“That was impressive, Miss Parks. I don’t know if I would’ve been that brave, not like you and Evelyn, that is.” Michael gave Evelyn a quick peck on the top of her head and smiled at Heather.
“Daddy, I don’t feel so good.” Evelyn's face twisted like a prune.
Michael knelt down next to Evelyn as she placed one hand on her stomach and the other over her mouth.
“I was worried about that, honey; let’s get you to the car so you can rest.” He glanced over at Heather who had a concerned expression as she rolled Evelyn out into the parking lot.
They helped Evelyn into the back seat with Linda, who also wasn’t feeling well after attempting so many rides after lunch. When they both settled into their seats, Heather climbed into the front passenger seat and strapped in. There were wrinkles on her forehead, and her lips were pursed tightly together as she stared out the window as if someone had just hypnotized her. A warm hand on her leg interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to look at Michael.
“I asked if you were okay.” There was a look of concern on his face. “You just got over a concussion, Miss Parks. Is everything fine?”
Heather gave him a half-hearted smile. “I’m fine; I’m just a little worried about Evelyn.” She stole a glance over her shoulder and noticed the increasing pallor on the girl’s face.
Michael confirmed her fears from the rearview mirror. “We need to get home where she can rest.”
Heather opened her mouth to tell him about the mask, but before she could utter a word, he switched the radio on and backed out of the parking space. She decided to broach the subject when they got home.
The drive home went smoothly with little traffic on the way, and they finally arrived home late in the afternoon. Miss Jamie pitched in to help unpack the car and announced that dinner would be ready in a few hours so they could get some needed rest.
Heather helped Evelyn into her room and tucked her into bed before checking her vitals and giving her scheduled medication.
“Today was the best day ever, Heather.” She let out a lighthearted giggle as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“It sure was. I’m glad you got to experience it. It’ll be a trip you’ll never forget about.” Heather stroked Evelyn’s cheek and gave her a smile.
“Thanks for coming along. I don’t think it would have been as fun without you.”
“Thanks for inviting me.”
A yawn escaped Evelyn’s lips. “When I get well, I want to go back again .. and I want you to come with me.”
Heather gave her smile. “When you’re well, you can go back as many times as you want, and I’ll come along as much as my work schedule allows. Right now, I want you to get some rest before dinner. You’ve had a long day.”
Evelyn kept her eyes closed and nodded her head. Heather kissed her on the forehead and quietly exited the room to go downstairs. She needed to talk to Michael about the roller coaster incident and the sick boy they encountered. Muffled words escaped her mouth as she silently scolded herself for agreeing to allow Evelyn to go on the trip when her health wasn’t the strongest. But it was too late for regrets and now she could only pray that nothing would happen to the girl. If Evelyn’s health took a turn for the worse ... she tried to dismiss the thought from her mind. Right now, she needed everyone in the household to be alert and notify her immediately if they saw any change in the girl’s condition.
As she stepped off the staircase, silence greeted her on the main floor, a sign that everyone had retired to their respective rooms. Heather marched toward Michael’s study and found the door wide open. She knocked several times, but there was no response. She placed a hand on the door jamb and poked her head inside to look around. From the corner of her eye, she caught a silhouette moving in the room next to the study and assumed it was Michael occupying himself with work. Heather quietly slipped into the study and waited for her employer to enter the room.
Several minutes passed and her eyelids almost sealed shut when Michael sauntered into the study, wearing nothing other than a pair of gym shorts, holding a T-shirt in his hand. The fit businessman didn’t notice her at first, and all she could think of was how perfect he looked. His chiseled body and lightly tanned skin reminded her of an Olympic athlete. Her jaw dropped and her cheeks flushed with heat, not because the fireplace was on, but because she found herself in awe of his natural masculinity. She had never been so taken with any other man. Heather stared in wishful silence until she pulled herself back to reality and spoke the first words.
“Michael.”
He turned sharply, surprised to see her sitting there.
“Is everything okay?” He flashed a quick smile and pulled on his shirt.
“Actually, no.” Heather fanned her face with her hand before gaining her feet and pacing the floor.
“I need to talk to you about what happened on The Razorback. When we were on the ride, there was a sick boy behind us coughing, and I’m worried about Evelyn.” She rubbed her hands together nervously.
“We took every precaution, Heather; I’m sure she’ll be fine. We just need to keep a close eye on her for a while to make sure.”
“That’s not all, Michael. Evelyn took her mask off once we were on the roller coaster.” Heather clenched her teeth as she braced herself for his reaction.
“She what ... Why in the world would she do such a thing?” His voice grew louder.
“She said it made her feel free. I think she wanted to feel normal, but I ...”
“You what?” he interrupted. “You were supposed to be taking care of her, Miss Parks. That’s why you’re there. Isn’t that what I pay you for?” His eyes suddenly grew smaller.
His words stung like alcohol on a fresh wound. Heather’s mind went blank, and she lowered her head toward the ground as she silently prayed for God to guard her heart against his harsh words. She had tried her best to make sure Evelyn was fully protected during her visit to the park, but she couldn’t control the girl’s every action, especially when she willfully defied her orders. Heather knew she had done her best as a professional, and she wasn’t going to take the blame for something beyond her control. After a few seconds, she mustered enough courage to respond to him.
