Rachel's Road to Love (The Great Smoky Mountain Getaways Book 3)

by Elsie Davis

  Rachel went in search of Chad to let him know his sister wanted to sleep. She entered the waiting room, spotting him off to the side and on his phone. Sitting down, she opted to wait for him to finish the call.

  “We make a good team, Andrea. I want you. Trust me, I’ll give you as much freedom as you need. I would never want to hold you back from whatever it is you want to accomplish, especially if it benefits me.”

  Andrea? Chad was practically proposing to the woman on the phone—not a grand romantic gesture by any means.

  It was the first she heard of the woman, not that she knew all the personal details of Chad’s life. A seed of jealousy was planted where it shouldn’t be. Why should Rachel care who he wanted to spend his time with? The guy needed lessons on romantic gestures, and she was positive Andrea’s answer would be no.

  “Wonderful. We need to set a date. Let’s get together for dinner, and we can talk more about it. The sooner, the better, don’t you think?” Chad spoke with passion to the woman, and Rachel’s seed of jealousy grew.

  Andrea said yes. Leslie’s matchmaking attempts had just hit a brick wall.

  The problem was, it left Rachel far more unsettled than it should have.

  She moved further away, trying to zone out the sound of his voice. Pulling out her phone, she wanted to check her emails for the twentieth time that day. The email notification alert announced she had mail. Clicking on the icon, she scanned the sender and the subject line.

  The Alaskan Outreach Center. Vacant position opportunity.

  She sucked in a deep breath, knowing this was the answer she’d been praying to receive. Please, Lord, let this be a yes.

  Dear Rachel Harrelson,

  We received your application to volunteer with us. There were several qualified candidates for the teaching position, and we’ve made our decision. We would be delighted to have you on the team. You have excellent references and experience, and we love your passion for God.

  Is next week too soon? Once you arrive, all your living and food expenses will be covered, and you’ll receive a stipend of one hundred dollars a week for incidentals. I hope this is acceptable and you agree to join the team. Please let us know ASAP.

  In Christ Love,

  Jonathan Winters

  She got the job. A thrill raced through Rachel, chasing out any doubts she was on the right track. God was answering her prayers, and in a way, letting her know all would be okay with Leslie. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from her heart.

  “See you tonight, Andrea. We celebrate with a toast,” Chad’s voice cut into her mental happy dance as he approached.

  He was smiling as though a weight had been lifted from his heart as well. Andrea was clearly good for him. “Hey there, I didn’t know you were here. Is everything okay with Leslie?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry. She’s taking a nap, and I wanted to let you know before I left to head home.” Rachel stood, pocketing her phone.

  “Rest is always best for the healing process. Leslie seemed in good spirits, don’t you think?” Chad asked.

  “I agree. Listen, I just wanted to thank you for putting up with me the past few days.” She thought about shaking his hand, but it seemed too formal. “I’m sure you’ll be glad to have me out of your hair and the cabin to yourself.” Rachel leaned forward and hugged him instead, catching him off guard.

  He hugged her back, and just as quickly, let go. “It’ll be quiet, that’s for sure,” he teased, shooting her a wink.

  “I got an offer from the Alaskan Outreach Center. Best news ever. So everything is working out good for both of us.”

  Chad was silent for what seemed a long time before he nodded. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then. Congratulations, I’m sure it will be an awesome experience. Send me some wildlife photos, including the ones you took up at the cabin. I’d love to see them. Might even use them in the community center with your permission.”

  “Thank you. That would be amazing. Alaska was my first pick, so I’m thrilled. I’m leaving next week, and there’s so much I need to do to get ready.”

  Chad leaned down and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Take care then. I enjoyed getting to know you. Make sure they keep you as far away from the kitchen as possible.” He winked.

  Rachel was more than a little surprised by the kiss, but she recovered quick enough to laugh, easing an awkwardness. “I’ll hang a warning label around my neck.” She turned and walked out the door. Away from Chad and away from the conflicting feeling that she was leaving something important behind.

