Glancing at her boys, Melanie smiled. “Okay.”
After they found seats and got their food, they took turns telling about their favorite exhibit.
Ryan, the older of the two boys, sat tall in his chair. “Touching the sharks was awesome! That was my favorite part.”
“Andrew, what was your favorite?” Elise asked.
“I liked the underwater tunnels.” Andrew glanced at Melanie. “Mom, can me and Ryan get a pretzel?”
Melanie knit her eyebrows. “Haven’t you had enough to eat?”
“No,” the boys chorused.
“Okay.” Chuckling, Melanie gave them some money. “Be polite.”
“We will.” They raced off to get their pretzel.
“Sometimes they are a handful, and they’re always hungry.” Melanie looked over at Juliane. “I’m so sorry I’ll miss the wedding, but I have to take the boys to see their grandparents.”
“Wouldn’t they understand if you came a different weekend?”
Melanie shook her head. “No. I didn’t want to say anything with the boys here, but I know Tim’s parents wouldn’t forgive me if we didn’t visit on the appointed weekend. They are very rigid about their schedules.”
Juliane sighed. “That’s too bad.”
“I know.” Melanie grimaced. “Even though I don’t get along with Tim’s parents that well, they still love their grandsons. I can’t deny them the chance to see the boys. They grow up too fast. And I want the boys to have that connection to Tim.”
Juliane patted Melanie’s arm. “You know I’ve said this before. If you ever need anything, please let me know.”
“Thanks.” Melanie nodded. “One thing I’ve learned since Tim died so suddenly—you can’t let an opportunity pass you by. I wish Tim and I had taken the time to bring the boys here before he died.”
Ryan and Andrew scrambled back to the table, pretzels in hand, and the conversation took a different turn. But Melanie’s statement hung in Elise’s mind. Did it apply to her decision about Seth? He had nearly died in that accident. Was this second chance he was asking for something she should pursue? She wasn’t going to find the answer unless she grabbed this occasion to explore the possibilities.
She was determined to face her apprehension and worry about Seth and accept his invitation. Life was too short to live in fear.
The chords of the wedding processional resonated through the church sanctuary. Family and friends who were there to share in Juliane and Lukas’s special day filled the pews. Seth observed Lukas as he stood at the front, waiting for his bride. Seth wanted what Lukas had—a special love. And he was certain that his special love was Elise.
When Elise had agreed to be his date for the wedding, she’d given him some hope that they might find that love together.
Val and Carrie glided down the aisle toward the front, where Lukas, his father, grandfather and Nathan stood. Lukas smiled broadly as he waited for Juliane to appear. When Elise stepped into the doorway at the back, tenderness flooded Seth’s heart. The stunning floor-length dress with the tiny straps was perfect for her statuesque figure. She stood silhouetted against the evening sunshine that flooded the church foyer, giving her an angelic appearance. When Elise walked past him on her way up the aisle, she turned for a second and smiled at him. More hope filled his heart.
Seth couldn’t take his eyes off Elise. Even when everyone stood and turned to look at Juliane, Seth had his attention focused on Elise. Juliane finally came into Seth’s line of vision. She was a beautiful bride, but all he could think of was seeing Elise as the bride holding her father’s arm, walking down the aisle toward him. How could he make that happen? He knew one thing for certain. Patience was the key.
Seth wished he’d let love grow before Elise and he’d rushed into a relationship that had hurt both of them. He hadn’t known about true love then. Finding the love of God in his own life had taught him how to love. Having Olivia had taught him about love, as well. Now he wanted to share that with Elise forever. He wanted to share a lasting love with her.
Seth’s thoughts centered on Elise as he listened to the vows that Juliane and Lukas made to love and cherish each other. He hoped that one day he could make those same vows to Elise. Would his mistakes from the past make that dream impossible? He shook the question from his mind. Today was a day for love and hope.
After the ceremony, Seth waited for Elise while the photographer took photos of the wedding party and family. Seth enjoyed the laughter and camaraderie of the group. As he watched, he felt like part of the family, but he cautioned himself not to get ahead of reality. He was still on fragile ground where Elise was concerned. She’d only opened the door to her heart a sliver. He needed to wait for her to hand him the key to gain full access to her love.
When Elise’s part of the photo session was finished, she walked back to where he was sitting in one of the pews. “Hi. Are you ready to go to the reception?”
Nodding, Seth grabbed his cane and stood. “I am. I haven’t had a chance to tell you how fabulous you look in that dress.”
“Thanks.” She smiled as a hint of a blush colored her cheeks. “It’s just a typical bridesmaid’s dress.”
“But you don’t make any dress look typical.”
“Now you’ve gone from compliments to flattery.” She laughed and the sound warmed his heart.
“I’m only stating the truth. No flattery involved.”
Elise reached out and tugged on the lapel of his dark gray suit. “You look pretty good yourself.”
Seth’s heart zinged. She’d touched him with no prompting—a good sign that she was feeling more comfortable around him. “Now whose using flattery?”
“Not me.” She smiled at him with a feigned look of innocence. “Let’s go.”
