Love Everlasting (Isle of Hope series Book 2) (19 page)

“That’s not true,” Lacey said with a niggle of guilt. “He dated both Katy Hendricks and Wendi Kitsteiner after we stopped going out.”

Cat delivered a deadpan smile. “One date each does not qualify. Face it, Lace—you ruined the man for other women.”

“I did not.” Lacey’s chin rose several degrees, along with her defenses. “I’ll have you know that Chase specifically asked me about Shannon after Jack and I got engaged, wanting to know if she was seeing anyone.”

Cat could have been a statue, her look of stun etched in stone. “You’re kidding,” she said, a definite hint of hurt in her tone.

“He must have meant Cat, not me.” The shock in Shannon’s voice was equal to Cat’s.

“Nope.” Lacey shook her head, actually encouraged that Cat seemed disappointed over Chase’s interest in her sister. A good sign, indeed, when a godly man like Chase didn’t completely turn the wild twin off. “He meant
you
, sweetie-pie, but when I told him that you were ‘unequivocally against dating at this phase of your life,’ which is what you drilled into my head, yes?”

Shannon nodded.

“I can unequivocally say he was not only concerned, he was downright disappointed.”

“He was?” the twins said in stereo, a matched set with gaping mouths.

“Yes, he
was
.” Lacey squeezed Shannon’s hand. “He likes you, Shan. Didn’t you see that when he asked you to dance at the awards banquet? He kept you laughing and talking through three songs, for crying out loud, till Dr. Love cut in.”

“I thought he was just being nice.” Cat ground a peanut into the wood with her thumb.

“So did I,” Shannon whispered, face reflective. “I mean he’s always taken time to talk and tease with me at volleyball, but then he does that with
all
of the girls.”

“Not with me.” Cat’s quiet tone sounded more like Shannon than herself. Brushing peanut crumbs from her shorts, she hopped up and retrieved her fishing rod. “Lacey’s right, Shan. Chase and you would be good together.” She whipped her line into the water with a hard snap of her rod. “I mean, he’s not my type, of course,” she said as she popped her cork too quickly, “but that type is just perfect for you.”

Lacey’s heart cramped.
You, too, Catfish, if you would just open your eyes.

“So, it’s settled, then, right?” Cat glanced over her shoulder, homing in on Lacey. “Sister-in-law Dearest will handle setting you and the pastor up, right, Lace?”

“Right.” Lacey ducked to assess Shannon’s expression. “If it’s okay with Shan.”

A weary sigh drifted from Shannon’s lips as she stood to her feet. “Sure, Lace, why not? There aren’t many men around who could get me to go out, but Chase is definitely one, so if he’s game, I guess I am too.”

“Great!” Lacey jumped up to give Shannon a hug. “You won’t be sorry, Shan, I promise,” she whispered as Cat slashed her line hard through the air, sinking Lacey’s stomach along with her hook.

But something tells me Cat might be ...

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Oh, goody, just what we need—another hot dog on the boy’s team!” Cat unleashed a mock groan, bobbling a volleyball as Sam strolled into the gym of Hope Church, the smell of fresh varnish and old sneakers taking him back. She grinned, the lust of competition shining in her eyes when she pelted him with the ball. “Jack says you went to nationals in college, hotshot.”

Sam caught the ball in split-second time, returning Cat’s grin with a cocky one of his own while Jack, Lacey, Shan, and Chase broke from a group of people to join her, their welcoming smiles making him feel right at home. “Yeah, but you’ll be happy to know we blew it in the semi-finals, so you can lower that pedestal a few feet.”

“Or dig a hole deep enough for both
it
and you,” Cat said with an evil smile, giving Sam’s cheek a pinch, “when the girls bury y’all.”

“In your dreams, Catfish.” Jack looped an arm over Sam’s shoulder, relieving him of the volleyball. “In fact, in a show of mercy, I think we should go with mixed teams tonight rather than guys against the girls, don’t you, Rev?”

Chase ambled forward with a smile and hand extended in greeting. “No comment,” he said with an easy grin, his grip firm as he shook Sam’s hand. “Welcome, Sam. It’s good to see you again. I’m the associate pastor here at Hope Church, and at the moment” —he tweaked Cat’s neck, causing her to scrunch her shoulders in a giggle— “the buffer between Jack and his volatile sister.”

