“No, honey, we’re all okay. Thank you,” Mrs. Delis stood up and gave her a hug. Jamie relaxed into it, her face still tense with anxiety but her body returning the comforting embrace. “You’re a good girl,” Mrs. Delis said, leaning back and patting her cheek.
Her cheeks went pink. “Thanks, Mrs. Delis. And I better get home. I’ve been at the restaurant a lot and my dad needs help sorting the buckets for the season.”
Ron perked up. “The blueberries are almost ready?”
“A few more days. Maybe a week. He just likes to sort out the broken buckets before we start so it’s not a rush to buy some more. The weather’s been perfect so we think it’s going to be a bumper crop, especially the Rekas and the Olympias.”
“Somethin’ to look forward to,” Ron said. “Elise loves fresh blueberries. She won’t be picking her own this year but I’ll make sure she gets enough to freeze up for the winter.”
Despite his own turmoil, Silas felt a stab of sadness for Ron. The unspoken worry wasn’t that Elise wouldn’t be well enough to pick the blueberries, but that she wouldn’t be around to enjoy them at all.
After Jamie left, Silas stood up. “I need to walk for a while. I’ll just be outside, getting some air. Call me if you hear anything.”
“Of course.” Mrs. Delis patted Ron’s arm. “Shirley will back soon. We’ll take care of Ron for you.”
He nodded and tried to smile. Mrs. Tam had been polite enough earlier but that certainly would have changed. When he reached the hallway, Silas fought with despair. He felt the hope of the last few weeks slip through his fingers, and a crushing sense of doom take its place. Violet thought he was involved. He remembered the look she’d given him when he’d told the officer that he’d met Justin before. Mrs. Tam had told him to hold off on the butcher block projects despite any other evidence of his connection, so this would only add fuel to the fire of her suspicion.
Silas stepped into the elevator, pushing the button for the ground floor without really seeing. If only he could hold on to the last few moments he’d had with Violet. The press of her hand in his, the love in her gaze, the softness in her voice. She had trusted him and seen him as a friend― more than a friend. When they’d almost kissed in the kitchen, he’d known she felt the same way about him and despite the chaos of the last week, he’d taken that shining moment and held it close as proof. But as always, life had a way of throwing him a curve, and although he should have seen it coming, it still took him by surprise.
Chapter Nineteen
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”
― John Muir
Violet stood under the tree near her car, arms wrapped around herself, tears sliding down her cheeks. She needed to think, needed to look at all the evidence logically, but she’d spent the last ten minutes fighting back the agony of betrayal.
Gathering her thoughts, she looked at the branches reaching up into the blue sky. There wasn’t anyone to go to for advice. Her mother didn’t know their history together. Jamie knew, but didn’t seem to truly understand how traumatic it was. She wasn’t that close to Romy, and if she had been, she wouldn’t have felt comfortable enough telling her about falling for Silas. Elise was too sick. Ron was too worried for Elise. Mrs. Delis was comforting and supportive, but she had a no-nonsense attitude that made Violet wonder if she’d just advise her to move on.
Wiping her cheeks, she thought of how hard she’d tried to move on, move forward. In church the verse of the hymn had been like God speaking directly into her heart. Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. But did that mean giving Silas the benefit of the doubt, or just forgiving him for what he’d done? Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon. Their hatred had turned to love, at least for her. She was so afraid that it had been all in her imagination and Silas felt nothing for her. Where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope. Violet closed her eyes and offered up all her doubt. She didn’t lack faith in God, but she couldn’t find her footing with Silas. It seemed that despite all the good he did, the ways he took care of the people around him, his gentleness and love for his friends, Violet just couldn’t stop doubting him. Every time hope grew between them, the tiniest voice of doubt would cast her into despair.
Where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. She needed God to shine a light on the situation. She wanted to bring joy out of sadness, but she just couldn’t do it alone. Her wounded past kept her from being that person. Maybe if she simply opened her heart and gave God permission to do whatever it was He needed to do… Violet straightened her shoulders. That was it. She’d stop trying to force the issue one way or the other. She would simply offer herself as God’s instrument. Humility had never been her strong suit but she was at the end of her ability to discern the situation. She knew what her heart wanted, but she didn’t know what God wanted.
“Violet?”
Ironic. She’d just been asking for humility, and she’d gotten her first dose. There was nothing like letting out a shriek and jumping when someone called your name.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Silas was already backing away, hands up.
“No, it was all me. I didn’t hear you.”
He nodded but stayed where he was, at the very edge of the shade. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he said, “I heard about Bernadette.”
“I should have figured it out. She was asking a lot of questions.”
He met her gaze and glanced away. Violet tried not to see that as an expression of guilt but her heart was pounding.
“I know her. Sort of. She’s friends with Eric, a guy I hire every now and then.”
“She mentioned that she knew you.” Violet wanted to step forward and say something reassuring but stayed where she was.
“I’m sure it looks suspicious.”
There was no use in denying that it did. She’d been standing out in the sweltering parking lot, crying in the shade of a tree because it had nearly convinced her that Silas wasn’t anything like the person he pretended to be.
