Surrendered Hearts (14 page)

“And your scar is better now?” Toby asked.

“That’s right,” Wes said. “God designed our bodies to heal themselves. Sometimes He uses doctors and medicine to help us get well, but usually we just need to rest and take care of ourselves, and we get better.” He smiled at Toby. “That’s a pretty good plan, don’t you think?”

Toby nodded, a serious, thoughtful expression on his face. He shifted his gaze to Jenn. “I’m sorry you got burned,” he said softly. “But I’m glad God’s healing you.”

Jenn’s throat tightened, and she had to force out her words. “Thanks, Toby.”

He smiled at her, his blue eyes shining. He obviously had no problem believing God could heal any pain or fix any problem.

If only she could believe as easily as Toby.

Lauren beamed at her son. “Come here, big guy. We need to finish getting you cleaned up.”

Bill stood and looked down at Jenn. “You want to go for a walk?”

“Sure.” She stood, thankful he seemed to sense she could use a break and some time to settle her emotions.

They strolled past several groups of people sitting on picnic blankets and lawn chairs. Children ran by, laughing and chasing each other. A mother called her toddler back to her side.

They passed the gazebo where musicians were tuning their instruments in preparation for the band concert due to begin at sunset. The chorus of insects grew louder as they reached the path that circled the lake.

“Are you okay?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

“Yes, thanks to you.” Their arms brushed, and awareness flowed through Jenn. “I didn’t know what to say to Toby, but you handled it perfectly.”

He tucked his hands in his pockets, looking a little embarrassed. “Ah, I was just goofing around with him.”

“It was more than that. You helped him understand, and that was really . . . great.” She wished she could explain how much his kindness and sensitivity meant to her. No one else had stepped in to help her like that in a very long time.

Bill’s gaze drifted off toward the lake. “I guess it’s natural for kids to be curious.”

“I suppose so.” She bent and plucked a flower that looked like a yellow daisy.

“Coreopsis.”

“What?”

“That’s a coreopsis.” He pointed to the flower in her hand.

“Oh, thanks.” She smiled. “I didn’t know the name.”

“Well, you do now.” He grinned back at her.

She twirled the flower in her fingers as they walked on. Her feeling of connection with Bill had deepened today.

The sun dipped lower over the lake, and the sky took on an orange and golden glow in the west. The breeze blowing off the lake sent a little shiver through her, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Are you cold?”

“Just a little.” For a second she thought he might slip his arm around her, but instead he gestured toward the parking lot.

“Let’s walk back to the truck. I’ve got an extra sweatshirt in there.”

Disappointment tugged at her heart, but she chased it away, telling herself she was being silly. Bill was a caring friend. That’s all. But she couldn’t help wishing he wanted to be more than that.

* * * *

An hour later they sat side-by-side on the picnic blanket listening to the band play Broadway show tunes and patriotic songs. Bill stole a glance at Jenn and smiled. She looked cute in his big sweatshirt with the cuffs rolled up and her knees tucked up to her chest. He leaned a little closer, telling himself he was trying to block the breeze from the lake and keep her warm, but the truth was, he just enjoyed being near her.

Darkness settled over the park. A hum of excitement ran through the crowd as the band played the final song.

“Do you think they’ll make it back in time?” Jenn scanned the crowd, searching for Wes, Lauren, and Toby.

“I’m not sure. The lines for the port-a-potties could be long.” He chuckled. “That’s just like Toby, deciding he has to go right when the fireworks are going to start.”

“I guess it might take them a while to go back to the car and get Lauren’s sweater, too.”

Bill nodded, but he didn’t mind. Tilley had gone to sit with friends from church, leaving Jenn and Bill alone to enjoy the music. And though the park was full of people, there was only one person occupying his thoughts. 

The music rose to a crescendo, and the first fireworks whistled into the sky and exploded. The ground shook, and a dazzling cloud of red, white, and blue stars burst overhead.

Jenn pulled in a sharp breath. The crowd cheered and clapped as the sparkling trails rained down, fading into the night sky. A few embers still glowed as they dropped into the dark waters of the lake.

They were only about fifty yards from the fireworks setup and heard the whooshing sound as the next shells blasted off. Jenn tensed and leaned closer to Bill. The shells exploded into a fiery cluster of golden stars.

He laid his hand on her shoulder. “It’s pretty loud. Are you okay?”

She nodded, but when three more shells exploded in quick succession, she covered her ears and turned her face into his shoulder.

Frustration rolled through him. She had a good reason to hate the loud blasts. He made a quick decision and tugged her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Jenn blinked at him. “Where are we going?”

“Trust me.” He led her through the crowd, holding her hand. Each time another shell burst, she tightened her grip and picked up her pace, confirming his decision.

When they reached his truck, he unlocked the passenger door for her, and she hopped in.

He hustled around and climbed in his side, quickly shutting the door and blocking out most of the sound.

She sent him a worried glance. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to leave.”

“We’re not.” He inserted his key in the ignition, took a CD from the holder on his visor, and slid it into the CD player. “Go ahead. Adjust the volume. You can play it as loud as you want.”

She glanced out through the windshield where they had a perfect view of the fireworks, and understanding glowed in her eyes. “This is great. Thank you.”

He grinned. “You’re welcome.”

She set the volume loud enough to cover some of the noise from the explosions, but not so loud that they couldn’t still carry on a conversation. Then she smiled and settled back, looking blissfully happy.

He scooted closer and slipped his arm across the back of the seat. He played with a strand of her hair for a few minutes and finally rested his arm around her shoulder. She leaned closer, and he caught the scent of flowers in her hair. He couldn’t have orchestrated a better ending to the evening, sitting next to her and watching the delight on her face as the fireworks burst into dazzling colors against the night sky.

