Drive and Determination (33 page)

            As they walked out to the pier toward the Grand Ballroom, Elyssa admired and commented on everything around her. The lights glistening in Lake Michigan were beautiful, but the one thing that caught her attention was the Ferris wheel.
            “Oh, look, Will! A Ferris wheel! Do you think we can ride it?”
            “Dressed like this?” he asked as he pointed down to their wardrobe.
            “I don’t think they have a dress code,” Elyssa answered without batting an eye. “Come on; let’s go take a closer look.”
            They walked up toward the Ferris wheel and read that it closed at ten.
            “We better get on now,” Elyssa said. “These fund-raising things could go till midnight.”
            Will shook his head. “We really should get inside. That line is too long and Richard is waiting for us. The banquet will be starting soon.”
            Elyssa wrapped her hand tightly around his arm. “Do you think we can sneak out just before ten?”
            “We’ll see.”
            Elyssa pulled back a little on his arm to stop him. “Now look here, Will. I went with you on those bumper cars in Guatemala. The least you can do is ride on this little Ferris wheel with me.”
            Will laughed. “It doesn’t look too little to me. It’s fifteen stories high! If you insist, though, we’ll try later. I’ll leave it up to you to keep track of the time. Don’t blame me if you suddenly realize it’s after ten.”
            That satisfied Elyssa and they walked toward the Grand Ballroom, passing a carousel and a few other rides that were being enjoyed by young and old alike on this unusually mild autumn evening. They did look out of place in their formal clothes among the young revelers enjoying the rides. The closer they got to the Ballroom, however, the more their attire blended in with others around them. Soon they had joined a throng of people dressed in their finest, heading toward a large building with a domed roof.
            As they walked in, Will leaned over. “Look for Richard. We have a table for ten and he’s probably here by now.”
            “You mean Richard as in Richard Fitzpatrick, owner of the house I’m designing?” Elyssa teased.
            “Well, yes… and no.”
            Suddenly Will pointed, “Look, he’s over there.”
            As they walked through the ballroom, Elyssa gazed about her. It was beautiful. She didn’t think she had ever seen anything quite like it before.
            When they reached the table, Elyssa was greeted by the same smiling face she had met in Will’s office. “Hello, Elyssa! It’s good to see you again!” He paused and gave a teasing glance at his cousin. “This time not under false pretenses!”
            Will rolled his eyes and shook his head as Elyssa greeted his cousin.
            “Hello, Richard. How are you?” She then turned to the others at their table. “Hello, Emily. Hello Mrs. Reed.”
            “Hello, Elyssa,” both ladies responded at once.
            Emily introduced her husband to Elyssa. “Elyssa, this is my husband, Dwight. Dwight, this is Elyssa.”
            They exchanged greetings and Elyssa sat down next to Emily.
            Will and Richard took their seats and suddenly Richard whispered to Will, “Here she comes. In the pink dress. What do you think?”
            Will let out a muffled grunt and whispered back, “She looks just like all the others you’ve ever dated.”
            The two men stood up and Richard introduced Tiffany to everyone seated around the table. She was tall and blond and wore an excessive amount of makeup and seemed to giggle a lot. Elyssa hated to make quick judgments of people, but this young girl’s manner was simply too tempting. She was a dumb blond. No, probably a dumb
bleached
blond. Now Elyssa knew several intelligent blondes, but this young girl was not one of them. Hearing Will’s remark to his cousin about his taste in women, she suddenly had a much clearer picture of Richard, too.
            The evening was enjoyable. Their table of ten included three more people from Pemberleo and they enjoyed a delicious meal, an art show and auction, and beautiful music from the symphony orchestra and soloists. Will and Elyssa took some time to peruse the art show and bid on a couple of works of art that they both agreed would look wonderful in the house.
            Elyssa was enjoying herself so much that she practically forgot about the Ferris wheel.
            It was at about five minutes before ten that she noticed Will glance at his watch and she suddenly remembered. She tugged at Will’s sleeve. “Will, it’s almost ten.”
            “Yes, are you ready to leave?”
            “No! We have to get to the Ferris wheel.”
            “Oh, that. You really want to do that?”
            Elyssa nodded.
            “We could always come back another day and take a ride on it.”
            She gave a little more fervent tug on his sleeve. “No, winter is coming and by then it might be too cold! Tonight’s perfect, but we have to hurry!”
            “All right.” He looked around the table and thanked everyone for coming and excused himself and Elyssa.
            As they walked out, Elyssa said, “We can always come back after the ride, if you prefer.”
            Will shook his head. “They’re just winding things up in there. The music is over and now there will just be some speakers who will finish up the evening. We’ll do this and go home.”
            As they were approaching the Ferris wheel, Elyssa gasped as she saw that the lights went out.
            “Oh no!” she said as she grabbed Will’s arm and began to run as best she could in her gown and heels. “Come on! Maybe they’ll open it up for us.”
            “I doubt it,” Will replied nonchalantly.
            As they came up to the attendant, who was closing things down, Will didn’t have to say a thing. Elyssa began begging and pleading for just one time around. “Please?” she asked with her eyes wide and childlike.
            “Well, OK, but just once -- and it’s gotta be quick! I’m off duty!”
            They climbed into a small gondola that was large enough to seat up to six people, three on a side. Will stepped in after Elyssa and slid over next to her.
            As the ride began, Elyssa felt her stomach lurch as they went up and up. Soon they were going over the top and back down. Disappointment surged through Elyssa as she realized the ride was going to be over before it had hardly begun if they only got to go around once.
            Instead of coming to a stop at the bottom, however, it kept going, and this time around, not having started from a standstill, the motion prompted Elyssa to grab on tightly to Will and she let out a scream.
            “I thought you liked Ferris wheels.”
            “I do, but I don’t think I’ve ever been on one this big!” she shrieked as they came around again.
            “Do you want to get off?”
            “No!” she squealed with a laugh. “This is too much fun!”