Soft music played over the sound system in the all-purpose room at the recreation center. Seth saw the wisdom of the town fathers when they’d included this meeting space in their plans for the rec center. In the short time he’d been director he’d already seen the space used for parties and gatherings of all varieties. The facility served the residents of Kellerville well, and he was glad to be a part of this community. He wanted to find a permanent place here, with Elise by his side.
As they crossed the room, Elise took Seth’s hand and guided him through the throng to one of the large, round tables near the front. He didn’t even mind that she was leading him around. Her actions made his expectations grow. He reminded himself again that patience was the key.
“This is where we’re sitting.” Elise set her little blue purse on the chair in front of the place card with her name on it, then looked his way. “We get to sit with the bride and groom.”
“Doesn’t the maid of honor usually get to sit with the bride and groom?”
Elise nodded. “But Juliane had a lot of trouble deciding on the seating arrangement. We spent hours arranging and rearranging the seating chart. What a nightmare!”
“Why so much trouble?”
“Do you see this place?” She waved a hand in the air. “I think half the town is here. With our relatives, the people who work with Lukas and folks from church all being invited, this wedding is way too big for my tastes. Trying to decide who should sit where was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. If you get married in this town, you have to have a gigantic wedding. If you leave someone off the guest list, you’ll never hear the end of it. I think I’ll elope when I get married.”
Seth filed that bit of information away in the back of his brain. Had she said that to get his reaction? He wanted to make some witty quip about her letting him know before she decided to elope, but he figured he might be overstepping if he did. This was one time when he should keep his mouth shut. Besides, he shouldn’t be guessing at her motives. He should steer the conversation into safer territory. “What are your duties during the reception?”
“Two big things are on the agenda during the reception. Sign the marriage license and give a toast.” Elise chuckled. “I�
��m looking forward to the toast.”
“So you have some good things to say about your sister?”
“I’m going to share some great stories.”
“Will she still love you afterward?”
“Absolutely.” Smiling, Elise motioned toward the door. “I see Val is making sure the guests have signed the guest book. Come with me while I mingle and make sure the guests know where they’re supposed to sit, and I’ll introduce you to some of the people you don’t know.”
“Sure. Sounds good!” Glad that Elise hadn’t left him sitting at the table by himself, he followed her around the room like a lost puppy. He didn’t even mind feeling that way. He enjoyed being with her and watching her interact with family and friends as they sampled the passed hors d’oeuvres.
She was like a brilliant diamond in a pile of ordinary rocks. Not only her beauty, but also her warm and caring manner sparkled and made everyone around her feel good, especially him. That’s the way he’d felt from the moment he’d first met her, but he hadn’t realized what a gem she was until he’d thrown it all away.
While Elise was parading Seth around the room, Juliane and Lukas arrived to a tumult of cheers. Elise and Juliane hugged, then followed Lukas, his dad and the minister to a corner of the room to sign the marriage license.
Extending his hand, Nathan joined Seth as he stood there watching the crowd. “Well, another good man bites the dust.”
“Yeah.” Shaking Nathan’s hand, Seth laughed. “Hey, at least we gave him a great send-off at the bachelor party. And we saw a good ball game, too.”
“Yeah, I love baseball. I enjoy working with the Little League.”
“I appreciate your taking the time to coach. We have a lot of teams playing here at the rec center.”
“Hey.” Elise came up behind Seth and tapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s sit down. They’re ready to serve the meal.”
“Sure.” Seth escorted Elise to their table.
After the minister gave the blessing, the servers brought out the food. Soon everyone was enjoying the delicious entrees that Ray’s cousin had supplied from his restaurant. Seth had a good time talking to Lukas’s father, Niklas Frye, and his wife, Angela, as well as Lukas’s grandfather, Ferd, and his friend Dot.
While they ate, Juliane and Elise conversed between themselves. With their heads close together, they laughed as if sharing a secret.
Lukas put his arm around Juliane. “Please share the joke. What’s so funny?”
Juliane grimaced as she nodded toward the table next to them. “I just realized I stuck Nathan at a table where all the people are twice his age, but it’s his own fault. I tried to convince him to bring a date, but he said he was too busy to find one.”
“We’ve got to get him a girlfriend,” Elise said.
“No, we don’t.” Juliane shook her head. “He doesn’t have time for a girlfriend. He’s in love with that bank. He spends all his time there. The only thing he does besides work is help with Little League a few months in the summer. He used to sing with the choir at church, but now he doesn’t even do that. The bank takes top priority.”
Seth glanced around the table. “Give him a break. He was my first volunteer when I sent out notices for volunteers to coach Little League.”
Elise looked over at Seth. “Maybe you should help him find a girlfriend.”
“Me?” Seth pointed to himself and gave Elise a wry smile. “I’m having enough trouble finding a girlfriend for myself.”
“Well, if you look hard enough, you might find one right under your nose.” Elise pretended to be angry, but he read the laughter and mischief in her eyes.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Are you saying you’re available?”
She whispered back, “I hope we can work on that.”
Juliane poked Elise’s arm. “No secrets, you two.”
“I’m giving him a little advice on women.” Elise grinned.
