Hadley wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I love fajitas, but the onions are killer.”
He picked up another pepper. “Wanna switch?”
She nodded and gave him the onion. “Did you have a good talk with Mom?”
“I did. How ‘bout you?”
Hadley and Tina had been on the phone for at least an hour before his niece handed over the phone. Hadley begged for him to let Tina visit during the week. He’d been hesitant, seeing how the woman had become more involved quicker than he’d anticipated, but he gave in.
When the woman showed up with a container full of makeup, he’d been sure he’d made the wrong choice allowing her to visit. She picked at Hadley’s eyebrows with tweezers and put different creams on her face. He let her slather on the makeup for about as long as he could take it. But when he decided to tell her to stop, she turned Hadley around, and he couldn’t believe how good she looked. And still young.
Tina had done a great job. The look of pure excitement beaming from Hadley’s face was an added bonus.
Hadley sighed. “I like it when she comes over.”
“I know you do.”
“But she doesn’t know how to be a mom yet.”
Colt rested the knife and the onion on the counter and studied his niece.
Hadley continued, “She wants to—I can tell. But right now, she really wants me to like her.” She pointed to the skillet. “You’d better flip that meat.”
Colt jumped. If he didn’t pay better attention, he’d burn their favorite dinner. At least one of their favorites. He flipped the meat and added a bit of salt to the cooked side. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you know how you”—she giggled—”and even Megan will get onto me if I do or say something I shouldn’t. I think Mom’s afraid to.”
She shifted toward him and sighed. “Okay, so I’ll just tell you the truth.”
Colt’s stomach muscles tightened. What happened between her and Tina? Were they keeping secrets? Was Tina just fooling him? If she was, he’d yank away the phone calls and visits quicker than Old Yeller could gulp down a piece of beef. “What is it?”
The words came out harsh, angry. He cleared his throat to mask his worry. If she didn’t think she could tell him what happened, she wouldn’t. He’d learned long ago that Hadley was an open book until she felt like he was going to be upset; then she’d clam up, and it would take him days to get to the truth of any given situation.
Hadley must not have noticed, because she got her hands to moving even before she opened her mouth. The girl wouldn’t be able to utter a peep if something happened to her hands. “Well, I was telling her about this boy from the rodeo.” Her face reddened, and she clasped her hands.
Colt sucked in a deep breath and willed himself to stay calm. He hadn’t noticed any boys talking to Hadley at the last rodeo. “Go ahead.”
“Well, there was this guy, and he told me I was pretty, which I really liked, because I don’t get that too much.”
“Hadley, you’re a beautiful girl.”
She shook her head and waved for him to stop. All the same, he made a mental note to tell Hadley what a pretty young lady she was growing into whenever he got the chance. That was the kind of thing she was missing without a mother. If he had a wife, she’d remind him to say the words when he thought Hadley looked pretty. Like the day Tina fixed her makeup. He should have told her then.
She scrunched her nose. “But I didn’t really like the way he told me, because he used a curse word.”
Colt’s mind raced as to which curse word would be used to tell a girl she was pretty, and in what context. He couldn’t think of a single way, unless the kid was being downright vulgar, and if he was, the boy had better be glad Colt didn’t catch him talking to his niece.
The steak sizzled, and Colt turned down the temperature and added the onions and peppers. He mixed them together then looked back at Hadley.
Her hands started moving again. “Anyway, I was telling Mom what he said, and I said the word, too. But just to tell her what he said, not ‘cause I talk like that.” She ducked her chin and cocked her head. “Well, you would have gotten onto me, told me not to say things like that. That I could get the message across without actually saying the word.”
Colt let out a sigh of relief. It was nothing like he feared. Tina wasn’t corrupting her. He bit the inside of his lip. “So, are you saying you like it when I get onto you?”
“Yes.” Her brow puckered. “I mean no.” She shrugged. “Look, don’t like go all hog wild on me or anything, but I guess I do like that you won’t let me be bad.”
