Goodwin's seal of approval.
“Why redemption?” she asked. She
looked up into the sun at him. He stepped to the right and blocked the light.
It would have been a lot more comfortable if they could have this conversation
in his room. “Do you really believe what you're saying?”
“Yes,” he replied quietly. “I do.”
He grimaced. “I just haven't gotten there yet myself,” he admitted. He knew
what she was thinking. Since he wasn't who he said he was, and he lied to his
congregation the entire time he gave that sermon, he had no right to talk about
redemption. Honestly, he planned to someday live by the words he exhorted.
“So what do you hope redemption
will bring you?” Cassidy prodded more. “When you find it?” They’d never had a
conversation like this in L.A.
Like he said before, they had sex.
“Peace,” John whispered. He knew
his words shocked her by the way she pulled her chin back. Her jaw also dropped
open. Confused and vulnerable, very attractive emotions on Cassidy Cooper's
beautiful face.
“Well, people like you and me, we
don't qualify for redemption,” Cassidy snapped. Her words surprising John just
as much as his did her. Holy cow, they were quite the pair. Two people carrying
around too many lies and just trying to get through the day justifying them.
“Hey, Pastor John,” that idiot
L.T. Lane yelled as he passed by. “How's it hanging?” Then he glanced at Cassidy. He made
a motion with his hips which was disrespectful.
“Can we please go to my room to
finish this conversation?” John begged. Jesus, he was frustrated, some of these
guys acted like such imbeciles. “Or I'm going to have to deck somebody and that
wouldn't be very charitable of me especially on a Sunday.”
Her eyes snapped
to his—still suspicious.
“Just talk,” he reassured her
again. “I won't touch you,” he promised. He looked around. Another group of
bull riders was coming out of the restaurant, but they hadn't noticed John and
Cassidy yet. Logan
was among them.
Cassidy saw her brother too. “Okay,”
she said. “First let me tell Kevin where I'm going.”
Chapter Six
John's room smelled like shaving
cream and take out Chinese food. It was the same smell his house had back in
L.A. John really liked moo shu chicken. Cassidy
probably needed to introduce him to Rose Wang, Caleb’s mother-in-law. The woman
made the best Chinese food in the world. And if she decided she liked you, she
made it even better.
John threw his keys on top of the
television. With his hands on his hips, he looked around. “Sorry about the
mess.” He leaned over and picked up a pair of socks. Then he kicked his boxer
shorts under the bed and shoved jeans into his suitcase. Cassidy stood at the
door watching him.
They'd shared motel rooms plenty of
times in the past. But this was different. Instead of using a rented room to
relieve their tension in a mutually agreed upon physical way, they were going
to talk. Cassidy fidgeted with her hair. She wasn't sure if she knew how to
talk to John Risk.
After John was done cleaning he turned
to her. He rubbed his forehead. “Should we sit at the table or on the bed?” he
asked formally. “It doesn't matter to me,” he added eagerly, “wherever you're
more comfortable.”
“The table,” Cassidy said firmly. The bed? Was the man out of his mind?
John pushed a book called “Buddha
in Blue Jeans” off the table. Then he picked up his laptop and closed it. After
tossing a few paper coffee cups into the trash the table was clean.
He sat down and gestured toward the
chair across from him. “Please,” he requested politely. Slowly, Cassidy eased
herself down.
With his legs open, hands in his
lap and a lock of hair falling down his face, John looked non-threatening,
non-predatory and not even deceitful. Just a plain old nice
guy, with a lovely smile and a need to please.
Unnerved, Cassidy didn't place her
purse on the floor, instead she settled it
“Why redemption?” she asked. She
looked up into the sun at him. He stepped to the right and blocked the light.
It would have been a lot more comfortable if they could have this conversation
in his room. “Do you really believe what you're saying?”
“Yes,” he replied quietly. “I do.”
He grimaced. “I just haven't gotten there yet myself,” he admitted. He knew
what she was thinking. Since he wasn't who he said he was, and he lied to his
congregation the entire time he gave that sermon, he had no right to talk about
redemption. Honestly, he planned to someday live by the words he exhorted.
“So what do you hope redemption
will bring you?” Cassidy prodded more. “When you find it?” They’d never had a
conversation like this in L.A.
Like he said before, they had sex.
“Peace,” John whispered. He knew
his words shocked her by the way she pulled her chin back. Her jaw also dropped
open. Confused and vulnerable, very attractive emotions on Cassidy Cooper's
beautiful face.
“Well, people like you and me, we
don't qualify for redemption,” Cassidy snapped. Her words surprising John just
as much as his did her. Holy cow, they were quite the pair. Two people carrying
around too many lies and just trying to get through the day justifying them.
“Hey, Pastor John,” that idiot
L.T. Lane yelled as he passed by. “How's it hanging?” Then he glanced at Cassidy. He made
a motion with his hips which was disrespectful.
“Can we please go to my room to
finish this conversation?” John begged. Jesus, he was frustrated, some of these
guys acted like such imbeciles. “Or I'm going to have to deck somebody and that
wouldn't be very charitable of me especially on a Sunday.”
Her eyes snapped
to his—still suspicious.
“Just talk,” he reassured her
again. “I won't touch you,” he promised. He looked around. Another group of
bull riders was coming out of the restaurant, but they hadn't noticed John and
Cassidy yet. Logan
was among them.
Cassidy saw her brother too. “Okay,”
she said. “First let me tell Kevin where I'm going.”
Chapter Six
John's room smelled like shaving
cream and take out Chinese food. It was the same smell his house had back in
L.A. John really liked moo shu chicken. Cassidy
probably needed to introduce him to Rose Wang, Caleb’s mother-in-law. The woman
made the best Chinese food in the world. And if she decided she liked you, she
made it even better.
John threw his keys on top of the
television. With his hands on his hips, he looked around. “Sorry about the
mess.” He leaned over and picked up a pair of socks. Then he kicked his boxer
shorts under the bed and shoved jeans into his suitcase. Cassidy stood at the
door watching him.
They'd shared motel rooms plenty of
times in the past. But this was different. Instead of using a rented room to
relieve their tension in a mutually agreed upon physical way, they were going
to talk. Cassidy fidgeted with her hair. She wasn't sure if she knew how to
talk to John Risk.
After John was done cleaning he turned
to her. He rubbed his forehead. “Should we sit at the table or on the bed?” he
asked formally. “It doesn't matter to me,” he added eagerly, “wherever you're
more comfortable.”
“The table,” Cassidy said firmly. The bed? Was the man out of his mind?
John pushed a book called “Buddha
in Blue Jeans” off the table. Then he picked up his laptop and closed it. After
tossing a few paper coffee cups into the trash the table was clean.
He sat down and gestured toward the
chair across from him. “Please,” he requested politely. Slowly, Cassidy eased
herself down.
With his legs open, hands in his
lap and a lock of hair falling down his face, John looked non-threatening,
non-predatory and not even deceitful. Just a plain old nice
guy, with a lovely smile and a need to please.
Unnerved, Cassidy didn't place her
purse on the floor, instead she settled it
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