A Rescued Heart (Rescued Heart Romance) (9 page)

They reached the end of the trail and headed back to his Jeep as the sky became covered with clouds and released its moisture to the ground. Ava couldn’t believe how quickly the afternoon had come to an end. Despite their hours together, the time didn’t last long enough.

He pulled up in front of her apartment complex and shut off the engine. “So are we still on for a date next weekend?” His relaxed question couldn’t hide the hope in his voice.

“Yes, and I kept up my end of the bargain, so cough up some details.”

He laughed and nodded his agreement. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to spend the entire day with me next
Saturday? I’d like to take you over to Lake Michigan for a day of walking along the beach and I want to take you to this great seafood restaurant.”

Ava wanted to pinch herself to make sure this was real. She couldn’t believe how much thought he put into each date. The only person she had ever dated was Tim and they never really went out on dates. They were poor college students, treasuring every penny they owned, so they usually just spent time in each other’s room and with friends. Occasionally Tim would take her to the local restaurant and ice cream parlor, but only when they were weary of cafeteria food. Even after graduation and acquiring jobs, he never took her out. That Matt would take time to plan something special for her was unchartered territory.

“Yeah, that sounds great, but Matt, are you sure I’m worth all this time you’re taking to spend with me?” Her past permeated her present thoughts relentlessly. She didn’t intentionally try to push him away. It was more of a defense mechanism.

“Ava, whether you choose to spend more time with me after next weekend or not, it’s been worth every second.”

He was smooth. That definitely made the list of his adorable qualities.

“Okay.” She wasn’t sure what else to say except the truth. “I had a great day.”

“Me too.”

He unhooked his seat belt, but she put her hand on his arm to stop him. “You don’t have to walk me in. I need to run to the store to get groceries. My car is just over there.” She took her hand off his arm to point to her car. The absence of his warmth made her yearn for it again. Without deliberating her actions until it was too late, Ava put her hand on his and he lightly squeezed hers back.

“Thanks again. I’ll see you Saturday.”

Ava got out and walked to her car. Matt waited until she got in and then drove off waving. She sat in her car trying to rationalize her feelings. She liked Matt and wanted to spend more time with him, but was it worth being vulnerable to her greatest fear? Ava panicked … she only had a week to decide.

Date #3

By Friday Ava had become an emotional mess. It wasn’t that she didn’t know if she wanted to start dating Matt more seriously—that emotion she was completely sure about. She yearned for it. It was the fear that dredged up from the comprehension that once she allowed herself to fall for him, there would be no turning back. What if down the road he realized that he didn’t want her … she wasn’t sure she could surviv
e
hi
s
rejection.

Ava wanted to call in sick for school today and it wouldn’t be a lie. She was sick in the head. She mustered through her inner turmoil, got her act together, and headed to school.

Fortunately her students behaved much better this week, and that helped to lessen the load she carried. The kids enjoyed the lessons from the week. They discussed oceans, ponds, lakes and rivers. What made each body of water different and which animals lived in each? She was pleased how perfect it timed out for the letter of the week to be W. Ava had planned a lot of projects about water, whales, walruses, and wind.

The morning started well despite the one little accident with one of the water projects. Ava saw the project going so much better in her head, but the execution had some flaws that she hadn’t seen coming. She had brought in two large bowls of water, one full of salt water and the other with pure water. First she had the students taste both types of water to see the difference. They all laughed at each other’s reactions. A few amused her as well.

Next she brought in a dozen plastic animals and had them take turns putting the animals into the bowl of water they belonged to.

The project progressed smoothly until some kids at the back of the group got impatient because they couldn’t see. They started to push and before she could reach them the table got bumped and two kids in front ended up wet from bowls tipping over. Luckily, at the beginning of the year she had asked parents to keep an extra pair of clothes in their backpacks in case of an accident. Ava cleaned the kids up and had them go change their clothes while the rest of the class cleaned up the spillage.

While the kids lined up to go to lunch, the phone on her desk rang.

“Ava, I just received a delivery for you here in the office.”

“Um … okay. I’ll come down after I take my kids to lunch.” What kind of delivery could she have gotten?

The bell rang shortly after and she couldn’t get her kids to lunch fast enough. Her mouth gaped open as she walked into the front office. There on the main desk sat an enormous bouquet of orange tulips.

The secretary stood up behind her desk and pushed the vase toward her. “Is there something you haven’t told me, Ava?”

Ava giggled nervously. “Oh … well … I’m not sure. I don’t even know who they’re from.” Although she hoped for who the sender was. Ava grabbed the vase and headed out the door. “Thanks.”

She hustled back to her room. Setting the flowers down on her desk, she took out the card, opening it quickly.

Ava,

I just wanted you to know that I’ve been thinking about you all week and I enjoyed our date at the park. You said that you liked the color orange because it reminded you of the sunset. I‘m looking forward to spending the day with you tomorrow and watching the sunset together.

Matt

A smile flirted across her lips. Seriously, if this guy had a flaw, it was not obvious. Ava was relieved she had made plans with Julia tonight. They had a lot to discuss.

Jules lived outside the city in a late seventies house that she rented. Since they were meeting at her house, Jules took care of the food and movie. She had ordered Mexican food and they sat on her couch to eat, curled up in blankets.

“I’m thinking about getting my hair cut, what do you think?” Jules asked while sweeping it up off her shoulders to show what the shorter length would look like. Jules had beautiful long auburn hair, the envy of most women. She could be a model, if she wanted.

