My most recent YouTube message: Three prophetic words of encouragement and instruction from the Lord. Be blessed.
Living By Faith
DAILY PROMPT 1866 — WHAT ARE 3 THINGS YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT
Three things I absolutely could not live without are my Bible, Something to Write With, and Something to Paint With.
Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But actually, there’s an alternate list. The prompt didn’t ask us to list THE ONLY 3 things we couldn’t live without. The first list is definitely true. But so is my second list: My Bible, Coffee, & Chocolate.
There’s no question that my Bible comes first on either list. I live by God’s Word in every aspect of my life, and it gives me guidance, healing, and sanity in a very disturbed world. But those other two choices — well — they sort of ebb and flow.
There are days when I really do need to write. And my art helps release all the creative energy inside as well as relieve stress. So on some days, I couldn’t stand not being able to write or paint.
But then there are those days when all I need is to feel comforted and cozy and convinced that everything is going to be all right. On those days, numbers 2 and3 are definitely coffee and chocolate — preferably at the same time. 🙂
ST. PATRICK’S TRUE STORY
ST. PATRICK’S DAY is almost upon us. If you haven’t read the TRUE story of this man’s life, you are missing a great blessing.
The little-known, but true, story of one of the most amazing soul-winners in the history of the Kingdom of God. St. Patrick of Ireland’s life of ministry is replete with astounding miracles and spiritual experiences that rival those reported in the chapters of God’s Word. And Patrick is credited with bringing at least 70,000 people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ — without the use of any transportation except his feet and his horse, and without the help of electricity or modern technology on any level.
The story related in this booklet is taken from Patrick’s own writings and sidesteps vague legends to give the reader powerful truth that will encourage and inspire the faith of everyone who wants to serve God.
The book makes a perfect gift. In fact, this past month, it has been my best seller — bar none — so I think a lot of people must be giving copies as gifts. Its short and easy to read, and is available in paperback or digital.
You can find it on Amazon.
You can also find it on Barnes&Noble.
(B&N has the paperback version only. But the Nook version should be available by next week.)
GOD’S LOOKING FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE
So many people feel that they would be willing to serve the Lord and be used to tell others about His love and mercy, but they believe that God can’t use them. They have the idea that He uses only people who have some special talents or gifts — or people who are particularly strong in faith and never have any fears or flaws to get in the way.
But that idea simply isn’t true. The Lord isn’t looking for people who are perfect, or who have developed some kind of talent or ability before He calls them to share the truth about Jesus and His redemption with others. God’s just looking for people who are willing. That’s it. If we are willing to listen when He calls; if we’re willing to spend time in His Word so that He can give us revelation concerning it; and if we’re willing to obey His call when we hear it, then we are exactly the people He’s looking for.
Two friends of mine, Bud and Maretta Hall, from a small town in Southern Illinois, USA, are exactly that kind of people. They fit the description of “ordinary people” perfectly. They didn’t see themselves as having any particular gifts or accomplishments that would have destined them to be used internationally to spread the Gospel. But they loved the Lord. And when He tapped them on the shoulder and beckoned them to believe Him and just obey His instructions — one step at a time — one day at a time — they found themselves in the midst of a life of service that wasn’t ordinary in the least.
Through decades of following the leading of the Holy Spirit, they constantly experienced God’s unchanging love, His timely provision, and His abiding peace.
This past year, Maretta was led to share much of their experience in a memoir that recounts the story of how an extraordinary God can take two very ordinary people and do miraculous, life-changing things that affect lives, both in this world and in eternity.
So if you’d like to be thrilled, challenged and inspired by such a story, take a look at the trailer for her book and then hop over to Amazon and order a copy for yourself — and another copy for someone you love.
Check out THE CALL OF AN AWESOME GOD TO TWO ORDINARY PEOPLE.
Available in Paperback, Hardcover, or Digital HERE.
An Important Stragegy for this new year
As we embark on this new year of 2023, there are some strategies that can make our process more successful. One of those strategies is learning to make our plans — and live them out — based on the infallible information we receive from the Word of God. Let this short video message encourage you to trust God’s Word to take you though every journey of your life with a good outcome.
LOOKING FOR FAITH-CHALLENGING CHRISTIAN FICTION ON A SUPER SALE?
SLATE:
A story of faith, temptation, and sacrifice.
I just discovered today that Amazon has put this book on a super sale at 52% off. The paperback normally sells for $7.99, but right now is on sale for $3.81. Amazon has their own funny way of figuring prices, but I don’t ask questions. I just take advantage of them when they do it.
The E-book edition is $0.99.
FREE TO ANY U. S. PASTOR — ‘THE TRUTH ABOUT ST. PAUL’S THORN’
FREE TO ANY PASTOR IN THE U. S. WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COPY.
My booklet that casts down and clears way all the lies concerning St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is now available in digital as well as paperback. And I’m offering a free copy (digital or paperback) to any pastor in the U. S. who would like to have one.
If you’re a pastor who wants a copy, please e-mail me at the following address and give me your mailing address or the e-mail address if you want a link for a digital copy. If you don’t have a Kindle, Amazon provides a free app that works on any device you have.
Contact me here: radicalaboutjesus@gmail.com
Anyone else can purchase them from Amazon. The paperback is still at the introductory price of $4.00.
The E-Book is $1.99.
I’m including the description from the back cover here:
“A straightforward, easy to understand message that cuts through all the lies of traditional and denominational doctrines to reveal the truth about St. Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh.’ Shining a bright light on the scripture passages involved, Bible teacher Sandra Pavloff Conner exposes the lies that have been misrepresenting this experience in Paul’s life for centuries as she lets the Word of God interpret and explain itself.”
LEARNING MADE EASY — VIDEO LESSON
IT IS FINISHED
He was wounded for my transgressions.
For my sin He was beaten and scourged.
His pure blood it did flow
For my lost, helpless soul
Until all of my sin it had purged.
MY CADILAC FOR YOUR CAMEL – RERUN
It’s been a long time since I first shared this video, so I thought I’d give it a fresh airing, along with an invitation to visit my ministry YouTube channel if you haven’t yet done so. If you’d like to be notified each time we post a new video, just click the “Subscribe” button, and click on the little bell symbol to control the setting for your notifications.
Now enjoy this encouraging message.
‘A HARVEST OF HEALTH’ – VIDEO MESSAGE
THE SAME GOD TODAY
I was thinking today about the prophet Ezekiel and his experience in the valley of dry bones, when the Lord told him He would give those bones new life. So I thought I’d share a poem the Lord inspired on the subject. The Scripture reference is Ezekiel, chapter 37.
THE SAME GOD TODAY
Bones in the valley,
Worthless and dry,
Bleached by the sun and
The wind blowing by.
God to the prophet
Did speak and did ask,
“Can these bones still live?
Is it too big a task?”
“Lord,” said the prophet,
“Only You know.”