  Twelve

  Knock. Knock.

  Rachel headed for the door, but her mother beat her to answer it. They weren’t expecting any company that she knew of, and she stood there waiting to see who was dropping by as her mother pulled open the door.

  “Hello. I’m Chad McCarthy, and I was wondering if Rachel was here.”

  What was Chad doing here? Rachel moved forward.

  “Of course you are. You’ve been gone a while, but I make it my business to know everyone in town,” her mother said, a slightly frosty chill to her voice.

  “I’ve got this, Mother,” Rachel hastened to rescue Chad.

  “I’m sure you do. Just make sure you remember you’re engaged, young lady. Act accordingly. It won’t do to make Alex jealous, you know.” Her mother lifted her chin, turned, and walk off toward the kitchen, but not before she shot an all-knowing look at Rachel to reinforce her directive.

  It wasn’t even worth correcting her mother. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried to get her mother to terms with the truth. Rachel had no intentions of falling back into a relationship with Alex, but so far, it was like talking to a brick wall. “Sorry about that.”

  Chad frowned. “I didn’t realize you were still engaged. Or engaged again. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come,” he said as he stepped back off the porch.

  “I’m not engaged.”

  Chad stopped and looked up at her, a slightly confused expression on his face.

  “And have no plans to get engaged,” she continued. “I told you that I’m leaving for Alaska. I’ve got an early morning flight out of Knoxville next week.”

  “Then why—”

  “It’s what I’ve been telling you.” Rachel stepped out on the porch. “My mother has my life planned out one way, and I have a different opinion. It’s why I ran away to your cabin on my wedding day. I needed to escape the controlling parents and the sympathetic yet prying eyes of people. It’s also why I had to leave again as soon as I could. Otherwise, my mother would have come to chaperone us like two wayward teenagers, making sure we didn’t do anything we shouldn’t be doing. We wouldn’t want to look bad in front of the church’s eyes. She gives me no credit for having the ability to make my own decisions.” At times, her mother’s controlling parental attitude was an embarrassment—like now.

  Chad dared to grin. “Not everyone at church is that demanding. People understand life happens. It’s more about character than social rules that direct a person to the choices they make.”

  “Exactly.” She nodded. It was nice to have someone understand her side, but Chad talking about church was an exciting change of direction. “I thought you didn’t believe in God anymore?”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe. More like that, I don’t understand,” Chad said quietly.

  Rachel stepped forward to touch his arm and gazed intently at him. “God didn’t make the bad things happen; that’s man’s doing. There’s no way for us to understand everything, but there is a way for you to trust in God. If he’s truly in your heart, he will guide the decisions you make. And although there’s no way to know if it’s the right road, you can be sure if it’s the right road, you’ll know it and grow from it. Sometimes, even the wrong roads are about learning something you need to know or understand before the next step of your life.”

  “I didn’t come to talk to you about God. I came to apologize for my rude behavior concerning Leslie. I was already upset thin
king you told her about the nightmare you witnessed, seeing as you were more than a little determined to find a way to help me. The fear of losing Leslie hit me hard, and I took my frustration out on you, and I’m sorry.” Chad ran a hand through his hair, obviously not comfortable with the conversation.

  It took character to own up to your mistakes, and it was sweet of him to show up to make things right before she left. “There’s no need to apologize. And for the record, I did tell your sister, but not because I’m a busybody trying to run your life.”

  Chad shook his head, lines of tension creasing his forehead

  “Before you say anything, please understand; I told her because I care about you. The past couple of days have been special, and I would hate to see you disappear behind a self-imposed wall from all the good you have to offer others. I know you disagree with me, and I’m sorry, but I truly had your best interest at heart.”

  His lips thinned into straight lines at her admission. “My life is my own, and I think I can decide for myself how to deal with it. But thank you for your concern.” Diplomatically correct, but the tension increased fivefold.

