more ran across the pavement.
She leaned forward to watch their flight. They were rather adorable with all their…what did you call it? Gobbling? She felt his eyes on her, and suddenly it was impossible to ignore him. Her body tingled in response.
“Susannah,” he said quietly.
Even though she knew it was a mistake, she looked at him. The blues in his eyes were darker now, and there was tension in his jaw.
“You need to know that I need a miracle,” he continued in that same soft tone.
The gobble of the turkeys in the background disappeared, and all she could do was fall into his eyes.
“If your mama can help with that, then I’d be forever in her debt.” He took a breath and let it out. “There are things that I want. Things I can’t let myself have until…something like that happens.”
In that moment, she knew he was talking about her. She’d always been able to read between the lines. When he rested his hand on the back of her seat, right above her shoulder, it was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his skin.
“I want you to have the things you want, Jake,” she whispered. “You deserve them.”
He swallowed thickly. “I don’t know about that, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting them.”
At the agony she heard in his voice, she turned in her seat and reached for his hand. He took it without hesitation. The spark that shot up her arm at his touch was nothing compared to the tingling in her heart.
And then he stared straight into her eyes again. In those blue depths was a vulnerability she hadn’t seen before.
“You deserve good things too,” he said in that same hushed tone.
“There are things I want,” she admitted quietly. “When you want them—the wishes in your heart—you have to do everything you can to get them. And to pray for them to come. We don’t have to do it all alone.”
His sigh was audible. “I don’t know if I believe that anymore.”
She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. “There’s always the promise of rainbows, right?”
“Right,” he admitted, although she knew he didn’t believe it yet.
His thumb joined hers in the caress, and though it was such a simple touch, it felt like an erotic dance—all the more surprising for its simplicity. From day one, the power of their connection had redefined her experience with men. She fought the urge to nestle close and lay her head on his shoulder.
A car honked, and he looked over his shoulder. “I guess we ought to mosey. Lost track of time there…with the…um…turkeys.”
Susannah wanted to bless those turkeys for giving them this moment. His fingers traced the inside of her palm one last time before he released her hand and resumed their drive.
She sat back in her seat and kept her eyes on the road, awash in sensation. Those confused signals she’d been getting from him made sense to her now. She would have to trust her mama to help him as he helped himself. And she’d pray—harder and longer than she’d done before.
When he parked in the lot of the furniture megaplex, he turned in his seat to face her. “I’m going to see your mama, Susannah. And then…we’ll see what happens.”
The breath froze in her chest. He planned to ask her out! She just knew it.
“Okay,” she said, giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.
It must have been because he opened his palm to her again. She didn’t hesitate. She took it and felt her heart explode with joy. They held hands for several moments longer, gazing into each other’s eyes until the corner of his mouth finally tipped up.
“I guess I’m back to holding your hand.”
“I guess you are.”
And when he let go of it to leave the truck, she pressed it to her happy heart and waited for him to open the door for her.
Chapter 9
Jake hadn’t expected furniture shopping to turn into a date, but darn it all if it hadn’t. As he and Susannah walked around the old mill that had been converted into a fancy
She leaned forward to watch their flight. They were rather adorable with all their…what did you call it? Gobbling? She felt his eyes on her, and suddenly it was impossible to ignore him. Her body tingled in response.
“Susannah,” he said quietly.
Even though she knew it was a mistake, she looked at him. The blues in his eyes were darker now, and there was tension in his jaw.
“You need to know that I need a miracle,” he continued in that same soft tone.
The gobble of the turkeys in the background disappeared, and all she could do was fall into his eyes.
“If your mama can help with that, then I’d be forever in her debt.” He took a breath and let it out. “There are things that I want. Things I can’t let myself have until…something like that happens.”
In that moment, she knew he was talking about her. She’d always been able to read between the lines. When he rested his hand on the back of her seat, right above her shoulder, it was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his skin.
“I want you to have the things you want, Jake,” she whispered. “You deserve them.”
He swallowed thickly. “I don’t know about that, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting them.”
At the agony she heard in his voice, she turned in her seat and reached for his hand. He took it without hesitation. The spark that shot up her arm at his touch was nothing compared to the tingling in her heart.
And then he stared straight into her eyes again. In those blue depths was a vulnerability she hadn’t seen before.
“You deserve good things too,” he said in that same hushed tone.
“There are things I want,” she admitted quietly. “When you want them—the wishes in your heart—you have to do everything you can to get them. And to pray for them to come. We don’t have to do it all alone.”
His sigh was audible. “I don’t know if I believe that anymore.”
She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. “There’s always the promise of rainbows, right?”
“Right,” he admitted, although she knew he didn’t believe it yet.
His thumb joined hers in the caress, and though it was such a simple touch, it felt like an erotic dance—all the more surprising for its simplicity. From day one, the power of their connection had redefined her experience with men. She fought the urge to nestle close and lay her head on his shoulder.
A car honked, and he looked over his shoulder. “I guess we ought to mosey. Lost track of time there…with the…um…turkeys.”
Susannah wanted to bless those turkeys for giving them this moment. His fingers traced the inside of her palm one last time before he released her hand and resumed their drive.
She sat back in her seat and kept her eyes on the road, awash in sensation. Those confused signals she’d been getting from him made sense to her now. She would have to trust her mama to help him as he helped himself. And she’d pray—harder and longer than she’d done before.
When he parked in the lot of the furniture megaplex, he turned in his seat to face her. “I’m going to see your mama, Susannah. And then…we’ll see what happens.”
The breath froze in her chest. He planned to ask her out! She just knew it.
“Okay,” she said, giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.
It must have been because he opened his palm to her again. She didn’t hesitate. She took it and felt her heart explode with joy. They held hands for several moments longer, gazing into each other’s eyes until the corner of his mouth finally tipped up.
“I guess I’m back to holding your hand.”
“I guess you are.”
And when he let go of it to leave the truck, she pressed it to her happy heart and waited for him to open the door for her.
Chapter 9
Jake hadn’t expected furniture shopping to turn into a date, but darn it all if it hadn’t. As he and Susannah walked around the old mill that had been converted into a fancy
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