Lilies and Lies (11 page)
“How's that for persuasion?”
“It's⦔ Maddie pressed a pair of fingers to her lips as they rounded to a small oh of surprise. “Wow. I think I'll put my running shoes away.”
“Good.” Gunnar skimmed a knuckle along her cheek. “Because I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few days concerning what you said about God putting broken pieces together in ways we can't begin to fathom. I think He's working hereâ¦with us.” He reached across the seat, laced his fingers with hers. “What we share now is a lotâ¦it's something real and strong. Powerful.”
“I feel it, too.” Maddie startled him by leaning in to plant a tender kiss on his lips and brush her fingers over his stubbled jaw. “Come inside, Gunnar. I'll brew a pot of coffee. We'll talk about the youth programâ¦and maybe more.”
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“Do you need any help, Maddie?” Kyle asked as he bounded into the kitchen a few weeks later. Maddie had been at work preparing dinner nearly an hour and already felt comfortable rummaging through the drawers of Gunnar's kitchen finding what she needed. His supplies were a little sparse, but she'd expected that and so had chosen a simple recipe she knew they'd like. The meal was a small repayment for what he'd done to replace Mrs. Johnson's car and to put them all at ease concerning her lunge through his shop.
“You can set the table. Dinner's almost ready.”
“OK.” Kyle yanked open the refrigerator door, grabbed a two-liter soda bottle. “It sure smells good in here. What are you cooking?”
“Chicken fajitas and rice.”
“Wow, I love both of those.” He filled a glass with ice, then a splash of soda, before chugging. “How did you know?”
“I asked Gunnar. He gave me a little inside information.” Maddie handed Kyle a small pump-bottle of liquid soap. “That's why I chose them. Now, wash up.”
“Sure.” Kyle tossed her a look over his shoulder as he stepped up to the sink and turned on the faucet. “You mean you cooked a special meal, just for me?”
“That's right, but I hope we'll all enjoy it together. I whipped up a batch of my world-famous fudge brownies for dessert, too.”
“Wow. They smell
good
.” Kyle's eyes rounded. He dried his hands with a paper towel and opened a cabinet over the sink to retrieve a small stack of dinner plates. “Uncle Gunnar's almost finished changing the oil on your car.”
“That was sure nice of him to take care of that for me, especially out there in the driveway, without the proper equipment that would make the job so much easier.”
“Oh, he doesn't mind at all. I watched him work, and he taught me how to do it, too, so now I can help. We're working on a Chevy at his garage together, restoring it for Mr. Glick. It's pretty cool how Uncle Gunnar trusts me to help him. It makes me feel good, and the Chevy's sure going to be a sweet ride when we're finished.”
“That's a good skill to have, working on cars. I wish I knew more about them.”
“And I wish Uncle Gunnar knew more about cooking. I'm getting pretty tired of hamburger and baked beans around here. Maybe Uncle Gunnar can show you how to work on cars and you can give him some cooking lessons.”
“Oh, his cooking can't be
that
bad.”
“Believe me, it is.” Kyle set the plates on the table, added napkins and silverware. “Uncle Gunnar's an expert with cars, but making dinner, or even a snackâ¦he's not even in the ballpark when it comes to preparing anything edible.”
Maddie laughed. “In that case, I don't mind pinch-hitting.”
“Every night?”
“Whoaâ¦let's not go that far. I'm sure Gunnar would have something to say about that.”
“Judging by the way he smiles all the time when you're with him, I do too.” Kyle lifted the lid on a skillet where chicken, infused with spices, simmered. “You two just fit together. You should get married. That would be
so
cool.”
“It's not that simple, Kyle. There's a lot more than fajitas and brownies that go into making a good, strong marriage.”
“I thought cars were complicated, too, until Uncle Gunnar started showing me that pretty-much every engine has the same basic parts and needs the same type of maintenance.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep.”
Maddie couldn't deny the analogy had value. Reese's words from weeks ago echoed through her mindâ¦
“â¦life's way too short to let the âwhat-if's' paralyze you.”
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Gunnar paused in his tracks as he reached the doorway of the kitchen. Maddie's words washed over himâ¦
“There's a lot more than fajitas and brownies that go into making a good, strong marriage.”
She was right. There was a whole lot more.
He wiped his hands on the shop towel, leaving streaks of pearly-black oil behind, and peered into the kitchen. Maddie stirred the contents of a pot that simmered at the stove with Kyle close to her side. It made an interesting picture, the way Kyle leaned in to catch every detail. Up to this point, Gunnar hadn't known his nephew to show even the slightest interest in culinary arts. But Maddie had a way of drawing the improbable from people she cared about.
Like him. A few months ago he would have balked at the idea of marriage, run as if the law was after him. But now, he examined the âmore' that he and Maddie shared, and realized with a jolt that they blended perfectly together.
“I believe God takes broken pieces and puts them back together in ways we can't begin to fathom.”
