Love Everlasting

by Julie Lessman

  Jack offered his wife a patient smile as he recast his line. “Settle down, babe. We still have fifteen minutes in the tournament to put you ladies in your place, so I’d save your celebration if I were you.”

  “Yeah, Lace,” Nicki said with a lift of her Dr. Pepper, content to cheer her team on from the sidelines since she was odd woman out and not overly fond of fishing, “we’ll have lots of time to celebrate when the guys have to wait on us, hand, foot, and finger.”

  “Hey, woman,” her husband Matt said with a jag of a thick blonde brow, “we’re still newlyweds, so you’re supposed to be supporting and kissing up to me, not the females.”

  Cat made a perfect cast. “Uh, I doubt there’ll be much ‘kissing up’ tonight, Cuz, not with you smelling like stink bait, right, Nick?”

  “The woman has a point,” Nicki said with a nod of her head, “at least not without a long, long shower.”

  “Hey, Chase …” Jack shot a wicked grin over his shoulder. “Make sure you double-check their measurements, will you? Lacey’s been known to fudge.”

  Lacey gave Jack the stink-eye as she and Shannon measured her fish, tone indignant. “I beg your pardon—Shannon would never do anything fishy, O’Bryen, unlike my husband whose chances of ‘kissing up’ tonight are looking slim to nil, with or without a shower.”

  “Uh-oh, somebody’s in trouble.” Chase ambled over to where Lacey and Shannon were recording the weight and length of the fish. He peered over their shoulders with a crooked smile. “Not sure I can continue to be friends with a girl who outfishes me, Shan,” he said with a shake of his head. “Even pastors have their pride, you know.”

  Cat tossed an evil grin his way. “Not when they fish like you, Rev,” she teased. “The only thing I’ve seen you reel in is humility.”

  “That’s because I focus more on fishing for souls, Catfish,” he said with a lazy smile, “a fisher of men and cocky women rather than sea life.”

  Nicki chuckled. “Well, then this one must keep you pretttttty darn busy,” she said with a sassy nod in Cat’s direction, her prior enmity with Cat years ago long since dissipated, thank God. “The poor kid reminds me of myself before I mended my wild ways, Rev, so keep trolling, buddy, and you’ll reel her in yet.”

  “In his dreams.” Smile flat, Cat popped her shrimp cork several more times, squinting at a river shimmering with the fiery fuchsia of dusk.

  “And in my prayers,” Shannon whispered, earning an understanding hug from Lacey before her sister-in-law sauntered back to her rod.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll hook her yet, Shan,” Chase said quietly.

  Shannon expelled a weary sigh as she put her fish on the stringer in the water, grateful that the banter and laughter of the others drowned out Chase’s comment. “I hope so. Believe it or not, her faith in God was as strong as mine at one time.” She reached for a shrimp from the bait bucket and rebaited her line, her tone melancholy. “But Dad’s affair with Lacey’s mother all those years ago pretty much damaged it, just like it did to Jack.”

  “Yeah, but God won after all the smoke cleared,” Chase reminded, “and He’ll win with Cat, too. You’ll see. That stubborn sister of yours doesn’t stand a chance with all the family and friends praying for her.” He followed Shannon to the far edge of the dock away from the others, slipping Cat a troubled look out of the corner of his eye. “I just hope it’s before she gets into too much trouble.”

  “Me too.” Shannon launched her line across the inky waters in a perfect arc. “But I’ll tell you what, Chase, when He does get His hands on Cat again, I’ll be rejoicing louder than all those angels in heaven.”

  “Just like with Sam?” he said quietly, his perceptive gaze warming her cheeks.

  “Yes.” Her voice was the softest of whispers, hope swelling in her chest as she offered Chase a gentle smile, reminded once again just how much she missed Sam. She hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks due to a vacation he took with Jasmine’s family the first week, then playing catch-up with his job and volunteer work the second. Not to mention Jasmine’s demands on his time, which Shannon suspected were partially to limit Sam’s time with her. Her rib cage expanded and contracted with a wistful sigh. But the truth was, Shannon didn’t blame Jasmine one bit. If Sam belonged to her, she wouldn’t want him hanging out with any other females either. Shaking off her melancholy, she forced herself to focus on how much Sam had grown in his faith since the night of the Memorial fundraiser, and joy immediately flooded both her heart and her smile. “But he’s close, Chase, I can feel it, and I’m so proud of how much he’s changed over these last few months.”

