brim.
“And the womenfolk get their pie first. Matter of fact, it’s a tradition. You men get to serve us.”
“Awesome, milady.” He grinned, his eyes so bright she saw herself in them. It might be time to let him on what she’d learned about herself, about him. She reckoned she didn’t have anything to lose. He might be gone soon, anyway. But like Ma, Kelley had a lot to win.
If he stayed.
She laid her fork in her dish and took a deep breath. “I….Jason, I think you belong at Hearts Crossing.”
Whether it was faked or not, he acted surprised. “I am at Hearts Crossing.”
“I mean, in the long run. Maybe you need to get Moldova or Uzbekistan and all that out of your system, but in the long run…” She hesitated. Ma had raised her girls to speak their mind and go after their dream, but this was the first time Kelley was about to do so to a man. “I think we could have something good between us.”
“I think you’re right there. But I’m just a temp. Remember?”
“I know that. But something seems right about you. About you being here.” She looked down at her toes, recalling Ma’s words. “Somehow God does provide.”
He stayed silent, chewing for a while. Maybe his brain was chewing on her words.
And she had to apologize. “Jason, I’m sorry. About over-reacting yesterday at Bible study. You heard the Word of God and…and He led you. I had no right to come down on you. To be so insensitive.”
He nodded. “I honestly did feel led to say and feel those things. And the prayer just now. About trusting God, well. I’ve been doing a lot of my own thinking. I’ve always relied on Something beyond myself, you know, to guide my life. Being at Hearts Crossing these months has finally let me put a name on it. On Him. And I don’t deny how I feel more and more at home around you all.”
“We’re a crazy bunch.” Her heart lightened. He hadn’t stomped away, scared and offended. Instead, he reached out and took her hand.
“I think I take the first prize trophy for crazy.” First Jason raised her hand to his lips, and fire flooded her blood at the simple touch. But nothing like him taking off her hat and leaning to her lips a second later. Sparks and thunderbolts, honey and wildflowers all melted against her mouth, breath hammering her lungs. Heart trilling like a symphony, she took in his rainwater scent and kissed him back, plain and simple.
All the sunshine in all the world wrapped around them.
****
Jason’s fingers wound in Kelley’s braids, and he desperately wanted to unleash her hair. How could God have touched him so profoundly? How could a woman he’d known just a couple of days be everything he wanted? How could a vagabond like him ache to promise to be at her side no matter what, no matter where? How could he want kids simply by watching Rhys and David romp in the meadow? His heart pounded with a million new longings and the urge to kiss her a hundred times a day for the next hundred years.
Her lips were sweet and firm, and he hated to break away, but folks were finishing lunch and milling forward to dispose of their trash.
“Wow.” Kelley’s face had a warm blush, but her eyes were anything but shy. He collected his wayward breath. “Good one, cowboy. Better than a butterfly.”
“I got more just like it if you want.” He winked as she got up to tend the guests.
“I do. Later.” Then Kelley’s body tensed as she looked over the crowd.
“What is it?” He rose close to her side.
“Pike’s truck.”
He saw the approaching Dodge Ram tossing up dust along the road to the west. “So?”
“There’s no cell service out here. We have a radio tower for emergencies, but if he’s on his way, well, that’s never good. It means something he has to say face to face. To somebody. Us…or one of them.” She glanced over the crowd.
Worry clouded her blush, and even Jason felt a twinge. While it could be anybody, maybe Mallie’s cancer had taken a turn.
“And the womenfolk get their pie first. Matter of fact, it’s a tradition. You men get to serve us.”
“Awesome, milady.” He grinned, his eyes so bright she saw herself in them. It might be time to let him on what she’d learned about herself, about him. She reckoned she didn’t have anything to lose. He might be gone soon, anyway. But like Ma, Kelley had a lot to win.
If he stayed.
She laid her fork in her dish and took a deep breath. “I….Jason, I think you belong at Hearts Crossing.”
Whether it was faked or not, he acted surprised. “I am at Hearts Crossing.”
“I mean, in the long run. Maybe you need to get Moldova or Uzbekistan and all that out of your system, but in the long run…” She hesitated. Ma had raised her girls to speak their mind and go after their dream, but this was the first time Kelley was about to do so to a man. “I think we could have something good between us.”
“I think you’re right there. But I’m just a temp. Remember?”
“I know that. But something seems right about you. About you being here.” She looked down at her toes, recalling Ma’s words. “Somehow God does provide.”
He stayed silent, chewing for a while. Maybe his brain was chewing on her words.
And she had to apologize. “Jason, I’m sorry. About over-reacting yesterday at Bible study. You heard the Word of God and…and He led you. I had no right to come down on you. To be so insensitive.”
He nodded. “I honestly did feel led to say and feel those things. And the prayer just now. About trusting God, well. I’ve been doing a lot of my own thinking. I’ve always relied on Something beyond myself, you know, to guide my life. Being at Hearts Crossing these months has finally let me put a name on it. On Him. And I don’t deny how I feel more and more at home around you all.”
“We’re a crazy bunch.” Her heart lightened. He hadn’t stomped away, scared and offended. Instead, he reached out and took her hand.
“I think I take the first prize trophy for crazy.” First Jason raised her hand to his lips, and fire flooded her blood at the simple touch. But nothing like him taking off her hat and leaning to her lips a second later. Sparks and thunderbolts, honey and wildflowers all melted against her mouth, breath hammering her lungs. Heart trilling like a symphony, she took in his rainwater scent and kissed him back, plain and simple.
All the sunshine in all the world wrapped around them.
****
Jason’s fingers wound in Kelley’s braids, and he desperately wanted to unleash her hair. How could God have touched him so profoundly? How could a woman he’d known just a couple of days be everything he wanted? How could a vagabond like him ache to promise to be at her side no matter what, no matter where? How could he want kids simply by watching Rhys and David romp in the meadow? His heart pounded with a million new longings and the urge to kiss her a hundred times a day for the next hundred years.
Her lips were sweet and firm, and he hated to break away, but folks were finishing lunch and milling forward to dispose of their trash.
“Wow.” Kelley’s face had a warm blush, but her eyes were anything but shy. He collected his wayward breath. “Good one, cowboy. Better than a butterfly.”
“I got more just like it if you want.” He winked as she got up to tend the guests.
“I do. Later.” Then Kelley’s body tensed as she looked over the crowd.
“What is it?” He rose close to her side.
“Pike’s truck.”
He saw the approaching Dodge Ram tossing up dust along the road to the west. “So?”
“There’s no cell service out here. We have a radio tower for emergencies, but if he’s on his way, well, that’s never good. It means something he has to say face to face. To somebody. Us…or one of them.” She glanced over the crowd.
Worry clouded her blush, and even Jason felt a twinge. While it could be anybody, maybe Mallie’s cancer had taken a turn.
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