Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

~*~

Jeff walked around the block to Robin’s cottage. He arrived at 8:45. He knocked tentatively, almost hoping she wouldn’t answer. She scanned his disheveled appearance and a look of bewilderment clouded her face. Her eyes crinkled in puzzlement as if trying to remember something. Cringing at her unspoken disapproval, he spoke first.

“Good morning.” He purposefully failed to apologize for being half an hour late.

“Uh—Hi there, Jeff.  Come in. I thought we could eat first. The patio is this way.” Compared to their meeting yesterday, she seemed like a bundle of nervous energy. Her tight smile wasn’t convincing, so Jeff assumed his plan was working.

As they passed through the cottage’s entryway and living room he saw her home was tidy, a reflection of her warmth. The sitting area was overshadowed by a vintage sofa with floral upholstery. Her TV was the wooden console type in vogue nearly sixty years ago. He wanted to sit down and absorb it all, but instead followed her through the kitchen and outside to the patio.

The brick patio was the gateway to a spectacular garden. Trees, plants and flowers of all types and colors grew along the undulating stone pathway down the center of the yard. He saw the bird houses, bird feeders and water-filled birdbaths in the garden Robin had mentioned the day before. The backyard was indeed confirmation she spent a lot of time gardening. She obviously had a natural eye for landscape design. He told her so.

Robin responded with a curt, “Thanks,” and gestured for him to be seated at a wooden bench pulled up to a picnic table already arranged with a tablecloth, dishes, and a vase of flowers in the center. Deciding to play his part like a professional actor, Jeff sat down and stretched his legs across the length of the wooden bench. Robin flinched and walked hastily back to the kitchen.

She returned in a few moments with a tray heavy-laden with a carafe of cranberry juice, a tea pot, and a large bowl of a delicious-smelling cooked concoction. She unloaded the tray onto the table and returned to the kitchen to pick up another load. Normally, Jeff would offer to help, but, playing his part, remained silent. This time she returned with two plates containing some kind of bread and a bowl of strawberries. As she unloaded the tray she asked him if he would like a cheese omelet to go with his French toast and applesauce.

“This’ll be enough for a start.”

As expected, the food was delicious. Jeff kept reminding himself he was attempting to end any possible friendship with Robin before it had a chance to develop any further. The battle raging inside his mind was causing him some anxiety. He basically had to choose between ending their new friendship or sweet talking Robin to get information about the library to make his boss happy. Jeff didn’t want to conjure up a fake romance just to keep his job. Doing so felt dishonest to him. By default he’d chosen to dissolve the friendship. “You seem quiet this morning. Does the food taste all right? Would you like more juice or tea?”

Robin’s voice roused him from his deep thoughts. His determination faltered
. You fool, this woman worked hard to cook you a tasty breakfast
.
Show some guts and act like the man you claim to be.

“Yeah, it’s all right. I’m not a big breakfast eater. I think I’ll just skip the omelet if it’s all the same to you.” His tone sounded terse even to his own ears. As he glanced over at Robin, he saw pain and confusion in her befuddled eyes. He cringed inwardly at his harshness.
Stick with the plan, Clarke.

She took a deep breath and settled her eyes directly on his. “Look, I’m getting the feeling this wasn’t a good idea. Feel free to leave if you’d like.”

Her voice sounded so sad he wanted to scoop her into an embrace and explain the situation. He longed to be candid and truthful with this woman because she deserved his respect.

Instead he said, “I didn’t want to do yard work on my day off anyway. Thanks for the food. Obviously, this isn’t working out the way I’d hoped either. I’m outta here.”

“I’ll walk you out,” she responded icily. One glance at her face and Jeff could see she received his intended message loud and clear. Her frosty eyes glowered at him as she stood and swiftly began walking on the stone path around the corner of the house toward the front yard.

He realized his plan had been brutally successful, but he felt lower than pond scum about how he’d treated her. Hesitating slightly, he followed her to the front yard. He longed to pour his heart out to her, telling her about his job. He wanted to share his unfamiliar feelings for her and his hope of getting to know her better. Instead, when she bent to open the front gate, he slid past her tossing a, “Later,” in her direction. He avoided looking back for fear of the hurt he would find in her eyes.
Can you blame her, you jerk?

After he reached the sidewalk, he began cursing himself for his cowardliness and unkind behavior.
What kind of man hurts the feelings of an innocent woman who has treated him with nothing but kindness? What kind of man deliberately does and says things to turn away a nice lady? What kind of man leaves like that without speaking the complete truth to her about his motives and actions?
Most importantly, though, Jeff wondered what type of man went against God’s word and biblical teachings about how to treat others?
Remember the Golden Rule, Jeff. You learned that in Sunday school when you were three or four years old.

He never felt more ashamed of himself at any time in his life than he did at the moment. He knew his actions would cause Robin to shun him like a stranger with an incurable, contagious disease. He knew because it was how he felt about himself.

