Hometown Proposal

by Merrillee Whren

  While they waited for the pizza, Olivia served Seth and Elise a meal of plastic steak and corn on the cob, which they pretended to eat with great relish. When the doorbell rang, Olivia raced to answer it.

  Seth tried to stop her. “Olivia, don’t answer the door until Daddy gets there.”

  “I’ll get it.” Elise caught Olivia up in her arms and carried her to the front door.

  Seth hobbled after them and managed to pay for the pizza. He was really beginning to realize how the crutches limited his movement. How was he going to manage a rambunctious toddler while on them? Getting out of the nursing home made for more problems than he’d anticipated.

  Olivia skipped beside Elise as she took the pizza to the kitchen.

  Seth stood by, feeling quite useless as Elise set the table. He was certainly glad she’d agreed to stay. How was he going to take care of his house? He supposed he would have to hire someone to clean it. He was giving himself a headache thinking about what lay ahead.

  After Elise set the table, she helped Olivia into the booster seat strapped to one of the kitchen chairs. Seth settled on the chair beside her and laid his crutches on the floor.

  Olivia held out one hand to Seth. “Pray?”

  “Sure.” Seth took her hand and then glanced at Elise. “We hold hands when we pray. Something my parents did.”

  “Okay.” Offering a hand to Olivia, Elise gave him a tentative glance before placing her hand in his.

  Bowing his head, Seth prepared to pray. He tried not to think of how completely right her hand felt in his. After he finished the prayer, she immediately let go of his hand, but their eyes met before she had a chance to look away. He wasn’t quite sure what emotion he’d seen in her eyes—maybe just an awareness that sparked between them.

  Seth tried not to think about it as he concentrated on cutting Olivia’s pizza into little pieces. Seth and Elise ate quietly while Olivia talked about her new kitchen almost nonstop in her toddler talk that sometimes only he could understand.

  At first, when Olivia was doing all the talking, Seth feared Elise and he wouldn’t be able to find anything to talk about. He should quit thinking about himself and ask about her life. That had been his problem all along. He was always thinking about himself rather than others.

  “You look so serious. What are you thinking about?” Elise squinted at him.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind, but let’s not talk about me. I want to talk about you.” That was a good start, but would Elise tell him about her life here in Kellerville?

  “Not much to say. School, work and church are pretty much all there is. Not too exciting.” She took a bite of pizza, as if to say she didn’t want to talk about herself.

  “You must do something for fun. Do you still sing?” He’d love to hear her sing again. Her voice was incredible. “For church.”

  “No other times?”

  “A little karaoke with my dad. He loves karaoke.”

  “Your dad sings, too?”

  Nodding, Elise chuckled. “Juliane and I inherited our singing voices from Dad. Mom’s a bit of a monotone.”

  “I’d like to hear your dad sing.”

  “You’ll get your chance over Memorial Day. Our family always has a big picnic out at Mom and Dad’s place after the Memorial Day parade. And whenever we have a family get-together, you can count on my dad revving up the karaoke machine.”

  “I’d like to hear that.”

  “It’s a fun time.” Elise’s eyes grew wide, as if she suddenly realized what she’d done—inadvertently invited him to the family picnic. Her alarm dashed his hopes that he was making some headway. He didn’t want her to feel bound by the invitation.

  “I’m sure it is. I’ve enjoyed getting to know your dad better over the past couple of weeks when he came to visit me. And Nathan and Lukas, too. I’d hate to miss the fun, but I’ll probably be going to Pittsburgh for the holiday, if I’m able to walk without these crutches by then.” He pointed to the crutches. “Got to get rid of those things first.”

  “Well, if you’re around, I’m sure my family would love to have you.”

  Would you love to have me? Seth wanted to ask the question, but he feared what her answer would be. So he smiled and figured she felt safe in telling him to come because he probably wouldn’t.

