Chapter 16
“Did Dixie have her baby yet?” Mom asked as the family gathered in the dining room after church the next day.
Jasmine shook her head. “Not that I know of. Linnea texted me that she’d talked to Dan this morning. It sounds like Dixie had a long, rough night.”
Nathan rested his hands on the back of the chair next to where she was standing.
She’d managed to wedge herself in the middle of a pew amid her girlfriends before he arrived at church, but of course Mom assumed he’d be at Sunday dinner again.
He’d hovered close since they arrived at the house, but was she ready to let her family know she’d given in?
But, oh, those kisses yesterday. She’d definitely given in, and it felt good.
Did it matter what everyone thought? They’d all be fine with her decision. They’d seen the changes in Nathan, too.
Across the table, Basil raised both eyebrows and looked between her and Nathan as he slid into his chair. Yeah, her least favorite brother might make a big deal of it.
Jasmine opened her mouth to get the words in the open, but Dad spoke just then. “Everyone have a seat, and let’s pray.”
Her nephews pounded in from the living room and bounced into their seats. Marco settled little Arie as Alex assumed his seat around the corner from Dad. Nonna set a large bowl of salad beside the giant casserole dish of manicotti, and Daria came behind her with a basket of focaccia.
Nathan pulled back Jasmine’s chair, and she slipped into it, ignoring the pointed looks her family was certainly giving.
Dad said grace, and Mom began dishing out manicotti. “So who has the children, then?”
It took Jasmine a moment to remember the topic of discussion. “Linnea. She took them home after supper and put them down in their own beds. I think she’ll stay over there today. It’s easier in their familiar surroundings.”
Beside her, Nathan leaned a little closer and pressed his thigh against hers. “I don’t know. Buddy was happy at the basketball court yesterday with Jason and me.”
Silence for a few seconds before the questions began.
“You took Dixie’s kid? What on earth for?” That from Evan.
“You played without me?” Alex demanded.
Basil narrowed his gaze. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Nathan plucked a piece of focaccia from the basket and passed it to Jasmine as he chuckled. “I was consulting with Dan when Dixie called him.”
“And you got stuck with her kid, how?” Basil plunked his elbows on the table.
“He was the only one who could stop Buddy’s tantrum,” Jasmine put in. “Buddy was nearly superglued to Nathan the rest of the day.” There, she’d just admitted spending a lot of time together. The conclusions would be jumped to any minute now.
Daria laughed. “So Nathan’s the baby whisperer? I know Arie adores him.”
“He spent all day with you, and you didn’t send him packing?” Basil’s eyes were locked on her.
Jasmine took a deep breath. Here went nothing. “You’re right. We actually talked to each other like civilized human beings.” Why couldn’t she get the rest out? Like, that they were officially dating again?
She felt Nathan’s arm slide across the back of her chair and closed her eyes, both to enjoy the touch and to block her family’s questioning gazes.
“Talked, huh?” Basil said sardonically.
Nathan’s fingers rubbed her shoulder gently. She’d let him take over, no problem. “Talked... and decided we still both care for each other a lot. So, we’re giving ourselves another chance.”
At least he hadn’t mentioned the kissing. They’d strolled down along the river and become reacquainted after Linnea left with the children.
“Well, if that don’t beat all,” Basil drawled. “I guess I’ll take the credit. You’re welcome.”
Nathan laughed. “Thank you.”
Maybe today Jasmine could be magnanimous, too, so long as it didn’t go to his head. After all, Basil had lent a helping hand in getting them back together.
“Congratulations!” Daria gave her a quick smile. “Can someone pass the salad, please?”
“Here.” Nonna lifted the wooden bowl. “Now, I want to know what you all thought of Pastor Tomas’s sermon today.”
Another unwelcome topic. Usually Jasmine hungrily absorbed everything Tomas preached. He loved God with passion and spoke convincingly. But today’s text?
The focaccia had reached Alex, and he took a few pieces out. “I guess it was a call to keep balanced.”
“Right,” Daria said. “How did that go again? ‘Don’t reduce your life to the pursuit of food and drink; don’t let your mind be filled with anxiety. People of the world who don’t know God pursue these things, but you have a Father caring for you, a Father who knows all your needs.’”
Marco chuckled. “I guess in recent years we’ve all become very focused on local food. I agree with Alex. It was an admonition to remember that life isn’t all about food. God takes care of us.”
Jasmine couldn’t help it. “But...”
Nathan’s hand kept rubbing, giving her strength.
“But what, mi bella ?”
“Good, healthy food is important. The business we’re starting is focused on helping more people eat well.”
Dad nodded. “I didn’t hear Tomas denouncing Bridgeview Backyards or saying we should all eat at the drive-through every day. I heard him say there’s more to life than food. That we don’t need to be anxious about having our basic needs met.”
She knew that. Hadn’t she looked up the verses from Luke 12 Nonna had quoted to her a few weeks ago? All about the birds of the air and the grass of the field, and how transient they were. Like wishing on wildflowers. One strong puff, and the petals would scatter.
Remember that you are more precious to God than birds! Which one of you can add a single hour to your life or eighteen inches to your height by worrying really hard?
She’d always been short. If wishing could have added height, she’d definitely be taller. Eighteen inches would be way too much, but still. She’d sat in church and felt like Pastor Tomas was pointing at her, Peter, and Basil. At half the community, really, for all their local food initiatives.
Did she cling to foraging, beekeeping, and gardening as a way of controlling her food and not trusting God? That didn’t even make sense.
Since you don’t need to worry — about security and safety, about food and clothing — then pursue God’s kingdom first and foremost, and these other things will come to you as well.
