The Power of Prayer Read online

  Scott was still staring at him, waiting for some explanation.

  “I’ll tell you after the service,” JD whispered, surprised that his voice wasn’t shaking when the rest of him seemed to be. “Let’s just enjoy the message.”

  JD forced his eyes to the screen farthest from Callie’s face and tried to join in the singing. He felt terrible that he was ruining the experience for Scott and even worse that he felt angry at God. He had been so sure when she kept appearing in his thoughts and entering his mind that God would re-unite them; he hadn’t expected it to end this way.

  The music ended and the choir filed off the stage. JD’s eyes followed Callie, unable to look away and curious to see who she sat with. She crossed in front of their section and turned down the aisle. JD shifted in his seat to follow her path. A right turn brought her into a row and she took the seat next to . . . Is that the woman from the inn?

  There was no man beside her, which set off another round of questions. Was he at work or maybe a non-believer who was at home watching football instead? Was there a small chance that maybe there was no man? JD hadn’t pegged the fiancé as the type of man ready to settle down and he could certainly imagine the fool fleeing the responsibility of a child.

  Though that situation would be worse for Callie, JD couldn’t help holding onto the tiny shred of hope that had taken root. However, he was now also tasked with the need to find a new living arrangement soon. He had been so busy the last few days that he hadn’t begun looking at apartments yet, but he didn’t want to take the chance of running into Callie at the inn either since it appeared the owner was her mother or some other close relative or friend.

  Forcing his focus back to the message, JD adjusted his position so that his back was to Callie. He’d have to make an obvious shift to see her now, and that thought kept his eyes on the stage and the thin man with graying hair that was speaking.

  When the service ended, JD glanced back at where Callie had been sitting as he gathered his coat and Bible, but the seats were empty.

  Scott turned to follow his gaze. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  JD nodded. “Let’s grab some lunch and I’ll fill you in. Hopefully you can help me with another problem too.”

  My hand rubbed my belly as I smiled and waved goodbye to a family with one small rambunctious toddler. Though the little girl was beautiful, I couldn’t help but hope that my own daughter would be a little calmer. My mother, no longer much of a singer, had gotten involved in church by joining the greeting committee instead, so each week she either greeted the people coming in or stood at one of the exits to bid those leaving farewell.

  I wasn’t sure how I had gotten roped into helping today, but I pasted a smile on my face and did my best to ignore the throbbing in my feet. Standing on the stage for the twenty minutes of singing had taken its toll, and I couldn’t wait to get home and put my feet up. If only I had someone who would massage them gently as well.

  As I scanned the thinning hallway for anyone else headed our direction, two men exiting the front entrance caught my eye. Could it be?

  “I’ll be right back mom,” I called over my shoulder already heading down the carpeted hallway.

  The man I could see clearest I didn’t recognize. He was tall with short brown hair, but I could have sworn that I’d seen a flash of that chin length brown hair that haunted my dreams. The taller man moved, unhampering my view of the slightly shorter man beside him and my feet stalled. There was no mistaking that face, even though it was only in profile.

  Though the hallway traffic had thinned, there were still too many people for me to maneuver through and reach them on time, and besides my feet no longer seemed to want to cooperate. I could yell, but that would be rude in church. Plus, it would attract more attention than I wanted, and on the slim chance that I was wrong, it would be extremely embarrassing. So, for the second time in less than a week, I watched JD walk out of my life again.

  With his passage out the door and out of sight, my feet regained their ability to move, and, shoulders sagging, I returned to my mother.

  “What was that about?”

  “It was him again. I saw JD but I couldn’t reach him in time. I have to find him, Mother. I just have to.”

  “So, let me get this straight,” Scott said after JD had laid out the whole story, “The girl you thought you loved is pregnant with another man’s baby here in this town, and her mother is the owner of the place you’re staying?”

  “Okay, so I’m not positive it’s her mother, but that’s the gist of it,” JD said. “Why are you smiling?”

  “I’m sorry,” Scott laughed, “It’s just that your story sounds a little like a bad Lifetime movie. My ex-girlfriend used to watch them all the time. I think that might be one reason we broke up.”

  A small smile tugged at the corners of JD’s mouth. It did sound like a bad lifetime movie. He just wished it weren’t reality and that it wasn’t his current situation. “So, can you help me or not?”

  Scott nodded as he finished chewing the bite of burger he had in his mouth. “I can. I have a friend who deals with the residential. I’m sure she can get you a great place quickly.”

  JD should have felt relieved, but that nagging seed of hope reared its head and reminded him that he didn’t know for sure. There had been no man next to her during church, and he hadn’t seen a ring, though she had been too far away to see her hand clearly. What if there was a chance she was single and he was leaving the best connection to her? Of course, on the other hand, he couldn’t stay there forever anyway. He would need to get an apartment for the rest of his stay regardless of Callie.

  “Cindy said she can meet you tomorrow at ten to show you a few places. Are you free then?”

