Drive and Determination

by Louise, Kara

  Elyssa ended the call and sat down again next to him. He said nothing and that made her feel more ashamed.

  “I guess it’s easy to get a little… consumed by a job,” she said haltingly.

  “When you want it done right, sometimes people need a little… prodding.” Will stood up and reached for her hand. “Why don’t we take a look inside the house, now?”

  Elyssa lifted her hand to his and he gave it a gentle tug, helping her out of the swing. As she came to her feet and he turned to walk toward the front door, his hand fully surrounded hers. She didn’t remember taking any steps; she was quite sure she was floating.

  When they reached the front door, she realized that Will just now had the perfect opportunity to defend himself against her accusations that he was consumed with his work -- and yet he didn’t. He merely offered that when you want a job done right, you need to put a little effort into it. She wondered how she had come to deserve even his friendship. It was something she was beginning to treasure.

  Once they stepped indoors, Elyssa’s attention was drawn away from him by one of the workers needing her advice on something. Will took it upon himself to wander around the living room, looking at everything with great interest.

  He was very pleased with what he saw. It had been difficult for him to envision a home when this house was being built, but even with only a portion of it finished, he felt a sense of belonging in it. She had done a brilliant job and he wouldn’t have wanted anything different. As he waited for Elyssa, he walked over to the corner of the room where a collection of furniture had been delivered and was out of the way of the workers. As he examined it, he appreciated that she had ordered furnishings that were practical as well as pleasing to the eye. She had incorporated a mixture of fabrics, dark woods, and an occasional touch of suede or leather.

  He knew that, God forbid, if she chose to return to her life in Santa Ynez without him, this house would still suit him perfectly. He knew it would be because Elyssa had been the one to decorate it. Now in seeing it, he truly appreciated her and her talent. But more than that, he hoped she would stay.

  He walked over to a large reclining chair and sat down to wait until Elyssa returned. He gave in to the urge to lean back and stretch out in it, bringing his hands together and clasping them under his head.

  He momentarily closed his eyes, and when Elyssa returned, she laughed to herself when she saw where he was. It was, after all, the memory of him in the recliner at the village that prompted her to buy this one. She walked over and he opened one eye.

  “Caught me sleeping on the job!” he teased.

  “I’m sorry, Will. This must truly bore you.”

  Will brought the chair to its upright position and stood up. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”

  The look he gave her sent shivers throughout.

  “So what do you think?” she forced herself to ask him.

  While keeping his eyes on her, he answered, “I like what I see very much.”

  It took every ounce of strength for Elyssa to mutter, “I’m glad you like it.”

  Their attention was solely fixed on one another, but the movement of the workers inside suddenly caught Will’s attention.

  Will took Elyssa’s arm. “Come. Let’s step back outside.”

  They walked out and when they came to the steps of the front porch, Will stopped and turned to Elyssa.

  Taking in a large gulp of air and an even bigger step of faith, Will asked, “Would you like to go out with me on Friday night?”

  Elyssa turned and looked up at him, her eyes widened in surprise. “You mean on a date?”

  Will let out a nervous chuckle. “If that’s what they still call it these days, then yes, a date.”

  “Oh,” Elyssa said softly, her mind having difficulty comprehending this.

  Elyssa’s pause gave Will reason to experience a slight alarm, but he quickly added, “I thought we could go to Old Town, eat dinner and take in a movie. Nothing fancy.”

  “Sounds wonderful. I’d like that very much,” Elyssa said as she broke into a disarming smile.

  Will breathed out a sigh of relief. “I’m very glad to hear that. I debated between that and bumper cars.” A smile widened on his face, matching Elyssa’s, and they both chuckled.

  “I’ll come by and pick you up at your aunt and uncle’s around seven o’clock, if that’s OK. Can you give me their address?” At least he remembered to ask for the address. He really did need it this time, although he’d be able to find out easily enough merely by asking Emily for it.

