He smiled at her. “I’d like that.”
The trek back to the resort was slow, but she enjoyed the feel of Israel’s arms around her and the beating of his heart against her ear. Chance and Merribeth met them at the resort door, concern etched on their faces.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re all right,” Merribeth said, moving first to Timmy and then to Tiffany.
“Yeah, I might not be very mobile for a few days, but we’re okay.” The chattering of her teeth diminished the confidence she’d tried to exude.
“We’ll take care of that. Don’t worry,” Chance said, tapping into his phone. “We have an ambulance on the way as well.”
“Is that really necessary?” Tiffany had no idea if she had enough to cover an ambulance bill. Her savings was minimal though she put as much as she could away every month.
“The resort will cover the tab,” Chance placed a hand on her arm, letting her know he understood her concern, “but we don’t want to take any chances.”
At that moment, Timmy’s parents burst through the resort door and Chance moved off to talk with them. Israel set Tiffany down on one of the picnic tables and wrapped the blanket Merribeth handed him around her shoulders.
“Will you come with me to the hospital?” Tiffany asked. She wasn’t afraid to go alone, but she would prefer to have him there.
“Of course, but,” he hesitated and looked back to the resort, “I have to take care of something first. Will you be okay for a minute?”
Tiffany realized he meant Sofia and her throat closed up. He had come with Sofia and it would be rude to leave her. “I forgot you were on a date. You should get back to her.” Her eyes dropped to her lap. Why did this whole situation make her feel so small? “I’ll be fine.”
He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Tiffany said, forcing a small smile.
As Israel hurried inside, Merribeth wandered back over and took his place. “He really likes you, you know.”
Tiffany looked up at her. “How can you say that? He’s on a date with Sofia.”
“A date he left as soon as he heard you were missing. He was so worried, he didn’t even tell her before he left.” She looked back to the resort. “I don’t know Israel well, but if he’s anything like Chance, and I suspect that he is, then the fact that he left a woman without an explanation is eating at him. I’m not a betting woman, but I’d lay money he’s in there apologizing for leaving and then explaining the situation before apologizing for leaving her again. No doubt he’s telling her he should never have accepted her invitation because of his feelings for you, and those were plain as day all over his face.”
She shook her head before turning back to Tiffany. “He could have just stayed here with you and left Sofia alone in there, but that wouldn’t have been right. It may not feel like it to you, but he’s doing the honorable thing right now, and you should count yourself lucky. Men like that are hard to find.” She looked back at Chance who was still talking to Timmy’s parents who had been reunited with their son. “I should know.”
Tiffany swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew Merribeth was right. As much as she wanted Israel to stay with her, she would have wondered about a man who could ditch a woman, even one he didn’t care for, without an explanation. “Thanks, Merribeth.”
Merribeth smiled and bumped her shoulder against Tiffany’s. “Anytime, and whatever it was that separated the two of you in the first place, I would bet that it’s not as big of a deal as you think it is or was. Relationships aren’t always easy, but the one thing that all lasting relationships have in common is communication. Talk to him. He’ll probably surprise you.”
Tiffany had no doubt that Merribeth was right. She’d been so wrong to shut him out and make assumptions on how he would feel. She just hoped he could forgive her.
21
Israel
Israel knew telling Sofia was the right thing to do, but that didn’t make it any easier. He rehearsed the words he planned to say as he walked back to the large room.
“Nice to see you made it back.” Sofia’s tone carried a harsh undercurrent, but Israel couldn’t blame her. After all, he’d left without explaining what was going on which was the only reason he was back now. “Want to tell me why you ran out of here?” Her eyes took in his soaked clothing, and her brow lifted. “And why you’re all wet?”
“One of the kids got lost when the storm hit and Tiffany went missing looking for them. I went to help look for them.”
Sofia’s face hardened as she folded her arms across her chest. “Tiffany, huh? And why did you have to go?”
“I didn’t have to go, Sofia, I wanted to.” Israel shook his head, berating himself for believing that Sofia had changed. She hadn’t. The last four days had been an act for her, a way for her to feign being a friend to get Israel to open up to her. He couldn’t believe he had been so naive, and he hated that he’d agreed to her invitation in the first place. “I’m sorry if I made you think I was interested in anything more than friendship. I accepted your invitation to come as friends, but I told you then Tiffany still had my heart. That hasn’t changed, and she needs me now.”
“You know, I thought you would realize when we went out tonight that I can give you everything Tiffany can. Maybe more, but I refuse to be second place in any man’s heart.”
Second place? She didn’t even have a place in his heart. He’d been naive to think her concern was really about him and not about her and what she wanted, but he was not going to apologize for loving Tiffany. “Sofia, I-”
He was interrupted by her frustrated sigh. “Fine, run off with your girlfriend. I don’t think we would have worked out anyway.”
Israel blinked at her, confused by her sudden shift. Her anger had dissipated as quickly as it emerged, replaced with resignation, but he had neither the time or the energy to spend on trying to figure her out. “I have to go, but I can call you a cab.”
