October Joy (Moments In Paradise 1) (13 page)

“In a million years I never would have imagined being with a woman like this on the last night of the conference.  But now that it’s happening, I can’t imagine my life without you, Sarah.  I have no idea how I’m going to say good-bye to you tomorrow.”

She wanted to tell him she would stay for a few more days, but she had the women’s luncheon on Saturday she was in charge of, so she needed to go back tomorrow.

“Are you really going to come see me sometime?” she asked, knowing how complicated that could be.  Here they could be somewhat anonymous, their relationship only affecting the two of them, but being a part of each other’s real lives would be about so much more than picnic lunches and talking for hours over pie and coffee.

“I have to,” he said.  “That was a condition of me kissing you, remember?  I don’t go back on stuff like that.  I’m a man of my word, Sarah.”

She smiled.  “And you’re not regretting it now?  Offering to turn your life upside-down for a few sweet kisses?”

He received her teasing words with a smile but took them seriously.  Kissing her again with the same tenderness and sincerity that made her feel safe and valuable to him, he said, “I’m bargaining for more than a few kisses, Sarah.  Tomorrow is not going to be good-bye.  It’s going to be, ‘I’ll see you soon.  Very soon.’”

***

Grace expected the teens to be emotional during youth group, and they were.  But she didn’t expect to be so strongly affected by the tragedy herself.  Last night she had been strong and emotionless about it, but reality and reminders of the past hit her in full force about an hour into the meeting.

James had begun the night acknowledging the tragedy, and then led the kids in worship for about forty-five minutes.  Even though Hunter hadn’t been attending the group for long, everyone knew him from school, many of them since their early elementary days.  Grace was in and out of the room as girls would retreat into the hallway to cry and then return.  Mostly she listened to them talk and express their feelings, but occasionally the tough questions were asked, and she answered them the best she knew how.

When James put down his guitar to talk to the kids, he shared about his brother’s accident and how he had felt during that time.  Grace was amazed he shared it after barely speaking two words to her about it last night.  She was proud of him, but his tears led to her own, and once she went there, it was hard to come back.  She left the room while the students were sharing stories about Hunter, and she didn’t return until eight-fifteen.

Most of the kids lingered afterwards, but they didn’t have anyone who stayed past nine.  Grace talked to Sierra before she left, and Tabby was planning to go to her house again tonight.  Grace could see her “baby” sister was more than capable of handling this.  She seemed to know the right things to do and say without any help from her, James, or the grief counselor James had asked to come tonight.

“Can I help with anything?” she offered as James was putting some things away once everyone else had gone.

“I’m done,” he said, closing up the room where all the sound equipment was kept.

They walked side-by-side to the main doors of the youth room, and he closed and locked them before they stepped toward the outside doors.

“Thanks for being here, Grace.”

“You did a great job, really.  When did you decide to share about Tommy?”

“During worship.  I had been resisting it all afternoon, but God won.”

She smiled.  “It was good, what you said.  It made me have to go sit in my dad’s office and cry for twenty minutes, but it was good.”

“I’m sorry.  Are you all right?”

She nodded but it wasn’t completely gone.  She could tell he knew that, but he didn’t say anything.  They stepped outside and walked to his truck.  He opened the door for her, and she got inside.  When he got behind the steering wheel, he started the engine, but he didn’t pull out right away.

“Where would you like to go?” he asked.

“I believe you promised me ice cream.”

“I know, but where?”

She told him the nearest place she knew of, but she didn’t think about youth group kids being there until they stepped through the door.

“Why didn’t you say something?” she whispered after several of them had spotted them together.

“About what?” he asked with a smile.

“You’re in big trouble.”

“What?  This is where you said you wanted to go.  I just aim to please, Gracie.”

