Worry sifted her nerve endings. But he was true to his word and turned the truck around.
“Daddy, is this the farm?” A puzzled look wrinkled Katie’s forehead.
“We passed it. Didn’t you see it?”
“No.” She twisted her head around. “Can we go back?”
“That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Ten minutes later, Nick turned down another gravel road.
Sarah Beth’s face screwed into a frown. “Do you know these people?”
“Just thought I’d show up.”
“Really?”
Nick chuckled. “One of my suppliers lives out here. I told him Katie wanted to see a farm.” He pulled over near a barn and turned off the truck.
“Is this the farm?” Katie bounced in her seat as Nick came around to lift her out.
He smiled. “That’s right. They grow cotton and soybeans, and they have a catfish pond.”
“Can we eat cotton?”
“We don’t eat cotton. We make clothes out of cotton. At the end of the season, this field will be white as snow.”
“Can we come back then?”
“Sure. But today, we get to feed the catfish.”
Katie clapped her hands then threw her arms around him. “You’re the best daddy in the world.”
Puzzled, Sarah Beth studied Nick. “What if I hadn’t made it this far?”
Nick winked. “I thought you would, but if not, I could’ve brought her back.”
“Hmm, I’m going to enjoy feeding the catfish as much as Katie. Thanks for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s nice to have another adult along. A quasi-adult anyway.”
Sarah Beth’s hands punched her hips. “I hope never to lose the wonder of childhood.”
With a smile, Nick nudged her elbow. “I just enjoy giving you a hard time.”
“Oh, thanks a lot. It’s like having another brother.” And he was like a brother. Wasn’t he?
~~~
Jess went over the notes he’d made on his tablet, but he couldn’t concentrate. His best friend and the woman he cared about were hanging out. He should be glad that Nick was taking up the slack while he was gone—helping Sarah Beth with her anxiety. But why did his stomach churn when he’d hung up the phone? Was this jealousy? If it was, he was being petty and needed to get over it.
He’d pick up where they’d left off when he got home. The trip would be over in ten days. He touched the screen and looked at the routes he’d charted for Sarah Beth. He’d studied the roads leaving Oxford and even followed them on Google Earth to know what to expect. This was his biggest challenge. Could he use his coaching skills to help someone—an adorable someone—with something more important than football?
It would take a lot of trust on her part. And prayer. He pictured her sitting in his truck. He imagined the tone of voice, the instructions he could use. Like drills, but nicer. Then he pictured her and Nick. And Katie. He closed the cover of the tablet. Maybe a move to Florida would be a good thing.
Chapter 29
The Veggie Tales clock on the wall read ten twenty-five. Sarah Beth rocked the screaming bald baby in her arms. When would Nick get here? She’d tried everything she knew to soothe the infant, which wasn’t much. Nothing helped. The baby’s little lips quivered, and such a loud wail emanated from the tiny mouth. She’d arrived at the church nursery well in advance to familiarize herself, but so had this little fella’s parents.
Nick poked his head around the half door. “Still need my help?”
“Whew. Am I glad to see you. This fella’s mother said it was time for his bottle, and he hasn’t stopped crying since I fed him.”
Nick held out his arms. “I think I’ve got this one.” He lay the crying infant over his shoulder and patted hard against the pint-sized back.
“Oh my stars. What are you doing? You’re beating him.” A loud belch echoed around the cinderblock walls. “Goodness. Did he make that noise?”
Nick gave her a triumphant look. “And that is how you burp a baby.” He turned the little guy around and cradled the smiling infant. “Good one, buddy. You feeling better?”
Sarah Beth laughed. “You boys come out doing that, don’t you?”
“I’m one hundred percent positive girls do, too.”
“Does this mean you’ll change all the diapers?”
His eyebrows raised. “I’ll change the first one, then I’ll supervise.”
“It was worth a try.”
Two other babies arrived. One made himself at home in Nick’s lap, the other slept in her carrier. Not so bad. She could do this again. Maybe.