“I’ll show you, Ezekiel;
My Spirit will blow.
“And cause them to live
And give flesh and skin;
They’ll rise like an army,
Give Me glory again.”
When our problems seem hopeless,
Too dead to restore,
We can look to Ezekiel
And his word from the Lord.
For the God who breathed life
Into bones dry and dead
Is the same God for us
If we’ll trust what He’s said.
‘EVERYTHING’S JAKE’ — chapter 9
EVERYTHING’S JAKE
© 2013 Sandra Pavloff Conner
CHAPTER NINE
The following day was Mariah’s Saturday off, so Neil had time to mull over the things he and his dad had talked about before he saw her again. The work load was fairly light, and even while he worked, he replayed in his mind the conversation with Mariah and the one with his dad. There was no escaping his guilt and remorse concerning the first conversation, and there was no denying that his dad’s words in the second one made complete sense – now that Neil was in slightly less emotional turmoil. But what to do about it was the question of the day – or maybe – more realistically – the big question of his life.
By mid-afternoon, he had decided that he owed it to Mariah to apologize for his insinuations and his generally unChristian attitude over the past few weeks. But he knew in his heart that if he faced her with those feelings, he would also need to be ready to tell her the truth about the rest of what he felt. He couldn’t keep living with this merry-go-round of emotions, and now that he had blurted out the truth – a truth his own heart had kept hidden until last night – he should tell her the truth as well: he was in love with Mariah Jacoby, and he wanted her in his life from now on.
He got his last customer off for the day, and went to the phone. He realized that he had left the decision a little late. She was probably preparing to go out with Sanford. But if he just surmised that scenario and didn’t bother to find out for sure, he’d just prolong his own agony. She answered on the second ring.
“Mariah, it’s Neil.”
He heard her sigh. “Neil, I’d rather not talk right now.”
He hastened to butt in before she could hang up. “I know, Mariah, and you have every right to feel that way. I owe you a huge apology, and … well … the real reason I called was to see if you were going to be home a while this evening, and if you’d let me come and apologize in person.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Neil held his breath. Finally, Mariah sighed again and answered. “Neil, I accept your apology. You don’t have to come over here in person.”
She didn’t even want to see his face! This really was bad. He probably had lost her forever, but his dad’s words still rang in his ears: “Go ahead, Son. Stick our neck out. You know she’s worth it.”
He cleared his throat and tried again. “Well, the truth is that I’d like to do more than just apologize. I’d also like to tell you something about what’s going on in my own heart. If you’ll just hear me out; then if you don’t want to talk to me anymore I’ll respect that.”
He could hear hardness in her voice when she answered. “Is it more about Carter Sanford?”
“No!” He wanted to make that crystal clear. “No, Mariah, I don’t have anything else to say to you about Carter. I was way out of line yesterday, and I won’t ever bring up that subject again.” He paused for quite a while, but Mariah stayed quiet, and – more importantly – stayed on the line.
“I want to talk to you about you, Mariah – and about how much you mean to me.”
He heard her utter a small gasp of surprise. “I … I’m not sure I understand.”
Neil was getting frustrated. “Mariah, all of it is hard to explain over the phone. Will you please let me come and see you for a while this evening – that is – if you aren’t already going out?”
She took another moment to answer. “No … I’m not going any place important tonight – just the grocery store, but it can wait. Come over if you feel you really need to.”
The truth was that Mariah was feeling so defeated by all of the emotional upheaval of the past week that she felt resigned to whatever happened now. “When do you want to come?”
“Give me an hour to get home and shower and get over there.”
“Fine,” she said, and waited another moment. “I’ll see you then.”
“Thank you, Mariah. I’ll be with you shortly.”
After hanging up the phone, Mariah took a look at what she was wearing. An old pair of jeans and a tee shirt that said, “I’ve got a good arm, a ball, and an attitude. Don’t mess with me.” She had to laugh at the thought of wearing it when facing Neil tonight. She knew she looked a little sloppy, though, and one part of her wanted to change into something pretty. But the other part – the part that was tired of trying to be the “right” woman for the “right” man to love – just felt too exhausted to care.
She opted for leaving on the outfit and using the time she had to straighten up the apartment a little. She’d never been the most organized housekeeper. Her home was never dirty, but it definitely wasn’t the neat, well-organized home her mother kept.
She then decided she could force herself to be hospitable enough to put on a pot of coffee and open a package of cookies. Holding a coffee cup would at least give her something to do with her hands while they talked, and drinking the warm liquid might help her stay calm.
Her clock said fifty-five minutes since the phone call when her doorbell rang. Neil stood there in a dark blue polo shirt and jeans, his hair still damp around the edges. It made her smile to think he really had been in a hurry to get over here. “Come in,” she said and motioned him toward the living room. “Sit down anywhere. I made coffee. Would you like some.”
“That would be great,” he said, as he walked to a chair arranged beside the sofa and sat down.
“I’ll be right back with it,” she said, already turning toward the kitchen. Five minutes later, she returned with a tray bearing two steaming mugs, cream and sugar, and the plate of cookies. Sitting it down on the table next to the chair, she took a seat on the close end of the sofa.
“Mmmm, the coffee smells good,” Neil said and reached for a cup. Mariah took hers as well and curled her feet up onto the cushion. She sipped the hot liquid and looked at Neil. He cleared his throat.
“I like the apartment,” he said, smiling. “The colors of cheerful.”
“Thank you. I agree. I like a lot of color in a home.” She knew she should probably say something that would break the ice and help him get started with what he needed to say, but she just didn’t seem to be able to do it.
Finally, he cleared his throat again and sat his cup back onto the tray. He looked right at her. “Mariah, first of all I sincerely want to apologize for what I said to you last night. I was completely out of line, and I’ve been out of line ever since you started dating Carter Sanford.”
“When did you decide all of this?”
“Well … to be totally honest, I knew when the words were coming out of my mouth last night that I didn’t have any right to say them – and actually I knew that I didn’t really mean them the way I said them.”
She just looked at him a moment and then asked. “Then … why did you say them?”
Neil cleared his throat again. He’d never felt a need to work at keeping his throat clear and his voice strong before, but this whole experience was a first for him, so ….
He finally answered. “Well, the answer to that question is actually the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. And I’m going to ask that you hear me out, and then when I’m done, if you don’t want to talk to me anymore – or even work for me anymore – I’ll understand. But, I’m hoping, of course, that you won’t feel that way.”
Mariah’s curiosity was aroused enough by this time that she did help him. “Say anything you feel you need to say, Neil, and I promise not to interrupt. I’ll let you finish.”
He nodded his head in acknowledgment and scooted forward in his chair to be closer to her. “Mariah, I said all of those things because I was jealous.” He searched her eyes to see if she was shocked, but he couldn’t tell. He knew she was surprised he’d said it, but that was all. “I knew I had antagonistic feelings toward Sanford, but I wouldn’t consciously admit it to myself – or the reason for it. I tried to convince myself that my feelings were because we had become great friends, and I was just looking out for your welfare, but that isn’t the truth.” At that, her eyes did get wide, and her eyebrows went up.
