Free Splintered Oak (Winsor Series Book 3) by T.L. Gray Page A

loud that I was a Christian . Sure, I acted like one, but I’d never bothered to share my faith with anyone.
    Issy witnessed to me the minute she got me alone, just because she wasn’t sure.
    I shook my head. Who would have thought I would get a faith lesson from Issy, of all people? God was truly a mystery.
    Pulling out of the parking lot, I dreaded the idea of going back into that apartment. Instead of allowing myself to panic, I prayed for guidance and patience. Sometimes I really wish God would give me an audible answer. The “yes” or “no” I could handle; it was the times when the answer was “wait” that really felt hard. As the word “wait” settled in my brain, I couldn’t help but think back to Jonathan. I wondered what went on in his thoughts. Would he really wait a month to call? Was Alex right? Would I ever understand the role God wanted him to play in my life?
    I shook off the gnawing questions as I parked my car and trudged up the stairs. The door was once again unlocked, and I pushed it open, reminding myself to have a talk with them about security. Glancing around, the apartment appeared even messier than when I left, if that was even possible. Following the mess down the hall, I looked up just in time to see Nate’s naked backside.
    “Hey Naomi,” he called over his shoulder before disappearing into Issy’s old room.
    I averted my eyes in horror and backed out the door, shutting it behind me. My shaking hands fumbled with the phone.
    “Jake?” I squeaked when he answered. “How soon can I move in?”
    His laughter filled my ear. “Come on over. I was just talking with David about you and assuring him there was absolutely nothing going on between us. Like I said, the fatherly type.”
    I took a stabilizing breath and told him I’d be there as soon as I grabbed the rest of my stuff. Making a beeline to my room and keeping my eyes on the floor the entire time, I quickly grabbed my bedding and posters. Nothing else was critical, especially since it would only be a few weeks, or so I hoped.
    The irony was not lost on me as I drove back to Asheville for the second time that day. I had left home, convinced I couldn’t take the testosterone of my brothers, and now here I was, moving in with two guys.
    I’d give it a week, I determined. I had seven days to drop my c lasses with a full refund. If this arrangement doesn’t work out, I’d just move back home and deal with my brothers...and with Jonathan, I reminded myself. Somehow that seemed like the worse case scenario.
    I should have felt more nervous than I did when I knocked on Jake’s door. Maybe it was having known him for years, but I realized Jake was as familiar to me as Issy, sometimes more so because he was always so relaxed around me. But then again, I was never the object of Jake’s affection, so there was no need to pretend with me.
    Jake answered the door with a smile and moved aside so I could come in. “That didn’t take too long.”
    “Well, I hadn’t even unloaded my car yet, so there wasn’t much to get.”
    Jake seemed to find the sour tone in my voice amusing as he laughed again while he closed the door. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”
    “Jake, I’m willing to move in with you,” I argued. “It was THAT bad.”
    Unfamiliar laughter from the kitchen caught my attention and I glanced up to see who it was. The person I could only assume was Jake’s roommate strolled towards me and extended his hand. 
    “I’m David, and Jake has assured me he will be a perfect gentleman. I’m not comfortable with you staying here if you two are, well you know. I happen to be fond of Issy, and it was her phone call that actually convinced me to let you crash here until you can get settled.”
    I shook his hand and examined him. He seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t place him. Maybe he just had one of those faces, as he was average height, coloring and weight. In fact, there wasn’t anything particularly striking