A Groom Worth Waiting For

Chills suddenly descended upon her, and in that instant, she felt more alone than she ever had before. She looked at the nameless stranger’s blue eyes and thought she saw her anxiety mirrored on his face. She wanted to reach out her hand, to draw them together again, but a flurry of uniformed men blocked her silent plea.

“Are you hurt?” the paramedic asked, glancing from Amy to Matt.

“I’m fine,” Matt said. “Please, help her.”

“I’m okay,” Amy insisted. For the first time, in full light, she looked into her protector’s eyes and was overwhelmed with gratitude. “If it hadn’t been for this man’s courage and quick thinking, I hate to think what might have happened.”

Amy stammered over the last words, and the tears that she’d been too frightened to cry began a slow descent down her cheeks.

With a gentle flick, Matt wiped the tears away, then pulled her close. With his arms around her tightly, he felt as if order had once again been returned to his world.

As if it were the most natural thing to do, he kissed the top of her head, and he would have been happy to never let go. She felt so right in his arms. She felt like the woman he’d been searching for. The woman who would bring an end to his lonely life and fill his dreams once again with hope.

Reluctantly, he let go of her so the paramedic could check her physical condition. Whether it was by chance or God’s design, this woman had suddenly come into his life, and he didn’t want to let her walk away. He wanted a chance to get to know her, to discover if she was everything he believed her to be.

The officer in charge waited until the paramedic finished examining both of them, then said, “I’m going to need your statements.”

Amy and Matt both nodded.

“And Hank?” Matt asked, anxious to know if the clerk had survived.

“He’s going to be okay. He had a heart attack during the robbery, but he’s on the way to the hospital,” the officer explained.

Matt’s jaw dropped. “Oh, my gosh. I had no idea. So what happened out there?”

“At this point, we can’t be certain, but Hank’s heart attack probably saved his life. The best I can figure, he had the attack about the same time they pointed a gun at him.”

“But why didn’t they just shoot him and run?”

“We may never know the answer to that.” The officer shook his head, raising his brows over perplexed eyes. “These two men are wanted in other states for similar robberies. And they’re not stupid. Being convicted of robbery is a far cry from murder or manslaughter. Regardless, they’ll both be going away for a long time.”

Matt still didn’t understand. “You’d think when things got botched, they would have taken the money and run.”

“It’s called greed. Hank was in so much distress he couldn’t open the safe. One of the guys had seen a commercial that claimed aspirin could save a heart attack victim, so he forced Hank to take aspirin. However, by the time Hank responded you’d already made your call and the store was surrounded.”

“And so they panicked and argued about how they were going to get out of this mess.”

“You could say that. The one guy went berserk and in a rage destroyed everything in the store. Listen, if you’ll have a seat, I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your statement.” The officer went into the retail area.

Matt met Amy’s gaze and for the first time realized he didn’t even know her name.

“I’m Matt Wynn,” he said, extending his hand.

“I’m Amy Jenkins,” she answered, grasping the hand that had been her lifeline for the last hour. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. I owe you so much. You saved my life.”

Matt shook his head. “I didn’t do that much.”

“You saw what was happening and you reacted quickly. If those men had seen us, there’s no telling what would have happened to us.”

The thought of anything happening to Amy distressed Matt. Though he’d only known this woman an hour, he couldn’t bear the thought of harm befalling her angelic face.

“I want to try to make this up to you. You have to let me find a way to repay your courage and kindness.” Amy’s eyes pleaded for him to accept her offer.

Once the crazy idea popped into his head, Matt pushed it aside. However, he wasn’t prepared to let Amy walk out of his life, either.

“There is something you can do for me,” Matt finally said.

“What?” Amy asked, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

“Assuming you live here in Lexington, you can be my date…to three family weddings this summer.”

“Your date to a wedding?” Amy repeated as if it were the most outrageous idea she’d ever heard.

Matt looked away, anticipating her rejection. And if she did, he wouldn’t embarrass himself further by trying to persuade her.

“Yeah.” He tried to explain as if it were no big deal. “I’ve got three cousins getting married this summer, and there are few things worse than going to a family wedding without a date.”

