Page 61 of With All My Heart, Joy

“Victor!”

His grin was devilish. “Isaac knows what he’s doing.”

He did at that. Joy had been kissed by guys who wanted more from her. She’d been kissed by guys who wanted less. But she’d never been kissed by one who seemed perfectly content with her the way she was. Until tonight.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said wistfully, imagining a lifetime with Isaac. Being wanted and adored just the way she was.

“I usually am,” Victor agreed. “Look. I’m no expert on love, but I’ve had a good go of it with Leah.” His voice tightened. “Isaac looked awfully torn up that you walked away, ending whatever he hoped would happen between you two. True love is hard to find in this world. If you have even half a chance of finding it with him, explore it more before you toss it out the nearest window. If he really cares for you, any efforts to apply his profession to your relationship would be coming from a heart full of good intentions for your happiness, not the desire to change you. Call me crazy, but he might be exactly what you need.”

Joy tucked her legs underneath her and tugged the blanket closer. “Shouldn’t I only need God?”

“Sure. But sometimes his way of taking care of us is by putting certain people in our lives. Isaac might be one of those people.”

They sat together, each wrapped in his or her own deep thoughts until a knock rang out one second before the door flew open. Lucy swept in, wedding dress and all. “Oh, good! Victor’s here.”

Joy jumped up to close the door behind her. “Goodness sakes, Luce. You didn’t even go home to change first?”

Lucy flashed a mischievous look. “I was afraid Silas wouldn’t let me leave if I did that. And as much as I love him, I couldn’t go home knowing how upset my little sister is. Now talk—and don’t leave anything out!”

As Joy opened her heart to her sister and brother, she had never felt so warm and wanted. They were here, in her apartment, when they ought to be elsewhere—because they loved her.

Chapter Fifteen

God, please tell me I’m doing the right thing…Joy stood at the back of the small church on the hill, scanning the congregation. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and hitched the straps of her bag higher on her shoulder. What she was doing was bold. But she’d been the one to run off last night in a panic. Letting Isaac know she didn’t want them to end that way was up to her.

And she didn’t. She’d determined that last night after her heart-to-heart with Lucy and Victor. And God. A lot of heart-to-heart God talk had happened over the night. So much so, she’d barely slept. And she hadn’t posted a thing to social media in two days.

Her job was really starting to lose its luster. But that was the last thing on her mind today.

There. Her eyes landed on the dark brown hair of her target. Isaac sat three rows from the front, Paisley beside him. Taking a deep breath and ignoring her knotted nerves, she held her chin high and marched down the center aisle as if this were the church she attended every week. By the time she made it to the correct pew, her legs were shaking, and she dropped unceremoniously onto the seat beside Paisley.

“Joy!” the girl squealed at full volume before Joy and Isaac both put fingers to their lips with a noisy, “Shhh!”

Good thing she wasn’t trying for subtle. Joy gave Paisley a hug and dug into her purse for the sticker book she’d grabbed on her way out the door. A crafting company had gifted it to her in thanks for a review of their products. She pointed out the instructions to Paisley, showing her how to move the removable princesses around on the plastic pages. Then, her breath impossibly shallow, she turned her head ever so slowly—just enough to catch Isaac’s gaze. He was staring at her, his eyes wide with disbelief but wild with hope. She gave him a shaky smile, her lips trembling, then turned her attention back to Paisley.

When the service ended, she stepped into the aisle, letting Paisley go ahead of her so she could fall in step beside Isaac. He gave her a soul-searching look but said nothing even when they stepped out the front door of the church. Joy shivered and burrowed into her coat as their footsteps crunched across snow-packed gravel.

“I parked three cars down from yours.”

Isaac jumped at the sound of her voice, and he stopped without warning. “Why are you here?” he asked bluntly.

Joy was nervous, but being in his presence had soothed away the worst of her jitters. He had that effect on her every time she was around him.

“Don’t you know?” she asked, dipping her chin and looking at him under lowered lashes in a way she knew was flirtatious. His mouth parted, but he seemed speechless. She reached a hand to indicate him and Paisley together. “I came to invite you and Paisley to my place for lunch.”

“Oh, oh!” Paisley immediately launched into her hopping antics, tugging hard enough on her dad’s arm to potentially dislocate it. “Please, Dad, please? Can we go, can we go?”

He ran a hand down Paisley’s hair. “We can go, cupcake.” Then he met Joy’s gaze, his eyes more tender than she’d seen before, even when he’d kissed her like she was the source of life. “Thank you.”

She smiled. Maybe this was meant to be, just like Victor said. Even if hewasa counselor.

* * * * *

Was he dreaming? Isaac leaned on the small island in Joy’s equally small kitchen, watching her cook. She was like a genie, popping back and forth between the stove, the refrigerator, and kitchen cabinets, assembling ingredients on the counter like she was a one-person food factory. His mouth was already watering, and he had no idea what she was cooking.

Her apartment was cute and trendy, just like her. A mix of contemporary design with a homey touch that said Joy all over it. Paisley wandered the house, investigating the never-ending trail of Christmas. The house smelled like peppermints and cinnamon. Soft Christmas jazz filled the air. Joy wasn’t talking, and neither was he, but every time their eyes met, the air sizzled with intensity.

She’d shed her shiny, heeled boots at the door, and God have mercy on his eyes, the legs that showed beneath her black pencil skirt were divine.

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