Dakota Love (10 page)

They went into the den. Caroline sat at the desk and wiggled the mouse to wake up the computer. Her e-mail account popped onto the screen, announcing she had mail. She clicked the button to close that message. “I don’t recognize this e-mail address. The subject line says
quilt
.”

Rodney watched her open then scan the message. She jumped from the office chair, turned, and grabbed Rodney by the shoulders. “The website redesign worked.” Her voice reflected her glee. “I got a quilt job.” She wrapped Rodney in a hug.

Rodney closed his eyes and pulled her close. This was the best paycheck he’d earned for his work. Ever.

C
aroline deliberated too long on what to wear to church and whether she should even go. In the end, she slipped into black corduroys and a snowflake-dotted black turtleneck with a black quilted vest. She chose dangly snowflake earrings since she let her natural curls bounce loose.

She hurried up the steps to the church door, certain she’d be creeping into church during the call to worship.

“There you are.” Mildred waited in the narthex. “Rodney and I saved you a seat in our pew.”

Caroline didn’t have the time to protest. But did she want to? Mildred grasped her coat sleeve and pulled her past the choir lined up, waiting for the processional to begin. The first notes of music sounded as she and Mildred turned up the aisle. Rodney craned his neck in a fifth-row pew, his smile instant when their eyes met. He slid from the pew and stood in the aisle to allow Mildred and Caroline’s entrance.

Mildred almost stepped on Caroline’s toes so she could enter the pew first, leaving Caroline to sit in the middle. Rodney reseated himself beside her. Close beside her. Her body warmed from the knowledge that Rodney sat near enough that their hands might accidentally brush. A shiver of excitement shot through her when her thoughts turned back to their embrace a few nights ago.

Movement to each side of her caught her eye. She stood seconds later than Rodney and Mildred. Caroline chided herself for not paying attention and for what she was thinking about in church. When the leader started the reading, she realized she had no bulletin. She turned toward Mildred, who had her paper close to her nose.

Rodney’s elbow bumped her arm. He extended his arm between them, holding the bulletin at a distance. He managed to get through the reading by squinting, since no glasses were perched on his nose. The organist hit a chord, and as the choir sang a choral response, the congregation sat down.

Caroline reached for a hymnal from the holder attached to the pew in front of her. Only one songbook. She looked toward the other holder. Empty. She eyed Mildred, who appeared to be absorbed in the bulletin. The missing bulletin…shortage of hymnals…insisting she sit with them…Mildred had set her up.

Wouldn’t she be surprised to find out that Caroline didn’t mind at all. In fact, she liked it. She flipped through the hymnal until she found the page for the first congregational hymn. Between the small, italicized print and Rodney’s missing glasses, she was sure she’d have to stand close to him. Another fact she liked. And a quick scan of the bulletin told her she’d get to share the hymnal three more times. Perfect.

Not perfect. Caroline felt her eyes grow wide. Lately she’d just mumbled along while others sang out strong, which was probably for the best, because despite all the talents the Lord had blessed Caroline with, singing wasn’t one of them.

Her pulse quickened. If she mumbled or didn’t sing along, what would Rodney think? If she did sing along, he’d probably step as far away from her as possible without standing in the aisle.

The time to decide ran out. The opening chords of the hymn floated through the sanctuary. As they stood with the congregation, she offered the hymnal to Rodney. He pulled the left side of the book to him and sidestepped closer to Caroline. He moved the book higher and Caroline followed his lead to keep the writing even. Certain the type was difficult for him to read, she considered, then offered the entire book to Rodney.

He frowned and pushed the book back at her. As the congregation started to sing, Rodney leaned over, never taking his eyes from the music, and whispered in Caroline’s ear. “I don’t sing well.” He began to hum along with the song.

Caroline touched Rodney’s arm until he looked at her. “Neither do I.” She mouthed the words.