  After they finished eating, Olivia ran off to play with her kitchen while Seth tried to help Elise with the cleanup. He made several inept attempts to remove things from the table but found it tricky because of his crutches.

  Elise glanced at him with sympathy in her eyes. “You’re having a little difficulty, aren’t you?”

  “Seems that way. I’ll get better with practice.”

  “Since you can’t drive, how are you going to get to work?”

  “Your dad, Lukas and several of the men from the church have volunteered to take turns chauffeuring me around.”

  “Dad never said anything to me about it.”

  “That’s because your dad likes to help others without taking credit for himself.” Seth leaned against the kitchen counter and looked into her eyes, thankful that she didn’t turn away. He wanted to tell her so much, but he wasn’t sure whether he could express all that he was feeling, especially about her. He took a deep breath. At least he could let her know how much he’d come to appreciate his fellow Christians. “When it came to Christianity, I was a real skeptic. But I’ve come to realize over the last year how wonderful it is to be a Christian.”

  “In what ways?” Elise looked at him with interest, and he smiled as he realized he’d chosen a good topic to hold her attention. Elise had always had strong faith, even if she had drifted from Christian living while on the cruise ship.

  “I’ve seen how Christians help each other.” He motioned around the room with one hand. “I’m a stranger in town, and yet people from the church helped me move in here. I saw the same thing when my father died. The members of my mother’s church were there to support her.”

  “I’m glad you’re getting the help you need.” A little frown puckered Elise’s brow.

  “Me, too.” How many times had he noticed that facial expression on Elise? What was troubling her? Did she believe he was saying these things to get on her good side? He wished he had the nerve to ask, but despite the hours they’d spent together today and all of the nice things she’d done for him, she still held him at arms’ length. He wanted to make her smile, not frown. “And you’ve been a big part of that help. Thanks for all you’ve done, especially today with Olivia’s kitchen.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help.” She turned away and put the last dish in the dishwasher. “Really. It was nothing. I saw how much my cousin’s little girl likes her kitchen, so I thought Olivia should have one. This has been a tough time for her, too. It’s hard on little kids when their routine is shattered.”

  “And thanks for trying to keep a routine for her.” Seth released a heavy sigh again. “I hate that you’re having to do all the work.”

  She closed the dishwasher and turned to look at him. “Don’t worry about it. I’m here to help.”

  Seth wished she were here because she wanted to be with him. Hoping to send his thoughts in another direction, Seth looked through the doorway into the living room at Olivia. She was talking on the little toy phone in her kitchen. Wanting to share the scene with Elise, he started to get her attention but changed his mind.

  Did being with Olivia make Elise think of Sophie and how he’d turned her away? The question continued to nag him. He couldn’t erase the scene with Sophie in Key West from his mind. The guilt ate at him even though he was now taking care of Olivia, especially when he remembered how he’d argued with Elise about it later. God had forgiven him. Why couldn’t he forgive himself?

  Elise joined him in the doorway. “Look at Olivia talking on her phone. Isn’t she sweet?”

  “Yeah, I think so. I’m glad you think so, too.” Seth’s voice sounded husky even to his own ears. Her observation war
med his heart.

  “Would you like me to help you get her ready for bed?”

  “When have you been putting her to bed?”

  “Around seven-thirty.” Elise raised her eyebrows. “Is that okay?”

  “Sure. I wanted to know what kind of routine she’s been on so I can keep it the same.”

  “Your mom said she usually went to bed about that time.”

  “Did you have any trouble?” Seth realized he should’ve been asking these kinds of questions before, but he didn’t want Elise to think he didn’t trust her to take care of Olivia. Maybe she thought he wasn’t a very good father because he hadn’t asked.

  “No. She’s been a little jewel. I was surprised, with all the commotion and changes she’s been through. Your mom did a great job keeping her on a schedule, and I tried to do the same.”

