Page 8

Chapter Eight

Eleven and a Half Years Ago—May

Back home for the summer, AJ unpacked her last suitcase after a very lonely sophomore year. In breaking up with Logan, she’d lost her closeness with Will too since he’d stuck by Logan’s side. And no matter how much she tried to connect with the girls in her dorm, it always fell short. She didn’t know how to be friends with girls. They were boring and only wanted to braid each other’s hair. Well, not really, but that’s how it felt sometimes. Instead she dove into her studies. But she was out of gen eds now. She needed to actually pick a major.

She felt so lost. Her only ambition in life had been to be Logan’s wife and stay home and raise a zillion kids. With a plop, she sat on the edge of her bed. She missed Logan sneaking in her window when Dad was asleep and crawling into bed next to her. The snuggling was the part she missed.

Jesus, I need You to be my all in all. We’ve grown closer this year now that Logan and I aren’t sinning all the time, so why do I still miss him so much? Lord, help me to focus on You .

She laid back on her bed and picked up the stuffed panda Logan had given her for Christmas when they were only ten years old, and she hugged it tight. Everything in her room reminded her of him.

Crying was not an option. She wouldn’t let herself.

Tomorrow she had to find a job. She’d work all summer and keep herself busy.

The screen door slammed. Dad must have changed the spring again.

A gentle knock sounded on her bedroom door.

“Yeah?”

“You’ve got company outside.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” Who would be here? Maybe it was Will.

She slid her tennis shoes on and strolled to the front of the house.

In the driveway, Logan sat on a motorcycle.

She ran to him but stopped short. “You got it!”

“I did. You like it?”

“It’s awesome.”

“I thought you’d appreciate it. Wanna go for a ride?”

She glanced at the house. Her dad leaned against the porch post at the top of the stairs.

He nodded. “Be careful.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison.

Logan handed her a helmet. “I made sure I had a second one.”

She strapped it on then slipped onto the back of the motorcycle behind Logan. After finding a spot for her feet she loosely held Logan’s sides.

He revved up the bike. His nearness revved up her heart. He took off and drove around town and then out to the country roads. The longer they rode, the farther around him her arms reached, until she laid her head on his back and hugged him tight. The tears threatened again, but the rush of wind in her face dispelled them.

Logan stopped at a small waterfall off the road a bit. A place they had always enjoyed going together. He removed his helmet and, once off the motorcycle, offered his hand.

He stood frozen as if holding his breath, waiting for her to respond.

Accept or reject?

It felt like the weight of their entire futures hung on her response to that hand. What was she supposed to do?

In the last year she’d tried to go on a few dates, but that fell even flatter than her attempts to get closer to the girls in her dorm.

As far as she knew, Logan hadn’t even tried dating anyone else.

She slid off the motorcycle and set her helmet on the seat. Staring at Logan’s hand, she debated. The decision was hers.

Her heart pounded. It took all her willpower not to instinctively take his hand, but she needed to be certain. Was she willing to … what was she risking? Her heart? He already had that, and she didn’t want it back.

She grabbed his hand.

A gigantic smile overtook his face. He tugged her to follow him to the little footbridge that went over the stream at the bottom of the waterfall.

He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm across her shoulders. “I still love you.”

“Same.”

He sucked in a breath that made her own falter. “Yeah?”

She nodded.

His lips found her forehead, and she melted against him.

“We have to be better this time. Wait until we are married.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“When are we getting married?”

He laughed. “I wasn’t planning on this, so I bought a motorcycle.”

“I don’t need a ring.”

His laughter continued. “Let’s give ourselves a minute to make sure we can handle being us again.”

“Probably a good idea.” She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long. I wanted to fight for you, but I didn’t know how.”

She nodded and swallowed, not knowing what to say.

His lips met hers, and she felt whole again.

Present Day

AJ rubbed her aching head as she woke up. Where was she? Right. Granny’s couch. She checked her watch. She’d been asleep for entirely too long. How was it the next morning?

Granny padded into the room carrying a tray. “Morning, Allie.”

The older woman was the only person in the world who was allowed to call her by the alternate nickname.

“G’morning, Granny. Please tell me you have some painkillers on that tray.”

Granny set the tray on the coffee table. “Sure do. And your favorite French toast.”

“You are too good to me.”

The older woman winked and took a seat in her recliner. “Now eat, and tell me how you’re doing, and I don’t just mean your head. That heart of yours needs to talk about the mister who brought you home last night.”

