A lot of bad feelings had passed between the two families after Ian and Annie’s divorce. At least the falling-out between Annie and her parents seemed to be on the mend. They stood there for a moment in awkward silence until an officer herded the Paytons away.
“That was a little tense.” Ian glanced over at his dad as they made their way to the car.
Jordan nodded. “I don’t know that any of us knew what to say, but I have a feeling Annie wanted to say more than she did.”
“Yeah, I got that feeling, too, but we need some privacy to sort things out.”
“I agree, but don’t put it off.”
After Ian dropped off his dad, he thought about their conversation. Ian wished he could have talked with Annie right then because he feared time and distance would weaken his resolve to tell her how he felt. The way they had parted after their last meeting left the possibility of rejection and another broken heart. He had to start being the kind of man who went after what he wanted. And he wanted Annie’s love.
Chapter Fourteen
Annie’s apartment gleamed. Kara and Spencer were dressed in their new outfits. Thanks to Doreen’s excellent cooking lessons, Annie had dinner in the oven. She tried not to be nervous as she checked over each room one more time, then herded Kara and Spencer into the kitchen so she could make a last-minute check on the food. She wanted everything to be perfect for her parents’ visit.
Kara tugged on Annie’s arm as she checked the sauce simmering on the stove. “Mommy, are they going to be here soon?”
“Yes, sweetie. When this hand gets on the twelve.” Annie pointed to the clock and tried not to let Kara’s umpteenth inquiry annoy her. Five minutes was forever to a four-year-old.
“But it’s taking so long.” Kara wrinkled her nose. “Is Mr. Ian coming, too?”
Annie shook her head. “Just your grandma and grandpa tonight.”
“I miss Mr. Ian. I like when he reads stories to us.” Head tilted, Kara stared at Annie. “Mr. Ian says he’ll marry you and be our daddy if you ask him.”
Kara’s statement nearly made Annie drop the spoon in the sauce. Had Ian really said that, or was Kara making stuff up because that’s what she wanted?
The intercom buzzer sounded. Her parents were here. Annie didn’t have time to think about Kara’s pronouncement. She grabbed the tray of appetizers, plates and napkins and deposited it on the coffee table on her way to the intercom. She buzzed her mother and father into the building and opened the door of her apartment as they walked down the hallway. Her mind whirled with Kara’s declaration and her parents’ arrival. Annie took a calming breath. She would deal with her parents tonight and Ian tomorrow.
Annie hugged her mother and father, then held her breath as they stepped inside. Kara and Spencer stood near the doorway and stared up at their grandparents.
Annie slowly released her breath as her dad hunkered down next to Spencer. “You must be Spencer. I’m your grandpa Richard.”
Spencer shied away, hiding behind one of Annie’s legs.
Kara stepped forward and puffed out her chest. “Hi, Grandpa Richard. I’m Kara. Spencer’s shy cuz he’s little. I’m big.”
“You can call me Grandma Marcia. We brought you something.” Marcia handed a small gift bag to each of the children.”
The children tore into the tissue paper in the bags. Kara found a fashion doll in her bag, and Spencer discovered a toy truck. Annie instructed the children to say thank you, then wondered what to do next.
“Something smells really good.” Marcia glanced toward the kitchen.
Annie turned in a panic. “Yeah, I’d better check to make sure nothing’s burning. Help yourself to the appetizers.”
“We will while your father and I get to know the children better,” her mother called as Annie fled to the kitchen.
When Annie returned, her parents were actually playing with Kara and Spencer. Annie stood there and watched. She never remembered her parents doing anything like that when she was a kid. They’d always been too busy. Perhaps being grandparents would change them.
“Everything’s ready.” Annie motioned toward the table she had set with elaborate care.
Marcia looked Annie’s way. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Just help the kids into their booster seats.” Annie brought the main dish to the table and quickly followed with the side dishes.
With everyone seated, she said a short prayer, then passed the chicken dish to her father. Silence enveloped the room as everyone started eating. Annie nibbled on her own food, hardly able to enjoy it as she waited to see what her parents thought.
Her father looked up and smiled. “This is very good.”
Annie let herself smile as she drank in the compliment. “It’s Doreen Montgomery’s recipe. She’s been helping me learn to cook.”
“How wonderful. I remember her being an excellent cook. I’m glad you’ve had a good teacher.” Marcia shook her head and smiled. “I didn’t help you much on that account.”
“I didn’t care about learning to cook when I lived at home. I probably wouldn’t have been much of a student.”
“You wouldn’t want cooking lessons from your mother, anyway.” Richard chuckled.
Marcia frowned at her husband. “You aren’t starving.”
Winking, Richard patted Marcia’s arm. “I know, dear. I was just kidding.”
“Enough kidding.” Marcia turned to Kara. “What’s your favorite food?”
“Pizza.”
“Just like your mother.” Marcia laughed as she looked at Annie, then turned her attention to Spencer. “What do you like?”
Spencer scrunched up his little face. “Hot dogs. Do you like hot dogs?”
Richard gave a big belly laugh. “Spencer, your grandma does not like hot dogs, but I do. I’ll have to take you to the Varsity someday for a hot dog.”
