All By Myself_A Table for One Romance

by Leah Atwood

  All By Myself

  A Table for One Novella

  Leah Atwood

  Copyright © 2018 by Leah Atwood

  Cover Design © Covers by Ramona

  Cover Image © Adobestock.com

  Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HCSB®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. HCSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  -To all those seeking God’s will

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

  and your ways are not My ways.”

  This is the Lord’s declaration.

  “For as heaven is higher than earth,

  so My ways are higher than your ways,

  and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

  - Isaiah 55:8-9

  Chapter One

  “After the break, we’ll announce the winner of the Mystery Getaway Vacation. If we announce your name, you’ll have fifteen minutes to call in and claim your prize.”

  Kira reached over from the desk and turned up the radio’s volume. The chances of hearing her name called were slim, but she had entered every day for the last month. She’d made a career out of traveling, but not for pleasure. Her trips to countries around the world had been filled with work and left little time for sightseeing and rest. The work also paid very little, and she often used her salary to help someone in need. The blogs she ran now paid her bills with some extra, but not enough for a luxury vacation.

  She listened to the commercials while she typed another paragraph on her latest blog entry at Table for One. After reading through it, she hit the backspace key until she deleted every word. “Rubbish.” She groaned and stretched her arms. This entry should have been completed by noon, and two hours later the progress stagnated. Maybe it was time to give up that blog. She loved writing, but more and more lately, she discovered she didn’t believe the words she wrote, and it came out in her work.

  The paragraph she’d deleted for example—the level of snarkiness that oozed off the screen was unacceptable. She took her role seriously, and if she could no longer write an article convincing single men and women to be happy in their dating status, then she served the blog no purpose.

  A catchy, upbeat jingle played on the radio, a lead-in to the announcement. Kira turned her attention from the computer screen and leaned an ear toward the radio speaker.

  Mac Adams, the D.J., came on the air. “It’s time for our Mystery Getaway Vacation. Kira Whatley, call the station within fifteen minutes to claim your prize and find out where KENU is sending you on a one-week, all-expense paid vacation.”

  Her mouth gaped open as the excitement built, and she let out an ear-piercing squeal, not caring if anyone heard. She dialed the number, finding success on the third try with shaky fingers. Where would she go? Past winners had gone to Panama Beach, Savannah, and one had even gone to Paris. Did it matter where she went? She was getting away somewhere. “I won!”

  “Yes, you did,” Mac Adams answered, followed by a chuckle. “Presuming you are Kira Whatley.”

  She heard it twice—once on the phone, the other coming over the radio. At least no one saw her fist pump. “That’s me.”

  “Congratulations, Kira. Any guesses as to where you’re going courtesy of KENU?”

  “Disney World?”

  “Good guess, but not correct. Are you ready to hear?”

  His infectious tone made her smile, and she held the phone close to her ear. “Yes.”

  “You’ll be heading to Pell’s Peak in the beautiful Shenandoah mountains.”

  She racked her brain. It sounded familiar, but why? “Awesome. I can’t wait.”

  Mac Adams made several more comments before patching her through to the administrative assistant who gave her all the details.

  Once she ended the call, she left her desk to sink into the sofa and absorb the news. She’d hoped, but hadn’t believed, she’d win. The odds were against her, and it almost seemed too good to be true. However, she had an acquaintance who’d won several years ago, so she knew the trip she’d won would include everything she’d been told it would.

  Her excitement wouldn’t allow her to sit still. She grabbed her tablet off the end table, jumped up, and typed “Pell’s Peak” into the search tab. Pages of results came back. Kira tapped on the first link and scanned the article.

  She remembered why the town sounded familiar—back in the eighties, it had been the setting for a popular TV show about a family during the early twentieth century. Her grandmother loved the show and still watched the reruns. Sometimes Kira would watch them with her. The characters lived a simple life, and each episode had a moral lesson. As a child, Kira had loved watching for the scenery. At that time in her life, she’d never seen mountains and hills, only knew the flatlands of South Louisiana.

  The enthusiasm buzzing within her faded. Did Pell’s Peak offer anything besides memories of a time gone by? Not that she didn’t appreciate history and she did love mountains, but she’d hoped for entertainment on her vacation and a way to clear her head. The tranquil scenery would give her plenty of time to think, but she didn’t want to get lost in her thoughts. She wanted—needed—an escape.

  Stop being ungrateful. You won a trip you won’t have to pay a dime for, so accept your blessings and stop griping because it’s not where you would have chosen.

  “All valid points,” she said out loud, speaking to her non-answering tablet. “But what is there to do at Pell’s Peak?”

