Page 32 of A Twist of Faith
“And he’s older?”
“By a year.” Dee reached a finger out and stroked Brandon’s cheek. Her sigh seemed to come from deep inside. “So sweet and peaceful.”
A puzzling play of emotions crossed her face. Awe. Sadness. Resignation? “He’s perfectly content in his father’s arms. That’s a beautiful thing.”
Reese’s chest tightened along with a return of the stampede. He kept his voice low. “Kind of like God, ain’t … isn’t it?”
Her brows pinched and she shifted her attention back to the horizon. “God and I don’t have a lot of conversations, so I can’t say I’ve ever felt content with Him.”
“Maybe you just don’t know Him very well.”
Dee pressed her lips together and released a long stream of air through her nose. He wasn’t sure whether she was trying to control her anger, or tears, or just plain tired. She had talked a whole lot more in the past two hours than he’d ever seen her talk.
Lou burst from the front door and danced down the porch steps, her giggle at full volume. Sarah followed on her heels, fingers wiggling inticklemotion. Life at its finest. Lou was happy—unshackled by the weight of her mother’s betrayal. Would another woman in Reese’s life shake Lou’s confidence? Break her heart as Jana had broken his?
He felt Dee’s stare on him, but ignored it, slowly moving to stand, worries itching his insides. Brandon shifted in his arms and his stuffed bear landed on the porch floor. Dee bent to retrieve it. The tension in Reese’s shoulders eased as she gently wedged the bear in between Brandon’s arm and Reese’s chest. Her fingers trailed along Brandon’s cheek and ended on one of his curls, her lips softened by a smile. Reese kind of liked the looks of those lips—especially in a smile. Wonder what they tasted like.
He almost winced.Idiot brain.
“You know, it’s funny. Your kids aren’t so scary.”
Her whispered words drew him closer, head bent to hear. A full scent of apples hit him. He caught her gaze. “Maybe it just took getting to know them better. Time can clear up all sorts of confusion.” He shrugged. “If you take it.”
She searched his face, locking him in place. He didn’t even breathe, just in case it might break the spell. Unspoken questions surged between them as doubt and hope wrestled over her expression. Who was she? Why had God brought her in his life, awakened his heart, at just this time? It didn’t make sense.
“If you’re right about God being a father and holding us in his arms, then He has a lot of explaining to do.”
Reese rubbed a palm over his spreading grin and then nodded. “I’m pretty sure He can handle all of your questions.”
“How about my anger?”
Without a second’s hesitation, Reese nodded. “I have firsthand knowledge He can handle that too. The real question, Doc, is if you can handle His answers.”
Chapter 7
I’ve a sort of bet on that I'll pass her off as a duchess in six months. I started on her some months ago; and she’s getting on like a house on fire. I shall win my bet.
(Pygmalion, Act 3)
Reese slammed his truck door and revved the engine. He’d had about enough of Doc’s bellyaching. Maybe they shared a few sweet moments at his mama’s house on Sunday. He’d talked about his family, she’d talked about her dad, but then—wham—Tuesday started right back intofixing Reesewith a fury. When she came to his house on Thursday, it wasn’t no better. And now, Friday, he’d spent the last hour practicingrwords.
For one whole hour.Didn’t make no sense to keep practicing something he learned in first grade. That woman really needed a hobby. Maybe fishing—one of the best calming activities in the world. It didn’t hurt if you caught your dinner either, and the wordfishdidn’t have one singlerin it.
But Dee didn’t seem to remember any of their sweet moments from Sunday. In fact, the last three visits with her were all business. Andallbossy.
“Ain’t is not a word.”
“Put your ’ing on the ends of words.”
“Light is made up of a diphthong, not one long, flat vowel.”
“Stand up straight.”
“Put away your toothpick.”
He shifted his truck into reverse to pull out of the university parking lot and caught sight of Dee leaving the school building. Her gray skirt highlighted the length of her legs and Reese looked away. Trouble, with a capital T, underlined, and in italics. That’s what she was. One minute he wanted to kiss her and the next he wanted to run from being schooled on hisalphabet.She’d probably even correct a compliment if he gave her one.
He watched her until she sat safely in her car, and then he backed out, scared to even think of any words for fear they’d be wrong in his head. A loud bang sounded from his right. In one split second, the cause for the blast came into full view. He swiped a hand across his mouth to keep his grin covered. Smoke rolled from the hood of Dee’s car, obscuring much of the windshield view.