  Elyssa wrote it down for him and he tucked it into his shirt pocket. “I’ll see you on Friday, then.”

  Elyssa nodded. “Yes, Friday.”

  The two stood staring at each other, neither seeming to want to move. Will only managed to take one step backwards down the first step of the porch.

  “Well,” said Will finally, “I suppose you ought to get back to work.”

  Elyssa sighed. “Yes, I suppose I should.”

  When Elyssa still didn’t move, Will reached out and took her hand. He drew it towards him, prompting her to take a small step forward. He looked down as his fingers closed around it.

  With a pensive gleam, he lifted his eyes back up to Elyssa and they stared silently at each other, the warmth of his hand enfolding hers. Ever so slowly, he brought her hand up, bending his head slightly as he brushed the very tip of her fingers with his lips.

  He smiled at her and reluctantly released her hand. “I couldn’t be happier that you are here, Elyssa. I couldn’t be happier.” He reached out and with the back of his fingers, he gently stroked her cheek. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

  He turned to walk to his car and Elyssa couldn’t move as she watched him leave, reaching out for the porch rail to keep her balance. She brought her hand up and pressed her fingertips against her cheek, feeling a lingering warmth from his kiss and touch that pervaded deep within her very soul.

  Chapter 27

  Elyssa worked with a new joy and determination for the remainder of the week, looking with much anticipation to Friday. There were, unfortunately, a few more problems, but instead of causing her frustration, the mere expectation of her date with Will eased her troubled mind. In the midst of receiving a problematic phone call or encountering an unexpected delay, she was able to keep a smile on her face and a skip to her stride.

  Elyssa left work early on Friday to get ready for her evening out with Will. Each time she thought of it, she would shamelessly giggle.

  Her aunt joined her in her bedroom as she put on the finishing touches to her makeup and she took Elyssa’s hand. “Your uncle and I are so happy for you! We both feel that he is a very good man!”

  Elyssa laughed. “You don’t have to worry about how I feel about him anymore, Maddy. I’ve changed. My opinion of him has changed.” She turned and gave her aunt a smile. “And I think he has changed.”

  “Good. Now just relax and enjoy yourself, tonight.”

  “If I can just get rid of these first-date jitters. I’m too old for this!”

  “You never felt nervous around him before, did you?” her aunt asked.

  “No,” Elyssa couldn’t repress a nervous chuckle. “I was too angry at him most of the time and making sure he felt every ounce of blame I directed at him!” As she gave her hair a final brushing, she said, “A mere two months ago he was truly the last man in the world that I would ever have wanted to go out with!”

  As the time drew nearer to seven, Elyssa grew more and more nervous, pacing back and forth and checking the clock.

  “Seven o’clock will be here when seven o’clock comes,” her uncle teased. “Not any sooner and not any later.”

  “Do I look OK?” she asked for the umpteenth time.

  “Elyssa, you look beautiful. Besides, you really don’t have to worry about how you look tonight,” Edward stated emphatically, a teasing glint in his eye.

  Elyssa directed her eyes at him. “Why do you say that?�
��

  Edward laughed. “Because if he was willing to ask you out despite the way you looked at the house on Wednesday, he can have no objection to your appearance tonight!”

  “Oh!” Elyssa pounded her fists to her side. “Don’t remind me how terrible I looked that day!”

  A car’s headlights shining into the window gave everyone an early announcement of Will’s arrival.

  Elyssa stood up and began to walk to the back of the house. “I’ll be doing some last minute touch-ups. You may announce me in a minute or two,” Elyssa gave a dipping curtsey and then scurried off.

  Edward and Maddy glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. Their niece certainly had it bad and if William Denton was willing to overlook the way Elyssa treated him, he certainly was not one to let get away. They eagerly anticipated having a few moments with the man all to themselves.

  Edward answered the door when Will knocked and gave him a cheerful greeting. “Well, my good man, it is a pleasure to see you again!”

