Her Perfect Man by Jillian Hart Page A

troubled feeling gathering like a thunderstorm in his chest.
    “I think she likes you,” Ephraim answered.
    “As a friend.” That shouldn’t depress him, but it did. Chad bit into the moist crumbly brownie and reflected on the day. It had been a great one, and all because of her. Friendship could turn to more. He was going to stay hopeful for that.
    “She’s probably just a little gun-shy.” Ephraim polished off his brownie and helped himself to another. “You just need to show her that you’re nothing like that other guy, that’s all.”
    Gun-shy, sure. That he could understand. “D-do you think she will bolt when she learns I’ve got a record?”
    “Hard to say. You won’t know until you tell her.” Ephraim lowered his voice. “She’s a nice girl. I think she might be sympathetic. You were fifteen and going through a hard time.”
    “That’s no excuse. I wish it was, but it’s not.” Chad took another brownie and thought while he chewed. He’d known exactly what he was doing back then; he had wanted to do something, anything, to escape the pain of his parents’ breakup. Stealing a car for a joyride had been sheer escape, that was for sure. And the friends he had been with assured him they did it all the time—no problem, they had never been caught.
    God had surely been watching over him that day, otherwise where would his need for recklessness have taken him? Being arrested and paying for the crime he had committed was one of the best things that had ever happened to him, because it changed the direction of his life.
    But would Rebecca see that? Would a young woman with the sheltering love of her family, with her wholesome upbringing and her sweet nature, understand that he was more than the sum of his mistakes, that he was not the kind of man who made them a second time?
    Only time would tell. That was the hard part.
     
    “I had the best time tonight.” Rebecca tucked her cordless phone between her chin and her shoulder and wandered down the hall. An hour hadn’t gone by since she and Chad had parted ways and already two of her sisters had called. Danielle had heard from Ava that there was a new man in her life and now here was Katherine calling for the scoop. “It was friendly. That’s it. We’re friends.”
    “Friendship can lead to something more.” There was a note of happiness and hope in Katherine’s gentle voice.
    It was the hope that was hard to face. She knew her family wanted the best for her, but right now a relationship was far from the best thing. She wanted peace and safety. “In this case, it can only lead to more friendship.”
    “That’s what I’m saying. That’s what Jack and I have. It’s the deepest kind of friendship based on love and respect.”
    That was hard to argue with. There was no way she could say that she wasn’t ever interested in that kind of an amazing relationship one day, but not for a really long time. “I’ve been in a long-term relationship. I’ve been dating Chris since I was in high school. I want to take a breather.”
    “Uh-huh. Sure. But remember this, good things happen to good people, and I have a feeling that something really wonderful is going to happen to you when you least expect it.”
    Rebecca rolled her eyes. “You have been talking to Ava. She says love happens when you least expect it. You are both right, I’m sure, but I don’t want love right now. I want to spend some time and figure out my life. I want to enjoy being young and single because one day I hope to be you, Katherine.”
    Her laughter was soft and merry. “I’m pretty happy. I want this joy for you one day, too, sweetie.”
    She knew. That was why her sisters’ constant nosiness was really the nicest thing. For almost as long as she could remember, she had been surrounded by the people who loved her most. Maybe that was why things didn’t work with Chris. She assumed that he would be unconditionally loving and devoted to her, but he wasn’t. That’s the