Elizabeth's Choice

by Lyle, Linda;

  “Mr. Sparks, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the lesson. I haven’t heard this kind of teaching in a long time.” Elizabeth held out her hand, and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “I’m glad, but my name is James.”

  “James. Thanks again.”

  “It was my pleasure. Believe it or not, I get more out of the lessons than you do.”

  “I find that hard to believe, but I’ll take your word for it.” Elizabeth smiled at him and then followed Scott to the door.

  “We hope you can join us again, preferably next Sunday,” James called after her.

  “I’ll do my best.” She smiled and joined Scott in the corridor. “I’m glad you invited me.”

  “I’m glad you came. Come on. Let’s go into the sanctuary.” The corridor ended at a set of double doors which led into an auditorium.

  Elizabeth looked around at the oak pews highlighted by sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows. They seemed to glow with an unearthly light. Each window was a different scene from the life of Jesus. To her right was Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane done in striking detail and color. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Thank you. We just finished it last year. Everyone in the church had a vote in how we decorated and built the church.” Scott pointed to the thick blue carpet. “That was the hardest thing to choose.”

  They moved on into the room and sat down in a pew to the right of the pulpit. The choir sang some upbeat praise songs, and the music minister made some jokes to loosen everyone up. Just before the sermon, a young girl performed a beautiful rendition of “The Via Dolorosa” and hush fell over the audience. The pastor moved to the pulpit and opened his Bible.

  “My Scripture text for today is 2 Corinithians 6:14; ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?’

  “I want us to look at our relationships and see if we have yoked ourselves with darkness. Have you joined your soul with one who doesn’t believe in God or who doesn’t believe the same as you? If so, you are walking down a dangerous path.”

  The sermon continued, but Elizabeth’s mind was stuck on that one thought. Her mind immediately went to her relationship with Alex. She didn’t hear the rest of the sermon as she pondered the pastor’s words. Her heart lifted a silent prayer of repentance, and she resolved to stand her ground with Alex. She turned her attention back to the service.

  When the last hymn was sung and the last amen spoken, Scott turned, his head cocked to one side. “What did you think?”

  “I really enjoyed myself. I needed this so much. I want to thank you for inviting me today.” He smiled at her response and relaxed.

  “Good. The pleasure was all mine. Now, why don’t we see if we can find something to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  “Me, too. What did you have in mind?”

  “How about Chinese? There’s a great little restaurant down the road.”

  “What’s the name?”

  “McClintock’s.” He smiled as her eyebrows raised. “Are you questioning my ability to cook, again?” he said with mock seriousness.

  “To be honest…yes.”

  “Smart woman. I like that. I’ll show you what I mean.”

  Elizabeth followed him back to the house and was greeted by Lady. She patted the dog on the head and followed Scott into the kitchen, her curiosity at high tide. He motioned for her to come to the refrigerator and pointed to the top shelf. Elizabeth had to laugh. Sitting in full view were three containers bearing the name “Mr. Wong’s Chinese Restaurant.”

  “I like a man who knows how to use leftovers.”

  He grinned and laughed. Together they set the table and heated up sweet ’n’ sour chicken, egg drop soup, and some fried rice. They passed the meal with small talk and a lot of laughter. Elizabeth couldn’t remember having such a good time.

  “Let’s go into the living room for coffee or do you prefer Dr. Pepper?” Scott asked with his hand on the coffeepot.

  “Actually, Dr. Pepper sounds great.”

  “Good. ’Cause I really didn’t want coffee.” He grabbed two cans from the refrigerator and started to hand her one of them. “Where are my manners? Would you like a glass with some ice?” He looked so apologetic that she had to laugh.

  “No, thank you. I prefer mine straight.”

  “That’s another thing we agree on.” He motioned her toward the living room and they spent the afternoon talking about life in general. They both liked animals, living in the country, and eating. Elizabeth had never felt so comfortable around a man before, especially a man she was attracted to.

  “It’s going to be a great sunset tonight,” Scott said as he added wood to the fire.

  “How can you tell?”

  “Just look out the window.” Elizabeth turned and was surprised to see the sun low on the horizon.

  “Oh, dear! What time is it?” She looked around for a clock.

  “It’s four-thirty. The sun goes down early this time of the year.”

  “I didn’t mean to stay so late.”

  “Don’t apologize. I’ve had a wonderful time. It’s not often I meet someone willing to eat leftovers and shoot the breeze.”

  “I’d better get going.”

  “Since it’s already this late, why don’t you stay for the sunset? It’s going to be quite a show.”

  She hesitated to answer. One part of her said she’d stayed too long. The other part didn’t want to leave. “I guess I could stay a few more minutes.”

  “Great. Let’s watch it from the swing. Get your coat.”

  They bundled up and sat in the swing while the sky changed from bright blue to orange to midnight blue. They sat in silence unwilling to break the spell. Finally, Elizabeth moved to go, and Scott stood up and put a hand on her arm.

  “I really had a great time today, Elizabeth. Maybe we can do it again sometime.” His eyes searched her face.

  “I’d love to,” she said, and his face relaxed into a smile.

