“Would you like a sandwich?” he asked as he pulled open the fridge. “We’re on our own for dinner.”
She settled herself on one of the stools and tucked her hands close to her body. “I’m not very hungry at the moment.”
“How about a cup of coffee to warm you up?” Eli reached out to take a mug from the metal tree by the coffee maker. “It’s turning nasty out there.”
“That I would appreciate.”
Eli busied himself with preparing a cup for her and then one for himself. The rain was coming down more steadily than it had earlier, leaving streaks on the window over the sink. In spite of being made up of countless drops, the rain beat a steady rhythm as it fell from the motley gray clouds that hung low in the sky.
“Oh, that tastes so good,” Anna said as she lowered her mug back to the counter after taking a sip. Her gaze was on the window where the view beyond had turned to a melted panorama, blurry and distorted.
“Let’s go to the living room, and I’ll start a fire. It’ll help to warm us up.”
Anna nodded and picked up her mug, then, after a moment’s hesitation, she sent him a conspiratorial look before snagging the container of cookies off the counter. Eli couldn’t help but smile in return. This playful side of Anna was part of what made it so easy for him to set aside his concerns for how a future together might not be in their best interests. So he resolved to not dwell on it that night and just enjoy their time together.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Once in the living room, Anna ignored the furniture and settled on the floor in front of the fireplace. Eli put his mug on the mantle then set to work building a fire. Soon, flames flared to life, and warmth spilled out into the room. Eli retrieved his mug then lowered himself to the rug beside Anna.
The container of cookies sat between them, so Eli removed the lid and pushed it over to Anna. She gave him a quick smile before she snatched one up. He knew his mom wouldn’t care if they ate all the cookies, but it was kind of cute to watch Anna make it seem like they were doing something forbidden by indulging themselves.
He took one for himself and bit into it, relishing the familiar taste of his mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Soon, she’d begin to make ones he associated more with fall like snickerdoodles and gingersnaps. Every once in a while, she’d make oatmeal raisin, but that usually was met with great protests. They’d all told her that those cookies could lead to trust issues if she didn’t clearly mark the container to say they were raisin and not chocolate chip.
Years ago, she’d made molasses cookies at this time of year, but since they’d been his dad’s favorite, she never made them anymore. There were quite a few things they didn’t do anymore in the wake of their dad’s abandonment of them.
“I absolutely love these cookies,” Anna said after she finished the one she’d taken. She continued to sip her coffee as the crackle of the fire filled the room.
As they sat there together, Eli let himself imagine what it would be like to share moments like that with someone—no, not just someone…Anna—on a regular basis. It was his idea of a perfect date, really. Sitting quietly in front of a fire was nothing new to Eli. It was often how he ended his days once the cooler temperatures of fall set in. But this was what he really wanted. Someone to share his life with.
He thought back to when he and Sheila had been dating. Even then he would have loved to just sit in front of a fire with her, but that had never been Sheila’s idea of a good time unless it was a bonfire with a big group of their friends. She had never found a moment of silence that she could enjoy. If silence ever fell between them, she would immediately fill it with insignificant chatter.
Normally that hadn’t bothered him, partly because he hadn’t been a big talker even back then, so if she wanted to do most the talking, that was fine with him. But sometimes he would have enjoyed a bit of quiet when they’d been together, just to enjoy each other’s company without the conversation. Unfortunately, any silence between them had just felt weighted and as if it couldn’t end soon enough.
But there was nothing about the silence between him and Anna that was awkward, even after what had happened on the mountain. She seemed to enjoy soaking in the moment as much as he did. Though she appeared happy to interact with people when necessary, and she’d been almost outgoing at church that morning, it seemed she was happy to sit quietly too.
As a teen, Eli had always enjoyed the quiet, though the only time he’d actively sought it out was to escape the incessant chatter of the twins. Unfortunately, his preference for isolation had gotten worse after his father left and he’d become a suspect in Sheila’s disappearance.
For a long time, the silence he craved became his enemy. The silence gave him time to think and worry, the weight of everything pressing down on him. His father leaving. The responsibility of taking care of his mom and the twins. Dealing with the judgment of a town he’d always loved. Only in the last few years had he begun to relish the silence once again without feeling its crushing weight.
“I’m sorry things got a bit weird before,” Anna said softly. “I don’t want to force you into anything. I know that my world can be a lot for people to take in. Especially people who aren’t really aware of how it works. I didn’t really present myself in the best light when I told you about what drove me out of LA.”
“I don’t care about that,” Eli said. “You explained what happened, and while you’re right, it doesn’t really make sense to me, it’s in your past now, right? I’m pretty sure you won’t do it again.”
Anna scoffed. “You’ve got that right. If nothing else, I do try to learn from my mistakes. And that was a Grade-A, top-of-the-line mistake.”
“Will you see him on your trip to LA?” As soon as the question was out of his mouth, Eli wished he could take it back. It sounded too much like it was coming from a place of jealousy.
“Oh, I hope not,” Anna said without hesitation. “I have no desire to see that man again. He made my life an unhappy place for far longer than I should have let him.”
