Ever After

by Carolyne Aarsen

  Dear Lord, he prayed, give me strength to get through this. Help me do what Evangeline said. Help me to trust in You to figure out what comes next.

  And what was next? Try to get hold of Lila’s parents somehow? Find someone else to take care of Ella? Get his trucking business moved?

  Do what comes next? If only it was that easy.

  Or that painless.

  Chapter Four

  “This book was too depressing.” Mia Verbeek tilted her head to one side, her dark eyes, emphasized by the pixie cut she favored, flashing as if challenging anyone else gathered in the back room of Shelf Awareness to dispute her opinion. “I would not have read it if it wasn’t a book club book. After taking care of four kids all day, reading about this woman’s struggle to love was a downer.”

  “I found it challenged my view of the romance of family life,” Angie, one of the newer members of the book club, said, slipping her green-rimmed glasses back on her face.

  “I’m voting for depressing,” Jeff Deptuck said, leaning forward, his grin encompassing the entire group. With his light brown hair, high cheekbones and the faint cleft in his stubbled chin, he exuded charm and goodwill.

  “Of course you would, Captain Sunny-Side-Up Deptuck,” Angie returned.

  Evangeline held back a grin, watching the sparring between Jeff and Angie, the latest additions to the Rockyview book club that met at the bookstore.

  Everyone in the book club knew that Jeff had a not-so-secret crush on Angie. Trouble was, Angie was very vocal about her resistance to any form of romance.

  “I still say it was worth a read,” Renee Albertson replied, twirling a strand of her brown hair around her finger, closing the book on her lap and looking around at the other members. “It wasn’t as over the top as the police procedural Mia insisted we read last time.”

  “I have to agree with Mia’s take on the book,” Sophie Brouwer spoke up, her blue eyes twinkling, her permed white hair bobbing as she nodded. “This book was dark and sad. I’m surprised you chose a story like this, Renee, given that your own life is in such a happy place right now.”

  Renee just smiled as Evangeline stifled a flare of envy.

  Renee’s fiancé, Tate, was the perfect hero. Kind. Considerate. Attractive in a cultured sort of way.

  Just the kind of guy she would have loved to find and still hoped that she would. Someday.

  A thump from the other side of the hallway caught everyone’s attention and made Evangeline sit up.

  When she and Denny had returned from the grocery store, she’d seen he was at a loss for what to do. So she’d helped him feed Ella and get her sleeper and diaper on for the evening. While she’d given Ella a bottle, he’d set up the portable crib they’d gotten from Sabine. When she’d finally left, Ella was sleeping. Even so, she’d felt as if she was abandoning him, but she’d had her own schedule to keep.

  And while she felt bad for Denny, he was a virtual stranger to her and on some level she wanted to keep some distance between them.

  “Is that your new neighbor?” Mia asked, her eyes flashing with anticipation.

  Evangeline clutched her book, her eyes riveted on the pages she had opened it to. She didn’t want to think about Denny moving into her father’s space across the hall. Two weeks ago she had told this same group, with much anticipation, how her father was coming back and soon this store would be hers.

  Time to cash that reality check.

  “He’s probably rearranging the furniture to make room for Ella’s crib,” she said, flipping a page of the book and looking up, ready to change the subject. “I found it interesting that it took the heroine half of the book to realize what she wanted.”

  “I still can’t believe someone dumped a baby on him,” Angie said, obviously not ready to drop the topic of Denny. “Who would do that?”

  “You don’t always know what a person is going through or why they make the decisions they do,” Renee said quietly, giving Angie a careful smile that spoke of tough choices Renee herself had made in her own life.

  “That was kind of you to help him out with that little girl,” Sophie Brouwer said, patting Evangeline on her arm.

  “I couldn’t leave him alone to figure it out.” Though she still felt bad for leaving him when she had. Trouble was, how much could she realistically do? She barely knew Denny as it was.

