Kit held up her watch, catching light from the reception hall. “Ten minutes. She’s about to toss the bouquet.”
“I want to freshen up in the ladies’ room.”
Julie found her purse shoved into a corner by the bandstand. She dusted it off and thanked the Lord for His peace. Kit motioned for her to hurry, so Julie darted down a long hall toward the door marked Ladies.
She stopped short when Alexander Crawford came into view. “I knew you’d come down this hall sooner or later.”
❧
The plane touched down with a bounce and slowed with such force that Ethan lurched forward. But he didn’t care. He was on Florida soil.
Eight o’clock. The delay in Boston caused him to miss his connection in Philadelphia. They shuffled him over to another flight that was full, then listed him on standby for a third flight.
He got the last seat on that flight, but they sat on the runway for thirty minutes. Still, the journey stirred a yearning in him. He couldn’t wait to see Julie.
Once he deplaned, he ran through the terminal, his garment bag slung over his shoulder, anticipation mingling with adrenaline. Hailing a taxi, he climbed in the back and told the driver the reception hall address.
Amelia Island seemed like light-years from the airport. “Here you go.” The cab driver glanced over his shoulder. “That’ll be twenty-six eighty-nine.”
Ethan dropped a couple of twenties over the seat. “Keep the change.”
Standing outside the Plantation Resort, he ignored his rapid heartbeat and headed inside just as the bride tossed her bouquet. A gaggle of single ladies vied for the prize. Ethan couldn’t suppress his smile when a lanky, pink-clad bridesmaid nearly toppled a flower girl to catch the cluster of roses.
Roses. Ah, he meant to buy Julie a rose at the airport but in his haste forgot. He spied a bouquet of carnations on an empty reception table and asked a passing waiter if he could take one.
“Help yourself.”
Ethan selected one white carnation for Julie and surveyed the candlelit room. Where are you, babe?
“Ethan, darling, you’ve arrived. I was worried.” Kit floated his way, dressed in a black evening gown, her arms extended.
“Finally.” Ethan returned her hug, the edge of his nerves softening. “Where’s Julie?”
Kit winked. “She’s gone to powder her nose.” She pointed across the room toward a narrow hall. “Why don’t you go wait for her? When she comes out. . . Oh, a white carnation. Won’t she be surprised.”
Ethan gripped Kit’s elbow lightly. “Will she?”
“How can you ask? Yes, more than you know. More than you know.” She patted his cheek, then took his garment bag. “I’ll set this with our things.”
Walking between the tables, adorned with linen cloths and golden hurricane lamps, Ethan dug his hands in his jeans pockets. He’d planned to change into a suit, but that was before the delay.
Entering the hallway, he heard voices. “Let me go.”
“Oh, come on. You and me.” An eerie laugh reverberated off the block walls.
“I said, let me go.”
Ethan squinted in the dim light. Through the shadows he saw a large man pressed against. . .Julie!
❧
If this was terror, Julie never wanted to taste it again. She shook so hard she could barely catch her breath. “I don’t understand what you want with me.” She thought to run but couldn’t command her feet.
“What does any man want with a beautiful woman?” He sauntered her way, hands in his tuxedo pants pockets, his shirt collar open, his bow tie dangling around his neck.
Jesus, rescue me. Julie’s heart whispered prayers her lips could not utter. She felt frozen by Alexander Crawford’s visual embrace.
Well, she would not be prey. “Step away.”
He reached for her, but she fumbled backward, out of his grasp. “What, you don’t want a little Florida fling?”
“Absolutely not!” She tightened her jaw. “Let me go.”
The hallway reverberated with his low laugh. “Perhaps the lady protests too much?”
“I said, let me go!”
Julie heard footfalls at the other end of the hall. “You heard her; let her go.” With long, purposeful strides, she watched Ethan travel the long hallway.
She ran to him. “Ethan! What are you doing here?” She couldn’t stop trembling.
