Coming Home: (Contemporary Christian Romance Boxed Set): Three Stories of Love, Faith, Struggle & Hope

by Debra Ullrick

  Olivia moved to hand it back to him, but he tucked his free hand away from her.

  “Oh, no. A deal’s a deal, remember?”

  What was it about this man that put her so at ease?

  Not able to help herself, Olivia shook her head and chuckled. “Well, if you’re going to be technical about it.” She dug through the change, retrieved a penny. “There. I took a penny. Here’s your change.” When he didn’t take it, Olivia laid it on the seat next to him.

  Erik shook his head. “Keep it. A thought is worth more than a penny anyway.” He put his truck in gear.

  The smile vanished from her face. All joking aside, what was she going to tell him? Oh yeah, by the way, I’m so poor that even a ninety-nine cent hot dog would be stretching my budget. A light bulb moment flashed through her brain. “I was thinking.” She sat up straight in the cab, and Erik cast a glance her way. “I have two apples in my car. Why don’t I get them, and we can share them? Then I can grab a bite to eat on my way out of town.”

  He jerked his head toward her and gave her a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look. “Thanks for the offer, but Mickie would kill me if I did that. Listen, you’ve got to help me out here.” Erik backed the truck up, turned it around, and followed the driveway the way they’d come. “I know I should’ve asked you first, but when you agreed to come out here, I called Mickie and asked her to make us something because I didn’t know how long it would take to show you around. And if it doesn’t get eaten, she’ll be a grump for the rest of the evening.” He glanced at her. His eyes and smile hinted of his teasing. “Besides, you wouldn’t want all that food to go to waste now, would ya?”

  In spite of her pathetically humiliating circumstances, how could she resist that hopeful, sheepish look? Besides, once again, he’d come to her rescue. She inhaled a sigh of relief and exhaled the pent-up anxiety. “No. I guess not.” She smiled as her growling stomach thanked her.

  “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”

  No, you are.

  “So, you’re planning on going back to Wheeling tonight?”

  “Yes.” Her original plan had been to sleep in a motel. Then she decided to sleep in her car and save her meager funds. But the more she’d thought about sleeping in her car in a strange town, the more she decided it would be best if she made the trip back to Wheeling this evening.

  He glanced at the dash, then back on the pavement. “It’s four o’clock. Wheeling’s several hours from here. I don’t want to interfere with your plans or anything, but why not stay in the cottage tonight and go back in the morning?”

  If her situation weren’t so dire, she would turn down his offer in a heartbeat. Olivia hated not having money. It was a precarious situation to be in. One with extremely limited options.

  Tired from the long drive to Charity and from all the excitement of the day, Olivia struggled with what to do. The idea of staying in the cottage sure beat sleeping in her car. Or making the long drive back home—alone—in the dark. And it would be her new home for the next week or so.

  Erik stopped in front of the big house and shut the engine off. “Call me old fashioned…” Erik broke through her thoughts. “But I can’t stand the idea of you traveling alone at night. It would sure put my mind at ease if you’d stay. And if you’re uncomfortable with staying at the guesthouse, I’ll get you a hotel suite in town if that would make you feel better.”

  Was this man for real?

  “Anyway, you haven’t even seen your new house yet. By the time we finish dinner and I show you your new place, it’ll be late. C’mon. What’d’ya say?”

  Regardless of her situation, she found she couldn’t say no to the hopefulness in his eyes. “I say yes.” Relief slipped into her voice, but she didn’t care.

  “Good.”

  This must have been how Cinderella felt. Cinderella? Where had that come from? Olivia blew out a short breath. From watching one too many Cinderella movies growing up, that’s where. Well, Olivia was no Cinderella. And, Prince Charming could just turn his steed’s tail around and gallop the other way. She wanted nothing to do with any man ever again. Love wasn’t like a fairy tale. Happily ever after? Nope. More like, fall in love, lose love, and suffer ever after.

  Olivia forced her mind to still. She reached for the door handle but stopped when Erik swung her door open.

