Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina

by Tamela Hancock Murray

  Oh, I wish we could be talking instead of me getting writer’s cramp from penning this long letter. When will you come home, Selene? We need you.

  Mildred

  Her friend’s plea consoled Selene, even as her eyes misted. The letter told her all the more how nothing would ever be the same. The carefree time of parties and fun had passed, and her friends were getting serious. She realized it was for the best. No need for them to find themselves in her position.

  Hestia stuck her head in the door. “You have a visitor.”

  “Me?”

  “I don’t see anyone else in here. You’d better wipe those tears away. Artie won’t want to see you like that. Did someone write something that upset you?”

  She stared at the letter in her lap. “I—I miss my friends.”

  “You’ll be going home soon enough. Just thank God for the friends you have here to get you through. Now dry those eyes.”

  “Okay. Give me a minute before you send him in, will you?”

  “Of course.”

  Selene made certain her white bed jacket was buttoned to the top, and she wiped her eyes with the handkerchief she kept in her nightstand drawer.

  After a few moments, Artie came in, bearing a single pink rose in a bud vase. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  She gasped at the rose. “For me?”

  He nodded. “Can I set it on the table beside you?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I would have gotten a full bouquet, but I knew you didn’t have much room in here.”

  “It’s perfect.” Selene didn’t exaggerate. She’d never seen a more beautiful flower.

  “But why?”

  He deflated. “Oh. I overstepped, didn’t I?”

  “No,” she blurted. “I—I mean, I don’t want you to give me this because you feel sorry for me.”

  “I wanted you to have this rose as a gift from me.” He sat in the chair he always used when they studied together. “I don’t feel sorry for you. I can see you’ve repented. I really can’t see you going back to a fast life, even once you return to New York. And when you do, my prayers will follow you.” He paused. “But feel sorry for you? No.”

  “Really?”

  “Why are you so surprised? You’re the new type of woman, a member of the first generation born after the year 1900. You’ve been granted the right to vote. You’re the envy of the world, not a victim.”

  She took a moment to think about his words. He was right. If she didn’t waste her life, she’d be a success. Still, she couldn’t resist a wry comment. “And just look at me now.”

  “That’s right. Just look at you now.” He bent toward her and gave her a kiss on the lips. She hadn’t kissed anyone since Ned. Artie’s lips felt soft yet strong. His mood wasn’t one of insistence but gentleness. So different from Ned. And so much better.

  She hadn’t expected him to kiss her—or that she’d be so moved by him. She didn’t want him to break away, but when he did, she had a question. “What was that for?”

  “To show you how fond I am of you. Are you sorry? If I offended you, I’ll respect you enough never to do that again.”

  “Respect me?” No man had ever said such a thing to her.

  “Yes. Respect you. I do have respect for you as a person, and as a woman.”

  She remembered Ned. He was the first man she’d ever loved. She never thought of herself as fast. Unlike some of her acquaintances, she hadn’t enjoyed the attentions of several men. At first Ned had been sweet, attentive. Then his kisses became more urgent, and he became demanding. If only she hadn’t felt she needed to prove her love for him. She wanted to blame her father, but she couldn’t. She knew right from wrong, and she was paying dearly for compromising herself. Ned had even promised marriage, so she hadn’t felt compromised. Only after he made sport of her and their secret engagement did she realize she had made the mistake of her life.

  “I really mean it. I respect you, Selene.” Artie’s words made images of Ned dissolve.

  “You won’t believe this, but that’s the most romantic thing anybody’s ever said to me.”

  He didn’t laugh as she expected. Instead, he gave her a serious look. “You know what? I believe you.”

  Selene thought about her past. “I don’t deserve your respect. I don’t deserve anyone’s respect.”

  “Yes, you do. You’ve been very brave to leave your home to come here to wait out this pregnancy. I know you’re not the first and you won’t be the last girl in such a situation, but that was a brave thing to do. You have kept your head up even after the man you loved left you. And best of all, you have pursued a relationship with the Lord since you’ve been here.”

  “Because of you. Aunt Louisa and Hestia encourage me to read the Bible. Aunt Louisa preaches at me once in a while.” She grinned. “But you took the time to sit with me and help me understand what the Bible really says. Thank you. But why did you kiss me?”

  “Because, I—I love you.”

  Selene gasped. “How can you love me? I’m a fallen woman.”

  “I don’t see you as a fallen woman. I see you as a beautiful woman. Don’t let the fact that I’m not bold and brash fool you. I have never been a man of convention. I have never lived in fear of what others think. If anything, you should be questioning your judgment in being involved with me, a reformed drinker and gambler. What respectable woman would want to hitch herself to the likes of me?”

  “Do you think you can’t do any better than to be involved with me?”

  “I know I can’t do any better than to be involved with you.”

  She had meant to ask if he spent time with her because no respectable woman would have anything to do with him, but his answer told her something else: that he really wanted to keep company with her. That she was his first choice. She couldn’t remember feeling more special. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

  “Now, you’re much too pretty to cry. Especially on Valentine’s Day.” He took his handkerchief from his trousers pocket and wiped away the tears.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Wanting to wake up to the fragrance and sight of the beautiful roses, Hestia took the flowers into her room. Booth’s thoughtfulness had helped make this a better Valentine’s Day than it could have been otherwise. She’d never forget his kindness.

