While Julie hugged them and Ethan talked to more townsfolk, Elizabeth watched Kavan. He walked down the line of children, ruffling their hair, telling them they were going to learn how not to start a fire.
“Hey.” He jogged over to her. “Want to help me with the kids?”
“Sure.” For a split second, she was unable to imagine anything she’d want to do more.
“Great.” He turned to walk away, hesitated, then faced her again. He pulled her into his embrace. “I’m really glad you’re back.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in the subtle scent of his cologne. “Me, too. Me, too.”
Eleven
As dusk settled over White Birch, Kavan put away the last of the coloring pens and construction paper. “Looks like everyone is settling in for dinner before the fireworks.” He stepped around to the front of the booth and closed the distance between them.
Her eyes shimmered with excitement. “That was fun.”
He smiled. “Yeah, the kids are great.”
She stretched and then rested her hands in the hip pockets of her jean shorts. “What now?”
“Dinner. Everyone will picnic or go to one of the restaurants before the fireworks.”
He watched Elizabeth survey the area. Large groups of people were already gathering by the lake, picking premium spots for the pyrotechnic show. Some stood eating hot dogs from street vendors; others unpacked picnic baskets.
“I’d better find Ethan and Julie.”
Kavan reached for his toolbox. “Or,” he started, “you can help me tear this down, and I’ll treat you to pizza at Giuseppe’s.”
“Oh no, Kavan, you don’t have to do that. I’ll help, but you don’t have to buy my dinner.” She reached for a hammer.
“Consider it a payback. The kids loved you. Besides, before you left for Boston, we agreed to a pizza date.”
Elizabeth stiffened. “Not a date. A, um, get-together.”
He shook his head at her insistence. “You know, even friends can use the word “date.” It doesn’t have to imply anything romantic.”
“Well, in this town, one cannot be too careful.”
Grandpa Matt’s words echoed through Kavan’s head. She won’t be easy to catch, but it’s possible. Tearing apart the booth frame, Kavan wondered if he really wanted to catch Elizabeth Lambert. There were a lot of other lovely and gracious women to choose from; he just. . .
He stopped in midthought. Who was he kidding? He had yet to meet a woman who captured his heart like Elizabeth had. Pride and all, he’d ask her to marry him in a heartbeat if he thought she’d say yes.
“What are you thinking about so intently, Donovan?” she asked, walking up behind him.
He turned toward her with a start. “Lost in thought.”
She propped her hands on her hips. “I guess so. I called for you twice.”
“Sorry, what did you need?”
“I folded the canvases and put them over there.” She pointed to a spot beyond the booth. “ ’Cause I didn’t know where you parked your truck.”
He faced the last two boards of the booth and hammered them apart. “The truck is down the street.”
“I’m going to find Ethan and Julie so they know I’m having pizza with you. Do you want me to get your truck?”
“Yes, please.” Kavan pulled his keys out of his pocket. Their fingers touched when he handed them to her. A tingle raced from the tip of his fingers to the top of his arm.
She glanced down at her hand holding the keys, then looked into his eyes. For a moment, he thought she was going to say she felt a tingle, too. “Wh–” She cleared her throat. “Where did you park the truck?”
He motioned over his shoulder. “On the other side of the post office.”
He watched her hurry away.
Lord, if she’s not the one for me, You’d better send a bolt of lightning. . . .
He gazed up at the twilight sky. Not a cloud in sight. He smiled.
❧
During dinner, Elizabeth studied him, trying to understand why the sound of his voice made her heart flip-flop. She focused on the strange feeling that came over her when she was in his presence, analyzing her thoughts and emotions. It couldn’t merely be his striking face or lean, muscular frame. She knew lots of handsome men in college. In fact, one of her best buddies won a best-looking coeds contest. But Mark Wilder never made her feel the way Kavan Donovan made her feel.
During her short trip home to Boston, she renewed her commitment to grad school. How could she not complete the journey she’d begun?
Her mother’s statement still echoed in her head. I don’t see you having time for romance, Darling.
She’s right, she’s right. I don’t have time for a serious relationship. School is my destiny. Elizabeth twirled the ends of her hair.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the budget,” Elizabeth heard Kavan say as she brought her thoughts into the moment.
She propped her elbows on the table and gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry, what? A budget?”
Kavan chuckled and fell back against his chair. “Earth to Elizabeth.”
She grinned and hid her eyes behind her arm. “I’m sorry.” She lowered her arm so she could see him and confessed, “Distracted by my own thoughts.”
Kavan waved off her excuse. “I understand.”
“So, tell me about this budget.” Elizabeth picked up another slice of pizza. She took a bite and glanced at Kavan, waiting.
“Just boring work stuff.” He took a drink from his soda.
“What’s wrong with the budgets?”
“Not budgets. Budget. Just one.”
A flicker of concern reflected in his brown eyes, and compassion moved Elizabeth. She reached across the table and tapped his hand lightly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong, really.” He shifted in his seat. “I am in charge of refurbishing the old White Birch fire tower, and it seems my budget is out of whack.”
“What do you mean, ‘out of whack’?” Elizabeth put her pizza slice down and pushed her plate away.
