Find a Christian store

<< Go Back

Secretly Yours: A Riverbend Romance Novella 1

By Valerie Comer

Order Now!

Chapter 1

“Please say yes!” Madison begged.

Lindsey Solberg leaned out the car window and into the freezing wind. Had she ever been as enthusiastic about anything as her sixteen-year-old sister was now? “Madison, I don’t know. My boss may see it as a conflict of interest. And I just don’t know that I have time to take this on.”

Madison dropped both hands to her hips, her long hair blowing sideways. “But we need you. Pastor Nick says we could earn the rest of the funds in one night if the Valentine’s banquet does well.”

Would she ever hear the name Nick without thinking of the guy from high school? Not likely. But one thing she knew for certain. Nick Harrison wasn’t the pastor of any church, to say nothing of how he’d been even more eager to leave the small town of Riverbend, British Columbia, behind than she had.

“Please, Lindsey. At least say you’ll think about it.”

Lindsey closed her eyes, letting the biting wind cool her cheeks. More like letting it pelt her with icy snowflakes through the open window. “Get in the car, Madison.”

Her sister tilted her head to one side. “You’ll think about it?”

“Fine. I’ll think about it. Now get in.”

“Yay!” Madison sashayed around the car as Lindsey raised the window and rubbed her cold hands together.

Several other teens hung around the parking lot beside the church, presumably waiting for their rides home. The winter roads would only get worse in the next few hours. At least when she’d lived in Castlebrook, there had been city transit wherever she needed to go, especially on the occasional wintry days. Being back in Riverbend meant driving everywhere. The town was too long and skinny for walking yet too small for a bus system. She hadn’t driven on slick roads in eight years.

She shifted into reverse and gingerly put her foot on the accelerator, but Madison’s hand grabbed her arm. “There he is. Pastor Nick is the dreamiest thing ever, don’t you think?”

Lindsey glanced at the man’s silhouette framed against the brightly lit rectangle of the open church doorway. Kind of hard to tell. She pressed the gas and the tires spun. Great exit. Or lack of exit, as the case might be. She pushed harder and the tires whirred as the rear of the car slid sideways.

Oh, no! Heart pounding, Lindsey removed her foot before she smacked the black Toyota parked beside her. Bare centimeters separated them.

“Whoa, don’t hit Pastor Nick’s car!”

As though she’d done it on purpose. Lindsey sucked in a deep breath. “It’s really slippery.”

Madison slumped in the passenger seat. “Want me to drive?”

“Are you kidding me? You only got your learner’s permit last week.”

“Well, I can drive at least as good as you can.”

She probably could, but no way was Lindsey going to test that out. But how was she going to get this old car out of the parking lot with apparently bald tires?

A rush of cold wind and snow blasted in as Madison shoved her door open. “Hey! Give us a push!” she hollered.

Great. All Lindsey needed was a dozen teens making fun of her. And Pastor Nick, of course, though he was probably some balding ancient man and not the amazingly hot guy Nick Harrison had likely turned into since high school.

The group streamed toward the car and leaned on the hood. Someone tapped on her window and she pressed the button to lower it again.

“On the count of three, give it a little gas.”

She knew that voice. Nick?

“One.”

Harrison?

“Two.”

Not a chance.

“Three.”

A pastor?

The teens pushed against the hood. Belatedly Lindsey remembered she was supposed to be helping. She jammed her foot on the accelerator and the car slid backwards. Sideways, but backwards. Away from the other car.

Nick Harrison? A pastor? Couldn’t be. The name had brought back memories, that was all. Her mind played tricks on her. Not Nick. Not that player who’d tampered with her heart.

In a flurry of icy slush, her car cleared the black Toyota and spun so it faced the street. Now if it would only go forward.

“You should be all right now, but you need new tires.” Nick loomed in her wide-open car window.

As if she hadn’t figured that out.

