Chapter 47
“Good morning.” Benjamin smiled as Summer’s eyes fluttered open. He was pretty sure he was never going to stop smiling again.
“Good morning,” she murmured. “Do we really have to go home today?”
“We do.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “But that means we get to sleep in our own bed tonight.”
“Mmm. Well, when you put it that way.” She kissed him long and slow, and it was only by supreme effort that Benjamin made himself get out of bed to get ready for church. They packed their bags, so they’d be able to start on the long drive right after the service. Then they met up with Max and Grace and Levi at the bed and breakfast.
Max greeted them both with a hug and spent the entire drive to church telling them about all the fun he’d had with his aunt and uncle.
“Can we come back again sometime?” he asked.
“I think we can definitely come back sometime.” Benjamin squeezed Summer’s hand, and she squeezed his back with a soft smile that made him certain everything was going to be perfect forever.
At church, they sat close to each other and nodded together over Pastor Dan’s sermon about how God was in control in all things, even when his people couldn’t see it.
But when they said their goodbyes after church and climbed into the car for the drive home, he noticed her eyes cloud over. And by the time they were halfway to River Falls, he could feel her withdrawing into herself, despite his best efforts to keep up a cheerful banter.
“Tired?” he finally asked, praying that was all it was.
She smiled faintly. “A little. I’m not sure I’m going to be much good at work tomorrow.”
“Do you ever miss teaching dance?” He wasn’t sure where the question came from, but he wondered how he had never thought to ask before.
She looked at him, clearly surprised. “I . . . Yeah, I guess I do. I miss the kids, mostly.”
“Have you thought about doing it again?”
Summer shrugged. “There aren’t any other dance studios in town, so . . .”
“What if you opened your own?”
Summer snorted. “That takes a lot of money.”
“We could take out a loan. You could make your princess parties part of the business too. I’m sure those two things would feed into each other perfectly.” Excitement built in Benjamin’s chest at the possibilities for her.
But Summer shook her head. “I don’t want to go into debt. And anyway, I’m sure no bank would give me a loan.”
“We could at least meet with a banker,” Benjamin insisted. “See what—”
“I said I don’t want to.” Summer crossed her arms over her seat belt and closed her eyes.
Benjamin suppressed a sigh. He was not going to let her pull away from him again. But he supposed he could let this rest for now. Besides, the seed of an idea had started to form in his mind, and he needed to see what would happen if he let it sprout.