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Noah didn’t even bother denying it. The knowing look on Sophie’s face spoke volumes. He’d been carrying Kara’s betrayal around with him for so long it was no doubt etched on his face. Lately, though, he had begun to let some of it go.
“Her name
was Kara.” Just saying her name out loud made Noah feel as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. For so long now he’d hidden Kara away like a dirty little secret. She’d made him feel like a fool, so he’d been ashamed and embarrassed to talk about the pain she’d caused him. Growing up in a family of five boys had taught him to keep his chin up and put on a brave face, even when he was dying on the inside. His father had unknowingly instilled it in his sons to “never let your pain show on the outside,” so he had bottled up his feelings and never allowed himself to venture down that path again.
“That’s a pretty name. Was she beautiful?” Sophie asked, her emerald-colored eyes gleaming with interest.
Noah nodded. With her dark hair and hazel eyes, Kara had been stunning. “Yes. She was. On the outside. On the inside—not so much. She was very calculating and selfish. And—”
“She broke your heart?” Sophie blurted out the question.
Noah sighed. “Yep. She smashed it into little pieces and went on her merry way. She didn’t even look back to see the damage she’d done to me. She was very wealthy. One of those types who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I fell hard for her. And she looked down on all of my aspirations.” He let out a harsh laugh. “I wasn’t good enough for her. She dumped me for a rich guy who could keep her in the lifestyle to which she’d become accustomed.”
“Oh, Noah, that’s awful.”
“I trusted her and she stabbed me in the back in many different ways. I’m a little jaded about love, Sophie. That’s why I was skeptical when we first spoke about Operation Love.”
“I understand,” Sophie said in a soft voice. “When someone hurts us it’s very hard to put our hearts out there again.”
Noah studied her calm expression. “But you’ve been hurt by your ex-fiancé and you still believe in happy endings. Maybe I’m just a skeptic.”
“If I didn’t believe in happy endings it would make the world a lot less bright and joyful,” Sophie said.
Noah quirked his mouth. “That’s a good way to put it.”
“For me, it’s belief. I came to Alaska on a leap of faith. During the rough days, God keeps me going. He’s invested in me, so I make sure I return the favor.”
“You have bad days?” Noah asked with a disbelieving shake of his head. “I never would have guessed. You project such positivity.”
“Doesn’t everyone have tough times? I just try to put one foot in front of the other and hold fast to the things I know to be true.”
“Such as?” Noah asked, wanting to know as much about Sophie as he could. She fascinated him. And it didn’t have a single thing to do with his assignment. Sophie made him feel as if he needed to be more like her—full of hope and goodness.
She looked up at the sky full of stars. “I deserve to be happy. And God loves me. At my lowest moments He’s there with me. I can’t give up on myself, because God never has. And I can’t blame Him for the hardships. Everyone has them. No one in this world is immune from pain.”
Noah allowed Sophie’s profound words to flow through him. He took a moment to absorb the full impact of her message. God loves me.
He’d never quite thought about it like that before. Sophie hadn’t let her personal disappointments get in the way of her relationship with God. Her faith was still strong. She continued to believe that God was gracing her life.
How many blessings had Noah dismissed in his life? There were so many amazing things that had been bestowed on him. After Kara’s betrayal he had shut himself off from love, yet he’d also stepped away from his faith. If he was being honest with himself, he’d admit that he had blamed God for the pain and heartache, when in reality it had boiled down to Kara’s poor character and his being blinded by love.
Noah let out a hollow laugh. “Sophie, not only are you beautiful and kind, but you’re wise and insightful. You’ve reminded me of something important.” He shook his head. “A very precious thing I lost sight of when life became difficult. I doubted myself and then I began to question God. I did the very opposite of what you did.”
She reached out with her mittened hand and squeezed his. “We all take our eyes off the prize at one time or another, Noah. The really important thing is making sure we get back on track.”
A cold breeze swept past them just then and Sophie shivered.
“We should head back to the carriage before you turn into a polar bear.” Noah took her hand and led her back to where the driver was waiting for them.
They spent the remainder of the evening socializing with the townsfolk, enjoying the games and novelties, singing karaoke and eating Hazel’s legendary apple pie.
The grand finale occurred when fireworks began to go off over Kachemak Bay. The sights and the sounds highlighted the festive nature of the celebration. Noah felt like a kid again as he gazed up at a sky bursting with all the colors of the rainbow.
As he drove Sophie back to the Black Bear Cabins, he struggled to find all of the words pressing on his heart. As he pulled up in front of her cabin, he sat still for a moment in the driver’s seat, wanting to say something meaningful before they parted.
“I’m thankful for this evening,” Noah said. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much or had such a fun time.” His heart was full almost to overflowing with gratitude. Not just toward Sophie, but to God for allowing him to experience such joy.
Noah didn’t think he could fully articulate to Sophie what tonight had meant to him. He would probably just trip over the words and make a fool of himself. The feelings she was dredging up inside him were powerful and strong. The town of Love and its residents had wormed their way inside his heart, until now he couldn’t imagine not being a part of this wonderful fishing village.