  “I think you’re the jewel for doing this.” Standing so close to Elise in the doorway, Seth had to keep himself from reaching out and pulling her into his arms. He wanted to hold her and taste her tender kisses again. He couldn’t let himself think about Elise in those terms. She wasn’t ready for that kind of relationship with him. He wondered whether she’d ever be. Shoving away from the doorway, he clomped into the living room.

  She followed him. “Don’t give me any compliments. Sometime, I might ask you to return the favor.”

  He wasn’t sure what kind of favor she might ask, but whatever it was, he was willing to grant it. He owed her a lot. And he wanted to give her even more. He glanced down at Olivia. “Hey, sweetheart, it’s time to get ready for bed.”

  “No. Play.”

  Elise hunkered down next to Olivia. “Olivia, honey, you can play tomorrow. We can get your jammies on and read a book like we’ve been doing, okay? You know how much you like your stories before bed.”

  “’Kay.” Olivia held her arms out to Elise. “Stories, stories. Love stories.”

  Picking up Olivia, Elise stood, then headed back toward Olivia’s room. Elise’s ability to persuade Olivia to leave her kitchen filled him with amazement. As they headed to her bedroom, he brought up the rear. In minutes, Elise had Olivia making a game of getting into her pajamas and brushing her teeth. After she was ready for bed, she picked out a book and gave it to Elise.

  Elise looked up at him. “Do you want to read her the story tonight?”

  “I do.”

  “I thought so.”

  After laying his crutches aside, Seth carefully sank onto the padded rocking chair, and Elise handed him the book. Olivia scrambled up to sit on his lap. He opened the book and began to read. Contentment settled in his mind. Everything was perfect—perfect except one thing. He wanted Elise to be a permanent part of this picture, not just a visitor. But he wasn’t going to let his thoughts follow that trail. Not tonight.

  As soon as he finished the book, Olivia hopped down and ran over to Elise, who was sitting on the edge of the white toddler bed. His mom had told him about taking Olivia to buy the pink coverlet embroidered with butterflies for Olivia’s bed. Little puffy pillow-like decorations hung on the wall behind the bed. All the pink spelled Olivia, and she looked adorable surrounded by it, especially when she smiled up at Elise.

  “’Lise, say prayers.”

  Elise nodded. “Okay.”

  Olivia knelt beside her bed, folded her little hands and bowed her head. Seth stayed in the rocker and bowed his head. Elise began a simple prayer, then Olivia followed with her own version in words that probably only she and the Lord understood, ending with a prayer for Seth to get better. His heart swelled with love for his little girl and the woman beside her. He wasn’t doing very well when it came to not thinking about Elise in terms of family.

  After the prayer, Olivia hopped into bed without protest. Elise leaned down and gave Olivia a good-night kiss. Seth hobbled to the bedside and gave Olivia a kiss, too.

  Seth turned on Olivia’s butterfly nightlight, then shut off the overhead light in the room. He followed Elise out of the room as quietly as he could while dragging a cast and propelling himself forward with his crutches.

  Elise grabbed her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder, then turned. “Got to head home.”

  Seth didn’t know how he could thank her, but he had to say something, even something inadequate. Before he could figure out how to say thank you, Olivia came bounding into the living room. She grabbed hold of one of Elise’s legs and held on.

  “’Lise, stay with Daddy and me.”

  Elise stared at him, panic radiating from her eyes. She appeared to swallow a lump in her throat as she dropped her purse and picked up Olivia. “Olivia, sweetie, I can’t stay. I was only here because your daddy couldn’t come home until he was better. Now he’s here, so I need to go to my own house.”

  Olivia wrapped her arms around Elise’s neck and buried her face on Elise’s shoulder and cried. “Nooo.”

  “I’m so sorry I can’t stay, but if you go to bed like a good girl, I promise to come visit you as often as I can. And if your daddy needs someone to watch you while he’s gone, I’ll come anytime, okay?”

