Echoes (24 page)

At the same time, she felt remorse, and that drove her to be alone. She found sanctuary in her garden bedroom with the window open, watching this night of celebration. She imagined no one could see her sitting there in the dark.

The night sounds floated up to her shelter. Little children shouted and chased the dogs, a few babies slept in their mothers’ arms, and the adults pulled up chairs in circles like a modern-day version of a wagon train. She could hear one of the older men telling a story about the day they opened the first gas station in Glenbrooke. A few “tweener” boys were arguing in their yet-to-mature voices over who was cheating at a game of Ping-Pong that Kyle had set up on the deck. Several women chatted as they busied themselves with the task of helping Ida organize Gordon and Teri’s gifts. Laughter and music floated across the top of this hill where everything that was sacred to Lauren seemed to have happily settled.

For more than an hour she sat and watched, listened, and thought. By ten-thirty most of the guests had said their farewells. Lauren felt somewhat recharged, even though she had no more answers than when she had retreated to the bedroom. The tender ache of regret still hung over her. She knew she couldn’t do anything about KC now, but she could help in the kitchen and get her mind off herself.

She found Ida alone in the kitchen, boxing up a large piece
of the cake in a white pastry box. Lauren picked up a dish towel and began to dry the remaining plates in the dish drainer.

“We kept ours in my uncle’s freezer and ate it on our one-year wedding anniversary,” Ida said, tying the box with a blue ribbon. “He was a butcher, you know. My uncle. Not everyone had freezers in those days. Young people today don’t hold to the old traditions any more. They need someone who has been through life to teach them, don’t you think?”

“I know Jessica and Kyle are glad to have you,” Lauren said.

“Well, the poor dears. She has no family to speak of. Her mother died when she was only a child and her father … Can you imagine his cutting her off like that? He hasn’t contacted her once. Didn’t even come to their wedding.”

“I didn’t know,” Lauren said. Apparently not only had Jessica’s mom died, but it also sounded as if her father had abandoned her, which made Jessica’s personalized verses from the night before even more meaningful.

“He had a great affluence over her, you know.” Ida raised an eyebrow.

Lauren wasn’t quite sure what to make of that comment. This was the same woman who had told her Gordon was from Austria. Perhaps Jessica’s father had been among the influential founding fathers of Glenbrooke, hence the grand old house.

She was about to politely probe when Jessica stepped into the kitchen and said, “There you are, Lauren.” Kyle, Gordon, and Teri followed right behind her. “May we see you in the library? There’s something we would like to ask you.”

“Oh, oh. I’m in trouble now,” Lauren said, handing her wet dish towel to Ida.

“Here’s the anniversary cake I told you about,” Ida said to Teri. “Now you put this in the freezer right away so it will stay nice and fresh.”

Teri obliged while Lauren followed the others into the library. Kyle shut the doors before beginning the mysterious meeting. She felt as if they were enacting the final chapter of a Gothic novel.

“I didn’t do it, whatever it was,” Lauren said.

Jessica glanced at the others and then said, “We wanted to ask you a couple of questions. Please don’t feel put on the spot. Teri told me you were planning to leave tomorrow to visit your parents in Canada.”

“Yes. They live in Victoria.”

“Well, feel free to turn this down, but we were wondering—”

Just then Teri opened the door and joined them. “What did she say?”

“We haven’t asked her yet,” Jessica said.

“Just tell her,” Teri said and then plunged ahead and did so. “Do you want to go to Hawaii with us tomorrow?”

Lauren laughed. “Sure! Why not?”

“We’re serious,” Teri said.

“You see,” Jessica explained, “Kyle and I were planning to go to the islands with these guys and spend a few days together. We thought Kyle’s brother was going with us; so we made reservations for five. Since he has backed out, we have an extra plane ticket and room reservation. I hope this doesn’t come across as rude as it’s beginning to sound, but we all thought it would be fun if you came with us.”

