A Rescued Heart (Rescued Heart Romance) (15 page)

Matt didn’t know what else to do but pray. This relationship wasn’t going to work on Matt’s efforts alone. Ava needed to trust God before she would ever be able to trust him. It would be a process and she would surely stumble along the way, but was she ready? Was he pushing her too soon?

Her arms slid around him from behind as she laid her head on his back. They stood motionless surrounded by a chorus of grasshoppers until she kissed the back of his neck and walked around to face him.

“Matt, I’m sorry I took a beautiful moment and ruined it. Everything you just said to me was true and I’m sorry that I allowed my past to affect what we have right now.”

She touched the side of his face. “I panicked because my feelings for you are so real and intense, but you’re right, I don’t need to be afraid. I know there will be times that I’ll struggle and be tempted to let those negative thoughts in, but I’m hoping that you’ll still be there right beside me, encouraging me along the way.”

She flashed him her puppy dog eyes and he couldn’t resist. He pulled her into his arms. “Ava, of course I’ll stand alongside you. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to want me.”

“I love you, Matthew.”

He closed his eyes in relief and then opened them, smiling. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say that.”

“Can you humor me and say it again to me? I want to really enjoy it this time.”

He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off her feet so they were eye level. “I love you.” Then he kissed her like it was the first time their lips had met.

Ava walked along the eight-foot table, doing a mental check list that every detail had been set for the abuse support group meeting. The aroma of spaghetti and garlic bread made her stomach rumble. The group had their meetings once a month at the church and a few women from the congregation volunteered to bring in dinner for everyone. They all had different gifts. Whether they spoke to the group, watched the kids, counseled, or brought in food, each service held importance.

Tonight’s meeting had been sparked by an idea Ava had at the last planning session. As ideas bounced around the room, Ava voiced that it would be useful for the women if they attended a meeting that touched on the side of the law enforcement. Most women in the group had already made steps to hold their abusers responsible for their actions. However, the women had started to invite other women that were caught in ruts and hadn’t yet broken free from their abusers. They needed support and encouragement as they teetered on the fence on what to do.

Ava’s idea came to a unanimous vote of yes, and she had the resources to make it happen. Tonight Matt and a fellow officer were coming to talk to the group. They wanted to encourage the women that the law was on their side by showing that they cared about their safety and wanted to help and to share what steps needed to be taken when pressing charges and how to file for a restraining order.

Her heart melted as she remembered the conversation she and Matt had had earlier in the week about which points needed to be highlighted and stressed. He wanted the women that came tonight to be as comfortable as possible.

Matt came up with the suggestion that he should bring a female officer with him, that it might help break the ice. That maybe the women in the group would respond better and feel more comfortable with a fellow woman in the room. He also proposed that he come in civilian clothes and not drive his squad car. It might make some of the woman nervous to see him in uniform and the squad car parked outside the church.

Just one more reason why she loved him. Wow. She loved him. Ava was still trying to get used to that fact. She caught herself smiling at the thought of him. Checking the wall clock, she scolded herself for not staying on course as she noticed that the group would be trickling in soon. Making her way toward the lobby to welcome the women, she met up with Matt and his fellow officer.

Ava wished she could run up to him and hug him like she wanted to, but they both agreed it would be best to keep all public affection at bay. “Ava, this is Officer Linda Caldwell. Linda, this is Ava.” The women shook hands.

“Hi, Linda. Thank you so much for coming.” Ava stood next to Matt while their arms brushed. It would have to make do.

“Once Matt told me about your group and what you wanted to be shared, he couldn’t keep me away. I think this is great. These women need all the help and support they can get.”

“Yes they do. If you follow me I can show you into the room where the meeting will be held.”

“Could you show me to the restroom first?” Linda asked.

“Oh sure.” Ava pointed toward the hallway. “Three doors down on your left.”

Ava turned back toward Matt, silently praying for the women that would be walking through the doors any minute. Praying that lives would be changed, revelations would be made, and the Lord would be seen. One thing was for sure, all of this put her past and present into perspective. These women were trying to get away from horrible men while Ava had been pushing away the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Matt’s voice broke into her thoughts. “What are you thinking about? You look a million miles away.”

“Just praying. My heart breaks for these women.”

“God can do great things in their lives. He can make beauty come from ashes.”

The entrance doors opened exposing the newly arrived guests while Linda returned from the bathroom. Matt motioned for Linda to follow him. “We can head into the room and get set up while you are greeting. Over in the fellowship room, right?”

“Yes. I’ll meet you there.”

