Hometown Proposal

by Merrillee Whren

  “We had a little problem.” Seth glanced at his daughter. “Olivia spilled her first plate of food down the front of her clothes. We had to change them, then get more food.”

  “Thankfully, before we left home, I convinced Seth he needed to bring an extra set of clothes for Olivia.” Maggie put Olivia’s plate in front of her, then sat at the end of the bench on the other side of her granddaughter.

  Seth laid his cane against the picnic table and sat in between Olivia and Elise.

  “Me sit by ’Lise.” Olivia looked at Seth with her little face all scrunched up.

  Seth eyed Elise. “Seems you’re very popular today.”

  His scrutiny made Elise’s heart race. “What would you like me to do?”

  “I’ll sit on the end, and you can sit next to Olivia.” Seth smiled. “Guess I’m playing second fiddle to you.”

  “She gets to see you all of the time.”

  “Is that it?” Seth got up and waited for Elise to scoot down the bench.

  Elise glanced over at Seth as he sat on the end of the bench. “I’m just guessing.”

  “I miss ’Lise.”

  “I miss you, too.” Elise leaned over and put an arm around Olivia’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

  As Elise straightened, Seth was staring at her. She didn’t know what to say. Even if she did know, she wouldn’t be able to say it because of the lump in her throat. His little girl was tugging on her heartstrings. How could this child be expected to understand why Elise had been her caregiver for two weeks, then had almost dropped out of her life completely? No wonder Olivia was clingy. She should make it up to Olivia somehow, and that somehow would probably involve Seth.

  While they ate, Elise wondered how she was going to handle singing with Seth and being a part of his daughter’s life without letting go of her heart. How was she going to know what God wanted rather than what she wanted?

  After everyone had finished eating, Nathan gathered the group who wanted to play Wiffle Ball. He tried to keep the original teams for a rematch of the game played at Seth’s housewarming party, and the captains chose new players to add to those original teams.

  Elise joined the group as she eyed Seth, who had left Olivia in Maggie’s care. How was he going to play ball? Silly question. If he could play while on crutches, he could play while using a cane. She’d already warned him against playing, but he’d just teased her.

  Nathan explained the rules and the boundaries. Again Elise and Seth were on opposite teams. He grinned at her as he limped to first base.

  Elise’s team had two hits but scored no runs in the first inning. Surprisingly, Seth did a fine job at first base. She got ready to take her position in the outfield.

  As she passed Seth, he winked. “Be prepared to chase the ball, because I’m going to put one over your head again.”

  Elise laughed. “I’m prepared. You were true to your word in the last game.”

  The score seesawed back and forth. As they came to the last inning, both teams had scored six runs. Seth had failed to get on base. He’d hit a fly ball that had been caught in the outfield each time he’d been up to bat.

  When Elise’s team took the field in the top of the last inning, she stopped as she passed by Seth. “I’m still waiting for you to hit one over my head. This is your last chance.”

  He gave her a smug look. “I’ve been saving the best for last. Be prepared.”

  Shaking her head, she smiled. “Don’t get too cocky.”

  “I’ve heard that before.”

  Elise took her place in left field. When Seth came up to bat, his team had runner on first base. As he took his place in the batter’s box, he looked out at left field. He was looking right at her. Would he really be able to hit one over her head?

  Seth swung at the first pitch and fouled it down the third-base line. Elise retrieved it. When she threw it back to the pitcher, Seth pointed in her direction. “I’m aiming your way.”

  Elise cupped her hands around her mouth. “You’d better improve your aim.”

  As Seth got ready for the next pitch, a little voice sounded from the group of spectators sitting in lawn chairs. “Daddy, hit the ball.”

  Seth waved at Olivia. “Okay, sweetheart. I’m going to hit one just for you.”

