“Have fun.” He grinned as he watched the elderly man practically skip to his car. Cecil inspired him to be a better man. For all the trials he had gone through in life, he’d never let them keep him down.
Lucas’s stomach jingled with nerves, or hunger, or a combination. He hadn’t eaten all day, and he stopped for a quick plate lunch at the grocery store’s deli. Sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck, he ate the meatball stew and green beans.
The queasiness in his stomach subsided, and he decided it had been more hunger than anxiousness. That made sense because he had no doubts about Serena. He loved her and she loved him. They’d taken the broken pieces of their past and forged it into a beautiful relationship built on love, trust, and forgiveness.
He opened the console and pulled out the small box. Light reflected off the lines of the diamond, and the stone glimmered brilliantly. His savings had taken a dip with the purchase, but he gained much satisfaction by spending his hard-earned money on Serena, especially when it would become a symbol of their lifetime commitment.
He couldn’t sit in the parking lot forever, but he didn’t want to go home to Beau’s and sit in an empty house. He couldn’t wait to start working next week. The added two-week delay in beginning his training drove him crazy, although it was a blessing in ways as it gave him the freedom to take care of the house purchase.
Putting the truck in reverse, he decided to visit his mom. He gave her a call to see if she was home, but she had gone to a friend’s house for a book club. So much for that. He turned around and went to the grocery store again. He might as well pick up groceries since he had nothing else pressing to do, and, as an act of gratitude, he covered all the food expenses for Beau while living in his house. He still wished Beau would let him pay rent, but food was all he’d agree to and that took a lot of convincing.
He ambled through the aisles, making sure he included healthier options for quick meals. The lack of required PT could make the pounds add up if he wasn’t careful. He had joined a gym, but he found it no substitute for the workouts he’d become accustomed to.
An old friend was ahead of him in the checkout line, one he hadn’t seen in almost a decade. They caught up with each other and moved the conversation outside after they’d both paid for their groceries.
“I heard you were in the army,” John, the friend, said.
“Thirteen years, and then decided I was done. My family needed me.” He didn’t bother explaining why. That was more detailed than a casual conversation allowed.
“I hit eleven in the Marine Corps, until an injury messed up my knee.”
Only then, did Lucas register that John carried a slight limp. “Line of duty?”
John nodded. “I was one of the lucky ones.”
Lucas understood all too well. “I’m glad you made it back.”
They both had groceries that needed to get home and they rounded out the conversation, but not before exchanging numbers. Lucas saw God’s provision in the last-minute decision to grocery shop.
His brothers were his best friends, and he loved Serena, but he needed a local friend who understood how combat could affect a man. John knew, and Lucas looked forward to reconnecting that friendship.
As he was putting the groceries away, his phone rang.
He answered the call from Serena and heard her crying. Fear clawed at his heart. “What’s wrong?”
“Pawpaw just came by and told me the house sold.” She paused to sniffle. “The new owner won’t move in for another thirty days, but I never expected it to sell so soon. I knew it would hurt, but it’s hitting me hard.”
“Are you home?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be right there.” He put the last of the meat in the freezer and left the nonperishables for later.
“You don’t have to come over. I just needed to talk.”
When she could barely get her words out through the tears—tears in part caused by him—yes, he did. Her reaction was more severe than he’d anticipated, and he wouldn’t let her suffer any longer than necessary. The grand plans for tonight were squashed, and he’d think of a plan B on the way. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
She whispered a wobbly okay before hanging up.
Lucas rushed out the door, unable to bear the thought of her upset at his doing, even if he had the best of intentions behind it. He passed by the school, lamenting Cecily wouldn’t be there when he made the announcement, but some things couldn’t be helped.
He passed a sheriff’s deputy on the way and cringed when the blue lights came on. Had he been speeding? But he’d just been at a stop sign. How fast could he possibly have been going? Under normal circumstances he was a rule follower, but he hadn’t been paying close attention to his speed. He muttered under his breath as he pulled over and turned on his hazards. Leaning over, he pulled his registration from the glovebox then slid his license from his wallet. He rolled down the window when the sheriff’s deputy approached.
“Are you aware that you have a break light out?”
“No, sir.”
“Your rear passenger side.” The deputy held out a hand. “License and registration please.”
