Lakeside Sweetheart

Her mother had always been a work in progress. But even ravished by two strokes and unable to speak, Cora had died with a peaceful look on her face. Thankful that she’d made it to the nursing home in time to be with her mother at the end, Vanessa wondered what she’d left unsaid.

Rory picked up an object here and studied a piece of art there. “Interesting collection.”

“A lot of stuff, huh?” she said, wondering what Rory really thought. Wondering why she’d let him in. Really let him in.

“Yes.” He munched on his waffle cone. “But that’s not your fault. And you don’t have to go through it alone.”

“Do you mean clearing away this clutter or grieving?”

He gave her that blue-eyed stare that left her feeling light and heavy at the same time. “Yes.”

“I don’t need a lot of help,” she replied, panicking. The cold ice cream burned at her stomach. She imagined him being here every day, watching her, checking on her, asking her pointed, preacher-type questions. “I can handle this, Preacher.”

He didn’t speak. He kept munching on his cone. Finally, he finished chewing and nodded. “I don’t doubt that, but why should you have to do this alone?”

“Why are you so determined to make sure I get help?”

He seemed to accept that she was turning ugly again, and Vanessa felt ashamed at herself. “I’m sorry. I guess I need some more time to process this.”

“Okay.” He finished his ice cream and went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. “And I should leave you alone to do this in your own way.”

If he noticed the dishes everywhere or the half-eaten sandwich she’d left on the counter, he didn’t blink. Instead, he dried his hands on a butterfly-embossed dish towel and walked over to where she stood holding a melting ice cream cone.

“Appetite gone?” he asked, taking the cone from her.

“Yes.”

He took her ice cream and went back to the sink and dropped the dripping cone inside and washed his hands again. Then he came back to stand near her. “You do what you need to do. We’re all here, though. Remember that. Miss Fanny next door—she knew your mom. She’s willing to help, and she’s willing to listen.”

“I don’t need anyone to listen to me,” Vanessa retorted, needing him to leave. Needing to be away from his soft, sweet gaze. “I... I’ll figure this out.”

“I believe you will.”

“But you’d like it better if I opened up and told you all my troubles and my fears?”

He started backing toward the door. “No, I wouldn’t like that better. I wouldn’t like that at all. But what I would like is for you to stop seeing me as the enemy and let me be your friend.”

“I can’t do that,” she said, tears burning at her eyes. “I don’t think you’re the enemy, but I can’t be your friend, Rory.”

He held a hand on the doorknob. “Or you can’t let me be your friend? Because I’m what you consider a pushy minister?”

“That’s part of it. That especially, and you being so nice and not being a pushy minister in the way that I know, is really messing with my head.”

“I wish you’d reconsider things,” he said, “but I understand. I’ll see you soon, I guess. You know where to find me if you need me.” He opened the door, but turned back. “But you need to understand, I didn’t come over here today to badger you. I came because I saw someone in need. That’s my nature as a human being, not only as a minister. Sometimes, people tend to overlook that I’m as human as they are.”

And then he was gone, just like that.

For a split second, Vanessa wanted to run after him and tell him all of her troubles. But she had to be strong. She had to fight that notion with all her being. She’d told a minister her innermost secrets before, and that man had used her fears and her insecurities against her. Never again.

She’d been taking care of herself for a long time now. Why should that change? Why should she believe a sweet-talking preacher who brought her ice cream and made her feel safe?

She rushed to the sink and turned on the hot water and watched as the caramel-vanilla ice cream melted into nothing. Her confusing thoughts about Rory had to melt into nothing, too. Because growing close to him would be a bad idea all the way around.

Why should she believe him? Why did she want to believe him?

Because Rory was different. She could tell that. He’d never been through the type of horrible, mortifying things she’d endured. He was happy and settled and well-rounded and content.

He didn’t know the kind of pain she knew.

Did he?

Chapter Five (#ulink_39f16b9b-7b2b-53d8-974f-a9c9cd90965a)

Rory sat behind his desk, a spot he tried not to occupy very often. He much preferred being up and about, talking to people one-on-one. Paperwork always made him antsy and tired, but today was Monday.

Paperwork day.

He signed a few more checks and went over some notes for the committee meeting he had to attend later in the week. Then he checked his watch. Blain and Rikki were coming in today to go over the last-minute details of their upcoming wedding.

Thankful that they’d managed to get past her family’s alleged criminal activities and that Blain had saved her from some nasty people, Rory was glad that Blain, a detective, had fallen for Rikki, the daughter of a reputed Mafia boss. Rikki had made peace with her family since she’d found out her powerful father had truly mended his ways long ago, and Blain had made peace with his father, a retired sheriff who’d helped him crack the case.

Rory’s heart warmed at the harmony all around him. Another win for the good guys.

Now he was in charge of yet another wedding. He’d married off Alec Caldwell and Marla Hamilton right before Christmas of last year. They were thriving.

He wanted that for Blain and Rikki, too.

He might even want that again for himself one day. But he tried not to think about the past or his own heartache too much. Rory didn’t talk about that time in his life. He’d been so happy, so ready to start his career as a minister. But then, his life had changed in one quick heartbeat.

People would be surprised to know he’d had to crawl out of his own dark place.

He stopped reading over the budget report and glanced out the office window, across the street to the Craftsman cottage. And wondered for the hundredth time how Vanessa was doing. She hadn’t come back to church yet. But it had been only a week. He’d hoped she’d come yesterday, but he hadn’t seen her in the congregation. He hadn’t talked to her since the day he’d helped her with the pile of broken dishes. But he kept that little kiddie cup she’d almost tossed right here in his desk drawer so he could return it to her one day.

When she was ready.

He had a good vantage point to keep an eye on her. He’d seen her coming and going, taking boxes to the trash, loading her tiny car with bags of stuff. She was busy. She was avoiding him. Maybe she was avoiding the whole world.

He’d also seen her staring off into space, sometimes up at the house, sometimes out toward the lake. And a couple of times, over toward the church.

He prayed she’d walk over and see him one day soon.

In God’s own time.

Some people believed you had to rush right in and grab people by the lapels to convince them that God loved them. Rory preferred to let people come to that notion on their own.

So he prayed them into taking the next step. And he’d been doing a lot of praying for Vanessa lately. She was going through a deep pain, no doubt. No one here really knew he’d been through that kind of pain. Not even his best friends.

Rory wanted to keep it that way. He couldn’t let people see beyond his good-natured, friendly attitude. He’d hidden that side of himself away for so long, it didn’t match anymore.