“James?” The soft voice called from the front of the kennels.

James rested his arms across his knees, and three puppies immediately attacked the towel that no longer moved. The fourth puppy was over by the gate, growling at a grass-hopper that had dared to enter their playground. Margo was stretched out beside him, keeping watch on all her children.

“Back here, Rae.” This was the very last thing he wanted. He did not want to see her, he did not want to see any of his friends.

It had been three days. He supposed he should be grateful they had waited this long. He glanced at his watch. It was after seven o’clock. His mood had been so black, the pain so great, his anger so hot, that for the past few days he had tried to make himself scarce. His friends didn’t need to be around this.

He had left the doctor’s office this afternoon and come to the kennel. Puppies didn’t know how hard life could be; they only knew how to play and sleep and eat. They were good company—they didn’t ask how he was doing, and he didn’t have to tell them.

The disappointment was overwhelming, to know his dream was over. He wanted to go back. It wasn’t easy to set aside that disappointment and act polite, friendly, calm. The last thing he wanted to hear was that this was God’s plan. James couldn’t believe this disease was part of God’s plan. He might have permitted it, and He would eventually make some good come out of the situation, but it didn’t make sense as part of His original plan.

He understood now Rae’s comment that she wanted the past back. Leo had died young and Rae’s dreams had been ripped away. This disease would hit and take away his dreams. The reality of such losses was heartbreaking.

“Hi,” Rae said softly, stepping outside to join him in the fenced-in run.

He was tired—tired of the situation, tired of the pain, tired of wondering what he was going to do now. But when he saw her, he smiled. He was glad to see her. He had missed her.

She had changed into jeans and an oversize Chicago Bulls T-shirt. She sat down on the grass near him, and the puppies tumbled over to join her.

She didn’t say anything, just sat playing with the puppies. He sat and watched her and was grateful.

He carefully rubbed his aching wrist. Even playing tug-of-war with a puppy was too much strain. He wondered who had called her. He had told his mom and Patricia about his doctor’s appointment before calling and having a long talk with Bob. Dave had probably heard from Kevin, and from there Lace and Rae would have heard.

James had no idea what had happened with the markets these past two days, didn’t know what Rae had been trying to deal with. He knew she had spent the weekend at work. He should have at least caught the evening news the last few days. He wasn’t being much of a friend.

She looked weary. The kind of weariness that came from carrying a heavy load for a long time without a break.

One of the puppies tried to eat her shoelaces. James reached over and pulled the puppy over to him, offering the towel as compromise.

“Thanks.”

James smiled. “Sure.”

She looked at him, wanting to say something. James took pity on her, opened the door she needed. “I called Bob, canceled my plane tickets.”

“I heard,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry, James.”

He knew she was. Of all his friends, she was the one most able to understand and empathize with the loss. “How have the markets been this week?”

“Ugly.”

She didn’t say anything else, and James knew her struggle to keep her job to sane limits was being lost. “How many hours has it been this week, Rae?”

“At the office from 5:00 a.m. to about 7:00 p.m., followed by late evenings at home trying to get the analysis work done. I am so tired of work.”

No time to work on her book, that went without saying. “I’m sorry, Rae.”

She smiled. “We’ve both got pretty big burdens to carry this month. I know you need some space for a few days, but I desperately needed a break, that’s why I decided to come by.”

“Rae, I’m glad you did. I’m not exactly good company right now, but I am glad to see you.”

She helped a puppy settle in her lap. “Dave is dragging me to a baseball game Sunday afternoon. Would you like to come?”

He considered it for a few moments. “Yes.”

She smiled. “Good.”

“Have you had dinner yet, Rae?”

She blinked, surprised to realize she had not. “I meant to, but no. I think I left a plate of pasta in the microwave.”

James chuckled. “Come on, I’ll buy you a hamburger at the diner down the block. I want some ice cream and they make an awesome sundae.”