They watched for about ten more minutes. The CD paused between songs just as the grand finale began. The sound of the multiple explosions filled the air, and even inside the truck they felt the vibrations.

Jenn tensed, but didn’t hide her face this time. Instead, she lifted her gaze to the sky as round after round exploded in glittering bursts of color. “Oh, it’s so beautiful.”

His throat tightened as he watched her smile spread wider and saw the sparkling fireworks reflected in her eyes. “Yes,” he murmured, “beautiful.”

When the last firework drifted down, she sighed and settled back. “That was amazing.” Turning to him, she sent him a sweet smile. “Thanks, Bill.”

“So you liked watching it from in here?”

“Yes, this was a great idea.”

“I’m glad you decided to come.”

“I’m glad you made me.”

He pulled back and laughed. “Made you?”

“Well, convinced me.” The teasing light in her eyes sent his pulse racing, but he suspected she had no idea what she did to his heart.

He settled his arm around her shoulder again and ran his fingers through her silky hair. The intoxicating warmth of her nearness filled him with a longing to tell her how beautiful she was to him.

But he sensed a warning. He and Jenn didn’t share a spiritual connection. They could never build a lasting relationship without that, at least he couldn’t. He shifted his gaze away, trying to focus and straighten out his tangled thoughts.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice soft as a caress.

He turned back to her. She watched him with luminous eyes, reflecting a sweet openness he’d longed to see there since the first day they met. The warning faded, and he could no longer remember why he shouldn’t tell her everything in his heart. He leaned closer and gently ran his finger down the side of her face. “Today was great.”

She looked up at him with a shy smile.  “I had a good time, too.”

He swallowed and wished for the millionth time that he was better at putting his thoughts and feelings into words. “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure.”

“Since you moved over to Lauren’s, I’ve realized—”

A loud knock on the passenger window startled them. Bill shifted his gaze as Jen pulled back and turned toward the sound.

Wes stood outside the truck, a frustrated expression on his face as he signaled for them to roll down the window.

Jenn leaned over and pushed the button. “Hey, Wes.”

“Man, I’ve been looking all over for you guys. I was worried. I didn’t know what happened to you.”

Bill leaned toward Wes. “We decided to watch the fireworks from in here.”

Wes studied them with a concerned look. “Well next time you want to take off like that, it would be nice to let someone know.”

“Sorry, Wes.” Jenn pressed her lips together and slid a few more inches away from Bill. “It was pretty loud down there by the lake, so Bill brought me up here.”

Wes rubbed the back of his neck and looked like there was a lot more he’d like to say. He shifted his gaze to Jenn. “Are you ready to head back to Lauren’s?”

She glanced over her shoulder at Bill, uncertainty in her eyes.

“You’ve got a full car. I’ll take her home.” Bill turned the key in the ignition. Before Wes could protest, the truck rumbled to life. He clamped his jaw tightly and tried to ignore the perturbed glance Wes shot over his shoulder as he walked away.

Bill pulled into the parking lot at the nature center, grabbed his Styrofoam carryout container from the Green Mountain Cafe, and climbed out of the truck. He spotted Wes’s car still parked in the corner under the trees. They usually had lunch together, but not yesterday or today.

Since the Fourth of July an uncomfortable tension seemed to stretch between them. Bill had left for work early without seeing Wes at home. Wes brought his lunch both days, making Bill suspect he’d planned that so they wouldn’t have to go out to lunch together.

Bill pushed open the door and stepped into the hallway leading to his office.
Avoiding each other like this was crazy.
They’d been good friends for over nine years and gone through too much to let a little misunderstanding pull them apart. But for some reason Bill didn’t want to be the first one to bring it up.

There was no reason for Wes to be mad at him. He and Jenn hadn’t done anything wrong. But the strained silence was getting to him. Maybe it was time to sit down and talk things over with Wes.

Bill opened his office door and scanned the empty room. No sign of Wes or anyone else. Lowering himself into his desk chair, he opened the takeout box. The aroma of the hot corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese made his mouth water.

As he lifted the warm Ruben sandwich and took a bite, his office door flew open. Matt Jacobson, one of his summer interns, poked his head in. “You’re not going to believe this.”

Bill quickly swallowed a mouthful of corned beef. “What?”

“Come on out front. You’ll see.” Matt grinned and disappeared out the door.

Bill got up and followed him to the front porch. Wes and two other interns, Mandy and Troy, stood in a circle peering into a cardboard box. Matt joined them.

Bill crossed the porch. “What is it?”

Wes stood back, making room for Bill. “Take a look.”

Bill glanced into the box. Three small tan puppies slept in a pile surrounded by an old brown blanket. “Wow, where’d they come from?” Bill knelt down to take a closer look.

Wes squatted next to him. “We don’t know. I just found them out here a few minutes ago.”

Bill ran his hand over the head of one of the sleepy puppies. “Look like Golden retrievers or Labradors.  Probably mixed. I don’t think they would’ve been abandoned if they were purebred.”

Troy frowned. “So why’d somebody leave them here?”

“I guess they know we love animals, and they’re hoping we’ll find homes for them,” Wes said.

Bill rubbed his chin. How was he going to manage that?

“My brother might take one.” Matt slipped his hands in his pants pockets. “They lost a dog about three months ago, and they’re talking about getting another one. I could give him a call.”

Bill nodded. “That would be great, Matt.”

“I’d love to have one.” Mandy leaned down and picked up the smallest puppy. “I don’t know if my landlord will let me have a dog, but I can ask.”