to play at church the following morning. His day couldn’t have been any longer, or any worse. Everything had gone wrong. He’d lost his favorite wrench, hit his head on the hood of a car, spilt a tub of old, nasty oil all over the garage floor, not to mention he never could determine what pained Mrs. Mitchell’s car. He was booked full on Monday besides trying to squeeze in figuring out that car’s ailment.
Inhaling, he pulled into his drive and looked over to find Victoria and Abby sitting in the garden pulling weeds. The memory of seeing Victoria just a few days before wearing his clothes filled his mind. Something in him had stirred in a way he had been unprepared for when he saw her small frame swallowed in his old shirt and pants.
He had pushed the unwelcome feeling away until that evening when he found the clothes folded on the corner of his bed. He picked them up to find her sweet scent had lingered, which forced his thoughts of her to whirl in his head like a tornado.
A tornado proved a perfect description for her. She’d come into his life, wrecked his pride and joy, and knocked him off his feet each time she came near. He couldn’t eat without wondering what foods she liked. He couldn’t receive money from his clients without seeing her behind the desk at the bank. He couldn’t sleep without envisioning her long lashes against her cheek as he’d seen them that first day when she had prayed on the way to Sondra’s farm. His whole life had gone topsy-turvy since Victoria Thankful slammed into it.
And there she was again with the sun shining down on her dark hair, setting reddish pieces in it afire with beauty. Abby adored her. Even Sassy-Girl loved her, which proved to be some weird miracle unto itself. That dog didn’t even like him most of the time, and he usually fed her.
God, I don’t know why she makes me feel this way. We both know she’s not right for me. Rich versus poor—well, okay, working income. Beauty versus beast—well, okay average
.
What about Christian versus Christian
, his heart seemed to ask. He shook the thought away, parked the car, and got out. It didn’t matter that they shared the same faith. They were direct opposites, and he’d like to spend his days with a wife with whom he had something in common.
Wife? Who said anything about a wife?
In desperate need of getting the woman out of his mind, Chris was grateful when the time finally came to take her home. After opening the door for Victoria, Chris hopped into the front seat of his truck. “I appreciate all you’re doing for Abby.”
“She’s a wonderful girl. I’m loving every minute of it.”
“Good.”
“Thanks for taking me home. I have court on Monday afternoon. Hopefully, after that, I’ll have my Suburban back.”
“That’s great.”
“I think on Tuesday, Abby and I are going to start working on how to wear hair and makeup.”
Chris knew Abby needed all the help she could get in that area. “That would be wonderful.”
Silence wrapped around them. Chris started to envision Mrs. Mitchell’s car’s engine. There had to be something he had missed, something he couldn’t quite get a grasp of. Everything he’d checked looked good, seemed good. Mentally, he removed each plug, trying to remember what he’d missed.
“Would it be all right if I took her to get her hair cut?”
Chris could hear Victoria’s voice tense. He looked at her and frowned at the frustrated expression that overtook her face. Maybe he was just imagining things. It had probably been a pretty long day for her, as well. “That would be fine.”
“She needs to feel accepted, Chris.”
He glanced at her again. This time he could tell she was mad. “I agree.”
“By you.”
The words spit from her lips with what he was sure was vehemence. He tried to think of a time he may have made Victoria believe he didn’t accept Abby and couldn’t think of one. Abby seemed to enjoy making his life more difficult, but he loved and
Inhaling, he pulled into his drive and looked over to find Victoria and Abby sitting in the garden pulling weeds. The memory of seeing Victoria just a few days before wearing his clothes filled his mind. Something in him had stirred in a way he had been unprepared for when he saw her small frame swallowed in his old shirt and pants.
He had pushed the unwelcome feeling away until that evening when he found the clothes folded on the corner of his bed. He picked them up to find her sweet scent had lingered, which forced his thoughts of her to whirl in his head like a tornado.
A tornado proved a perfect description for her. She’d come into his life, wrecked his pride and joy, and knocked him off his feet each time she came near. He couldn’t eat without wondering what foods she liked. He couldn’t receive money from his clients without seeing her behind the desk at the bank. He couldn’t sleep without envisioning her long lashes against her cheek as he’d seen them that first day when she had prayed on the way to Sondra’s farm. His whole life had gone topsy-turvy since Victoria Thankful slammed into it.
And there she was again with the sun shining down on her dark hair, setting reddish pieces in it afire with beauty. Abby adored her. Even Sassy-Girl loved her, which proved to be some weird miracle unto itself. That dog didn’t even like him most of the time, and he usually fed her.
God, I don’t know why she makes me feel this way. We both know she’s not right for me. Rich versus poor—well, okay, working income. Beauty versus beast—well, okay average
.
What about Christian versus Christian
, his heart seemed to ask. He shook the thought away, parked the car, and got out. It didn’t matter that they shared the same faith. They were direct opposites, and he’d like to spend his days with a wife with whom he had something in common.
Wife? Who said anything about a wife?
In desperate need of getting the woman out of his mind, Chris was grateful when the time finally came to take her home. After opening the door for Victoria, Chris hopped into the front seat of his truck. “I appreciate all you’re doing for Abby.”
“She’s a wonderful girl. I’m loving every minute of it.”
“Good.”
“Thanks for taking me home. I have court on Monday afternoon. Hopefully, after that, I’ll have my Suburban back.”
“That’s great.”
“I think on Tuesday, Abby and I are going to start working on how to wear hair and makeup.”
Chris knew Abby needed all the help she could get in that area. “That would be wonderful.”
Silence wrapped around them. Chris started to envision Mrs. Mitchell’s car’s engine. There had to be something he had missed, something he couldn’t quite get a grasp of. Everything he’d checked looked good, seemed good. Mentally, he removed each plug, trying to remember what he’d missed.
“Would it be all right if I took her to get her hair cut?”
Chris could hear Victoria’s voice tense. He looked at her and frowned at the frustrated expression that overtook her face. Maybe he was just imagining things. It had probably been a pretty long day for her, as well. “That would be fine.”
“She needs to feel accepted, Chris.”
He glanced at her again. This time he could tell she was mad. “I agree.”
“By you.”
The words spit from her lips with what he was sure was vehemence. He tried to think of a time he may have made Victoria believe he didn’t accept Abby and couldn’t think of one. Abby seemed to enjoy making his life more difficult, but he loved and
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