  If ever there was a Prince Charming, she was certain he came in the form of Erik Cole. Stop it, Olivia! He’s your boss. Keep that fortress wall you’ve resurrected up. Don’t you dare tear it down and leave yourself defenseless.

  Then Erik’s hands splayed across her waist, and tingling molecules danced through her. A brick fell to the ground, leaving a gaping hole in her well-built stronghold.

  Chapter Three

  Four days after her interview with Erik, Olivia questioned the sanity of letting Haskell talk her into this. The only reason she finally caved in and agreed to go along with him was because the whole thing with Hammond still seemed surreal to her. Besides, she needed some kind of closure before starting her new life. “Are we almost there?” she asked, fighting to keep herself upright despite the bumps in the road.

  “According to the map, it’s right around this curve.” Those words were the most they’d spoken to each other since leaving the airport. Neither one of them was dealing very well with what lay ahead of them.

  While Haskell concentrated on keeping the SUV on the narrow road, Olivia studied his profile. Haskell’s normally tanned face looked pale. He gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were colorless.

  They hit a pothole, jostling her in her seat. She braced herself and looked over at him. He kept his eyes fixed on the backwoods road. The pine and aspen trees lining the narrow man-made path made it difficult to stay out of the uneven tire grooves. If the vehicle jerked too far toward either side, they’d slam into a tree.

  Olivia had never been claustrophobic, but the looming trees surrounding her smothered what little air she had.

  At the top of the mountain trail, they rounded the corner into a small clearing where several tree stumps dotted the ground, and huge stacks of stripped trees lay nestled against the forest.

  Haskell stopped the vehicle and killed the engine.

  She glanced over at him.

  He sent her a tremulous smile, reached over and squeezed her hand, and then stepped out of the vehicle.

  Outside, Olivia sucked in a sharp breath. Because of the bright sun and cloudless sky, she was unprepared for the dry, cold crispness of the Rocky Mountains. Born and raised in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, she’d only been to the Appalachian Mountains a few times. She had completely forgotten how high altitudes made for much cooler weather.

  Knowing the unpleasant task ahead of her, her already jittery insides shook harder. Woodenly, she opened the back door of the SUV, dug in her backpack for the binoculars and a sweater, and slipped them on.

  Haskell stood with his back to her. The slump in his shoulders ripped at her already frazzled heart. I don’t want to do this. As if Haskell read her mind, he turned to her and reached out his hand. When Olivia placed her trembling palm in his, he sent her a sympathetic look.

  His eyelids dropped, and his chest expanded. After a long sigh, he looked at her. “Ready?”

  No! she wanted to shout. She’d never be ready. But rather than telling him that, she simply nodded.

  One step behind Haskell, using his strength for balance, she focused on placing each foot securely on the uneven ground. Dry branches and brown pinecones crunched under her feet as she followed him to the edge of the steep mountainside. At the crest of the rocks, Haskell stopped, never looking at her. Instead, he kept his eyes forward. Forward to where Hammond’s aircraft lay.

  Before looking, Olivia closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling several shaky breaths.

  When she opened her eyes, her trail of vision slowly descended the steep canyon. Standing inches from the edge, the precipitous grade made her woozy. The idea of passing out a
nd slipping into the river below made her shudder, so she braced her shoulder against Haskell’s. Robotically he put his arm around her and pulled her tight against his side. Neither said a word.

  Haskell turned glistening eyes toward her. A silent message passed between them as they clung to each other.

  Not really wanting to, but knowing she had to see for herself if it really was Hammond’s plane, she reached for the binoculars hanging around her neck and peered through them. With unsteady fingers she adjusted the knob.

  The familiar plane came into view. “No,” she whimpered, squeezing her eyes closed at the heart-wrenching sight. All remaining hope vanished. The binoculars dropped against her chest. Her vision swirled, and her numb body swayed. Haskell steadied her but didn’t say a word. Olivia mentally thanked him for his silence because the last thing she wanted to do right now was talk.

