Faith tossed the last handful of LEGO pieces into a plastic bin and glanced at the clock. Almost 9:00 p.m. She was late getting the boys to bed. Hopefully they wouldn’t be crabby or give Drake a tough time getting up in the morning.
The evening had passed so quickly. She knew she’d enjoy interacting with the boys, for an hour, maybe two, but fully expected to grow tired. And for them to grow bored with her and throw a fit. But they’d been nothing but giggles and chatter, telling her about everything from when barn owls slept to what bugs and spiders lived where.
“Let’s get you both into your pj’s.” She returned a throw pillow to the couch, then, with one hand to the back of Trevor’s head and the other to William’s, guided them to their bedroom.
“Stories!” Trevor made a beeline for their little bookshelf.
“That’s right.” She sat cross-legged on the floor, her back against William’s bed. “What one would you like to read?”
“When Monsters Go Shopping!” Trevor brought over a stack of picture books and dropped them in her lap, spouting off titles so fast he became breathless.
“This is a lot of books. How about you each choose one?”
William gave a rather adult-like nod and began rummaging through the pile. “And then Bible?”
Right.
William sprang to his feet and returned with a small, thick book with caricatures on the cover.
She smiled and released a breath. Cartoons she could handle.
They each made their story selection and sat beside her. William scooted backward until he nestled snugly under her arm.
Her heart swelled for these two. She gave them each a gentle squeeze and began reading. They knew most of the words and spoke parts out loud when she did. Once the last story had been read, she set it aside. “That was fun.”
She grabbed the Bible lying on the floor and opened it. “All right. What should I read about?” She flipped to the table of contents. The story titles triggered memories of Sunday school classes from long ago. “Moses and the Burning Bush? The Crossing of the Red Sea? Jesus Calms the Storm?”
“Balaam and the Donkey Who Talks!” Trevor said, and his brother parroted him.
Interesting. She didn’t remember that one. “All right. Talking animals it is.”
She altered her voice as she read, going deeper for Balaam and high-pitched for the animal. The boys giggled.
But then William frowned and crossed his arms. “I want my manimals to talk to me. How come they not?”
“Uh...” How was she supposed to answer that? “I’m not sure why this happened in Balaam’s case, but I don’t think—”
“’Cause God wanted him to know something,” Trevor said.
“Me, too?” William asked. “What He want me to know?”
This conversation was growing increasingly uncomfortable, and peppered with questions Faith had no idea how to answer. If she said the wrong thing, Drake would quite likely ban her from his kids forever.
Luckily, once again Trevor answered for her. “That He loves you and is always with you and is thinking about you and watching you all the time, even when it’s really, really dark.” He tried to pick up a toy dinosaur with his feet. “That’s what Daddy says. Daddy says God’s always talking. Through the sun, birds chirping, when people act all friendly-like and are nicer’n you thinked.”
“But through a donkey?” The words popped out before her brain had a chance to stop them.
Trevor nodded. “Aunt Elizabeth says He can do what He wants whenever He wants. Otherwise He wouldn’t be God.”
He had her there. So many answers for such a little guy. Clearly, religion was a big part of the Owenses’ lives.
Of Drake’s life. That meant she and he were as incompatible as her parents had been. Except Drake seemed relaxed about the whole thing. Standing up for her, not trying to push his beliefs on her.
Beliefs like a God-turned-man who changed water into wine, walked on water and died a horrific death to somehow save her. Whether she paid Him any mind or not.
“I no hear Him.” William poked out his bottom lip.
Trevor shrugged. “Maybe your heart’s not listening.”
Faith’s chest pricked.
She gazed through the window toward the starry night sky. You there, God?
The house was quiet, peaceful, when Drake returned home. The television wasn’t playing. He heard nothing but the rhythmic chirping of crickets outside and the steady hum of his air-conditioning unit.
Was Faith asleep? Warmth swept through him as an image surfaced of the soft, shy smile she’d given him when he’d left. Such a beautiful woman.
He’d be leveled once she returned to Austin, which she planned to do in a couple weeks. Probably sooner.
He dropped his keys into a dish by the front door, shucked off his boots and tiptoed into the living room. Faith lay curled on the couch, the floral-and-plaid quilt his mother had made tucked up under her chin. The silver light of the moon streaming through the window caressed her face, making her look more radiant than ever.
A loose ringlet had fallen across her forehead. He stepped closer, aching to brush her hair back, to rub the silky strands through his fingers.
In their room down the hall, one of the boys sneezed, and she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open.
“Hey.” He smiled down at her.
She sat up, looked around as if disoriented, then clambered to her feet. “Hi. You have a good time?”
“I did. What about you? Were the boys good?”
“They were hilariously adorable.” She grabbed her purse from the coffee table and walked with him to the door.
“They’re always good for a few laughs, I’ll give you that.” He intended his statement to sound casual, but with her standing so close to him, his voice came out husky. Almost strangled.
Way to play it cool, big guy.
He cleared his throat, then reached around her to open the door. “Thanks again.”
“Anytime.” She took in a short breath, her eyes filled with questions. Or, dare he hope, longing?
He shouldn’t be thinking this way. He shouldn’t be standing here, so close to this special woman bathed in the silver moonlight. His gaze dropped to her mouth. He shouldn’t be leaning toward her.
“Faith.” He cupped her jaw in his palm and urged her closer. He brushed a featherlight kiss against her lips. She responded, leaning into him. He knew he needed to step away. To go back inside and shut the door, to this, to her, to the emotions she evoked.
