Myra Johnson - Their Christmas Prayer

Another sip of the caramel latte left a cloying taste in Brooke’s mouth. She set the mug aside and folded her hands. “So how do I work with him without losing my mind? I don’t want to disappoint the service committee, but if he isn’t willing to bend a little, this project is dead in the water.”

“I wish I had answers for you.” Sighing, Erin rested her forearms on the table. “When Shaun came home from the mission field at the end of the summer, he was a real mess—angry, discouraged, totally burned out. That’s why our brother Greg brought him to Juniper Bluff. We’re hoping his time here will give him some perspective and help him figure out where God wants him.”

So he was merely biding his time, hoping for an answer to drop out of the sky? Typically preferring action over indecisiveness, Brooke wasn’t sure she could relate. She raised her hands in surrender and leaned back in her chair. “Okay, I’ll try to keep an open mind. But Christmas isn’t that far away, and we need to agree on a plan sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll try talking to him, too. Just be patient. If you’re willing to give his ideas a chance, I know this will all work out for the best.” With a quick glance at the time, Erin drained the last of her tea. “I should get back to the shop, but I’m glad we had a chance to talk, and I hope we’ll become good friends.”

“I’d like that.” Brooke stood to share a parting hug with Erin. “And thanks for giving me some insight into Shaun.”

“I promise, once you get to know him, you’ll see what a great guy he is.”

Brooke could only nod and hope Erin was right. Much as she respected and admired Shaun for his missionary service, and even though she did find his quirky sense of humor appealing, she had no intention of allowing his personal issues to sabotage the Christmas outreach.

Completing his final pass with the riding lawn mower, Shaun shut off the blades and steered the mower toward the garage. The combined smells of cut grass and gasoline filled his nostrils, but nothing stunk so bad as the way he’d handled things earlier with Brooke.

Years ago, his favorite seminary professor had cautioned him about his idealism. “Not everything is black-and-white, Shaun. Demanding perfection from yourself or any other human being—at least in this life—will only bring disappointment.”

He was sure enough disappointed in himself, and he owed Brooke an apology. He wouldn’t blame her if she’d already phoned Emily Ingram to plead for someone else to partner with for the Christmas service project. Maybe he should have simply gone along with one of the plans Brooke had presented. The three possibilities they’d initially agreed to consider weren’t inherently bad, but after he’d had time to mull them over for a few days, he hadn’t been able to reconcile how limited they were. He wanted to do more.

He needed to do more, or a month or a year or a decade from now, none of it would matter.

Shoulders sagging, he trudged out of the garage and gazed up through the live oak branches toward a cloudless autumn sky. “I get it, Lord. I’m pushing too hard again.”

He’d back off, and he’d ask Brooke’s forgiveness and hope she’d give him another chance. He tugged his phone from his back pocket and started to call her but then decided she deserved the courtesy of a face-to-face apology. Maybe he could snag a few minutes with her after church in the morning, after they’d both had more time to cool off.

As he started toward the house, a shiny red sedan slowed at the end of the driveway as if searching for an address. Then the car turned in, tires rumbling over the cattle guard. Kent was out with the herd, and Shaun didn’t know enough about the area to offer directions, but he strode over anyway to help however he could.

With the tinted windows and the angle of the sun, he couldn’t make out the driver’s face—until the door opened and Brooke emerged. She slammed her door, then stood with feet apart and arms crossed. “Good, I found the right place. Hello again, Shaun.”

“Uh, hi.” His mouth tasted like dust and mown grass, which didn’t fully account for why he felt utterly speechless. “I—I was going to—”

She held up one hand. “Let me say what I came to say. As reluctant as I was at first, I’ve made a commitment to see this project through. I’d like us to try harder to work through our differences, but if you’re calling it quits, I need to know now.”

“I’m not.” The words came out in a squeak. He cleared his throat and spoke more firmly. “I’m not quitting, Brooke.”

Her brows shot up in surprise. “You’re—you’re not? I just figured—”

“I’m really sorry about leaving so abruptly after lunch.” Finding his courage, he stepped close enough to see the golden glints in her brown eyes. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “When I get focused on something, I can be pretty opinionated, I know.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” she muttered with a sidelong glance. Heaving a sigh, she went on, “You should also know I spoke with your sister this afternoon. She filled me in on a few things.”

Wincing, Shaun lowered his head. “What exactly did Erin tell you?”

“About how you never do anything halfway. How you got really burned out on your last missionary posting.” Brooke braced her hips against the fender. “How I should be patient and listen to your ideas.”

Smiling inwardly, he sent his sister a mental thank-you. “So...you’re willing to continue working with me?”

She didn’t answer right away. “In my advertising career I dealt with more than my share of difficult clients, and if they didn’t respect my professional expertise, I dropped them—politely, of course, but life is too short for that kind of stress.”

“I get it. I’m a stress-inducing pain.” Shaun studied his dirt-encrusted sneakers for a moment before peering up at her. “But you still haven’t answered my question.”

Hands lifted, Brooke gave an exaggerated huff. “Why else would I have driven all the way out here to clear the air when I could be shopping for things I don’t need or pigging out on brownies and caramel lattes?”

He must have lost something in translation, but as long as she wasn’t writing him off, he’d count his blessings. Which he probably hadn’t been doing enough of lately, and which most likely had contributed to his lousy attitude. His lips twitched in a smile. “So I guess we should talk more about these outreach ideas.”

“Yes, but not today.” Lips tight, Brooke hiked her chin. “I’m not feeling particularly charitable at the moment.”

“Toward me, or toward the world in general?”

“Mostly you.”

Did she have any idea the effect her persistence was having on him, the way her eyes glinted with mischief even as she threw him a peevish pout? Shaun tamped down the niggling twinges of attraction. “Okay, then. You name the time and place.”

“I’ll check my calendar and call you tomorrow.” She turned to open her car door.

“Maybe I’ll see you at church?”

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded a lot like “Not if I see you first.”

Watching her drive away, Shaun massaged the back of his neck. Crazy as it seemed, he was definitely experiencing more than friendly interest in Brooke Willoughby. Pretty obvious the feeling wasn’t mutual, but since he didn’t foresee sticking around Juniper Bluff beyond the first of the year, he had no business dwelling on it. He just needed to stay on her good side long enough to organize the Christmas outreach.