Forever's Promises (Forever In Luck Series Book 1) (5 page)

Adding
a generous amount of cream and sugar to her coffee, she took a long drink, then
sighed. Reaching, she scooped up a spoonful of scrambled eggs, and put them on
her plate. Then grabbing a half a piece of toast, and a piece of ham, she ate,
as her family sat watching.

**********

Nate’s
phone dinged. Picking it up, he looked at the message from Jake. She came to
the table happy, ate, and was spending the day at Bella’s. Flipping to the
contacts list on his phone, he couldn’t help but think Doris set him up good.
He was fairly certain the contact information for every person within a fifty
mile radius was saved on his phone. Putting his phone to his ear, he waited as
it rang.

“Bella’s
Salon and Day Spa, this is Sissy, how can I help you?”

“Hey
Sissy, is Heidi there?”

“Just
a moment please.”

“This
is Heidi, how can I help you.”

“Heidi,
please don’t say anything. I don’t want anyone to know I called. It’s Nate Sanders
and Linnie’s coming in today.” He knew he could count on Heidi. She’d make sure
Linnie was treated like a queen.

“Why
yes, I think I can help you. What were you thinking?”

“I
know every customer’s special,” he explained, “but Linnie deserves extra
special. I want the red carpet, all of it, no expense spared, and the bill goes
to me. She’s not to pay. Oh, and make sure she has something to eat, please.”

“Certainly,
that won’t be a problem,” Heidi answered, continuing the charade. He heard the
tinkle of chimes, and then people were talking in the background. Then she
added, “I’ll be able to get started on that as soon as we hang up. Check in
with me later today, we’ll settle things up then.”

She
was there. “Heidi, you’re the best.”

“Why,
thank you. You don’t worry about a thing. We’ll get it all taken care of. Talk
to you later. Bye-bye.”

Ending
the call, Nate felt a measure of relief knowing where Linnie was, and what she
was doing. She’d been through so much, and he took immense pleasure in knowing
she was being waited on, hand and foot. Armed with a closet full of new
clothes, he went about preparing for his first day of work as a civilian. It
felt good. He felt good, and thanks to his mother, he didn’t stick out like a
sore thumb in his Army issued threads.

Later
that day, Nate had barely gotten home and out of the shower, when his cell
phone started dinging like a winning slot machine. Picking it up, he saw he was
receiving text, after text, after text. Opening a couple of them, he burst out
laughing. Apparently the Knitting Brigade had gone high tech, and they had his
number. Linnie was on the move, and had been spotted leaving Bella’s looking
like a billion bucks. She was, at this very moment, headed south on 1st Street.

Dressing
quickly, he listened as his phone continued to ding and rattle on the dresser.
Opening the latest text, he saw she’d parked outside the Lutheran Church, and
was heading to the gazebo across the street. She was less than two blocks away,
and it was show time. This was his big chance, and somehow he had to get her to
listen. Saying a prayer, he headed for the door, glancing in the mirror as he
went by. His clothes fit perfectly, and he had to admit he cleaned up pretty
good. The question was, would Linnie notice?

**********

Linnie
felt wonderful. Somehow there’d been a miscommunication, but she wouldn’t
complain. She’d planned on a getting a massage, and then her hair done. Well
she’d gotten that, plus a facial, manicure, pedicure, and a full makeup
consultation. Not to mention the highlights, and lowlights in her hair, along
with a huge bag of personal care products, and makeup to take home.

She
felt a bit embarrassed though, because when she’d gone to pay, Heidi, the owner,
glanced at the schedule book and realized the mistake, then insisted it was all
on the house. So, she’d tried to leave a generous tip, but Heidi wouldn’t hear
of it. Thanking them profusely, she left. Except she felt so wonderful, and the
day being so beautiful, she didn’t feel like going home quite yet. Getting in
her car, she headed towards the lake.

It
was kind of hard to do though, because it made her think of Nate, and all the
times they’d sat on the park bench kissing by the shoreline. Unable to go
there, she parked in front of the Lutheran Church, got out of her car, and
walked across the street. Climbing the stairs of the gazebo, she moved to a bench
and sat. Looking all around, she stopped and stared at the big stained glass
window on the front of the church, admiring its vibrant colors. Her eyes
traveled the spire, to the cross at the top. Her prayer was simple.
Lord, please help. I need it.

