The Decision

by Patricia Roberts

  THE DECISION

  BY

  PATRICIA ROBERTS

  PROLOGUE

  Do you ever sit there and wonder how you got to this place in your life. Stephen was sitting in his new house thinking about that right now. He had just come home from going over to a good friend’s house. John Ryan and he were both on the football team when they were in high school. John was a few years older than him but he was always a great friend. He had told him he had invited his kids and didn’t think about it until a certain young woman with long brown hair and blue eyes showed up. Stephen went back and thought about what had happened a month before. He had been discharged from the army for serving fifteen years and was staying with his parents in Orlando Florida.

  Now there was a love story for you. Samuel and Madison had been high school sweethearts and had to go their separate ways after high school. They reconnected a month before they both graduated from college and married a few days after graduation. They didn’t have a perfect marriage and fought like any other couple but Stephen always felt lucky to have the parents that he did growing up. They had Stephen a year later, and his sister Samantha two years after that. They had lived in Greenville, Alabama and were both accountants. Stephen thought it had to be the most boring job in the world but they were both happy doing what they did. When Samantha graduated high school they decided to move to Florida to retire. There days now consisted of Samuel playing golf, and Madison volunteering on anything that she could. Samantha ended up going to college in Florida and met her husband here.

  They had been married for two years and Ryan worked at an auto shop in town while Samantha stayed at home and worked for a company online. Stephen had also married his high school sweetheart but there story didn’t end well. A few years after they were married Lily found out she was pregnant. Looking back Stephen always thought about how easy the pregnancy had gone. She had a little morning sickness in the mornings but other than that she was great. One night a month before she was due she woke him up and told him something was wrong. He immediately took her to the hospital and they took her back to deliver. It was a hard delivery and their son timothy came out stillborn. When Stephen looked back at Lily he noticed how pale she looked and then the doctor started screaming about something being wrong. They had taken him outside the room and he paced for almost an hour. The doctor finally came out and told him they did all they could but Lily had lost too much blood and didn’t make it. Stephen felt like he was going to die for the first six months after they died. He remembered thinking that he had to take it one step at a time.

  Madison stared at her son from the door and smiled sadly. He had been through so much in the past ten years. From losing his family, to going full force in the military. She was so happy when he retired for the army so she could get reconnected with her son but she also knew him. He didn’t like to stay at home and do nothing and see was worried about what was going to happen with him next. Madison had always been happy he had married Lily and she was such a sweet girl. When he had called that night from the hospital she didn’t know what to expect. When she arrived and he told her what had happened she knew that her son would never be the same again and it hurt her. It didn’t make sense to her why a girl as full of life as lily was had been taken from her son so young. She knew that God had a reason for everything but she just didn’t know what that reason was at this point. Madison sighed and went out to the porch swing to join her son. Stephen seemed lost in thought until he seen his mother walking towards him. Stephen was thinking about what he wanted to do when his mom walked out to join him on the porch swing.

  “Hey you” she said sitting down. “Hey momma” he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. “What are you thinking about out here?” she asked him. “I was just trying to think what I am going to do with my life” he told her.

  “What do you mean?” she asked him. “The military gave you a great package when you left to take care of you for a while.”

  “I know that and I do appreciate them doing that but I would go stir crazy if I sat at home all day.”

  “I know what you mean” Madison told him. “I actually thought of an idea. I talked to Ryan about it tonight and he was going to speak to Samantha.”

  “Well what is it?” Madison asked him. “I always loved to work on my vehicle and I thought I would like to open up a garage” he told her. “I think that sounds great” Samuel said coming outside. “Were you spying on us?” Madison asked him. “Of course” he told her winking at her.

  “I have enough money to put down on a place and I think if I had Ryan as a partner it would be great.”

  “There are some buildings in town for sale” Samuel told him. “That is the other thing” Stephen told him. “What?” Madison asked him. “I would be moving back to Greenville” he told them. “Alabama?” Madison asked shocked. “Yes I feel like I still have so much anger about what happened there and I am not going to get any better until I go back.”

  “Are you sure about this son?” Samuel asked worried. He had seen how horrible it was for his son when Lily and Timothy had died. He wasn’t sure his son was ready to go back to Greenville. “Honestly I am not sure about anything yet. I could go there and the business could flop but I feel like I have to try. Not everything was horrible when we lived there. I had some good times and I have been talking to John Ryan.”

  “How is he doing?” Madison asked him. They had all heard that his wife Hannah had died a few years back. Stephen had called when he found out and offered his condolences to the family. John had always been someone to encourage him and he wanted to give back to him the same way.

  “He seems to be doing well. He still runs the diner in town and he was excited about me possibly coming there. I feel like it would be good to be around a good friend like him again” he told them. “Maybe it will, we just want for you to be happy” Samuel told him. “So do I dad” Stephen told him smiling. The next morning Samantha came over to see Stephen when his parents went to the store.