Ethan wrapped her in his arms, smoothed her hair with his right hand, and cradled her head on his shoulder. His left hand encircled her waist. “Shh, babe, it’s going to be all right.”
“He. . .followed. . .me.” Her words came between wobbly sobs.
“He’s gone now. I’m here.”
She locked her arms around him as if to crawl inside his skin. With an easy sway, Ethan rocked her from side to side until she’d cried every tear. Finally, she drew a deep, steadying breath. Ethan’s fragrance, musty like the scent of the beach at the end of the day, filled her senses.
She wondered if she could love him any more than she did at this very moment. At last, she lifted her face to his. “I’m never leaving home without you again.”
He laughed, then lowered his lips to hers. “Never?” he asked after their first kiss in weeks.
“Never.” She tiptoed to kiss him again. He tasted sweet.
“For you.” He handed her a white carnation. “I wanted it to be a rose, but. . .long story. I’ll tell you later.”
She took the flower and kissed him again. “Any flower from you is as precious as a rose. Thank you.”
Kit appeared around the corner. “Hurry, Julie. Two minutes.”
“Oh, Kit, my face.”
Ethan kissed her forehead. “It’s beautiful.”
“No, it’s not. Let me touch up my makeup.” Julie handed him her carnation and dashed for the ladies’ room. Her hands trembled slightly as she touched up her foundation and eye makeup.
Ethan stood guard outside the door. When she emerged, he slipped his arm around her waist as they walked toward the bandstand. “Who was that man?”
“Some man named Alex Crawford. He approached me when I was sitting alone, eating cake.”
“Alex Crawford. The football player?” Ethan glanced around the room.
“I don’t know about football, but he’s a first-class stalker.”
“Is he still here?”
Julie set her carnation and purse by the bandstand. Mike and Cassie had already taken their seats. “Don’t tell me you want his autograph, Ethan.”
He held her close. “Autograph? I want to ask him to step outside to discuss his rude behavior.”
“No fighting, Ethan.” Sixty seconds with Alexander Crawford terrified her, but she didn’t want Ethan drawing attention to the situation by confronting him. She felt a deep compassion for women who had no one to rescue them from the Alexander Crawfords of the world.
But she had Ethan. Suddenly he was there to rescue her. “Ethan.”
He stopped scanning the room and gazed down at her. “Yeah, babe.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Chasing my wife to the ends of the earth to let her know how much I love her and how important she is to me.”
Julie smiled. “Did your grandpa give you that line?”
He chuckled. “No, but he did teach me about Lambert’s Code.”
“We both have a lot to learn about Lambert’s Code.” She laced her fingers through his. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m not going to Costa Rica.”
She stiffened. “Really?”
“Not if it means driving a deeper wedge between us.”
“But I put a wedge between us. I came here when you asked me not to, and I bought a car without your knowledge.”
He kissed her hand. “We both made mistakes. I’m here because I want to start new. We’re not teenaged newlyweds anymore, Julie, playing house with dreams of babies.”
“It’s real life—with hard decisions.” Tears dropped from the
edges of her cheeks.
He wiped them away. “With disappointments. We can’t let every unexpected turn challenge our love and commitment.”
She pulled him toward her and kissed him. “I’m sorry about everything. Forgive me?”
“Absolutely. Forgive me?”
“Yes.” She sealed her promise with another kiss.
“It’s behind us.”
Kit floated toward the bandstand, waving a piece of paper.
“Tina had the presence of mind to pay me.” Kit flashed the check for the group to see.
Ethan whistled low. “Where do I sign up?”
Julie laughed. “You can’t play a note.” She stepped onto the bandstand, still marveling at the dramatic events of the evening and the miracle of her rescue by Ethan.
Twenty
From the kitchen, Julie called up to Ethan, “There’s nothing to eat!”
“Peanut butter and jelly.”
She laughed. “Didn’t you shop while I was gone?”
“Naw, what for?” He descended the stairs two at a time.
