Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys) (19 page)

*****

Damian rolled over and pulled his covers more tightly around him. He lay there for a moment, his thoughts slowly coming into focus. The instant full clarity returned, he flung back the blankets and sat up. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes.  Still feeling slightly dazed and asleep, he glanced at the clock. It took him a moment to figure out if it was eleven in the morning or evening.

Morning…it was definitely morning. He’d been asleep for ten hours. And he’d needed every single one of them.  He’d gone nearly forty-eight hours with very little sleep so when he’d crashed…he’d crashed. But now he needed to get up and get this wonderful day underway. What a difference twenty-four hours could make.

He reached for his phone and called Rachel. Just thinking of her brought a smile to his face. Finally…after waiting so long…she was his. Of course people might say that six months was not that long, but to him, he’d been waiting his whole life for the woman God had for him.

“Damian?” Rachel answered the phone with his name.

“Good morning, my love,” Damian replied. His greeting was met with silence and Damian wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. Or if something had happened while he slept.

But before he could ask, she said, “That’s so…wonderful. To hear you call me that. You’re my love too.”

Damian’s heart skipped a beat. “I never thought I’d hear you say that. I’m not dreaming, right?”

Rachel’s soft laugh tickled his ear. “No, not unless I am too. Did you sleep well?”

“I slept like a log. How about you?  How’s Mari?”

“I slept well too
, and Mari is doing better.  Still no memory of those two weeks, but she’s improving. So many answers to prayer.”

“Yes…more than I could ever have imagined.” Damian stood from the bed and stretched.  “I’m on my way to you.  Where are you?”

“I’m at the hospital.” She hesitated for a moment. “I love you. I need to see you.”

Damian swallowed the lump in his throat. Just a few days ago he’d been so sure he’d never hear those words from her. “I love you too. I’m on my way.”

The call ended then, and Damian hurriedly dressed and headed out.  He stopped long enough to get them each coffee from Rachel’s favorite coffee shop before going to the hospital. As he rounded the corner to the waiting room on the floor were Mari was now, Damian came to a stop. He couldn’t help but stare at the woman curled up on the seat in front of the window. Her dark hair was gathered back from her face, and she wore simple jeans and a sweater. No other woman had ever looked as beautiful to him.

She glanced up then and spotted him. There was no wariness, no apprehension in her gaze now.  Only warmth and love…for him. A slow smile spread across her face as she stood and came to where he stood.  She
raised up on tiptoes to kiss him. Damian wrapped his free arm around her waist and held her close. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo and closed his eyes.

“I’m never going to let you go, you know,” he murmured against her hair.

He felt her quick intake of breath. “That’s good, because I’m not going anywhere.”

And neither was he. God had granted them the gift of this love
, and he would cherish it for his lifetime.

*****

Except from “Worth the Wait”

Book 2 of the

“Those Karlsson Boys” Series

Chapter One

With a sigh Serena slid the last document into a folder in the filing cabinet. Considering how much they used computers, there was still
an abundance of paper floating around. But at least the filing was done for another week. Lifting her arms into the air, she gave the cabinet drawer a hip bump to close it and grinned.

An upbeat worship song had come on the small stereo she had on
corner of her desk, and Serena couldn’t help but do a little dance to the rhythm of the music. She picked up the paper Reverend Anderson had left her a few minutes earlier on his way out the door. Still bobbing her head and tapping her foot in time to the song, Serena skimmed the notes scrawled on the paper. Some last minute announcements for the bulletin on Sunday.

Serena dropped down into her chair. As she laid the paper on the desk, a movement in the doorway caught her attention. She glanced up and found herself being observed by a tall, dark haired man with piercing blue eyes and a five o’clock shadow. He leaned against the doorjamb, one dark eyebrow lifted and his lips curved into a half smile. The way his eyes sparkled with laughter ignited a flicker of warmth in the pit of her stomach. Serena sucked in a quick breath. It had been a long, long time since she’d experienced anything like that.

Trying to compose herself, Serena straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin and smiled. “Can I help you?”

The man moved from the doorjamb and walked towards her desk. “It’s nice to see someone who enjoys their
job.”

“Not hard to enjoy work in a place like this.”

“That’s good to hear.” Still smiling, he sat on the corner of her desk, bracing his tanned hands on his thighs. “Is Damian Karlsson in?”

Serena tilted her head. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Nope. Do I need one?”

“Pastor Karlsson is pretty busy these days…” Serena began.

“And you’re standing guard at the door?” A familiar smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Serena tried to place where she’d seen it before. When comprehension finally dawned she nearly smiled herself. “I keep out all troublesome men who show up with no appointments.”

Another lift of his dark brow. “I think he’ll see me,” the man informed her.

“What makes you say that?” Serena leaned back in her seat. She knew she shouldn’t, but she was enjoying the light banter with the handsome man. His jet black hair was cut fairly short,
though its waves kept it from looking too severe. He was tall, probably a little over six feet as best she could judge from her seat, and had broad shoulders. He looked like he spent some time working out or at least doing physical labor. But it had been his smile and blue eyes that had given away who he was.

