Hometown Proposal

by Merrillee Whren

  Seth smiled, hoping to draw her out of her shell. “Elise, what do you think?”

  “Are we singing a cappella? Are we singing harmony in four parts or no parts?” Elise glanced around the table.

  “Good questions.” Lukas scribbled on his paper. “What does everyone think?”

  “With you guys being gone on your honeymoon, are we going to have time to practice harmony?” Seth asked.

  “I say we give it a try. If we think it’s going to involve more practice than we have time for, then we can sing without parts, okay?”

  Glad to see Elise voicing her opinion, Seth nodded. “I agree.”

  Elise’s questions started a spirited discussion, and they spent the next half hour picking out the songs and ironing out the details of getting a good sound system for the float.

  After they’d paid the bill, Lukas leaned back in his chair. “Looks like we’ve got everything settled.”

  “We do. That’s a relief.” Juliane let out harsh breath.

  “The relief will be getting through your wedding.” Looking at Juliane, Elise crumpled her napkin.

  Seth wrinkled his brow. “Aren’t the bride and groom supposed to be the ones worried about the wedding? The bride, anyway.”

  Elise waved a hand in the air. “I’m the maid of honor, and I’ve got all these responsibilities. I’m way more nervous than Juliane.”

  “The only thing I’m nervous about is what you’ve got planned for this bachelorette thing on Saturday.” Juliane poked Elise’s arm.

  Elise held up one hand. “Scout’s honor. We have nothing planned but a trip to the aquarium and dinner.”

  Juliane narrowed her gaze. “I’m holding you to that. No practical jokes or embarrassing singing telegrams.”

  “We might have a gag gift or two. Can you live with that?” Elise asked.

  “I suppose.” Juliane looked at Seth. “Do you know what Nathan has planned for the bachelor party besides the Reds game?”

  “It’s a guys’ night out, but I don’t know whether any gag gifts, singing telegrams or practical jokes are involved.” Seth laughed.

  “Whatever it is, I can handle it.” Lukas put an arm around Juliane’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Just enjoy your party, Jules.”

  Seth glanced from Lukas to Juliane. “Other than Juliane’s worry about the bachelorette party, you two are the calmest bride and groom I’ve ever known.”

  “That’s ’cuz I’m doing all the worrying for them.” Elise chuckled.

  “I think you’re right.” Juliane scooted her chair back and stood. “We’ve got everything settled for the parade float, so we should call it a night.”

  Seth got up and followed the group to the door, but he didn’t want his evening with Elise to end. He wanted to spend more time with her. He wanted to spend time alone with her. Would she let him drive her home? After they left the coffee shop, Lukas and Juliane walked arm-in-arm toward his car. Elise followed behind them.

  Seth thumped along with his cane as he tried to catch up to her. “Elise.”

  She turned, a little frown knitting her eyebrows. “Did you want something?”

  “Um…yeah. Could I give you a ride home?”

  She glanced over at Lukas and Juliane. “I came with them. I don’t need a ride home.”

  “Sure you do.” Juliane gave Elise a little shove in his direction. “Lukas and I can always use a little time alone.”

  Seth grinned. “Yeah. Let the lovebirds have some time to themselves.”

  Wide-eyed, Elise stared at him. Seth could almost see the thoughts spinning in her head. His heart did a little dance as he waited for her answer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Elise swallowed a lump in her throat as she realized what accepting Seth’s invitation meant. She would be alone with him—really alone. Yet Juliane’s statement made it impossible for Elise to turn down his request without blatantly rejecting him. “Okay.”

  “Great!” Seth turned to Juliane and Lukas. “See you guys later. Enjoy your alone time.”

  “You, too.” Juliane chuckled as she joined Lukas in his car.

  If Elise hadn’t known better, she might have guessed Juliane had set this whole scenario up ahead of time. She did know better, of course. Juliane was too focused on her wedding to think about setting Elise up with Seth. But obviously, when the opportunity presented itself, Juliane had no trouble pushing Elise into going with him.

