Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys) (7 page)

Jace came in a couple of times, but stayed only long enough to say hi and ask Mari out. And unlike Rachel, Mari was more than willing to accept. Wednesday came and went with no sign of Damian, not even a call from him.

Late
Thursday afternoon Jace pulled up in a beat-up old truck. Rachel bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“Your prince has arrived on his steed,” Rachel called out to Mari, who was working in the back of the store stocking shelves.

Mari arrived at her side in no time flat. She stared at the truck as Jace climbed out, her eyes wide. “Wow, that’s an old truck.”

“No, Mari, that’s not just an old truck, that’s a dinosaur age truck.” Rachel tried not to laugh, especially when Jace walked into the store looking so proud of himself.

“You got your truck running,” Mari said after he greeted them.

“Yep.” Jace said, a proud look on his face.

Rachel wondered if she’d just imagined his chest puffing out with pride.

“I decided it was time to get the old bucket of bolts running again.”

“Did you, uh, have a mechanic help you?”

“Nope, I did all the work myself.
Well, my dad supervised.” A big smile spread across Jace’s face, and even though Rachel knew they weren’t related, he still looked an awful lot like Damian.

“Wow, that’s great,” Mari responded with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

“Not to worry, my dear Mari. I did the work myself, but I did have a mechanic check it all out. Even though the body doesn’t look so great, the engine’s in perfect running order. I wouldn’t even think of taking you out in a vehicle that wasn’t running in tip-top shape.” Jace’s smile vanished and his brows drew together in a frown. “Are you embarrassed to be seen in a truck like that?”

“What?” Mari looked truly surprised. “I’m not worried about how it looks. I was concerned about you driving around in something that might not be safe.”

“Oh.” Jace’s expression cleared. “Don’t worry, it’s safe.”

“Want to take Mari for a spin?” Rachel asked.

“Can I?” Jace asked, anticipation sparkling in his eyes.

“Sure, but for a price.”

“A price?”

“Yep. You have to stop at the deli and get us some supper.”

“Awww, the deli. I’ve heard about you and the deli.”

“It’s lies, all lies,” Rachel assured him with a grin. “Well, except for the part about me loving anything and everything that comes from that place.”

Mari shook her head, laughing. “This will be my treat, Rachel.”

“No way, Mari. I suggested it; I’ll pay for it. You save your money.”

“Nope.” Mari crossed her arms over her chest. “If you won’t let me pay for it we won’t go.”

Rachel gave her a pained look. “That’s not fair.”

“Sure it is.” Mari winked at Jace.

“Fine. You pay. Remember what I like?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget, but even if I do, I know I can order pretty much anything off the menu and you’ll eat it.”

“Shoo, get out of here.” Rachel waved her hands at them.

Mari hurried into the office and grabbed her coat. “Back in a bit.”

“No hurry, but don’t take too long. I’m starving.” Rachel smiled as she watched them leave the store and climb into the heap of metal Jace called a truck. Ah, to be young and in love.

A car pulled up in front of the store, and a pregnant young woman got out and headed for the bookstore. Rachel greeted her with a smile as she walked in. “Is there anything I can help you find?”

“I think I’ll just look around. Is that okay?”

“Sure. If you have any questions, just holler.”

Rachel returned to the counter while the woman wandered toward the back of the store. She sat down on the high stool and bent over the order catalogue she’d been working on when Jace arrived.

The woman didn’t browse too long and soon was at the counter, three books in hand. “I’ve been saving up for these books,” she said eagerly.

Rachel rang up her purchases, talking about the author as she did. “The fourth book in this series will be out in February.”

“I’ll have to start saving up,” the woman said shyly, hugging the books to her chest. “Thanks so much for your help. I’ll probably be back.”

“I hope to see you again. Have a merry Christmas.”

Smiling at the joy on the young woman’s face, Rachel returned her attention to the book catalogue, hoping to finish up the order before she left that night.

The bell above the door rang again, and Rachel looked up. When she saw Damian, her heart began to pound at a furious rate, and the pages of the catalogue crunched as her hands clenched it.

“Hey,” he said as he approached her. He leaned a denim-clad hip against the counter where Rachel sat frozen. “How’s business?”

“Uh…fine, business is fine,” Rachel stammered. She wanted to give herself a smack for sounding like such an idiot.

