Hometown Proposal

by Merrillee Whren

  “But don’t you wish you knew?”

  Elise eyed her sister. “Juliane, you’d better let it go, or I won’t help you address your wedding invitations.”

  “Okay, you win.”

  “Nothing about this feels like winning.” Elise hung her jacket on the hook by the kitchen door. As she walked into the living room, the doorbell rang.

  “That’s Lukas. He said he’d stop by after his meeting.” Juliane rushed past Elise.

  Elise reached out and grabbed Juliane’s arm. “Please don’t say anything about Seth to Lukas, either.”

  “My lips are sealed.” Juliane pretended to turn a key on her lips like they’d done when they were kids.

  “Thanks, sis.” Elise headed for the stairs. “I’ve got some studying to do, so I’ll leave you lovebirds alone.”

  As Juliane answered the door, Elise raced up the stairs. She didn’t want to take the chance that Lukas would ask about the evening, because the conversation might involve Seth.

  Standing in the choir room before the beginning of the worship service the following morning, Elise dreaded the thought of seeing Seth again. He’d be sitting out there in the pews somewhere. Could she avoid looking at him while she stood at the front of the sanctuary with the praise team during the song service?

  She wasn’t sure why he was doing the church routine. He certainly hadn’t been a churchgoer when they’d worked together. Maybe his church attendance now was more about impressing her dad than anything else.

  While those thoughts buzzed in Elise’s mind, Juliane approached. “Have you seen Lukas? I can’t find him anywhere. He’s scheduled to sing with the praise team this morning. We talked about it last night.”

  Elise glanced around the room. “Did he go to the prayer breakfast this morning?”

  Juliane shrugged. “He’d planned to go, but even if he did, they always finish in plenty of time for the men to get to church.”

  “I haven’t seen Dad, either.” Or Seth. Elise didn’t want to voice that thought aloud.

  Elise’s mother rushed into the room. “Something terrible has happened.”

  “What?” Elise stared at her mother’s stricken face.

  Pressing her fingers to her lips, Barbara didn’t speak for a moment in what appeared to be an attempt to control her emotions. “Your dad called—”

  “Did something happen to Dad?” Elise took hold of her mother’s arm.

  Barbara shook her head. “It’s Seth.”

  Elise’s heart plummeted, and her pulse began to pound. “What about Seth?”

  “He was in a terrible car accident.”

  “Is he…is he okay?” Elise could hardly breath.

  “I don’t know.” Barbara shook her head again. “Your dad said they rushed him to the hospital. He’s in emergency surgery right now. That’s all I know.”

  “Where did it happen?” Elise asked.

  “About a mile from our house. You know the spot where there’s a small rise in the road?” Barbara touched a hand to her forehead as if trying to make sense of everything.

  Elise nodded. “I know the place. Was Olivia with him?”

  Shaking her head, Barbara clasped her hands. “Praise God, Seth had already dropped her off with me. He was on his way back into town when it happened.”

  As Elise took in the information, her heart ached. She’d been upset that Seth was back in her life, but she’d never wanted anything like this to happen to him. “Do you know how it happened?”

  “Your dad wasn’t sure, but from what they could tell, Seth’s car skidded off the road, probably because of the rain. The car crashed into a tree, and he was trapped inside. They had to use the Jaws of Life to get him out. It took over an hour.” Barbara turned to Juliane. “Lukas is waiting for news at the hospital.”

  “Where’s Olivia?” Elise asked.

  Barbara turned back to Elise. “I dropped Olivia off in the class for her age as soon as I got here. Your father called right after that, so she knows nothing about her dad.”

  “That poor little girl…in a strange place with people she barely knows.” Elise wrinkled her brow as she realized the child wouldn’t understand what was happening. “How will we explain everything to her?”

  Barbara took a deep breath. “We need to leave that to her grandmother.”

  “But she isn’t here, is she?” Elise glanced toward the door.