  Seth punched the button on the remote for the pickup. As the interior light came on, Seth opened her door.

  “Thanks.” Settling on the leather seat, she took a deep breath. She would deal with this somehow.

  “You’re welcome.” Seth closed the door.

  In the seconds before Seth joined her, Elise prayed that God would give her wisdom in this situation. She wanted to do the right thing as far as Seth was concerned, but she was drowning in a sea of emotions. God was her life preserver.

  Gripping the steering wheel, Seth gazed at her. His attention made her heart thud. He looked as though he were about to say something, but instead, he started the engine and backed out of the parking space. He drove to the corner and turned at the town square.

  When he stopped at the stop sign, he looked her way again. “Do you have to go home right away, or would you consider taking a drive with me?”

  Elise met his gaze. Her heart had been beating fast before, but now it raced in double time. She felt as though it might beat right out of her chest. Taking a deep breath, she broke eye contact as he pulled away from the stop sign. “Where to?”

  With his pickup barely moving, he continued around the square. “I thought we could drive out to the lake and take in the sunset.”

  “I don’t know. I still have applications to work on.”

  “They’ll still be there tomorrow.”

  “And I still won’t have a job tomorrow. Besides, are you sure we can get into the park at this time of night?”

  “Yeah. I checked.” He pointed to the clock on the dashboard. “It’s only eight-thirty. They’re open till eleven, and the sun sets in about half an hour.”

  Elise took in that bit of information. So he’d planned for this. It wasn’t a spur-of-the moment thought. Maybe this was the right time to find out where they stood with each other. They’d been skirting the issue of their past relationship for weeks. Was she brave enough to find out where things with Seth were headed?

  “Okay, but as soon as the sun sets, we have to head back.”

  “Deal.” Smiling, he turned in the direction of the highway that led to the lake.

  While he drove, he didn’t say anything. He punched the button to turn on the radio, and classical guitar music filled the cab. His choice of music surprised her.

  He gave her a sideways glance as they sped down the highway. “You remember the guitar guy who used to play on the cruise from time to time?”

  “Is that one of his CDs?”

  “Yeah. Great music.”

  After that snippet of conversation, Seth remained quiet, and Elise wondered what he was thinking. Should she bring up the reason for this little outing? Maybe he intended to continue their conversation from the previous night. Maybe there was no specific reason. Maybe he wanted to spend time with her, so they could get to know each other again. But where was that going to lead? Too many unanswered questions dominated her thoughts.

  The ride was his idea, so she should let him take the lead. But before the night was over, she hoped to get the answers to some of those questions.

  After a fifteen-minute drive, they arrived at one of the picnic areas near the lake. They got out of the car and traversed the parking lot to the spot where the picnic tables were located. The soft ground near the picnic tables muffled the sound of Seth’s cane, which had been so evident on the blacktop. When he reached the table, he laid his cane on it and sat on top of the table, using the bench for a footrest.

  Sitting beside him, Elise wondered what to say. Crickets chirped, and a mosqu
ito buzzed by her ear. She swatted at it. “I hope there aren’t too many mosquitoes out here tonight.”

  “I’ve got some bug spray in the pickup. I’ll go get it.” Seth hopped up from the table and grabbed his cane.

  “You’re prepared for everything, aren’t you?”

  “Not everything.” He hobbled away.

  Was he talking about their relationship? As he made his way back to the picnic table, Elise watched him, her heart doing a little tap dance. Despite his limp, he was still a striking man—the kind who made women stop and take a second look. But character was so much more important than looks.

  When they’d first met, she’d been thrilled to be noticed by the handsome guy that the other women were chasing. At first, their relationship had been nothing more than friendship, with a heavy dose of flirtation. They hadn’t become romantically involved for years.

