Engaged:
Surrendering the Future
Julie Arduini
Copyright©2017 Julie Arduini
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by means without written permission from Surrendered Scribe Media.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used as fiction. Any similarity to actual people and/or events is purely coincidental. The village of Speculator Falls is based on the real Speculator, New York. Any errors readers find are either fiction for Speculator Falls or the author’s fault.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Cover created by Surrendered Scribe Media, photos courtesy Bigstock Photo and Photodune. Amazon image from Pixabay.
Published by Surrendered Scribe Media, Youngstown, Ohio, 44514
http://juliearduini.com
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Surrendering Time Series
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Invitation to Review
Coming Soon: The Surrendering Opinions Series
Acknowledgements
The Surrendering Time Series
A Walk in the Valley
Free Resources from Surrendered Scribe Media
Inspy Romance
Regan’s Acts of Kindness
About the Author
The Surrendering Time Series
Entrusted: Surrendering the Present is a FREE eRead at http://juliearduini.com or purchase on Amazon.
Entangled: Surrendering the Past is available for purchase on Amazon.
Engaged: Surrendering the Future is what you’re reading now!
Finding Freedom Through Surrender---A 30 Day Devotional, takes the themes and characters from the series to encourage your surrender journey. Available for purchase on Amazon.
Stay in touch with me through http://juliearduini.com, follow me on Amazon and Goodreads to learn about free book opportunities and giveaways!
Dedication:
To the women who prayed this series through, including original prayer covering member Jennifer Pasquale. Until we reunite in heaven, Bella, Bella.
Chapter One
Shirley McIlwain and her huge specs enter the Speculator Falls Department Store right before closing. Nothing like a big pair of bug-eye glasses to magnify my troubles.
She saunters down the main aisle, stopping to pick up the black bear figurines and to sniff a vanilla candle. From there, she walks up the slight slope that leads to the clothing section. Where the register is located. And I'm there pretending to read the weekly paper.
Please don’t come over and ask me why I’m back in Speculator Falls.
As Shirley crosses the threshold and enters the world of sweatshirts, flannel and every kind of Adirondack logo imaginable, she stops near the gloves and picks up a pair, seeming to inspect them as she holds them up to the light. “Do you think you made a mistake?”
I look around and realize it's just us inside the store. I lean closer. “Excuse me?”
She returns the gloves to the stand. “You know, Trish. A mistake.”
I clear my throat and walk toward the woman with jet black hair curled under in a style that has to be older than me. “Is it the gloves? I sell the gloves. I don't make them.”
Shirley rolls those big eyes of hers. “No. You, Trish. You couldn't wait to leave Speculator Falls for the big city. When you left, the senior center shut down. Remember? Your ex-boyfriend? Poor councilman Ben was so upset with no staff, and he didn’t think as a volunteer it was appropriate for me to manage the center. Then there was the reminder of what you did to him, leaving the way you did. Ben made sure he closed the center for what he hoped would be forever.”
A line of perspiration slides down my back.
She’s not wrong. But talk to Shirley? No thanks.
“All so you could fulfill that dream of yours. But just like that, you returned.”
I clench my hands together to control the sudden shakes.
“And in not much more than a year, city girl Trish Maxwell is back in Speculator Falls without a permanent job, helping her mom at the store.”
I try to swallow, but my throat catches as the perspiration continues down my backside.
“So I wonder, was leaving here a mistake?”
My eyes start to roll and my knees give out.
.***
“Trish? Can you hear me?”
A male voice, almost a whisper, is the first thing I hear before I even open my eyes.
But the person I see, close up, is Shirley hovering over me. Those big pupils can really scare a person.
“What's going on?” I try to sit up, but my head collides with Shirley's. A hand lands on my shoulder and presses me down to the floor.
“Trish, I need you to stay down until I've finished examining you. Shirley? Could you do me a favor and give us a little room?”
Shirley disappears, and kneeling before me is Wayne Peterson, Hamilton County paramedic. I didn't know his eyes were Caribbean blue.
“What happened?” Left on the floor, all I'm able to do is gaze into those ocean blues while he flashes a light between mine.
Wayne clicks off the light. “You fainted.”
Shirley pipes up from across the room. “Remember? I was asking if you regret leaving the senior center and Speculator Falls for a job in New York that didn't even last a year. Your eyes got really big and then they rolled. Next thing I know, you're on the floor.”
Right. The whole mistake question.
A whiff of breezy aftershave dances around my nostrils.
“Have you been sedentary today, Trish?” Wayne places his hand under my back and gently assists me to a sitting position.