He unconsciously reached out a hand and laid it on hers as it rested on the arm of the sofa. “Oh, I was trying to look out for you, but not just because we were friends. I realized last night – after it was too late – that what I really feel for you goes much deeper than friendship.” He squeezed her hand. His eyes were so intense that Mariah couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to, but, of course, she didn’t want to. Neil continued.
“Mariah, I … I’m in love with you, and … and I’ve never said that to another woman in my life.”
Mariah’s gasp was audible, and a light flickered to life in her own eyes. Neil took hope from that tiny light and continued. “I don’t know for sure what you feel for me, but I’d like to ask you to give me a chance to show you how much I love you and how valuable you are to me – not as an employee – but as a woman – as the woman I want in my life from now on.”
As he spoke the words, Neil slipped from the chair to his knees in front of Mariah, who sat there with her mouth open and the light in her eyes even brighter. He gently took the cup from her other hand, sat it down, and then took both hands in his. She didn’t resist, but finally spoke, “Neil … I … I don’t understand. You’ve never said anything before.”
“I know. I’ve been too dense to realize myself what I was feeling – that is until last night. But I also realize that you may have strong feelings for someone else, and I don’t have any right to make you feel pressured by what I’m saying. I’m trying not to pressure you. I hope you know that. But I just had to at least tell you the truth.”
“Oh, Neil!” was all she said, but she lifted her hands and placed them gently on either side of his face.
“You’re not angry that I’ve said all this?”
She smiled widely. “My darling Neil, since when does a woman become angry because a man declares his love for her – especially when he does it so beautifully?”
Neil let out the breath he’d been holding and smiled for the first time since he’d started his explanation. He reached both hands up and laid them over hers. He then took each one and pressed the palm to his lips. “I love you, Mariah. I think I’ve loved you almost from the first day. You’ve been like my second self from the first week we worked together.
“I’ve never felt so comfortable with any other woman that I can remember, yet I’ve never felt to challenged to be the best man I could be. It made my day complete every time you were pleased with what I said and what I did, or how I ran my business or lived my life. I came to work every day with a new kind of expectation of vitality and beauty somehow – all because you were there. Oh, I couldn’t have put it into those words a week ago. But I finally recognize it for what it is.”
He paused and kissed the palms of her hands again. “Oh, Neil,” was still all she could say.
“And if you already have deep feelings for Carter Sanford, then I will accept that fact and not bring up my own feelings again. But I had to at least tell you the whole truth – at least once. You deserve that.”
Mariah chuckled softly and shook her head. He squeezed her hands in his. “I don’t even care if you laugh at me, Honey. I feel so much better knowing I’ve told you what’s in my heart.”
At those words, Mariah slipped from the sofa to her knees as well, facing Neil, and without thinking, she put her arms around his neck. “No, Darling. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at myself – and maybe at the idea that I could have deep feelings for Carter Sanford.”
“What?” Neil’s confusion was obvious. “Do you mean you don’t ….” His voice trailed off because it was just too much to hope for.
Mariah inched closer to him and shook her head. “No … I do not have deep feelings for Carter. I don’t really want to talk about him right now, but you can rest assured that what I do feel for him is not positive enough to cause you any jealously.”
“But you said last night that you wanted his attention — ”
Mariah slipped one hand over his lips to stop his words. “What I said last night was born out of the same thing that brought forth most of your words. I was reacting to feelings that I hadn’t recognized or learned to deal with yet. I had been hurt by Carter, and then I was being hurt by you. But the hurt caused by you was so much more painful and damaging —”
“Oh, Sweetheart!” Neil interrupted her and wrapped his arms around her completely, holding her against him. “I’m so sorry! … so sorry!”
Mariah pulled back enough to look at his face. “No … it’s all right now. What I was going to say is that what you did hurt me more than what Carter did because I don’t love Carter, but I do love you.”
He lifted his hand to caress one side of her face, “You … you do love me?” Mariah nodded her head. “You’re sure?” She nodded again.
“Very sure!” she said.
“And all this time … we’ve wasted …. when we could have been ….” He just couldn’t seem to find the words, so he finally gave up and pulled her even closer, taking possession of her lips in a kiss that conveyed the message much more clearly than any words could have done anyway. And Mariah’s response was equally as satisfying. So satisfying, in fact, that it was several moments before either of them took a breath or thought reasonably about anything at all.
As their lips finally parted, Neil wrapped her even tighter to him, and she buried her head against his neck, but several seconds later, Neil spoke. “Mariah, I think we’d be more comfortable if we got up from the floor, don’t you?”
Mariah laughed out loud. For the first time she realized that her own knees hurt from being on the floor in that embrace for so long. “Of course, Honey. Come on,” she said and began to get up. Neil did the same, but as they stood facing each other, he couldn’t resist kissing her again. Mariah was very willing, and, once more, it was quite a while before they had breath to speak. When they did, Mariah settled her arms more comfortably around Neil’s neck and grinned at him. “So, Boss, would you say that everything’s Jake again?”
Neil tightened his hold on her and looked at her solemnly, shaking his head in the negative. “No, Sweetheart. You have that backwards.”
Her eyes clouded. “What?”
“You asked me if everything’s Jake again. But you have it backwards … because from now on … in my world … everything isn’t Jake. In my world, Jake is everything!”
Thank you so much for reading. I’ll leave the story on this site for one more week, in case a few people haven’t had time to get to the end yet. But after next Saturday, I’ll remove it. You can find the book, as well as most of my other inspirational fiction, on Amazon at this link.
Or visit my Amazon Author’s page for more information.
‘EVERYTHING’S JAKE’ — chapter 8
EVERYTHING’S JAKE
© 2013 Sandra Pavloff Conner
CHAPTER EIGHT
Neil grabbed up the pizza box. Letting out a long groan, he wadded it up with his bare hands and slammed it into the waste can. That action wasn’t enough to release his feelings, so he slammed his hand on the counter so hard the pain caused him to groan again. There … maybe that would at least be some self-punishment for having been so stupid – and so unkind to the one person he’d come to care more about than any other human being in his life.
“Stupid idiot! You stupid idiot!” He ranted at himself as he ran his hands furiously through his hair, and finally, feeling spent from the pain of his estrangement from Mariah – and from his own remorse – he collapsed into his desk chair and buried his face in his hands.
He was still sitting in the chair, staring with unseeing eyes at his computer, when the office door opened, and his dad walked in. “Hi, son. I saw the light, and I thought maybe I’d catch you and Mariah here and invite you both to dinner at the house tomorrow night.” He stopped talking and looked around. He didn’t see Mariah, and something told him that the place was totally empty except for Neil, who, now that he looked at him more closely, was looking a little worse for wear.
