It wasn’t until the bell rang signaling the opening of the market that I managed to propel my feet forward.
Her soft, blue gaze met mine, and I was lost.
I stayed with her for the entire morning, learning the shape of her smile, the sound of her laugh, and the soft timbre of her voice.
I asked her out.
She laughed and turned me down, but by the end of the next week, I’d secured one date.
The rest was history.
I frowned.A history of hurt, betrayal, abandonment, and time wasted.After begging and pleading for her to trust me, I’d desperately let her down.
If it happened now, with the wisdom I’d gained and the depravity I’d witnessed, would I stop to listen, or would I cut her out of my life as viciously as I did back then?
I knew the answer.
And it didn’t please me.
“Deacon!”My mother’s voice pulled me from the past.“Why are you frowning?Mary Knox is a wonderful girl.”
“Mary—what?”I gave my head a shake.“What are you talking about, Mom?”
She sighed.“Mary Knox.She said she’d love to have lunch with us after church.”
Irritation prickled up my arms as my spine stiffened.“I’m not going to church, Mom.And I won’t be having lunch with Mary Knox or any other woman you deem appropriate.I told you my intentions last time I was here.”
“But I asked her,” she protested, appearing lost.
“Then you’ll have to un-ask her,” I replied shortly.
“Miller O’Leary,” my father exclaimed with a snap of his fingers.“That’s the name of the man she lured away from his wife.I’d check into that before you invest any more time in that woman.”
My lips twisted in disdain.“We’re gossiping openly now?Not bothering to hide it behind prayer requests?”
I tossed my napkin down on the table and pushed my chair back.“Let me know when you’re finished tearing her apart.Perhaps then I’ll be back.”
“Deacon,” my father snapped sharply.“Don’t speak to your mother like that.”
I reeled in my temper.“To be clear, I was speaking to both of you.”
“Deacon,” my mother interjected.“We just want the best for you.”
I dipped my head down to meet her eyes and quietly asked, “And you think you know better than me what that is?”
A flicker of unease shifted over her face.
I shook my head and walked to the front door amid their protests.Barely stopping to pull on my boots, I tossed my coat over my arm before looking back.
Reaching into my back pocket, I withdrew my wallet and flipped it open for a brief look before rubbing my thumb over the worn leather and tucking it safely away.
It had to be done.
Decision made, I nodded.“You know where I stand.”
I let the door swing shut behind me, my steps determined as I walked back down the path.There was nothing left to say.
And a helluva lot to do.
