Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys) (6 page)

“He seems like a neat guy,” Mari said without hesitation.

“He is,” Rachel confirmed. “All three of the Karlsson boys have turned into wonderful men who love the Lord. Their parents did a great job with them.”

“I could see that. They love their parents as well. My mom always used to say you could tell how a guy would treat you by watching how he treated his mother. Both Damian and Jace treat their mom really well.”

“Yes, they do.” Rachel took advantage of a break in traffic to change lanes. “What happened to your parents, Mari?”

Mari sighed. “It was a real freak accident. We were in a tiny restaurant in Aspen having dinner. We’d gone there for a family vacation. It was my first time to go skiing.” There was a long pause before Mari continued. “I had gone to the bathroom in the back of the restaurant when I heard an awful bang. The whole building shook. I thought a bomb had gone off or something.

“I ran out of the bathroom and into total chaos. I…I looked everywhere trying to find my parents.” Rachel heard Mari take a deep breath. “A huge SUV had plowed through the front of the restaurant, right where we had been sitting. My parents were both pinned beneath the vehicle.” Mari stopped talking.

Rachel reached over and laid a hand on Mari’s. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories for you.”

“It’s okay. It’s been almost two years since it happened. It was just so senseless.” Mari gave a little sniff. “By the time the ambulances arrived, my mom had already died. I hadn’t been able to get to her, but I did find my dad. I sat holding his hand while we waited for them to get him out. His last words to me were that he loved me.”

Rachel squeezed Mari’s hand then released it so she could make the turn into the church parking lot. “It must have been so difficult for you to lose both parents at once.”

Rachel pulled into a parking spot but didn’t turn off the car right away.

“It was hard. I’m an only child, so I really had no one but my aunt to help me out. The one comfort in the whole ordeal was knowing that my parents were in heaven, and I would see them again.”

“You’re a very strong person for one so young.”

“My parents raised me well.”

“They certainly did. You are a credit to them.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Mari said. “I hope they would have thought so as well.”

Rachel turned off the car engine, and they got out.

Side by side, they headed towards the church. “I’m really looking forward to tonight. I’m enjoying Christmas for the first time since my parents died.”

“This is my first Christmas without my mom. I’m trying to enjoy it, but it’s not that easy.”

“I guess our parents are together then.”

Rachel smiled. “That’s a nice thought.”

They laughed together, and the emotion of the moment passed. Rachel entered the church with a lighter heart. Sharing that connection with Mari helped her realize she wasn’t alone. And maybe she could learn a thing or two from her young clerk.

*****

After an hour of Christmas carols and hearing the Christmas story read, Rachel felt even happier. Coming to the service had been the best decision she’d made in a while. As she and Mari joined the congregation on their way to the basement for the fellowship and refreshments, Rachel couldn’t keep herself from humming.

Mari smiled at her. “’Joy to the World’ is one of my favorite carols.”

“Mine too,” Rachel said. “I really listened to the words tonight and realized what a message of hope it contains.”

Rachel spotted Damian as soon as they stepped into the large gym. White lights and greenery hung intertwined in a swag-like fashion on the walls. Christmas music played, a pleasant background that didn’t overpower the conversations going on in the gym.

Jace fell in step beside Mari as they made their way to the tables with the food.

“Evening, ladies,” Jace said, grinning. “May I be your escort?”

Mari giggled. “For what?”

“Well now, you weren’t supposed to ask that. You were just supposed to say yes.”

“I think Mari might need an escort more than I do. Feel free to introduce her to some of the other young people closer to her age. She doesn’t need to keep hanging around an old fuddy-duddy like me.” Thirty-two really wasn’t that old, but lately Rachel had felt much older than she was.

Mari peered at Rachel, her brow furrowed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you by yourself.”

Rachel smiled at her friend’s concern. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to see if Serena needs some help.” She gestured to where Serena stood dispensing coffee, tea, and juice.

“I’m sure Damian wouldn’t be adverse to your company,” Jace mentioned, a sly look on his face.

“I think he’s already got his fill of company,” Rachel replied and gave a nod in Damian’s direction.

Damian stood with Annie at his side, her hand resting on his arm as she talked to him. With them were a couple of singles Rachel recognized from the choir practice the night before.