Rodney grinned and in a flat baritone sang out strong. Caroline followed his lead off-pitch but trying to sing the alto’s harmony part. Luckily for them, Mildred’s lovely soprano, still strong after all these years, echoed through the rafters.

Rodney looked handsome in his dark green sweater and black dress pants. He smelled nice, too. Woodsy and spicy. Ted had worn a heavy musk, while Rodney’s cologne smelled fresh, light, clean. Sneaking sideways glances, she admired the strong lines of Rodney’s profile and the middle-aged etchings that added depth to his face. Before Caroline knew it, their pastor recited the benediction.

As they rose from the pew, Mildred touched Caroline’s arm. “Dear, a few of our breakfast group need to attend a meeting now. We decided to meet for lunch today instead of breakfast. You’re both welcome to join us.”

“Oh.” Caroline turned to Rodney to relay the message.

“I know. Mildred told me earlier, but I’m not going to be able to make lunch. I expect my sister about one today.”

Rodney stepped out of the pew as the aisle traffic lessened and shook hands with another gentleman.

Mildred squeezed past Caroline. “Will we see you at lunch?”

“I have a quilt I need to start working on.”

Mildred looked past Caroline to where Rodney stood conversing. Her smile turned sly. “Okay, I’d better get to my meeting. You have a good week.”

Suddenly, Caroline felt awkward and conspicuous. Not because Mildred might be onto her, but because she didn’t know what to do now. Should she wait for Rodney? She wanted to. Should she move along with the crowd? Her nervousness kicked in old habits. She scanned each exit to plan her escape route. The best prospect, the side door, required her to reenter the pew and exit from the other side. She tried to step back into the pew without drawing Rodney’s attention away from his conversation.

“Caroline, are you ready?” Rodney’s deep voice stopped her departure plan.

“Whenever you are.” She smiled as she watched him end his conversation and shake hands.

“Thanks for saving me back there,” Rodney said as he removed his coat from the rack in the narthex. “I’m glad he’s feeling better, but hearing the details of his heart surgery is not my idea of conversation.”

A laugh bubbled out of Caroline. “Do you have a weak stomach?”

“It’s not that.” Rodney rubbed the upper part of his chest. “It’s—”

“Snowing!” Caroline had turned toward the glass entry doors.

Rodney zipped his coat. “Guess this wasn’t a good day to walk to church.”

“You walked to church?”

Rodney nodded.

“Ten blocks?”

“At eight fifteen this morning, it was thirty-eight degrees.” Rodney held up a face warmer and his gloves. “I dressed warm.” He pushed through the door and held it for Caroline.

“Would you like a ride home?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Rodney cocked his elbow.

Caroline looped her hand through the opening and let Rodney guide her down the church stairs.

“Where’s your car?”

Caroline pointed to her black sedan parked half a block away on the side street to head Rodney in the right direction.

Once in the car, Caroline navigated the wet residential streets, noticing the snow sticking to protected areas.

Rodney peered out the passenger window. “I think the temperature dropped. Good thing I got my exercise walking to church. My afternoon and evening could get busy.”

“This won’t affect your sister’s visit, will it?”

“I doubt it, although she lives an hour away. The weather’s not severe enough yet to keep her home.”

Caroline turned into Rodney’s driveway and pushed the gearshift into P
ARK
.

“Would you like to come in for coffee?” Rodney unfastened his seat belt.

“I’m not happy about you dating.”
Jason’s voice echoed from her subconscious. Why had that thought jumped into her mind? Did she want to date Rodney?

“What’s wrong?”

Caroline saw the concern in Rodney’s eyes.

“Nothing.”

“Then why”—Rodney slipped a glove off and gently brushed his thumb in between her tensed eyebrows—“is this line so prevalent? It appears when you’re worried.” His brown eyes lit with concern.

His soft touch sent shivers of warmth through her body and set her pulse at a faster tempo. He kept massaging the line until she relaxed her face. Rodney moved his thumb from her forehead and traced her brow line. He turned his hand and trailed his fingers down her cheek, never taking his eyes from hers.

