Page 18 of Her Surprise Vacation Date

I can’t help but smile back. “You’re a great catch, Shaney, but I don’t know that I’m the right person for you.”

He holds up a hand to stop me from continuing. “If you’re going to give me theit’s me, not youspiel, I’ll save you the trouble. I know I jumped the gun here in letting you know how I feel about you, but I believe God gave us this opportunity to see each other again and that we could be good together. I’d like you to consider it, Hope. Give yourself time to think it over and pray about it. We’ll use the next couple ofdays together as a test to see if you get sick of me,” he adds with a chuckle. “After that, you can give me an answer.”

“You expect me to have an answer for you after a day or two? This is a huge decision to make. There’s also the fact that I’m on a dating sabbatical. I shouldn’t even be thinking about guys right now.”

“Not guys, plural. Just one guy—me.” Shane’s smile keeps getting brighter. “As for the sabbatical, if it’s dating that you’re not allowed to do, we won’t date.”

“What are you suggesting then?”

“The old-fashioned method of courting. It’s like dating but with the end goal of marriage. That’s how my folks did it.”

“Hold up! Marriage?! We just met, Shaney! How can you be talking about getting married?”

“Correction—we met nearly two decades ago. And why shouldn’t we talk about marriage? I want to be clear with you from the get-go where I stand. That way you know I’m not wasting your time like Fred and Ned did.”

“I could’ve guessed that since your name doesn’t rhyme with theirs.” The joke comes out easily, as does my laugh. What Shane’s saying is really sweet. And thoughtful and wise. But also, very unbelievable. I want to believe that he has the best intentions, but I’m still getting acquainted with the man sitting before me. He shows traces of the boy I once knew, but he’s obviously grown up to be even more kind and wonderful. I wasn’t lying when I said he’s a great catch. But why would someone that great want to be with me? The best I’ve done is manage to misread the guys in my life, which has only resulted in disappointment, frustration, and most embarrassing of all, stolen luggage.

I shake my head in chagrin. “You deserve an amazing woman, Shaney, you really do. And I’m going to pray that God brings her to you.”

He looks like he wants to say something, but he stands up instead. “Stay here,” he tells me. “I’ll be right back.”

I watch him run into the sock shop and return five minutes later with a bag. He hands it to me with a sweet smile. “I believe God’s already brought that woman to me. Whenever you’re ready to admit that you’re as amazing as I think you are, put these on.”

Curious, I reach in and pull out a pair of white knee-highs. They look like regular socks until I see the words on their soles. When placed side by side, they declare,If you can read this,kiss me now.

CHAPTER 10

Shane

“I thinkyou are suffering from a lack of vitamin me.” ~Unknown

Well, I did it. I shot my shot. Told Hope how I feel about her and practically proposed marriage. I hadn’t planned on that last part, but my heart seemed to know better what to say than my mind did. What Hope needs is reassurance and commitment, both of which I want to give to her. She’s such an amazing woman, but she’s been through the wringer when it comes to meeting the wrong guys. There’s no way I’m going to keep her guessing about where I stand. So, I put it all out there for her to see. Now all I need to do is wait.

Did I mention I’m not good at waiting?

I run on adrenaline most of the time. That was part of the appeal of being an EMT when I signed up for the job—the fast pace and urgency of the work keep things fresh. I also get to see results happen quickly. Wrap a bandage around a wound, and the bleeding stops. Give a shot of epinephrine, andanaphylaxis reverses. Do CPR, and the patient breathes again. Confess my love… and hear crickets.

Silence is precisely what hangs between me and Hope as we continue walking along downtown Solvang. We’ve been in a handful of stores since the sock shop, mostly browsing on our own. Judging from the bags hanging off Hope’s shoulder, she’s found some more items to add to my sister’s birthday gift. The way she puts up with—er, I mean, supports—Amelia never ceases to amaze me. My sister can be a handful sometimes. She’s a bit high-strung with how she likes things to be “just so”. It’s a wonder Ryder seems to miss her.

He didn’t say those exact words during our call, but I could tell he was worried about Amelia. You don’t worry about someone unless you care about them. I personally wouldn’t be surprised if he’s considering asking for another chance. His answer to me when I’d told him about Hope was this:Don’t hesitate when it comes to love, or you’ll end up with a boatload of regret.

That advice gave me the motivation that I’d needed to come clean with Hope. It’s much better to learn from other people’s mistakes than make your own.

Speaking of boatloads, Hope’s and my most recent stop was at a bakery where we picked up two orders of Æbleskivers. We each carry a paper food boat tray with the fried balls of dough, and our mouths are occupied with chewing. Despite the silence, it’s not like Hope’s ignoring me; it’s actually the opposite. She keeps peeking up at me out of the corner of her eye with a line drawn between her brows. She’s obviously concerned, which I hope is a sign that she cares about me. And that she didn’t get turned off by my comment offering to do mouth-to-mouth for my vacation associates. Based on the sour expression she’d given me, that joke had definitely fallen flat.

“You were right about these dough balls,” I say, trying to sound casual. I’m tired of acting like we hardly know each other. We were having such a good time just an hour ago, I want more than anything to get back to that place. “They’re better than I thought they’d be.”

Her face softens with relief as she slows her pace. We end up stopping in front of a bookstore where she turns to face me. “I’m so glad you tried them. I love how the outside is crisp and the inside is soft and fluffy. It’s the perfect combination.”

You know what’s another perfect combo?I want to blurt out, but I quickly stuff another Æbleskiver into my mouth. If I believe God brought Hope back into my life, I need to have some faith in the process. His process, not mine. “Mm-hmm,” I agree with a smile.

“It’s a little messier than I expected though with all of the powdered sugar.”

“That’s the best part.” I take another bite and savor how the different textures and flavors settle on my tongue. “My taste buds are having a field day. Aren’t yours?”

“Sure, but so is my shirt. Or more of a snow day.” She points to the flecks of white that dot her yellow top before tugging at its hem to shake them off. “That’s better.”

We watch as the powdered sugar gets flung into the air and disappears. Well, to be exact, Hope watches it while I watch her. Suddenly, I’m transported back to middle school when I discovered those magnificent creatures called women. Or more specifically, one woman named Hope O’Connor.

---