Chapter Twelve

James selected a table for two by the window after they had their ice cream treats in hand, and Grace smiled at the friendly banter being directed at them by the older high school students who obviously loved anything they could use to tease their beloved youth pastor.  James was a good sport about it and seemed to enjoy the attention.  And he wasn’t like that--always wanting to be the center of attention and doing anything to get a reaction from his students.  He was usually low-key and more serious, but tonight he looked like an eighteen-year-old who had finally convinced the prettiest girl in school to go out with him.

James made her feel that way too.  She didn’t have low self-esteem, but she didn’t have guys falling all over her either.  James’ interest in her was a mystery at this point, but he was making it fun.

Once the teens shifted their attention back to one another, James caught her gaze across the table and winked.

“You’re in big trouble,” she said, trying to sound serious.

“And why is that?” he asked.

“I asked Tabby not to say anything to anyone.  I didn’t think I would have to tell you.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“But you knew they would be here.”

“I knew it was a possibility.”

“And it doesn’t bother you everyone knows we’re going out?”

“There’s only about ten of them here.”

“That doesn’t matter, and you know it.”

He laughed.  “Yeah, so?  Why should it bother me?”

“Do you always invite your girlfriends to youth group on the first date?”

“Nope.  You’re the first.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re special, Gracie.  I’ve been waiting for this for three years.”

She couldn’t think of a good comeback for that, so she let it go.  It was obvious James had some high hopes for them, and she wasn’t opposed to that, but she knew the senior pastor’s daughter and the youth pastor becoming an item would be big news, and she didn’t want to have to be answering a bunch of nosy questions in a few weeks about why it hadn’t worked out between them.

Since this wasn’t an official date and she had to be at school in the morning, James didn’t keep her out late and drove her home at nine-thirty, but they sat in the truck and talked in her driveway, mainly about how youth group had gone.  James seemed to value her opinion and perspective, and she felt free to share about her own loss.

“Do you think your dad will ever get remarried?” he asked.

“Maybe,” she said.  “It’s kind of hard to imagine, but I don’t want him to be alone for the rest of his life.”

“Is that why you haven’t dated much?”

“No, it’s been more about Tabby.  But since she’s probably going off to college next year, I hate to think of him being all alone here.”

James smiled and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.  “Don’t worry, we’ll just live here too.”

She smiled, and he got out of the truck to come open her door.  Getting out of the cab, she took the hand he offered her, and he didn’t let go once they were at the front door.  She had always seen James as being serious.  He could be crazy with the youth group at times, but the personal side of him was more subdued.  But not tonight.  He was like a kid in a candy store.

Since no one else was home and she needed to be in bed by ten, she knew it would be better to not invite him inside, and she didn’t.  James didn’t let go of her hand when she tried to take it from him to get the keys out of her purse, however.

She looked up at him and smiled.  “What are you doing?”

“Being pesky,” he said.

“Someone kept me up late last night.  I need to get to bed at a decent hour, not stay up until midnight again.”

“May I have a kiss first?”

She was very shocked at his boldness and laughed.  “We’re not even on our first date yet.”

“Do you have a rule about that?” he asked, pulling her closer to him.  “You won’t kiss a guy until you’re on the first date.”

She smiled.  “I have never kissed a guy on the first date.”

“But do you have a rule, or have you just not wanted to?”

She hadn’t thought about it before, but she answered honestly.  “Just haven’t wanted to.”

He turned more serious then.  “I liked having you there tonight.  It felt right to me.”

“I’m glad I was there,” she said, setting her purse on the bench beside the front door.  She hadn’t gotten her mother’s blonde hair like her sisters, but she had gotten her height, and she was only a couple of inches shorter than James.  Allowing herself to look at him, really look at him, she said something she wanted him to know.

“I was proud of you for saying what you said about Tommy, and I won’t force you to talk about it if you don’t want to, but anytime you do, I’m here, okay?”

“Same for you,” he said.  “Your dad told me you don’t like to talk about it.”