“Would it help if I said I had nothing to do with it?”
“Yes,” she said, but her voice wasn’t very strong.
“But it wouldn’t convince you. Not really.” His shoulders were slumped as if he carried a heavy weight.
She started to shake her head. Where there is doubt, faith. In the next moment, Violet felt her suspicion fade away and a rock-hard assurance took its place. Not even two hours ago they had stood in this spot and she’d said how hard it was to imagine getting married. She couldn’t see how two people took vows that would last for a lifetime. It had seemed impossible. Now she understood. It was a gift, a grace that allowed two people to step out in faith. But in order to receive it, she had to open her hands and humbly trust.
“It does.” She smiled at him. “It makes a difference.”
“Are you― are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said, laughing now. “I am. I had a little…” She waved her hands, trying to find the word for what she’d been doing under the tree. “Crisis of faith.”
“In God?”
“In you.” She gave him an apologetic glance. “All of this time I’ve been watching for signs that you were lying and were up to no good. I was half-convinced I’d find out the real truth any day now. I worried and examined everything you said and did.”
He grimaced. “I’m so far from perfect. My pride gets in the way and I―”
She stepped closer to him and took his hands. “That was wrong of me. Maybe in the very beginning, it was right to be suspicious, but after we’d become friends, it was wrong to keep watching for some sign that you were lying.” She dropped her gaze, shame burning her cheeks. “You hurt Elise and Ron, but they accepted that you’d changed. Everybody did but me. I thought I was giving you a chance, but deep inside, I still looked for evidence. I think I almost
wanted you to be guilty so I could be right in not trusting you.” It was hard to admit that part to herself, and even harder to say it out loud.
“Violet, I have to tell you something. I should have said it sooner but…”
“Elise got sick, and then we got robbed, and now she’s in surgery? I know.” Violet smiled. “But you can tell me now.”
***
Silas wished that they were somewhere nicer, maybe walking along the canyon like he’d wanted. They could be looking out at the emerald green river, Thor and Loki beside them. Instead, they were sweating under a tree at the hospital, surrounded by blacktop and cars. But if this was his opportunity, he was going to take it. “If I could have chosen who I was going to fall for, there would have been thirty other girls on the list before you.”
The corners of her mouth slowly pulled up. “Is that so? Not a very romantic thought.”
“Sometimes the truth isn’t really pretty.” He watched the smile spread to her eyes. Violet understood. They weren’t going to be like Luke and Romy, or Nico and Charlotte. They weren’t about tender first dates and sweet moments. They were complicated and busy and always running to help someone else. There would be time for candlelight dinners, but for now, the moment of truth was just as it was supposed to be.
Silas stepped closer. They were the most unlikely couple in the history of Arcadia Valley… Except that they were also just right for each other. Falling for Violet had brought him peace and forgiveness in a way he could never have predicted. “If I’d known you were in my future, God would have had to drag me to Arcadia Valley, kicking and screaming,” he said.
“He didn’t?”
“I came here willingly because I had no idea. Not even a glimmer.”
She laughed. “Not even a hint?”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. He wanted to hear everything she had to say but his heart was more interested in kissing her. “Did you?”
“Oh, yes.” Her eyes were half closed. “If I’m honest with myself, there was one moment when I knew I was going to fall for you.”
When she didn’t say anything more, Silas pressed the gentlest of kisses against her lips. She kissed him back, warm and soft.
After a few moments, he drew back. “You know I have to ask.”
“When I saw you reading the Maltese Falcon.” Her voice was breathy. “Nobody reads those old classic mysteries but me. Or so I thought. And when you quoted it…”
He lifted his head. “But that was way back―”
“The first day we met. I didn’t say I was happy about it. In fact, I was determined to stay out of your way. But of course, that didn’t work out. God had other plans for us.”
Silas pulled her close and whispered in her ear. He said all the things he’d wanted to say for so long, but hadn’t had the courage. As Violet clung to him, he realized that grace and mercy had always been waiting for him, no matter what the circumstances. All he’d had to do was reach out, arms wide open, and let it in.
Violet stood on tiptoes again and he lowered his head to press a kiss to her lips. He’d never get over the wonder of her, of all people, being there in his arms.
“I love you, Silas Black” she whispered.
His heart ached in response, his happiness almost as painful as grief. “I love you, too.”
He kissed the top of her hair and thought of how love had arrived exactly when needed, without pretense or fanfare. After he’d apologized and she’d accepted it, a tenderness had grown between them. That tenderness had blossomed in the soil of his forgiveness. It had grown strong, rooted in their friendship, and had finally born fruit.
That fruit was love, one of God’s greatest mysteries.
Epilogue
“In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag.”
― W.H. Auden
Violet watched as her mother and their friends filed into the room. Silas slipped his arm around her and they stood together like proud parents. Thor lay beside them, his nose pressed through the slats of the pen, touching Loki’s neck.
“Oh, aren’t they darling?” Mrs. Tam breathed, hands clasped together.
“Just remember they’ll grow up to be Thor-sized. That’s a lot of dog when you’re already running a full-time business.” Violet didn’t want to discourage her mother but she couldn’t imagine a mastiff running around Fire and Brimstone.