Gunnar carried that thought with him as he strode into the kitchen. “Hey, Maddie.” He went straight to her, spun her to face him and claimed her lips with a lingering kiss. “Dinner smells delicious.”
Maddie eased into him as she lifted one hand to the nape of his neck, returning the kiss. “You smell good, too.”
“A little motor oil, some hard work, and sunshine⦔
“I like it.”
“Maddie made fajitas, Uncle Gunnar.” Kyle's voice drifted over Gunnar's shoulder. “And brownies, too.”
“I see that.” He eased in, claimed a third kiss, and peered through the window over the sink to find the limbs of oaks that lined the yard emblazoned in a flurry of autumn crimson and gold.
“Are you just gonna stand there and kiss her, or can we eat sometime tonight?” Kyle peeked into the oven, sniffed the rising brownies. “I'm starving and these brownies look ready.”
“Dinner's a good plan, Kyle, and I thought, after we're finished, that Maddie and I could take a walk together while you clean up the kitchen.”
“I'll do anything if you just don't burn the food. If I have to eat hamburger casserole again tonight⦔
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A few weeks later, Gunnar stopped by the nursery to pick up a special order Reese had placed for him, and then headed toward Maddie's apartment. Friday evening had finally arrived, and he looked forward to a weekend away from the garage. With damage from Maddie's accident no more than a distant memory, business was stronger than ever, keeping him hopping. Now, catching a breather, Gunnar planned to take Maddie to dinner and then together they'd head to the music outlet to find the perfect guitar for Kyle's birthday next week.
Music drifted from the radio as he swung into a parking space beside her sedan. Sunlight fingered over the western horizon, bathing wisps of clouds in a palette of gold. The air was crisp, hinting that winter lurked just around the corner. Trees danced along the boulevard, their limbs naked as leaves skittered along the walk.
The scent of Stargazers filled the cab of the truck, and Gunnar welcomed the fragrance. It no longer reminded him of death, but instead he was filled with images of Maddieâ¦her gentleness and easy sense of humor, the way she welcomed and doted on Kyle as if she'd known himâloved himâher entire life. Gunnar killed the engine and reached for the bouquet. It was only fitting to share the beautiful arrangement with a woman who exuded a special and precious beauty of her own.
Gunnar slipped from the truck, ascended the stairs to the second level, thinking along each step of the miracles God had worked in his life. Through all the hurt and the heartache, he'd been remade into something new. The very idea of such a miracle lightened his walk as he rounded a corner and found Maddie there, waiting for him. She caught sight of the blooms in his arms, gasped.
“Oh, Gunnarâ¦are those for me?”
“Only you.”
“They're beautiful and my favorite.” Maddie stepped forward and took the bouquet, buried her face in the fragrant blooms. “I love them.”
“And
I
love
you
, Maddie. Those flowers are only the beginning. I'd like to make this a habitâ¦bringing you Stargazers on Fridaysâ¦and any other day of the week that you'd like. What do you think?”
“I think I like that idea very much.” She leaned in, the bouquet wedged between them, to kiss him. “And I love you, Gunnar Holt.”
“In that case⦔ He took the flowers, set them on the balcony ledge so he could give her a proper kiss as he drew a small, velvet box from his pocket. “I've been doing a little research, and I learned that Stargazers symbolize devotion. That's how I feel when I'm with you, Maddieâcompletely devoted. And I'm pretty sure I'm carrying the final piece of the puzzleâ¦at least for the first part of this journeyâour part.”
He lifted the lid of the box and a diamond tucked against the sleek, black velvet caught the last rays of sunshine.
Maddie glanced down as the light caught her eye. Her hands flew to cover a gasp of surprise. “Gunnarâ¦oh, oh, oh!”
“I can't promise to be perfect, but I promise to love you for the rest of my life, through each and every puzzle piece that life tosses our way. Will you marry me, Maddie?”
“Oh, Gunnar⦔ Maddie glanced over at the bouquet of Stargazers nestled on the rail and her eyes filled with tears of joy. She nodded as those tears spilled over to blaze trails down her cheeks. “I can't promise I'll never plow through the walls of your shopâ”
“
Our
shop.”
“Our shop ever again, but I'll do my best, each and every day, to stay between the double-yellow lines along the boulevard. So, with every piece of my heartâ¦yes. I'll marry you.”
Gunnar took the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger, sealing their pledge with a kiss. Then he took the Stargazers in one hand and reached for Maddie with his other. “Let's get these in water, set them on the table inside.”
“Then head down to Pappy's for dinner,” Maddie added. “On the way we can stop by the nursery and tell Momâ¦and my brothers. Wait, does Kyle know?”
“Yes, and he's thrilled. He asked me to pass along two requestsâbrownies at least once a week and absolutely, positively no hamburger casserole for dinnerâever.”
“I can agree to that.” Maddie nodded as her joy bubbled over. “Family meals are all a part of God's plan.”
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