Dearly Loved

by Bonnie Blythe

  She walked until they reached Pacifica Pier, rising from thick bands of fog had settled along the coastline. Meredith could make out a few people along the beach. A nearby couple walked toward her, partly obscured by the fog. Not interested in making conversation, she turned to head back to the hotel—then stopped. Something’s familiar about them…

  Slowly turning back around, she stared at the man and woman as they broke through the mist. Erin and Clay!

  Clay waved. Oh, no, they saw me! Meredith gave a half-hearted wave in return, tugging on Bitsy’s leash and walking backward.

  “Meredith, wait up!”

  Oh, great. She couldn’t bring herself to smile, though she refrained from frowning. Suddenly they were upon her. Clay’s eyes glowed. He held hands with Erin, who looked radiant. Meredith stared, hardly able to believe the difference in the woman.

  “We got married, Meredith. We’re here on our honeymoon.”

  “Wow, that’s really great,” she said feeling like an interloper. “I just came on a whim. Um, going home today probably.” She hoped they didn’t think she was stalking them. Ugh. What are the odds?

  Erin pressed her lips together, her face flushed, seeming like she wanted to speak. She glanced at Clay for apparent support. He nodded.

  Her old boss took a deep breath. “Meredith, I want to say I’m sorry for the way I treated you at work, the way I mocked your faith.”

  Meredith controlled her jaw muscles with an effort. “Oh.” She put up her hand. “Um, it’s no big deal—”

  “Yes, it is. While I’m not excusing myself, I acted that way because of things in my past.” She released a sigh. “I became bitter because I was afraid to trust. After that I stopped believing God cared for me.”

  Meredith glanced at Clay, uncomfortable with confession. She looked back at Erin. “I understand, really. No harm done.”

  Clay smiled, apparently pleased.

  “Well, thank you. Uh, how are things in Peds?”

  She cleared her throat, desperate to escape. “Okay. It’s a different crowd, that’s for sure. The patients I mean.” Smooth, real smooth.

  Erin smiled. “Take care then. And thanks again. It means a lot.”

  Meredith nodded, watching them move on. The moment they were far enough way, she closed her eyes. God, what was that all about? I’m here to think things through, not witness my failures.

  She tugged on Bitsy’s leash. “C’mon, let’s go home.”

  ***

  When she was back in her room, she sat on the edge of the bed, still shocked at running into Erin and Clay. Meredith marveled at the change in Erin. Before, her face had always been pinched, drawn down in a scowl. Now her features had softened and she seemed more relaxed.

  It’s a miracle. It really is. Meredith tried to feel more enthusiastic, but it was hard when she had her own problems to worry about.

  She blew out a weary sigh. What am I going to do about David? Her face heated when she allowed herself to think of the way she’d surrendered to his kiss. A sudden longing to rush back to his embrace gripped her with a ferocious intensity. Meredith bit her lip to stop from crying out.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think logically. What’s wrong with me, God? What am I really afraid of? She listened to the sound of her heartbeat in the silence of the room, suddenly frightened of the answer.

  All I can think of is Erin and the change in her. What did she say? Bitterness had made her afraid to trust? Is that me? She clenched her fists, her heart pounding hard. Is it?

  Meredith licked her lips, her respiration increasing. I haven’t lost a spouse and child, but I did lose my parents, David, Clay—even Bitsy for a time. In one way or another, I’ve been abandoned by everyone I’ve ever cared about. Of course I’m afraid to trust! She closed her eyes against tears. I don’t want to become bitter and angry. Help me, Lord. Help me know that no matter who fails me, You never will.

  ***

  When Meredith arrived home and had dragged everything in from the car, she could hardly believe she’d only been gone a day and a half. So much seemed to have changed since then—at least inside her heart. After she finished unpacking, she heard someone knocking on her door.

  She opened it. David stood on the step, his expression grim. “Where have you been?”

