, but she couldn’t speak.
She turned when she heard the door open and saw Jacob enter the room. Silence fell around them, and twenty-five sets of eyes watched their principal cross the front of the room dressed in a dark tuxedo and wearing black patent-leather shoes that clicked on the tile.
Kristin smiled and felt tears welling up in her eyes. Jacob took the ring, freeing it from the ribbon. Going down on one knee, he held the band out to her.
“Miss Kristin Danielle Swan, will you marry me?”
Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, she started to reply but sneezed instead. Everyone laughed, including Jacob.
“Why, Mr. Young! I had no idea,” she teased. “I thought for sure Mr. Sand was the one.”
“I guess you will have to do,” she said.
Jacob took her hand and placed the ring on her finger. Standing to his full height, he leaned close and kissed her on the cheek.
“I love you, Kristi,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll pick you up at six tonight and we’ll set a date, okay?”
She nodded and squeezed his hands.
“Class,” Jacob said, turning back to the stunned group. “As you were.”
Kristin watched him go, turned the DVD back on, and returned to her desk, calling her next student up to the front above all the chatter.
Letting her eyes fall on the diamond ring on her finger, she knew Valentine’s Day would always be a special time for her and Jacob. And he would never forget to bring her flowers.
The Matchmaker
I know the One in whom I trust,
and I am sure that He is able to guard
what I have entrusted to Him.
2 Timothy 1:12
CHAPTER ONE
Kendra followed her sister’s light-blue car until they were a few blocks from Kristin’s duplex. The rain had subsided and blue sky had begun to peek through the gray clouds. Feeling pleased with herself she had timed this so perfectly, she said a quick prayer for the rendezvous she had set up between her sister and Jacob and then made a U-turn and headed to her own apartment instead.
After hanging up her coat in the small closet, she listened to her messages. Her friend Abby reminded her about the concert the singles’ group was going to tomorrow night and asked if she wanted to ride with her. The second message was from a gal in her Bible study who needed her to baby-sit for her later this week. Kendra called Abby, asking her to pick her up tomorrow night, then called Kathleen to say she was available to watch her two daughters on Friday.
Bring Me Flowers (Garden of Love 5) Page 15