He expected her to decline, pleading lack of time or that she was not hungry or something. Her silence did last a few beats too long, but she nodded yes.

“Should we put the puppies inside?”

“Margo will corral them inside when she’s ready for them to settle down,” James replied. His body argued in pain as he moved to stand up, making him clench his jaw. Rae saw, but didn’t say anything. She did maneuver to be the one who opened the gate. James was almost grateful—almost. He intensely disliked needing the help.

 

The diner was a locally owned, popular place. It was late enough in the evening they were seated almost immediately. Rae glanced at the menu and ordered a bowl of soup and a salad. James frowned, but didn’t say anything. She was losing weight; she needed to eat more.

“I don’t want to talk about work, and you don’t want to talk about the pain. So what do we talk about?”

“Dave and Lace?” James offered with a smile.

Rae grinned. “A favorite subject. I hear they actually went out on a date last night.”

“Really?”

“Lace called me shortly before midnight. She woke me up—had to tell me all about it.”

“Let me guess, a museum showing?”

“Actually, dinner with a private collector Dave had met a year ago at a conference.”

“I’m glad. They make a good couple.”

“Do you really think Dave is ready to settle down? Lace has had a crush on him for so long, she doesn’t need to get hurt by being one of a list.”

James thought about it. “He’s ready to settle down. It’s in all the little things he does, the way he looks at her, the way he talks about kids.”

“Dave being a dad. That I never expected to see.”

“What about Lace? Does she want kids?”

“Very much. I think that’s why she started dating the tax attorney—she knows her time is running out.”

James wanted to know what Rae thought about the subject of children. She was the same age as Lace, so it had to be a concern for her as well. Had she written off that dream when Leo died? It would be a shame if she had. Rae would make a good mom.

Her meal and his ice cream arrived and neither one said much as they ate.

Did this constitute a date? James wondered as Rae pushed aside her soup and salad, both only half-eaten.

“Not hungry?”

“Food doesn’t settle well anymore,” she admitted. She gave a rueful smile. “Lace will kill me if I’ve developed an ulcer.”

“Rae…”

“Don’t push, James. I’ll deal with it.”

“Do it soon,” he insisted.

“Yeah. I hate doctors.”

He smiled. “Now that I can understand.”

She realized what she had said, smiled back. “I bet you do.”

She glanced at her watch and sighed. “I’ve got to go. Work is waiting.”

James knew ignoring the work was simply an option Rae didn’t have. “Rae, remember to pace yourself, okay?”

“I’m trying. Honestly.”

He walked back with her to the kennel and to her car. He said goodbye with surprising reluctance.

 

It was a quiet spot, a bench in a local park that could look down on a ball field or over to a small playground, a place to pause and rest during a walk. James sat down, physically needing the break. He was trying—trying too hard—to exercise enough to keep his body improving, but not too much to cause more damage.

The recuperation was slow at best.

He sat down and carefully stretched his legs out.

God, I don’t understand.

I loved Africa. I loved serving people, building clinics, saving children’s lives. Now Father, here, I don’t have a purpose. I don’t even know where to begin.

I don’t understand why You ended such a long ministry in such an abrupt way. Why not some warning? Why not a sense that maybe I should start thinking about coming back to the States? Why so abrupt? One day I’m fine, the next week I’m in so much pain I can barely move. I feel like You abandoned who I was and what I was doing. You didn’t give me closure, Lord, You just took the ministry away.

What am I supposed to do in the States?

If You’ve taken away my ability to hold a hammer and saw, You’ve pretty much taken away who I am.

You have thousands of good architects here, Lord, thousands of good builders. Why take away a ministry that was doing some good for people?

I don’t understand.

All my life, even through the rough times, I have known You had a plan. For the first time, here, now, it feels like You’ve forgotten me.

 

The sun woke him Saturday morning, the light streaming into the bedroom and making him blink as he tried to read the time.