            As it came up around to the top the second time, Elyssa readied herself for the plunge down. Instead they came to an abrupt stop, suspended at the top.
            The gondola rocked from the momentum. After her initial joy and shock, she looked around, in awe of the view.
            She turned and looked out across the water. “Look at the view, Will! It’s beautiful. The lights are just dancing across Lake Michigan!”
            “It is beautiful up here, Elyssa, but it’s not just the lights. You are the most beautiful thing I see.”
            Elyssa shuddered as she gazed at his intense eyes. Looking down, she said, “You are too kind.”
            Elyssa leaned across Will to look out over the city of Chicago on his side, placing her hand against his chest, feeling his heart pound. Very softly, she said, “Who would have thought that day you took me on the bumper cars in Guatemala -- and I pummeled you to death -- that four months later we’d be sitting at the top of a Ferris wheel together?”
            He covered her hand with his and Elyssa felt his fingers gently tighten around her hand; just enough to know she needed to remain silent and let him say what was on his mind.
            “Who would have thought on that day we rode those bumper cars, that…” Will took in a deep breath and paused. He brought her hands up toward his lips. “…that four months later…” Will reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.  He slipped down off the seat and knelt on the floor of the gondola. Elyssa failed to notice the rocking and swaying his movement caused. “…we would be sitting at the top of a Ferris wheel and I would be asking you… to marry me and be my wife?”
            Elyssa could barely move as she watched Will slowly open the box. She looked down and beheld a beautiful diamond and sapphire ring.
            “Elyssa, will you marry me?”
            Will bent his head over and kissed her hand, then lifted his eyes to wait for Elyssa’s answer.
            A smile crept across her face. “Who would have believed that day we rode the bumper cars, that four months later I would be on the top of a Ferris wheel
accepting
your proposal to be your wife? Yes I will!”
            Will pulled the ring out of the box and his shaking hands took hold of Elyssa’s shaking hand, slipping the ring on her finger. Elyssa’s eyes were as wide as could be as she looked down at it. Suddenly the lights sparkling in the lake were dim compared to this.
            He brought himself back up on the seat and wrapped his arms around her neck, leaning his forehead in against hers and let out a deep sigh. “You have made me so happy, Elyssa.”
            Suddenly the ride began again, as if it somehow knew everything was settled between them.
            As they approached the ground and it slowed down, Elyssa thought their ride was over. But she noticed Will nod at the attendant and soon they were soaring up again. Elyssa gasped to catch her breath.
            Once again, they came to the top and stopped. Elyssa snuggled up closely next to Will. “You know, Will,” she said, “I took you on quite the roller coaster ride in our relationship, didn’t I?”
            “Roller coaster?” Will shook his head. “Not at all! I would call it more like a
House of Mirrors
.  I wondered whether I would ever find my way out of the labyrinth I was in!” He looked at her and smiled, poking her nose with his finger. “It seems I kept seeing you right in front of me, but when I’d try to reach you, I’d run smack into a dead-end!”
            She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder. “Well I’m here now, right in front of you.”
            Will completely encased her with his arms. “And don’t think I’m ever going to let you go.”
            They started to move again, this time more slowly and Elyssa thought she could hear the sound of music playing.
            “What’s that?” she asked. “It sounds like it’s right below us!”
            Will shrugged his shoulders as they drew near the ground. Elyssa gripped Will tightly and looked up to him. “They’re playing
I Will Wait for You
!”  She released him and slid over to the edge of the seat, trying to look down.
            As they reached the point at the back of the ride, where they could look down ahead of them, Elyssa gasped as she saw a small orchestra seated in a semi-circle of folding chairs below them. Everyone from their table at the banquet was now standing off to the side cheering and applauding, and then she saw that her aunt and uncle were down there as well, holding the dozen roses he had brought her earlier.
            Tears began to flow. “You had all this planned! Will, how did you do it?”
            “A lot of planning and prayer,” he said as he laughed. “I was quite sure you’d insist on riding the Ferris wheel. If you hadn’t, I would have been the one insisting.”
            They stepped off the ride to the snapping of pictures, hugs, and offers of “Congratulations” from everyone.
            She looked to her aunt and uncle. “You knew about this all along?”
            They both nodded as her aunt handed her the roses and her uncle remarked, “He couldn’t very well ask you to marry him without asking
my
permission first, could he?”
            Elyssa laughed and looked around her in awe.
            Richard leaned forward and announced to the two that they had won the bid on the two pieces of artwork they wanted.
            “I told him not to bid so high. He more than tripled their value!” Elyssa said in mock frustration.
            Will shrugged his shoulders. “The proceeds are going to a good cause and we get two nice paintings out of it.”
            The small orchestra finished playing and Elyssa surmised that the musicians were most likely a handful of the ones who had performed at the benefit they just came from. She was touched that Will invited them to come and play especially for them and that he had extended the invitation to the others to join them at the bottom of the Ferris wheel. It was only for a short time, however, for they all quickly excused themselves and Will and Elyssa were left alone.
            “Do you like it?” he asked as they walked to the car arm in arm. Will looked down at Elyssa by his side. She held out her hand in front of her, admiring her ring.
            “It’s perfect, Will. Everything tonight was perfect. I don’t know how you organized all of this!”
            “I’m glad you’re pleased,” he said, and then he stopped. “You don’t mind, then, that I had to keep a few things a secret tonight? You don’t mind that everyone else knew and you didn’t?”
            Elyssa slowly turned her head toward him. “If all your secrets are as special as this was tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever complain again!”
            With roses still in her hand, she flung her arms tightly around the man she was to marry, intensely aware and forever grateful for his willingness to overlook and forgive all she had done and said to him in the past, and to finally see for herself, the man who William Denton truly was. 

