How Sweet It Is (17 page)

His mom put her hands on her hips and gave
him one of her famous looks. “I think Delphine’s a keeper, Brad.
Don’t mess it up.”

“Mom,” he said, exasperated, nonetheless
feeling a tide of red creep up his face. “I’m twenty-six, not
sixteen. I think I can handle my own love life.”

“Don’t forget I had a part in all of your
sibling’s marriages,” she persisted. “Someday you’ll thank me.”
With that, she drifted from the room.

If his mom only knew how much he missed
seeing Delphine. But Brad wanted to take care of the loan before he
took the next step.

After finding the dollar figure in his dad’s
files, it was quite a bit more than he’d assumed it would be, it
would take some financial gymnastics—and time—to get the full
amount of money together. He figured that by pulling all his funds
from his savings accounts, some of which had been in CDs and money
market accounts, and taking out a personal loan, he could just meet
the necessary amount.

Despite the expense and hassle it would be,
he never doubted for a moment the importance of the gesture. He’d
told Delphine he loved her, now it was time to show it.
Unfortunately, it would take almost a week before he could have the
cash in hand.

Brad chafed at the delay. He wanted to clear
the matter immediately, and see how his relationship with Delphine
fared from then on. He sat staring at the phone on his desk for a
moment, hoping with every fiber of his being that she’d accept the
help, even after it was accomplished.

He snatched the phone and dialed her number,
needing to hear the sound of her voice.

****

Delphine woke up with a feeling of
expectation. Brad had called the night before, and she’d managed to
get the nerve up to ask about attending church with him and his
family. To her relief, he’d responded with enthusiasm.

She rummaged through her closet, looking
through her meager wardrobe for something Brad hadn’t seen her in
before. She settled on a navy blue sleeveless linen dress.

While she applied her makeup, she realized
her hand was shaking. Blowing out a breath, she had to admit she
felt nervous about seeing him. He’d said he loved her, right?
Delphine held onto that thought like a lifeline.

When the doorbell rang, Delphine jumped.
Pressing her hand to her chest, she went into the living room and
opened the door. Brad stood on the other side of the door looking
very appealing in a jade-colored shirt worn with black slacks.

His welcoming smile helped to ease her
anxiety somewhat. “My parents are waiting in the car.”

“Thanks for coming all this way to pick me
up.”

“No problem.”

She saw him glance to the right and to the
left at the other doors in the hall. Then, he lowered his lips
against hers in a light, sweet kiss. Brad lifted his head before
she could respond.

Delphine put a hand to the doorjamb to steady
herself. “Um, just let me grab my Bible and I’m ready to go.”

After greeting Brad’s parents, she sat in the
back of the Ford with him. Mrs. Larsen turned around in her seat
and smiled. “We’re heading back toward Redondo Beach to where we’ve
attended church for the last twenty years.”

“And nothing’s changed in the last twenty
years,” Brad murmured with a twinkle in his eye.

“I heard that,” said his mom. “Don’t listen
to him, Delphine. He thinks we’re just a bunch of old fogies, but
Don and I became Christians during the Jesus Movement in southern
California. We were hippies back then.”

Delphine smiled at Elaine’s dreamy
expression. “I think it’s nice that you’ve put down roots.”

“You see, Bradley, Delphine agrees with me.
Tradition has value.”

Brad gave a mock look of defeat. “Fine. But
it’s only your tradition you value. My generation wants to start
their own traditions.”

Elaine wagged her finger at him. “You won’t
be happy until you have a rock band leading worship.”

“Now you’re talking,” he said with a
grin.

“You must be guided by those more mature in
the faith.”

Brad groaned. “Just like you were when you
were living in that commune?” He turned to Delphine. “You should
see the pictures of my parents back then. Dad’s hair was longer
than my mom’s.”

A grmmph came from the driver. Delphine
stifled a grin.

“My mom wore these hippie dresses that
looked more like a bunch of scarves tied together. Dad wore
bell-bottom jeans and usually went barefoot.”

“We weren’t into material possessions,” his
mom retorted. “And everyone else looked like us so we didn’t know
the difference.”

