Page 35 of Meant for Me (Magnolia Bay #3)

twenty

“T hanks for calling back so fast.” Zoey paced the concrete in the church parking lot the next afternoon, keeping her voice low and a steady eye on the front doors for Linc’s emergence.

She’d hurried outside after the service when Elisa had called, hoping to snag the brief opportunity to update her best friend on the big news. “Linc kissed me.”

“He did ?” Elisa’s pitched with excitement over the phone. “Finally!”

A car pulled away from the church—Sadie. She waved. Zoey waved back. “Or maybe I kissed him. I don’t know. It happened really fast.” Ended rather abruptly too, with their swan dive off the pier.

“What did he say? What did you say?” Elisa’s voice muffled, as if she turned away from the phone. “Linc and Zoey kissed .”

In the background, Noah let out an exclamation Zoey couldn’t quite decipher.

“By the way, your friendship is really over and above for responding to my SOS text message on your honeymoon.” Zoey winced. “Tell Noah I’m sorry.”

“Are you kidding me? We’re both totally invested in this.” She could hear the smile in her friend’s voice. “Besides, we’re just sitting at Louis Armstrong International right now, waiting for our flight.”

As if on cue, an intercom buzzed. “Hang on.” Elisa listened as the voice announced the next flight number. “Okay, not us. Continue.”

“It was after the wedding, outside by his pond. We started talking and then he got really serious and said he was grateful I was around and then it just…happened.” Zoey pressed her fingers against her flaming cheeks, despite the cool fall breeze swooping through her hair.

“And then what?” Elisa’s voice dipped.

“Then we sort of tripped and fell in the pond.”

Elisa burst out laughing. “That sounds about right.”

Her chest warmed. She could stand there, if she wanted, and easily recall the way his arms had hauled her up, his soaked shirt clinging to his chest, the barely extinguished fire in his eyes as he held her steady.

Probably shouldn’t remember all that in the church parking lot, even if Linc was her husband.

She cleared her throat. “We cleaned up after that and I thought we’d talk about it, but, get this—Amelia called Linc dad last night.”

“What?” Elisa gasped again. “That’s huge. Good gravy, what a night.”

“Yeah, we started talking about that first, and then both fell asleep on the couch.” Her legs stretched across his lap, his hands resting on her ankles. Had been nice, despite the lack of closure with the elephant in the room.

Zoey looked over her shoulder—coast was still clear. She ducked her head low. “Then we all three overslept for church and rushed around trying to get here on time. So I don’t really know what he’s thinking.”

“Well, is he acting normal?” Elisa grunted. “Never mind. Noah just said you can’t go by that with Linc.”

“Good point.”

“I’m sure you’ll talk soon. Don’t worry. Things are happening, which is great.” The intercom buzzed again, and Elisa sucked in her breath. “That’s us. Gotta go.”

“Have fun in the mountains!”

“We will. Text me when you have more news.” Elisa’s voice muffled again, then she laughed. “Noah says I might not answer right away.”

“Fair enough.” Zoey snorted. “See you guys later.” She hung up, pocketed her cell, grinning at her friend’s happiness—daring to think it might become her own.

Could that finally be her and Linc one day? For the first time since the courthouse, she dared to think it was possible. That maybe their friendship could turn into a real relationship, a real marriage in every way.

Maybe even a real honeymoon.

She started for the church, then paused at a familiar figure walking under the awning, wearing a skirt and carrying a briefcase. She frowned. Then her heart dropped.

What in the world was Ms. Bridges doing here?

* * *

A rogue petal from yesterday’s flower girl basket still resided under the pew in the front row of the church.

From the sixth row back, Linc jiggled his leg, nerves flooding his system.

Zoey had headed somewhere after the service—the restroom, maybe.

And Amelia had left right away with Mama D for lunch at the Burger Barn again—which he figured was Amelia’s way of apologizing to her for their last disastrous outing.

Never mind the fact Linc was paying for it, having slipped Mama D a twenty-dollar bill during the closing song of the service.

The congregation had also cleared out, leaving Pastor Todd alone at the front of the church, humming to himself as he flipped through his sermon notes.

Linc jiggled his leg faster. He should go up there, ask for prayer. Zoey was praying about them, sure, and he’d tried a few times, but this—his family —seemed too important to not have backup.

But he felt glued to the seat. Pastor’s words from the sermon, some verse he read from in John, rang in his mind. You did not choose me but I chose you…

He wanted to know what that meant. Because it sounded a little too good to be true.

Zoey would probably know, but they hadn’t had a chance to talk about anything yet, including that kiss.

