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Just then Charlie came over and personally took their orders. They both ordered lemonades and Faith ordered shrimp and grits while Micah selected the salmon croquettes. Faith could tell the feisty restaurant owner was crazy about Micah just by the way she was looking at him as if he’d hung the moon. “I’m sending over some appetizers on the house. Cajun crab cakes. Enjoy them.”
Once Charlie left their table, Faith took the opportunity to ask Micah a question she’d been thinking about all week.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you, have you spoken to Rafferty?”
Micah winced. “No, I haven’t. I figured we both needed some time to cool down.” He shrugged. “The situation feels pretty hopeless. He’s about to marry a woman I don’t like or trust. How do I reconcile that? And he’s dealing with the same issues. He’s in a love with a woman his best friend can’t stand. How are we ever going to sort this out? I’ve prayed about it and actually spoke to our pastor who I’ve known my entire life. There’s no easy solution.”
“He’s your best friend. Shayla said you’ve been best friends for most of your lives. Friendships like that shouldn’t end over something like this.”
Micah fiddled with his fingers. “I want to tell you something, but it’s kind of awkward since Pamela is your cousin.”
Faith sputtered. “Don’t worry about that. As you’ve seen we’re not close. She only asked me to be a bridesmaid so Rafferty wouldn’t wonder about her lack of
family ties. You got a chance to see what she thinks of me.”
Micah reached across the table and squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry she treated you like that, Faith. No one deserves that, especially not someone as wonderful as you. A person like Pamela really needs our prayers because there’s something inside her that’s a bit twisted.”
Faith frowned. “Twisted? What do you mean?”
A red-headed waitress came over with their drinks and placed them on the table. “Your crab cakes will be out shortly.” Faith couldn’t help but notice she couldn’t take her eyes off Micah. Faith didn’t hold it against her. Her guy was pretty adorable. Her guy? She was jumping the gun a bit, although it felt nice to pair herself with someone as special as Micah Donahue.
Micah took a swig of his lemonade. “I could be really wrong about this, but I think she came on to me a few times.” He fidgeted with his glass and broke eye contact. “I know I’m not wrong, but it just sounds so ridiculous. She has the best guy in the world as her fiancé. Why would she want me?”
Faith wasn’t even shocked by Micah’s confession. It was classic Pamela. She always wanted what she couldn’t have. And Faith feared she always would.
“You don’t look surprised?” Micah asked.
“I’m not,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “When she was in high school Pamela’s favorite game was how to break up all the couples in school. I didn’t have a boyfriend she could snag, but I remember how often she would do it to her friends.” Faith made a tutting sound. “It was as if she enjoyed the challenge of it.” Faith locked gazes with Micah. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you’re a catch, Micah. You’re handsome and well-connected. You have a wonderful family.”
Micah grinned at her. “I could listen to these compliments all day.”
“I’m serious. Even though Rafferty is amazing, Pamela is the type who will never be satisfied with what she has. She’s always going to be looking for the next best thing on the horizon. And trust me, that’s going to be a very sad state of affairs for Rafferty.”
He made a grunting sound. “That’s what I figured. I haven’t mustered the courage to tell Rafferty about her come-ons.”
“I know it will be awkward to say something, but don’t you think it has to be done? They’re not just dating anymore. They’re planning to get married. That’s a lifelong commitment.”
“Faith, the bond between Rafferty and me is tight. I can’t imagine life without him, but I also wonder if he’d believe me. You see how rattled he got the other day. Pamela has him bamboozled in the worst way. He hangs on her every word. He thinks she’s the best thing that ever happened to him.”
“He loves her,” she said in a soft voice. “And that’s powerful. It can blind a person to reality. Love is the strongest force in the universe.”
“So they say,” Micah said, his tone wistful.
“You’ve never been in love?”
“Nope. Not even once. You?” A look of curiosity was etched on his face.
She smiled at him. “Not even once.”
Micah’s expression was suddenly inscrutable. It was impossible for her to figure out what he was thinking.
Just then the waitress returned with their appetizers which allowed Faith an opportunity to recover from Micah’s statement. She was a bit bowled over. He’d never been in love? It was kind of a shocker since he’d dated around quite a bit according to Shayla. Not that she was judging him for it. Faith hadn’t dated much due to her insecurities, so it wasn’t a big surprise that she hadn’t ever fallen in love.
Here they were, as different as night and day, yet they shared something this major in common. As she bit into a crab cake, Faith said a prayer of thanks for this very special moment she was sharing with Micah.
This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad.
“I always knew the moment my boys were falling in love. There was this look of pure joy radiating from their faces, as well as a hint of apprehension. Falling in love is beautiful and scary at the same time. It’s like jumping off a cliff into the ocean.” Penelope Donahue
