Trusting His Promise (Love on Sanctuary Shores #5)

Chapter 20

Jo eyed herself in the mirror. The flowing pink pants and white shirt made her look feminine and pretty—and like she was trying too hard to be someone she wasn’t.

She quickly peeled off the pants and grabbed a pair of jeans instead, pulling on a Reel Adventures hoodie over her shirt.

There.

“Come on, Mommy,” Sam burst into the room. “We’re going to be late.”

“Hmm. Where’s that enthusiasm for not being late when it’s time to get ready for school in the morning?” Jo teased her daughter.

“That’s different.” Sam kicked her feet against the bottom of the bed. “This is for fun .”

“So is school. Did you finish your reading with Opa?”

“I like these pants.” Sam jumped off the bed and picked up the pink pair Jo had just discarded.

Jo shook her head. “You can have them.”

Sam giggled. “I can’t wear these. I’m a little kid. You should wear them tonight.”

“What’s wrong with my jeans?”

“Nothing.” Sam shrugged. “I just thought you might want to look pretty tonight.”

“Thanks,” Jo said wryly. “And don’t think I didn’t notice your little change of subject. Did you finish your reading?”

“Yes,” Sam answered impatiently. “Are you going to change your pants?”

Jo sighed. “I don’t see why it matters.”

“ You know.” Sam gave her what Jo assumed was supposed to be a knowing look.

“I really don’t. It’s not your birthday. It’s not my birthday. It’s not Opa’s birthday. It’s not Christmas. It’s not—”

“Mommy,” Sam protested. “I mean because of Mr. Beckett. Don’t you want him to fall in love with you?”

Jo gasped and nearly choked on her own spit, setting off a coughing fit. When she finally had herself under control again, she turned to her daughter. “Number one: No, I do not want Mr. Beckett to fall in love with me. And number two: Someone who falls in love with you for the way you look isn’t really in love with you.” A lesson she had learned the hard way. “Now, come on, let’s go.” She plucked the pink pants out of Sam’s hands and tossed them on the floor. She’d never be able to wear them now .

She and Sam stopped in the living room on the way out, checking on Dad, who was watching a movie with Karen. Jo wondered if he had figured out yet that Karen liked him. Given that she came over every day, he’d have to be dense not to.

“You know, this isn’t half bad,” Dad said, and Jo glanced at the screen to find Beckett staring back at her.

She looked away quickly, as if he might be able to see her through the TV.

“Not half bad?” Karen tossed a piece of popcorn at him. “I saw you wiping your eyes before.”

“The stupid cat’s fur got in my eye,” Dad protested.

“Cat fur.” Karen snickered. She turned to Jo. “I’d invite you to watch with us, but I’m sure real-life Beckett Knox is even better than movie Beckett Knox.”

“Oh, I’m not— We’re not—” Jo stuttered, her face heating to just past scorching. She knew Karen had seen her and Sam sitting with Beckett at church today—but that had only been because they were late and there was another family in their usual pew and before Jo could find somewhere else to sit, Sam had slid in next to Beckett. “I doubt he’ll be there,” she added lamely.

“Yes, he will,” Sam said. “I asked him to come after church. He said if I wanted him to, he would, and I said yes. So he promised he’ll be there.”

“Oh.” Jo swallowed, searching for something to say that would keep Karen—and now Dad—from looking at her like that. “We should go. We won’t be out too late.” She spun to make her exit.

“Have a good time,” Dad called. “But not too good.”

Jo shook her head as she passed Sam a jacket, deciding that her own sweatshirt would be warm enough. Dad had been saying the same thing to her since she’d become a teenager. And up until that summer with Jay, she had honestly been able to say she’d obeyed. She had always been a rule follower—a good girl.

Until Jay had turned her head with his sweet talk and his gallant acts and his good looks—with his claim that he was someone he turned out not to be.

But she had learned from that mistake—and she wasn’t about to repeat it. No matter how sweet and gallant and good-looking Beckett was. No matter who he might claim to be now.

