Finding the Way Back (Book 1 in the Forgiving Hearts Trilogy) (13 page)

Laurel suddenly sat up straight. “I just had a great thought. You should introduce her to Phillip.”

Colton didn’t look too impressed by this suggestion. “Phillip is thirty-four. He’s a little old for Taryn.”

“Have you forgotten that Greg is almost ten years older than Rose?”

“Have you forgotten about Phillip’s interest in Amber?” he asked teasingly.

“As you’ve mentioned, Amber is taken; you’re giving him another option.”

“When did you become a matchmaker? I thought you were a big believer in letting things happen on their own.”

“I can only suggest they meet; I can’t make them like each other.”

“Juliet tried to get you interested in Phillip and look what happened.”

“Phillip was the last in a long line of potential husbands that Juliet threw in my path. In the end, he just wasn’t tall enough. With high heels on, I’d have been eye to eye with him.”

Colton laughed. “Phillip and I are almost the same height, Laurel.”

“You seem taller – maybe it’s because you’re thinner.”

“Couldn’t you have said more muscular?” he asked with an adorable smile.

Her eyes ran over his shoulders, chest and arms. “Actually, you do look more muscular. Did you break down and join a gym?”

He shook his head. “After being inside at work all day? I wanted something that would get me out of the house so I took up running.”

“How do you have the energy for that?”

“It was hard at first, but now I love it. I’ve had some great conversations with God during my late evening runs. I can tell Him all the things I’m afraid to tell anyone else. It took some time, but I finally came around to admitting that the key to my happiness is surrendering to His will.”

“And you think it’s God’s will for us to be friends?” she asked skeptically.

“I know He doesn’t want us to be enemies.”

Laurel looked away him. “I don’t want to be enemies, either, but there’s a big leap from where we are to being friends.”

“I understand. I’m not expecting anything, Laurel. I don’t deserve even this much consideration. The fact that you’ll even speak to me is a gift. I’d like to get your forgiveness and trust; I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll probably never regain your love.”

She could have told him that he’d never lost her love - that she would love him forever - but to do so was to make herself vulnerable again. The instinctive urge to protect her heart at all costs was too strong. Though his humility moved her, she couldn’t erase the doubts that had become her constant companions. She’d believed him so easily before; she didn’t want to be made a fool of again.

Into the silence that followed his comments came the sound of beating drums. Colton turned to look behind them. “It’s almost halftime and if the scoreboard is correct, your team is winning.”

“Really? I’ve got to see this.” Laurel jumped up and joined the long line of cheering fans by the chain link fence.

* * * *

Not sure whether this was her method of getting away from a conversation that was getting too personal, Colton didn’t follow her. Droves of excited adults and children were pouring out of the stands. In the general confusion that followed, he lost sight of Laurel.

He’d felt his phone vibrate while they were talking, but hadn’t wanted to interrupt their conversation to see who it was. Removing it from his pocket, he glanced at the screen. There was a message from Phillip. He wasn’t far from Brunswick and wanted to know if Colton would meet him for a late dinner at a popular Chinese restaurant. After replying that he’d be there, he looked around for Laurel. The spot where she’d been standing was empty.

That settled the question of whether he’d be able to tell her goodnight and maybe that was for the best. Trying to appear relaxed when he felt the opposite was wearing. There was a constant dread of saying or doing the wrong thing. In the midst of those conflicting feelings was the all-too-familiar thrill of being with Laurel. He hadn’t thought it possible to fall in love with someone he’d never stopped loving in the first place, but that was exactly what was happening.

With a last hopeful glance behind him, he walked toward the gate separating the athletic fields from the parking lot. A voice broke into his thoughts.

“Hey, Dr. Samuels, what are you doing here?”

Colton’s eyes focused on the teenage boy who’d stopped in front of him. “Hi, Tyler. I came to see a friend. You don’t go to Covenant Christian, do you?”

“No, I go to Bellamy. We’re playing Covenant tonight.”

“Is your brother with you?”

Tyler’s face reddened. “No, I’m here with Courtney. She went to get something from the concession stand.”

Colton smiled. “I see. Well, just remember what we’ve been talking about in Sunday School. God expects a guy to treat a girl with respect.”

“I will, Dr. Samuels. Will you be teaching again this Sunday?”

“No, I was just filling in for Mr. Martinez while he was in the hospital.”

“Oh, well, I really enjoyed your lessons. Are you coming to the lock-in next weekend?”

“I’m not sure yet. It depends on whether or not I have to work.”

“I didn’t think doctors worked on the weekends.”

“Who do you think takes care of the people who get hurt on Saturday and Sunday?”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. I better go see what’s keeping Courtney. It’s been nice talking to you.”

Colton grinned as he watched Tyler walk away. It was obvious the teenager hadn’t wanted to be caught talking to an adult from church when Courtney returned.

* * * *

Patty joined Laurel at the fence. “Did you run Colton off? The last time I allowed myself to check on you, you were staring deeply into each other’s eyes.”

“We were not! I left him over there by the tables.”

“Well, he’s not there now.”

Laurel glanced over her shoulder, somewhat surprised at the disappointment she felt. “I guess he left.”

“You guess? Didn’t he say goodbye?”

“I didn’t really give him a chance. When I realized we scored, I ran over here. I thought he followed me.” Laurel bit her lip.
Had he thought she wasn’t coming back?

Patty patted her on the shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world. They’ll be other times. And who knows, he may still be here. He could have gone to the bathroom or to look for his friend.”

“I doubt it. I have a feeling he left because I ran off without saying a word.”

