Betrayed Hearts (18 page)

She tried to concentrate on his words, despite the delicious warmth of his nearness. A star streaked across the night sky, and Lily gave a cry of delight. “I've never seen a shooting star before. Aren't you supposed to make a wish or something?”

“I think you're supposed to do this.” Nick put a finger under her chin and pulled her close for a kiss.

She forgot all about the stars as she melted into his embrace. For once, she didn't fight him. Instead, she enjoyed the sensations washing over her. The tingle of every nerve. The way her senses all came to life and magnified.

When they finally drew apart, Nick tucked her hand in his, and they continued on to Lily's house. She glided on feet that barely touched the ground. For the first time in her life, she felt cared for and protected by a man. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to relish this feeling for as long as it lasted, without over-thinking the situation.

They climbed the steps to her front porch, and Nick waited while she unlocked the door.

“So you'll let me know about coming to church on Sunday?” He looked like a little boy asking for a puppy.

She took a deep breath and then a leap of faith. “I'll come.” Her insides quaked as she said the words, but his lightning smile beamed her reward.

“You will?”

She nodded. “It's the least I can do after all you've done for me.”

He took her hand in his warm one. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

Despite her trepidation, a warm glow spread through her body. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at her with such approval, and it felt good.
Really good
. She smiled back, wishing the moment could last forever.

When his gaze settled on her lips, her breath caught in her throat. “Aren't you going to kiss me good night?” she whispered.

A slow grin stretched across his face. “As you wish, m'lady.”

Her pulse jumped in anticipation. He took his time, first raising a hand to smooth the hair off her cheek. His touch sent shivers all through her. Under the glow of the porch lamp, his eyes appeared dark and mysterious. Her own eyes fluttered closed as his lips met hers. Unlike the earlier sweet kiss, the intensity of this one made the blood sing in her veins. Nick cupped her face with both hands as though she were a precious gift. For once, she pushed fear aside and kissed him back with all the emotion bottled inside her. When they finally parted, he looked as dazed as she felt.

“See you on Sunday,” she said. “Unless we can see Doc Anderson before then.”

He blinked twice. “OK. See you then.”

Still smiling, Lily moved across the porch to open the front door and then turned to catch one last glimpse of Nick on the sidewalk. He'd waited to make sure she got inside safely, a chivalrous gesture that warmed her from the inside out. She stepped into the foyer and watched through the screen door until Nick was out of sight. She was about to close the door, when the loud squeal of tires caught her attention. A dark sedan roared away from the curb across the street, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. Lily caught a glimpse of the driver who looked a lot like Sarah Jane.

A chill chased goose bumps down Lily's arms. Just how far would that girl take her obsession with Nick?

Lily hoped she'd never have to find out.

 

 

 

 

16

 

Sunday rolled around far too quickly for Lily's liking. She awoke to the twitter of birds, and despite the lazy spill of sunshine peeking through the lace curtains, she couldn't enjoy the moment. Nerves the size of hummingbirds fluttered in her stomach.

Why had she ever agreed to attend church?

Maybe she could fake a headache or a relapse of the flu. She groaned and pushed aside the bedcovers. No, that wouldn't be fair to Nick. She'd given her word, and she would keep it.

Resigned, she made her bed and headed for the shower.

Twenty minutes later, she stood before her closet, staring at her meager supply of clothes. What did she have that was suitable for church? Nothing but one black knee-length skirt. Panic undid the calming effect of the hot shower and wreaked havoc with her nerves. What was she going to do?

Maybe Maxi had a top she could borrow.

Dressed in old jeans, her wet hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, Lily raced down the staircase to Maxi's apartment. Her urgent knocks finally resulted in some movement on the other side of the door.

“Who is it?”

“Lily. I need your help.”

Maxi pulled open the door, her eyes wide. “What's the matter?”

Lily rushed past her into the cozy living room, suddenly realizing it was the first time she'd been inside Maxi's place. “I need something to wear to church,” she blurted.

