have lunch plans?”
His heart lightened . A good heart-to-heart with Mama Beth was just what he needed. “None that can’t be changed.”
“Good, I’ll see you at my house in a few minutes.”
After locat ing Andy to let him know the change in plans, Matt crawled in to the Pinto and cranked her up for the drive to Mama Beth’s. Though often cantankerous, his 1976 pea-green car started on the first try. A fe w minutes later he perched on a stool in Mama Beth’s country kitchen while she hummed and bustled about with preparations for lunch.
She raised her gaze to his while she stirred a pot on the stove. “Would you like a glass of sweet tea while you wait?”
“Sure, but let me get it. You’v e got your hands full .” He moved to a nearby whitewashed cabinet to grab a glass and added a few ice cubes before pouring his tea.
Wit hin a few minutes, Mama Beth placed f ried chicken, mashed potatoes, home grown g reen beans, and homemade bread in the middle of the oversized farm table. “Would you bless it for us, Matt?” S he wiped her hands on her blue-checked apron.
“I’d be honored.” He bowed his head. “Lord, bless this meal and the one who prepared it. Ma y we be better servants for You . In Christ’s name, Amen.”
As they fixed their plates, Mama Beth jump- start ed the conversation. “So what’s on your mind , Matty ?”
He reached for a chicken leg. Did she mean in addition to downing a piece of her homemade fried chicken? “ Not sure where to start.” He chomped into the meat , the warm juices trickling down his throat.
“How about with Gracie?”
He almost choked . Leave it to Mama Beth to cut to the chase. “How’ d you know I wanted to talk about Gracie?”
“You’ve been in love wi th her for a couple of years , right?”
A heat wave crept up his neck. “Well, love’s a strong word—”
She sent a “you’re-not-fooling-me” look.
Matt switched his gaze to the plate. “I do care about her an awful lot.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Well, n ow that she’s finished with school and the bar exam. I ho ped she and I could, well . . . ” He squirmed in the ladder-back chair . This was harder than expected . “I need to know how to go about this. How to . . .” Words failed him .
Mama Beth ’s face lit with amusement . “ I’ve never known you to be at a loss for words . I t must be love . ” She patted his hand. “My best advice is to be yourself . You and Gracie are good friends. It’s not too much of a leap from there.”
“But what if she doesn’t want a guy like me?”
White wispy eyebrows furrowed over clear blue eyes. “ Good gravy, Matt. W hat makes you say such a foolish thing ?”
Which reason should he give first? He forked potatoes in his mouth an d chased it with a sip of tea. “Gracie’s a planner. I’m not sure I fit the image she has in that brain of hers.”
“ Image has nothing to do with true love .”
“I know that, but I’m not sure sh e does.”
“Hmmm. ” Mama Beth gazed into space a moment then faced him. “You’ ve got a point, but I wouldn’t change who you are to fit what she thinks she wants. She’s a smart girl. She’ll figure it out.”
Matt released a sigh of relief. Mama Beth had a knack for discerning what was really bothering someone . “Glad to hear you say that. I can’t be someone I’m not.” Even if it was for the purpose of winning Gracie’s heart.
“ Nor should you . You both b elong to God. If this is His plan , it’ ll work out.”
Mama Beth was right . He did belong to God, but what if God had other plans for both of them? Could he accept that possibility? “Well, i t’s a little more complicated than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“ Jason Dent. He’s everything I’m not . Just the sort Gracie could fall for if given the encouragement.” Just the sort to break her heart and make her gun-shy for the rest of her life.
Mama Beth’s blue eyes cloud ed. “Jason’ s a
His heart lightened . A good heart-to-heart with Mama Beth was just what he needed. “None that can’t be changed.”
“Good, I’ll see you at my house in a few minutes.”
After locat ing Andy to let him know the change in plans, Matt crawled in to the Pinto and cranked her up for the drive to Mama Beth’s. Though often cantankerous, his 1976 pea-green car started on the first try. A fe w minutes later he perched on a stool in Mama Beth’s country kitchen while she hummed and bustled about with preparations for lunch.
She raised her gaze to his while she stirred a pot on the stove. “Would you like a glass of sweet tea while you wait?”
“Sure, but let me get it. You’v e got your hands full .” He moved to a nearby whitewashed cabinet to grab a glass and added a few ice cubes before pouring his tea.
Wit hin a few minutes, Mama Beth placed f ried chicken, mashed potatoes, home grown g reen beans, and homemade bread in the middle of the oversized farm table. “Would you bless it for us, Matt?” S he wiped her hands on her blue-checked apron.
“I’d be honored.” He bowed his head. “Lord, bless this meal and the one who prepared it. Ma y we be better servants for You . In Christ’s name, Amen.”
As they fixed their plates, Mama Beth jump- start ed the conversation. “So what’s on your mind , Matty ?”
He reached for a chicken leg. Did she mean in addition to downing a piece of her homemade fried chicken? “ Not sure where to start.” He chomped into the meat , the warm juices trickling down his throat.
“How about with Gracie?”
He almost choked . Leave it to Mama Beth to cut to the chase. “How’ d you know I wanted to talk about Gracie?”
“You’ve been in love wi th her for a couple of years , right?”
A heat wave crept up his neck. “Well, love’s a strong word—”
She sent a “you’re-not-fooling-me” look.
Matt switched his gaze to the plate. “I do care about her an awful lot.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Well, n ow that she’s finished with school and the bar exam. I ho ped she and I could, well . . . ” He squirmed in the ladder-back chair . This was harder than expected . “I need to know how to go about this. How to . . .” Words failed him .
Mama Beth ’s face lit with amusement . “ I’ve never known you to be at a loss for words . I t must be love . ” She patted his hand. “My best advice is to be yourself . You and Gracie are good friends. It’s not too much of a leap from there.”
“But what if she doesn’t want a guy like me?”
White wispy eyebrows furrowed over clear blue eyes. “ Good gravy, Matt. W hat makes you say such a foolish thing ?”
Which reason should he give first? He forked potatoes in his mouth an d chased it with a sip of tea. “Gracie’s a planner. I’m not sure I fit the image she has in that brain of hers.”
“ Image has nothing to do with true love .”
“I know that, but I’m not sure sh e does.”
“Hmmm. ” Mama Beth gazed into space a moment then faced him. “You’ ve got a point, but I wouldn’t change who you are to fit what she thinks she wants. She’s a smart girl. She’ll figure it out.”
Matt released a sigh of relief. Mama Beth had a knack for discerning what was really bothering someone . “Glad to hear you say that. I can’t be someone I’m not.” Even if it was for the purpose of winning Gracie’s heart.
“ Nor should you . You both b elong to God. If this is His plan , it’ ll work out.”
Mama Beth was right . He did belong to God, but what if God had other plans for both of them? Could he accept that possibility? “Well, i t’s a little more complicated than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“ Jason Dent. He’s everything I’m not . Just the sort Gracie could fall for if given the encouragement.” Just the sort to break her heart and make her gun-shy for the rest of her life.
Mama Beth’s blue eyes cloud ed. “Jason’ s a
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