“Did I catch you at a bad moment?” Damian asked. He looked down at her hands.

Rachel looked down as well. She unclenched her hands and laid the catalogue back on the counter, smoothing out the wrinkles. “No, I was just working on a book order.”

“Are you here alone?”

“Yes.” Rachel watched as he glanced around the store. “Your younger brother stopped by and swept my clerk off her feet into that thing he calls a truck.”

Damian grinned, which did nothing to slow Rachel’s pulse. “So he got the old thing going, did he? I knew he was working furiously on it.”

“He assured us it ran better than it looked. I hope he was right.”

Damian laughed. “They’ll be fine. Are they coming back?”

Rachel nodded. “They were stopping at the deli to grab us something for supper.”

“The deli. So I guess you’ll just have to eat supper twice.” Damian held up a bag Rachel hadn’t noticed earlier. On it was emblazoned the logo of her favorite deli. The one where Jace and Mari were at that very moment, getting her supper.

Her mouth watered. “What did you get?”

“Soup and a sandwich.” He set the bag on the counter.

Rachel hopped off the stool and opened the bag, inhaling the delicious scents that wafted out. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Well, I didn’t want to come empty handed when I was going to ask for your help.”

Rachel looked up from the sandwich she was unwrapping. “Here to do some shopping?”

“Yep. Don’t want to leave it until the last minute.”

Rachel took a bit of the roast beef sandwich and moaned with delight.

Damian grinned at her. “I’ll leave you to your sandwich while I browse.”

Swallowing, Rachel thought about protesting, but decided she’d let Damian have time to browse, and took another bite.

Chapter Seven

Damian took his time wandering through the back section of the store. He poured himself a cup of coffee and stood reading the titles of the books on a nearby shelf. The truth was, he didn’t really need a gift for his mom, but he hadn’t been about to turn down Rachel’s offer to help him find something. He didn’t think it was out of line with their truce to take advantage of her offer.

“Find anything?”

Damian swung around to see Rachel standing behind him. The sandwich obviously hadn’t lasted long.

“Uh, no. Still just looking.”

Rachel looked at the section of books he’d been perusing and frowned. “I’m not sure your mom is really into this theological stuff. Or did she give you a specific title to look for?”

Damian grinned. “No, this is for me.”

“You’re supposed to be looking for your mom’s gift,” Rachel reminded him. She took his arm and pulled him in the direction of the fiction. Releasing him, she snagged a book off the shelf. “This is one of the authors your mom always buys. I don’t think she’s been in to get this one yet though. Unless she’s cheating on me and buying at some other Christian bookstore.”

Damian laughed. “I doubt it. She’s probably just been too busy to stop in and pick it up. I’ll take it.”

“Well, that was easy,” Rachel said. “Are you sure you don’t need a book for your dad?”

“No, not for Dad, but I’d like to get something for myself.”

“You keep me in business, Damian. You suffer from a serious addiction to books.”

“Maybe the books aren’t the reason I keep coming back…” Damian let his words trail off as he realized the road he was heading down was off-limits thanks to their truce. Before Rachel could say anything, he changed the subject. “Actually, I am looking for a specific book.”  Damian gave her the title.

“I don’t have that one in stock,” Rachel said. “But I just saw it in the catalogue. I can put in an order for you. It will probably be here within the week, give or take, since we’re heading into the holidays.”

“That would be great.” Damian followed her to the front counter. “Isn’t your soup getting cold?”

“Probably. But you know me, I’ll eat this stuff hot or cold.” Rachel moved the bag aside and opened the catalogue.

Damian watched Rachel flip quickly through the pages. Then she paused and turned the catalogue around so he could read the information.

She pointed with a light pink polished nail. “There. Is that the one you are wanting?”

Damian bent to read the title and description. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Rachel grabbed a pen and made some notations on a sheet of paper. He loved to watch her work. She was so into her store. That was one of the things he loved about her. She did nothing by halves. He couldn’t wait until she turned that attention to their relationship.

“So do you want to take just this one now?” Rachel gestured to the book she’d chosen for his mom.

Damian nodded, watching as she rang up the sale. Rachel took his money then handed him the change. With his business completed, Damian knew he should leave, but he didn’t want to. An awkward silence grew between them. He had just decided to leave when Rachel spoke.

