“I can’t believe you married Zeke!”

Cecily recognized the phone number and the voice as belonging to Vivian Harper of Faith and Fabulousness, one of her former guests. She chuckled at the enthusiasm in Vivian’s voice. “I just sent out the invitation. Are you on email every moment of the day?”

“Don’t you start. I get enough from Jeff about always being on my phone. But seriously! I can’t believe you’re married. That must have happened quickly!”

“Almost two weeks ago. It was really quick.” Cecily was smiling as she sat at her dining room table with her laptop, alone in her apartment and wearing her pajamas.

“So how did it happen? When we were there this summer, I might have seen a few looks between you and Zeke, but you both were clutching your internal No Trespassing signs pretty tightly.”

Cecily laughed again at the analogy. “We’ve only been together for a few months. We had one month of trying it out, and then we dated for real for a month. Then we were engaged, and I was starting to plan the wedding and…” She paused self-consciously before she admitted, “Planning a wedding takes time, and we just didn’t want to wait that long. We’re both in our late thirties, and we know what we want. There’s no reason for a long engagement.”

She didn’t add it out loud, but one of the main reasons they’d decided to move the wedding up was she and Zeke hadn’t been sure how much longer they were going to be able to wait before they had sex. It had been getting harder and harder for them to say good night every evening.

Vivian didn’t need to know that however.

Cecily continued, “So we got married the next week. It was really small—just my sister and her husband and a few friends from church on the fishing pier here at sunrise. And so we’re having the big reception next month and inviting everyone to that. You and Jeff really don’t have to come all this way.”

“Oh, we’re definitely coming! You couldn’t keep me away,” Vivian added in a stage whisper. “Are you going to get Zeke into a suit?”

Cecily giggled. “That hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Well, Jeff and I are coming either way. I just had to call and congratulate you. I’m really happy for you both.”

“Thank you. We’re pretty happy too.” She glanced over when the front door to the apartment opened and Zeke came in, his purple T-shirt soaked with sweat and his hair and beard damp with it. She felt a familiar little shiver of pleasure at his appearance as she said goodbye to Vivian.

Her husband, in all his sweatiness and ugly clothes.

She still couldn’t really believe it was true.

His eyes went hot as they ran up and down her body. She wasn’t dressed in anything sexy—just a camisole and cotton pajama pants. But Zeke clearly liked what he saw.

As he strode over intentionally, she stood up and put her hands out to stop him. “No way! I just took a shower. You’re not going to touch me when you’re all sweaty like that.”

He scowled at her as only Zeke could. “But the other day you seemed to like—”

“That was the other day,” she interrupted, giggling slightly as she slipped away from his reach. “I’m nice and clean now. No touching until you’re clean too.”

He gave an exaggerated sigh as he wiped his face with the bottom of his shirt, baring his very fine flat abs and a trail of dark hair leading down under his waistband. “Fine. Who was that on the phone?”

“Vivian. I just sent out the email invitations, and she got it and just wanted to congratulate us. She and Jeff are going to come to the reception.”

“Good,” he grunted. “I guess there will be a lot of people.”

“Probably. I didn’t realize how many until we put the list together, although I’m sure a lot of them won’t come.” She studied his face carefully. “It’s okay that it’s big, isn’t it?”

“Of course. Big parties are never going to be my thing, but I’ll get through it. Tons of people love you. They’ll want to come celebrate.”

Her eyes were soft on this face. He’d come so far in just a few months, and he was trying so hard to not be so isolated. It wasn’t easy for him, and he was never going to be a big people-person, but he’d come out of his cave more than she’d ever imagined he would. “A lot of them will be there for you too.”

“Maybe a few,” he admitted gruffly, his eyes glinting warmly for just a moment, belying his tone.

She chuckled, feeling very fond, but she held up her hands again when he reached out for her. “Shower first.” She pointed him toward the bathroom. “I’ll look for something for dinner.”

He grumbled loudly as he disappeared into the bathroom, but she suspected he wasn’t unhappy.

She searched through the pantry as she heard the shower going, vaguely hoping something easy and delicious would miraculously appear on one of the shelves.

She was settling on pasta—since they had some fresh vegetables and chicken in the refrigerator—when she heard Zeke come out of the bathroom.

Surprised he was emerging so quickly, she turned her head, her eyes widening when she saw he was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. “Aren’t you going to put on any clothes?”

“No.” He was in the kitchen now, advancing on her.

“Okay. Whatever. I was thinking about pasta for—” She squealed when he grabbed her, turned her around so she was trapped against the counter, and kissed her hard and deep.

Panting when he finally pulled away, she said, “Zeke, what are you—”

“You said I could touch you when I took a shower.”

“Yes, but what about dinner?”

“Dinner can wait. Sex first. Then dinner.” His eyes were like blue flames, making her hot and breathless.

She felt pleasure and excitement clench between her legs. “Okay. I guess that’s a reasonable comprom—”

She couldn’t finish the sentence because Zeke was kissing her again. Then he was cupping her bottom and lifting her up so her legs could wrap around his waist and he could carry her out of the kitchen.

He carried her into their bedroom and laid her down on the bed, dropping his towel on the floor and moving on top of her, his expression hot and intense and deep and loving and nakedly excited.

She was sure she would have enjoyed sex with Zeke—just because she loved him—but for the past two weeks, he’d seemed to make a special effort with her, spending a long time on foreplay, making sure she really enjoyed it. Tonight though, he seemed more urgent and impatient as he kissed and caressed her, and she had to admit she liked him that way.

She felt the same way too. Like she just couldn’t wait to feel him inside her, like it was the most important thing in the world. She gasped and arched and clutched at him eagerly until he was finally moving inside her. Her world had narrowed down to the weight of his body, the heat of his skin, the roughness of his beard, the deep emotion in his eyes, the hardness of him inside her.

He kept kissing her clumsily, muttering how much he loved her, even as he took her hard and fast. She moved with him, wanting it just as much as he did. And it wasn’t long before pleasure was breaking inside her and she was crying out from the power of it. He came right after her, as if he simply couldn’t hold it back, and they held on to each other as they came down, panting and sated.

She smiled up at him when he finally lifted his head. Their bodies were still tangled together. “Well, that was… something.”

His eyes searched her face as if he were reassuring himself that she’d enjoyed it. Evidently seeing what he’d wanted to see, he smiled back at her. “Something is one way to put it.”

She stroked his bare back. “I’ve got to admit it, it’s nice to be able to do that now.”

“Damn right.”

She was smiling like an idiot, but she just couldn’t help it. “So are you ready for dinner yet?”

“Soon. I’m not sure I’m ready to move yet.” He pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

“You’re looking kind of sappy, you know. Are you going to say anything romantic?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You have a great ass.”

She burst into laughter and pulled him down into another kiss. “I love you, you big caveman.”

“Good. I love you too.”

They stayed in bed for a few more minutes, but both of them were hungry, so Cecily washed up and put back on her pajamas. Zeke pulled on a pair of sweats, and they went to make pasta and chicken together.

They talked about plans for their wedding reception. Then they talked about future plans for the center.

And it was sweet—so sweet—that she could plan a future with him. That God’s grace extended beyond salvation, that it offered daily joys, giving strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. That love and faith and work and community could coexist this way, making up a life here where she’d always wanted to be.

At Balm in Gilead.

***

This is the last book in the Willow Park/Balm in Gilead sequence. If you haven’t yet read them, the Willow Park series begins with about Jessica and Daniel Duncan.

 

My next book is Christmas with a Prince, which will be coming out in November. You can find an excerpt from it on the following pages.

 

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