Now if only she and Wade could find that perfect place in their relationship. Not that she was complaining about where they were after only two and a half months, but she wanted more. They had settled into a relationship that involved good-night kisses after long talks every evening when everyone had gone home. She was more than ready to take it to the next level, but every evening he had gone off to his trailer, and she had spent the rest of the night alone in her bedroom.
Wade came through the front door, crossed the room, and slipped his arms around her waist from behind. She could feel the steady beat of his heart against her back, and as always, the touch of his body pressed so tightly against hers caused visions of leading him back to her bedroom right there in front of whoever was around, and even God if he still visited the building sometimes.
揑 think the sanctuary has lost its halo and wings,?he teased.
Jessica covered his hands with hers. 揑t kind of did that when we started tearing the pews apart to salvage all the oak. I love the mirror, the horns, the tiki hut梐ll of it. They all go together like an eclectic family.?
揥hich isn抰 bad as long as our relationship isn抰 dysfunctional.?He nuzzled the inside of her neck.
揥e may be the least dysfunctional couple in the whole world,?she whispered.
揟hat抯 the way I feel, too.?He tipped her chin up and brushed a sweet kiss across her lips.
If she didn抰 take a step back, the only work that would get done that day would be in her bedroom with the door closed and locked. With a sigh, she moved away from him and said, 揟he bull and the sign for outside will be here by noon, but I can sure feel Danny smiling down on us. If he was here, he抎 be the first one on the bull.?
揥hat was that sigh all about??Wade asked.
揑 wanted more than a kiss,?she said honestly.
揗e too, but that抯 a big step that we shouldn抰 take lightly,?Wade said. 揝peaking of Danny riding the bull, he would probably insist on being the first one to plug quarters into the jukebox, too.?
揟hat was a quick change of subject,?Jessica said.
揧ep, because, darlin? I抳e wanted more than a few kisses for a long time now.?He nodded.
揑抦 ready for that next step anytime you are,?she said.
揙h, honey, just name the time and place,?he told her.
揥e抣l talk about that later tonight,?she said with a smile. 揘ow back to the bull and jukebox. I抳e promised Daisy she could do that since Lily gets to ride the bull first.?
She could still feel his breath on the soft spot below her ear, and just thinking about it sent waves of warmth through her whole body.
揌ey, where is everyone??Oscar yelled. 揑 could use a hand.?
He rolled in two long pews stacked precariously on top of a wheelbarrow. 揑 found these hiding behind a bunch of empty boxes at the back of the barn. What do y抋ll think of putting them against the far wall for folks to sit on between dances??
The pews didn抰 look quite as long as the ones that they抎 torn apart. 揑 wonder what those were used for,?Jessica said.
揚robably they were deacon抯 benches,?Wade suggested.
揑 guess the sanctuary might not have quite lost its halo and wings after all, but I抳e got a better idea,?Jessica said. 揜oll them right back outside, and let抯 put them on the porch. That way the customers will have a place to sit when they go outside for a breath of fresh air.?
揘ow why didn抰 I think of that? One on each side of the door, right??Oscar asked.
Wade stepped over to lend a hand and steady the pews while Oscar eased the wheelbarrow across the foyer and back outside.
Jessica followed, stepped off the porch, and kept walking out into the middle of the parking lot, where she eyeballed the two shorter benches when they took them off the wheelbarrow. 揌ey, what if we have Zach paint Danny抯 Place on the back of the pews? Maybe if we remind folks enough, they抣l begin to call this place by its rightful name instead of calling it the old church bar.?
揑 like that a lot,?Wade said and then pointed to a truck coming their way, kicking up a cloud of dust behind it. 揟here抯 our outside sign now. You can tell him what you want painted on the pews. He抣l probably want to take them back to his shop. There抯 no way the paint could dry out here without getting dirt in it.?
揥hat抯 going on??Mary Nell asked, coming out of the building. 揙h, the sign has arrived!?She sat down on one of the pews. 揥here did these come from? I thought we抎 torn all the pews apart.?
揑 found them in the barn,?Oscar said.
揥ell, it抯 a good place to use them,?Mary Nell said. 揊olks will have a place to sit if they抳e come out for a breath of fresh air or to smoke. You might want to put up a couple of those things to throw cigarette butts in, at the end of the pews.?