napkins in the middle of nowhere. Are these the plans you have for me? Because this is not what I envisioned. Not at all.
Joshua’s laughter, echoing through the open front door, was all she heard. Of course. God’s answer, if He even cared, would be drowned out by the sound of a happy child. She grabbed the sponge and scrubbed angrily at the marinara-encrusted pan in the sink. Go ahead. Remind me again of my hideous mistakes. As if I’d forgotten.
It was all he could do to keep the raft upright in the river this afternoon. For once it wasn’t the rapids or the crazy strong current fighting to take him down. Those tear-filled green eyes weighed heavily on his mind, distracting him from his customers, the email overflowing from his inbox—everything.
Blake tossed another log on the fire as Jess came out of the house and handed him a Coke.
“Thanks, man. I could get used to this.” He leaned back in the lawn chair and smiled at his friend.
“You’re welcome. I thought you might want to chill after all the excitement you had the other night.” Jess gave him a knowing smile.
Blake pursed his lips and tilted his head. “What excitement would that be?”
“I see ya, playing it cool. That’s fine.” Jess tipped his Coke back and took a long pull.
“No, for real. What are you talking about?”
“We all watched you fighting off that hot blond. Then you swooped in and rescued the damsel in distress. Well played, my friend.”
“Wait. Tish?” Blake groaned. “You think something’s going on there?”
“No, not really. But I did think Lauren was going to come right out of her chair when Tisha put her hand on your leg.”
Blake snorted. “Whatever. Lauren was a mess. I doubt she even noticed Tisha.”
“What happened?”
Blake shook his head in disgust. “Guy blazed into town and broke her heart.”
“Nice,” Jess scoffed. “Sounds like a class act.”
“That’s what I thought but she was pretty upset.”
“Well, I hope he took that ring with him. He’s making us all look bad.”
Blake couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry. It’s gone. Speaking of rings, why don’t you propose to that woman of yours?”
“We’ll get to me in a second. Where’s the former fiancé now?”
“Who knows. Not here.”
“Exactly.”
I know where this is headed. “And your point is?”
Jess rolled his eyes. “Make your move, man. If he’s dumb enough to leave her here alone all broken-hearted, then I say game on.”
“This from the guy who’s been stringing the same girl along for nearly a—oh, I don’t know, let me think … a decade. When are you going to step up?”
“I bought a ring last week, thank you very much. Don’t worry about me, man. I’m a closer.”
Blake tipped his head back against the chair. The fire popped and crackled, sending a ribbon of smoke into the pale blue evening sky. “A closer, huh?”
“Yep. Can’t let this one get away.”
“I can’t imagine you or Shannon with anybody else, Jess.”
Jess leaned forward in his chair and tossed a pebble into the fire. “That’s exactly what me and Jeremy said last night about you and Lauren. Whatever made her leave doesn’t matter now. She’s back. You’ve got a second chance.”
“Contrary to public opinion, I’m here to launch a business with my brother and get back in the classroom. Maybe replace Coach Hoffman if he ever decides to hang up his whistle. I didn’t come home to reunite with my high school girlfriend.”
“Ha. Could’ve fooled me.”
Blake’s chest ached. If only his heart believed his words. He didn’t come home to fall in love with Lauren all over again. The truth was he never really stopped loving her. But their break up had nearly been his undoing. He’d rather be alone than scrape the pieces of his heart back together again. Yet he couldn’t ignore the hope that ignited inside when he watched her fiancé—make that ex-fiancé—leave Jess’s without her. Jess was right. This
Joshua’s laughter, echoing through the open front door, was all she heard. Of course. God’s answer, if He even cared, would be drowned out by the sound of a happy child. She grabbed the sponge and scrubbed angrily at the marinara-encrusted pan in the sink. Go ahead. Remind me again of my hideous mistakes. As if I’d forgotten.
It was all he could do to keep the raft upright in the river this afternoon. For once it wasn’t the rapids or the crazy strong current fighting to take him down. Those tear-filled green eyes weighed heavily on his mind, distracting him from his customers, the email overflowing from his inbox—everything.
Blake tossed another log on the fire as Jess came out of the house and handed him a Coke.
“Thanks, man. I could get used to this.” He leaned back in the lawn chair and smiled at his friend.
“You’re welcome. I thought you might want to chill after all the excitement you had the other night.” Jess gave him a knowing smile.
Blake pursed his lips and tilted his head. “What excitement would that be?”
“I see ya, playing it cool. That’s fine.” Jess tipped his Coke back and took a long pull.
“No, for real. What are you talking about?”
“We all watched you fighting off that hot blond. Then you swooped in and rescued the damsel in distress. Well played, my friend.”
“Wait. Tish?” Blake groaned. “You think something’s going on there?”
“No, not really. But I did think Lauren was going to come right out of her chair when Tisha put her hand on your leg.”
Blake snorted. “Whatever. Lauren was a mess. I doubt she even noticed Tisha.”
“What happened?”
Blake shook his head in disgust. “Guy blazed into town and broke her heart.”
“Nice,” Jess scoffed. “Sounds like a class act.”
“That’s what I thought but she was pretty upset.”
“Well, I hope he took that ring with him. He’s making us all look bad.”
Blake couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry. It’s gone. Speaking of rings, why don’t you propose to that woman of yours?”
“We’ll get to me in a second. Where’s the former fiancé now?”
“Who knows. Not here.”
“Exactly.”
I know where this is headed. “And your point is?”
Jess rolled his eyes. “Make your move, man. If he’s dumb enough to leave her here alone all broken-hearted, then I say game on.”
“This from the guy who’s been stringing the same girl along for nearly a—oh, I don’t know, let me think … a decade. When are you going to step up?”
“I bought a ring last week, thank you very much. Don’t worry about me, man. I’m a closer.”
Blake tipped his head back against the chair. The fire popped and crackled, sending a ribbon of smoke into the pale blue evening sky. “A closer, huh?”
“Yep. Can’t let this one get away.”
“I can’t imagine you or Shannon with anybody else, Jess.”
Jess leaned forward in his chair and tossed a pebble into the fire. “That’s exactly what me and Jeremy said last night about you and Lauren. Whatever made her leave doesn’t matter now. She’s back. You’ve got a second chance.”
“Contrary to public opinion, I’m here to launch a business with my brother and get back in the classroom. Maybe replace Coach Hoffman if he ever decides to hang up his whistle. I didn’t come home to reunite with my high school girlfriend.”
“Ha. Could’ve fooled me.”
Blake’s chest ached. If only his heart believed his words. He didn’t come home to fall in love with Lauren all over again. The truth was he never really stopped loving her. But their break up had nearly been his undoing. He’d rather be alone than scrape the pieces of his heart back together again. Yet he couldn’t ignore the hope that ignited inside when he watched her fiancé—make that ex-fiancé—leave Jess’s without her. Jess was right. This
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