Jazmine looked around the decorated ballroom covered in soothing ocean blue. There was that little something extra missing for the fund-raiser, but it could have been much worse. The event had been on the edge of disaster. Her boss had called her when the man who had covered her position left without notice and they discovered he had done next to nothing with the plans she had left him.
“Ms. Daniels.” One of the interns rushed in with a large box. She was followed by two others carrying the same kind of box.
The use of her maiden name tugged at her heart, which was ridiculous. Elijah had made it clear he wanted to move on. So three days ago she had returned to Denver, and for her daughter’s sake she was going to have to get over this deep sense of loss. She was not part of the De La Rosa family. But her daughter was. She needed to talk to Rosie about adding Elijah’s name to hers.
Elijah. She blinked back unwanted tears. They had been playing phone tag, but not actually saying anything in their messages. Irritated with herself, she focused on Claire’s excited face.
“These were just delivered to you. I think they’re exactly what you were looking for to finish off the tables. I love the wooden starfish. You were holding back on us. There have to be over three hundred.”
Paul, the newest intern, picked one up. “They each have a tag that reads, ‘One at a time.’”
“I didn’t order these.” She looked on the box for any clues. They were from a gift shop in Del Port Mar. Oh, no. The stupid tears were trying to escape again. She needed to make herself busy.
Claire pulled more starfish out of the boxes and arranged them on the table. “These will be perfect gifts to the donors. Let’s scatter them on the tabletops.”
Not understanding how this was happening, Jazmine lifted one out of the box, a light turquoise starfish. “Do you know the story?”
Paul shook his head.
Claire laid a couple on another table. “It’s about the boy walking along the beach?”
Jazmine nodded. “Yes. He was throwing the stranded starfish back into the ocean to save their lives. When an older man laughed at him and said there were too many for him to make a difference, he gently put another on back into the ocean then smiled and said—”
Someone cut her off by clearing his throat. She turned expecting her boss but froze in place when she saw Elijah. “He said, ‘I made a difference to that one.’ One at a time.”
In a well-cut suit, he stood with his hands clasped in front of him. Her mind went blank.
“Hi, Jazz.” He walked across the room.
“What are you doing here?” Then it hit her square in the center of her head. “Rosie. I’m sorry about taking off like that I tried calling but—”
This time he cut her off with his thumb on her bottom lip. “I know.” He glanced over her shoulder.
“Um. Sorry. Claire, Paul and Monica are interns.” She waved in Elijah’s direction. “This is Elijah De La Rosa. He’s Rosie’s father.”
There was a chorus of “ohs.” Claire had a starfish in her hand. “Did you send these? There’s a bunch.”
He grinned. “Yes. Three hundred and sixty-five to be exact.” His gaze found Jazmine again. “One for each day of the year. It’s been pointed out to me by several people that I’ve accomplished some pretty good stuff with my one day at a time philosophy.”
He had done more than some good stuff, but she couldn’t seem to find any words.
Leaning in, his lips were so close to her ear that she could feel his breath. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“My office.” She nodded, then gave final instructions to the interns before taking him to her private office. Closing the door, she leaned against it for support. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
One hip on her desk, he crossed his arms. “I messed up, Jazz. You thought we had a future in Port D and I...well, I was stupid and scared.” He stood and stalked toward her. “Tell me what’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours.”
She couldn’t comprehend this man. Words tried to organize themselves in her head, but before she could get them out into the air between them, he closed in. Taking all her personal space.
Sharing space with him was something she had always loved. His scent comforted her in ways nothing else ever could.
He leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers, cutting off any words. The feel, taste and scent of Elijah De La Rosa consumed her.
At this moment he was the only thing in her world. She liked her world.
She never wanted to leave this world.
His hands cupped her face and she leaned deeper into his warmth. But then cool air touched her lips as he pulled back.
She tried to follow, but he held her in place. With his hands still holding her, he put space between them. Her hands went to his wrists, making sure they kept contact. The word no fought its way up her throat, but she bit it back and waited.
His fingers gently dug into her hair. “I got ahead of myself. Everything I said about letting you go and moving on was a lie.”
“What do you want from me? You told me to return to Denver, and I did. You send me hundreds of starfish after you gave me a hundred reasons why I shouldn’t stay in Port Del Mar. You come in here and kiss me like you have a right to. You’re in a suit. And I don’t—”
One corner of his mouth curled up.
She frowned at him. “What’s so funny?”
“You get really wordy when you’re nervous.” He moved in again, pressing his forehead to hers. “Are you done?”
“I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “While you’re thinking of other things to tell me, I have something I need to say to you.”
His face was so close she could see all the beautiful colors that made up his eyes. The ring around his irises was an indigo blue. That was new.
He cleared his throat. “I went to your parents’ place to tell you something I should have said at our house the other night when you offered me everything I ever dreamed of. Things I didn’t think I deserved. This morning, Romans 11:29 was a part of my morning devotionals. Do you know what it says?”
With a shake of her head, she waited.
“‘For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.’”
The intensity of his eyes anchored her to him. “For the first time ever, I really understood what people meant by having an epiphany. It was like parts of my brain opened and God’s words filled it. I might’ve gotten off His path, but God kept righting me.”
His eyes glowed with excitement. “I had been given the most precious gift, and then it was multiplied. God’s been working on me even if I didn’t trust Him the way I should.”
He sighed. “You’re a gift that can’t be revoked or replaced. By turning you away, I was being a coward. Telling God I didn’t trust His word.”
With her thumb she wiped the single tear that had fallen from his eye.
He caught her hand and held it there. “Five years ago, I committed my life to serving Christ. When you came back with Rosie, I was overwhelmed and dealing with new emotions. I have a hard enough time dealing with the old ones. I didn’t know what to do, so I waited for something bad to happen instead of accepting the gift and treasuring it like I should have. I failed you again.”
She needed space to process all his beautiful words. Breaking contact, she went to her desk.
He joined her. Not getting too close, he held out his hand. She didn’t hesitate. One hand in his, she picked up a ceramic starfish painted with the exuberance of a three-year-old who loved purple. It had been a Christmas gift from Rosie.
Squeezing Elijah’s hand, she looked him in the eye. “One starfish at a time or one day at a time. We can make a difference. I want to make a difference in Port Del Mar. With you. I wanted to honor—”
He crushed her to him, holding her so close it was difficult for air to get in her lungs.
His lips pressed against her ear. “I love you so much. I love you. I should have told you that sooner, but I’m saying it now and I want to say it every day. I can move to Denver if you want.” His hold on her relaxed. He moved his lips to the corner of her forehead. “But, honestly, I want you and Rosie to come back to Port Del Mar. Come home and let us figure out our future.” Hands slid down her arms, fingers entwining with hers, then flexing. “Please, don’t let go of me.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “You’re mine. I’m not giving you back. I love you, Elijah De La Rosa. I always have, and I always will.”
They might have messed up the first time, but it had shaped them into the people they were now. With God’s grace they would figure out the future, of that she had no doubt.