  “Hey” she said coming over to sit next to him. “Hey” he said giving her a hug. “So I talked to Ryan last night and he told me your plan.” “Well what do you think?” he asked her. “I am a little apprehensive about it but we won’t know unless we do it so we are on board” she told him smiling. “Really?” he asked her smiling. “Yes what else do we have to do? I figured I could help out with the books and you two could be the mechanics. I was getting tired of having to work for the online company anyways.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked her. “I am sure, I mean I worked from the living room for a living. At least doing this I can drive to work” she chuckled. Stephen laughed with her. “I promise if it doesn’t work out we will leave.”

  “I don’t know I have a good feeling about this” Samantha told him.

  That night Stephen called John and told him the news. He was over the moon over what was going to happen and couldn’t wait to see them when they arrived. He told him to get in touch when he was settled in and they would have dinner one night. Over the next few weeks they got everything packed and moved back to Greenville. It hadn’t changed all that much since they had left. It was a small town but they found a place for their garage and they found a place to live. Stephen’s was just a small three bedroom house but it fit him. He doubted that he would ever have a family of his own. The night that he went over to Johns. He was a little nervous. He wanted to maintain the friendship he had with John and he was so agitated lately he didn’t know how it would go. When John opened the door it was just like old times. When his son Cody and his wife Haley came in he enjoyed getting to talk to them. When he heard a woman call out to them and step into the living room he felt like he couldn’t breathe right. He couldn’t let his heart get involv
ed. He just didn’t realize how wrong he would end up being.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Shelby Ryan was just getting into work when she heard a commotion. “What in the world?” she said and went into the kitchen. Her parents had owned this diner since she was a little girl. Her mother Hannah had died when she was a senior in high school but her dad still kept the place going. Her brother Cody and his wife Haley both worked there. Haley did the books and helped out as needed and Cody was one of the best cooks she had ever seen. Shelby had just one month left until she graduated college and she was wanting to be a teacher. They lived in the small town of Greenville Alabama and she had already been offered a position as a kindergarten teacher. She helped out here as much as she could but worked mostly the weekends. She walked in to see her dad smiling proudly. She was shocked to see that. Over the past few years he had been very sad since their mother had died. Her mother had always been so healthy so it was a shock when she got cancer.

  “What in the world is going on?” Shelby asked them. Cody was pounding out dough to make biscuits and smiled at her. “That was an old friend of mine. We went to school together and after we graduated he went off in the army and I stayed here. He called to let me know he is opening the new auto repair shop in town” her father John said. “Well good for him. It’s about time we had someone who wasn’t as old as Moses working on vehicles” Cody said smiling. “He isn’t that bad” Shelby said. She had a soft spot for older people. Her brother was not the same way she thought shaking her head.

  “I kid you not the last time I went in there he thought I was Pops instead. You want someone working on your vehicle who doesn’t even remember who you are?”

  “Stop it” Shelby said laughing. John looked at his children and grinned. He loved how close they were to each other. Especially after what happened with Hannah.

  “So did you keep in touch with him all these years?” she asked him. “We tried to keep touch until ten years ago. He actually moved back here a few years after he was in the army.”

  “What happened?” she asked him.

  “He had found a beautiful girlfriend in high school and when they got out he asked her to marry him. Her name was Lily. They seemed happy. They had been married a few years when she became pregnant. She had an easy pregnancy. I remember with your mom she was so sick most of the pregnancy and she gave Lily a hard time about it. When she was about eight months pregnant she woke up in pain one night and he took her to the hospital. They could tell right away that something was wrong. They induced labor and their baby boy Timothy was stillborn.”

  “How horrible” Shelby said sadly. “That is not all of it. When they delivered the baby she lost too much blood and she didn’t survive.”

  “Wow dad that is horrible. He lost everything in one day” Cody said concerned.

  “Yes it was very hard on him. He refused to talk to anyone about it.”

  “Wait a minute if they lived here why don’t we know him?” Shelby asked confused. “Right after they died he pled with his sergeant to put him back out in the field. The night before he left I went to see him. He told me not to expect to see him for a long time. He said it was too hard to live here and to think about what they lost. I can’t even imagine how he must have felt. A few months after your mom died I received a phone call from him. He had heard your mom had passed and wanted to send his condolences. I noticed over the phone in the last few years when we speak I can tell that he has become a cold person. I just wish I knew how to help him” John told them.

  “I think you’re doing it dad. Just being there for him and letting him know that if there is anything he needs you can help.”

  “What about his family?” Cody asked him. “His parents Samuel and Madison ended up moving to Florida about ten years ago. He said his sister Samantha and her husband Ryan were moving back to town to help him.”

  “Well that seems nice of them to help” Shelby said. “He said he has got everything moved in and I invited him over to dinner tonight. I would like for you both to come and Haley of course” he said smiling.