  She found her cousin sitting up in bed. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

  “I’m too excited to sleep.” Selene cut her gaze to a single rose in a glass vase on her table.

  “That’s pretty.” Hestia almost felt guilty that Booth had given her six roses. Though impossible to hide them, Hestia made no show as she set her vase of flowers on the vanity. “Did Artie bring it?”

  Selene nodded. “You got quite a take. Booth, naturally?”

  “Yes.” She tried not to look self-satisfied as she studied her roses. If only Booth had kissed her and proclaimed his love, the night would have been perfect.

  “Tell me something, Hestia.”

  “What?” Hestia climbed under the covers of her bed but remained upright, leaning against a soft down pillow propped against the oak headboard.

  “How popular is Artie?”

  Hestia hadn’t been expecting that query. “How popular is Artie? What kind of silly question is that?”

  “Oh, I was just wondering. I mean, is he popular with the ladies?”

  “I haven’t noticed. Why?”

  “Well…” Selene hesitated. “It’s just that he said he loves me. And he kissed me.”

  Hestia gasped and tried to fight her jealousy. Why couldn’t Booth be as outspoken? “He did? How do you feel about that?”

  “It was a shock, I can say that. I’ve been thinking about him. I don’t understand why he likes me.”

  Hestia regretted that her cousin had to question why a man would be attracted to her. Truly her confidence was at a low level. “Haven’t you looked at yourself lately? Even with the baby coming soon, you still have a spark, that certain somet
hing, that most women don’t have. I think that’s why he likes you.”

  Selene looked at her abdomen. “That certain something, huh?”

  “You must have an attraction. I didn’t get a proclamation of love tonight. Or a kiss.”

  Selene’s eyebrows shot up and back. “I’m surprised, the way Booth moons all over you. He must like to move slowly.”

  “I think you’re right.” Hestia took comfort in Selene’s observation even as she wished he’d move faster. She forced such an unladylike idea out of her mind.

  “Do you think Artie just feels sorry for me?” Selene sounded pitiful. “Haven’t you learned anything from being in Bible study with him all this time? I’d be shocked if Artie would form a real relationship with someone out of pity. He’s overcome a lot, and I think that discipline has made him unsympathetic to people he thinks are weak.”

  Selene thought for a moment. “I can see that.”

  “You’re a strong woman, Selene. I think that’s why he keeps coming here to see you. I know he’ll be heartbroken when you go back to New York.”

  “You really think so?”

  “I guarantee it.” Hestia only wished Booth would be as sorry to see her go.

  The next day, when Artie stopped by to talk about their Bible reading, he seemed a bit more animated than usual. Selene suspected he felt nervous.

  She tried to calm him. “I hope you don’t regret what you said last night.”

  “I don’t. Do you?”

  “No. I haven’t felt so good in a long time. Because of you, I had the best Valentine’s Day in memory.” Not caring if Aunt Louisa would consider her too bold, she took his hand and squeezed it then let go. “You’re a good man, Artie Rowland. Much better than I deserve. Because of Ned, and because of my condition, I hadn’t thought of love. Now it’s all I think about.”

  He gave her a smile of understanding, and Selene felt a sense of peace.

  A week later when Artie came over for their in-depth Bible study, Selene wasn’t tempted to apply face paint. Artie wouldn’t judge her, but he wouldn’t want her to wear it. She couldn’t remember a time in years she hadn’t applied face paint when getting ready to see a man she considered a beau. The freedom felt good. All the same, she took care to don her best bed jacket and to make her hair look as good as it could, considering its two-toned state.

  Artie showed up on time as always, a smile on his face and a happy greeting on his lips. Ready to discuss Paul’s missionary trips, he had maps in hand. Booth, Hestia, and even Aunt Louisa wanted to sit in on the lesson. Selene was sorry, because she enjoyed her relatively private time with Artie, even if it did involve discussing maps and missionaries.

  Artie sat down with all of them. Selene almost felt as though she were holding court since they all had to bring their chairs around her bed. He showed them the apostle’s journey and talked about how the prisoners, Barnabas and Paul, were released from their chains.

  “They were freed much as we’re released from the bondage of sin. Just as I was released from the chains of gambling and drinking,” Artie said. “Bondage is such a tricky thing when it’s sin, because it seems like fun. I always felt on top of the world when I was winning at the gambling tables, and I felt more confident, not so shy, when I drank to excess. But I realized that these were masks of power, pretend power, with sources from Satan. Now I gain my strength from God, not hooch and chasing easy money.”

  “I wish I hadn’t touched hooch,” Selene said. “I never want to see it or be anywhere around it again.”

  “That will be hard once you go back to New York, won’t it?” Hestia’s voice held no criticism or judgment.

  “Yes, it will. My friends have slowed down some, but not entirely.”

  “You’ll just have to keep away from parties when you go back. You’ll have to drop the friends who insist you go to them.” Artie’s mouth formed a determined line.

  “Drop my friends?”

