Pierced by Love (28 page)

“Is that right?” The casual question put Pierce at ease as he went on to explain how he felt that event had curtailed his effectiveness as a missionary.

“I can see how that would happen,” Samuel concurred, waiting for Pierce to continue.

A lawyer’s trick. Silence. When it became too uncomfortable, Pierce said, “I was distraught when my parents divorced. But when I think of all those years they were unhappy together and I see how happy they are now, I’m glad that each of them has found a new life. And then I feel guilty because divorce isn’t a part of God’s plan of happiness. So what is the answer? I’ve come to terms with their decision to divorce because neither of them were progressing in the gospel until that happened, but I still feel unsettled about how their marriage affects my future. I don’t want to make the same mistakes my parents made.”

“Then don’t,” Samuel said succinctly.

Pierce regarded him skeptically. “Is it really that simple?”

He shrugged. “The Lord programmed us to learn from our mistakes, or others’ mistakes, as the case may be. Just because your parents’ marriage ended up that way is not a guarantee that yours will. The leaders of the Church have told us that any marriage whose partners are dedicated to each other and the Lord is one that will last throughout eternity.”

“So you’re saying that I’m overanalyzing my views on marriage?”

“Possibly. Granted, you have some valid concerns. But remember that ‘men are that they might have joy.’ The Lord wants us to be happy. I’m an optimist. Obstacles can be overcome with faith and prayer and a good dose of humility mixed in. A sincere apology can go a long way in softening another person’s heart. I think that if half of my clients had been willing to apologize to their spouses, they would still be married.”

It was Pierce’s turn to be silent as he contemplated Samuel’s words. He’d given him a lot of food for thought.

Samuel spoke again. “I may be jumping the gun here, Pierce, but I want to let you know that it’s been hard for me to see the friction between my two daughters. My heart nearly broke that day when Brenda and I travelled to NAU to see them. Noelle was beside herself. Normally, she’s a fun-loving and spirited young woman. I’ve seen glimpses of the real Noelle surface with you here and I like what I’ve seen. You’re good for her.”

Pierce could count the number of times in his life he’d received praise of this magnitude on one hand from his own father. His chest swelled with love and respect for this compassionate man. “Thank you, sir. I think the Lord must have had a hand in placing me in the right place at the right time. Noelle and I have known each other for a few years but never really spent much time together. When Chase broke it off with her, I couldn’t stand to see her so miserable.” He still couldn’t, but he wasn’t going to admit that Noelle was still struggling to her dad. “She was beating herself up pretty badly over the whole thing. Through my experience with my parents, I was able to help her see things in a different perspective.”

“I hope that you’ve been able to help her see that Chase is not the man for her. If he had been, he would have proposed to her a long time ago. Although I haven’t been pleased with the situation, I can see that Chase and Melody make a much better match. Noelle needs someone who won’t try to stifle her zest for life.” Samuel looked pointedly at Pierce.

Pierce laughed softly. “I couldn’t agree more.”

An hour later, Brenda and Melody came back from their lunch to find Samuel, Noelle, and Pierce involved in a game of Settlers of Catan. From across the room, Brenda caught Pierce’s eyes, conveying her disapproval of him with one look. Thankfully, because of the conversation he’d had with Noelle’s dad, Pierce was able to overlook it. He’d have to find a way to make her see that he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

The doorbell rang and Brenda left to answer it. A moment later, Chase walked into the kitchen. Melody hopped out of her chair and hugged her fiancé before kissing him. Noelle and Pierce exchanged a charged look. Pierce wondered if she was thinking about their kisses or wishing that she was in Chase’s arms instead. He really hated not knowing.

Chase exchanged pleasantries with Samuel and Brenda before Melody explained that after the family barbecue, the two of them were planning on attending the annual Easter pageant that was being held on the grounds of the Mesa Arizona Temple that night. Melody asked if anyone else wanted to come. Noelle shook her head. “Maybe another time.”

That was fine by Pierce. As it was, he was finding it difficult to be in the same room with the creep. Melody grabbed Noelle by the arm. “Oh, Noelle, I forgot to tell you. Mom and I found a pair of fabulous shoes that will go with your bridesmaid dress. Do you want to see them?”

Noelle let out a long-suffering sigh but graciously agreed. “All right.”

The sisters left the room with Melody raving about the style and color of the “fabulous shoes.” Chase glanced at Pierce. Still angry with him, Pierce glowered. Ever observant, Samuel looked first at Chase, then Pierce, and said casually, “My wife and I will be outside if you need us. You two look like you have some catching up to do.” He then led his wife to the backyard, telling her what they had accomplished.

The silence that pervaded the kitchen was uncomfortable, to say the least. Even knowing that Kasey was the culprit behind the rumor at NAU did nothing to appease Pierce. Chase cleared his throat and began, “Thank you for bringing Melody down, Pierce, since I was unable to come sooner.”

“You’re welcome,” Pierce answered in a clipped tone.

A longer silence ensued. Pierce had just about decided to leave the room when Chase declared smugly, “You and Noelle managed to stun the majority of the institute population with your sudden ‘couple’ status. How are her parents taking the news?”

Pierce’s eyes narrowed. “Actually, they’re fine with us being together. It seems that there was a little misunderstanding due in part to a certain person or persons spreading vicious lies about us.”

Chase swallowed, but then seemed to quickly regain his composure. “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” he said in a falsely cheerful voice. “And for the record, I never really believed it was true, anyway.”

