In turn, Bryce shared stories about his time working at a missionary hospital—how he, too, had served in the same region.
They discovered they had even worked with some of the same people.
The hours slipped away, the weight of the past week forgotten in the easy conversation of two people who belonged to God.
Two people slowly, steadily, learning what it means to belong to each other.
Later, as Bryce rinsed his coffee cup and placed it in the dishwasher, Beth stood in the kitchen doorway, watching him.
He turned to her, hesitant, like he didn’t want to leave.
“Lizzy…” he started then stopped.
She raised a brow.
“Will you go out with me tomorrow?”
Beth frowned. “Out where?”
Bryce’s grin returned. “See? This is why I assumed you didn’t recognize when a guy was asking you out.”
She rolled her eyes.
Bryce took a step toward her. “Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?”
“A date?”
“Yes. An all-day date.”
Beth hesitated, then smiled sweetly. “Sure.”
Returning her smile, Bryce stepped closer.
Another step.
Beth’s breath hitched, but he didn’t touch her.
He leaned in and pressed the lightest kiss to her forehead, just above the swelling—gentle, careful, deliberate.
Then—he was gone.
Bryce checked the clock on his dashboard as he pulled out of Beth’s apartment complex.
Four-thirty. If I leave now, I should have plenty of time to get to Castle Rock before the outlet shops close.
Bryce stopped by his place just long enough to change clothes and grab the debit card for his second checking account—the one he used for bigger purchases. Instead of dealing with the inevitable gridlock on I-25, he took Highway 83 north, hoping the back roads would get him there faster.
He was a man on a mission.
Bryce knew exactly what he wanted. Before their trip to Vegas, while shopping for shoes at the outlet mall, he had wandered into a jewelry store. That’s when he saw it—the ringthat practically had Beth’s name written all over it. At the time, called himself every kind of idiot in the book for even thinking of her when he saw it. Now, he was saying a prayer of thanks that God had given him that insight.
Their marriage had started in chaos, but Bryce was determined to lay a stronger foundation. He wanted more than a reckless Vegas wedding. He wanted to give Beth—and their future—something real. He planned to spend the rest of his life doing just that.
CHAPTER 11
Hand over her heart, Beth let the kitchen counter support her weight as she tried to remember how to breathe. No one had ever made her feel the way Bryce did, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“Was that the good doctor I saw leaving the parking lot?” Kim asked, as she walked into the kitchen. One look at her friend had her face lighting up with excitement. “Wow! Judging by how swoony you look, I guess I have my answer.”
