Page 107 of Lee

love with thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my mouth, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

When they’d finished, the pastor prayed, asking God to fill them with the desire for the things that honored and glorified Him. Rori knew that once again, she’d been given lots to think about. And as she and Lee got to their feet, she resolved to have a conversation with Essie and Al about everything that was in her heart.

A short time later, Lee pulled his car to a stop in front of Rori’s building, then put it into park. “I’ll wait out here while you get changed, but there’s no rush. Take as much time as you need.”

“Okay. I shouldn’t be too long.” She hurried toward the door to the building and then down to her apartment.

After a moment’s consideration, she settled on a pair of black shorts and a pink[l1] T-shirt. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, then slipped her feet into a pair of sandals that were more appropriate for the park.

Once again, she was going empty-handed. She needed to remedy that soon. She wanted them to see that she was contributing and not just taking.

“That was fast,” Lee said when she rejoined him in the car.

“I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“I’ll always wait for you, so don’t ever rush on my account.”

Warmth flowed through Rori at his words, and she decided not to hold back what she wanted to say. To indulge in a little flirting herself.

“Maybe I just wanted to get back to you,” she said, giving him a shy smile.

Lee’s smile was definitely not shy in response. “Maybe?”

“Definitely.”

Still smiling, Lee started up the car. “I like the sound of that.”

It was then Rori realized that perhaps Lee enjoyed her flirting with him as much as she liked it when he flirted with her. The words he said made her feel like she was special to him. That out of all the women in the world, he’d decided that she was the one he wanted to be with.

That was how she felt about him, so maybe it was time to let him know that. They might not be at the point of confessing their love, but this was the next best thing.

“After I get changed, we have to stop to pick up more ice,” Lee said as he drove down her street. “Charli said she thought she had more than she actually did.”

The others were still at the house when they arrived, so Rori hung out in the kitchen talking to Charli and Janessa as they packed the food they were taking. After Lee had changed into a pair of cargo shorts and T-shirt with a faded school emblem on the front, they left to pick up the ice Charli had requested.

By the time they made it to the park, most of the others were there already, including Carisa and Jackson.

“Are Carisa and Jackson dating?” Rori kept her voice low as she and Lee joined the others at the picnic table where the food was laid out.

He glanced over at the pair, watching them for a moment. “It’s possible. You should just ask. I’m pretty sure they’d tell us. Neither of them strikes me as being reluctant to share about themselves.”

That was true. From the moment Rori had met each of them, they’d been open and friendly.

“So are you giving our boy a chance, Carisa?” Gareth asked, and when chuckles sounded around the table, Rori realized that she wasn’t the only one wondering.

Carisa tilted her head to look at Jackson, a smile on her face. “I think I just might.”

As Lee took Rori’s hand, he murmured, “I hope this doesn’t lead to heartache for them.”

“I suppose that it’s as likely for them as it is for us.”

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