When her call with Allison was finished, she waited until it was time to go. Then she helped Evelyn make her way outside to the limo. She had a lot to digest, and she needed some time to reflect. Heather made an excuse to Eleanor that she needed to bring her car home from the hospital and hoped the elderly woman wouldn’t notice the pain in her eyes.
“You go ahead, Heather. Evelyn is in good hands. She and I have makeovers to give each other tonight, don’t we dear?” Eleanor gave Evelyn a mischievous smile.
Evelyn’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “Yes, Grandma. That sounds like fun!”
“Okay, I hope you two enjoy yourselves. I’ll see you both later.” Heather turned from the limo and headed back to her car. As she climbed into her car, a litany of thoughts bombarded her brain like the magnetic field of an MRI. What excuse would she use to leave Crystal Cove? How could she convince Michael that leaving would be the best decision for both of them? Tension began to form at the base of her head, and Heather felt the need to sort through her feelings.
There was only one place in Crystal Cove that could bring her comfort and guidance, and tonight she desperately needed it. Her eyes focused on the winding road as she drove her small car slowly toward the Crystal Cove community. A Christian song drifted from her lips as she drove, one she had learned from Sunday school. The words had always uplifted her during her times of sadness, and she couldn’t count how many times she had sung the tune.
As her car pulled up to the security gate, she thanked the guard for letting her in and made a quick turn into the parking lot of the empty church just as the sun vanished below the horizon. Heather walked solemnly up to the wooden church doors and stole a cautious glance over her shoulder before inserting the key Michael had given her.
Once inside, she flipped on the lights and made her way to the front of the church. She knew Pastor Avery was out of town for the next two weeks and the place would be deserted. Heather found a suitable spot up front and sat down to reflect.
Normally, the eerie silence would have made her uncomfortable, especially knowing that The Cove Thief was still at large. But tonight, her gut wrenching thoughts crowded out her fears. Leaving Crystal Cove would be the hardest thing she ever had to do ... leaving her new home, leaving Michael.
God, why did you bring me here to the Robbin’s family? What were you trying to teach me?
Heather buried her face in her hands. She knew God had a good reason, but it wasn’t obvious to her.
Trust in me.
The voice was almost imperceptible. Barely a whisper. Heather lifted her head and stole a glance over her shoulder, but only rows of empty pews greeted her glance.
Heather turned her attention to the wooden cross mounted to the wall behind the pastor’s podium and closed her eyes for a time of prayer and reflection. God had always been by her side and given direction on what to do. This time would be no different.
Or would it?
Heather felt hopeful and sad at the same time. She bowed her head and spent the next few minutes struggling over her options. She was so caught up agonizing over her dilemma that she never heard the church door creak open or saw a lonely figure slowly make its ways behind her. Heather’s body froze when she heard a thud from the pew behind her.
A rush of adrenaline surged through her body as if a lightning bolt had crashed into her. Had her attacker followed her back from the hospital? Or had he been stalking her after she had driven back to Crystal Cove?
Heather felt the muscles in her legs tighten. There was no one to help her, and she doubted anyone could hear her cries for help outside the thick church walls. Could she make a quick dash for the exit door before her attacker overpowered her? Heather knew the odds were against her but knew there was no other choice if she wanted a second chance at life. She dug the ball of her foot into the burgundy carpet and prepared to run.
“You shouldn’t be here all alone.”
Heather’s body relaxed as she recognized the mature voice. A sigh of relief rushed from her lips.
“Mr. Robbins, you scared the living daylights out of me. I thought it was him.
“I’m sorry for sneaking up on you like that, dear. I was taking my evening walk when I saw you walk in here alone. I didn’t think it was safe after everything that’s happened so I followed you inside.”
Heather tilted her brows at him. “But how did you get in? I could have sworn I locked the door behind me.”
“You must have forgotten because the door pushed right open.”
Heather shook her head with disbelief. “Wow, I can’t believe I was that out of it.”
“You must have a lot on your mind. Sorry for sneaking up on you like that, but I didn’t want to disturb your quiet time with God.” He gave her an apologetic smile.
“That’s okay, Mr. Robbins. This is God’s house, and everyone is welcome to come here. I’m just glad it was you and not that crazy thief. Who knows what would have happened if he came in.” Heather shuddered at the thought.
“I’m glad I passed by at the right time.”
Heather’s lips turned down into a frown. “But I’m afraid it’s just me here. Pastor Avery is on vacation.”
“That’s okay. I didn’t come here for myself. I just came to make sure you were okay.” He gestured his hand at the spot next to her. “May I?”
“Of course.” She patted a spot on the bench next to her.
She watched as he removed his hat and slowly made his way next to her and sat down. He wrestled with his hat for a minute before continuing.
“Michael was always a unique child. As a child, he always saw the glass half full. If I told him his idea was crazy, he would view it as a challenge to overcome. With Carla, it was no different. When I saw the way he looked at her for the first time, I told him it was going to be a long shot because every rich bachelor in Southern California was wooing her to be their trophy wife.” Mr. Robbins pulled his lips up into a smile and shook his head.