Church ended, and the parents picked up the little ones. Sarah Beth turned out the light and walked with Nick to pick up Katie from children’s church.
With puppy dog eyes, Katie looked up and tugged on Sarah Beth’s shirt. “Will you go eat chicken nuggets with us? Please?”
“I would love to eat with you.” Sarah Beth shrugged. “I love eating in general, after all.”
Nick nudged her. “I’m sure you would rather eat something besides chicken nuggets, but I’ll buy.”
“As you may’ve heard, anything’s better than what I cook.”
“Let’s head out then.”
They ate and talked while Katie played on the indoor playground. After thirty minutes of Katie showing them how well she could climb and slide, Nick called her in. “It’s time to pack for vacation, Katie-bug.”
On the way out, Sarah Beth pressed Nick’s forearm. “Don’t forget about getting to know Jill and taking her to eat with you.”
“I remember. I’ve already been praying for her. And you remember, I don’t do fix-up dates. This is purely about sharing my faith and being a friend.”
Sarah Beth saluted. “Got it.” She dropped her hand to her heart. “The fact that you’re praying for her already moves me. Thanks.”
Once again, Katie tugged on Sarah Beth’s shirt. “Will you carry me to the truck?”
“Sure.” As she edged Katie into her booster seat, the small girl put her hands on both Sarah Beth’s cheeks. “Ms. Sarah Beth, can you be my new mommy?”
Nick and Sarah Beth shared an awkward glance. Sarah Beth covered the little hands with her own. “You have a mommy in heaven, so I’m more like your fun Aunt Sarah Beth.”
“Okay, but I’d like a mommy who could talk to me. Out loud. I guess you can be my aunt like Uncle Jess is my uncle.”
His eyes downcast, Nick’s shoulders slumped.
Poor thing. Sarah Beth’s heart hurt for him.
She gave Katie a hug and kiss. “I miss my mommy, too, but you have lots of people who love you. Plus, I think you have one of the best daddies in the world. Don’t you?”
“Yeah.” She grinned. “The best daddy in the world.”
Katie moved past the moment, but Nick pressed the back of his hand against his mouth.
Sarah Beth rounded the truck and laid a hand on his shoulder. “She’s fine. I meant what I said. You’re a fabulous father.”
“I just never thought about her wanting a mother. I thought she was happy with the way we were.” His fingers pulled at the top of his hair. “I’ve only been thinking about myself...not wanting to have my heart torn in two again or deal with dating and all that. Maybe I’ve been wrong.”
“It’s something to pray about. Ask God to help you be open, willing, and able to love again if that’s His plan.”
Giving a weak smile, Nick rubbed his eyes. “Chris was right when he said that you may seem a bit eccentric, but you’re like a bucket of wisdom from the well of life.”
Her lips pressed into a pout. “I’m still kind of ticked at how he worded that.”
He met her eyes head on. “Maybe you should follow your own advice and pray to be open, willing, and able to love again if that’s His plan.”
Her situation was different. A tightness rose in her throat. She needed to leave. “Have fun on your vacation, and be careful.”
&nb
sp; Chapter 30
The ring of the phone interrupted Sarah Beth’s feasting on a plate of good, salty black-eyed peas and cornbread she’d picked up in town. She set aside her dinner and swallowed a sip of milk. “Hello.” A bit garbled, but the ID showed it was Jill.
“Whoa, Sarah Beth. Those Southern men are smoking—all that and a bag of chips. Jess is so hot, and Nick is adorable in a deep and mysterious way. So which one are you interested in? I know you have to find one attractive.”
“They’re both good friends.”
Jill blew out a loud sigh. “Jess is tall and picture-perfect, but he didn’t have much to say. Nick and I talked a lot, but I’m not sure whether I’d be taller than he is if I wore high heels.”
The conversation gnawed at Sarah Beth’s gut. “So wear flats.” Her voice came out sharper than she’d intended.
“Aha. So you have feelings for Jess. I was testing you.”
“Testing me?”
“I did have a great time hanging out with Nick, and I love that little Katie. She’s a doll.”
