Meeting Her Match (16 page)

P
ace was about to enter Sam's Diner when Cassie almost ran over him plowing through the swinging door.

“Hey, Pace, you're late. The lunch crowd already left. Lucky for you Sam's still got some food in there.” She stopped on the sidewalk and smiled up at him. She was a baby-faced kid, and Pace had to remind himself she was almost twenty and not the sixteen she looked to be.

“I wanted to tell you thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“For teaching Jake. He's really enjoying working with you.”

“He's doing me a favor helping out and he's a fast learner. I'm proud to have him helping me.” He was. “He tells me you're thinking about taking some college courses over in Ranger.”

“Yes, sir. I want to take some business courses.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Yeah, a girl needs a plan. Well, I gotta run. Watch out in there. Sam's grumpy.”

What else was new? Sam was grumpy all the time these days. “What's wrong now? Did someone stick a nickel in the jukebox?”

Cassie shook her head. “No, it's about Adela. For a smart man he's real dense. I told him he needs to just do it. Ask her to marry him and live happily ever after.”

“And what did he say?”

Cassie jogged down the steps and opened the door of her compact car. “Actually, he surprised me by saying he was thinking about it.” She paused before sitting down. “Of course, as slow as he thinks, it could be next year before he makes a decision. Someone needs to go in there and give him a push.”

Pace watched her drive off then strode inside. He'd come to a decision himself concerning Sheri. He'd prayed hard about it during the week since the youth retreat. He was going to pursue Sheri Marsh whether she wanted him to or not. He'd come to realize that he had never felt the way he felt when he was around her. She brightened his day when she was near, and he thought about her all the time. He'd tried to give her some space, but it was starting to drive him crazy knowing she was within a stone's throw from him and he couldn't spend time with her. She was almost all he thought about. He'd given the whole issue over to the Lord, and he was trusting the Lord to show him the way. He wondered as he saw Sam busy behind the counter if Sam was trusting the Lord.

“Hi, Sam,” he said and called out a louder greeting
to Applegate and Stanley, not certain if they had their hearing aids on.

“Afternoon, Pace,” Sam said, slapping his dish towel across his shoulder. “I hear ya had a right nice little campout for that church group out at Cort's place.”

“Yes, sir. It was real good.” Pace took a seat at the counter and nodded when Sam held up the coffeepot. “Sam, can I tell you something?” He glanced over toward Applegate and Stanley, but they were caught up in their game.

Sam set Pace's coffee on the counter and nodded. “Sure ya can. Don't mind them two. Is somethin' troublin' ya?”

“When I came to Mule Hollow a month ago, I didn't know what to expect. You know how I loved living out in Idaho.”

Sam snorted. “Yep, I know. Took guts to do what you did.”

“That's what I wanted to talk about. Everybody thinks that, but I have to confess I didn't have the guts everyone is giving me credit for. I had a backup plan all along.” He fiddled with his cup. “See, I figured that if I kept certain options open, didn't tie myself down, if things didn't work out I'd be free to head back up to Idaho.”

“Nothin' wrong with that,” Sam said, wiping down the counter.

“Except that I'm a fraud. I had options, when everyone is patting me on the back for following God blindly into unknown territory.”

Sam slapped the dish towel over his shoulder again and crossed his wiry arms. “I still don't see what's
wrong with that. You took action. That's more'n most of us can boast.”

Pace nursed his coffee and thought about how to proceed, then just trusted the Lord. “See, Sam. What I'm trying to say is that all that's changed now. I really enjoyed giving those kids hands-on experience with horses, and I had the opportunity to speak to a few of them about the Lord.”

“Sounds like you might be hatching a plan for a future.”

Pace nodded slowly. “This is where it gets tricky. It's more than realizing I might be able to make a difference in a kid's life. It's about Sheri, too.”

Sam's expression changed. “Oh, boy.”

Pace chuckled. “That's exactly what I said. I fought it for the first few weeks. But I figured out this weekend that I came here looking for God's plan for my life, and suddenly I was limiting Him.”

“What do you mean?” Sam had started drying cups from a pan but his hands stilled.

“It means I'm giving God total control now.”

“And that means Sheri?”

Pace smiled. “Yes, or at least I'm going to give it a chance.”

Sam looked around the diner. “I've lived my life inside these walls, watching everybody else living their lives out there. Kinda partaking through them. I admire you for what yer doin', Pace. What does Sheri say about all of this?”

“She basically told me to get lost.”

“That figures,” Sam snorted. “She ain't one to mince words, and I never took her for one set on settling down.”

“I think she doesn't have enough faith in herself and in God. And I think I'm here to give her a hand with that.”