  “Poor guy probably didn’t have a clue,” Mia said. “I have to say I’m crushed that you didn’t call to ask for my advice.”

  “You’re way too busy with your shop and your kids,” Evangeline returned.

  “That’s the truth,” Mia said with a sigh. “I’m just thankful I could get Blythe to watch the kids tonight.”

  “So what’s the deal with this Denny guy?” Renee queried. “I thought you said he was leasing the ranch?”

  “Apparently he’s trucking and ranching. Just like my dad.” Evangeline couldn’t keep the faintly bitter note out of her voice. Her own feelings about her father were still a confusion of anger and disappointment. But simmering beneath this was a frustration that he still created this storm of mixed emotions. She’d thought, after all these years, she had insulated her heart from her father’s unmet expectations.

  And he still hadn’t called her.

  “What’s he like?” Mia asked, leaning forward in her chair. “Hero material?”

  “He’s a trucker and a cowboy. Neither of which are my type, so have at ’im, girl,” Evangeline said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  “I’ve got a divorce behind me and four kids to raise. Not interested,” Mia said with a short laugh. “Though Kelly at Mug Shots says he’s got that rugged good-looking thing going,” Mia continued, as if trying to persuade her friend to give the guy a chance. “And apparently he has gorgeous eyes.”

  “Why are you rhapsodizing over him if you’re not interested?”

  “I was thinking of you. You’re always looking for a hero.”

  “I’m a hero,” Jeff put in with a wink.

  Evangeline laughed. “You’re a fireman. You’re everybody’s hero.”

  “Only to some,” he said, cutting a quick glance Angie’s way.

  But Angie was looking at her book, her long blond hair falling across her face, the corner of her lip tucked between her teeth.

  The way Jeff looked at Angie created a twitch of envy. She doesn’t know what she’s missing, Evangeline thought.

  “You’re looking pensive,” Sabine spoke up, giving her a secret smile as if she knew what Evangeline was thinking. “Something bugging you?”

  Evangeline gave her a tight smile followed by a slight shake of her head. Evangeline and Sabine had become good friends when Sabine had moved to Rockyview a few years ago. Evangeline had been invited to the wedding. Tyler had been her escort.

  Evangeline remembered too well how she’d felt at that wedding, dancing with Tyler. His attentiveness and good looks were the epitome of everything Evangeline had hoped for in a future husband. In fact, he had made Evangeline hope that someday she might be escorted down the aisle wearing a white dress and translucent veil.

  But she’d discovered Tyler liked the idea of a girlfriend more than the idea of a wife. And from the way her father was acting, she doubted she could count on him to be present to walk her down the aisle should that momentous day ever come.

  Evangeline caught herself and gave herself a mental facepalm. Enough with the gloomy thoughts. Move on. Follow your own advice to Denny. Do what comes next.

  Another thump from across the hall caught her attention. Seriously, what was he doing over there? Obviously moving in was noisy work.

  “So now we need to decide on a book for next time,” Sophie Brouwer was saying. “Any suggestions? Evangeline, you usually have some good ideas.”

  Evangeline glanced down at the list of books she had, indeed, come to book club with. But as she looked at the titles she released a wry smile. One was about a young girl being reconciled with a father after a long separation during
the California Gold Rush. The other was about a father looking for his lost daughter during the Spanish Civil War.

  Definitely a theme going on here.

  “I don’t think any of these would work.” She folded the paper and tucked it into the pocket of her sweater, ignoring Mia’s puzzled look.

  “How about Arctic Grail?” Jeff suggested.

  Mia shivered. “Brr. Sounds like a winter book again. I hereby declare no books about winter in summer. In fact, no books about winter even in winter. We get enough winter in Rockyview.”

  “I have some ideas,” Jennie Bond said.

  She gave her recommendations and the ensuing discussion centered on ordering the books and the date of the next meeting.

