Made for Each Other

by Irene Brand

  “That’s my opinion, too,” Erica said. “And the fact that he came back to town and lived down his reputation is a lot to say in his favor.”

  “I agree with you,” Lori said sincerely, “but Megan’s family left Benton that summer, too. Two years later my father died, and my mother moved closer to her family. We haven’t been back, although through the years, I’ve thought of Jacob. He was one of the most popular guys in our school, and it hurt me to see his reputation ruined like that. Sometimes I’ve wondered what he was doing, and if he’d gotten over Megan’s betrayal. I thank God that Jacob lived down his bad reputation.”

  Aimee’s faith in Jacob was strong enough that she was convinced he wasn’t the father of Megan’s child, but she was crushed that Jacob had withheld this information from her. Still willing to defend his reputation, she said, “He’s a good man. He and his grandmother are the founders of Substitute Siblings, an organization that helps children with problems.”

  “You can’t imagine how pleased I am to hear that,” Lori said.

  Erica exchanged glances with Aimee again, and Erica said, “It must have taken a lot of strength to return and live down the stigma of his past.”

  Torn by conflicting emotions, Aimee said, “I can’t imagine why we haven’t heard about it.”

  “It does seem strange,” Erica admitted. “But people who spread rumors will soon find another victim. Besides, he’s done so much good in Benton that his friends would be quick to put down any gossip about him.”

  “You’ve taken a load off my mind,” Lori said. “Off and on over the years, I’ve thought about Jacob. When I come to Benton in a few months, I hope to see him.”

  “He’s a member of the committee planning the bicentennial,” Aimee said, “so you’ll have that opportunity.”

  “Be sure and tell him I said hello. No, on second thought, if you tell him that, he would know I’d been talking about him.” Lori yawned. “I’ve got a long trip tomorrow, so I’d better get some sleep. It’s been a blessing to share this conference with the two of you.”

  As she settled into bed, Aimee’s thoughts about the conference faded into the background. Her rededication at the lake seemed a long time ago, and her thoughts of a future with Jacob plummeted. Why hadn’t he told her about Megan Russell? Was it possible that he was the father of her child and hadn’t accepted the responsibility?

  Aimee spent a restless night and was exhausted when she slid behind the steering wheel of her car the next morning and started the drive back to Benton.

  Erica and Aimee chatted aimlessly about the conference for the first fifty miles. When they stopped for gas, Erica took the wheel as they headed out on the road again. “We might as well talk about it,” she said as she picked up speed on the four-lane highway.

  Aimee didn’t have to ask what she was talking about, for she knew that Jacob had been on both their minds all morning.

  “I don’t know how I can face him without letting him know what we’ve learned,” Aimee said.

  “Just how involved are your feelings toward Jacob?” Erica said with a sharp glance in Aimee’s direction.

  Grimly, Aimee responded, “They’re deep enough that I was awake most of the night wondering why he hadn’t told me about Megan Russell.”

  “That’s what I figured,” Erica said, a resigned look on her face. “Although I’m pleased at the change in you the past couple of months, I can’t help be sorry that I ever invited you to the singles group.”

  “Don’t feel that way. No matter what happens between Jacob and me, I’m not sorry, so don’t feel responsible,” Aimee assured her. “Your prodding was what I needed to understand how to deal with Samantha’s maturing. With or without Jacob, I’m developing my own life.”

  They had to slow down for highway repairs, but when Erica was on smooth road again, Aimee continued, “And it’s worth a lot to be in close fellowship with God. That’s something I’ve really missed in my life.” Aimee was silent for a few moments, thinking about her conversations with Jacob. “When he told me about his engagement and that the girl left him for another man, why didn’t he complete the story and tell me what else had happened?”

  Erica shook her head in concern. “I wonder if she married this other guy. I suppose one reason Megan and Jacob aren’t still front-page news in Benton is because her family moved before the child was born, and they haven’t been in town as a constant reminder of what happened.”