“Something’s wrong?”
Neil didn’t answer for a moment. He just sat there and stared at his computer screen. Finally he heaved a sigh and said in a monotone voice. “You could say that.”
Adam leaned on the counter, praying for the Lord to give him the right words. He didn’t want to interfere in his grown son’s life, but he knew enough from his own experience to realize that sometimes being grown up in age didn’t mean a man didn’t feel hurt as painfully as a little boy. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Neil ran his hands through his hair again.
Adam watched and waited. He realized for the first time that there was quite a bit of gray showing in Neil’s dark brown hair. And for the first time, he actually noticed that his waistline was bulging more than it used to. Adam didn’t feel old enough to have two sons about to reach middle age themselves. But the clock didn’t quit ticking, and sure enough, they were just about there.
Nathan, his elder son, had a great wife, though, and a baby to love. Neil had nothing but this business. He should have Mariah. Adam and Elizabeth both knew Mariah was the right one for Neil. And they were pretty sure he knew it too. But Neil had always been super cautious about decisions – considering them from every single angle – over and over again – until he worked them over so many times he was worn out before he came to the point. Elizabeth had said something the other night about Mariah not waiting forever.
Adam cleared his throat. He wasn’t much of a counselor in the area of romance, but he could at least share his heart if Neil wanted him to. “Is it Mariah – or am I out of line?”
At those words, Neil looked up at Adam. “How did you know?”
Adam chuckled. “Well,” he said, as he walked around the counter and pulled a second chair up close to Neil’s desk. “I guess you could say I’ve been through some situations in the romance department that caused me to look about like you do right now.”
“I’m losing her, Dad.”
“Losing her how?”
Neil shrugged his shoulders. “I thought we were becoming the best of friends. I could open up to her in a way I’ve never done with anyone else. And she did the same with me. We feel the same about our spiritual lives and about the purpose and meaning of life. We want the same kinds of things. And we can sit and talk for five and six hours at a time and never run out of anything to say to each other.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound like you’re losing her to me.”
Neil waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “No … that’s not what makes me think that. It’s … It’s because she’s started dating Carter Sanford, and now she doesn’t seem to want to sit and talk with me and share things like she used to.” Neil looked at his father now. “And I worry about her with him. Oh, I don’t mean he’d hurt her physically. But I know enough about him to know he’s just playing around with Jake because she’s a mechanic.”
“How’s that?”
“Oh … you know … he’s a playboy, and because she’s so different from most of the women he associates with, he finds it fun to date her for a while. But he won’t stick with her. If she’s feeling something serious for him, he’ll break her heart, and I just couldn’t bear that.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“Well … she’s become such a great friend, and friends look out for each other. And … tonight … I tried to warn her about him —”
“Oh, I see,” Adam interrupted him.
“What do you mean, you see?”
Adam sighed. “I’m guessing you told her how he didn’t really care for her and how she was being foolish to let herself get taken in by him.”
“Yes.”
Adam let out another sigh. So did Neil.
“Well, I realized about halfway into the conversation that I was making a mistake, but for some reason I just couldn’t seem to stop myself. And … well … the conversation deteriorated so much that she threatened to quit.”
“Whew!”
“Yeah.” Neil leaned back in his chair and just shook his head sadly.
“Well … have you thought that maybe Mariah can tell that Carter really does care about her?”
“But he doesn’t!”
“How can you be so sure?”
“What? Are you on his side now?”
“Whoa, Son.” Adam held up his hands to ward off any more accusation. “I’m just trying to help you think this thing through here.”
“Oh, I know, Dad. I’m sorry.” He got up from his chair and started pacing the floor. “But I know I’m right. I feel it in every part of me. Carter Sanford will never – could never – love Mariah the way I —” He stopped mid-sentence, shocked by the words that he heard coming from his mouth. Suddenly he turned and looked at Adam, the surprise all over his face.
Adam nodded his head. “I heard. I think you have part of your answer right there, Son. You are in love with Mariah, but if you didn’t even recognize it, then you’ve obviously never told her. Maybe that’s what she needs to hear from you rather than how she’s making a fool of herself with Carter.”
“Well, I can’t tell her that now! Not while she’s dating another man!”
“What? You’d let her go out of your life just because she’s going out to dinner once in a while with some other man? She might drop him like a hot branding iron if she knew how much you cared, Neil.”
Heaving another sigh, Neil looked Adam in the eye. “Let’s face it dad, in spite of having my name on this business, in reality I’m still just a struggling mechanic. I can’t drive her around in expensive cars or send her bouquets of roses every week the way he does – or even the way a lot of other men can.”
Adam chuckled. “You know, Neil, before your mom and I were married I gave her flowers only one time. I just didn’t have a lot of money back then, and I tried to save what I did have so that we could go out every week. But one time, shortly before the wedding, I asked her if she ever felt cheated because I hadn’t given her more flowers and valuable gifts, and I’ll never – as long as I live – I’ll never forget her answer.
She said, ‘My darling Adam, if I were to receive a thousand roses at a time, they could never give me the joy and the thrill that I get from the look in your eyes every time you take me into your arms and tell me how much you love me.’” Adam leaned forward to emphasize his next words. “Neil, it’s communication that rules the day – before the wedding – and it’s still communication that makes the difference afterward – for the rest of your life.”
“But if she’s serious about Carter, I could also end up looking like a fool myself.”
“And does that really matter? Didn’t you feel a little foolish tonight after your argument?
“Well ….”
“Neil, you’ve always tried to live your life based on what God’s Word says. But, up to now, you’ve never had to deal with loving a woman and functioning in that capacity according to God’s Word. But think about it. Love comes from God. He is love, and He’s the creator of the love that develops between a man and a woman. Furthermore, He tells us that love always leads us to prefer the other person as more important than ourselves. Love is patient, kind; love serves; it isn’t jealous or easily provoked … am I right?”
“Sure, you know you are.”
“So … if you love this woman, then you have to begin to deal with her according to the demands of love the way God defines it – not according to the world’s definition. The world will tell you to consider how foolish you might end up looking, or how someone could take advantage of you if you let your guard down by letting them know you love them. But those philosophies are not from the Lord.”
He leaned forward and laid his hand on Neil’s shoulder. “No, I think it’s time you were honest with yourself and with Mariah and started speaking and acting toward her the way the Word of God tells you to. Stop talking to her about Carter Sanford, and start talking to her about her – and how valuable and precious she is to you.”
He gave Neil’s shoulder an encouraging pat and stood to his feet. “And just remember: roses always die, and a fancy car made out of cold steel can’t keep a woman warm at night.”
Neil snorted – although it was almost a chuckle. “If it were Mariah’s car, she’d tear it down and work on the heating system until it did keep her warm.”