“But luckily that stubborn son of mine ignored my warning and put every ounce of energy into chasing her. Now, don’t get me wrong. Carla was a great catch. She was talented, beautiful, and came from a prestigious family. She would have made a great daughter-in-law. I didn’t want Michael’s heart to be broken if he failed.” A sigh escaped the elderly man’s lips before he continued, “I’ve never seen another man so dedicated to loving another woman. There wasn’t anything Michael wouldn’t do for Carla. And when those mongrels kidnapped her ...”
Heather saw the wetness glisten in his eyes as he stopped for a moment. She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. You don’t have to go on if this is too painful.”
Mr. Robbins placed a hand over hers and forced his lips into a smile. “I’ll be okay, my dear.” He cleared his throat before saying, “Now, Michael is afraid to love again. It took a long time for him to get over Carla’s death and start dating again. To be honest, I’m not sure if he’s ever fully opened his heart to anyone, including Miss Wilson, until now.” He gazed intently into her eyes.
Heather’s brows pulled up. “I’m not sure I understand.” Her voice resonated with curiosity.
“I can tell by the look in my son’s eyes, that he’s ready to open his heart to you.”
Heather opened her mouth to speak, but Mr. Robbins motioned for her to let him finish. “I made a mistake once by discouraging Michael to follow his heart, and I won’t make the same mistake twice. From what I’ve observed, you’ve been a positive influence on my son’s house, and I can see you becoming a part of the family. But I can tell your heart isn’t ready to love him back. Once thing I’ve learned over time is you can’t force love. It has to come naturally. So my fatherly advice to you, dear, is to be patient. Go live your life and figure out who you are and what God wants you to do for your life. And when you’re done, come back here if that’s what God leads you to do. Michael will be ready, I’m sure of it. But you need to stop fighting with yourself.
Seems to me you both need to find a way to let go of whatever haunts you.” He smiled at her. “I may be a man of few words, but this much I know, you’re both not so different from each other.”
Heather’s jaw dropped. “How did you know I was leaving?”
“I’m not a psychic, but when I saw you leave early tonight, I chased after you to find out why. When I saw you in the lobby, I overheard your phone call. I’m sorry; I wasn’t purposely trying to eavesdrop.”
“That’s alright. You would have found out sooner or later.”
“France is quite a distance from here, but maybe that’s what you need to sort things out. It’s been a while since I’ve been there to visit. It’s a beautiful place to visit. I think you’ll enjoy it.” Mr. Robbins gained his feet to leave. “Well, I’d better let you finish your time with God. I’ll see you back at the house.”
“Alright. Thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it.” Heather gave him a parting smile.
“Anytime, dear. I hope it helped.”
She watched as he shuffled toward the front of the church, got down on his knees and said a prayer. When he was done, he donned his hat and gave her a final nod before vanishing out the door.
Heather locked up after him and remained seated for several minutes, mulling over Mr. Robbins’ words. Was it true that she was special in Michael’s eyes? How could he have feelings for her when he was engaged to Cynthia? Her situation was getting more complicated by the minute, and Heather could feel a tide of guilt rise inside. There was no way her conscience would allow her to interfere with Michael’s wedding, even if she loved him. He deserved more than what she could offer. She didn’t come from a prestigious family, and she wasn’t wealthy. All she had to offer him was her genuine heart and good intentions, which paled in comparison to what Miss Wilson offered.
Who was she kidding?
Once Michael got over his infatuation with her, he would discover what little she had to offer and realize the mistake he had made walking away from Cynthia. No, she wasn’t going to subject herself to more heart-wrenching pain than she needed to. She had suffered enough pain to last a lifetime growing up with her aunt and not even a chance at true love was enough to quell her fears. Now everything seemed crystal clear to her, and she knew that France was where she needed to be. A place far away where she could forget about Michael and heal from the pain she felt.
Heather bowed her head and prayed fervently for several more minutes before she locked up the church and headed for home.
Chapter 6
The sun was high in the sky the following morning when Heather woke up. She lingered in bed longer than usual before setting out to help Linda with Evelyn and see what Miss Jamie had laid out for breakfast. The night before, she had spent several hours packing up her things and now there wasn’t much left for her to do but wait to make her dreaded announcement.
Heather dressed quickly and headed downstairs. Breakfast was over quickly as everyone was excited to go to the hospital and bring Michael home. Heather decided to stay at home with Linda and Evelyn and let Michael’s immediate family bring him home. She decided there was no use in making it harder on herself than it needed to be. Tomorrow, she would be gone forever from their lives, and she needed time alone with Linda and Evelyn to share her last minute thoughts.
As she entered Evelyn’s room, she found them modeling different hats, each with varying amounts of glitter and glamour. All of them seemed to come right out of an upscale hat shop. Heather couldn’t help smiling at them. Linda seemed more carefree than before, and Evelyn was now able to get around without feeling exhausted. It seemed her duty at the Robbins household was complete, and now it was time for her to nurture the soul of another patient. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
“Ladies, you both look lovely. If you don’t mind, I was hoping to have a word with you both.” The women took a break from modeling and took a seat on Evelyn’s bed.