Amelia calling him Dad had temporarily distracted them from the obvious Thing between them.

Or maybe he and Zoey had let it distract them on purpose.

This new element to their relationship seemed so fragile, dissecting it might completely break it.

If so, Linc was okay with not talking about it for now. Noah’s words from the boat lingered. Relationships take time to develop . And he and Zoey had time, didn’t they? Their entire marriage to figure it out. Because, like Zoey kept saying—she wasn’t going anywhere.

So why the fear…the sudden urge to get extra prayer…to make sure God agreed with Linc on this one?

Before he could change his mind, he stood, hauled himself to the front row. Pastor Todd looked up from his Bible with a jolt. “Oh, Linc. Good to see you.” He held out his hand, which Linc shook. “How you doing?”

“I need prayer.” He blurted the words out before he could keep them.

“I’d be happy to pray with you.” Pastor smiled, his dark goatee sprinkled with gray. “Any particular topic?”

He swallowed. “Family. Marriage.”

“That’s right, I heard the good news. Congratulations.” He rested his hands on his podium, angling toward Linc. “Everything going well on the home front?”

Couldn’t fully get into that, and definitely couldn’t lie to a pastor. Linc hesitated. “We’re all adjusting.” There, that was the truth.

“Ah. It can be tough, blending families so suddenly.” He tilted his head, studied Linc so hard he shifted his weight. “What else is on your mind, before we pray?”

Man, the guy was good. Linc pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. “You read a verse today.”

He dipped his head. “John 15:16.”

“Yeah, that one. I guess I’m struggling to believe it.”

“That God chose you?”

No one ever chose him. Linc nodded, throat tight. He glanced over his shoulder for Zoey, hoping she didn’t catch this. The last thing he wanted right now was to look weak in front of her.

“The good news about the Bible, Linc, is that it’s truth. And that truth remains true whether we believe it or not.” Pastor Todd crossed his arms over his chest, his smile open and welcoming. “So I suggest we start by praying for God to help you believe it.”

That sounded…nice. “Okay.”

Pastor winked. “And while we’re at it, we’ll pray for your marriage and your daughter too.”

Throat burning, Linc nodded again, afraid to speak.

Pastor clapped Linc on the shoulder and began to pray, his voice low.

As he spoke, peace washed over Linc. The fear he always carried wasn’t completely gone, but it was significantly lighter.

Something he could only assume was hope pierced through the shadows in his heart, letting him believe there could be a future for his family after all.

He should have prayed like this weeks ago. If he could fully believe that God chose him…that God wasn’t going to leave…then maybe he could believe God also cared about his family as much as he did. That God, like Zoey kept saying, would work things for good.

Even all of Linc’s mistakes.

The sanctuary doors burst open. He looked up as Zoey rushed inside, eyes wide. Pastor’s voice broke off mid-amen.

“Are you okay?” Linc’s heart stopped, jump-started again at Zoey’s quick nod. Then he drew a sharp intake of breath. “Is it Amelia?”

“No, she’s fine too.” Zoey rounded the last row of pews to join them up front. The red dress she’d paired with a denim jacket flared around her knees. “I just saw Ms. Bridges outside.”

“What? Here?” Linc frowned, checked his phone and grimaced. “Two missed calls. It was set to silent during the service.” He jabbed the screen, calling her back.

“Do you need a private place to talk?” Pastor Todd shifted his Bible to his other arm, dark brows pinched in concern. “You’re welcome to one of the Sunday school rooms.”

“Thank you.” Zoey pushed on Linc’s arm, nudging him toward the back hallway. “You can call her from there?—”

Ms. Bridges appeared in the sanctuary before the phone could ring twice. Linc hung up as she walked toward them, briefcase in hand. Creases marred her forehead, and she sighed as she approached.

Bad news.

Linc gulped. “It’s Kirsten, isn’t it?” He should have known. She was back, wanted Amelia. But now , when things were going so well? When she was calling him Dad?

When he’d finally started to believe in good things?

“Actually, no. It’s not Kirsten.” Ms. Bridges hesitated, shifting her weight from one high-heeled foot to the other as she stopped in front of them. Her gaze flicked to Zoey, then Pastor Todd, and finally back to Linc. “It’s you.”

* * *

“This can’t be happening.” Linc paced the room, his shoes leaving creased tracks in the carpet.

Zoey had given up pacing after him—couldn’t catch him, so once again, she sat in a child’s chair in the small Sunday school room, knees nearly reaching her chest. Ms. Bridges leaned her hip against the chalkboard liner on the far wall, her face drawn.