  “Let me walk you to the car.”

  “Okay.”

  Scott put a hand on her arm as she started to get into the car and he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Elizabeth was surprised and pleased. She felt so at home in his arms. He squeezed her gently and then let her go.

  “See you around, Elizabeth.”

  “Bye.”

  As she drove home she kept remembering the feeling of being held in his arms. The smile never left her face. He said he wanted to see her again. Feeling truly happy, she slapped the steering wheel, turned up the radio, and drove home singing.

  eight

  Alex’s weekend didn’t go very well. He had been sure that Elizabeth would go to the symphony with him. Why had she suddenly changed her attitude? He was sure she was lying about being busy. She wasn’t very convincing, and he was hard to fool. Something was most definitely up. He spent all of Saturday rethinking his strategy. He had done well in not showing anger or giving her a hard time. He was sure of that.

  Sunday afternoon he received a call from his mother, an invitation to dinner. It would be a nice break. He arrived at seven o’clock and noticed Scott’s truck already parked in its usual place. Alex’s eyes narrowed, but his expression didn’t give away the feelings of resentment that rested just below the surface. He walked toward the house slowly, smoothing his face into a smile.

  “Alex!” Katherine McClintock called from the stove. “Welcome home. I was afraid you had forgotten where we lived.”

  “No, Mother. I’ve just been busy lately. You can always find me at the office.”

  “It’s not the same and you know it. Now, come over here and give me a hug.” Katherine’s hugs could not be avoided, but Alex received it with a stiff back. His mother’s smile faded a little. “Your brother is in the living room with Dad. Why don’t you go on in and join them, while I finish up supper?”

  “
Yes, Mother.”

  He found his brother sprawled on the couch next to the elder McClintock. Same as always.

  The conversation for the next few minutes was strained, a mixture of the weather and politics, but not too much about politics. That was grounds for a small civil war.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Katherine called from the dining room.

  They all trooped in and sat in their usual places. Alex picked up his fork to eat, but his mother stopped him.

  “We haven’t blessed the food, yet, Alex.” Alex put down his fork, while his father prayed the usual prayer.

  “Lord, we thank you for your blessings and this food you have provided. Bless this food that it may strengthen us to do your will. Watch over our family and protect us. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  “I don’t know why you feel it necessary to thank God for providing the food when you know good and well that it was hard work that put food on this table,” Alex pointed out.

  “Alex!” his mother’s outraged voice filled the room.

  “Alex, you know that everything is God’s and that we don’t have anything that God hasn’t given to us,” the elder McClintock responded.

  “I don’t get that. We have a lot of money because we earned it. We went out and worked for it. Why should some being off in space somewhere get all the credit. Everything I have, I worked for.”

  “Alex, why don’t you just drop it,” Scott replied. “You know how we feel about God and religion, and we know how you feel. Let’s just leave it at that and talk about something else.”

  “Sure, Golden Boy. Whatever you say.” The sarcasm was not evident in his voice, but the words alone said a lot.

  The rest of the dinner was passed in small talk about the business and talk of family and friends. Scott helped his mother carry the dishes to the kitchen while their father went to his office to make a phone call. Alex picked up a plate and headed for the kitchen. The door was closed and just as Alex moved to open it, Scott said something that caught his attention.

  “Mom, I met the greatest girl the other day. She came to church today and we had a nice afternoon. I’ve never met someone I felt so comfortable with.”

  “That’s wonderful, Scott. What’s her name?”

  “Elizabeth Jordan. She works at the firm. Have you met her?”

  “No, I don’t think so. We’ll have to invite her to dinner some time.”

  “That would be great Mom.”

  The conversation in the kitchen drifted off to another subject, and Alex quit listening. So that was the problem. He should have known it was Scott. Scott always got everything. Alex’s mind drifted back to their childhood. From the day he was born, everything was always about Scott. Scott was the good kid who always did everything right. If he had heard it once, he had heard it a million times: “Why can’t you be like your brother?” Scott always got what he wanted, but not this time.

  Alex’s mind began to turn. How could he get Elizabeth away from Scott? A slow smile spread across his face as he remembered Scott’s one weakness: his misplaced faith and a disdain for hypocrites. Alex smoothed the anger from his face and plastered his most charming smile in its place.

  “What are you two talking about in here?” Alex asked, coming into the kitchen.

  “Just things,” Scott replied giving his mother a warning look.

  “Oh, in that case, why don’t we go in the den and catch up.” Scott eyed him cautiously.

  “Sure, big brother. Why not.”

  In the den, Alex sat in a wingback chair near the fireplace, and Scott plopped on the sofa on the opposite side. Alex knew he would have to do this carefully.

  “Anything new in the construction business, little brother?”

  “Not much. I’m working on some home improvement stuff at the house.”

  “Really. Been out much?”

  “No. Why the sudden interest?”

  “What? Do you mean I can’t take an interest in my brother’s life?” Alex looked genuinely hurt.

  “You don’t usually. What’s up?”

  “Well, I just wanted to share, that’s all.”

  “Okay, Alex. What do you want to gloat about this time.”