He moved cautiously to pull over a pillow, take the strain off his neck. His joints were stiff, his spine taut, but the burning pain was not as severe. James had begun to dread the first hour after he woke up, he was grateful that today was not as bad as the other mornings had been this last week. Time and rest were beginning to ease the symptoms.

If he was staying in the States, what did he want?

It had taken days to shake off the anger, the frustration of the situation and face the reality.

If he was staying in the States, what did he want to do?

It was time to accept reality and go on.

If he was building a new life in the States, then it was time to do it and quit wishing for what was not going to happen. Returning to Africa was not in his future.

He lay in bed looking at the ceiling, thinking.

Buy a house with a yard, that was definite.

Kevin wanted him to take over some of the architecture work and the idea was worth considering. He could work from home, do it at a pace he could tolerate.

Rae. He wanted to get to know her. More than just the surface he knew now. He liked her. He liked the twinkle in her eyes, her smile, her laugh, her willingness to do what was required despite the personal costs.

He didn’t want to be alone anymore.

It was a big aching hole in his gut. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. If he was back, then he wanted what he had been delaying and saying “not yet” to for years—marriage and a family.

Patricia was due in mid-January. James knew seeing the baby was going to bring back lots of memories. It had been his favorite part of Africa, seeing the children at the clinics.

Rae liked kids. At church most Sundays he found her in the nursery, and the wistfulness in her eyes had not escaped him. She would like to be a mom.

Leo was a big problem. The sadness hadn’t left Rae’s eyes yet. She was still locked in the past, still grieving. The grief was easing, but it was still there. James wasn’t sure how to help her, how to ease that pain she carried.

He had to wait for his own health to stabilize again, but give him a few weeks and he would be fit again. He had to be. He could not imagine life where this pain didn’t eventually ease off. Three weeks to get Rae to say yes to a date. He had faced tougher assignments, not many, but a few.

 

She was an avid White Sox fan.

James looked over at her, surprised, when she stood up and yelled to get the attention of the third base player. The man turned, found them, smiled, waved back.

Dave looked around her. “Before he moved downtown, he used to hang out with us,” he explained.

James nodded, somehow not surprised.

Rae sat down again, and James reached over to snag the drink she was waving around. “You’re surprising me,” he commented with a smile.

“Really? That’s good,” she replied, a twinkle in her eyes.

She leaned back and put her feet on the empty seat in front of her, picked up her binoculars again. They were five rows behind the White Sox bench; the binoculars were not really necessary.

It was a good day, with good company. Lace was somewhere, having disappeared to find nachos. Lace had hugged him when she saw him. The hug had hurt, but James had no intention of ever mentioning that, pleased to have her acknowledge without words what had happened. He had grinned when Lace had maneuvered them so Rae was sitting next to him.

James relaxed in the seat, stretching his legs out as best he could. The pain was moderate today, manageable.

They went out to eat after the game, an early dinner. Lace took them to a new Mexican place she had found. Rae, sitting in the seat beside him at the table, competed with him for the dish of hot sauce for the tortilla chips. “Rae, this is going to make your stomach a mess,” James cautioned quietly.

She hesitated over a chip. “You’re right. But I could be wrong about the problem. I’ll risk it.”

By the end of the meal, James could tell she was regretting the risk. Her face was pale and she had pulled back from the conversation.

“Dave, Lace, I hate to be the one to break up a party, but Rae and I have plans. We need to be going.”

Rae looked at him, surprised, but didn’t hesitate to take the silent offer, getting up and pushing back her chair.

“Stay and enjoy dessert,” he told Lace and Dave, smiling at the surprised look on both their faces.

“Of course,” Dave replied, smiling. “I’ll pick up the tab for dinner, go enjoy the night.”

“Thanks,” James replied, wishing it really was what he was trying to imply.

“Date?” James saw Lace ask Rae silently.

