Love Inspired August 2014 – Bundle 1 of 2 (54 page)

Paige fought the urge to take his hand. Her heart twisted for all he’d been through
and had to process—was still processing two years after his wife’s death. “Caleb.
That’s all understandable.”

“I’m sorry for how I acted the other day. Well, not just that time. I’m sorry for
how I’ve acted each time we’ve been to Sarah’s Home. You keep working so hard with
those students, and I’ve been such a roadblock. I do care about them. I wouldn’t have
kept the place open if I didn’t.”

“It makes sense, though.”

He still seemed to be waiting for something more.

So she added, “I forgive you.”

Caleb let out a long breath. “Since it looks like we’re going to be around each other
a lot, can you do me a favor? If I start to do it again, I’m giving you permission
to pull me aside and point that out.”

Trying to lighten the mood, she smiled. “Noted.” She fiddled with the strap of her
purse. “Was that everything?”

“Yes.” He jingled his keys. “Are we leaving now?”

“If you’re sure that’s fine.”

His eyebrows knit together and he stared at her. “I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.”

Within ten minutes they were both buckled in the truck and pulling out onto the interstate.
She stacked the five reading books he had lying on the bench in a plastic bag she
found in his glove box to keep them from sliding all over the place.
Watership Down, Lord of the Flies, The Rough Riders, Undaunted Courage
and
The Great Gatsby—
all library books. Such a diverse reading list. Who was this man? She bit back all
the questions she wanted to ask. Questions and conversation about books would only
serve to paint a more charming image of him in her mind than already existed.

Things needed to stay surface level and friendly. No feelings. If she was going to
build a life in Goose Harbor, keeping things platonic with Caleb was a must. Getting
attached to a man meant pain—always—and she’d seen plenty of that to last her quite
a while.

Chapter Nine

C
aleb glanced at Paige as he turned into a gated residential community. He’d never
actually been to the area, so when Paige had told him she lived in Chicago, he’d pictured
a row of small brick bungalow homes situated close enough to reach out a window and
touch the neighbor’s siding. Alleys that weren’t well plowed in winter, that sort
of city living. She’d failed to mention that her parents lived in the wealthy section
of the suburbs.

Behemoth homes, bigger than two of Maggie’s old Victorian inns put together, loomed
on either side of the quiet street. People had their own tennis courts and private,
fenced-in basketball courts in their backyards. Garages here housed four cars.

Caleb rubbed the grease stain on his jeans. Why hadn’t he changed before they left?
What sort of impression would beat-up work boots, a rolled-up flannel shirt and stained
jeans make on the Windoms? Maybe he should stay in the truck when they got there.
Although, that would mean her lifting all the boxes herself, which he’d never let
happen.

“Turn down Lavender Avenue and it’s the second house on the left,” Paige directed
him.

The Windoms’ home fit in perfectly with the neighborhood. The white house boasted
four two-story pillars, and he guessed it had room for six or more bedrooms upstairs.
A large sculpture in the middle of a fountain in the front yard spewed water. People
had stuff like that in their yards?

The tires of his truck had no more than hit the curb when an older woman and a younger
man stepped out the front door and started walking toward them.

The man stopped before continuing down the driveway. He pulled his phone from his
back pocket, turned his back to them and talked to someone.

Paige stiffened. One of her hands locked around the edge of her seat, the other around
the strap of her purse. “Why is he here? I can’t do this.”

Caleb’s senses went on alert. He popped the truck into Park and then reached over
and placed his hand on top of hers. “What’s wrong?”

“Him.” Her lip trembled and she started that rapid-fire blink thing he remembered
from the first time they met.

Realization surged through his heart. “Does he have something to do with the wedding
dress?”

Paige nodded once, sharply.

“Do you want me to tell him to go?”

She gently tugged her hand out from under his and drew in a long breath. “No one tells
Bryan to leave. It doesn’t work like that.”

All the glow that normally filled her features drained from her face.

“Could you start loading the boxes? They’re stacked in the garage.” She pointed to
the last open door. “I’d like to get out of here as fast as possible.”

He nodded and climbed out of the truck. What else could he do? Paige needed someone
to stand beside her to help fight her dragons, but evidently, she didn’t want that
man to be him.

* * *

Willing her hands to stop shaking, she slipped out of the truck. What she’d mistaken
early on in her relationship with Bryan for a butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling had
really always been a bubbling terror in her gut. Around him, she’d never been free
to talk or state any opinion. And yet she’d stayed because her mind had been tricked
into believing that he was right to tread on her plans and desires. Bryan had always
gotten his way, and she could no longer blame him for that.

She hadn’t possessed the courage or ability to speak up for herself.