Sofia rolled her eyes. “Don’t bother. I’m not ready to leave yet, and I’m sure I can find someone to take me home.”
Before he could say another word, Sofia had disappeared back into the crowd, her sights clearly set on her next victim. Hoping he wasn’t too late, he hurried back to where he’d left Tiffany. The ambulance was just loading her in the back as he reached them, and he climbed up beside her, grabbing her hand as he sat down.
“You made it.”
“I told you I would.”
Her eyes glistened as she looked at him and then bit her lip. “Israel, I’m so sorry I pushed you away.”
The doors of the ambulance closed and the EMT sat down on the other side of Tiffany, but she didn’t seem to care about his presence. Her eyes were fixed firmly on Israel.
“You know the pain I was having the last night we went out?”
Israel nodded, remembering the grimaces that had distorted her face as she clutched her stomach but brushed it off when he asked about it.
“Well, I went to the doctor the next day.”
Israel glanced at the EMT. Did Tiffany really want to share this story now with the stranger listening?
“She told me that I have endometriosis.”
“Tiffany, I--” Again, he glanced at the EMT who avoided his eyes as he tried to look busy and like he wasn’t listening.
“No, let me get this out before I lose my nerve.” She paused and took a deep breath before saying, “She told me I may not be able to have kids.”
Silence fell in the ambulance at the conclusion of her statement, and for a second Israel merely blinked at her. She was so young and healthy, how could she not be able to have children? A million thoughts flooded his mind, and shame filled him when the first thoughts were purely selfish. Would he be okay if she couldn’t have kids? Would he be okay not having a son who looked like him or a daughter he knew shared his genes? And then he realized this must have been her fear as well - that he wouldn’t be okay
with the news.
He thought about how hard this must have been for her. She must have not only had to deal with her own grief but also her worry in how he would take the news, and now he was playing right into her fear.
“Is that why you broke it off? Because you were afraid I wouldn’t be okay with that news?”
Her lips mashed together for a minute, and he knew she was trying to keep the tears back. “You said you wanted a big family, and I won’t be able to give that to you. I figured it would be better to end it before we both got hurt later.”
Israel squeezed her hand. “Families come in many ways. I do want a big family, but it’s more important that I have the perfect woman to spend my life with. God will take care of the rest.” As he said the words, he realized they were true. Though he had always planned to have a natural family, he knew there were many babies who needed a forever home that they could adopt and fostering was also a possibility.
“You really believe that?”
“I do. Tiffany, it’s been a long time since I’ve met someone I could see spending my life with. I don’t want to lose that.”
“Me either. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have.”
Israel smiled as the ambulance came to a stop. “I don’t blame you, but I’m certainly glad you did now.”
The EMT cleared his throat. “I hate to break up this touching moment, but we’re here. Can I take her inside now?”
“Of course.” Israel squeezed Tiffany’s hand one more time before letting go. “I’ll be right here.”
It was a few hours later when they finally released Tiffany with a pair of crutches, a walking boot, a prescription for some pain killers, and a diagnosis of a type two sprain. Type ones were the mildest, so a type two meant she needed to stay off her feet for a few days and then use the walking boot after that. It would certainly make her job harder but not impossible. At least she had a good team who could help her at the resort.
“Thank you for staying with me,” Tiffany said as they sat down on the bench outside to wait for Chance to pick them up and take them back to their cars at the resort. “I’m so sorry that we lost this week due to my stupidity.”
Israel turned to her and cupped her cheek. “First of all, you are not stupid. Silly, maybe, but hopefully you’ll trust me to handle the big news with you in the future.” She nodded, her eyes locked intently with his. “Second, you should know this by now, but just in case you don’t yet, I’ll tell you again. Even though a hospital is not the setting I had in mind, there is no place I’d rather be than with you.”
He ran his thumb across her lips before leaning in to kiss her. Though the position was awkward, he did not let that distract him from the feeling of joy that surged through him at her touch. It might only have been a week, but he had missed this feeling, and he never wanted to lose it again.
The honking of a horn caused Israel to jump back, and he whipped around to find Chance and Merribeth smiling at them. “I hate to interrupt the moment,” Chance said with a wide grin, “but I was told you two needed a ride.”
“To be continued?” Israel asked Tiffany softly as he helped her hobble to the car.
“Definitely,” she said, and the smile she flashed him seared itself in his mind. Suddenly he knew that he wanted to see that smile forever, and he would never let Tiffany push him away again.
22
Tiffany
“So, how’s the ankle?” Holly asked as she watched Tiffany get ready for her date. Two weeks had passed since the end of summer bash, and while her ankle was still tender and she wouldn’t be running any marathons soon, she no longer needed the crutches to get around. For that, she was thankful.
“It’s pretty good. Some days are harder than others obviously.” Tiffany had been forced to take two days off work right after the injury because it hurt too much to put much weight on it. After that, she’d been able to return but been forced to spend a lot of her day in a chair or hobble around on her crutches. Finally, a few days ago, the doctor had cleared her to downgrade to just an ankle brace. It certainly didn’t look sexy with her outfit, but she would take it over the crutches any day.