  Evangeline stood to write the name of the book and date on the large calendar she had hanging in the back room. As she finished scribbling it in, she heard a knock at the door leading to the hallway.

  When she opened it, Denny stood in the hallway, one hand resting on the door frame, the other in the pockets of his worn blue jeans. His T-shirt strained across his chest and shoulders, and behind her she heard a faint sigh and a whispered, “Oh, yeah.”

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, trying not to let Mia’s reaction get to her.

  Denny straightened as he looked past her to the group in the room. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were busy. I can come another time.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “We’re just finishing up.”

  “I just...I just needed to borrow a couple of garbage bags.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I forgot to pick ’em up when we were at the grocery store.”

  “I’ve got some here in the bookstore,” she said, taking a quick step back, his smile creating an unwelcome reaction.

  As she turned to get the bags, people were getting to their feet. Evangeline didn’t make eye contact with Mia but could easily see her speculative look in her peripheral vision. It took Evangeline a few moments to find the bags and when she returned many of the women were leaving, walking past Denny, who stood aside, nodding and smiling at them.

  Mia, the last one in the room, was hooking her purse over her shoulder. As she walked past Denny she gave him a quick smile. “Nice meeting you,” she said, looking back at Evangeline again, giving her a discreet thumbs-up.

  Ignoring her friend, Evangeline handed Denny the bags and he took them with a murmured thanks. But he didn’t leave.

  When Mia had disappeared down the end of the hallway, Denny turned back to Evangeline and smiled. “I thought I should tell you, I got another message from your dad. He asked me to let you know that he got a line on a new project. He said he’d be tied up for a couple of weeks for sure.”

  Evangeline felt her heart grow heavy, like a rock in her chest, as she just stared at Denny.

  “He couldn’t tell me himself?” she asked, unable to keep the chill out of her voice.

  Denny shrugged, his smile fading away. “He said he tried to call you—”

  “He didn’t try at all,” she snapped. She was about to say more, but stopped, aware of Denny’s puzzled look.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just thought I would let you know.”

  Evangeline lifted her hand to stop his apology. “It’s not your fault. You’re just the messenger.”

  “I know, but I am sorry,” he said again, holding his hand out as if in a peace offering. “When I told him to call you himself, he said he tried, so I offered to tell you.”

  Evangeline heard the sympathetic note in his voice and, unable to stop herself, looked up at him.

  In his dark eyes she caught a glimmer of sympathy.

  He does have thick eyelashes, she thought. And kind eyes.

  A small spark of longing was kindled in her and for a heartbeat she felt a connection to him.

  Then she caught herself, brought reality into the situation and glanced away. Was she crazy?

  Not hero material, she reminded herself. He was exactly like her father, which was the last thing she needed in her life right now.

  Plus, he had a baby he had to take care of.

  “Thanks for telling me,” she said quietly, looking away. Stepping back. “I’ll try to call him when I have the time.”

  “Another thing. I was wondering if you could give me the name of a good babysitter. I need someone to watch Ella while I’m working. I can’t get ahold of either of my sisters and I’m a little stuck.”

  Evangeline frowned. “I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head, but I can ask Mia. She might have some ideas.”

  “That would be great,” he said, blowing out his breath on a sigh. “I just...I don’t know what to do. I’ve helped take care of my sisters, but not when they were babies.”

  Once again Evangeline felt sorry for him and his situation.

  “Is Ella sleeping okay?” she asked.

  Denny ran his hand over his head, messing his already tousled hair. “Yeah, and I just checked on her. Out like a light. Poor kid had a crazy day.”

  As did you, Evangeline thought, glancing up at him. She was disconcerted to find him looking at her. Once again their eyes locked and this time it wasn’t sympathy she saw in them.

  Then he pushed himself away from the door and shoved his hands into the back pockets of his worn blue jeans. “I better go.”

  She gave him a tight smile and waited until he closed the door across the hall behind him. Then she closed and locked the door of the bookstore, hurrying around the room, tidying and thumping pillows in a bid to channel her frustration with her father.

