Twenty
Humming, Elizabeth got ready for work, letting her thoughts and feelings of love for Kavan sink in and take hold. What an amazing feeling, she decided. Amazing.
Imagine, Jesus feels the same way about me, only more. She giggled.
Brushing her long eyelashes with black mascara, she paused and spoke to her reflection in the mirror. “You are in love, Elizabeth Lambert. You! Of all people.”
The summer’s events astounded her still—meeting Kavan and falling in love. Reuniting with the love of her Lord, knowing Jesus as her Friend. Realizing it was selfish pride not purpose driving her desire to go to grad school.
It seemed as if the Father had this special summer all wrapped up like a present, waiting for her. But she’d refused to accept it.
How gracious and kind He is to wait for me to surrender. Me and my foolish pride. I should write a book about it, she concluded, dabbing on her lipstick and leaving the bathroom.
In her room, she slipped on her black pumps and suit jacket before picking up the attaché case that contained her résumé.
At five minutes of eight, Elizabeth climbed behind the wheel of her car. She slipped the key into the ignition, then fished her cell phone from the attaché’s side pocket. She pressed the number to autodial Will’s office.
“This is Will Adams.”
“Hi, it’s Elizabeth. I’ll be a few minutes late.”
“No problem.” He sounded distracted. Elizabeth pictured him intent on his computer, running production reports. “Anything I can do for you?” he asked.
“No, thanks.”
She pressed the end button and tossed the phone into the passenger seat. Steering the VW north of town, Elizabeth felt exhilaration, coupled with nervous jitters.
Her life had turned upside down with the declaration of four simple words: Will you marry me? Yet somehow, the world finally seemed right, as if missing pieces were found and snapped into place.
At the next light, she turned left into Creager Electronics’ blacktopped parking lot. Slipping the compact car into a visitor’s slot, Elizabeth grabbed the leather attaché case and checked her appearance in the rearview mirror.
An austere receptionist greeted her at the front desk.
“I’d like to speak to someone in human resources.”
“Do you have an appointment?” the woman asked.
“No, but I’d like to submit my résumé to the personnel manager.”
The woman pursed her lips and clicked through the appointment calendar on her flat computer screen.
Lord, open a door for me, please, Elizabeth prayed. I’m at Your mercy.
“Have a seat.” The woman motioned to a curved couch situated on the right side of the sleek receptionist desk.
“Thank you.”
Elizabeth waited only a few minutes before a tall, lanky gentleman appeared through a set of brass-handled double doors. She rose and shook his extended hand.
“Brad Johnston, Director of Human Resources.”
“Elizabeth Lambert. I’d like to submit my résumé.” She flipped open the flap of her attaché and pulled out a linen sheet, her credentials listed in dark print.
“We aren’t hiring, Miss Lambert.” Brad Johnston accepted the paper.
Mustering her courage, she said, “Please review my résumé before deciding. You’ll find I have all the qualifications.”
He chuckled. “New grad?”
She nodded.
“I can tell. New grads always come to us reciting from the ‘How to Interview’ textbook.”
Elizabeth met his brown gaze. “How else do you expect us to get companies like yours to consider us?”
“Touché,” he said, grinning at her bravado. He skimmed her résumé. “MIT. Impressive. Graduated with a 4.0 average.” His eyes shifted between her face and the paper in his hands. “Three terms in the artificial intelligence lab.”
His fingers fidgeted with the paper, tapping it slightly. The rhythm matched the twittering beat of Elizabeth’s heart. Brad Johnston puckered his lips in contemplation.
Surely he knows this is nerve-racking, Elizabeth thought.
After a second, he said, “Come with me. There are a few people I think would like to meet you.”
At one fifteen, Elizabeth dashed through the doors of Lambert’s Furniture and scurried up the stairs to her office. Tossing the attaché onto the floor by her desk, she slipped into her chair and booted up her computer.
“A few minutes late, huh?”
Elizabeth turned, startled. Will stood in her doorway, his arms folded across his broad chest. He glanced at his watch.
“Will, I’m sorry. Really. I didn’t know it would take so long. Bad timing with all the end-of-the month figures due.”
He chuckled. “By the light in your eyes and the smile on your face, it must be good.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, it’s all good. God is so good. I can’t believe it.”
He nodded. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready, then.”
“Yes, I promise. Thanks for understanding.”
❧
At eleven o’clock Friday night, Kavan pulled up to the White Birch covered bridge. He cut the engine and reached for his flashlight. Stepping out of the truck, he saw a soft glow from the other side of the bridge, along the riverbank.
“Elizabeth?” he called, nerves causing his voice to pop and crack.
“Here,” she answered.
The flashlight slipped in his perspiring palm as he fumbled with the light switch. “Hello.” He stepped toward the sound of her voice. Thin ribbons of the half-moon’s light filtered through the trees, dotting the path he walked.
Why did his mouth dry up like a desert in times like these? He tried to wet his dry lips with an even drier tongue. Kavan found Elizabeth perched on an old army blanket, the area lighted with several jar candles.
She patted the spot next to her.
“Hi.” The golden glow of the candlelight fell on the soft curves of her face. Instinctively, he reached out and stroked the line along her jaw with his finger.
“Hi.” She took his hand into hers and smiled.
Kavan’s heart melted and pooled in his middle like warm syrup. “Elizabeth, you’re. . .” He paused and drew a deep, shaky breath. With that came the sweet scent of her perfume. “You’re killing me here. I don’t know if my heart can take it.”
She tenderly kissed the back of his hand. “I’m sorry, Kavan. I didn’t mean to make this hard for you.”
