shade of pink lipstick or lip gloss or whatever it was called on her lips. He noticed how full they were. Though he’d inwardly criticized them at the wedding, he could tell they were just the perfect shape and size for a kiss.
He wrinkled his nose at the thought as Nick’s elbow landed hard into his ribs. He frowned at his lifelong friend. “What was that for?”
Nick raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the women. “You gonna be next to fall? Mike gonna win the bet?”
Drew huffed. “I thought the bet was off.”
Nick shrugged. “Technically, it is. Addy would string me by my neck if she thought it wasn’t.” He twisted until he could stare full into Drew’s face. “I’m just wondering if you’re gonna be next to fall.”
Drew shifted on the couch as he lifted his left foot to his right knee. He brushed the hem of his blue jeans with his hand. “I don’t know why you’d think that.”
“‘Cause you got a thing for my cousin.”
Drew whispered to his friend, “First of all, I don’t have a thing for your cousin. Second of all, your cousin is fighting God something fierce. She’s not even an option for me to have a thing for.”
Nick’s expression sobered. “I know. My family keeps praying for her. She’s going to church with them every week, and God’s Word never comes back void.” He sighed. “But it’s still her decision to accept Him, and so far she hasn’t.”
The women laughed, and Drew turned his attention back to them. He felt an urgency for Melody to accept Christ into her life. Seeing her dressed as a woman, noting how tiny she truly was, Drew felt an overwhelming need to protect her from all harm. He realized he truly cared about her.
“All right, guys”—Drew’s mother waved at the men—“come get your plates.”
Drew loaded his plate with the best straight-from-scratch foods in River Run. Coleslaw and potato salad; baked beans and deviled eggs; pickled beets and sweet tea. Even the hamburgers came from one of his dad’s best Anguses. He spied Renee’s blackberry cobbler over on the kitchen counter, and his mouth already salivated at the thought of biting into the dessert.
If it weren’t for the fact that he, his dad, Nick, and Roy all had to work hard on their family farms, all four of them would be big as barns from the good cooking these women whipped up. Roy actually had put on a few pounds since he’d had to retire early, but the Wii game Renee bought him had helped him keep the weight under control.
After saying grace, Drew scooped up a forkful of coleslaw and shoveled it into his mouth. Surprised by the sour taste, he gagged and spit the food back onto his plate. He covered his mouth and looked at the peering eyes of his family and friends around the table. His face warmed, as he knew his mother would reprimand him for being so rude. But he hadn’t meant to. He loved Renee’s coleslaw. If he was unsure about the taste of a dish, he’d take a small bite first. But he knew hers was the best in the county, and he’d scooped the mouthful in. With the bitter taste—well, it just popped right out.
“Drew!” His mother’s voice sounded tense.
“I’m sorry. I got too big of a bite.” He averted his gaze from Renee. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t like her cooking.
“It’s okay, Drew,” Renee said. He looked at her as she took a small bite of the coleslaw. Her face scrunched up as if she’d just bitten into a lemon. She wiped her mouth. “It’s not your fault. I must have forgotten the sugar.”
“
You
didn’t forget the sugar.” Melody growled as her face flamed the brightest red Drew had ever seen. “
I
forgot the sugar.” She smacked her napkin on the table, and tears welled in her eyes as she stared at Addy, Renee, and his mom. “I’m never going to be like you.” She pushed away from the table and walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
“I’m sorry.” Drew felt like a complete and total heel. Melody must have made
He wrinkled his nose at the thought as Nick’s elbow landed hard into his ribs. He frowned at his lifelong friend. “What was that for?”
Nick raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the women. “You gonna be next to fall? Mike gonna win the bet?”
Drew huffed. “I thought the bet was off.”
Nick shrugged. “Technically, it is. Addy would string me by my neck if she thought it wasn’t.” He twisted until he could stare full into Drew’s face. “I’m just wondering if you’re gonna be next to fall.”
Drew shifted on the couch as he lifted his left foot to his right knee. He brushed the hem of his blue jeans with his hand. “I don’t know why you’d think that.”
“‘Cause you got a thing for my cousin.”
Drew whispered to his friend, “First of all, I don’t have a thing for your cousin. Second of all, your cousin is fighting God something fierce. She’s not even an option for me to have a thing for.”
Nick’s expression sobered. “I know. My family keeps praying for her. She’s going to church with them every week, and God’s Word never comes back void.” He sighed. “But it’s still her decision to accept Him, and so far she hasn’t.”
The women laughed, and Drew turned his attention back to them. He felt an urgency for Melody to accept Christ into her life. Seeing her dressed as a woman, noting how tiny she truly was, Drew felt an overwhelming need to protect her from all harm. He realized he truly cared about her.
“All right, guys”—Drew’s mother waved at the men—“come get your plates.”
Drew loaded his plate with the best straight-from-scratch foods in River Run. Coleslaw and potato salad; baked beans and deviled eggs; pickled beets and sweet tea. Even the hamburgers came from one of his dad’s best Anguses. He spied Renee’s blackberry cobbler over on the kitchen counter, and his mouth already salivated at the thought of biting into the dessert.
If it weren’t for the fact that he, his dad, Nick, and Roy all had to work hard on their family farms, all four of them would be big as barns from the good cooking these women whipped up. Roy actually had put on a few pounds since he’d had to retire early, but the Wii game Renee bought him had helped him keep the weight under control.
After saying grace, Drew scooped up a forkful of coleslaw and shoveled it into his mouth. Surprised by the sour taste, he gagged and spit the food back onto his plate. He covered his mouth and looked at the peering eyes of his family and friends around the table. His face warmed, as he knew his mother would reprimand him for being so rude. But he hadn’t meant to. He loved Renee’s coleslaw. If he was unsure about the taste of a dish, he’d take a small bite first. But he knew hers was the best in the county, and he’d scooped the mouthful in. With the bitter taste—well, it just popped right out.
“Drew!” His mother’s voice sounded tense.
“I’m sorry. I got too big of a bite.” He averted his gaze from Renee. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t like her cooking.
“It’s okay, Drew,” Renee said. He looked at her as she took a small bite of the coleslaw. Her face scrunched up as if she’d just bitten into a lemon. She wiped her mouth. “It’s not your fault. I must have forgotten the sugar.”
“
You
didn’t forget the sugar.” Melody growled as her face flamed the brightest red Drew had ever seen. “
I
forgot the sugar.” She smacked her napkin on the table, and tears welled in her eyes as she stared at Addy, Renee, and his mom. “I’m never going to be like you.” She pushed away from the table and walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
“I’m sorry.” Drew felt like a complete and total heel. Melody must have made
Similar Books
