Dougie

Dougie glanced around as he exited the car. The parking lot was nearly empty and most of the businesses around Holly’s were closed for the night, so why did he feel like someone was watching him?

Movement from across the street at the bakery caught his attention, and his tensed shoulders relaxed. It was probably Becca. Though she closed early, she often stayed later to bake for the next morning. He wondered when the woman ever slept.

Shaking his head, he walked into Holly’s restaurant. There were no customers, but Ashley appeared to be closing up the front. She looked up as he entered, and gave a coy smile. “Hey, Dougie, she’ll be out in a minute. Just pick a table.”

“Thanks.” He sat down, and a moment later, Holly emerged balancing a tray on her hands.

“Perfect timing,” she said as she placed a plate of steaming pasta in front of him. His stomach rumbled at the savory smell of garlic and chicken.

“You talked to Chance, didn’t you?” Dougie asked as she set a plate for herself and joined him at the table.

A soft pink crawled across her cheeks. “I wanted to make your favorite meal and you weren’t being very forthcoming, so I had to.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” He couldn’t believe she had reached out to Chance just to cook his favorite food. Was it possible that she had feelings for him?

“Okay, I’m out of here. Have fun, you two,” Ashley called in a teasing tone as she headed for the front door.

“Thank you, Ashley. See you tomorrow.”

When the front door closed, silence fell. It was just the two of them now. “Thanks for coming,” Holly said. “I know one dinner doesn’t make up for the way I treated you, but I really am sorry for all I said to you, and I’m so happy you’re back.”

“Holly, I know you thought it was jealousy, and I won’t lie and say that I didn’t have feelings for you, but I really was just trying to protect you,” Dougie said softly.

“I know that now, and I’m so sorry that I didn’t trust you. All of you.” She dropped her eyes to her plate and pushed her pasta around for a moment before meeting his gaze again. “Merribeth told me how you were all worried about me. I can’t believe that you all saw something I didn’t. I feel stupid.”

“Hey,” Dougie leaned across the desk and grabbed her hands. “Don’t feel stupid. None of us knew anything for sure. We just had a feeling.”

“I know, but that makes it worse. I didn’t have that feeling.” She sat back, pulling her hands from his as if she didn’t deserve his sympathy. “Why didn’t I have that?”

“Are you sure you didn’t?” He tilted his head and lifted an eyebrow in question. “My last serious relationship was years ago, and when I was in it, I didn’t see the signs that it was toxic. It was only once the relationship had ended that I was able to look back and see that I’d had doubts along the way, but I’d ignored them or convinced myself they didn’t matter.”

A flush of embarrassment covered Holly’s cheeks, and her eyes dropped to the plate again. “I guess I did have doubts. So why didn’t I listen to them?”

“If you’re like me or most of humanity, then it was probably because you really wanted to be in a committed relationship. All of my friends had been getting married at the time, and I felt like I should be too. I learned later that instead of looking for a marriage, I should have been listening to what God wanted me to do.”

Holly bit her lip and nodded. “I don’t think I was doing a very good job at that, but I’m trying. I started going to church with Ashley and then attending the prayer walk, but now it seems like everything I touch just falls apart.”

“Have you been reading about how Jesus says we should take joy in the persecutions that happen to us?”

Holly chuckled. “Yeah, I never really understood that passage.”

“I didn’t either until I was in the Army. Then, someone explained it to me. See, there’s this spiritual warfare going on all around us, only we can’t see it. Satan and his minions don’t want us to share the word of God, but if we’re lukewarm and not doing anything for God’s kingdom, they have no reason to mess with us. It’s only when we start doing things for God that they take notice of us and throw things in our path to try and stop us. So, you see, the adversity you’re facing means you’re doing something right where it matters. For God.”

“I can’t imagine what,” Holly said. “All I’ve done is attend church and a prayer walk — that you started, by the way.”

“But that’s more than you’d done in the past, right?”

Holly shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Well, it sounds like it’s enough to get Satan noticing you. The good news is that God is also watching and protecting you.”

Holly sighed. “Hopefully He can protect me from my father’s PR rep who showed up earlier. Evidently my story in the newspapers is hurting his re-election campaign.”

“Hey, I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Dougie. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

Dougie glanced down at their plates. The food was delicious, but he wanted to take Holly out on a proper date. One where she didn’t have to cook. “I know a way you can start. Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

She tilted her head at him, a look of confusion gracing her delicate features. “We’re having dinner right now.”

“I know, but you’re always working and you had to work for this one. I want to take you out so you don’t have to work.”

Holly stared at him a moment longer. Was she trying to decide if he was telling the truth? “Okay, yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Good. It’s a date, but until then, let’s eat this delicious food you prepared for us, and you can tell me about the rest of your day.”

Tags: Lorana Hoopes Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net