“I’m the best man.”

“Well, you’re rather full of yourself now, aren’t you?”

He braced a hand on the desk and leaned towards her. “Hey, they gave me the title. I didn’t make it up for myself.”

Serena cocked her head. “Yes, you do seem much more humble than that statement would have a person believe.”

The man seemed momentarily at a loss for words
, then shook his head. “Where on earth did Damian find you? This office must be a pretty lively place with you around.”

“You can only imagine.” Serena smiled at him, then stood and held out her hand. “I’m Serena Menard, and you must be Alex Karlsson.”

“You knew,” he said, accusation lacing his tone as he gave her hand a firm shake.

“I figured it out pretty quick. Damian has a picture of you on his desk.” She compared him to the
image in her head of the photograph. “Though your hair was a tad longer when it was taken.”

“Yeah, that was probably from several years ago. And here I thought it was the remarkable resemblance Damian and I have.”

Serena laughed. “About the only things you two have in common are your height and eye color. And maybe a sense of humor.”

“I got him beat in that department.” Alex winked at her. “I’m the standout. The other two are like
pieces of bread.”

“
Pieces of bread?” Serena asked.

“Sure. That’s what I like to call them since they’re blond, like two pieces of white bread. We’re like a sandwich. Damian is the top piece of bread, Jace is the bottom, and I’m the meat in the middle. You know…the part of the sandwich with substance that everyone likes.”

“Ah, trust a man to relate to food. Why aren’t you the net between two tennis players? Or the football between two goal posts?”

His smile widened
causing a dimple to appear in his right cheek. “A girl who knows her sports. I like that.”

It had been forever since anyone had called Serena a girl. She started to call him on it but then decided not to. “Don’t let my comments fool you. I’m no sports fan
atic, but with Damian and Reverend Anderson around I’ve had to learn at least the basics of most sports.”

“Never can go wrong knowing about sports,” Alex informed her. “And speaking of Damian…are you going to let me through?”

“I suppose I should.” Serena pushed a button on her phone.

“What’s up?” Damian’s voice came through the speaker.

“Someone here to see you.”

“Can you ask them to wait for a bit? Rachel will kill me if I don’t get these vows written. Who was the person that suggested writing our own?” Damian muttered something that Serena couldn’t quite make out through the speaker.

“I believe it was you, actually.”

“Don’t remind me. Just give me ten minutes.”

“I don’t know. This man seems most insistent.” Serena grinned at Alex.

More muttering. “Okay, send him in.”

Serena disconnected the line and pointed down the hallway past the filing cabinet. “His office is the first door on your right. Maybe you can give him a hand with the vows.”

Alex held up both hands in a hands-off pose. “Hey, his wedding, his vows.”

Before Serena could reply, Alex headed down the hall and disappeared through the door into Damian’s office. She stared at the empty hallway for a few seconds, replaying their conversation in her head. Her cheeks burned as it dawned on her how flirtatious she may have sounded. That had not been her intention. Once she’d realized he was Damian’s brother, she had slipped into the banter mode she often used with Damian. She loved Damian like a brother and treated him like one, too.

Alex, however, was a whole different story. Her reaction to him was anything but brotherly.

Trying not to focus on the attractiveness of Damian’s younger sibling, Serena turned her attention to the handwritten list of announcements she’d been studying before she’d seen Alex standing in the doorway. Reverend Anderson’s handwriting had gotten progressively worse over the three years she’d had the job of his secretary. He preferred to not use the computer which meant deciphering his notes each time he left them for her. Just when she thought she had it figured out, it became an even worse illegible scrawl. He should’ve been a doctor.

“Serena?” A voice interrupted her concentration.

She looked up, mentally shaking herself for being so out of it that she wasn’t hearing people come into the office. “Hi, Rachel!”

Serena quickly stood and walked around the desk to embrace her friend. “You’re looking wonderful.”

“Thanks,” Rachel said with a blush. “I can’t believe it’s only three days until the wedding.”

“How’s everything going? Do you need me to do anything?” Serena was sharing the role of maid of honor with Rachel’s daughter, Mari. Since Mari was still recovering from the car accident she had been in, Serena had taken over most of the responsibilities of the
position. And it was her pleasure to do it for both Mari and Rachel. They were among the two sweetest women she’d ever known.

“
It’s going fine. Lots of people must be praying for us because so far it’s all gone smoothly.” Rachel’s brow furrowed. “Of course, we’re not married yet.”

“It will all be fine and what isn’t, doesn’t matter. All that does matter is that you are marrying the man you love.” Serena gave her grin. “And it’s about time.”

Rachel plopped into the chair beside Serena’s desk, so Serena went back to her own seat.

“How’s Mari doing today?” Serena asked.

Rachel’s eyebrows drew together, her eyes clouded with concern. “She’s okay, I guess. It seems more of her memory is coming back, but she doesn’t remember Jace or the accident. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”

“For now it’s probably
for the best, Rach. She doesn’t need to have to deal with the emotional baggage while she’s still healing from all the physical stuff.”

Rachel nodded. “You’re right. It just hurts to see her in pain and know there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”