North Dakota Weddings (11 page)

Vance witnessed Elisa’s wall go up the instant she realized her sister had caught her interest in astronomy. And Andi was quick to recover from what looked like disappointment by sliding a hard protective shell over her face before she left.

What is it with these women?
He wasn’t a therapist, but if he were to salvage the light he’d seen in both of them, he’d have to work fast. “I’ll show you the stars tonight, if you’d like.”

Elisa’s eyes brightened again. “You will?”

“Sure.” Vance looked at his watch. “It’s almost six now. Would nine thirty work?”

Andi peeked through the doorway again, this time a smile cracking open the armor. Vance would have winked but didn’t want to risk losing Elisa’s enthusiasm again.

Suddenly, Elisa frowned. “I doubt Andi will let me.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you?” Andi came to stand next to them.

“Vance wants to show me the stars.”

Uh-oh
. The way she said it…

Vance realized that Elisa might have misinterpreted his intentions. “And you, too, Andi, if you’re interested.”

He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

She looked thoughtful, took her time—he’d bet to torture him—then, “Yeah, I’d like that very much.” She pulled Elisa to her in a hug. “We’d like it very much. Thanks.”

The look in her eyes sent radiant heat rushing through him—a stellar eruption on his star chart. Well, at least he’d discovered one way to breach her walls. But with the discovery came a disturbing uncertainty. Just what did he think he was doing?

He squashed it. No point in disrupting the joy fest.

Elisa relaxed in Andi’s embrace. At least he’d been wrong that Elisa’s fascination was more with him than the stars. He almost chuckled at the momentary delusion.

“I’ll see you back here at dark?”

Smile beaming, Andi released Elisa. “That sounds fine. We’d better grab some dinner.”

“Listen, I’d invite you to eat—”

Andi held up her hand and laughed. “We need something of real sustenance. Not the junk food you manage to survive on. Thanks, but no.”

Elisa snapped her fingers. “Hey, I know. Why don’t you let my sister cook for you?”

A subtle frown crossed Andi’s face.

Vance shook his head, hoping to spare her. “I have a few things to do. But thanks for the invitation.”

“Maybe some other time.” Tool bag slung over her shoulder, Andi waved and tugged Elisa behind her.

He watched them head out the blast door—a sight he dreaded every night. Andi had a way of livening up the place. Granted, it was mostly the construction noise that kept him company, but since they’d moved into the equipment building, he couldn’t hear as much of it.

Smiling, he rummaged through the freezer in search of a microwave meal. Strange he preferred them instead of the survival food in the storage closet. Was there really much difference?

Who cares?
In a few hours he’d be staring at the stars with Andi Nielsen. It was every geek’s dream, or at least this geek’s. And he fairly glowed inside at the idea of sparking an interest in a troubled teen, and even better that it helped Andi.

Maybe she’d come to appreciate him. Hating to get his hopes up, he sighed.

He placed a Mexican dinner in the microwave. What was he thinking, allowing any attachment to the woman? His time here would end soon enough, and then he’d be like every other jerk and leave. But he couldn’t help himself. He’d seen something—no matter how small—in her eyes that encouraged him to try. Something he’d never seen before, not even in Janice.

An hour before Andi and Elisa were to arrive, Vance was nervous as a schoolboy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to share his love for the stars with someone. Nor could he imagine anyone he’d rather share it with. A seed of doubt pricked at him. Did Andi really want to look at the stars? Or had she agreed only to encourage her sister’s interest? He’d been so caught up in the idea of stargazing that he hadn’t considered the possibility.

But he refused to let it dampen his spirits. He slathered himself with mosquito repellent. If there was one thing he’d learned, you needed armor against the onslaught of mosquitoes in North Dakota. The cold of summer nights bothered him more than it seemed to affect the mosquitoes. After repellent, he pulled a fleece sweatshirt over long sleeves, then donned a ball cap and a vest with plenty of pockets. As he prepared for the night sky, he prayed he could open up a world of wonder for both Andi and her sister.

