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Lilly parked but left the car running. He hopped out and walked around to the driver’s side. Opened her door and held out his hand, hoping she’d join him under the beautiful blanket of stars.
She hesitated but ultimately turned off the car and stepped out.
“Thanks again for offering to bring dinner tonight. The Quincys were grateful.”
“No biggie.” She glanced away as if embarrassed.
“Seems you’re good at being thoughtful, taking care of others.”
With a shrug, she proved she had trouble accepting praise.
“I’ve just always stepped in when needed.” Her quiet laugh hinted at hurt.
“No, it’s more than that. I suspect it was in your nature all along.”
Cold, brisk wind whipped her hair into her face. She cinched it with her hand into a ponytail and held on. She looked into his eyes, and he felt the same connection he’d felt when he’d first met her, as if something simmered below the surface. Something neither of them was willing to examine.
“Thanks for bringing me home,” he said.
“No problem.”
“Come on, Lilly. Try accepting my thanks and saying, ‘You’re welcome, Daniel.’” As he grinned at her, a piece of her hair escaped her grasp. He brushed it behind her ear.
A thrill jolted through him at the contact. Then fear followed the same route.
She laughed but stepped out of touching range. She bowed with a flourish. “You’re welcome, Daniel. And now I have something that’ll make your day even better.”
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, a reminder not to touch. “What’s that?”
“After a little...uh, prompting from Ann, Jenna and I talked this afternoon. We need the income from rent, and you made a tempting offer to renovate the place.”
He shook his head, incredulous. Leave it to Gran to fix a situation he couldn’t fix. Then again, she probably had ulterior motives. “You’re accepting the offer?”
“Yep. We’d like you to move in and renovate the space.”
“It’s a deal.” He reached out quickly to shake on it before she changed her mind.
With a laugh, she hesitated, staring at his outstretched hand. When she tentatively took his hand, his heart thumped in his chest, as if the moment were momentous, more than a business deal. Silly, of course, but no less jarring.
The temptation to pull her into his arms nearly overwhelmed his good sense. He ground his teeth and jammed his hand in his pocket. “We’ll be good tenants. And I’ll do a good job with the work, keeping costs low.”
“We can talk details and contracts later, after this crisis with Cricket is over.”
“I think we’re past the immediate crisis.” He shook his head and glanced skyward, praying once again for her and the baby. “But she has a long way to go.”
“You didn’t let her down, you know. She needed medical help, not a pastor.”
Spoken by a woman who didn’t think she needed God. “I appreciate your take on the situation. But I feel like I need to do more, though I’m just not sure how.”
“You’ll figure it out. You have a good heart, and Cricket is lucky to have you on her side.” She slid into the driver’s seat.
He leaned inside. “Thanks again for the ride. Your support today meant a lot to me.”
“No pr—” She gave a sweet laugh. “I was glad to help.”
Her laugh wrapped around his heart like a balm. Which terrified him. He couldn’t afford to be attracted to someone, especially someone who didn’t believe as he did, didn’t have faith in God. When the stray hair blew in her face once again, he forced himself to ignore it.
He put his hand on the door, preparing to close it. “You won’t regret allowing the church to meet in your basement. We’ll move on when we find a permanent location. And actually, I’ll move on before that.”
“What do you mean?”
“My calling is to start churches. Once this one is running smoothly, I’ll move on and start another.”
As if he’d pushed a button, her expression chilled. Gone was the teasing laughter, the warm camaraderie.
“I see,” she said. “So you’re here temporarily, as well.”
“Yes. In fact, I’ve already had a congregation in South Georgia ask me to move down there to start an inner-city mission church.”
“How soon will you go?”
For the second time, he had a flicker of doubt. Wondered if he could’ve misread his calling. “Hard to say. We have a couple more projects to get off the ground here.”
She clutched the door handle. “Well, good luck to you.”
“I’ll be in touch about a rental contract.”
“Come by on Monday if you’d like.” The invitation was in her most businesslike voice.