  Starved for the sight of him, Meredith stared up at him before her brain figured out he’d asked her a question. “Um...I just went out of town for a while.”

  David stepped into the house and shut the door behind him. He leaned forward, his face inches from her own. “Did you think about letting anyone know where you’d taken off to?”

  His accusatory tone fanned an old spark of anger into full flame. As if he has any right to demand about my whereabouts! Needing breathing space, she backed up until she stood near a chair in the living room. “Like I said, I just left town for a bit. I didn’t know I needed a signed permission slip to go.”

  He followed her and put his hands on her upper arms. “Merrie, I was worried sick about you! I came by the yesterday and you were gone. No one knew you had left or where you might be.”

  She lifted her chin, striving to hold onto the peace she’d found in Pacifica. “I don't know, maybe I was just going through a little selfish phase.”

  Her words hit the mark. David’s face turned brick red. His grip on her arms tightened. He stared at her long and hard before dropping his hands and turning away.

  Meredith lowered her gaze, desperately wishing she could snatch the words back. She found no comfort in petty revenge. Besides, didn’t this somehow prove that David wasn’t the one for her? Why drag it out? It’s hopeless.

  She noticed the tight set of David’s shoulders. Meredith struggled to accept the inevitable. She marshaled her strength to admit the truth. “David, I don’t think our relationship, or whatever you call it, is working out. I think we should end it before it only becomes more difficult.”

  He spun around to face her. “What?”

  Meredith let out a gasp at the hurt she saw in his eyes. She recognized it because it mirrored her own feelings. Seeing it reflected in his eyes only deepened her anguish.

  A look of resignation settled on his features. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “If that’s what you want, Merrie. I can’t force you to love me the way I love you.”

  Meredith’s eyes widened. She stared at him, unable to believe his words. “Huh?”

  His face softened as he reached out to twine a lock of her hair around his finger. “I said I love you.” He sighed. “You seem shocked. Isn’t it obvious?”

  “No,” she said, dumbfounded, “it’s not obvious.”

  He brushed a tear from her face with his thumb. “I guess I hesitated in telling you because I worried you might not return my feelings.”

  Meredith swallowed, amazed at their identical struggles. Was it possible he really felt this way? But why make the statement unless he did? Whoa. David loves me. She soaked in that truth for a moment, then licked her lips. It was time to make her own statement—it was time to let go of the fear that had hobbled her for so long. “I love you, too, David. I have forever, I think.”

  He grinned, pulling her into his arms. “You sound annoyed about it.”

  She gave him a watery smile. “I am—a little.”

  “What can I do to make it up to you?” he whispered.

  Meredith stared at his lips, her heart beating hard. “You’re a smart guy, you figure it out.”

  David smiled before lowering his head and touching her lips with his own.

  Twenty-One

  A week later, Meredith sat next to David in church. Her gaze strayed to him every few minutes during the service. She half-wondered if anyone else around noticed. It was like she could see herself from the outside—the prim, proper Meredith staring at a man with a silly expression on her face. Rather disgusting. But she couldn’t have changed it if she wanted to.

  During the last week, David had gone to great lengths to assure
her he was earnest in his affection. She no longer doubted his feelings for her. It finally occurred to her that he wouldn’t pursue her if he wasn’t truly interested. So much time wasted worrying.

  David glanced down and smiled at her. She lowered her gaze, embarrassed to be caught staring, but was gratified by the look in his eyes nonetheless.

  At the end of the service, after the benediction, Rosa and Gino approached them. Rosa’s speculative gaze told Meredith her friend was aware things had changed between she and David. Perhaps it was an instinct sharpened by love that made Rosa so perceptive. Whatever the cause, Meredith knew she’d be interrogated before long.

  “So, are you two interested in doing lunch again?” Gino asked, with his arm slung about Rosa’s shoulders.

  “Not this time,” David said, earning a surprised look from Meredith. “We’ve made plans for today.”

