Read Online Wildfire Wedding by Lynette Sowell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynette Sowell
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Settler Lake's only ice cream shop, The Scoop. Luke kissed her hand.
“Did I ever tell you how smart you are, Mr. Hansen?”
“No, not really.” He grinned at her and winked.
“Well, stealing me away for a breather was a brilliant idea.”
“I’ve missed our ‘us’ time.” He released her hand to turn the car into the parking lot.
“I have, too.”
“We have the rest of our lives to look forward to moments like this.”
They soon settled into the corner booth, their sundaes in front of them.
“I have to admit since Jeff’s been in town he’s really made me do some thinking.” Luke dug into the mound of triple-chocolate ice cream.
“About what?”
“I was so wrong, Krista. I made a bad choice.”
“In having Jeff be best man. You could always ask Barry to stand up for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Luke shook his head.
“You’ve decided not to have Jeff as your best man.”
“That’s not what I meant. He’s shown me how I deceived myself into believing that everything I have right now was disposable.”
“And now?”
He looked at her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. “I wouldn’t give any of this up—or you—for the world.”
Krista circled back around to her earlier request. “Which is why I think Jeff represents everything you left behind.”
The muscles clenched in Luke’s jaw. “You told me it was all right to have him be the best man.”
“Months ago it was. Only now, hearing his comments and seeing him again—I honestly hadn’t thought much about what it would be like to see him again. I mean, the Bible says love covers a multitude of sins, but. . .” She clamped her lips together. Everything was coming out wrong. Her gaze shifted to the low rolling hills. A finger of gray smoke rose miles away to the southwest.
Fire? Please, not now.
“I won’t change my mind. I’m trying to reach out to him and keep a connection—”
“I think you could probably have chosen a different mode of outreach other than having him as your best man.” There. She’d said it. Stress—memories—whatever. This all had to be wedding jitters, stress over the details. . .
“Like I said before, you should have told me how you really felt months ago when we were deciding this.” Luke’s phone buzzed. He unclipped it from his belt. “Hang on—”
Krista paused, but she had half a mind to grab the phone and stuff it in his ice cream.
“A message from D.J. I have to go. They need me right now. Grass fire. And it's a big one. And the wind's supposed to be pick up tonight.”
The lump in her throat kept the words from coming out, and even if she could talk, she didn’t know if the words would be the right ones.
Luke stood. “All this aside, I love you, Krista Schmidt. I’m going to marry you, no matter what.”
She followed him from the shop. What a hypocrite. She had been raised to show the love of God, and she wasn’t doing a very good job at it. Okay, she probably could have told Luke months ago that she wasn’t truly comfortable with Jeff being best man. Luke would have chosen Barry if she’d insisted. But then, she figured she'd been insistent enough.
Communication was key to a good marriage. And now look at them. He wordlessly unlocked the door for her, and she slid onto the passenger seat without breaking the silence. A fire raged somewhere, and it now called Luke away from her.
This was not her—their—dream wedding. Not at all.
When he dropped her off at Nana’s, he gave her an extra kiss good-bye.
“Don’t leave without saying anything, Krista.” Luke caressed her cheek.
“This wasn’t how I planned to say good night, the night before our wedding. There is so much to say. . .”
“I love you, and I know you love me. I’ll be praying while we’re apart, and I know you will, too. If we can get through this—”
“We can get through anything.” Krista gave him one last look, searching for words that still escaped her.
“Did I ever tell you how smart you are, Mr. Hansen?”
“No, not really.” He grinned at her and winked.
“Well, stealing me away for a breather was a brilliant idea.”
“I’ve missed our ‘us’ time.” He released her hand to turn the car into the parking lot.
“I have, too.”
“We have the rest of our lives to look forward to moments like this.”
They soon settled into the corner booth, their sundaes in front of them.
“I have to admit since Jeff’s been in town he’s really made me do some thinking.” Luke dug into the mound of triple-chocolate ice cream.
“About what?”
“I was so wrong, Krista. I made a bad choice.”
“In having Jeff be best man. You could always ask Barry to stand up for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Luke shook his head.
“You’ve decided not to have Jeff as your best man.”
“That’s not what I meant. He’s shown me how I deceived myself into believing that everything I have right now was disposable.”
“And now?”
He looked at her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. “I wouldn’t give any of this up—or you—for the world.”
Krista circled back around to her earlier request. “Which is why I think Jeff represents everything you left behind.”
The muscles clenched in Luke’s jaw. “You told me it was all right to have him be the best man.”
“Months ago it was. Only now, hearing his comments and seeing him again—I honestly hadn’t thought much about what it would be like to see him again. I mean, the Bible says love covers a multitude of sins, but. . .” She clamped her lips together. Everything was coming out wrong. Her gaze shifted to the low rolling hills. A finger of gray smoke rose miles away to the southwest.
Fire? Please, not now.
“I won’t change my mind. I’m trying to reach out to him and keep a connection—”
“I think you could probably have chosen a different mode of outreach other than having him as your best man.” There. She’d said it. Stress—memories—whatever. This all had to be wedding jitters, stress over the details. . .
“Like I said before, you should have told me how you really felt months ago when we were deciding this.” Luke’s phone buzzed. He unclipped it from his belt. “Hang on—”
Krista paused, but she had half a mind to grab the phone and stuff it in his ice cream.
“A message from D.J. I have to go. They need me right now. Grass fire. And it's a big one. And the wind's supposed to be pick up tonight.”
The lump in her throat kept the words from coming out, and even if she could talk, she didn’t know if the words would be the right ones.
Luke stood. “All this aside, I love you, Krista Schmidt. I’m going to marry you, no matter what.”
She followed him from the shop. What a hypocrite. She had been raised to show the love of God, and she wasn’t doing a very good job at it. Okay, she probably could have told Luke months ago that she wasn’t truly comfortable with Jeff being best man. Luke would have chosen Barry if she’d insisted. But then, she figured she'd been insistent enough.
Communication was key to a good marriage. And now look at them. He wordlessly unlocked the door for her, and she slid onto the passenger seat without breaking the silence. A fire raged somewhere, and it now called Luke away from her.
This was not her—their—dream wedding. Not at all.
When he dropped her off at Nana’s, he gave her an extra kiss good-bye.
“Don’t leave without saying anything, Krista.” Luke caressed her cheek.
“This wasn’t how I planned to say good night, the night before our wedding. There is so much to say. . .”
“I love you, and I know you love me. I’ll be praying while we’re apart, and I know you will, too. If we can get through this—”
“We can get through anything.” Krista gave him one last look, searching for words that still escaped her.
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