Texas Weddings 3 & 4

  And she felt a bit like a teenager right now, as well. A date? How did she feel about that? Shauna bit her lip nervously. Should she call him back? Would that be inappropriate? After only a moment’s pause for reflection, she picked up the phone to return Kent Chapman’s call.

  nine

  “How do I look?” Kent asked, turning for inspection.

  “Handsome, as always,” his mother responded with a smile. “Would you expect me to say anything else?”

  He shrugged then fumbled to straighten his tie. “Do you think it’s too much? We’re just going out to dinner.”

  “You look fine, Kenny,” she insisted.

  “Mom, don’t call me. . .” He hesitated before finishing the sentence. After so many years on the job, she should be free to call him whatever she liked.

  “I know, Kent,” she said, emphasizing his name. “But sometimes I forget, that’s all.”

  “Nana!” Charity said, tugging at her grandmother’s skirt. “Watch TV.”

  “Yes, darling.” She swept the youngster up into her arms. “As soon as Daddy goes, we’ll watch a video together. Now give him a good-bye kiss.”

  Kent reached over to embrace his daughter. Spoiled or not, she remained his jewel. For a brief moment, he felt sure he saw Faith in her twinkling eyes.

  His mother gave Charity a gentle kiss on the cheek. “I picked up a little gift for our girl yesterday. . .” She reached into a bag and came out with a baby doll. “She’s so pretty. See?” She straightened the doll’s skirt before placing her into the youngster’s waiting arms.

  “You’re going to spoil her,” Kent warned, though he knew his words fell on deaf ears.

  “Pshaw!”

  “See you no later than ten,” he said.

  His mother signaled for Charity. “Tell Daddy good-bye, honey,” she instructed.

  Charity managed a joyous “Bye-bye” before turning her attentions toward the television.

  Kent planted a kiss on his beautiful daughter’s cheek. “Bye, baby.” He turned to his mother and mouthed the words, “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Oh, pooh!” she answered. “I love watching her. You know that. Besides, we’ve wanted to get you married off for quite some time now.”

  “Mom, don’t. . .”

  “Get on out of here,” she said with a grin. “And have a good evening. Don’t give us a second thought.”

  ***

  Shauna slipped on the blue floral dress and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. “What do you think, Mom?”

  Her mother nodded her approval. “Nice, babe. But you still haven’t told me anything about your young man.”

  “He’s not my young man,” Shauna said nervously, pulling the dress off and reaching for a brown skirt. “He’s just someone I met at the computer store.”

  “Is he nice looking?”

  “You’ll find out for yourself soon enough,” she said, slipping into the skirt. “He’ll be here any minute.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Kent Chapman.”

  “What does he do for a living?”

  Shauna paused only slightly as she zipped up the skirt. “He’s a pastor.”

  “A pastor? Really.” Her mother’s eyes widened with amazement. “That would explain last Sunday.”

  “Yes, but please don’t say anything.” Shauna reached for a beige blouse. “At least not yet. I barely know him.”

  “You must want to get to know him,” her mother said with a smile, “or you wouldn’t be so worried about what you’re wearing.”

  Shauna hurried to button up her blouse. “I’m not worried, Mom.”

  “Really? Then why have you buttoned your blouse like that?”

  Shauna looked down, horrified to find the buttons and buttonholes mismatched. “Good grief.” As she fumbled to straighten out the mess, she could sense her mother’s gaze. “Just say it, Mom”

  “Say what?”

  “You’re wondering about Joey. You’re thinking I have no right to be going out with someone I barely know when Joey is supposed to be my boyfriend.”

  “Actually, I wasn’t thinking that at all,” her mother said. “And I’ve never even met Joey, remember? I’m just an incurable romantic, and I want the best for you. This fella could very well be the one.”

  “You? An incurable romantic?” Shauna laughed in spite of herself.

  “Yes,” her mother said, her expression serious. “Whether you want to believe it or not. Now tell me more about this pastor. How old is he?”