“Accounting claims I’m in the red, overdrawn. I can’t seem to figure out what’s going on. All they give us is a summary report.”
She crossed her arms and leaned on the table. “Do you have records on your computer?”
He chewed a bite of pizza and nodded. The waitress came to the table and offered to refill their drinks.
“It’s plugged into a spreadsheet. But the program I used for my spreadsheet keeps crashing. I can’t get at the data. I have backups at home, but they’re about a month behind. I’ve been too busy. . . .” He sighed and ran his hand across his forehead.
Elizabeth didn’t know what to say, seeing his frustration and his uneasiness. “I’ll pray for the Lord to bring you an answer.”
He leaned forward. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
The subject changed, and by the time the waitress brought the bill, he had Elizabeth laughing over one of her cousin Jeff’s high school antics.
She reached for the bill, but Kavan snatched the check out of her fingers. “Nothing doing. You helped me this afternoon, and I appreciate it.”
She let the bill go. “Guess you can write it off as department expense.”
Kavan feigned a laugh and pulled out his debit card. In a sardonic tone, he said, “I don’t think so.”
The waitress came over to pick up the bill with the card. Elizabeth excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She returned to the table just as Kavan signed the receipt.
“Ready?” he said, scribbling his name with a flourish.
Placing her hand on his shoulder, Elizabeth leaned over, squinting at the paper. “Again with that signature?” She laughed.
Kavan stood, a saucy grin on his lips. “I was premed for one quarter.”
Elizabeth let go a robust chuckle and followed him to the door.
❧
“Your chariot, Milady.” Kavan opened the
truck door for Elizabeth, bowing low.
“Thank you, my lord.” She hopped inside.
Kavan shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He’d enjoyed dinner but felt like he spent too much time rehashing his work problems.
Ask Elizabeth about herself. He tried to think of something to ask her.
“I have a blanket in the back. Care to share it with me and watch the fireworks?” He started the engine with a quick turn of the ignition.
“Sounds like fun.”
Kavan shifted the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Thanks for dinner,” Elizabeth said softly.
He looked over at her. She was lovely to him, so very lovely. “Can’t think of a better way to spend the Fourth of July.”
They drove in silence to the lake. The quietness came with peace and comfort. Kavan held back from taking it as a sign of blessing from the Lord.
Parking close proved impossible, so Kavan found a spot at the end of Main Street. Casually, he slipped his hand into Elizabeth’s as they walked toward the crowd.
“Any more news from grad schools?” he asked, determined to let her talk for awhile.
“No.” Her voice rang flat in the night air.
“You will, don’t worry.”
“That’s what I keep hearing.”
He didn’t miss the irritation in her voice.
“What’s your focus again? Nuclear physics?”
“Engineering,” she emphasized.
“Ah, right. Here’s a spot over here.”
She followed, but slipped her hand out of his. He glanced over his shoulder at her, gazing down on the top of her head. He couldn’t see her face, but he sensed a change in her demeanor.
“What do you want to do with a master’s in nuclear engineering?” He spread the blanket on the ground. “Here we go.” He sat down, legs crossed at the ankle.
She stood, putting her hands on her hips. “What kind of question is that?”
He snapped his head up. Was she angry? In the fading light, he couldn’t see her eyes. “What’s the purpose of the degree? What field do you want to focus on? What kind of job are you thinking of getting?”
“Energy.” She sat down on the edge of the blanket. “I’d like to work at a nuclear energy plant or do research.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said. “Nuclear plants will be the death of us all if we don’t—”
She cut him off. “Death of us all?”
“Ever hear of Chernobyl?” He fell back against the blanket, landing on his elbows.
“The safety of those reactors was ignored.” Her voice warbled in a high pitch.
Across the lake, the first fireworks boomed and splashed fiery color in the night sky.
“Sure, and look at the devastation.”
“You can’t lump all nuclear reactors into the Chernobyl class. New energy standards are being generated every day.”
“Yeah, like the standard of natural energy resources. We’d all be a lot better off—”
She hopped up again and peered down at him, hands on her hips. “Kavan, there are not enough natural resources to heat, cool, and feed the world. As it is now, most Third World countries are stripped of natural resources. Nuclear energy could provide relief for millions.”
“And put them at risk.” Kavan stood, not sure why he continued to banter with her. Clearly, the subject touched a nerve.
Another fireworks display exploded overhead. It popped open like an umbrella and sparks floated down. The crowd around them oohed and aahed.
She opened her arms. “Typical naturalist. The environment is all you care about. Yet you want to deprive millions the luxury of affordable energy. Meanwhile, the earth is drained of natural resources. All the while, your crowd insists nuclear energy will be the death of us all. You can’t have it both ways, Kavan.”
What is she saying? He reached for her arm and asked in a low tone. “Elizabeth, are you sure you’re still talking about energy resources?”
Boom! Phosphorus light splashed against the darkness, and for a split second, he could see the hard lines drawn on her face.
“What else would I be talking about?” she snapped, turning on her heel. “I’ll see you later, Kavan. Julie and Ethan are probably wondering where I am.” She walked away, and in only a few steps, Kavan lost sight of her in the crowd and shadows.
