Long Road Home, The (2 page)

Bayfield, Wisconsin

A few weeks later Paul sat thinking on his sermon of that morning. It had gone well. The congregation had been warm and receptive. He felt he was off to a fine beginning in his new church.

But soon his thoughts turned elsewhere and he grew anxious. Where was she? He began to whistle tunelessly and bounce his heel on the floor in quick rhythm. His eyes caught those of his hostess, and he quickly stopped.

Paul’s stillness lasted only seconds before he had to restrain himself from pacing the floor of the elegant front parlor. The Templetons, aware and greatly amused over the young pastor’s plight as they sat across from him, wisely kept still. They knew that as soon as their niece arrived, the anxious look on his face would disappear, to be replaced by a look of rapt attention for Corrine alone.

Amid Paul’s impatient vigil, the front door opened and in walked the love of his life. He was vaguely disappointed to see she was followed by her parents. He had somehow hoped she would come alone. But just looking at her as she crossed the room to take a chair near him banished all other thoughts from his mind.

Paul looked at her closely as she took her seat. He knew she had been in poor health lately. Paul had known great
frustration at not seeing more of her, sure that he could be a comfort. She was pale but as lovely as ever in his eyes. Paul’s attention then turned to watch her father, Hugh Templeton, settle his weight in a delicate chair and look about the room in his usual disagreeable fashion. Paul wished he could march right over to the man and tell him of the love he bore for Corrine and ask for her hand in marriage.

But Hugh Templeton was an unapproachable man, and his expression was constantly stern. Paul learned in a hurry that if Hugh hadn’t liked something about the sermon on any given Sunday, he wasted no time in telling Paul. Paul also realized, on the other hand, that if Hugh enjoyed the sermon, he said not a word.

Attempting to talk to Corrine beneath the scowling regard of her father was more than Paul could take, and he despaired of being able to say two words to her.

He finally gathered courage and leaned forward, intending to tell Corrine how pretty she looked in her gown of pale yellow, when Mr. Templeton’s voice broke through rudely.

“Well, Corrine nearly dragged us from the house to come here. As if I have nothing better to do with my Sunday evening than sit around May’s fancy parlor.”

His tone and words were lost on Paul as he watched Corrine blush becomingly, telling him how much she had wanted to come. Paul and Corrine would have sat for unknown hours and stared at one another if Corrine’s uncle had not broken in.

“Corrie, why don’t you and Paul head out and ask Matty for something to drink?” Lloyd could feel his older brother scowling, but he ignored him.

He believed Paul Cameron to be a fine young man and, unlike his brother, didn’t believe Corrine, as sweet as she was, to be too good for
any
man.

The two young people nearly stumbled in their haste to exit the room. Paul reached for Corrine’s hand the second they were out of view and didn’t release it until they entered the kitchen at the back of the house.

Corrine greeted her aunt’s part-time cook, Matty, and told her of their request for refreshments. Matty was old, but not so old that she would mistake a couple in love. She told the young people in her stern way, “I can’t possibly take a tray into that parlor without some fresh flowers sitting on it. Now you two get outside and bring me what you find in bloom.”

Grinning like fools, they turned without a word and raced to do her bidding. “And don’t you rush the job, either,” she called after them. “If I don’t like what you pick, I’ll send you right back out.”

They ran down the back steps like small children running from a mischievous act. Paul waited only until they were out of view before he pulled Corrine into his arms and kissed her for the first time.

Paul broke the kiss to find Corrine blushing furiously. She moved away from him and began to pull wildflowers from a small patch. Paul knelt beside her, and they worked for a time in silence. The last time they were together they had had so much to say, sharing from their hearts all their hopes and dreams, but now—Paul wondered if he should apologize for kissing her.

“I’m sorry, Corrine, if I was presumptuous just now, but the truth is, I missed you very much and thought about you the whole time I was away.”

They were standing now, and Corrine turned to face Paul, her expression tender with love. “I missed you too,” she admitted quietly.

Paul needed no further encouragement, and in the next instant Corrine was back in his embrace. “Marry me, Corrine,”
Paul said and heard her gasp. “Oh Paul,” was all she was able to say before he kissed her again.

“I love you, Corrine,” Paul said finally, thrilled beyond reason at being able to tell her.

“And I love you, Paul Cameron,” Corrine stated simply. Their hearts overflowed with joy, unable to believe they could ever be happier. The flowers were forgotten as they held hands and made plans.