Hearing
a noise, she turned, and saw Nate approaching the gazebo in long determined
strides.
Lord, this isn’t funny!
Stepping
up, he was in front of her, larger than life, making the gazebo feel like a
fishbowl. Standing there, watching as he came towards her, she couldn’t help
thinking how thankful she was that he was alive and safe. He was so incredibly
handsome, with his sandy brown hair and hazel colored eyes. She studied his
face, and remembered looking upon him in the past with happiness and joy, but
now, not so much. His jaw was square, his nose straight and strong, and he had
gentle, well defined lips, with the slightest of dimples in his chin. He was
tall, always had been, but he was taller than ever, and as he stood in front of
her, she was overwhelmed by the strength of his cut body, and ripped muscles.

Looking
up into his eyes, she saw it all, the depth and breadth of his emotion, and
what she saw scared her. He was the one, and she knew it like a body knows it
needs oxygen to survive. After everything that had happened, she fought it with
a vengeance, her battered and bruised heart sounding the alarm, clamoring for protection
from the ravages of love. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t. Breaking their
connection, she turned her back to him.

“Linn—”

“Don’t,”
she said calmly, cutting him off. “Please, don’t.” She heard him take a deep
breath. Her heart thumped in her chest. She didn’t want to hear it. Most women
would kill to be an object of love and devotion. Not her. It just hurt too much
when it ended, and it did end. She knew that for a fact. She had the broken
heart to prove it.

“Linn—”

“No,
Nate!” she snapped, as she moved to leave the gazebo.

CHAPTER
5

Trailing
her, Nate tried his damndest to come up with a plan He had to get her to listen
to him, somehow, someway. She headed towards the school, and he followed along.
Leaning on his Army training, the best he could come up with was evade and
capture. Once at the school, she turned toward the playground and sat on the
jungle gym. He climbed up next to her. She immediately got up and climbed down,
then went to sit on one of the slides. He followed, and sat on the other slide
facing her. She got up and headed for the merry-go-round. Hmmm, he was on to
her, and he’d just figured out his master plan. Now, he just needed to keep her
going till she came to the right piece of equipment. They kept it up, until finally,
he had her where he wanted her. If she thought this would stop him, she had another
thing coming.

Feigning
acquiescence, he began to walk away. When he’d gone far enough, he turned and
ran towards her, as she sat on the swing, slowly going back and forth. To her
surprise, he pushed her far and shoved her high, as he ran under her. Screaming
from fright, she clutched the chains. Running alongside her as the swing swung
back, he watched her go up high. Turning, he followed her as she came down. Then
running with her, he pushed her farther and shoved her harder, as he ran under
her again. She was light as a feather and flying. Not wanting her to jump off
that swing, he stood in front of her, watching as she went back and forth. When
she began to slow down, he ran alongside her, turned, waited, then pushed and
shoved her again, as he ran under her. She wasn’t coming down till she listened
to him. He prepared to run with her again.

“Let
me down,” she ordered.

“No.”

“Nate.
Let. Me. Down!” she demanded.

“No,”
he responded, just as determined. Running with her again, he turned, waited for
her to come down, then pushed and shoved her hard as he ran under her.

“Naaate!”
she yelled, glaring at him as she went back and forth.

Standing
in front of her, he shook his head in response. “Not till you listen to me.”

“Stop
it!”

She
was getting pissed, he could tell. “No,” he responded calmly, while taking an
avid interest in his fingernails.

“Nate,
I’m not kidding! Let me down!” she demanded.

Unaffected,
he answered, “Aaahaaa, right. Ready to listen?” He prepared to run with her
again.

“NATE!”
she screamed.

Running
with her, he said, “Yesss, Linnea?”

She
squealed when he pushed and shoved her higher. He’d given it his all. “I hate
you! I really do!”

He
expected that. Good, now that she said it, they could move past it. “Ohhh
really? Well, I love you,” he responded amused.

She
sure didn’t like that. “Let me down, right now!” she snapped and growled, each
word going off like a firecracker.

“You
going to listen?”

“Sure.
Fine. I’ll listen,” she relented, calmly.

He
had to chuckle. What kind of fool did she think he was? Shaking his head at
what a horrible liar she was, he stepped into position. Well, she’d seen
nothing yet. He wasn’t done with her. She
was
going to listen to him.