  She clicked on the official tourism page, stifled a groan when the first image was that of a wedding. Who knew Pell’s Peak held a premiere wedding destination status. She scrolled past the happy pictures which only reminded her of her own singledom. Is this a joke, Lord? I know you work in mysterious ways, but why is the trip I won to a popular wedding destination? Why, when I’m hurting and doubting that my time will ever come? You know the desires of my heart, but this feels like a cruel joke.

  Maybe she should turn down the trip or give it away. Nothing in the statement read to her had said it was non-transferrable. She could bless a friend with the trip, or perhaps one of the college singles at church who couldn’t afford a vacation.

  The idea floated in her head for several minutes. She’d desperately wanted to win this trip, and she hated to give it up, but could she enjoy it if there were constant wedding reminders?

  With a heavy sigh, she decided she couldn’t. She reluctantly grabbed her phone and called the station. Before she offered the package to anyone, she wanted to verify that she had the authority to transfer the prize.

  The operator sent her through to the legal department. “Gene Boscoe, how may I help you?”

  “Hi Gene, this is Kira Whatley.” She paused and licked her lips. “I won the on-air vacation giveawa
y earlier today.”

  “Congratulations. Did you speak with Anna already?”

  Anna? Ah, yes, the administrative assistant. “Yes, but I had a question. I realized I won’t be able to go within the timeframe given and wanted to gift the win to someone. Before I did, I wanted to make sure that’s allowed.”

  Gene sighed. “I’m sorry, but legalities require that only the individual whose name was called can redeem the prize and vouchers.”

  “Oh.” Her heart sank. “Thanks for your time.” She started to hang up, but the man’s voice stopped her.

  “I can, however, extend the length of time you have to redeem your prize.” The sound of rustling papers filtered through the line.

  Caught in her lie, she stumbled. “No… I don’t think… thank you, but I’ll speak with my boss and see what we can work out.”

  “I hope you can, but if you need the time, give us a call, and we’ll have the voucher dates changed.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Serves my fib right. She hung up and exhaled slowly.

  She wouldn’t let the trip slide. For whatever reason unbeknownst to her, she’d won. Somewhere she’d read that April was the cheapest month to get married since it was offseason. If she went before the end of this month, she might enjoy her vacation without the constant reminder of weddings and marriages.

  Where had her confidence, strength, and dignity gone? A year ago she wouldn’t have dreamed of passing up a free vacation.

  A year ago, I wasn’t the only one of my friends not married or engaged.

  Squaring her shoulders, she stared at her reflection in the mirror above her desk. At thirty-five, she still had a youthful glow though not as vibrant as a decade ago. She maintained a stringent skincare regimen to keep her skin smooth and clear, sticking closely to it when possible even when overseas. Kira smiled and examined her mouth. Despite her mother’s claims of hereditary laugh lines at a young age, Kira saw none when she smiled. She prayed that meant those genes hadn’t been passed to her. I’ll take my smile lines in the typical age range, thank you very much.

  Her red curls shot out from all sides of her head, but she’d always liked the quirky appearance it gave her. The spirit of her hair seeped into her soul and made her wild at heart. That’s what her friends and family had told her, at least.

  She’d never decided in all her years if she agreed with them. Sure, she had tendencies to do things her way that often involved the roads less traveled. Literally. Some roads she’d taken hadn’t been cleared in, well, ever, and were only roads in the most liberal sense of the word. Traversing through the jungles of South America had been nerve-wracking at times, but her work with S.O.M.E., a humanitarian aid organization, fulfilled her. On the opposite side, her last two trips had been to the Middle East, where she’d walked on dirt roads that had existed for centuries.

  But those memories existed in a different season of her life. God called her away from her work two years ago. Since then, she’d searched for answers on what to do next but hadn’t found them. Not permanent ones at least. She enjoyed the blogs, though she currently struggled with Table for One. She knew God gave them to her for a reason, but she sensed it wasn’t His long-term plan for her.

  If only she knew what that was.

  She tucked a curl behind her ear and smiled again at her reflection. She’d take this vacation. It might not be her ideal destination, but there had to be a reason why she’d won. If nothing else, she’d prove to herself she was strong enough to withstand a constant bombardment of wedding paraphernalia and romance without losing faith that God would give her the desires of her heart.

  Chapter Two

  Matt Cameron knocked on Lisa’s room door and entered after she told him to come in.

  She spun in a circle, with her hands lifting the top part of the dress’s skirt. White satin billowed around her. “How do I look?”

  “Beautiful as always.” He presented her with a bow before pulling out the chair from the vanity and sitting backward on it. “Jon’s eyes will be glued to you.”

  Dropping the skirt to her side, she smiled. “Can you believe I’m finally getting married?”

  “It’s only a decade overdue.”

  “Better late than never.” She winked and grabbed her veil off the bedpost. “Can you help me situate this? I want to see the entire outfit on me. I was afraid to open the veil before I got here.”