Rae just smiled and picked up her handbag. James quietly moved back to let her precede him as they walked through the restaurant tables. She hesitated as they stepped outside, looked around the parking lot. James reached for her hand and was shocked to find how cold and clammy it was. He looked at her, alarmed.

He put his arm around her waist and walked her across the parking lot to his car.

“That was so stupid…”

He carefully tucked her into the passenger seat, clipped on her seat belt. He could hear the self-directed anger. “Relax, Rae. It was a mistake, not a crisis.”

As he drove, she leaned her head back against the headrest, closed her eyes, fought to keep her stomach from cramping. James settled his hand across her clenched ones. “Don’t forget to breathe, Rae.”

She gave a tight laugh. “It hurts.”

James’s hand tightened. “I know.”

He thought about stopping somewhere, a pharmacy, a drugstore, to find something that might help, but he didn’t know where one would be in this area and the car ride was not helping her. Getting her home seemed more important. There were stores near her town house; he would get her settled in her own home, then swing back to the store to pick up something that might help her.

She had been quiet for too long, and her hands were damp with sweat. “Doing okay?”

“I feel awful,” she replied softly, not opening her eyes.

James squeezed her hands, hurting for her.

He pulled into the drive at her town house behind her Lexus, came around to open the door for her. He watched her take a deep breath before she moved, and saw her wince as she stood.

“Where are your keys?”

She found them in her bag.

He unlocked the door, stepped inside and made a sweeping inspection to make sure the place looked undisturbed. “Do you have something or should I go down to the pharmacy?”

“Buy me some of that pink stuff if nothing else,” she asked, grateful. She eased off her shoes. “I’m going to go lie down.”

He carefully brushed her damp forehead with his hand. “I’ll be back as quick as I can, Rae.”

“Go on, I’m okay.”

He gave a soft smile. “Sure you are.”

He locked the door behind him, taking Rae’s keys with him. Ten minutes later he was back at Rae’s, unlocking the front door.

“Hey, Lady,” he called softly. She was not downstairs stretched out on the couch, so he walked quietly up the stairs.

The master bedroom was at the end of the landing, a large room, decorated in several shades of deep green and gold. A beautiful and neat room. Rae was lying on the comforter, curled up slightly, her knees pulled up.

“I brought you some stuff,” James said, sitting down carefully beside her.

She opened her eyes cautiously. “Thank you.” The words were barely a whisper.

James gently stroked her hair back. She looked so different from the lady in control he had come to know. He opened the sack and read directions, found the bottle that promised to act the quickest. “Let me get you something to drink to take this with.”

“There’s a glass in the bathroom.”

James ran the tap until the water was cold, filled the glass.

“See if this helps.”

She gratefully took the medication he offered, then lay back down. She was shivering. James reached over and caught hold of the end of the comforter, then folded it up around her to keep her warm.

“James, at the restaurant…how did you know?”

“You were turning the color of unsalted butter,” he replied, smiling, glad to have her somewhere she could rest and recover.

“Thanks for what you did.”

“Don’t mention it,” he replied gently. “Need some soda, something else to help?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll risk it.”

She grew quiet and James sat beside her on the bed, idly smoothing her hair with his hand, watching her, thinking.

“I can’t miss work tomorrow.”

James hesitated. “You just took the medicine, Rae. In a couple of hours you will feel much better.”

“Have to be,” she replied, her voice slurring slightly as she grew drowsy.

“If something really bad happened and you couldn’t go in to work, what would you do?”

“Dave has power of attorney, and Jack would step in, manage the accounts temporarily until I was back or Dave could arrange a more permanent situation.”

She stirred restlessly. “Hot.”

James pushed the comforter back. Within moments she was cold again.

“My stomach wants to be sick,” she warned him, groaning suddenly as she coiled up again.

He rubbed her back.

“You’ll survive,” he replied, glad he had stayed, glad she had not made a big deal of his staying.