  With the next swing of his bat, Seth sent one right over Elise’s head and across the boundary line for a home run. His teammates cheered as he rounded the bases with his gimpy stride. When he reached third base, Olivia bounded onto the field to greet him. Seth stopped and picked her up and carried her to home plate. Elise couldn’t even muster any disappointment that her team was losing. Her heart melted as Olivia hugged Seth’s neck. He set her on the ground, and she scampered away to rejoin Maggie on the sidelines.

  Elise wanted to hug Seth’s neck, too. She pushed that thought away as she got ready for the next batter. That kind of thinking could only get her into trouble. Seth’s homer had put his team ahead by two runs.

  When Elise’s team came off the field, she stopped by first base where Seth stood. “Congratulations on your home run, but the game’s not over yet.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “So you think your team can make a come back and beat us?”

  Elise nodded. “The heart of our lineup is coming up.”

  “We’ll see.” Seth pounded his fist into his glove.

  Elise trotted away, trying not to think about the way Seth was worming his way into her heart again. Little by little he was showing her that he was a different man than the one he’d been, yet he’d kept all the charm and playfulness that she’d loved in him from the first.

  Elise’s team didn’t score while they were at bat, so Seth’s team won. The losers gathered the bats, balls and bases. While laughter and good-natured ribbing floated through the group, everyone shook hands all around.

  Seth came over to Elise and extended his hand. “Good game.”

  Elise quickly shook his hand, trying not to let his touch do crazy things to her insides. She forced herself to think about the game and not about how Seth was making her feel. “Did Nathan say anything about a rematch?”

  Seth laughed. “No, but seems as though you think there should be one. I didn’t know you were so competitive.”

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

  “I know, and I want to change that.” A serious look crossed his face. “Since I got rid of my crutches, Olivia and I are going to celebrate. My mom told me your mom invited her to go out to dinner with some of the ladies from church on Thursday night, so Olivia and I will be on our own. We’ve decided to go to the Dairy Barn to eat. Will you come with us?”

  Unsure of her answer, Elise looked at him. The question went right to the heart of everything she’d been thinking over the past few weeks—the past few hours. Was she willing to let Seth back into her life? Was she strong enough to handle it if she fell for him again and he still wasn’t ready to love her? But did it really matter, when she might be moving anyway?

  Elise let courage wash away her fear for at least today. “Sure. I’d like to celebrate with Olivia and you. And you did okay playing Wiffle Ball today, too. I guess I shouldn’t have been worried.”

  He smiled wryly. “I’m glad you cared enough to worry.”

  Elise looked away, realizing how much she was beginning to care. The thought pricked her heart with a little doubt. But she was determined to face her fears and work through them.

  With his gimpy gait, Seth fell into step beside Elise as she strolled toward the house. “Are you ready for karaoke? Looks like your dad has it all set up.”

  Stopping, Elise put a hand on one hip as she gaze at Seth. “Are you sure you’re ready? You’ve never—”

  “What do you mean I’ve never done karaoke? On the cruise ship I was in charge of karaoke hundreds of times.”

  Elise laughed. “If you’d let me finish, I was going to say you’ve never been involved with one of my dad’s karaoke sessions. He always manages to
get people involved even when they don’t intend to sing. It’s the peer pressure or something. Uncle Carl is the only person my dad is still after to sing.”

  “Maybe I can get your uncle to sing. What do you think?”

  “I’m not sure you want to hear him sing.” Elise chuckled. “He really can’t carry a tune.”

  “That’s the beauty of karaoke. You don’t have to be able to sing.” Seth glanced around the yard, then back at Elise. “I want you to introduce me to your uncle Carl, so I can convince him to sing.”

  Laughing, Elise shook her head. “You’ll never get my uncle to sing. Never.”

  “If you introduce me to him, I’ll have him singing before your dad puts away the karaoke machine today.”

  Elise took in Seth’s statement. Here he was again confidently predicting what would happen, as he’d done during the Wiffle Ball game. He’d done the same thing when he’d boldly predicted she’d fall for him when he’d first approached her on the cruise ship.