Maybe as long as she kept quiet, he wouldn’t recognize her. Where was Madison, anyway? After all this, she couldn’t leave without her sister.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Nick peered in. “I’m Nick Harrison, the youth pastor here at River of Life Church.”

“I, uh…” Lindsey tapped the horn. Madison needed to come now.

Nick pulled back. “Sorry.”

Lindsey kept her face turned away. The collar of her coat, the scarf around her neck, and the knitted woolen tuque pulled down over her hair should all help to camouflage her.

“Hey, Pastor Nick! Thanks. My sister isn’t used to driving in winter anymore.” Madison ran and slid across the icy parking lot toward the driver’s side.

Lindsey jerked her thumb toward the passenger seat, but of course Madison couldn’t see. Or chose to ignore it.

Her little sister slid right into Nick, who held her upright. “Glad to help.” He glanced back at Lindsey. “Drive safely and try to stay off the roads until the sand truck has been by.”

She nodded sharply.

“Pastor Nick, this is my sister Lindsey. She’s the new chef at the Water Wheel. You know, that farm-to-table restaurant beside the park. The committee has asked her to cook for our Valentine’s banquet!”

Lindsey froze, and it wasn’t just the swirling snow.

“Lindsey?” Nick’s voice sounded closer. He was looking at her now. Really looking. “Lindsey Solberg?”

“Um, yes.” Could she pretend not to recognize him? Would he believe her?

“Wow, long time no see. What brings you back to Riverbend?” He held up a gloved hand. “Oh, wait, Madison just said. So you’re a chef now?”

She nodded. “Madison, get in, will you? I want to get home before the roads get even worse.”

Madison ran around the car, slipping and sliding like it was some big game.

“Good to see you again, Lindsey. I’d love to take you out for coffee and catch up.”

Coffee? No way. Not with Nick. “I’m busy.”

He grinned. That same goofy grin that’d had every girl in high school hanging onto every word he said. “You can’t work every single day, can you? When’s your next day off?”

She bit her lip. “Tuesday. But I’m busy.”

Madison collapsed into the passenger seat and pulled the car door shut. She reached for her seat belt.

“Gotta go. Nice seeing you.” Lindsey put the car in Drive.

“We’ll catch up soon!” called Nick as she slid the window back up.

He hadn’t changed a bit, still sure of his charm. But still… a pastor? That was definitely a change.

~*~

Nick stuffed both hands in the pockets of his down parka and watched Lindsey’s car slide onto Pitoni Street and head north. If he’d guessed the roads would turn so terrible during youth group he’d have canceled. A few of the teens had driven themselves with novice drivers’ licenses, the second tier of B.C.’s graduated licensing system. Others lived within walking distance, but many relied on a parent to swing by.

Or a sister.

How could he possibly have guessed Lindsey was Madison’s sister when they had different surnames and didn’t look a thing alike? Nothing had prepared him for seeing Lindsey again. Ten years ago he’d been at the top of the high school food chain doling out attention only to those he deemed fit to receive it.

Lindsey hadn’t made the cut. Two grades behind him, she’d been an awkward girl with braces on her teeth. She’d been on the cheerleading squad. He’d teased her once that she yelled loudest when she yelled his name. She turned beet red and vanished, confirming her crush. He kept on poking fun of her adoration outwardly, but secretly found her fascinating. Fast forward to the end of the year, and he moved on to University of Calgary with a hockey scholarship.

Nobody had ever cheered loudest for him since then.

Didn’t look like she was cheering for him now. She hadn’t been able to get out of the parking lot fast enough.

Lindsey didn’t wear braces anymore. The slightly awkward adolescent was long gone, replaced by a cool, confident woman. The kind of woman he’d like to get to know, unlike anyone he’d met since his return to Riverbend. Had he subconsciously been waiting for her?

He’d give her a day or two, then see if she’d go out with him at least once. Somehow he didn’t think once would be enough.

Order Now!

<< Go Back


Developed by Camna, LLC

This is a service provided by ACFW, but does not in any way endorse any publisher, author, or work herein.