Something Old - Dianne L. Christner [121]
Never could she have drummed up that much hope for the future on her own. But it now fell over her like a fresh rain. God cared. The Lord was with her. And finally, she wanted to trust Him with her life.
She wasn’t sure how to do that, but God would teach her. Rising from the table with a smile, a song bubbled up inside her. She took a fresh tissue and blotted her eyes, then broke into song, not caring if she was hopelessly off-key.
She remembered how Brother Troyer’s sermon had seared her heart. Then her hand stilled, and she had another epiphany. This was how Jake felt after his falling away. This was what he’d been trying to explain to her all along about the feeling of a new beginning. With that, she also realized that she didn’t hate him any longer. God had removed that burden. It was like she could see him in her mind’s eye like God might see him. With compassion. Not all-knowing, but with a patient love.
As she moved around the room, cleaning the table, she spoke out loud to God as if He was a friend present with her in the room. I give Jake to You, whatever Your will is for us. I might actually be able to be his friend now. With Your help. And forgive me for my poor attitude toward Erin and even Jessie. I know You love them, too. Then she paused when she caught movement from her side vision. Outside, David was walking to his car. She saw him glance at the doddy house, and she felt a surge of God’s love toward him and a powerful urge to make things right between them. Quickly dabbing her eyes again, she ran to the door, acting before she lost her courage.
Swinging it open, she called out. “Hey, David.”
He froze. Stared at her.
“Can you come over a minute?”
CHAPTER 35
Katy waited in the open doorway, her heart racing at her impetuousness yet unable to deny the prompting she had felt in her spirit.
David reached the front stoop and halted.
Katy smiled, her eyes pleading for his forgiveness.
His narrowed. His jaw hardened.
She ran her tongue over her dry lips. “I have chocolate mint ice cream. I thought maybe you’d like some.”
He glanced back at his car, his expression telling her that he remembered their last conversation as clearly as she did. She knew she was opening herself to another curt rebuff.
He rolled back his shoulders. “Not really.”
Lord, help me here. “Please?”
He shifted his stance. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I miss our friendship.” When he still seemed skittish, she flashed him another tentative smile that came out a bit more tremulous than she’d intended.
“I heard about Lil. I guess you’re real hard up for company.”
“That’s true,” she grinned. “I have some mocha ice cream, too.”
“Oh, in that case.” He strode past her into the doddy house.
Wondering if she should apologize again, she got the ice cream out of the freezer and placed the containers and some bowls on the table. “Here we are.”
In silence, he dipped a scooper into the round container of mocha. His hand paused. “So you miss our friendship. And?”
“Yes.” Their gazes met as she tried to convey that reconciliation—not dating—was her intention.
He handed her the ice-cream scoop. “I heard you broke up with Jake.”
So that was it. He thought she was on the rebound. She felt her face heat as she scooped ice cream into her bowl. “Yes, we did. I couldn’t forgive him…until now…after it was too late.”
“Slow down. You forgave him. After you broke up?”
She took the ice-cream containers back to the freezer and joined him at the table with a sarcastic chuckle. “Right. I need to work on my personal problems. I’m a mess. But with God’s help, I plan to change. Anyway, I hate the way it was left between us. You and me.”
He displayed his dimple. “Such a pretty mess.”
Her face heated again. “So is there any way that you and I could, um”—she took a spoonful of ice cream, feeling self-conscious, and once it had melted in her mouth, she finished—“be friends again?”
He twirled his spoon, making her squirm. “Let me make sure