“If you’re that upset about it, call him and explain what happened.”

“I don’t know if it’s that important.”

Patty shrugged. “Only you can decide that. Meanwhile, I’m going to check in with Roger and see how things are going at my house.”

As she watched Patty walk away, Laurel made a decision. Whether or not she agreed with Colton’s plan to start over, she couldn’t let him think she’d intended to leave him hanging like that. Returning to the table, she dug her phone out of her purse. After finding his number, she hesitated a second before touching the screen. Several rings sounded in her ear before she heard his voice.

“Laurel? I almost fainted when I saw your name come up. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine. I wanted you to know that I didn’t mean to end our conversation so abruptly. I know it must have looked weird, but I got caught up in the game.”

His warm laughter filled her ears. “That’s okay. I figured I’d taken up enough of your time. As it is, Phillip is impatiently waiting for me at The Dragon Lady.”

“Their egg drop soup is out of this world.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Well, have a nice time.”

“I will. Thanks for calling, Laurel.”

“Your welcome. Goodnight, Colton.”

* * * *

As he laid the phone down, Colton realized how much he’d taken those last two words for granted. When they were together, he’d heard Laurel whisper them in his ear every night before he went to sleep. It was one of many things she’d done that he never fully appreciated until he had to live without them.

Upon entering the restaurant, he found Phillip already at a table. “This is becoming a habit. Why don’t you just move here?” Colton asked as he sat down.

“I’m thinking of doing that.”

“Really? What about that new house you bought?”

“I’ll rent it out.”

Colton grinned as he picked up a menu from the table. “Is this all for the sake of a girl who’s currently seeing someone else?”

Phillip laughed. “No, I’m not that foolish. The firm I’m with took in another partner, and I don’t care for his attitude toward profit at all costs. There’s a smaller company here that interests me.”

“Aha! So you’ve been looking around.”

“There’s nothing keeping me in Myrtle Beach. My parents moved to Florida, and my ex-fiancé is happily engaged to my cousin.”

“Sounds like you’ve made your decision.”

“Will you mind sharing your bachelor pad on a full-time basis?”

“It’s not as if I’ve been alone that much. You’re here every weekend anyway.”

Phillip sat back in the seat. “You seem very happy and carefree tonight. Does that mean you’ve been in the company of the lovely Laurel?”

“Is it so obvious?”

“To those that know you, yes. Anything of interest to report?”

“I know you think of this as some kind of marriage reality show, but it’s not that way at all.”

“Aren’t you trying to get back with her?”

Colton didn’t answer immediately. The waiter had arrived to take their orders. Once they were alone again, he said, “I’m overjoyed that she’s talking to me.”

Phillip shook his head. “I don’t know how you’ve made it this long; I’d have gone crazy.”

“It wasn’t easy, but who knows? Maybe giving her space when she asked for it is why she’s willing to see me now. Whatever the reason, I don’t believe our meeting here in Brunswick is coincidence. God intended this to happen – what I don’t know is how it will end.”

“You talk about it so calmly. It must be tough not knowing if you’ll ever be with her again.”

“Jacob waited fourteen years for Rachel. I’ll wait as long as it takes and it may be never. I can’t make her love me again. Only God can heal her heart. I also have to face the possibility that He may not allow me to have her again as my wife. I didn’t do too well taking care of her the first time around.”

“I refuse to believe that what you did precludes you from reconciliation. You made a mistake – yes, it was a terrible mistake – but you’ve done everything you can to make it right. The problem with adultery is that it’s such a personal issue. To forgive something of this magnitude requires a degree of selflessness and compassion most people aren’t capable of.”

“I agree with you. That’s why I’m not looking ahead. I appreciate the significance of what I’m asking of her.”

“Maybe I’m better off staying single.”

Thinking of Taryn, Colton said, “The right woman might be just around the corner.”

“I thought Sarah was the right woman until she handed me back her engagement ring.”

Colton smiled widely. “We learn from every failure. It looks like our food is coming.”

* * * *

The early morning air was refreshingly cool as Laurel checked off the names of students and watched them board the waiting school bus. Only one student hadn’t been accounted for. The two parents who’d agreed to help chaperone the field trip stood just behind her. The toot of a horn followed by a shout from the direction of the parking lot brought a smile to her face.

“Don’t leave without me, Mrs. Samuels!”

“I wouldn’t think of doing that, Kevin, but you need to hurry.”

As he came running toward her, he said, “Sorry I’m late. I got caught in traffic. There’s a huge accident on I-95.”

“You live five minutes from here. Why were you anywhere near the interstate?”

“My mom’s car broke down; I had to take her to work this morning.”

“Okay. Let’s get going.”

The drive to Jekyll Island took less than a half hour. As she walked along the familiar sidewalk running in front of beautiful homes that had once been the winter abodes of millionaires, Laurel’s mind kept drifting back to her first visit here with Rose. She hadn’t known that only a few hours separated her from a dramatic reunion with Colton. She’d thought everything in her life was under control. It only took a few seconds to prove how wrong she was.

A sudden gust of wind rustled the branches of the trees overhead. As she watched, a shower of leaves broke free and drifted slowly to the ground, their mottled red and orange hues contrasting sharply with the grass. Away from their source of life, they would shrivel and die. A curious sensation went through her. Was she so different from the leaves?

At the first sign of adversity - the first real challenge to the beliefs she’d held since she was a child - Laurel let go of the tree that gave her life. She’d been in a free fall from God ever since. At no time had she seriously sought His help in dealing with her troubled marriage. It was easier to project her inability to cope onto Colton and feel sorry for herself.