Pierced by Love (25 page)

“And if Kasey is in fact the person who spread the rumor, she must have done it as a way to get even with you. Or to cover up her own dishonesty. Maybe she was even afraid that you would tell everybody around here what she’d done. You were in the perfect position to do so.”

Pierce’s brows furrowed. “I did tell Garret about her because I felt that he needed to know. But I would never slander another person’s name just to get even.”

Noelle brought her hands to his shoulders. “I know,” she said tenderly. Because he was Pierce—ever the gentleman.

Pierce’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I wonder how many other guys she’s tried to seduce.”

“Or if she’s succeeded.”

“And how did she know so much about our schedules?”

“Melody,” Noelle replied succinctly. “They were looking at her engagement pictures on Sunday night.” Then she frowned, adding, “I’ve been a little concerned about Kasey trying to form such a close friendship with Melody, but since our relationship has been so strained, I didn’t say anything.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Pierce replied. “It’s easy for a recently returned missionary to think the best of people. They’re so used to living in a controlled environment. Being thrust back into the real world can be a jarring experience for most. Melody is going to have to eventually see people for the way they really are.” Noelle’s expression must have conveyed her concern because Pierce reassured her, “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

“How do you know?”

He surprised her by saying, “Because I prayed about it.”

Her brow furrowed. “Maybe I should do the same.”

He winked flirtatiously. “It might help.”

NINETEEN

T
HE NEXT WEEK flew by much faster than Noelle wanted it to. Since Chase was working today but would come down tomorrow, Pierce drove the two sisters to their parents’ home with Melody in the backseat. Noelle felt a prickling of conscience since she knew that Melody had been looking forward to spending some sisterly time, one-on-one, with her. In the past, Noelle would have wanted that too. But now all she hoped to do was to survive this difficult semester and wedding.

The atmosphere in Pierce’s Explorer was charged with an undercurrent of awareness that Melody was watching the interaction between them closely while they assumed the appearance of a couple in love. Everyone else might think they were officially dating, but she and Pierce were actually still negotiating the terms of their relationship. At the same time, Noelle tried to include Melody in the conversation, drawing out more details of her wedding plans. By the time they reached Gilbert, with Noelle giving Pierce directions to her parents’ house, she felt that she and Melody had made some headway in repairing their damaged relationship. However, the effort she’d had to put forth had left Noelle feeling completely exhausted. The last three hours had crawled in comparison to the hours she and Pierce had spent traveling together previously.

“Well, here we are,” Noelle said nervously.

“Yeah. Thanks for the ride, Pierce,” Melody added.

“No problem. Do you need help with your luggage?”

“No. I’ve got it, thanks.” Melody scooted out after collecting her suitcase and flitted into the house as gracefully as a hummingbird.

Before Noelle could open her door, Pierce’s hand encircled her arm. She looked up at him questioningly. “Hey,” he said softly. “You’re going to need to relax if we want this to work. They’ll be able to see through us if you don’t.” Noelle bit her lip uncertainly. His voice came out as soft as a whisper. “It’s okay. I’m right here with you.”

Loving the warmth that radiated from his touch, Noelle nodded. Pierce had been such a calming influence in her chaotic life of late. There was no way that she could ever repay him for his kindness. “Pierce, thank you for everything.” Unexpected tears welled. Feeling foolish, she stammered, “I don’t know what to say. You’ve helped me more than you’ll ever know.”

His eyes grew wide, and then he grimaced. “Noelle, please don’t cry or else I’ll be forced to kiss you.”

She laughed. “Now who’s nervous? Come on. My parents are waiting.” Swiping at her eyes with one hand, she waited for Pierce to exit the vehicle and come around before taking his hand with the other and pulling him inside the front door. They left her luggage in the entry. She heard her mother’s voice before her parents approached from the family room. “Noelle, welcome home.”

“Hi, Mom.” She gave her mom a hug, inhaling her familiar scent of lilac. It felt good to be home.

When they pulled away, Brenda Jensen scrutinized her daughter, smiling lovingly. “You’re looking better than the last time we saw you, sweetheart. I’ve been worried about you.”

Embarrassed but pleased, Noelle replied, “Thanks, Mom.” She then hugged her dad before turning to Pierce and placed her hand on his back. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Pierce Logan. Pierce, this is my mother, Brenda, and my father, Samuel.”

Noelle’s dad shook hands with him first, offering him a warm welcome. Pierce thanked him, offering a greeting in return. Her mother merely offered a polite welcome. Noelle held in a sigh, knowing that her mother’s reaction had been what she’d expected.

Brenda informed them that dinner was ready and invited them into the dining area. Noelle was pleased with her mother’s choice of sweet and sour chicken over rice. Dinner was a casual affair, with her parents asking Pierce about himself while he patiently answered their questions. The way he gave her parents his full attention while conversing with them put Noelle at ease enough to eat her dinner. When he’d finished eating, he leaned back in his seat as though he had all the time in the world, even though she knew that he had an hour-long drive to his mother’s house that evening where he would be staying the night.

Her parents expressed interest in Pierce’s explanation about his major in the biomedical engineering program, specializing in muscle reinnervation. “Scientists are truly making artificial limbs more intelligent, with computerized sensors that can be connected to undamaged nerve endings to allow more intricate movement,” Pierce explained. “In most cases, the nerves have to be rerouted to accommodate the artificial limb, but the limb is then controlled by signals the residual limb sends to the brain rather than the artificial limb itself.”

Her dad said, “It’s phenomenal, the advances that medicine and technology are making in improving people’s lives. So many members of our younger generation are coming home from the Middle East with lost limbs. I’m sure that this is a huge step for them in regaining some semblance of their former lives.”