  The memory made her want to look away, so she occupied herself with looking around for her uncle. Elise spotted him talking with a group of men under the shade of the red maple trees bordering the property. She turned to Seth and nodded in her uncle’s direction. “He’s the tall balding man in the blue shirt.”

  Seth grinned. “If I get your uncle to sing, I think I should get some kind of reward. What do you think?”

  “And what kind of reward are you thinking you should get?”

  Seth wrinkled his brow as if he were thinking hard. “So many choices.” Then he winked. “I’ve got it. You have to sing one song I choose and sing another one with me. My choice also.”

  “What if I don’t agree that you should have a reward?”

  Seth shrugged. “Guess you won’t get to hear your uncle sing.”

  “I’m not the one who wants to hear my uncle sing. I said my dad’s been trying to get him to sing.”

  Seth turned toward the house where Ray was making the final check on the karaoke system. “Then I’ll go talk to your dad.”

  As Seth limped away, Elise wondered what kind of bargain her dad would make with Seth. It could be worse. She remembered her dad’s comment about another wedding in his future, and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to do a little matchmaking. Maybe it would be better to have this whole reward thing under her own control rather than letting Seth negotiate with her dad.

  Elise hurried after Seth. “Seth, wait.”

  Turning, he grinned. “Change your mind?”

  She tried not to let her agitation show. “Yes. If you get my uncle to sing, I’ll do what you asked. But you have to get him to sing.”

  “Great.” His grin widened. “Let’s go over there now, so you can introduce me.”

  Elise walked with Seth across the yard. She made the introductions, then excused herself, leaving Seth on his own to deal with Uncle Carl. From a distance, she watched them talking. Seth said something, and Uncle Carl laughed. As they continued to talk, she wished she’d stayed so she could hear what they were saying.

  While Elise stewed about what was being discussed in the huddled group of men, her dad got up on the deck and used the microphone to get everyone’s attention. Most of the crowd began moving toward the deck, bringing lawn chairs and picnic benches with them. Elise grabbed a lawn chair and looked for Juliane and Lukas. Spying them, she headed their way.

  Ray began to sing one of his favorite songs, “Impossible Dream.” As Elise listened to her dad’s wonderful tenor voice, she placed her chair next to Juliane’s. A few seconds later, Seth put his chair down next to hers.

  When Ray was finished and the applause died down, Elise turned to Seth. “Where’s Olivia?”

  “She’s playing in the sandbox again. My mom’s watching her.”

  “Did you convince Uncle Carl to sing?”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  Seth leaned toward Elise. “Your dad has a great voice. No wonder he likes to do karaoke. So how does this work?”

  “Dad has a list of songs that are available. They’re up on the deck if you want one. And he has his little bowl of names. He draws them out, and people sing.” Elise chuckled. “Now that he’s updated his collection, even some of the teenagers sing because he actually has something they know.”

  Juliane leaned across Elise. “That’s not entirely true. The teens can sing the oldies, too. They’ve listened to enough of them over the years.”

  Standing, Lukas reached across Juliane and Elise as he waved a piece of paper. “Here’s the song list, if you want it.”

  Seth reached out and took it. “Thanks.”

  Elise watched Seth as he perused the list. “So you must not have convinced my uncle to sing.”

  “What makes you say that?” He looked at her with a grin.

  Elise pointed to the song list. “You haven’t even looked at the song list.”

  “Now I have, and I know which song I’m going to have you sing. It’s the one I enjoyed hearing you sing the most.”

  “Which one?”

  “You’ll find out after Carl sings.”

  Seth got up and walked over to Uncle Carl, who sat at a picnic table near the edge of the yard. While Seth talked with Carl, Elise tried to guess which song Seth was talking about. He’d never told her he had a favorite.

  As Seth returned to his seat, Elise tried to read his expression. But his demeanor gave her no clue as to what had transpired during his conversation with Carl. “All set?”

  “Like I said, you’ll have to wait and see.”

