Page 9 of A Secret Promise

"Oh, Rule, of course it's real!HeisourFather in Heaven—-" Vixen suddenly paused as if something new had just occurred to her. "But are you saying you never felt this was true?"

Rule shrugged, and her face softened.

"Is it because you don't think you've ever feltHecares for you?"

Rule's jaw clenched.Thatwas it exactly, but he hadn't known that was the answer to her question until he had heard her say it.

"I've been wanting to show you something," Vixen suddenly confessed, "but I also knew I had to wait for the right timing...or you'd end up misunderstanding."

"What is it?"

Vixen got up in response, and Rule frowned as he watched her head to the counter before coming back with one of her business cards.

"Here..."

Rule glanced down at her business card. What exactly was he supposed to do with this? He flipped it over absently...and endedup sucking his breath in when he saw what wasembossedon the back of the card.

Jeremiah 29:11

"In case you're wondering," he heard Vixen say, "I don't have any other business card. That's what I've been using since I opened the cafe."

He looked at Vixen, and she was biting her lip again.

"You don't think this is just a coincidence?" Rule asked.

"I did, actually."

It was only when she answered in the affirmative that he realized he had expected her to say the opposite. And the fact that she didn't...surprisinglystung. A lot.

"That's why I felt so torn. I wanted to show it to you, just to get it out of the way. But I was also worried that if Ididshow you this, you might think I was implying this was destiny or something."

"But you're showing me this now because..."

"Because now I'm sure," she answered simply. "It's not a coincidence that I have this on my card. It's not a coincidence that your first name is Jeremiah. And it's not a coincidence that all this time, you never felt that God cared for you." Her expression turned earnest. "But He does, Rule. Andthat's proof of it."

That...being the verse she had written on her card?

"I don't know any Bible verses."

"In case you haven't noticed, our shelves arepackedwith Bibles."

"Or you could just tell me what Jeremiah 29:11 is."

"I could," she agreed. "But don't you think it's going to be more meaningful if you were to look them up yourself?"

Rule didn't answer right away, and Vixen looked at him searchingly. "What is it?"

"I know this is going to make me sound like a jerk..."

Vixen's eyes widened.

"But I'm used to being the smartest person in the room wherever I go."

"Oh."

"And yet somehow, every time I'm with you, I end up feeling the opposite."

She looked at him helplessly. "I don't know what to say."