Still Waters. Shirlee McCoy

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Still Waters

      Still Waters

      Shirlee McCoy

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      To Ed and Shirley Porter,

       who taught me to believe in myself and to trust in God. You get to be first this time, Dad!

      To Rodney,

       who believed even when I didn’t. Ten years! Want to try for another fifty?

      To Willetta Ruth Pothier,

       who shared her middle name and her love of books with me. I love you, Nana.

      And to Darlene Gabler.

       Friend, confidante, endless source of story ideas. This one’s for you, Gal!

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Twenty

      Chapter Twenty-One

      Chapter Twenty-Two

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      “Tiff, come on. Just a mile more.” Brian McMath’s voice echoed through the early-morning fog a moment before he appeared. Brown eyes keen, he watched as Tiffany approached, then resumed his own quick jog as she drew up beside him.

      “You’re doing great.” Brian’s words were followed by a glance in Tiffany’s direction. She had little doubt he had taken note of her slick skin and damp clothes. He hadn’t broken a sweat.

      “I really…don’t think…I can make it.”

      “Of course you can. It’s only a mile. We’ve already done three.”

      “That’s…one more…than I’ve been…doing. I’ve got…to stop.” With a groan of relief, Tiffany did just that. Muscles quivering, she leaned forward, rested her hands on wobbling knees and struggled to catch her breath.

      Brian stopped beside her and despite Tiffany’s desperate need for oxygen she didn’t miss the quick glance he cast at his watch. Nor could she mistake the pinched look around his mouth for anything other than the impatience it was. She forced herself upright. “Look Brian, I know you’re anxious to finish the run. Why don’t you go on ahead? I’ll meet you at the diner.”

      “No, we agreed we’d do the jog together this morning. Just take a few deep breaths. I can wait another minute.”

      If Tiffany hadn’t been so out of breath she might have laughed. As it was, she shook her head and tried to speak without panting every word. “It’s going to take more than a minute for me to recover. Go on ahead.”

      Brian hesitated a moment and Tiffany knew he was torn between the desire to stay with her and the need to maintain his Saturday morning routine. In the end, routine won over affection and he nodded. “All right. If I get moving I’ll still have time for breakfast before prayer meeting.”

      Tiffany smiled to hide her disappointment. Though she hadn’t expected him to, a small part of her had hoped Brian would walk to the diner with her. “I shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes behind you.”

      Brian nodded absently and leaned forward to plant a kiss in the region of Tiffany’s ear. “See you then.” With a jaunty wave, he was gone, swallowed up by the fog.

      “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Tiffany muttered the words aloud as she stretched the kinks from her strained calf muscles. Two ravens responded, cawing loudly from their perch on an unlidded garbage can a few feet away. With a sigh of frustration, Tiffany wiped sweat from her forehead and wondered how she had gone from spending Saturday morning with her boyfriend to talking to a couple of mangy-looking birds. As if sensing her thoughts one raven flew from the garbage can, his heavy body swooping close to the ground before he disappeared from sight. The other bird remained, its bright eyes following Tiffany’s movements.

      “I guess I’m not the only one being abandoned this morning.”

      The bird ruffled its feathers and cawed again before flying off to find its partner. Tiffany figured she’d better do the same and set off at a brisk walk.

      The sun had already begun to burn away the fog and Tiffany reveled in its bright warmth and in the summer colors it revealed. She breathed deeply of rose-scented air, her pace unconsciously slowing as she caught sight of the lake. Eschewing the sidewalk, Tiffany made her way across an expanse of grass to Lakeview’s public beach.

      Smith Mountain Lake stretched out like blue-and-green dappled glass, the last vestiges of fog drifting across its smooth surface. Fishing boats speckled the water with color as die-hard fishermen cast lines and lazily reeled them in. In a few hours summer residents and vacationers would crowd the water and beach, bringing noise and activity with them, but for now the lake’s tranquillity called to Tiffany.

      Making her way across reddish soil and sand, Tiffany climbed onto the dock and walked to the end. The sun had yet to warm the wooden planks and she shivered as she lowered herself onto the smooth wood. With her feet dangling over the water, Tiffany stared out across the lake. For as long as she could remember, her soul had been stirred by its beauty, her mind awed by the power and artistry of the Creator who had made it. Often, in the earliest hours of the morning, she would come to pray and to listen. More often than not, she left feeling renewed and at peace.

      Today, however, would not be one of those days.

      The ebb and flow of the lake seemed to mirror Tiffany’s life—steady, placid, even keel. She supposed she should feel thankful that she could make the comparison, but somehow the knowledge stoked rather than soothed her irritation.

      The past year had brought a boom in her computer maintenance business, a solid relationship with Brian and the loss of most of the thirty pounds she’d put on since college. It seemed to Tiffany that there wasn’t a whole lot more she could want out of life, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing out on something important, something vital to her happiness.

      With