Seeking His Love (7 page)

B
right morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows on the side of the Arts Center auditorium. Rachel stood by the first row of chairs with her eyes trained on Amy Buchanan.

Her college-age intern led a group of young drama camp students up the steps to the stage. After assisting Rachel and Chandra for four days, Amy had reluctantly agreed to lead a group by herself. But she had begged Rachel to stay for a few minutes and be sure she got off to a good start. That made sense. These kids had a lot of energy, especially this younger group.

“Okay. Let’s have everyone sit in a semi-circle.” Amy’s soft voice could barely be heard over the kid’s conversations.

“Hey, everyone, listen up!” Rachel clapped her hands, and the kids immediately settled down. She forced a smile and motioned for Amy to continue.

“We’re going to do a fun activity called Story, Story.” Amy’s gentle voice quivered as the students filed across the stage.

Rachel held her breath. This had to work.

“Okay. Sarah, you’re first. Come up here in the acting area.” Amy motioned the petite ten-year-old to join her at
center stage. “Jeff, you’re going to tell a story, and Sarah will to act it out as you tell it in whatever way seems best to her.”

Rachel’s stomach tightened. Amy needed to speak up and take charge or the kids were going to run all over her.
Please, Lord, help her figure it out.

They’d almost made it through the first week of drama camp. But it had been a rough start with a new location, a new intern and several new younger students. Keeping the kids quiet while they changed classes was a constant struggle. So far, she’d managed not to upset any of her co-op partners.

Her thoughts drifted to Cam, as they did more often lately. Since they’d talked about his sister at the festival, they seemed more comfortable around each other, less like enemies and a bit more like friends. That thought made her smile. But her smile faded as she thought of the spiritual chasm that seemed to separate them.

Chandra strolled down the aisle to meet Rachel. She leaned closer. “How’s Amy doing?”

“Not too well,” Rachel whispered. “I hope she’s got what it takes.”

“She better, or we’re in deep trouble. Twenty-five students is too many for one group, especially with the age spread.”

“You’re right. We need three groups, but I can’t afford to hire anyone else. It’s Amy or nothing.”

“Then we’ll just have to keep praying and coach her along.”

Rachel nodded. “That’s the plan.”

Chandra shifted her gaze toward the back of the auditorium, and her eyes widened. “Uh-oh, here comes trouble.”

Rachel tensed and turned around. Cam walked toward them wearing a stern expression.

“I better scoot and check on my group. I left Ryan in
charge.” Chandra headed up the opposite aisle, cutting a wide path around Cam.

He headed straight for Rachel. As he came closer she noticed the sag of his shoulders and the troubled look in his blue-gray eyes.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure.” She glanced at Amy, shot off another prayer, then followed him out into the hallway.

He turned and faced her. “Shannon called this morning. The arrangements are all made. My niece arrives Saturday.” He looked at her as though she ought to understand why that was such distressing news. “Next Saturday?”

“No. Tomorrow night.”

“Oh…. Are you ready?”

He blew out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. All I have in my guest bedroom is a twin bed and a dresser. I have no idea what a fourteen-year-old girl needs, so I was wondering if you had time to take a look and give me some suggestions.”

“Sure. I could do that.”

“Thank you.” He looked so relieved she thought he might hug her, but he didn’t. “When are you done today?”

“Camp is over at noon. I just have a few things to finish up in my office after that. I could be back at the house around one. Would that work for you?”

“I have a couple people coming in this morning, but I’m sure I’ll be done by then.” He sent her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Rachel. I really appreciate this.” Then he headed back to his shop.

Rachel grinned and did a little dance step as she walked back to the auditorium. So, he needed some feminine input and decorating advice. No problem. She’d be glad to help. This was a great opportunity for her to strengthen their
relationship. And if she and Cam became good friends, N.C.Y.T. would be assured of a permanent home at the Arts Center.

But she’d have to be careful and not let her emotions lead her down the wrong path. Cam didn’t seem to have a personal faith in God, and that was a nonnegotiable on her list.

Cam shifted his weight and tried to look interested as Hannah Bodine continued describing several more old family photos she planned to bring in for framing.