From the mouths of babes. Colt bit back a smile. He’d have to remember this little confession the next time he had to ground her for not doing her chores. He remembered Tina flinching when Hadley had acted ugly when she and Valerie didn’t win the cornhole game. Megan had reprimanded his niece but didn’t let it ruin the day. Tina didn’t know how to do that yet.
“You’re probably right about Tina. Right now she’s worried about wanting you to like her. My guess is she feels bad about all the years she hasn’t spent with you.”
Colt thought of all the things Tina had missed. Hadley’s first tooth, first words, first steps, first time to school, first horse ride. There were more “firsts” than he could think of. Not to mention all the seconds and thirds. Every day-in and day-out moment he’d had with Hadley had formed their bond. Tina didn’t have that.
A twinge of pain passed through his heart for the woman. She’d chosen her path when Hadley had been born, but she couldn’t have realized all she was giving up for drugs and alcohol. Until now.
He wrapped one hand around his niece’s shoulder. “I think you and Tina have made a pretty good start.”
Hadley grinned. “You’ve done a good job, too.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “You don’t need to say curse words to translate what someone else said.”
She nodded. “I know.”
With his free hand, he lifted her chin. She looked at him with big, innocent eyes. She may be growing up, but she was still his little girl. “And you are beautiful, Hadley Baker.”
Red tinged her cheeks, and he let her go. He grabbed a plate out of the cabinet and handed it to her. “Time to eat.”
“Megan coming tonight?”
“Far as I know.”
“Good. I’ve been practicing my songs. I can’t wait to see her.”
Colt smiled. He couldn’t wait either. He would ask her out tonight. Even if he had to do it in front of Hadley, the horses, and the dog.
Colt wondered what was wrong with Megan. She smiled when
Hadley performed her songs. She went through the motions of guiding his niece through the new material. He could tell Hadley knew something was off as well.
When the lesson ended, Hadley excused herself to call back Valerie, who’d phoned during the lesson.
Colt offered Megan a large glass of sweet tea. She took the glass, drank a sip, then flopped back in a wingback chair. He frowned. “Everything all right?”
She crossed her legs and waved her hand in the air. “Just peachy.”
He scratched the top of his head. He didn’t have enough experience with women to know where to go from here. Did he ask her another question? Wait for her to talk? It was obvious something was bugging her. He looked around the room. He was pretty sure he hadn’t done anything wrong, but one could never be certain.
“My mom and I made up.”
He sat on a hardback chair across from her. “That’s great. I know that means a lot to you.”
He didn’t really know the ins and outs of why Megan and her mother had such a stilted relationship. He knew it had been that way for years. From what he gathered, even before she graduated high school.
It didn’t make much sense to him. Sure, his parents had been estranged from his brother, Connor, but that was because of drug abuse. Megan didn’t have any vice of that sort. In fact, she was an upstanding Christi
an woman. He’d be thrilled if Hadley grew up to be like her.
The thought brought a smile to his face. He still hoped she would have the chance to see Megan as a daily model for womanhood. Though they hadn’t dated, he knew she was the kind of woman he hoped to marry and help him raise Hadley.
She sat up and rested her elbows on her knees. “Colt, we’re friends, right?”
He nodded, unsure where the conversation was going.
“Why do you suppose Justin hit you that night at the wedding reception?”
Colt clenched his jaw. He couldn’t stand that guy. He knew God didn’t want him to hate anyone. Knew God said to pray for one’s enemies. But that man made it hard to heed the Lord’s words. “Because he likes you.”
Megan stood and opened her arms wide. “Wrong. Apparently he loves me.”
Colt gripped the arms of the chair on both sides and ground his teeth together.
She smacked her hands against her thighs and started to pace. “Yup. Told me himself. The man went all Neanderthal at the reception because he thought you were flirting with me.” Megan threw back her head and snorted. “Like that would ever happen.”