  “I feel so sorry for Jacob’s having to live with this for so long,” Aimee said.

  “Has he avoided serious relationships because he’s guilty of refusing to recognize his own child?” Erica wondered aloud. “Or is he afraid to trust another woman with his heart?” She shook her head in confusion. “It’s a mystery to me.”

  “Either way, his life hasn’t been easy,” Aimee said.

  Although they discussed Jacob off and on during their return to Benton, nothing eased the burden in Aimee’s heart. When she pulled into her driveway, she still didn’t have any clear direction as to how she should approach Jacob with this new knowledge. Was it better never to let him know what she’d learned at camp?

  Normally, she would have called Jacob immediately to share more of her weekend experiences with him. She wanted to talk to him, but could she act as she had before she knew more about him?

  Aimee hadn’t called before Jacob left for the evening worship service at the church, and he thought surely she would have returned from the conference by the time he got home. But his caller ID didn’t register that she had phoned, and he was worried. The road from Camp Serenity to Benton had many hills and curves, and he wondered if she’d had trouble. When he dialed her number, she answered on the first ring.

  “So you’re home,” he said. “I hadn’t heard from you, and I was worried.”

  “We got here about five o’clock, but I’ve been settling in.”

  “How was the conference?”

  “Awesome! The campsite is beautiful. It’s what I’ve needed for a long time. I’m glad Erica encouraged me to go.”

  “Can we have dinner together this week?”

  “I don’t know,” she answered slowly. “I think Samantha has games this week, and I’ll be taking her to them.”

  Trying to force his words into a teasing sound, he said, “Surely you’d have one free night. Are you trying to avoid me?”

  “What makes you ask that?” she said quickly.

  “I was only joking,” he answered, trying to sound natural, but there was something different about Aimee. What could have happened during the weekend to cause her to be so cool toward him? “Maybe I can call in a few days?” he asked after several moments of silence.

  “Sure. That will be fine,” she answered, but it didn’t sound as if she meant it.

  Jacob laid the phone aside with an uneasy feeling. Something was wrong. He was tempted to go to Aimee’s right away and confront her. No, he would wait for a few days. Maybe she was tired from the trip. And who knows what Samantha might have done to upset her?

  Lacking enthusiasm, Jacob went about his work automatically for the next few days. Several times each evening, he’d pick up the telephone, wanting to call Aimee, but not knowing if he should.

  By Thursday, he was desperate, and without giving her any warning, he drove by her house. The garage door was open, and her car was inside. He parked in front of the house. His heart skipped a beat when he lifted his hand to knock. What if she wouldn’t talk to him?

  Aimee opened the door and invited him in, but not with the warmth she had formerly shown toward him.

  “Am I interrupting anything?”

  “No. Samantha is spending the night with her friend Madison. Tomorrow is an off day for students. The teachers and staff have in-service meetings.”

  He watched her closely as they went into the family room. He hoped that she would sit on the couch, so he could sit beside her. Instead she sat in a lounge chair, so he took a chair close to hers.

&n
bsp; “I had a note from Mrs. Slater praising you for what you’ve done for Chloe,” he said, hoping to ease the chilly atmosphere that seemed to surround them.

  “I haven’t done as much as I want to,” Aimee admitted, “but I called Chloe this evening, and we’re having lunch together Saturday. I wish Samantha would accept my Siblings work. If she didn’t completely ignore the situation, it would make my time with Chloe so much easier. Samantha apparently thinks that if she ignores what I’m doing, it isn’t happening.”

  Aimee seemed to be babbling, perhaps to forestall any more invitations, and as she talked, Jacob realized more than ever that it was all about Samantha. Was she really that focused on he daughter still, or had something changed between them?

  When she paused momentarily, he said softly, he said, “What’s wrong, Aimee?”

  She looked away.

  “Have I offended you in some way?” Jacob asked.