  “I don’t know. Late twenties, probably.”

  “Wow. That’s young for a pastor. What does he look like?”

  For some reason, all Shauna could see were his dancing green eyes. She felt her lips curl up in a satisfied grin. “Very nice looking. But you’ll find that out for yourself any minute now. He should be here soon.” Shauna glanced in the mirror and groaned. “Could you hand me the hairbrush? My hair looks ridiculous.”

  “You look great.” Her mother smiled as she reached to offer her assistance.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  The doorbell rang suddenly, startling Shauna. “Oh, dear.” She gave herself one last glance in the mirror. “My hair looks terrible. I wanted to put it up.”

  “It looks better down,” her mother assured her. “Now, do you want to get the door, or should I?”

  “Um. I don’t know,” she said nervously. “I don’t want to look too anxious. Why don’t you get it?”

  Just then her father’s booming voice rang out, “Shauna, your young man is here.”

  She groaned loudly. “Great. Daddy got to him first.” She knew how intimidating her father could be. A retired navy captain, he was quite large in stature and had a deep, booming voice. He was a teddy bear at heart, but people who didn’t know him well often misunderstood his sense of humor. Shauna was halfway to the living room when she heard her father’s voice ring out again.

  “Come in here, young fella,” he said sternly. “Nothing to be afraid of. We won’t bite.”

  Shauna flinched, trying to imagine what Kent must be thinking. She rounded the corner, nearly bumping into him. “Oh. So sorry,” she said, glancing up. He looked incredible in his dark gray button-up shirt and black slacks. She couldn’t help but notice the subtle but intoxicating scent of cologne.

  “You look really nice, Shauna,” Kent said, his gaze resting on her hair.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled, embarrassed. “I, uh, I’d like to introduce you to my mother and father—Max and Gloria Alexander. Mom, Dad. . .this is Kent Chapman.”

  Her father extended his hand, grasping Kent’s tightly. From the pained expression on Kent’s face, perhaps a bit too tightly.

  “Glad to meet you, son,” her father said, slapping him on the back. “Any friend of Shauna’s is a friend of ours.”

  “Shauna tells us you’re a pastor,” her mother said, looking at him curiously. “If you don’t mind my asking. . .”

  Shauna grimaced. Oh, please don’t give him the third degree, Mother.

  “I was just wondering what prompted you to go into the ministry.”

  Kent quickly shared the story, and she seemed more than satisfied with his explanation. “Sounds like a big job for someone so young, but you have a lot of passion.”

  “Thank you. Sometimes I think I have too much passion—but the need is so great.”

  “You’re sure right about that,” Shauna’s father threw in. “I’m proud of you, young man. But what’s the name of your church? Maybe I’ve heard of it.”

  “Grace Community Church. We’re not too far from downtown, just east of I-45.”

  “Why, Grace Community!” Shauna’s mother said with a smile. “Isn’t that the church I hear so much about—the one that’s always doing those big outreaches in the community—giving away food and all of that?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Probably, anyway. There are so many churches in the Houston area reaching out to the community. We’re just one of them.
But happy to be serving so near the heart of the city. It’s certainly worth the drive.”

  Shauna watched him carefully as he spoke. She couldn’t help but notice the gleam in his eyes as he talked about the church. Clearly, he loved his job.

  “Well,” she said, glancing at her watch, “we’re going to have to get going.” She reached up and gave her mother a peck on the cheek.

  “Don’t stay out too late, you two,” her father said sternly.

  “He’s kidding,” Shauna whispered to Kent as they made their way out the door.

  “I know,” he whispered back. “But I like it. I think he’s great.”

  She smiled, as she pondered his comments. What a good heart he had. Why couldn’t Joey be more like this? Why couldn’t he. . .

  No. I won’t think about him tonight. Tonight, Joey doesn’t exist. And even if he did exist, he couldn’t begin to measure up to what’s standing directly in front of me.

  ten

  Shauna smiled at Kent as he pulled the door of the restaurant open. From inside, the aroma of garlic and spice greeted her.

