Page 52 of Bidding on a Second Chance
“God’s got you. You have to trust Him with Piper too.”
Trust God. He’d urged Piper to do just that. But could he trust God to work things out with Piper? Not necessarily. The Lord might not want them together. If so, God would see him through, but he’d much rather find a way to tip the scales in his favor.
But he’d already tried this his way, and look where it’d gotten him. He’d change out of the uniform. She wouldn’t change her mind over something so superficial anyway. Although, she had given that customer advice on what to wear after a breakup. He gulped, wondering what outfit she’d chosen for herself and whether he’d be able to keep a level head around her.
Cody pushed away from the pillar. “I’ll see you there?”
“Yeah. Right behind you.”
Graham changed and trudged out to his truck. Possibility with Piper had added a certain spark to his days over the last few weeks. The dimming of that light meant even the auction didn’t interest him the way it had.
Vehicles packed the high school’s lot. Instead of trolling the aisles for a closer spot, Graham pulled up along the curb at the back of the parking area. As he took the keys from the ignition, a group of three boys and a gangly dog stepped from the parking lot into the ballfield. The child with the dog was Bryce, if he wasn’t mistaken.
He climbed from the truck and waved hello, but the boys weren’t looking. Bryce fell back from the others and turned toward the dog, probably trying to make sure the puppy did what he needed to do before they went back inside.
Though tempted to avoid the event by lingering outside, Graham sighed and turned for the school.
He held the door for a family who was exiting, probably already late for bedtime. The father carried the youngest girl, a three- or four-year-old with tights and black patent leather shoes sticking out from beneath her purple winter coat. The mom rested her hand inside the dad’s elbow, steadying herself on some ice, as she held the hand of their son, a kindergartener or first grader.
“How will we know if we won?”
At the excitement in the boy’s voice, the little girl lifted her head from her dad’s shoulder.
The family continued toward their car, and Graham didn’t hear the father’s answer. He didn’t need to. He’d seen enough to know the familyhadwon. They had each other. Meanwhile, thanks to Piper, Graham was left without the woman he loved once again.
But maybe only for now. Maybe the Lord would bring her around.
Maybe.
He pulled open the gym door. Auction items, food and beverage stations, and various activity booths had been set up around the perimeter of the room. The center consisted of round banquet tables covered in shiny silver and gold tablecloths. His eyes tracked to the area where he and Cody had set up the furniture this morning, but Piper didn’t stand among the pieces.
But then his vision caught on a woman seated at a table near the display.
Piper wore black heels and a knee-length dress in a similar shade of blue as his own shirt. An image came to mind of her grandparents, Ralph and Gertrude, in their cranberry shirts at Thanksgiving. If people knew they’d been close lately—and of course they knew—they’d think they’d planned to match. They’d be wrong.
He veered right, into a small Christmas tree forest volunteers must’ve put up. Kids kicked and twirled through the fake snow. Ahead, a little village of booths sold baked treats, crafts, and hot cocoa. Everyone was smiling and laughing.
Everyone but Graham.
Maybe he should find the donation bin, leave his contribution, wish the family well, and head out. He could feel good about having ensured the furniture was ready to go. Even if he didn’t get his ideal happy ending, at least he could help the Rasinskis toward theirs.
ChapterThirty-Two
Piper chewed her lip and rolled her ankle in an ineffective attempt to ease the ache in her foot. She’d been on it way too much today—and in heels, no less. The doctor would not be happy with her. In minutes, she’d know how the bidding had turned out. Then, she could go to bed a happy woman.
In theory.
In reality, she ached as she watched Graham.
She and Lucy had talked for a couple of hours last night, starting and ending with prayer. Working through one what-if after another had been like watching a balloon drain of air until her fears were nothing but a shriveled, easily discarded blob. Afterward, she’d slept more soundly than she had in ages. She wanted to tell Graham about it, but he’d said they could reconnect after Christmas. Would he believe how far she’d come since last night?
For that matter, shouldshetrust how far she’d come? The whole reason she’d turned his dinner invitation into a date had been because she’d been as interested in a future together as he was. Then she’d waffled. Turned out, her bad balance extended beyond the physical. She owed it to him to keep her distance until she was sure she had both feet firmly on the ground.
Graham and Cody got into some kind of mild skirmish. Cody seemed to be keeping something away from Graham. Keys? He stuffed the object in his pants pocket and displayed his empty hands. Graham seemed to draw the line at going in his friend’s pocket. With a sour look, he followed a triumphant Cody to the arcade games.
“If we’re not going to talk about the elephant in the room, what do you want to talk about?” Lucy swirled her punch glass.
Piper forced her focus off Graham to take in her surroundings again. Strings of lights, lavish Christmas trees, fake snow the janitors would probably hate, and festive booths had transformed the gymnasium. Even the punch in Lucy’s glass was special. Though Connie Reynolds still wouldn’t share her Cowboy Christmas Cider recipe, she had mixed up a big batch for the benefit auction. “The committee really outdid themselves.”