Sam put both hands on the counter. “That's a tough one. I know 'cause I hate to admit it but I'm living it myself.”

Pace had opened up to Sam wondering if the Lord would use the conversation. Now he prayed that he'd continue to have the words Sam needed.

“How's that?”

“I've been a bachelor all my life. I fell in love with Adela the first time I saw her. We were just kids, but her heart already belonged to Theo Ledbetter. I figure Theo was the luckiest man on earth to have had the privilege of being loved all his life by Adela and to have her as his wife.”

“But Theo's been dead for years.”

“Nearly sixteen years,” Applegate yelled from the window.

So much for his hearing aid being turned off, Pace thought. “I never understood why the two of you haven't married.”

“A man's got to ask before a woman can say yes,” Stanley called and Pace decided the two men had a pretty good racket going by pretending they didn't hear what was happening around them. They had selective hearing loss.

“Well, that's true enough,” Sam added, glaring at his two friends.

“Why haven't you asked?”

“Might as well admit the truth, Sam,” Applegate said. “You can't be helped until ya admit ya got a problem. Ain't that right, Stanley?”

“Yep—”

“Fear,” Sam snapped, cutting Stanley off. “I'm a blamed ole coward. There. Are you two old goats satisfied?”

Pace looked from one to the other. “But it's obvious she loves you and more than apparent you love her.”

“True. But, well, things are comfortable the way they are. I'm afraid to give up what I've got. If I were to try and change things…I might mess it all up.”

Pace suddenly understood looking at the older man. He was clinging to what they had, rather than trying for something better. Like Pace had done clinging to his old life. Sam had to let go just as he'd had to do. “Sam, it looks like we have a lot in common.”

“How's that?”

Pace met the little man's somber gaze with a smile of certainty. “What you've got to do is trust the Lord and give up your Idaho. Just like I did.”

“O
hh! Oooohhh, that tickles!”

“Esther Mae, you have to hold still if you want this to look right.”

“I know, but I am so ticklish.”

“I'm sorry, but I can't get these stripes straight if you jump every time I touch your toes.”

“Yeah, Esther Mae,” Norma Sue said from where she stood looking over Sheri's shoulder. She'd been hovering there ever since Sheri had begun painting a tiny American flag on Esther's big toenail. “Be still. Your flag's waving.”

Esther Mae grabbed the chair arms in a grip that would have challenged Sam's handshake. “I'll try to sit still, but watch yourself. I might kick you without meaning to. If I can just get past being so ticklish I think I'm really going to like this nail art. It's such an expression of who I am. I think I want to try one of those cute rhinestone toe rings, too. Ohh!” she squealed, yanking her toe free of Sheri's grasp. “Sorry. Try it again.”

“A toe ring!” Norma Sue exclaimed as Sheri reached for Esther Mae's toe one more time. This was going to be the weirdest-looking American flag she'd ever tried to paint on a toenail.

“That's right—a toe ring.”

“Esther Mae,” Norma Sue said, drawing the Mae out as if she were dragging it up a mountain. “You express yourself just fine. It's one thing to get doodads on your toenails, but a toe ring?”

“Norma Sue,” Adela said softly from the styling chair where Lacy was finishing up her haircut, “I think it's nice the way Esther Mae is trying new things. Sometimes change is good.”

Lacy whipped the cutting cape from around her neck. “Adela, you're a free woman,” she said. “You know me, I think change is a great thing. I love it.”

“Me, too,” Esther Mae said, nodding. “Just because we're almost seventy is no reason we have to subject ourselves to boredom. Sheri, I
will
take one of those rings. The red one please. The brighter the better.”

Norma Sue bopped her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Okay, okay, I give up. Who am I to try and make you give up your fun? Adela, you sure are quiet today.”

“Are you feeling well?” Lacy asked and Sheri glanced toward them, catching the sudden sadness in Adela's eyes.

“Well, now that we're talking about change. All of you know that a few weeks ago my daughter asked me to move to Abilene.”

Norma Sue snorted. “Yeah, that was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.”

“I've been praying about it. And I think I may go.”

Heavenly Inspirations had never been as quiet as in that moment. Sheri was so shocked by the announcement she almost dropped the bottle of white polish. Adela moving—it was inconceivable. Really, no one had even given it a second thought when Adela had mentioned it before. Mule Hollow without Adela? No way.

“But why?” Esther Mae whined, her toe ring forgotten. “You have a life here.”

“Adela, why haven't you asked us to pray with you?” Leave it to Lacy to zero in on the spiritual need.