  “No, but while Seth was trapped in the car, he was still coherent enough to give your dad his mom’s phone number.” Barbara paused to catch her breath. “Your dad called her, and she was able to book a flight that gets into Cincinnati around one o’clock. Your dad’s going to the airport to pick her up.”

  Mind whirling, Elise digested all that her mother was saying. Now she would have to face Seth’s mother, as well as Seth. Elise remembered her from the times Seth’s parents had taken a cruise on the ship where Seth and she had been working. “How did Dad know about the accident?”

  “After Seth didn’t show up for the prayer breakfast, your dad called me to find out whether he’d dropped off Olivia as he’d planned. When I told him Seth had already dropped her off, he and Lukas suspected something must be wrong.”

  “How did they know where to look for him?” Elise asked.

  “They figured maybe Seth had car trouble. A flat tire or something like that, but not a horrific accident.” Barbara released a harsh breath. “They drove along the route that Seth would’ve taken from our house to the café. That’s when they came upon the accident.”

  “Thank the Lord they were smart enough to go looking. Otherwise, no telling how long it would have been before someone came along.” Elise shoved away the thought of what might have happened if her dad hadn’t gone to search for Seth.

  “If they hadn’t found him, I may have been the first person to come upon the accident on my way to church.” Barbara laid a hand on her chest. “I don’t know whether I could’ve handled that. And worse yet, Olivia would’ve been with me.”

  “We don’t have to think about that.” Elise hugged her mom. “Should we go to the hospital?”

  “I’m going to call Lukas and see whether he knows anything.” Juliane fished her cell phone out of her purse.

  Barbara touched Juliane’s arm. “There’s no point in calling Lukas. Your dad told me they expected Seth to be in surgery for several hours.”

  Elise glanced from Juliane to her mother. “Then what can we do?”

  At that moment, the music minister, Tom Porter, came over to the group. “Did I hear you say something about someone in the hospital?”

  After Barbara gave a condensed version of Seth’s situation, Tom asked for other prayer requests. Then he had the group join hands as he led them in prayer.

  Elise managed to get through the song service, but she couldn’t concentrate on the sermon. Her mind kept imagining Seth clinging to life as he lay in the hospital. She’d spent too many days wishing never to set eyes on Seth again. Now she could hardly wait until the church service ended so she could go to the hospital and see him.

  The heels of Elise’s shoes clicked on the tile floor and echoed through the lobby of the hospital. Without waiting for Juliane, she turned down the hallway leading to the surgery wing.

  “Hey, there’s no sense in being in such a hurry. Lukas said Seth still isn’t out of surgery.” Juliane raced to keep up with Elise.

  “I know, but nerves are making me hyper.” Elise turned the corner. “There’s Lukas.”

  Lukas stood as soon as he saw them. He met them halfway as they approached the surgery waiting room. “No word yet.”

  Elise hugged Lukas, then stepped back. “Was it bad?”

  Lukas nodded as he pulled Juliane close and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Taking her hand, he led them toward the chairs lining the wall. His coal-black hair contrasted with Juliane’s light brown hair. “I don’t know how he survived that crash. His car was practically wrapped around the tree. The whole passenger side was crushed in,
and he was trapped in this little space on the driver’s side.”

  Elise’s stomach churned as she listened. Sitting next to Juliane, Elise forced herself to ask the dreaded question that kept resurfacing in her mind. “Is he going to be all right?”

  “I wish I could say for certain.” Lukas squeezed Juliane’s hand.

  With a hint of envy, Elise watched Juliane and Lukas. Elise wished she had someone to hold her hand and comfort her. Still, Elise was happy that her sister had found someone to love who treated her with kindness and respect. She had thought she’d found someone like that in Seth, but she’d been wrong. After the way he’d abandoned his child, she’d found herself second-guessing everything, wondering if anything he’d promised her, even his love, was real and lasting.

