What about him didn’t she know?

Bitter defiance was easier to contend with than this cozy camaraderie metastasizing in the truck with each mile, but his ready presence and help this week had gotten to her.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I made poor choices to protect the facade that my home life was perfect. I was afraid if people saw my agony over my parents’ inattention, I’d be made fun of. I know you were, and I’m sorry about that. I guess I thought if I befriended or defended you, I’d be made fun of too. That rationale was wrong.”

“You were young, Colin.”

“Age is no excuse for cowardice. You went through so much. I wish I’d befriended instead of bullied you.”

She shrugged, tempted to fake a blow-off. But Colin’s confession wouldn’t let her. “The stigma surrounding my family was hard. It made us who we are today, though. For all of us to have risen—even financially—above abuse, poverty, and losing our parents to their bad choices is a miracle.”

“Rough road to success, though. I’m glad your siblings are all okay.”

“God-loving grandparents taking us in made the difference. Plus, teachers like Del, Sunday school and church youth workers, and coaches who invested time in us.”

“I always wanted siblings. One of these days, I’m gonna have a huge family.”

She genuinely hoped that dream came through for him. Yet in that cushion of well-wishing plunged a pinprick of doubt. Colin hadn’t been in town long. Would he revert to old patterns when he reconnected with old friends?

Construction zone looming, he decelerated and settled into silence.

God may have sabotaged her kitchen to set her on a non-negotiable path to forgiving Colin, but that didn’t mean she should trust the man.

She looked up to realize that, as he’d shared earlier, they’d passed her old street. She’d memorized his profile by now but suddenly saw him anew. “You did that on purpose.”

He bit his lip. “What?”

“Distracted me.”

His grin escaped. “Maybe.”

After a tiny mile of enjoyment seeing him squirm, she whispered, “Thank you.”

His gentle nod and tender smile touched her heart despite her not wanting them to.

Once at the hospital, he offered to wait in the visitors’ lounge. His contrite countenance made her regret overreacting to his innocent correction of her minor wardrobe malfunction in the truck. Yet it had also seemed a gesture of affection. Meadow didn’t want to under- or overreact, but his past mistakes still screamed louder in her mind than his present acts of kindness.

Her conscience won this round.

“Colin, come visit Del. She’d be glad to see you. I doubt she’s had many visitors. She’s too stubborn to let people know she’s in the hospital ‘incarcerated by tyrants bearing sharp objects,’ as she put it. She won’t want us to ask how she’s doing, either. If she’s in pain or drowsy from meds, she’ll probably just hide it.”

He chuckled. “Sounds like Miss D.” He pressed the elevator button. “If you’re sure seeing me won’t upset her.”

“No, but seeing the two of us together and not one broken bone between us may send her into seizures.”

He chuckled again, and the sound should not have been as pleasing to her as it proved.

“Or it may make her believe in miracles.” Colin pocketed his hands.

“She already does.” That Del had lived through the last decade was a miracle. Meadow didn’t want to reveal Del’s history of domestic abuse yet wanted to prepare Colin for her appearance.

Before reaching Del’s room, Meadow halted him. “Hey, listen. She has facial scars she’s self-conscious about.”

“I won’t mention it,” he said with understanding. “Del’s story is hers to tell.”

And Meadow’s to keep.

They’d become catering partners after forming a friendship at church. Del’s ex had pressured her to quit teaching, and Meadow provided shelter after Del’s escape. Then, Del insisted, Meadow had boosted her confidence by giving her a second career in catering. Only fifty, Del could recertify as a teacher, but she’d assured Meadow that creative catering was where she wanted to be.

Meadow may’ve been instrumental in Del thriving after divorcing her ex, but Del was instrumental in steering Meadow to hire troubled teens to assist with catering. She grinned, missing Del’s daily on-the-job antics.

At Del’s room now, Meadow knocked on the partially open door. “I’m here with a special visitor. You up for company?”

At Del’s permission, they entered. Meadow knew Del trusted her discretion in whom to bring.

Del smacked hands to her cheeks. “My word! I think they shoved hallucinogens in my IV. I’m having a terrible time believing my eyes here, kids. The two of you didn’t exactly get along in high school. You back in town for good, Colin? Furthermore, how’d you manage to sweet-talk this former rival into becoming friends?”

Meadow wanted to correct Del’s notion that she and Colin were friends, even though she couldn’t deny he seemed befriend-able now. Still, she’d be stupid to trust so soon.

He hadn’t been as caustic as his friends and girlfriend in school, but he’d tormented her plenty. The lake exploit had been hurtful, but the birthday party prank had—pun intended—taken the cake. That incident had mortared the final brick in Meadow’s wall. Remembering it made her blood pressure seem to rise.

