A Match Made in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 9) Page 10

  Dan nodded. “That would foster discussion. Such as if your friend is suggesting something that is clearly wrong, you need to state your opinion firmly and stand your ground.”

  “Or,” Katie Ruth said, “if it’s not clear who is right or wrong, you may have to agree to disagree.”

  “Someone could also take the question as if you’ve disagreed and you know you’re wrong, what do you do? I think some teens, or adults, prefer to just pretend it didn’t happen and move forward.”

  “Instead of just apologizing to someone, first admit that you know you wronged them and ask for forgiveness.”

  “I like the question.” Dan tapped the table with his hand. “It’d be a good one for adult Bible study, too.”

  “I agree. I’ll make a note of it.” Katie Ruth’s gaze slid to the deck. An impish gleam filled those baby blues. “What do you say? Shall we stop now while we’re ahead? Or try another and take our chances?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dan didn’t immediately answer as Edna and Ron chose that moment to sail by the table on their way out the door.

  Katie Ruth glanced briefly in their direction. Dan offered a nod and a smile, but the couple’s eyes remained firmly on the exit.

  When Dan returned his attention to her, Katie Ruth didn’t mention the couple. Instead, she let her fingers hover over the deck. “One more?”

  Dan grinned. “Let’s do it.”

  She took the top card, flipped it over. “How do you feel about your partner’s exes?”

  “It seems to me that question is designed to ferret out jealousy.”

  Katie Ruth found it interesting that Dan analyzed the question rather than answering it. That was okay with her. She didn’t have any exes of any importance. Even Judd had been a momentary blip.

  “Jealousy and envy are common at that age, so this would also be a good one to use.” Katie Ruth chewed on her lower lip. “The discussion leader could make the topic more broad, not just talking about past relationships but about sibling rivalry and possessions.”

  “It amazes me how relevant these questions are and how they really can cause a person to look deep in many different ways.” Dan studied her. “How do you feel about my exes?”

  “Are there others besides Lindsay?” Katie Ruth could have bitten off her tongue. Asking him about his past left the door open to him asking about hers. She held up a hand. “Sorry. Not my business.”

  Dan smiled. “No take-backs.”

  Surprise must have skittered across her face at the terminology, because he laughed. “It seems I’ve been spending too much time with my sister.”

  “I don’t want to pry—”

  “You’re not prying. We’re getting to know each other.” The warmth in his voice had the protest dying on her lips. “I’ve really only had two serious relationships. The first was with Sharla. We met in college and dated for nearly two years. My family loved her.”

  “She met your parents.” Since he hadn’t gone to college in his hometown, he must have taken her home. “That does qualify as serious.”

  “We’d tossed around the idea of getting married once we graduated.” He shook his head. “It seems so long ago now.”

  Katie Ruth told herself to let it go. The more questions she asked, the more he’d feel free to ask her in return. Still, she wanted to know why they’d split. “What happened?”

  “She was shocked when I told her I’d decided to go into full-time ministry.”

  Katie Ruth knew he had to be leaving something out. “Why was she surprised? Surely she knew you were considering it.”

  Dan flushed. “Actually, I thought of it as my decision to make. I didn’t want to involve her until I knew for certain it was what I wanted. Does that make sense?”

  The nod Katie Ruth offered came grudgingly. “I understand you wanted to be certain of your own feelings. But you’d dated her for two years and talked about marriage.”

  “You think I should have said something to her before.”

  “I do.” Katie Ruth wasn’t about to sugarcoat her feelings. “Putting myself in her shoes, I’d have felt betrayed that you’d kept something so important to yourself.”

  “That’s pretty much word for word what she told me.” Dan expelled a breath. When he met her gaze, she saw the regret. “I apologized, but it was too late.”

  “Why too late?”

  He was quiet for a long moment. “She had no interest in being a minister’s wife.”

  Katie Ruth now understood. “It was the ministry that was the problem.”

  He nodded.

  “I bet that’s why you didn’t bring it up.”

  Dan raised a brow.

  “You knew she’d try to talk you out of it.”

  “She did try.”

  “But by that time, you already knew it was the right decision for you.”

  He lifted his hands. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.”

  “If she couldn’t understand that, if she couldn’t see herself as a minister’s wife, then it’s best you broke up.”

  “My dad sure didn’t see it that way.”

  “Parents don’t always know best.” Katie Ruth chuckled. “Mine thought I should be a funeral director.”

  Dan’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

  “To be fair, I helped out a lot at Amigone in high school. I was good with clients.” Katie Ruth shrugged. “Being able to comfort and support those who’d lost a loved one was the part I liked the best. The other stuff not so much.”

  “Do they still hold that choice against you?”

  The way he asked the question told her that his parents still did.

  Katie Ruth smiled. “That is one upside to having parents who subscribe to an…alternative lifestyle. Generally speaking, they aren’t big on being judgmental. At least, mine aren’t. They accept that I’m right where I’m meant to be.” Katie Ruth smiled. “Like I said, they’re great parents.”

  “You’re lucky.”

