As she passed by the family room, Ricky noticed her. “Where’re you going?”
“Outside.” She kept walking.
“Outside where?” Ricky was on his feet. “It’s cold out.”
The other boys were looking in her direction.
“I have to say hi to a friend real quick.” Her tone told them that was the end of the conversation. She slipped through the doorway into the mudroom and left through the side door that served as a second front entrance.
It was freezing outside, and her breath hung in the air. Bailey stuffed her hands deep into her pockets and hurried toward the driveway. Her teeth chattered, and she thought she saw the shadow of a coyote just beyond the hedge that ran the length of the driveway.
A rustling in the grass on the other side of her path made her jerk her head. She stopped and squinted, but the sliver of the moon cast no light on the yard. She quickened her pace. Her mother would be furious with her for meeting Bryan like this. What was she doing? And what was Bryan thinking?
His words from their last conversation ran through her head. “All that matters is my relationship with God. . . . Girls can come later. . . . I read my Bible when I first wake up and before I go to bed. . . . Me and God, we’re tight.”
“Okay, Bryan . . . so does God want you sneaking around to see me?” Bailey whispered and kept walking. She was nearing the road when she saw headlights crest the hill that led to their house. A few seconds later, a small, four-door Honda turned into her driveway.
Bailey felt herself relax. Bryan was here; no coyote would get her now. She ran the rest of the way to his car as he killed the engine and turned off his headlights.
He stepped out, shut his car door, and leaned against it. “Hi.”
Even in the pitch dark she could make out his smile. She stopped a few yards from him, and suddenly she realized she was breathless. She couldn’t tell if it was from the cold air or the run or Bryan’s nearness. She hugged herself and decided it was all three. She felt shy and daring and guilty. “Hi back.”
“I have a question.” He stuck his hands in his jeans pockets. He wore his black North Face jacket, and he’d never looked better as he angled his head. “How do you expect me to see the stars in your eyes?”
Bailey giggled. The moment was like something from a movie. She felt dizzy with the way he looked at her, the way his words reached someplace deep in her heart she hadn’t known existed before. She took a step closer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that if you stay so far away, I won’t see what I came here to see.”
Bailey forced herself to breathe out. How could one guy be so completely romantic? She was shivering more than before, but her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She took a few steps closer. “You can’t see my eyes anyway. It’s too dark.”
“I can see you’re cold.” Bryan held out his hands. “Come here. I’ll keep you warm.”
Bailey sucked in a breath. In all the time she’d known Bryan, the most she’d done was give him a quick hug good night. They’d never lingered in the moonlight or stood on her porch. A picture filled her mind: her family riding the Blue Streak at Cedar Point last summer. The drops on that roller coaster seemed to last forever, and Bailey’s stomach had flip-flopped like never before. She felt the same way now with Bryan so close.
Bailey took another step closer. “Aren’t you cold?”
Bryan came to her, hooked his fingers through the belt loops on her jeans, and took a few steps back toward his car, gently pulling her with him. He leaned against the door again and drew her into his arms. “Mmmm. That’s better.”
His hands came up around her lower back, and she put hers around his neck, the way she usually did when she hugged someone. Only this lasted way longer than a usual hug. She could feel Bryan breathing, feel his chest rising and falling. His breath mixed with hers. Her teeth were still chattering but more because she was scared. “I’m . . . not cold now.”
“See . . . I told you.” His speaking voice was as golden as his singing voice. Bailey had noticed that every time she’d seen him on stage. But here, it was as if he were talking straight to her soul.
Something about it scared her. She wanted to pull away and tell him thanks for coming. Time for her to go inside. But another part of her couldn’t slip free from his arms even if she tried.
Bryan seemed to sense she was uncomfortable. He moved his hands to her shoulders and eased her away a few inches. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark now, and she could see that he was staring into them. “Just like I thought.”