Watching
as she slowed, he waited till the time was right, then he ran alongside her. Except
he didn’t turn to go behind her as he’d done all the other times. No, instead
he stepped right in front of her. Screaming for him to move, as it became
apparent she was heading straight towards him, he reached out and caught her by
the knees on the down swing, his arms bending at the elbows absorbing the
momentum. Then straightening his arms on the recoil, he held her up high,
suspending her in the air above him. Nothing but the seat of the swing, and the
palms of his hands, kept her from falling. Waiting and watching as she looked around
taking everything in, shocked at her predicament, she openly looked at him. There
it was, he’d seen that look before, he’d caught her, and she was paying
attention.

“I
love you, Linnie. I always have. There’s never been another for me. It’s always
been you. I never slept with Naomi. I didn’t know enough back then to deny it,
but I know now I didn’t. I understand if that’s too much to believe right now,
but soon the truth will come out, and you’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt
that I didn’t. I’m sorry you were hurt in all this, and I’m sorry I was weak. I
let you down, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret the
minutes I’ve missed with you. I love you so much, and as I say those words I
know your trust in them is broken. I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you till you’re
ready. Just know that my heart is forever promised to you.”

**********

Falling,
she was falling, and yet he held her suspended above him. Why had she listened
to him? She knew she shouldn’t have listened to him. She looked upon him with
sadness. So much about the two of them had changed. Staring at him, at the man
he’d become, she felt completely overwhelmed. They really had just been
children before, hadn’t they?

Seeing
him now, hearing what he had to say, made her realize she’d just been going
through the motions of life since he left. She’d loved him so much back then,
and when it became apparent he wasn’t coming back, she thought she’d reconciled
her feelings for him, and in effect, let him go. But she hadn’t. She still
loved him. She knew she did, but her emotions for him remained elusive. Nothing
bubbling to the surface, no giddy excitement, nothing but an echo of the pulse
that’d once run between them. Where had those feelings gone?

Focusing
on the wasteland one could now call her heart, she wondered if she’d ever find
them under all the rubble, or if she even wanted to. Looking at him, she was
struck by his hopeful determination. Is that what was missing? Had she lost
hope? Using the strength and sincerity behind his words, she searched deep
within herself, and found much of the pain and sorrow that’d come with the
confusion of his leaving, gone. In its place, a kind of peace. The kind that
comes at the end of a raging storm, when one realizes that all that is truly
important in life had survived.

She
didn’t know what happened all those years ago, or in the years since, but his
being alive, and well, undermined any anger she had. The hurt however, at being
left behind, remained. Could she forgive him after everything she’d been
through? Could she trust him again? She didn’t know, but what she did know, was
that although her heart wasn’t where it needed to be, it was a lot closer than
it had been because of him. Heart pounding, she released the chains holding her
from him, and fell into his waiting arms.

**********

He
had her. She was in his arms, and he held her. With her arms tight around his
neck, and her face buried in his shoulder, he felt her tremble, causing him to
hug her tighter. He’d never forget the moment, because just as his arms went
around her, the six o’clock church bells began to ring. After a few minutes,
she loosened her hold and pulled back, looking at him, troubled. This wasn’t
over, he thought. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but opted instead to drop his
forehead to hers, bringing them closer. As he’d held her up in the air, he’d watched
the war of emotions play over her face, and so he knew the depth to which she’d
struggled. That she didn’t move away now, was encouraging, but something told
him not to rush this. Pulling back, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

She
quickly pushed, and moved, to be released from his hold. Not wanting to, he let
her go. Walking to the edge of Big Butternut Lake, she stood staring out over
the water. Coming up behind her, he did the same. Wishing she’d say something,
he laughed to himself. How many men out there wished their woman would stop
talking, and here he stood wishing he had one that wouldn’t? Linnie was like
that though, quiet and calm, until she was certain of what she was thinking or
doing. Looking at it that way, this behavior was encouraging, because if the
last few days were any indication, this was a return to normal. They stood
there like that for several minutes, before she ever so slightly leaned back,
resting against him. She hadn’t used words, but she’d just spoken to him. Sighing
a huge sigh of relief, he put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him.
Placing a kiss on top of her head, he wished he wasn’t so tall.

