Lambert's Peace (13 page)

A chorus of “amens” echoed around the room.

“I'm here to focus on Jesus, so don't bother me,” Taylor said to Will, leaning close so only he could hear.

“I was about to say the same to you.”

Grinning, she joined in the song.
Oh, Will … You do have a way of getting under my skin
.

Will could have stayed in the sanctuary all day with Taylor. Hanging out with Jesus and Taylor. Did it get any better?

He listened closely to Pastor Marlow's sermon, making a mental note not to let Taylor's reaction to him push him toward anxiety.

Shifting his gaze for a quick second, he looked over at her. Without pondering, he knew he could love her for the rest of his life. He wanted to love her. Not only was she beautiful with her sleek nose, long eyelashes, and stubborn chin, she challenged him to be better, to look at life as an adventure, and to see people, not a list of to-dos.

Will needed Taylor. And with God's grace, he'd woo her heart.

Jesus wooed his heart every day, teaching him to respond in love. And in some small way, Will understood that the Lord loved him the way he loved Taylor.

“Let peace guard your heart and mind,” Marlow concluded. “Pursue peace.”

Will nodded and almost uttered amen. From the other side of the church, he heard Grandpa Matt vocalize his agreement with the message.

“Let's stand and pray.” Marlow stepped from behind the pulpit.

Will stood. Next to him, Taylor rose to her feet, her expression serious.

“Everything okay?” he whispered.

She put on a bright smile. “Yes. I needed that message today.”

“Words I live by.” When the service ended, Will was about to ask her to lunch when Tim popped up between them. “Do you two want to go to lunch?”

Taylor shook her head. “I had a big breakfast. I'm not really that hungry.”

There went Will's idea to invite her to lunch.

“Suit yourself. Dana and I are taking Mom and Dad to the new steak place out by the theaters.”

“Okay, but Dad needs to drop me home first.”

Tim winced. “He already left. Mom wanted to stop by the drugstore to pick up his medication.”

“Then you'll have to take me, big brother.” Taylor popped him on the arm.

Will blurted, “I'll take you.”

Tim grinned. “Thanks, Will. See you later, Taylor.” And he was gone.

Will jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “My truck is on this side.”

Taylor picked up her Bible and journal. “How convenient for you. If I didn't know better, I'd say you fixed this.” She walked toward the foyer. “I need my coat.”

“I'll drive around front to pick you up.”

She started down the aisle. Will turned toward the side door as Grandma came up behind him. “Remember my advice now—from the other night.”

Will smiled down at her. “I will.”

Taylor talked to herself. “Just be cool. Don't agree to anything. No dinners or walks in the park. Just thank Will for the ride home and say, ‘See you tomorrow.'”

Taylor hopped inside the warm cab of Will's truck. She chuckled softly as she thought of Jordan's heat-deprived car Friday night.

“Did I miss something?” Will asked, waving to Bobby, Elle, and the kids as they passed in front of the truck.

Taylor waved, too, then said, “Jordan's car doesn't have heat. We were so cold that night.”

“He's a good guy.”

“He's sweet.” But he wasn't Will.

Will turned south out of the church parking lot, the afternoon sun burning bright and warm through the windshield. Patches of grass showed along the road as the warm sun melted the snow.

“Beautiful day,” she said without really thinking. The words simply flowed from her heart.

“You're beautiful.”

She looked at him. “Stop—”

He turned onto Main. “I mean it, Taylor.”

She stared ahead, letting his words sink in, allowing herself to enjoy the compliment—for a moment. Then she asked, “What about Mia?”

“I told you we're friends.” Will looked over. “I ran into her at Sinclair's Friday night. She insisted I go with her to Peri's for coffee. I couldn't say no without being rude.”

Taylor nodded. “I see.”

As he neared the Hansons', he asked, “Are you sure you aren't hungry?”

“Well, maybe a little. I told Tim I wasn't hungry partly because I am watching my spending. I didn't want to splurge on a big lunch I don't really need.”

Taylor knew when she left New York it would be tight, but she'd planned to have a job long before now. The offer from Will to work at Lambert's Furniture came just in time. She might not have to sell her new BMW.

Will pulled into the Hansons' driveway. He shifted the transmission into PARK and turned to Taylor. “How about a little basketball?”

“What? No.”

“It's a beautiful day, the snow's melting, and I need a little exercise.”

Taylor reached for the door handle. “No thanks.”

“Win or lose, I buy lunch.” Will regarded her with his deep-set blue eyes, his arm propped on the steering wheel.

“No.”

He touched her arm. “One-on-one. Milo Park. Burgers at Sam's afterward.”

Taylor's lips formed the word no, but her stomach lurched when she pictured one of Sam's burgers. “I don't know … “

“Stick-in-the-mud.” He winked and laughed.