“Of course it doesn’t sound rude. How could a free trip to Hawaii sound rude? I’d love to go. I can see my parents any time, but I’ve never been to Hawaii. Will you let me pay for the ticket?”

“There’s no need. It’s already taken care of. All you have to do is come.” Jessica looked at Kyle and added, “We wanted to tell all of you something else.”

Kyle slipped his arm around Jessica’s shoulders and said, “This is our big announcement for the three of you. We’re going to have a baby.”

Teri let out a shriek, sprang from her chair, and rushed to hug them both in one encompassing embrace. “Why didn’t you say anything before?!”

“This was your day,” Kyle said as Gordon gave him a hearty handshake. “We didn’t want to steal anything from your celebration. Our guests will be glad to return for another party when the baby comes, but today was for you.”

Lauren smiled and offered her warm congratulations to both of them.

“There’s more,” Kyle said, looking at Lauren.

“What? Twins?” Teri asked.

“Not that we know of,” Kyle said, raining a smile of affection on his wife. “Jess won’t be returning to teach in the fall, which means we just so happen to be in need of a high school English teacher.” He looked at Lauren. “Do you know anyone we could recommend for the position?”

“Wait a minute,” Lauren said. “Will somebody pinch me? I know this is a dream. First, will you go to Hawaii; then, will you teach in Glenbrooke? This can’t be happening.”

“Why are you asking Lauren to teach English?” Teri asked. “I thought she was an art major?”

“I was my sophomore year. That didn’t last. I guess we didn’t talk about it, Teri, but I have my teaching credential. I graduated as an English lit major.”

“That’s perfect!” Teri agreed. “You’ll love living here. I sure did.”

“You’re welcome to stay with us as long as you want,” Jessica offered. “We can help you find a place, too, if you like.”

Lauren thought about how wonderful it would be to live in the garden room, at least for a while. “I’ll be glad to pay
rent,” she said. “Especially if you need the extra income since you won’t be working.”

Teri burst out laughing.

Jessica said gently, “That’s okay. I really appreciate your offer, but we’ll be fine. We’d love for you to be our guest.”

Gordon was yawning and trying hard to stay awake.

“We have an early start in the morning,” Kyle said, giving them a quick rundown on the travel itinerary. He concluded with, “So it might help if we have everything packed tonight.”

“Teri, do you still want us to ship the gifts to Maui after we get back?” Jessica asked.

“I think that would be the easiest. I might even leave an extra suitcase or two with things I don’t need right away, if you wouldn’t mind shipping them as well.”

“We would be glad to,” Kyle said. “You had better get your man to bed. He’s about to fall asleep on us here.”

Gordon’s yawn at that moment was so huge Lauren felt sleepy watching him.

“That’s what I get for marrying an old man,” Teri teased. “Come on, honey. The party’s over.” She took his arm and helped him out of his chair. Gordon shuffled beside her until they reached the doorway and then all of a sudden scooped her up in his arms and successfully carried her over the threshold.

“Aha!” Gordon shouted triumphantly. “I knew I could do it.” He put Teri down gracefully, and she pretended to pound his chest. Gordon looked over his shoulder and in a droll voice told his audience, “I can’t keep the woman off! She’s absolutely crazy about me.”

“One of us is loco,” Teri agreed. Then, wrapping her arms around her husband, she planted a big smacking kiss on his lips and said, “And I love him just the way he is.” They headed upstairs, whispering to each other, leaving a sprinkling of invisible love dust in their wake.

Jessica said she needed to check on Ida to see if she had gone home yet. Lauren asked Kyle if she could borrow the phone and then realized she would be better off calling her parents from the airport tomorrow since it was so late.

“I was going to show you this book last night,” Kyle said, pointing to a fat volume on the desk, “since you said you like old books. This is my only contribution to Jessica’s collection.”

Lauren examined the blue, hardback book, which was written in some kind of Aramaic looking language and opened backwards, like a Hebrew Bible she had seen once. “What is it?”

“See if you can guess.”

