| |
JUST AS THE SUN WAS preparing for its grand exit, they pulled into a well-maintained rest stop. "Come on. We have to hurry or we'll miss it." Trevor grabbed her hand, pulling her along in his enthusiasm.
They followed a trail meandering up the hillside until they reached a small clearing. One bench sat alone on the edge of the slope, over-looking the valley where the town nestled.
"I didn't realize we'd come up so high," said Juliette, her voice hushed. "This is amazing." She slid onto the bench beside Trevor, and they sat in silence as the sky unfurled its dazzling twilight colors for them.
"Wow," Juliette whispered.
The sky subtly swayed and shifted before beginning to fade. Finally Trevor spoke too, his tone reverent. "And they say there is no God."
Then he began to sing, his eyes closed, a love song, a prayer.
"In a sunset's glory, in the awakening of dawn, when I see Your handiwork displayed across the sky. I am amazed, I am in awe. I am in wonder of who You are, that You would love one such as I."
He sang softly, the words seeping from every pore, and Juliette sat beside him, barely breathing, letting his voice wash over her. How she longed to see God the way he did.
Suddenly he stood and stretched out his arms. His voice rose, and that perfect rasp at the edges of it went to work on the walls around her heart all over again.
"How can I do anything else but praise You, thank You? Hallelujah. Hallelujah."
The echo of his song rolled out over the valley and back to them, and Juliette bowed her head under the power of her emotions. She felt his hand rest companionably on her shoulder.
She was glad for the shadows; she didn't want him to see her face. She'd shed a few tears but not enough to be embarrassed. It wasn't that. It was because she knew that everything she was feeling—the doubts, the wonder, the pain, the confusion, the longing—it would all be there, exposed for him to see, and she simply didn't want to put on any masks right now. She wanted to stay vulnerable to whatever was going on inside her for a little while longer.
They waited until the last of the light faded from the sky.
"We should go, Juliette." He spoke quietly, gently, squeezing her shoulder. "It's dark, and I promised to feed you."
Even though there were a few lampposts along the trail, Trevor pulled a flashlight from his pocket and turned it on. "Take my hand. I'll get you there safely." Once again she was pulled along by him, by the things he stirred up in her heart.
They agreed on a popular burger place, and Juliette was surprised to find she was ravenous. He teased her mercilessly about ordering so much, but she didn't feel guilty when she saw the mammoth burger he got for himself. Their conversation was relaxed and aimless; they talked about Ricky, about her sisters, and about Trevor growing up an only child.
"I hated it when I was younger, but by the time I was a teenager and totally into my music, I was glad not to have the distraction of other siblings. That sounds pretty narcissistic, doesn't it? But it's true. My folks one hundred percent supported me and encouraged my dreams. My dad, man, he totally empowers me to be the best man I can be. I think the only down side of it all is that I left home feeling pretty entitled. I learned the hard way, repeatedly, that it wasn't always about me. But then, I always had Mom and Pop to pick me up, dust me off, and kick me in the butt, until I got back in the saddle again." He took a long swig of his soda and leaned back in his chair. "Dessert?"
"How can you even think of dessert right now?" Juliette groaned, very unladylike. "I'm so stuffed I can hardly breathe! And these stupid jeans don't help either. Why didn't I wear stretch pants?" She was still working on the last of her seasoned French fries. Trevor had convinced her to mix ketchup and mustard and the house dressing together as a dip, then made a huge scene when she admitted she liked it. Everything about Trevor Zander seemed bigger and bolder than normal.
"Well? What next? Do you want to go home? For another ride?" He leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out under the table, and nudged her calf with one of his feet.
"Can we ride for a while?" She felt the flutter of anticipation in her belly.
He grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Let's go. Hit the bathroom and I'll pay the bill. If you're not out in two minutes, I'm coming in after you. If I don't get to touch up my make up, you don't either."
They rode for another hour. Trevor knew all the back roads, and scenic routes, and he periodically pointed out things he thought might be of interest to her. Most of the time, however, they didn't try to talk. She was glad because it gave her time to think about the last twenty-four hours, and all she'd experienced with him.
She was drawn to him, but it wasn't necessarily because of his looks, or his charisma, both of which he had in boatloads. She couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly, but she thought perhaps it had less to do with him, and more to do with what was going on inside her heart. She was on the verge of something, and she wondered if this was what Sharon meant about the skylight opening.