“And how are things with Israel?” Holly’s voice had taken on a teasing tone, and she flashed a mischievous smile to match.
Tiffany’s cheeks flushed pink. “They’re good.” In fact, they were better than good. He’d been so attentive to her every need since the bash, driving her places the first few days and attending every doctor and therapy appointment with her. He’d even started coming over on the evenings Holly worked late to cook for Tiffany, so she could stay off her feet. Except for tonight. Tonight he had insisted they go out.
“Uh huh. Have you guys talked any more about the future?”
Tiffany put in her favorite earrings and then crossed to the bed to sit next to Holly. “All the time. In fact, I think he might propose tonight.” She bit the inside of her lip. “I really want him to, but do you think it’s too soon?”
“That’s a question only you can answer,” Holly said, leaning forward, “but if you’re questioning the decision merely because of the time, then I say that doesn’t matter. How long did your parents date before they got married?”
Tiffany thought about it. She hadn’t talked about marriage with her family much, especially after her father tried to take over her life, but she did remember one conversation with her mother when she was younger. “They only dated a few months before they got married, but that was a different time. And I don’t know that they’re happy.”
“They’re still together, right?” When Tiffany nodded, Holly continued. “Maybe they’re happy in a way you just don’t understand. Anyway, my parents also had a short time of dating. In fact, my mother told me once that she knew my father was the man she was going to marry on their first date. Now, I think that’s a littly crazy, but my point is that I don’t think time is important if you know.”
“But how do I know? For sure? I want to believe he’s the one, but he’s the first man I’ve dated since Connor. What if he seems perfect because Connor was so bad?” Tiffany knew that was irrational, but it didn’t stop the thought from taking residence in her head.
Holly smiled at her. “Well, you know your faith is stronger than mine, but I’m assuming you’ve prayed about it, right?”
Tiffany nodded sheepishly. She wasn’t embarrassed that she’d prayed about it - she knew that part was important - but she was embarrassed to be praying about it so soon in the relationship.
“And?”
Tiffany shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel peace about saying yes if he asks, but there’s a tiny piece of me that worries I’m telling myself it’s right and ignoring God’s voice. Heaven knows that I did it long enough that it’s often quiet.”
Holly placed a hand on Tiffany’s knee. “Let me ask you this. Besides God, who’s the first person you think about in the morning?”
Tiffany smiled. “Israel.”
“And who is the last person you think about at night?”
“Israel.”
“And who is the first person you want to talk to when you have news to share?”
Tiffany knew where this was going, but she decided to play with Holly. “You, of course.”
Holly shoved her lightly. “Haha. You know it’s Israel. Now, I don’t know about you, but it sounds like this man is your best friend, and who else would you want to spend the rest of your life with but your best friend?”
“You’re right. Now, I just hope I haven’t built the night up for nothing,” Tiffany said with a nervous laugh.
“Even if you did, I have no doubt he will be asking the question soon. It’s clear as day that he loves you.”
Tiffany opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the doorbell rang. “I guess that’s my cue,” she said, getting off the bed. “Wish me luck.”
Holly shook her head. “You don’t need luck. Have fun.”
Tiffany paused at the door frame and look
ed back at her friend. Though Holly smiled and motioned for her to go on, Tiffany was almost certain there had been a wistful tone in her voice. Could she be feeling lonely? Maybe she and Israel could find the perfect man for Holly. Oh good grief, she wasn’t even engaged yet and she was already acting like her married friends and trying to set up her single friend. Shaking her head, she continued to the front door to let Israel in. If there was one thing she knew about Holly, it was that she didn’t need Tiffany’s help to find a man.
All thoughts of Holly fled from her mind as she opened the door to a smiling Israel on the other side. Reminiscent of their first date together, he held out a rose to her, only this one was red and not white which reminded her that she’d forgotten to ask him the meaning of the white rose that first day. She hadn’t felt she knew him well enough then, but now they had no secrets and the words spilled from her lips.
“Thank you, Israel. Come on in while I put this in water. I always meant to ask you about the first rose. Why did you choose white for the first rose?”
Israel smiled as he followed her into the kitchen. “I’m sure you know that colors have meanings.”
Tiffany nodded and grabbed the vase off the top of the fridge. The day after her accident, Israel had suprised her with a bouquet of flowers complete with a vase. The flowers had since died, but she’d cleaned and kept the vase knowing there would be more flowers in her future, at least as long as Israel was in her life. “I do, but I always thought white was symbolic of purity or surrender.”
“It is, but the white rose has many symbolic meanings. For example, if you dream of white roses, it can indicate a peaceful time in your life.”
Tiffany chuckled as she filled the vase with water. “Perhaps that’s why I’ve never dreamed of them. What else?”
“If you are injured by a white rose, it can mean trouble is coming your way, and cutting white roses indicates a new phase in your life.”
Her First Love Page 11
