Yuletide Stalker (19 page)

“Which isn't today,” Maddie said as she stood. “My legs still feel a little wobbly, but I would like to go downstairs.”

“You haven't had much to eat—that's one reason you're weak. You'd take a few bites and go back to sleep. It was the medication doing that, but we only had pills for three days, so you should be more alert now.”

“I'll take a shower, dress and come down for breakfast.”

“Do you need Roselina's help?”

“No, I'm weak, but I don't feel dizzy. I'll be all right.”

 

When Linc returned from work, Maddie was seated on the patio watching the ocean. She looked better, and he couldn't delay longer in talking to her about the future.

“I've listened to the television news today. I didn't hear anything about our case,” she said.

“There was quite a lot for a day or two, telling about your capture and escape, as well as Edena's death. The navy apparently withheld information about Steve, but they've announced that the investigation into your father's death has been closed. The reporters have learned that the police are still looking for more leads in your kidnapping, but they haven't named Steve, either. I didn't mention his name to Ahonui today, but she's obviously worried.”

“He told me he planned to leave Hawaii for good, so he may be gone by now.”

“If he's gone, Ahonui will follow him, and I'll lose a good secretary. But perhaps it will be just as well. Things are tense between us now, and I'm not sure I can trust her. I keep wondering if she knew about your abduction and didn't tell me.”

After dinner, Maddie said, “Let's go to the beach.”

“Are you sure you're able to walk that far?” Linc asked anxiously.

“I feel stronger now than when I got up this morning.”

“I'll take the chairs and we can rest a while before we come back.”

His voice sounded weary, and she commented on the lines of fatigue around his eyes.

“I've had a pretty rough week, too,” he said. “Not knowing where you were or what was happening to
you was the worst experience of my life. Now that I know you're getting better, I'll soon be up to par.”

He put the chairs close together, and they held hands, silently watching the incoming tide. A pair of brown sandpipers with yellow legs wandered along the beach.

After a long sigh, Maddie said, “I've never apologized to you for the way I acted when you took me to dinner that night. I was way out of line in what I said.”

He squeezed her hand tighter. “I shouldn't have lost my temper, either, but you were right, of course. For my own peace of mind, I'd forced myself to consider you as a child. I thought we were too far apart in age for me to think of you any other way. I'd heard of too many May-December marriages failing. I felt guilty to think about you the way I did. But when you were abducted, and I thought I'd lost you forever, I made up my mind to speak when we were reunited.”

A small enchanted smile touched her lips, and her eyes brightened with pleasure. He was encouraged to continue.

“I fell for you when I first saw you in the airport. I've never believed in love at first sight, but that's what happened to me. You looked so childlike and innocent, I decided to keep my feelings to myself. But I do love you, Maddie, and I want to marry you. Can you be happy living in Hawaii as my wife?”

“I've tried to sort out my feelings today, so I could
answer you if you asked me. Linc, I've loved you since I was a child. I found a picture of you in Daddy's belongings, and I've kept it on my dresser, or somewhere in sight, for years. I have it in my purse even now. When I saw you again, it didn't take long for that childish love to become an adult love. But to answer your question—I'll be happy as your wife, no matter where we live.”

Linc's reaction to that statement kept them so busy for the next few minutes that they weren't able to talk. But finally Linc released her.

“Although I think you should finish your college degree, which you can do here in Hawaii, I don't want to wait two more years to get married. If you're willing to marry right away, you wouldn't have to take on the duties of the house. Roselina will stay with us, I'm sure, for a few years. Her kids want her to come to live with them in California, but she won't do that right away, if at all. I don't necessarily want you to work, but I want you to be prepared for a profession if anything should happen to me. I'd like for us to have a family, but that's up to you.”

“I will finish college for security reasons, but I like the idea of having a family, and being a stay-at-home mom.”

“We can make those decisions as the months move along. But right now, let's set the day for the wedding. Would a month from today be too soon?”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Where shall we go for the wedding?”

“Where else but to the Wedding Grotto!” she said, with mischief in her eye. “When we were there, I dared to dream that it might be the site for our wedding.”

