When I Fall in Love(66)

“Risotto. I’ve never even tried to make that.”

“It can be tricky. I sautéed some onion with the risotto in coconut oil, then added white wine, coconut milk, and some water and kept stirring until the rice absorbed the liquid. I grated in some fresh nutmeg, and then after the liquid absorbed, I added the mango. We served it on top of the pork with a little rocket arugula, and it was so pretty. The judges loved it.”

“You amaze me, Grace.”

“It was all Max. He came up with the idea—”

“It sounds like you two are a great team. You seem to be having a lot of fun.”

A great team. Grace watched as Max lost his footing on the board and fell into the surf. “I think I’m in love with him, Mom.”

Silence, and Grace quickly followed with, “Oh, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I . . .” But she had to tell someone or she might burst.

“Does he love you?”

“I don’t know. I sometimes think so, but he hasn’t said anything. Maybe I’m just reading into all this. Wishing for something I can’t have. I don’t want to do something that I’ll regret.”

Max popped up from his tumble into the sea and grabbed his board, this time climbing on and riding it to shore.

“You always told me that you were only going to fall in love once. And when you did, you’d give your heart away completely. I’m so glad you like him. But you need to take a breath. Does he love Jesus like you do? Is he going to be the husband who leads you closer to God?”

“I . . . Oh, I hope so, Mom. He says he’s a Christian, and I see it in him. He’s so kind and patient, and he believes in me, even pushes me to believe in myself. He makes me want to . . . to do the things I’ve always wanted to do but been too afraid to try.”

“Like fall in love.”

She dragged her finger through the hot sand, made a heart. “Yeah. Like fall in love. I’ve never really felt this way about a guy before . . . or even wanted to.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“I don’t know. We have one day left of competition and then a couple more days until we fly home Sunday afternoon. I keep wondering . . . or hoping . . .”

“You’re hoping to see him when you get back to Minnesota.”

“He does play for the Blue Ox. And Eden lives in Minneapolis. What if I moved to Minneapolis and . . . ?”

Again, silence.

“Or not. I don’t know. Maybe that’s a terrible idea. It could backfire and then what?”

“Then you get back up and you keep following God’s open doors. Just like this trip. You trusted God, and see what’s happened? More than you could have asked for or expected. Look at you. Surfing. A cooking star—”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Yes. You’re brilliant, Grace. And how would you have known that unless you trusted God to show you what He would do with an open heart?”

She wouldn’t really qualify her heart as open when she got on the plane. But maybe . . . maybe God had done something with her fledgling hopes. Her longings for more.

Max came to shore now, glistening under the sun and smiling at her.

“I gotta go, Mom.”

“Eden will pick you up from the airport on Monday. You might want to stay with her a couple days, just to talk about the wedding.”

Max grabbed his towel, covered his head.

“Go for it, Grace. More than you can ask or imagine. Believe in God’s plan for you.”

“I love you, Mom,” she said and hung up.

Max hunkered down next to her. “Your mom, huh?”

She put the phone away. “I was telling her how spectacular you were today.”

“As were you. Want to know a secret?” He leaned close to her. “I’ve never made risotto well. I was totally at your mercy.”

His eyes skimmed her face, his lips so close she could almost taste them. Water hung from his whiskers, dark and rough after a full day. He smelled like the ocean—salty, mysterious—and the scent of his coconut oil sunblock.

She couldn’t speak, only managed to bite her lip.

His eyes dipped to her mouth; then abruptly, he sat up. “Maybe we should get back to the resort and clean up before dinner. We have a five thirty reservation.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, not moving.

Now. She should tell him now. Before the moment ended. Just open her mouth and say it. I love you, Max. You changed my world.

But her chest tightened, trapping the words inside. “We’re going to win tomorrow,” she said and wrinkled her nose at her cowardice.

He glanced at her and grinned. “Yep.”

She laughed and the knot in her chest eased. Yep. Maybe she didn’t have to say it right now. Maybe she’d wait until tomorrow, after they won.