Free Bluegrass Courtship by Allie Pleiter Page B

drawings. He was being dismissed, and his impulsive can’t-leave-it-alone nature had shot yet another opportunity in the foot by moving too fast. When would he ever learn?
    â€œNo, you don’t want to understand. You want to bring me back into the fold. Redeem me. Help me get over my resistance.”
    It stung him that she’d used the very word in his thoughts. Had he been that transparent?
    â€œHow many times do you think I hear lines like that? With my mom pushing that agenda on me daily, you think I can’t see it coming a mile off?” She handed him the rolled up drawings and began piling up the swatch books. “You think I wasn’t just waiting for it? Congratulations, Drew, you actually took longer than most people. I suppose I should give you credit for that.”
    â€œNo, Janet, don’t. It’s not like that. I’m not trying to…” She glared at him, those brown eyes burning, and he knew that was a lie. “Okay, I’m always trying to…but…” He’d botched this, and he knew it. She looked colder than ever, all the softness and texture swallowed by icy defensiveness. He picked up the swatch books off the table. “Nobody wants Jesus stuffed down their throats. But believe me, that wasn’t what I meant to do. It was impulse. I’m sorry I offended you. Don’t blame God for my stupid behavior.” Drew didn’t even look up. “I’m going. Good night. I’m sorry.” Muttering recriminations to himself, he piled his arms full of everything he’d brought and pushed out the door as fast as he could.
    He was a fool. An impatient, insensitive, egotistical clod.
    Â 
    Janet stared at her closed door, fuming. She was mad for eleven different reasons, half of which didn’t make sense. She knew better than to think faith wouldn’t come up in this. She’d known from before he parked in front of her hardware store that he was all about the God thing. No one was forcing her to be involved beyond filling supply orders. No one waseven forcing her to be the job supplier, for that matter (except maybe her balance sheet, but that was hardly God’s territory). Downing was as nonstop God as her mother…as Tony. She’d known that all along. She’d already seen that Drew’s job and life and faith were inseparable—this shouldn’t have surprised her.
    He’d been abrupt, but when wasn’t he? He’d been bold, but he was bold about everything. And why had she jumped to the conclusion she did when he asked? Why had she assumed he was hitting on her?
    The answer made her more prickly than before: because she liked him. She found him attractive in a way that seemed dangerous and unattainable. Irrational, even. He was the opposite of her practicality—a wild, ignore-the-odds loose cannon of a guy who believed he couldn’t out-dare God. Tony had been like that, and it still looked enthralling to her—to live on the edge of faith like that. It wasn’t something she could ever attain now, though. She couldn’t make those kinds of leaps of faith anymore.
    Why couldn’t Drew Downing have been a different kind of thrill seeker? A race car driver or a test pilot? Why wouldn’t God leave her alone like she asked?

Chapter Twelve
    D rew stomped into the bus, threw his designs down onto the desk and yanked open the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He didn’t open the bottle, but paced across the bus floor, fighting the urge to sock himself between the eyes.
    â€œWhoa, buddy.” Kevin came out from the back bunks, looking barely awake. “Take it down a notch or you’ll break the bus.” He ran his hands through his hair and looked at Drew. “What’s going on?”
    â€œMe. I’m going on. I’m saying stupid things and insulting people.” Drew began to tear at the Missionnovation label, shredding it off the bottle in tiny frustrated