Finding Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance (Love's Enduring Promise Book 2) Read online

  Rebecca laughed, “That movie is so old, it makes you seem like you’re in your fifties or something.”

  Beep!

  Rebecca pulled her soup out from the microwave as Vivian continued, “I know it’s an old movie, but I don’t care. It’s amazing!” Rebecca laughed as she stirred her soup.

  Heading back over to her desk, Rebecca moved her keyboard up towards her monitor and set her bowl down in front of her on the desk. Retrieving a napkin from her desk drawer, she unfolded it and placed it onto her lap. As she began to eat, her cell phone rang. Picking it up and glancing at the screen, she was surprised to see it was Michael.

  It’s been a couple days… He must be following that typical wait to call thing or something?

  Ignoring it, she set the phone back down and continued to eat. She wasn’t going to be rude and eat on the phone with him, but she also wasn’t going to let the perfect temperature of soup go cold.

  Buzz…

  Glancing back at her phone, she saw he left a voice mail. How old school is this guy? She laughed to herself as she finished her bowl of soup and enjoyed minor chit chat with co-workers who were walking by her desk on the way to the kitchen.

  Dialing her voicemail, she entered her password and waited for the message. “Hey, Rebecca… It’s me, Michael. I don’t know if it’s too soon to call or whatever… but I don’t care. I want to see you again; I was thinking we could do that date tonight? Unless you’re busy… I’m not trying to assume you aren’t busy, but if you are, that’s fine. I’m sure you live a fascinating life and are probably busy… Ummm… so yeah, let me know.”

  Rebecca burst out laughing, causing everyone around her in their cubicles to look over at her suspiciously. This guy is too funny! She thought to herself as her face went red in embarrassment for getting everyone’s attention. She texted him back.

  Voicemail? Lol, how old are you? 80 or something? Lol… What time were you thinking? I have work, and after that Yoga until 6, but my fascinating life can fit anything in after that 

  Rebecca waited a few minutes while she continued to look at her phone. But she returned to work when he hadn’t said anything and her lunch break was over. Throughout the remainder of the day, she’d check her phone for a reply. It wasn’t until a few minutes before five she got her response.

  How about 7? I’ll pick you up.

  Smiling, she felt relieved he texted her back. She often found herself worried if she had offended someone ever since the disaster with Kole a year or so ago. He was a cute guy, but didn’t know how to take a joke. One evening she had texted jokingly about how he used way too much hair product, and he broke it off with her the next day. It was a silly incident, but she carried it forward through her life and it freaked her out when people wouldn’t respond after something she said as a joke.

  Sounds delightful

  As she sent another text over to him, which included her address, Jonathan walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Those same familiar tingles that she’d grown to love surged through her body at his touch. Something didn’t feel right about setting up a date with Michael while enjoying the touch of Jonathan, but she pushed it aside.

  “What are you doing?” He asked, leaning over her shoulder to glance at her phone. Flipping it over so he couldn’t see, she smiled back up at him.

  “It doesn’t matter… does it?”

  Stepping back, he took a defensive stance. “What? Since when do we not share what we are up to? Are you hiding something? You took that Kit and Frank editor job didn’t you?”

  Laughing, she replied, “No, it’s not that. I just… have a date.” She searched his face for jealousy, but didn’t find any. Instead, it was a bit of a humorous response.

  “Have fun with that.”

  “Why do you say it like that?”

  “How many dates have you been on?” he asked with a stupid grin on his face. “I’m not worried.”

  “Why would you worry? You’re with Stacy, remember?”

  Jonathan squinted as he shifted his gaze towards the window. “I know… I-”

  “Save your breath,” Rebecca interrupted as she stood up to leave. He didn’t care, he wasn’t jealous; in fact, he just found the whole thing funny. At least the other dates she went on he wished her good luck, this time he didn’t. Maybe those ‘good lucks’ were all jokes too. She didn’t know anymore. Was he just colder after their long conversation the other night? Or was he hiding how he felt? She didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to sit around and waste another minute. “Good night,” she said softly, walking past him towards the elevators.

  CHAPTER 5 ~ Michael

  Sitting on the edge of his bed, Michael looked at the picture of his wife that sat on the night stand. Would she be upset I was dating again? Seeing his own reflection in the picture, he saw himself dressed up for his date with Rebecca. Black suit, black tie and a green dress shirt; he looked way better than he felt in that particular moment. A mixture of awkwardness, betrayal and excitement clouded his thoughts as he waited to leave to pick Rebecca up for their date.

  Reaching over to the picture, he picked it up and kissed the frame before opening the nightstand drawer and placing it inside. A tear welled in his eye, but he wiped it away and left the room. She’d want me to be happy-- she always said that. Glancing in the mirror on his way out the door, he pushed up the frame of his glasses as he shook his head. These glasses are ridiculous!

  As the elevator went up to Rebecca’s apartment floor, Michael felt his stomach twist and sweat bead on his forehead. This is it, this is real. Looking at the roses in his hands, he recalled the last time he had a bouquet of flowers in hand. It was over five years ago, when his wife was still alive.