  “I have nothing going on I am free tonight so you can count Haley and I in” Cody told him. “What time will dinner start?” Shelby asked. “I thought about six.”

  “I might be a few minutes late because I have a class this afternoon but I should be there.”

  “Thanks I knew I could count on you guys.”

  “What are you doing for dinner?” Cody asked. “I thought about just getting a few pizzas.”

  “How about I make some to bring?”

  “That sounds amazing” John told him. “I could bring over some drinks and dessert” Shelby told them. “Later that afternoon John made sure everything was ready and the house was cleaned when he heard a knock on his door. He hadn’t seen Stephen since his wife had died and he remembered how hard that was. He hoped they could get their friendship back. He opened it and seen Stephen standing there with two people beside him.

  “Hey man” John told him giving him a hug. “Come on in you guys” he told them. “It’s great to see you John.”

  “It’s great to see you also.”

  “I wanted to introduce you to my sister Samantha and her husband Ryan.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s great to meet you also. I hope you don’t mind but I brought over a salad to go with the pizza” Samantha told him. “That is fine” he told her. “You will have to excuse my wife she is a health nut” Ryan said smirking at her. John laughed with the others and showed Samantha where to put the salad.

  “Come on in to the living room. My kids should be here soon.” “How many kids do you have?” Samantha asked.

  “I have a son Cody who is twenty and married to his high school sweetheart Haley. They help me out at the diner I own. My son is actually making the pizzas tonight. He is one fine chef and I am not just saying that because he is my son” he said and they all laughed. “Then I have a daughter Shelby who is twenty-two. She helps out at the diner also but she has two more months to go before she graduates and becomes a teacher. She already has a spot at the school.”

  “I think I vaguely remember your kids” Stephen told him. “They would have been ten and twelve when you left” John told them and things got quiet. He was about to apologize when he heard the door open.

  “Hey guys” a nice looking young lady said. A few seconds later Cody came in. “Hey guys I would like you to meet Ryan, Samantha, and Stephen. This is my son Cody and his wife Haley.” “It’s so nice to meet you” Haley told them. “The food smells delicious” Stephen told him. “Thanks I will just set it down here. I take it Shelby hasn’t arrived yet” Cody said. “Yeah she sent me a text telling me she was on her way a few minutes before everyone arrived.”

  “So dad told me you were in the military” Cody told Stephen. “Yes I served for twenty years and got out a few months back. When I came home I convinced these two to run an auto shop.” “Well I for one am glad you guys are setting up business. The mechanic we have in town is pretty old” he said smiling. “I know we went to introduce ourselves yesterday and tell him we were setting up and he said he would probably last for a few months but he would be retiring soon.” They were talking for a few more minutes when the door opened.

  “Dad?” Stephen heard a voice yell out. “We are in the living room” he called out. When Shelby Ryan walked into the room he knew that she would change his world and that terrified him. Samantha looked over at her brother and could tell something was wrong.

  “I am so sorry I am late. I thought I could get out earlier but our professor gave us a surprise test.”

  “I am sure you did great on it” John told her. “I hope so if I survive the next few months it will be a miracle from God. Here I am rambling and I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Shelby” she told them. “It’s nice to meet you I am Samantha and this is my husband Ryan, and this is my brother Stephen.” She looked over for the first time at Stephen and felt like s
he couldn’t breathe. He was the most handsome man he had ever seen before. She knew right then that her life was about to change.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “So your dad was telling us you’re going to be a teacher” Samantha told her. “Yes I have always had a soft spot for kids so once I graduate I will get to start as a kindergarten teacher.”

  “That is amazing I don’t think I could deal with students all day” Samantha said smiling. She had no patience for children at this point in her life. “Oh I don’t figure it will be much different from working at the diner. You wouldn’t believe the fights we have had to break up, or how the tiniest things upset people.”

  “That is why I like doing the books in our business” Haley told them smiling. “I would feel the same way” Samantha told them. “Alright I have everything ready. The pizza and the salad is on the table and Shelby’s store bought dessert is on the counter” Cody said in disgust. “Well excuse me that I can’t whip up things like you do in the kitchen” she said laughing. He shook his head and went into the kitchen with his sister. They were all going in and Samantha and Stephen held back.

  “Hey are you okay?” she asked him. “I don’t know I don’t feel so good.”

  “Do you need to leave?” she asked worried. “I will be alright. I think I am just not used to being around people.”

  “It will get better” she told him and rubbed his back. He wished he could believe his sister but he couldn’t. The fact of the matter was he had felt something for Shelby when she walked in the room. He hadn’t felt feelings for anyone since his wife Lily died. That was such a dark time and he didn’t like to talk about it. He shook his head and tried to calm down. He had no business having thoughts about her anyways. He was eighteen years older than her. A relationship between them would never work out. They sat down to eat and Stephen couldn’t believe how good the food was.