Betting on Love (16 page)

“Not a problem.” They worked together, and in no time the belt was back on the tractor, and it was running as it should.

He handed her a rag to wipe off her hands. “Melody, I have to just be honest with you. I’m really attracted to you. I think you’re something special. I’d really like you to give me a chance.”

Melody closed her eyes. Unlike most girls, she hadn’t dreamed of this moment. She didn’t seek out attention from boys. She tried to avoid them, tried to beat them at every game they played.

But she did like Drew. She was drawn to him as she’d never been drawn to a man before. There were moments when she could lose herself in visions of dating him. Then she’d think about her reaction to their playing at the church Bible school picnic. She didn’t want to have that kind of response to her boyfriend, one of fear because he was bigger and stronger than she was. Drew didn’t deserve that.

No. She wasn’t ready to date. Not Drew. Not anyone. She peered up into his beautiful eyes and shook her head. “I can’t.”

He placed his hand against the tractor. “Why not? I know I wasn’t the best witness to you. I’ve come to realize it’s because I was so intrigued by you that I acted as I did. I know you’ve been interested in me. I’ve seen it in your eyes.”

Melody sighed. Her heart pounded beneath her chest. She didn’t want to tell him what happened. She’d never really shared it out loud, except with her mom on the day it happened. She couldn’t even make herself share it with Gracie the other day. Besides, her fear went deeper than her attacker. It was also a lack of trust in men because of her dad.

“It’s really not you.”

He huffed and looked away from her.

She continued. “I know that’s just a saying, but it’s the truth.” She paused, blew out a breath, then said, “When I was fourteen, I was trying out for the cross-country team. I loved that I could run and take my mind off my stresses at home. So I went for a jog in the park. It was early, and no one was really out….”

She stopped and swallowed the knot in her throat. Her hands started to tremble, and she shoved them into her coverall pockets.

Drew peered down at her. Concern etched his face. “What happened?”

She felt tears pooling in her eyes. The words were hard to say out loud. They were embarrassing, humbling. If she hadn’t been out so early, she would have never been confronted. She swiped her eyes with the back of her hand and lifted her chin. She was determined to tell him the truth.

“I was jogging, and a man grabbed me. I didn’t know where he came from. He was just there.” She touched her arm where his hand had gripped her. “And he was stronger than me. He threw me on the ground.”

“Did he rape you?” Drew’s voice was low, and his expression was serious. He looked like a bear about to protect his cub. She knew he wanted to find the man who’d hurt her, and in truth his reaction warmed her heart.

She shook her head. “Praise God, no. A woman pushing her baby in a stroller happened by and scared him away. But now, I still get afraid. I still—”

“That was the look you gave me when we were playing at the picnic. I couldn’t figure out why you had fear in your eyes.”

“You see, I shouldn’t have. You haven’t done anything to scare me, and yet I had a moment of panic because you are so much bigger and stronger than I am.”

Slowly he reached up and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She willed herself not to flinch then relished the feel of his warm skin on hers. He wouldn’t hurt her. He would protect her. “Melody, I would never hurt you.”

“I know.” She pulled his hand away from her cheek. “But I’m not ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”

Drew wanted to find the man who’d hurt Melody and rip him apart, limb by limb. Only a no-good coward would do such a thing to a woman. If he’d happened upon the scene that morning in the park, he’d have whipped that man’s tail.

He sucked in a long breath and exhaled extra slow. He had to settle down. He couldn’t change what happened to her. All he could do was show her how different he was than that disgusting man. He could be her friend. He could pray for her.

God, I know exactly what I can do for her.

Drew looked at Melody. The sun was starting to set. The pink and orange glow of the sky behind her made her look like a perfect character drawn in a picture. He’d seen that beautiful, long hair flowing down her shoulder only a few times, and now he longed to pull out that rubber band and watch it drop down to her waist. Every girl he knew caked makeup on her face. But not Melody, and she was still indescribably beautiful.

It will be hard for me not to want more from her.

His Spirit seemed to encourage Drew.
“I will give you strength.”

He started to reach out his hand to touch a stray strand of hair that brushed her cheek. Coming to his senses, he shoved his hand in his front pocket. “Tell you what. I still want to be friends.”

Melody lifted her chin and gazed up at him. The vulnerability in her eyes was almost more than Drew could handle. “I’d really like that. I really want you to be my friend. I really do.”

Drew bit back a grin at her emphatic reply. In his gut, he knew she did care for him. She probably wanted him to be more than a friend, and she needed him to be patient.
You know patience isn’t my strong point, Lord.

“You can do all things through Me.”

He cleared his throat and went on with his idea. “How ‘bout we meet out here a couple times a week for Bible study and maybe a little fishing.” He pointed to the big old oak tree on the right side of the pond. “I’ll set us up a bench or a table or something over there for our studying.”

Melody’s eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands. “Would you put up a swing? That branch is perfect for a…” Her face turned crimson, and she ducked her head and lifted her shoulders as if she’d just gotten caught doing something mischievous. “Sorry. I just think it’d be such a fun place to swing. It’s perfect, and—”

Drew lifted his hand. “Consider it done.” He pinched her nose. “And you’ll be the first to swing on it.”

She put up both her fists like she was going to box him. “You don’t want me to put you in a headlock again.”

Drew laughed and shook his head. “So, when do you want to start?”

