15

For us to move forward, it has to be your decision. Please don’t take too long to make it…

Two weeks later, Jonathan’s words still rang in her ears. She hadn’t seen or talked to him since that night.

After he’d left, she had found the slip of paper with his phone number written on it that he’d left on the table next to her purse. More than once, she’d been tempted to call him and invite him to dinner. However, each and every time she’d picked up the phone, she would get cold feet. Now she wondered if she’d made a mistake by letting two weeks go by without getting in touch with him.

She was ready to accept that it no longer mattered that he’d once been her boss. He wasn’t her boss now and during the time he had been, neither of them had done anything inappropriate. There was nothing to feel guilty about. The fact that she’d considered him luscious eye candy during that time didn’t count.

What was more important to her was that he hadn’t seemed to notice her as a woman, a real woman, until the night of Senator Jordan’s party. That’s when his professional blinders had been taken off and he’d seen her in a whole new light.

She’d even mentioned her misgivings about Jonathan to Barbara and like Traci, her friend and mentor had told her she was worrying for nothing. Barbara liked Jonathan and she didn’t see anything wrong with the two of them dating if they chose to. As far as Barbara was concerned, it wasn’t anyone’s business but theirs.

But Marilyn knew why it had taken her so long to make her decision. It was because she could envision the big picture, a future, when it came to Jonathan Madaris. In that scenario, she knew she could fall hard for him. But if that was to happen, how would she handle it if he ended up breaking her heart, the same way her brothers routinely broke the hearts of the women they dated? The same way Kenneth George had broken Traci’s heart? That was something Marilyn hadn’t wanted to risk.

But her biggest concerns weren’t about Jonathan--they were about her. What if she wasn’t capable of keeping someone like him interested? How was a woman with so little experience with men supposed to handle a man like Jonathan? Especially with her old-fashioned views about sex? It could very well be a moot point now, since she hadn’t followed up with him.

There was a chance he’d taken her silence as an I-don’t-want-to-be-involved-with-you decision and had moved on. If that had happened, she’d find out when she called him later today. And if he had moved on, it was nobody’s fault but her own.

She was reaching for her church gloves on her dresser when she heard the knock on her bedroom door. She turned and smiled. “Come in.”

“Goddie, do I look pretty today?”

She couldn’t help but smile down at her goddaughter. The child had rushed into the bedroom wearing a pretty pink dress, matching socks and the cutest bow in her hair. Marilyn laughed as the three-year-old twirled around to make sure her godmother saw all of her dress.

Traci and Erika had surprised her by driving in from San Antonio yesterday. Traci claimed Marilyn had sounded down in the dumps last week and figured she had needed cheering up. Marilyn had been glad to see them and thought their timing was perfect. Their presence had helped to take her mind off Jonathan. “Yes, Erika, you most certainly do look pretty today. But I think you look pretty every day.”

“But you don’t see me every day, Goddie.”

Marilyn chuckled. “I don’t need to. I know you’re the prettiest little girl in Texas.”

“If you keep telling her that, Marilyn, she’s going to grow up conceited,” Traci said, laughing as she entered the bedroom.

“No, she will grow up possessing confidence in herself,” Marilyn said, grabbing her purse. “The two of you picked a great weekend to visit. We’re having Family and Friends Day at church and I hadn’t invited anyone.”

Traci gave her a pointed look. “You could have invited Jonathan Madaris.”

Marilyn didn’t say anything. Traci was right, she could have invited him. In fact, that could have been a good excuse to call him. “Well, I didn’t.”

As they walked out the door, Traci said, “One day you’re going to wish you had.”

Marilyn had news for Traci. She was wishing it already.

* * * *

“Do you how long it’s been since I went to church, Jon?”

Jonathan grinned over at Roman as they got out of his car. “Let me guess. It was Easter Sunday about twenty years ago.”

“Funny. No, it was that last time you talked me into going home with you one weekend when we were in college. We’d gone out on the town Saturday night and had a good time. Hell, I remember sleeping with two women that night. But the next day, at the crack of dawn, your mama made us get up and go to church, even with bloodshot eyes.”