I take a deep breath. “It's October in Speculator Falls. Not exactly turning the customers away here.” I wave my hand to gesture but feel a stab across my forehead.
Wayne lays a hand to steady me. “Duly noted. What I mean is, did you move a little fast after a period of non-activity? I think your blood pressure dropped and your body reacted.”
Ugh. Why didn't I stay behind the counter and let Shirley shop without help?
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
; “I called for help immediately. I even put the ‘closed’ sign on the door so no one would come in,” Shirley said.
That basic First Aid class at the senior center apparently did my former assistant some good. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Wayne Velcro’s the blood pressure cuff around me and pumps. When he finishes, he makes direct eye contact. “Everything looks good, but I want to take you to the primary care center and get you looked over. Although your floor is carpeted, you did fall, and I want to make sure you don't have a concussion.” He gently pulls on my hand and helps me stand.
“I'll take her.” Shirley waves her hand.
“No.” I don't want to lose contact with my rescuer. “I mean, I need your help here. Ben's probably next door closing the store. I'm sure he'd help you close here, too.”
Shirley looks to Wayne. “Did you bring the bus?”
He raises an eyebrow. “I'm sorry?”
“Ambulance. Can you take her to the medical center?”
Wayne grins and his five o'clock shadow looks completely adorable.
How have I missed him in this small village?
“Gotcha. Ms. McIlwain, you watch too many cop shows. But, sure. I have the SUV. I'll transport her.”
He winks and I sigh.
Shirley’s incessant questions before I fainted come to mind. Mistake? Shirley has no idea.
***
The good news about fainting on the job is I did so near the end of the day. The Speculator Falls Primary Care Center's near vacant when Wayne brings me in. A girl walks out with a pink cast on her arm when the nurse calls my name.
“What brings you here this evening?” The woman looks to Wayne, not me.
“This is Trish, Jay Maxwell's daughter. She was at the department store when she passed out. I think it was a blood pressure drop.”
She glances over at me. “The one who left the senior center for the city?”
So my reputation precedes me.
“And lost her job and is back.” It's always fun to talk in third person.
“Well, Trish, let's see how you're doing. Wayne, you on duty?”
He looks to his watch and rakes his fingers through his messed brown hair. “Just off.” He turns to me. “But I can wait and take you home.”
I inhale, hoping to catch another whiff of that tantalizing cologne.
“Not like I've got anything else to do.” Wayne turns on his heel and heads to the small waiting room.
Wayne must've learned tact from Shirley.
Thirty minutes later, the nurse throws open the curtain partition. “Dr. Augustine wants you to follow these instructions. Everything looks okay, including the x-ray, but he wants to make sure you guard against head injury and see your family doctor as soon as possible. Sign here and you're good to go.”
I press on the clipboard as I scribble my name and hand the paperwork back to her.
Wayne stands as soon as he sees me. “All set?”
“Yes, thanks. I appreciate your help.”
He doesn't guide me to the car, but he opens the passenger door for me, a gesture I haven't experienced since dating Ben Regan. “You live with your parents, right?”
I close my eyes. It sounds so awful to hear it out loud. “Yes.”
“Good. That way you won't be alone in case you have any complications. Not that I think you will.” He starts the SUV and puts it in drive.
“How about you, Wayne? You kind of arrived in town when I was away. Do you live alone?” Because I don’t see a ring on his finger.
He turns onto Route 8. “Kind of.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That's mysterious.”
He chuckles, a low tone that’s music to hear. “I don't mean to be cryptic. It's not a cut and dried answer. I live alone most of the time. However, I have a son. Sometimes he stays with me.”
Although it's dark, I turn to look for a hint of laughter or sarcasm. There's none. “Oh. So, you're divorced?”
Another tenor laugh. “Is your name Shirley? You ask a lot of questions.”
“Sorry. I don't have a lot of people to talk to these days.” Not that I did when I lived here the first time.
“I hear ya. It can get pretty dull during most of my shifts, too. To answer your question, no. I'm not divorced. To head off the next question, never married.”
Interesting.
“It's not glamorous, but I became a dad when I was a teen. And I know Shirley gave you some pressure about your choices. You can only imagine how my hometown felt about mine.”
If his birthplace is as small as Speculator Falls, I'm sure the news spread from one end of the village to the other in five minutes.
“You probably know my son. He's with his mom and step-dad a lot. Noah Peterson. Carla Marshall is his mom.”
A flash of a young man with Carla and Will Marshall at church comes to mind. Seems like he had trouble not so long ago, but I can't recall more than that. “That's right.”
“This your folk's house?” He points to the Maxwell abode, front porch light on just waiting for me to drag my sorry self inside.