She was on her feet a few minutes later, staggering to the bathroom, waving him away. He ignored her wishes, staying with her to keep her hair back as she was violently sick. He handed her mouthwash and used a hand towel to gently wash her face.

He tucked a blanket around her shivering frame and sat with her on the bathroom floor, leaning against the wall. “You’re off Mexican food for a while,” he told her firmly, rubbing her icy hands briskly between his.

She was buried in the blanket, her head tucked against his chest. “Not a problem,” she agreed with a weak laugh.

James hated seeing anyone sick, but it certainly was one way to get her to forget her normal reserve around him. When he let go of her hands, she curled them against his chest, gave a soft sigh.

James rested his arms around her waist and waited for her to feel better, to risk moving her back to the bed to lie down. He liked having her in his arms.

“Going to sleep?” he asked, amused, when she was still leaning against him motionlessly several minutes later. She was almost limp.

He felt her relax at the amusement in his voice. “Hardly. Not on the bathroom floor. Although I have been known to drift off if I’m somewhere warm and comfortable. I don’t care how good the movie is, chances are I’m going to fall asleep.”

James tightened his arms and really considered kissing the top of her head. “I’ll remember that.”

“I like mushy movies.” He could hear the amusement in her voice, and a yawn that cracked her jaw.

“Does this mean if I ask you on a date, you might say yes?”

“Depends on what, where and when,” she finally replied.

“Tomorrow night, Shaw’s, eight o’clock?”

“Day after. Eight o’clock is fine.”

He smiled. “You’ve got a date.”

She nodded. “Good.”

They sat together in silence, Rae trying to drift off to sleep and James content to hold her and think. A few more minutes and he would urge her back to bed where she could rest in better comfort. For now, here was just fine.

She suddenly stiffened. “Let me up.”

She jerked forward.

She was sick again.

He felt her spine ripple with the spasms. “Easy, Rae, easy. Don’t fight it.”

He was helpless other than supporting her weight. He hated this. There were tears running down her face now. He gently wiped them away, eased her back onto the floor when the worst was past.

Whatever medicine she had taken earlier had been lost, but he couldn’t risk giving her more. She protested weakly when he eased her out of his arms, forgave him when a cold cloth pressed against her cheeks.

“Don’t tell Dave about this. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I won’t,” he promised softly.

He eased her into bed twenty minutes later when it looked as if she were past the worst. She sank back into the covers, her eyes closed. A nightgown and the lights off would be a lot more conducive to rest, but he didn’t intend to leave until she had more medicine and was clearly feeling better.

His own body was aching with the unforgiving costs of sitting on the floor. He pulled over the chair she had in the room, silently scanned the stack of books she had beside her bed. Most were medical texts, but he found a Spencer mystery and pulled it from the stack. It was a good book, but he read only a few pages at a time, as he quietly watched Rae, worried about her.

The picture beside her bed…the ring…held his attention for a long time. It was a beautiful ring, hanging from a ribbon looped over the picture frame.

What had it been like to be handed that ring after Leo had died, to have such a tangible indication of how much had been ripped away? Was it a comfort to have his picture, the ring in sight each night, or was it making it harder to let go and move on? He looked at the ring and back at Rae and felt slightly sick himself. She might say yes to a date, but she was a long way from stepping beyond the past.

God, what’s the key to get past her pain? You know. Will You help me understand how to help her let go of the past? At least not make it worse?

Finally toward midnight, he got more medicine in her. She seemed to be feeling better.

He eased the covers around her, leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. “Call me in the morning, Rae.”

Her eyes were serious when they locked with his. “Thank you, James.”

He looked back, just as serious. “Good night, Rae,” he finally said. He reached over and clicked off the light. “Sleep well.”

He pulled her door partly shut, took the book with him downstairs. He didn’t want to leave until the medication had a chance to work.