“What?” Bailey used her singsong voice, the one she pulled out in callback auditions. Otherwise he was bound to hear the fear in her tone.
“You’re even more beautiful with stars in your eyes.” Bryan dusted his thumb across her cheek. “I’ve been thinking about you, Bailey. Do you know that?”
She lowered her chin. Was he going to kiss her? If so, what was she supposed to do? Tell him she wasn’t ready? Run like the wind to the house? She gulped, shy and nervous. Her parents would be furious if they saw her out here like this. She released her hold on him and took his hands from her shoulders. “I better go. My parents don’t know I left.”
In the distance a coyote started yipping, and another two or three joined in.
Bryan slid his fingers between hers. “Okay.” His smile made her melt. “I just wasn’t sure I’d survive another night without seeing you.”
It still felt as though he might kiss her. And that couldn’t happen. Not in the dark when she hadn’t even told her parents he was coming over. They weren’t dating or going out. Besides, she didn’t know how to kiss, which way to turn her head or anything. She wanted her first kiss to be special, something she remembered forever. Not something secret and spur-of-the-moment.
Bryan was pulling her closer again, and she felt a surge of panic. She needed a distraction. She could ask him how his Bible reading was going, what chapter he was in, and whether he had prayed about coming over before he did it. But somehow it didn’t seem like the time.
Instead Bailey gave his fingers a squeeze, then released his hands. She hugged him again, much more quickly this time, hoping he would get the hint. She needed to get inside. “Thanks for coming by.”
“You don’t have to give it back.” Bryan folded his arms.
A few feet separated them now. She stopped and studied him, shivering in the cold darkness. She had no idea what he was talking about. “Give what back?”
“My heart.” His lips held a slight smile. “It’s been yours for a long time.” He nodded toward her house. “Go on. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” He made no move to get in his car. “I’ll watch till you’re safe inside.”
It was the nicest thing any guy had ever said or done for her. “Bryan . . . that’s so sweet.”
“Not as sweet as you.” He grinned. “Go on. I’ll see you tomorrow—in my dreams or in person.”
Bailey giggled and then turned and ran all the way up her driveway to the side door. That was the sort of thing Dayne Matthews would say in one of his movies. And she was the lucky girl Bryan was saying it to. She felt like dancing as she ran. Tonight was incredible, even if she did feel a little guilty.
With any luck, her parents would still be talking to Cody. When she reached the porch, she turned and waved. Then she climbed up the three stairs and slipped inside. Once she closed the door behind her, she leaned against the wall. Her heart was pounding so hard that she thought she might pass out.
She bent over and dug her elbows into her knees. After a few seconds, she finally grabbed a full breath. She straightened and waited until she wasn’t breathing so hard. Then she took off her coat and headed through the mudroom and into the main part of the house. The boys were still watching SportsCenter.
Silently, Bailey took one of the high stools at the back of the room near the pool table. No sign of her parents. Which hopefully meant they were still talking to Cody. She leaned her hea
d against the wall and closed her eyes.
Bryan Smythe was amazing.
Every time he opened his mouth, he practically spoke in rhyme. Her mind was still spinning with the sweet things he’d told her. And that last part . . . about taking his heart with her when she left. Wow. The other guys she knew could barely figure out a way to hold a conversation.
“You were gone a long time.”
Her eyes flew open, and she jumped down from the stool. Ricky was standing in front of her, his hands on his hips. She tried to recover. “Not . . . not too long.”
Suspicion colored his eyes. “What friend was it?”
“Bryan Smythe.” There was no point lying. “He wanted to say hi.”
“Did you ask Mom?”
Bailey felt her heart skip a beat. “Was Mom looking for me?”
“No. Still . . . you have to ask to go out at night.”
“I know, bud. I’ll tell her about it later.”
Ricky looked doubtful. He shrugged and went back with the other boys.
