Because of Lauren: A Love Story

by Vivi Underwood

  “And I gained a longed-for son when I married Cecilie,” said Jan-Erik. “Jonas allowed me to be a step-father even though he was in his twenties when I entered their lives. I couldn’t ask for a finer young man to call son.”

  Lauren felt a warmth touch her heart as she listened to them and knew she couldn’t have found a better, more devoted family to marry into.

  As she got ready for bed later that night, she knew the quick visit to Jonas’ family had been more than worth it, and the time spent with them had been one of the most treasured experiences of her life.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Jonas was on a mission. He had been mostly silent while driving to church, and Lauren knew he had things on his mind. When she turned to look at him, he reached for her hand but did not speak. After parking the car, they walked hand in hand towards the church.

  Jonas looked at the building. It did not jog his memory.

  They were early, and as they entered the foyer, they noticed a small group of people, among them two young missionaries, in friendly conversation. One of the elders looked up and seeing them, came to greet them.

  “Welcome. I’m Elder Cook,” he said with a beaming smile. “Are you visiting or are you new to our congregation?”

  Jonas returned the smile and shook Elder Cook’s outstretched hand. “We are visitors. I am Jonas Juul, and this is my fiancé, Lauren Hart.”

  There was a slight commotion as one woman, hearing Jonas’ name, broke away from the group. She looked to be in her late fifties and came toward him with sparkling hazel eyes and a wide smile. “Jonas?!” she exclaimed in surprised delight. “You’ve come back!”

  Jonas saw the joy in the woman’s eyes and swallowed past the sudden restriction in his throat. Someone remembered him.

  “I’m sure you don’t remember me,” the woman continued in a warm voice. “I am sister Lundberg. I was your Primary teacher many years ago. How are you, Jonas? It is so good to see you again.”

  Jonas took her hand in his own. This was what he had come for, what he had hoped for, that he would find someone who remembered him, who had known him as a boy. Jonas was elated. “Sister Lundberg,” he said, his voice rough with feeling. “I had forgotten your name, but I remember that I loved you.”

  Moved by his words, sister Lundberg’s eyes stayed on the man before her. She could hardly believe he was here. She had never forgotten little Jonas Juul. He had been such a bright boy, so eager to learn. He was only seven when she last taught him, but even at that young age, it was clear he understood the gospel. After his father passed away and Jonas started missing church, she had called Mrs. Juul, offering to pick Jonas up on Sundays. But his mother, though very gracious, made it clear Jonas would no longer be attending church. She gave no reason. Sister Lundberg’s hands were tied. For years, she kept Jonas in her prayers, and then one day, about ten years ago, she happened by a magazine stand and saw his picture prominently displayed. She would not have known the picture was of Jonas—she hadn’t seen him in almost twenty years—if not for the caption above the photo. In bold letters, it proclaimed Jonas heir to the Armand Juul fortune, making him one of the country’s most eligible bachelors.

  Sister Lundberg, who had never read a tabloid in her life, bought the rag, brought it home to read, and learned what had happened to Jonas in the intervening years. The paper had devoted a full center spread to the young man, including several pictures with clever captions. As entertained as she was, sister Lundberg’s natural skepticism kicked in, and she believed only a small portion of what she read that day. And then she came upon an article in Aftenposten, one of Oslo’s leading newspapers, and found a much more believable account. The paper paid an impressive tribute to Armand Juul and his many accomplishments then wrote respectfully of the young grandson. The reader learned about Jonas’ American education and his years of working side by side with his grandfather. In the paper’s opinion, Jonas Juul, though only twenty-six, was a well-educated, intelligent, and dedicated young man, well qualified to take the helm at Juul Enterprises.

  And now he stood before her, an impressive man with a lovely girl by his side. Her long-ago prayers had been answered.

  Jonas, with great pride, introduced Lauren to sister Lundberg. “It is because of Lauren that I found my way back,” he told her.

  Sister Lundberg, her eyes glistening, gave Lauren a warm smile as they shook hands. “I am so happy to meet you, Lauren. Seeing Jonas again, like this . . .” She shook her head, cleared her throat and turned back to Jonas. “There are members of our congregation who would remember both you and your father, Jonas. I’ll introduce you if you’d like. I know they will want to speak with you.”

  “I would appreciate that very much,” said Jonas sincerely. “Thank you.”

  It was a bittersweet morning for Jonas, one he would always remember. Sister Lundberg introduced him first to the Bishop and then to several older members who remembered the father and son well. It was no secret among them that Mrs. Juul had kept her son away from church, but it was almost thirty years ago and no one spoke of it. Instead, they spoke fondly of serving with Joachim in the old branch, and of Joachim’s devotion to his young son. More than one tear fell as they reminisced and told him how pleased they were to see him back in their midst once again. For Jonas, it was exactly the homecoming he needed.

