Free Coming Home by Audrey Stover Page A

bugs have a specific destination to get to.
    "Have you ever placed a travel bug?" She asked
him as they walked.
    He shook his head, "No, but I have moved a few."
    "Really?" she asked with interest.
    "Yeah, one time I was geocaching and I found a travel
bug that was trying to get to Seattle, Washington. I happened to be going on a
business trip the following week to Seattle, so I took it with me and put it in
a geocache up there."
    "So the travel bug got to its destination and you got
a feeling that you accomplished something."
    He nodded his head, "And it led me back to you."
    She looked at him doubtfully, "I have never been in
Seattle."
    "No, but when I was up in Seattle, I met the men who I
was meeting with the morning that I bumped into you outside your
restaurant."
    "But you were going up there anyway on a business
trip. That didn't have anything to do with the travel bug."
    "Well, I was up there on business, but the people I
had gone up there to meet decided to go with a different company."
    "That's too bad."
    "I think it’s okay. Anyway, I decided to place the
travel bug before I went to catch my flight home and I got lost."
    "Lost in Seattle instead of Sleepless in
Seattle?" She asked with a smile.
    "Hahaha. Anyway, to make a long story short, I met
these men in the airport while I was waiting for my flight to be rescheduled.
So if I hadn't placed the travel bug I wouldn't have gotten lost, I wouldn’t
have missed my flight, I wouldn’t have met these gentlemen, I wouldn't have had
a meeting to meet them at this fabulous bakery and restaurant and I wouldn't
have bumped into you."
    "So I can thank a travel bug for you coming back into
my life?"
    "I would thank God for that," he said looking at
her seriously. "God uses all kinds of circumstances to get us where He
wants us to be when He wants us to be there."
    "So you think God wants us to be here right now?"
She asked.
    "I believe God brought us back into each other's lives
for a reason, yes."
    "I don't think I will ever understand that kind of
faith." She looked around. "Are there any more geocaches around
here?" She asked, effectively changing the subject.
    Craig turned his head as though looking around the park in
an effort to hide his disappointment. God, please draw her to You, he prayed
silently. Then he pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons, "No, I
think we found all of them that are here."
    "Oh,"
    "You sound disappointed."
    "Well, it was fun."
    "I'm glad you liked it. It was better than hanging out
at the restaurant, wasn't it?"
    She smiled at him, "Yes, it was very nice having a day
off."
    "The day is still young. How about lunch?"
    "That sounds good, I'm famished."
    They ate at a quaint little restaurant that overlooked the
ocean. They talked about old times and things they had done during the years
since they had last seen each other and each of them enjoyed being with the
other one more than they felt they should.
    When they were finished eating Susan leaned back in her
chair, "I think I ate way more than I should have. But it was so good, I
couldn't stop."
    Craig patted his stomach, "Me too. It certainly was
delicious." They both stood up to leave the restaurant. Craig placed his
hand on Susan's back as he guided her through the maze of tables and Susan
closed her eyes briefly at the feel of his hand on her back. It sent shivers of
electricity right into her heart and made it constrict with a desire for
something more than friendship. She shook her head at that line of thinking.
    "Let's walk for a while," Craig said as they
exited the restaurant and stepped into the brilliant sunshine.
    "Okay," Susan said as they turned toward the
shopping district. They spent the afternoon talking and laughing as they went
through the shops and art galleries. As they headed toward the car a couple
hours later, Susan felt more relaxed that she had in a very long time. She
looked at Craig, "Thank you for kidnapping me today."
    He smiled at her, "Maybe I should do