Cat slapped him away. “I am
not
volatile,” she said with a pert thrust of her chin, amazing Sam as always that two women who looked so much alike could be so very different. “I’m what most people would call spirited.”

Jack chuckled as he fired the ball at his “spirited” sister. “And you don’t want to know what I call her.” He left Sam to hook Cat’s waist, giving her an affectionate squeeze. “Trust me, Catfish. Dr. Jock here was on a variety of scholarships in college, not the least of which was volleyball.”

“Good grief, Doc,” Shannon said, giving Sam a side hug. The pretend scowl on her face came off more adorable than threatening. “Are there any sports you
don’t
do well in?”

He flashed a grin. “Come on, Shan, I’m a ‘player,’ remember?” Draping his arm over her shoulder, he bumped her hip with his own. “It’s what I do.”

Two wins and one loss later, Sam was genuinely surprised how much he was enjoying himself. After sparring with Cat some more, Jack had introduced Sam to the rest of the players, which Chase insisted on dividing into mixed teams of guys and girls.

“To eliminate murder and mayhem in a church gymnasium,” Chase said, eliciting groans from the more athletic female contingent like Cat and several others, who wanted to take the guys head-on. Sam’s gaze had softened when it landed on Shannon, who simply smiled and chatted with two girls while calmly awaiting her team assignment.

All in all, it was a fun evening of tough competition from the girls, confirming Sam’s suspicion that there weren’t many sports Shannon and Cat didn’t do well in either. The two of them were a finely tuned spiking machine, which added yet another layer of respect to Sam’s already high opinion of Jack’s sisters.

The pizza after the game was great, and Sam never even missed the beer he always had with it. He was having too much fun talking trash and sports with Jack and Chase or flirting with the girls to notice that this wasn’t the usual sports-bar gathering he was used to. So when the pizza was gone and several impromptu games of basketball were over, Sam realized he didn’t want the evening to end. And there was nobody he’d rather continue it with than his new best friend. Seeking Shannon out, he watched as she wiped down the patio picnic tables with another girl, reaching across with a wide stretch. And then like a spiked ball out of the blue, she caught him off-guard with a flash of attraction so strong, his gaze roamed from her snug-fitting shorts down her beautiful legs before he was even aware.

“So, you coming back, I hope?” Chase asked, and Sam’s gaze jerked back, heat ringing the collar of his Memorial T-shirt.

“Are you kidding? Athletic dominance and free pizza?” He offered a handshake, suddenly aware Chase Griffin was one of the few pastors he actually liked. “How can I resist?”

Chase slapped him on the back. “Was hoping you’d say that, Sam, although I suspect that killer spike of yours will up my humility a tad.”

“Join the club, Rev.” Sam scratched the back of his neck, smile sheepish. “Jack says you’ve got a pretty mean spike as well, spiritually speaking, that is.”

“Maybe.” The smile in Chase’s eyes tempered somewhat, replaced by a scrutiny that made Sam squirm inside like he’d just missed a free ball. “If you’re looking for deeper meaning in your life.”

Sam laughed. “Uh, more like a deeper relationship, Rev, because Shannon’s convinced me I’m going to need all the help I can get to land the girl that I love.”

Chase nodded slowly, hands parked on his hips. “Jasmine, right? Jack mentioned you’ve been interested in her for years now.”

Sam issued a good-natured grunt. “Yeah, especially after Jack stole her away from me.” He nodded toward Lacey and Jack heading their way along with Shannon and Cat. “But the gods smiled on me when Lacey came along, knocking Jack out of the picture for good, so thanks to Shan’s sound advice, I’m almost home free.”

“God,” Chase said with a faint smile.

Sam paused. “Excuse me?”

“God smiled on you, singular, not plural,” Chase said with a friendly cuff of Sam’s shoulder. “And I’ll be happy to help anyway I can, Sam, so if you ever need to talk, just give me a call.”

“Thanks.”
I think.
Sam quickly turned his attention to Jack. “It was a great evening, Jack, so thanks for inviting me.”

“Which time?” Jack said with a grin, arm slung loosely over Lacey’s shoulder. “Seriously, I’m glad you came, Ham—it’s nice to compete against you again.”

