a little awkwardly at that. “Meaning you’ll be my friend?”
For a few seconds it looked like she might still say no, even after he’d done his best to charm her. But then she laughed again and agreed. “Who can’t use another friend?”
He found her a chilled bottle of water and challenged her to a game of horseshoes. She beat him, but only because he’d never been more distracted. They talked about their shared faith and their passion for charity work, their love for MercyMe’s music, and their dream of traveling the world. Time flew, and far too soon the party was wrapping up, the employees heading home.
Brad hadn’t wanted to leave, but it would’ve been awkward to stay. He shoved his hands in his pockets, searching for the right words. “You don’t … have a glass slipper, do you?”
“What?” She giggled. Clearly she was enjoying herself the same way he was. “Are you always this funny?”
“I’m serious.” He felt his smile let up. “I want to see you again.”
“My schedule’s pretty full.” Her eyes sparkled. “I’m not sure … I have volunteer work three days next week. The children’s hospital is moving its library.”
“I can help.” Suddenly the idea sounded better than dinner on the Hudson.
Laura laughed, but in the end she welcomed Brad’s help. He was at her side each of the three days she worked that week, showing up as soon as he got off work, and by the following weekend they’d found a connection neither of them was willing to walk away from. The whole time he thought about what Phyllis had said about Laura. That she loved God more than guys. He figured that was the way things should be. Loving God more.
He’d been raised that way — to love God above all else. The way he should’ve loved God all his life. After all, college had been about finding his way back to God, and by the time he met Laura he was ready for a relationship founded on faith. Brad felt challenged and convicted by Laura’s innocent beauty, determined that whether he could win her attention or not, he would be the guy his parents had raised him to be. His father, Carl Cutler, was that sort of godly man. Now it was Brad’s turn to follow him.
One night that first month, they met for coffee a few blocks from her father’s office. They found a table near the window where they laughed over lattes and life. She came from a wealthy socialite family, and her parents were as invested in charity work as they were in their faith.
“The two are inseparable,” Laura had told him that night. “Serving and loving God? One and the same.”
The more they talked, the more Brad knew for certain. He could never settle for being Laura’s friend. She was beautiful and bright, and an easy conversationalist. She told him about burning a pan of broccoli the past weekend and nearly catching her parents’ house on fire.
“I can’t imagine the guy who gets stuck with me.” She tilted her head back and laughed with a full heart. “I mean, seriously. I can’t cook at all.”
But Brad was thinking the opposite. How lucky any guy would be to win her over. They started slowly, and for the rest of the summer Brad reminded her often that he wasn’t interested. They attended church together, and by the time the holidays came that fall, Brad took her for a walk through Central Park. They stopped at the bridge and sat on one of the stone benches.
“I have a confession.” He looked into her eyes without wavering, without blinking. From the sound of his voice she would’ve thought he was admitting something deep and dark, for sure.
Her smile faded. “Whatever it is … you can tell me.”
“I know.” He swallowed hard and took her hands in his. “I lied to you, Laura. I can’t go on — not another day — without telling you the truth.”
By then they were spending nearly every day together, and twice he’d had dinner with she and her parents on their regular visits in from New Jersey. As friends went,
For a few seconds it looked like she might still say no, even after he’d done his best to charm her. But then she laughed again and agreed. “Who can’t use another friend?”
He found her a chilled bottle of water and challenged her to a game of horseshoes. She beat him, but only because he’d never been more distracted. They talked about their shared faith and their passion for charity work, their love for MercyMe’s music, and their dream of traveling the world. Time flew, and far too soon the party was wrapping up, the employees heading home.
Brad hadn’t wanted to leave, but it would’ve been awkward to stay. He shoved his hands in his pockets, searching for the right words. “You don’t … have a glass slipper, do you?”
“What?” She giggled. Clearly she was enjoying herself the same way he was. “Are you always this funny?”
“I’m serious.” He felt his smile let up. “I want to see you again.”
“My schedule’s pretty full.” Her eyes sparkled. “I’m not sure … I have volunteer work three days next week. The children’s hospital is moving its library.”
“I can help.” Suddenly the idea sounded better than dinner on the Hudson.
Laura laughed, but in the end she welcomed Brad’s help. He was at her side each of the three days she worked that week, showing up as soon as he got off work, and by the following weekend they’d found a connection neither of them was willing to walk away from. The whole time he thought about what Phyllis had said about Laura. That she loved God more than guys. He figured that was the way things should be. Loving God more.
He’d been raised that way — to love God above all else. The way he should’ve loved God all his life. After all, college had been about finding his way back to God, and by the time he met Laura he was ready for a relationship founded on faith. Brad felt challenged and convicted by Laura’s innocent beauty, determined that whether he could win her attention or not, he would be the guy his parents had raised him to be. His father, Carl Cutler, was that sort of godly man. Now it was Brad’s turn to follow him.
One night that first month, they met for coffee a few blocks from her father’s office. They found a table near the window where they laughed over lattes and life. She came from a wealthy socialite family, and her parents were as invested in charity work as they were in their faith.
“The two are inseparable,” Laura had told him that night. “Serving and loving God? One and the same.”
The more they talked, the more Brad knew for certain. He could never settle for being Laura’s friend. She was beautiful and bright, and an easy conversationalist. She told him about burning a pan of broccoli the past weekend and nearly catching her parents’ house on fire.
“I can’t imagine the guy who gets stuck with me.” She tilted her head back and laughed with a full heart. “I mean, seriously. I can’t cook at all.”
But Brad was thinking the opposite. How lucky any guy would be to win her over. They started slowly, and for the rest of the summer Brad reminded her often that he wasn’t interested. They attended church together, and by the time the holidays came that fall, Brad took her for a walk through Central Park. They stopped at the bridge and sat on one of the stone benches.
“I have a confession.” He looked into her eyes without wavering, without blinking. From the sound of his voice she would’ve thought he was admitting something deep and dark, for sure.
Her smile faded. “Whatever it is … you can tell me.”
“I know.” He swallowed hard and took her hands in his. “I lied to you, Laura. I can’t go on — not another day — without telling you the truth.”
By then they were spending nearly every day together, and twice he’d had dinner with she and her parents on their regular visits in from New Jersey. As friends went,
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