  Pulling a move from his own playbook, Rachel decided to change the subject. But, unfortunately, it was one of those agree to disagree matters that couldn’t be changed. “How is Leslie anyway? I was expecting her to call me this morning, but I haven’t heard anything yet.”

  “She did well all night. In fact, I just came from dropping her off at her place. Leslie sent me off with a shopping list, and after that, I plan to stick close by for the rest of the day to help out.”

  Rachel’s heart soared. “That’s great news. Tell her I’ll stop by later. On the one hand, I’m thrilled to be headed out on this mission trip, but I hate leaving her again, especially if she needs me. Her car won’t even be ready for a week or two, from what I understand.” Leslie wouldn’t even let her think of putting off leaving for the mission trip, knowing how much she’d wanted this position.

  “All taken care of. I got Leslie another vehicle to use if she wants to go anywhere. When she opts to drive again is another story. She was fairly stressed out on the ride home.”

  She nodded, positive anyone in the same position would find it challenging to jump back in a car and drive. “Understandable.”

  “Like I said, I wanted to apologize for everything. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, even if my surly attitude sometimes leads you to believe otherwise.” He shifted from one side to the other, his hand tucked in his pockets. “The thing is, Rachel, I care about you more than I expected and can’t help but wonder how things might have gone if you didn’t leave.” His gaze connected with hers and the intensity in his brown eyes wasn’t lost on her.

  She’d wondered the same thing herself, not that she’d admit it. “I would like to think of you and me as friends. It’s been quite nice getting to know you. Something that never happened as kids, considering you’re so much older and all,” she teased, trying to ease the tension between them. In all honesty, nice getting to know him was an understatement. And if she wasn’t leaving, it would be all too easy to follow her heart and let him know she cared more than she’d let on to him or Leslie. Except Andrea was in the picture big time. Something she almost forgot.

  And giving up on her dream to travel wasn’t something she wanted to do, even if Andrea wasn’t in the picture. This was her chance at freedom. God had opened the door to independence and happiness, and she was choosing to step through it.

  Chad frowned. “All kidding aside, I meant what I said about you sticking around.”

  She couldn’t let herself get drawn into a web that would rob her of independence and choice, no matter how tempting. And watching Chad with someone else would be far more difficult than she had envisioned. “It’s not like you’ll be lonely. You’ve got Andrea to keep you company.”

  “What does she have to do with anything? There’s nothing remotely personal between us. Never mind. You made your decision to leave, or is that you’re running away, just like you did with Alex?” Chad said, shaking his head.

  Nothing personal wasn’t the way she heard it, but she was more than willing to give Chad the benefit of the doubt. She just couldn’t let it change the direction she’d chosen, and there was no way she would justify Chad’s accusation with an answer. She didn’t owe him an explanation the last time she checked. “I don’t think my personal life is any of your business,” she said, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

  “Fair enough,” Chad said as he turned and left.

  Chad was wrong. It wasn’t the same thing this time around. But it was her life, and the mission trips were her calling her name.

  A door she wanted to open by choice.

  Thirteen

  The week went by all too quickly for Rachel. Leslie was doing great, although still not driving. She’d run into Chad a few times at her friend’s house, but he usually made a quick getaway shortly after her arrival. Rachel didn’t like the stiff awkwardness that existed between them, but there was nothing she could do about it at this point. Alaska was calling her name.

  Rachel called for a shuttle to take her to the airport, not wanting her mother to cancel her Ladies Society meeting. It was a bit pricey for the two-hour trip, but a lot easier way to say goodbye and leave. Her own car had been towed out the ditch, and she’d parked it in one of the garage spaces at her parent’s, preferring to keep it in a safe place under cover since she’d be gone another year.

  For all her mother’s harping on Rachel’s life, she also knew her mother loved her and wanted her to be happy. Preferably with someone who was a strong Christian and someone she considered worthy of her daughter.

