“You came!” Chloe rushed Chance. He caught her and swung her around on impact.
What was it with Chloe and Mary and their linebacker hugs?
Chance set her down and bent over the fishing bucket nearby, staring at the wiggling worms inside. “You dig those up yourself?”
Her chin zoomed up. “I most certainly did. But I’ll share them with you.”
He lifted two foam containers. “I stopped at the bait shop on the way here.”
“I bet my worms are bigger, which means I’ll catch better fish.”
“We’ll see.”
“Oh, baby…it’s on.”
He loved the look of challenge in her eyes.
He reached for her left hand and ran a thumb along her ring finger. Her steps stuttered, and she tilted her face up. He kept his face forward and neutral and fought off the grin trying to tear his face in two.
Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha.
He couldn’t wait until he could hold her hands and feel his promise banding her finger. Maybe by Christmas, if everything went as he planned. His mouth dried.
He was doing it. Really, really doing it.
Brock had teased him about backing down, which made Chance all the more determined to go through with what he knew he wanted for the rest of his life.
“Chloe, your mom and I laughed all the way here,” Ivan said once they were all tucked securely in Brock’s luxurious bass boat.
“Why’s that?”
“Mary got to talking about your infamous fall in the water on that previous fishing trip. She told me about it. I’m glad you’re okay after falling in.”
“You mean when Midnight jerked me in when he went to retrieve the branch?” She laughed.
Everyone joined her. Chance was glad she could laugh about it now because it sure hadn’t been funny then.
Chance watched his dad, who watched Chloe and Mary and smiled. Chance was glad his dad could find joy on what would have been an otherwise dreary day. Chloe changed the subject to Ivan’s chess sets. Everyone laughed as she spouted funny ideas for chess piece themes.
Thank You for Chloe, Lord.
“You’re explosively fun, Chloe.” Chance decided right then that everyone needed a Chloe in their life.
He intentionally kept his shades on so he could drink her in without her awareness because he liked to watch her in unguarded states. She was actually subdued now. Why? It wasn’t like Chloe to be quiet at all.
She looked so pretty silhouetted against the crystal-blue backdrop of Refuge Lake and the rustic surrounding woods. Her body swayed in a mesmerizing fashion as the boat bobbed gently on placid water under a clear, tranquil sky.
“Dude! You got a whale!” Brock yelled from across the boat.
Chance scrambled to his pole which nearly bent in half. “Whoa, there.” He reeled and tugged and reeled and tugged and laughed at himself for becoming so immersed in Chloe that he hadn’t noticed he’d hooked probably the biggest fish in the lake.
“You want the net?” Brock set his pole down and brought it over. “Looks like you’re gonna need it.” Brock drooled, watching Chance haul the monster fish in.
No matter how big the thing on the end of that hook, Chloe was the best catch of the day.
“Might be a humongous turtle,” Ivan said then laughed.
“Seems so.” Chance continued to work the fish. “Gimme the net.”
At that moment Chance’s line snapped and his weights flew back to smack him in the forehead.
Chloe laughed. “‘Take that,’ says the one that got away.”
Chance rubbed the rapidly rising knot on his forehead and grinned crookedly, then eyed her pointedly. “The next one I hook, I don’t plan to let get away.”
She blinked a few times, then flashed a smile that could light the sky for a thousand inky nights.
Chance contentedly studied Refuge’s beautiful horizon. Stately trees pointed like limb-feathered arrows to a sky painted today in cloudless pink and pastel-purples that streaked like a sunburst across a brilliant blue two shades lighter than the lake.
Brock eyed the sky too. “Perfect day for skydiving.”
“Definitely,” Chance agreed, knowing the only thing Brock enjoyed more than fishing was parachuting.
Ivan chuckled. “They both have free-fall DNA in their blood. I think these boys are twins separated at birth.”
“Chloe, ever tried it?” Chance asked. He’d like to ask Chloe to go with him sometime on a tandem jump and experience the thrill of free-falling from his favorite place to be: the sky.
“No, but it sounds exciting. I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’ve never gotten the nerve up.”
Brock ducked while Chance recast his reconstructed fishing line. “You should go sometime. Chance could hook you up, literally. You could tandem with him.”
Chloe’s eyes lit. “I’d like to. Mallory would freak. She’s always wanted me to go with her.”
Brock’s ears perked up. “Mallory skydives?”
“Well, she never has but she’s always wanted to. But she wants to go with someone she trusts. Her fiancé says to fly through the air without a plane around you is foolhardy. He puts a damper on everything in her life.”