She had said yes. He wanted to smile, to feel the anticipation, but the impulse was tempered by the fact that he knew how careful he needed to be. He couldn’t afford a mistake with Rae. She had a lot to deal with without him making a careless comment and making things worse. She was a beautiful lady, a wonderful friend, someone he wanted to get to know at a much deeper level. He couldn’t afford a mistake.

He left for home about one-thirty, Rae sleeping peacefully, her face looking relaxed in the moonlight.

 

Did she really want to date James?

Rae eased back against the counter, sipping her coffee, considering the question. She was in her robe and slippers; the dawn was still just a twilight. It was a quarter past five. She had allowed herself to sleep in an extra half hour, hoping her stomach would remain settled. So far, she felt a little tentative, but she was still on her feet.

She didn’t want to date him.

It was her gut reaction—a strong one—not wanting to risk being vulnerable, not wanting to risk letting someone really get to know her. She had been down this road before, let Leo get close. Love was a powerful thing that made life so full of joy. When you lost it…Rae didn’t want to get hurt like that ever again.

Did she want to date James?

She didn’t want to wake up alone for the rest of her life. She wanted someday to have a son, a daughter, someone to call her Mom. She wanted that.

To date James meant she had to risk getting hurt again.

Very rarely did she let herself think back to what the first year without Leo had been like. It was too painful, too raw, too black. She never wanted to experience that again. She didn’t want to get near a situation like that ever again.

She rubbed her foot on the flooring, tracing a pattern in the tiles.

She didn’t have a choice.

Of every man in her life, James was the only one she could see as potentially being her husband. She already had a crush on him, not that she would admit that to Lace. She liked him. She liked what he had done with his life, how he related to his family, who he was as a friend. She had been around him and she had been watching him. His faith and his actions were consistent with one another. His words and his actions were consistent. He would make a wonderful husband.

She was going to have to risk her heart—and hope and pray for the best.

 

“His car was still here at 1:00 a.m. It must have been quite a date.”

Rae tried to reach the book she had just knocked behind the headboard. “Lace, it wasn’t like you think.” Her friend had shown up shortly after eight-thirty with a gallon of ice cream and a video they had not seen before, interrupting Rae in the middle of cleaning house.

Lace pulled yet another dress from the back of Rae’s closet, considered it, and put it back with a slight shake of her head. “Oh, really? When are you seeing him again?”

Rae couldn’t stop the blush.

“I thought so,” Lace said, smiling. “When?”

“Tomorrow night,” Rae finally admitted. “He’s picking me up at eight.”

“Casual or dressy?”

“Casual.”

Lace went back to inspecting the contents of Rae’s closet. “This might do,” she finally decided, pulling out a green silk dress.

“That is not casual,” Rae said.

“Casual means low heels, less jewelry. It is a simple dress that will go anywhere.”

Rae bit her lip, considering. “Maybe, but only if I can wear my hair down.”

“It looks beautiful down. Wear that gold necklace Dave gave you for your birthday, and maybe the bracelet from Leo.”

Rae considered, then moved past Lace to look for shoes. “These?”

“Perfect. Where are you going?”

“Shaw’s.”

“Nice place.”

Rae wished she had said no when he asked her. An actual date. Maybe she could plead still feeling ill.

No. She was not a coward, even if she felt like one. She had another day to get over her nerves.

“What did you and Dave do last night after we left?”

Rae was astounded to see Lace blush. “Lace?”

“We went to see a movie.”

“That hardly explains that blush,” Rae said, sitting down on the side of the bed. “Give.”

Lace sighed and sank down on the bed beside her, picked up the bear Leo had given Rae. “He kissed me.”

“Dave.”

Lace nodded. Her expression was so morose, Rae didn’t know what to think.

“And?”

“And we’re going to mess up a great friendship. He doesn’t have a settle-down bone in his entire body.”

“That’s all?”

Lace nodded.

“Thank goodness. I was afraid for a moment. I thought it was a bad kiss.”

“It was a great kiss,” Lace said, more depressed.

