A Rescued Heart(6)
Author: Natalie Replogle

Matt approached the hostess and silently prayed she wouldn’t flirt with him like she had the last time. “Two, please. Do you happen to have the booth in the back corner open?”

“Yes, right this way,” she smiled while grabbing menus and leading them to the back corner.

When the waitress left with their orders, Matt leaned his elbows on the table, ready to learn more about this remarkable woman sitting in front of him. “So tell me about your family.”

She placed her complimentary bread down. “Okay, my dad’s name is Steven and he is an architect. My mom’s name is Grace and she writes children’s books. They were high school sweethearts and have been married ever since. A couple years after they were married, they had my twin brothers, Jacob and Joshua.

“Are they identical?”

“No, but they are very similar. They both have sandy blond hair, the same height and build, but Jake has brown eyes and Josh has blue.”

She went on to explain that Jake was an investigative reporter and Josh was the worship pastor at her church. “It’s crazy how they can look so much alike and yet have completely different interests and gifts. Jake has won awards for his research and journalism. Josh is very gifted in music and can play almost any instrument.”

He made a mental note about the respect and pride she held for her brothers. “I guess they are the perfect example of how God creates each of us differently in the womb. No one is exactly like anyone else … looks, talents, gifts, character … and yet each of us is His original masterpiece.”

He thought a bit more about the billions and billions of people God had created and how each was thoughtfully made and loved by the Creator Himself.

“Wow, handsome and deep.” She didn’t allow him time to comment on her flirtatious statement. “Anyway, I came along two years later and then they had my sister, Lucy. She is one of the chefs at the restaurant Riverside.”

She took a sip of her drink. “So now that you know about my family, how about you enlighten me about yours?”

“Fair enough. You know about my dad, Peter. My mom’s name is Anna and she’s a school nurse. They met after college at a party of a mutual friend and were married three months later. My dad calls it love at first sight and my mom calls it insanity. She also says it’s the best choice she ever made.”

He went on to tell her about his older brother, Gabe, who was an accountant, married to Shelly, with three children. His sister, Sara, was married to Doug, and they were both lawyers.

Both his siblings lived in Chicago and even though they didn’t live very far away, he still missed them. His parents went to visit them frequently, but his schedule made the trip a little harder for him to get away. They came to Rockford to visit him sometimes on the weekends, more often in the summer months. They remained very close and didn’t let the distance affect their relationship. They never made him feel like the odd man out because he wasn’t married or dating. He was the baby of the family and milked it for all it was worth. He embraced the role as the cool Uncle Matt and enjoyed getting the kids hyper and then giving them back to his brother. He knew Gabe waited to repay the kindness once he had children.

Their food arrived and the waitress refilled their drinks. Matt prayed for the meal and they started to eat. They talked about where they went to college and the experiences they had there. He couldn’t help but observe how tense her posture became as they discussed the subject and how she continually turned the questions back on him. It was obvious she did not want to talk about something related to her college years. Now was not the time to push, but if their relationship did get serious, it would be need to be brought up again.

Matt checked the time and didn’t want the night to end and hoped she didn’t either. “Would you like to go to the coffeehouse around the corner?”

“Did you know that I’m a coffee addict? I would never turn down an opportunity to have my drug.”

Ava excused herself to go to the bathroom. She needed some time to get her thoughts and feelings in check. She stood in front of the mirror and studied herself, tucked stray strands of hair back in place and reapplied her lipstick. Tonight was going well except for her twenty questions during dinner. Besides wanting to avoid talking about her college experience, she couldn’t get enough information about him.

Her stomach tightened as her nerves got the best of her. Was she afraid of heading down the same road of getting to know someone, trusting them with her heart, and then being crushed in the end? Or did it stem from the fact that Matt was different and her attraction to him was something she had never felt before, this early on?

By the time she got back to the table, Matt had already paid, and was waiting to help put her coat on. His gentleman qualities didn’t go unnoticed.

He hesitated when they stepped outside. “Is it okay if we walk to the coffeehouse?”

She wrapped her coat tighter across her midsection. “Walking sounds great. I have a few calories to burn off from dinner and I feel pretty safe with my present company. I would hate to be the villain that met you in a dark alley.”

He flexed his muscles in a mock weight lifter’s pose, which made her burst into laughter. “Yeah, these guns sure do come in handy sometimes,” he joked.

“Sometimes? I wouldnever want to be on any opposing team from you. I’m sure you wipe up any competition.”

“You sound like a competitive person.”

“You would be correct.”

“You don’t seem sorry about it.”

“Nope, it’s in my blood. My entire family is competitive … well, at least with each other. You name it, we compete. Sports, cards, board games, which person can get from point A to point B fastest.”

She grinned as she thought about the basketball game her family played on Sunday and her relentless determination to win. She had a bruised knee for proof.

“I would’ve never guessed that about you, Ava. I like that. I’m looking forward to playing a game with you at the coffeehouse. I’m pretty competitive myself.”

“Oh, it’s too bad that I’ll have to beat you at something on our first date. Will your ego be able to handle it?” She pushed her shoulder into his and smirked.

“Don’t you worry about my ego. Just worry about getting your game face on because you’re going down.”

They ordered their coffee and found a table by the window overlooking the street and agreed on a game of checkers. Neither had played in years so it made the playing field equal. Both were too concentrated on their game to say much. It stayed close for a while, but at the end Matt got lucky and won.

“Best out of three?” she asked when he leaned back against his chair looking pleased with himself.

“You must like torture.”

“No, I just don’t give up easily.”

“Neither do I.”

She caught his underlying meaning and blushed.

Ava won the next game, but not by much. They took a break and got refills. She burnt her tongue on the first sip and pushed aside her drink until it cooled off. The noise level started to dwindle as the night wore on. The background music became noticeable over voices now.