“I need to share something with the two of you, and I hope you’ll be understanding and happy for me.” A frown formed on Evelyn’s lips and Linda’s forehead creased with concern.
Heather sucked in a breath. “It looks like I’m being moved to a new location. So tomorrow, I’ll be heading to the new family I’ve been assigned to.” Heather looked over at Linda who was watching Evelyn.
The girl’s gaze had dropped to the floor, but Heather could tell she was upset by the news.
“Why Heather? Did I do something wrong? Why do you have to go? Don’t you like it here?” Heather watched as a line of tears began streaming down the girl’s face.
Heather released a heavy sigh from her chest and sat down beside Evelyn. She wrapped her arms around the girl’s humped over body.
“Oh, Evelyn, of course I like being here.” Her hand moved softly up and down Evelyn’s arm. “And you haven’t done anything wrong. Do you remember why I came here? It was because you needed a nurse to take care of you until you got better. Now someone else is in the same situation that needs a nurse just as much as you did. Now that you’re doing better, I’m being called to help others who are still very sick.” Heather’s hand smoothed over Evelyn’s head. She glanced over at Linda and was touched by the redness in her eyes.
Linda patted Heather’s hand and stood up. “I think I’m going to give you a few moments together, I’ll be downstairs.” She gave Heather a sad smile and quietly slipped out of the room.
After a few moments, Evelyn raised her head. “I know your job is to help other sick people, and I know God wants to use you to bless others. It wouldn’t be fair for me to keep you from helping other sick people, but can you promise me one thing, Heather?”
Heather clasped the girl’s hands between hers and gazed with understanding into her eyes. “Of course, Evelyn. What is it?”
“Will you come visit me, Heather? Can you promise me that?”
Heather’s heart felt like a spear had been thrust into it. How could she tell the innocent girl that her heart couldn’t bear the burden of being reminded of what she walked away from? She couldn’t hurt Evelyn’s feelings, at least not now while she was healing. Heather forced a smile on her lips. “I’ll do my best, Evelyn. I’m not sure where I’m headed next, but if I can, I will. Also, we can always talk on the phone. Remember what we talked about? God sends us where we are needed most, and I feel Him calling me to another household. If it’s any consolation, you’re the first person I’ve told.”
Evelyn’s spirit began to lift, and she wiped a hand across her eyes. “God has a plan, Heather, that’s what you told me. Maybe His plan is for you to help someone and then come back. That could happen, right?” Evelyn smiled with renewed faith.
Heather squeezed her hand. “With God, anything is possible.”
Heather’s heart ached for the girl. She knew the transition wasn’t going to be easy for Evelyn. The girl had grown close to Heather, and their bond was almost as strong as a mother and daughter. But Heather knew her time was up, and she couldn’t let anything sway her from the path she had chosen, not even Evelyn. She hoped that with time, Evelyn would adapt to a new life without her presence. Heather winced imperceptibly as her stomach twisted into a large knot. She forced a smile on her lips.
“C’mon, let’s go downstairs and hang your daddy’s painting in his bedroom. I think he’ll be so impressed when he sees it.”
They carted the ocean painting off to Michael’s bedroom where they worked together to mount it on the wall to the left of Michael’s bed. The rich coastal colors melded perfectly with the artfully decorated room, and Heather knew Michael would be impressed with Evelyn’s efforts.
After making sure the painting was mounted correctly, they decided to tidy up the room and surprise Michael. After they fluffed the pillows on his bed, they made their way into the main hall. Just as they entered the room, the front door opened, and Michael entered, wheeled in by his brother. Eleanor and Mr. Robbins followed closely behind, carrying Michael’s belongings. Evelyn ra
n with delight over to her father and squeezed him tightly.
“Oh, Daddy, wait until you see your room.” She glanced up at Heather and giggled. Then she positioned herself in his lap as Andrew pushed them into his room. Heather could hear Evelyn’s chattering float from Michael’s room as she described how she had mastered the technique of sketching a scene before she painted.
The nurse smiled to herself and made a quick stop at the kitchen for some water before returning to her room. She left her bedroom door open and sat at the vanity table, brushing her short hair when a woman’s voice startled her.
“So it’s true then,” Eleanor said with a soft voice.
“Eleanor.” Heather pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say. Her hand played with her hair.
“I understand dear, I do. Sometimes you have to walk away from a picture to see the true meaning behind it. I have faith that you will be back.” She smiled at Heather. “Have you told Michael yet?” Eleanor’s face creased with concern. She knew the news wouldn’t go well with her son.
“No, I planned to tell him after dinner. I wanted his homecoming to be pleasant.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Dinner should be perfect to catch up and then afterwards perhaps the two of you can spend some time together talking.” Eleanor secretly hoped Michael would persuade Heather to stay. In her heart, she believed the nurse was right for her son.
Heather hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Eleanor, I want you to know that I do care about Michael.”
“Honey, I know you do. And I want you to know I’ll respect whatever decision you make. You’re an admirable woman, Heather. But please go on easy on Michael. He’s already been through a lot.”
Beyond a Broken Dream Page 4