Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys) by Kimberly Rae Jordan
Authors: Kimberly Rae Jordan
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Rachel to feel comfortable. He didn’t want her on guard during their truce. Besides, he’d already had one slip-up that evening and figured that was probably all he was allowed. Thankfully she seemed to have gotten over whatever had upset her earlier.
Damian smiled at Rachel and stepped out into the cold night air. “Bye.”
He walked to his truck and climbed in. He started up the engine, and since it was cold he sat there for a few minutes watching as Rachel rejoined Jace and Mari at the counter. He wanted to stay and be part of the group. He wanted Rachel to accept him into her life without reservation. Someday…
*****
Rachel took a deep breath before turning back to Jace and Mari, a smile pasted on her face. Any lingering hope about a relationship with Damian had vanished during that brief conversation. She wished she’d never gotten around to asking him about his adoption. Ignorance really was bliss.
How much more clear did it have to be that what he wanted was something she could never give him? A child who would be a part of him, who would look like him. And how could she blame him? Even though she had lost her mother, Rachel still had a biological connection to someone.
However, Rachel found it rather ironic that the man she wanted as part of her life could not be, and yet the man she wanted nothing to do with wanted back in. The card from her father sat in a drawer at home, its message niggling her. So far she’d managed to avoid thinking about it too much. Still, it was reassuring, in a sense, to know that a connection existed to someone else in the world.
Rachel could never deprive Damian of his dream of experiencing that connection for himself.
*****
Before Rachel knew it, the night of the singles’ Christmas party arrived. The store had been so busy she’d been ready to forgo the party at all in order to stay and help, but Mari and Sue had practically pushed her out the door at four o’clock. She’d left with strict instructions to take a bubble bath and relax before heading for the church.
With an hour to go until the dinner started, Rachel stood in front of her closet. She had just taken the hot rollers out of her hair, and now it lay in loose waves over her shoulders. Taking her time, Rachel dressed in the outfit she’d chosen for the evening. The straight black velvet skirt ended just inches above her ankles. For the party she paired it with a forest green satin top. It had a Mandarin style collar and a fitted bodice that stopped just below the waistband of the skirt. The long sleeves ended with a wide cuff at her wrist.
After she was dressed, Rachel put the finishing touches on her hair, drawing it back loosely from her face with a large velvet clip. The earrings and matching locket necklace she wore had been one of the last gifts her mother had given her. Her fingers trembled as she fastened the clasp, and when she looked into the mirror to survey her appearance, Rachel was careful to avoid her own gaze.
Instead of being in a festive party mood, melancholy plagued Rachel. If only she hadn’t asked Damian about his adoption. It wouldn’t change his feelings or the fact that there was no future, but she also wouldn’t have had to be reminded of just how wrong she was for this man. For any man.
Tears threatened to spill over and ruin her make-up. Rachel blinked rapidly to clear the moisture from her eyes and turned from the mirror. She just needed to get through the evening.
After a couple of sprays of her favorite perfume, Rachel grabbed her bag and left the bedroom. As she walked down the sidewalk to her car a few minutes later, she took several deep breaths of the brisk evening air. The butterflies in her stomach danced up a storm.
*****
Damian turned on the interior light of his truck and peered into the rear-view mirror. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair then rubbed his fingers over his chin. He frowned at the rough stubble, but then figured no
Damian smiled at Rachel and stepped out into the cold night air. “Bye.”
He walked to his truck and climbed in. He started up the engine, and since it was cold he sat there for a few minutes watching as Rachel rejoined Jace and Mari at the counter. He wanted to stay and be part of the group. He wanted Rachel to accept him into her life without reservation. Someday…
*****
Rachel took a deep breath before turning back to Jace and Mari, a smile pasted on her face. Any lingering hope about a relationship with Damian had vanished during that brief conversation. She wished she’d never gotten around to asking him about his adoption. Ignorance really was bliss.
How much more clear did it have to be that what he wanted was something she could never give him? A child who would be a part of him, who would look like him. And how could she blame him? Even though she had lost her mother, Rachel still had a biological connection to someone.
However, Rachel found it rather ironic that the man she wanted as part of her life could not be, and yet the man she wanted nothing to do with wanted back in. The card from her father sat in a drawer at home, its message niggling her. So far she’d managed to avoid thinking about it too much. Still, it was reassuring, in a sense, to know that a connection existed to someone else in the world.
Rachel could never deprive Damian of his dream of experiencing that connection for himself.
*****
Before Rachel knew it, the night of the singles’ Christmas party arrived. The store had been so busy she’d been ready to forgo the party at all in order to stay and help, but Mari and Sue had practically pushed her out the door at four o’clock. She’d left with strict instructions to take a bubble bath and relax before heading for the church.
With an hour to go until the dinner started, Rachel stood in front of her closet. She had just taken the hot rollers out of her hair, and now it lay in loose waves over her shoulders. Taking her time, Rachel dressed in the outfit she’d chosen for the evening. The straight black velvet skirt ended just inches above her ankles. For the party she paired it with a forest green satin top. It had a Mandarin style collar and a fitted bodice that stopped just below the waistband of the skirt. The long sleeves ended with a wide cuff at her wrist.
After she was dressed, Rachel put the finishing touches on her hair, drawing it back loosely from her face with a large velvet clip. The earrings and matching locket necklace she wore had been one of the last gifts her mother had given her. Her fingers trembled as she fastened the clasp, and when she looked into the mirror to survey her appearance, Rachel was careful to avoid her own gaze.
Instead of being in a festive party mood, melancholy plagued Rachel. If only she hadn’t asked Damian about his adoption. It wouldn’t change his feelings or the fact that there was no future, but she also wouldn’t have had to be reminded of just how wrong she was for this man. For any man.
Tears threatened to spill over and ruin her make-up. Rachel blinked rapidly to clear the moisture from her eyes and turned from the mirror. She just needed to get through the evening.
After a couple of sprays of her favorite perfume, Rachel grabbed her bag and left the bedroom. As she walked down the sidewalk to her car a few minutes later, she took several deep breaths of the brisk evening air. The butterflies in her stomach danced up a storm.
*****
Damian turned on the interior light of his truck and peered into the rear-view mirror. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair then rubbed his fingers over his chin. He frowned at the rough stubble, but then figured no
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