  “Thank you, Sir. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

  Will stepped in and Edward ushered him into the living room. “Come, have a seat. Elyssa will be ready in a minute.”

  As he walked in, Maddy could not suppress the smile on her face. He looked almost as nervous as Elyssa had. “Good evening, Will.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Garner.”

  “Call me Maddy; everyone does.”

  Will nodded as he sat down. He brought his hands together and tapped the edges of his fingers against each other. Looking about him, he said, “You have a nice home here. This is a very pleasant area.”

  “Thank you. We like it.” Maddy smiled as she considered their house was probably much smaller than what he was used to. She supposed he had a grand house north of Chicago, probably along the lake, where most of the exclusive mansions were located.

  “We’ve really enjoyed exploring the different parks and lakes around here,” Edward said. “If the weather holds up, we are all going to have a picnic tomorrow. It’s supposed to be one of the last pleasant days before the cool days of autumn come upon us. I hope to find a lake and do some fishing.”

  “Can’t think of anything that sounds nicer,” Will said, his hands now clasped together tightly.

  “Would you care to tag along?” Edward asked. “You did say you could show me some good fishing spots around here.”

  “I did, didn’t I?” responded Will with a smile.

  “If you aren’t too busy,” Maddy added, “we would love to have you join us.”

  Will nodded his head. “I think I would like that. I could suggest a few places if you like.” He looked over at Edward. “I know of a few lakes that are very well-stocked, in fact.”

  Edward leaned back and clasped his hands together. “Wonderful!”

  “Can I bring anything?” Will looked to Maddy.

  “No, no,” Maddy waved her hand in the air. “Just bring yourself. Why don’t you come by a little before eleven. We thought we would leave before noon to give us time to find a nice place to have lunch.”

  As Will thought about this, he couldn’t think of a better time to tell Elyssa about the house. He didn’t want to tell her tonight. He wanted to have at least one whole evening with her without there being anything that would ruin it. He was fairly certain that she was beginning to enjoy his company. The picnic tomorrow might provide the perfect opportunity to tell her -- at least when the picnic was over and he had some time with her by herself. Maybe afterwards, he would take her over to the house and tell her there.

  Maddy stood up. “Let me tell Elyssa you’re here.”

  As she started to walk out, Elyssa stepped into the hallway. An exchanged look between aunt and niece let each other know everything was just fine.

  Will turned and saw Elyssa step into view. As she walked toward him with a smile directed specifically at him, his heart leapt. “Hello, Elyssa. You look very nice.”

  “Thank you. Let me get my coat.”

  Will told the Garners he would have Elyssa home by about one or two. Elyssa thought that was sweet of him and Edward responded as if he expected nothing less.

  “We appreciate that, Will.” Edward gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Not that we are over-protective of her or anything, but our niece is very dear to us and it is good to know when to expect her home.”

  Elyssa grabbed her coat and they walked to the door.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” Will offered. “It’s getting chilly out there.”

  Once she had her coat on, they walked out and the Garners offered their wishes for a good evening.

  *~*~*

  A very congenial atmosphere surrounded the two as they left the home. Elyssa was happily surprised, after just a few minutes, to find that her jitters had ceased. She realized with a start that there was little more she could do to disappoint him. No more than two months ago, she had done everything within her power to push him away. She had accused and abused him and yet he still had been willing to ask her out on a date!

  He had seen the very worst of her. No, she had no reason to be nervous. She chuckled as she also considered that the plush interior and smooth riding of his small luxury car helped relax her immeasurably.

  Will asked Elyssa if she liked Mediterranean food. When she replied in the affirmative, he suggested they eat at a place fairly close by, rather than drive all the way into Chicago. He claimed that it had some of the best food around.

  As they walked in, she found herself admiring the décor. It had a very intimate and welcoming ambiance. Will was greeted by name and they were taken to a table back in the corner.