  Answers hadn’t come, no matter how many nights she lay awake wondering. Seth, who had left the ship shortly after their fight for a family emergency that she now knew was about his father, hadn’t been there to offer any explanations or assurances, leaving her prey to the worst of her doubts and insecurities. By the time she left the cruise ship herself, she’d been convinced that Seth had never really loved her and had tried to close her heart off to him in turn. As she sat in the waiting room, desperate for news, she started to wonder if her feelings hadn’t changed as much as she’d thought.

  Elise leaned forward to look at Lukas, who sat on the other side of Juliane. “Mom said they expected Seth to be in surgery for several hours. How long has it been?”

  Lukas glanced at his watch. “A couple of hours at least.”

  A helpless feeling washed over Elise. “Is that good or bad?”

  “You’re asking me stuff I can’t begin to answer.”

  Elise gave Lukas a halfhearted smile. “I’m sorry. I wish someone could tell us what’s going on.”

  “We’ll probably have to wait until they’re done with the surgery to know how he is.” Juliane patted Elise’s arm.

  Elise released a heavy sigh. “I know, but I hate this waiting.”

  “You want to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?” Lukas asked.

  Elise shook her head. “If we leave, we might miss the doctor.”

  Lukas stood. “Do you want me to go and bring something back for you?”

  “Thanks. That would be great, sweetheart.” Juliane smiled up at him.

  After Lukas took their orders and left, Elise paced back and forth. She stopped and glanced out the window at the rain-soaked landscape. Her mom had said something about Seth’s car skidding on the rain-slick road. Elise shuddered at the thought.

  Even the colorful parade of daffodils and crocuses that filled the flowerbeds near the hospital entrance couldn’t brighten Elise’s thoughts. The gray April day captured her mood.

  While Elise paced in front of the window, Juliane walked over and gently took hold of her arm to pull her to a stop. “You know pacing and worrying aren’t going to change anything.”

  Elise stopped and looked at her sister. “I have to walk off my nerves.”

  “For someone who said she never wanted to see Seth again, you seem awfully worried about him.”

  “I’m not sure what I’m feeling.” Elise sank onto a nearby chair. “I loved him, so I don’t want anything awful to happen to him, especially since he has that sweet little girl. She obviously adores him.”

  “And what about you?”

  Elise didn’t want to examine her feelings or answer her sister’s question. Did love for Seth still occupy her heart? She pushed that thought away. “Didn’t we have this conversation once before?”

  “Yeah, but I still have questions.”

  “And I don’t have any answers.”

  “Humor me.”

  Elise looked down the hallway. Where was Lukas? His return would rescue her from Juliane’s curiosity. “There’s not much humor in this story.”

  “Just answer this. Did you ever learn the truth about Olivia’s mother?”

  “Not the entire story.” Elise stared out the window again. “I told you before that he said that the woman just wanted money, that Olivia wasn’t his, even though I could clearly see that she looked just like him, even then. But his behavior killed a little part of my heart and my feelings for him.”

  “So you dumped him right then?”

  “Yes. I still had thirty days left on my contract with the cruise line, or I would have left that day. It about killed me to think about being on the same ship with Seth for another month. As the cruise director, his presence would have been hard to avoid. But he left just a few days later when he got word about his father. All the same, I barely got through the month.”

  “That’s why you looked so awful when you returned home.”

  “Oh, thanks.”

  “You know what I mean. You were so thin.”

  “Well, I’m back to my normal weight now, and life here is good. I don’t want Seth Finley’s presence in town to change that. But what kind of person would I be if I ignored Seth while he was in dire straits? My actions wouldn’t be any better than his, when he ignored Olivia’s mother. Even if it’s hard for me, I’ve got to do what I know to be the right thing.”

  Juliane leaned over and put an arm around Elise’s shoulders. “Remember, I’m here for you anytime you need someone to talk to.”

  “I know. That’s been one of the great things about coming back home.”

  “I agree. You managed to help me keep my head when I was dealing with Lukas. Maybe I can do the same for you while you’re working through this.” Juliane glanced down the hallway. “Here comes Lukas with the food.”