  While Elise comforted his child, Seth held his breath. He felt as though a huge weight were pressing down on his chest. As he watched them, he realized that Olivia’s words had voiced what he’d been thinking, how badly he wished Elise was his wife, and that his home was theirs to share.

  He wanted Elise to know that, but he knew it was far too soon. Elise wasn’t ready to hear that yet, to be told that he loved her—had never stopped loving her.

  Olivia lifted her head and looked at Elise. “’Kay.”

  “Good. Let’s take you back to bed.” Elise gave his daughter a hug. Without looking his way, Elise nearly fled down the hall to Olivia’s room.

  When Elise returned, she grabbed her purse from the floor and rushed to the door. “I’m out of here. I want to be gone if she gets out of bed again. Good night.”

  Shouting his thanks, Seth hobbled to the doorway as she raced to her car. After that initial panicked look, Elise had refused to meet his gaze. She’d looked all around him, but she’d never made eye contact. What had she been thinking?

  As Seth watched her drive away, he had no doubt she was running away from him and the memories that hurt them both.

  Chapter Eight

  “I can’t help you plan this party.” Elise jammed her fingers through her hair, then held her hands on top of her head as she stared at Juliane. “I can’t deal with Seth.”

  Crossing her arms, Juliane shook her head. “I don’t get it. For the last week you’ve been going over to his house every night to fix his supper. So what’s the problem with planning a housewarming party?”

  “If I help plan it, I’d probably have to attend it.”

  “So?”

  “So I don’t want to socialize with Seth.”

  Juliane made a choking sound. “Run that by me again.”

  “No. You heard what I said.”

  “But it doesn’t make sense.” Juliane wrinkled her brow. “You see him all the time—at church, at his house and when you go to work out at the rec center.”

  “I don’t see him when I work out. I go over to his house because I pick up Olivia and take her home from day care. I fix their supper, then leave. I leave as soon as he steps in the door. I don’t spend time there when Seth is there. I only go because I promised Olivia I would.”

  “I thought you’d resolved all your issues with him. I thought you were friends.” Juliane waved her hand in front of Elise’s face. “Elise, talk to me. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  Elise sank onto the couch and stared at the floor. How could she explain everything to Juliane? Would she even understand?

  “I’m waiting.” Juliane joined Elise on the couch.

  Elise looked up and read the sympathy in her sister’s eyes. Maybe she needed to talk to someone rather than carrying this thing around inside. “Okay. Don’t judge me.”

  Juliane gave her a wide-eyed, exasperated look. “
Why do you always say that?”

  “’Cuz you’re the perfect daughter.”

  Juliane reached over and playfully slapped Elise’s arm with both hands. “Stop saying that. No one’s perfect but God.”

  “I know, but you didn’t go off and live like a heathen for six years.”

  Juliane laughed. “But we’ve got you home safe and sound now. So stop dodging the question. What’s the problem with spending time with Seth?”

  “I can’t be friends with Seth.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he’s a temptation I’m not sure I can resist.”

  Juliane frowned. “And what does that mean exactly?”

  Elise let out a heavy sigh, then launched into a play-by-play of the day she’d taken the toy kitchen to Olivia. As Elise came to the end of the story, her pulse pounded in her brain. “When Olivia asked me to stay, I took one look at Seth and went weak-kneed with panic. I…I wished I could. I wanted to be part of that family, to be a mother to Olivia and…”

  “And be Seth’s wife? So I guess that answers my question at last. You do still have feelings for him.”

  “It doesn’t make any difference. How could we have a relationship after what happened? How could I trust him after the way he kept secrets from me before? When the secrets were exposed, he made it very clear that I had no business interfering in his choices, that I had no say in what he did. That I didn’t matter enough to be a real and lasting part of his life. He didn’t love me, Juliane. He didn’t love me then, and he doesn’t love me now.”

  “But you still love him?”

  “That still wouldn’t be a good excuse for falling into a relationship with him again. Besides, I don’t love him, not anymore. I’ve moved on, just as he has.”