Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus Page B

it.
    He nodded slowly, taking a moment to push a morsel of fish onto the back of his fork with his knife. Before putting the bite in his mouth, he asked, “Where would you have gone had you gotten on that plane?”
    “New York with my grandparents and aunt and uncle.” She pushed her half-finished salad toward the end of the table to let Jenn or the other servers milling around know they could take itaway. She’d felt half-starved when they sat down, yet talking about her aversion to flying spoiled her appetite.
    “And have you never tried to board a plane since then?”
    Why had he decided to take such an interest in this topic? She leaned back against the padded booth seat and crossed her arms. “No. I’d love to see Europe, but I don’t want to go through another panic attack.”
    “Hmm.” It was a short sound from the back of his throat. “Have you ever considered taking a ship over?”
    He was as tenacious as a coonhound that had treed its prey. Why wouldn’t he just let it drop? “I’ve looked into it, but being self-employed, I can’t be gone for that long. How often do you go back to England?” Hopefully he’d take the hint and let her change the subject.
    “I’ve traveled to England several times in the past few years in the capacity of my job.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin, then laid it beside his plate. “Do you mind if I ask, how did you come to the decision to pursue a career as a wedding planner?”
    Not really the topic she wanted to discuss, but much better than talking about planes and flying. “When I left graduate school, I went to work as the event planner for B-G—yes, the job Meredith has now. After several years, I realized I enjoyed planning weddings the most and felt like God was leading me to start my own business.”
    A light Anne hadn’t seen before sparked to life in George’s eyes. “You felt
God
was leading you? I’ve always admired people who listen for God’s voice and take the leaps of faith He sometimes asks of them.”
    Was George a believer? She wanted to ask but didn’t want to embarrass him. “Faith is something I’ve struggled with my whole life. But I knew I just had to do it.”
    “What a blessing…to know what you’re doing is God’s plan.” His voice sounded almost sad. “And you are good at it. I…I happened by the Bonneterre Chapel Saturday morning and watched you work. I should have made my presence known, but you werebusy, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”
    His admitting he’d been there was a surprise, but the words of affirmation floored her. “Thank you. What brought you by the church?”
    “I was out for a drive and was drawn to it. I would like to find a congregation to attend regularly, since I will be living here until October. I noticed the door was open and let myself in. It’s a beautiful church.”
    “Yes. It’s a very easy place to hold a wedding. Not much in the way of decoration is needed, and the colors are neutral enough that they go with anything a bride could choose. Plus, I know practically everyone on staff—that’s the church I grew up in.”
    “And do you still attend there?” Interest in the subject lent a new warmth to George’s handsome features.
    Anne’s heart skipped a beat when his brown eyes twinkled. “I do, although sometimes it’s hard to make it to Sunday morning service when I have a late evening wedding the day before. Are you—did you grow up going to church as well?”
    He shook his head. “No, I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior about twenty years ago. The head of staff at my first professional position was a Christian. We read the Bible and prayed together every day before we started work.”
    “Do you still keep in touch with him?” She smiled up at the waiter who came by to clear their plates, then returned her focus to George.
    “He passed away five years ago, just after I came to the States to work.” George’s eyes softened as he spoke of his mentor. “I