  JD glanced up. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn’t even seen Scott texting on the phone he held in his hand.

  “Yes, I can do that.” The image of Callie’s raven hair faded from his mind as he forced his mind to focus on Scott. He could deal with the torturous thoughts of her later.

  Chapter 17

  After a long night with little sleep, JD packed his bags and headed downstairs to let the owner know that today would be his last day.

  The woman looked up from the counter as he descended the last step, and JD realized she really did resemble an older version of Callie. She had to be her mother, with the same dark hair and eye shape. Her eyes were more of a hazel color than the emerald green of Callie’s but the shape was the same.

  “Hello,” he said as he approached. “I wanted to let you know that I’ll be checking out today.”

  Her smile faltered as her brow knitted together. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to make you want to stay?”

  He thought about asking about Callie right then. The words ‘Can you set me up with your daughter’ jumped into his brain, beating against his throat to come out, but he swallowed them away. The woman would probably think he was a stalker if he uttered them. “No, thank you. It was wonderful, but I’ll be staying longer and thought an apartment might be a little more convenient.”

  The smile returned to her face at the realization that he wasn’t dissatisfied with her inn or her service. “I can certainly understand that, though I’m still sorry to see you go.” She clicked a few buttons on the computer to her right and a small printer whirred to life, spitting out a single sheet of paper. Picking up the sheet, she glanced over it before sliding it across the countertop to him. “I just need you to fill this out.”

  JD perused the charges. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he initialed on the lines and signed at the bottom.

  “Thank you, Mr. Peterson,” she said, picking up the paper. She glanced at the lines and then her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, does this say JD Peterson?” A quiver of excitement laced her voice, and her eyes held the look of a kid at Christmas.

  “Yes. I’m JD Peterson.”

  A smile broke out on her face before s
he could contain it, but just for a second. A blink of his eyes later and she had composed herself, and only the sparkle in her eyes remained, making him wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.

  “And what time will you be leaving tonight? So I can have the cleaning crew do your room,” she added hastily.

  “I should be ready to vacate by six.”

  “Six,” she repeated, “Wonderful.”

  JD wondered at her odd behavior, but he had only an hour before he had to meet Cindy and the rumbling in his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten, so putting the incident out of his mind, he turned into the quaint dining room to grab some breakfast.

  Four small circular tables covered in white tablecloths filled the room. This morning they were all empty. Everyone else must have already eaten.

  Dropping his coat over the back of one of the chairs, he grabbed a plate from the buffet table and filled it with food. He was going to miss this aspect. The woman was an amazing cook, presenting an array of delicious delicacies. This morning there was a green and gold quiche that smelled heavenly, some sort of breakfast casserole that reminded him of campfire meals, and a plate of homemade cinnamon rolls. Since it was his last day, he piled one of each on his plate. Might as well eat his fill.

  My phone buzzed again on my desk. Someone was sure insistent; the phone had buzzed at least four times since I had started reading this document, but I knew if I picked it up, I would be distracted and lose my place. When I finished the document, I picked up the phone. Four text messages from my mother filled the screen. Was there an emergency? My mother never texted; she always said she hated the impersonal aspect of it. As I scrolled to the top to read the first message, my hand flew to my mouth.

  JD was at the inn? The last message stated that he was checking out and leaving at six. I glanced at my watch. It was almost noon. If I worked through lunch and finished this research, I could leave at four, which would give me a little time to clean up.

  The intercom buzzed as I hit the button. “Tina? I need you to order me in some lunch. I’m working straight through today.”

  “It doesn’t look like much, but it comes furnished. All it really needs is a woman’s touch.” Cindy leaned against the small bar in the kitchen and flashed a seductive smile.

  Instead of answering, JD turned away pretending to consider the place again. All morning she had been dropping suggestive hints, blocking doorways so he had to touch her to walk by, dropping her hand flirtatiously on his arm as she pointed features out in the apartments, and now striking a seductive pose. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty. With her short dark hair and small build, she was nice to look at, but she wasn’t Callie.

  “I’ll take it,” he said, partly because it fit the bill he was looking for and partly because he didn’t want to see another place with Cindy.

  While she drew up the papers, he perused the small apartment one more time. It wasn’t anything grand, but it would do for as long as he was here.

  The front door opened to a spacious living room with plush beige carpet. A brown recliner and loveseat filled the room facing a medium sized television. The kitchen had a direct view to the living room and was decorated in beiges and tans. The lone hallway led from the living room down to the bathroom and the one bedroom, both large enough for his needs.

  Cindy was right that it needed a woman’s touch, and he couldn’t help picturing Callie hanging pictures or helping him pick out throw pillows.

  “All done,” she said in her sing-song voice. “Shall we celebrate?”

  He did want to celebrate, but not with Cindy. “I can’t. I need to get my things from the bed and breakfast I was staying at.”

  Her full lips formed a perfect pout. He wondered if she practiced the look in the mirror and how many men stumbled over themselves when she flashed it. “Well, another time then,” she purred. “You have my number now, and I know where you live.”