Amy looked at him for a second, emotions he couldn’t read flickering in her wide brown eyes. He was certain she was going to say no.

“You did save my life.” She swallowed hard, as if this was the hardest thing she’d ever said in her life. “I suppose it is the least I can do.”

“Then you’ll be my date?”

Though Amy smiled as she nodded, Matt saw the terror in her eyes. The prospect of being his date at the weddings frightened her more than the morning’s ordeal had.

He instantly wished he could take back his invitation, but it was settled. Amy Jenkins, for better or worse, would be his date to three family weddings.

Chapter Two

If she’d thought she’d had a choice, Amy would have said no. Definitely not. Going anywhere near a wedding ceremony was out of the question. The mere thought of bridal gowns, lace veils and cascading bouquets gave her the heebie-jeebies.

When he’d given her an out, she should have said she was from out of town, just passing through Lexington. It wouldn’t have been a lie. At this point, she didn’t know if she was going or staying.

But the man had saved her life, and in the fervor of the moment, she’d promised to do anything to repay his bravery. Why couldn’t he have asked her to do something simple, such as cooking his meals or washing his car for the next year? On top of everything else that had happened, a date to a wedding was one more headache she didn’t need.

Determined to back out of her promise before it became more complicated, Amy decided to tell Matt while she still had the nerve. After all they’d just been through, he couldn’t have been thinking clearly, either. He probably regretted acting on impulse as much as she did.

Touching Matt on the arm, she tried to get his attention, but failed. His body blocked the doorway between the storeroom and the retail area, preventing her from seeing whatever he stared at. Curious, Amy moved toward the door, only to have Matt stop her.

“Let’s stay in here a little longer,” he said.

While Amy appreciated his protectiveness, she wasn’t about to let him shield her from the truth. Though she couldn’t push past him, she did lean forward enough to see around him. She gasped. The convenience store looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Smashed bottles of soda, ketchup and pickles, as well as every other kind of food that came in a glass jar, speckled the beige tile floor. The white shelves and refrigerated units sat empty and exposed, their contents heaped in careless piles.

“Wow,” Amy said, realizing that the situation had been more volatile and dangerous than she’d imagined.

With her hand covering her mouth, she thanked God for sending Matt to save her. If Matt hadn’t been at her side… She couldn’t finish the thought. And she couldn’t tell him she wouldn’t be his date. She owed this man so much more than a few hours at a family wedding. This was a small price to pay for saving her life.

Having seen enough, Amy took a few steps backward. Matt quickly retrieved two chairs from the end of the room that served as an office area for the convenience store manager.

“Can I get you a glass of water or a soda?” he asked.

Amy shook her head, amazed he could remember to be so polite at a time like this. Then she noticed his nervous hands. As if it were beyond his means to control, he repeatedly clenched and unclenched the hands that had held her tightly. She understood then that his desire to attend to her needs was merely a way of covering his own distress.

“I guess we’re both still in shock,” Amy said.

Matt nodded. “Everything is just now sinking in.”

They lapsed into silence, neither able to put into words the intense feelings that surged through their hearts and minds.

Feeling too vulnerable to look at Matt, Amy focused on her trembling hands. Even pressed against her abdomen, they shook. Then his hands covered hers, bringing with them a warmth that made her feel safe.

Amy wasn’t certain how long they sat with their hands entwined. She just knew she wasn’t ready to let go of this stranger. She wanted to know more about this man who’d unselfishly helped her. Was he from Lexington? What did he do for a living? Had he ever suffered from a broken heart?

When the police officer cleared his throat, Amy glanced quickly at Matt, then suddenly felt foolish for the way she clung to him. Gently pushing his hands away, she concentrated on recreating the sequence of events in her mind.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” the officer suggested.

“I got here first, and I was the only one in the store besides the clerk. I picked up a newspaper and then made a cappuccino.” Amy’s voice quivered until she noticed the amusement in Matt’s eyes.

“And for the record,” she said, “it was the worst cappuccino I’ve ever tasted.” She ignored the officer’s impatient glare. The lighthearted comment relaxed her enough to continue. “The door buzzer sounded again, and that’s when Matt walked in.”

