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Sunday brought the girls home and Lana took them out on the porch for ice cream while Jubilee continued to work in the kitchen. By the time she had the kitchen cleaned up and the sun was setting, she asked Lana if she would mind watching the girls.
Lana said she would be happy to. She didn’t ask where she was going, but she just gave a smile and a knowing look.
Jubilee figured she would tell her how everything went the next morning. Or, maybe Lana would hear about it from Matt. She didn’t care. She just knew that she couldn’t not take a chance because she was afraid. And it wasn’t right for her to make a good man sit around, waiting on her to make up her mind, while she wanted everything to fall into line and for her to be able to see the end, instead of accepting by faith what she felt God had put in front of her.
Where are you?
She sent the text to Matt.
At the stable. Nora just ran into the house to take a shower. We were going to come up to mom’s.
Can I come talk to you?
You’re scaring me.
I don’t think this will scare you.
I’ll meet you halfway.
As it turned out, they met in front of the pasture, the horses grazing beside them, the sun setting behind them over the lake, and Matt smiling when he saw the look on her face.
She didn’t know what she looked like, but she knew how she felt.
“You said you wanted to have more than a handholding relationship with me.”
“I’m not sure I called it a handholding relationship.” His voice held caution.
“I want that. I want more. I want... I want to try. I’m scared, but that doesn’t matter. I don’t have to not be scared in order to do things.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” He moved closer as she stepped into his arms, wrapping hers around him, and looking out at the sun setting on the lake as they stood together.
“It’s not every day that a girl gets a chance to have a man who is honest and upright, someone who she knows she can depend on, and who isn’t going to let her down.”
“I hope I can live up to all of that.”
“I know you can.” She was sure of it. She wasn’t thinking that he was perfect. Of course he wasn’t. Neither was she. But she knew that he wasn’t going to leave her. That he’d had the same issues she had - she’d just experienced Eva’s lack of dependability. Matt wasn’t like that. He was the opposite.
“I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, exactly, but I’m wondering what changed your mind?” His hands slid up her back and tugged her closer to him. She pressed herself against him and lifted her head.
“I guess I just decided I’m going to walk by faith. There’s a reason I ran out of gas and you stopped and things just went from there. I know this is the direction God wants me to go, and even though I’m scared, I want to step out in faith.” She took a breath. “It might not end the way I want - following God doesn’t mean no pain or failure - but I want to do it with you.”
His lips curved up before he lowered his head. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up, feeling his lips touch hers and loving the way it felt exactly right, like it was what she’d been waiting for all her life.
Her hands had threaded through his hair and her breath came in uneven pants when he lifted his head a long time later.
“I love you.”
The words fell on her ears perfectly, joined by the sound of horses eating, waves breaking on shore and the glow of the sunset over it all.
“I love you, too.”
He didn’t respond to that. Not with words. But she wasn’t going to complain because the second kiss was better than the first.