  Rosa reached out and gave her a discreet pinch. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  As David led her out through the foyer doors, Meredith turned to him. “Did we have plans? I don’t remember you saying anything about it.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “I may not have mentioned anything to you, but we definitely have plans today.”

  They arrived at his Jeep. David had picked her up from her house so they could go to church together. Once they were both settled inside, she touched his arm. “What are we going to do?

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Meredith gave him a quizzical look. Her heart leapt at his words, wondering if he meant that surprise, the kind one wears on a finger. Her head overruled her heart when she remembered David wasn’t the most sentimental of creatures. He probably had a new restaurant he wanted to take try. She didn’t care where they went as long as they were together.

  Meredith soon realized they were leaving town. Must be some restaurant. She sat up straighter in her seat when she noticed they were driving in the direction of Greenwood, their old hometown. She cast David an inquiring look. He sent a smile and a shrug, but didn’t give any explanations.

  After driving for about an hour, David passed the sign welcoming visitors to Greenwood, Oregon, population five thousand-four hundred. Meredith looked around with avid interest. She hadn’t been back for seven years. Parts of the community appeared unchanged, but she noted so-called progress as well. A Burger King and Wal-Mart store were new additions to the town. Downtown on Main Street showed some signs of revitalization, which encouraged her. Everywhere was evidence of the approaching holiday—empty lots filled with Christmas trees, glittery plastic candy canes decorations on the street signs, and free-hand holiday paintings on the storefront windows.

  He slowed down as they passed Greenwood Valley High School, Home of the Tigers. Meredith groaned out loud, remembering her pitiable, David-obsessed years there. She turned to him as they passed the sports field where he’d played all his soccer games. “What’s your point? Are you trying to remind me of every cheerleader you ever dated here or what?”

  “Ouch,” he said with a smirk. “No, that’s not what you’re supposed to remember. I just thought it would be fun for reasons of nostalgia.”

  “Maybe your nostalgia is better than mine,” she grumbled, thinking of those bouncy beauties who’d fluttered around David like orange and black butterflies in their short little uniforms.

  David laughed. “Oh, those bitter years you spent on the National Honor Roll, President of the Spanish Club, and recipient of the Community Volunteer of the Year Award.”

  Meredith’s lips twitched into a smile. “Sounds liked you’ve dusted off your yearbooks.”

  He tapped his forehead. “It’s all right up here. You made me proud, Merrie.”

  She rolled her eyes. A few minutes later, they arrived in front of the two houses where they’d lived as neighbors. Roy and Gloria had long since moved from their house to a small retirement community on the east side of Greenwood.

  They pulled alongside the curb on the opposite side of the street and came to a stop. Meredith saw that the houses seemed to be in decent condition. Families with children lived there judging by the bicycles, basketballs, and toys strewn about the yard.

  While they watched, the front door of her old house opened and a little girl of about ten jumped from the steps and picked up a ball. She had straight black hair pulled into a long ponytail splayed out over the back of her hooded coat. A few moments later, a boy came out from the house where David had lived with his aunt and uncle. He had white blond hair and looked only slightly bigger than the girl.

  With a swagger, he walked up to the girl, apparently demanding the ball. When she hugged it to her chest, he reached out and gave a hard yank on her ponytail. The girl, clearly outraged, dropped the ball. Then she hauled her arm back and punched the boy right in the eye. The bloodcurdling screams coming from the boy brought his mother out from the house.

  Meredith burst out laughing at the sight, feeling a grudging admiration for the assertive, if violent, girl. She rolled her window down, absorbed in the scene. She heard the boy’s mother demanding to know what happened. Through sobs and hiccups, he told of how Samantha had hit him in the eye.