At least Daniel had secured the church’s location for the near future. He didn’t plan to tell the congregation about it until he had the contract in writing, though. Too many variables, including the fact that Lilly could back out at any moment.
Yes, they had a business relationship. Short-term. Then why the attraction? Why the worry over her reaction to the fact he would eventually head south? Moving on was what he did, what he was good at.
Lilly Barnes was a distraction he couldn’t afford.
* * *
Lights and the sound of the television in the family room drew Daniel. GranAnn sat in her chair watching her favorite news channel. His dad read the paper.
“I’m home.” Daniel kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “Cricket’s going to be okay.”
Ann clasped her hands together at her chest. “Oh, thank You, Lord.”
“Hello, Dad.”
“Daniel.” He nodded a greeting. No hug. No handshake. “So what happened with the girl? I thought you said you’d been counseling her. Now I hear she tried to kill herself?”
Daniel clenched his jaw, chomping down on the words that nearly flew out of his mouth. “I’m surprised to see you here this late. Were you waiting to see me?” He despised how pathetically hopeful he sounded, as if he hadn’t had the same smack down over and over.
Gran reached for Daniel’s hand. “Yes, son, he was. I’ll let you two talk.” She patted his cheek and then left the room.
Daniel sat in Gran’s worn green recliner and faced his father.
Methodically, as if taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Blake folded the newspaper, pressing the creases to hold them in place. A man who worried about insignificant details, forgetting what was important.
“I came to let you know I’ve found you a building to rent. It’s a vacant gas station over in Appleton.”
Daniel sucked in a breath and held it. He should say something. But he couldn’t.
“Don’t look so shocked. I do have connections around here, you know.”
“It’s not that. It’s...” For the first time in ages, he wanted to smile at his father. “Thank you. I appreciate the help. More than you know. But I’ve gotten the okay to rent from Lilly and her sister at The Yarn Barn.”
“Have you signed a contract yet?”
“No, sir. But we have a verbal agreement. I plan to honor that.” Especially since Gran seemed to think Lilly and Jenna needed the income.
Blake’s face turned red. His cheeks puffed out with air, as if trying to hold back angry words.
“I’m sorry, Dad. But thanks for your effort.”
He slapped the newspaper on the end table. “I hope you don’t regret it. That yarn place is a dump. Looks like it’s falling down.”
“It’s actually structurally sound. And the outside has recently been painted.”
“I bet she’ll overcharge you. You don’t even know this girl.” Blake stood regally, but indignation rolled off him in waves. He stalked away, and a moment later, the front door slammed.
Daniel rushed outside and caught up to him before he could close his car door. Blake had made an effort. Daniel needed to try to, as well. “Dad, I’m sorry. Please stay. I’d like to tell you more about my plans for the church.”
Blake stared out the car windshield. Didn’t acknowledge his son. He paused for about three seconds as if making a decision, and then he closed the door.
Daniel stood on the pavement, the cold wind cutting through his shirt, as the car backed down the driveway. His dad had always been such a strong man. With broad shoulders and a confident gait, he had a powerful air about him. Blake felt in control of his world, and some called him arrogant.
But tonight, he’d taken the time to wait around for Daniel. Had made a move to help him. Could he be trying to reconcile? Yet, earlier, his dad hinted at Daniel’s failure in counseling Cricket.
Daniel sighed, his breath fogging in front of his face. He tried not to expect much from his dad. But he craved the man’s respect, hoped that someday he’d earn it.
To earn respect, Blake’s or anyone else’s for that matter, Daniel had to do better at his job. Needed to better serve the people in the community. If he could just find some way to minister to the increasing number of hurting people he’d come in contact with.
Maybe if Cricket hadn’t felt so alone... Maybe if she’d had a support group she wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed in the ICU.
An idea began to take shape as his dad’s taillights disappeared from sight. But the plan would require a favor from Lilly Barnes.
And he suspected that with this, even Lilly, who always rushed to help, would think he was asking too much.