Jace shook his head. “Ya know, Annie would probably be a really nice person if she’d just figure out that Damian isn’t interested in her.”

Rachel wasn’t so sure she agreed with him but didn’t feel it was right to voice her negative feelings about Annie. “Anyway, I’m just going to go see Serena. We’ll leave in about a half hour or forty-five minutes, okay?”

Mari nodded before walking off with Jace in the direction of a group of young people.

Rachel made her way through the crowd to the table where Serena was. “Need a hand?”

Serena glanced up from the cup of tea she was pouring and smiled. “Sure, grab a pot and pour, pour, pour.”

Rachel took her place behind the table and smiled as someone approached the table for a cup of coffee. For the next few minutes she was busy pouring and chatting with members of the congregation.

“Any coffee left in that pot for me?” a familiar deep voice asked.

Rachel’s hand jerked, spilling a couple drops of coffee on the pristine tablecloth. Heart pounding, Rachel hesitated just briefly before she set the carafe down. Then she looked up and met Damian’s warm gaze.

Chapter Six

Damian grinned when he saw Rachel’s nervousness. Not because he liked to make her nervous, but because it was good to see she wasn’t as immune to him as she would have liked him to believe.

“How’s it going?” He took the cup she offered and poured a little cream into it.

“Pretty good. Although there’s going to be a lot of people up late tonight since most of them wanted the caffeinated coffee.”

“Is that what you gave me?”

Rachel
’s cheeks turned pink. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think to ask.”

“First I’m up all night thinking about you, and now you’ve made sure that when I finally try to fall asleep, I won’t be able to.”

If it was possible, Rachel’s blush deepened. “Damian, don’t say things like that.” She glanced around them. “I don’t want people getting the wrong idea.”

“I think you’re the only one around here with the wrong idea. Everyone else thinks you should snap me up, eligible bachelor that I am.” He twirled some greenery between his fingers, greenery that looked suspiciously like mistletoe.

“Everyone?” Rachel forced herself to look away from the mistletoe and meet Damian’s gaze. “I highly doubt that. Annie strikes me as someone who would prefer we never go out.”

Damian frowned. “I guess you’re right there. I’ve been as honest as I can with her, but she still doesn’t seem to get the point.”

“You should take her out on a date. Maybe you’d be surprised.”

Unsure whether Rachel was serious or not, Damian frowned again. “I’m only interested in dating one person, Rachel. You’re as bad at getting the message as Annie.”

Rachel’s expression darkened. “And how have you taken my message? I’ve told you there’s going to be no date. I’ve told you that for months, but you keep coming back over and over again. I think this is very much a case of the pot calling the kettle black.”

Damian didn’t care much for the logic of Rachel’s comment. He knew she was right. “So, how did you like the program tonight?”

“You,” Rachel pointed a finger at him, “are changing the subject.”

“Yes, I am,” Damian freely admitted. “I want to continue enjoying this evening, and if we keep up the other line of conversation it’s not going to be pleasant for either of us.”

“I didn’t bring it up,” Rachel reminded him, pausing to pour a cup of coffee for an elderly gentleman. “But every conversation we have seems to end up on this subject.”

Again Rachel was right. “Okay, let’s call a truce. After all, it is the season for peace, right?”

Rachel nodded, but still looked wary.

“Here’s the deal. I won’t ask for any more dates. I won’t pester you to change your mind.”

“Forever?”

“Not forever,” Damian said, grinning at the hopeful tone in her voice. “Until after Christmas.”

“How about after the New Year?” Rachel asked.

“Nope. You have a reprieve until after Christmas but on December twenty-six, expect to be asked once again.”

“You’re nuts,” Rachel said. “You know that, right?”

“About you? Of course.”

“No more flirting. That has to be part of the truce too.”

“Flirting?” Damian shook his head. “I don’t flirt.”

“Sure you do. You just did.”

Damian paused. He never really looked on his banter with Rachel as flirting, but he supposed it was. His comments were inevitably made to draw a smile out of her. Usually it worked. “So I suppose I can’t tell you how nice you look tonight.”