Adam laughed out loud and gently slapped his son on the back. “Good! You’ve got your sense of humor back. I think you’ll survive this.” With those words he headed for the door. As he opened it, he turned back. “And unless I miss my guess, that little girl already feels the same way about you.”
A flicker of hope flashed through Neil’s eyes, and Adam smiled. “Go ahead, Son. Stick your neck out. You know she’s worth it.”
Adam closed the door and headed for his car with a jaunty step. He tossed his keys into the air and caught them, grinning. “Adam, old boy, you’re not too bad at counseling the lovelorn after all. Elizabeth will be downright proud of you.”
Final chapter tomorrow.
‘EVERYTHING’S JAKE’ — CHAPTERS 5 & 6
EVERYTHING’S JAKE
© 2013 Sandra Pavloff Conner
CHAPTER FIVE
Neil arrived at the shop first the next morning and was shocked to see the red Porsche sitting on the lot with its nose practically touching the bay door. Closer inspection revealed a business card stuck under the wiper. His second shock of the day came when he read the name. He let out a low whistle and spoke out loud: “Well, well … Mr. Carter Sanford of all people.” He ran his hand caressingly over the hood of the Porsche. “Mm-Mm! Yeah … this beauty would have to belong to someone like Sanford.” The note on the back of the card explained that the car had started behaving erratically just two blocks away and that Sanford had barely made it into the lot before it died.
Neil carried the card into the office to call Sanford, but just before he placed the call, a chauffeur-driven Lincoln drove up, and Carter Sanford hopped out of the back seat, sporting his signature sun-bleached hair and Bahaman tan. Neil had seen enough newspaper pictures of him to recognize him with no trouble. His lifestyle brought out the critical side of Neil’s nature, but he put those thoughts aside to offer a cordial greeting. “Good morning,” Neil said. “Mr. Sanford, isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Carter said with a nod. “I’m sure you found my car. Sorry about just assuming I could leave the Ruby here unannounced, but, as I’m sure you read on my card, I really had no choice. I could have called a tow truck, of course, and had it taken to the man who normally services my cars, but I hear you people do great work, so I thought why not take a chance with you.”
Neil bristled, but kept his peace. After a second’s hesitation, he said, “Well, as honored as I am that you feel that way, Mr. Sanford, I’ll have to tell you that all three of our bays have cars waiting in them right now, and there are still two other jobs ahead of you.”
“But you can get to it today, surely,” Carter said, with all the assurance of a man who can pay for anything he wants and assumes he will get it.
Neil recognized the snobbery for what it was, but he didn’t see any reason to turn down work if he didn’t have to. “I think we should be able to get it today. If you’d like to fill me in on the details of what happened, I can prepare a work order for it.”
Carter told him the story, and Neil promised to give him a call before noon and let him know if things looked promising for getting his car back to him by the end of the day.
Carter had just left when Mariah drove up, and when she saw the Porsche, she stopped to look it over carefully before going into the shop. “So who belongs to that cherry-red beauty in front of my work bay?” she asked Neil as soon as she walked through the door. “I hope the fact that it’s parked there means I get to work on her.”
Neil laughed and then explained how the car got there. “But you’ll still have to do Corbets’ van before you do anything else. They’ve been customers here from day one, and I don’t want them to have to wait any longer for their job. They really do need both vans running for their business.
“Okay, I’ll get right on it.”
By 10:30, Mariah had the van done, and Bill and Neil were both busy on the two other jobs that were outstanding that morning. So Neil gave Mariah the go-ahead to start on the Porsche. By noon, they knew it would take another three or four hours – depending on how quickly their parts dealer could deliver the items they needed, so Neil called Sanford and gave him an estimated time.
By 4:00 that afternoon, Mariah was ready to take the Porsche out for a test drive. Neil called Sanford and informed him of the progress, and Sanford was standing in the office waiting when Mariah pulled back onto the lot after the test. He was watching from the front window, and when Mariah got out of the car, his eyes grew wide, and he almost shouted as he turned to look straight at Neil. “What the … what’s that girl doing driving my car?”
“The person driving your car is the mechanic who fixed your car, Mr. Sanford.”
Carter’s eyes grew even bigger. “Do you mean to tell me that you let a woman work on my car?”
“I let one of my top mechanics repair your car. You said you have heard that we do great work here, and Jake there is one of the people who makes that happen.”
“Jake! But … I thought she was a girl!”
Neil grinned. He hadn’t realized that customers might feel confused when they heard the other mechanics call a woman Jake. If he’d thought ahead, he would have tried to remember to call Mariah by her correct name, but it was too late now. “Jake’s her nickname among all of the employees here,” he explained.
Sanford turned back around and looked out at his car. Mariah was nowhere to be seen, but he just stared out the window a few seconds. “Well … I’ll be. I sure never dreamed I’d have that baby worked on by any woman. But …” He turned back to Neil. “If you say she’s one of your best, I’ll have to take your word for it.” His eyes took on a speculative gleam. “In fact … I think I’m looking forward to meeting this paragon of feminine mechanical prowess.”
At that moment Mariah walked in, her eyes sparkling and a huge smile on her face. “That little beauty purrs just like a satisfied kitten,” she announced and then stopped short at the sight of Carter. For his part, Carter was struck dumb for a few seconds. From the window he had been able to see that Mariah was female, but in her uniform and from that distance, he hadn’t been able to establish any details. Now he was taken unaware by the impact of Mariah’s wide smile, her shining eyes, and her face that was flushed with the excitement of putting the car back into perfect condition. She was worth looking at for some time, and he did just that.
But Neil spoke up and introduced Mariah to Carter (by her real name), then looked over the work order she had filled in with the details of her work. Carter stepped forward and extended his hand. “I’m glad to hear the Ruby is running smoothly again,” he said. “She’s my favorite form of transportation, and quite an investment.”
“The Ruby? How delightful that you’ve named her!” said Mariah. “That’s something more people should do with their cars, I think. I like the idea of people naming their homes as well.”
“Oh? You think all homes and cars should have names then?”
Mariah shrugged her shoulders, grinning. “Why not?” She handed the keys to Carter. “Here you go, Mr. Sanford. You’re Ruby is in first-rate condition again.”
“Thank you, Mariah.” Carter looked her up and down again, considering how different she was from most of the women he associated with. He was intrigued by this female mechanic. The experience was something so totally new to him that he wanted to prolong the visit, but Neil spoke up then and asked if he were paying by cash, check, or credit card. Carter handed him his card, and the last of the business was taken care of in record time.
Carter was still trying to think of a way to prolong his time with Mariah, so he asked if she’d be willing to walk out to the car with him and tell him a few more details about the work she’d done. She gladly complied, and Neil stood watching them talk for several minutes. Carter evidently said something funny, because they both laughed, and the conversation seemed to be taking a turn in a different direction because now they were not even looking at the car as they talked. They were just looking at each other.