Bailey realized she’d been holding her breath, and she let it out slowly. Calm, she told herself. Act calm. She wasn’t lying; she would tell her mom about Bryan’s visit later. She went past the kitchen, through the dining room to the living room, where her parents were. They sat on either side of Cody, their hands on his shoulders, heads bowed.
They were praying, and Bailey knew better than to interrupt. She tiptoed back through the dining room and was about to join the boys in the family room. But instead she poked her head in and waved at them. “I’m going to bed.”
Connor seemed to just notice her. He was that way around TV—completely absorbed. “Hey . . . come sit with us.”
“Not tonight.” She waved again. “I’m tired.” Without waiting for whatever he was going to say next, she skipped up the stairs, turned left at the top, and darted into her room. For five minutes she sat on the edge of her bed and replayed in her mind everything Bryan had said.
She was just about to hit the bathroom so she could brush her teeth when her phone vibrated. She jumped and flipped it open at the same time.
Another text from Bryan. Tonight was great. I thank God for you, Bailey Flanigan. Sweet dreams . . . I know mine will be.
She flopped onto the bed and stared at the message. Was the guy for real? He was so nice! What guy said those things? Especially the part about thanking God for her. If it wasn’t for lines like that, she might still wonder whether he was genuine or just great with his words.
But if he was thanking God, then of course he was real.
She made a dreamy sound and read his message once more. Sweet dreams . . . I know mine will be.
Suddenly she couldn’t wait to see him again. She hit Reply and worked her fingers across the keypad. Mine will definitely be sweet. Thanks for coming by . . . even though it was freezing . . . lol.
A few seconds after she sent it, she received another. I was only cold when you walked away. Next time we’ll have to hug a little longer.
She giggled and closed her phone. No need to answer that one. Besides, she always found it better if she didn’t send the last text in a conversation. Let him wonder a little. That’s what her mom always said. She hesitated, and a slight gasp filled her throat. Her mom! How was she going to tell her all that had happened in the last half hour? Even if her parents finished talking with Cody and her mom came up to her room, she couldn’t explain everything Bryan had said or everything she felt.
And she wasn’t 100 percent sure her mom would understand, anyway.
Bailey brushed her teeth, washed her face, and slipped into her nightshirt. Ten minutes later—a record time—she was beneath the covers with the lights off, thinking of every kind thing Bryan had said and how it felt having his heartbeat against hers. They hadn’t done anything wrong. She was old enough to have a friend stop by to say hi, right? She dismissed the thought and went back to replaying Bryan’s words about the stars and his heart and the sweet dreams he was going to have.
She could always tell her mother later.
John didn’t spend much time at Elaine’s house. Somehow going there felt strangely forbidden, much more like a dating relationship. The feelings came from his old-fashioned roots. Back in his dating days, a man didn’t go to a woman’s house if she lived alone. He might pick her up at the front porch, but he wouldn’t go inside. Propriety ruled.
Going over there today was different. His motives were purely born of friendship. She needed his help, so he would go. Period.
Today was the second Sunday in December, and Elaine’s new television still wasn’t working right. John figured it was a wiring issue, something wrong with the connections. But in the meantime, Elaine couldn’t watch football. And Elaine was crazy about football. She was the proud owner of an NFL Sunday Ticket package, which gave her access to every professional game played each week. She knew stats and players and had a definite opinion that the Colts would win the Super Bowl.
Or maybe opinion wasn’t a strong enough word.
John had been going to church twice each week—once on Saturday night with Elaine and again on Sunday morning with his kids. Elaine would’ve done just about anything to keep her Sundays open. Twice in the last four weeks, John had joined her, watching Sunday football and sharing dinner at her house.
But then her television broke, and her kids bought her a new one during one of the day-after-Thanksgiving sales. It worked the first week, but a few days ago Elaine had tried to adjust something and lost the picture. When John returned from church this morning, he had a long phone message from Elaine. Could he please come over? Her TV needed work. She still had no picture, and she really needed one. Preferably before kickoff. Oh, and could he stay for dinner? She made homemade lasagna, and they could wrap the gifts they bought for their grandkids.
