Groom in Training by Gail Gaymer Martin

Author:Gail Gaymer Martin
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2010-05-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

When Nick closed his car door, he heard Suzette in the backyard. He ambled back, hoping Fred and Steph were out. Instead, the dog sat beneath a tree, yipping at a red squirrel sitting above her in the branches. It looked like a face-off. He grinned, thinking of Fred’s squirrel attack.

Hal’s car still sat in front of Steph’s, and though he wanted to talk with him about a job idea, he leaned against the fence, hoping to see Steph. So much had changed with the kiss. He’d wanted to kiss her for the past two weeks, but wisdom stopped him. He hadn’t felt ready for romance, and then she hadn’t been a Christian. But seeing her read the Bible, asking his mother questions about God’s meaning in the verses, all these things gave him hope and his concern had subsided.

Still, kissing her two days ago had startled him. It had happened as naturally as the sun going down in the evening and had been as beautiful. Her amazing smile, her full lips that looked soft—and they were—never left his mind. For a man who’d crossed women off his list for so long, his action didn’t fit his plan, and today his enthusiasm to see her didn’t fit, either. He sensed his plan slipping away. His feelings were real. Now to resolve the pile of problems that insisted on ruining his life. He planned to start now.

Today, he would apologize to Martin. If his mother learned about their tiff, it would be one more situation that would add to her unhappiness. He and Martin needed to stick together, at least for his mother’s sake. Anyway he knew that repentance and forgiveness went hand in hand, so he wanted to tell Martin he was sorry for his behavior. He still didn’t plan to be Martin’s gofer.

Then came Hal. Nick had witnessed Steph’s stress with her brother. During dinner, Hal had made a few snide remarks about Nick’s lateness. Nick regretted that, and he observed Steph’s uneasiness with Hal’s comment. But she babied her brother and couldn’t seem to stop.

Still, breaking old habits took time. He’d mentioned the problem of enabling, and she seemed to understand, but acting on it took more courage than talking. He knew that from his own relationship with Martin.

From their conversation at dinner, Nick sensed the problem could get worse. Hal made the point that he planned to stay in Michigan and look for work. He obviously assumed he’d stay with Steph.

Nick had no thought of resolving all his issues in one day, but he and Steph needed to talk about them. And they needed to talk about their relationship. Until their kiss when he showed Steph affection, reticence appeared in her eyes. But her actions didn’t match the look. She seemed to have enjoyed his romantic advances. Who was he to question? He’d acted the same way.

Nick cut short his thoughts when he noticed Steph’s new rock garden. She’d already planted flowers, colorful ones that would weave around the stones.

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