  “I’m hurt that you would think that I would gloat about anything, but I do have some news I’d like to share.”

  “So? Out with it.”

  “I met a woman that I really like.”

  “What’s new about that. You’ve liked a lot of women.”

  “This one’s different. I might even think of marrying this one.” Alex leaned back in his chair. “She doesn’t look like a model or anything, but she does have other, shall we say, abilities.” The smirk told Scott exactly what those “abilities” were.

  “That’s more than I wanted to know, Alex. But at least your thinking of doing the right thing.”

  “Don’t you even want to know the name of your possible sister-in-law?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Her name is Elizabeth. She works at the firm. You met her, didn’t you?”

  The look of shock spread across Scott’s face, and Alex knew a moment of triumph. Finally, Scott was feeling what Alex had felt for all those years. Scott quickly tried to cover up his surprise.

  “Yes, I did. She helped me do some research.”

  “You look a little surprised, brother dear. Something wrong?”

  “She just didn’t seem your type, Alex. She seems a little reserved for your tastes.”

  “A few minutes alone and she has no reserve at all.” The smirk was back, and Scott looked as if he had been punched in the stomach.

  “I’m happy for you, Alex.”

  “Thanks.” Alex decided it was time to leave him alone in his misery. He looked at his watch. “Look at the time! I’ve got to run. See you later. Hey, maybe we could have lunch sometime. You know. You, me, and Elizabeth.”

  “Sure.” Scott sounded less than convincing.

  “Bye, little brother.”

  “Bye.” The last thing Alex saw before he closed the door was Scott’s pained expression. He whistled his way to the car.

  ❧

  Scott stood in the middle of the den, feeling as if he might be sick. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t happen twice. There was no mistaking that smirk. Alex was famous for his ability to talk women into his bedroom. How could he have misjudged Elizabeth? He thought back on the day and wondered how she could sit in church knowing the kind of life she was living? How could she flirt with me, knowing she was sleeping with my brother?

  Then his mind drifted back to that day four years earlier when he had found Jennifer with another guy. She had seemed so nice. She went to church with him and talked about how she wanted to have a family and live in the country where they could raise their children, go to church together. They had dated for six months, and he was looking at rings. One day, she had canceled their date, saying she was sick; so, he decided to go over and take care of her. The door was unlocked when he arrived, so he went in, only to find her in the arms of another man. She had cried at first, trying to convince him that it was a mistake. When that didn’t work, he saw a side of her he had never seen before. She became a horrible person who spat obscenities at him and said he wasn’t a real man. If he were a real man, she wouldn’t have had to find someone else. He had sworn he would never be fooled again.

  As he drove home from his parents’, Alex’s voice echoed in his ears and the smirk on his face filled his vision. Once more, Alex had managed to ruin something special.

  nine

  The shrill ring of the telephone woke Scott from a restless sleep. He rolled over and looked at the clock. 4:00 a.m. He groaned and reached for the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Scott. Did I wake you up?”

  “Alex? Do you know what time it is?”

  “I know it’s early, but I need a favor. Are you still going to pick up Claire Bowden at the airport this morning?”

  “Yeah, but not till t
en o’clock. What’s so important that you have to wake me up at four o’clock in the morning?” The irritation in Scott’s voice was obvious.

  “Well, I have a nine o’clock flight to Chicago for a meeting with the senator, and my car needs to be serviced while I’m gone. I thought since you needed to go to the airport anyway you could follow me to the garage and then drive me to the airport.”

  “You woke me up before dawn to ask a favor? Big brother, you are pushing the limits of family courtesy.”

  “Sorry, but I didn’t know that my car needed to be serviced until I was driving home last night. I figured you’d be up anyway. I thought construction workers got up with the sun?”

  “For your information, the sun is not up yet.”

  “Well, will you do it?”

  “I might as well since I’m up now.”

  “Thanks, Golden Boy.”

  “Don’t push your luck.” Scott hung up the receiver with a bang. Sometimes he wondered why he did anything for Alex. He reached for his Bible and it fell open to Matthew where he had been reading yesterday. Jesus said to treat others the way he would want to be treated, but sometimes he’d rather hit Alex than hug him. He just didn’t understand why Alex behaved the way he did. With a sigh, Scott lifted Alex to the Lord—he knew God could do a lot more for Alex than he could.

  Scott went through his morning routine a little faster than normal. Alex had a way of messing up a perfectly good day. Scott tried to regain his normally pleasant demeanor, but found himself slamming doors as he reviewed his conversation of the previous day with Alex over and over again. To top it off, he had to dress up. He hated wearing ties, but he didn’t want Claire Bowden to think he was unprofessional. He opted for casual pants and shirt with a tie and a leather jacket. No need to be too professional. He took one last look in the mirror and ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair and then headed for the garage. He patted the truck on his way to the car. He slid the seat all the way back and glanced longingly at the truck. Shaking his head, he started the engine and headed for Alex’s house.

  ❧

  Across the city, another phone rang in the early morning stillness. Elizabeth rolled over and ignored the sound. It rang again. On the third ring, she answered the phone in her sleep.