Where had that come from? Since when had Lucas been a source of strength? Yet, despite his initial boorish behavior, he’d been a perfect gentleman and dare she say…friend. As long as she didn’t think about the custody issue and the possibility of Cecily being hundreds of miles away from her at any given time, she enjoyed being around him.
She’d forgotten how his smile could light up a room and his laughter fill her heart with joy. They bantered back and forth like old times. Except it wasn’t old times, and she’d do well to remember that.
“Earth to Mom.” Cecily grinned at her. “I’ll be late for Sunday School if we don’t get going.”
“Sunday School?”
“Yeah. You don’t think Pawpaw and I sit through a three-hour service every Sunday, do you?”
She let go of the breath she’d held. She knew that but hadn’t thought about the fact she’d have to attend. “Why don’t I wait here, and I’ll come in for the service.”
“Mom,” Cecily drawled out. “Since when are you a chicken?”
“Fine,” she said, imitating the pouting tone Cecily sometimes gave her, then smiled so Cecily would know she was joking. “I can do this.”
“Yes, you can.” With one hand on the door, Cecily pointed ahead with her other. “There’s Dad. He’s walking this way.”
Good, she wouldn’t have to walk into an adult class on her own. She grabbed her purse, which she’d slipped her Bible into, and met Lucas halfway. Cecily had already greeted him with a hug and ran inside.
He looked good in a pair of tan pants and a baby blue button-down shirt. His hair had grown out from the military cut and stubble covered his jaw. An air of confidence surrounded him, one she envied. She was forever self-conscious and doubting herself.
“I don’t know where I’m supposed to go.” She peered ahead, and while not a huge church, it was large enough to intimidate someone who hadn’t been in years.
“You can come with me to the adult singles class. It’s co-ed, but they also have one for men and one for women.”
“I’ll stick with you, if you can tolerate me for an hourish.” She resisted the urge to run. She’d come this far and would see it through.
His grin put her at ease. “It’ll be tough, but I think I can.”
“Did you see Pawpaw?”
He nodded. “He passed through a few minutes ago.”
“I think he has a date after church, but he won’t admit it.”
“Good for him.” Lucas touched the small of her back ever so slightly as they walked toward the building. “Speaking of after church, do you have plans?”
She couldn’t concentrate through the feel of his fingers grazing her back. “No.”
“Mom invited you and Cecily to join us for Sunday dinner.” His voice held a sliver of unsteadiness, hinting at nervousness. “The family really wants to meet Cecily, but I understand if you’re not ready.”
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” He stopped walking and looked at her. “At first, I thought my life had been turned upside down this last week, but now I realize it’s been righted up for the first time in years.” His gaze drifted briefly toward the church. “I’ve been angry for a long time and strayed from God, but I can only give Him the credit for how I am now. I’ve come to terms with what happened, and while I’ll never stop wishing I’d been there for all of Cecily’s life, I’m thankful I have her now.”
“Even when your leave ends?” She inwardly groaned and kicked herself. This wasn’t the time to bring that up.
“We’ll talk about that later.” His expression gave no indication of what he had to say on the matter, and he continued walking.
She tried her best not to think about it. “What’s it like in there?”
“It seemed laidback when I came last week, but everything they taught was biblical from what I know.”
“Cecily loves it here, so does Pawpaw.”
“I can see why.” He opened one of the double doors for her. “Every time I changed posts, I’d try out a new church with the intention of getting involved. It never happened, but I did try a few that I knew I’d never want to attend again.”
She looked around the large foyer. “Where do we go?”
