Texas Weddings (Books One and Two) Page 15

  “Has been for a week and a half. Kent’s back in school, doing great,” she explained.

  “That’s good.”

  “Yeah. Well, anyway, she’s back at work; but her mind isn’t on her work, I’ll tell you that much.”

  “It’s not?”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking—” he stammered.

  “She can’t stop thinking about you,” Jessica explained. “I know because she talks about you all of the time. She’s scared of how she feels, that’s all.”

  “I can relate to that,” Andrew said, looking at the ground. “I’m pretty, well, I mean—I’m a little scared too.”

  “You two are like a couple of kids,” Jessica said finally. “But don’t you worry. Just leave everything up to me.”

  Andrew’s heart beat so fast, he could barely breathe. “Are you sure about this?”

  “More than sure,” Jessica said.

  He suddenly knew what he had to do. He would go to her. Somehow, someway he would communicate his feelings for her in a way that wouldn’t threaten the memory of her husband. He could do that. With the Lord’s help, he could do that.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” Jessica looked him in the eye.

  “Sure. Why not?” Everything he had ever kept hidden had already come out over the past few days.

  “Do you pray, Professor Dougherty?”

  He paused before answering. “If you had asked me that question a few weeks ago, I would have answered so differently. But I do pray, Jessica. Believe it or not, I’ve been spending a lot of time in prayer over the past few weeks.” He had felt years of coldness toward the Lord melt away in the process.

  “Well then, if you want to see those prayers answered, get on over there to the bookstore and tell my mom that you’re interested in pursuing a relationship with her now that the semester’s over. If she’s half the woman I know she is, she won’t break your heart. At least, I don’t think she will.”

  The words “at least” nearly drove a stake through Andrew’s fragile heart, and yet they propelled him to his feet. “I’ll do it,” he said, suddenly energized. “It may seem crazy, but I’ll do the impossible.”

  “Professor,” Jessica called out to him as he bolted through the door. He turned and looked at her one last time.

  “Yes?”

  “‘With God all things are possible.’”

  “‘With God all things are possible.’” He repeated the words, feeling the smile return to his face. “Thanks, Jessica. Thanks for everything.”

  “Hey,” she hollered, as he sprinted down the hallway toward the parking lot. “Does this mean I get an A in your class?”

  Andrew didn’t answer. After all, he didn’t want to spoil what had suddenly become a perfect moment.

  ß

  Laura passed through the inspirational section of the bookstore, taking another look at the book that had long captivated her attentions: Put Your Troubles in the Blender and Give Them a Spin. She stood in silence, thumbing through the book. Funny in some places, it struck a serious nerve in others. Many of the situations in the book were not unlike her own. Some-how this author, also a woman, had triumphed over her tragedies and turned them into victories using humor.

  “It should be so simple,” Laura mumbled. “So, what do you think, Madeline?” Laura clutched the book in her hand. “Do you think I should or I shouldn’t?”

  “Should or shouldn’t what?” the woman asked.

  “Should I or shouldn’t I. . .” Laura’s heart beat so hard, it took her breath away. It had been many, many years since talking about a man had made her this nervous. “Take a chance,” Laura stammered finally. “With the professor.” She looked nervously at Madeline. What she found there was warmth and understanding.

  “I’ve been hoping for quite some time that you would find someone.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “I wasn’t even praying for this,” Laura said with a sigh.

  “Don’t you see?” Madeline interjected. “That’s exactly what makes it so special. God knew what you needed and wanted even before you did. Besides, it’s about time you had a fella in your life. To be honest, I had hoped my brother would be the one, but. . .”

  “I’m so sorry, Madeline, but Dick just wasn’t my type.” She said the words firmly. Perhaps a little too firmly.

  “I know. He’s a Romeo, that’s for sure,” Madeline responded. “It may make you feel better to know he’s already dating the librarian from the university.”

  “Good grief.” Somehow knowing that did make her feel a little better.

  “So do you think I should go up to the school and see Andrew?” Laura asked. “He’s probably still there. I think so, anyway.”