  Will described his favorite entrees to Elyssa, and trusting his judgment, she asked him to order for her. He ordered two different meals and when they came, they ended up splitting each in half and shared.

  Over the course of the meal, they talked about the picnic the following day and how he was looking forward to it. Will updated her on the progress of the memorials. Elyssa asked him about Gina and how she was enjoying her first semester at college.

  “She says she enjoys it. It’s been a little lonely not having her around. I wonder whether she misses me as much as I do her.”

  Elyssa looked down as she suddenly thought about how much she missed Janet. Tears didn’t begin to spill, but she did take in a steadying breath.

  Will extended his hand and placed it over hers. “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t thinking.”

  “No, it’s OK, really.” She felt strengthened by the touch of his hand. “It’s only natural for you to miss her. So how often have you gone out to visit her?”

  Will looked at her. “What do you mean?”

  Elyssa shook her head playfully. “She told me that you planned to come out every other weekend to make sure she was studying instead of out partying.”

  Will narrowed his eyes at Elyssa as he watched her try to wipe the smile from her face. “She didn’t really tell you that, did she?”

  Elyssa laughed. “Oh, yes! She said you were quite overprotective and she was looking forward to finally being out from under your strict control.”

  Will glanced down with a grimace and then back up, only to see Elyssa laughing. “I’m teasing, Will. She actually told me you would probably visit her just to make sure she was getting out and not locking herself in her room studying all the time.”

  “You had me worried, Elyssa. I wondered whether I even knew my own sister.”

  When they had finished their meal, Will reached over for Elyssa’s hand. “After the picnic tomorrow, would you have some time to go somewhere with me? I have something I want to show you.”

  Elyssa saw a hint of apprehension cloud his eyes, but she quickly dismissed it. “I don’t have any plans tomorrow other than the picnic, Will. I would love to. What is it?”

  Giving her hand a squeeze, a hesitant smile touched his lips. “You’ll see.”

  Elyssa smiled. “The last time you were this secretive, it was an afternoon of bumper
cars.”

  “Not this time,” Will replied somberly.

  After dinner, they drove into Chicago and Elyssa found Will easy to talk with. He was never inclined to dominate the conversation, but always had intelligent comments or wise insights to contribute. He was also always eager to discover Elyssa’s views on things.

  As they made their way into Chicago, Elyssa was quite surprised how quickly the time passed despite the distance and traffic. When they came into Old Town, Will easily maneuvered into a parking garage and they set out to walk.

  They ambled down streets filled with eclectic shops and restaurants, peeking in windows and commenting to one another on the window displays. When they reached a home decorating store, Elyssa insisted they go in.

  Filled with everything from antiques to classics to modern, Elyssa knew this was just the type of place to find that one thing that would add a special something to a room. As they walked in, they were welcomed in by the owner.

  “Are you looking for anything in particular?” he asked.

  “I’ll know it when I see it, “Elyssa responded.

  Will walked somewhat behind her as she closely inspected a few items. Her fingers trailed lightly over the wooden pieces and she opened drawers to see the quality of workmanship. As she walked through the store, Will’s eye settled on a collection of rare, collectable books in a beautiful antique bookcase. He pulled a book out and carefully opened it.

  He could easily see that the binding was in perfect condition and it seemed as though the pages, although fragile, were completely intact.

  The owner walked over. “This is a rare find, indeed. The gentleman who owned them died recently and his family sold them at an estate sale. We thought it would be nice to keep the books with the bookcase, so we’re selling them together. I know it’s a fairly high price. If we can’t sell them that way, we’ll have to begin to sell them individually.”

  Elyssa walked over and looked at the book in Will’s hand and the ones in the case.

  “Are they all in such excellent shape?” she asked.

  The owner nodded. “We wondered if they had ever been read!”

  “Hmmm!” Will said, glancing down at the price. “This is certainly something I’ll have to consider.”