Love Blooms by Denise Hunter

Author:Denise Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2012-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Ethan was halfway to the campground when he realized he’d left his jacket in the work truck. He thumped his palm on the handlebar grip. It wasn’t cold yet, but it was supposed to get down into the forties tonight. A fire would warm his bones until bedtime, but it would be a long, cold night without his jacket.

He swung his bike around in the middle of the deserted country lane and headed back toward town. Night had fallen, and the nursery had long since closed.

After work he’d treated himself to a meal at the Country Cupboard Café. Of course, it wasn’t like the homemade meals he’d had with the Thomas family . . .

He’d run into Miss Violet at the café, and they’d shared a table and talked. The woman was taking some steps in the right direction. Clare had been right about her softening toward her sister.

Clare. Things had been awkward since he’d asked her out two weeks ago. She’d thrown up a great big wall and wasn’t letting him over. He was a risk, he got that.

But it was a risk for him too. This was the first time in years he’d met someone he was willing to take a chance on. Loving was always a risk—and Clare was someone he could love. He was halfway there already. His feelings had grown, date or no. He fell for her a little more every day, watching her patiently assist the customers, lovingly tend her plants, calmly mediate between her grandma and aunt.

But his job here was nearly over. He’d stay for Clare’s birthday, the bicentennial, but he couldn’t see himself staying much beyond. The past two weeks had been difficult enough.

Besides, he didn’t know how long it would take to find work. He’d learned to stretch his money as far as he could. Where to next, God? Providence? Hartford? Boston?

The pause brought no answer, no quiet whisper to his heart or strong feeling about his next move. None of the towns even sounded intriguing. In fact, packing up, scoping out another new town, begging for work . . . none of that sounded appealing either.

What was wrong with him? He was usually eager to hit the road after a couple months in one place. Ready to shake the dust of the town from his feet, ready to meet new people, see where God was working and join him there.

Was it Smitten, or was it Clare? Maybe it was both. Maybe he was smitten with Clare. And maybe the fact that he didn’t want to leave meant it was past time he did.

Is that it, God? Am I through in Smitten? I don’t feel like I did anything worthwhile here.

But in his heart, he knew what his reluctance to leave meant. He missed having a place to call home. People to call friends. He thought of Aunt Violet, Michael, Griffen Parker. Good people, all of them. People he wouldn’t mind being neighbors with.

But then there was Clare. He could always stay awhile, see if she’d come around.

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