How Sweet It Is (25 page)

“Just cash the check, Delphine.”

He suddenly turned, trudged out the door, and
yanked it shut behind him. Delphine heard the sound of his
footsteps as he descended the stairs.

She stared at the check, depressed instead of
elated. How was she supposed to know he wanted to give it to her?
She still didn’t understand why he would.

But whatever the reason, he didn’t have to be
such a grouch about it—it had been a hard enough day. Delphine
picked up a pillow from the couch and threw it at the door.

****

Brad drove home with a scowl on his face.
What an obstinate woman! He latched onto his anger, preferring it
to the hurt that lurked in his heart at Delphine’s rejection.

“I went to a lot of trouble coming up with
that money,” he told the windshield. “The least she could do is
accept it.”

He gripped the steering wheel. “Why does she
have to resist all the time. Why can’t she just cooperate? What am
I going to do with her?”

Brad thought of her stubborn pride, her
temper, her generosity with hugs and kisses, her alchemy in the
kitchen, of the time she slapped him—all flashing eyes and outraged
propriety…

He took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’ll just
have to marry her.”

A grin spread across his
features as he thought of spending the rest of his life with
Delphine, of children with chocolate smudged faces—all working in
the shop together. Would they have brown eyes or blue?
Maybe I could teach them to
surf
.

Then his smile faded.

What if she says no? What if she rejects not
just the money, but me?

Brad eased a slow sigh
through his teeth as several scenarios sifted through his
brain.
What if I stood at the water’s edge
and decided I was too afraid to catch the wave? I might end up with
a sand facial if I didn’t try, but I’d also never have a chance to
win, and I’d miss the exhilarating ride
.

He firmed his lips and
narrowed his eyes.
Do or die, I’m going to
propose. So there!

Brad pulled into his driveway and turned off
the engine, wondering when to ask Delphine. She was distracted with
the grand opening—and he wanted her full attention.

And I need a ring. He frowned. My credit
limit is maxed, I’m technically unemployed until I receive my first
paycheck, and I definitely don’t want to wait several months to
save the money.

Is there something I can sell to raise the
cash?

Brad scrambled from the car and went in
through the house to the garage. He walked over to the shelves in
the corner and saw the stacked surfboards he’d used through the
years. He reached out and ran his hands along the edges, mentally
going over each one. Nuuhiwa, Hot Buttered, Pulse, noserider
trifin, Agua, BZ. They were in great condition—he’d cared for them
meticulously.

If I sell them all I just
might have enough to finance a decent engagement
ring
.

Memories crowded into his mind of all the
adventures—and misadventures—he’d had over the years surfing. While
he wouldn’t mind going out again once in a while, the actual craze
seemed to have left him.

Maybe it had to do with finding something
infinitely more appealing. An image arose of Delphine’s exotic dark
eyes and pretty pink lips, and he remembered his first time tasting
those lips.

“Well, boys, it’s been fun.” He smiled
wistfully. “But I’ve caught a wave that lasts forever and that
calls for a different angle. Besides, I need the money.”

Nineteen

Delphine entered the church front doorway
alone. She wished Brad was with her, but hadn’t had the nerve to
call him—not after the way he left her apartment so angry. A vague
sense of shame clung to her, and she didn’t know why.

What did I do wrong? What am I missing?

Hours of speculation had not
brought her any closer to a realization, and all she really wanted
anyway was just to have him by her side.
I
miss him, even if he is unreasonable!

Delphine smiled and shook hands with the
pastor as she entered the sanctuary. She settled on a chair near
the back, nodding and smiling to a few now-familiar faces. The
worship team assembled on the stage and the guitarist strummed a
quiet tune as other congregates found their seats.

She tried to get herself in a frame of mind
for worship, but felt weary in mind and body. The last few days had
been an emotional roller coaster, coupled with the pressures of
opening her shop on schedule. Seeing Stephan and Minnie engage in
lighthearted flirtation with each other left her feeling
melancholy.

She tried to remember if she and Brad ever
had such a carefree time. It seemed all their time together had
been bogged down by money issues in one way or another.

The music swelled. Delphine shelved her angst
as best she could and closed her eyes. She sang along to familiar
choruses, enjoying the tempo—and again wishing Brad was with
her.

The worship team segued into a slower pace,
beginning a hymn she hadn’t heard before. She concentrated on the
words.

Come—and He saves us once for all.

Taking away my burden, Setting my spirit
free,

For the wonderful grace of
Jesus reaches me
.

Delphine experienced a
melancholy pang.
Will I ever feel really
free? What would it be like not to have tons of regrets, to not
have to worry about every tiny detail about things I probably can’t
control anyway?
She rolled her eyes,
impatient with the downward progression of her thoughts.

Pastor Greg stood at the podium and opened
his Bible. He read from the book of Ephesians. Delphine enjoyed the
mellow sound of his voice. She looked toward the front of the
seating area and saw his wife. They were such nice people. She
wondered how they came to pastor a church in a storefront on a city
block. She’d never been to one before and was used to the large
stone edifice where her parents had occasionally attended.

Delphine remembered when she’d first come,
how the Lord had met her in an unexpected way through the pastor
and his wife. She glanced around at the families, wondering what
circumstances had brought each of them into such a non-traditional
setting.

Since it was a non-traditional venue did that
mean they had non-traditional problems? She smiled to herself.
Nothing new about problems—relationships, family, money…same-old,
same-old.

Delphine looked down at her Bible, reminding
herself to pay attention to the reading. Her finger scanned the
page as she searched for the verse the pastor referred to. When she
located the right passage, she followed along as he read.