“You understand what family get-togethers are going to be like now?” Stavros asked, peering into the large crate of wriggling puppies. Loki woofed softly and gazed back at her visitors.
“Always the logical one,” Luke said, clapping his brother on the back. “Come on, live a little.”
“And that’s exactly what I don’t tell the kids,” Stavros said, rolling his eyes. “And like Violet said, they’re going to be huge.”
Nico came to stand beside them. “Huge and the best friend you’ll ever have besides me. It’s not even up for discussion for me.” He shot a glance at the beautiful blonde next to him. “I’m blaming this on Charlotte.”
“And I’ll blame it on Elena,” she said, pointing at the little dark-haired girl beside her.
Elena beamed. “Papa said it was a surprise. I didn’t even know I could ask for one.”
“I think it was Luke’s idea that we keep them all in the family,” Romy said, trying to be helpful.
Violet laughed as all the brothers turned toward Luke. “Yeah, definitely Luke’s fault,” said Theo. He had just moved back to Arcadia Valley and was going to teach seventh grade. Jamie had nagged Violet until she got as many pertinent details as she could. Not that she blamed Jamie at all. If she wasn’t already in love with Silas, she would be giving them a second glance. As it was, she barely noticed the overload of good-looking men in the room.
“I think we should get that one, there.” Elise pointed out a brindle colored puppy asleep on its side. Its brothers and sisters were busy eating and her chosen puppy was napping. “It seems to be about our speed,” she said.
Ron gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Anything for my future bride.” Elise was still recovering from her bypass but as soon as she’d left the hospital, they’d started to plan their wedding. “He can be your service dog.”
“More like my exercise coach,” she said. “Taking it for a walk will be good for me.” She put a hand to her forehead. “And now I think I should sit down.”
As Nico and Ron rushed to find her a chair, Violet glanced at her mother. “I didn’t mean to be negative. I think you’d do great.”
Her mother smiled at her. “Oh, I know. But you’re right. I’ll just enjoy all the puppies around. I have enough on my plate.”
“Me, too,” sighed Mrs. Delis. “With the garden and café and Elena, I don’t think I could manage another thing.”
Charlotte cleared her throat and looked at Nico, a question in her eyes. He nodded. “Well,” she said, “Elena has something to say about that.”
“Now?” The little girl bounced on her toes. “Do I get to tell them now?”
“Go ahead. You’ve been a great secret keeper for the past week.” Charlotte smoothed Elena’s ponytail.
“Papa and Charlotte set a date for the wedding,” she cried out.
The resulting exclamations and good wishes and hugging made Thor sit up and let out several large barks. The puppies were startled from their dinner and started to let out tiny yips of confusion. Violet looked at Silas and couldn’t help laughing. She never could have predicted the joy in that moment. Not the puppies, not the crowd of friends, not the sweet announcement. It had all been a surprise from start to finish. From the first day Silas had shown up in Arcadia Valley, her life had changed for the better.
Silas leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Good. Between Ron and Elise, and Nico and Charlotte, they’ll be exhausted from all the planning. We’ll be free to plan our wedding with as little interference as possible.”
Our wedding. Violet’s heart caught in her throat and her eyes filled with
tears. She hadn’t thought the moment could have gotten better, but it had.
As they stepped forward to congratulate Nico, Charlotte and Elena, she had the feeling of moving forward in more than one way. She had spent years being afraid of what was ahead, being cautious and wary. That time was past. Her wounds had healed and her scars, though visible, weren’t painful to the touch. Life opened up before her, full of mystery and excitement. She wasn’t afraid any more. She was stepping out in faith, Silas by her side and her heart filled with hope for the future.
THE END
Dear reader,
Thank you for reading Summer’s Glory, the second book in my new series set in the fictional town of Arcadia Valley, Idaho. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
The idea for Violet and Silas came to me after hearing about a case of bullying in our local school system and the community’s response to it. Bullying is nothing new and it affects thousands of students a year, but awareness is helping head off the kind of experience Violet endured. During the conversation about bullying in my community, many people shared their own experiences with bullying, some even explained how they still felt pain decades after they had left high school. I started to wonder― what happens when years pass and the bully/bullied children grow up? How do people overcome the guilt of having acted so badly, and the pain of being emotionally abused long term? And once forgiveness happens, is it ever possible for a real friendship or love to bloom? I believe that it can, but only through the hard work and determination by the people involved, and the grace of God.
Violet never shared her pain with her mother because she didn’t want to add to her mother’s worries. A lot of children hide their experience from their parents, and this only makes the bullying worse, as parents continue to push for activities and relationships that put the bullied child in harm’s way. One of the best ways to head off bullying is to make sure children feel safe to share the negative things that could be happening in their social circle. Violet still had difficulty sharing her struggles with her mother, even as an adult. She learns through her new friendships that it’s okay to ask for help, and that being vulnerable doesn’t mean she’s weak.
Summer's Glory: Seasons of Faith Book One (Arcadia Valley Romance 2) Page 16