Walking into the kitchen, Ethan thanked God for His mercy and the lesson of Lambert’s Code. He’d never forget it.
“I feel like pizza,” he said, hugging Julie. The day and a half they’d spent in Florida revived their relationship.
“You want to go out?” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
“No, let’s order in.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll build a fire in the fireplace.”
Julie gave him a quick squeeze before letting go. “I’ll call Giuseppe.”
❧
The fire crackled as they dove into the large pepperoni pie. Julie twisted the cap off a two-liter bottle of diet soda and poured.
“Bobby and Elle introduced me to someone the other night,” Ethan said, bringing up Abby for the first time.
Julie paused from pouring to look at him. “Introduced you to someone?” She tipped her head.
He took a bite of his pizza. “Yeah, a woman.” He couldn’t hide his grin.
“What?” She set down the soda bottle. “Ethan, don’t mess with me. I’m fragile.”
He coughed. “Please. You’re a rock.”
“What woman?”
“Elle’s niece, Abby.”
Julie tore a slice of pizza off for herself. “I met her once. She was the prettiest ten-year-old I’d ever seen.”
“She’s seventeen now. And pregnant.”
She swallowed her pizza with one gulp. “You’re kidding.”
“If she finds a family she likes, she’ll give the baby up for adoption.” Ethan studied her expression.
“When is she due?”
“About four months. Bobby and Elle asked us to consider adopting the baby.”
“You didn’t say anything to Abby, did you?”
Ethan held up his hand. “Not on your life. I learned my lesson.”
Julie arched over the pizza box to give him a kiss. Wiping her hands with a napkin, she asked, “What do you want to do?”
Ethan shrugged, his emotions rising to the surface. “When I pictured children, they were ours. A daughter who could dunk a basketball while humming Beethoven, and a son who loved the arts as much as he loved scoring touchdowns.”
Julie nodded. “And children who love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength?”
He regarded her, his gaze intent on her oval face. “Yes. In fact, I’d like to work on that aspect of my own life.”
“Me, too.” Moving the pizza box, Julie sat cross-legged in front of her husband. “You know, almost every girl wants to be a mom.”
Ethan nodded and took her hand in his.
“But trying to bear my parents’ load made my desire more intense.”
“Right.”
“For the first time in years, I feel like I have choices. I’m pretty sure it will include adoption, but not right now. God has something for me to do; I just need to discover what. Is that all right?”
He pressed her hand against his chest. “Yes, that’s all right. I want to discover God’s plan for us as much as you do.”
“Well, hold on to your hat—”
“I don’t have a hat.” He chuckled low and pulled her to him.
“Ha-ha. Ethan, we’re on an adventure. . . .”
He nuzzled her neck. “Mm-hmm.”
She responded to his tenderness with a kiss, then asked, “Are you paying any attention to me at all?”
He cleared his throat. “Yes, adventure.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“I feel released, Ethan. Like I can stop trying to fit my life into this perfect picture box.”
“I know what you mean. I feel like I can stop holding my breath.” He picked up another piece of pizza.
“When it’s quiet in my soul, I stop thinking how unfair all this is, and you know what I want the most?”
“What?”
“To be with you. Just you and me in a new adventure with the Lord.”
“Me, too. So what about Abby?”
Julie’s eyes glistened. “I want to wait.” She laughed softly. “I can’t believe I just heard myself say that, but it’s all my heart can do at the moment.”
“Actually, I feel the same way.” Ethan stared at her for an intense second, then closed the pizza box and said, “Put on your coat; we’re going for a ride.”
❧
The moon reminded Julie of a rare pearl set against black velvet with diamonds scattered around. The celestial body’s white halo lit the winter sky, and moonbeams danced over the tiny town of White Birch.
Ethan escorted her to the convertible, blankets tucked under his arm.
“Where are we going?” She waited by her door, shivering.
“It’s a surprise.” Ethan opened her door, then reached inside to pop the top.