“So you and your brothers are adopted?”

Of all the subjects Damian had expected to discuss with Rachel, his adoption was not one of them. “Yeah. It’s not a big deal really.”

“You’ve known since you were little?” Rachel fiddled with the pen she’d been using.

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know. I remember when Mom and Dad brought Jace home. My mom always said we were her chosen sons.”

“That’s sweet,” Rachel said as a small smile played around the corners of her mouth. “Did you ever try to find your birth parents?”

Damian nodded. “It was a dead end. I had been abandoned in a church when I was a month old. The church was never able to locate my birth mother.”

“That’s too bad.” Rachel blinked rapidly, almost as if she were holding back tears.

“Yes, I went through a period of discouragement after finding that out.” Deep discouragement, Damian recalled. He didn’t think anyone knew how down it had gotten him. “It was rough, but it reinforced my desire to have a family of my own, to have that biological connection to at least one other person in the world. I never knew if I looked like my mom or dad. I want to look into the face of a child and know that he, or she, has my hair or eye color, or maybe they inherited my love of music. I really want that connection with a child of my own.”

Rachel wrapped her arms over her middle and took a step back. Though the counter separated them, Damian got the feeling she was trying to put more distance between them. And for some reason, she was
paler than she’d been just minutes ago. All the sparkle had gone from her eyes. Damian had tried not to personalize his response so as to keep their truce, but clearly he’d said something that had set her off.

Before Damian could ask her what was wrong, the bell over the door jingled, and Jace and Mari stepped in bearing two white bags. They were laughing, and their cheeks were rosy from the cold. Damian glanced at Rachel. Her arms were now at her sides, and she had a smile on her face. He wondered if he’d imagined her earlier reaction.

“Damian!” Jace gave him a slap on the back. “I didn’t know you were coming by.”

“I dropped by to bring Rachel some supper and pick up a book.”

“You brought her supper?”

“Damian, you shouldn’t have told them that,” Rachel admonished. Damian wondered if he was the only one who heard the strain beneath the teasing words.

“So what am I supposed to do with this?” Mari asked, holding up the deli bag.

Rachel took it from her. “Not to worry, there’s always breakfast tomorrow.”

Mari shook her head. “You’re the first person I’ve ever met that has a deli addiction. Can you actually walk past one without going in?”

“Sure,” Rachel replied with indignation. “And I don’t even eat deli food every day.”

“Well, you’re set for a couple of days then,” Mari said as Rachel relieved her of the deli bag and peeked inside. “Did it get busy while I was gone?”

“Nope. I’ve had two customers. One of whom is Damian.”

“I was afraid that this would be the one day there would be a mad rush over the dinner hour.”

Rachel shook her head. “Things were under control here.”

Damian picked his book up off the counter. “I hate to run, but I’ve got to go by the church and check up on the youth. They’re supposed to be practicing for a Christmas presentation.”

Rachel came out from behind the counter. “Thanks so much for stopping by and bringing me dinner. That was really sweet.”

“Like I said, it was the least I could do since you were going to help me out.” Damian was pleased when Rachel walked with him to the door.

“I just hope your mom doesn’t have the book already. If she does, tell her to bring it back and exchange it.”

“I will.” Damian pushed open the door, and a cold gust of air rushed over them. “Are you coming to the party tomorrow night?”

“That’s my plan. Serena talked me into it.”

“Great. I’ll see you there.” Damian wanted to prolong their goodbye but resisted the temptation. He needed Rachel to feel comfortable. He didn’t want her on guard during their truce. Besides, he’d already had one slip-up that evening and figured that was probably all he was allowed. Thankfully she seemed to have gotten over whatever had upset her earlier.

Damian smiled at Rachel and stepped out into the cold night air. “Bye.”

He walked to his truck and climbed in. He started up the engine, and since it was cold he sat there for a few minutes watching as Rachel rejoined Jace and Mari at the counter. He wanted to stay and be part of the group. He wanted Rachel to accept him into her life without reservation. Someday…

*****

              Rachel took a deep breath before turning back to Jace and Mari, a smile pasted on her face. Any lingering hope about a relationship with Damian had vanished during that brief conversation. She wished she’d never gotten around to asking him about his adoption. Ignorance really was bliss.