  After they finally had, she’d been so worried about holding on to his attention that she’d compromised her morals, a decision she still regretted. She’d invested too much in their relationship, given too much without being sure of his feelings for her. It was a mistake she wouldn’t make again. Were things different now? She was beginning to think so. His frame of reference had changed. A newfound faith in God was making Seth a better man. She wanted to know what that could mean for their future relationship.

  After they applied the bug spray, Elise remained standing. She looked out across the lake to where the sun was disappearing behind the line of trees that looked black against the red-and-orange sky. The colors reflected in the lake made the scene twice as beautiful. She glanced over at Seth. “Thanks for convincing me to come watch the sunset with you. It’s gorgeous.”

  “I agree. Nathan told me I wouldn’t be sorry if I came out here to see a sunset. And I’m glad you’re here to share it with me.” He patted the table. “Sit beside me.”

  In the dusky light, Elise studied his handsome face. She had the urge to throw her arms around him. Stepping away, she closed her eyes.

  “Elise, is something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure how to act around you.” There. She’d finally told him how she felt. Letting her eyes flutter open, she waited for his response.

  With the sunset reflected in his dark eyes, he stared back at her. He opened his mouth as he started to say something, but then closed it again. Getting up, still not saying a word, he grabbed his cane from the table and approached her. He stopped a foot away. “We need to talk about it.”

  “What are we going to say? What can erase the past?”

  Seth shook his head. “We can’t erase the past. We can’t ignore the fact that we shared a relationship. All we can do is try to start over…if that’s what you want.”

  Afraid of her response to him, Elise turned away. Even though she didn’t know what the right decision was, she wanted to fall into his embrace. Her heart hammering, she longed to feel his strong arms around her. She took a step back. “But we can’t let ourselves rush into anything this time.”

  “I promise I won’t let that happen, if you’re willing to give me another shot.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I still care about you very much.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I want a second chance.”

  The fact that he was nervous and had opened himself up for rejection touched her, but she still had doubts about him. “I’m not sure how I feel about you.”

  “I understand that, but I think you still have some feelings for me.”

  Elise laughed halfheartedly. “Yeah, confusing ones.”

  “Well, that’s a start anyway.” Leaning on his cane, he grinned. “Is there any possibility I can talk you into letting me be your escort for Lukas and Juliane’s wedding?”

  “Are you asking me for a date?”

  “I am.”

  Elise let the implications run through her mind. He wanted a second chance, and she was beginning to believe he deserved one. They both needed a second chance. “Let me think about it, okay? I promise I’ll have an answer for you soon.”

  Disappointment flickered in his eyes, but he still smiled. “Sure.”

  “I’m warning you, even if I say yes, I’m going to be busy doing the maid-of-honor stuff.”

  “That’s okay. I promise if you say yes, you won’t regret it. I’m going to do everything in my power to make up for the wrong I did in the past.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go back to town. We can talk on the way.”

  Elise stared at his outstretched hand. Did she dare put her hand in his? Yes. She had to take the chance. Stepping nearer, she slipped her hand into his. His strong fingers closed around her hand as they walked toward his pickup. Contentment settled around her heart. Fear and worry still remained, but she could ignore them for now. With God’s help, she was going to face the future and find out if Seth was a man she could truly love.

  The following Saturday morning, Elise ushered Juliane toward the entrance of the Newport Aquarium. Elise pointed upward. “Look at this gorgeous day—blue skies and bright sunshine. What more could you ask for?”

  “A little more sleep.”

  “Quit complaining, Juliane. Val, Carrie and I have a fun day planned.”

  “You call getting up at seven in the morning fun? You promised not to make my life miserable with this bachelorette thing.” Juliane frowned.

  Elise laughed. “And as I recall, I only promised there would be no practical jokes or singing telegrams.”

  “Why the early start when the place isn’t even open yet?” Juliane waved a hand toward the entrance.

  “I told you before—we didn’t want to miss the penguin parade.”

  “And I said we could miss it.”