  “I love Italian food,” she said with a grin.

  “I know.”

  “How did you know?” She stared at him curiously.

  “I had your computer, remember?” he said with a smile. “I learned a few things about you. Macaroni Grill is your favorite restaurant, right?”

  “Okay, stop right there,” she said, putting her hand up to squelch any further conversation on the matter. “I don’t want to know anything else you might have read on my computer.”

  “I’m just kidding,” he said with a grin. “I asked your dad where I should take you, and he suggested Italian food. Said you had loved it since you were a little girl.”

  “You talked to my dad? When?”

  “I called him this morning from the church. He’s a great guy. Shared all sorts of information about you and told me a little about himself, as well. He has quite a past.”

  “Yes he does.” Shauna smiled up into Kent’s kind eyes before finally speaking her mind. “Are you always this nice?”

  “I try hard not to be. It’s bad for my image, you know.” He laughed, and she joined him.

  Together, the pair made their way up to the hostess. “Two for non-smoking,” Kent said.

  The hostess grabbed her pen. “Name please.”

  “Chapman.”

  “It’s going to be about a fifteen-minute wait.” Her curt voice had an edge of exhaustion to it. Shauna wondered how Kent would respond.

  “That’s fine,” he said with no stress to be noted in his voice, “Take your time. We’re in no hurry.”

  Shauna looked around for a place to sit. “Looks like we might have to wait outside,” she said. “I think I saw some benches out front.” Her heart skipped a beat as Kent opened the door and waited for her to step through. He’s such a gentleman. She smiled in his direction as they approached the bench together. He waited until she was seated before sitting.

  “So,” he said taking a spot alongside her, “how long have you lived in Houston?”

  “All my life,” she said, “I don’t have much to compare it to—except College Station. Remember, I went to school at A&M.”

  “I’ve been there several times. I’ve spoken at several campus rallies there. In fact, I helped start a student-based outreach ministry at A&M about eight years ago.”

  “You mean the Ambassadors program?” Shauna asked, amazed. He nodded his response.

  “I was secretary of The Ambassadors my senior year.” She stared at him in amazement. “Come to think of it, I remember reading a booklet about how the group got its start. . .‘Ambassadors for Christ.’ Did you, I mean—don’t tell me you’re the guy who wrote that pamphlet.”

  “I’m the guy,” he said with a grin. “But I don’t advertise it. I’m not much of a writer, remember.”

  “I loved it,” Shauna argued. “And it really motivated me to want to do more to reach people with the gospel on campus.

  “I’m glad. That was the idea, really. I had a lot of zeal back in those days. After some really rough years in high school, I’d finally gotten my act together and turned back to the Lord. I took the Great Commission very seriously. Still do.”

  “Wow.” Shauna sat in stunned silence for a moment. I tried to get Joey to join us for some outreaches, but he said he didn’t have time. He never had time. . .

  Shauna looked up as she heard children’s voices. Off in the distance, a youngster, probably four or five, swung on a wrought-iron railing near the restaurant door.

  “Some people just let their kids do anything and get away with it,” she said, pointing. “Do you see that?”

  “Yeah. He’s a cute kid.”

  “Yes, but do you see what he’s doing? He could get hurt. And look at his mother—just standing there, ignoring him. Doing nothing. I tell you, nothing frustrates me more than parents who won’t control their children.”

  Kent’s lips tightened before he spoke. When he did, his words surprised her. “Being a parent isn’t easy. Before my daughter was born, I felt the same way you do now. But, I’m telling you, it’s pretty nearly impossible to keep up with a toddler. I, uh, I have a daughter you know. Not sure if you caught that on Sunday. I think she was in the nursery.”