Instead, he pulled her closer. She made a muffled noise, then pushed against his chest. Breaking the moment and jarring him back to his senses.
“I’m sorry. I...”
Her cheeks flushed. She took a step back, as if composing herself. “Have a good night, Drake.”
She hurried down his porch steps, and jumped into her car without another glance.
He released a heavy sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face. He was in trouble. In love with a girl he couldn’t have.
A girl he’d be spending most of the Fourth of July with, confined on a tiny, six-and-a-half-by-ten-foot float. With no way to distance himself from the captivating woman who had hooked him the moment he met her.
The next morning, after a night of Faith-filled dreams, Drake felt groggy and off-kilter.
“Daddy!” Trevor tugged on his pant leg. “My pancakes are smoking.”
“Hmm...” Coffee mug in hand, he eyed the stove. “Oh!” He lunged toward the burner, sending hot coffee sloshing onto the floor. Luckily, not on poor little William’s head. “There goes that idea.” He’d promised the boys they could make flag cakes like they had at his mom’s the year before. Blueberries and strawberries for decorating, a canister of whipped cream to hold everything in place.
And a mess of stickiness to clean up after.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to make another batch. “Sorry, boys. Looks like it’s cereal this morning.”
He received two nearly identical groans.
“Unless you want toast. Then you can still create your Fourth of July decorations.”
This produced grins and cheers, followed by at least ten minutes with them happily occupied, allowing him to sip his coffee in peace.
Maybe not such a great thing, as his mind kept drifting to Faith and the kiss they’d shared.
His phone rang, startling him. He glanced at the screen. “Hey, Liz. Everything okay this morning?” He could hear clanking dishes in the background.
“Ask me that in about five minutes when Mom and I start coaxing Dad into the truck.”
“He doesn’t want to go? He loves the parade.”
“He’s just a bit grumpy after his appointment last night.”
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say the doctor gave him a stern talking to. Told him it was time to quit moping and start living.”
“In other words, to accept his condition.”
“That, and the real estate agent finally called back last night.”
Ouch. “How bad? Will they be able to keep any of the land?” Even a couple acres would help. Let them hold on to the horses, Mom’s vegetable garden.
“With no way to support it?” She sighed. “It’s not looking good. We might need to take them looking for apartments.”
Drake closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Lord, help us out here. Please. News like that could level a man. It was all the more imperative they get their dad out of the house today. Around his buddies—guys who could make him laugh no matter what life threw at him.
“Need me to come help?” He plunked his charred pan in the sink and filled it with soap and water.
“Don’t you have to be down at city hall getting ready for the parade soon?”
“Right.” Matter of fact, he and the boys needed to get a move on.
The boys. The parade could take up to three hours. They’d go stir-crazy sitting on the float that long. “Uh, listen, you wouldn’t mind meeting me over there, would you? To snatch up the little men?”
“That’s why I’m calling.”
“Thanks, sis.” What would he and the boys, not to mention his parents, do without her? Though it stank for her, that no-good husband bailing on her had been the best thing that could’ve happened to their family. Would’ve been even better had he ditched her before saddling her with debt.
Elizabeth should have known, falling for a city boy. Living surrounded by concrete, high-rises and fancy restaurants did something to a person.
His mind jumped to Faith, who was different. Wasn’t she?
He’d probably never have the chance to find out, but moping about never-coulda’s wouldn’t help him any.
He slipped his phone into his back pocket, grabbed a rag and set to work cleaning strawberry juice and whipped cream off two very squiggly, giggly boys. Luckily, they were so excited about the parade that ushering them out the door proved easy.
When they arrived at Main Street, floats and people clogged the area. A handful of policemen were sprinkled among them. Not that anyone expected any issues, other than parking violations. But the men in blue always came out to show their support. They were as much a part of the Sage Creek Fourth of July celebrations as Wilma’s Kitchen’s fresh baked apple pies.
He was hankering to get a slice.
Drake parked and turned to his boys with a stern look. “No running off or acting crazy, you hear? You stay with me until Aunt Lizzy gets here. And then you need to do what she says.”
William was too busy watching all the activity to respond, but Trevor huffed. He probably had his eye on the playground kitty-corner to city hall, where a handful of other kids were already climbing and running around.
Most likely Drake’s boys would end up there some time or another.
He cut the engine and he and the boys got out. With his hands on a shoulder of each, Drake glanced around for Faith. Half hoping he wouldn’t see her, as unlikely as that was.
How did he get himself in this mess? He knew better than to kiss the girl. He knew having her over at his place to watch his boys would be trouble. And he certainly knew better than to fall in love with a city girl bent on returning to her artsy lifestyle. A world that for sure didn’t involve someone else’s young’uns.
And there was still that huge problem of her faith.
Faith, the woman without Faith. He’d find the irony humorous if he wasn’t so frustrated with the whole thing.
“There you are!”
He turned to find his sister prancing toward him, her arm looped through Faith’s.
When his gaze met hers, Faith’s cheeks colored. But then, as she continued to study him, something else flashed in her eyes, something vulnerable, and worry lines etched her forehead.
As if maybe, just maybe, their kiss last night had awakened something in her—dare he hope, the desire to give him and his boys a chance?
But it would never work. Not with her aversion to Christianity. The Bible said not to marry nonbelievers, and with good reason. He’d seen one too many marriages derailed by religious clashes. He had no intention of adding his family to the casualties.