“For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

He read on, but her attention halted on those
words. She read it again. Her heart pounded loud in her ears. It is
the gift of God—not by works.

It is a
gift
.

She suddenly thought of her work to control
her circumstances by just trying harder. Had she been successful?
Her dad was gone, her mom had moved away. Her money problems seemed
solved…for the moment, but the cost was beyond bearing.

And there had been plenty of difficulties in
her relationship with Brad.

Through all her efforts, a sense of disgrace
clung to her, along with the knowledge that no matter how hard she
tried, it would never be enough. Even her past efforts to serve God
had for the most part failed. Maybe that was why she couldn’t take
Brad’s money. She didn’t deserve it after all he’d done for
her.

Delphine’s gaze fell to the
verse again. It is a gift. A gift of God so no one could
boast.
Why? So a person must know it wasn’t
his own efforts that achieved it for him?

Tears filled her
eyes.
Is that what I’ve done to you, God?
Refused your grace, striving in my own strength?

She pressed her hands
against her hot cheeks as realization seeped in.
I’ve been struggling in my own power, however
puny, ignoring the grace freely given by the Lord. I’ve been guilty
of trying to earn my way to into Your favor.

A tear splashed on the thin
paper of her Bible page, boding more to come.
How stupid I’ve been
. She squeezed her
eyes shut and prayed for forgiveness, prayed for an open heart to
accept the abundance of grace God offered.

Delphine soaked up the ministering of God for
the remainder of the service, determined to stop wrestling and
start resting in the Lord and what He’d done for her.

And on her way home, she deposited Brad’s
check.

****

Brad tucked the small velvet box into the top
dresser drawer, wondering if Delphine would ever give him a chance
to employ it.

He smiled to himself, remembering how much
fun it had been to buy it. He’d done well with his surfboards and
had only experienced a momentary pang at their loss. Looking at
rings, and imagining Delphine wearing one, had improved his mood
considerably.

Next on the agenda, an apartment. His real
estate agent friend had called with a few possibilities. He had an
appointment with him in an hour.

Brad jogged down the stairway, passing the
living room on his way out the door.

“Son!”

Brad turned at the sounds of his father’s
voice. “Yeah?”

Don Larsen walked into the hall and clapped a
hand on Brad’s shoulder. “We haven’t talked about what you did
concerning Delphine’s loan.”

He felt his face heat. “I’m sorry I went
through your records, but I needed to get the dollar amount.”

“Why did you do it?”

He looked at his dad and knew his ears must
be scarlet. “You know why I did it.”

His dad squeezed his shoulder. “Well, I’m
glad, I really am. So, how long before the wedding? I recommend a
short engagement and that you find a place to live immediately
and—”

“Dad, slow down. I haven’t asked her yet.”
He grimaced. “And I don’t even know for sure she’ll say yes.”

“Even if she doesn’t,” his dad said
brusquely, “it’s still important for you to be established and on
your own. Maybe Delphine is hesitant about you because you live at
home with your parents. Doesn’t look good. Doesn’t look good at
all.”

Brad rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know. But just
to remind you, I was invited for the summer. At least by Mom.”

He raised a brow. “Summer’s practically
over.”

He put up his hands and grinned. “You win!
And don’t worry, I’m on my way right now to look at a couple of
places.”

His dad rubbed his hands together, his face
breaking into a smile. “I’ll come with you.”

****

It’s kind of sickening how
much pleasure my dad is getting out of this
. Brad watched his dad ooh and ahh over every detail Rob
pointed out about the tiny house. It was the nicest of the three
places they’d looked at, all in the Glendale area since Brad wanted
to be close to work and Delphine’s shop. The first two were
apartments, decent but with no real appeal.

The rental house was tiny, about seven
hundred square feet, with a pocket garden, but somehow he knew it
would be a place Delphine would love. It had one bedroom and bath,
and boasted lots of wood trim and built-ins indicative of bungalows
built in the thirties. The neighborhood was older, middle-class,
and from the looks of it, mostly inhabited by retirees who spent
their retirement money on their lawns and gardens.

His dad slapped him on the back so hard he
winced.

“Well, son, what do you think?”

Rubbing his shoulder, Brad attempted a smile.
“I like this place best of course, but it’s a little more than the
apartments. Besides, I won’t be able to sign anything until after I
get my first paycheck.”

His dad’s smile faded. “Huh?”

“Remember I liquidated everything for
Delphine’s loan? I’m pretty much broke and only have enough money
for gas until the end of the month.” He waggled his brows. “Don’t
worry, it’s just a few more weeks.”

Don nodded, though his gaze was far away as
mental cogs turned. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “Tell
you what, as a late graduation present and possibly engagement
congratulations, I’ll cover the first six months rent if you
promise to move out by the weekend.”

Brad stared at his
dad.
It’s positively indecent how bad he
wants to get rid of me. On the other hand, it would make me look
better in Delphine’s eyes if she’d known I was out on my
own—despite the fact that I have been for the last eight years!
Sheesh!

He took a deep breath and looked at Rob.

Rob glanced at his tip sheet and nodded. “The
owner says it’s ready for move-in.”

An image of living in the little house with
Delphine seared itself into his mind, making his heart pound hard.
Brad stuck out his hand toward his dad.

“Deal!”

****

Delphine spent the remaining days before the
grand opening in a frenzy of activity of cooking, packaging, and
displaying chocolates. Her few conversations with Brad had been by
phone and he seemed either distracted or full of suppressed
excitement.

He never mentioned whether he was aware that
she’d deposited the check and she didn’t have the courage to ask.
Anyway, she still felt weird about it. But remembering the Sunday
service, Delphine reminded herself to accept the gift graciously
and not worry it to death as she was wont to do.