Page 47 of Abandoned

Her tears dripped onto his leg. He shifted, drawing her as close to him as he could. With her legs draped across his lap, she buried her face against his chest.

“No one has ever prayed for me like that. Thank you.”

Will held her a little tighter. After about ten minutes, he grabbed their smoothies. They sat there for another thirty minutes without any words, only slurps of smoothie.

Will struggled to find what he should say. She’d unloaded her heart to him. Her fear of being abandoned made so much more sense now. Her entire life, she’d lived with the fear that people in her life would walk out and leave her. And how many men, other than her father, had done just that? No wonder she’d so quickly pushed him away if she thought that was something he would do.

Lord, You’re gonna have to give me wisdom in this. Help me not be an idiot.

Zara pushed off him enough to look him in the eye. Their faces were so close. “Will?”

“Yes?” The word barely made it past his lips.

“What do you struggle with most?”

That was out of nowhere. He thought. He wanted to give her a real answer. “I guess I always come back to struggling with the realization that I’m not a failure in God’s eyes, even if everyone else sees me that way.”

“Do people really see you that way though?”

He shrugged. “Not so explicitly.”

“Then maybe it’s just your perception of yourself.”

He snorted. “You’re probably right.”

She sat up. “Can I ask another tough question?”

He narrowed his gaze at her. “Of course. Open book.”

“Do you still want to be a detective?”

“I can’t. I don’t have a college degree. It’s a requirement.”

“You didn’t answer the question I asked.”

He fought to keep himself from squirming. “I don’t know. Some days, yes. But most days, I’m content with the job I have. Above all, I want to live in obedience, and I haven’t felt a strong leading one way or another.”

“You have my support regardless of what path you take.”

He traced her jaw with his finger. “You are so good for me.”

She giggled.

He said, “I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Will you go on a ‘real’ date with me on Saturday? The whole nine yards. I pick you up, we do dinner and a movie or something fun. I kiss you good night when I drop you off.”

Her cheeks ignited. “Kiss?”

“Date first.”

“I would love to.”

He couldn’t wait until Saturday evening.

Zara picked up the curling iron from the counter in her bathroom. Saturday had finally arrived, and she was beyond excited for her date with Will and only had to wait about thirty more minutes. The last two shifts of the week had gone well, and she’d finally gotten some sleep. She had three more days to adjust her body to days. Today, she’d let herself sleep in as late as needed. Tomorrow, getting up for church would be a step toward waking up in time for being at roll call by six a.m.