Something inside Neil tensed as he continued to watch the scene. His stomach seemed to be knotting up, and he realized he’d been almost holding his breath. He shook himself. What on earth was the matter with him anyway? He glanced back out the window, this time trying to size up how much taller Carter was than his own five feet, eleven inches.
He finally forced himself away from the window and back behind the counter to file the papers. Well, he thought, glancing at the clock, if Mariah wasn’t back into the work area within another five minutes, he’d just go out and get her. He could say he needed to talk to her. Of course, he’d have to come up with something important enough to say to her for the excuse to sound realistic.
In the meantime, Carter was saying, “Well, maybe you’d like to go for another ride in her sometime soon – with me.”
Mariah thought about it. She was tempted, but she didn’t really know him yet. “Mmmm … maybe … sometime. But I don’t make a habit of riding around with men I don’t know very well.”
He laughed. “Well, almost everyone in this town knows me and my family. We’re the department store Sanfords. We own a chain of department stores across a six-state area.”
“Oh, I know about your stores,” she said. “In fact, I’ve bought a few things from your stores. But that doesn’t mean I know you.”
He laughed and reached out to touch her cheek lightly. The action was slightly brazen, but so fleeting that she couldn’t really register a complaint, even in her own mind. “Cautious girl, huh? Well … I guess it doesn’t hurt to be careful. I’ll tell you what. Let’s meet someplace for dinner. You can drive yourself if you feel safer, and then you can spend the evening getting to know me. How does that sound?”
Mariah smiled. She’d been wanting some young, single company. She glanced back toward the shop. And, come to think of it, maybe it wouldn’t hurt anything to have Neil realize that another man recognized her as an attractive, desirable woman and not just a mechanic. She looked back at Carter.
“Sure. I’d like that. When?”
“Will tomorrow night work for you?”
“Tomorrow’s perfect,” she said, and they settled on a time and place before Carter drove off, waving.
Mariah stood out on the lot a moment longer, collecting her thoughts. Yes, she thought, tomorrow will be absolutely perfect – because it’s Friday night, and Mr. Neil Warner is going to get a surprise when he assumes that I’ll be here after closing again to spend time with him on another non-date.
She was humming to herself as she went to pull the next car into her bay. It was so late now that she wouldn’t be starting on it until tomorrow, but she looked over the work order and started collecting her thoughts so she’d be ready as soon as she got to work.
As she finished, she walked over to Neil, who was finishing up the job he’d been working on before Carter had interrupted him. “By the way, Neil, I’m not going to be able to work with you on the books tomorrow evening. I hope that’s okay. I’ve made some other plans for this Friday.”
“Oh?” was all Neil said, and kept his head under the hood of the car he was working on.
“That’s okay, isn’t it? I mean we’ve gotten most of the bookwork under control now, haven’t we?”
Finally he raised his head and stood wiping his wrench with a rag as he answered.
“Sure. I told you in the beginning that I felt I shouldn’t take your time for that anyway. You can skip it anytime you want to.” Neil’s face registered disappointment as clearly as if he’d been a small boy. He didn’t realize it, of course, but Mariah saw it, and her woman’s heart tugged at her so hard that she almost changed her mind. At that instant, though, Neil said just the wrong thing.
“You’re Friday nights are your own, Jake.”
That did it. Who could feel anything with a woman’s heart when she’s being called ‘Jake’ by the man her heart’s reaching out to?
Nope. She was going out to dinner with Carter tomorrow, and she’d bet a month’s salary that Carter Sanford wouldn’t call her ‘Jake’ one time all evening.
CHAPTER SIX
The following evening, Mariah dressed with extra care. It had been so long since she had actually been on a date – a real date – that she felt as nervous as a school girl. But one thing she didn’t have to worry about was clothes – thanks to having worked in two boutiques during her non-mechanic years. In each of them, due to her employee status, she had been allowed discounts on her own purchases, so she had three up-to-date evening outfits just hanging around waiting to be worn.
It didn’t take her anytime at all to choose. The peach colored cocktail dress virtually called her name when she opened the closet. The truth was that she had been thinking of herself in that dress from the minute Carter had issued his invitation. The lines were simple and flattering to her figure, and the silver strapped sandals – three inches of madness purchased the day before she’d been fired by Patricia – would be the perfect accent. Her dad had told her she was crazy to force her feet and legs into such contortions, but when you know in your heart that you’re an auto mechanic, you just have to try extra hard to make yourself feel really feminine sometimes. So, for tonight, she’d suffer and enjoy every minute of it.
She arrived at the restaurant about five minutes before the appointed time and found Carter standing near the door waiting for her. He let out a low whistle – not loud enough for other guests to notice, but loud enough to boost Mariah’s self-esteem about six feet. True to his official social position, he had made reservations and was accorded the best the house had to offer. Service was flawless, as were the table appointments and the food.
His first words after they had ordered were the ones Mariah had expected. “So, Mariah Jacoby, tell me about yourself.” Not very original, but certainly acceptable from a first-time date. So Mariah complied, hitting only the highest of the highlights, since she was still feeling her way with this new acquaintance. But she told him enough that he would know right off the bat that she was a serious-minded, Christ-centered woman. “Regardless of what else I do with my life,” she told him, “I want to be as clear and effective a witness for Jesus and His love as I can.”
Carter was just a little non-plussed, but did a good job of not letting that fact show. The truth was that he had never, in all his thirty years, sat at dinner with a woman who talked about religion in any form at all. And this lady seemed to be focused on it. Good grief, he thought. What have I gotten myself into? But the longer he looked at her, seeing how she sparkled when she talked about what was so important to her, he warmed to her manner and her natural charm to the point he felt he could ignore the actual topic itself.
Then she asked him about his own life, and, naturally, there was nothing Carter enjoyed talking about more than himself and his accomplishments. He hadn’t been totally idle, he assured her. He had gone to work for the company at the ground floor – a requirement instituted by his grandfather – the original department store entrepreneur in the family. He had proven himself in business and moved quickly to the executive branch of the company, doing his share now in the publicity department.
He enjoyed that immensely because it added to his opportunities to connect with models and other popular public figures. His calendar was full of parties, public functions, theatrical productions, cruises, and all manner of entertainment. One fact he didn’t share was that he had been required to cancel one such function in order to take Mariah to dinner, but the entertaining thought of dating an auto mechanic just couldn’t be beaten right now.
The truth was that he was bored with all of his life, and he hoped Mariah would jolt him out of that boredom. Of course, he didn’t tell her that either. He simply emphasized his part in the actual work of the company. He didn’t want her to see him as a playboy – at least not just yet.