  He recalled it like yesterday when he had gotten off early at work and stopped by the grocery store for milk and eggs. When he walked past the floral department, he spotted a bouquet of daisies, her favorite flower. They didn’t have more than twenty dollars in the bank, but when he saw them, he knew they’d make her happy.

  The elevator dinged, arriving on Rebecca’s floor and breaking his concentration. Taking a deep breath, he stepped off the elevator and glanced at the numbers on each door as he navigated down to Rebecca’s apartment.

  Apartment number one hundred and forty two, there it was. The door looked just like every other door in the hallway, but this one packed a possibility, a hope, and maybe a future. He hadn’t dated much since his wife passed, but going on a date with Rebecca seemed to bring a whole lot of emotions rushing back into his life that he thought were buried with his wife.

  Raising a shaky hand into a fist, he gave the door a stern knock, and then waited. When the door opened, Rebecca’s soft green eyes warmed his soul and stopped the trembling he felt inside.

  “Nice glasses,” she laughed, opening the door to usher him in. “What’s with them?” she said, grabbing the flowers from his extended hand.

  “I need them to see…” Michael replied, stepping inside her apartment. He noticed numerous paintings and art throughout her entire home.

  Rebecca laughed as she walked into the kitchen and turned on the faucet in the kitchen sink. “Well, duh, but you didn’t have them on the other day.”

  “I lost a contact yesterday and had to order a new script,” He replied, walking into the living room towards the oversized painting on the wall.

  “You a fan of Eleanor Ve’Delar?” She asked as she cut the stems from the flowers under the water.

  Turning back to her, he chose his words carefully. “Indeed. I had no idea you were a collector.”

  “I dabble… I wouldn’t consider myself a collector.”

  Glancing over at her in the kitchen Michael watched as she reached up into a cupboard. The blouse she had on lifted up revealing a tramp stamp tattoo of a pair of cherries. Michael wasn’t sure what to think of it. He only knew one other woman who had one before, and she ended up cheating on him. Pulling down a vase, she put the flowers in them and se
t them in the middle of her counter.

  “Have you ever gone to the Rasmum Center?” He asked curiously.

  “No, I haven’t… what is it?”

  “It’s a gallery over on the west side. They host art shows once a month. They have some really talented artists who contribute to it. All the proceeds go to help the ‘Give Back’ project.”

  “That’s the group that helps the homeless in Spokane, right?”

  “Yep, some of the pieces of art have sold for thousands. It’s really neat.”

  “I don’t go over to the West side of town very often.”

  “We should go check it out one of these times.”

  Her eyes widened at Michael’s comment. “Yeah…”

  “Was that a little too forward for you?” Michael laughed.

  “No, not at all…” she replied. “It’s just kind of nice to hear you talk about the future and I’m in it.”

  Michael smiled warmly at her. “Are you ready for an amazing night?”

  “I am.” Rebecca beamed, grabbing her coat, scarf and purse. As they left the apartment, Michael waited as she locked up. “How’s your story going?” she asked, looking back at him.

  “It’s coming along. I have a few final kinks I’m working out.”

  She nodded. “That’s fun.”

  Driving down the freeway, Michael passed by Harrison Ave. Which headed down to Le Coq Au Vin, a French restaurant that was to die for. He figured she was probably assuming that’s where they were going to be dining.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You’ll have to wait and see,” he replied, smiling over at her. The freeway led them out of Spokane and into the back country of Chattaroy, where the pine trees and farms ruled the land.

  “You’re not like some kind of serial killer, right? We’re driving into the sticks and its dark… I’m just getting a little… nervous.”

  Michael wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not by the comment. “Do I come off as a serial killer?”

  “Well, you are pretty nice to me, and I was definitely rude the other day. It’d make sense if you wanted to kill me.”

  Michael laughed. “Rest assured, I have no interest in killing you.” Pausing for a moment he looked over at her. “Would you really be that calm and even ask that question if you seriously thought I was one?”

  Laughing, Rebecca reached over and grabbed his arm, immediately sending shots of warmth and comfort through his body he hadn’t felt in years. “You’re right…”

  Arriving at the driveway up to his cabin, the road turned to dirt and rocks, and the pine trees were closely stacked together along both sides of the path. Looking over at Rebecca, he saw her grasping tightly to the arm rest, her knuckles were white.

  “Just relax,” he said.

  Coming up to the cabin, her uptight appearance seemed to relax and her breathing returned to normal as she let out a large breath. “Is this yours?” she asked, peering out the windshield up at the log cabin.

  “Yep, my home away from home,” he replied, putting the car into park. He would have been up at the cabin with all the construction going on in his apartment, but he didn’t like the long commute to the college, so it was worth staying in the city. Rebecca started to grab and open the door, but Michael stopped her. “Wait,” he said with a smile.

  Jumping out of the car, he quickly came around and opened the door for her. He knew she appreciated it by the smile that crossed her face. “Am I royalty?”

  “You’re my date, so yes.”

  CHAPTER 6 ~ Rebecca

  Walking into the cabin, Rebecca immediately felt comfortable, as the interior was warm and welcoming. Michael flipped on a switch that kicked on the gas fireplace and went upstairs into the kitchen and dining room area that overlooked the living room. The vaulted ceilings were all made of wood and gorgeously designed; how he could afford the place as a writer was beyond her understanding.