She turned to look at Maxi, and the woman's disheveled hair and hot pink pajamas made her consult her watch. Six thirty AM? How could it be that early? “I'm so sorry. I didn't realize what time it was.”

Maxi scrubbed a hand over her spiky hair. “Hey, who needs sleep anyway? It's highly overrated. Come on. Let's get some coffee and discuss your wardrobe crisis.”

Lily followed her into the tiny kitchen.

“Pull up a seat.” Maxi indicated the kitchen chair in the corner. She rummaged in the cupboard for the container of coffee, then poured a carafe of water into the machine and flicked the switch. She yawned again and pulled two mugs from the cupboard. “So, did I hear you right? You need clothes to wear to church?”

Lily nodded, relishing the aroma of the fresh coffee filling the air. “I promised Nick I'd go hear him preach today.”

Maxi raised an eyebrow. “I need to talk to that boy about his dating techniques. They need serious help.”

“This isn't a date. It's a...favor.”

“A favor?”

Lily twisted the end of her ponytail around one finger. “It's the least I can do after all he's done for me.”

Maxi snorted. “So it's a guilt date.”

Lily threw out her hands. “I don't know what it is, or how I got roped into going to the last place on earth I want to be.”
My brain must've been addled from those kisses.

“And now you regret it.”

“Big time. My palms are sweaty, I can't think straight, and I have nothing ‘churchy' to wear.” She dropped her hands onto her knees, rubbing her palms on the denim.

“That's one mighty big problem.” Maxi's lips quirked. “But I'm guessing the bigger issue here is your feelings for Nick.”

“This isn't funny, Maxi. What if I throw up right in the middle of the service?” The way she felt right now, it was a distinct possibility. “Everyone's going to be staring at me, judging my every move.” Lily groaned. “Maybe I won't have to fake being sick. I'm already nauseous.”

Maxi poured the fresh brew into two mugs, added milk and sugar, and handed one to Lily. “Seeing I'm up so early this fine Sunday morning, why don't I join you?”

“You go to church?” Lily couldn't hide her surprise.

“I've been known to go on occasion. Besides I'd love to hear Nick's sermon.”

The knots of tension in Lily's shoulders loosened a notch. Maybe with Maxi beside her, facing the churchgoers wouldn't be quite so daunting. “That would be great.”

“Good.” Maxi set her cup on the counter. “Now let's find you something to wear.”

 

****

 

Even with Maxi beside her, Lily's anxiety level rose with each step she climbed up to the white clapboard church. Old memories of her father's brand of ”fire and brimstone” rolled over her, and when they entered the foyer, the familiar smell of candlewax and flowers hit her hard.

Why did every church smell the same?

Her knees trembled as she looked through the open double doors into the packed interior. Sarah Jane, almost hidden behind a ridiculous hat, was seated front and center. Peg and Jason Hanley sat a few rows behind. Even the sight of Chloe up front with her mother didn't help. The organist played a background hymn that didn't quite drown out the murmur of the people chatting. Lily could picture every head turning to stare at her as she entered, piercing her with their censured glances, whispering to each other about her. Would they see right through her and realize how much of a hypocrite she was coming to a place like this?

Oh, no, she really might throw up.

Lily's face must have given away her terror, because Maxi marched back and slipped her arm through hers.

“Come on. We'll sneak into the back pew. No one will even notice,” she whispered.

Lily gripped Maxi's arm with steely fingers, sagging with relief when they took a seat in the last row, and not one person turned around. She ran a finger under the collar of the frilly white blouse she'd borrowed from Maxi. She couldn't believe this modest top actually belonged to her friend until Maxi explained her mother had given it to her for Christmas, and she'd never worn it. Not one for protocol, Maxi wore a denim mini skirt and wild floral shirt with a plunging neckline. Lily felt positively nun-like beside her.

