A Groom Worth Waiting For. Crystal Stovall

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      “There is something you can do for me,” Matt finally said.

      “What?” Amy asked, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

      “Assuming you live here in Lexington, you can be my date…to three family weddings this summer.”

      “Your date to a wedding?” Amy repeated as if it were the most outrageous idea she’d ever heard.

      Matt looked away, anticipating her rejection. And if she did, he wouldn’t embarrass himself further by trying to persuade her.

      “Yeah.” He tried to explain as if it were no big deal. “I’ve got three cousins getting married this summer, and there are few things worse than going to a family wedding without a date.”

      Amy looked at him for a second, emotions he couldn’t read flickering in her wide brown eyes. He was certain she was going to say no.

      “You did save my life.” She swallowed hard, as if this was the hardest thing she’d ever said in her life. “I suppose it is the least I can do.”

      “Then you’ll be my date?”

      Though Amy smiled as she nodded, Matt saw the terror in her eyes. The prospect of being his date at the weddings frightened her more than the morning’s ordeal had.

      He instantly wished he could take back his invitation, but it was settled. Amy Jenkins, for better or worse, would be his date to three family weddings.

      Chapter Two

      If she’d thought she’d had a choice, Amy would have said no. Definitely not. Going anywhere near a wedding ceremony was out of the question. The mere thought of bridal gowns, lace veils and cascading bouquets gave her the heebie-jeebies.

      When he’d given her an out, she should have said she was from out of town, just passing through Lexington. It wouldn’t have been a lie. At this point, she didn’t know if she was going or staying.

      But the man had saved her life, and in the fervor of the moment, she’d promised to do anything to repay his bravery. Why couldn’t he have asked her to do something simple, such as cooking his meals or washing his car for the next year? On top of everything else that had happened, a date to a wedding was one more headache she didn’t need.

      Determined to back out of her promise before it became more complicated, Amy decided to tell Matt while she still had the nerve. After all they’d just been through, he couldn’t have been thinking clearly, either. He probably regretted acting on impulse as much as she did.

      Touching Matt on the arm, she tried to get his attention, but failed. His body blocked the doorway between the storeroom and the retail area, preventing her from seeing whatever he stared at. Curious, Amy moved toward the door, only to have Matt stop her.

      “Let’s stay in here a little longer,” he said.

      While Amy appreciated his protectiveness, she wasn’t about to let him shield her from the truth. Though she couldn’t push past him, she did lean forward enough to see around him. She gasped. The convenience store looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Smashed bottles of soda, ketchup and pickles, as well as every other kind of food that came in a glass jar, speckled the beige tile floor. The white shelves and refrigerated units sat empty and exposed, their contents heaped in careless piles.

      “Wow,” Amy said, realizing that the situation had been more volatile and dangerous than she’d imagined.

      With her hand covering her mouth, she thanked God for sending Matt to save her. If Matt hadn’t been at her side… She couldn’t finish the thought. And she couldn’t tell him she wouldn’t be his date. She owed this man so much more than a few hours at a family wedding. This was a small price to pay for saving her life.

      Having seen enough, Amy took a few steps backward. Matt quickly retrieved two chairs from the end of the room that served as an office area for the convenience store manager.

      “Can I get you a glass of water or a soda?” he asked.

      Amy shook her head, amazed he could remember to be so polite at a time like this. Then she noticed his nervous hands. As if it were beyond his means to control, he repeatedly clenched and unclenched the hands that had held her tightly. She understood then that his desire to attend to her needs was merely a way of covering his own distress.

      “I guess we’re both still in shock,” Amy said.

      Matt nodded. “Everything is just now sinking in.”

      They lapsed into silence, neither able to put into words the intense feelings that surged through their hearts and minds.

      Feeling too vulnerable to look at Matt, Amy focused on her trembling hands. Even pressed against her abdomen, they shook. Then his hands covered hers, bringing with them a warmth that made her feel safe.

      Amy wasn’t certain how long they sat with their hands entwined. She just knew she wasn’t ready to let go of this stranger. She wanted to know more about this man who’d unselfishly helped her. Was he from Lexington? What did he do for a living? Had he ever suffered from a broken heart?

      When the police officer cleared his throat, Amy glanced quickly at Matt, then suddenly felt foolish for the way she clung to him. Gently pushing his hands away, she concentrated on recreating the sequence of events in her mind.

      “Let’s start from the beginning,” the officer suggested.

      “I got here first, and I was the only one in the store besides the clerk. I picked up a newspaper and then made a cappuccino.” Amy’s voice quivered until she noticed the amusement in Matt’s eyes.

      “And for the record,” she said, “it was the worst cappuccino I’ve ever tasted.” She ignored the officer’s impatient glare. The lighthearted comment relaxed her enough to continue. “The door buzzer sounded again, and that’s when Matt walked in.”

      Matt picked the story up from there. “I said hello to Hank, and then I hurried to the back of the store to get a bagel and a cup of coffee to go. I’d promised to stop by Aunt Lila’s, and I was already running late. I said something to Amy about the cappuccino. I remember she had her back to the door when the buzzer sounded. By chance, I happened to look up and see the two men enter, and for some reason, I had this feeling something bad was going to happen. Because we were in the back near a stack of oil cases, they didn’t spot us. As soon as the man with the beard pulled the gun on Hank, I grabbed Amy and shoved her into the closet. One of the men made a quick check of the storeroom, but because the closet door is made from the same paneling as the walls, he overlooked the closet. From that point on, we didn’t see anything. We heard plenty of unidentifiable noises and shouting. But we didn’t move.”

      “Is there anything you’d like to add to this story?”

      “I wish I could have done more to help Hank. But I was afraid that if I entered the store I’d only put him in more danger, and I didn’t want to leave Amy.”

      Amy shook her head. While Matt had supplied all the facts, he’d left the heart of the story untold. There was the way he’d held her tightly. The way his moist breath had crawled down her neck. The way his heartbeat had filled the tiny, square closet and had turned the cramped space into a safe refuge. And even СКАЧАТЬ