  “This place is gorgeous,” she said, taking a seat on the couch. She noticed a photo album on the coffee table in front of the couch and saw Michael and a woman on the front of it. Wonder who that is… she thought to herself.

  Leaning over the railing from the dining room, he replied, “I know. I got this place when my mother and father passed away. I use it as a getaway… sometimes.”

  Rebecca felt a sting rip through her chest as she thought about her own mother’s passing that happened a few short years ago. “I’m sorry for your loss…” she said up to him.

  “That’s okay. It happened a while ago…” He vanished behind the wall that hid the kitchen and Rebecca could hear him messing around in the oven. “Should be about forty-five more minutes.”

  “Oh jeez, what are we eating?”

  Coming back downstairs, he handed her a glass of wine. “Wine okay?”

  “Yes, but you ignored my question,” she replied taking the glass.

  He smiled, “It’s a surprise.” She saw his eyes fall onto the photo album on the coffee table as he set his glass of water down. Quickly grabbing it, he pulled out a woven basket from underneath the table and tossed it in.

  “Who is that?” Rebecca asked.

  Pausing for a moment, he looked over at her. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Red flag! She thought to herself. “Don’t screw around with me, Michael. Who is that? Is it your wife… she’s out of town or something and you brought me here? I can’t deal with -”

  “Stop,” he replied sharply. “You’re right about one thing. That was my wife.”

  “Unbelievable,” Rebecca replied. Standing up, she glared at him. “I want to go home.”

  “Wait. It’s not what you think…”

  Rebecca couldn’t believe her ears. What kind of sick excuse will this guy come up with? How they don’t love each other anymore? How he’s just not happy? She’d heard excuses from married men on more than one occasion, but she wasn’t going to waste her time on another guy who wasn’t happy with his life. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this. I don’t care what’s going on between your wife and you, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I want you to take me home.”

  “She’s dead…” he said softly. Grabbing his cup of water, he took a swig and left the room to go back upstairs to the kitchen. What have I done? He’s… a widower? Rebecca felt horrible; she had made up a story in her head without giving the truth a chance. Going after him, she stood at the base of the stairs that led up into the kitchen.

  “I’m so sorry…” she said, looking up the stairs. Michael walked over to the stairs and looked down into her eyes. He shook his head.

  “Don’t be sorry,” he replied, glancing towards the coffee table. “I shouldn’t even have those out…”

  “Are you not over her?” Rebecca asked delicately.

  “I’ll never stop loving her… That’s just how it is.”

  Shaking her head, she looked down at the stairs, they were standing on. He lifted up Rebecca’s chin, “Hey…”

  “What?” She asked, looking into his eyes.

  “I feel drawn to you. I don’t know what that means right now… but I’ll tell you something right now. I haven’t had these types of feelings since she passed… and you are the first girl I’ve felt anything for since. The other day when I saw you… Something ignited inside of me that I thought was gone forever. ”

  Rebecca was uncomfortable with him having a dead wife. She hadn’t ever been close to marriage, and he already had a photo album full of memories with his wife. How could I compete with that? She wondered as she searched his eyes.

  “Can I ask what happened?” Rebecca asked as Michael walked down the stairs and over to the couch to sit back down.

  “She had a brain aneurism. The doctor’s said there wasn’t anything we could have done to prevent it…”

  “And how long ago was that?”

  “Five years.”

  How could he think he’s moved on? He’s not felt anything for any girl for over five years. “Having a photo
album out on your coffee table isn’t really moving on.”

  “Just because I moved on doesn’t mean I have to forget she ever existed. She did exist and I loved her deeply. She was a part of my life. For the longest time I had everything that reminded me hidden away.”

  “What changed?” Rebecca asked, leaning in curiously. Before he got a chance to respond, she added, “When my mom passed, I kept everything out and built shrines around my house dedicated to her memory.”

  “I realized I didn’t need to forget she existed, I needed to appreciate the time I did have with her and accept that she’s in a better place… What happened to your mother?”

  Rebecca’s mind flashed back to the hospice bed that was set up in her apartment back when her mom was on the brink of death. She hated her life back in those days; every morning was a new day to find out if her mother had died in the night or if she had another day with her.

  “Cancer…”

  Michael put his arm on her shoulder. “Loss is the hardest thing to deal with. We have no control, we are powerless, and it leaves us broken like nothing else.”

  His words rang true and touched her deeply; she instantly made a connection with him at a deep level. He understood the pain she had inside of her. “It’s like you learn to live with a void in your life.”

  “That person’s just never going to be around again… but the memories are still there.”

  “They are…” Rebecca replied, having another memory come to her. Her mother was pushing her on her princess bike down the sidewalk as she rode for the first time on her bike without training wheels. She recalled looking back at her mother and smiling as her mom cheered.

  Tears welled in Rebecca’s eyes as her throat began to clench. She didn’t want to revisit the memories of her loss. She didn’t want to be sad; she was on a date. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore… It’s too painful.”