“Dave really does want to settle down, Lace. He’s just been kind of slow to realize that. He’s been thinking about it lately, even thinking about having kids, if James is to be believed.”

Lace visibly perked up. “Our Dave?”

Rae smiled. “One and the same.”

“He could have mentioned that to me, the turkey.”

Rae laughed. “We’re supposed to be having a girls night, and here we are talking about guys. Come on, let’s go watch that movie. I hear you need a box of tissues by the time it’s over.” She tugged Lace to her feet.

“Can I ask one more guy question?”

Rae hesitated. “Sure.”

“James is a serious kind of guy, Rae. He isn’t the type to date casually. Are you sure you know what you’re doing? I don’t want you to get hurt,” Lace said softly.

“Lace, I’m scared to death that this is a mistake, but I said yes. I guess I’m going to find out.”

 

“This house has the space you were looking for, James. And the yard. It needs work, but the structure is sound and the price is certainly right. I think you ought to buy it,” Kevin concluded, standing on the drive and looking over the property again.

They had already been down in the crawl space, up in the attic, on the roof, done a detailed inspection. It was a good property.

“I’ll think about it overnight, but I agree. This is the place.” James looked over the house. His transition to the States was going to feel so finished the moment he bought a house. He would be settled here for the long-term. “You said the schools in the area are good?”

Kevin raised a single eyebrow at the question, but replied, “Excellent.”

James nodded. He would be raising a family here, knowing about the schools was an important factor. The house had the room he would need to set up an office, let him resume work as an architect in a consulting capacity with Kevin. It had room for his wife to have a large office, and still leave bedrooms for children. There were some structural changes to be made—two walls would go when he remodeled—but it was a house with possibilities.

The yard needed work, but there was almost an acre of land. Plenty of room for kids to play.

What do You think, God? Is this the place to settle down and make a new start? It’s certainly a wonderful place with great potential.

“You thinking about settling down in more ways than just buying a house?” Kevin asked.

James weighed how to answer. “Possibly,” he hedged. He needed to get this bug back under control, work the pain out of his system again. He had done it once, he could do it again. He had been thinking a lot about a lady with twinkling blue eyes.

Kevin smiled. “Wonderful idea. I would act on it.”

“I’m thinking about it,” James replied, smiling.

 

She should have chosen a different dress. Rae turned one way and the next, trying to decide if this was really an acceptable choice. It was a beautiful dress. But she had bought it to wear to a concert with Leo. They had never gone, but still, it was a dress that had some history.

God, what do You think?

She had never been so nervous about a night in her life. At work it had been difficult, if not impossible to concentrate. The whole office had seemed to know that something was up.

God, I hope Your sense of humor holds. I’m probably going to need You to pull my foot out of my mouth a few times tonight.

She was blowing this out of proportion. It was a date, yes, but that was all it was. She needed to relax, quickly.

The doorbell rang, the chimes sounding throughout the house, and her muscles tensed. She forced them to relax.

She descended the steps, moved to the front door.

He stood in the doorway, relaxed and comfortable in dress slacks and a tailored shirt. “Hi.”

It was the soft greeting, the relaxed way he smiled, that made her relax and smile back. “Hi, James.”

“You look very nice tonight.”

She blushed slightly, looked at the dress. “Thank you.”

“Dave said roses and Lace said orchids, but I decided on something more unique.” He picked up a bouquet of wild-flowers from the rail. The flowers were delicate, fragile, the bouquet a riot of color.

She accepted them, touched by the thought and the attention he had paid to the detail. Every color of a rainbow was present. “They are lovely, James.”

“They are flowers whose beauty will eventually fade, your beauty won’t.”

Flowers she had expected…the compliment she had not. “James…”

He grinned. “It took two days to come up with the line, but I haven’t had much practice in the last six years. My delivery still needs a little practice.”

She leaned against the doorjamb, grinned. “Oh, I don’t know. You did pretty well.”