“And now you go to the type of church you
would’ve frowned on back then.”

“Bradley, it’s not the outside that matters;
it’s the inside. Outside, we may look like stuffy middle-aged
people, but inside, our spirits are free as birds—just like in
those days.”

Brad snorted. His mom reached over the seat
and swiped at his knee.

Delphine sensed this was a conversation
they’d had many times before. She envied their easy banter. They
continued to argue good-naturedly for the duration of the drive.
Mr. Larsen seemed content just to listen.

They pulled into a parking lot. Delphine read
the sign Faith Bible Church as they parked. The Larsens took the
lead and Brad captured Delphine’s hand as they made their way
inside the large structure made from massive timbers and natural
stone, flanked by stark palms and agave plants. Inside, people
crowded the foyer to greet each other on their way into the
sanctuary.

There must be hundreds of
people here!
And the Larsens seem to know
every one of them
. Despite Brad’s assertion
that the congregates here were stuffy, she saw people from many
walks of life—affluent, humble, and everything in
between.

It wasn’t until the music began that they
finally sat down in the pews. Delphine sat between Brad and his
mom. As they stood and joined in singing the hymns, she couldn’t
deny the overwhelming feeling of belonging that washed over her. It
was a feeling she’d been denied through years of leading a rootless
existence. Delphine didn’t want the service to end.

Lord, please forgive my
busyness, my giving in to the tyranny of the urgent. Help me to
remember that my priority is You
.

A sense of shame followed the prayer. She
never really changed—never tried hard enough. Was she just paying
God what amounted to lip service? Delphine shoved the thought away,
longing to get back the sense of peace she’d experienced moments
before.

Despite Brad’s insistence the service was
sadly out of touch with modern times, he seemed to enjoy himself.
Then again, she was beginning to learn Brad managed to enjoy just
about everything he did. She wished she felt as free and relaxed as
he did.

During the sermon, he
stretched his arm along the back of the pew and scooted closer to
her. Delphine found his proximity made it difficult to focus on the
message. While the words of the venerable white-haired pastor
flowed over the congregation, she tried to absorb the sensation of
peace and belonging.
In case it didn’t
last
.

She winced at the negative
attitude that seemed to come so naturally.
Lighten up, Delphine
.

After the service, Mrs. Larsen herded her
over to where an all-blond family stood visiting with others.

“Rob and Anita, this is Delphine, who I told
you about.” Elaine turned to Delphine. “Anita is my oldest
daughter. And these are my three grandbabies.” Three tow-headed
children from the approximate ages of two to six, tumbled and
chased each other in the pews, obviously comfortable in their
environment.

Delphine shook hands with
the couple.
What is it about this
place?
Was it the family or the church? How
could she bottle it up and take it with her?

“How did you like the service?” Anita
asked.

“It was wonderful,” Delphine replied.

Brad put his arm around her and gave her a
squeeze. “Uh oh, don’t let mom hear that. We’ll never get out of
her clutches if you don’t side with me.”

Delphine smiled, but didn’t say anything. She
allowed herself to be pulled along with this family, on out to the
car, and to a restaurant where everyone met for lunch.

With six adults and three little kids all
crammed around one table at a local seafood restaurant, lunch was a
busy, boisterous affair. Delphine contented herself with listening,
speaking only when spoken to. She didn’t look forward to returning
to the bleak silence of her apartment.

Without Brad, daily life seemed drained of
light and color.

Brad watched Delphine from the corner of his
eye, only half-involving himself in his family’s conversation. He
felt the worry begin to swell within him once again—worry that she
would be sucked in to feeling obliged to him and his family. He
knew how relentless they could be.

He saw her gentle smile when she answered the
probing questions his sister posed to her. Brad sighed. Delphine
was too polite to tell anyone to mind their own business. Did she
feel suffocated by all this attention? Was she wishing herself
anywhere but here? Her ebony eyes and composed expression were
difficult to read.

Well, one thing he knew for sure. He wanted
to get her alone—with him.