Jonathan laughed, remembering. “Going to church that Sunday did your soul some good, Roman. Haven’t you ever read about gluttony?”

Roman’s grunt gave Jonathan his answer. “Besides, this is what you get for showing up unexpectedly on my doorstep after midnight,” Jonathan added, sliding his car keys into the pocket of his jacket. “You must have been pretty desperate to drive all the way to Houston to sniff after some woman.”

Roman chuckled. “Hey, I did more than sniff, believe me. That’s why I should be in bed somewhere sleeping off exhaustion instead of being here.”

“Stop whining.”

“I’m not whining. Besides you’re the desperate one, showing up at church just to score brownie points with a woman.”

“Whatever it takes,” Jonathan said, as they walked across the parking lot toward the church. And he meant it. Marilyn was avoiding him. It had been two weeks and if she thought he intended to give up without a fight, she’d find out that wasn’t the way he worked. When he wanted something, he found a way to get it. Period.

He’d been trying to come up with an excuse to call her, even thinking about taking back his words about her making the next move. Then he’d been lucky enough to run into the Newmans, the couple he’d met at the roller skating rink. They’d come into the dry cleaners that his brother, Lee’s in-laws owned. Jonathan had been there picking up his weekly laundry. The couple had been as friendly as ever and asked if they would see him on Sunday at their church’s Family and Friends Day celebration. Obviously, they figured Marilyn had invited him. They’d assumed wrong, but it had put an idea in his head.

Once inside, they were greeted by a smiling woman in her late sixties who was acting as an usher. “Welcome to Good Shepherd. What family are you sitting with on this Family and Friends Day?”

He returned the woman’s smile. “Marilyn Bannister.”

The woman’s smile widened. “Please follow me. Miss Bannister arrived just moments ago. Morning service will start in two minutes and Pastor Lassiter always starts on time.”

“Let’s hope he ends on time,” Roman muttered under his breath. Jonathan heard him and shot his friend a warning look.

They followed the woman down the aisle and Jonathan noticed the church was packed. The choir members were in their robes and getting into position in the stands. The sanctuary was a lot bigger than the one in his mother’s church. Unlike Roman, Jonathan attended church service on a regular basis whenever he spent the weekends at Whispering Pines. No matter how old he or his brothers were, if they spent the night under Felicia Laverne Madaris’ roof on a Saturday night, they went to church on Sunday morning.

The woman stopped at a pew and moved aside, allowing him and Roman to go in. That’s when he saw Marilyn. She was standing there, wearing a beautiful green dress. As if she felt someone staring at her, she turned and saw him. Her mouth dropped open at the same time surprise lit the beautiful gray eyes peeking out from beneath a fancy wide brim hat.

Jonathan motioned for Roman to go in first, so that he’d be assured the seat next to her. He heard Roman’s grunt of annoyance as he moved past Marilyn to sit beside a woman and her little girl. With that deliberate strategy taken care of, Jonathan slid into the spot beside Marilyn, the woman he’d spent the last two weeks thinking about. The woman he could still taste. The woman he knew he loved.

Once seated, he leaned in close and whispered, “Hello, Marilyn.”

* * * *

Marilyn finally closed her mouth, but only after Traci leaned over and told her to. She blinked twice, stunned. Jonathan was here. Why? She was about to ask but stopped when she realized the service was about to begin. All she could do was give him a nod of acknowledgement.

And who was the man with him? The one who was sitting on the far side of Traci and Erika, wearing an expression that said he’d prefer to be anywhere else? Was it one of Jonathan’s brothers? She didn’t notice any similarities between the two men, other than they were both tall, dark and handsome.

The choir began singing and everyone was directed to stand. She fought the urge to glance over at Jonathan. Once they were seated again, the leg of his trousers brushed against her thigh and she nearly moaned. And then he did something totally unexpected--he reached out and took her hand in his. Feeling her hand enfolded in the warmth of his did something to her. At that moment, her heart began to ache for things she never thought she wanted…until now.