“Chloe!” Mary made tsking noises.
“Well, he does. I’m just stating a fact. He’s becoming the kind of possessive men often get before they become abusers.”
“Maybe I can take her tandem diving sometime with you and Chance,” Brock offered.
“I have an even better idea. Why don’t you take her fiancé skydiving, then forget to tell him how to pull the thingamabob that releases the parachute?”
Brock snorted.
Mary shook her head. “That girl. What am I to do with her?”
Ivan chuckled. “Nothing you can do but keep loving that mean streak out of her.” Ivan winked at Chloe. “Although I happen to think she’s all right just the way she is. Nothing wrong with looking out for someone you love who may be headed in the wrong direction.”
For whatever reason, Chloe’s eyes filled with tears.
Everyone froze. Ivan looked at Mary for help. She shrugged and eyed Chloe, then Chance and nodded her head.
Scooting closer, he slipped an arm around her waist. “Something bothering you?”
“Partly yes and no. It just felt strange Ivan saying that. I mean that in a good way. It was almost like I had a dad who actually cared there for a second.”
Chance swallowed and nodded. “Dad does care.”
Chloe seemed composed now so Chance shifted slightly, reading her body cues to see if he needed to remove his arm. But she leaned into him instead of away.
Joy flitted through him like the minnows in Ivan’s bucket. “So it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have my grumpy old man for a stepdad?” Or father-in-law.
She laughed. “I can’t believe that just came out of your mouth, but no. He’s a delight and he gives sage advice. I’ve never had that from a fatherly perspective. Amazing how it’s improved my outlook.”
“So what was it that bothered you?”
“I’m concerned about Mal. She sounded despondent when she called today. Her fiancé threatened to take back the ring if she didn’t give up her volunteer spot on the rescue team. Rescue’s all she’s ever wanted to do. If she can’t cover Mindy, I have to move back to Chicago immediately.”
Mary raised her head and listened carefully.
“Mal is devastated because he gave her an ultimatum.”
“No pun intended but that sounds fishy,” Ivan said.
Brock listened intently, taking it all in, but didn’t comment. He’d been in a controlling relationship before so Chance knew he could identify with Mal’s situation.
Chloe sighed. “And, worse, she suspects he’s cheating because she won’t sleep with him. She’s thinking of hiring an investigator to prove or disprove it.”
“I know a good one. Petrowski’s sister Ash is a PI-turned-skip tracer,” Brock said.
Chance nodded. “Yeah. Ash would love in on this. I’ll give you her contact info when we get back.”
“Thanks. Anyway, just pray for her. This is all so dreary. Let’s change the subject, shall we?” Chloe stretched out to relax, but Chance knew her well enough now to know tension dimmed the wattage in her smile. He cast her an understanding expression. She winked. His heart flipped like a banked fish.
“So, Mary. Give us some dirt on Chloe.” Brock smirked.
“Mom doesn’t have any dirt.” Chloe smirked back. “I was a perfect child. Still am.”
For whatever reason, Midnight lifted his head, stared at her, then gave a loud bark.
“See? Even he knows you.” Chance petted the dog.
Mary snorted.
“Hush, whistle-dog, or I’ll turn you into a pair of cat slippers.” Chloe scrubbed Midnight’s ears when she said it.
Mary faced Chance. “Has she told you about the time she got mad at her dad and turned to trouble when she was sixteen? I mean real trouble.”
“What, like you mean with boys?” Chance teased.
Chloe choked out a laugh. “No. Police.”
Chance settled back. “I have to hear this.”
“Me and Mal were always saving animals. We had a massive collection of butterfly nets. We’d run around the neighborhood with Mallory’s red wagon saving moths and bugs from drowning in people’s pools. Well, except for spiders and bees. I squashed those when Mal wasn’t looking. But she drew the line at flies and mosquitoes.”
Chance laughed. Brock grinned.
“We’d rescue anything in trouble. We found a set of kittens someone dumped off in a box at the city trash pit once. We rescued them, then bathed them.”
“With my best body wash, I might add. Then they hid them in her father’s study,” Mary finished.
“He found them and took them to the animal shelter and told me they’d be humanely discarded.” Chloe scowled. Chance could see snatches of the strong-willed, softhearted little girl she must have been back then.
Mary clicked her tongue. “She cried all day. I felt so sorry for her.”
“But not sorry enough to defy Dad and go rescue the kittens. So me and Mal sneaked out in the middle of the night and set some animals loose from the local pound.”
“Correction. They set all the animals loose.”
