More Than This: Contemporary Christian Romance Novel (18 page)

His gaze came over to hers, and there was a touch of sadness there. “Yeah, but it’s not nearly as much fun.”

With a nod, she went back out to the dining room. She knew exactly what he meant. When she came back to the kitchen, he was putting the finishing touches on the cheese sandwiches. Man, she liked that sight. She could stand there and watch him forever. “So, what’s next for Jasmine? Is she going to make it to the FBI with what she knows?”

“Well, that depends. Is this in the first 100 pages or the last?”

“I don’t know. I thought you knew.”

“I never know. I just kind of grab on and hold on, praying she doesn’t sling me off of the train.”

Liz laughed. “It’s so weird.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve always thought about writing a book, but in my imagination it was never quite like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like… I always thought you would sit down and plot the whole thing all the way through to make sure things fit together before you started.”

“Some people do.”

“Why don’t you?” She really wanted to know. The whole thing had her fascinated beyond reason.

He shrugged as he placed the two perfectly made cheese sandwiches on a plate and cut them into diagonal halves. “Not my style. I like not knowing.”

“Yeah, but doesn’t that drive you nuts? I mean there have to be times when you don’t even know what happens next.”

“Sometimes.”

She grabbed the soup pan and a ladle and followed him into the dining room.

“And sometimes I get to a place, and it’s like, ‘Great. Now what?’ But I think if I tried to write the other way— the plotting thing, I’d get bored silly, and what’s the point of writing if you can’t have some fun with it?”

Liz sat, enthralled with the passion he spoke about writing. She’d never felt that way about anything— save possibly for the Literacy Center, and even that, she wasn’t yet sure about.

When they were seated, he didn’t reach for anything. Instead, his gaze slid over to her. “Do you want to pray?”

That he remembered slammed into her. “Sure.” Bending her head, she felt him do the same. It made all the words jam up into her throat. “Dear God, thank You for today. Please bless this food. Thank You for leading us as You have today. Please bless us and guide us from this moment forward. Amen.”

“Amen,” he said, and it sounded like a stamp on the prayer. A moment and he looked up at her. “So, how’s school going? Did you pass that test?”

And just like that, they spent another hour talking and enjoying each other’s company.

By eleven-thirty, Jake knew he had to leave though to be honest, he really didn’t want to. This had been the most magical day of his entire life. As she followed him to the door, walking him out, he fought with his nerves and his mind. It kept sliding around the edges of things he knew he shouldn’t be thinking about. At the door, he grabbed up his coat and slid it on. “Well, thanks. I had a really good time today.”

“Yeah.” She sounded a little breathless as if the short walk had squeezed all of the air out of her.

Coat on, he turned to her, his back to the door. How could he say good-bye? Better yet, how should he? Was a kiss out of the question? But if he started, could he stop?

“Oh!” Suddenly, she gasped and spun back for the room.

That shocked the thoughts right out of his head. His gaze followed her as his mind questioned where she was going. At the couch, she pulled up the notebook and headed back to him. Man, he liked everything about watching her do that.

“You’re going to need this.” She held the notebook out to him.

However, he just stared at it. “I can’t take your notebook. You need it.”

“It’s my extra one. Seriously. Take it.” She pushed it closer to him, and although he knew somehow he should explain it to her, he couldn’t risk upsetting her. Not after today. Not after sitting with her and letting her into his weird world.

Carefully he accepted it and nodded. “Thanks.”

“No. Thank you.” Her gaze was on the notebook rather than on him. A moment and it slipped up to his. “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

He couldn’t stop the smile. “Me, too.”

The notebook now transferred, she slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “Um, so what are you doing tomorrow?”

Surprise came again. “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I just thought… you know, if you weren’t doing anything…”

Pure astonishment smashed into him. Was she serious?

“I mean if you don’t want to…”  She looked like she might honestly think that was possible.

He stepped only one step closer to her. “Tell you what. You come up with something, and we’ll do it.”

Her eyes went wide. “Anything?”

His smile widened, filling his heart. “Anything. Your choice.”

When she nodded, it started small and then grew more solid. “Okay. What about say like ten or something?”

“Ten it is. I’ll be here.”

“Cool.” And strangely, she looked like she really meant it.

“Thanks for today.” Jake bent only halfway to brush a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She nodded, looking better than his heart could take. With a swallow to crush everything rising in him down, he spun, grabbed the doorknob, and fled. If he stayed even one more second, he was done for.

The second Jake left, Liz raced to her room. Logistics— bus schedules, opening times, hours of operation. They were all integral to her plan. Sitting at her computer, she wondered if she had ever been so excited about anything in her life. Her tenth birthday, maybe, but beyond that, she couldn’t think of a time. She rubbed her hands together, trying to contain the excitement bubbling through her, but it was not to be squelched. He was going to be so surprised.

“Seriously. You’re not going to tell me?” Jake asked as they went out into the chilly weather the next morning.

November had turned decidedly cooler in the past day or so. He hated that. Winter was coming, and with it, the holidays. The holidays. Lonely never meant as much as it did this time of year. Sleek. Gray. Cold. It was a metaphor for his life, and he fought not to laugh at that miserable assessment. Then his gaze slid over to her, and a soft, warm glimmer of hope flickered through the depressing thoughts. For this one moment, he wasn’t alone, and that was far more than he could ever have believed possible.