“I know exactly why I’m here, Mr. Robbins, and I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to work here and spend time helping your daughter. She took the mask off right before our first drop, and I couldn’t get it from her in time to put it back on. I tried ... but she wouldn’t listen.” Heather kept a confident demeanor as she stared into his eyes.
Michael opened his mouth to speak, but Heather continued before any words could escape his mouth.
“You have to understand I did the best that I could to help her, but I can’t control every action your daughter chooses to do. I warned you about taking her to Thrill Mountain, but you insisted. And now that Evelyn’s health is at risk, you’re blaming me?” She shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. “That isn’t fair. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” Her heart felt like it had been smashed by a wrecking ball as she sped past him and exited the room.
Anger and humiliation. Aside from her aunt, it wasn’t often someone could simultaneously provoke both emotions inside her. Heather needed a safe place to sort out her feelings, and there was only one place in the Robbins home where she could do that. Ignoring the darkness outside and the warning voices inside her head, she made a swift exit out the patio door and into the gardens. It had become her safe haven during the day, the only place where she was able to get away from all the noise and commotion and spend time talking with God.
Heather sucked in the cool nighttime air as she listened to the symphony of crickets in the night. Her thoughts returned to Evelyn. She was a sweet girl who had grown dear to her heart. She had made it a work policy not to get emotionally attached with her patients, but something was different about Evelyn. She wanted more than anything to be able to stay with Evelyn until she was healthy again, and to see God
work in her life. Her compassionate heart mirrored that of a mother who loved her daughter.
More than anything, Heather dreamed of staying forever in the Robbins household. But there was one major issue complicating matters.
She was slowly falling in love with Michael.
Heather’s heart felt heavy as she sat on a bench surrounded by beautiful white roses. She closed her eyes and pleaded to God for guidance. She knew the Almighty would never steer her wrong. Heather had entrusted the desires of her heart to Him, and she knew that as long as she kept Him in the center of her life, everything would work out in the end. God had always been there when she needed a shoulder to cry on, the one who always brought peace in the midst of all her struggles. And today would be no different. She tried to ignore the raw humiliation that screamed in the back of her mind. A feeling that brought back painful memories of the past, a past she struggled to forget about.
Heather vividly recalled a time in her childhood when an important man came to visit. He was the mayor of the city, and his aunt had invited him and a few council members over for dinner. Her aunt had bought beautiful new dresses for herself and her cousin to wear. But Heather received nothing. Her aunt had made some belittling comment about how she wasn’t fit to be in the presence of such important people and that she wasn’t going to waste money on a lost cause.
Once it was time for dinner, Heather tried seating herself in a chair by the far wall, hoping her aunt wouldn’t mind. But it didn’t take long for her aunt’s hawk eyes to search her out.
“What are you doing girl? Don’t you know maids aren’t allowed to sit at the table? Now get back to work. We didn’t take you in so that you could be lazy and leach off our food.”
Heather could still remember the sting of her words, like lemon juice on a paper cut. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she bolted from the room and into the kitchen. Their laughter still rang in her ears as her body curled tightly against the wingchair in the living room, and she began to sob. When the tears stopped flowing, she brushed a sleeve across her face before finishing her duties of serving food to the guests and cleaning the halls. When her frail body could do no more, she passed out in the comfort of her small cot in the laundry room.
Heather’s body shuddered as her thoughts returned to the peaceful garden surrounding her. Since that painful incident, she had vowed never to let anyone make her feel like that again. And no one had, until now.
Perhaps she was growing too emotionally attached to this family, and it was preventing her from doing her job properly. Evelyn was sick and needed her, that’s why she stayed. But the fact Michael was about to marry another woman, one who didn’t really love him, tore at her consciousness.
The more Heather thought about it, the more foolish she felt.
You useless child! What are you thinking? Do you really think Michael’s going to notice you and save you from your miserable childhood? This isn’t a fairy tale ending where you get to live happily ever after.
Heather shook her head and tried to ignore her aunt’s sarcastic voice in her head.
You’re so naïve, Heather.
She needed to wake up from her dream and accept the reality that she was, and would always be, another member of the staff.
Stop crying. You know it never helps, the little girl’s voice shouted in her head. She sniffled one last time before wiping the wetness off her cheeks. Then she pressed her hands tightly together and lowered her head to pray.
“Dear God, please help me. Help me to be a better person who’s able to forgive freely. I pray for direction and guidance at this difficult crossroads in my life. Show me what to do and where to go. I also ask that your Holy Spirit work on Evelyn’s heart. She needs your strength to carry her through this fight for her life. Lord, I’m so happy she was finally able to feel that freedom that she’s been longing for so long. Also, finally, I ask that you work on Michael’s heart. He can be so headstrong ... but he has a loving heart. I pray you help him find his way back to you Lord and to use me as an instrument to accomplish that goal. Lastly, I ask that you please remove these feelings for him from my heart. I know that it’s wrong to feel this way for an engaged man, but I can’t seem to stop focusing on him. He’s getting married to someone else soon, and I ask that you please remove my desires for him. In Your name I pray, Amen.”