Chapter 32

            As Elyssa stepped out onto the end of the aisle on her uncle’s arm, a smile lit up her face when she saw Will standing up at the front of the church. He looked much like he had three years ago when he stood at the side of Chad at his friend’s wedding to Janet, but now she could see the man he truly was. Certainly, he had changed, but a great deal of her perception of him had changed, as well.
            Elyssa and Will wanted a more intimate gathering of close friends and family and thus had chosen to be married in this small Chicago church, smaller than the one the Blakelys were married in. After a brief one month engagement, they chose to marry over the Thanksgiving weekend to make it easier for people who had to come in from other areas. Gina had cooked a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday for all the out-of-town guests. On Friday, most of the out-of-towners were able to go out and see the sights while Elyssa, her aunt, and her mother tied up all the final details of the wedding.
            Now, as Elyssa made her way toward the front, she caught a glimpse of her mother in the front row fanning herself. It had been an interesting week having her there. Will had confided to Elyssa that he could easily see why she was drawn to her aunt. Her aunt was calm and reassuring while her mother was unsteady and easily fretted about anything. More than once Elyssa caught Will grimacing over something her mother said or did. They were both very grateful that they were going to live halfway across the country from her.
            As Elyssa drew up next to Will and he took her hand in his, she felt all the strength of character he had and was willing to share with her.

