“You nailed it.” Nick flashed a smile. “This is my wife, Lexi, and our daughters, Grace and Addie.”
They stepped aside to let the other members of the congregation pass while completing the introductions. After Finley’s comments outside, Gabe couldn’t help but notice that Addie, Nick’s oldest daughter, wore a denim skirt and red top.
He pretended not to see the pointed look Finley shot him.
“Most kids our age sit together during the service.” Addie focused on Finley and gestured toward a row of young teens seated just ahead of the babies and young families. “You’re welcome to join us. If you want, that is.”
Finley glanced at Gabe. “Is it okay?”
Gabe quickly assessed the situation. Normally he was very particular about letting his daughter be unsupervised with kids he didn’t know. But the church was small and she’d be in plain sight. “Fine with me.”
“Afterward we all go to youth group,” Addie added. “While our parents eat breakfast.”
Gabe could almost see the refusal forming on his daughter’s lips when Addie continued in a low tone, “Your dress is really cool. All the girls are going to be jealous.”
“You can pick me up after youth group,” Finley announced.
Gabe cocked his head and met her gaze. Even though this was exactly what he wanted, in their household, it was understood his daughter didn’t call the shots.
“If it’s okay with you, that is,” Finley quickly added.
He nodded. “Sounds like a workable plan.”
Finley squeezed his arm, then hurried off talking in low excited tones with her new friend.
Gabe refocused on Nick’s wife. “It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Delacourt.”
“Please, call me Lexi.” She glanced over his shoulder, then gestured with one hand. “Why don’t we sit together? Looks like there’s plenty of room.”
When Gabe turned to see where Nick’s wife pointed, it was the open area next to his neighbor. He hid a smile. Even in church it appeared he couldn’t escape temptation.
He followed the couple to the pew. Nick motioned for his wife to go in first, but Lexi shook her head. “Let Gabe.”
Her husband looked perplexed. “I thought you’d want to sit by Michelle.”
“Oh, we can chat later.” Lexi lifted a hand in a dismissive wave. “It’s best I sit by the aisle in case Grace gets fussy.”
Gabe had been the focus of too many matchmaking efforts over the years not to recognize one. Which meant Michelle didn’t have a boyfriend. Although for the next six months his priority was settling into his new job and helping Finley acclimate to her new surroundings, he might make time for a date or two.
Acting as if it didn’t matter where he sat, Gabe slipped into the polished bench next to Michelle.
She turned from the older couple on her left. “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Hello.”
It wasn’t quite the enthusiastic greeting he’d expected.
“Good morning,” he said politely before shifting his attention to his basketball buddy. But Nick was talking with his wife in a low tone.
“I didn’t know you went to church here,” he heard Michelle say as the organ began to play.
“This is my first time.” Gabe reached for the hymnal at the same time as she did and their hands brushed. He felt an unexpected flash of heat.
If Michelle experienced the same sensation, she gave no indication. When they rose for the opening song, he ended up sharing the hymnal with her. He didn’t mind. But he caught her glancing around as if looking for an extra book.
His own singing voice was passable, but Michelle’s was, well, simply awful. He couldn’t decide if she was tone deaf or couldn’t read music. She appeared oblivious to how bad she was, singing loudly and with much enthusiasm.
Gabe cringed as she belted out the last note of the song in a higher pitch than everyone around her.
She closed the hymnal, smiled and sighed. “I love to sing.”
“I can see that,” he said diplomatically. In an attempt to ignore the enticing scent of her floral perfume, he fixed his gaze on the pastor.
The sermon was a variation of one he’d heard a thousand times but could never hear enough. The message revolved around good arising out of the trials experienced in life. It was his and Finley’s story. An eighteen-year-old kid propelled into being a parent when he was still a boy. Giving up a football scholarship and college to be a father. Shannon walking out of their lives when Finley was only two months old. The road certainly hadn’t been easy, but his life was so much richer for having Finley in it.
After making it through a Scripture reading by a woman with a lisp and sharing the hymnal with Michelle for several more off-key renderings, Gabe’s ears rang.
After the benediction, Nick turned to him. “While the kids are in Sunday school and youth group, a bunch of us go for breakfast at The Coffee Pot. Care to join us?”
Gabe understood the importance of the invitation. He knew that if he shied away, he might not be invited to join them again. Or if he was, another invitation might be a long time coming.
He glanced at Finley who was laughing with Addie. He didn’t need to ask if she’d changed her mind about staying for youth group. The smile on her face told him the answer.
“Sure. Thanks for asking.” Even though Gabe hadn’t had a lot of time to explore the town, Jackson wasn’t that big of a community. If he knew the approximate location of the destination, he should be able to find it easily. “Where’s the café located?”
“It’s downtown.” Lexi leaned around her husband and flashed Gabe a smile. “Not far, but parking can be a problem. Why don’t you leave your vehicle here and ride with Michelle?”
“Michelle?”
“Didn’t Nick tell you? She’s coming to breakfast, too.”
Michelle saw the startled look in Gabe’s eyes when he turned. And the Cheshire-cat smile on Lexi’s lips.
“What’s going on?” When the service ended, Mr. Calhoun, the older gentleman to Michelle’s left had started telling her a story and Michelle had missed Gabe and Nick’s conversation.
“Gabe is coming to breakfast with us this morning,” Lexi said in a pleased tone. “I told him he could ride with you, because parking can be an issue and you know where it is. You don’t mind, do you?”
The café was less than a mile away, easy to find with simple instructions. And parking? While Gabe might not be able to park in front of the restaurant, he’d for sure find a space within a block of the building. Lexi knew that as well as she did. The gleam in her eyes suddenly made sense. Her friend was playing matchmaker.
Yet Michelle could hardly accuse Lexi of that in front of everyone. And she didn’t want to make Gabe feel unwanted. It wasn’t that long ago that she’d been new in town.
“You’re welcome to ride with me.” Michelle kept her tone light. Just because she didn’t want to date the guy didn’t mean she couldn’t be sociable. “If you want to, that is.”
Gabe smiled and her heart fluttered.
During the drive to the café, Gabe asked a lot of questions about her, then listened as if he was really interested in her answers.
Michelle shared how she’d wanted to be a doctor for as long as she could remember, touched on the rigors of med school and residency. Even though she mentioned