Someone nice and uncomplicated. Someone there’d be nothing not to like. A rancher who would charm her mom by complimenting her cooking. A man who was open, with an easy-to-get-to-know nature her dad could admire. A man like Joe, her cousin’s husband.
Sydney’s parents liked him a lot. He was the solid, reliable type who would be a devoted husband and father. Joe had proved to be a hard worker who could talk ranching and horses with the other men.
If Sydney had fallen for a man like that, nothing would be standing in the way of her happiness.
“How long will you be staying?” her father asked, jolting her from the fears that had been plaguing her all night so she’d had no sleep.
“That depends…on a lot of things.”
“I see.”
“We’ll be there in a minute, Dad.”
“Can’t wait.”
But he hadn’t said it with the same intensity as before. He knew without her telling him that something was wrong. Something big.
Huge.
“It’s going to be all right,” Jarod whispered after she hung up. He kissed her neck before claiming her mouth once more.
Forgetting the driver, she kissed him back with a ferocity that would shock her when she thought about it later.
Not until the cab slowed to a stop did Sydney realize they’d arrived at the house. With her cheeks on fire, she pulled away from Jarod and slid out her side of the car before he could come around to help her.
Relieved her father wasn’t out on the porch watching for them, she waited on the steps for Jarod who paid the driver before he pulled their overnight bags from the trunk.
To see the man she loved come walking toward her family home in broad daylight still made her feel like she was in the middle of some impossible dream.
He was dressed in the tan suit he’d worn the other day. The dazzling white shirt gave him a sophistication her parents would immediately notice.
Her dad was medium-size. Nothing like Jarod whose powerful build and height could be intimidating to some men less sure of themselves.
But it wasn’t the physical that mattered as much in her parents’ eyes. They took measure of other things more important…
One thing that was the most important.
She felt Jarod slide his hand up her back to her neck and cup it. “Ready?”
“No,” she answered honestly.
“Courage, my love.”
My love.
He was her love. Her parents had to accept him.
They had to!
Taking the final step, she opened the door. “Mom? Dad? We’re here!”
“Your mother just got home. Come on in the living room, honey.”
Jarod followed her into the house and shut the door before lowering the bags. She took his arm and they walked through the foyer. Her parents were already on their way to greet them.
Sydney saw the way their gazes summed up Jarod without being obvious. He was by far and away the most handsome, impressive-looking man they’d ever met or could hope to meet.
After hugging both of them she said, “Mom and Dad, I’d like you to meet Jarod Kendall.”
She turned to the man who’d set her on fire from the first moment she’d met him. He stood a few feet away, urbane and confident. “Jarod? This is my mother, Margaret, and my father, Wayne.”
Jarod extended his hand for the two of them to shake. “How do you do?” Flashing a white smile he said, “It’s a real pleasure to meet Sydney’s family at last.”
Those words caused her parents’ eyes to meet before giving Jarod a second and third glance.
“Why don’t we all sit down?” Sydney suggested nervously. She was ready to jump out of her skin. When Jarod took a place on the couch, she sat next to him.
“Can I get either of you something to eat?” her mother asked, always concerned for everyone’s comfort. It was one of the many Midwestern traits Sydney loved about her parents.
“We ate on the plane, Mom. But maybe you want something?” She turned to Jarod.
“Not right now, but thank you anyway, Mrs. Taylor.”
Her father sat forward in his easy chair with his hands folded between his legs. “So, Jarod. Are you a park ranger?”
“No—” Sydney blurted. “Jarod’s the man I met in Cannon while I was teaching school.”
The mention of Cannon acted like a bomb going off. Suddenly there was tension in the living room as Sydney had known there would be. Only a few days ago her parents had vetted her about the mystery man from her past. Now he was here in their home.
“He came to see me in Gardiner.” She moaned inwardly because there was no easy way to impart certain facts that were going to come as a stunning shock. All she could do was plunge ahead. Swallowing hard she said, “Jarod’s asked me to marry him, and I’ve said yes.”
Sounds of surprise came out of her parents. Not happy, not unhappy.
“We’d like your blessing, but I realize we’ve sprung this on you without any advance warning,” Jarod interjected with a calm Sydney would kill to possess. “Since she has this time off from her teaching, we thought we’d take advantage of the holiday for all of us to meet and get acquainted.”
“Well now.” Her father spoke first. “We knew Sydney was in love with someone back in Cannon. I guess what Margaret and I don’t understand is why it has taken until today for a meeting to take place.”
“Are you a teacher?” her mother inquired. “Is that how you and our daughter met?”
Sydney was shaking so hard Jarod must have felt it because he reached out and caught hold of her hand.
“Actually I met Sydney when she brought one of her high school students to my office for counseling.”
“Then you work for the public schools?” her mother persisted.
“No.” Jarod let Sydney’s hand go and got to his feet. “I’m originally from Long Island, New York. My family still lives there. I have a brother Drew, and a sister Liz.