  She turned her head and met his eyes directly. “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”

  Awkwardly, she cleared her throat, stirred uneasily in her chair, and eyed him with a grim expression. She took a deep breath and spoke tersely. “We shared a room at the conference with Lori Alexander. She used to live in Benton and graduated from Paramount High School. Do you remember her?”

  He shook his head. “The name isn’t familiar.”

  “Alexander is her married name.”

  “Then I may know her. But I don’t understand what this has to do with us.” The expression in her eyes alarmed him, and he spoke more sharply than he wanted to. “If you have something to tell me, spit it out already.”

  “Very well.” Aimee stood and crossed to the window. With her back to him, she said, “She told us more about the situation between you and Megan Russell than you had bothered to tell me. She wasn’t gossiping, she was sincerely concerned about how you had coped with the outcome of your broken relationship with Megan. She didn’t believe you were the father of Megan’s child.”

  Jacob was momentarily stunned, blaming himself for not sharing this information with her first. Why hadn’t he told Aimee the whole story? “But do you believe that I was?” he asked, and his body tensed as he waited for her answer.

  She turned slowly. “I don’t want to believe it. But why didn’t you tell me? It makes me wonder what else I don’t know about you.”

  Hurt that she didn’t trust him, Jacob said bitterly, “Have you been completely honest with me about your own past? I don’t think you’ve told me everything, either. I believe you’ve held back information about your marriage that could affect us in the future.”

  “I told you everything I can tell you,” Aimee said in a voice that was sharper than she’d intended it to be.

  “Then we’re right back where we started. Excuse me for bothering you tonight,” he said. “I should have called first.”

  Although he knew he might be ruining his future with Aimee, Jacob stood up and walked out of the house. He had hoped that Aimee would stop him from leaving, but when she didn’t, he drove away, stunned and miserable.

  “Well, Mallory,” he declared in disgust. “You’ve messed up for good this time. You were too concerned over your own petty hurts to consider how Aimee would feel when she learned about Megan.”

  Why hadn’t he known that he couldn’t keep that past situation from Aimee? He knew her well enough now to realize that she would have readily accepted his innocence in the affair with Megan without any questions.

  Now—just as he realized that he had fallen in love with her—he’d lost her, and he had no one to blame but himself.

  Chapter Twelve

  Aimee was stunned by Jacob’s reaction to what she’d told him. She had expected him to deny that he had fathered Megan’s child. Had his anger indicated he was guilty, or was he hurt because she had doubted him?

  All week she had questioned whether she should just forget what Lori had said and continue her friendship with Jacob. But she knew she would never forget it, and she couldn’t spend the rest of her life wondering if Jacob was guilty. If Jacob had fathered that child, she had to know. It would break her heart if he admitted he had neglected his duty to the mother and child, but relationships must be built on truth and trust.

  She slumped in a chair and wrung her hands in frustration. Her disappointment was too deep for tears. After avoiding male companionship for years, she thought she’d finally found a man she could respect. A man she could trust. Could she have been that wrong?

  Aimee was still awake when the phone rang at one o’clock, and she nearly dropped the receiver when she saw that the call was from Mercy Hospital.

  “Mrs. Blake,” a compassionate voice answered her feeble hello. “Your daughter, Samantha, has just been admitted to the E.R.”

  “What happened? Is she okay?”

  “Her injuries aren’t critical, but she was involved in a car wreck on a county road. Her examination isn’t complete.”

  “I’ll be there right away,” Aimee said and hung up the phone. She quickly dialed Erica’s number.

  Erica answered sleepily on the fifth ring. “Hey, Erica, Samantha has been in a wreck and is in the hospital. I’m shaking so bad I don’t think I should be driving. Will you take me?”

  “Of course! I’ll dress right away. We’ll go in my car. Meet me out front.”

  In less than ten minutes they were on their way to the hospital. “What happened?” Erica said as soon as Aimee got in the car.

  “I don’t know. I was so upset that all I could think of was getting to Samantha. She’s been in an automobile accident, but the woman who called said that her condition didn’t seem to be critical.”

