“At least for the time being. I guess he said it didn’t matter to him where the manuscript was housed. It was the ownership that was important to his grandmother. She can come see it here as easy as anywhere else. So, unless he changes his mind later, the manuscript will be a part of the collection after all.”
Helen was slammed with waves of shock, confusion, joy and tenderness. She sat frozen in her desk chair and tried to think of something to say. “Wow.”
Judy chuckled. “I was worried you’d be upset that we weren’t the ones to actually buy it. But I guess you’re all right with the way things turned out.”
Helen clasped her hands together, squeezing her fingers together to channel some of the shuddering exhilaration. She was nearly shaking with her effort not to squeal with joy or rush madly out of the office. “May I,” she began unsteadily, “May I take some personal time this afternoon. I’d like to—”
“Yes,” Judy said, when Helen couldn’t finish the thought. “Of course. Go see him! Be sure to thank him for me.”
Helen fumbled around her office, turning off her lights and computer and getting her purse. She couldn’t believe that earlier today she’d been a little depressed, a little worried about the nature of Andrew’s feelings.
But he didn’t have to say anything. His actions had always made his feelings clear. And this one—this action—might have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.
She supposed she looked rather prim and subdued, leaving the library in her old-fashioned, belted shirtdress, glasses, and granny boots.
She wasn’t prim and subdued. Inside, she was blazing with joy.
***
Andrew stood in the sun in the side yard of his house and tried not to yell at the dog who was now named Rat. Melissa had asked him to take the dog out to do his business, and for some reason Andrew had agreed.
He hadn’t expected it to take this long, though.
Rat sniffed happily around the yard, snuffling at each tree and bush. He made no signs of doing what he’d come out here to do.
While he waited, Andrew thought about his meeting on campus earlier in the day. He’d wanted to drop by Helen’s office afterwards, but he didn’t want it to seem like he was gloating. He was very concerned about her reaction. He didn’t want to hurt her for the world, and he hated the idea that she might be disappointed in the library’s not buying the manuscript. He’d done what he could to reconcile both of their concerns, but he’d have felt better if they could have talked about it beforehand.
But Helen had been avoiding the subject of the manuscript like the plague, and he just hadn’t been able to make himself raise the topic himself.
Once they got this one thing settled, he felt like they’d be in pretty good shape. He was already starting to think through plans for the future. Melissa loved it in Cane, and she’d made more progress here than she ever had in D.C. More and more, Andrew was realizing that he didn’t want to leave himself. He’d worked hard to establish his company and make it the success it was, but it didn’t make him happy the way a life here might.
He had options. Any number of options. And he wasn’t tied to a life in D.C. just because it was what he’d been living for the last fifteen years.
Everything seemed new, after his realization in church on Sunday. The whole world seemed remade. Andrew had never believed he’d be this happy or hopeful again.
As long as Helen was okay about the manuscript and didn’t decide he wasn’t worth the trouble of putting up with, then the deepest of Andrew’s dreams might come true.
Rat was still snuffling around, and Andrew shook his head in frustration. He couldn’t hold a grudge against the animal though. The dog had done wonders for Melissa.
Plus, if it weren’t for Rat’s falling into that dugout cellar, Andrew might never have fallen in love with Helen.
The sound of a car in the driveway distracted Andrew from his thoughts. He took a few steps over so he could see who’d pulled up. He blinked in surprise when he saw Helen’s car. Then saw her getting out of the car, looking pretty and fresh in a moss green dress.
She’d spotted him, even before he called out a greeting. He had no idea what she was doing here. She should still be at work.
His shock multiplied when she started to run toward him.
She sprinted, despite her long skirt and high-heeled boots.
Andrew just stood there in the middle of the yard like an idiot, having no idea what was happening or why she was running toward him. He couldn’t even make himself move to walk toward her and cut down the distance she had to run.
A knot of concern tightened in his belly until he saw her face. It was radiant. Glowing. Brimming with joy.
It took his breath away.
He stood frozen in place and stared as she ran toward him, a matching joy rising up inside him without any conscious thought. He still had no idea what was happening, but he couldn’t help but respond to her palpable exhilaration.
She’d come alive. Every pulse of vibrant passion and feeling he’d known was lurking in the shadows of her spirit had broken free. She blazed with it. It was the most beautiful, stunning thing he’d ever seen.
He had the sense to brace himself when she reached him. She didn’t slow down. Just launched herself into his arms. The momentum of the impact lifted her off her feet, and Andrew found himself swinging her around, hugging her close to him, as close as he could, never intending to let her go.
“Thank you,” she gasped. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She pressed little kisses against his cheek and jaw.
Half laughing, half overcome with emotion, Andrew managed to set her down on her feet, although he didn’t remove his arms from around her. “You’re welcome. For what, exactly?”
“For the manuscript!” She stared up at him—like he was crazy and like he was magnificent simultaneously. Her hands were fisted in his shirt, clinging to him and not letting go. “Why didn’t you tell me what you were planning?”