AJ sat up with a groan—half from pain and half from the idea of talking about Logan. “My head hurts, but it’ll heal.” She flexed her sore arm and twisted her hand around. “Whoa, that still hurts too. So glad it’s not broken. Again, it’ll heal.”

“And your heart?”

“As broken as ever, but he sorta talked to me yesterday. I still can’t believe he came to the hospital.”

“He still loves you.”

“Doubtful. You didn’t see the way he talked to me at the grocery store.”

“No, but I saw how he fluffed your pillow when he put it on the couch.”

AJ swallowed the pills and picked up her fork. “The bridge is gone though. He seems impossible to reach.”

“Did Noah see the rain clouds before he built the ark?”

“I don’t think Logan wants to live with an ark full of animals.”

“Allie.” Granny’s rebuke of AJ’s snark was full of love and humor.

“Spell it out to me, please. My head still hurts.”

“Rebuild the bridge. He’s your husband. As his helpmate, it’s your duty to love him back to Jesus, even if he’s not receptive to that love. Yet.”

AJ let her fork clang against the plate. She’d drop back against the couch if it wouldn’t hurt too much.

“I know that’s not easy to hear, but you’ve never wanted me to beat around the emotion bush.”

“You know me too well. I love you, Granny.”

“And I you. I’m praying for you both. Like time will heal your body, it heals emotional wounds too.”

“As long as they don’t fester and become infected.”

“You’re quick. Well, we both know it’s not time that does the healing; Jesus just takes the time we need.”

AJ smiled and picked up her fork again.

The doorbell rang.

“Sorry, dear. The cable is down, so I called for a tech to fix it.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to eat. Hopefully, he’s not a talker.”

Granny crossed the room to the front door.

AJ ate while Granny let the tech in and chatted about the problem. She led a tall man into the room.

AJ nodded a greeting with a mouthful of her breakfast.

He shot her a wide smile. A familiar smile.

“Eric?” Residual shame washed over her. Was this seriously the guy who got kicked out of their college for ruining the fountain with Kool-Aid? Somehow he’d gotten caught without her and Logan’s interference, and thankfully he hadn’t divulged their secret—or if he had, the powers that be decided to let it slide since they had broken up.

“Hey, AJ.”

It was. And he didn’t seem surprised to see her.

“I figured it was a matter of time before we ran into each other. I was pretty sure you lived in Hazel Hill still.”

“Only left long enough for college.”

“Is this your mom?”

Granny laughed. “If only. I’m her grandmother.”

Eric winked at Granny, who ate up the attention.

Eric got to work on the cable and asked AJ, “Do you live here?” His overly friendly smile hadn’t faded.

“No, well, sort of. I have an apartment over the garage.” Why did she tell him that? Her concussion was probably taking her better judgment. She was tempted to add her roommate was a cop. Oh, and her husband too. But she was not going to explain that complication.

She focused on eating her breakfast and answered his twenty billion questions in the shortest, simplest way possible.

He seemed liked the same nice guy he had been in college, although maybe more mature than the prankster he was back then. “Will still lives in town too. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

“Maybe we can all get together.”

He didn’t ask about Logan. She wasn’t going to bring it up either.

Eventually, the cable was fixed, and Eric left with a “See you around.”

She simply smiled and waved. She’d be fine if they didn’t run into each other ever again. Simply looking at him brought back the feelings of mortification she’d felt when he caught her and Logan in the dugout. She never wanted to feel that again.

With him gone and Granny on the phone with one of her younger siblings, AJ wandered out to the front porch with her Bible. Reading it wasn’t going to work very well because of the concussion, but a few verses could only help.

She settled in the rocking chair and opened the Scriptures to the Psalms. A few verses was all she could focus on. She closed the Bible and held it against her chest. Jesus would sustain her. He always had, even when she’d been living in sin. And she sure had done that plenty in her life.

With her eyes shut and leaning her head back against the rocker, she rested in the arms of her Savior. She didn’t have words to pray, but He knew the groanings of her heart.

At least a half hour later, she heard a car horn and opened her eyes.

“Hey, AJ!” Daryl.

She half waved—grateful the banister, yard, sidewalk, and his car door were between them.

“My offer still stands. We should—”

“No, Daryl. Drive on.”

“You’ll come around. See you soon.” He drove away.

She resumed her eyes-closed, head-back position. When would he get a hint?