Once Ava felt confident that everyone had arrived she made her way into the fellowship room, shocked to see all the tables full. It was great to see the old and new visitors mixed together. Kim and Tessa shared the table with Matt and Linda. Ava was glad that Kim made good on her promise to come. Plus, it was nice to see Tessa. She had been missing her so much since school had been out.

Ava filled her plate and made her way over to the table and sat down next to Tessa. After dinner Ava corralled all the kids and took them to the room they had set up for them while the meeting took place. This was Ava’s department, her way to give to the group. She and a few volunteers watched the kids to allow the mother’s the freedom to attend the meeting without any distractions.

She did no counseling with the kids. She would leave that up to the professionals. Her job was merely to spend time and play with the kids. If something came to her attention that needed to be addressed she would pass it along to the pastor.

She counted fifteen kids total. The age range spread out from toddlers to preteen, which made the activities hard to plan for the evening. They set up the room to have one side for the younger kids and the other side for the older. A television had been placed in the corner with a Wii set up and ready to be played. Someone in the church had donated it to the youth group and they kindly offered for the kids to use it during the meeting.

Ava laughed over the excitement the older boys had over it. Most of them would never be able to afford to get one. At least they would have a place to come and play one.

The evening progressed without a glitch until one boy became angry when he didn’t get his turn. Ava had been playing with a few toddlers on the floor and didn’t make it to over to the boys in time before a wrestling match broke out with fists flying.

Ava rushed over, trying to pull the boys apart while dodging any hits that lost their aim in the scuffle. The teenage girls who’d volunteered to help with the kids looked shocked, standing off to the side, mute with wide eyes. Having no other choice but to get help, she turned toward the girls, “Brittany, go get Pastor Rick!” The teenage girl turned and exited out into the hallway while the other girl went to console the younger children that got upset over the fight taking place.

Ava pried the boy on top off first and held him back while the other boy stood up, wiping the blood off the corner of his mouth.

Despite being flustered, Ava was able to keep her voice calm as she said, “Boys, this is not how you handle your anger. Hitting is not acceptable.”

The older elementary boy glared at her. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Maybe not, but I can remind you that we have rules here and expect you obey them.”

The younger boy that stood behind her crossed his arms. “Hitting is what you do to get people to listen to you.”

Ava let out a long sigh, realizing the challenge she stood up against and one she didn’t feel confident to handle. These boys had probably seen things she could never fathom. Sadness weighed on her heart to see their home life magnified through what just happened. Just more proof that if there wasn’t a stop to it now, the chances grew that they would grow up abusing others around them. The sins of the parents could easily fall from one generation to the next, an evil cycle that held no end in sight.

The pastor walked into the room with Brittany at his heels. “Ava, how can I help?”

“Sorry to bother you, Pastor Rick, we had a situation, but it seems to be under control now.”

Pastor Rick looked between the two boys and understood the underlining of her concern between the cut lip on one and the darkening black eye on the other. “I see. Well boys, it looks as if your faces need to be looked at. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll see if I can get you cleaned up.”

Remorse filled the boys’ faces as they followed the pastor. Ava was certain the situation would be handled. Pastor Rick had a skill of meeting people where they were and getting to the root of the problem. Ava had a few counseling sessions with him after Tim dumped her. She had firsthand experience of how he cared and wanted to help people.

Half an hour after the boys left, the meeting finished and the mothers came to get their children. Not having a lot of time to talk, she took a quick moment to ask what Kim thought of the meeting as she picked up Tessa. Her response came across positive and she said that she would be back next month. The newfound friends hugged before they departed. Ava played with Tessa’s pigtails as she promised Kim she would call her tomorrow.

Once all the kids had been picked up she headed to the fellowship hall to meet up with Matt and Linda to see how the meeting went. Hopefully it went better than her night. Linda sat at a table, deep in discussion with a woman while Matt kept a quiet stance in the corner, trying to stay out of sight, Ava assumed.

She came to stand beside him. “How did it go?”

“Good. I think Linda is making headway to convince this lady to leave her husband and stay with family until he can get the help he needs.” He looked down at her as he crossed his legs at the ankles and slid his hands into his pockets. “I’d ask how your night went, but Pastor Rick gave me a quick rundown.”

“Yeah, I could use a little detox.”

“How about some ice cream instead?”

“Sold.”

Love is a strange thing
. It can make a normal life feel incredible and take someone from their lowest moment to their highest, and then back again, all in the blink of an eye. Love can make someone a better person or create a monster thriving on acceptance. It can make a person feel vulnerable and strong all at the same time. Love is free and yet full of worth. It can cloud judgment or give wisdom beyond years. Love can capture someone’s heart or break it into a million pieces.