Except, she knew she needed to stop clinging to that. She hadn’t wanted to see that Beckett had changed—that he really did believe in God now. Pastor Olsen’s words, how could we not rejoice when the lost are found , had run in a loop through her head all day. When she was a kid, that was what she had wanted most of all—for Beckett to come to Christ.

And now that he had, was she going to hold that against him?

She and Sam headed out the door and started toward the town square hand in hand. The muted sound of musicians warming up traveled through the crisp night air, and Jo was gripped with a sudden, irrational urge to turn around and run back into the house.

What if Beckett was at the square? What would she say to him now that— Now that—

Now that you don’t hate me? she could almost hear him ask with that self-deprecating smile he was so well known for.

“What’s so funny, Mommy?” Sam asked.

“Hmm?” Jo looked at her daughter in surprise.

“You laughed.”

“Oh, sorry. Just thinking about something.”

“About Mr. Beckett?” Sam asked knowingly.

Jo shook her head, giving her daughter a little shove. “What’s with all this Mr. Beckett talk?”

Sam shrugged. “I like him. And I think you should too.”

They turned onto Main Street, and Jo let out a breath. There were so many people milling that even if Beckett was here, they were unlikely to run into him.

“Oh look.” She pointed to the gazebo. “Curtis and his band are playing.”

They milled around the square, listening to the music and stopping to chat with Lisa, Alex, Chloe and Derrick, Tom Fuller, Miss Patterson, and other friends and neighbors, every one of them asking how Dad was doing.

All the while, Jo kept a careful watch for Beckett. But as far as she could tell, he wasn’t anywhere near the square.

She tamped down a trace of annoyance, trying to be relieved instead. But he had promised Sam he would be here, and she hated the thought of her daughter’s disappointment. And just when Jo had been starting to think Beckett had changed.

“Hey, there’s Mr. Taylor with his new wife. Can we go say hi?” Sam pulled Jo toward them without waiting for an answer.

“Hi, Mr. Taylor.” Sam waved enthusiastically. “How are the horses?”

“Hello, Miss Sam.” Taylor tipped his head in greeting to Jo, and she smiled in return. He had been a year older than her in school, and they’d never talked much. But he was always kind to Sam. “The horses are good. You haven’t been out for a carriage ride in a while.”

Sam’s eyes swung an accusing look at Jo.

“We’ve been pretty busy, but we’ll get out there soon,” she promised. “I suppose it will only be a few more weeks before the horses are gone for the winter?” The question made her think of Beckett. He would be gone before the winter too.

Taylor nodded, his expression as unreadable as ever, and Sam turned to the woman at his side.

“Do you like horses too?” Sam asked her.

“I do,” she answered with an easy smile. “Very much.”

“Oh good. Then you’re perfect for Mr. Taylor.”

Sonora winked. “I guess I am.”

“And you’re pretty too.”

Jo gave an internal sigh. So much for her earlier talk with Sam about love being about more than the way people looked.

“Well, thank you, Miss— Sam, is it?”

“Sorry.” Taylor jumped in. “This is Sam Fletcher, and her mom Jo. We grew up together. And this is my wife, Sonora.”

Jo offered a hand and a warm smile to Sonora, trying not to wonder what it would be like to have someone refer to her as their wife. “I’m really happy for the two of you. Congratulations.”

Over Sonora’s shoulder, she caught sight of a much-too-familiar dark head of hair coming their way. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t spotted them yet, but her heart wedged its way right up into her throat, where it beat uncomfortably hard.

“Come on, Sam, let’s go find some ice cream for ourselves.” She took her daughter’s hand and offered a distracted wave to Taylor and Sonora. “Congratulations again.”

“Are we really going to get ice cream?” Sam sounded awed.

“Hmm? Sure.” Jo waited until they were on the opposite side of the green to look over her shoulder.

Beckett was saying something to Taylor now and shaking Sonora’s hand.

“But Mommy.” Sam tugged Jo’s sleeve.

“Yeah, Sammycakes?”

“The ice cream shop is that way.” She pointed back across the green.

“Oh.” Jo bit her lip. “We’ll go the long way around.”

And wait until she was sure that area was Beckett-free.