Chapter Seven

Robin managed to make it back into her kitchen before she began her tirade of accusations.
“The rat! What a skunk. What a . . . a . . . weasel scamp. How could I have thought I could have any sort of relationship with Jeff Clarke? He’s pond scum. No, he’s the pond scum feeding on the scum growing at the bottom of the pond.”

She threw herself into a kitchen chair and surprised herself by bursting into body-wracking sobs. Unwanted tears stained her cheeks and her heart ached as it hadn’t ached in a couple of years. It took her a long while to calm herself and collect herself into some semblance of her usual peaceful demeanor.

“How could I have been so wrong about a man—
again
? I am such a loser. My woman’s intuition mechanism needs an extensive overhaul,” she growled.

Wishing with all of her heart her Grandma Estelle was there to talk over this latest blow, she continued. “I thought this one was kind, humorous, and pleasant. I blindly assumed he was interested in me. Even though he acted like a weasel, he may be the most attractive man I have ever set my eyes upon. Shows how smart I am!”

These heartfelt confessions only made her feel worse inside. A cache of hurtful, painful memories she rarely probed these days was wrenched open, and pain flowed freely through her heart and mind. She was transported back to her world as it existed five years earlier.

~*~

Robin met Thomas Bennett at age fourteen soon after she was dropped off at her grandparents’ doorstep by her father. The two had some classes together at the high school and began hanging around together. For some indescribable reason, these two diverse personalities formed an immediate bond. Everyone in town claimed them kindred spirits. The young teen was so traumatized by the recent deaths of her parents she welcomed Thomas’s overtures of friendship and accepted them for what they appeared—a lifeline to normalcy.

The pair was virtually inseparable from the day they met. They were active in the church’s youth group and served in student government at the high school together. Thomas was the consummate extrovert. He thrived on being the center of attention. A natural leader amongst his peers, he was gregarious and outgoing. People of all ages were drawn to his magnetic personality. He was a naturally-gifted musician. He excelled at playing guitar, singing, and composing Christian-themed songs which he performed at church gatherings, weddings, and funerals. He wanted to study music theory and performance in college.

Quiet and reserved, Robin enjoyed working with the younger children teaching Sunday school and working with the vacation Bible school each summer teaching crafts and sewing to the younger girls and boys who attended. She held a lifelong fascination with books, and literature was her favorite subject. Although not shy, she was a lifelong introvert who’d become even more introspective as a wounded teenager new to Bonita Creek. She was kind and sweet and was known as a person who would do anything she could to help another.

What Robin lacked in the area of self-confidence, she made up for with sheer determination and perseverance. She never gave up on a goal. So when at a young age she chose the profession of librarian for her career, it was an accepted fact she would become a librarian. She dreamed of studying literature in college and earning her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science so she could become a public librarian. Perhaps she would even return to Bonita Creek to run the town’s library.

Throughout their remaining high school years, Robin and Thomas were always seen together.  They spent much of their free time attending all of the big church and school events as a couple. It was widely assumed by their families and friends they would marry and raise a family.

Words of love and devotion were not spoken aloud by the two as they finished up high school and began college. Looking back to that period in her life, Robin knew now she had naively taken it for granted her bond with Thomas included his unshakable love and loyalty. She assumed their marriage would last forever.

When the time came to attend college out of state after two years of studying at the local community college, a well-intentioned outside party suggested the couple marry. Then they could live in the university’s ‘Married Student Housing’ and save money. There was no still no official declaration of love or formal proposal of marriage by Thomas. By mutual agreement, a simple wedding, reception, and honeymoon were planned.

Robin and Thomas were married in a traditional wedding ceremony at the tender age of twenty at Bonita Creek Christian Fellowship’s redwood sanctuary. The couple was too young, immature, and ignorant to understand or acknowledge the kind of work goes into a successful, warm, loving marriage.

When they were preparing for the wedding, the reception, and the honeymoon, Robin now recognized subtle warning signs she’d failed to heed. Her Grandma Estelle had tried to impress upon the young couple the need for a deep commitment to their relationship.

“Marriage is not an easy journey, Robin and Thomas, even between those who’ve been raised in the faith. You must both possess a singular belief your marriage will last forever. It’s a total commitment to a lifetime partnership. No do-over’s and no easy-outs allowed,” Grandma Estelle had spoken poignantly to the couple one night a few days before their wedding.

Her fiancée said, “Got it.”

“Thank you for the advice. Since you and Grandpa were married for sixty years, I believe you know what you’re talking about on the subject,” she whispered as she embraced her grandmother.

Robin’s young mind couldn’t comprehend anything besides being married to Thomas Bennett for years and years to come. She expected their marriage to be their own happily-ever-after. To her future regret, the young bride didn’t question the deeper meaning of her groom’s rude retort.

At the time, the couple’s pre-nuptial agenda did not include discussions of when and if they would start a family, their individual goals and dreams after college, or even where they would like to settle after college graduation.

After a brief honeymoon at Lake Tahoe, the two packed up Thomas’s car and headed to a small Christian college in Oklahoma to begin classes. They settled into a hectic life of college classes, Bible studies, and Thomas’s musical performances. In addition to her coursework, Robin worked at a grueling waitressing job to support the couple. She was expected to tackle all the necessary household chores on her own.