“What’s the Varsity?” Kara wrinkled her nose. “Do I get to come, too?”
“Sure, if you like hot dogs.” Richard smiled at Kara. “The Varsity is a famous food joint in Atlanta, and they serve all kinds of hot dogs.”
“I like them as much as Spencer.” Kara wrinkled her nose and squinted her eyes as she looked at her grandparents. “How come I haven’t seen you before?”
Annie held her breath. What would her parents say? How could they explain their absence from the lives of their grandchildren? She didn’t want to say anything bad about her parents. Getting over old hurts was part of the forgiveness she had to work toward, but she should’ve known inquisitive Kara would ask such a question. Would any explanation suffice?
Marcia looked at Annie as if she were trying to get some guidance on how to answer. Then she turned her attention to the little girl. “Kara, we’re so sorry we didn’t get to know you sooner, but your mommy was very sick for a long time, and we didn’t know how to help her. She is better now, and we will see you as often as we can.”
Annie listened to her mother’s statement. This was a two-way street. She couldn’t blame the estrangement between her and her parents completely on them. She had let her own insecurities lead her toward a destructive life. Her brother had grown up in the same environment, but he hadn’t let their parents’ inattention cause him to make bad choices.
When the meal was over, Marcia helped Annie with the cleanup while her father played with the children. Afterward, her parents helped Annie put the children to bed. She could hardly believe what she was seeing when her mom and dad started to read a story to the children. Back in the living room with her parents, Annie wondered if they would stay longer, or were they eager to go home.
Marcia gestured around the room. “Annie, you’ve done a wonderful job decorating your apartment.”
“Thanks.” Annie smiled broadly, knowing this was high praise from her mot
her, the interior designer.
Richard nodded. “And you have two beautiful children who are so well-behaved.”
Annie tried to smile. “I can’t take all the credit for that. They had a wonderful foster family while I was in rehab.”
Marcia came over and gave Annie a hug. “I’m so glad you finally got help. We should’ve been there for you, and we weren’t. We didn’t know what to do, so we did nothing. Can you forgive us?”
Annie stepped back and stared at her mother. Forgiving and being forgiven. Annie’s life was full of it. She had begged for Ian’s forgiveness. Now her parents asked her for the same. She swallowed hard and nodded. “That’s something I’m working on. I know I’ve done a lot to alienate you. I hope the future will be different.”
“Thank you. I know that doesn’t come easy. We’ve done some soul-searching in the last few days. A brush with death will do that to a person.” Tears welling in her eyes, Marcia reached over and took Annie’s hand.
“Is it okay if we sit down and talk for a few minutes?” Richard motioned toward the sofa.
“Sure.” Annie took the chair while her parents sat together on the sofa. “What do you want to talk about?”
“There’s a lot we have to say.” Richard leaned forward. “First, I want to say I’m proud of you for making the needed changes in your life. I know it wasn’t easy. Secondly, we’ve decided to rededicate our lives to God. You’ve shown us what that means in your life.”
Marcia nodded. “Your testimony to Jesse about having Jesus in your life saved us in more ways than one. He didn’t want to listen at first, but you kept talking in that quiet, composed voice. Your calmness showed him the peace you have in your life because of your faith. I saw the tension just drain out of him. He didn’t want to fight a losing battle with you or the police. God touched his heart through you.”
“He’ll have to spend time in prison, but I hope he gets the help he needs. Pastor John from the rehab center is going to talk to Jesse.” Annie grimaced. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that because of me. I should’ve told someone that Jesse had threatened me before. I had no idea he’d been stalking me just waiting for the chance to get to you and your money. I was afraid any association with him would jeopardize everything with Kara and Spencer.” Annie pressed her lips together and hoped her parents would understand. “Now I know I was wrong.”
“Right or wrong. We see that God used the situation to help us see our mistakes.” Richard looked at his wife. “We want to make things right with you. We’ve also decided that we’re going to make a very generous contribution to The Village of Hope. We see how much it has helped you.”
“Thank you. Thank you. It will be a blessing to so many people here.” Annie got up and hugged her parents. “You’ll have to tell Ian so he can include it in the financial report he’s giving to the board.”
“I have a better idea.” Marcia reached into her purse. “We’ll write the check now, and you can give it to Ian.”
“Okay.” Annie wondered what her parents thought about Ian. Did she dare ask?
“Here.” Marcia held out the check.
When Annie took it, she marveled at her parents’ generosity. “Mom, Dad, this is way more than I ever expected. This will do so much good here.”
Her mother gave her a hug. “We love you.”
Then her dad hugged her. “You can thank us by staying away from drugs and alcohol and letting us see our darling grandchildren often.”
“With God’s help, I will. I love you, too.” They joined in a group hug.
Her dad stepped back. “Now I want to know what is happening between you and Ian.”
Annie’s mind spun. She didn’t know the answer. “We’ve resolved a lot of animosity between us.”
“Does that mean you might reconcile?” Marcia asked.
Annie shook her head, then recounted Ian’s and her journey to forgiving each other. “What do you think about it?”