Colt wrinkled his nose. Why was it that no matter when he saw Megan and no matter how many times he determined he would ask her out on a date, his plan would get thrown back in his face? Was he really so bad at showing his feelings that Megan had no idea he was attracted to her?
She stopped pacing in front of him then leaned down in front of his face. “Apparently he really”—she lifted up her hands and made quotation mark gestures—”loves me. Like for life. Like now he doesn’t want anyone else. Even though he’s dated half the state.”
Colt stiffened. He did not like the way this was going. He cared for Megan. He was the one believing she was for life. He was better for her. Justin wasn’t good enough.
She lifted up her pointer finger and thumb. “Okay, so maybe that’s a wee bit of an exaggeration.” She smacked her thighs again. “But not much.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she started again. “And apparently my mom approves of him. Of course, Marianna doesn’t. She wants me to go after you. Which is ridiculous. I keep telling her we’re just friends.”
A knife of dawning seemed to twist in his heart. They really were just friends. He wanted more, but Megan didn’t see him in that capacity. Maybe if he’d been more vocal earlier on, he’d have had a chance. But it was pretty obvious Justin held her heart. The truth of it sickened his stomach.
Colt leaned back in the chair. He hurt for Hadley the most. Megan would make a terrific mother. He grimaced. He thought he loved her. For himself. Even if Hadley wasn’t around. He inwardly nodded. Yes. Of course he loved her. She was a good pick. Christian. Pretty. Talented. Loved the farm.
Irritation swelled within him that she would fall for Justin. He was the better man. A husband a woman could be proud of. His heart twisted. He did hurt, but he needed to cipher through the pain and the humiliation. Which one weighed heavier?
For now, he’d listen to her rant until she realized the truth. And he would start praying for Justin. He’d pray the man would one day be worthy of Megan.
She opened her arms wide. “My mom. That’s the biggest joke of all. I’ve never told you why my mom and I had such a bad relationship. Let’s just say it has something to do with the hang-up I have about men.”
She raised her eyebrows and pointed to her chest. “And I earned my hang-up. I dated one guy in high school.” She lifted her pointer finger in the air. “After him, I swore to never, ever fall for another guy.”
She smacked both hands against her knees. “But Justin Frasure. The Justin Frasure. The most gorgeous guy on the planet who could have”—she cocked her head—”and has had, any woman on the planet.”
She marched back over to the wingback chair and flopped back down in it. She grabbed the iced tea and took a long swig. Placing the empty glass on the table, she leaned back in the chair and looked at him, her expression the most pitiful he’d seen. “Justin Frasure?”
The words hurt, but he had to say them. “You love him.”
She shook her head. “But why?”
He shrugged. “Because you do.”
Megan closed her eyes, and Colt sucked in a long breath. He would hold his emotions at bay. God would see him through this.
She opened her eyes and stood to her feet. She picked up her purse and walked toward him. “Tell Hadley I said bye.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for being such a good friend, Colt.”
Colt didn’t move as she walked past him and out the door. He touched his cheek with his hand. He’d finally gotten a kiss from Megan. A kiss of good-bye.
He looked behind him and spied Hadley peeking around the corner. “You care about her, don’t you, Uncle Colt?”
He bit his bottom lip. No use trying to hide the truth. She’d know he was lying anyway. What kind of example would that be? He nodded.
“She didn’t know.”
He shook his head. He knew she didn’t.
Hadley walked into the room and knelt beside him. She nestled herself under his arm. “I love you, Uncle Colt.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too.”
Things hadn’t gone as he planned. His heart felt weak and weary from the hammering it took the last several minutes. He’d been taught that God had a plan in all circumstances, and he’d always believed it. Knew it when his brother and Tina ran off. Knew it when his parents died. Knew it through the daily raising of Hadley. He’d have to know it again.
He looked up at the ceiling and offered a silent plea of help from God to see him through once more.
Chapter 30
What I feel for you seems less of earth and more of a cloudless heaven.