After dinner, they danced, and then ended the evening at the bar for what Carter referred to as a “toast to his most extraordinary date.” Mariah drank an occasional glass of wine, but she seldom drank anything at all when she was driving, so she opted for some fruit juice. Carter raised his eyebrows, but said nothing when she explained about the driving. She wanted to say that he had already downed three glasses of wine and then a brandy, and she was worried about how he would get home safely. She wanted to say it – but she didn’t. After all, this was a first date, and she didn’t want to come off sounding too much like a preacher.
As soon as she’d drunk half of her juice, she said, “I really do need to be going, Carter. I have an early morning with some pretty complicated work ahead of me.” By this time, Carter was beginning to show the effects of the alcohol he had imbibed, and his grin was just slightly lopsided. His eyes sparkled in fun as they pierced hers, but his words carried just a hint of a slur.
“Oh, that’s right!” He held up one index finger and pointed it at her. “My little grease-monkey! I almost forgot.”
Ice water could not have sent a more effective chill through Mariah. She was caught so unprepared for that nick-name that she couldn’t even think of any response. Not that she needed any. Carter was imbued with just enough alcohol not to care what she might say. He put money down on the counter and stood to his feet. Mariah got up as well and preceded him to the foyer. The doorman took care of ordering their cars to the front, and Carter walked Mariah to her car door. He reached out and ran his finger along the side of her face and smiled again. This time his smile seemed normal – probably due to the bracing effect of the night air he was now standing in.
“Thank you for being a most charming dinner companion, Mariah Jacoby,” he said, with no slur to his words. “I consider myself honored by your presence here tonight.”
Mariah’s head was spinning. This man had jumped from addressing her as a “grease-monkey” to describing her as a “charming dinner companion” in about five minutes’ time. But his smile was certainly disarming, and his voice sounded so sincere that she decided to forgive the earlier comment.
“I enjoyed the evening too, Carter. Thank you.”
“And you’ll go out with me again, won’t you? What about this weekend? Do you play tennis?
“Well … yes, I play tennis.”
“Great! I’m in a tennis tournament with some friends for a charity fundraiser this weekend. You come, and when the tournament is over, we’ll all sit around and visit and then take to the courts just for fun. What do you say?”
“I suppose I could. Is it Saturday?
“Yes, the tournament is in the morning. Then we’ll lunch. You can meet some of my best friends; and we’ll play a game or two together after lunch.”
“We alternate Saturdays at the shop, so I’m free this weekend. That sounds like fun.”
“And I’ll come and pick you up in the Ruby.”
A tiny alarm went off in Mariah’s head. She wasn’t totally convinced that it would be safe to ride with a man who seemed to enjoy his liquor as much as Carter had tonight. She’d better play it safe and stick with her own car. She told him she’d rather drive herself.
“Oh, Mariah, you are spoiling my fun,” he said now, but still with his infectious grin. “I want to show the Ruby off to you – show you what a great job you did with her.”
“I know what a great job I did,” she answered, grinning back. “I test-drove her when I finished, remember?”
“All right; have it your own way,” he said. Then he kissed his fingers and placed them on her lips. “I can tell you’re not a kiss-on-the-first-date kind of girl, so I’ll settle for this.” He winked at her. “I’ll call you with directions to the country club.”
“Fine. Good night, Carter,” she said as she slipped into her seat behind the wheel. “Thanks again.” He waved, and she drove off.
The following day Mariah was in the office entering some data from a repair job into the computer when a florist van drove onto the lot. She figured it was someone bringing the van to drop it off for servicing. But a couple minutes later, the door opened to admit a delivery boy bearing a long, white box tied with pink ribbon. “Got a delivery here for a Ms. Mariah Jacoby,” he said. Mariah’s eye’s grew large, and her heart quickened its beat. At just that moment, Neil walked in and saw the box. His eyebrows went up. “Well, well! He doesn’t waste any time, does he?”
Mariah looked at him a little questioningly, but then hurried to sign for the box. When she opened it, she found so many pink roses that she thought she’d never come to the end of them. Three dozen. She’d never received anything like this in her life. The card was from Carter, of course, and said only “See you Saturday.” She was so excited she didn’t know what to say or do. She looked up at Neil, her eyes alight, hoping he would share in her joy, but, of course, that was impossible. Never mind. She was going to enjoy every minute of these flowers!
“Oh, my gosh! I don’t have anything to put them in!” she said. She glanced at her watch. “Neil, is it alright if I run over to the Dollar Days Store and get some kind of vase big enough for them?”
Neil snorted. “Dollar Days! I can’t imagine you considering a cheap vase from Dollar Days as a proper container for that lot!”
Mariah could hear the snub in his words, but she ignored it. “I’ll find something that’s just fine.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes. Thanks, Neil.” And she was out the door before he could say another word.
As soon as the door closed, he went over and picked up the card. He snorted again. “Another date already! Boy, he’s a fast worker. Living up to his reputation, I guess.”
He turned and went back into the work bays, picking up tools to start on a Chevy van. But today, his normal quiet work pattern went out the window. He slammed things down, slammed van doors, kicked wedges out of his way, and just generally stirred up a lot of noise and even dust. Bill said nothing, but, by adding two and two over the past month, he was beginning to figure how the wind was blowing. His next private thought was that maybe they should have guessed something like this would happen if they hired a woman. But, darn it all, Jake was such a good kid and really knew her stuff. He breathed out a sigh and went on working. Maybe things would work themselves out in the long run.
Saturday turned out to be perfect tennis weather, and Mariah donned her brand new tennis outfit with some excitement. She normally just played in comfortable shorts and tops of any kind, but with her entrance into this “country-club” world of Carter’s, she felt she owed it to herself to invest in a tennis outfit that would be fitting for the environment.
Carter introduced her to two other couples and several individual friends. She also met his brother, Robert and his wife. There were a few very casual getting-acquainted questions, but there was no time for involved conversation. While watching the match, though, Robert’s wife, who sat beside her, started asking questions about her work. “Carter tells us that you are an auto mechanic. Is that really true?”
Mariah looked at her briefly, but then returned her attention to the match. “Actually, I’m a teacher and a newspaper reporter.”
“Oh! Well, why on earth – ”
“But I get my kicks from working on cars.”
Her listener seemed genuinely interested now. “Really! Well … I’m glad to hear that! I told Carter that I didn’t think any respectable woman would make her living as an auto mechanic, and, I admit, I was a little worried about what he was getting into – getting hooked up with someone who did. But now … this changes everything! I must say, you are brave, though. Most of us rebel against our parents’ upbringing in more demoralizing ways. But you’ve chosen to actually work – and dirty work at that – as a way of rebelling and having a stab at being independent.”
Mariah almost snorted, and when she caught herself – just in time – she thought of Neil. That’s the reaction he would be having to this conversation. Something tender inside seemed to come flooding through her at the thought. A little flutter in her heart was all it took for her to realize that even though she was here with a man who made it clear he thought she was every inch a woman, the place she really wanted to be was with Neil.