“Well, it wasn’t a no-kill shelter!” Chloe laughed.
Mary shook her head and eyed Chance like, “See what you’re getting yourself into and who you’re dealing with?”
“The first time we did it, I got a warning. The second time we didn’t get caught. The third time we got booked.”
Chance leaned forward. “Third time?”
“Yeah, I guess I’m a slow learner sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Mary exclaimed, laughing. “You’re the valedictorian of the School of Hard Knocks.”
Chloe laughed. “Then Mal’s my salutatorian. We’re co-conspirators. She’s the animal rescuer I got my Lab from.”
“You have more than Midnight?”
“I have Midnight. Mal has a potbellied pig named Penelope. We’ll add more animals when we get my program off the ground.”
“A potbellied pig? That’s kinda cool. Any relation to the guinea pig?” Brock helped Ivan untangle Mary’s line from a thick green patch of yellow-flowered lily pads.
“Nope. Completely different species.”
Brock nodded. “Mallory sounds interesting.”
“She’s definitely that. She’s got the spunky girl thing going on.”
“Wow. Brock’s into that,” Chance whispered. “And he goes gaga over redheads.” He scratched his jaw and eyed Brock.
“I know what you’re thinking, Chance, but we can’t do it. We can’t try to set them up when Mallory is engaged to another man, even if he is the biggest jerk in the world. We just have to pray that God shows her before she makes the biggest mistake of her life.”
“Speaking of relationships, I need you to understand something about me. I have plans too, plans that I can’t put off for very long. If I do, my dad will never know his grandchildren. I don’t want to grow old or even die before having grandchildren. And I don’t want my future children to miss out knowing their parents and their grandparents.”
“You’re still young, Chance.”
“Yes, I am in my mid-twenties, like you, but it’s already too late for my children to know my mom. The longer I wait, the better the chance that more relatives will be gone, since all my aunts and uncles are my parents’ age.”
“I understand. I also understand that sometimes life throws us on a different route than we expected. And sometimes, God is the one navigating that change. I think if this is meant to be, we both need to recalculate what we had preplanned and be open to a divine detour.”
“So we’ll stay surrendered to His will and roll with the changes? You’ll be willing to follow the path God puts us on, Chloe, whether that’s together or not? I like that. At least we’ll know we’re running hard after Him.”
Her lips trembled and she looked like she could laugh and cry at the same time. He chuckled and pulled her close for a safe, quick hug. “I know this is a scary step for you, Chloe. I know it. But one thing I’ve learned about God is that He’s trustworthy. His love is steadfast no matter what you go through.”
“And you’ve been through a lot the last six months.”
“Yeah. The initial stages of grieving were extremely tough. I’d come to cope okay until I figured out Dad had a thing for your mom. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that wasn’t hard.”
Chloe’s heart thudded. “You wouldn’t be happy for them?”
“I’m not saying that.” They docked the boat. Brock helped Mary and Ivan out. Chloe and Chance watched as they walked to a park bench and Mary sat close to Ivan. He leaned on her.
“Your mom has also been through losing a spouse, which I know helps Dad. I’m just saying that seeing him interested in someone besides my mother was one of the hardest things to witness. And well, since their feelings for each other have obviously been growing, it’s felt flat-out weird. Yet not in a bad way, I know. Just weird, especially if you and I, you know, find our relationship to be, well, permanent.”
“That would be odd to have you as both my boyfriend and my stepbrother.” She grimaced, mostly at the thought that maybe God had brought Chance into her life so Ivan could meet Mary. That would be fine except for the deep feelings she now felt for Chance. Maybe God didn’t have Chance in mind for Chloe. Depressing thought.
“Or worse, I could be your husband and your stepbrother. And your father-in-law would be your stepdad.” His voice had adopted a testing, teasing tone.
“I told you, Ivan wouldn’t make a half-bad dad.”
“So, what about me?” he asked tentatively. “Would I make a half-bad husband?”
She smiled, then tried to hide it.
He grinned. “What? You got an ornery look just then.”
Her face warmed. “That would depend on your definition of bad.”
His brows rose. “Why, Chloe Callett, I do believe you’re flirting with me.” Something in his eyes changed, and he brushed a thumb along her left ring finger again.
Why did he keep doing that? Was it on purpose? Not knowing was driving Chloe nuts.
Chloe stepped back, and Chance advanced then chased her around a tree. She giggled and squealed. Once he caught her, the smoldering, slightly dangerous look in his eyes receded and a look of deep and gentle caring replaced it.