  The mother looked over at the girl, who sat quietly in her own yard playing with a Barbie—a touching picture of demure girlhood. The mother raised her brow. “I hardly think Samantha capable of reducing you to tears. She’s two years younger than you.” Ignoring her son’s protests, she tugged on his arm, pulled him into the house, and told him to quit being so dramatic. The girl looked over to his house after they’d gone inside—a smug, self-satisfied smile on her face.

  Meredith turned and glanced over at David. “Well, I can see there have been some real improvements to the neighborhood.”

  “That’s sick, Merrie,” David said with a grin. “I can’t believe what I just saw. That little terror named Samantha is a future menace to society.”

  “Well, the boy did pull on her ponytail, after all. A great offense, I assure you. I know this from experience.”

  He laughed softly and pulled away from the curb. They drove to a few other familiar areas before David turned onto Maple Street and up the hill. Meredith wondered if he was taking her to the old maple tree. She had mixed feelings about seeing the place. A great many dreams had been woven there, along with some deeply disappointing experiences. Her suspicion was confirmed when David parked the Jeep.

  They got out of the vehicle and began the trek up the hill. At the base of the hill, in what used to be acres of grassland and fields, was now filled with new homes. David put his arm around her shoulder as they crested the hill.

  He suddenly stumbled. Meredith glanced up at him. When she saw the stricken look on his face, she turned her head to follow his gaze.

  “It’s gone,” he said in a hoarse voice.

  She let out a gasp. The huge, ancient, sprawling, magical maple tree had utterly disappeared. “I wonder what happened!”

  They continued up the hill until the reached the top. Meredith saw what was left of the tree. Nothing but a stump. She walked over and peered down at the wood. “Looks like rot on the inside killed it.”

  David snorted. “That’s not exactly the symbolism I was going for.”

  She pointed to a little maple sapling planted nearby. “Look, a new tree. That’s a nice thought. Like a new beginning maybe?”

  Standing with his hands on hips, David frowned. “It’s a puny, scraggly little thing.”

  “It’s a Cedar of Lebanon compared to that Christmas tree you bought.”

  David’s dark expression made her giggle. She walked up to him and slid her arms around his waist. “So, what type of symbolism were you going for?”

  His features softening, he reached out and drew a wind-blown lock of hair from her face. “Well, since it’s winter and everything’s pretty much dead, I was at least hoping for some romantic reminiscence about our first kiss we shared here under the leafy shade. That tree,” he said, pointing accusing finger at the sapling, “couldn’t sh
ade an ant.”

  Meredith hugged him tight. “It’s a sweet gesture, David. Really.”

  He grunted. She bit back a smile and watched the play of emotions across his face. David shook his head, making her wonder why he was so upset about a tree. He abruptly dropped onto one knee and held both her hands in his.

  “Put me out of my misery, Meredith, and marry me, please.”

  She forgot to breathe. Stunned, she swallowed, trying to form words. Her mouth opened. “You called me…Meredith.”

  “Merrie,” he growled. “This is not the time for a discussion of names. That can wait until we have children.” He rose to his feet and gazed down at her.

  She saw the uncertainty in his eyes. When he looked at her like that, when had she ever been able to say no to him? “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  “That’s better,” he whispered. “I love you.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders, trying not to cry. “I love you, too.”

  David fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a ring box. He opened it and drew out an engagement ring. Meredith’s throat clogged with tears. It was so beautiful. With shaking hands, David slipped it onto her finger. Pressing her hand against his heart, he gazed at her, his dark eyes glimmering with emotion.

  He smiled. “Kiss me, Merrie.”

  Involuntarily, her eyes fluttered closed as she surrendered herself to the soft, sweet feelings his touch stirred within her.

  Other titles for Kindle by Bonnie Blythe:

  Rock And A Hard Place

  (Book one of Cascade Brides)

  Faith must decide whether to open her heart to love and reconciliation.

  Restorations

  (Book One of Oregon In Love)

  Can her old boyfriend rebuild their relationship as well as her house?

  Lights and Shadows

  (Book Two of Oregon In Love)