Matt won the third game by a landslide. As he gloated over his win, she noticed his attention become fixed on the back of the coffeehouse. His large frame became rigid as he fought over where to hold his focus. Ava turned in her seat and followed his gaze to a middle-aged couple in the far corner. The woman looked concerned as she spoke inches apart from the man’s face, her eyebrows drawn together while rubbing her hand over his shoulder. The man looked to be growing paler by the second.

Turning back toward Matt his senses looked to be on alert. “Do you think something is wrong?” she asked, observing how Matt’s cop side jumped into high gear.

“Not sure, but it wouldn’t hurt to go ask.” He stood. “I’ll be right back.”

Ava watched Matt stride across the floor with confidence that radiated with each step. Matt had only made it to a few tables away from the couple when the man tried to stand, but clutched his chest and rolled over the top of the table and fell to the ground with a loud thud that echoed throughout the room.

Panic shot through her veins as the scene play out before her. Matt lunged toward the man while the woman started frantically screaming. Turning the man over, Matt put his fingers to his neck, a frown depressing upon his features.

Matt’s eyes reached hers. Ava jumped to her feet before Matt finished calling her name for help. Her body felt in slow motion as she rushed to his side, falling to her knees beside him.

Matt stripped off his jacket and hollered above the panic filling room. “Someone call 911.” He turned his attention to Ava. “I think he is in cardiac arrest. I can perform CPR, but I need your help to keep the lady back and calm.”

“Okay.”

Matt seemed confident and self-assured in his actions as he tipped the man’s head back to open his airways and found the spot on his chest to begin compressions. His triceps bulged with the rhythmic movement, while her legs turned to jelly as she struggled to stand.

The woman’s face digressed to a distraught chalky white. Silent tears plowed their way down her face as she looked down at her husband.

“Hi. I’m Ava. Why don’t you come and sit with me?”

“Mary … I … my husband … was fine … and then … ,” her quiet words trailed off to a stop. The shock transformed into a veil that slowly descended over her eyes. The woman fell into step with Ava. She encircled her arm around the woman and directed her to an adjacent table. Close enough that if Matt needed her she was near, but far enough the man’s chalky face didn’t come into view.

“Mary is it?” Ava crouched down in the front of the woman and took hold of her hands that trembled in her lap. “Your husband is in excellent hands and help is on its way.” The woman nodded, but stayed quiet, starring down at their gathered hands.

Ava looked back over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Matt between the tables continuing CPR. Sweat beads had bubbled upon his forehead as he worked on the man. He stopped compressions for a moment to check the man’s pulse. His grim face showed his findings as he continued.

“Mary, what’s your husband’s name?”

“Dale … ,” she whispered so softly Ava could barely hear her.

“Dale looks like he’s a fighter.”

“Stubborn too.”

The woman still had spunk. The crowd stayed gathered around them as she heard a man giving updates to the dispatch. Trying to keep Mary’s mind off the crisis surrounding them, Ava continued to question her, asking for any insight that might help with Dale’s condition. Mary’s answers were short and sporadic, but she seemed to be gradually gaining strength and determination. Time seemed to stand still until finally the sound of approaching sirens squealed outside.

As the EMTs rushed in, Ava stole another glance at Matt as he stepped out of the way to let the men do their job. He lifted his arm and swiped it across his wet forehead. “I believe he has a pulse, but it is very weak.”

The medics nodded and immediately got to work on Dale. They had him strapped and in the ambulance in no time. Ava helped Mary outside, giving her a hug as she left for the hospital.

The ambulance pulled away, lights flashing, sirens noiseless. Ava took a deep breath, decompressing from the overwhelming overload of the last twenty minutes. She scanned the crowd in search of Matt and found him near the entrance of the coffeehouse watching her.

He looked unfazed, as if he hadn’t just saved a man’s life. Cocking his head to the side, he appeared to be assessing her. Probably making sure she wasn’t going to fall apart. Matt popped his head back as a silentcome here.

Without even thinking she walked right into his open arms, her head resting on his firm chest as his arms encircled her. “You okay?” he asked as he spoke into her hair.

“Yeah.” She was fine, in his arms. How did everything in the world seem right and make sense as he held her? Could beginning a relationship with Matt not end with a crash and burn like it did with Tim? But the facts were still there. She had never suspected Tim would rip her heart out. Why wouldn’t Matt do the same thing? When reality caught up to her foolish impulse, she stiffened and stepped out of his embrace.

Matt took her cue and stepped back, crossing his arms to give her space. “You did great. You kept the wife calm and distracted like a pro.”

“Thanks, but you were the hero. You totally saved that guy.”

He rolled her compliment off his shoulder. “Let’s call it a group effort. Come on, let’s get you home.”

Matt offered to walk Ava to the door. She wanted to pat herself on the back. She had made it through a date. The years of doom and gloom lifted, slightly.

“Are we still on for date number two?”

“I thought I didn’t have a choice?” She laughed at his faux hurt expression. “Yes, I’d like a second date. However, are all your dates going to end with this much excitement?”

His laughter filled the hallway. “Well, I was expecting excitement, just not this kind.”

“Will the next one be a secret, too?”

“Of course. Are you free next Saturday afternoon? I have to work Saturday night.”

“You’re really going to keep me in suspense?”

“That’s right. I want you thinking about me all week.”

As if that would be a problem for her. He had already taken hold of her thoughts without the secrecy.

Ava sat at her desk after the kids had left for the day, twirling her pen between her fingers in a rhythmic motion while resting her head on the back of her chair, gazing out the window. The day shined it’s beauty, not a cloud in the sky, and all she wanted to do was go home, pull out her lawn chair, a good book, and soak up the sun.