Matt picked the story up from there. “I said hello to Hank, and then I hurried to the back of the store to get a bagel and a cup of coffee to go. I’d promised to stop by Aunt Lila’s, and I was already running late. I said something to Amy about the cappuccino. I remember she had her back to the door when the buzzer sounded. By chance, I happened to look up and see the two men enter, and for some reason, I had this feeling something bad was going to happen. Because we were in the back near a stack of oil cases, they didn’t spot us. As soon as the man with the beard pulled the gun on Hank, I grabbed Amy and shoved her into the closet. One of the men made a quick check of the storeroom, but because the closet door is made from the same paneling as the walls, he overlooked the closet. From that point on, we didn’t see anything. We heard plenty of unidentifiable noises and shouting. But we didn’t move.”

“Is there anything you’d like to add to this story?”

“I wish I could have done more to help Hank. But I was afraid that if I entered the store I’d only put him in more danger, and I didn’t want to leave Amy.”

Amy shook her head. While Matt had supplied all the facts, he’d left the heart of the story untold. There was the way he’d held her tightly. The way his moist breath had crawled down her neck. The way his heartbeat had filled the tiny, square closet and had turned the cramped space into a safe refuge. And even more important were the roller-coaster emotions that still traveled on invisible tracks between them.

Turning toward Amy, the officer said, “I need an address and telephone number where I can reach you.”

Amy bit her lip as she was painfully reminded that she was temporarily without a home or a job. Inhaling deeply, she said, “I’ve just arrived in Lexington…this morning…and I don’t have a permanent address yet. But I’m planning to stay at the hotel near the airport until I can find a place. I’m headed over there to check in as soon as we’re finished,” she promised.

“Do you have a work number?”

“I thought I had a job and an apartment, but they both fell through this morning. But that’s another story,” she said, hoping to conceal the embarrassing state of her personal life.

The concerned expression on Matt’s face bothered her. It was almost as if she could see another hare-brained idea percolating in his deep blue eyes. She may have needed his help during the robbery, but only she could put her life back together. No one could help her find her place in the world again or rebuild her relationship with God.

Turning toward Matt, the officer wrote down an address as well as home and work telephone numbers that meant little to Amy. But in another week or so—if she stayed—she’d know her way around Lexington.

Thinking they were free to go, Amy walked into the convenience store, only to come face to face with a crowd of media reporters. With microphones thrust in front of their mouths and bright lights glaring in their eyes, Matt and Amy once again recounted their story. And when Matt got to the part of the story where they were huddled in the storeroom closet, he paused to look at Amy for just a second. It was a moment the reporters missed but a moment Amy would always remember. She had shared something extraordinary with this man that she would never forget. In those closet moments, they’d lived in an unreal world where their fears and hopes had meshed into one.

But this was the real world, Amy told herself. Matt Wynn was a stranger and a man. And she’d learned the hard way that if you trusted a man he would eventually break your heart.

When the media prolonged the interview, Matt gripped Amy’s arms and with a move that caught both the media and Amy off guard, he guided her through the store, out the door and into his car.

After locking the doors, Matt quickly left the parking lot and headed down the highway.

“Now, why did you do that?” Amy demanded.

“I was doing us both a favor,” Matt said. “The media wanted to make a lot more out of this story than there was.”

“You’re talking about the way they focused on us being in the closet together for over an hour.”

“Exactly. They’ll make a mountain out of a molehill.” Matt concentrated on the road, which was still wet, though at least the fog had lifted and the rain had stopped.

“And nothing happened in the closet,” Amy said, wanting to be very clear on this point.

“No, nothing happened. Well, we can’t exactly say that. We shared a very unique experience, but that was all.”

Amy looked out the window. He’d said precisely what she’d wanted to hear, and yet his declaration left her disappointed.

Turning toward him, she asked, “Then why am I in the car with you, and where are you taking me?”

“To Aunt Lila’s,” he said as if his response should make perfect sense.

“To Aunt Lila’s?” she echoed.