****

After lunch, when they’d returned back to the
house, Brad turned to Delphine in the entry hall. “Would you be
interested in going for a walk on the beach?”

She smiled, glad for an opportunity to be
alone with him. “I’d love to.”

“Mom, we’re going for a walk.”

Mrs. Larsen emerged from the kitchen, a look
of disappointment on her face. “Oh, I was planning to show Delphine
pictures of all the grandkids.”

“Another time, Mom.” He tugged on Delphine’s
hand and headed for the door.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Larsen for lunch,”
she managed to call over her shoulder as Brad pulled her toward his
Jetta.

Once they were in the car and on the road,
Brad gave her a rueful smile. “Sorry to drag you away like that.
But there’s no easy way to free yourself from my family. They’re
like the Body Snatchers. I swear they won’t be happy until they own
your soul.”

His face went through several horror
movie-inspired contortions, making Delphine laugh.

“They definitely know how to make one feel
wanted.” The statement reminded her of her mother’s words at the
funeral reception. She bit her lip.

Brad slid a glance at her before returning
his gaze to the road. He kept up a light stream of conversation
until they arrived at the beach, which helped her relax a bit.
After finding a parking space, they emerged from the car.

A warm breeze swayed the trees and blew a
strand of hair into her eyes. Once Brad locked up the car, he took
Delphine’s hand and led her through the crowded parking lot and
down onto the teeming beach, where they removed their shoes. The
hazy afternoon sun wavered over the glassy blue ocean, casting
mellow light over kids and adults frolicking in the surf or
sunbathing on the warm sand.

“Yo, Larsen!”

Delphine turned her head in the direction of
a young man in baggy Hawaiian swimming trunks jogging toward them,
a boogie board under his arm.

She looked up at Brad. His face creased into
a wide grin. He held out his hand to the man, who stopped abruptly
in a spray of sand.

“Delphine, this is Goofy Foot, er, Mark
Bellamy. I taught him to surf when he was just starting out.” He
shook his hand. “Nice doggers, brah.”

She glanced at Mark, his brown spiky hair
highlighted gold by the sun, wondering what doggers were.

“Dude, you were there when I was just a grom
wadin’ in the ankle-busters.” His green eyes twinkled with obvious
admiration for Brad.

“I heard you were ripping over Hatteras way
and even took the comp last year.”

“Yeah, until I dropped in on a left-hander
and promptly got smashed in a hiddie wipeout. Over the falls,
man.”

“Neptune cocktail, huh?”

“Totally, and a wicked sand facial to finish
the job. Really maxed out my neck, dude. Been in physical therapy
the last two months.”

Delphine raised her
brows.
Aha! English!

Brad frowned. “Bummer.” He looked at Mark’s
board. “So, on a surfari already?”

Mark kicked his foot in the sand. “Naw. Doc
is gnarly strict, man. Two more weeks of therapy before I get the
okay to start shredding. Feel like a poser, dude.” He sent a
sidelong grin at Delphine. “But hangin’ out, might catch me a
bunny.”

Brad laughed. “Hope you crest, man.”

“Dude.” Mark slapped his shoulder. He smiled
at Delphine and headed back the way he’d come.

Brad put his arm around her waist and
navigated her toward the surf. She snuggled against his side as
they strolled along the water’s edge.

“That was interesting,” she said, peeking up
at his face. His gaze seemed far away.

“Huh?” He looked down at her, an absent
smile on his face.

“Well, if you think French is hard to
understand…”

He laughed softly. “Yeah, sometimes I forget
not everyone understands the lingo.”

She watched the water swirl around their
feet. “Do you still surf?”

Delphine felt his muscles tense. “Not much
anymore. When I failed to hit the big time, I realized I couldn’t
make a living at it. Didn’t want to be a troll.”

“A what?” She imagined a creepy creature
that lived under bridges.

“Someone who lives out of his car or rents
cheap beach shacks, always on the hunt for the perfect wave.” A
corner of his mouth twitched. “Besides, my dad wanted me to go to
school, get a real job.” He said the last part in a deep, brusque
voice, obviously imitating his father.