“What did you mean by testing me?”
Jill sighed. “When I gave you an opportunity to tell me why I should or shouldn’t go out with both of them, you only told me what to do about going out with Nick. You said ‘wear flats.’ You said nothing about Jess.”
The gnawing graduated to a bite. “Since when are you Sherlock Holmes?”
“Since I found out two single, smoking hot, Christian men are your new best friends. You’ve been keeping secrets. And what more can you ask for? You have to find one dateable.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m excited for you. You’re making progress and moving on after you went through such a terrible loss. You know I love you like a sister. Now, I know you’re still my boss...”
“I love you like a sister, too, but let’s talk about something else.”
Another sigh came from Jill’s end. “Will do, but it’s not going to be as much fun.”
~~~
Sarah Beth checked the time on her phone. Early for family night. The last several days seemed to drag by. Strange that Jess hadn’t called, considering the first week he’d been gone, he’d touched base at least once a day. It wasn’t like he owed her a call. Still, what was this little ache in her chest?
Maybe something had gone wrong. Or he was mad at her? She was always blurting out stupid things. Especially with Jess.
His plane should’ve landed two days ago. She shut the door to the SUV and scurried up the sidewalk to Chris and Kim’s. Being so early, maybe she should knock.
Kim pulled the door open with a crooked smile. “Wow, this must be the night for being super early.”
“What do you mean?”
Kim pointed out to the deck. “Jess is already here, too.”
Her heart skittered again. Why hadn’t she noticed his truck? “Oh.”
Kim shooed her toward the back door. “Go on.”
“Where’s Camilla? I usually play with her.”
“At a friend’s house.”
“Can’t I help you in here?”
“Absolutely not.” Kim crossed her arms at her chest. “Go.”
With cautious steps, Sarah Beth headed out onto the deck.
Heat rose from the grill where Chris turned and smiled. “Hello, Sarah Beth, come on out.”
Jess turned, his arms limp at his sides. For a moment she held his gaze, her feet planted. Why should this be awkward? They were friends. She closed the distance between them and grabbed him in a tight hug. “I missed you. I heard from you every day and then nothing. I got worried.”
After she spoke, he slid his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. “I missed you, too. Sorry I didn’t call again. I... Never mind. I’m sorry.”
When Jess released her, warmth remained, enveloping her, soothing and tender.
“What about me?” Chris threw open his arms. “I feel so left out.”
“I just saw you Sunday. Jess has been gone two weeks.”
Jess stood tall. “That’s right, buddy.”
Things seemed normal again. Maybe she’d imagined something was wrong.
Not a lot of students attended the gathering. So many were on vacation or home for the summer, the small group dwindled after dinner. Kim and Chris had their bags packed to head out on a trip of their own the next day, so Sarah Beth called it a night at nine o’clock.
Jess walked her out, his presence comfortable. Did the night have to end already? “Jess, you know, someone else missed you.”
Stopping, he faced her. “Who’s that?”
“Gingie.”
He continued to stare, eyebrows raised above those luscious brown pools of light. “Did she tell you this?”
“I could tell. Oh, and Nick taught us how to sit.”
His gaze fell. “You didn’t know how to sit?”
An owl hooted from the direction of the large oak across the road, and a light breeze fluttered his blond hair. She could string words together in an intelligent way. With other people. But not him. “Ha-ha, very funny. You know what I mean. I’ve been practicing all week.”
“Maybe I should come say hello to Gingie and see you sit.”
Maybe she’d never be able to string words together around him. Something about Jess McCoy kept her tongue-tied. “Maybe you should. I’m very good at sitting.”
Jess flashed a smile. “I’ll see you on the porch.”
~~~
Jess pulled into the driveway behind Sarah Beth. He’d missed her bubbly smile and the way she sometimes misspoke or blurted things out when she talked with him. But what about Katie? That little girl needed a mother. He wouldn’t be the one to deny her.