Suddenly enlightened, Andrew felt a clench relax in his chest. It would be all right now. Nothing would stand in their way. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it,” he admitted. “I knew you wanted the library to be the one to buy it.”
“I did, but what’s important is that it’s taken care of and available for scholarship. And it means so much that you’ll let us keep it with the collection. That’s what you were talking about with the Dean that day last month, wasn’t it?
Andrew nodded his affirmation.
“And I assumed it was a betrayal.” She shook her head, as if chiding herself, but then her radiance reemerged. “Are you sure you don’t mind? It’s all right?”
“Of course, it’s all right. I don’t think my grandmother ever had visions of stroking the manuscript in the middle of the night. She just wanted it in the family. This works out perfectly for everyone.” He squeezed her a little, pressing her against his chest. He could hardly believe he was allowed to do so. “So you’re not disappointed?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Do I look disappointed?”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Not exactly.” Unable to resist, he reached out to brush a strand of blonde hair that had fallen down as she’d run. “You look radiant.”
“That’s how I feel,” she admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. She looked shy all of a sudden, but he could see the resolve in her face. “I know you did it…the manuscript and everything…for me. And I’ll never be able to tell you how much that means to me. And it’s totally fine if you’re not ready to say anything yet. Or if you’re not entirely sure of what you want. Or even if you changed your mind.” Her cheeks flushed deeply and she looked painfully embarrassed for a moment. But she pressed on. “I’m not expecting anything so you don’t have to feel any pressure. I just want you to know that I’ve never—in all my life—believed anyone would do something like that…I mean, I always thought I was kind of overl— What I’m trying to say is that it means so much to me
—“
“Helen,” he interrupted, unable to hold back anymore and not wanting her to go on feeling so uncertain. “I know what you mean. And I still can’t believe any man would be so idiotic as to overlook you. When you’re the most beautiful, loving, irresistible woman I’ve ever known.”
She blushed even more deeply, but her face relaxed into a glow of tender joy. “Oh.”
He laughed softly but raised both of his hands to cup her face. “Helen, what could possibly have given you the impression that I wasn’t sure of what I wanted or that I might decide to change my mind?”
“Well,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “It had been a week, and you hadn’t said anything.”
“Did you think I was going to just blurt it out at the very first moment like some kind of impatient boy?” That was exactly how he’d felt—how he still felt right now—but he was trying to do things right with Helen, since she deserved the best.
“Oh,” she said again, clearly taken aback. Then her face changed, “So you were planning some big romantic gesture?”
Andrew twisted his mouth, torn between blissful amusement and ironic embarrassment. “Certainly not.”
“You were!” She reached up to twine her arms around his neck. Pulled him into another hug. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!”
Returning the hug and overwhelmed with tenderness, Andrew still managed to grumble, “Well, let’s not make a big deal about it.”
She was giggling as she pulled away. “What were you planning?”
“You don’t think I’m going to tell you now, do you?”
“Why not? You have to tell me!”
He shook his head, trying to suppress a smile. “I’ll save it for later.”
“What? You mean you really aren’t going to tell me what you’d planned?”
“I told you—I’m going to save it for later. Eventually, I’m sure I’ll have the need for another big, romantic gesture.”
“Oh.” This appeared to appease her and her scowl changed to another smile. “So what were you going to tell me?”
Andrew shifted briefly from foot to foot. Despite everything, despite the ways he’d changed in the last two months, despite the depth of his feelings for her, he still felt a little uncomfortable opening up so completely.
Helen just waited patiently, her expression soft and fond.
He wondered how it was possible that she understood him so completely. The thought pushed him into speech. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tomorrow night.”
She burst into ripples of laughter. “I would love to. Thank you for asking.”
“Good.”
“Anything else you wanted to say?”
Unable to resist any longer, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her mouth. He heard her quick intake of breath and felt a wave of hot tenderness overwhelm him. “I’m well on my way to falling in love with you,” he murmured against her lips.
“Oh.” She closed the distance between them again, giving him a little kiss of her own. “I’m glad it’s not just me.”
Andrew had no idea what he might have said next—probably any number of silly, fatuous confessions. But an interruption came in the form of a window opening from the top floor of the house.
“Everything all right with you two?” Melissa called down.
Both Helen and Andrew looked up to see his sister’s grinning face peering down at them. Helen dissolved into giggles, and Andrew yelled back up to her, “We were having a private moment here.”
“Well, next time, you might not have it in the middle of the yard. But I’m glad you finally figured things out. Don’t forget to make sure Rat does his business.” Melissa pulled the window shut with a bang.
Helen was still laughing as Andrew took her hand and led her back over to where Rat was still sniffing at trees. But Andrew was suddenly overcome with a different kind of thanksgiving.
“What is it?” Helen asked, obviously sensing his shift in mood.
“That’s the first time Melissa has opened a window in her room.”