  “Because of you.” There was respect in his tone, along with a strong affection that Shannon sensed was growing between them both.

  She popped her cork more quickly than usual, uncomfortable as always with praise. “No, because of God,” she emphasized, quite certain it was God Who’d given her the grace to be Sam’s friend in the first place. And even more grace now to be only a friend.

  “When is he planning on proposing to Jasmine?” Chase’s question was casual, but Shannon perceived an underlying concern. True to his word, Chase had become her good friend over the last month, coming over or taking her out at least three times a week, making it clear he was waiting till Shannon was ready for more.

  She glanced up at him, wishing Sam wasn’t so embedded in her heart because Chase was everything she’d always wanted. A godly man devoted to his faith.

  Not a player devoted to himself.

  “Tonight, as a matter of fact,” she said, thinking about the text he’d sent her earlier in the week, asking her to pray that the evening went well. Forcing a smile she hoped didn’t reflect how she truly felt inside, she glanced at her watch, then out at the water where her cork popped too many times to be effective. “By now Jazz should be sporting a hefty-sized diamond.”

  The gentle touch of Chase’s hand on her shoulder drew her eyes to his. “I know you’re still in love with him, Shannon, but I promise you—everything will work out.”

  She offered a tremulous smile. “I believe that, Chase, I do, with all of my heart. And I truly believe God will get me past these unfortunate feelings” —her throat convulsed against her will— “and hopefully soon. But right now, what I want more than anything is for Sam to be happy.”

  “Hey, Shan,” Cat said, squinting toward Bluff Drive in the distance, “what’s Doctor Love doing here?”

  Shannon’s heart stopped at the sound of Cat’s question, stomach flipping as always whenever Sam was near. She spun around so fast, Chase had to steady her, her pulse stuttering along with her words. “S-Sam …” she whispered, spotting him getting out of his car parked under a streetlight. Hands in his pockets, he started walking across the lawn to their dock until his somber gaze collided with hers at the front of the ramp, effectively halting him halfway. He offered a half-hearted wave, the solemnity of his pose begging her to come.

  “Something’s wrong,” Jack said, shifting his focus from Sam to Shannon, Sam’s unwillingness to approach the group speaking volumes to both her brother and her. He took the fishing pole from her hand. “Go talk to him, sis.”

  She peeked up at Chase, and he nodded, his knowing look eliminating all hesitation as he gave her back a gentle rub. “Go. I need to head home soon anyway, so I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Nodding, she squeezed his hand before hurrying from the dock, heart sprinting along with her body as she ran to where Sam stood like a statue. “W-What on earth are you d-doing here?” she rasped, stomach constricting at the look of grief in his eyes. “And why aren’t you with Jazz?”

  “I needed to talk,” he whispered, his deadly serious expression joining forces with the gravity of his tone to wreak havoc with her pulse. His gaze flicked to where Chase had turned back to the river to fish alongside Jack, and a knot ducked in his throat. He took several steps back, as if to leave. “Look, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to interrupt. It can wait till tomorrow—”

>   She stopped him with a hand to his arm. “No, it’s fine, Sam, really. Chase said he’s leaving shortly anyway.”

  Chest rising and falling with a heavy sigh, he slipped his fingers through hers and led her toward his car, his silence unnerving her.

  “Sam, you’re scaring me,” she said as he opened the passenger door. “Please—tell me what’s wrong.”

  Without answering, he closed her door and circled to his side, head bowed as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He got in and closed his door, finally meeting her gaze. “I broke it off with Jazz tonight,” he whispered, the brown of his eyes black with intensity.

  Shannon couldn’t breathe. His words snatched all air from her throat while her brain grappled with what he was saying.

  Jazz is out of his life?

  Jaw tight, he started the car and put it in gear, his glance fraught with regret. “Do you mind if we go somewhere quiet to talk?”