Pierce couldn’t believe this guy. How could Noelle have possibly been attracted to someone so pompous? His ire steadily mounting, a sudden burst of inspiration struck him. He smiled placidly and replied, “Thanks, Chase. That means a lot. Noelle is a wonderful woman and I have you to thank for making her available.”

The smirk slid right off of Chase’s face. Pierce couldn’t resist digging the knife in a little deeper. “We might even become brothers-in-law someday, huh? We should try to get along sooner rather than later.”

To Pierce’s surprise, Chase took the bait. “You’ve already proposed to her?” The shock on his face was priceless.

Pierce grinned mischievously. It wasn’t every day that a person could pull one over on the mighty Chase Dunlop. “No, but the idea is worth considering, especially if it gets a rise from you.”

Chase scowled, then sighed heavily and said, “Look, Pierce. I didn’t mean to come off sounding so arrogant last week. I just want to see Melody and Noelle happy again. I think it’s time for us all to bury the hatchet and see if we can smooth some ruffled feathers.”

The guy obviously liked his clichés. “You know, Chase, I can agree with you on that except for one thing. I still don’t like the way you implied that Noelle and I had engaged ourselves in misconduct. We were with my family in San Diego, as you should have known from Melody’s account of the story.”

Chase stared at the floor, apparently contrite. “You’re right. And I’m sorry. I was a little angry that a guy like you had picked on a sweet girl like Noelle. I felt that it was my duty to warn you off.”

How Chase could apologize for one insult while flinging another astounded Pierce. This guy was a piece of work. “No offense taken,” he said grudgingly.

Chase nodded seriously. “I’m glad we see eye to eye. Treat her well.”

Pierce snorted. “Not that you have any say in the matter, but just for your information, I plan on doing that.” Chase gave a self-satisfied nod. “Better than you,” Pierce muttered under his breath.

“Good.” The self-righteous tone was back.
Wow!
Pierce thought. Noelle really was fortunate to have escaped his clutches. He almost felt sorry for what Melody would have to put up with.

Almost.

The rest of the Jensen clan arrived shortly after that. Noelle introduced Pierce to her two older brothers, Ryan and Blake, and their wives. She then disappeared into the kitchen to help her mom finish making preparations for the barbecue. Peering out the kitchen window, she saw Pierce and her brothers grilling hot dogs for the kids along with steaks and chicken kabobs for the adults.

Noelle came outside with a potato salad while her sister and sisters-in-law carried other trays laden with salads and fruit. Soon they all gathered and offered a blessing on the food. Pierce and Noelle set up their chairs next to Blake and his family. Noelle enjoyed listening to the easy banter between her brothers and Pierce. Once in a while, Chase would insert a timely comment and Pierce would offer a gentle rebuttal, but for the most part, Noelle felt encouraged by the rapport that Pierce seemed to have established with her family.

Melody and Chase took off for the Easter Pageant as soon as they were finished eating. Once again, Noelle followed her mom to the kitchen to help with the clean-up. Several minutes later, she peered out the window and saw Pierce and her brothers engaged in a game of flag football. Noelle joined them soon, encouraging her sisters-in-law to play as well. Reluctantly, they did. Then the kids became involved and the game mellowed out. Pierce and Noelle had teamed up with Ryan’s four-year-old son, Collin, and Blake’s two-year-old daughter, Amy. Noelle caught the football and handed it to her niece. “Here, Amy, run!”

And run she did. Unfortunately, she ran the wrong way. Pierce trotted behind her and scooped the child up in his arms and pivoted, making a beeline for the goal line. The adults stopped running to give them room. When they reached the goal, Pierce raised his hand and waited for Amy to give him a high-five before gently setting her down. She scampered away and called, “Mommy! Mommy! Did you see me make a touchdown?”

Noelle’s heart tugged at the tender scene. She’d seen genuine affection reflected on Pierce’s face. For that moment, all the tears and frustration they’d been experiencing melted away as she saw the real Pierce—one who simply enjoyed life to the fullest and wanted to be a part of the lives of those he cared about.

He’d told her that he cared about her. But could he ever love her the way that she wanted to be loved? Could she trust him to always love her? It was easy to envision him in this setting with their own children. He would be a fun-loving dad. But would he allow his career to take precedence in his life the way his own father had? These questions weighed on her heart more than she cared to admit.

Pierce came over to her, tossing the football in his hands. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just thinking about something.”

He stared at her intently before Noelle’s brother ran by, tugging the football from his hands. “You in the game, Logan?”

Pierce nodded at him distractedly. “Yeah, just a sec.” Turning back to Noelle, he tried again. “You sure you’re all right?”

Pasting a carefree smile on her face, she said, “Yes. I was thinking too seriously for my own good. But now I’m okay.”

He gazed at her thoughtfully before consenting. “Okay.”

The sun had set and the women started gathering miscellaneous shoes, diaper bags, and other items into their arms, asking their husbands to collect the children on their way out. They expressed their pleasure in meeting Pierce and went inside. Little Amy had taken an instant liking to Pierce and tugged on his arm to show him her favorite doll. Pierce gave Amy an indulgent smile and followed along, winking at Noelle as he passed her.

She smiled and moved to follow them when she felt a hand on her arm. Looking up, she saw Blake, whose face still bore beads of sweat from the game they’d played. “Just a minute.” He watched his daughter lead Pierce into the house, then turned to her. “How’d you meet Pierce?”