Secretly Yours: A Christian Valentine's Day Romance (Riverbend Romance Novella Book 1) by Valerie Comer Page B
Authors: Valerie Comer
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Calgary with a hockey scholarship.
Nobody had ever cheered loudest for him since then.
Didn’t look like she was cheering for him now. She hadn’t been able to get out of the parking lot fast enough.
Lindsey didn’t wear braces anymore. The slightly awkward adolescent was long gone, replaced by a cool, confident woman. The kind of woman he’d like to get to know, unlike anyone he’d met since his return to Riverbend. Had he subconsciously been waiting for her?
He’d give her a day or two, then see if she’d go out with him at least once. Somehow he didn’t think once would be enough.
Chapter 2
Lindsey tapped the button to end the call on her cell phone and turned slowly around. A slither of socks in the vinyl hallway told her all she needed to know. Madison had been eavesdropping on her call.
“Madison!”
“Yes?” Her sister sounded breathy as she appeared in the doorway of Lindsey’s bedroom. “Who was it?”
Lindsey stared at her.
Eyes wide, Madison casually flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“How would Nick Harrison have gotten my phone number, do you think?”
“Umm…” Madison batted her eyelashes. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Isn’t he the cutest guy ever ?”
Lindsey waved her phone under her sister’s nose. “Do not assume I want people to have my number. Especially guys. Okay? I have a job to do here, and I don’t have time for a social life. Nor do I want one.”
Madison tilted her head to one side. “But Nick…” Her voice faded off into dreamland.
“Oh, stop it already. I mean it. No more giving out my number.”
“Because he asked you out, and you’re going, and you’ll marry him, so no one else will ever need it?”
“What on earth, Madison? No!”
Her sister’s face fell. “He didn’t ask you out?”
Lindsey dropped the phone on her bed and grabbed her sister by both shoulders. “He did, and I said no. Madison, listen to me. Stop meddling. I’m not interested in dating right now.”
“You said no? To Nick Harrison?” Madison’s eyes grew wide as she fanned her face. “You must be crazy. There’s not a girl alive who wouldn’t want to go out with him. You don’t just turn him down.”
“Then I guess I’m dead. Whatever.” It wasn’t a matter of wanting to or not. Madison was right. Any female with a pulse would want to. That was the whole reason she’d said no.
That and disbelief he’d really changed. A youth pastor? Not the Nick Harrison she’d once known.
~*~
Nick paced the living room of his small apartment. Didn’t take that many steps to get from one end to the other. Out the window, early January continued her barrage. The wind carved falling snow into drifts that stretched toward the other side of the street, as though to escape the reach of the street lamps. The temperature had plummeted to fifteen below Celsius since night had fallen.
She’d said no. She hadn’t even been overly nice about it.
Probably served him right. High school memories had dimmed due to the partying he’d done for a few years, but somewhere in there he remembered pretending to be interested in Lindsey to get even with her best friend Sarah. Once Sarah had gotten his intended message, he’d ditched them both.
He’d all but forgotten Sarah in the intervening years, but Lindsey’s blue eyes, filled with hurt, had lingered.
Lindsey Solberg. A chef. Madison said she’d asked her sister to consider catering the Valentine’s banquet the youth were planning for a fundraiser for their missions trip at spring break. He didn’t need to win Lindsey in a day. They’d both returned to Riverbend. Both were single. Madison surely wouldn’t have doled out her sister’s number if she were married. Besides, Lindsey would have made sure he knew.
So, yes, single. How could he convince her he was different than her memory? That he’d changed? Become a Christian, gone to seminary, and served the Lord with all his heart at River of Life Church?
He’d win
Nobody had ever cheered loudest for him since then.
Didn’t look like she was cheering for him now. She hadn’t been able to get out of the parking lot fast enough.
Lindsey didn’t wear braces anymore. The slightly awkward adolescent was long gone, replaced by a cool, confident woman. The kind of woman he’d like to get to know, unlike anyone he’d met since his return to Riverbend. Had he subconsciously been waiting for her?
He’d give her a day or two, then see if she’d go out with him at least once. Somehow he didn’t think once would be enough.
Chapter 2
Lindsey tapped the button to end the call on her cell phone and turned slowly around. A slither of socks in the vinyl hallway told her all she needed to know. Madison had been eavesdropping on her call.
“Madison!”
“Yes?” Her sister sounded breathy as she appeared in the doorway of Lindsey’s bedroom. “Who was it?”
Lindsey stared at her.
Eyes wide, Madison casually flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“How would Nick Harrison have gotten my phone number, do you think?”
“Umm…” Madison batted her eyelashes. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Isn’t he the cutest guy ever ?”
Lindsey waved her phone under her sister’s nose. “Do not assume I want people to have my number. Especially guys. Okay? I have a job to do here, and I don’t have time for a social life. Nor do I want one.”
Madison tilted her head to one side. “But Nick…” Her voice faded off into dreamland.
“Oh, stop it already. I mean it. No more giving out my number.”
“Because he asked you out, and you’re going, and you’ll marry him, so no one else will ever need it?”
“What on earth, Madison? No!”
Her sister’s face fell. “He didn’t ask you out?”
Lindsey dropped the phone on her bed and grabbed her sister by both shoulders. “He did, and I said no. Madison, listen to me. Stop meddling. I’m not interested in dating right now.”
“You said no? To Nick Harrison?” Madison’s eyes grew wide as she fanned her face. “You must be crazy. There’s not a girl alive who wouldn’t want to go out with him. You don’t just turn him down.”
“Then I guess I’m dead. Whatever.” It wasn’t a matter of wanting to or not. Madison was right. Any female with a pulse would want to. That was the whole reason she’d said no.
That and disbelief he’d really changed. A youth pastor? Not the Nick Harrison she’d once known.
~*~
Nick paced the living room of his small apartment. Didn’t take that many steps to get from one end to the other. Out the window, early January continued her barrage. The wind carved falling snow into drifts that stretched toward the other side of the street, as though to escape the reach of the street lamps. The temperature had plummeted to fifteen below Celsius since night had fallen.
She’d said no. She hadn’t even been overly nice about it.
Probably served him right. High school memories had dimmed due to the partying he’d done for a few years, but somewhere in there he remembered pretending to be interested in Lindsey to get even with her best friend Sarah. Once Sarah had gotten his intended message, he’d ditched them both.
He’d all but forgotten Sarah in the intervening years, but Lindsey’s blue eyes, filled with hurt, had lingered.
Lindsey Solberg. A chef. Madison said she’d asked her sister to consider catering the Valentine’s banquet the youth were planning for a fundraiser for their missions trip at spring break. He didn’t need to win Lindsey in a day. They’d both returned to Riverbend. Both were single. Madison surely wouldn’t have doled out her sister’s number if she were married. Besides, Lindsey would have made sure he knew.
So, yes, single. How could he convince her he was different than her memory? That he’d changed? Become a Christian, gone to seminary, and served the Lord with all his heart at River of Life Church?
He’d win
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