  “What?” Shauna tried to make sense of his shocking comment, but found herself too stunned to comprehend clearly. “I don’t understand. Are you divorced?” Her mind reeled. He can’t be divorced. He’s a pastor. On the other hand, he did say he had a past. I can’t assume.

  “No,” Kent’s eyes shifted to the ground. “I lost my wife two and a half years ago. She. . .” His eyes grew misty, and he swallowed hard. “She was killed in a car accident on Interstate 45. Hit by a drunk driver on her way home from a Bible study. It was her first night out with her girlfriends after having the baby.”

  Shauna gasped. “I’m so sorry,”

  “There’s no reason for you to be,” he said tenderly. “I’ve gotten over the most painful part. Time has a way of healing much of the hurt. But every time I look into my little girl’s face, I’m reminded again of Faith.”

  “Faith. That’s a beautiful name.”

  “For a beautiful lady,” he said wistfully.

  “What’s your daughter’s name?” Shauna asked, gazing at him with newfound admiration and curiosity.

  “Oh, her name is. . .”

  “Chapman!” A voice over the loudspeaker rang out his name suddenly, startling them both. “Chapman, table for two.”

  He laughed, half startled at the interruption. “Guess we’d better get inside before they give our table away. We can finish this conversation later.”

  ***

  Kent pulled the chair out, eyes following Shauna’s every move. She sat carefully, placing her handbag on the floor next to the chair

  “So, how’s your computer?” he asked, trying to make light conversation.

  “Fine. And yours?”

  “Fine” He looked at her with a smile, relaxing. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Then again, I, uh, I haven’t been on a date since my wife passed away. But listen. . .let’s change the conversation. I want to know about you. Tell me everything.”

  “Everything?”

  “Yes. Start at the beginning. Where are you from? Your parents seem really nice. Very loving. Do you have brothers and sisters?”

  “I’m an only child,” she explained. “And spoiled rotten.”

  “I know how that goes,” he said, thinking of Charity. “I’m not sure how a parent is supposed to act with an only child. Ever since Faith died. . .” He stopped himself quickly. “I’m sorry. I did it again.”

  “That’s okay,” Shauna said with a smile. “You can talk about her if you like. It won’t hurt my feelings.”

  Kent shook his head. “No. This is a new day. I know that God has already given me all the comfort I could ever need. He’s been with me all the way. I don’t know why things happen like t
hey do sometime, but after more than two years of agonizing over everything that has happened, I can honestly say He never gives us more than we can bear.”

  “I know that’s right.” Shauna said with a nod. “I haven’t been through anything like you, but I lost my grandparents at a young age. My mom’s parents, that is. They were killed in a house fire when I was seven. We were very close, and losing them almost killed me.”

  “I’m so sorry.” He paused for a moment. “My grandmother passed away a few years ago. She was a big part of our family. My grandpa Buck is the only living grandparent I’ve got, but he’s in a retirement home. I need to see him more.”

  They looked at each other in silence for a moment before Shauna shifted the conversation a bit. Kent was grateful for the change in subject.

  Shauna’s face contorted as she spoke. “Speaking of things that are hard to deal with, I guess I should tell you a little bit about my job. Don’t know if this is the best time because I feel like I’m in over my head right now.

  “Really? What’s going on?”

  “It’s just that I feel like such a failure. I spent all of those years in school learning everything I could about kids, and now I feel like I know nothing at all.”

  “Just wait till you’re a parent,” Kent said with a laugh. “You find out that you know absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. But you never finished telling me about yourself. You’re an only child. How long have you lived in Houston?”

  “Oh, forever,” she exclaimed. “I’m a Texan, born and bred. What about you?”

  “I was born here in Houston,” he shared. “Lived on the north end all of my life. A suburban kid. Everything about my life was fairly typical until I hit my teens. That’s when my father passed away.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her eyes reflected genuine sympathy.

  “It was awful,” he acknowledged. “And unfortunately, I let the incident drive me to do the wrong things. I turned to my friends for support, and they were more than willing to show me their way of coping with the pain.”