He settled next to her, wrapping his arms around his knees. Elizabeth leaned against him, and in that moment, it seemed as if all the pieces of his world came together. He kissed the top of her head. “I think I made this hard for myself, really. I knew you wanted to go to school.”
“Me and my pride.”
He lifted his arms to draw her into his embrace. She nestled her head against his shoulder, fitting perfectly there. “A woman has a right to her dreams.”
“I judged girls who fell in love. I thought they were silly and stupid. Weak. I thought getting a bunch of degrees would declare me a success.”
“Nothing wrong with a degree or two.” He looked down at her, catching the image of a flickering flame in the blue hue of her eyes.
In one smooth motion, their faces drew close and their lips touched, a kiss warm with love and emotion.
He cupped her face in his hand. “I really do love you.”
“I know, and that totally ruined my life this summer.”
“Glad to be of service.”
She turned to face him. “Kavan, when you asked me to marry you, I realized for the first time in my life that I even wanted to be married. Hearing a man declare his love and desire to spend the rest of his life with me changed me. I tried to hang on to my ideals about grad school, but suddenly I couldn’t remember them anymore. I prayed and prayed about it, and the Lord gave me His answer.”
He couldn’t help it. He reached up, pulled her face to his, and kissed her again.
After that, he asked, “What did He say?”
“Lots of things,” she teased.
Kavan slapped his hand over his heart and fell back against the blanket. “I’m dying here.”
“I got a senior engineering position at Creager Electronics.” She delivered the news without warning.
“What?” Kavan said, unsure of what he’d heard.
“I start at Creager Electronics in two weeks.”
“What about grad school?”
She shook her head and shrugged. “Maybe someday. But the desire is gone. Creager’s work in robotics is another interest of mine. Kavan, they offered me an amazing salary.” She laughed. “At that point, all notions of grad school vanished.”
He gaped at her for a long time, trying to gather his thoughts. “I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say.”
Elizabeth moved to her knees. “Kavan, I’m choosing love. Will you ask me again?”
He sat up like a shot. “Ask you to marry me?”
She nodded.
He knelt before her and took her hands into his. “Elizabeth, will you. . . No wait. First, let me say I love you. You are the Lord’s answer to my heart’s desire for a wife.”
She trembled, a sob escaping her lips. “I love you, too.”
Feeling a little giddy at the sound of those words, he leveled his rising emotions with a quick breath. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the blue velvet box. He popped open the top and lifted out the ring. Slipping the polished gold onto her ring finger, he asked once more, “Elizabeth, will you marry me?”
She gasped, catching the glitter of the ring in the candlelight. “Oh, Kavan, it’s beautiful.” She brushed her forehead with her other hand. “Wow, I never imagined. . .”
“That ring has a story you would not believe.”
She looked from the ring to his face. “Really?”
“Really,” he repeated. “Are you going to answer the question?”
She smiled. With metered, determined words, Elizabeth gave her answer, “Yes, Kavan Donovan, I will marry you.”
Laughing, crying, shouting, they embraced and sealed their promise with a kiss.
“You’ve made me a very happy man.”
“You’ve made me a very loved woman.”
For the next hour, they sat under the stars talking and dreaming. Kavan amazed her with the story of the ring, spurring tears. The love and pleasure of the Lord astounded them.
At midnight, Kavan grabbed her hand and said, “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, laughing, jumping up.
“You’ll see.” Kavan led her to the bridge, walking under the high roof. He flashed his light along the beams, looking up, turning in a small circle.
“What are you looking for?”
“A spot.” He grinned down at her. “Let’s finalize this deal by carving our initials into the tapestry of White Birch’s lovers.”
Elizabeth found the spot. Next to her grandparents’ initials, there was just enough space.
Kavan pulled out his pocketknife and carved KD loves EL.
“You know, it should say ‘EL loves KD.’ ” She tiptoed up to kiss Kavan. “ ’Cause EL truly does love KD.”
“I suppose I should speak to your father.”
“He’d like that,” Elizabeth said.
“For now, how about telling Grandpa Matt and Grandma Betty?”
They woke Grandpa and Grandma to give them the good news. The older couple whooped and hollered like youngsters, hugging Elizabeth, then Kavan.
“Grandma,” Grandpa said, doing a little jig around room, “we’re having a wedding! Our Bethy is getting married.”
About the Author
LYNN A. COLEMAN was raised on Martha’s Vineyard and now calls Miami, Florida, home. She has three grown children and eight grandchildren. She is a minister’s wife who writes to the Lord’s glory. She serves as advisor of the American Christian Romance Writers. Lynn enjoys hearing from her readers; visit her Web page at: www.lynncoleman.com
RACHEL HAUCK lives in Palm Bay, Florida, with her husband Tony, a youth pastor. A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in journalism, she is employed by a software company. She has worked for more than fifteen years with Tony in youth ministry where they focus on leadership training and wholehearted devotion to Jesus. She is a worship leader and speaker. Rachel serves the writing community as the vice president of American Christian Romance Writers.
Dedication
From Lynn:
To my granddaughter Kayla and the love she’s brought to our lives and who has a bit of Elizabeth Lambert inside of her.
From Rachel:
Thanks to Lynn for calling me one July afternoon with an invitation and an idea. Thanks to my husband Tony, ACRWCrit7, and my fireman brother Pete for his contribution and advice. And to Dad and Mom who always said I could.
Dedicated to Jesus, my Beloved and my Friend.
A note from the Authors:
We love to hear from our readers! You may correspond with us by writing:
Lynn A. Coleman and Rachel Hauck
Author Relations
PO Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
Lambert's Pride Page 16