“What?’ Her fingers tightened on his in excitement.
“She’s never before opened a window in a room she considers her safe place. This is the first time.”
“She’s making progress. She’s going to get better, Andrew. I just know it.” Absently, she smoothed out in the wrinkles she’d made earlier in his shirt. “God is good, Andrew. I think she’s going to get better.”
“I think so too,” he said, for the first time in ten years actually believing it might be true. He covered her hand on his chest. “I know God is good. He’s given me you.”
Epilogue
“Andrew,” Helen complained, trying to keep up with his long strides in front of her. The woodland trail was angling upward, and she couldn’t help but admire Andrew’s powerful motion and confident footing. “If I’d known we were going to take a hike, I would have worn better shoes.”
He stopped and looked back at her, his gray eyes momentarily concerned. “Are you all right? I told you not to dress up.”
She gave him a little scowl. “Well, you were acting like tonight would be special so I wanted to look pretty.” She looked down at her black pants and pink silk sweater. They’d gone out to dinner earlier that evening, and she’d felt happy with her choice of attire. But now she was a little uncertain. Her black leather loafers were comfortable, but not made for a climb up a mountain.
“You do look pretty,” he said. “And we don’t have very far to go.”
After dinner, Andrew had driven them up a mountain road near Cane. She’d gotten disoriented on the twists and turns, so she wasn’t exactly sure where they were. Andrew seemed to know where they were going, however, so she accepted his hand and let him pull her up the trail behind him.
They walked in silence, as the sun lowered in the sky. It was early fall now, but the days were still long and the temperature was fresh and mild. It really was a beautiful evening, and she had no complaints as long as they got to their destination fairly soon.
They’d been dating for six months. They’d had to do it long-distance to a certain extent, since Andrew’s life had been in D.C. Just recently, however, he’d completed the process of selling out his share of his web-design company. With the profits—which were large—he was starting to set up a new company in Cane. It would be the same kind of business, only on a much smaller scale and with much less stress and responsibility for Andrew. She’d been worried for a while that selling out of the company he’d worked so hard on would be too great a sacrifice for him. But it had been his idea from the beginning, and she was finally convinced that the transition made him happy.
She, of course, was thrilled, since it meant she wouldn’t have to move away from Cane—as she’d vaguely been expecting to do in the future.
They’d been walking for just over five minutes when she heard a familiar noise. “What’s that?” she asked, looking around and trying to see if she recognized any of her surroundings. It was all trees and mountain trail—none of it distinguishable from any other part of the surrounding mountains.
Andrew smiled. “You’ll see.”
He was still holding her hand when they crossed through a barrier of trees and entered a grassy clearing that she couldn’t help but recognize. She saw the rock face and the waterfall cascading down it.
“Oh!” she gasped, clasping her hands together. “You tricked me! We came from a different direction.”
“That was the point. I didn’t want my big romantic gesture spoiled before we got here.”
Her heart lurched as she stared up at him, recognizing tenderness, amusement, and something like ironic embarrassment on his face. “Andrew?”
“I told you I’d save it for later.”
She gazed around her, melting at the beauty of their surroundings in the dappled light of the setting sun and in the significance of Andrew’s taking her here. His favorite spot in the world. “And now is lat
er?” she asked, somewhat foolishly.
“It is.” He looked down at her—handsome and masculine in all black, like he’d been wearing that day more than six months ago when he’d carried his unconscious sister out of the woods.
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, and she could tell he was working himself up to do something.
Helen practically hugged herself as she suddenly realized what was about to happen.
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a velvet pouch. Then pulled from the pouch a ring—intricately engraved platinum with a lovely diamond solitaire.
He offered the ring to her.
She stared down at it speechlessly.
“Well?” he prompted after a minute.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” she demanded, her hands shaking at her sides as she did her best not to beam. “I would have thought you’d have prepared a speech.”
“I did,” he admitted. “I can’t remember it.”
A rippling laugh escaped her lips.
“I love you, Helen Walton,” Andrew said, as if the words had burst out of him. “I love you and your irrepressible laugh and your blush and the way you always look away from me when you feel shy. I love your devotion to God and your sense of commitment and the way you always try to hide how much you’re feeling. I love you and your passionate, generous heart. And I want more than anything to be your husband. If you…if you would like to be my wife.”
She gaped at him, feeling like she might just faint away from pure bliss. “Was that your speech?” she asked hoarsely.
“No.” A dry smile flickered on his lips. “I just made that one up on the spur of the moment. Too sappy?”
She launched herself at him, nearly knocking him down with her hug and her absolute joy.
He returned her embrace, holding her against him like she was precious. “Was that a yes?”
“Definitely a yes.”
They stayed near the waterfall for a long time, sitting on the grass in the clearing, in the last light of the sun. Neither one of them was young enough to still believe in perfectly happy endings, romantic or otherwise.
No Shadow (Prodigal Sons of Cane) Page 16