“Stick-in-the-mud?” She jerked the door open and stepped out.

“Heard it from Mia. She called me a stick-in-the-mud when I hesitated about going for coffee with her.”

“I always thought more of you, Will. A little name-calling never seemed to move you before.”

His gaze intent on her, he asked one more time, “Milo Park in a half hour? I need to change.”

“You're on.” Taylor stepped the rest of the way out of the truck and slammed the door shut.

Walking up to the house, she muttered to herself, “Right, Taylor. Say no. Just tell him thanks for the ride and see you tomorrow.”

Sam's was quiet on Sunday night, so when Taylor and Will entered, they had their pick of booth or table.

“Any one you want, Will,” Sam called to him. “How are you, Taylor?”

“Fine, thank you, Sam.”

Will led the way to a table by the fireplace. “I never get to sit here; these tables are always taken or reserved.”

Janet came up behind them. “Evening. What would you two like to drink?”

“Diet soda and a large water for me,” Taylor said, draping her coat over the back of a chair. “Same for me, Janet.”

Taylor sat down and regarded him. His cheeks were red from playing ball, and his hair stood on end where he'd combed it with his fingers. “You were one terrible basketball player today.”

He laughed. “I had lead feet this afternoon.”

“Thanks for talking me into it. It was fun.”

Janet set their drinks down and pulled out her order pad. “Do you know what you want?”

Will looked at Taylor and ordered for both of them. “Cheeseburgers—”

“With the works,” Taylor added.

Will nodded. “And fries.”

“Extra fries.”

Janet lowered her pen and pad. “Are you starving, Taylor?”

“Yes.”

“Anything else?” Will asked.

“Side salad for me. Light dressing on the side. No croutons.”

Janet snickered as she walked away.

“Have to watch my calories,” Taylor said to Will.

He shook his head, laughing with an echo of pleasure. “You amaze me, Taylor.”

She fiddled with her straw wrapper. “How so?”

“You have your own way of living life. You go for your dreams. You understand God's grace—”

“But you understand His peace.”

“I do. But it's been a lot of years pursing peace to be able to abide in it.”

“I can't remember the last time I abided in peace.”

“This morning, at church.”

Tears stung her eyes. “For a moment, yes.”

“Life's been difficult the past month, Taylor. Give yourself a break.”

“The past month? Will, my life has been one big anxiety attack for years. Fighting to advance my career, working eighty-hour weeks … Dating so-called Christian men whose morals are no different than most non-Christian men's. Worried about money. Worried about friends, worried about gray hairs and wrinkles and the world coming to an end.”

Will sat back. “The world coming to an end?”

“Once I get into a worry cycle, it's hard to stop.” She snickered.

“Memorizing and applying Scripture changed life for me. Grandpa and Grandma taught me about living a life of peace—about being a man of peace.”

“That's what I admire about you, Will. You are so peaceful.”

“I've had to work at it—change my thinking.”

Janet set down Taylor's salad. Sam tossed another log on the fire. “Temperature's dropping,” he said.

Taylor picked up her silverware. “I could use a few lessons.”

“I could teach you. Pray with you.”

She smiled. “I'd rather not, Will.”

“Why not?” He couldn't let her comment go.

She looked him square in the eye. “You know why.”

“Tell me.”

She sighed, her fork loose in her hand. “I'll fall in love with you.”

“Then we're even.”

By Friday noon, Taylor and Markie had mapped out their work flow and created a project plan that started with the day they purchased the new system to “go live.”

Happy with the plan and the demo HBS gave them earlier in the week, Taylor recommended Lambert's Furniture purchase HBS for their accounting, timekeeping, and inventory system.

“Knock, knock.” Will smiled and held up the papers in his hand. Harry followed, his tail wagging.

“Come in.” She returned his smile, remembering her Monday morning promise to lighten up with Will yet maintain a safe distance. She had concluded that playing the gruff, once-rejected woman didn't fit her character or God's.

But it took until Thursday evening to stop daydreaming about their Sunday afternoon basketball game and eating burgers afterward at Sam's in front of the fire.

They'd had a great time that day. Being in Will's company always felt like coming home at the end of a hard day: peaceful, warm, and sheltered.

She drew a deep breath. “Did you sign the HBS deal?”

Will walked over to the fireplace and turned on the gas. “It's always colder on this side of the building.” Harry sniffed Taylor's leg then passed by to curl up by the stone hearth.

“That's why I wear a parka and drink ten cups of coffee.”

He laughed and handed her a copy of the contract. “You are an excellent negotiator. The salesman couldn't stop telling us how amazing you were.”

“Let's see if he put in my last request for changes to the terms and conditions.” She skimmed the contract down to the fine print. “Yep, he did.”