Page 92 of Desert Thorns
Fact was that God had given us free will, and we sometimes abused that and messed up. It never came as a surprise to Him. He knew that we were frail human beings. That’s why He’d given His only Son to die on the cross for us. Our appropriate responseto this undeserved act of love was to do our best, and when we stumbled, to repent and get back on track. It was a battle—every single day. But we didn’t have to fight alone. The Lord was always by our side, giving us strength to finish the race strong.
“He’s so perfect,” Harley whispered.
I glanced down at Samuel. He had my dark brown hair and Harley’s hazel eyes, which now were closed. When Harley had told me she wanted to name him Samuel in remembrance of my time at Saint James, I was hesitant. I didn’t need the constant reminder of my failures. Then something shifted and I saw the opportunity to give the name a fresh start. Grandpa Raines was elated to hear Samuel’s middle name was Davidson. I met Harley’s parents at our wedding. Christopher was laid-back and constantly cracked jokes, whereas Harley’s bubbly side definitely came from her mom. With Aaron in prison and Regina not interested in getting to know my wife, Harley had yet to meet them. My brothers had compensated by throwing a proper welcome party.
“Is it today that we’re going to Keaton and Layne’s?” Harley asked.
“Yeah, after church.”
“I can’t wait. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Seeing Keaton play with Samuel melts my heart every time anew. And Tatum and Coco? These two are like characters from a soap opera. I wonder what’s on today.”
I chuckled. “Guess we’re about to find out.”
“Look at how cute they are.” Bella pointed at Keaton who sat in the sand under a palm tree, zooming Samuel through theair while making airplane noises. Our son beamed, occasionally cracking a toothless grin.
Gentle waves lapped the beach of Keaton and Layne’s private cove, a cluster of palm trees offering shade from the blistering sun. The water was a postcard turquoise, turning a deep blue farther out. The smell of sizzling chicken wings and burger patties wafted from the portable grill we’d set up along with picnic blankets. It was crazy that everyone had found the time to come. Even Wentworth and his team were here.
Layne chuckled. “You mean the big baby playing with the small baby?”
“Hey, I heard that,” Keaton said.
“If only you would hear everything I say this well. Do all men suffer from selective hearing or is it just mine?”
“Mine does, too.” Harley gave me a sweet smile. “Maybe it’s a Grady thing.”
“Definitely,” Coco chimed in from where she was sitting next to Tatum, a stack of papers and a laptop in the gap between them. Whatever they were working on had to have top priority if they couldn’t take a break on a Sunday afternoon. Apart from me, they were the only ones still wearing clothes. Everyone else had changed into swimsuits or trunks. From what I’d gathered they had a business trip coming up, and Tatum wanted to sail to the destination. The two of them on his yacht for several days? Not sure how that would turn out with their constant bickering.
Giuliana shook her head. “Nope. Uncle Rome doesn’t listen either.”
Standing behind the grill, he flipped burger patties like a chef. “That’s because you women talk non-stop.”
“Yeah, because you never listen,” Giuliana shot back. “If you would, we wouldn’t have to say everything five times.”
I grinned. Our friend group couldn’t have been more diverse, which, to me, was a clear sign that the Lord had brought ustogether. Weirdly, I had especially clicked with Rome. Maybe because we both had a last name we weren’t proud of, yet were determined to change the legacy. Or maybe he just wanted to keep me close because I knew one of his darkest secrets.
“Is anyone coming into the water with me?” Giuliana asked, specifically looking at me.
“Layne is coming.” Rhyner caught her wrists while Moriarty locked his fingers around her ankles. And then they were carrying her down to the ocean.
Apparently Layne was used to her brother messing with her, because she didn’t even protest or fight him. Just hung there, accepting her fate, until they’d reached the water. Counting to three, they swung her back and forth, then let her go. She sailed through the air, at least fifteen feet far, and landed with asplash. A few seconds later she emerged, laughing hard.
“I’m next!” Giuliana yelled, then whirled back to me. “Are you coming?”
“You can leave the shirt on,” Harley whispered from behind me. She slid her hand under the hem and smoothed her fingers over the uneven skin on my back. According to her, my scars were sexy. I doubted that everyone here shared her opinion.
“Yup, right behind you,” I told Giuliana, then turned to Harley. I looped an arm around her waist and planted a kiss on her forehead. “No, it’s fine.” I didn’t really care about what people said. For me it was—and always would be—a reminder of the high price I’d been bought for. That no amount of regretting, or flagellation with desert thorns, could blot out my sins. Only accepting Jesus’s gift could.
I pulled my T-shirt over my head, folded it, and dropped it into the sand.
Harley touched my arm, and when I turned to her, her eyes were glistening. “I know leaving Saint James behind wasn’t easyfor you, but you’re navigating the new life so well. You have no idea how proud I am of you.”
“Me?” I cupped her face. “You have no idea how proud I am ofyou. Always have been, but even more after witnessing you giving birth to our son.” I shook my head. Hard to put the respect I had for her into words.
I leaned in and claimed her lips, keeping the kiss short and sweet. Then I pulled away. Snaked my arm around her legs and tossed her over my shoulder.