The congregation surged to its feet when Reverend Baker, a gray-haired man in a white robe, entered through a side door and greeted them from the podium. Similarly dressed, Nick followed him in and took a seat on the altar. Images of her father at the pulpit intruded on Lily's thoughts. She pictured Tobias yelling at the parishioners, waving an accusatory finger, calling for sinners to repent.

But Reverend Baker spoke in a much softer manner, not threatening at all, and gradually Lily's tense muscles began to relax. At last, Nick took his place at the pulpit, and she sat up straighter to focus, knowing he would expect an honest opinion afterward.

“My dear brothers and sisters,” he began, his voice firm, yet soothing. “What does God expect from us as followers of Christ?”

As Nick spoke, he looked out over his audience with quiet confidence, until his gaze met hers. A slight upturn of his lips made Lily catch her breath.

Throughout his sermon, Lily was amazed at how easy his words flowed and how different he was from her father. He was warm and engaging, including several personal anecdotes that made the congregation laugh.

“This is what God asks of us,” he said near the end of his talk. “To learn from our errors and to strive to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. With His grace and sacrifice, His love and guidance, we can achieve this. Every one of us can be made worthy through Christ, every one of us is redeemable and precious in His eyes, regardless of how far we've fallen. I'd like to close with a verse from Ephesians: ‘In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.' God bless you all.”

Silence enveloped the church like a shroud. Lily clutched the hymnbook in her hands until her fingers ached. She blinked away moisture from her eyes. This was why Nick wanted her to come today. Not only to see that religion wasn't all bad, but to see that despite her mistakes, she was redeemable in the sight of God. His words touched a chord deep inside her that released a flood of longing. With everything in her, she yearned to believe it was true but sadly feared it was not.

Yet how would she ever know for sure?

 

****

 

At the end of the service, Nick hung up his robe and made his way out through the church, hoping to catch sight of Lily. He had to make sure she was all right, that being in church again hadn't spooked her. He prayed that his rather obvious attempt to expose her to God's loving message hadn't driven her away for good.

Outside on the lawn, Maxi's colorful outfit caught his attention, and he headed to where she stood chatting with Lily. Shadows from the branches of an elm flitted over Lily, caressing her delicate features. In a frilly white blouse and slim skirt, her hair pulled up in an elegant do, she looked as regal as the stately tree beside her. A tentative smile lit her face as she spotted him.

Nick stuffed damp hands into his pockets. “Hey, you two. Thanks for coming.”

Maxi grinned. “Great talk, Nick. You're going to make an awesome preacher.”

“Thanks. Glad you liked it.”

He couldn't keep his gaze from swinging to Lily.

Maxi patted Lily's arm. “I'll leave you two alone. I need to talk to Jason anyway.” She hiked her purse onto her shoulder and set off across the lawn.

“So, what did you think of the service?” Nick asked, surprised at his nerves.

“I know what you were trying to do, Nick.”

“You do?”

“Yes.” Lily paused. “I understand now what you meant when you said not all preachers are the same. This time…well, let's just say, I didn't throw up.”

Nick burst out laughing. If he'd been hoping for praise, this was the best he was going to get. “I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It's just not what I expected you to say.”

A bemused frown creased her forehead. “I'm serious. I thought I was going to lose it there for a while.”

He sobered, realizing how difficult it had been for her to come back inside a church. And she'd done it for him. He wanted to kiss her, right then and there. However, he didn't think it would go over too well with the parishioners, so he restrained himself. “I'm really glad you came. Can I ask what you thought about my sermon in particular?”

“It was very…nice.”

“Nice?” Not exactly the glowing review he'd hoped for.

“Yes.”

“I sense a ‘but' coming.”

She clutched her purse like a life preserver. “I only wish I could believe it.”

Nick took one of her hands in his. “One day, Lily Draper, you'll believe how precious you are to God…and to me. No matter how long it takes.”

She didn't say a word, just stared at him with huge, sad eyes—until Chloe arrived and broke the spell.