So did the feeling that her self-fashioned fortress suddenly felt more like a prison.

She quieted her qualms for Del’s sake.

Colin leaned to hug Del. “I bought the property across the street from Meadow’s.”

“On purpose?” Del wiggled her eyebrows.

Colin stiffened. “I moved back after a broken engagement.”

Meadow caught the sharp look that said he wasn’t in the market for matchmaking. Fine. Neither was she.

She’d believe herself, too, if his obvious slight wasn’t stinging. Pride. Had to be. Because she couldn’t possibly be interested in Colin McGrath.

To Del’s credit, she looked contrite instead of compelled to borrow Cupid’s arrows where Meadow’s love life was concerned. “Sorry to hear that.”

He shifted foot to foot. “The engagement never should’ve happened.”

Del’s hand brushed her scars. “I know the feeling. What happened?”

“My ex was a fellow service member who got PTSD. I mistook sympathy for love. She figured it out and broke things off.” He paused. “But I actually moved back here to help Mom with Dad’s construction business.”

Her respect for him ramped. Until he added, “Meadow and I are just working out a business barter. I’m sure you already know about her cave-in.”

That was all their . . . arrangement meant to him? Disappointment stung until the rest of what he said came back to mind. “Is your dad okay, Colin?”

“Not really. But sometimes when things look like they’re falling apart, they’re actually falling into place. That’s my hope, anyway. I’m glad to be back.”

Meadow tried to tamp compassion but couldn’t as she recalled his reveal in the truck that his upbringing wasn’t as perfect as portrayed.

Del eyed her curiously. They’d become close. She could read Meadow like a one-ingredient recipe. Del wouldn’t question her in front of Colin, but that didn’t keep the shrewd inquiry out of her eyes. Meadow had questions of her own. When had her heart thawed to the idea of hoping for a coveted spot on Colin’s friends list?

When Colin stepped out to visit the restroom, Del smirked, and Meadow hissed, “This isn’t funny, Del.”

“I disagree. This is the funniest thing in a century. Your life has turned into a soap opera starring Murphy’s Law.”

“That’s not funny either. Be nice to him.”

“Say that to yourself.” Del whistled. “He’s a looker. Single, too, like you.”

“Don’t tread there, Del. We have a history that can’t be—”

“What? Forgiven? Forgotten? Renovated?”

Meadow clamped her mouth shut. After all, she’d been the one to drag Del to church. Now here Del was, having to preach to the choir. Meadow needed to be more mindful of how she represented Jesus. Besides, was Del right? Was she unforgiving?

“Wanna know what I think?”

“Since when do you ask? You say it whether I wanna know or not.”

Del’s finger shot up. “True. Here’s the deal, kid.”

Del’s eyes took on a sparkle that clanged warning bells up Meadow’s spine.

“I get feelings about these things. And let me tell you, when you two walked in together, I got God-sanctioned goose bumps.”

“Because it’s forty degrees in this room, Del.”

“Nope. It’s in my knower.”

Meadow sighed. Knew she should listen, but part of her was scared to hear it.

“I really sense that once you get past the hurt of what happened, God has specialness in store for you with Colin. Something more permanent than a business barter.”

That ear bomb was not what she’d expected Del to drop.

Didn’t Del see Colin’s negative reaction to her Cupid conspiracy before?

“You’ve been relentlessly badgering me to trust my instincts, Meadow.”

She grinned. “Badgering? Isn’t that your territory?”

Del chuckled. “Guilty. Through your relentless encouragement, you finally convinced me, despite my staying in an abuse system so long, that I have the gift of discernment and need to not only use it but pay attention and trust it. So . . . can you?”

The warning bells moved to Meadow’s brain. “What do you mean?”

“Despite only interacting with Colin again for a few minutes, my discernment tells me he’s way different. I’m not sure you’ve noticed.”

Unfortunately, she was starting to. Although it’d be easier not to.

“I’m just saying give the man a chance.”

“Chance for what?”

“Shh. There he is.”

Upon Colin’s return, Meadow forced herself to look anew. Striking, how tall and filled out he’d become. He’d always been well muscled and athletic from sports. But his well-constructed demeanor was what captured her attention most.

Del was exactly right. Something about him seemed very different from before. It was dynamic and deserving of her notice. It seemed time and trial had forged his character into first-rate greatness.

Question was, could Meadow see past the boy he used to be?

Honestly, she couldn’t.

Couldn’t risk heartache that hoping for a friendship with him could bring.

She just needed to bide time, get through the month, and avoid him as much as possible until she could be out from under the will-softening power of his presence.

He was busy. So was she.

Avoiding him should be as easy as baking boxed pie, right?