“Uh, he was on your team, Jack, remember?” Lacey pinched Jack’s waist.

“Don’t kid yourself, Lace. Ham is a die-hard competitor in everything he does, whether striving to be the best on a team or owning the best candy jar in the office.”

Sam shrugged, offering a humble flash of teeth. “Can I help it if everybody likes Reese’s miniatures better than Tootsie Roll Pops?”

“
Yes
,” Jack said, flicking the back of Sam’s head as he passed by. “Knowing you, you probably researched it to death. Come on, Lace. After the week I had, I’m about ready to drop, and I prefer it be in a bed rather than on a gym floor.” He flopped a hand in the air on their way out the door. “So long, everyone.”

Goodnights rang out across the gym as people slowly filtered out, leaving Sam and Chase to pull up the rear with Cat and Shannon. “Hey, Shan,” Sam said while Chase locked up, “you and Cat feel like some ice cream?”

Cat exchanged glances with Shannon before she executed a perfect yawn. “Sorry, Sam, but I’m bushed, too, and I’m on early shift at camp tomorrow, so I need to head home. Rain check?”

“Sure thing,” Sam said with an understanding smile, feeling a little guilty to be so relieved over having her sister to himself. He looped an arm to Shannon’s waist and gave her a squeeze. “Looks like it’s just you and me, Angel Eyes. Unless, of course, the Rev wants to tag along?” He glanced at Chase, who had just approached, praying he would say no.

“Where to?” Chase asked, giving Sam a strange feeling when the Rev exchanged looks with Shannon.

“I’m taking Shannon to get ice cream, if you’re interested.”

“Actually, Sam …” Shannon’s voice lowered to a whisper as she turned away from Chase to address Sam with a pretty blush in her cheeks. “Chase and I were planning to go to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar …”

“But you’re welcome to join us if you want,” Chase said quickly, the glance between him and Shannon like a blow to Sam’s chest.
Not
to mention his ego.

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar?
The
premiere
date-night dessert venue in Savannah? The one he’d taken umpteen women to before he’d taken them “home”—his, not theirs?

“Absolutely,” Shannon said in a rush, the gentle hand she laid on his arm burning right through along with the acid in his gut. “They have great ice cream, or so I’ve heard.”

  “Yeah, they do,” he whispered, too stunned to even render a smile.
Shannon? On a date?
Sam grappled with what to say, how to act,
the freeze in his brain as powerful as anything Lulu’s could offer.
But … she gave up dating—isn’t that what she’d told him once?

As if reading his mind, she inched closer to Chase, the concern in her eyes making him feel like a heel. “I don’t usually date, as you know, Sam, but when Chase tempted me with Lulu’s …” She gave the Rev that sweet awkward smile that Sam absolutely loved, probably trying to lighten an embarrassing situation, then turned back to Sam with an uneasy shrug of her shoulders. “I figured I better take the opportunity because I’ve always wanted to go.”

I would have taken you ...
Sam cleared his throat, taking a step back with a palm in the air. “Hey, no worries, Shan. I need to head home anyway, but you’re going to love it, I promise.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Sam?” Grating her lip, Shannon offered a worried smile, her kind and nurturing nature obviously kicking in full force.

“Naw.” He took a few more steps back, anxious to distance himself. “You two go and have a great time, and I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” Offering a wave, he made a beeline for his car.

“Sam?” Shannon’s voice practically bled regret.

“Yeah?” He spun around with a strained smile, hands buried in his pockets.

“How about I treat you to Lulu’s next week, to celebrate the progress you’ve made with Jazz?”

Jazz.
The woman he loved and hoped to marry. He sucked in a sharp breath, then slowly expelled it again, wondering why the thought suddenly left him as cold as the ice cream at Lulu’s.

“Sounds good,” he said with another wave, his smile sad over the tenderness so innate in Shannon O’Bryen. A rare woman who worked diligently to spare people’s feelings and tried so hard to make everyone happy. He slammed his car door, gunning the engine as if to vent, barely aware when the Vette squealed out of the lot.

A gentle soul, who would never, ever think of rocking the boat.

Sam downshifted with force, engine grinding in protest as he unleashed a harsh grunt.

Yeah? Then why in the name of friendship … was he suddenly so seasick?