Adela, her beautiful blue eyes sad but sure, met each of their gazes one after the other. “You are my friends, and I just thought I should warn you of things to come. I didn't tell you earlier because I have no doubts the Lord is going to give me the right answer in His own time.”

“The answer is no!” Norma Sue huffed, moving to stand beside her lifelong friend.

“That's right,” Esther Mae agreed. “This is about Sam, isn't it? If the man would only come to his senses and marry you, then—”

Adela shook her head. “Esther Mae, this isn't about Sam. It's about practicality.”

“Practicality, my foot!” Norma Sue snapped. “Nope, this is about love and you know it. You of all people, Adela, running. I can't believe it.”

Sheri finished Esther Mae's toe, slid the red toe ring on her third toe, and listened to the conversation. All week long she'd awakened each morning and proceeded to force herself to put one foot in front of the other while telling herself all the practical reasons she should stop
thinking about Pace. She was supposed to be figuring out what the Lord wanted her to do with her life, but she couldn't stop thinking about Pace and his dreams.

“Adela,” Sheri said, picking up a slender cuticle stick and rolling it between her fingers. “Why don't you ask Sam to marry you?”

“Now there's an idea,” Esther Mae gasped.

“Yeah, Adela.” Lacy's eyes lit up. “You can't just give up on the man and leave him here. Just think about it. He'd be so sad and grumpy none of us would know what to do with him.”

Adela blushed. “I couldn't do that. Besides, I've always trusted the Lord's timing. Me asking Sam would be rushing God's plan. This is something Sam has to work out for himself.”

“Then leaving before God's plan happens wouldn't be right, either,” Sheri pointed out, and everyone joined in talking at once agreeing with her.

“Come on, Adela, shake up the love boat,” Lacy laughed. “Really, if you're going to leave anyway, what could it hurt? The verse I was reading this morning would be suited for you
and
for you, too, Sheri. It's from Second Timothy. ‘God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power.' I think we need to see some of that power being utilized right now.”

Sheri quirked an eyebrow at Lacy. “I'm getting there. But we're talking about Adela right now.”

For the last few days, she'd talked with Lacy about how she'd been feeling about finding out what God's plan was for her life. And Lacy had been quick to point out that she was missing the boat by not believing that
God might have brought Pace into her life for a reason. Sheri wasn't completely sure about that. She wasn't willing to make a mistake when it came to Pace. She'd already caused him enough trouble. And while she might have begun to dream of a life with Pace, until she got the go-ahead from the Lord she felt the best thing was to keep her feelings to herself. Pushing aside thoughts of herself, she looked at Adela. She was sitting quietly studying her hands which were clasped tightly together in her lap. The short wispy white hair around her face hid her eyes from them.

Sheri remembered the first day she'd seen those eyes. Sheri had never seen more peaceful eyes in all of her life. They'd reminded her of Lacy's eyes, so blue and with that sparkle that Sheri felt certain came from a strong bond with the Lord. A bond Sheri had wished she could emulate. But she'd learned that while she could teach herself and command herself to walk through life emulating Lacy's vivaciousness, she couldn't command the Lord to have a relationship with her that she'd convinced herself was only for a privileged few like Adela and Lacy. And why not? They were special. They were the ones who came up with just the right verses to inspire people or spur them to action. They were the ones people like her imitated…just weeks ago she'd settled for that.

Now she knew that she could have the same kind of relationship with God. It was out there for everyone, all she had to do was seek Him with all her heart. That meant learning to walk with Him on a daily basis. It meant that she needed to study His word and hide it in
her heart. It meant she needed to do a little work. She'd realized that while she was a Christian, she wasn't growing in her belief. Lacy and Adela had immersed themselves in God's word, seeking out His will.

Pace was doing the same thing. And she loved him because of it. It was true…he made her want to be the best person she could be. And though she had begun to dream of having a life with him it was better to stay out of his life for now. She still wasn't certain she could trust herself. Despite everything, her past still haunted her.

Adela was different. It killed Sheri to see her faltering and suddenly she knew she had to do something.

“Adela, you have to fight for what
you
want sometimes. You have fought for everyone else to have the happiness you thought they deserved all these months. Don't sit there and think for one moment I don't know that you haven't been instrumental in all these setups.”

“That's the truth,” Esther Mae said. “She's got your number on that, Adela.”

“You are the one who thought this whole ‘Wives Needed' campaign for Mule Hollow,” Norma Sue added.

Lacy plopped her hands to her hips and cocked her shaggy head to the side. “You have to fight for the principle of it all. I mean really, Adela, come on. Let's go put Sam out of his misery.”

Adela's eyes lit up, spurring Sheri on.