“You asked me that last month and my answer is still no. It is a shame to cut off those beautiful locks.” She leaned over and pulled gently on her hair, feeling the texture and adjusting the length a bit. “Maybe if you put in some more layers and just had a good trim it would be the change you need.” If Jules needed a change in her life, her gorgeous hair was not the way to go.

“I like that idea. I’ll make an appointment at the salon soon.” She threw her hair back in a ponytail to put the subject to rest. “Enough about my hair, we have much more important topics to discuss.” She sat her plate on the coffee table and turned her focus to Ava. “Tomorrow is your third date with Matt, right?” Jules asked with a light tone.

“Yes. He’s taking me over to Lake Michigan for the day.”

“That sounds like fun. Have you decided what you want after this date?”

It didn’t take her long to blurt out the question, but that didn’t come as a surprise to Ava. Jules was the type of person who told you what was on her mind whether you liked it or not. She wasn’t shy about announcing the elephant in the room, but at least she did it with tact.

“Jules, I know what I want, but I’m scared. I really like Matt and want to see him more, but I fear getting my heart broken again.”

It helped to release her anxiety by talking with someone and voicing her concerns.

“Ava, I know it’s unsettling for you to care for someone again, but you can’t let what happened with Tim control your life. It’s not healthy. You’re not giving God enough credit on how much He cares for you and you’re not giving Matt the benefit of the doubt. God knew what was going to happen with Tim before you even met him and He knows what life you could have with Matt in it. Have you prayed about what God wants in this situation?” Her best friend spoke in a caring voice as wisdom oozed from her words.

“I have been praying, but not like I should,” Ava admitted. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she sat down and really sought after what the Lord wanted in her relationship with Matt.

“God is not a God of fear or worry. If you’re wavering in your decision on pursuing a relationship with him because you are afraid, then trust is not your issue with Matt, it’s with God. At some point you have to let go and have faith.”

“I know you’re right, I can’t live the rest of my life with this fear.” Jules handed her a tissue to help stop the tears running down her face. “What do I say tomorrow?”

“Have you told him anything about Tim yet?”

“No, not really.”

“Okay, then start there. Tell him your story and see where it goes. He might surprise you.”

Ava nodded in agreement, but her emotions kept her mute.

“Ava, come here, let me pray with you.” Jules push her blanket off and encircled Ava, speaking passionately to the Lord on her behalf. When she finished she gave her a hug and they agreed to watch a movie to take her mind off the situation. Ava would let it go for now, but when she got home tonight she and the Lord had a lot to talk about.

Matt woke up Saturday morning ready to face the day. He had spent many of his waking hours in bed last night praying for today and what would come of it. This third and final date in their agreement had him on edge. He couldn’t tell which way Ava teetered. He could tell she liked him, but she constantly kept him at a safe distance. Matt honestly didn’t have a clue which way she would go and it made his stomach tighten to think about the fact that after today he may never see her again.

He rolled out of bed, forcing himself to let the worry go. Matt knew what he wanted. Now it was just up to God and Ava.

Matt picked Ava up at ten and they headed out on their mini road trip. The weather had become uncommonly warm for the end of April thanks to a burst of high pressure that came through earlier in the week. They both dressed in jeans, short sleeve shirts and walking shoes for the beach. He was glad that Ava brought along a sweat shirt. The temperature dropped drastically by the water in the evening because of the breeze.

He planned to take her to the Lake Forest area. From Rockford there was not a direct road. He headed southeast toward Chicago and then cut up north. The trip took almost two hours, but the time passed quickly.

They shared about their life while growing up and some of their favorite childhood memories. They talked about their most embarrassing moments, their pet peeves, and their experiences in coming to know the Lord and being saved. Their conversation was random and jumped all over, but Matt enjoyed every minute. He wanted to know everything about her.

They reached Lake Forest around noon and found a charming café for lunch. Afterward they decided to check out the historic downtown and walked up and down the streets, admiring all the different quaint shops. Out at the lake they walked along the beach while Matt shared about a sailing experience he had a few years ago on Lake Michigan with some friends. An unexpected storm had come over the lake and no one was experienced enough to feel comfortable about the large waves. The storm hadn’t lasted long, but it was a fear he had never experienced before.

By the end of the afternoon they were each barefoot with their jeans rolled up. With all the walking they had done in the last few hours, they were both getting hungry. They headed back into town for dinner at the restaurant Matt had been raving about. The conversation was light, but not awkward. He knew they needed to talk about where they were going to go from here, but now was not the time. After he paid the bill they headed back to the beach and took residence at the spot they’d found earlier to sit and watch the sunset.

Along the beach a mound of rocks sat high enough that they didn’t get wet by the waves crashing against the shore, yet close enough that it felt like they might. The air quickly began to cool down. Matt helped Ava put on her sweat shirt before they sat down.

They didn’t rest long when Ava started to stiffen up and began playing with her fingernails. He was already picking up on her nervous habit.

“Matt … I … um … want to say thanks for being so patient with me these last few weeks. I know we need to talk about where we go from here, but first I need to explain to you where I’ve been.”

“I’m here, but don’t feel pressured to say anything. If you need more time, I understand.” Matt’s pulse quicken as she broached the subject. Time had expired. Would he be able to walk away from the woman he loved if that was her desire
?
Love
?
What? I’ve only known her for a couple weeks. Is that even possible?