A Treasure Worth Keeping (20 page)

“Y
ou knew about this, Lord,” Evie said out loud as she read the bright blue, wave-shaped sign that greeted visitors at the city limits.

Summer Harbor.

Of
course
it was on the water. The little town Sam had promised to protect and serve curled around a sparkling, diamond-shaped bay like a contented tabby cat.

Evie tapped the brake as the speed limit sign suddenly took a radical drop from 55 mph to 25 mph. She didn’t want to get picked up for exceeding the speed limit!

She refused to let herself be charmed by the tidy, old-fashioned main street with its brass light poles and wrought-iron benches. Or by the planters, overflowing with pink and white petunias, strategically placed at every corner. She could see the top of an old stone lighthouse jutting from the top of a hill that overlooked Lake Michigan.

There was no sense admiring a town she might only be visiting for fifteen minutes. Depending on how Sam reacted to her unexpected—and unannounced—arrival.

In a town of five thousand people, it didn’t take Evie long to locate the police department. One squad car was parked in front of the brick building with the engine running.

Evie’s heart jumped.

Okay, God. I’m taking a risk here. Don’t leave me.

She pushed open the door and the dispatcher, a young woman with spiky blond hair and jewel-studded glasses perched on her nose, smiled at her from behind the Plexiglas window. When she stood up and waddled over, Evie was surprised to see she was
very
pregnant. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Sam Cutter.”

“He’s not here right now,” the dispatcher said. “Would you like to speak with Officer Faller?”

“No, thank you.” Evie gnawed on her lower lip as she tried to determine what to do next. Wait? Go back home?

The second choice was tempting, but she’d driven almost half the day to see Sam.

As she waffled, the door opened behind her and Evie’s knees turned to jelly.

“Evangeline McBride?”

Evie turned toward the unfamiliar voice and saw a man in uniform standing there, looking just as surprised as she was.

“Yes?”

Behind the glass, the dispatcher gasped. “You’re Evangeline McBride?”

Evie’s gaze cautiously slid from one to the other. How did they know who she was? Was it possible Sam had
talked
about her? To the people he worked with? A flutter of wild hope took wing in her heart.

“I ran your license plate before I came in,” the officer said cheerfully. “I’m Officer Faller, by the way.”

“And I’m Michelle Loomis.” The dispatcher grinned.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Evie stammered.

“I told her Chief’s not here.” Michelle gave Tony a meaningful look.

“I can come back—” If she didn’t lose her nerve.

“No!” Their combined voices drowned out her weak suggestion.

“He won’t be gone long. Why don’t you wait in his office.” Officer Faller stepped in front of the door, effectively blocking her path.

Evie eased around him. “No. Thank you. Really. I’ll come back…later.”

Michelle and Tony exchanged skeptical looks.

“He said we should call him if it’s an absolute emergency,” Tony mused.

Michelle ignored Evie’s strangled protest and nodded thoughtfully. “If she is Evangeline McBride, I think she definitely falls into the category of an absolute emergency.”

Evie tried not to overthink Michelle’s remark as the dispatcher scrawled something on a piece of paper and pushed it toward her through the narrow slot in the divider. “Here you go, honey. But don’t tell him where you got it. I happen to like my job.”

Rocky greeted Sam at the door, a tattered baseball cap clamped in his jaws.

“Found a new hat, huh, boy?” Sam held the door open and Rocky charged past him, on a mission to find the perfect spot to bury the hat. Just like he had the coffee table leg.

The July sunshine beat down on him and Sam loosened his tie as he followed Rocky’s crooked trail down the beach.

The remnants of an elaborate sand castle caught his attention, and he immediately thought about Evie.

When
didn’t
he think about Evie?

Given the short time they’d known each other, Sam was amazed at how many things reminded him of her. When he looked out his living room window at the water, he remembered the afternoon on the
Natalie.
And her blue eyes. If he saw a woman on the street with a hair color similar to Evie’s, his heart rate spiked in response.

Rocky let out a sharp bark and Sam lifted one hand to shade his eyes against the sun. The woman walking toward him on the beach wore a large straw hat. Just like Evie’s.

There you go again.

Sam whistled but Rocky ignored him and made a mad dash for the woman, his stubby legs churning up sand like the wheels of a dune buggy.

“He’s friendly,” Sam shouted across the distance, hoping she wouldn’t think his crazy dog was about to attack her.

“I know.”

The laughter in the voice—even the voice itself—sounded like Evie. The heat was getting to him. No doubt about it.

As the woman reached down to pet Rocky, he saw the gigantic purse slung over her shoulder.

Somehow, Sam’s feet kept moving. Even though everything inside had frozen solid.

“I can’t believe he’s gotten so big.” The straw hat listed to one side and Sam caught a glimpse of sunset-red hair. And a straight little nose dotted with freckles.

Twelve of them.

He couldn’t believe Evie was standing three feet away. Almost within reach. Sam blinked, just to make sure she wasn’t a hallucination.

“What are you doing here?” He hadn’t expected to see her, not unless circumstances forced them together. Sam had discovered his newfound faith meant trusting God when it came to his relationship with Evie. And that had become his greatest challenge.

As the days slipped by with no contact between them, Sam had started to lose hope that she could accept his career. And not only accept it, but support it.

Sam knew God was the only one who could wipe away the last barrier standing between him and Evie. But she had to
let
Him. Accepting that had been tough for Sam, especially when he wanted to crash through those barriers himself and
make
Evie see they were meant to have a future together. Sam had come to the realization that trusting God took guts, a lot more than trying to do things on his own!