Melody shrugged. “Tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night.” Drew led her back to her truck and opened the door for her. She seemed hesitant and embarrassed as she hopped inside. “I can hardly wait.”

She leaned her arm out the window. “Thanks for being patient with me, Drew.”

Drew wasn’t sure what to say.

She started the truck and shifted it into gear but kept her foot on the brake. She peered out across the expanse of his property, seeming to drink in every intricate detail. “It’s absolutely beautiful out here.” She smiled at him then drove off.

He waved as he whispered, “One day you will share it with me.”

Melody was elated that she and Drew would be studying God’s Word together. If there was a man in all the world that she wanted to help her overcome her fear and need for control at the feet of her Father, it would be Drew Wilson. Though it made little sense to her, she wanted to do something, to look prettier than she normally did when she went to Drew’s later that evening.

She only had an hour for lunch, and Gracie wasn’t expecting her today, but she raced to her house anyway. Melody didn’t know exactly what she wanted Gracie to do, but surely the woman would have some ideas.

She knocked on the front door and within moments Gracie opened it. A full grin spread her lips. “Melody, it’s so good to see you. Come on—”

Melody interrupted her friend and sped into the house. “I need your help.”

Gracie furrowed her eyebrows as she shut the door. “Okay. Is something wrong?”

Wyatt squealed from inside his playpen and reached up to Melody. Unable to withstand any fussing from that precious boy, Melody scooped him up into her arms. He immediately reached for her hair. “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve agreed to do Bible study with Drew, but just as friends.”

“Okay?” Gracie still looked confused.

“And I want to do something about my hair.”

“What’s wrong with your hair? It’s gorgeous.”

Warmth trailed up her neck. “I mean, I don’t want to wear it up in a ponytail, and I don’t know what to do with it.”

Gracie squinted and cocked her head. “I thought you were going to be just friends.”

Melody huffed and shifted Wyatt to her other hip. “We are.” She nestled her nose into the baby’s neck, avoiding eye contact with her friend. “I just want to look a little prettier.”

Gracie lifted her eyebrows and slowly nodded her head. “I see.”

Melody rolled her eyes. “I’m not ready for Drew to be my boyfriend, but when I am ready—”

“You want Drew to be your boyfriend.”

Embarrassed by the conversation as she simply hadn’t considered falling for someone, Melody dug her face into Wyatt’s chest. The boy squealed and grabbed her hair with both hands. She mumbled into his shirt. “Will you help me?”

Gracie laughed as she pried her boy off Melody’s head. “Of course.” Wyatt screamed and reached for Melody. “If my son will let me.”

Melody walked to one of the straight-back dining room chairs and sat down. She reached for Wyatt again. “Here, I’ll hold him in my lap. You fix my hair. But tell me what you’re doing so I’ll know how to do it.”

“Sounds great.”

Gracie left the room and within moments returned with a brush and a fat curling iron. Melody listened as Gracie talked about rolling the bottom of the back of her hair under and rolling the sides along her face. It felt nice to have someone fix her hair.

“Make sure whatever you’re doing isn’t hard to do, or I’ll never do it.”

Gracie snorted. “Melody, your hair is naturally amazing. I’m doing hardly anything at all.”

To Melody’s surprise only ten or fifteen minutes had passed when Gracie said she was done. She handed Wyatt to his mom and walked into the bathroom to see what she’d done. It was too hot, and her hair was too long to let all of it fall, so Gracie had pulled up the sides in one big clip at the top.

She’d left just a few curled strands touching each cheek. Slight curls flowed from the clip and all the way down her back. Some of them were shaped from the curler, but most were there naturally. Melody looked pretty, but not too different. She still felt like herself.

She bit her bottom lip and smiled when Gracie and Wyatt came into the bathroom and looked at her reflection as well. “It looks good, Gracie.”

“You’re such a natural beauty. What I wouldn’t give for that hair.” She lifted a curl in her hand then winked into the mirror. “Have fun with your friend.”

“God’s getting me there. I just know it.”

Drew had gotten up extra early to get his work done on the farm. It had been a challenge keeping up the farm and building his house, but God blessed him with extra strength the last few months. The fact he’d been unable to sleep several nights fretting over despising Melody or falling in love with her had also helped him.

This morning, he’d wanted to get a swing up on the tree as a surprise. He knew she wouldn’t expect him to have it up so fast, but in order to do it, he’d had to make an unplanned trip to town to get what he needed. He’d also stopped by the diner to pick up a pitcher of their homemade sweet tea, as he knew she really liked it.

He set up two benches on the other side of the tree. He kept moving them so that they angled correctly away so that the sun didn’t smack either one of them in the eye. Then he realized it would be near time for the sun to set once they met, so he arranged them again to be able to enjoy the sunset.

I feel like a girl fussing over my company coming over.
He wrinkled his nose as he thought of the times his mom and sister had raced around the house, picking up blankets and moving pillows so that it looked nice before their guests arrived. He spread out his hands after he moved the bench one more time.
It’s fine, Wilson,
he cajoled himself.
We’re going to be focusing on God’s Word, as friends.

He heard a truck coming up the gravel road. He knew it was her. He took the Bible off the top of the cooler that held the sweet tea and placed it on one of the benches. Wringing his hands together, he knew it was ridiculous to be this nervous. His biggest concern was that he wouldn’t be able to simply meet with her as a friend.
But I have no choice for now, God. Help me wait for Your timing.