How much more clear did it have to be that what he wanted was something she could never give him? A child who would be a part of him, who would look like him. And how could she blame him? Even though she had lost her mother, Rachel still had a biological connection to someone.

However, Rachel found it rather ironic that the man she wanted as part of her life could not be, and yet the man she wanted nothing to do with wanted back in. The card from her father sat in a drawer at home, its message niggling her. So far she’d managed to avoid thinking about it too much. Still, it was reassuring, in a sense, to know that a connection existed to someone else in the world.

Rachel could never deprive Damian of his dream of experiencing that connection for himself.

*****

Before Rachel knew it, the night of the singles’ Christmas party arrived. The store had been so busy she’d been ready to forgo the party at all in order to stay and help, but Mari and Sue had practically pushed her out the door at four o’clock. She’d left with strict instructions to take a bubble bath and relax before heading for the church.

With an hour to go until the dinner started, Rachel stood in front of her closet. She had just taken the hot rollers out of her hair, and now it lay in loose waves over her shoulders. Taking her time, Rachel dressed in the outfit she’d chosen for the evening. The straight black velvet skirt ended just inches above her ankles. For the party she paired it with a forest green satin top. It had a Mandarin style collar and a fitted bodice that stopped just below the waistband of the skirt. The long sleeves ended with a wide cuff at her wrist.

After she was dressed, Rachel put the finishing touches on her hair, drawing it back loosely from her face with a large velvet clip. The earrings and matching locket necklace she wore had been one of the last gifts her mother had given her. Her fingers trembled as she fastened the clasp, and when she looked into the mirror to survey her appearance, Rachel was careful to avoid her own gaze.

Instead of being in a festive party mood, melancholy plagued Rachel. If only she hadn’t asked Damian about his adoption. It wouldn’t change his feelings or the fact that there was no future, but she also wouldn’t have had to be reminded of just how wrong she was for this man. For any man.

Tears threatened to spill over and ruin her make-up. Rachel blinked rapidly to clear the moisture from her eyes and turned from the mirror. She just needed to get through the evening.

After a couple of sprays of her favorite perfume, Rachel grabbed her bag and left the bedroom. As she walked down the sidewalk to her car a few minutes later, she took several deep breaths of the brisk evening air. The butterflies in her stomach danced up a storm.

*****

Damian turned on the interior light of his truck and peered into the rear-view mirror. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair then rubbed his fingers over his chin. He frowned at the rough stubble, but then figured no one would be getting close enough to touch his face. Where Alex liked to sport a five o’clock shadow, Damian definitely preferred the clean shaven look. He would have liked to go home for a shower and shave, but circumstances had dictated differently.

He turned off the light and got out of the truck. With impatient strides Damian moved toward the doors of the church. Not only was he not as prepared as he had hoped to be, he was also late. The joys of being a pastor. He had to be ready and willing to do anything and everything. Thankfully the counseling had gone well, and the teen he’d been working with had seemed more at peace by the end of their time together. He just prayed the peace would continue to hold the teen’s soul when other emotions began to rise again.

Damian pulled open the door of the church and stepped inside. Warmth and the aroma of roast beef greeted him. His stomach rumbled in response. He made a quick detour to his office and hung up his coat. After a check to make sure his tie was straight and his shirt wasn’t too wrinkled, Damian left in search of food…and Rachel.

The doors to the fellowship hall were open, and he stood for a moment looking around.
Ten round tables were set up in the hall with seating for eight at each; he’d help set them up earlier. It pleased Damian to see that most of the seats were occupied. He had encouraged the members to invite single friends and family members, and it looked like they had. Miniature white lights hung around the room along with green garland and white netting. The only other light in the room came from the candles on each table. Instrumental Christmas music played just loud enough to be heard without overpowering the conversation going on at the tables.

His gaze continued around the room. Suddenly a hand shot into the air, waving in his direction. Because of the dimness of the lights he wasn’t sure it was for him, but decided to follow it anyway. Maybe he’d find Rachel along the way. He made his way between the tables and discovered, not surprisingly, that the hand belonged to Serena.

“We saved you a seat, Damian.” She motioned to the empty chair on the other side of Rachel. Glad for a chance to finally relax, Damian slid into his seat.