  “No, of course not,” she whispered, reaching out to gently massage his arm, his pain becoming her own.

  His hand immediately covered hers, and her pulse skipped when his thumb caressed the back of her wrist. Giving her hand a light squeeze, he returned his grip to the steering wheel while he peered straight ahead. Obviously lost in his thoughts, he silently drove to Tybee, their favorite running beach over the last few months. He seemed somewhere far away, so Shannon didn’t push, knowing Sam would talk when he was ready.

  He parked the car on Tybrisa Street and got out to open her door, helping her out as always before leading her to the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion. Awash in the watercolor pinks and purples of dusk, the pier was quiet tonight, with just a smattering of couples sitting on benches overlooking the water. Usually Sam ushered her with a guiding hand to her back, but tonight his fingers laced firmly with hers, gaze pinned on the covered pavilion at the end of the pier. He steered her to an isolated bench on the far side, giving her palm a slight press before he sat down, tugging her along. “I hope you don’t mind, Shan, but I needed someplace quiet and calm to talk through this,” he said, his face chiseled in gravity. “And somewhere we could be alone.”

  Her heart stumbled at his words, its beat erratic as he continued to hold her hand, thumb grazing her palm. Near breathless, she broke the connection to shift and face him, his touch muddling her mind far too much for coherent discussion. “No, I don’t mind,” she whispered, arm straddling the back of the bench while she discreetly inched away to give herself the distance she needed. She girded herself with a deep draw of sea-scented air, the gentle whoosh of the ocean on the shore providing a tranquility she desperately needed. “Sam, what on earth happened?”

  Offering a faint shrug, he expelled a tired sigh before sagging against the bench, head bowed while he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re too good of a teacher, Shan,” he muttered, “so it’s all your fault.”

  She blinked, a tad nervous to hear why she was to blame. “I … don’t understand.”

  He rested his head on the back of the bench, profile somber as he stared at a sky heavy with stars. “All this time I thought I was in love with Jazz, that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” The faintest of smiles shadowed his lips as he peered at her out of the corner of his eye. “But you taught me what real love is, Teach, and being with Jazz these last few months made me realize that’s not what we had.” He shook his head slowly, the motion melancholy as his gaze returned to the sequined sky. “What we had wasn’t love. It was a mutual lust fueled by jealousy and control, each of us too mired in pride to even consider the other’s feelings.” His voice gentled as he quoted the Scripture she’d worked so hard to drill into his head. “Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, does not demand its own way, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs …”

  Shannon’s breath shallowed considerably, her brain battling an emotional tug-of-war between remorse and relief. Remorse won out as she strove for words to restore his hope. “But love is also patient, Sam, and kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

  “True, but not in this case. Not if it’s not the right person,” he said quietly, slowly pivoting on the bench to face her head-on. He rested his arm across the back until their fingers almost touched. “I discovered that making love wasn’t love at all, and when it was removed from Jazz’s and my relationship, there was very little left. You taught me that physical intimacy outside of God’s precepts muddies the waters, making it difficult to see things clearly, things that truly matter in a life-long relationship.” He paused, absently cuffing the back of his neck, the gesture almost awkward. “You were right. Without sex, Jazz and I suddenly couldn’t communicate, couldn’t agree, couldn’t connect like two people in love should.” The tips of his fingers gently grazed hers, robbing her of speech as well as air. “Not like you and I can, Shan,” he said softly, the look of tenderness in his eyes swirling warmth in her middle. “So it’s all your fault, Angel Eyes, because it looks like you’ve ruined me for other women.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Shannon jumped up, body trembling as she clutched her arms to her waist. “Sam, I’m so sorry—I never meant to cause problems between you and Jasmine, I promise.”

  She took a step back when he slowly rose, towering over her. “Not consciously, I suppose,” he said with a faint smile that tightened her stomach. She stopped breathing altogether when he stepped close enough to buff warm palms on her bare arms. “But subconsciously?” She couldn’t move, limbs paralyzed when his fingers slowly traced up her skin to glide over her shoulders, leaving fire in their wake as they skimmed up to cradle her face in his hands. His brown eyes softened with such affection, she thought she might faint. “I’m hoping and praying it was your plan all along,” he whispered, voice husky as he bent in, his shallow breathing merging with hers. “Because the truth is I’m falling in love with you, Shannon, and my only regret is that it took me so long to figure it out.”

