Dougie
Dougie could not shake the uneasy feeling that had blanketed him for the last several weeks. His normally peppy steps felt slow and sluggish today as he made his way to the morning meeting with his friends, and he could not stop the worry that pounded in his head like a drum beat set on repeat. Maybe it was because it wasn’t about him. At least not really. He was worried about Holly. Or Holly with Frederick to be more precise. He’d tried to think positively about the man the last few weeks, knowing that he was staying in town for a while, but he couldn’t. There was just something about the guy that rubbed Dougie the wrong way, and his presence felt like a rain cloud that followed Dougie everywhere.
“Good morning. Whoa, what’s going on with you?” Chance asked, glancing up from the Bible as Dougie sat.
“I know it’s stupid and we agreed not to do anything, but I just can’t shake this feeling that Frederick is all wrong for Holly.” Dougie hated even saying the words out loud, but part of their meeting each week was about accountability. His friends knew he was struggling with this, but maybe talking about it with them could help him work through it and get over it.
Chance and Israel exchanged a glance that made Dougie’s heart drop into his stomach. “What? What do you guys know?”
Chance took a deep breath and tapped his fingers on the Bible. “Dougie, I have to tell you something.”
Dougie knew he was not going to like the next words out of Chance’s mouth, but curiosity got the better of him. “That sounds ominous.”
“Frederick asked Holly to marry him last night and she said yes. She called Merribeth this morning.”
Dougie had been in a real fist fight once. Just once. Back in middle school. Some guy had made a comment about his sister, and Dougie had thrown a punch. He hadn’t been trained at that time, and he’d missed the kid. But the kid hadn’t missed him. He’d landed a punch to the middle of Dougie’s stomach, sending all the air whooshing from his lungs and dropping him to his knees. Hearing those words felt like that gut punch, and he stood, trying to get more air in his lungs. “Marriage? She can’t marry him. I’ve kept my mouth closed because I thought he would go away, but I can’t let her marry him. Marriage is supposed to be forever…”
Chance stood and placed a hand on Dougie’s shoulder. “I understand this is a shock and what none of us want, but we can’t make this decision for her. If we try to influence her, it will just push her away. What we can do though is pray. Pray that Frederick’s character is revealed.”
Dougie knew Chance was right, and in his heart, he knew that prayer was important. But right now, it didn’t seem like enough. He wanted to do something and Chance was telling him he had to let God do it instead.
“Both Merribeth and Tiffany are trying to talk to her,” Israel said. “I know it’s not the way you want to handle it, but it will be better coming from them.”
Dougie sighed and collapsed down into the chair next to Israel. “You’re right, but that doesn’t make this any easier. Everything in my gut says this guy is bad news.”
Chance took his seat again as well. “If there’s one thing Merribeth has said over the years, it’s that Holly can take care of herself.”
“Yeah. I guess that’s true.” But if Holly was so tough, why was she marrying this guy so quickly? He’d only been in town a few months and Holly had been independent for years. It had to be endorphins. They did funny things to people’s brains. But maybe that was his problem too. He was acting as if he’d had a relationship with Holly and that certainly wasn’t true. He didn’t even know if she would have said yes to going out with him. Maybe he needed to put her out of his mind completely.
“Look, let’s do our devotion and we’ll spend extra time in prayer. God is in control, and as long as she’s listening, He’ll be there for her.”
But that was the catch. Dougie didn’t think Holly was listening. At least not yet.
When the devotion time was over, Dougie made his way to the security office. Devotions usually made him feel better, but not today. Today, the pessimistic cloud that had been hanging around felt especially oppressive, and Dougie didn’t like it. His mood was being influenced by a girl — a girl whom he no longer had a chance with. Maybe it was finally time.
Years ago, when he’d gotten out of the Army and wondered what he was going to do next with his life, he’d considered law enforcement, but his mind hadn’t been in the right place then. He’d had some healing to do after all he’d seen. Security for the Patriot Peak resort had seemed like a perfect bridge. He could work in a less stressful environment and still do what he loved. Then he’d gotten promoted to head of security and figured that was where he was meant to be, but this thing with Holly had him rethinking. Maybe this was God’s way of telling him it was time to move on.
Dougie sat down at the desk and checked the screens. When he was sure everything was running smoothly, he pulled out his phone and began researching nearby police academies and their requirements. The more he read, the more he realized now was the perfect time to send in his application. He would miss the resort and working for Chance, but it was time to start a new chapter.