Yeah, those words wrapped it up. Maybe her pursuits sometimes distracted her from focusing on God’s kingdom.
“Never thought you’d let my sister trap you back into her web.” Basil stood in the doorway of the basement suite later that evening. “You guys were over each other.” He air-quoted the word.
Nathan swallowed a sigh. “Come on in, and make yourself at home.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Basil eased into the only chair at the tiny table. “What’s up, Hamelin? You changed. When I talked to you about marketing our little venture, I didn’t figure you’d switcheroo like this.”
“My relationship with Jasmine...” Man, it felt good saying that. Nathan swiveled his desk chair around and settled into it. “It’s got nothing to do with the business. There’s no conflict of interest, if that’s where you’re going with this. ”
“I figured you were different, Hamelin. Figured you were someone who’d understand me. We could hang out.”
At the other man’s silence, Nathan quirked his eyebrows. “And...?”
“Now you’re sitting in church and dating my sister, and she’s a bit on the uptight side, if you know what I mean.”
Might depend on a guy’s definition of uptight.
Eight years back, he hadn’t spent a lot of time worrying about what their breakup would do to Jasmine.
It had all been about his own freedom to do what he liked.
Whatever she’d become in the intervening years was his fault, but she and God had forgiven him.
Her kisses last night — and when he’d dropped her off at Bridgeview Manor an hour ago — were definitely not those of an uptight woman.
“Didn’t you and Jasmine used to be really close?”
Basil snorted. “When we were little kids, maybe.”
“What happened?”
“Daddy’s little princess could do no wrong. It became rather sickening.”
The teenage Jasmine Nathan remembered had basked in her parents’ approval, always striving to do what was right.
He’d admired that about her and longed for that kind of relationship with his own parents.
.. until he’d been in the way of her mission.
She’d stayed on her chosen path, willing to sacrifice him.
And he’d gone his own way.
“Basil? I have to ask. Are you a Christian?”
The other man shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I asked Jesus into my heart when I was a little kid, but it’s not all that relevant anymore.”
Nathan got it. He really did. Only he’d escaped Spokane and lived out his rebellion elsewhere. Somehow Basil had managed to stay in the bosom of his family, engage in their daily activities, and still slide away. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. Does it really matter?”
“Yeah, I think it does. I pretended God didn’t exist for years, but that didn’t keep Him from being real.
When I quit running and turned back toward Him, it’s like my life snapped back into focus.
I feel like I’ve got roots again, grounded deep into something that won’t dissolve in the blink of an eye. ”
“You sure that’s not just Jas?”
Nathan chuckled. “Definitely not. I had my back-to-Jesus moment in California. It had nothing to do with your sister. Everything to do with the lifestyle I’d chosen there, and how it failed me.” Oh, man, and how it had failed him.
“Well, bully for you.” Basil surged out of his chair. “I guess you think you know what you’re doing, then. Have fun being a good little Christian boy and marrying my sister, because that’s probably where this is going.”
Was it? Nathan could only hope so. He and Jasmine definitely needed to get to know each other much better again before they took that step but, yeah, he’d had trouble sleeping last night from thinking about her devastating kisses.
He wanted more, but not like eight years ago.
Now he was ready to do things in the right order.
He could be patient, knowing the prize was the woman he’d never truly stopped loving.
Basil paused with his hand on the doorknob. “I don’t even know what to say.”
Neither did Nathan, but he had to try. “Want to talk about it?”
“What good would that do?” Basil scoffed. “Sometimes I feel like everyone around me has a blindfold on, and I’m the only one who can see. It’s a big world out there. Why tie a bandana around your eyes again when you’ve seen what’s out there? Experienced it?”
“Funny you think Christians are the ones with limited vision. In my experience, it’s just the opposite.
Looking back over the years in California, I’d focused on immediate pleasure, like I was nearsighted and couldn’t see past the end of my nose.
Anything bigger, anything longer term, anything eternal was just a vague out-there notion.
But when I looked up and realized God had never stopped loving me, everything changed.
It was like my eyesight was restored, and I could see into the distance. Beyond the horizon.”
“Nice sermon, Hamelin. Save it for someone who cares.”
Nathan had to know. “Why did you stay in Bridgeview? Stay living with your parents?”
Basil shrugged. “I didn’t live with my parents the whole time, since you asked. I had an apartment with friends a couple of times, but then they’d move away or get married or something. It was cheaper — easier — to move back into my parents’ basement.”
Hadn’t Basil been employed by Public Works? Surely he made enough to afford his own place. He’d invested into Bridgeview Backyards, hadn’t he? So he’d saved some.
“But you’ve got a good point there. Maybe I should bail out and move away. Seems a pretty drastic step to me. We Santoros stick close to home... except for my cousin Rob, but he just got overwhelmed by Nonna’s meddling. Had nothing to do with religion, that I know of.”
Nathan remembered Rob from high school. “He’s married now, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, a woman with two kids. He’s adopting them in a few weeks, once the Montana waiting period is over. The whole clan is headed to Helena to celebrate.” Basil shook his head. “Not me. I’m staying home to run the booth at the farmers market.”
“I could do that for you if you want. Sounds like an event you won’t want to miss.”
“No problem. I’m fine staying back. Trust me, an entire weekend suffocating on the air my family breathes is a bit too long.”
“I would have given anything for a family like yours.” The words shot out before Nathan could censure them but, hey, they were true.
“You can have them.” Basil chuckled sardonically. “Oh, wait, you’re already in line to claim your membership card. Good for you. I guess.”