“After graduating from Yale, I joined the Catholic church, then attended ministerial school in St. Paul, Minnesota, and became a priest. That was ten years ago. Until approximately two months ago, I served as the parish priest in Cannon.”
Her mother sat there frozen-faced. “I thought priests couldn’t marry,” she clipped out sternly.
Sydney’s father looked nonplussed. “Does that mean your assignment has been changed?”
At this juncture Sydney bowed her head, waiting for the moment of truth.
“I know this is difficult, but I’ll try and answer your questions. When I discovered that my love for Sydney would never go away, I laid my case before the bishop. Less than a week ago, I left the priesthood. I don’t have the Pope’s sanction. Possibly I never will. But God understands this was something I had to do.”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
As her mother left the room, Sydney sent Jarod a signal before jumping up to follow her into the kitchen.
“Mom?” Her mother started getting food out of the fridge to make sandwiches. “Stop for a minute and look at me.”
Her parent kept working.
“I swear we didn’t have an affair, Mom. The only person who behaved dishonorably was me. Jarod never did one thing to encourage me. He never sought me out.”
Finally her mother glanced up at her. “But he didn’t ask you not to come, did he?”
After a slight hesitation, “No.”
“Then you were both at fault. If you want my blessing, I can’t in good faith give it to you. Different backgrounds and pasts bring on their own problems, and marriage is hard enough.
“By marrying this man, you’re taking on more than a husband. He might have physically left the priesthood, but the church inside him hasn’t left. I don’t care what he believes or what you want to believe, it will always have a stranglehold on him. Probably not so noticeably at first.
“Wait until the children come.”
“No, Mom, we haven’t discussed any of that yet
.”
“Of course not. You’re too much in love to see the dangers ahead. I have eyes in my head. I can see why your physical attraction to him is so strong. Besides his exceptional looks, he’s intelligent, well educated. But in a spiritual sense he’s been married to the priesthood for a long time. Part of him will never be able to give it up.
“When you discover you need him most, he may not be there for you the way you want. I’m not trying to say hurtful things to you, Sydney. I love you, honey, but what you’re planning to do could come back to bite you. Since I’m your mother, I feel I have to warn you of these things before it’s too late.”
“It’s already too late,” Sydney whispered. “For two years I’ve been searching my heart for answers. It came when he showed up at my door the other night. I’ve worried about all of those things, but I love Jarod. We want to be married right away.”
“Where will the ceremony take place?”
“I don’t know yet. Jarod wanted to meet you before we talked about anything else. He’s such a wonderful man, Mom.”
“I’m sure he is. Otherwise you wouldn’t be head over heels in love with him. But he doesn’t have a spiritual home right now. Neither do you. Think upon that, Sydney.”
“That’s all I’ve done.”
Her mother picked up the sandwich platter and headed out the door. Sydney grabbed the paper plates and napkins plus the bowl of chips before following her.
The second she entered the living room, she noticed Jarod sitting on a chair next to her father. They were in deep discussion. Judging by her father’s demeanor, he wasn’t any happier about the situation than her mother.
After going back for sodas, she served everyone one, then sat down on the couch. Her father looked at her in pain before shaking his head.
“You’re a twenty-eight-year-old woman, capable of running your own life and managing your affairs. If you and Jarod are intent on marrying, then there’s nothing Margaret and I can say.
“I’ve told Jarod my concerns, so we have an understanding. When you were a baby, I have to admit this state of affairs wasn’t what I had in mind for you.”
Tears trembled on the edges of her eyelashes. She jumped up abruptly. “I knew it was going to be like this, but can’t you and Mom be just a little bit happy for us? Can’t you give us one encouraging smile for good luck? No matter how strong and noble Jarod is, this couldn’t be easy for him!”
“We know that, honey, and we respect him for the respect he has shown us. But when two people talk of marriage in your circumstances, it’s precarious at best.
“If you haven’t considered that people who knew Jarod before might ostracize him for what he’s done, then I have.”
Her mother nodded. “Your dad’s right, Sydney. When he’s the object of ridicule, you’ll feel the effect, too. If there’s a chance of making this work, then you’d be wise to move where no one knows either of you. That way you can begin your life together with the least amount of turmoil.”
Sydney struggled to stay composed. “Jarod mentioned Europe. Would that be far enough away for you?” she cried before turning to Jarod. “Let’s go, Jarod.”
He remained in place. “Not yet. There are a few more things I’d like to say to your parents.”
She couldn’t imagine what was in his mind, but some inexplicable force was driving him. She had the feeling she couldn’t have dissuaded him for any reason.
While her parents eyed him with wooden expressions, Sydney sat down beside him once more. She had no idea what he was about to say. She couldn’t imagine there being anything else to say.
It pained her that her parents remained so quiet and aloof. Though she’d warned him, she was still wounded by their behavior, and she hurt for him. He was the man she was going to marry!
Jarod sat forward to address them. “When I asked Sydney to be my wife, I didn’t know what her answer would be. I told her that if she said no, I planned to live and work abroad. But that wouldn’t have been my first choice.