“They got the permits.” Evie smiled uncertainly. “Yesterday.”

She’d driven all the way to Summer Harbor to tell him about the
Noble?

“That’s great. Sophie will be happy.” He’d talked to Jacob the night before, but somehow his father had failed to mention the latest news. Maybe because they’d sent Evie to deliver it in person?

Why?

Sam was afraid to hope.

“The local news interviewed Sophie and our dads last night. They’re celebrities now. Even a national network called to find out what was going on.”

“Great.” Sam tried to muster some enthusiasm. He was glad the months of research had yielded some results, but he found himself wishing Evie would have come to Summer Harbor for another reason other than playing messenger. “Have you been in Cooper’s Landing the whole time?”

“I went home last week.”

“How’s the garden?” Sam winced. Okay, there’d been a grain of sarcasm in the question, but seeing Evie again had knocked him off center.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, not sure how much longer he could hold out before taking her into his arms.

He wasn’t making this easy for her. But then, this was a Sam that Evie didn’t recognize. He’d had his hair cut since the last time she’d seen him and the five-o’clock stubble that shadowed his lean jawline was gone. He’d traded in his blue jeans and faded T-shirt for charcoal-gray Dockers and a crisp white shirt, paired with a conservative tie. The pockets displayed an assortment of pins. And his badge.

Sam didn’t look like a windblown sailor anymore. He looked like a cop.

And she fell in love with him all over again.

From the minute she’d followed the path down to the beach and saw Sam walking by the water, she wondered why she’d let so much time go by. And why she’d let her fears control her future.

She’d put that control right where it had always been—in God’s faithful hands. And she planned to leave it there.

Now she just had to convince Sam. If she hadn’t waited too long already.

“It’s a pretty town.” Small talk. So maybe she wasn’t as brave as she hoped to be!

“It’s on the water,” Sam pointed out.

Evie ignored the slight challenge in his tone. “I think it’s prettier than Cooper’s Landing, with the marina and the lighthouse.”

“You like the lighthouse?”

Evie nodded.

“Come on. I’ll show it to you.”

Evie blinked. Had she imagined Sam’s hint of a smile? “Really? I’d like that.” She’d like anything that kept him with her.

Sam whistled for Rocky and this time the puppy bounded over and followed them up the beach. The stone lighthouse was smaller than others Evie had seen, but still quaint and well preserved. Probably due to being the target project of a local historical society.

Sam shocked her by following the uneven flagstone path right to the front door.

“You can go inside?” Evie frowned. “Is it open to tourists?”

Instead of answering, Sam turned the handle and stepped to one side.

“Are you sure?” She hesitated. “Don’t we need permission?”

“After you.” Now Sam did smile. And she would have followed him anywhere.

Evie decided the town must own the lighthouse and, as chief of police, Sam had permission to show it to visitors.

Rocky galloped over to them, his tail wagging proudly as he deposited a shoe at Evie’s feet.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Sam growled. “I happen to like that pair.”

While he wrestled for control of the shoe, Evie turned in a slow circle and scanned the interior. Comfortable furnishings reflected a rustic, nautical theme and Evie realized the lighthouse had been converted into someone’s…home. The truth suddenly dawned on her.

“You live in a lighthouse.”

God, you knew about this, too! Are there any more surprises?

She hoped so. She was beginning to enjoy them.

“I bought it already fixed up. Over the years it’s been a gift shop and an artist’s studio, but the last owner put it up for sale within days after the police and fire commission hired me.” Sam shrugged. “I couldn’t resist.”

Evie walked over to the circular staircase that wound up to the second floor.

“Do you want to take a look?”

“I don’t like heights.” A reluctant confession. Sam was going to think she was still afraid of her own shadow.

“Neither do I,” Sam surprised her by saying. “But the view is worth it.”

His cell phone rang and he flipped it open. “Excuse me, Evie. I have to take this.”

So formal. So professional. When had Sam become the cautious one? And what was she going to have to do to prove to him that her perspective had changed?

“Of course.”
I guess I’ve taken up enough of your time.

While Sam stepped into the next room, Evie walked blindly outside into the sunshine.

Had she been wrong about Sam’s feelings? Had she read too much into his unexpected kiss that day at the beach? Maybe he’d realized he didn’t want to pursue a relationship with someone he thought couldn’t accept his career.

Rocky followed her and made a beeline toward the lacey waves lapping against the shore. Without thinking, Evie peeled off her shoes and dropped them in the sand as she followed him into the shallow water.

He fished a wet stick of driftwood out of the surf and danced up to her. Evie laughed and tossed it into the water, unable to avoid getting splashed as he went after it.

They played the game for several minutes before Evie felt Sam’s presence. She turned around and there he was, right behind her. Her shoes in his hand.

The warmth in his eyes took her breath away. And gave her the courage she needed.

“I’m sorry, Sam. I should’ve told you how I felt about you but I was scared and—” Evie decided words weren’t enough this time. She stood on her tiptoes and reached up to frame his face with her hands. And kissed him.

Her shoes hit the sand with a thud as Sam drew her into his arms and looked down at her.

“Barefoot, Evangeline?” he murmured. “That’s a little…adventurous, don’t you think?”

She smiled up at him. “What can I say? I’m my mother’s daughter. Do you think you can live with that?”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Sam whispered in her ear. “For a very long time.”