Page 5 of Loving Decker

“No, it’s good you said what you did. I’ve been wondering for days now what you think about all this.”

“You have?”

“Of course.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

She shrugged and took a long swig. “I don’t know, Deck, why didn’t you call?”

His nod started slow but then sped up. “I think I need to fix that. I’ll make sure you hear from me more.”

Her cheeks colored a slight pink, and he studied her face. Was she feeling different around him too? “What are you doing Sunday?”

“If you’re inviting me to Dawson family dinner, then I’m doing nothing except for that.” She grinned.

“Then I’ll tell Mama to add another plate.”

“Yes!” She raised her cup to him and then sat back, looking around. “This is nice.”

The place was decorated the exact same as it always had been, with pictures of people from the town. There were plenty from their days in high school. Mav and Bailey, Dylan and Shelby. Deck cringed, so happy his twin had married Kate instead. He and Faith had quite a few up on the walls, too. He’d never really dated anyone, but he’d hung out enough with Faith that they were known as friends if not more. He’d always laughed and denied it when people asked if they were dating. They had been “only friends” for a long time. And that’s what it had always felt like.

But as Mama had said, sometimes friends made the best girlfriends when the time was right. Is that what was happening here?

He watched Faith while she laughed about this memory or that. She waved her hands, animated. Her face lit with joy. Even with all that she was carrying right now, she was full of some kind of peace and happiness that he needed more of.

His hand is stretched out still.

He’d read that powerful phrase this morning in his Bible study, and it wouldn’t leave his mind. God reached out His hand even when they made mistakes, when they did dumb things, basically all the time, no matter what, God stretched his hand out to them. In times of happiness, worry, stress, He was always there.

As he thought about Willow Creek and the developers closing in and everyone needing to sell off land, he just didn’t know where God’s hand was in any of this. But he had hope.

“You’re quiet.” Faith’s voice was soft, tentative, and Decker could have kicked himself because he’d made her worried. “I’m sorry. I’m thinking deep things. I just don’t know what to do about all this, and I’m not even sure what the right thing is.”

“Is there a right thing?”

“I don’t know that either.” Decker shook his head. “But I am glad I ran into you today. That felt important.” He smiled, letting his eyes travel over her sweet face. She was so beautiful. How had he never really appreciated that before now? “I decided a very important thing.”

“Oh?”

“If I don’t know about the land and Willow Creek or how to answer Mav or what to do with my life if the Dawson ranch is no more…but I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

The world slowed around them. Faith’s expression, open and hopeful, filled him with so many emotions. He wanted her to understand. He wanted to take things in a new direction. “I know I’d like to see you more.”

“You would?”

“Yep. A whole lot more.”

She couldn’t hide her pleased smile or the warm blush to her cheeks. Could she really be interested? After all this time? Or maybe things were changing for her now, too. But then she crossed her arms. “We’ll just have to see, now won’t we, Decker Dawson? How about we start with dinner.”

“You’re on. And then lunch the next day.”

She opened her mouth and then nodded. “And lunch.”

When their food arrived, it kept them quiet for a bit as he enjoyed every bite of Sam’s signature burger. “Wow, Judy’s good at these.”

“I know. I don’t eat here enough.”

---