Love and freedom were luxuries that Ava hadn’t experienced in a long time. She had begun to wonder if the road she had traveled had become so broken that she was doomed to a life entangled in lies and fear. But now she felt like a new woman, allowing herself to start breaking the bondage that weighed her down. Her healing may not be complete yet, but she could breathe in that scent of freedom that pushed up through the cracks.

She was in love.

God had taken her crushed heart and given her the capacity to not only love again, but to live. For two years she had just been walking through the motions, getting through each day. Now she had been given a
second chance at love and living a life in His freedom.

Ava still had her times when panic tried to push its way back in, but she could control the dampening thoughts and rise above them with more ease now. Before, she had held back, afraid to give anything for fear of not getting it back or being rejected in the end. Finally she realized that loving someone was worth the chance of failure. Failure in its essence is not pleasant, but the anticipation of success made life worth living.

Ava had decided her turn had come to do something special for Matt. He always put so much thought into everything he did for her. Her excitement bubbled as she put her plan into action. Whether it would turn out to be a blessing or a curse remained unclear, but she decided to make his favorite foods for dinner. It would either go well or they would have to order takeout at the last minute.

She prepared herself for option number two.

Ava was borrowing her neighbor’s grill for the occasion. Mr. Smith was a nice older man who lived two doors down. He kept his grill outside on the back patio and often loaned it out to anyone who asked. Ava, of course, had never asked. He seemed a bit surprised by her request, but covered well as he chuckled while mentioning something about leaving the fire extinguisher by the grill. Just because she had brought the fire department out once when her smoke alarm went off from a tiny fire on the stove, nobody on her floor let her forget about it.

Ava planned on making steak with grilled potatoes and vegetables. She asked Mr. Smith if he could come out and start the grill for her when she was ready to begin. She wasn’t stupid. Maybe naive about what she was getting herself into, but not stupid. She told Matt to come to her apartment at five thirty. Checking her watch, she noted that she still had an hour to get physically and mentally prepared.

The steaks had marinated all day in one of Lucy’s original recipes and she had just finished chopping the vegetables and potatoes. Earlier in the day she had been trying to think of something creative to do for Matt. A way show him how much she cared and showcase the improvements she’d made over the last couple weeks. Ava came up with a “Top Ten List” of reasons why she loved him. The reasons fairly flew out of her heart and onto the paper.

~ The Top Ten Reasons Why I Love You ~

The sweet ways you show your love for me.

Your connection with my family and how you take the time to develop a relationship with each of them.

Your humor … I will never tire of laughing with you.

Your passion for your job and how you continually put yourself in danger to keep others safe. I may not like it at times, but it makes you who you are, who you were created to be. For that I’m thankful.

Your smile … it makes me melt every time.

The way you make me feel safe and how I fit perfectly into your arms.

Your friendship … I’m blessed to be in love with my best friend … well, you’re tied for first with Jules, but she’s tough competition. Hang in there.

No matter where we go, you always make me feel like I’m the most important person in the room.

Your character … you are honest, trustworthy, kind, respectful,
thoughtful and desire to live a righteous life dedicated to the Lord.

Your persistence …
thank you for not giving up on me.

I love you~

Ava

She folded up the paper and put it in an envelope, placing it next to the movie she had rented for the evening. It was a suspense thriller—a “guy” movie. Matt had mentioned last week that he wanted to see it. She stopped by the video store on her way home from the grocery store this morning to pick it up. What she had planned for the night—dinner and a movie—wasn’t exciting, but it fit them. They enjoyed the simple pleasures in life. Last night they just sat on his front stoop and talked while they watched the neighbor kids pedal their bikes back and forth.

The oven timer started to beep at her and for a quick second she sat confused as to why she had set it. She leapt off the couch remembering it was her warning to start getting dinner around. Putting everything on a big tray, she walked down to Mr. Smith’s door and knocked.

He opened the door, reading glasses perched on his nose and a book in his hand. “Good afternoon, Ava. Are you ready for me to start the grill?”

“I am. Thank you for letting me
use it.” She stepped aside for him to exit through the doorway. They walked together down the back steps to the patio, chatting about the nice weather.

The patio was a small slab of cement, but a nice asset for the apartment building. The tenants didn’t use it very often, but everyone tried to be respectful when it was in use. An adequately sized yard sat in the back with a couple trees lining the property. A wooden picnic table sat to the side of the patio. Nothing flashy, but at least she had a place to take her shoes off and run her toes through the grass.