He reached out and touched her hand. “Go find a vase for the flowers and let’s get this night underway.”

She joined him a few moments later, carrying a lace wrap should the night turn cool.

He locked the front door for her.

Rae walked with him down the drive, liking the attention as his hand touched the small of her back, the fact he matched his pace to hers. “Can I ask one question, if I then promise to drop the subject for the night?”

He opened the car door for her, smiled. “Somehow I think I would prefer to have you ask it now, than have this question in your mind for the evening,” he replied. He walked around the car, slipped behind the wheel, turned the key in the ignition. When the car was running, he rested his hands across the steering wheel and turned toward her. “What’s your question, Rae?”

“How bad is the pain today?”

He nodded, conceding it was a good question. “On a scale of one to ten, one being so bad I don’t want to move, ten being I no longer notice any symptoms, today is about a six.”

He pulled out of the drive and headed toward the restaurant. “Can I ask one question, if I promise to stay off the subject for the rest of the evening?”

Rae hesitated before nodding. “I suppose fair says you get at least one.”

He chuckled. “Tell me about work.”

“That’s a complex question. Anything specific you would like to know?” she asked, looking at him. She saw him nod.

“Do you still like your job?”

Rae leaned her head back against the headrest. “I love the challenge. I love the fact I am good at turning data into a concrete conclusion. There are times I even think I may learn to like the trading. But I hate the hours. There has been no time for the book lately, and I really hate that.”

“Tonight is taking time away that you could be using to write.”

Rae was grateful that he understood the cost she had paid when she said yes. “Yes. But I don’t regret my choice.”

“I’ll make the night worth it.”

Rae smiled. “It already is.”

They arrived at the restaurant.

Rae took her time looking over the menu. “Do you think baked trout would be safe?”

He grinned. “I would say that is a good choice.”

Rae liked the evening with him, sharing a meal. He told her stories about Africa, stories from the days working with Kevin building their business. He made her laugh and it made the stress of the workday fade.

They lingered at the restaurant for almost two hours, enjoying the chance to talk together. When James finally suggested they should consider leaving, she agreed, knowing she needed to call it a night before it got much later, but regretting the ending of a wonderful evening.

“Would you like to see someplace special?” James asked her as she fastened her seat belt.

She looked over at him, surprised. “Sure.”

He nodded. “It’s not far.”

He took them to an established neighborhood a couple miles from her own home, where the trees were ancient and the houses set back on large plots of land. He drew to a stop in front of a two-story house, put the car in park.

Rae looked around with interest.

“My new place,” James said quietly.

She turned to look at him. “Really?” He had bought a house? She looked back at the place. He had bought a place. A deep spot of uncertainty inside her dissolved. She had been afraid he might end up settling in a different city, with a different job. He had bought a house. This was good.

He smiled at her surprise. “Come on, I’ll show it to you,” he offered, turning off the engine.

Rae slipped out of the car.

It was a beautiful home. James had arranged to have the key and he opened the front door for her, gave her a guided tour, pointing out the structural changes he planned to make. Rae wandered around behind him, enjoying listening to James in his element, the house having replaced his discouragement with something positive.

They walked back to the car, James quiet and Rae enjoying the beautiful night.

It was eleven o’clock when James escorted her up the walk to her own front door. “I’m sorry I made it such a late night for you.”

Rae leaned against the doorpost, not entirely ready to say good-night yet. “I’m not. I had a good time, James.”

He rocked back on his heels, smiling. “So did I. Would you like to do it again?”

Rae considered the offer. “Would you like to come over for a movie Thursday night?”

He smiled at her. “You go to sleep with a movie.”

“Only with guys I like.”

He grinned. “What do you say I pick out the movie?”

“I like this plan.”

“Say eight o’clock again? I’ll bring dinner?”

“Deal.” She smiled and reached forward, touched his hand. “Thank you, James.”

His hand turned over and gently grasped hers. “Have a good night, Rae.”