“You’ll never be able to outrun me, so get used to getting caught.” One of his eyebrows arched.
“Maybe. Maybe not. I decided to take the plunge, bite the bullet.”
His other eyebrow rose to meet the first. “What bullet is that?”
“I bought a treadmill.”
He doubled over laughing.
“I’m going to start exercising three hours a day.”
His laugh died. “Three hours?”
“Okay, two.”
“Every single day?”
“What? You don’t think I can?”
“I just don’t want you to have too-high expectations of yourself and then fail.”
“Are you calling me a couch potato?”
“Depends. Do you own a couch?”
She clobbered his shoulder. “Correction. Are you calling me a chair tomato?”
“No.”
“Good, because—”
“I’m saying if you overdo it on the treadmill, you’re likely to hurt yourself.”
“But aerobic exercise is good for the heart.”
“Fine, start slow and gradually build to your goal.”
“I’ll do two hours, five days a week. Does that sound reasonable?”
“I think you should start out with twenty minutes a day, three times a week and go from there.”
“Fine. But then I’m not walking the whole time. I’m going to run. I’m determined to get up that waterfall at least half as fast as you do without getting winded.”
“Sounds reasonable. Have you ever run on a treadmill before?”
“Well, not exactly. But how hard can it be?”
Chance stayed silent.
“Speaking of waterfall, let’s hike there,” Chloe said.
They bid goodbye to their parents and drove to the B&B. “Where is it?” Chance asked as they headed up the leafy stone-riddled hill.
“What?”
“Your treadmill.”
“Still at the store. They’re delivering it late today. You and Brock can help me unload it. Anyway, back to your dad and my mom. You’re sure you’ll be okay if, you know, things progress between our parents?”
He pulled her close but not close enough to be considered putting the moves on her. “Seriously, as hard as it would be to see Mom replaced, I’d be okay with it as long as I knew it was something sifted through God’s filtering hands. I can handle anything in life as long as I know that He sanctioned or allowed it for some good reason or higher cause.”
She nodded and enjoyed the feel of his high morals and physical strength protecting her—even from themselves. She appreciated the fact that he didn’t try to ravish her like that flash in his eyes said he wanted to when she’d foolishly teased him. Where were a bucket of ashes and a wad of sackcloth when she needed it? For that matter, what was sackcloth?
She bent her head against his chest and enjoyed the steadfast thud of a man marching after God’s own heart. “Your mother has left a great deposit in you, Chance. Her legacy of faith is living here. The seeds she planted are sprouting up, and I must say it’s beautiful. Your faith is like a garden, and every life around you is touched by the beauty.”
He was silent for several seconds, then his chest quivered.
She looked up.
His cheeks looked about to explode. Her assessment was confirmed when laughter burst through his lips. “Sorry. It’s just…you sounded like Ben when he’s about to burst into poem or praise song.”
She laughed with him, and it felt good. Better than anything in a long time.
“Yeah. The poet who uses flowery stuff—pun intended—to compose worship. You should pass along that whole garden concept to him. He could probably turn it into a song that would touch people.”
“I will next time I see him.”
“Which could be this Sunday in church.”
Chloe nibbled her lip. “I’d like to try it. I’ll see if Mom will go too.”
“Then I’ll invite Dad, because he hasn’t been since Mom died. I have a feeling he’ll go if he knows Mary is.”
“I know it’ll be hard for you to see him fall in love again.”
“Not as hard as seeing him depressed and lonely and giving up on himself and life and all he loves to do.”
She hugged him. “You’re something else, Chance. What am I going to do with you?”
A shy blink. “Kiss me would be my first choice.”
Chloe leaned back, shook her head and laughed.
“And laugh as long and as often as possible. You define gorgeous when you giggle.” He smiled lopsidedly and still managed to look contrite. “Sorry. It’s the waterfall’s fault.”
“It is quite romantic.”
He grinned full-on, nothing shy in it. “I’m kidding, Chloe, sorta. What I meant to say earlier is that you can trust me. Trust God. Trust me. You have to choose to believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power to champion your dreams.”
“What about your dreams, Chance? And what if they clash with mine and mine with yours?”
He grinned. “A divine detour never hurt anyone as far as I know. I’m willing to, as you say, recalculate my route. All I ask is that you be willing too. Are you?”
That was the hundred trillion dollar question.
Was she?
Chloe studied Chance and sent a silent plea heavenward. God, I lay my plans at your feet. I accept Your will for my life even if it means the sifting of my dreams and enduring detours I didn’t see coming.
She slowly nodded her head.