Away from Bryan for the past few months, she’d been able to start healing. But was
it enough? The sick feeling racing up her throat said no.

Mom marched forward, dressed in her normal heels and pearls. “Who is that man you
came with?”

Hi
would have been nice. Hearing she’d been missed would have been better.

“A friend.”

Her mom’s jaw went slack. “You’re now accustomed to befriending lumberjacks? I thought
I raised you better than that.” Her whisper was no doubt loud enough for Caleb to
hear from where he loaded boxes.

Heat rushed up the back of Paige’s neck. “Mom, that’s rude.”

Mom popped her hands on her hips. “So is not greeting my guest.” She smiled sweetly
at Bryan.

“Why did you invite him here when you knew I’d be stopping by today?” She shouldn’t
have given her mom warning that she was coming. The scolding of showing up unannounced
would have been better than dealing with Bryan.

Like a giddy schoolgirl, Mom’s eyes went big and she clamped onto Paige’s wrist. “He
wants to give you back the ring, sweetheart. The ring! Do you know what that means?”
She started to drag Paige toward Bryan. “Well, I’ll just leave you two alone. Don’t
be foolish, Paige.” Mom winked at Bryan and strolled back into the house.

Paige commanded her heart to stop racing and her mind to work fast enough to be able
to handle standing up to Bryan.

“Hey, babe.” Bryan leaned in to hug her and Paige sidestepped him.

“Don’t ‘hey, babe’ me. Why are you here?” Pretty good. Better than she’d ever done
at standing up to him before. If only she could keep the quiver out of her voice.

He blinked a couple of times in mock disbelief. With his blond hair styled with copious
amounts of gel, his bleached white teeth and designer polo that probably cost more
than Caleb’s truck was currently worth, Paige wondered what she ever saw in Bryan.
Besides the facts that his father served in the Senate, he could offer her a lifestyle
she’d grown used to and dating him made her mom happy—nothing. At least, nothing that
meant anything to her. Not anymore.

How quickly what ranked as essential to her had changed. After a couple of weeks in
Goose Harbor, she never again wanted to live in the affluent manner she’d been raised
in. The people in her new town had small homes that held just what they needed, but
more significantly, their lives were marked by strong friendships and a willingness
to help their neighbors. Those things were important to her, too, now.

Bryan stepped closer, into her personal space. He placed his hands on her arms where
her sleeves ended and rubbed his thumbs against her skin. “Don’t be like that. I’ve
missed you.”

“I don’t want to do this. Leave me alone.” She stepped out of his hold, yanked a ponytail
holder off her arm and piled her hair into a bun.

“Tsk. Tsk.” Bryan grabbed her wrist. Hard. “Who tells their fiancé to leave them alone?”

“You’re not my fiancé.” She tried to pull away.

“Listen.” He jerked her so his mouth was right by her ear. “Everyone thinks you’re
a fool. They feel sorry for you, really—the girl who can’t commit to a good guy.”

“You cheated—”

His fingers dug into her skin. “Did you really think I’d let you make me look bad?
You don’t get to call off our wedding, Paige. But don’t worry. It works out well.
Everyone thinks better of me now. All our friends think I’m the height of understanding
because I told them the wedding has been postponed while I allow you to go find yourself
in Michigan. But soon enough, your time there will be over. Do you hear me?”

She braced her hands on his chest and applied pressure. “Why would you even still
want me to marry you? We don’t love each other.”

Instead of getting the hint and letting go, he latched onto her other wrist and smiled
down at her like the Cheshire cat. “You have the right upbringing and family to be
the perfect wife for when I run for office. We’ll be a good fit, you’ll see.”

“I’ll never marry you.” She shoved hard enough to finally get out of his hold and
whirled around. Caleb stood near his truck, brow low, watching them.

On her heels, Bryan stalked down the grass and hopped into his BMW. Why hadn’t she
noticed the scorching red car right away when they pulled down the street? He must
have slammed on the gas because the BMW flew down Lavender Avenue in two seconds flat.

* * *

Caleb forced himself to stay rooted in the spot next to the truck. His heart pounded
like a war drum, and it wasn’t from the effort of loading all the boxes as fast as
he could. He watched the exchange between Paige and the golden boy and had ground
his molars with not saying something. She’d done the thing with her hair that he noticed
before—pulling it up when she felt uncomfortable. On one hand, it was good to know
he’d read her mannerism right; on the other, his gut churned thinking of the number
of times she’d done the same thing when he talked to her.