“In the last ten years I’ve learned to love North Dakota. It’s been my home for so long, I’m loathe to leave it. During the talks in my office when Sydney accompanied Brenda, I learned how much she loves it here, too. I envied her such a happy childhood riding horses and helping you on the ranch. It sounded like the perfect life.”
Sydney had no idea these were his feelings.
“The last thing I want to do is take her away from her family and people she’s known for a lifetime. What I’d really like to do is buy some property around here and build a house for us.”
“You’re kidding—”
His head swerved toward her. There was fire in his eye.
“You’re not kidding—” she muttered in shock.
“Not at all.”
“But how would you earn a living?”
“I’ve got it all planned…”
CHAPTER SIX
SYDNEY SHOOK her head. “You’re not making sense.”
“If my counseling project doesn’t work out, I have another plan. About five years ago I purchased a tract of land for the parish and rallied some of the men so we could grow garlic bulbs. From the revenue produced, we were able to build a new gym for the youth center.”
“Garlic you say?” her father interjected, reminding Sydney her parents were still in the room. Obviously Jarod had captured his interest.
“Yes. The hearty kind to withstand the low winter temperatures here. It was an experiment that became successful.”
“I didn’t know that,” Sydney broke in.
The corner of Jarod’s sensual mouth lifted in a subtle smile that turned her heart over. “There are a lot of things we don’t know about each other, but we will. And one thing is certain, taking you away from your parents won’t make any of us happy. I’m living proof that an ugly, estranged family situation can result in devastating consequences.”
“That’s very true,” her mother concurred, but it sounded too self-righteous to Sydney’s ears.
Oh, Mom. Why can’t you unbend?
He turned to them again. “Because I was a priest, there’s every chance that someone is going to recognize me and either remain friends, or as you suggested, turn their back on me. But that could happen anywhere since I’m not about to lie concerning my activities after college.
“Being a priest represented the happiest time in my life. As I found out after meeting Sydney, there’s only one thing more to add to that happiness. It’s marriage and children to the woman I love.
“I haven’t left the Church. There will be times when I go to worship just as you go to your church to do the same thing. Whether Sydney accompanies me or not is strictly her choice. If and when children come to our marriage, I want them to attend church. It doesn’t matter which one.
“In my years of counseling couples, I’ve learned that two parents who take their children to the same church provide a solid base that builds confidence and security. Sydney and I will have to agree on that. If she wants to raise her children in your local church I’ll attend with her, and still go to my own privately.
“But in order to get our marriage off to the very best start, I was hoping we could be married in your home, surrounded by your extended family and friends.”
It’ll never happen, Jarod. Not in a hundred years.
“I’ll invite my family of course, but it’s anyone’s guess if they’ll come.”
“Why is that?” her mother asked after exchanging a silent glance with Sydney’s father.
“Because my becoming a priest was something they couldn’t comprehend or condone any more than you do. My mother still sends me a card on birthdays and at Christmas. My brother and sister phone occasionally.”
Sydney slid off the couch. “What about your father?”
“I write my parents every month, but he’s never written back. I haven’t heard from him in ten years.”
A pained cry poured from Sydney’s throat. “That’s horrible.”
Shadows darkened his eyes. “It’s been my reality. But I don’t want it to be yours.”
She shivered because Jarod might as well have said, I won’t let it be ours. Still holding her gaze he said, “If our marriage is going to tear you and your family apart, then we have to be prepared for a lot of heartache.”
Upon that remark he stood up. “What I’m going to do is leave you here to spend the night. I’ll go back to the hotel, and we’ll talk again in the morning.”
“No, Jarod. I’m coming with you!” It hit her again just how much he’d given up to be with her. She was afraid for them to be apart for any reason, but right now wasn’t the time for her to analyze what was at the bottom of those fears.
“Jarod’s right, Sydney. We need time to talk alone. I’ll walk you to the door.”
Jarod moved closer to kiss her cheek. His eyes sent her the clear message that this separation was going to be agony for him, too. “Call me later on my cell,” he whispered.
She nodded, having to hold back from throwing her arms around him and never letting go.
When the two men left the room her mother flashed her a questioning glance. “Where does an ex-priest get money to buy land and a house?”
Oh, Mom.
“Come in the kitchen and I’ll explain.”
She hurried ahead and opened the flour bin drawer. Her mother looked totally perplexed when Sydney lifted out the ten-pound sack.
“See the brand?”
The second her mother put two and two together, she stared at Sydney in fresh alarm, but for once she didn’t say anything.
To Sydney’s parents, Jarod came from a background and had lived a life so foreign to everything they knew, they were having trouble absorbing it all, especially her mother.
“Take away the trappings, Mom, and you can see he’s a marvelous human being.”
Her mother got that set expression on her face. “I’ll admit he’s the most forthright man I ever met.”
“He’s more than that!” Sydney cried in frustration.
A strange sound came out of her mother. “Yes. He has you under his spell. I’m afraid for you, Sydney. This man has the power to destroy you.”
Meant-To-Be Marriage Page 8