  Finally, she gathered up her nerve and looked through the binoculars again. Seeing Hammond’s plane nestled on the side of the cliff, held in place only by a few pine trees, caused an eeriness to settle over her. The hair on her arms and neck rose. It looked as if someone had taken the aircraft and carefully wedged it into the trees, pressing it flat against the mountainside. It didn’t even appear wrecked. How could that be?

  She scanned the steep, rocky, tree-dotted ravine surrounding it and wondered if perhaps Hammond had survived, only to be lying in a hospital somewhere, not knowing who he was. When she took another glimpse at the plane and the steepness of the canyon, she knew that wasn’t possible. Besides, someone would have contacted the authorities before now if he were.

  As she continued to peruse the area, Olivia faced the fact that Hammond had probably died upon impact, and his body had either fallen into the ravine, or even worse, a bear or some other wild animal had dragged him off. At that revolting thought, her stomach lurched. She swallowed several times forcing the bitter acid back into her stomach.

  Not able to handle one more second of being at the place where Hammond had suffered and another loved one had been ripped from her life, she pushed herself away from Haskell. “Take me home, please.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  Three days after her heartbreaking ordeal on the mountain, Olivia sighed with relief that she was leaving this dump of an apartment forever. The only thing squelching her joy was wondering what would happen if Hammond returned and….

  Olivia shook her head. She had hoped that seeing his plane would help her put the past to rest. But without a body, she still wondered if somehow he had survived. Her thoughts trailed to her parents. Again with the devastating déjà vu. As a young girl, she wondered if her parents had survived too. Nights upon lonely nights, she’d fantasized that her parents were lost on an island, waiting for some boat to bring them home. But that never happened. And she wasn’t a child anymore. Just as she had finally accepted her parents’ death, she needed to accept Hammond’s and get on with her life. It sounded easy, but it would be one of the hardest things she ever had to do. But do it she must.

  She snatched up her cat carrier, headed toward her car, and laid Samson on the front seat.

  “Hello, Livvy.”

  Olivia whirled.

  Her heart sank. So much for forgetting the past. She sighed. Why now? Up until the time they’d visited the plane crash site, Haskell had avoided her like an unwelcome disease. But now, the shoe was on the other foot. She wanted to avoid him. Every time she looked at Hammond’s identical twin brother, memories of her missing fiancé washed over her afresh, breaking her heart all over again.

  Knowing it wasn’t Haskell’s fault that the two of them looked and acted alike, she decided to be as friendly as she could without breaking down. “Hi, Haskell.” She looked around the parking lot. “What are you doing here?”

  Haskell peered at her loaded car. “You going somewhere?” His troubled gaze glanced between her and her vehicle.

  Olivia closed her door and leaned against it. Drawing in a deep breath she looked at him and plunged forward. “Yes. I am. I need to make a clean break and start a new life for myself.” She stared out at the parking lot and waved her hand in a wide arc. “Everywhere I look and everything I see reminds me of Hammond and what I’ve lost.” She looked back at Haskell, defying him to argue with her.

  “I understand.” He sounded crushed.

  Olivia pushed herself off of her car and laid her hand on Haskell’s arm. His hand quickly covered hers as his pain-filled eyes raked over her face.

  Forcing a lighter tone to her voice she squeezed his arm. “Take care, okay?”

  His hand gripped hers. “Where ya moving to?”

  As kindly as possible, she moved her hand out from under his and glanced at her watch. “Listen, I have to go.”

  Haskell gently grabbed her arm. “Don’t go. Please, Livvy.”

  Pain and compassion treaded across her heart. While she felt sorry for him, she had to do what she had to do. Tenderly she removed his hand from her and looked into his eyes—eyes identical to Hammond’s. Fresh pain ripped her heart. “I’m sorry, Haskell.” With her gaze locked on his, she willed him to understand. “Every time I look at you, I see Hammond and the pain starts all over again.” Tears slipped over her lids. “I can’t handle this. I’ve got to go.” With a quick jerk, she opened her car door, dropped herself behind the wheel, slammed the door, and started the engine.