“Do you think anyone would tell him that you were coming back? From what you’ve said, he doesn’t sound like a guy who would give up easily.”
“Well, if one of my team tells him, and I find out, they’re done.” She paused, cupping her mug as she lifted it to her lips. “I’m already considering that maybe I need to redo how my business is run. This trip will help me make some decisions in that regard, I think.”
Her words were a blatant reminder of the different levels they were on. They both had businesses, but while his employees numbered one—himself—she had a whole team working for her. By the sound of things, she dealt in tens of thousands of dollars—if not more—while he rarely had more than a couple thousand dollars in his bank account at any given time.
A log in the fireplace shifted, sending up a spray of sparks. Eli set his mug down and leaned forward to grab the poker to jab at the other logs then settled back, resting his arm on his upraised knee.
“What exactly does your team do for you?” Eli asked, wanting to understand more about what she did.
“Well, my assistant is the one I like the best, and she helps me out with the more hands-on side of things. She’s the one who would help me with things like what you did for me yesterday. She also helps me with my social media, my email, and stuff like that. She keeps track of my diary, making sure I don’t forget anything. I mean, I have a phone with reminders, but Rebecca always doublechecks.”
Eli looked over in time to see the smile on Anna’s face. “Sounds like she’s important to you.”
Anna nodded. “She’s probably the closest thing I have to a best friend these days.”
“And the other members of your team?”
“They take care of my legal issues. They’re my contact for people wanting to have business dealings with me. I work with them to review deals, to see what’s in the best interest of my brand. They help with PR when necessary.” She let out a huff of laughter
. “Well, when I let them. I didn’t do what they wanted me to with the David situation. I’m sure they’ll let me know how unhappy they are about that when they see me tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you the boss? Don’t you have the final say?”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t try to tell me to do something differently. Sometimes they’re right, but other times, they don’t seem to understand my audience. Not like I do anyway.”
“I would say that you understand your audience very well, if your success is anything to go by.”
“Sadly, some of those same viewers were quick to turn on me when the situation with David came to light.” She sighed. “Not that I blame them, of course. It went against everything I’d always said I stood for on my channel.”
“We’re all allowed to make mistakes, aren’t we?”
“Not when you’re in the public eye, apparently.” Anna set her mug down next to the container of cookies. “I’m still not sure I’ll be able to recover from this, but I have to at least try to get back to giving my audience the content they’re used to seeing from me. Hopefully that will help to distance me from the scandal.”
“Maybe another scandal will pop up and distract people from yours.”
Anna lifted a hand and rubbed her chest, just beneath her shoulder. “It’s possible they’ll forget it, but it will be something I remember forever.”
As Eli listened to Anna, a sweep of headlights brushed across the front of the lodge, briefly spilling light over where they sat. The room had darkened as the day had moved on toward twilight, leaving only the fire to keep the room from plunging into darkness. Rain still fell, but it had settled into a light drizzle, barely perceptible when compared to what had fallen from the sky earlier.
The front door opened then closed before he heard footsteps across the foyer. He shifted sideways and glanced toward the arched opening between the foyer and the living room. His mom appeared, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
“Hi, you two,” she said as she came further into the room. “A fire seems like a perfect thing on this chilly day.”
“So did coffee and cookies,” Anna said as she tapped the container between them.
“Don’t tell me that’s all Eli offered you for supper,” his mom said as she settled into an armchair near Anna.
“Oh no.” Anna laughed. “He did offer me real food, but I was more interested in your cookies.”
As they talked, Eli added more logs to the fire then snapped on the lamp that sat on the end table next to the large couch. Both women looked at him as the room suddenly brightened.
“Can I make you a sandwich, Mom?” Eli asked. “I know we like to believe we can live on your cookies alone, but I need something more now.”
“No thanks, honey. Norma fed me. She did send home some fresh bread though, so use that. It’s in the bag there.”
Eli headed out of the living room, picking up the bag containing the bread in the foyer as he headed for the kitchen. He made a sandwich using the leftover chicken they’d had for lunch, and another using some slices of beef from a roast his mom had made a couple nights ago. Once they were made, he cut them, put them on a plate, and returned to the living room with it.
He set the plate on top of the cookie container then went back into the kitchen to get a couple glasses of water. While he was there, he made his mom a cup of the tea she preferred in the evenings then put all the drinks on a tray. Back in the living room, he handed his mom her tea.
She took a sip then smiled at him. “Oh, I really appreciate this, honey.”
Turning, he held out one of the glasses of water to Anna. She looked up at him as she took the glass, her hair spilling back from her shoulders. “Thank you.”
He settled back down on the rug then motioned to the sandwiches. “I made plenty, just in case you decided you wanted to eat something more than cookies.”
“So I’ve had my dessert, and now you want me to eat my dinner?” Anna’s laughter was light and airy, warming Eli.
He gave her a quick smile. “Something like that.”