Did conversation with him make Paige feel small and insignificant like she appeared
to feel when talking to Golden Boy? She’d visibly shrunk while that man loomed over
her. If he had held on to Paige for thirty more seconds, then Caleb would have stormed
over. He would have earlier if he’d known the situation better—if he’d known whether
Paige would receive that sort of help well.

Paige offered a weak smile to him as she walked, slow and almost wobbly, down the
driveway. “Thanks for loading the boxes. I should have helped.”

He looped his thumbs on his pants pockets. “Are you okay? ’Cause you don’t look like
you’re okay.”

Paige pursed her lips together and shook her head. Tears started to run down her face.
She swiped at them with her palm.

Caleb felt helpless. She looked so defenseless. A deep longing to protect her rose
up in his chest. He decided then that moving forward he would stand between her and
whatever danger was out there. Golden Boy couldn’t treat her poorly any longer. Caleb
would go out of his way to make her feel safe and cherished.

Cherished?
Where had that come from?

He didn’t know her well enough, did he?

Paige toed the ground. “I walk away from every conversation with him feeling like
I’m not worth anything,” she whispered.

“He’s wrong.” It came out as a fierce growl. Caleb closed the space between them in
two steps and gathered her to his chest. To his surprise, she unlaced her arms and
drew them around his back, pressing her head into his shoulder.

His hand covered her silky hair as he pressed his cheek against the side of her head.
“That’s his sin. His problem. Do you hear me, Paige? You had worth beyond measure
from the moment God created you, and no one can take that away. Not that man. And
not your feelings.”

They stood together for a couple of minutes before Paige pushed lightly out of his
hold. She went into the house to say goodbye to her parents and then they left for
Goose Harbor. Paige spent the ride home silently gazing out the window, and Caleb
spent the ride home fighting the urge to reach over and take her hand.

He couldn’t pinpoint it, but slowly—like the changing of seasons—Paige had tiptoed
into his heart. The realization made panic surge through his veins.

After seeing her ex-fiancé tower over her like a bridge troll, Caleb never wanted
to let Paige get hurt again. But Paige wasn’t easily convinced to be careful like
Sarah had been. Paige would keep taking risks. Paige would keep going to Brookside
and keep forging relationships with the urban youth.

And Caleb would now do everything in his power to protect her.

* * *

Paige’s thoughts on the way back from Chicago became one huge mud puddle. Her mom
would be disappointed with how she treated Bryan. Then again, she couldn’t make choices
in her life based on whether or not they pleased her mother. Not anymore.

Bryan accused her of being a fool.
The girl who can’t commit to a good guy
.

Was there something wrong with her—some reason why her relationships never seemed
to work out?

Caleb switched off the music. “I know you’ve had a long day, so if you want to be
done, just say so, but I was wondering if you want to swing by the dunes before heading
to Maggie’s?”

She pictured the calm lake rolling in steadily and the relaxing feel of sand between
her toes. Caleb would be with her, of course. But that didn’t bother her. If one thing
could be said for the man, it was that he was great at comforting confused women.

“Let’s go. That might be just the stress relief I need.”

Caleb turned into the Dunes State Park and they climbed out of the truck. Paige stretched;
it felt good to move her legs after sitting for so long. They picked a spot at the
top of the largest dune and dropped down in the sand, side by side. She tugged off
her socks and shoes, enjoying the feel of the warm sand against her feet.

If she squinted, she could make out boats on the horizon of Lake Michigan. Probably
fishermen, or the tour boat that went into the lake for a dinner cruise and a sunset-viewing
party each evening.

The past few weeks in Goose Harbor became a jumble in her mind. Caleb arguing with
her about Sarah’s Home and his lighthearted sister, Shelby. Maggie with flour in her
hair and Ida reminding her again and again and again to leave room for love. The heartbreaking
stories of each of the students involved with Sarah’s Home and the odd war Amy seemed
to be fighting against Paige.

She’d coached Amy to let go of the past in order to move forward. It would make Paige
a hypocrite if she didn’t at least consider what she needed to let go of in order
to become a better person in the future.

Had she forgiven Bryan for cheating on her? If not, would forgiving him mean—like
Mom had said—that she should take him back?

Her stomach roiled. She couldn’t. Wouldn’t. She’d rather stay cut off from others
than deal with Bryan’s constant desire to make all her decisions for her. Being with
him could never be considered actually living.

Okay. So...perhaps forgiving men from her past simply meant that she couldn’t hold
other men responsible for the mistakes they had made.

That would be difficult. So difficult.

How would she ever know when a man was trustworthy enough? The men in her past had
all tricked her, at least for a while. Some longer than others. Who was to say she
wouldn’t fall for a man like that again even if she tried not to?

She curled her hands into the sand and let the grains filter through her fingers.