  Katie Ruth thought back to those middle school and high school days. Back then, she never could have said this, but she meant every word. “I am. Very lucky.”

  Dan glanced down at the card, then back at her.

  Katie Ruth’s heart skittered as she fought for something that would distract him from—

  “What about your exes?” A thoughtful look crossed his face. “Since I’ve been in Good Hope, I don’t recall you dating anyone steadily.”

  Katie Ruth seized on his words. “I’ve never dated anyone steadily.”

  “Never?”

  “Never.” It was true. They were talking about dating steadily, so Judd didn’t qualify. “I’m the type of woman magazine articles tell you to be wary of.”

  Confusion furrowed Dan’s brow. “Why?”

  “The thought is, if you reached the ancient age of thirty without having been in a serious relationship, it indicates you have commitment issues.”

  Dan cocked his head. “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Have commitment issues?”

  Instead of tossing out a quick “no,” Katie Ruth took a few seconds to consider. “I don’t believe I do. Back in high school, I was scared to let any guy get too close because I worried he’d think I was like my parents.”

  “In college?”

  “My longest relationship was four months.” Katie Ruth gave a laugh. “I was too busy with activities.”

  “What about after college?”

  Katie Ruth lifted her hands and let them drop. “Too busy working, and no one has interested me.”

  Her eyes locked with his.

  Until you.

  Dan whistled as he unlocked the front door of his house and flicked on the hall light. Taking Katie Ruth to Egg Harbor had been the smart move. They’d been able to laugh and talk without interruption. Other than running into Ron and Edna, it had been smooth sailing.

  When his gaze had locked with hers, he’d realized Katie Ruth was falling f
or him the same way he was falling for her. It was still hard for him to believe that such a lovely, accomplished, wonderful woman wasn’t married.

  His time with Sharla had taught him—and then Lindsay had reinforced—that not every woman would be happy being a minister’s wife.

  Then Katie Ruth had come into his life.

  He smiled.

  “How was the date?”

  Dan flipped on the living room lights and found Oaklee on the sofa. “What are you doing sitting in the dark?”

  Oaklee motioned to a chair, and Dan dropped into it.

  “There’s light from the moon.” Oaklee relaxed against the sofa cushion. “I was practicing ‘mindfulness meditation.’ Being still in the quiet and darkness is a good way to clear your mind of clutter.”

  “I’ll have to try it sometime.” Dan studied his sister’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Peachy keen.” She made a come-ahead motion. “Tell me about your date.”

  “Well, Mom.” He paused and saw a smile chase away the sadness he’d seen seconds earlier. “I had a nice time. The food was good, and Katie Ruth is amazing.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “You want a blow-by-blow?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He laughed. “I never got this level of interrogation from Mom or Dad.”

  “Consider yourself lucky.” Oaklee sighed. “I swear if Dad could have gotten his hands on a lie detector machine, he’d have hooked me up after every date.”

  “He wants the best for you.”

  “They were freaked I’d get pregnant and they’d be stuck with me and a baby.”

  “I’m sure—”

  “I heard them say it.”

  “To you?”

  “No, to each other.” Oaklee cupped both ears. “I hear everything.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Dan kept his tone light. “The reason I’m so late is Katie Ruth and I went through more questions for middle schoolers.”

  Oaklee’s moan sounded like a dying buffalo.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Tell me you didn’t spend the entire night talking church business.”

  “It was interesting and very enjoyable.”

  “For you maybe.” Exasperation colored Oaklee’s words. “But for Katie Ruth—”

  “She enjoyed it, too,” Dan insisted.

  His sister’s skeptical look had him continuing. “She was as excited as I was to discuss the questions. It’s like we’re a team.”

  That seemed to mollify Oaklee somewhat, but he could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced.

  “You’re telling me you talked church stuff the whole night.”

  “No. We didn’t talk church stuff the entire night.”

  “Hallelujah!” Oaklee jumped up, threw her hands in the air and did a little boogie. At his startled look, she chuckled. “Being a minister, you’ve already got one strike against you. If you can’t even show her a good time when you go out, this isn’t going to work.”

  “It’s not like that.” For some reason, it was important to Dan that he convince his sister the night hadn’t been a bust.

  The time at the restaurant had been enjoyable, not only for him but for Katie Ruth. He was sure of it, or pretty sure of it. When he’d walked Katie Ruth to her front door, where they’d shared several kisses, he’d been positive.

  But Oaklee’s skepticism was doing a number on his self-confidence.

  “We discussed past relationships.”

  Oaklee straightened on the sofa. “That sounds promising. Has she had many? What were they like?”

  “She hasn’t dated anyone for more than a few months.”

  “Problems with commitment?” At the look he shot her, Oaklee pursed her lips. “She’s old.”

  “She’s my age.”

  “Like I said, she’s old. She should have had at least one serious relationship by now.”

  “Well, she said she hasn’t.”

  “You believe her?”

  Dan didn’t appreciate Oaklee questioning Katie Ruth’s veracity. “Katie Ruth is one of the most honest people I know.”

  “When are you seeing her again?”

  “Sunday in church.”