**********

Linnie
couldn’t believe she’d slept for nearly two days. The last she could truly recall
was standing at the lakes edge, finding the first bit of solace and peace she’d
had in five years, while held within the safety of Nate’s arms, and then she
faded from there. After everything that had happened, added to a day of massage
and pampering, she was out. He’d given her a piggyback ride to her car, and
when she fumbled trying to put the key in the ignition, he insisted on driving
her home. She didn’t argue, because she fell asleep. She vaguely remembered him
carrying her to her room, and kissing her goodnight. She slept that whole night,
and all of the next day, short of some bathroom breaks and her family coming to
check on her, while making her drink water and take some bites of food. Then after
sleeping the whole next night, she was now waking up to three salmon colored
roses on her nightstand. Lying there, she gazed upon them. They were beautiful,
and she felt rested for the first time in she didn’t know how long. It amazed
her how she hadn’t realized to what degree her sleep had suffered in the last
five years. First the worry over Nate, and then her mother’s passing, coupled
with four years’ worth of all night study sessions, added to night duty and
swing shift scheduling at the hospital, and she was quite simply overstressed
and under rested. Then there’d been Purdy.

She
refused to think about him. Instead, she thought of Nate. She’d come home
needing rest and relaxation, and had every intention of warding off another
relationship for years to come, and now this. She still…loved him. Oh God, I
still love him. Her heart started to race. He was going to want to see her,
talk to her, tell her what happened between him and Naomi, and she didn’t want
to hear it. Just thinking about it made her feel rebellious, and sick to her
stomach. Did what happen really matter? Were the details important? Nothing
would change, they wouldn’t get those five years back, and the hurt of his
leaving would still be there.

The
only thing up in the air, was if he was the father or not, and if he was, he
was. She couldn’t change it. Did she need the details? She didn’t want the
details. Closing her eyes, she immediately saw the scene of Purdy and Susan the
moment she’d flipped on the light, except in her mind, it was Nate and Naomi.
Oh, her heart burned, ached to the core. The pain was so raw, and she knew she
didn’t want the details. There was no point. Knowing them would make no
appreciable difference, and quite frankly, it was all in the past.

Stepping
into the kitchen, she found she was alone. It was later than she thought, and
her father and brothers were at the creamery. Setting a cup of coffee on the
table, she went to the fridge and found a plate of breakfast food had been left
for her. Warming it up, she sat and ate, enjoying the peace of being alone.

Despite
the sun shining bright, it was cool for a fall day, and she decided she wanted
chicken and dumplings for supper. Her mother had taught her how to make it, and
she hadn’t had it in years. Moving to the pantry, she looked at its contents,
seeing bits of her mother’s touches here and there. She didn’t know how old the
flour was in the canister, but from the looks of things, she was pretty certain
her mother was the last to have bought the baking supplies. So, in other words,
the first order of business would be to set about giving the whole kitchen,
cabinets and all, a thorough cleaning. She didn’t mind, she loved cleaning, and
loved when things were clean. With a plan, and on a mission, she headed for the
freezer and took out some chicken. When she was done, she’d run to Wayne’s
Foods to get stuff to make the dumplings.

Linnie
heard her name being called, as she stood in the produce section, picking
through the apples. Looking up, she saw Nate’s mom heading towards her. “Oh, hi
Bev. How are you?”
 

“I’m
fine, dear. Thank you for asking,” Bev said, as she gave Linnie a big hug, “but
what I want to know, is how you are? Gosh, look at you! Aren’t you gorgeous?
We’ve missed you so much.”

Linnie
nodded. “I’ve missed you too, and I’m doing okay, really.”

“Are
you staying for a while, or will you be leaving soon?”

“I’m
on a leave of absence from my job, so I’ll be around for five weeks, or so. At
which point, I need to decide if I’m going back to Chicago, or moving on to
something else.”

Looking
hopeful, Bev continued, “Might you consider one of the hospitals closer to
home? I’m sure they need nurses in St. Croix, or Amery.”

She
wasn’t so sure she wanted that. “Possibly, but I don’t know what I want to do
just yet. I came home to get some rest, and to think on it some, so we’ll see,”
Linnie answered without commitment.

“Of
course, I just hate to see you leave again. Could I interest you in coming over
tomorrow and helping put together pictures for a slideshow presentation we’re
showing at the school? It’s kind of like a scrapbook thing, but on the computer.
I’d love the chance to spend some time with you.”