Crowning Glory

Karyn Wallace reminded herself five
minutes after she agreed to a date with Levi Tolliver. She wasn’t Cinderella,
and Karyn doubted the widower would be her Prince Charming.

Yes, she was affected by the most
beautiful dark chocolate eyes she had seen in her lifetime. They were hypnotic,
even camouflaged behind designer glasses, which were angled perfectly on his chiseled
nose. Levi’s skin was a blend of chocolates: dark, milk, and white, which created
a creamy undefined tone. His thick, black wavy hair and thin mustache were nice
touches, but it was Levi’s dimples that seemed to be on standby, waiting for his
lips’ command to smile. Buffed at—she guessed about—five feet, eleven inches, Karyn
wasn’t intimidated by Levi’s height as he towered over her petite stature.

“You might as well surrender to what God
has stirred between us,” Levi stated as if he had sealed a business deal after his
seventh visit and counting in a month to Bookshelves Unlimited where she worked
as a specialist in children’s books.

Suspicion set in. What did he know about
God in her life? At twenty-seven, Karyn was too old to play games. Sometimes the
devil injected the word of God into conversations as bait to lure Christians in
for the kill, thinking they found a kindred spirit. She didn’t have time to test
the waters to see if she could survive another relationship gone awry. The
memories of one bad relationship had a way of lasting a lifetime.

When he moved intimately closer, his lashes
were mesmerizing, catching her off guard. “Deny the attraction, Karyn.”

She hated dares. Bluffs got people into
trouble, hurt, or sometimes killed. Karyn blinked. Now, she was getting carried
away. Anchoring her elbows on the table in the store’s café, Karyn nestled her
chin in her hands. She took pleasure in delaying her response. After all, he
was interrupting her dinner break.

“I’m attracted to flashy cars, white
kittens, black-eyed peas, and—”

“Me,” he interjected as a fact.

Karyn refused to confirm or deny his assumption,
but she silently admitted she was enjoying their banter. There was something intoxicating
about a person who oozed confidence. Despite her outward boasting, she
struggled at times with low self-esteem. Shrugging, she continued as if she
didn’t hear him. “Although I don’t own a flashy car or a white kitten, I can put
away some black-eyed peas.”

“Your preferences are noted.” Levi
lifted a brow and held it in place to make sure he had her attention. Only
after she became impatient did he soften his features and smile, offering his
sidekick dimples for her pleasure.

“My Buick LaCrosse is new, but not
flashy. My daughter is allergic to cats, and my mother can throw down on any
beans, peas, or greens.” A dimple winked as he stretched his lips into a lazy
grin. “For the past four years, my spirit has laid dormant, waiting on a word
from God. With no warning, I got a message plain enough that even a caveman could
read it.” He snickered.

 “I’ve
seen those GEICO commercials, and I’m not impressed.”

“I couldn’t resist saying that.”