Traci’s gentle but deliberate jab with her elbow to Marilyn’s side let her know the hand holding hadn’t gone unnoticed. Jonathan released her hand when they had to stand again to sing a hymn. He had taken the book out the hymn rack and opened it to the designated page so they could share it. Marilyn took a quick glance over at Traci. Her friend had obviously taken pity on the guy who’d come with Jonathan--he was flipping through the hymn book as if it was a deck of cards--and had ended up sharing hers with him.

Marilyn fought back a smile when Traci rolled her eyes as if to say, Can you believe this guy?

When it was time to sit down, Jonathan reclaimed her hand. It was ironic that the pastor’s message that day was about blessings, and how people often didn’t recognize them, so they’d lose out on the good things that were meant for them.

She listened attentively to the sermon while Jonathan held her hand. She thought about all the good things that had happened to her since meeting him. First, there was her job as math coach at Cullers. Then, he’d taken care of her problem in getting to school each day. Robin was a godsend in more ways than one. The more she got to know Robin, the more she liked her. Marilyn was happy that Jonathan was looking out for his friend’s widow in all the ways Robin had shared with her. It was obvious Robin was a proud person and wouldn’t accept help directly from Jonathan or anyone else. She needed to believe she was adding to her household income on her own. Jonathan’s idea had pretty much solved not only Robin’s problem, but her own.

Then, last but not least, Marilyn had to admit that she enjoyed Jonathan’s company. She discovered he had quite an intellectual mind, but he never talked down to her. Quite often, he would ask her opinion about something and let her know he appreciated it when she gave it. Although she hadn’t dated in college, she’d had roommates who had. From overhearing some of their conversations, she’d learned that some men saw women as nothing but possessions. Jonathan, on the other hand, seemed to see her as his equal.

After church service, Jonathan introduced her to the man who’d accompanied him--his best friend, Roman Malone. Marilyn introduced the two men to Traci and Erika.

When Jonathan suggested they go somewhere for dinner, Roman readily agreed, obviously surprising Jonathan, from his expression. Then Roman proceeded to surprise them both when he asked Traci if he could ride over to the restaurant with her and Erika. That left Marilyn to ride with Jonathan.

“You look nice today, Marilyn,” Jonathan said as they walked over to where his car was parked.

“Thanks. You look rather handsome yourself, Jonathan.” And he did. But then, there hadn’t ever been a time he hadn’t looked good in whatever he was wearing, whether it was a business suit or a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

“Thanks. The church service was nice.”

“Yes. Every time I come, I always seem to hear exactly the right message. How did you find out we were having Family and Friends Day today?”

“The Newmans,” he said, opening the car door for her. “I ran into them at the dry cleaners last week. They assumed I already knew about it.”

“I’m glad you came today. I’m sorry I didn’t invite you, Jonathan.”

“Are you?”

She had slid into the car seat and he stood with the door open, looking down at her.

“Yes.”

He didn’t say anything for a second, before finally closing the door. Then, he walked around the front of the car to get in on the driver’s side. After starting the ignition, he glanced in the rearview mirror. “Your friend Traci is behind us, waiting for me to lead the way. I hope she doesn’t mind Roman riding with her and her little girl. He put her in an awkward position by inviting himself like that.”

Marilyn nodded. “Trust me. If Traci hadn’t wanted him there, he wouldn’t be in her car. She’s direct, when it comes to men. I think the reason she went along with him is because she understood his ploy and backed it. You already know she thinks I’m crazy for having any misgivings about dating you.”

He nodded as he left the church’s parking lot. He stopped to let another driver out and glanced over at her. “Have you made a decision yet, Marilyn? Or are you still having those misgivings?”

She looked over at him, took a deep breath and then said, “I’ve made a decision, Jonathan, but there’s something I need to know.”

“What?”

“What does it mean to date you? I guess I’m asking, what do you expect of me?”