He pulls in the driveway and puts the vehicle in park. “Try not to overdo it.”
I open the door and hold up the papers. “I promise I’ll follow the instructions.”
“Okay. Well, it looks like you're going to be fine.”
Until I face Shirley or any of the still furious senior citizens again.
“I think so. Have a good night.” I climb out and wave.
I take three steps when I hear my name.
“You know, what Shirley said?”
“Yes?”
“I hope you don't think coming back to Speculator Falls is a mistake.”
My laugh exposes my breath and nerves against the cold air.
Chapter Two
A sharp pain shoots through the back of my head when a hand rests on my shoulder. I turn and discover Mom standing behind the couch.
“Sorry, Trish, did I scare you?”
Dad turns on the lamp next to the sofa, but it feels like a searchlight. “Shirley called us and told us about your fall. Are you okay, Sweetheart?”
Mom reaches for the afghan I’m wrapped under and pulls on it. “You shouldn’t sleep after a head injury, should you?” Her blonde waves bob as she tugs on the blanket.
I rub my eyes as I sit up. “I’m fine. Slight headache is all. Shouldn't you two be the ones sleeping?”
Dad sits next to me. “I wish. Late night. Those lawyer events in Albany seem to last forever. I almost booked a room but I'm glad we didn't. Are you sure you’re okay?”
After a few arm, leg and head stretches I nod. “I’m embarrassed more than anything.” If the fainting wasn’t enough, Wayne Peterson’s question about my motives in Speculator Falls was.
Mom places her arm on my forehead. “You don’t feel feverish. Shirley assured us Wayne Peterson took of you at the primary care center.”
“He was. Wayne thinks my blood pressure dropped when I got up too quick. Like I said, embarrassment is the worst of it.”
Mom apparently thinks all is well because she leaves the living room and heads to the kitchen. She keeps chatting as she opens the fridge. “Wayne seems nice. I hear he moved here to be closer to his son. Noah.”
My parents appear more in the loop than I am.
“That’s what he said.”
She returns with a cup that looks like it has milk in it and hands it to me. “Sara was at the department store awhile back and was telling me about him. I guess he confessed to Sara that he had been holding onto hope Carla and he could reignite what they had in high school, but Will Marshall won her over. Wayne took it well, Sara said. Even went to Will and Carla’s wedding. In return, Carla supported Noah wanting to take on his dad’s last name.”
Dad reaches for the remote and clicks on the television. “I respect a man who takes responsibility. He seems determined to do the right thing.”
Wayne's words to me roll around my mind.
> “Speaking of right thing, do you think my life is a mistake?”
Dad pushes the remote, and the television turns dark. TV is dad’s way to relax. If it’s off, something serious is going on. “Trish, what are you talking about?”
I sigh. “I don't know if Shirley told you, but she was kind of badgering me about my choices. You know, since I came back from New York City. I definitely get the feeling the seniors hate me for leaving and having the center close for a bit. I was so bent on leaving this place and becoming something in a big city. I never thought about the destruction I’d leave behind just taking a job and moving. I hurt a lot of people. She asked if I thought I made a mistake doing all I did. After all, it's not like my move lasted.”
Mom sits across from us in her favorite recliner. “Honey. Seniors are set in their ways. They resist change. My guess is they admire you for trying something they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing themselves. Besides, it all worked out. Sara made sure the center reopened, they got Jenna as a director, and honestly, the center is thriving with her.”
Of course it is. Jenna Anderson Regan blows into town from Youngstown, Ohio, and charms everyone in the county. I leave for what I think is a dream job and when it fails, the seniors have a field day.
“Do you think I'm a failure because I came back?” I brush my bangs out of my eye, a nervous habit I’ve had since at least the third grade.
Dad leans in and places his hand on my shoulder. “Absolutely not. You're going to find your place in life. You know how Shirley can be. That's just her way.”
I stand, clutching my pillow. “Thanks. I know I was kind of a brat before. I thought all the answers to my life were in New York City. I acted as if these mountains were a prison.”
“A lot of us who grew up here felt the same way. Leaving isn't bad, as long as you don’t burn bridges. I couldn't have become a lawyer without leaving Speculator Falls for a while.” Dad smile exudes warmth and understanding. I never thought about him struggling with living in Speculator Falls.
Burn bridges. Like the flaming embers I left behind when I walked away from a building full of furious senior citizens. The boyfriend I didn’t even have the courage to say goodbye to went on to marry a city girl who made the senior center thrive. I am a failure.
Engaged: Surrendering the Future (Surrendering Time Book 3) Page 1
