6. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
GRAY
K ayak Girl was making a run for it.
I’d managed to keep her off my mind for a whole five minutes after I finished my swim with Weston yesterday. But late last night, I gave up fighting and let her paddle around in my head freely. I even prayed about her, for crying out loud. I figured God had put her on my mind for a reason. Plus, if anyone could help me forget about her, it was God.
An unexpected jolt of surprise shot through me when I stood at the front of the church this morning and found her sitting right in front of me. She looked extra mysterious in a flowy blue dress. For a moment, I thought she was a figment of my imagination. I thought I’d conjured her up since she’d been on my mind all night. But then she whispered something to Brenda Jackson, and I realized she must be here because of some connection to Brenda. Seconds later, her eyes collided with mine, and it took my breath away.
While I led the praise and worship, I focused on my Maker. I loved God, and it was easy to give Him my full attention. But I can’t say the same for my dad’s sermon. From my seat in the auditorium, I could see the back of her head and I kept looking her way. How did she know Brenda? How long would she be in town? Before the service ended, I decided I would talk to her. It was the only way to make sense of the strange connection I felt toward her.
But right now, I was stuck packing up the music equipment while I watched her head out the door. I wouldn’t ditch my music team, so I hoped I’d still catch her once I finished here. I sighed.
My dad tapped me on the shoulder. “You look like you need to be somewhere else. Let me finish this up.”
“Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it.” A grin spread across my face as I dashed up the aisle toward the exit. I burst out the double doors and skidded to a halt as I looked at the faces of the people milling around. I couldn’t see her or the massive van. Maybe she had left already? I sprinted to the road, hoping to glimpse her van. I looked left. Nothing. My hopes were plummeting. I looked right. No sign of her van, but halfway down the road, a female in a blue dress was walking away from the church. Without another thought, I took off jogging in her direction.
“Hey, wait up!” I called.
She kept walking.
“Hey, Kayak Girl!” I called again.
This time, she turned to look over her shoulder and froze at the sight of me. Thank goodness! I closed the distance between us and took a few quick breaths while she turned to face me.
“Sorry to bother you. I never got to introduce myself properly yesterday. I’m Gray,” I said, extending my hand and trying to sound casual.
“Figures,” she said, her lips curling into a half-smile as she shook my hand.
Her hand felt small in mine. Touching her was a relief after feeling like I might not catch her in time. Pulling my attention back to our conversation, I replayed her odd response to my name. “Huh? What do you mean by that?” I asked .
“Oh, it figures that your parents called you Gray. I guess they took one look at those silver eyes and had no other choice.”
I laughed, more at ease. “Ha-ha, fun fact: they didn’t know my eye color when they decided on my name, but it worked out okay, I suppose. What’s your name?”
“I’m Elle,” she said, and glanced at her watch. “I’d better get going. Got a couple of errands to run. Nice to officially meet you, Gray.”
Just like that, she was slipping away. “Wait, what brings you to Hilton Head?” I blurted out.
She paused. I watched the caution in her eyes build and then fade as she contemplated her answer. “Traveling the coast for a year. Living the dream, you know?”
“Nice. How long are you here?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Hoping to solidify some plans today.”
I nodded, grasping for something more to say. “And how do you know Brenda?”
“I’m staying at her campgrounds.”
“Right, of course,” I replied, feeling a bit foolish.
She shifted her weight. “Anyway, I really should be off,” she said, motioning over her shoulder.
“Yeah, sure. ”
Elle turned to walk away, and I stood there watching her. I was too stunned. Talking to her was supposed to help me forget her, not leave me with a head full of questions and an inexplicable urge to know more.