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“They’re kissing,” the little girl squealed.
“Pardon us,” Jagger managed. He hurried down the trail to avoid looking at the family.
“Thank you,” the dad muttered.
Belinda giggled quietly, and he couldn’t help but smile.
They reached level ground, and he was able to stop and focus on Belinda again. He smiled. “Let’s say goodbye to your new friends, go back to the house, and continue—without our preschool audience this time.”
She looked for a half a beat like she agreed, but then suddenly she stiffened and squirmed to be free of his arms.
Jagger didn’t need to imagine what was coming. He was in for a tongue lashing.
Surprisingly, instead of his Bee stinging, she murmured quietly, studying the steep trail behind him, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I’m exhausted and confused and … everything that happened last night and this morning. Thank you for rescuing me, carrying me, and ...” She broke off, still refusing to look at him.
Then she limped away from him to say goodbye to her college buddies, who were eagerly waiting for her.
Jagger would’ve rather had her punch him, slap him, or tell him off. Her being sorry felt like he wasn’t the man who brought out her sugar and her spice.
The apology made him feel like he was a mistake and they’d never have a chance.
His gut churned as Hays approached. His friend’s dark eyes were full of questions. Jagger wished he had any kind of answers.
Chapter
Fourteen
Belinda felt awful the rest of the day. She got ibuprofen, a stash of water bottles and dry food from the kitchen, and then she hid out in her suite, taking a long bath, and found some antibiotic cream and Band-Aids to doctor up her blisters, which only reminded her of Jagger carrying her up and down that steep trail, kissing her, and telling her she was beautiful and mesmerizing.
She tried to nap, one hand holding her bee ring.
Every part of her body, heart, and soul ached. She was head over heels in love with Jagger and feared she was hurting him over and over again with her hot and cold attitude toward him. She only wanted to tease with him, talk to him, laugh with him, snuggle with him, and kiss him, but she felt like she was betraying her parents even thinking that.
If there was any chance Jagger was right and her parents were the ones who had lied to her, then she and her parents were the biggest of jerks. She couldn’t imagine that, but being close to Jagger again reminded her why she’d fallen in love with him. He understood her, loved her despite her sass, and he was loyal and true to his country and her. He was her perfect match. Her hero. Everything she ever wanted in a man was wrapped up in that muscular, appealing body of his.
She kept calling him the jerk, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around him actually being one. Not to her. Yes, Jagger was hard and didn’t sugarcoat things, but she loved that they could fight and kiss and be passionate. Maybe that didn’t work for some couples, but it worked for them. If he was telling the truth, then she was the biggest of jerks, letting down her guard and kissing him, then yelling at him and berating him for lying to her.
Ah, she hated herself right now, and she was so confused.
She was too stirred up to sleep, and she had no clue what to do next. Until she talked to her parents, she couldn’t just believe Jagger. Could she? If her parents had lied, would they keep lying to hide a painful truth? No way. But maybe. If it was true, how could her parents hide the truth for so many years?
Kneeling, she poured out her heart to her loving Father above. She stayed on her knees for a long time, not getting any blaring answers but feeling a sense of peace. She finally felt one quiet word—trust.
“Trust who?” she begged aloud. “My parents? Jag? You?”
Nothing. She claimed she always trusted Jesus, but at times like this, it was hard to trust and have faith that things would work out. Patience had never been her strong suit.
“‘Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him,’” she murmured.
She pounded the soft mattress in frustration, then stood and tried to pace, but her feet hurt.
A soft rap on the door brought her head around. Hope filled her heart. She’d gotten the answer to ‘trust’ and then Jagger knocked on her door? That was her answer. It had to be.
Hobbling to the door, she flung it open, smiling in welcome.
Her soul dropped to see Hays standing on the other side.
“Hey.” His welcoming smile was kind and concerned. “How are you feeling? How are your blisters?”