  For Rachel, she simply wanted love. An image of Chad came to mind.

  “Can you stop at 2522 Belmont Street on the way out of town?” she asked. “I want to say goodbye to my friend personally as I’ll be gone a year.”

  “Sure thing, Miss,” the shuttle driver said. Minutes later, he pulled up in front of Leslie’s house.

  “I’ll just be a minute.”

  The man grinned. “Take your time; the meter is running.”

  Rachel hurried up the walkway and knocked on the door.

  It wasn’t long before Leslie answered. “I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning,” Leslie said, glancing at the waiting taxi and then stepping back to let Rachel inside.

  “Couldn’t leave without giving a hug to my bestie.” Rachel pulled Leslie in for a hug, being careful of her casted arm.

  “I’m going to miss you. Are you sure you have to go now? I mean, I know you’ve wanted Alaska ever since you started doing mission work, but you just got home.”

  Rachel nodded. “Yes. God opened the door for me to go to my dream location. Clearly, I’m needed, maybe as much for the children there as for my own personal growth.” At least, that’s what she kept telling herself every time a deep feeling settled in the pit of her stomach…one that made her feel she was missing something here.

  “What about Chad? You two seem to have connected, and when he’s here, he’s always asking about you. I know my brother, and he’s interested in you, even if he hasn’t admitted it. Maybe there’s something here for you also—another door.”

  It was the same thing Rachel wondered but wasn’t willing to let the idea gain traction. Thoughts like that could derail a person, and she was finally on track. “Wishful thinking. I think Chad is interested in someone named Andrea.” Chad had said otherwise, but seeing as it didn’t matter, she hadn’t pressed the issue.

  “What are you talking about? When? I’m sure he would have told me,” Leslie insisted.

  As his sister, Rachel figured she would know. The problem was Rachel hadn’t asked for a clarification of his comment simply because she was afraid of his answer. If he wasn’t spoken for, there were all sorts of room for Rachel to get crazy ideas in her head. Ideas that could stop her from leaving, letting her heart run away with actions. “Maybe I was wrong. Either way, I’ve
got to go. Wouldn’t want to miss my flight. Love you,” Rachel said, heading down the steps before Leslie had a chance to convince her to do something drastic—like stay.

  “Love you too. Call me when you land,” Leslie called right back.

  “Will do.” Rachel climbed into the taxi, brushing away the tears running down her face. “Let’s go.”

  The driver wound his way through the streets and made his way to the airport. Leslie’s words confirmed what Rachel suspected Chad had meant when he said there was nothing personal between him and Andrea. He wasn’t engaged, or even in a relationship, for that matter. It was the confirmation she’d been avoiding for reasons of her own.

  She picked up her phone…wanting to call Chad.

  No. Rachel slid the phone back into her purse and closed her eyes. It was better this way. The mission trip was her dream, and no matter what Chad thought, Rachel wasn’t running away. Was she?

  Leaving on the mission trip after her engagement to Alex had been running. And it was entirely possible her newest mission trip was giving her an excuse not to enter a relationship. Not that Chad had said anything along those lines. He was a loner, much like her. But, she wouldn’t let any man change her life and the course she’d set for, at least not now that she was free of Alex.

  The last thing she wanted to do was to give a man control over her life. She didn’t want to be like her parents. The perfect society wife. The perfect church member. Perfect everything…

  She paid the driver and hurried through security. Stopping at Leslie’s had cut her arrival a little too close, and they had already begun the boarding process. Rachel handed her ticket to the agent at the gate.

  The woman smiled, scanning the boarding pass. “Welcome aboard, miss,” she said when it beeped to acknowledge she was cleared to board.

  “Thank you.” Rachel wheeled her carry-on bag down the gateway. She paused, turning back, the tiny seed of doubt growing within her. Then, letting out a deep breath, she moved forward and stepped into the plane, keeping the line of passengers moving.