“Like I told the police officer, I was on my way to see Aunt Lila before we were detained at the convenience store. The local stations always cut into programming when there’s a crime or emergency in progress, and if Aunt Lila didn’t have her television on, I’m sure someone in the family did and has called her. She won’t be satisfied until she sees both of us in person and she can judge for herself that we’re both fine.”

Amy started to object, but closed her mouth. What choice did she have? She couldn’t exactly jump out of the car. She’d go see his aunt Lila and then she’d take a cab back to the convenience store to pick up her car and her meager possessions, which were stored in the trunk.

Glancing at Matt, she sensed an urgency behind his serious countenance. He was up to something, and she had an uneasy feeling his plans involved her.

Matt turned onto the long, winding drive, which was edged by a white wooden fence. Though he didn’t look at Amy, he felt a huge measure of satisfaction at her awe-inspired gasp. Even though he’d driven this quarter-mile drive thousands of times, he never took its beauty nor its history for granted.

When the main house and stables came into view, Matt couldn’t resist stealing a glance at Amy. With widened eyes, she didn’t miss a single detail of the two-story white antebellum home that had been in his family for five generations. Turning slightly, she shifted her gaze to Aunt Lila’s formal garden, then to the white barns and corrals, all of which were framed by low rolling hills and a lush meadow on the north and east. He purposely kept his back toward the west so the sprawling housing development wouldn’t intrude on the picture-perfect horse farm.

“It’s beautiful,” Amy said. Leaving the car, she completed a slow three-hundred-sixty-degree turn. “Do you live here?”

Matt shook his head. “It belongs to my aunt. However, I oversee the upkeep for her, so I spend a lot of time here. Plus, she boards my horses.”

“You have horses?” Amy asked.

Matt nodded. “Do you ride?”

“Oh, no,” Amy said, shaking her head for emphasis. “But I once had dreams of owning a horse until my father explained that a collie puppy would make me just as happy.”

“Well, if you’re going to live in Lexington, you’ll have to learn to ride.”

Amy shook her head again. “Maybe later. I’m going to be pretty busy for the next few weeks.”

Matt looked toward the grassy meadow while he silently debated whether it was wise to even consider his plan. After all, what did he really know about this woman? One quick glance at her intent eyes squelched his doubts. He’d held this woman in his arms for an hour, and while he might not know much about her life, he knew enough about her heart and spirit to believe he wasn’t making a mistake. And if Aunt Lila felt she could trust the woman, too, then that would confirm his instincts.

“You told the officer you were between jobs,” he said.

“Yeah,” she answered, obviously unwilling to volunteer any more information than necessary.

“What kind of work are you looking for?”

Amy looked at the ground, then let her gaze roam the green vista. In that moment, he wanted to view the Wynn land through her eyes. Did she see the same beauty he did, or did she just see another wide-open space ripe for development?

When Amy finally met his gaze, he sensed a hesitation that grew from embarrassment. “Actually, I’m looking to change fields and I’m not certain what I’m going to do. I’m thinking of going back to school. If I do, I’ll need something that will pay the rent, yet be flexible enough to accommodate my class schedule.”

Matt read more into the response than he believed Amy wanted him to. Guessing her age to be mid-twenties, he further assumed she’d never really decided what she wanted to do with her life. It was a feeling he understood too well. He had worked several dead-end jobs after college before settling down in a career as an accountant. But it was his hobbies—the horses and the Wynn family land—that truly satisfied his heart. He chose to work as an accountant in order to make a living for the family he one day hoped to support, but he was most content and fulfilled when he was riding or caring for his horses or walking on the land where his great-grandfather and grandfather had walked before him.

“So, you’d be open to a variety of positions,” Matt clarified. When Amy hesitated before answering, he knew it wouldn’t be easy to get her to go along with his idea. But then maybe he was pushing too hard to keep her in his life. Still, he was convinced Amy and his aunt Lila were a perfect match. While his plan served his desire to keep Amy in his life, it also greatly benefited his aunt. And Aunt Lila’s health and well-being were major concerns of his, as well as the rest of the Wynn family.

“At this point, I can’t be picky,” Amy finally admitted.