  She had no control over the tears that swelled in her eyes, and when he bundled her to his chest with a low chuckle, she literally sobbed. His strong arms banded her close until she could feel the wild beat of his heart, as chaotic as her own. He pressed a gentle kiss to her head. “Uh … I’m hoping that means you’re falling for me, too, and not that you feel sorry for me?”

  A laugh broke from her lips that ended up quivering into a sodden heave, causing Sam to pull away with a grin. His smile was tender as he brushed the hair from her eyes. “You know, Shan, all this crying and laughing isn’t doing a whole lot for my ego. So if you don’t mind, can you tell me if you feel the same because if you don’t, I’m going to need some heavy-duty therapy from my best friend.”

  Her lips trembled into a soggy smile as she nodded, hardly able to believe that Sam Cunningham felt about her the same way she did about him.

  “Say it, then,” he whispered. A glimmer of the vulnerability he seldom revealed infused his words with an urgency that matched the intensity in eyes, naked with need.

  Against her better judgment, her heart slowly unfurled like a rosebud ready to embrace the sun. With a rush of love, she cupped a shaky hand to his jaw while his handsome face blurred through her tears. “I’m afraid I’m falling for you, too, Sam Cunningham, whether I want to or not.”

  A heart-melting grin eased across his face as he swooped her up in his arms, spinning her ’round and ’round until she was as dizzy as her heart. Setting her back down, he threaded gentle fingers into her hair and drew her close. “I’ve never met a woman like you, Shan,” he whispered, his eyes caressing her face as if it were the first time he was really seeing her. “So gentle, so kind …” His gaze settled on her lips, and her heart slammed against her ribs when he slowly bent in, mouth hovering over hers as if awaiting her consent. “So incredibly beautiful and pure …” His words faded into her mouth as he nuzzled her lips with such excruciating tenderness, a moan ached in her throat. “You even smell pure,” h
e whispered, his breath warm against her skin, “fresh and clean, like the scent of vanilla.”

  Her mouth curved beneath his. “I should smell like fish.”

  “Angel fish,” he said, mouth wandering to fondle the lobe of her ear, “which are remarkably beautiful, by the way, just like you. Leading me to believe you’re not only the perfect friend, Angel Eyes, you’re the perfect woman as well.”

  “Sam …” She shook her head, a sudden twinge in her chest. “There is no perfect woman,” she whispered, eyes suddenly sober as she pulled away with a melancholy smile.

  His chin nudged up as he swept her hair over her shoulders. “Maybe not, but you’re as close as I’ve come, Shan, and I want to get to know you as a woman. Which means …” He melted her resistance with a crooked smile, brown eyes twinkling with tease. “High GPA and med degree notwithstanding, I’m not as smart as I think if it took me this long to figure that out.”

  Her smile took a rare slant. “Unfortunately, I figured it out a while back, which hasn’t always made this friendship very easy.”

  “Unfortunately?” He cocked a brow. “Hey, I don’t know about you, Teach, but I’m pretty happy about this unexpected turn of events.” A crease appeared at the bridge of his nose. “Aren’t you?”

  She paused, her true emotions tangling into a ball of knots, right along with her stomach. Happy that Sam wanted more than friendship? She swallowed the fear that instantly clogged in her throat. Her eyes flickered closed when she realized what that meant. Not only had she fallen in love with another player against her will, but he wanted to return that love, to know her as a woman.

  Vulnerable.

  Weak.

  And fragile enough to break.

  Again.

  A shiver skated her spine as she took a step back, not sure she wanted to risk it. Yes, Sam was changing, but so far it wasn’t the soul-deep change that she needed. Nor was she sure he could even change enough to commit to a love that would last a lifetime. A love everlasting, like God had given to her. A feat difficult enough for most human beings, much less a player with a propensity for women.