Not Until Us by Valerie M. Bodden
Author:Valerie M. Bodden [Bodden, Valerie M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: contemporary romance, Women's Fiction, Forever Love, Christian Stories, Faith Based, Inspirational Reads, Love Inspired, Bachelor, Single Woman, Hearts Desire, Clean & Wholesome, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Small Town & Rural Area, Beautiful & Feisty, Hope Springs Series
Publisher: Valerie Bodden
Published: 2019-09-11T04:00:00+00:00
Chapter 23
The ball swished through the hoop, and Jared lifted his hands in triumph. âThatâs three in a row, man. Whatâs up with you today?â
Dan grabbed the rebound. âNothingâs up with me.â
Jared checked the ball but didnât move in for the block as Dan made his way down the half-court that had been painted off to the side of the church parking lot for youth group events. For the past year or so, he and Jared had been playing a quick game of one-on-one every Friday morning.
âYou know, for a guy whoâs always encouraging others to talk about their problems, you arenât so quick to share your own.â
Dan shrugged. He was here to play basketball, not talk about his problems.
Not that he had any.
âYou remember what you told me when I needed someone to talk to about Peyton?â
Dan drove to the basket for a layup. The ball went in easily, only because Jared didnât take so much as half a step to block him.
âAre we playing basketball or talking?â Dan tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
But Jared was standing with the ball clasped in his hands. âTalking.â
Dan stared at his friend a second, then jogged to the sideline to grab his water bottle.
âYou saidââ Jared walked over, setting the ball in the grass and grabbing his own water. After a long swig, he continued. âYou said you were human.â
Dan looked up. Of course he was human. âI donât think Iâve ever said I wasnât.â
âNo.â Jared scooped the ball up and tossed it from hand to hand. âBut you act like youâre superhuman. You donât share your problems because you donât want people to know you have any.â
âI donât have any.â But heâd known Jared long enough to realize his friend wouldnât let him get away with that.
He dragged a hand through his hair. âFine. Itâs Jade. And Grace.â
Jared nodded but didnât say anything, just kept tossing the ball from hand to hand. He was using Danâs own technique of waiting silently to draw him out. Dan would think it was nicely played, if it werenât so frustrating.
Jared was right. Dan didnât want anyone to think he had problems. After all, he was the pastor. He was supposed to solve everyone elseâs problems, not come to them with his own.
But Jared was a good friend. And Dan did need some advice.
He reached to steal the ball from Jared and started dribbling. âNot many people know that Jade and I went on a fewâI donât know if youâd call them datesâbut we spent some time together at the end of high school, right before she left Hope Springs. We were actually getting pretty serious. At least thatâs what I thought. But thenââ Dan gave an extra-strong dribble that made the ball bounce up to his head. âThen she left. And it seemed pretty clear the path God had laid out for me. And then Grace moved here, and everyone kept telling me how perfect she is for me. But now Jade is back andââ He caught the ball and shrugged helplessly.
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