Free Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys) by Kimberly Rae Jordan

She’d tried to tell herself she’d taken extra care with her appearance because it was a special night, but Rachel knew it was really because Damian was going to be there.
    She hoped he liked the deep red sweater she’d chosen to wear with a pair of pleated black pants. It looked Christmassy and she’d always been told that shade of red looked really nice with her dark hair.
    You’re leading him on, a small voice in her head cautioned. Rachel tried to quiet the voice as she waited for Mari. Unfortunately, the nagging thought wouldn’t go away. Rachel knew she had to come clean with Damian, even if it meant losing him forever. The way things had escalated in the past week told her he wasn’t going to accept “no” without explanation any more.
    “I’ll tell him after Christmas,” Rachel said, her words echoing in the empty car. “I don’t want to ruin Christmas. What if he agrees with me? What if, after hearing what I have to say, he finally gets what I’ve been trying to tell him? I couldn’t bear to hear that before Christmas.”
    Rachel closed her eyes and blew out a long breath. Why did life have to be so difficult? Why did decisions made so long ago continue to haunt her now?
    A rap on the window startled her. She jerked her eyes open and turned to see Mari peering in the window at her. Quickly Rachel hit the button to unlock the door on Mari’s side.
    “Sorry, didn’t realize you were there,” Rachel explained when she opened the door and climbed in.
    “Taking a nap?” Mari asked with a smile that was visible for just an instant before she shut the door, darkening the interior.
    “Praying actually.”
    “I feel so badly that you’re struggling with this,” Mari said. “I know it must not be easy.”
    “It’s not, but it is part of life, I guess.” Rachel, weary of talking about her nonexistent relationship with Damian, decided to change the subject. “I noticed you and Jace were talking a lot during lunch.”
    “He seems like a neat guy,” Mari said without hesitation.
    “He is,” Rachel confirmed. “All three of the Karlsson boys have turned into wonderful men who love the Lord. Their parents did a great job with them.”
    “I could see that. They love their parents as well. My mom always used to say you could tell how a guy would treat you by watching how he treated his mother. Both Damian and Jace treat their mom really well.”
    “Yes, they do.” Rachel took advantage of a break in traffic to change lanes. “What happened to your parents, Mari?”
    Mari sighed. “It was a real freak accident. We were in a tiny restaurant in Aspen having dinner. We’d gone there for a family vacation. It was my first time to go skiing.” There was a long pause before Mari continued. “I had gone to the bathroom in the back of the restaurant when I heard an awful bang. The whole building shook. I thought a bomb had gone off or something.
    “I ran out of the bathroom and into total chaos. I…I looked everywhere trying to find my parents.” Rachel heard Mari take a deep breath. “A huge SUV had plowed through the front of the restaurant, right where we had been sitting. My parents were both pinned beneath the vehicle.” Mari stopped talking.
    Rachel reached over and laid a hand on Mari’s. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories for you.”
    “It’s okay. It’s been almost two years since it happened. It was just so senseless.” Mari gave a little sniff. “By the time the ambulances arrived, my mom had already died. I hadn’t been able to get to her, but I did find my dad. I sat holding his hand while we waited for them to get him out. His last words to me were that he loved me.”
    Rachel squeezed Mari’s hand then released it so she could make the turn into the church parking lot. “It must have been so difficult for you to lose both parents at once.”
    Rachel pulled into a parking spot but didn’t turn off the car right away.
    “It was hard. I’m an only