*~*~*

            Will had been waiting patiently up at the front of the church for the first glimpse of his bride. He took in a sharp breath when Elyssa first stepped out onto the center aisle of the church on her uncle’s arm. Her dark hair and eyes contrasted with the white of the dress and ivory tone of her skin. She looked radiant, and he suddenly recalled the day when she walked down another aisle, in a beautiful teal dress, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. That was at Chad and Janet’s wedding, and he had been fairly certain that as much as he found her exasperatingly attractive, she would never be his.
            Today, with each step Elyssa took toward him, he recalled the little steps she took as she gradually warmed to him. The day he took her on the bumper cars was a turning point for them. He could thank his good father for planting that idea in his head. He often thought he might be able to use it someday with his
own
son; he had no idea he would use it with a woman he loved.
            When they went out to the village, their ease in conversing together was a pleasant surprise. Not one to engage in profuse conversation, he found himself wanting to hear her thoughts and ideas and learn more about her. She seemed to enjoy their conversation, as well.
            Staying with her in the house when she was ill, even though he had not planned it, provided him with the opportunity to show her he cared. As they drove back to Guatemala City that day, he was quite confident that they had crossed a major milestone. If it hadn’t been for George Westham, he was fairly certain they would have flown home together, not wanting to part.
            Will watched Elyssa glide to within an easy arm’s reach from him. He could see every detail of her beautiful face and stunning dress; everything else that had taken place in the past few days getting ready for the wedding was now but a blur.
            She stood before him now and Edward Garner handed her off to him. Will could barely comprehend that the eyes that he had found so fine that very first night he met her, were now gazing at him in love. He took her hand and the two turned to face the reverend who would marry them and pronounce them man and wife.
            They stood together, eagerly waiting to speak their vows and promise their complete love and devotion, anticipating a lifetime of happiness.

*~*~*

            As might be expected, Will and Elyssa flew to Guatemala on the company jet for their honeymoon. Once in Guatemala City, they were immediately whisked away to Lake Atitlan by Manuel, who was waiting for them at the airport when they arrived. There would be enough time on the way back to visit the Pemberleo staff that had not been able to make it to the wedding. A special reception was planned for them when they returned from the lake.
            They spent several nights in the Panajachel hotel where they had previously shared separate suites. This time there was need for only one, no need for a connecting door, and no need to worry whether anyone was taking pictures of the two of them. They had enough leisure time to take in more of the sites around Panajachel before setting out for the village.
            Manuel again made all the arrangements and escorted them to the house in the village before setting off to see his family again. As they walked up to the house, Elyssa could barely contain herself when she saw what was on the porch.
            “Look!” she said as she tugged Will’s sleeve. “Someone has put up a porch swing!”
            “So it seems,” he said softly.
            Elyssa looked up into Will’s face. “Did you do that when you were here last? You did, didn’t you?”
            Will looked down at Elyssa with a sheepish grin. “Well, I didn’t actually put it up, but I did arrange to have it hung.”
            As they walked up the steps to the house, Will asked, “Do you like it?”
            “Of course! That afternoon when you and Manuel had gone out and I was feeling a little better, I brought a chair out here and sat. I thought to myself how much nicer it would be if there was a porch swing.”
            When they came into the house, Elyssa could also see that things had been changed. Some pieces of furniture had been replaced, walls painted, and new window coverings hung. Will wanted to make sure that memories of Chad and Janet didn’t completely overshadow their time there, but there were just enough of their belongings remaining so they were not completely forgotten. He also wanted to make the home available for anyone from the company who needed a break, so he had arranged to have it furnished very nicely. He wanted to surprise Elyssa and therefore didn’t consult her with the design. Although it was simple, it was very nice.  Will reassured her that if she was not happy with anything, she could make improvements while they were there -- but only if she wanted to. They were there to enjoy themselves and relax, not work.
            Their time at the village was very special; Elyssa saw Will really loosen up there much like he had before. She encouraged him to grow that “scruffy” look again and although the weather was cooler than their previous visit, it was mild enough to walk barefoot along the shore of the lake and get their feet wet.
            Will had not expected it, but Elyssa wanted to venture out to see some of the villages that had sustained damage in the flood. He knew they would have to get into some pretty primitive conditions and didn’t want to put her through that on their honeymoon, but she insisted and he finally relented. He was pleasantly surprised again to find out that she was really a trooper and was not put out at all by having to “rough it” for a couple days. They were both ready, though, to get back to modern civilization. A small reception back in Guatemala City attended by employees and others who had come to know Will over the years concluded their time there and they returned to Chicago, eager to begin their life together there.