Once he found the perfect spot for stargazing he set up his telescope, then rolled out a blanket on the ground and waited. Vance glanced at his watch. Nine forty-five. He frowned. What if something came up and they couldn’t make it? He reclined on the blanket and stared up into the sky like he used to do when he was a kid, imagining himself soaring through outer space, through the stars, wishing he could be a Jedi knight. North Dakota was certainly flat enough that a person could block all other images out. No light pollution whatsoever out here. Perfect.

“You look comfy.” Andi’s face appeared in his line of vision.

He jumped up.

“Sorry we’re late.” She glanced back at Elisa, who jogged toward them.

“No problem. Everything’s ready.”

With a strange grin, Andi scanned him from head to toe with her flashlight. “What
are
you wearing?” She burst out laughing.

Vance spread out his arms and looked to see what she found so funny.

“You’re swathed in designer outerwear.” Andi circled him, looking him over.

Embarrassed, Vance tugged off the vest, allowing himself a laugh as well. “When you shop in a Dallas sports store, gearing up for the North Dakota climate, this is what they tell you to wear.”

Andi laughed heartily at that.

“Let’s just say I wanted to be prepared.”

“I’ve learned something about you.” She cuffed his cap. “You like to shop.”

Feeling defensive, Vance added, “There’s not much else to do in a city that has more square footage of shopping than Manhattan.”

“Uh-huh.” Andi collapsed on the blanket. “So show us the stars, city boy.”

Elisa giggled.

And there it was, the playful Andi that Vance had hoped to see again for over a week now. “There’s a lot you can see without my telescope. As long as you have dark skies. That’s key.”

Elisa stood near the telescope. “What about a mountaintop? Wouldn’t that be best?”

“Well, I don’t see many of those around here.” He pointed at the sky. “Can you identify any constellations?”

“Um, no.”

“Look. There’s Libra.”

“Well, what about something more exciting? Everyone knows about constellations.”

“Coming right up. Let me explain a few things first. I don’t want you to be disappointed at what you see. This won’t be like those pictures from the Hubble.”

“What’s the Hubble?”

Vance stifled the sigh. What did they teach these kids in school? “It’s a giant telescope that orbits earth, which allows it to view the universe without interference from earth’s atmosphere. But you can’t see those types of images from a small telescope like mine.” No matter how expensive it was.

“Hey, don’t apologize,” Andi offered.

“Still there’s an advantage. The stars are like diamonds and, well…you’ll have to see for yourself.”

Vance looked through the eyepiece and adjusted it. “I’m looking at Jupiter right now. Actually, you can see it with the naked eye. But with a telescope, you can see the moons. Or at least a couple of them tonight.” Vance stepped aside, allowing Elisa access to the telescope.

Elisa peered through the eyepiece. “That’s cool. It doesn’t look like it does in those science book pictures. It looks more like…a whole world!” Excitement emanated from her voice.

“I’ve always wanted to know how stars get their names.” From the blanket, Andi gazed upward, looking thoughtful…and beautiful as…
a glimmering star
…

The small light that flickered inside of him when she was around began glowing brighter. But it wouldn’t do to appear like some goggle-eyed schoolboy. “IAU. International Astronomical Union. They use the Greek letters, naming stars according to their brightness and constellations where they reside. For instance, Alpha Centauri.”

“Let me guess. The first star in the Centaurus constellation?” Andi asked.

Vance cut a glance her way, surprised at her quick response. “Yep, it’s the brightest. You’re a smart one, but then I never doubted that.”

Andi rose from the blanket and moved next to Elisa, nudging her. “Okay, it’s my turn to look now.”

“Wait.” Vance adjusted the telescope and peered through the eyepiece, tapping it gently. “This is a globular cluster.”

“A what?” both women asked.

For the next few minutes, Vance enjoyed answering their questions, sharing his love of the stars.

Eventually, all three of them reclined on the blanket and stared at the night sky—diamond-laden black velvet. Vance couldn’t remember when he’d been happier. Why did he have to have the trouble with his job?

“Since you enjoy the wide-open sky, no wonder you don’t like living underground.” Andi sounded relaxed, though sadness remained in her voice. “Tell me, when did you first become interested in the stars?”

Vance had hoped she would ask. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to look at the night sky. It makes me realize how small I am compared to the universe. And to think that the Creator of this universe cares about us, cares about me even though I’m tiny in comparison. He cares about the smallest sparrow.”