  He tried for a polite smile and shook her hand, hoping she’d pick up on the hint that he wasn’t interested. With a final longing look at him, she handed over the keys, gathered her paperwork, and left.

  After locking the door to make sure she didn’t return, JD collapsed on the loveseat with a sigh. He needed to pick up some food from a grocery store to stock the fridge, but he could afford to rest for a moment. Avoiding Cindy’s advances had been quite exhausting.

  I sat in the car staring at the front of the inn. My heart was thudding in my chest and my throat felt like the Sahara Desert. In a moment, I would be face to face with JD for the first time in months. Would he still be interested in me now that I was pregnant? Only one way to find out. With a final deep breath, I stepped out of the car.

  The wind caught my hair, whipping it about my face. So much for the thirty minutes I had spent making sure every lock was in place.

  I shoved my hands deeper in my coat pockets as the chill in the air bit through my layers. Though it was a short walk up the steps, I found myself shivering as I reached for the door handle.

  “Callie?”

  The timbre of the voice behind me sent a tingle down my spine. I had missed that, the way he said my name.

  I turned around slowly. JD stood at the end of the sidewalk wearing a pair of jeans and a brown leather jacket. The wind tousled his hair as I longed to.

  “Hi, JD.” I wanted to say more, to sound eloquent, but words failed me yet again.

  He took a step toward me, his eyes never leaving my face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.” Pulling my coat tighter across my belly – I’d explain that to him later – I stepped down to the sidewalk.

  “I’m here for work.” Another step, only three steps separated us now.

  “My mother told me you were here, and I needed to see you before I lost you again.” Only two steps remained.

  “Why?” One step. “What about Daniel?”

  “There is no more Daniel.” A small smile tugged at my lips, and I covered the final distance, feeling the heat radiate off his body even as the wind blew against us. “There hasn’t been since a few weeks after I returned from the Caribbean.” I could reach out and touch him now if I wanted, if I wasn’t afraid he might bolt. The emotion in his eyes was unclear, but I hoped he was happy to see me.

  His eyes roamed my face, but he said nothing. I couldn’t handle the silence. “I found your travel books and the picture when I got home. It sits on my nightstand. I’ve looked at it every night, wishing I had done things differently there. I should never have taken Daniel back. You were right, and I’m sorry.”

  As conflicting emotions battled across his face, I wondered why. Was he seeing someone now?

  “What about the baby?” he asked.

  My eyes widened. “How did you know?” I had picked this coat particularly because it hid my baby bump.

  He stared at me; he clearly wasn’t answering my question until I answered his.

  “I’ll tell you all about it, but the father isn’t in the picture.” The wind found a hole in our electric current and nipped at me; I shivered, wishing he would take me in his arms.

  “So, there’s no one?”

  The small smile broadened as I shook my head. “No one, but you, I hope.”

  The words were barely out of my mouth before his right hand was in my hair, his left on the small of my back, and his lips on mine. They were everything I had imagined, soft and firm and intense, like he couldn’t get enough. The electricity traveled down my body, warming me against the chilly wind.

  He pulled back, his eyes wild. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean – ”

  “Don’t be sorry,” I said, placing a finger on his lips. “I’ve wanted you to do that since the day at the falls.”

  He brought my hand to his chest as he pulled me closer and met my lips again. The kiss was softer this time, slower, but no less full of emotion.

  When he pulled back, I could see that he was struggling to catch his breath just as I was. A tingling was
still racing through my body, and my heart was beating so fast it was like a drum in my ear.

  A slow smile spread across his face. “I’ve wanted to do that from the moment I saw you.”

  We stood there at the end of the sidewalk with the wind whipping around us. He held both of my hands in his, and though the temperature was chilly, neither of us felt the cold.

  “I have so much to tell you,” I finally said, breaking the magic spell for the moment, “but first I have to tell my mother I found you.”

  “I get the feeling I owe your mother a thank you,” he said entwining his fingers with mine.

  “I think we both do.”

  Hand in hand, we walked into the bed and breakfast. My mother stood at the counter but her eyes were trained on the doorway. As we entered, her eyes lit up, and she hurried out from behind the counter.

  Her eyes landed on our clasped hands and her smile magnified. “I take it this is the right JD then?”

  I smiled up at the man I had only dreamed about, still unable to believe he was here next to me. “It is.”

  “I assume I have you to thank for Callie showing up here,” JD said.

  She shrugged, “A mother has to do what she can.”

  “Well, I truly thank you, but if you don’t mind, I’m going to steal your daughter to dinner. I’m starving.”

  With that, he whisked me back outside and into his car. Minutes later, we had parked at a quiet Italian restaurant.

  After opening my door, JD took my hand again and led the way inside. The building was small from the outside, but opened impressively inside. Ten tables and a few booths filled the dimly lit room. Candles glowed on every table, and soft light from the ceiling completed the ambiance.