  Why had Andy felt the need to go through Denny? Why couldn’t he talk to her himself?

  Because he’s scared. He doesn’t want to face you after disappointing you yet again.

  Coward.

  Evangeline quickly finished up then headed out of the room and up the stairs to her apartment above the store.

  After her aunt had moved out, Evangeline had cleaned it out and put her own stuff in it. Now a pair of overstuffed white love seats sat across from each other, a mahogany coffee table between them. A grouping of narrow glass vases holding white-and-red gerbera daisies decorated the middle. A pink-and-white-striped easy chair was tucked into one corner beside the old fireplace, a lamp with a stained glass shade in shades of cream, gold and pink overlooking it. Beside the chair sat another low table holding a variety of books held up by gold bookends. The mantel of the fireplace held a couple of pictures. One of Evangeline and her mother. The other of her and her father. She didn’t have one of the three of them.

  Beyond the living room was the dining room with its antique sideboard Evangeline had finished in a distressed sage-green that matched the table and chairs.

  An old crocheted doily Evangeline had found at the thrift store covered the table, which showcased another collection of vases holding pillar candles in varying shades of green and pink.

  A girlie place.

  Her place.

  Evangeline eased a kink out of her neck as she walked to her easy chair, ready to rid herself of the tension of the day. Then the phone sent out its harsh demand from the kitchen.

  Evangeline sighed and glanced at the clock, wondering who would be calling this late.

  “Hello? Evangeline speaking,” she said, tucking the phone under her chin as she leaned her elbows on the counter.

  “Hey, poppet, it’s Dad.”

  In spite of her frustration with him, she couldn’t help the skip of her heart or the lift of anticipation his voice gave her. “Hey, Dad,” she said, trying to stifle her faint breathlessness.

  “Sorry we didn’t connect. I did try to call your cell but you weren’t picking up.”

  “That’s funny, I had my phone on me all day and I caught my other calls,” she said, injecting a note of innocent surprise into her voice, unable to simply let his fib go unchallenged.

  “Maybe I had the wrong number.”

  She held the lie a moment, then decided to let it go. Anything she s
aid would cause her father to create a web of half-truths and evasive comments that would only make her angrier.

  “I did get your messages from Denny, though,” she said.

  “He’s a great guy, isn’t he?” her father said, his hearty obtuseness making Evangeline shake her head.

  She didn’t want to talk about Denny. He had burst into her life and was already taking up too much real estate in her thoughts.

  “So what are you up to?” she asked.

  Besides not being here to do what you promised me you would years ago?

  She let the thought go unvoiced.

  “On the road right now,” he replied. “Busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Just got a new contract. It will make all the difference.”

  A too familiar refrain, she thought.

  “I thought you said you were slowing down?”

  Just six months ago another truck had sideswiped him on an interstate and he had spun out of control. The tractor had come away from the trailer and rolled twice before coming to land on the side of an embankment, mere feet from where it plunged into a rocky gorge. The close call started him talking about finishing the deal he’d promised her for years.

  “I will. Once this job is done.”

  Evangeline pressed her lips together and glanced out the window beside her.

  From this vantage point she could look over Main Street. Rockyview with its brick buildings and wrought-iron lampposts, now decorated with hanging flowerpots. Beyond the town loomed the mountains cradling the valley.

  She had seen this view for most of her life through the varying seasons yet she never grew tired of it. This store was her anchor; the only stability in her life. The past few years she had poured so much of her energy into it, clinging to her father’s promise to sign it over to her. “And when this job is done should I rebook that lawyer’s appointment?” she asked. There was a sharp edge to her voice.

  The silence that followed her comment held a heaviness that carried over the phone line. Her father released a slow sigh and for a moment Evangeline thought she had pushed him too far.

  “It’s still my store, Evangeline,” he said with quiet force.