An uncomfortable quiet filled the air, contrasting the previous relaxed atmosphere. Vance pushed past the growing anxiety that he’d ruined the mood by simply bringing God into it. But how could he not? “There’s a star that’s 650 times the diameter of our sun. In other words, if it was our sun, its mass would encompass all the planets out to the orbit of Mars. Imagine that!”

“What’s it called?”

“Betelgeuse.”

“Beetlejuice? Like the movie?” Andi rolled on her side and propped on her elbow.

“Yeah, it’s hard to comprehend. Like standing deep in a large cavern. You can’t see how large it is,” Elisa said, almost reverently.

“Back to God. I’m not so sure that the Creator of the universe really cares about us like that, I mean every little detail of our life. How could He?” Andi asked.

“That’s just it. The universe shows how awesome and big He is. And yet, He’s able to care for even the smallest in His creation. It’s mind-bending.”

Andi sat up and began picking up their things. “I can’t buy that.”

“You’re leaving already?” To Vance, they’d only just started. He enjoyed the deep thoughts about God that always seemed to result from staring at the stars. He stood. How could he be sorry for talking about God?

Andi nodded, sadness in her eyes. “Remember, it’s a school night. We should get going.”

Vance folded the blanket, attempting to shove aside the pain that seeped too deep for him to say a word in response.

A
s they drove down the dark highway, Andi could feel her sister’s tension. “What was that about?” Elisa sounded close to tears.

“What?”

“It was just getting good and you jumped up to leave. It was…weird.”

“It’s a school night. You knew we couldn’t stay long.”

“Who cares about school? I learned a lot more tonight than I ever have in school.”

Andi sighed. “I don’t want to get into an argument.”

Bright headlights beamed toward them as a lone car passed. Andi focused on the road since the other driver hadn’t dimmed his lights. She wasn’t sure why she’d had the urge to leave. Maybe the conversation was getting too serious.

Once back at home, Andi listened to her phone messages. “Elisa, you have a message from Todd. Who is he?”

Elisa came out of the bathroom, brushing her teeth, eyes wide. She ran back in and returned, having rinsed out her mouth. “Todd called? What did he say?”

“Something about going out tonight.” Andi wished she hadn’t told Elisa.

“Are you serious?” Elisa grabbed the phone from Andi.

“What do you think you’re doing? You’re not going anywhere, and you’re not calling boys.” Grandma had drilled that rule into Andi, but Andi hadn’t often obeyed. She could see Elisa wasn’t much different. “Besides, it’s after ten. It’s rude to call people so late.”

“Just because you can’t keep a boyfriend, doesn’t mean you have to keep me from having one.”

Andi’s planted her hands on her hips. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Just because Jorgen dumped you, you don’t think you’re good enough for anyone. You’re jealous of me. You don’t want me to be good enough either.”

Andi was almost too incensed for words, as fury and hurt stabbed her insides. “What happened with him has nothing to do with this. Or with you.”

“Doesn’t it? I see that Vance has eyes for you, but you won’t let him get close. You don’t want anyone to get close to me either. That’s why you won’t let me have fun anymore. You watch me like I’m your prisoner. I wish I didn’t live here with you.” Tears filled Elisa’s eyes and she rushed away from Andi, slamming the bedroom door.

Andi dragged herself to the kitchen table and slid into a chair. Numb with pain, she put her head in her hands. How dare her sister speak to her that way. She’d lost Jorgen because she’d left school, and she’d left school for Elisa.

But…

Part of Elisa’s accusation was true. Jorgen had hurt Andi more than by simply breaking off their relationship—he’d made her feel like she wasn’t good enough, nor would she ever be. For some reason, she’d taken Jorgen’s proclamation over her life to heart, and she wouldn’t give someone else the chance to hurt her like that. Ever again.

Elisa had seen right to the heart of the matter. A cold draft wafted over Andi, and she rubbed her arms. It was one thing to carry that burden, but to make Elisa carry it, too?

For Elisa’s sake, Andi had given up her own dreams. Why couldn’t Elisa see that part of the equation? Elisa had the chance to make something of herself, and she wouldn’t have to quit school for anyone or any reason.