  “Wasn’t she staying with Madison tonight?”

  “She was supposed to be at Madison’s,” Aimee responded grimly. “But I didn’t check with Mrs. Toney to be sure it was all right. I have a suspicion now that I should have.”

  Not Madison’s mother, but Jennifer’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nibert, met them in the E.R. waiting room.

  Wondering why they were there, Aimee asked, “What happened?”

  “Nothing I’m proud of, you can be assured of that,” Mr. Nibert said in an angry voice. “The three girls were out driving in Jennifer’s car. I’ll quickly relieve your mind by saying that none of them are seriously hurt, but Jennifer totaled the car. It’s a miracle that all three of them weren’t killed.”

  “Why would Mrs. Toney let the girls go out this time of night?” Aimee questioned. “Besides, I didn’t know Jennifer was spending the night with Madison, too.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Toney aren’t home,” Jennifer’s mother said, flashing an apprehensive glance toward her husband. “They were called away suddenly to a funeral. All three of our daughters deceived us. Madison told her parents that she would spend the night with Samantha. You thought that Samantha would be at Madison’s home. We knew that Jennifer would be with Madison, but we didn’t know her parents were away.”

  Bristling with indignation, Mr. Nibert said, “This is it! I’m not buying Jennifer another car. If she wants one, she’ll pay for it herself. Then she might understand that it isn’t a toy.”

  He paced the floor, too angry to stand still.

  “Have you seen Jennifer?” Aimee asked.

  “Yes, and you can see Samantha,” Mrs. Nibert said. “Go down the hall and someone will take you to her.”

  “Is Jennifer all right?” Erica inquired, and Aimee waited for the answer before she went to Samantha.

  “She has a broken leg and some cuts and bruises,” Mrs. Nibert answered. “We don’t know about internal injuries yet.”

  “Did they hit anyone else?” Erica asked.

  “No, it was a one car accident,” Mr. Nibert said. “Jennifer was driving too fast and lost control on a curve. I’m sorry that Samantha was injured.”

  Aimee’s face blanched at the thought of what could have happened. “It’s Samantha’s fault as well. She knows I
wouldn’t approve of the three of them spending the night alone or cruising on country roads in the middle of the night. Do you know how badly she’s hurt?”

  Mr. Nibert shook his head. “They wouldn’t tell me.”

  A nurse motioned to Aimee and directed her to the cubicle where Samantha lay with her eyes closed. A nurse was installing an IV pump when Aimee entered the room.

  Frightened at the white, strained face of her daughter, Aimee whispered, “How is she?”

  “Her left arm is broken below the elbow, and she has a nasty cut on her leg. Her vitals are excellent, though, so she’s going to be all right.” The nurse moved a chair close to the gurney. “You can sit here until the doctor comes in.”

  Aimee looked at the equipment connected to Samantha’s body, monitoring the blood pressure and pulse. She lowered her head into her hands and thanked God for protecting her daughter, yet dark images filtered into her consciousness as she thought how easily Samantha could have been killed. How could she have gone on without her?

  Overcome by guilt, she thought again of how she had failed Steve. She’d allowed her daughter to become deceitful. If she’d been the right kind of mother, Samantha wouldn’t be turning out the way she was.

  She swallowed the sobs that rose in her throat, but she couldn’t stop tears from slipping under her eyelids. So deep was her grief that she didn’t hear anyone enter the cubicle until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up quickly expecting to see the doctor, but was surprised to see Jacob.

  She stood up quickly and walked into his outstretched arms. “How did you know?” she asked.

  “Erica called me as soon as you told her about Samantha.”

  “She shouldn’t have done that,” Aimee said without much conviction in her voice.

  “Oh, but she should have.” He nestled her head on his shoulder, and peace flooded through Aimee’s being. Everything would be all right now that Jacob was with her. No matter what he’d done in the past, she knew he was there for her now.