There came the smile, teasing the corners of her mouth before her lips curved into the full-fledged smile Damian loved. The one that reached right to her eyes.

“No, you can’t tell me that, but I’ll make an exception.” She blushed again. “Just this once.”

“You do look very nice tonight. Very festive with that red sweater of yours.”

“Thanks.” Rachel set her carafe down on the table.

“About our truce. I hope this means you won’t try to avoid me. Let’s just spend time together, in group settings, and enjoy the Christmas season and being friends. Okay?”

Rachel stared at him, eyes narrowed. “Okay,” she said drawing the word out, clearly not convinced he was going to hold up his end of the truce.

“I’ll still come to the bookstore though. I love that place.”

“Well, you are a good customer. I’d be stupid to turn away a paying shopper,” Rachel replied. “I expect you to do some Christmas shopping in The Book Nook.”

“For sure. I’m relying on you to help me pick out things for my family. I think you know my mom’s taste in books better than I do.”

Rachel nodded. “I have an order coming in that might have a couple of things she’d like.”

“Give me a call when they’re in, and I’ll come by.”

Rachel smiled at him, and Damian wanted to toss their truce to the wind. He wanted to be able to tease those smiles out of her. He longed for the day when her smiles would be an everyday occurrence for him, not just rare glimpses here and there.

“We can probably close up shop here, Rachel,” Serena said as she appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

Damian glanced around, surprised by how the crowd had thinned. “Guess the evening’s over.”

Rachel stacked cups on a tray. “I think it was a great success. The turn-out was better than I had thought it might be.”

“Me, too,” Damian said. “Last year’s carol sing wasn’t this big. Maybe next year will be even better.”

Serena set an empty tray on the table for the remaining cups and took the full one from Rachel.

Damian saw Jace and Mari headed in their direction, and he glanced at Rachel. “Here come your clerk and my brother. Think there’s something between them?”

Rachel looked up and watched as they approached. “I don’t know. Mari’s a nice kid, and Jace’s great. It would be okay as long as they don’t try for something too serious. They’re still so young.”

Damian sighed. Maybe if he’d started wooing Rachel when he’d been Jace’s age they would be married by now. Fortunately for Jace, Mari didn’t look like she needed much convincing.

“Can I help you with those?” Mari asked Rachel.

“Here.” Rachel handed her the tray loaded with cups. “Take this through that door there. Serena will show you what to do with it. I’ll bring the rest in.”

“I’d better go help put up the tables.” Damian glanced at Jace. “Want to give me a hand?”

“Sure.”

Damian clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder as they walked together to the tables that had been cleared. He wondered about saying something about the relationship between Jace and Mari, but realized he wouldn’t have appreciated such comments when he was Jace’s age. If things started to look more serious he’d have a little talk with Jace, encouraging him to wait until he finished college before thinking about a serious relationship.

Together they worked to put the tables away. Damian noticed that Rachel and Mari also stayed, helping the women in the kitchen clean up, even though he knew that neither was on the committee to help with the program. He appreciated their willingness to jump in and lend a hand where needed.

After putting the last table away in the storage room just off the gym, Damian went in search of Rachel. He found her talking with Serena outside the darkened kitchen. Mari was once again standing next to Jace.

“Thanks so much for your help, Rachel. And you too, Mari.”

“No problem.” Rachel smiled. “But I think it’s time we headed home. Are you ready to go, Mari?”

Mari nodded. “See you again sometime, Jace.”

“You can count on it.”

Damian and Jace helped the three women with their coats and walked them out to their cars.

“Bye, Serena,” Rachel called as Serena headed for her car parked on the other side of the lot. “I’ll give you a call when the rest of those books come in.”

“Thanks.” Serena waved a hand as she opened her car door.

Damian took the car keys from Rachel and opened first Mari’s door and then Rachel’s.

“Such a gentleman,” Rachel said as she slid into the driver’s seat.

Damian smiled. “My mom must have raised me right.”

“I think she did. All three of you boys have turned out great.”

“Thanks.” But if he was so great, Damian wondered, why did she keep saying no to him? “I’ll pass the compliment on to my mom.”

“Guess we’d better go.”

“I might come in this week to do some Christmas shopping.” Damian stepped back so she could close the door.