When he finally pulled up in front of her little home, she was prepared to invite him in. She didn't want him to leave until she'd gotten some of her thoughts sorted out. There was no shame, no fear, no rigidity in his faith like she saw in Renata's. There was freedom and joy, even when he talked about pain in his life, and she wanted to understand.
She looked up at him while she dug in her jacket for her keys. "Will you come in?"
He shook his head. "But if you want to talk, we could sit out here on your front steps."
At her curious look, he explained. "I try to avoid anything that could be misconstrued, or that might lead somewhere that it shouldn't; like being alone with you, a beautiful woman, in your house late at night. Riding a bike together is pretty intimate already."
Juliette shook her head again at his lack of pretension, appreciating him even more. "Then allow me to welcome you to my front porch. I'm going to get a couple of cushions because I know for a fact this concrete gets hard. Would you like some coffee?"
"Coffee sounds good." He dropped down to sit on the top step and turned to lean his back against one of the concrete planter boxes on either side of the stoop. "I'll be right here when you get back. I promise."
Juliette returned shortly with a stack of cushions and a box of treats from Mona's. She'd stocked up just in case the night turned out badly.
"Nope." She flicked his hand away when he reached for a cinnamon roll. "That one's mine. I already licked it."
"Did you lick this one?" he asked, pointing at another icing-covered pastry.
"Probably." She picked up the cinnamon roll he first tried to take and broke it in half. "Here. You can have the unlicked side." She handed him the bigger chunk. "Actually, I bought these with the intention of eating every one of them all by myself," she admitted, feeling a lack of guile, herself. "So as far as I'm concerned, I'm being really grown up and generous with you." She took a bite and sighed with pleasure. "I do love Mona, Trevor." She tapped the box where Mona's logo was stamped. "You need to know that up front."
He spoke around the bite in his mouth. "Mm. I can see why."
Juliette brought the coffee tray out shortly and poured them each a cup. She sat facing him with her back to the opposite planter, and they chatted for a while, until finally, Trevor asked, "So what's really on your mind?"
Now that the question was voiced, she had no idea where to begin. Trevor didn't push her, just sipped his coffee in silence while she stumbled over her words. She saw his lips move silently at one point and wondered if he was bored by her babble. The thought made her feel even more uncertain, and she pulled the edges of her dad's jacket tighter around her.
"Sorry," she muttered. "I'm not being very clear, am I?"
"That's okay. Take your time. I'm in no hurry." His reassurance made her feel a little better, and she sat quietly for a few moments, gathering her thoughts. From the corner of her eye she noticed a patrol car coming down the street. Her heart rate sped up again.
Officer Jarrett.
He was looking right at her, and she waved hesitantly while trying to ignore the small lurch in her stomach.
"Hey, it's Vic," Trevor said, pushing himself up and brushing the crumbs off his lap. "You know him?"
"Um, a little." Any other time, she would have been thrilled to see his car pulling up. At least he'd get to see her in something other than tears or her pink bathrobe. But right now, she felt vulnerable and maybe even a little resentful at the inconveniently-timed interruption.
"He pulled you over, didn't he?" Trevor's eyes widened, alight with humor.
"Um, yes." What else could she say?
Trevor laughed out loud and loped down the walk to the curb, where he waited until the officer was out of his car. Then he embraced him affectionately. From the porch steps, Juliette could clearly hear their conversation.
"I wondered if I'd get a chance to see you while you were here." Officer Jarrett briefly glanced over Trevor's shoulder in her direction. "Is everything all right here?"
"You bet. So you know Juliette, do you?" Trevor beckoned to her to join them.
She stood up and came down the steps; hesitantly, because she was beginning to feel really uncomfortable about the way the policeman was watching her. Why exactly was he here?
"How are you, Officer?" She smiled, and stuck out her hand in greeting. He paused briefly before he took it, his grip not nearly as gentle as the last handshake they'd shared, and there was no accompanying smile either. In fact, there was nothing warm about this contact, and she withdrew her hand quickly, squeezing it into a tight fist at her side. Oh, the zing was still there; at least it was for her. But it was obvious that any response on his part had all been in her imagination. She felt inexplicably bereft by his cold shoulder. It must have shown on her face.
"Look, Vic. You scared her." Trevor punched his friend in the arm. "But then, you scare me, too."
"Careful, man. I could arrest you for assaulting a police officer." Victor Jarrett was joking, she knew, but when he looked at her, his gaze had an edge to it that made her want to hide behind Trevor.