“So why are you interested in this field of study?” her mom asked.

Noelle listened raptly as Pierce explained a particular excursion he went on with the Boy Scouts as a youth. One member of the troop had fallen and caused a large boulder to pin him down, crushing his lower leg. The boy had been airlifted to the nearest hospital. Pierce had watched his friend struggle to learn to walk again after the leg had been amputated at the knee. The process of receiving a prosthetic leg had been long and excruciating for the boy, but the difference it had made in his life had made quite an impression on fourteen-year-old Pierce. He’d been in awe of the boy’s accomplishments and ability to persevere and knew that he wanted to help other people who found themselves in similar situations find satisfaction in earning freedom of movement once again.

Noelle felt ashamed that she had never asked Pierce that question. Already, she felt like she was failing in the relationship department. But once again, she was impressed by the ease with which he conversed with her parents and Melody.

After dinner and a late dessert of peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream, Pierce stood to leave, thanking them for the meal. Taking Noelle’s hand, he led her out the front door to his Explorer. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief. “That went well, I think.”

“Yeah. Your parents seem like nice people.”

“They are, for the most part. My mom can be a little imposing at times,” she said, her cheeks warming at the way her mom had treated Pierce with such reserve. Her dad, albeit an aggressive attorney, was a lovable teddy bear at home. Her mom, however, held high standards of conduct and tradition in high esteem.

“She’s just looking out for her daughter. I can’t really blame her.” Changing the subject, he asked, “What time will you be finished tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure. Our appointment for the bridal boutique is scheduled for ten-thirty. We’re planning on going to lunch afterward.”

“Why don’t I pick you up at your house around one o’clock? Maybe we can catch a movie or something.”

“Sounds good. We’ll be having a family barbecue later that evening. My older brothers and their families will be there. You’re invited too.”

“Okay. See you then.” Slowly, he placed his hand at the nape of her neck, leaning toward her to give her a kiss. She wondered if her parents or Melody were watching discreetly from the bay window. Of course, they would never admit to doing so.

After Pierce left, Noelle found her mother in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. She helped by clearing the table and rinsing the dishes. To break the silence, she asked where Melody was. “She went upstairs to call Chase.”

Noelle swallowed hard, wondering why that news brought a pang to her heart. Wasn’t she getting over him? Certainly after threatening Pierce the way he had, Noelle shouldn’t have felt anything at all. She cleared her throat, forcing the depressing thought from her mind. She was acting a part, after all. “So what do you think of Pierce, Mom?”

“It’s a little early to tell yet, isn’t it, dear?”

“I guess so. But surely you have some first impressions.”

“He’s very handsome and polite. I can see that he is a gentleman. His parents raised him well.”

Shrugging, she said, “Pierce’s parents are divorced. I think his mom mostly raised him and his two brothers.”

Brenda’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Oh, I see. Frankly, I’m a little surprised that he isn’t going into business. He certainly looks and acts the part.” Noelle wasn’t sure if her mother was expressing approval or not. She remained silent, not wanting to admit that Pierce’s difficult relationship with his dad had influenced his decision to go a different direction. “However,” her mom continued, “this biomedical engineering idea of his sounds like a very promising career. Very admirable.”

“Pierce loves the outdoors. Hiking, swimming, camping. You name it, he loves it.”

“Really?” There was that lift to her brows again. “So why is he attracted to you? I mean, of course you’re a beautiful girl, Noelle, but you’ve never been that type of person.”

Noelle knew that her mother wasn’t trying to hurt her feelings, but it was difficult not to feel that way. “I may not be, but Pierce has offered to take me on some outings. We’re just waiting for the weather to warm up in Flag. We have a lot of other things in common, though.”

“Such as?”

Floundering for an answer, she responded, “Well, we both like to run, we like the same music, and we can talk for hours, Mom.”

Her mother nodded encouragingly. “That’s important in a relationship.”

A thought struck Noelle. “You know what impressed me the most about him?” she said, her voice becoming stronger. “That he’s strong in the gospel but doesn’t flaunt it or make me feel stupid like Chase did.”

“Noelle, that isn’t very nice.”

“I’m just saying that while Pierce has helped me understand some gospel principles better, he has always been patient with my questions. He’s gone through some trials in his family that have made him a stronger person.”

“The fact that his parents are divorced does raise some concerns with your father and me, Noelle. Ideally, men who are raised in a loving environment treat their wives better. We hope that you have enough sense to marry someone who would treat you well. What kind of a husband and father will Pierce become? Will he follow the same patterns as his parents?”

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “But as far as the loving family goes, I just met his family—all except for his mother, of course—two weeks ago, and he and his brothers have a very strong bond.” Noelle told her about Pierce meeting Tamara and clearing the air with his dad. “It was a very encouraging visit.”

“And you were there in the middle of them trying to sort out their troubles?” Her mother’s tone dripped with disapproval. “You shouldn’t have been there. We’ve taught you better than that.”

How did her mother always manage to make her feel like a schoolgirl who’d been caught cheating on a homework assignment? “Pierce wanted me to be there, Mom. I went to support him,” she said, trying not to squirm. Another half-truth. Pierce, in his kindness and concern for her, had been helping Noelle out, but she had ended up being there for him during a difficult time as well. “Since Pierce and his dad have been estranged for so long, this was a step in the right direction to repairing their relationship.”

“I’m happy for them, but please think about this, Noelle. Your father and I want you to find someone who will treat you and your children well.”

Noelle thought her statement was ironic, considering what she and Pierce knew about Chase. “I know. I want that too.”