Julie took the blankets he handed her, laughing. “What are you doing? It’s freezing.”
With the top tucked away, Ethan motioned to the passenger seat. “Your chariot awaits.”
Enjoying the impromptu moment, Julie dropped into her seat with a giggle. Ethan spread the blankets over her legs and lap. Last, he plopped a wool beanie on her head.
Content and happy, Julie situated the beanie on her head while Ethan scooted around to the driver’s side. He started the engine, cranked the heater, and tuned the radio station to something soft.
Shifting into gear, he tapped on the dash. “It’s a modern sleigh ride. We’ve got two hundred and forty horses.”
Julie dropped her head against the seat rest and sang, “Just hear those sleigh bells jingling—”
Ethan joined the song as he took the back roads across town.
“You still haven’t told me where we are going,” Julie said, her eyes on the night sky.
“You’ll see.”
In a moment or two, she knew, when the old bridge came into view.
“Perfect,” she whispered as Ethan escorted her down the riverbank in the light of the moon.
The night was beautiful and serene, and the lullaby of the river serenaded them. With their arms around each other, they stood on the bank without speaking. For the first time in a very long time, Julie felt like she was running on the right track.
“Come to the bridge.” Ethan guided her to the cover of the town landmark. He pulled a flashlight from his pocket and clicked on the small lamp.
“What’s wrong? You look so serious.” Julie lightly touched his cheek.
Ethan grinned and stuck the flashlight under his chin. “How ’bout now?”
She laughed and batted the light away. “Scary.”
Ethan wrapped her in his arms. “My beautiful wife.” He bent down on one knee.
“What are you doing?” She dropped to her knees, too, and faced him.
Eye to eye, Ethan said, “Julie, I asked you to marry me almost eleven years ago. We were barely eighteen, young and immature, but in love.”
She let out a nervous giggle. “Ethan�
��”
“Shh, just listen. A lot of things have changed since I asked you to marry me.”
“Yes,” she said with an easy shake of her head.
Ethan grabbed her hands. “But life has taken a different turn. We have a new tapestry to create for our marriage. So”—he paused for a kiss—“with that in mind, Julie Hanover Lambert, will you be my wife? No expectations except to love and serve each other, and love God with our whole hearts?”
She smiled, her head cocked to one side. “I am your wife, now and forever.”
Ethan looked at her, drawing a deep breath. “We’ve spent the past ten years trying to execute the life we thought we wanted at sixteen. Now, here we are adults, mature—”
Her laugh billowed around him. “Don’t throw that word around too loosely, bud. Mature?” She pressed the tip of her nose to his.
He chuckled. “Given, I have my moments. But we know more what I’m about, what you’re about, what curveballs life has pitched to us.”
“We know the melody of our song.”
“We know the rules of the game.”
Tears slipped down her cold cheeks. “The last few weeks seem like a nightmare. I don’t want to ever do that again.”
He brushed away her tears with the tips of his fingers. “So tonight let’s declare a fresh start. You and me. We might adopt ten kids, or move to Florida, maybe live to be a hundred and die side by side, holding hands. The possibilities are endless.”
Throwing her arms around him, she shouted to the rafters. “And, I’ll be your wife. For the next decade and every decade after.”
With a hoot, Ethan hopped to his feet and whipped out his pocketknife. “I carved our initials the first time I asked you. Guess a second proposal deserves a second carving.”
“Don’t fall this time.” Julie laughed as she watched her husband scale the side of the bridge and, hanging from the rafters, carve their initials into the strong bridge beam.
❧
Monday morning, Ethan tossed his sports bag in the foyer by the front door. The aroma of coffee filled the apartment. Walking into the kitchen, he kissed his wife.
“Mom called. She wants us to come to dinner tomorrow night. Is that okay?” Julie handed him a plate of eggs and toast. She smoothed his cheek with the palm of her hand.
“Fine with me. I was thinking of playing some hoops after work tonight. Is that okay with you?”
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