“And a honeymoon?”

“Let's go to Maui. Ailina, my roommate at the shelter, told me it was the best of the islands.”

They continued to make plans as night settled along the ocean. The romance and mystery of Hawaii that had called thousands of lovers to its shores hovered around them. The waning moon, long past its zenith, sent a ray of light on the two heads very close together. As darkness completely fell, Linc cradled his willing companion in his arms. Maddie put her arms around his neck, lifted her lips to his, convincing him without a doubt that she wasn't too young for him to marry.

Dear Reader,

I'm finishing this book during the Christmas season, and my mind has often turned to the birth of the Christ Child. In our home, Christmas is irrevocably tied to the celebration of the coming of Jesus with our church family. For years, my husband and I have been involved in the production of the annual cantata. And we customarily give a dinner of appreciation for all the cast members, sometimes numbering between forty and fifty people. Up until the past two years, we've entertained in our own home, preparing a sit-down dinner for them. Now the lack of time and the addition of years make it more convenient to have the dinner catered and served in our church annex.

And since this book's setting is Hawaii, as I've put the finishing touches on the book I've thought often of our vacation in Hawaii, which inspired me to do a novel in that setting. When my husband and I went to the fiftieth state in 2003, it was also the fiftieth state we'd toured. Not only did that vacation count as the last of the states to be visited, it was also a time of relaxation and fellowship with a group of Christians from our state.

As you read this book, I pray that your mind will focus on the real meaning of Christmas, and that the Christ Child will find lodging in your heart.

To comment on the book, please e-mail me at [email protected], or by snail mail, P.O. Box 2770, Southside, WV 25187.

1. Maddie Horton is ten and Linc Carey is twenty-one when they first meet. Do you think it's realistic to believe that Maddie would have been so impressed by Linc at the age of ten that she would “carry the torch” for him throughout her teen years?
   
2. When Linc finally meets the grown-up Maddie, he falls in love. He has always remembered Maddie as a cute little girl, but suddenly his feelings change. Do you believe in love at first sight? Give examples.
   
3. Although Maddie has physically developed into a woman, the reader senses that behind her beautiful facade there is emotional and mental insecurity. How much did the loss of her parents contribute to this insecurity? How valuable is a stable home environment to the emotional maturation of a child?
   
4. Do you believe that Maddie's years at the Valley of Hope gave her the courage to face the future on her own? Would you have continued to rely on advice from Miss Caroline, as Maddie did? Is it important for everyone to have a mentor to keep them on the right track in making decisions? If you have or have had a mentor such as Miss Caroline, share what help this person gave you.
   
5. When Maddie escapes from Edena, the Hawaiian woman who intended to kill her, she spends the night alone on the mountain. She remembers the times when David, the Old Testament king, had turned to God for help when he was running from his enemies. Consider the following references from the Psalms when David spoke of God as his Rock and Fortress. Discuss
   if these words have also encouraged you through difficult times. Psalms 18:2; 31:3; 71:3; 91:2; 144:2
   
6. Do you agree with Linc that eleven years is too much of an age difference for Maddie and him to have a happy marriage? Do you think that he does treat her like a child? Are couples whose ages are very close more compatible than those whose ages vary widely?
   
7. Discuss Linc's recommitment to God when they visit The Place of Refuge. Consider Maddie's analogy that the ancient Hawaiian belief of finding a refuge from their enemies on the island is comparable to the refuge we can find when we seek shelter from God. Do you agree that this is a good comparison?
   
8. The relationship between Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband, Robert, is one of the world's most famous romances. Research the difficulties that kept the Brownings from marrying for several years. Compare their relationship to Maddie and Linc's by remembering that there was also an age difference between the Brownings. Elizabeth was born in 1806 and Robert in 1812, but that wasn't a deterrent to their love. Elizabeth's “Sonnet 43” is her most famous poem. With Robert in mind, Elizabeth started the poem “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Close your discussion by recounting the reasons Maddie and Linc love one another. Then think of the love of your life and why you love that person.