“It’s hard,” she said.  “I still miss her.  I feel like I grieve better privately, but I open up to the right people when I need to.  Mostly just my dad, but you made me cry pretty good tonight.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“Yes.  I need a good cry once in awhile.”

“How about a good kiss?  Have you had one of those lately?”

“No,” she said, deciding to close her eyes and let him.  She wanted him to, so why not?

His first attempt was brief.  “How was that?” he whispered.

She laughed but kept her eyes closed.  “If you can’t do any better than that, our first date is off.”

He tried again, and this time he gave it his best shot.  His lips were tender and soft, but when he reached up and touched her face, there was a longing in his affection like he’d been holding back for years, and she felt okay about letting it happen now.

“Did you know,” he said, slipping both hands around her waist, “that every time I see you, Gracie Morgan, my heart leaps with joy?”

“No,” she said.

“Last night when I was sitting there with Hunter’s dad, knowing I wasn’t welcome but I had to stay, I kept telling God, ‘This is it.  I can’t do this anymore.  I’m ready for a new career.’  And then you called and said you were coming and I said, ‘Okay, Jesus.  If I can have Gracie, I’ll do this as long as You want me to.’”

“So, if I break up with you, you’re going to quit your job?”

“Yes.”

She laughed.

He kissed her again, and she was surprised by the desires he brought alive in her.  She’d never seen James as her type, but with her eyes closed and connecting with him on an intimate level, everything felt right.  Perfect.  What she had been content to wait for.  He seemed reluctant to stop, but he didn’t get carried away either.

“May I see you tomorrow?” he asked.

“Would you like to have dinner with me and Tabby?”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“What time?”

“Five-thirty.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Okay,” she said, stepping away and getting her keys out of her purse.  By the time she had the door unlocked and was ready to step inside, James had encircled her waist from behind, and she leaned against him.

“Sleep well, Gracie.  Only you could have turned this into a good day.”

“And only you, James Ashton, could kiss me like that before our first date and get away with it.”

***

“Would you like to go for a walk with Me this morning, Annika?”

Annika turned from her October Joy flowers, and she smiled at Joshua. Yesterday had been more emotional for her than usual, and He knew she could use a good walk today.

“That sounds nice,” she said.

She was thrilled for Grace, and she knew James was the right man for her to share her life with.  Joshua wouldn’t have let her see them kissing otherwise.  And the look on Gracie’s face told her so too.  She didn’t know how long it would be before they would be planning their wedding, but Annika wished she could be there to help Gracie with all the details, and she asked Joshua to make sure He had someone there to make that a special time for her.

Maybe Sarah would be that someone.  She didn’t know how long it would be before she and Andrew would be married either, but she was even more certain of that than James and Gracie.  Andrew would not have kissed Sarah after knowing her for three days otherwise.  And she was extremely happy for both of them, but she missed him today more than usual.

“Is that okay?” she asked Joshua, stopping along the path to gaze over the water.  “For me to miss him?”

“Yes,” he said.  “But remember, Annika.  Andrew has My heart, and that heart is right here with you, not just down there.  He will always love you, just like I will always love you.  What he has with Sarah will not take away from what he has with you.  They’re both eternal.  They can coexist, just like I give My love fully to you and everyone else, and you give that love back to Me and all of your loved ones.”

Besides the reassuring words of Joshua getting her day off to a good start, it was also the day she took the children in her neighborhood to the Meadow, and she looked forward to it every week.  She would teach them new games and play old favorites, take them swimming and to the playground, teach them about Kingdom Life--those who didn’t know more than she did, anyway, and tell them stories.  Many of them had come here having never been born on Earth.  She’d watched them grow into playful, loving, radiant children, and they were a sweet reminder of her own children at that age.

They were the purest of the pure here in Paradise, and they always warmed her heart.  She often felt like she didn’t need any other Joy-Sightings after having a picnic lunch and spending the afternoon with them, and they were a reminder to her today she had a special purpose for being here on a day when she was missing her family more than usual.