  Elise placed her hands on her hips, then glanced at Val and Carrie. “What are we going to do with the grumpy bride-to-be?”

  “Got me.” Shrugging, Val laughed.

  Carrie joined in the laughter. “If we can’t have practical jokes or singing telegrams, we had to have something to make you uncomfortable. What would a bachelorette party be without it?”

  “That’s why I didn’t want a bachelorette party.” Juliane glared at Elise. “I’ll remember this when it’s your turn. And I see that turn coming real soon.”

  “Your imagination is working overtime.”

  Shaking her head, Juliane grinned. “I wasn’t imagining the way Seth looked at you the other night when he asked to drive you home. He’s not hiding his interest.”

  “He was just going along with your request to be alone with Lukas.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure that’s the only reason he drove you home.” Juliane raised her eyebrows. “That’s why a five-minute trip took over an hour. What did you talk about?”

  “We wanted to give you guys more time alone, and the rest is none of your business.”

  “Touchy, touchy. I think I hit a nerve.” Juliane turned to Val and Carrie. “What do you guys think?”

  Val nodded. “I think Juliane has you and Seth pegged. There’s definitely something going on there.”

  “Quit bugging me about Seth.”

  “I have to have some payback, since you got me up so early.” Juliane chuckled.

  As they waited with the crowd for the penguins to appear, Elise wondered whether Juliane would keep bringing up Seth. Elise didn’t need more reminders that she still hadn’t made a decision about letting him escort her to the wedding. With the wedding only a week away, she couldn’t keep putting him off, but fear of making a mistake kept her from assessing the situation clearly.

  “Here come the penguins.” Carrie’s observation rescued Elise from thoughts of Seth.

  “Aren’t they cute?” Juliane craned her neck to get a better look. “Look at the little girl who’s leading the parade. She’s precious.”

  “She sure is.” Val nodded. “Eric and I will have to bring our kids to see this.”

  As they followed the crowd into the aquarium, Elise couldn’t help thinking about how much fun Olivia would
have leading the parade. Thoughts of the little girl brought another reminder of Seth. She didn’t want to think about him now. She wanted to enjoy the day with her sister and cousins.

  Elise poked Juliane in the ribs. “So are you in a better mood now?”

  “Yeah. Sorry I was so grouchy. I’d never seen the penguin parade. The aquarium is super, and I love you for thinking about bringing me here.” Juliane reached over and gave Elise a hug, then Val and Carrie, too.

  “Okay, then. We’re in for a fabulous day—aquarium, Ride the Ducks, dinner.” Elise glanced at the brochure in her hand. “Looks like we start here with the World Rivers exhibit.”

  The foursome spent the morning in the aquarium where they took in a giant Pacific octopus, seahorses, alligators, fish from the Amazon River, a coral reef, frogs, a rainforest, jellyfish, sharks and a variety of other aquatic life.

  “Next is Shark Central. You want to touch the sharks?” Carrie asked.

  Juliane grimaced. “I think this is more for kids. I’ll watch.”

  “I guess you really aren’t as brave as I thought.” Elise laughed.

  “Remember, I told you I was a wimp.”

  While the sisters teased each other, Elise spied a dark-haired woman accompanied by two young boys. Elise nodded in their direction. “Is that Melanie Drake and her boys heading for the restaurant?”

  Juliane turned. “Yeah. I’m so glad to see her getting out. I still can’t imagine losing a husband at such a young age. Things have been tough for her since Tim’s death. Let’s go over and say hi.”

  “Okay.” Elise looked over at Val and Carrie as Juliane took off toward Melanie. “You guys ready for lunch?”

  “We are. Let’s eat here since we’re going more upscale tonight,” Carrie said.

  When Elise, Val and Carrie caught up to Juliane, she was already in conversation with Melanie.

  “Why don’t you join us for lunch?” Juliane asked.

  Melanie shook her head slightly. “We don’t want to intrude on your party.”

  “You’re not intruding. We want you to join us.”