Heather kept her head bowed and her eyes closed as she lingered in the peaceful cloud of serenity, unaware of the soft crunching of grass as a figure approached from the estate.
Michael swallowed hard before glancing up at the sky. He had heard the last part of her prayer.
She felt something for him.
Her words hooked his curiosity, and he needed to know more about how she really felt about him. The fact she still prayed for him, even after the way he had raised his voice at her, surprised him. There was no doubt in his mind that Heather was truly unselfish and caring, a serious woman of the Lord. And he had the insensitivity to insult her when she had always placed Evelyn first. Michael felt like the biggest jerk in the world.
He had started thinking more and more about what she had said that night after her attack. What if she was right? What if God did send her to minister to his family? He was torn about how he felt. There was a terrible burden on his heart, and the only way to air his feelings was to talk with her. He waited a few more seconds before entering the clearing.
Heather remained still on the bench as the moonlight reflected off her hair. Tiny bumps formed on her arm as the nighttime temperature dropped, and she longed for the days when she still had her long hair. A subtle breeze danced past her face, tickling the ends of her hair. A few strands flew into her face, causing her to tuck them back behind her ear. That was when she heard footsteps approach from behind making her jump to her feet.
Chapter 6
“It’s okay, Heather; it’s just me,” Michael said with a soft voice, afraid he had startled her.
“Oh, it’s you.” Heather rested a hand on her bosom as a rush of air escaped her lungs. “You scared me. For a moment, I thought it might be ...” She hesitated for a second. “Sorry, I never come out to the garden at night alone, but ...” she trailed off.
He sat on the bench across from her, his musky cologne overpowering the subtle smells of lavender and jasmine in the air. “I’m sorry, Heather; I’m a fool, and I’m sorry.” He leaned forward and gently stroked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.
“I’m always worried about Evelyn, and I know firsthand how stubborn she can be. I’m sure you tried to get the mask back on, and I’m sorry I blamed you.” He rested his hand on top of hers.
Heather felt a tingle of electricity travel up her arm and spread throughout her body. She instinctively pulled her hand away and began playing with a fallen rose she found on the bench. “I know you’re upset and want to be mad at someone, I understand that.” She continued studying the flower as if it were a keepsake from a high school prom. Heather couldn’t look at him right now, not when she had been crying. She couldn’t let him see the vulnerable side of her heart.
“No, Heather ... there’s no excuse for my insensitive behavior. I shouldn’t have taken it out on anyone ... especially not you, of all people.” He sat back up and took in her breathtaking beauty.
Why wouldn’t she look at him?
“Will you forgive me? I’m far from perfect, and I know I tend to fly off the handle from time to time. But I promise I won’t say things like that to you ever again. You know it would kill me if I did ...”
“Why?” There was an edge to her voice as she turned and gave him a serious look. “I’m confused. Why do you treat me special? One minute you treat me like the other employees and the next you act like I mean something to you ... something more than just an employee.”
Michael began to stutter. “I-I ... You ...” Michael watched the tears trickle down her face. “Oh Heather ... please don’t cry.” He closed the distance between them until he stood a foot away.
Heather rose to her feet and studied the deep emotions behind the blue of his eyes. “I’m not crying anymore.” She looked up at him as a last tear slipped down her face.
Unable to bear the guilt of hurting the woman who had begun to capture his heart, he cupped her face in his hands, using his thumb to wipe away the tear.
“I’m sorry, Heather. I never wanted to make you cry, or to hurt you. It’s just that you strike me as a strong woman, especially after your attack. I never once saw you break down or cry. And now here I am, being an idiot and saying hurtful things to you.”
He focused on her eyes and tried to read what was going through her mind.
“I’m fine, Michael. I am, really.” She gave him a faint smile and reached up with her right hand and placed it over his.
Michael didn’t know if it was the romantic setting of the gardens, the honeysuckle scent of her smooth skin, or the way her face glowed in the clear moonlight, but he couldn’t contain the desires of his heart. It began to pound, and without hesitation, he leaned in and pressed his lips passionately against hers as he began to freely share the unspoken feelings he had repressed for so long. Her lips felt smoother than any fancy dessert he had savored, and their lips lingered together for what seemed like hours before her hands pressed against his chest, and her head pulled away. Respecting her wishes, Michael leaned back, a sheepish grin on his face as he relaxed his hands next to his body.
“Michael, I ... I don’t know ... I mean...” Heather slowed her breathing as her legs grew weaker. She steadied herself and tried to ignore the pounding desires trying to escape her heart. There was nothing more Heather wanted to do than to collapse into his arms and savor the beauty of the moment. A moment she had never believed could ever happen. Her heart was drawn to him like metal to a magnet.
But she couldn’t lift her feet; it was as if they were glued to the ground. She continued gazing into his eyes as she desperately searched for the right words to say. But all she could do was stumble over her own words. “I need to uh ... I need to go.” Her feet finally broke free from the ground, and she nervously scurried toward the rear patio door of the estate. Before she stepped past the glass door, his words echoed inside her head.
Shadows in the Night Page 4