  He groaned, but then took the veil attached to a tiara. “Shouldn’t one of your bridesmaids be doing this?”

  “If they were here, but I told them to enjoy the morning free of any duties. We’re meeting for lunch and then mani-pedis.” She flashed him the grin he’d never been able to resist. “Besides, you’re always gentle with hair. Candace tends to yank, and Mia, bless her heart, would set it on my head crooked and call it a day. She never did outgrow the tomboy phase.”

  “Do me a favor and never tell anyone I’m gentle with hair. I don’t need my masculinity threatened further.”

  “I don’t think you’re in danger of that, Brawny Man.”

  Lifting his arms, he let out a loud laugh. Only Lisa could get away with calling him that. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Not until you audition for him.”

  “And have my face plastered on paper towel packages? No, thank you.”

  “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “I still think you look exactly like him.”

  “Maybe he’s my dad.” His joke fell flat, and he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

  “Or mine.” Lisa twisted her lips, all traces of joy gone.

  He stood up and stepped toward her. “Hey, no sadness allowed. You’re getting married to the love of your life.”

  “I know.” She swiped at her eyes. “I’m good, really I am. Sometimes I think too much, and all the past hurts well up again.”

  “It’s okay. We’ve had our share of hard knocks in life.” He handed her a tissue.

  “Weddings are one of those times a girl is supposed to have her dad, and I’ll have no one. I don’t know who my bio dad is, and the only foster dad who ever cared about me is dead.” She blew into the tissue and glanced up at him with mascara beginning the trek down her cheeks. “Thank you for coming to the wedding. I know it wasn’t easy at this time of the year.”

  “Anything for you.” He hugged her from the side. “You’re the closest to a sister I have.”

  She leaned into him. “Siblings don’t have to come from blood.”

  “Amen to that.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Sis.”

  Finally, she smiled again, albeit with a twinge of sadness. “The years we spent together at the Mays’ home were the best of my childhood.”

  “Mine too. I wish we could have stayed there forever, but when Mr. Mays had that massive heart attack and died the next day I knew it was only a matter of time before we had to leave.”

  “We did okay for ourselves, though, didn’t we?” Her voice shook with emotion. “We beat the odds.”

  Nodding, he gave her another squeeze before lowering his arm to his side. “I’m proud of you. You’ve built a career out of making a difference for children like we were and giving them a better life.”

  “It’s been the joy of my life.” She gave him a sideways glance accompanied by a smile. “Other than marrying Jon.”

  “I couldn’t be happier for my two best friends. When the two of you first met during my senior year of college, I knew then you’d end up together.”

  “Little did you know it would take fifteen years.” She laughed as she looked in the mirror, adjusted the tiara and veil.

  “Well, if someone hadn’t been afraid of getting close to another person.”

  Her brows arched high. “Like you have room to talk.”

  “I haven’t found the right person. There’s a big difference.”

  “Sure.” She drew the word out into two long syllables.

  “It’s true. I’m in the perpetual friend zone. May
be I’m destined to have lots of gal pals and never a wife.”

  She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I don’t believe that for a minute. You’ll make a great husband to one fortunate woman.”

  Hopefully sooner rather than later. He’d never cared that he had lots of girl friends but rarely a girlfriend, but lately, he’d thought a lot about starting a family. Because he didn’t have one, not in the traditional sense, and knew what he was missing, he’d decided early in life he’d like to be married with children one day. Only thing was, he’d always imagined it to be one day in the future, and now he realized that someday had come, but he was missing a vital part of the equation—a wife. “Find me that woman, then.”

  “Is that a challenge?” Her eyes came alive. “I have two single bridesmaids who’d love to find their Mr. Right.”

  “No, no, no.” He held out his palm, squashing that idea quickly.

  “What’s wrong with them?” She pressed a hand against her hip.

  “It’s nothing against them,” he backpedaled, not wanting to offend her by insulting her closest friends other than him and Jon. “Candace is like another sister, and Mia could almost be my daughter.”

  Lisa erupted into wild laughter. “You should have seen your face. The horror!”

  He fought the urge to revert to childhood tactics of sticking out his tongue. “On that note, I have to go. I’m meeting Jon at noon for lunch at Myrtle’s Eatery.”

  “Aren’t the names of the businesses here adorable?”

  “I guess.” He shrugged. “Why did you choose to get married at Pell’s Peak?”

  She removed the veil and tiara and laid them carefully on the bed. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

  “Did I laugh at your ninth-grade homecoming dress?”

  “Yes, you did.” She shuddered. “But I did look like a gigantic cone of bubble gum cotton candy so I’ll give you that one.”

  “You said it, not me.” He wagged his brows, then crossed his arms over his chest. “In all seriousness, I promise I won’t laugh as long as you don’t tell me you had a secret crush on one of the Wilton characters.”