“You know you're not going to move away from here and leave all of us.” Sheri walked to the door and opened it wide. Something inside of her was driven to see Adela
fight for her right to a happily ever after. “Now come on, what do you say? It's a great day for a marriage proposal.”

 

“You're gonna do it. You're really gonna do it!”

“Hush, Applegate. Ya been after me for years to do this so let me do it.”

“Right.” Applegate stopped his hovering and stood still, watching as Sam yanked off his apron and dropped it to the counter, tugged the waistband of his britches up while tucking his shirttail in securely.

“You're right, Pace,” he said. “There comes a time when turning back to the past ain't an option anymore. Ya gotta look to the future. If I don't do something to change her mind, my Adela is goin' ta load up and move off. Then where will I be? I'll be alone, regrettin' for the rest of my days that I didn't give up my fears and ask her to marry me.”

“At's the way, Sam,” Applegate said. “Here, slick yer hair down.” He licked his palm and reached toward his friend's head. “When a man's goin' to ask a woman to be his wife he don't need a cowlick stickin' straight up off his crown. It ain't dignified.”

“Get back, App!” Sam dodged Applegate's damp hand and headed toward the door with a determined stride with Applegate trailing behind.

Pace couldn't help chuckling. The two of them looked like a pair of overgrown kids as he and Stanley followed them out into the sunlight.

“Where is she, Sam?” Stanley asked.

“She's down at Lacy's getting her hair and nails done like she does every Friday at one o'clock.”

“Then what are we waiting fer?” Applegate said, grinning. Applegate grinning—Pace figured that in itself was a miracle.

Sam cleared his throat, lifted his chin, and glanced from them down the street toward Lacy's. “Yer right, App. C'mon, time's a wastin'.”

 

Sheri figured the Lord's timing was right on the money when she looked out that door to see Sam heading up the small parade marching down the center of Main Street. She almost got trampled in the stampede when she'd called everyone to come see.

One look and Norma Sue and Esther Mae whipped around and practically picked poor Adela up and scrambled out onto the sidewalk with her.

It was a sight. Sam, not quite five feet, looking as tall and determined as Pace Gentry, who was backing him up along with his sidekicks Applegate and Stanley.

Sheri had a great view of both Sam's and Adela's expressions as he came to a halt in front of Adela. If ever there were two people who loved each other it was these two. Sam slicked a hand from forehead to crown as Adela raised elegant, fine-boned fingers to touch a wisp of hair just behind her earlobe.

“Hello, Adela,” he said, in a gentle voice that was reserved only for her.

“Hello, Sam,” she answered, her voice a bit more breathy than usual.

Without further ado he dropped to his knee. “My sweet Adela. I've been a prideful man, but one who loves you more'n life itself. And if I ain't waited too
long to get the gumption to ask you to marry me, then I'm askin' ya now. Will you do me the honor and be my wife?”

Sheri's heart swelled as a tear slid from the corner of her eye. It was so romantic. Adela took his face between her hands and looked deeply into his eyes.

“My Sam, my sweet Sam. I'd begun to think you were never going to ask. Yes. My answer is yes.”

Sheri reacted by letting out a whoop. Everyone joined in, clapping as Sam sprang up and engulfed Adela in an embrace. Everyone was laughing and even Applegate Thornton was grinning like a hound dog getting a belly rub. Sheri figured this was a story for the weekly newspaper. It could go right there alongside Adela and Sam's wedding announcement.

Another wedding for Mule Hollow…. A wish tumbled through her and she closed her eyes, willing away the image that came of her and Pace.

“Can we talk?”

Now that just wasn't fair,
she thought as she opened her eyes to find Pace standing half a step in front of her. Afraid to let him see what she'd been thinking, she'd avoided eye contact with him during Sam's proposal to Adela.

“Sure.” And there you go—her mouth and her heart were giving her a mutiny! He started walking and she fell into step beside him, drawn to him despite the fact that she was willing her red frog giggers to run the other way.

“How have you been?”

So they were back to small talk. “Fine,” she croaked. Her throat felt like a sandpit, while her heart was pounding. “Just fine.”

They made it to the corner of Main Street and Pace turned left, along a sidewalk of empty buildings. And suddenly they were alone.

He smiled, coming to a halt. He turned and touched the hair at her temple and sent her already crumbling defenses into a freefall. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she couldn't, she had to learn to be a better person first. She had to get her life figured out first so that she wouldn't mess his up. But the look in his eyes was weakening her defenses.

“The Sheri Marsh I know wouldn't use the word fine. She'd use words like cool and awesome and kickin'. She would not say everything is fine. It's a dull dry word that is used when someone doesn't want to say that things are really boring or dull. Mundane.”