  “What is the matter with you? Don’t you know anything about women?”

  Dan raked a hand through his hair, suddenly weary. “Enlighten me, oh wise one.”

  If Oaklee caught the sarcasm, she ignored it. “While it’s nice that you invited her out for dinner, this is a Thursday night. Friday and Saturday are date nights.”

  “It doesn’t ma—”

  “It does matter,” Oaklee insisted with a vehemence that startled him. “When my, ah, my previous boyfriend took me out, it was always early in the week.”

  Dan shot her a questioning look.

  “I wasn’t important to him.” Oaklee expelled a breath. “I see that now. Katie Ruth is important to you.”

  He slowly nodded.

  “There’s a music festival tomorrow night in the barn at Rakes Farm. Money from the ten-dollar admission goes to the Giving Tree.”

  Dan recalled seeing a poster of the event. He hadn’t been into live music since his college days. “Do you want to attend?”

  “I already have plans to go with someone.” Oaklee tapped a finger against her lips. “What about you? Who do you want to take?”

  “Point made. I’ll call Katie Ruth in the morning and see if she’s interested.”

  “Call her now. I bet she’s still up.”

  Dan didn’t need to look at the clock to know it was close to eleven. Unless it was an emergency, he’d made it a practice to never make calls after nine.

  “You wouldn’t want her to accept an offer to go with someone else.” Oaklee crossed her arms and tapped her foot, an expectant look on her face.

  Dan pulled out his phone.

  Katie Ruth answered on the first ring. “Dan. Hi. Is everything okay? Did you get home safely?”

  The fact that she didn’t sound sleepy was a good thing. Conscious of Oaklee’s eyes—and those ears—on him, he left the room.

  “I’m home, and everything is fine.” He kept his voice low until he reached the kitchen. “I enjoyed being with you this evening.”

  “I had fun, too.”

  For a second, Dan was seized by the childish urge to put Katie Ruth on speaker and have her repeat the words for his doubting-Thomas sister.

  “I don’t know if you heard about the music festival at Rakes Farm tomorrow night.” He paused, giving her time to say if she already had plans.

  “I did hear about it.”

  Well, that was totally unhelpful.

  “I wondered if you’d like to go.” He pushed out the words, feeling as awkward as a sixteen-year-old asking out a girl for the first time. “With me.”

  He couldn’t believe he’d added that last bit. He waited for her to laugh.

  “I’d love to go with you. Let me pull up the events calendar and see what time it starts.”

  He waited and listened to her murmuring to herself.

  “Good. It starts at seven.” She hesitated. “I assume you want to be there when it starts?”

  “Whatever works for you.”

  “You’re being mighty accommodating,” she teased.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing you again,” he said. “The festival is an excuse.”

  Was that a happy sigh or only his overeager imagination?

  “I’m working at the Y tomorrow, but I’m off at six. Pick me up at six thirty?”

  “I’ll be there.” Dan tightened his grip on the phone, and his voice became a husky rasp. “Good night, Katie Ruth.”

  “Good night, Dan.” He heard the smile in her voice. “Until tomorrow.”

  When she clicked off, Dan stood with his hands braced on the counter. He would see Katie Ruth tomorrow.

  Sometimes, he decided, little sisters really did know best.

  Chapter Twelve

  W
hile Dan paid the suggested admission to the festival, Katie Ruth studied the barn’s Welcome to Spring decor.

  She recognized Lindsay’s touch in the huge vases of tulips and daffodils. Colorful fairy lights shone overhead, and the linens on round tables boasted a variety of spring colors.

  The two cash bars were doing a booming business, but there was still an abundance of people at the refreshment tables that offered tea, lemonade and water.

  According to the circular she’d been handed, three bands would each play for forty-five minutes with fifteen-minute breaks in between.

  “Look, Dan.” Katie Ruth pointed to the sheet as he stepped to her side. “This one is a Christian rock band out of Milwaukee.”

  He leaned close, and her heart did a little somersault at his nearness. His brows pulled together. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of Baggage Claim.”

  “They had that big hit, ‘Look Up.’” She turned her head, which brought her mouth even closer to his. “I know their star is on the rise, but if they’re willing, we might be able to work with the other churches and bring them back for a teen concert.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  She flushed. “That’s me. Lots of ideas.”

  “Lots of good ideas.”

  “Hey, guys.”

  Katie Ruth turned, and there was Lindsay, looking even more pregnant, if that was possible.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” Katie Ruth said as Owen and Dan shook hands. “Isn’t your baby due any day?”

  “Thirteen days to go.” Lindsay squeezed her husband’s hand. “You know what they say about a watched pot. Besides, I wanted to see how the flowers look.”

  Katie Ruth pulled her brows together in puzzlement. “You didn’t see them when you set this up?”

  “This time I didn’t do the setup,” Lindsay said while rubbing her swollen belly. “Owen, Izzie and KT took care of it this afternoon while I napped.”

  “They’re lovely,” Katie Ruth told her. “You do the best—”

  “Well, isn’t this an interesting group?” Oaklee flashed a smile at Owen and Lindsay.