  “I wouldn’t waste another minute. You get in that car of yours and make haste all the way down to the college. Go. Don’t worry about the shop. I’m here.”

  “Are you sure?” Laura’s heart raced, making it difficult to breathe.

  “Completely sure,” Madeline said. “Get out of here.”

  Laura sprinted to the door. “See you later, Madeline.” She raced toward the car, turning the key in the ignition. I can’t believe I’m doing this! I’m actually going to tell him how I feel.

  ß

  Andrew drove like a maniac along the interstate, fighting traffic all the way. “Come on. . . ,” he grumbled at the cars in front of him. They crawled along, ignoring his pleas. “Just a couple of miles. It’s not that far.” He had already decided what he would say. He would tell her exactly what he felt, what

  his intentions were. If she rejected him this time, he would give up. Plain and simple. Andrew reached the exit for Tully, pulling off onto the feeder road. In just a couple of minutes he would see her.

  He would tell her.

  twenty-three

  “Is Laura here?” Andrew asked, his eyes bearing down on Madeline’s.

  “Oh, dear. Oh, dear,” she said, looking as nervous as a cat. “I’m so sorry.”

  “She’s not here? Where did she go?”

  “Well, actually, she went to the college to try to find you,” Madeline explained.

  “To find me? Why?” This is too confusing.

  “She wanted to. . . ,” Madeline stammered. “She was going to. . . It’s like this. . .”

  “Could you please just say it?” Andrew hollered, feeling his face go hot.

  Madeline stood frozen, saying nothing.

  “Fine,” he said, turning toward the door. “You say she’s at the school? I’m going back to the school.” Andrew groaned loudly as he headed back to his car.

  ß

  Laura paced back and forth in the empty classroom, her heart feeling as if it would break.

  “Where is he?” The door stood wide open. He never left it open unless he happened to be nearby, but he didn’t appear to be anywhere.

  She plopped down onto the edge of his desk, deep in thought. Her eyes traveled the familiar room, drinking in the things that Andrew loved. American history. She had somehow managed to make it through his course with flying colors, with or without assistance from Dick DeHart. If nothing else, she could be very proud of that.

  But something else captivated her mind, something that wouldn’t rest. She had to talk to Andrew, had to tell him how she felt. She did have feelings for him, she had to admit—strong feelings. Her conversation with Jessica had convinced her of that. God had arranged all of this. But she had treated Andrew so badly on Thanksgiving. Would he forgive her?

  Laura’s thoughts shifted, wandering back to the day when she had walked in on him in this very room—a day when a dark-haired woman sat in the very spot she found herself. Was it possible? Was Andrew involved with her, the woman from the cafeteria? They had been seen together on more than one occasion, deep in conversation.

  And yet Andrew had swept her into his arms with such tenderness that day in the chapel. The look in his eyes spoke of mo
re than friendship.

  Laura stood and walked across the room toward the door. She gave the walls one last glance as she left, running her finger across the Declaration of Independence. She pulled the door shut behind her, realizing it could very well be the last time she would ever step inside this room.

  ß

  Andrew raced back out to his car, immediately climbing inside. “Please be there,” he whispered as he turned the key in the ignition. So many unanswered questions lingered in his mind. Why did she go back to the school? Is it possible. . . ?

  Moments later, he entered the interstate, accelerating much faster than usual up the entrance ramp. He raced along, honking his horn at any driver who had the nerve to drive the speed limit. Finally he arrived at the school. Anxiously, he turned into the parking lot.

  He raced from the car to the history classroom. Please be here. He made his way up the hallway, quickly opening the door to his classroom. Empty. Andrew made his way to his desk, dropping into the chair. He buried his head in his hands. “This is too much. I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Well, what happened?” Jessica appeared at the door.

  “She wasn’t there. Madeline said she was on her way here. Have you seen her?”

  “Nope. I’ve been waiting in the cafeteria with my nose buried in a book. I had a feeling you’d come back here afterward.”