VICTOR HUGO
Justin walked into the Bible study room. He knew Megan wouldn’t be there. She’d been getting her classroom ready for school to start the following week. Plus, he assumed she was still avoiding him. He missed seeing her. Missed knowing her presence was just outside his office door. Missed hearing her voice when she answered calls or reminded him about meetings. The new secretary was doing a great job, but it wasn’t the same.
He nodded at their leader, Kat, as he took a seat beside Brian. He leaned toward Justin, “Ya missing softball yet?”
Justin nodded. “A little.”
He didn’t want to admit the softball games and practices had been his lifeline. Especially when Kirk married, left on his honeymoon, and was now busy setting up house with a new wife. He’d needed activity to keep his mind off Megan. Unsure how Brandy would respond to him, he’d limited his gym visits. Still hadn’t decided if he needed to switch memberships.
Out of the corner of his eye, Justin noticed a familiar form. He shifted and watched as Megan walked in the door. She glanced at him and offered a slight smile. Justin’s heart pounded. He wished she’d sit by him like she used to, but she passed him and sat by one of the women.
Kat opened her Bible. “It’s five after. I think we’ll go ahead and get started.”
Kat rubbed her hands together. “I hope y’all don’t mind. I know we’ve been studying Paul’s life for a while, but this week God laid something else on my heart.”
Justin sneaked a peek at Megan, her attention centered on Kat.
“And I mean, God just wouldn’t let it go.” Kat opened her hands. “Have you ever had that happen? You have a plan, an agenda of some sort, and God is just determined you’re going to change direction?”
Justin thought of his life before becoming a Christian. He’d been on the fast track to becoming one of the most prominent and wealthy divorce attorneys in Kentucky. Figured he’d settle down and get married one day, but not until he’d sowed all the wild oats a man could handle.
Then God stepped in and changed all that. He wanted to be an attorney, but not for wealth or fame, but to help others who had legal needs—like adoption. He’d started donating to a local counseling
group whose sole purpose was to assist struggling couples with the hope of reconciliation. He looked at Megan. And he wanted a wife. Wild oats were a thing of the past.
Kat spoke again. “I want to focus on Jeremiah 29:11, where God tells us He has a plan for us, and that His plan is always for our good.”
Megan lifted her hand, and everyone looked at her. She glanced at Justin, and he had to remind himself to keep breathing. She looked back at Kat. “I had a plan. Thought I’d spend my life doing my agenda.” She made a fist and pumped it through the air. “Me and God against the world. I was going to sing contemporary Christian music.” She grinned and glanced around the room. “We all know God switched that plan on me.”
Kat chuckled. “And those elementary kids will be thankful. You’ll be a terrific teacher.”
Megan’s cheeks brightened, and Justin thought how cute she looked when she was embarrassed. Though he didn’t say it aloud, he agreed with Kat. Megan would be the best music teacher.
Megan cleared her throat. “I also thought I’d spend my life single.” She glanced at him again and then averted her gaze.
Justin frowned. Was she talking about Colt? He wasn’t the right guy for her. Justin couldn’t stand the thought of it. And he most certainly wouldn’t sit here and listen to her talk about it. Before Megan could say another word, he scooped up his Bible, stood, and walked out of the room.
He strode down the hall to the exit. Part of him felt bad leaving like that, but he wasn’t ready to hear Megan talk about Colt. Sure, she deserved a guy like the blond cowboy. A guy who’d been a saint since birth. But that didn’t stop Justin from loving her. From praying God would have mercy on his worthless personhood and allow a woman he didn’t deserve to love him back.
He pushed through the door, and the hot August air smacked his face. He yanked his keys from his front shorts pocket then wiped his face with his hand. Maybe a dip in his pool would calm his nerves and cool his heart.
He’d promised God the night he saw Colt and Megan together at the frozen yogurt place that no matter what, he would allow God to lead his life. Megan choosing to fall for Colt stung worse than any yellow jacket he’d ever come into contact with, but Justin wouldn’t lose his faith.
Wedding Song in Lexington, Kentucky Page 24