Marcia gave Annie’s shoulders a squeeze. “It doesn’t matter what we think. We want you to be happy. I believe God will help you decide what is best for both of you. I know He has shown us our need to change our lives.”
Annie nodded. “Pray for me.”
“And you for us.” Richard kissed the top of Annie’s head. “We’ve got to get going. Thanks for the wonderful food and time with our grandchildren. Make plans to come over to the house after church on Sunday.”
“I will.” Annie stood in the doorway and waved as her parents left.
After she closed the door, she wanted to scream with delight, but she didn’t want to wake the children. Instead, she high stepped around the apartment and finished with a victorious pose, her hands raised above her head. She couldn’t quit smiling. Annie wanted to tell Ian about the donation at this very moment, but she would wait until tomorrow. She would give him the donation, and then she would propose. If Kara was right, he would say yes.
* * *
Picking up his buzzing cell phone from his desk, Ian saw that Annie was calling. His heart raced as he answered. “Hi, Annie. I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you before now, but—”
“I don’t need any excuses or apologies. I want to talk to you tonight after work. Where can we meet?”
“Would you like to go out to eat?”
“No, this is business.” Her no-nonsense tone told him this wasn’t a social call.
“You know people do conduct business over a meal.”
“I’d rather not discuss the finances of The Village in a public place.”
“Okay, I see. How about pizza in my office? Our usual?”
“That works for me. I’ll see you around five-thirty.”
After the call ended, Ian stared at his phone. He hadn’t asked her why she wanted to discuss the finances at this late date. Her phone call had him completely discombobulated. But today he was going to put his cowardice aside and tell Annie that he loved her and wanted to remarry.
For the rest of the day Ian could barely concentrate on his report for the board. His mind constantly wandered to the upcoming meeting with Annie. He’d been a fool to give her up without a fight. Throughout the rest of the day, he worked on spread sheets and met with the chef at the senior center, who gave a positive account of the new food vendor. He did his best to push aside thoughts of Annie, but the discussions about the finances brought the approaching meeting with her front and center. When he returned to his office a little before five o’clock, he was exhausted from trying not to think about her.
Sitting at his desk, Ian pulled out a little black case from the top drawer. He opened the case and stared at the engagement ring. He’d bought it the day after the hostage crisis, figuring the purchase would keep him from chickening out with Annie. If she said yes, this ring would signify a fresh start for both of them.
Five-thirty came and went and Annie hadn’t arrived, but the pizza had. He paced in front of his desk. Had something happened to her, or had she changed her mind? Maybe something had happened to one of the kids. He shook his head. Why did he have to imagine every horrible scenario? He reached for his phone and punched in her number. Ringing sounded in his ear. No answer. Voice mail.
“Ian.”
He looked at his phone. He wasn’t connected.
“What are you doing?” A chuckle sounded in Annie’s voice.
Ian spun around. His heart lodged in his throat. Annie’s blue eyes sparkled with life—the new life she had forged with God at her side. He wanted more than anything to be part of that life. Sharing his love with this woman who was beautiful inside and out would make his life complete. She was everything he needed. “You’re here. I just tried to call you. Then I heard your voice, and it confused me.”
Annie smiled like she knew something he didn’t. “Do we eat first or talk?”
; “Eat. I don’t like cold pizza.” He went to the desk and opened the pizza box next to the paper plates. Plus, he needed more time to prepare himself for what he planned to do.
They ate and talked some about their workday. Annie told him about the success of her parents’ visit. She seemed happy. They were having a congenial conversation. Was he going to upset everything with his proposal? He needed to get her finance discussion out of the way before he talked himself out of this declaration of his love.
He put his half-eaten slice of pizza on the plate. “What do you have to tell me about the finances? I hope it’s good news.”
“It’s better than good. It’s fantastic, stupendous, marvelous and a godsend.” Annie reached into her purse and brought out an envelope. “Here. Take a look.”
Ian opened the envelope and pulled out a check. He blinked, then blinked again. His mouth dropped open. He looked at Annie. “From your parents?”
Smiling, she nodded. “I told you it was fabulous news.”
He grinned so broadly that he didn’t think his face could contain it. He took Annie’s hand and pulled her to her feet, then twirled her around the room. When he stopped, he put his hands on her shoulders. “This means we can pay off debts and have money left over.”
“And I have a plan to put the leftover money in a trust. I want to run it by you tonight and then the finance committee tomorrow before we present it to the board.”
“Wonderful, but I have something to say before you tell me about your plan.”
Annie stepped away and held up both hands in front of her. “I have something to say, too. Ladies first, right?”
“Okay, ladies first.” If she kept finding ways to put him off, would he lose his nerve?
Annie took a deep breath, then licked her lips. “I’ve said some of this before, but I want to say it one more time. I’m sorry I ruined our marriage. I’m thankful that you’ve forgiven me, and I want to...I want to start over.”
“I—”
“Please let me finish.” Annie held up one hand.
“Okay.” His heart raced. She wanted to start over. That was a good sign.
Second Chance Reunion Page 19