  He sighed deeply. “This is such a mess.”

  Jessica plopped down in a chair, staring up at him. “I’m really sorry about all of this.”

  “It’s okay. I should probably just go home and sleep it off. Maybe I can try again tomorrow.”

  “Well,” Jessica said, “I have this one little problem.”

  “What?”

  “I need a ride home. You don’t really mind, do you?”

  Mind? Of course he didn’t mind. He lived for days like this. “Come on,” he said, reaching for his keys once again. “Let’s get out of here.”

  ß

  Laura climbed into the shower, talking to herself. “What’s wrong with me?” she mumbled as the water run over her hair to cool her down. “Andrew Dougherty probably thinks I’m the biggest flake on the planet.”

  She pulled out her favorite shampoo, working it into lather. Scrubbing her head vigorously, she continued the conversation with herself. “I’m crazy to think I need a guy in my life. I don’t need anyone. I don’t.”

  She leaned against the shower wall, tears cascading down her face. Her heart began to beat so hard, she could barely breathe.

  “I may not need him,” she whispered to herself. “But I care about him.”

  She stepped out of the shower, agitated. “Of course he wasn’t at the school,” she grumbled. “Why should he be at the school just because he teaches there?” She wrapped herself in her bathrobe, still upset. “Where else would he be? He probably doesn’t want to talk to me, anyway.”

  Frustrated, she pulled a towel up around her wet hair and looked in the mirror. “It’s not like I’m pretty,” she said, staring at her reflection. “I’m not even close to pretty.” What Greg had seen in her, she had never understood. A solemn reflection met her gaze—an ever-present reminder of the fact that she was average, ordinary.

  Laura reached up into the medicine chest, pulling out a container. “Not that this will do much good.” She smeared the gooey mask all over her face. When she finished, the only things left visible were her mouth and eyes. “Anyway, it’s not like he’s such a great catch,” she reasoned with herself. “He doesn’t even know how to dress. His clothes are wrinkled, and his ties are older than my children. He’s as hopeless as I am.”

  Laura made her way across the bedroom, still talking to herself. Somehow, it made her feel better. “And his hair,” she continued. “It wouldn’t hurt the man to use some hair gel. It wouldn’t wound his ego that much, would it?”

  Frustrated, she pulled the bedroom door open, feeling the mask begin to harden. A cup of hot chocolate would make everything better. It always did.

  “Men,” she exclaimed, stepping out into the living room. “They don’t know what they’re missing, anyway.”

  “Mom?”

  “Yeah?” She didn’t even look up, still lost in her private conversation.

  “Uh, Mom?”

  “What, Jessica?” She suddenly found speaking difficult, what with her face tightening up.

  “I just thought you might want to know we have company.”

  Laura turned abruptly, finding herself face-to-face with Professor Andrew Dougherty. Her heart leaped into her throat. Suddenly she wasn’t sure whether to throw her arms around him or to turn and run.

  ß

  Andrew took one look at Laura and started laughing. He couldn’t seem to control himself. Whether the laughter came from the sheer relief of finding her at last, or the fact that her face was covered in the thick green mask, he couldn’t be sure. How comical, yet how endearing. He had never seen anything like it on any woman, let alone the one he now found himself helplessly, hopelessly crazy about. “Laura?” It was more question than statement.

  She instinctively put her hands up over her face, clearly embarrassed. “Oh, no. . . . Not now. Not like this!”

  “Please don’t hide your face,” he said, reaching for her hands. “It’s beautiful.” His hands trembled uncontrollably as they clutched hers.

  “You’re making fun of me,” she pouted, backing toward the bedroom.

  Andrew’s heart pounded loudly in his ears, which were heating up more with each passing moment. He could hardly breathe, let alone think or speak like a rational man. “Laura, the last thing on earth I want to do is make fun of you. I think you’re beautiful—green face and all.”

  “You do?”

  “I do.” He spoke the words almost prophetically. There would be no more broken hearts in his world. He had waited for Laura Chapman all of his life, and she was well worth the wait.