  “Good. My stomach’s beginning to rumble.” But even as she made the statement, Elise wondered whether she would be able to eat.

  After Lukas passed out the food, they ate in silence, and Elise replayed her conversation with Juliane. Elise was glad they’d talked, but she wasn’t sure even Juliane’s counsel would get her through her confusion over Seth. And when was someone going to tell them what was happening with him?

  Chapter Four

  Time dragged. Elise paced. Her mind buzzed. When she thought she couldn’t stand another minute of the waiting, she saw her father and Seth’s mother, Maggie Finley, hurrying down the hallway. She looked the same as the last time Elise had seen her about two years ago.

  Maggie’s trim figure and dark brown hair belied her age, but her ashen and haggard expression spelled out her worry. Elise wondered what she could possibly say to Seth’s mother. Did she know how their relationship had ended? No matter. This wasn’t the time to think about herself.

  Ray hugged his daughters, then glanced around the waiting area. “Still no word?”

  Lukas stepped forward. “We haven’t heard a thing and have to assume Seth is still in surgery.”

  Maggie sank onto a nearby chair. “Can’t we ask someone?”

  “Let me check.” Ray strode back down the hallway.

  Maggie turned her attention to Elise. “Hello, Elise.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Finley.” Taking a seat in a nearby chair, Elise tried to pull up a smile. “I can’t believe this has happened to Seth. We’ve been praying for him.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Maggie shook her head. “I can’t believe this has happened, either.”

  Before Elise could respond, Ray returned with Barbara, who carried Olivia. Nathan, Pastor Tom and Pastor Rob, the senior minister, accompanied them.

  “Olivia.” Maggie jumped up and raced to greet her granddaughter. She reached out for the child and hugged her as the little girl went eagerly into Maggie’s arms. “Grandma’s so glad to see you.”

  “Gramma.” Olivia put her arms around Maggie’s neck.

  The scene touched Elise’s heart. She tried to put herself in Maggie’s place. She had to be anxious about her son’s condition but thankful that her grandchild hadn’t been in harm’s way. Elise recalled how Seth mentioned that his mother wasn’t thrilled with his move. How would she view this latest development? What would happen no
w?

  While Elise pondered the future, her dad took charge and introduced Maggie to everyone. After he made the last introduction, Pastor Rob led the group in a prayer for Seth. When the prayer was over, the group fell silent except for Olivia. She began crying for Seth.

  Maggie took a seat again and tried to comfort the child. “Olivia, honey, you can’t see your daddy right now because the doctors are fixing his boo-boos.”

  “He has boo-boo?

  Nodding, Maggie held Olivia close. “We have to wait till he’s better to see him.”

  The scene tore Elise up inside. Remembering Seth’s interaction with his daughter during dinner the previous evening, Elise prayed Seth would be all right for the sake of his little girl. She needed her daddy. Even as Elise thought about Seth’s recovery, she couldn’t help wondering about Olivia’s mother. What had happened to her?

  While Elise tried to make sense of why Seth now had the child he’d rejected, she remained quiet as everyone talked around her. She had a difficult time focusing on any of the conversations. Her thoughts centered on Seth, in spite of herself.

  Barbara’s brow knit in a frown as she talked to Maggie. “Where are you planning to stay?”

  “I suppose in the hotel where Seth was staying.” Maggie shrugged.

  Barbara laid a hand on one of Maggie’s arms. “We can’t have you staying out there. Now that Elise and Juliane are gone from home, Ray and I are rattling around in our big old house. We have plenty of room, and it’ll be so much better for you to stay with us, especially since you have Olivia with you.”

  “Oh, we couldn’t impose on you. You barely know us.”

  “No problem. We’ll get to know you.” Barbara reached for her purse and pulled out a pen and paper. “I’ll give you our phone number.”

  “But—”

  “I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “If you insist.”

  Ray walked over. “I can take you to the hotel so you can get Olivia’s and Seth’s things.”

  “You folks are being too kind.” Maggie smiled even while unshed tears sparkled in her eyes.