On the front cover was a picture of a frail man looking up with a huge sack slung over his back. The copyright inside appeared to be 1904, although the numbers were the only thing Lauren could read. An inscription read, “For my favorite ‘Pilgrim’: May all your progress lead you safe to the arms of Jesus. Forever, Lindsey.”

“Pilgrim’s Progress,”
Lauren said with an appreciative smile. “What a treasure! Doesn’t it always make you wonder who the person was when you read an inscription?”

“Lindsey was my fiancée,” Kyle answered.

Lauren looked up, startled. “Oh.”

“She’s in heaven,” he explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to …,” Lauren said, closing the book and placing it carefully on the edge of the desk.

“To what? Bring back a memory of someone who’s gone? It’s okay. Just because I once loved another woman doesn’t make my love for Jessica any less. Nor am I embarrassed by my past love.”

Lauren wondered if she wasn’t somewhat embarrassed that she had loved Jeff. After all, she had tried more than once to convince herself that what went on between them wasn’t really love. Somehow, Kyle’s words freed her. She didn’t have to apologize
for having loved Jeff. She had loved him. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t go on now and love another man. The burning question was whether KC could still love her.

“May I ask you a question?” Lauren said.

“Sure,” Kyle answered.

“Jessica told me she wasn’t very responsive to you when you first met.”

A slow smile spread across Kyle’s lips. “You could say that.”

“Well, what if she had done something that hurt you horribly. Would you have been able to forgive her and still love her?”

“We had our ups and downs, that’s for sure. I believe the main, and perhaps the only reason we ended up together, was because God worked everything out. See, it’s my belief that if two people are both seeking God’s best and if they are meant to be together, then nothing—and I mean nothing—can stop them from ending up together.”

“I hope that’s true,” Lauren said.

“I should tell you, though,” Kyle said leaning forward, “I also believe the reverse is true. If two people are seeking the Lord and if they aren’t his best for each other, then nothing they try will keep them together.”

“I know that’s true,” Lauren said.

Kyle smiled. He shook his head and said, “I wish my brother could have met you. He needs someone open and level-headed with a big heart like you.”

“Actually, someone is in my life already. We have a few things to work out. I did something without thinking through the consequences. But I’m not ready to give up on the relationship yet. I don’t know if he is or not.”

Kyle gave her a brotherly, sideways hug and said, “Keep trusting God. It will turn out the way it’s supposed to.”

T
he trip to Hawaii began early the next morning. It seemed like a dream to Lauren, even after they had landed in Honolulu and caught a connecting flight to the island of Lana’i. She sat by the window and was captivated by the azure Pacific below, dotted with white sailboats and tiny white caps on the rippling waves. They flew over beautiful, long, green Moloka’i with Maui to their left. Bubbles of excitement rose inside Lauren as they landed at the Lana’i hilltop airstrip among pineapple fields. She tried to maintain the same cool, calm demeanor as the other four and not let on that this was her first such adventure.

A Polynesian woman in a flowered muumuu greeted them as they deplaned. “Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan?” she asked. When Kyle acknowledged that was he and Jessica, the woman placed a purple orchid and white tuberose lei around his neck and kissed him on both cheeks. “Enjoy your stay on our island,” she said and turned to present Jessica, Gordon, Teri, and
Lauren with leis and kisses. “The van is waiting for you out front. Aloha.”

“Is this like
Fantasy Island
or what?” Lauren whispered to Teri.

“No, this is like Lana’i. You don’t get this kind of treatment on Maui. Ah, but Maui has the same warm, sweet trade winds.” She tucked her hand in Gordon’s and said, “We’re home, honey.”

After gathering their luggage and loading it into the van, the group headed past the pineapple fields where vast rows of green spiny shoots reached heavenward. A long driveway led them past towering Norfolk pines to the front of a huge lodge tucked in the highlands of Lana’i. Koele Lodge had the look of an English country manor. A wide porch circled the entire building, and painted on the triangle overhang that canopied the entrance was a giant pineapple. It made a lovely first impression.