Page 50 of Here With Me

Lottie pointed to a spot on Otis’s back side. David ran his fingers over the section. Smooth. Except…were there a few shallow ridges? Those could be nothing more than scratches due to wear and tear. If there had been a logo there, it had long ago been rubbed smooth.

“Lottie!” Sadie stood across the street, a bag in hand, her purse over her shoulder. Her hair was down, hanging in loose waves, and she wore a maroon sweater with a white vest, jeans, and tall brown boots.

Stunning.

“Oh! Time to go! I get a sleepover with Aunt Romee tonight. Don’t tell Mom, but we’re going to watch a movie about a big shark and eat popcorn.” Lottie ran across the street, and David followed.

Sadie hugged Lottie before she dashed off to the Hoovers’ house and threw open the front door. Romee came to the door and waved at Sadie. Must be a signal, because she turned to David then and shrugged her purse on her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed as she offered a small wave.

“You look, uh, really nice.” Wow. Nothing awkward about that. He gestured toward the truck. Maybe he should have asked Olivia to borrow the van again.

He opened the truck door and closed it after she settled in the passenger seat. He flexed his hands as he jogged around the car. They’d make their reservation in Ludington, no problem.

Thirty minutes later, David slid into the black booth across from Sadie at Cafe d’Amour. The white linen tablecloth, pressed to perfection, lined the table. A single red rose sat next to a floating candle. Soft string music floated through the restaurant, barely drowning out the murmur of other guests. Private and cozy—just like the reviews online said—but also romantic.

Sadie studied the menu, her long hair hanging over her shoulder. She pulled her lips in and let them out with a deep breath. The barest hint of a smile curled her lips up, even though she continued to study the menu. “Are you going to stare at me all night?”

“If I say yes, will that make you uncomfortable?”

Finally Sadie looked up, her hazel eyes searching his, all traces of teasing gone, and her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. Breaking eye contact, she picked up her purse and pulled out her phone. “You’re incorrigible.”

She tapped away on her phone and then set it down face up.

“Expecting a message?” David pulled his hands into his lap.

A nervous chuckle escaped Sadie. “Honestly? No. But I’d really love to hear that everything is okay. With Romee watching Lottie tonight, I just want to make sure I’m available if something comes up.”

“Is it hard to leave Lottie?”

Sadie let out a small sigh. “It’s just, what if something happens and Lottie needs me—I won’t be there. Her emotions have been a little volatile lately, and I just want to be there if or when things finally come to a head.”

“Romee is there.”

Sadie scoffed. “That’s just it, though.”

There was a story behind that. Sadie looked down to pick at her cuticle.

“It’s just I’ve always felt a little responsible for Romee—for all of my siblings, really. As the oldest, it was always my job to take care of everyone. And one night…well, I stepped out of the kitchen to talk on the phone, and Romee started a fire trying to make grilled cheese. Mom and Dad were furious. What if she’d lit the whole kitchen on fire instead? They reminded me that there wouldn’t have been a fire if I had been there. There wouldn’t have been any smoke damage. What if something like that happens with Lottie? What if she needs me and I’m not there?”

“Is that why you’re so controlling? With Lottie? With the store? Because, if you step out, you think it all might go up in smoke?” David took a sip of root beer as he watched Sadie glance at the phone again with a nervous laugh.

“It might. Life’s proven that over and over. When I’m not in control, when I don’t know all the details, when I can’t plan for all the contingences in life, I get blindsided and things go south. Even when I went to dinner with you last time, Lottie got sick. And look at the store. I jumped into being the proprietor because of Dad’s accident. Granted I needed a job, but still, I jumped in without all the details.” Her phone vibrated on the table and lit up. Sadie pounced on it, reading a message and quickly responded. Her shoulders relaxed, and a small smile spread across her face.

“They look happy.” Sadie turned the phone around to show David a picture. Romee and Lottie filled the screen, both holding big forkfuls of mac and cheese, their mouths hanging open like they were ready to shove that food in.

Sadie placed the phone back on the table.

No wonder she seemed to carry so much on her shoulders. Did she not share any of her load with God? His heart pricked. He’d been doing the same thing though. By refusing to listen to what God was saying, by only considering Costa Rica as his future, he’d been playing the control game. “How do you bring God into the equation?”

“What do you mean? He’s there with me.”

Of course He was. “I guess. I mean, I’ve been doing something like that, too. With Costa Rica. Just asking for one answer and not wanting to hear anything else. Are you doing that? Just asking Him to bless your plans? How does His direction, His wants, come into play?”

“I listen.” Her voice oozed with defensiveness. “But I’ve also learned how to manage on my own. Make plans and move forward. It works for us.”

It didn’t leave a lot of room for trust. But wasn’t that what he was doing right now? And God had suddenly “unblessed” his path back to Costa Rica. Maybe Nate was on to something about God’s will being something he needed to seek daily.

The waiter came and took their orders, leaving a breadbasket on the center of the table. David lifted his hand off his lap, but his fingers shook. No way would he chance knocking over her glass. Again. He laced his fingers together below the table. “Is it really working for you?”

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