“Well, maybe I can help,” Matt said, deciding to leave it at that until Amy and Aunt Lila had had a chance to meet.

Silently, he sent a prayer heavenward. Dear Lord, if it’s Your will for Amy to stay here, let Aunt Lila and Amy both see how much they need each other. It was out of his hands for now. It was in the care of someone who saw the bigger picture.

The front door of the stately house flew open, and Aunt Lila stepped onto the wide veranda. A month ago, she would have run across the yard with both arms flung wide, eager to hug him and feel for herself that he was okay. But recent surgery had slowed the sixty-year-old woman down, and for the first time Matt was worried about the aunt he adored. Then he saw her bright, youthful smile, and fifteen years melted from her countenance.

Taking off at a jog, Matt rushed toward her. She hugged him tightly, then sandwiching his chin between her agile hands, she looked him over.

“I’ve been watching the live coverage on TV. You had me worried,” she said, a glimmer of tears in her eyes. Though she’d never had children of her own, it hadn’t stopped her from spoiling Matt as if he were hers. “You don’t know how glad I am to see you.”

“To tell the truth, I was a little worried, too,”

Peering around Matt, Aunt Lila said, “And you must be Amy Jenkins.”

The older woman extended her hand, and Amy gracefully accepted the warm welcome.

“I’m pleased to meet you. I owe your nephew my life.”

“I suspect you had to depend on each other in order to survive,” Aunt Lila said matter-of-factly. “And after such an ordeal, you must be starving. I set out an early lunch. You can tell me everything while we eat.” Pointing a finger at Matt, she said, “Don’t leave out a single detail.”

“Aunt Lila,” Matt protested. “You shouldn’t have. You know the doctor released you from the hospital on the promise you’d take it easy.”

Looking beyond Matt, Aunt Lila spoke to Amy. “You understand, dear. There’s nothing like puttering in the kitchen to soothe the nerves. Besides, my sister, Louise, brought a roast and deviled eggs yesterday. I just set them on the counter. You’ll have to help yourselves.”

Amy smiled with understanding, and Matt felt a glimmer of hope.

The lush pastures, the magnificent home and Aunt Lila’s feisty spirit were too much for Amy to take in at once. Several times she’d lost track of the conversation and hadn’t realized Aunt Lila had spoken to her as her gaze roamed the spacious kitchen, admiring the unique collection of antiques or enjoying the view through the large window. At first, she worried that she’d offended the woman with her wandering mind, but she soon realized Aunt Lila was pleased to find Amy entranced with the home she dearly loved.

To her surprise, she answered Aunt Lila’s questions when she’d been reluctant to share personal information with Matt. For some reason she couldn’t fully identify, Aunt Lila put her at ease. She felt comfortable in this house, and after the unsettling morning, she wasn’t in a hurry to leave the older woman’s nest.

“They said on the news you’d just moved here.” Aunt Lila pushed her food around her plate, then nibbled on an egg.

“I grew up in a small Ohio town,” Amy volunteered. “There wasn’t much opportunity there, and when I decided to leave, Lexington seemed like a great place to make a fresh start.”

Aunt Lila nodded as if she understood completely what Amy meant, though that was impossible. From a corner chair, Matt sipped a cup of coffee while he quietly observed the exchange between the two women. Amy hadn’t given him a second thought until the curious look in his eyes turned smug. She had the oddest feeling that this moment was progressing exactly as he’d choreographed. And that bothered Amy.

“How long ago did you move here?” Aunt Lila asked.

“Today was my first official day.”

“Oh, my,” she exclaimed. “What a fine welcome you’ve received!”

“This morning was certainly more exciting than I’d hoped for,” Amy admitted.

Aunt Lila rose slowly, refilled the coffee mugs, then set a plate of sugar cookies on the table. “They’re Matt’s favorite. I know as long as I keep them stocked he’ll keep hanging around.”

Matt smiled, as if he’d heard this comment before. “Now, Aunt Lila, don’t be giving away my secrets so soon.”

“Don’t be certain this young woman hasn’t already seen clear through you,” Aunt Lila quipped.