* * *
Lilly felt as conspicuous as a slice of pepperoni on a veggie pizza. She practically dragged Jenna and Will toward a table in the far corner of Daniel’s “church” to the only empty seats she spotted. Frank’s Pizza Place was packed for the Sunday morning worship service, so they hadn’t stood a chance of slipping in unnoticed.
A woman they squeezed by said, “Welcome,” and gave Lilly’s arm a friendly pat. Others smiled, obviously curious. Embarrassed to be the object of attention, she tugged harder to hurry Jenna toward the two chairs.
“You don’t have to pull off my arm,” Jenna whispered, her eyes flashing. “I’m as nervous about this as you are.”
Not nervous enough to keep her from waking Lilly at the crack of dawn, using old-fashioned guilt to try to coerce her into coming. Will needs to have the roots we never had, she’d said.
That was at least partially true. Will did need roots, something she and Jenna had desperately craved as their dad had moved them from one city to another, blaming others for his job failures, looking for some pie in the sky that never materialized.
But Lilly didn’t think taking the boy to church would fill that need. When she’d refused, Jenna begged her to come with them to the worship service to see Ned. To prove to him that Jenna was trying to change.
The real reason for Jenna’s sudden urge for church attendance.
Honestly, did Jenna think showing up once for a service would send her husband rushing home, begging her to take him back?
Still, Lilly hadn’t been able to refuse. She wanted to collapse as they reached their chairs and pulled off their coats, but the people were standing, singing.
“Where’s Ned?” Jenna mouthed.
Lilly scanned the crowd but didn’t see him. Had they come for nothing?
After two songs that Lilly and Jenna didn’t know, Daniel came to the front of the room—no pulpit in this church—and spoke without the aid of a microphone. He welcomed everyone, and she knew the exact moment he spotted her. His eyes widened and one side of his mouth hitched up in that crooked smile that always arrowed straight to her belly.
She tried to deflect that arrow, reminding herself what he’d told her two nights before. Daniel was a church starter. He would soon move on. And then move again. And again. He was not the kind of man whose smile should make her stomach flutter.
His expression softened when he noticed Jenna and Will. Will, who had refused to stay with the nursery worker over in the side dining room. Will, who would most likely cause a fuss before the end of the service.
Why on earth had she let Jenna guilt her into coming?
Roots. For Will...for Jenna. And maybe hope for a flailing marriage.
Lilly would tolerate anything to make sure Jenna was settled and happy before it was time to sell the shop and move on to pursue her own dreams.
Daniel’s deep voice drew in Lilly despite her desire to send her mind wandering off elsewhere. His message—and the type of love he spoke about, God’s love—sucked her right in. As if she were an arid desert and his words rain.
She tried to ignore the yearning that suddenly made it hard to breathe. She bit her lip, and dug the fingernails of her right hand into her left palm, fighting tears.
No. She slammed a wall around her heart. Refused to listen. She wanted to hold her hands over her ears and shout la la la la to block out Daniel’s words. Instead, she thought of the chorus of her favorite country music song and, in her mind, sang it as loudly as she could. Thankfully, Daniel appeared to be winding down.
She looked at Jenna, who had a tear trailing down her cheek. Oh, no. Lilly had to get a grip on her own emotions for Jenna’s sake.
Will wiggled and whimpered. Yes. The perfect distraction. She took him from Jenna and held him in her lap. He stood and bounced, his face turning red and scrunching up as if working up to a good cry. Everything else faded into the background. Finally.
Will let out a wail. “Eeeee,” he whined.
Laughter sounded around the room and Jenna frantically dug in the diaper bag for the container of Cheerios.
“I’m hungry, too, Will.” Daniel rubbed his hand over his jaw stifling a laugh. “Time to tie this up, anyway.” He raised his arms. “Stand with me, and let’s pray.”
When everyone stood, Jenna grabbed Lilly’s arm. Tears poured down her sister’s cheeks, her shoulders lifting in jerky shudders as if she was desperately trying to hold herself together. “I’m leaving.” She slipped away and rushed out the door.