“I hope you’ll be able to find more of that sepia mat board. That’s the perfect color. I’d like these other photos to match the first one you framed for me.”

He nodded. “I have it on order.”

“Good.” She smiled as she looked at the photos she had come to pick up. “I’m so pleased with what you’ve done. This will look lovely in my dining room, although Arthur said he’d rather hang it in the entryway.”

Cam glanced at the clock on the wall above Hannah’s head, and silently tapped his foot on the floor. Twelve forty-five. He didn’t want to be rude and rush Hannah out the door, but he didn’t want to keep Rachel waiting. With only a little more than twenty-four hours to spruce up the guestroom, he didn’t have time to waste.

“So, what do you think?” Hannah tilted her head, waiting for his answer.

“Oh, sorry, I missed what you said.”

The older woman chuckled. “It’s all right. I was just asking if I could bring the rest of the photos in Monday morning around ten.”

“That’s fine. I’ll write it on the calendar.” He moved to his desk and jotted the appointment down, hoping that would signal the end of their conversation.

He turned around just as Rachel walked past outside his
window headed toward the parking lot. Her car sat with seven others in the row closest to the building. The rest of the parking lot looked empty except for one car sitting in the far corner in the shade of several tall trees.

His senses sharpened. The night he’d walked Rachel to her car after the co-op meeting they’d spotted a dark sedan parked there. He would’ve forgotten all about it if Rachel hadn’t been so shaken by it. He didn’t want to say anything to her, but he’d seen a similar car parked there a few other times since then.

“Well, I’m off. I have to stop in at Village Books, then I’m going on to my daughter’s to see my darling grandson.” Hannah picked up the framed photos. “Bye, Cam. Have a nice weekend.”

“Thanks, Hannah.” Cam crossed to the window and scanned the parking lot. Rachel opened her back passenger door and placed her purse and computer case inside, then she closed the door and climbed in the driver’s seat.

Across the parking lot, the driver of the black car flicked a cigarette out the window. The dark-tinted car window rose, hiding him from view.

Cam’s heartbeat kicked up a notch.

Rachel backed out of her parking spot and drove toward the exit. When she turned right onto the street, the car in the corner slowly pulled out and followed her.

The hair on the back of Cam’s neck stood on end. He turned, grabbed his keys and phone from the desk and dashed out the door. It might be just a weird coincidence, but if someone was following Rachel, he intended to find out and put a stop to it.

Rachel hummed along with a praise song on the radio as she pulled into the driveway at Cam’s house. As she reached to turn off the engine, her car door swung open.

Cam leaned down and looked in. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

He looked toward the street, and then back at her, concern darkening his eyes.

“What’s going on?” She followed his gaze, but she didn’t see anything unusual.

He hesitated and finally gave a half shrug. “You left the Arts Center before me. So when I pulled in and you weren’t here, I was worried.”

“I stopped at the bank.” That didn’t ease the lines from his forehead. “What is it?”

He looked down and wiped his hand on his pants. “Nothing.” Yet he still looked guarded as he opened her car door the rest of the way and watched her climb out. “You ready to go see Kayla’s room?”

“Sure.” She gathered her purse and computer bag from the backseat, pondering Cam’s strange welcome. She appreciated his concern, but it seemed odd for him to be anxious when she was only a few minutes late.

She followed him inside. He greeted his dog, Sasha, then led Rachel down the hall to the spare bedroom. “This is it.”

Rachel stepped through the doorway, and her questions about Cam’s odd behavior faded from her mind. This sparse little room definitely needed a facelift. The white walls, ceiling and woodwork reminded her of a hospital room. A simple maple-framed twin bed was pushed against one wall. A matching four-drawer dresser in the corner was the only other piece of furniture.

“It’s pretty bad isn’t it?”

“Well, let’s just say there’s lots of room for improvement.”

“Right. The old cup-half-full approach.” He cocked his head and grinned.

“Yes.” She smiled. “Do those need to stay?” She pointed to a stack of five cardboard boxes lined up against one wall.

