Free Redeeming Heart by Pat Simmons Page B

Me as God. Neither were you thankful with all I gave you,
but you became vain, God whispered Romans 1:21.
    It was the same chastisement that had been
haunting him since leaving home. Suddenly, he didn’t crave the
solitude. Leaving his room, the aroma from the kitchen met him
halfway in the stairwell.
    In the dining room, Landon went through the
motions of eating. The meatloaf and mashed potatoes smelled good,
but he couldn’t taste their flavor as his mind drifted back to
Octavia who had endless beauty and a fresh personality, and he had
no chance with her. The devil taunted him with flashbacks of the
women he had taken chances with, but those outcomes weren’t
pretty.
    Grady appeared with a tray as Landon pushed
back from the table. “What’s up?” He nodded.
    “Nothing new. See you later.” Landon disposed
of the remains and rinsed his plate, then wandered to the lounge
where a couple of men were gathered.
    They were enthralled by a tied baseball game
that happened to be with rivals Boston Red Sox and New York
Yankees. He sighed. That reminded him too much of what he had left
behind. Stretching his legs, Landon closed his eyes and immediately
Octavia’s face and her flirtatious smile greeted him.
    The vision seemed to come alive with her
dainty voice flittering around him. Opening his eyes, he blinked
and looked over his shoulder where he had a bird’s-eye view of
Octavia in the lobby, chatting with Brother McCoy. This evening,
she was dressed in a silk bone two-piece suit and wearing her name
badge.
    His heart pounded as he cataloged her every
movement. What is she doing here? he wondered, sitting up
straight. Octavia was an animated talker, moving her hands, swaying
her body and laughing in intervals. She brought that energy in her
praise dance as if she was one with the instruments.
    When Brother McCoy pointed in his direction,
Octavia twirled around and strutted his way. The killer smile from
his memory came alive. “Hi.” She sat without giving him a chance to
stand. “Busy?”
    “As a matter of fact, I am,” he answered
sarcastically. “No, actually, I’m bored, but seeing you brightened
my day”
    “I’m glad to see you, too. Want to tag along
with me tonight?”
    Landon was about to say yes, but then
squinted. “I can’t do church tonight and again this weekend,” he
stated. He didn’t care if it was going to cost spending time with
her.
    They stared at each other, a duel, then
Octavia spoke first. “It’s a first-time home buyer’s seminar,” she
said softly with disappointment in her eyes.
    Great . Now he felt bad. He reached for
her hand. “Sorry,” he apologized, and her smile let him know he was
forgiven.
    Rubbing his jaw, Landon realized he
desperately needed a shave. If he used one of the shelter’s
disposal razors; he would nick his jaw for sure and was guaranteed
to get razor bumps.
    Her eyes seemed to follow his hand, then roam
over his face. “You looked very nice on Sunday. I meant to tell
you.”
    “Your eyes told me,” he lowered his voice as
more men came into the community TV room, either to watch whatever
was playing on the screen or live before their eyes. Octavia had
every man’s attention. What about now?” He challenged her for more
compliments.
    “You look like a man who is coming back to
life.” She squeezed his hand. “Stop fighting what God has for
you.”
    Landon gave her a pointed look before
standing. “You have no idea what I want at this very moment. Give
me a sec to freshen up. I’ll be right back.” He glanced around at
the men waiting to pounce on Octavia. “Do you mind waiting in the
lobby near Brother McCoy? I don’t want to get put out for hurting
someone over you.”
    Her eyes widened in surprise, but she
complied. Landon walked to his room with a smirk.

Chapter 12
     
     
    “Good. You’re alive, so that means you didn’t get
mugged last night,” Terri said, resting a coffee cup on her desk
and folding her arms as Octavia strolled