Really nice?Not amazing?Not unforgettable?
That didn’t seem to be a resounding endorsement for the success of a date.
He likely shouldn’t feel so uncomfortably happy about that either, right?
But how could he not feel just a bit pleased because Steve might not be Esther’s forever guy?
And that’s what made him uncomfortable, because it wasn’t very best-friend supportive of him to wish for her date to go poorly.
It was just another one of the many new uneasy feelings Steve had brought to his life.
“We’re going to go bowling this Friday.Just the two of us.I mentioned that it was fine with me if Madison joined us, but he’d rather not involve her yet, which I guess I can agree is a good idea.”
“Sounds promising.”Sort of.Maybe?Why was the guy hesitant to let Esther and his daughter get close?Wasn’t he thinking about forever with Esther?Or was he still unsure about dating her?To Fred, that seemed ridiculous.What was there to not like about Esther?Not that he truly wanted Steve to like her.
And there was that guilty feeling again.
“Yeah.It is,” Esther agreed.“I’ve never dated anyone with a kid before, so it’s new territory.That’s three hearts to consider not just two.”
“I suppose that is different,” Fred muttered as he readjusted his guitar strap.He’d really rather not have to discuss her date much longer.He should have had a fourth Timbit.Then, he’d have been too late getting to the stage for conversation.
“Did you enjoy your movie?”she asked.
He nodded.“Nikki joined us.”
Esther’s eyebrows rose.“Oh, that’s nice.”
Fred shrugged.Having Nikki there had been nice, but not any nicer than having anyone else join them.Definitely not nicer than when Esther came to movie nights.“It was a great opportunity to get to know my future sister-in-law’s best friend.”
Esther clutched his arm.“Did Eddie and Ava get engaged?”Excitement fairly dripped from her words.
“Nah, but you know they will.”And that would leave just him and Brandon as the sole Bennett bachelors.He glanced at the monitor.The countdown timer had reached the one-minute mark, and he joined with the keyboard in playing the song that they would lead the worship time off with.
“Sit with me?”Esther asked quietly.
“If the seat’s not taken,” he agreed, which earned him a smile as she picked up her microphone and made sure that it was turned on.He liked sitting with Esther.It was where he often sat, but today, he’d rather sit on the front row with no one.
Help me, Lord.I don’t know how to navigate this mess in a way that honours You.
“Welcome to Hatfield Falls Christian Church,” his dad said from the podium.“We are delighted to have you here, whether you’re new to our family or a member of long standing.May the Lord be honoured in our worship today and bless us through it.As always, let’s begin with a word of prayer and then some singing.”
Four songs later, Fred still didn’t know how to handle the situation with Esther, but his heart felt lighter, and the love of God felt more real.He loved that about worship.It was as if the Lord drew closer the more he sang or strummed.He stepped down from the platform and picked up his mug and Bible.Then, he made his way to the back of the room just as Steve entered.
In Fred’s mind, a small voice said, “Step away.”
Is that You, Lord?
Was this his answer to his earlier prayer?Whether it was or not, he wasn’t going to sit with Esther and her boyfriend, even if there were a dozen vacant seats next to them – which there weren’t.
“Is this taken?”he asked one of the guys on the welcome team, who always sat along the back wall.
“Nope.It’s all yours if you want it.”
“Thanks.I’ll be right back.”He put his Bible on the chair and slipped out the door to find the washroom.Two cups of coffee may have been one too many, and he’d rather miss a bit of his dad’s intro rather than leave in the middle of the sermon.
He hadn’t always appreciated the preaching part of church.As a teen, he had found it all dreadfully boring.But now, as an adult who was settled into his life and yet didn’t have everything figured out, man, he craved a good sermon that spoke to his heart.And his dad was one of the best at crafting such a sermon.Maybe he should ask his dad what he should do about Esther.
“Hey,” Brandon said as he entered the washroom.“Sneaking out of service?”He grinned.