  Artie nodded. “I was forced to give up several of my friends when I changed. They didn’t like the new me. They said I wasn’t fun anymore. But Selene, for the sake of your spiritual and physical health, you’ve got to do the same thing I did. Find new friends.”

  “I dread that.”

  “No one said it would be easy. But do you want to be in bondage?”

  “No. No, I don’t.”

  “Then you’d better go to the Lord right now,” Aunt Louisa said. “He’s the only one who can help you.”

  Artie leaned toward her. “The Lord’s the only One who could help me. He’s the only One who can take away your sins and make you as bright as freshly fallen snow.”

  “I’d sure hate to go to heaven and wait for you only to find that you weren’t coming there to be with me.” Aunt Louisa’s voice cracked.

  “Really? You want to be with me in the afterlife?” Selene couldn’t believe it. “I didn’t think you wanted to be with me much even now.”

  “Heaven wouldn’t be the same without you.” A tear escaped from Aunt Louisa’s eye, a sight Selene found shocking and touching. “I don’t want you to be punished. Please come to the Lord.”

  Hestia put her arm around Aunt Louisa but looked at Selene. “Yes, please.”

  “I want you as my sister in Christ, too.” Booth looked at her with sincerity in his eyes.

  Selene felt overwhelmed by the love in the room. She knew everyone there was fond of her, but she hadn’t realized the depth of their emotion. Unconditional love was new to her, too. Remembering Artie’s words, she had no doubt many would drop her if she developed a relationship with Christ. Her father loved her as a daughter, but his selfish love was not without its familial expectations.

  This group was different. Aunt Louisa had agreed to take her out of kindness. Booth owed her nothing, and Hestia had showed her compassion even in her shock over Selene’s situation. And Artie—he had no reason to love her except for love itself. If anything, he had every reason not to love her. But he did. The love of these people showed her the love of Christ—selfless love.

  At that moment, Selene knew she had grown up enough to distinguish genuine love from surface emotions. She wanted that love forever. “Then I will accept Christ. I really want to be with God, and with all of you, in eternity.”

  Artie regarded her with an unremitting but kind gaze. “You really mean that? Then profess your faith!”

  “I do.” At that moment, Selene realized how much she had changed since she arrived in Maiden. No longer was she the carefree flapper. Even her speech patterns had matured, involving less slang. She felt the Holy Spirit surrounding her with these newfound Christian friends.

  She would be a mother. Nothing would ever change that. That very fact made her feel more like a part of the world that really mattered, not the society circle whose most important concern of any given day was where the next party would be. Her life had purpose. She was God’s child now and would be bringing another soul into God’s creation.

  “I hadn’t thought much about eternity before I came here, and especially before I started listening to your devotionals, Artie. But now I see how important it is. I’d hate to face death without knowing where I would end up.” Selene didn’t want to mention it to her friends, but the prospect of giving birth frightened her. She had no reason to believe she would die in childbirth, but sometimes, in spite of everyone’s best efforts, the day they gave birth was the last day some women spent on the earth. At least now, she would see Jesus if God decided to take her at that time. Before, she didn’t know for certain. Other than being baptized as an infant, she hadn’t paid much attention to the Lord. Now she wanted to know Him. And with Artie’s help, she could.

  The next day at work, Artie stopped by Booth’s office. Booth set aside his papers long enough to speak to his friend. “Last night was amazing, wasn’t it, old man?”

  “The best night for any Christian.” Artie shut the door behind him. “Have you got a minute?”

  “Always, for you. Is everyth
ing okay?”

  Artie nodded. “It’s about Selene.”

  Booth pointed to the empty wooden chair. “Have a seat.”

  “I’ll stand. I’m too excited to sit. I have to tell someone, and I know you’ll keep what I say in confidence.”

  “Sure thing.” Booth wondered what Artie could possibly have to say.

  Artie cleared his throat. “You see, last night had bigger implications for me than anyone realizes. I haven’t told anyone else this, but I have an engagement ring for Selene.”

  Booth felt his mouth drop open much as a baby bird’s. “An engagement ring?”

  “I know that seems strange to most people, but not to me. You see, I became infatuated with Selene the first day I saw her. And that infatuation grew into love. But my wife must be a Christian.” His voice took on a tone of awe. “And now she is.”

  Artie’s love for Selene touched Booth’s heart. “If you were any other fellow, I’d ask you if you were just trying to be her knight in shining armor, wanting to rescue her from her problem of being an unwed mother. But I can see you really love her for herself.”

  “Absolutely. The baby is only a gift, as far as I’m concerned.”

  “So why didn’t you ask her last night?”

  “You don’t know how bad I wanted to do that. Yet I just didn’t feel a leading from the Lord. The night was big enough for her—for all of us—without me adding such an important question. But I will ask her, in God’s time.”

  Booth pondered Artie’s confession. “I’m happy for you. I think she’ll accept.”

  “I hope so. If she does, I’ll be the happiest man alive.”

  Hestia rode toward Lincolnton, just over the Catawba County border in Lincoln County. She sat in the passenger seat of the roadster, with Judith driving. “I hope I can find a decent hat this close to Easter,” Hestia shouted over the roaring motor.