Time passed quickly and it appeared neither spouse took the time to examine the marriage too closely. More importantly, it did not seem to occur to them they
should
examine their relationship. Days, weeks, and months passed uneventfully. Amazingly, Robin was somehow able to keep up with her responsibilities while earning her degree in literature.

Unbeknownst to his wife, Thomas’s secret and all-consuming personal dream was to make it big in country music in Nashville. He was willing to sacrifice anything, including his marriage, to attain his dream. Robin sacrificed her leisure time to work crazy hours as a waitress in a busy diner on the highway so her husband could ‘practice’ and perform his original music at the college and surrounding churches and communities. Robin didn’t even pause to consider the sacrifices she was making. She was a loving wife who was willing and able to support and encourage her spouse in his goals and aspirations.

After two years of this harried lifestyle, Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree in music while Robin earned her bachelor’s degree in literature. She was accepted into a master’s degree program to earn her library science degree. The master’s program required residence at a university in Wisconsin for the four-semester program. Thomas was repeatedly vocal about his reluctance to move to Wisconsin.

“Can’t you find a library program at a university somewhere near where
I
want to live?”

he whined. 

Thomas had failed to open up and share the true reasons for this unwillingness to relocate to Wisconsin. She’d always viewed her marriage as a partnership because it’s what she’d observed in her grandparents’ sixty year marriage. Her grandparents’ relationship had been the pairing of a man and woman who wanted the same things out of life. It had been a partnership where each party encouraged and supported, not only financially, the other. She believed since she’d wholeheartedly supported her husband’s dreams and aspirations to attain his music degree and follow his interest in music, he would reciprocate and support her dream of becoming a librarian. She discovered much too late her innocent and trusting nature had enabled her husband to take advantage of her for years.

During the summer after their respective graduations, Thomas secretly auditioned for an up and coming country music singer, Marcus Cummings, who needed a first-class guitar player and composer to round out his band, MC Country. Marcus was impressed with Thomas and offered him the job on the spot. Without hesitation, Thomas accepted the job to travel with Marcus and his small ensemble even though the financial rewards would be miniscule at the outset.

The group’s collective goal was to secure a recording contract in Nashville. The goal required many difficult days and nights travelling the back roads of the Midwest composing songs, performing, and building up a loyal fan base. Thomas had neglected to mention his audition to Robin beforehand. He also failed to discuss the situation with his wife. The decision of joining the band and leaving home was solely his. Apparently, he didn’t view their marriage as a partnership.

When she returned home from an especially exhausting shift at the diner late one evening, Robin found her husband waiting for her in their small apartment. He looked at his wristwatch as he greeted her with an impatient, “It’s about time, Robin.” His musical equipment, two suitcases, and several boxes were packed and stacked next to the front door.

Robin carefully set the cardboard bakery box she’d carried home on the kitchen table before she turned to ask her spouse the reason his luggage and equipment were sitting near the door. “What’s going on? Is something wrong with your parents back in Bonita Creek?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t care less what’s going on in Bonita Creek,” he shouted in reply.

In heart-wrenching detail, Thomas revealed his goals, dreams, and plans for
his
future.  He felt he was talented musically and so gifted he could make it as a big country music star within a few years. He boasted he had ‘aced’ the audition with Marcus Cummings and been offered ‘the chance of a lifetime’ to travel with the group throughout the Midwest on their way to Nashville. Her husband was excited and wound up in a way she’d never observed before in all their years together. He was a virtual stranger as he spoke.

Robin would never forget Thomas’s hurtful response when she asked about their marriage and their future together. “I thought we married for life, Thomas. We both took the vow of ‘till death do us part’ at our wedding ceremony. Why didn’t you tell me
before
we got married you weren’t interested in a lifetime commitment? I can’t believe you’ve led me on for years when you had no intention of being my husband for eternity.”

Wearing a shadowy smirk on his face, Thomas responded, “You didn’t really expect this marriage of convenience to last forever, did you?  Let’s face it—the marriage served its purpose for the both of us. We saved a lot of money by living together in married student housing. I really lucked out you worked so hard to put me through school so I could earn my degree. You slaved away so I didn’t have to work at a paying job all this time. You never even complained about the unfairness of it all, dear wife. You were
so
oblivious and gullible.”

She was sobbing quietly by this time as her husband continued his ranting. “Do you want to know what the best parts of this marriage have been for me? I had really good financial support, top-notch maid service, and a warm, cozy bed partner for the past two years. It’s time for me to move on. You’ll get over me soon enough.”

Not content to leave without a tossing out a parting barb, he continued, “Since it’s so important to you to be in a Christ-centered relationship you should probably wake up and realize it’s doubtful you’ll
ever
find another Christian man to marry you since you’re ‘soiled’ goods. You would be some man’s ‘recycled’ wife, and any guy with an ounce of pride isn’t going to choose someone like you who has a losing record at keeping your husband happy.”