Free For His Name's Sake (Psalm 23 Mysteries) by Debbie Viguié

time.”
    “I know it’s just usually not the people I know. I mean, really know. I almost feel like I’m going to be an aunt.”
    He grinned at her. “You’d make a wonderful aunt.”
    “You think?”
    “I do. I also think you’d make a wonderful mother.”
    As soon as the words escaped his mouth he regretted them.
    Cindy looked up at him sharply and her cheeks turned red. He forced himself to smile. “Come on, let’s raid Joseph’s refrigerator, I’m hungry. Last one there makes the sandwiches.”
    “You’re on,” Cindy said before racing toward the kitchen.
    Jeremiah ran behind her, but let her win by just a hair. She turned, laughing, her hand on the refrigerator handle.
    “I’d like a roast beef with cheddar cheese.”
    “At least you didn’t ask for ham,” he said with a smile.
    “Hmmm...maybe I should change my order,” she teased.
    “Do so at your own peril,” he threatened.
    “I don’t know,” she said, starting to pull open the refrigerator.
    He grabbed her hand and held it a moment, rubbing his thumb lightly over the back of it. Her hands were soft, they always were. Impulsively he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it before letting it go.
    She stared at him in shock. “What was that for?” she asked at last.
    “To distract you while I get the roast beef,” he said as he yanked open the refrigerator.
    It was a lame lie, but it was the best one he could come up with.
     
    Cindy felt like she was up for most of the rest of the night replaying in her mind the moment where Jeremiah had kissed her hand. She had no idea what to make of it. He had never done anything like that in the past. Around five in the morning she finally convinced herself that she was reading too much into it.
    She woke up a few hours later to realize that she was the last up, though not by much it seemed. Joseph was busy in the kitchen making waffles while Jeremiah and Geanie were keeping him company.
    “He cooks, too? I think he’s a keeper,” Cindy said to Geanie.
    “You know it. He likes to cook, can you believe that?”
    “It’s a guy thing. I swear more guys actually enjoy cooking than girls do.”
    “You might even be right about that,” Joseph said.
    The waffles were amazing as it happened and Cindy had hers slathered with strawberries and whipped cream.
    “A girl could get used to this,” she teased as she finished her last bite.
    “Think of all the slumber parties we can have and we can make Joseph cook breakfast in the morning,” Geanie said.
    “Now that is a plan.”
    “Are guys invited to these slumber parties?” Jeremiah asked with a smile.
    “No!” Cindy and Geanie chorused together and then immediately started laughing.
    “Wait, I can’t come to the party, but I’m expected to cook for it?” Joseph said.
    “You’re catching on, Sweetie,” Geanie said.
    “I think I’m being used.”
    Jeremiah smiled. “Yeah, but something tells me you don’t mind.”
    Joseph lowered his voice and leaned in closer. “I don’t, but don’t tell them that.”
    Cindy started laughing even harder. It felt good to find a moment of semi-normality amidst the chaos. Then again, normality was a hard word to apply to either Joseph or Geanie.
    “Alright, I’ll clean up, you kids go have fun,” Geanie said after a moment.
    “Best wife ever,” Joseph beamed.
    “Technically I don’t think you’re allowed to say that until after the wedding,” Cindy said.
    “You have lousy rules,” Joseph said, fake pouting. “Actually, Mark called and he’s not going to be over until about noon so I thought this would be a good time to take another run at the tuxedo shop.”
    “Okay,” Jeremiah said. “Let me go grab the shoes I’ll be wearing and I’m all set to go.
    “I’ve got a couple of things to do,” Cindy said.
    The others nodded and she hurried back to her room where she got her phone and called Gerald.
    He picked up quickly. “I wondered how long you’d be able to contain your