“Yeah. I used to store them in the basement, but I’ve had a little water down there this spring. I need to keep them up here for now.”

“Okay. We can work with that.” She crossed the room counting her footsteps. The floor was bare but beautiful hardwood. “So it looks like it’s about twelve by eighteen.”

He looked around. “There’s plenty of space, it just looks a little like a jail cell.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “What do you think I ought to do?”

She pulled a small notebook from her purse. “Let’s draw a floor plan. Do you have a tape measure?”

“Sure.” He left to retrieve one, while she noted the placement of the windows, door and closet on her drawing.

Cam returned, and they took several measurements.

Rachel jotted the numbers in her notebook. “The first thing on the list is picking out a comforter set. That will help you choose a color scheme. Then you’ll need curtains, blinds, sheets, maybe a throw rug and a few things for the wall.” Her enthusiasm built as she began to picture the transformed room. “We could start at the bed and bath store at the mall. I’ve got some twenty percent off coupons. Then I know this great little thrift shop where we might find some used furniture, maybe a desk or bookshelf.”

Cam’s face lit up. “Did you say,
we?
”

“Yes.” She grinned. “I’m not going to abandon you to do all this on your own.”

He clasped his hands and lifted his eyes toward the ceiling. “Thank you.”

She chuckled, determined to help him, whether he was teasing about the prayer or not. “We’ll make this into a beautiful room Kayla will love. And I promise it’ll be done in twenty-four hours, and it won’t break your bank account.”

“Wow, talk about an extreme home makeover, sounds like you just might give that TV show a run for their money.”

With her laughter bubbling over and a silent prayer in her heart, she followed him out the door.

Rachel fastened her seatbelt and glanced at the remarkable pile of treasure stashed in the back of Cam’s SUV. In a little under four hours they’d found a beautiful aqua, lime and lavender comforter set with matching curtains, a cute area rug, a white wicker nightstand and rocker, a lamp with a shell fringe shade, and a funky wicker trunk—and all for under three hundred dollars.

“You’re quite the bargain hunter.” Cam gazed at the road ahead, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “I had no idea there were such great deals at thrift shops.” He took the freeway entrance and headed south toward Fairhaven. “It’s wild the way we found everything we needed, and it all looks like it goes together.”

“Pretty amazing.” The afternoon had been quite an adventure as they compared prices at the store and then sorted through all the crazy castoffs at the resale shops. She’d seen a more relaxed side of Cam today, and she found it very appealing.

She shifted in her seat to look at him. “I am a pretty good shopper, but I don’t deserve all the credit.”

He lifted his brows and grinned. “Don’t tell me you had a secret shopper out there scouting out bargains for us.”

“Not exactly. But I did pray and asked God for help before we left.”

He considered that for a moment. “Well, looks like He answered your prayer.”

Her heart lifted. That was a positive response, wasn’t it? She studied Cam’s handsome profile—his square jaw, straight Roman nose and high forehead topped with blond
curls. He did have a strong personality, but he wasn’t nearly as fearsome as she’d first believed. Underneath his gruff exterior there was humor and compassion along with a host of other good qualities he was just beginning to let her see.

“It’s almost six. Do you want to stop and get something to eat?” he asked.

Rachel’s empty stomach twisted, but should she turn this shopping trip into a date? What if she offered to pay for her own meal? Would it still be considered a date? Oh brother, she was probably making too much of this. Why not stop and have dinner together? They were both hungry. It made sense…but would that be leading him on?

Rachel stifled a groan. Why did she feel so clueless when it came to making a decision about men and relationships? Never having her father around as she was growing up probably had more to do with it than she liked to admit. But knowing his absence left a huge hole in her heart didn’t help solve her problems with men.

Cam glanced her way. “It’s okay if you’d rather not. I just thought you might be hungry.”

“No…I mean, yes.” She pushed away her doubts. “Dinner sounds great.”

His face brightened. “Okay. What kind of food do you like?”

She suggested the Colophone Café back in Fairhaven. It offered delicious soups, salads and sandwiches in a casual setting. He agreed, and they found a parking place nearby.