A full moon lit the porch with a whitish glow. Faint silhouettes of magnolia and pine trees shadowed the sidewalk and half the stairs. Sarah Beth ran inside to let the dog out, returned with a couple of bottles of water, and switched on the lighted ceiling fans.
Gingie barreled over to him, whining.
“Hey, girl. I think you did miss me, didn’t you?” He rubbed the dog’s head then sat back on the white front porch swing. The sound of the frogs and crickets echoed through the balmy night air. Jess searched Sarah Beth’s expression. “So you missed me, too?”
Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her bottom lip. “You need me to say it again?”
He liked that he’d made her blush. “Come sit down.” He patted the seat.
The swing rocked as she sat beside him. She fidgeted with the chain securing the bench to the ceiling. “So tell me about your trip. Is your family doing well? Did they like the ideas I sent them? Did you meet Juan and see the clinic and church plans? Oh, did Nick and Jill hit it off? I was praying they would.”
He planted his feet. “Slow down. That’s a barrel of questions.” Did she say what he thought she had? A moment passed. “I want to start with the last one. Are you saying you want to fix Nick up with Jill?”
One shoulder lifted as she answered, “Not exactly, but Jill would love to meet a nice guy.” She toed at a wood plank. “Okay. Maybe I was. Nick’s a good man. Last week when you weren’t here, he took me around. I think because you were gone, he was lonely. He said he liked to have another adult to talk to, and you hadn’t called him.”
“I didn’t realize.” Jess slumped. Nick lonely? Could that be all there was to Nick hanging out with Sarah Beth while he was gone? “I should’ve called him. You know, Katie calls me every day since she found out how to find my number on his cell. I figured Nick would get on the phone if he needed to talk.”
“She’s discovered my phone number now too, so I know how you feel. And he’s such a good guy. I thought maybe if he and Jill hit it off, they could talk on the phone, chat online. Get to know each other. He would be a good influence on her.”
This had been what he wanted, needed, to hear, but he had to be sure. No timeouts left. Push on. “Let me ask you something. Are you sure there’s n
o possibility of, you know...you and Nick?”
Her eyes shot open. “He’s a great guy and all, but I feel for him in a more brotherly way. Why would you think that? Because he took me driving?”
Jess studied his hands. “Katie told me that she wanted you to be her new mommy. You’d spent time together, and Nick’s like a brother to me. Little girls need a mother.” He closed his fingers over hers. “You’d be a wonderful mother.”
The chains of the swing creaked as they rocked. She didn’t move her hand away. It felt right beneath his.
Sarah Beth sighed. “I know Katie needs a woman in her life. I still miss having a mother. Poor Mark has been my sounding board all these years.” Her head shook slowly. “But I can’t date Nick so Katie can have a mother. That would be crazy. What if he met someone he was actually interested in? Then I’d be in the way.”
He searched her eyes. “You’re sure you couldn’t come to love Nick?”
“I don’t have a crystal ball, Jess, but I don’t have feelings for him in that way.”
He was conscious of the warmth of her breath as she spoke. Her hand still under his. Relief washed over him. “Okay.” One side of his mouth turned up. “What were those other questions?”
Her lips pinched together. “Just tell me about your trip.”
“Your condo in Malibu was perfect. My only hang-up was that it used to belong to that cheesy actor. But I can see how you were able to think and pray and draw closer to the Lord with the Pacific to the west and the mountains on the other side.”
“Yeah. Pretty spectacular view. What about the food?”
“I tried the fish tacos at the little café you recommended. You were right.” He smiled at her. “You may not be able to cook good food, but you know it when you taste it.”
“I won’t say I told you so.”
“Touché.” He chuckled, then took a more serious tone. “I found that chapel at Pepperdine. I went by myself to think and pray. I decided to tell my dad about Sophia.”
Her gaze fastened onto his. “How did that go?”
Jess looked down at his feet. “We were hiking and stopped for a rest. I told him, but asked him not to tell Mom or Rachel. He was understanding and let me talk. He wondered if that was why I never connected emotionally with any of the girls I dated, why I never got serious about anyone.”
Leaving Oxford Page 19