  After the block of meetings and the emotional gathering of old friends, Lauren and Jonas made a detour to Jonas’ childhood home and neighborhood. A soft smile touched Lauren’s lips as she tried to picture a young Jonas playing there. The house was one of four 2-story units, still well-kept and charming with flower pots and hanging baskets on the wooden front porch. A short distance away stood a row of four garages. This, then, was where they found his father, slumped over the steering wheel, all those years ago. Lauren thought of all she had learned today, of all that Joachim Juul had been to his son and was sure he knew that Jonas had found his way back to his religious roots.

  They arrived home to an empty house. Cecilie had left a note:

  We are visiting Torill and Svein.

  Not sure when we’ll be back.

  There is plenty of food if you are hungry.

  Mom

  “Looks like we are on our own.”

  “Who are Torill and Svein?”

  “Jan-Erik’s sister and her husband.” He put his arms around her. “Hungry?”

  “Starving, but I’m okay with something simple.”

  In the end they opted not to cook, but instead made open-faced sandwiches. They brought those and hot chocolate on a tray down the few steps into the living room, lighted candles, and ate cozily by the coffee table as the Norwegians so often did.

  “I wish we had an extra day.” They had finished their meal, and Lauren was sitting on the sofa with Jonas’ head cradled in her lap. Running her fingers through his hair, she added, “I would have liked a little more time with your mother.”

  “You’ll get plenty of chances over the next thirty or so years,” he predicted.

  Lauren smiled. “I like your mother, Jonas.”

  “I can tell. And she likes you.” After Lauren had gone to bed the night before, mother and son talked for a long time. When they finally said goodnight, Cecilie had every confidence that her son’s heart was safe in Lauren’s hands.

  “I meant to tell you we’re making a stop in Bergen on the way back to the States.”

  “Problems at the office?”

  “A few things that need my attention. When I left just over two weeks ago, I had anticipated returning home last night.”

  “It wasn’t quite the business trip you had planned, was it?”

  “Not quite,” he agreed with a contented smile. “But I’m not complaining.”

  “Jonas, if you need to spend some time at your office before the wedding, I can take a commercial flight home.”

&nbs
p; “I should be there, but I don’t like the idea of you flying home alone.”

  “I am not exactly a stranger to flying solo.” She stroked his hair gently. “I think you must have inherited your mother’s protective instinct,” she said. “I thought we agreed I am not a little girl.”

  “It’s not about that. I had planned on seeing you safely home,” he spoke as though they’d be returning from an evening out, “and then turn around and fly back. If you weren’t on such a tight schedule, it wouldn’t be a problem, but you have the movers coming to pack.”

  “I do. And I still have to arrange for pickup and delivery of the things I am giving away.”

  Jonas sighed. “I should be there with you.”

  “You should be here taking care of business,” she insisted. “It is not the first time I’ve moved across the country, or internationally for that matter. I can handle things on my end, and if all goes according to plan, I’ll have a whole week in Utah to make sure everything is ready for the baptism and the wedding. And then you’ll be there.”

  They had decided the baptism should take place the day before the wedding so no one would have to make extra trips so close to the big event. But they wanted it to be a small, private occasion with only the Andrews Family and Lauren’s immediate family in attendance. Cecilie and Jan-Erik had been invited with the understanding that they would come if they felt comfortable doing so. Jonas didn’t know yet what their decision would be, but he secretly hoped that at least his mother would find it in her heart to be there.

  He tugged Lauren’s head down for a light kiss. “I’ll miss you. I hate the idea of not being there for you.”

  “We’ll talk every day,” she promised. “If there are problems I would like your input on, I’ll email you with details, and you can give me your advice.”

  “I guess I’ll have to be content with that.”

  Lauren continued stroking his hair until Jonas reluctantly sat up. With an arm slung over the back of the sofa he said casually, “There is one thing we haven’t covered yet.”

  She looked at him. She thought of all they had accomplished the last two weeks and could think of nothing that had been left undone. “And what would that be?”

  He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled. “The honeymoon.”

  Lauren laughed softly. They had planned the wedding down to the last detail, but they had forgotten the honeymoon! “We are a fine pair. Can you take time off on such short notice?”

  “I’m not depriving us of a honeymoon, Lauren.”

  She knew he had a lot on his plate work-wise right now and was hesitant to add to his burden. “Do you have somewhere in mind?”

  “Several possibilities, but nowhere definite. Depends on what appeals to you.”

  “I have somewhere in mind, too, but you may not think it is romantic enough for a honeymoon.”

  He draped his arm across her shoulders. “Let’s hear it.”

  “No, you first.”

  “Ladies first,” he insisted.

  Lauren remembered something Elisabeth had once told her and asked, “Would you be very disappointed if we didn’t go someplace exotic?”

  Jonas grinned in relief. “Not particularly.”

  “Jonas,” she said softly, “could we go to the island? If it turns cold and rainy, we’ll be snug in the house. We could even build a cozy fire in the fireplace. And if the weather is good, can we take the boat on a longer trip, maybe spend a night on board?”

  He looked at her for several long moments and wondered how she could have read his mind so completely. “Is that really what you want or are you worried about my taking time away from the office?”

  “I am a little worried about that,” she admitted, “but it’s really what I want.”