Emotion pulled the tension from her face to her throat, causing the first syllable of her sentence to crack. “N–n–n–nothing’s wrong.” She inhaled a deep ragged breath in an effort to regain some control.
Jason definitely wouldn’t like this
. “I just don’t want to intrude on your time with your family.”

“Michelle won’t be here for three hours or so.” His voice faint, he leaned closer. His gaze dropped to her lips. His fingers teased the skin under her chin. She sucked the corner of her lip under her teeth.

“Another telltale sign.” Rodney’s fingers caressed the drawn-in corner, coaxing it out. He traced the outline of her lips, leaving a trail of warmth behind. “You have to stop agonizing over everything. I hope you’re not worried about being alone with me.”

A stronger whiff of woodsy cologne affirmed that Rodney had slid closer. The pleasant scent lured her to lean toward him.

“Caroline.” Rodney lifted his eyes to once again look into hers. “You are so beautiful.” His breath was heavy, his words barely audible.

Anticipation quaked her insides. Rodney ran his hand up her cheek, resting his fingers at her hairline. He guided her head to a slight tilt and turned his opposite. His breath warmed her skin. She parted her lips.

The crunch of tires on snow and the roar of a vehicle engine pulling in the driveway startled them. Caroline jumped and scooted away from Rodney until the door handle bit into her back. What was she doing? Getting ready to make out in a car? She was a fifty-year-old woman, not a teenager. Mortified they’d been caught, she felt embarrassment burn her face. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the vehicle that pulled in beside hers. What if it was someone she knew?

As Rodney turned toward the windshield and flopped back into the seat, his head bounced against the headrest. He snorted. “Michelle’s here.”

“Are you coming in for coffee?” Rodney reached for the door handle.

“Noooooo, I don’t think so.” Caroline kept her head bent, not meeting his eyes and letting her hair cover her face. Her curls bounced with each negative shake of her head, daring Rodney to touch them.

“Caroline, please come in for a cup of coffee. I’d like you to meet my sister.” With concentrated effort, Rodney kept his desire from his voice, his tone even and light to lift the curtain of worry that he knew fell over her features.

“But we…” Caroline raised her head in what seemed like slow motion and looked at him. She waved her hand in the air between them. “She saw…” The corner of Caroline’s mouth tucked itself in its usual hiding place, and the furrow line indented.

“We don’t know what she saw. She
was
driving. Please relax.” Caroline flinched at Rodney’s touch but didn’t brush his hand from her shoulder.

Fingers drumming on the passenger window echoed through the silent car. Rodney breathed in the warm air, stale from the car heater, and turned his head. Michelle smiled through the glass and waved. He pulled the door lock, then the handle. The door clicked open, and Michelle moved into the open space between the door and car. She bent down just in Rodney’s view.

“Hi, big brother. I came early because of the weather.”

Michelle’s lips curled into a mock smile, a sibling signal to Rodney that she’d seen everything and knew she’d interrupted. She was filing away the incident in her memory for future misery making. She leaned over him, pinning him to the car seat, and reached her arm across him.

Please don’t say anything to her
. Rodney stared hard at his sister’s blond hair, hoping if there was such a thing as mental telepathy, she’d pick up this vibe. He didn’t need a setback in his relationship with Caroline. Since the night she’d cooked him dinner, they’d climbed a rung up the relationship ladder, talking at least once a day on the phone.

“Hi, I’m Michelle.” Her voice lilted with friendliness. He knew her face now shone with a genuine smile. His tightened muscles relaxed, his feet no longer braced and pushing him back against the car seat.

“Caroline.”

“Oh, the quilt lady. Rodney talks about you all the time.”

“He does?”

“He keeps me updated on the restoration and the website progress. I didn’t interrupt you two going somewhere, did I?”

“No.” Rodney and Caroline answered in duet.