  She continued to take tiny, nervous steps backward until she ran smack-dab into the living room wall. Jessica stood off to one side of the room, giggling helplessly.

  Kent stuck his head in from the kitchen, his jaw dropping. “Mom?” He looked more than a little surprised.

  “Kent,” Andrew said, turning toward him, “your mother and I are having a little conversation. You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Not a bit,” Kent said, heading back into the kitchen.

  “Jessica,” Andrew said firmly, turning to look at her. “I think your brother needs your help in the kitchen.” He gave her a look that could not be misunderstood.

  “Whatever you say,” Jessica agreed. “You’re the teacher.”

  ß

  Laura looked up into the sparkling eyes of this man who had captivated her. How clear everything suddenly seemed.

  “I feel like I’ve known you forever, not just a few months,” he said, reaching to run his fingers softly through her hair.

  Months? It seemed she had always known Andrew, always felt drawn to him as she did now. It was true that he could never take Greg’s place. But, then again, maybe he wasn’t supposed to. Maybe, like Jessica said, he only needed to be himself.

  But how could she begin to break through the layers of unspoken words that had traveled between them over the last several weeks? Laura had rehearsed the prepared speech in her head so many times. She would tell him how she felt, what her heart had been longing to say. And yet, no words seemed to come at all. She found herself completely and utterly speechless. Part of that, she had to admit, came from the fact that the mud mask had completely hardened, leaving her with little or no facial movement.

  “Ms. Chapman,” Andrew said, moving closer to her. She looked up into his eyes. They were kind eyes, loving eyes. They seemed to reach into the very depths of her soul and touch a spot that had not been touched for a long, long time. For the first time, she saw herself in their reflection. It was wonderful, amazing.

  “Yes, Professor Dougherty?” She fought to form words through tightene
d lips. The “professor” part was just for emphasis, but it seemed to work like a charm. A grin spread across his face. She struggled to catch her breath with the reality of the thought. . . . I care about this man. I care about him!

  “Your very wise daughter asked me today if I was a praying man.”

  “What did you tell her?” Laura spoke slowly, forcing the words.

  “I told her that I was,” he answered. “I’ve taken to praying quite a bit these past three weeks.”

  “You have?” She tried to smile, but her cheeks refused to cooperate.

  “I have, and I can say I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer.” A look of determination filled his eyes—a fiery look.

  “Really? Is that what you came to tell me?” she asked, half-teasing.

  “I came to tell you that you aced my class,” he said, moving closer still, his fingers sweeping through her hair. “And I’ve never been happier in my life to see a semester come to an end. Trust me on that.”

  “Wait. . .I aced your class?” She asked breathlessly, cradling her head in his hand. “I got an A?”

  “You got an A,” he said, coming so close that her heart began to race. “But that’s not the only reason I came.”

  “It isn’t?” Her knees suddenly grew weak, and she felt a little dizzy. The only thing that kept her standing was the wall itself, which she had firmly pressed herself up against.

  “Nope,” he said, slipping both arms around her neck and pulling her to himself. How right it felt to be in his arms, how totally and perfectly right. “I came to tell you, Ms. Chapman, that, no matter how many students I have, you’re absolutely in a class of your own.” His breath lingered warm against her lips.

  She looked up at him, wanting like crazy to smile, but unable to with her face frozen in position by the mask. “Does that make me the teacher’s pet?” she whispered, feeling her heart about to break wide open with the joy that consumed it.

  Andrew never took the time to answer. His lips spoke more than words could ever say.

  epilogue

  Laura sat alongside her fellow students, anxiously waiting her turn. Any moment now, she would hear her name. She glanced across the large auditorium to where her family sat in the stands. Kent waved frantically, his new girlfriend, Courtney, joining in. They had only been dating a few weeks, but Laura loved her like a daughter. She was a strong Christian and had made quite an impact in Kent’s life. In fact, just this morning Laura had heard the two of them discussing plans to work in the youth ministry at church. God is so good.