John smiled when the message ended. For a woman who didn’t usually talk much, the message ran a full minute. It almost made her sound nervous, like a schoolgirl searching for a reason to ask him over. He called her, and there was a laugh in his voice as she answered the phone. “So basically you’re inviting me over for the rest of the day and evening.”
“Basically.” Elaine’s light laugh filled the phone line. “I guess that would’ve been quicker.”
They chatted for a few minutes about practical things—that he would bring a few rolls of wrapping paper and that she had plenty of Scotch tape. Now he’d found the bag of Christmas presents and paper and put them by the garage door. He grabbed a spare set of TV cables in case hers were defective.
Before John left, he stopped in his bathroom and glanced in the mirror. A few old bottles of cologne sat on the counter near his sink. He picked up one he hadn’t worn in a while and spritzed it on his neck. Elaine had casually commented a while ago that she liked cologne and that many men their age no longer cared about smelling nice. But he wasn’t wearing it for her. He was a professional, a doctor who spent his day around people. He would’ve worn it with or without Elaine in his life.
Definitely.
As he set the bottle down and hurried to the garage, his cell phone rang. The caller ID told him it was Ashley. He popped it open. “Hello?”
“Hey, Dad . . . I meant to catch you after church.”
“Oh . . . sorry.” John opened the trunk on his car and heaved the bag of gifts inside. “What’s up?”
Ashley hesitated. “Are you okay? You sound out of breath.”
“Just packing my Christmas surprises into the car.” He chuckled. “It’s a big load this year.”
“Hmmm.” Ashley sounded confused. “Where’re you taking them?”
“Over to Elaine’s. We’re having a wrapping party.”
She exhaled loud enough to be heard. “Anyway . . . I wondered if you wanted to join us for dinner at Kari’s house. Brooke and Kari and me and our families. It won’t be a late night. Kari and I are getting over some kind of flu bug.”
“Sorry to hear that.” John felt his heart stir. Hi
s kids were so kind to him since Elizabeth’s death. Especially Ashley. “Thanks for the offer, honey. I’ll have to take a rain check.”
Ashley didn’t seem upset. They talked a few more minutes while he climbed into his car and backed out of the garage. He was halfway to Elaine’s by the time they finished their conversation. He made the rest of the drive in silence, asking himself the questions Ashley had avoided.
What were his real feelings for Elaine, and why was he looking forward to spending the rest of the day with her? He pulled up in front of her single-story house and stared at it. This wasn’t the house where she’d spent her married years. Elaine had sold that a decade ago, after her husband died.
“Too many memories,” she’d told him. “I keep the memories in my heart, but I need to live somewhere that matches where I’m at. And living life without my husband meant entering a new season. So I needed a new house.”
The place was older and neatly kept with a large, nicely manicured front yard. Elaine’s neighborhood was quiet and stately. John felt comfortable here. He tried not to notice that his pulse was faster than it had been back at home. He was looking forward to the day; that’s all. Also it was gray and damp and freezing outside. Snow was in the forecast.
He took a deep breath of early winter air. He’d made the right decision about the day. Kari, Ashley, and Brooke deserved a dinner by themselves. Especially since things were quieter than they’d been in a while.
Erin and her family were gone, and Dayne had moved into his lake house. He and Katy had purchased enough furniture for Dayne to have the basics, though they were still busy getting each room set up. Luke and his family were living in a rental south of Indianapolis, a place where they’d stay for six months while they continued looking for a house. Their furniture had arrived weeks ago, so they were settled and getting ready for Christmas.
Elaine’s kids were in Indianapolis and Michigan, so she would’ve been alone today if he hadn’t come. Spending the day with her would be good for both of them. He unloaded the bag of presents from the car and was about to set it down and reach back inside for the wrapping paper when he heard her voice.