The jovial atmosphere and good-natured kidding continued as they finished their meal. When it came time for the toasts, Niklas Frye stood and told the crowd how proud he was to be there for his son. Dry eyes were hard to find after he finished giving the toast for his son and new daughter-in-law. Then Elise gave her toast amidst laughter, tears, applause and hugs.
Music, mirth and celebration continued to mark the rest of the evening. Seth had one of the best times of his life, not only because Elise was with him, but also because he felt as though he’d found a sense of belonging with these people. Olivia was the only thing missing, but he knew she wasn’t ready to attend a wedding yet.
After Juliane and Lukas made their escape in their limousine, Seth and Elise lingered in the hall. The guests leisurely bid each other good-night as they made their way out to the parking lot. While Elise did her last duties as maid of honor, Seth checked to make sure the building maintenance supervisor had everything under control. When Seth escorted Elise to his pickup, the only people left in the building were the cleanup crew.
While Seth drove Elise to her house, she talked nonstop about the wedding and the reception. The joy in her voice wove its way into his heart. He wanted her to have that joy at her own wedding.
When she stopped talking, he glanced at her. “Now that Juliane is gone, are you going to feel strange living in the house all by yourself?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to think about it.” She peered at him in the darkened cab of his pickup. “Juliane put a lot of time into restoring that old house, so I was really surprised when she wanted to sell it to me.”
Seth pulled into Elise’s driveway. “Sometimes love makes a person do the unexpected.”
“I’m beginning to see that.” Opening her door, she slid out of the cab.
Seth stared after her. What had she meant by that comment? Was going out with him something she hadn’t counted on doing? Grabbing his cane, he got out and hurried as fast as his cane would allow as he rushed to meet her on the other side of the pickup. “Thanks for letting me be your escort tonight.”
“I’m glad you asked.” A little smile curved her lips as she climbed the steps to her porch.
While she searched for her keys in her purse, he wondered what he should do now. Should he invite himself in? Should he try to kiss her good-night? He’d never been so indecisive about being with a woman in his life. He definitely wasn’t going to shake her hand. Taking a cue from her was the best thing to do.
Producing the keys, she smiled at him. His heart raced. He wanted to kiss her.
She turned away and slipped the key into the lock. The door swung open, and she stepped inside. That pretty much told him he wasn’t going to get that kiss. Patience. God was definitely teaching him patience.
“Thanks again. You helped make the evening very special. Good night.” She started to close the door.
“Wait.” If he’d made the evening so special, why was she afraid to let it last a little longer?
Startled, she looked back at him. “What?”
“Nathan asked me to go boating up at the lake this coming Saturday. He said I should ask you to come, too.”
“Nathan’s taking time away from the bank to go boating? I don’t believe it.”
Seth shrugged. “He said he wants to test some new gizmo for the boat that he plans to give his dad for Father’s Day.”
Elise narrowed her gaze. “Is this an invitation from you or him?”
“Does it make a difference?”
“Yes.”
“I’m asking.”
“Good. Then I accept.” She smiled as she stood half hidden behind the door. “Would you, Olivia and Maggie like to join my folks and me for lunch after church next Sunday? It’s Father’s Day. I didn’t know whether you had something special planned.”
He wasn’t going to get that kiss, but she was offering him more time with her even though they wouldn’t be alone. Maybe she felt more comfortable that way. He had to give her time—that patience thing again. �
��Sounds great. Olivia will be thrilled.”
“Give Olivia a kiss for me.”
What about a kiss for me? The question nearly popped out of his mouth, but he smiled instead, his heart thudding. “I will. Good night.”
Seth walked back to his pickup and got in. He sat there for a moment and thought about the evening, especially the ending. Elise’s invitation for lunch on Father’s Day was completely unexpected. Could she be falling for him after all?
Chapter Thirteen
Brilliant midmorning sunshine spilled through the kitchen window as Elise packed her bag for the day’s outing with Seth and Nathan. With going to classes, filling out job applications and working at the store, Elise’s week had been so busy that she hadn’t had much time to think about Seth. Or about what the future might mean for them.
She shoved a tube of sunscreen into her bag. While she was taking a second accounting of its contents to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, the doorbell rang.
Seth was here. Her stomach full of butterflies, she hurried to answer the door. When she flung it open, he stood there in jeans and a gray T-shirt advertising the Kellerville Recreation Center. He grinned, and she almost forgot to breathe. “Hi.”
“You ready?”
“I am.” She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Aren’t you going to get hot in those jeans?”
“Maybe, but I didn’t want to scare anyone. The leg I broke is not a pretty sight.” He chuckled as they walked to his pickup.
“No cane today? Does that mean you don’t have to use one anymore?” She hopped into the front seat and placed her bag at her feet.
“I’ve still got the cane with me, but I didn’t need it to walk to your front door.” He started the engine and backed out of her driveway.
“Are we picking up Nathan?”
“Nathan’s not coming. He called and said he couldn’t go boating. Something came up at the bank, and he has to be there to take care of it.”
“Now, why doesn’t that surprise me?” Elise straightened in her seat as the implications of Nathan’s absence suddenly struck her. She was going to be spending the day alone with Seth. Her heart hammered as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “What are Olivia and your mom doing today?”
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