Page 52 of Where Are You Now
“You’re going to the one down the road?”
“Yep.”
“Whose idea was that?” her mother asked.
“Mine. I’m hoping I’ll be inspired by something today, and maybe I’ll figure out where to go from here.”
“You believe the little white church will give you your life’s plan?”
“That’s the hope.”
“I think your direction is up to you and God—you can find those answersanywhere.”
“Well, God told me to live out the rest of my life. If he wants me to do that, I need him to help me figure out how, so I’m heading over to his house to ask.”
Her mother offered a knowing smile.
“Want to go with us?”
Her mom sighed. “I think I’ll sit out by the lake instead. That’s been my church for years now.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ava pulled her rose-pink skirt and matching silk shirt out of the closet. When she unpacked it after arriving at her mother’s, she’d had no idea when she’d wear it, nor had she felt up to putting it on until now. But with her wounds healing, her energy on the rise, and Lucas meeting her for church, it seemed like the perfect day. She was so glad she’d insisted on bringing the outfit with her.
She curled her long chestnut hair and then applied foundation and cream blush to her cheeks. She added mascara to her lashes, feeling feminine for the first time since the accident. She slipped on her Jimmy Choos and walked into the living room.
Her mother turned her novel over in her lap. “Wow. You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” Ava did a little spin, keeping her torso tight to avoid any lingering pain. “I feel so much more myself.”
“You always did like to dress up.”
A knock halted their conversation.
“That’s Lucas,” Ava said. “I’ll get it.”
She opened the front door to find Lucas, cleanshaven, smelling divinely like spice and cinnamon, and wearing a trendy suit. While she’d always found him attractive, his appeal in that outfit stopped her in her tracks.
The way his lips parted and his eyes widened, she guessed he might feel the same way at seeing her spruced up.
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You look wonderful.”
“So do you.” She called goodbye to her mom, linked her arm in Lucas’s, and went with him to his Range Rover.
He opened her door for her, and she slid into the sleek, dark leather seat. Lucas got in on his side, and they pulled off down the road toward the chapel. The sun sparkled through the trees, casting golden light on the road in snippets, and the sky was bright blue.
When they arrived, they were greeted by an energetic gathering outside the church, all of whom might have been over eighty-five years old. Lucas’s eyes sparkled with humor as an elderly woman, who introduced herself as Dorothy, cut in and asked him to assist her up the stairs. She grabbed his arm, her cane in one hand and Lucas in the other.
He helped the woman inside and seated her in one of the pews. The whole way there she’d pointed out the framed cross-stitch on the wall, telling Lucas all about how she’d sewn each one with love to help bring the Holy Spirit to life inside the church. She continued as she sat, asking him questions about his day and telling him all about her morning with her cat. Lucas had to pull himself away the moment they had even a slight lull in conversation.
“Why do you think people our age don’t come to this church?” he whispered into Ava’s ear.
“Maybe there isn’t anyone younger in the area. The church is pretty secluded,” she said.
They followed the red runner that cut the sanctuary into two sides and took a seat together, the old wood floor andbench creaking from their movement. The crowd eyed them with whispers and smiles. Dorothy wiggled her fingers in a little wave.
A stout man in a white robe with a gold sash stepped up behind the small podium and tapped the microphone. The congregation quieted. A handful of churchgoers in robes took their places behind him.