Mr. Smith had the grill fired up in no time. He showed her how to use each knob and how to shut it off when she was finished. “Good luck,” he called over his shoulder, “and come get me if you have any problems.”

“Thank you. Matt should be here soon for backup.” No pun intended. Ava looked down at her watch. She had about fifteen minutes to get the food started before he would be here. She had texted him earlier about meeting her out back, but hadn’t gotten a response yet. That wasn’t like him.

The food was close to being done when she heard the beep on her phone, announcing a new text from Matt
.
“Sorry. Running late. I’ll be there soon. Love you.
”
Those last two words still gave her butterflies. She glanced at the time. It was past six.

She looked once more at the food, almost praying over it. She thought she had picked a simple menu, but then she hadn’t taken into account if the meat would be dry or tough. If the vegetables and potatoes would get cooked enough so they wouldn’t crunch. She tried to do a little taste test but burned her tongue.

Cooking was overrated.

She considered eating dinner outside but the mosquitoes were bad tonight and she had already spent her inadequate cooking experience swatting at one every few seconds. Shutting off the grill, she pondered whether to take the food upstairs or wait here for Matt. Just then he appeared around the corner of the building, still wearing his uniform. She didn’t see him in it very often and each time the sight was striking.

He looked upset. “Hi, honey. Sorry I’m so late.”

“It’s fine. Are you okay?” She shortened the distance between them and he wrapped her up in his usual bear hug.

“Yeah, right before I left work this afternoon we got a call about another bank robbery. We didn’t get there in time and the thieves got away. I’m just frustrated, that’s the second one in less than a month. We are beginning to suspect it’s the same guys each robbery.”

“I’m sorry. I know you take these situations personally and take pride in low crime rate. I’m sure you did the best you could.” She took his hands in hers to comfort him while kissing him on the cheek. “Do you want to talk about it some more?” The food could wait, he was more important. It wasn’t often when Matt got upset about something. His even temperament didn’t challenge him to get riled up over petty issues.

“Maybe later, I’m hungry. I worked up a good appetite being angry.”

“Well, you’re in luck. We will either have a mediocre dinner here or a fantastic dinner downtown. Either way, you’ll be fed.” She turned toward the grill and opened the lid to place the food on the plate.

“What! Ava, you made dinner?” She had been looking forward to his reaction all day.

“Yes. Now wipe off that surprised look and get the door for me,” she said, laughing.

He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, kissing her neck, which was readily available because she had pulled her hair back in a ponytail within moments of cooking over the hot grill.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t tasted it, and you won’t unless you open the door,” she teased.

“Geez, get the woman to cook and she’s got a spicy attitude to go with it.” He dropped his arms and opened the door, bowing.

“You think this is feisty, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Feisty. I can do feisty.”

Dinner went better than Ava predicted. The steak was a little tough, but Lucy’s sauce made up for it. The vegetables and potatoes were satisfactory and she was quite pleased. Maybe this cooking thing wasn’t so hard after all. However, she wasn’t ready to admit that fact out loud yet.

Ava washed the dishes while Matt went to change his clothes and clean off the grill. When he returned she had just finished up. She snatched the movie, note, and a blanket for them to share on her way to meet him on the couch.

She sat beside him, a little anxious to give him the note. Her voice quivered when she began to talk. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you today, so I put some of those thoughts down on paper.” She handed him the paper.

He took the note without saying anything, but a smile spread across his face. He began reading. Ava sat watching him read, disregarding the awkwardness of her staring, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him. By his facial reactions she could guess what number he was reading on the countdown.

He laid the note down and left his mark on her lips. “Thank you. I’m enjoying getting to know the side of you that isn’t afraid to tell me how you feel. I’m so proud of you for the steps you’ve been taking lately.” He leaned over and kissed her again. “You’re the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met. I love you.”

“Good. Are you ready to love me some more?” She pulled out the movie and flashed it at him. “And that’s not all.”

She got up off the couch and dashed to the freezer and pulled out two pints of ice cream. One was Cookies ‘n Cream, Matt’s favorite, and Mint Chip, her favorite. She grabbed two spoons and handed him his pint. “What’s a shoot ’em up movie without ice cream?”

She put the movie in and turned down the lights. As she passed by Matt he took her hand and guided her to sit on his lap. “I’m not sure what I did to deserve you,” he whispered lovingly.

Ava rubbed the scruff that started to grow on his face. “I’m exceedingly confidant that I win on the ‘not deserving’ end of this relationship,” she whispered back.