  While a steady stream of singers paraded across the deck, apprehension grew in Elise’s mind. She wished she knew what to expect. Would she have to sing with Seth, or was he stringing her along, making her think he’d convinced Carl to sing?

  Finally, Seth and Nathan got up on the deck and sang “Whenever God Shines His Light.” Next they sang “Bless the Broken Road,” a song made popular by Rascal Flatts.

  Seth seemed to be singing right to her. Was her own broken road leading back to Seth?

  Before Elise had time to contemplate the question, she saw Uncle Carl heading for the deck. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. How had Seth talked her uncle into singing?

  “Hey, everyone, we’ve got a real treat for you.” Seth shook hands with Carl as he hopped up on the deck. “Carl here is going to lead you in a sing-along. So let’s give a big round of applause for him, and everyone join in the song.”

  As applause filled the backyard, Elise glanced over at Juliane, who looked as stunned as Elise felt. Carl took the microphone and soon had the whole crowd singing “Sweet Caroline” at the top of their voices.

  More applause followed after they finished, and Seth gave her a look that told her she was now going to have to sing. Elise saw no point in delaying. After Carl left the deck, she went directly up there and stood next to Seth. Her heart pounding, she waited for his instructions.

  He smiled—not a smile of triumph, but one telling her he was glad to have her by his side. He brought the song up on the screen. “Okay, folks, Elise and I are going to sing a duet, ‘You’ve Got a Friend.’”

  Elise started the song tentatively, but as she sang she forgot about any problems with Seth. Their voices blended and she lost herself in the song. Singing was what she loved.

  When they finished, the crowd applauded and cheered. Elise wondered whether Seth meant to send her a message with his choice of songs. Was he just looking for friendship and forgiveness while she was worrying about something much more? Maybe she was fretting for nothing and setting herself up for more heartache.

  After showing her the song he’d chosen for her solo, Seth stepped to one side of the deck. “Now Elise is going to sing a song that she sang hundreds of times while we worked together on a cruise ship. It’s one of my favorites. ‘At Last.’”

  Taking the microphone, Elise decided she needed to quit trying to read anything into Seth’s song choices. He’d just wanted to hear her sing
—nothing more. As she sang she realized he was using his charisma on the crowd and on her as he’d done dozens of times when they’d worked together. She was taking one more little step toward letting him back into her life. Was she ready to go along for the ride and see what would happen?

  Chapter Eleven

  Elise paced back and forth in the living room. She kept telling herself not to be nervous. This was only a trip to the Dairy Barn for one of their delicious cheeseburgers and an ice cream cone. It wasn’t really a date. Olivia would be with them.

  But Elise couldn’t deny that this was a baby step toward the idea of a renewed relationship with Seth. So far she’d worked to maintain distance and to keep her burgeoning feelings for him in check. Were these feelings remnants of the old relationship, or were they something new? What effect would tonight’s outing have on her emotions?

  Despite her decision to see what might happen with Seth, she had to keep her thoughts under control.

  Juliane stepped into the living room. “Will you please sit down? You’re driving me nuts.”

  “I can’t sit still.”

  “Okay. Wear yourself out.”

  Elise peered out the window, then continued pacing. “You’re not one to talk. I remember you doing a little pacing of your own when you had to deal with Lukas after he moved to town.”

  “No pacing for me. That’s what you do. I’ll admit I had my share of anxiety over Lukas, but now that I’m on the other side of all of that anxiety, I see how I worried and stewed for nothing. God will work it out one way or another. So go and enjoy yourself. Have a good time and forget about anything except tonight.”

  Elise stopped and gazed at her sister. “Easier said than done.”

  “I know.” Juliane hugged Elise.

  The doorbell sounded.

  “He’s here. Do I look okay?” Pulling out the legs of her tan Capri pants, Elise took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “You look great. Have a good time. I’ll make myself scarce.” Juliane headed back to her room as Elise went to answer the door.

  When she opened the door, Olivia stood there with a bouquet of lilacs in her hand. She shoved them at Elise. “For you ’Lise.”