He glanced at his mom, not surprised to see a growing comprehension on her face. Though why it appeared she was only now suspecting his desire to be close to Anna, Eli didn’t know. It wasn’t like him to make an effort with the female guests who came to the lodge or cabins. He was as friendly as he needed to be in order to not appear rude, but he rarely went out of his way to spend time with any of them.
Maybe she’d brushed their closeness off as a friendship since Anna had gone from guest to something more when she agreed to help them with the painting. It was clear that his mom was seeing something beyond friendship between them now. No doubt she’d have concerns.
And likely a warning.
She doesn’t live here.
And maybe a question as well.
Are you going to leave us?
No. He didn’t want to leave them, but if Anna couldn’t make the move to New Hope, would he be able to let go of the only woman who had touched his heart in over a decade?
Anna picked up half a sandwich, and after bowing her head for a few moments, she began to eat. Eli did the same, then listened as his mom recounted her time with her sister, catching them up on all the latest family gossip. Not that there was much because not a whole lot happened from one weekly visit to the next.
Perhaps the next time the sisters got together, his mom would be sharing about what she’d just discovered between him and Anna.
“That hit the spot,” Anna said when she finished the second half sandwich. They’d each ended up eating one half of each type he’d made. “I’m glad you insisted. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Eli said, glad he could do something for her, even if it was something small like making her a sandwich.
“I guess I’d better go and do my packing before bed since it’s an early morning for me tomorrow. I’ll say goodnight now,” she said as she got to her feet.
His mom got up as well. “I won’t see you in the morning since I’m never up that early, so I’ll say goodbye now.” Eli watched as his mom hugged Anna. “I’ll be praying you have a safe trip.”
“Thank you,” Anna said as she stepped back from the embrace. “I’ll be back in time to help with stuff for the Fall Festival, so save something for me to do.”
“No worries, my dear. There are always more things to do than we have people to do them.”
Anna turned to Eli. “So we’ll leave around five-thirty?” At his nod, she said, “Okay. Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
Eli would have liked to pull her into a hug like his mom had, but instead, he just nodded and said goodnight. Once she was gone, his mom turned to him, concern on her face.
“She doesn’t live here, Eli.” Her words, though softly spoken, carried weight. “You’re going to get your heart broken.”
“Maybe not, Mama,” Eli said, resorting to the name they’d all used for her as children. “All I know is that I feel something for her that I’ve never felt for any woman before.” He hesitated. “Including Sheila.”
She seemed to consider his words. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Sometimes one has to take that risk.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
When Arianna’s alarm went off the next morning, she managed to keep herself from hitting the snooze, but just barely. Early mornings weren’t her thing, but she was willing to make an exception this time just so she didn’t have to spend any more time than necessary in LA.
Even though she wasn’t going to be on the flight for that long—not like the flight from LA to New York—she still wanted to be comfortable, so she dressed in a pair of thick leggings and a long lightweight sweater that reached the top of her thighs. She tugged on a pair of knee-high boots with a flat heel because she’d learned that high heels weren’t conducive to moving quickly through airports while dealing with luggage.
After putting a few last-minute things into her small s
uitcase, Arianna grabbed her leather jacket and left the room. As soon as she got to the bottom of the stairs, Eli appeared. He wore his usual outfit of jeans and a flannel shirt with a jean jacket over top. In his hands, he held two travel mugs.
“Here. I’ll trade you.” He held out one of the mugs then took the handle of the suitcase when she relinquished it. “I thought you might like some coffee to wake you up.”
“I would definitely like that,” she said as she took the travel mug. “Thank you so much.”
“Did you want something to eat?” Eli asked as Shadow slowly shambled out of the kitchen.
“I’m fine. It’s too early for breakfast. I’ll grab something when I get to LA. Or maybe I’ll gorge myself on pretzels or crackers on the plane.”
“Do they serve those in first-class too?”
Arianna looked at Eli as they walked toward the front door, arching a brow at him. “How do you know I’m flying first class?”
Eli didn’t smile, but his eyes were twinkling with humor. “Aren’t you?”
“Okay. Fine. I’m flying first class.” When Shadow bumped her hand, she dropped down to rub him behind his ears. “See you in a few, Shadow boy.” She smiled as he pressed his head against her hand. “If I took you with me, I’d have to buy another ticket.” She looked up at Eli and grinned. “A first-class ticket, of course.”
“Hear that, old boy?” Eli asked as he looked at his dog. “You’d be riding in style.”
Arianna pushed to her feet. “Guess we’d better hit the road.”
It was still dark as Eli opened the door of the truck for her then put her suitcase in the back seat. The rain from the previous night had stopped, but the morning held a wet chill that made her shiver until the truck doors were shut and Eli had the heat turned on. Still, she wasn’t all that keen to return to the warmer temperatures of LA.
As they drove through the quiet streets of New Hope out onto the highway that led into Everett, Arianna sipped her coffee—which was made exactly as she liked it—and told Eli about some of the more memorable trips she’d taken. Between the coffee and the warmth inside the truck, she was wonderfully comfortable as they neared the airport.
A Love So Real: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 1) Page 25
