A Match Made in Heaven (8 page)

She jumped into her car and drove around town. Nick would find her at home, and she wasn’t ready to face him. Tears blurred her vision. Though he hadn’t said the words yet, she had thought he loved her. He’d acted it in everything he did. To find out he was like all the rest, that he was only out for what was best for himself, left her bereft.

“I thought this was Your leading, Lord,” she whispered as she drove to Gram’s. “I thought You had brought me and Nick together. What am I supposed to do?” Her lips trembled, and she fought the tears. She parked in the lot outside the retirement home and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. “What now, God?” She stayed like that for what seemed like forever then began to feel a sense of peace and purpose.

Nick may have let her down, but God was still there and in control. She would do the best job she could. If Nick wanted a design that matched his own vision, she’d give him one he’d never forget. She grabbed her drawing pad and supplies from the trunk and hurried inside.

Her grandmother met her at the door. “Why, Callie, whatever is wrong? Have you and Nick had a fight?”

“Not exactly,” she said shortly. “But I don’t want to talk about it. Can I use your spare room tonight? I have work to do, and I’ll be interrupted at home.”

“Of course, Darling. I’ll fix you a cup of tea. That will calm you, and maybe you’ll be ready to talk about it.”

“It would take more than tea to calm me, Gram,” she said with a sigh. Carrying her supplies, she went down the hall to the spare room and shut the door. Through the long evening she drew feverishly and prayed just as fervently for inspiration. Using her laptop, she downloaded pictures of furnishings from the Internet. She pasted swatches of material on her presentation board along with the sketches and pictures. By dawn she had a new design that would wow the Millers. It wasn’t what Barbara needed, but at least it would match Nick’s design.

A fresh wave of despair flooded her at the thought of Nick. His perfidy had knocked the even keel out of her world and left her disoriented. If Nick could be that self-seeking, no man could be trusted. And that’s what she would remember from now on. No more blind dates for her.

She slipped out of Gram’s apartment and locked the door behind her. Driving through the empty streets of Heaven, she felt invigorated. Nick wouldn’t be able to replace her when she showed up at that meeting with a perfect proposal. Barbara wouldn’t desert her. Of course, working with him under the circumstances would be excruciating, but it couldn’t be helped. Maybe it would be a reminder not to be so gullible again.

She went to her apartment to shower and get ready for the meeting. There were ten messages from Nick, each one more frantic than the last. Too bad she couldn’t believe the tenderness in his voice. She blinked away the tears with determination. She had no time for weakness. There was a battle to be won, and she intended to be the victor.

She dressed in a lime green suit with a cream blouse. Twisting her hair into its familiar bun, she gazed at her reflection and shook her head. If there was one thing she’d learned from this, it was to be her own woman. With a flourish she pulled the pins from her hair and let her red locks cascade to her shoulders. She caught the sides back with a clasp then changed into a pair of khaki slacks with a blazer.

Slipping her feet into loafers, she turned and marched to the door. It was time the world met the real Callie Stevens. Including Mr. Nick Darling.

Nick sprang to his feet when she walked in the door to his office. Dark circles rimmed his eyes. “Callie, I’ve been worried sick. Where have you been?” His gaze traveled over her face, and a tender smile tilted his lips. “You finally have your hair down. It’s so beautiful.”

Heat flooded her face, and she ignored his comment about her hair. “I was at Gram’s,” she said shortly. “Are you ready for our presentation?”

“Yes, but I have your presentation board on the table with my drawings. You don’t need another copy.”

Barbara and Warren were already perusing the plans, Callie noted with a sinking heart. She was too late.

Barbara looked up with a radiant smile. “Callie, these are wonderful! I didn’t know what I wanted, but you’ve captured the essence of Nick’s design perfectly. I can’t wait to get started.”

The essence of Nick’s design? How could that be? Her original plans were poles apart from that cold, sterile building he planned.

Warren slapped Nick on the back. “Great job, Nick. Can we take these drawings to the builder? He’s eager to see them.”

“They’re all yours,” Nick said.

Callie frowned and started to object; then her gaze was drawn to the display board where Nick’s design was posted. Her heart sped up when she saw the changes he’d made. “Oh, my,” she said softly.

Nick came up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist. “Like it?”

“I
love
it,” she breathed. “But I thought you didn’t have time for a whole new design.”

“It’s not. Look closer. I stuccoed the exterior with dark stucco instead of leaving it concrete. Changing the roof line helped a lot. Then I added a back portico with those peeled logs you wanted and added inside details in keeping with what you’d asked. I had a mental block for a long time and couldn’t see past what I had already done. All I can do is blame it on love.”

Love. He’d finally said the word. Callie’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to cry at the way she hadn’t trusted him. But she’d
heard
him.

“You were talking on the phone at the office last night,” she whispered. “I thought you were telling the Millers you were pulling me from the job.”

His eyes widened. “I would never do something like that. I was covering for another designer who had decided not to do a small house for another client when a bigger plum of a job came her way. I didn’t want to trash her reputation, even though she deserved it.” He stepped closer. “You can trust me, Callie. I would never hurt you.”

Callie felt as though she couldn’t breathe. She pulled away as the Millers stepped up to them.

Barbara hugged her. “Thank you, Callie, and for more than just the design. Thank you for being a friend to me. And thank you most of all for sharing Jesus with us. The pastor came to visit last night, and Warren and I both have realized we lack something in our lives. The pastor has a seeker’s class we’re going to attend. For the first time, I’ve seen what being a Christian is really about. Now we have to find out more.”

“Oh, Barbara, I’m so glad!” Callie threw her arms around Barbara and squeezed her tight. Joy bubbled within her. Maybe God had used her in spite of her shortcomings.

Barbara sniffled then drew away. “We’d stay longer, but I think Nick has something he wants to say to you.” She stepped back then followed her husband out the door.

Nick placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I realized what you thought when you raced out of here last night. Trust is something that’s hard for both of us, but we’re going to have to learn it if we want a future together. And I want a future with you, Callie. I love you.”

The tears began to flow in earnest down Callie’s cheeks. “I love you, too, Nick. More than I can say.”

“I’ve been waiting to hear those words. Tell me again,” he whispered as his lips came down on hers.

“Oh, Nick,” she gulped when she could catch her breath again.

“You can call me darling,” he said.

So she did.

Fire Dancer
is a reader favorite!

A decade ago, Tess Masterson’s parents died in a terrible barn fire. Now she’s become one of the best smoke jumpers in the business. Though she makes a living jumping out of planes into roaring wildfires, she’s never found the courage to face the wounds of her past—or to deal with the anger that flares whenever she encounters Chase Huston.

When a serial arsonist known as The Fire Dancer strikes near her old homeplace in Arizona, Tess is forced to examine the past as it relates to the present. How will she confront her own demons while at the same time putting a stop to the terror that has the area in flames?

“Colleen weaves intrigue and God’s love into a story full of carefully crafted characters. If you’re looking for an awesome writer, I highly recommend her!” —Tracie Peterson, best-selling author of Dawn’s Prelude, Song of Alaska Series

“Colleen is a master storyteller.” —Karen Kingsbury, best-selling author of
Shades of Blue

Watch for
Tidewater Inn
—coming in July 2012!

Welcome to Hope Beach

Where the sea breeze is fresh, sun sparkles on sand . . . and trouble appears with the force of a hurricane.

I love to hear from my readers! Drop me an email at
[email protected]
and visit my website at
www.colleencoble.com
for more information about my many novels.

Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at
www.colleencoble.com
.