Twelve
Elizabeth rode in silence to Grandpa and Grandma’s house in the backseat of Ethan and Julie’s car. She listened to their intimate conversation about the day’s events that touched them. Julie enjoyed seeing the children and the fireworks, and Ethan rather liked socializing with White Birch’s citizens.
“What’d you like most about the day?” Julie asked, adjusting to face Elizabeth. The lights from the dash showed her pretty smile.
Elizabeth gave a generic, safe answer. “The fireworks.”
What she wanted to say was the entire day: Kavan and the fire safety booth, Kavan and dinner, Kavan and the fireworks. Yet, the entire situation conflicted her. How could she have feelings for him? Emotional attachments could devastate her future plans.
When he asked her about school, panic gripped her. She had not thought about higher education since she laid eyes on him at the fire safety booth. Not once!
She was going to let her dream go all because she allowed a summer crush to weave its way into her heart. So, she picked a fight. Thinking about it now, she felt guilty. But she had to get away from him, put some distance between them.
She sighed and dropped her head against the window. My friends would never let me hear the end of it. I gave them such a hard time when each of them fell in love.
Suddenly, she sat up straight and stared out the front window. She clenched her jaw in resolution. I won’t lose sight of school. I won’t fall for Kavan.
Ethan turned into the driveway and started up the hill toward the house.
“Thanks for the ride home.” Elizabeth leaned forward between the front seats.
Ethan smiled at her. “We had fun. Thanks for hanging with us.”
Julie objected with a wink. “I think she spent more time with a handsome ranger than us, Babe.”
Ethan chuckled as he pulled around by the kitchen door. Elizabeth fell back against her seat. “He’s a friend, you two. A friend.”
“They make the best partners.” Julie glanced over her shoulder at her cousin-in-law.
Elizabeth stared straight into her eyes. “I’m going to grad school.”
“I married Ethan right out of high school, and I still earned my master’s.” Julie’s statement caused another wave of panic to splash over Elizabeth.
“Good for you.” She reached for the door handle. “Marriage is not for me.”
“Will it ever be?” Julie asked.
Elizabeth yanked the handle and opened the door slightly. “What is with this family and marriage?”
“We find it rather pleasant, and safe, and wonderful,” Julie said.
Ethan added, “Beth, marriage isn’t the issue; your ardent opposition to marriage is the issue.”
“Oh, right, Ethan. I’m the bad guy ’cause I’d rather finish school than be a giggly, lovesick house Frau.” She shoved the door the rest of the way open and stepped out. Her irritation showed and she knew it. “I’m sorry, you guys, I’m tired.”
“Don’t worry about it, Beth,” Julie said. “Call me later if you need to talk.”
“Thanks. Good night.” Elizabeth watched them drive away, and instead of going inside, she slipped down the side of the hill toward the covered bridge. Her emotions felt raw and exposed. As she moved under the cover of the bridge, tears spilled down her cheeks. She fought for control.
“Lord, I know I haven’t been close to You lately, but since You are my Friend, can I talk to You?” More tears came. For the longest time, Elizabeth walked the length of the bridge, unburdening her heart to the Lord. No cars drove past, and it seemed that the Lord ar
ranged a private audience just for her, His friend.
❧
Kavan woke feeling as if he’d never been asleep. He slapped the snooze button on his alarm and buried his head under the pillow. He’d tossed and turned most of the night, his dreams invaded by fireworks and Elizabeth’s sharp, sarcastic words, followed by Travis Knight’s accusations and mistrust.
Last night, he sat on the porch, praying until midnight, asking the Lord to search him. The recent refurbishment fiasco and Travis’s subtle imputations, coupled with Elizabeth’s erratic behavior, caused him to wonder if the Lord was trying to tell him something.
He dozed for a few more minutes before the alarm sounded a second time. He sat up slowly and dangled his legs over the side of the bed. With a yawn, he headed for the shower. Morning light filtered through the bathroom window. Kavan hovered over the sink, splashing his face with cold water. Gotta wake up.
He brushed his teeth, shaved, and showered. Dressed in a freshly laundered uniform, he headed to the kitchen to make some coffee. Fred and Ginger waited by the back door, tails wagging.
“Morning, Fred. Morning, Ginger.” He stroked them each on the head before turning the knob. They bolted out into the fresh morning air. Kavan left the door ajar and popped a couple pieces of bread into the toaster. When the coffee finished brewing, he poured a cup and took it to the porch along with the toast.
Sipping his coffee and munching his breakfast, he meditated on the Lord. A verse from the book of Psalms flowed through his head. Search me, O God. . .test me. . . See if there is any offensive way in me.
Nothing came to mind. “Lord, I trust You to take care of me. My reputation is in Your hands. You will accomplish what concerns me.”
He went inside after a few more minutes and set his dishes in the sink. He picked up the floppy with the refurbishment data on it and headed for work. First thing on his morning agenda was to get his office computer installed with a new spreadsheet program and load his backup records. With Travis on vacation, he had time to figure out what was going on.
“Morning, Rick.” Kavan walked over to his desk.
Rick looked up. “Oh—um, Kavan. Good morning.”
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