Page 63 of To Believe In You
“Sure.”
“Don’t lie to me or pretend to be something you’re not.”
He’d done a multitude of things he’d rather never admit to her. She already knew the gist of his past, but his face stung with embarrassment as details flashed to mind. Praying she’d never ask for specifics, he nodded. “I won’t.”
“You know what’s funny?” She leaned against the wall, appearing close to relaxed.
Maybe they were pulling through this. Maybe he’d helped in some way, even without a tea kettle. “What?”
“Whether you were lying or telling the truth, your answer would’ve been the same.” She pushed off from the wall.
Frustration and disappointment made a halfhearted attempt to harden him, but they couldn’t overtake the melancholy. She’d been deceived enough times to justify the skepticism.
“I don’t know how to prove I’m different than I was, different than the people who’ve hurt you before, but I’ll find a way.”
“You know a broken promise won’t help.”
“I’ll keep my promise.”
But something told him fulfilling his vow wouldn’t be easy.
* * *
Lina parkedin her garage and let the overhead door rumble shut as she climbed from the vehicle. The descending door hid Matt’s monstrosity of a car, parked in her driveway, from view. She probably should’ve let the guy join her in the garage and enter with her, but she’d hit the button on the garage door remote without thinking about it. This way had bought her a few more seconds to consider what she was doing with Matt and why. With a sigh, she let herself into her house.
The faint aromas of vanilla and lavender welcomed her. She’d accented the gray kitchen and sand dining and living rooms with sage, eggplant, and rose. The color palette spoke of peace, the soft fabrics of comfort. Her haven.
And now she was about to open the door and let Matt into it.
Her head said she’d been fooled before and could be fooled again. But her heart? Her heart was tired of fighting. Of guarding itself.
She slipped off her flats and crossed the tile to the front door. As Matt stepped inside, the blue of his eyes struck her again.
She’d known him for years and had thought his eyes brown the whole time. Mistakenly.
Maybe the problem wasn’t deceitful people but rather her failure to recognize what was staring her right in the eye. Shane was a gambler. Her dad was a businessman with no heart.
And Matt? How should she summarize him? What did she know of his character when she dropped her desires and expectations and considered the facts?
He’d protected her repeatedly. He’d also gotten involved on Bailey’s behalf at the play. He worked well with his students. The evidence suggested he was a good man.
She retreated to the kitchen, praying as she went that if she was wrong and needed to be protected from Matt in some way, the Lord would do it for her. “You didn’t have dinner, did you?”
“I picked up a burger on the way here.” Humor glinted in his eyes.
He’d stayed close behind her during the drive from Key of Hope, and he’d chosen a bad time for a complete lie, even if he’d meant to be funny.
“Sorry.” His amusement dimmed to the faintest glimmer, then extinguished. “No. I didn’t. But you don’t have to feed me.”
“I’m hungry, and I’m always cooking for an army anyway.” An army or a non-existent family.
He pushed up the sleeves of his waffle knit shirt as he stepped around the island and into the workspace. “Then put me to work.”
She brought out ingredients, a sauté pan, a cutting board, and a knife. After he sliced the chicken to be sautéed, he took the cutting board and knife to the sink. Without being asked, he washed the utensils and gathered the vegetables. Cooking with Shane had never been effortless. Her ex had retreated to his phone each time he finished a step instead of taking the initiative.
When Matt finished prepping the vegetables, he slid the cutting board onto the counter next to the stove where she worked. Asparagus, tomatoes, and roasted red peppers waited in colorful piles.
Maybe he fit in here pretty well, bruises, tattoos, and all.