  “Not Hawaii or Tahiti? Or snorkeling off the Great Barrier Reef?”

  “Not unless one of those is your first choice.”

  “You are absolutely sure?”

  “Absolutely.” She grinned and tacked on as a final inducement, “We’ll be completely private.”

  Jonas hugged her close and said, “My mother will never believe this. I once told her I thought the island would be a great place for a honeymoon. She insisted most brides would want to go somewhere more romantic. But then she also told me the girl I was looking for didn’t exist.”

  Lauren’s smiling lips met his curved ones. “What do mothers know?” they said in unison.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The weather couldn’t have co-operated more perfectly had she put in a personal request, which, come to think of it, she had. The temperature was only expected to reach the low-eighties, with a light cloud cover. What could be more perfect for an outdoor wedding?

  Lauren watched from the terrace as busy workers turned the garden into a fairyland. It was going to be even more beautiful than she had imagined. She turned to Jonas as he, too, stepped outside.

  Because he couldn’t take her to the temple yet, he had wanted this for her. She was giving up so much for him, and it gave him enormous pleasure to see the joy on her face as it all began to come together. Janice and her team were the best. No detail was overlooked, and in a few hours, they would be husband and wife. It couldn’t come soon enough for either of them.

  A few days ago, Jonas arrived in Salt Lake City by private plane, accompanied by his mother and Jan-Erik, Annie, William, his cousins from Oslo and their spouses, plus the Andrews family. The ambassador arrived separately with his wife yesterday, as did Peter and Sarah. They were all staying at the Grand America Hotel where Jonas had arranged accommodations for them. And then, as a final surprise and a special gift to Lauren, he had also arranged flights and hotel accommodations for Jon, Bente, and Lasse.

  Now they stood, arms around each other, and savored this special time. The ten days apart made them realize neither felt complete without the other no matter how often they talked on the phone, emailed or texted.

  “It is going to be splendid,” Lauren said softly.

  “It will be even more so when they see you in your dress, accompanied by Nora and the younger girls. The practice went perfectly.”

  “After the fourth time.” Lauren shook her head and almost giggled at the memory. “Let’s hope they can do as well this evening.”

  “They will. They want so much to please you. And Nora will keep them in line.”

  Lauren leaned into him.

  He tightened his arm around her and kissed her temple. It was one of the many ways they had of saying ‘I love you’.

  They remained on the terrace a while longer, silently watching all the activity taking place. This was all for them, Jonas thought, as he mulled over all that had happened in the last couple of months. His life had been an extraordinary journey, and he had finally reached his destination.

  A giant step along that path had taken place the day before. He had entered the waters of baptism with tears trickling down his face. His mother had come and so had Jan-Erik.

  When he went to thank her afterward, Cecilie, seeing the joy on her son’s face, lifted her hand and stroking his cheek with a gentle touch, replied, “It was the least I could do. If things had been different, I would have been there for you at eight. I should have been there for you at eight, regardless. How could I not have been here today?”

  Was a more humble apology ever given? As mother and son embraced, Jonas knew the day would be etched in his memory forever.

  Peeking out her bedroom window Lauren took in the scene below. It seemed most of their guests had arrived. She saw Cecilie and Jan-Erik talking with Aunt Nina and her husband. She noticed Lasse and Annie getting acquainted with Molly and her husband, Doug. Lauren laughed softly. Darn if Molly wasn’t expecting again. Who would have thought the wild child would turn out to be such a conventional wife and mother? She did some quick calculations and realized this would
make number six for her and Doug.

  William was talking with Bente and Lauren’s Aunt Ellen when a woman made straight for them. Lauren grinned widely. Her cousin Maddie was on the warpath and she had spotted William, an attractive man who appeared to be unattached. Good! They were well-matched as they were both expert flirts and both still single.

  Gradually everyone started moving toward the chairs set up for the ceremony. Lauren looked at the pathway Janice had created for the flower girls and the bride. Everyone would certainly have a chance to see her dress, which Jonas had wanted.

  When she voiced that aloud to her mother, Lilly came to her side by the window and replied with a teary smile, “No darling. It wasn’t the dress he wanted everyone to see, it was you in the dress.”

  When Lilly saw the dress her daughter and Jonas had chosen together, she readily forgave them for going shopping without her.

  Lauren did a pirouette for her mother and Melanie, who had helped her get ready. Did she look all right? Was anything out of place? Was her makeup perfect? Were the flowers still fresh? Instead of a veil, Lauren had wanted flowers in her hair, and Melanie’s magic hands had worked a miracle with then.

  “Everything about you looks perfect,” Melanie assured her with an affectionate smile. “Jonas won’t be able to take his eyes off you. He’ll be so awestruck, he’ll forget he is supposed to say, ‘I do’.”

  Lauren laughed lightheartedly as she lifted her skirt and headed for the door. She looked down. Her feet were clad in a pair of low-healed (for practicality on the lawn), exquisite, Italian shoes, a sentimental gift from Jonas. He’d thought of everything.