“Nope. I’m not telling you anything.” She pulled the cable-knit, pale blue sweater closer around her to block out the cool wind that spun down the street. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

  He walked next to her, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. He wanted to hold her hand again, but for some reason it always took him more than a little while to get his courage up around her. She was always so beautiful, and she was even more so today.

“Just a hint?” he asked, feeling the magnet of her on him. “One hint. Please?”

“You don’t give up, do you? Trust me. You’re going to love it.”

Walking next to her, Jake couldn’t argue. He already loved it— the being with her part. Everything else was gravy. Her hair was up in some fan-looking thing on the back of her head. It made her look casual and glamorous at the same time, and he wasn’t at all sure how she did that. Even more, he couldn’t believe someone who looked like her would want to spend more than five minutes with him. It was something not to even be imagined or hoped for.

“Did you write last night?” she asked as they walked.

Surprise slammed into him as his gaze traced over to her. “Uh, no. I… didn’t really have time.” No way was he going to tell her that he had taken the notebook and slid it up on the closet shelf with the laptop. How could he explain that he couldn’t really even read the notes she had made for him? That would crush her. No. It was better if he simply skirted the issue until she lost interest, which she would eventually. Of that, he had no doubt.

“Yeah, I guess it was probably pretty late when you got home, huh?” Suddenly she banked and swung their steps to the curb where she stopped.

The bus stop.

Concern and confusion drove into him. “Why are we stopping?”

She looked up at the sign. Her gaze was mysterious and filled with mirth. “You’ll see.”

He kept asking. For some reason she had thought he would quit, but he didn’t. All the way downtown, he asked, and then asked again. She knew he would be curious, but she had no idea he would be
this
curious.

“You’re seriously not going to tell me?”

“You know, you are not a very patient man.” Reaching over to his hand which rested on his leg, she pulled his hand into hers. “Relax, and enjoy the ride for a change.”

He seemed surprised for one second, and then he relaxed into it. “I am patient. I just want to know where we’re going.”

She shook her head. “You said I get to choose, so I chose.” And then, just wanting to be closer to him, she pulled his arm right next to her. “Trust me.”

“Hm.” The sigh was soft and contented as she leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder. He glanced down at her. “Remind me not to let you chose again.”

She angled her gaze up to him. “You complaining?”

He smiled. “No.”

“I didn’t think so.” Liz snuggled into him, really liking what it felt like to be with him, next to him. His world intrigued her. He intrigued her.

He was so quiet yet incredibly intelligent. As they had worked on his story the day before, she had gotten glimpse after glimpse into just how intelligent. Historical references were like water off his tongue, and he knew them all— going back to the French Revolution. Louis the Fourteenth had never been so interesting. He was going to love today. She was sure of it.

“This is our stop,” Liz said, sitting straight up next to him and getting ready to disembark.

“This?” That confused Jake further as he looked up. He’d never been to this side of the city even though he had lived here his whole life.

“Come on. You’re going to love it.” Once again she took his hand, and he couldn’t adequately explain how incredible that felt.

The bus swayed to a stop, and together they exited. He thought to ask ‘what now,’ but she didn’t give him the chance. It was like she had a gyroscope set on their destination, and she needed no real help from him. That was all right. He kind of liked her leading, kind of liked watching her in take-charge mode. It made him feel safe and less intimidated by the world around him.

Suddenly she banked to the right, crossing right across his path, and he very nearly ran into her.

With a satisfied excitement dancing in her eyes, she glanced up at him. “Here we are.”

Fighting to regain his balance, his gaze slid up to the light gray building in front of them, all the way up to the lettering which swam before his eyes high above. Fear hitched in his soul. The center of his brain ached with the knowledge that he should never have quit school. What did that even say? There were too many letters to catch any one of them. Fear gripped him. She was going to think he was a complete idiot.

However, she seemed not to even notice his hesitation as she shrugged. “I know. It’s kind of sixth grade, but I’ve always wanted to come down here and see the exhibits.” Her gaze came up to his, holding only hope and joy. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Jake managed a smile down at her. “So why are we standing out here? Aren’t we going in?”

That was all it took for a bright smile to break through the trepidation in her eyes. She led him forward to the turnstiles which lined the sidewalk. Beyond that, she paid— for both of them. That didn’t seem or feel quite right, but Jake hadn’t realized there would be money involved, and he was already peering beyond her into the lobby that soared to heights he had never imagined possible. The arches and architecture were unfathomable. Beautiful. Intricate and ancient.

“Come on. They have a real dinosaur in here somewhere.” She grabbed his hand, and his fingers entwined with hers because he was afraid he would get lost if he didn’t hold on. With no more discussion than that, she strode into the space as if she really did know right where they were going. His gaze held on the intricate arches high above them even as she dragged him forward.

“Would you like a map of the museum, ma’am?” an elderly man offered, holding the tri-fold paper out to her, and Jake’s gaze crashed down to him.

She took the paper from the man with her free hand. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Ma’am.” He bent his head and smiled.

The museum
. Ah. Finally Jake could breathe. No wonder. His soul opened as he gazed around them again— at the soaring ceiling several floors above them. It was a lot like the library, only it was a soft putty color rather than the stark gray and white. Standing next to him, Liz studied the brochure carefully. Jake let his head tilt to the side to look at it over her shoulder, but he didn’t even try to read it. There was no point in that. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and shadowed her, liking how good it felt to have an excuse to be so close to her, or at least no reason to move away.