She shook herself. Stop that, Mariah, she scolded herself. The man thinks you’re a workhorse, and that’s that. Just be thankful he gave you a job and that the work environment is cordial, and let it go at that. There’s plenty of other men who can make your life enjoyable as a woman.
At that moment, Carter made the winning score for his match, and he immediately looked over and caught Mariah’s eye. He blew her a kiss – for all the world to see. She blushed, but she smiled widely. Now there, she thought, is the way a man should treat a lady!
That afternoon, as they played tennis together, Mariah felt free and happy. She enjoyed the game itself, and Carter seemed to take delight in her skill. They separated to shower and change and then met again for dinner in the club dining room. Carter was attentive, and, to Mariah’s relief, he drank very little.
As they walked to the parking lot, he took her hand, and when they stopped beside her car, he leaned down and kissed her very gently. It took her somewhat by surprise, but the experience was so pleasant that she felt almost giddy. He smiled and then looked at her seriously.
“Tomorrow afternoon, I am coming by to pick you up, and we are going for a drive in the Ruby.” He held up a finger to ward off any resistance. “No ‘buts.’ I’d like to take you for a drive and show you our family’s farm.”
“Farm! I thought you owned department stores!”
He laughed. “We do indeed. But Grandfather was born on a farm, and it’s been in the family for generations. We still own it, and periodically we go out for big family reunions – catered, of course.”
“Of course,” Mariah said, grinning.
“Anyway, we are going for that drive, and if you’ll smile at me with that intoxicating smile of yours, I’ll even let you drive the Ruby.”
Mariah grinned at him, “You’ve got a deal.”
“Good. Now, good night, Sweet Mariah. I’ll be by … oh … how does 10:00 sound?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Carter, I thought you meant tomorrow afternoon. I go to church in the morning.” Her eyes lit up. “Why don’t you come with me, and then we can leave for the farm.”
He shook his head. “No, no. I don’t do church, Mariah. And, frankly, if I did walk into your church, the roof would undoubtedly come crashing down around us. No … I’ll wait until afternoon. How’s 2:00?
Mariah was disappointed. “You know the roof will not come down if you go to church, Carter. Surely you’ve been to church services before.”
“Only to weddings and funerals – and sometimes I’ve been hard pressed to figure out the difference. But no … no Sunday morning religion for me, my girl. If you enjoy it, you go ahead and go, but please don’t try to push me to do the same.”
Mariah knew she’d be talking to a stone wall if she continued to try changing his mind, so she accepted his words at face value. “Okay, Carter. I won’t be pushy. And I can be ready by 2:00.”
He touched her cheek again – she was getting used to this. “That’s my girl,” he said, with his customary grin.
Sunday afternoon was exhilarating. They’d put the top down on the Porsche, and true to his word, Carter had told her to take the driver’s seat. The car was a delight to drive, and Mariah, true to her mechanic’s nature, exalted in all of its expensive finer points. The Sanford farm was huge and even more picturesque than she’d imagined, and when Carter insisted they pull up by a stream and have a picnic, she was thrilled to find he had brought an inordinate amount of food in two baskets that had been hidden in the trunk.
As they rested after eating, Carter sat close beside her, putting his arm around her. Eventually, he had leaned down and kissed her – gently at first – but then more insistently. Mariah thrilled to the kiss, and even as it intensified, she realized that this was something she had wanted all her life, but had almost given up on finding. Gradually, though, Carters embraces became more personal than she was comfortable with, and she had to resist.
“Carter, you need to understand. I’m not into loose relationships. I know it’s quite acceptable among most people for sex to be rather casual, but I’m not one of those people.”
Carter sighed, resigned. He had spent enough time with her by now that he at least recognized her strength of character. He knew he wasn’t going to convince her to change her attitude about casual sex anytime soon. But, their relationship was young yet. He’d have to be patient.
At work on Monday, Bill casually asked Mariah what she’d done with her weekend. He hadn’t thought about the fact that she might have spent the whole weekend with Carter. But when she answered him – and sounded as though she’d had a terrific time – he was sorry he’d asked. And he was especially sorry when he realized Neil had walked into the work bay area in time to hear Mariah’s answer. One glance at his boss’ tightened lips and stormy brow told Bill that they were in for some complications if they didn’t all tread very softly.
Unfortunately, that treading got a lot more difficult around 1:00 that afternoon, when the florist delivered another three dozen roses – red this time. The card, when Neil finally got a chance to read it secretly, said “Thank you for making yesterday unforgettable.”
Neil’s heart almost stopped at those words. What on earth had she done yesterday to make it unforgettable? Surely not …that! He couldn’t even stand to go there in his mind. No. She was too serious a Christian to do that. But the very imagination of it rankled. His stomach was in knots, his breathing short, his head a little dizzy. It was all he could do not to tear up that card. He shoved the desk chair against the desk so hard it jarred the computer and caused a box of paper clips to fall off and scatter on the floor. He had to get out of there.
“Bill!” he yelled as he walked to the door of the work area. “I’m going out and check on some parts. I’ll be back in about an hour!”
“Sure thing. We’ll hold down the fort,” Bill answered, wondering at Neil’s leaving to check on parts when he could have picked up the phone. But he wasn’t asking any questions.
Neil drove – going nowhere in particular – just driving – running – from his own thoughts and fears. He was losing her. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he spoke out loud to himself. “You never had her. How could you lose her? But to have to let her go to some punk like Sanford. He’s nothing but a playboy, and he’s just having a fling with Mariah. He isn’t serious about some woman who loves the Lord and lives for Him! Carter only wants a woman who will live for Carter!” His thoughts tore at him. They were so loud in his head that he kept answering them out loud. “Surely, someone as committed as Mariah wouldn’t sell out to that kind of lifestyle! But … what if ….?”
Finally, he stopped at a local cafe for a cup of coffee. He sat at the table periodically rubbing his face with his hands and running his fingers through his hair. The waitress, who didn’t know him, told her boss, “If I don’t miss my guess, that guy’s got love troubles.”
“Well, you just mind your own business, Loraine, and keep the hot coffee going. That’s our job. Working out the love trouble is God’s job.”
Finally, after another half hour, Neil decided he had to get back to the shop. When he walked in, all was quiet; Mariah was out on a test drive, and Bill was under a dodge truck, whistling softly to himself as he worked. Everything seemed almost back to normal as he walked through the bays and into the office. But the first thing he saw when he walked through the office door was that huge bouquet. He glanced at the clock. Five minutes to close. He could make it that long, and then she’d take those confounded things out of here!
Later, after everyone had left except Neil, he sat at the desk thinking. Maybe he should have a long talk with Mariah – try to explain to her that Carter was just using her. But every time he tried to think of the right words to use, he kept getting tongue-tied – even though the conversation was taking place in his mind. If he was this bad in a mental conversation, he’d better not try the real thing!
I’ll try to stay on task and get you Chapter Seven tomorrow.
The Happy Wordcrafter 