  To make sure she didn’t run over Haskell, she peered out the window. Something about the way Haskell’s face matched the red in his shirt caused her to shudder. She quickly shoved her car into first gear. Without looking back, she drove away.

  Still shaken over Haskell’s reaction to her leaving, Olivia reached across the front seat and grabbed the cell phone her best friend Audra had given her as a going away present last night and pressed in her number.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “I’m going to miss you.” Audra’s sad voice tugged at her heart. Well, the tiny bit that was left of her heart anyway.

  “You’re coming to visit me, right?”

  “Just try and stop me.”

  “You won’t believe what just happened.” Olivia checked her side mirror before switching into the left lane. “Haskell showed up just as I was leaving. Whatever you do, don’t tell him where I’ve moved to, okay?”

  “I won’t. And trust me, I totally understand. I’m just glad you’re not leaving me behind too.”

  The torment of having to leave her best friend, the friend who saw her through some of the worst times of her life, completely disintegrated the few pieces of her heart that remained. “Never.” She let the word emphasize her point for a moment. “Well, listen. I have to go. I’m about to get on the highway, and I need to pay attention to where I’m going so I don’t get lost again.”

  “Okay. Keep in touch. Your cell phone service is paid up for a whole year, and you have unlimited long distance minutes.”

  “You didn’t need to do that.” Olivia’s voice softened. “But thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Olivia pulled up to the last traffic light before leaving Wheeling forever. “I’m gonna miss ya somethin’ fierce, ya know?”

  “Yeah, I know. Me too. Call me when you get there so I know you arrived safely, okay?”

  “I will. Gotta go. I love you, Audra.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to snatch them back. Everyone she loved died. She didn’t want to love anyone ever again.

  “I love you too.”

  Olivia recognized the pause and braced herself for the dreaded words that were coming next.

  “Remember, Jesus loves you too.”

  “Yeah right,” she muttered before ending her call.

  The light turned green. Flipping a U-turn at the intersection, she headed toward the Riverfront one more time. She parked her car and stared at the place where she and Hammond used to set their lawn chairs. They had watched many a show on the big movie screen near the river’s edge. Across the river, the reflection of trees and li
ghts rippled in the water. The mountain silhouette in the background made such a romantic setting. Even though a sea of people had sat on the rows of concrete and patches of grass separating each row, it was as if she and Hammond were the only two people in the world. They shared many a kiss under the Riverfront’s open sky.

  Her thoughts traveled down the hallways of time. One of her and Hammond’s favorite things to do was the Winter Festival of Lights. They would drive over six miles through Oglebay Park to see the fantastic light show that covered more than three hundred acres. Among her favorites were, The Twelve Days of Christmas, the Candy Cane Wreath, The Willard Snowman, and the Snowflake Tunnel that hosted thousands of twinkling snowflakes.

  As depression descended on her, Olivia realized she hadn’t done all the things she’d planned to do before leaving Wheeling. At least one more time, she’d wanted to take the mile and half train ride at the Good Zoo, visit The Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum, watch the big boats come in and dock, see the laser show at the planetarium at Oglebay, and drive across the Wheeling Suspension Bridge that spanned the east channel of the Ohio river. But after coming to the Riverfront Movie sight and strolling down memory lane, she was glad she hadn’t. Her already fragile soul wouldn’t have been able to take it without completely falling apart.

  Olivia wiped at the tears that trickled down her cheeks.

  Scooting back in her seat, she engaged the clutch and started her car. Within minutes she was heading down the highway. She glanced over at her fifty-cent garage sale cat carrier. “Well, Samson. We’re on our way to our new home.”

  Samson returned her comment with a nervous meow.

  In a few hours, Olivia would be starting the job of her dreams and living in a house fit for a queen. A bit of her old adventurous spirit rose to the surface of her soul, and she did nothing to stop it.