“Okay. I’ll start thinking about gift ideas.” Rachel gave a small wave with her gloved hand. “Night.”

“Good night.” Damian moved to the front of the car so he wasn’t in her way as she backed out. Jace came and stood next to him.

“You know, I never could understand why you persisted with Rachel, even though she’s a nice woman and everything. After all, there are so many fish in the sea.” Jace sounded reflective. “But now I have a better understanding.”

Damian looked at him, wondering if the time for that talk was closer than he’d thought. “Mari?”

Jace nodded, his gaze following the car as it left the parking lot. “I think I’d wait years for her.”

“You know that already?” Damian asked, not sure he was comfortable with the seriousness in Jace’s expression.

Jace looked away from the car, meeting Damian’s gaze directly. “I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s just something about her. She was polite and respectful to Mom and Dad, and you know that’s a must for any woman we consider. I know she has a caring heart. She mentioned how concerned she was about Rachel and the situation with you. And compared to a lot of the other girls our age, she’s much more mature. Not
flighty and flirty.” Jace sighed. “And when I look in her eyes…let’s just say that saying is true. Eyes really are the windows to the soul.”

Damian didn’t know whether to let his jaw drop or to grin. He’d never heard anything so besotted from Jace before. If Jace truly did have feelings for Mari, Damian hoped his younger brother’s road to happiness wasn’t as bumpy as his own had been.

He looped an arm around Jace’s shoulders. “Let me drive you home, little bro. And roll that tongue back into your mouth and clear the stars from your eyes so you can walk without falling flat on your face.”

Jace punched him lightly in the ribs. They laughed together in the crisp night air. Damian was glad that in spite of the twelve-year gap in their ages they were still close. If only Alex lived closer.

“Let me just make sure Reverend Anderson or the janitor will be locking up.” Damian tossed the keys to his truck to Jace. “Go start it up. I’ll be back in a minute.” He sprinted up the front steps of the church and into the foyer.

Reverend Anderson stood in the foyer, buttoning his coat. He looked up in surprise. “Thought you’d left already, Son.”

“No, Jace and I just walked Rachel, Mari and Serena out to their cars.”

“Making any progress with your young lady?” Reverend Anderson asked, his piercing blue eyes serious.

Damian shook his head. “Not really. I keep praying, but even though I feel at peace about it, Rachel doesn’t.”

“Continue to pray, son.” The older man laid a hand on Damian’s shoulder. “Good things come to those who wait.”

“I know. Guess I should be praying for patience too.”

“We can all use a little more of that.” Reverend Anderson chuckled. “Even me.”

“You? I always thought you had more patience than most of us put together.”

Rev. Anderson’s shoulders slumped. “I’m eager to retire, Damian. Oh, not completely, of course. I don’t think pastors ever really retire, but I’d like to be able to enjoy preaching a bit more and leave the administration to younger men. Like you.”

Damian knew where the conversation was headed. The weight of his responsibilities at the church pressed down on him. “I’m wanting to help you out, Reverend, but you know as well as I do the board wants a married senior pastor. And though I’m trying hard to land myself a wife…she’s not cooperating.”

“Well, I don’t want you marrying just to get the job.”

“I’m not, but getting the girl and the job would be wonderful.” Damian wondered if both were going to slip through his fingers. A melancholy mood began to settle on him.

“Keep praying. Don’t give up.”

“I won’t. Prayer is the only thing that keeps me going.”

The older man nodded in apparent approval. “I’ll take care of locking up here, Damian. You go on home.”

“See you in the morning.”

Damian left the warmth of the church, pulling up the collar of his jacket as he headed for the truck. A strange anticipation for what was to come replaced the melancholy. In a way, the truce freed him. He could spend time with Rachel, and as long as he watched what he said, she couldn’t complain about it. He could just enjoy their time together. And maybe, just maybe, this would be the thing that pushed their relationship to that next level.

*****

Rachel spent the next few days in a constant state of anticipation. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. And there was no doubt it stemmed from the fact that she didn’t know when, or where, Damian was going to show up. Or if he was going to show up at all. Before their truce, Rachel knew she could count on him to show up mid-week with his usual request for a date that weekend.