“I’ll talk with your father and we’ll be married right away.” Paul’s voice was breathless with excitement, and Corrine clung to him for a final embrace. They walked back to the house, the flowers they had picked left on the ground, both completely unaware of anything but each other.

The next days flew by in a flurry of anticipation and nerves as Paul tried to gain courage to approach Corrine’s father. He saw Mr. Templeton more than once, but each time Paul’s fear of the man overcame him, and he said nothing.

He was busy with his work at the church and had to fight resentment at being called upon to do his job at times when he wanted to be with Corrine. He knew without a doubt that his feelings were wrong, but at times he was unable to control himself.

Paul spent more time in the Word and prayed for strength. He still believed God wanted him and Corrine together, but it would have to be His timing and not Paul’s. When Paul settled into this mind-set, his entire outlook changed, and a wonderful peace settled over him as he was used of God in his small church.

The church had not had a full-time pastor in years, and Paul rose to the challenge to see his small congregation reach their full potential. Paul spent extra hours on his sermon and spoke to two women about singing solos.

He even baby-sat one afternoon for a few hours when a young mother took sick. Paul gained a new appreciation, as he and his four-and five-year-old charges walked all over town, for the job a mother has in raising young children. Paul believed the joy of a pastor was far more than standing in the pulpit on Sunday. It was also getting involved with the people and becoming a part of their lives, so for him it was all part of the joy and another opportunity to serve God.

And always at the back of Paul’s mind was Corrine and the life they would have together, and praise to God for giving them each other. But as victorious as Paul had been over his willfulness and the joy he was experiencing in his work, he was not prepared for the confrontation with Mr. Templeton the next Sunday after church.

When he saw Corrine and her mother making their way to their buggy and Mr. Templeton hanging back, he assumed he was going to hear how bad his sermon had been. Paul had him figured out now. The man did not like to hear that all men were sinners and needed Christ. This fact surprised Paul because he knew Corrine and her mother to be believers. It made him wonder why Mr. Templeton continued to attend.

The last of the congregation had descended the steps, and Mr. Templeton stood before him. Paul was taller than the man, but Hugh still intimidated him to the point that he felt like a small boy in trouble. Knowing the Scriptures he was going to use this time, he waited patiently for the man to speak.

“Corrine has never been as robust as her older sisters.” Paul stared incredulously at the man, wondering what in the world he could be talking about.

“She’s not sick, mind you,” Mr. Templeton hastened to add. “Just not as strong as some girls—never has been. Now I think you’re an alright man for a preacher, but you’re not for my Corrine.

“She’s young yet, and when the time comes that I think she should find a man, well, it’ll have to be one who can keep her in the fine things she’s been used to all her life. There’s no reason for you to take this personally, but I’m her father and I know what’s best.” Without another word, Mr. Templeton turned and walked away.

If there was anything worse than being kept from the woman you love, Paul couldn’t imagine what it could be. Corrine was in the same miserable state as Paul and looked so down the first few Sundays after Paul had been warned off that he feared Mr. Templeton had told her some awful lie about his not wanting to see her.

But his fear didn’t last long as he saw Mrs. Templeton, seemingly standing against her husband in that she made sure Corrine stayed in line to shake the pastor’s hand, as was the custom of their small congregation.

It was during those times that Paul was able to tell Corrine by the touch of his hand and the look in his eyes that none of his feelings had changed.

Paul continued to pray, seeking God’s guidance in this painful matter of the heart. Still confident he and Corrine were to be together, he was sure of it after Corrine had missed two Sundays in a row and a note arrived, asking him to come to the house.

Paul had never been asked to the Templeton home before, and he was a bundle of nerves as he approached the large, twostory home. When he walked in, Corrine was waiting in the living room, with a woman Paul didn’t recognize.

If Paul thought her pale and slim before, he was unsure what to think when he saw her this time. There were dark
circles beneath her lovely eyes, and her dress hung loose as though she’d had a sudden weight loss.

Corrine had obviously been very ill, and Paul felt rage at not having been called to see her. With little regard for the third person in the room, Paul walked directly to the sofa, sat down, and reached for Corrine’s hand. Joy leapt in the young woman’s eyes, and Paul realized she had been unsure of his reaction to her.

His heart nearly broke over the fact that she had doubted his love, and his arms were around her in the next instant pulling her to him. The act was too much for Corrine, and she began to cry. Paul said nothing as he held this dear woman, her body so pathetically frail, but his resolve was strengthened. This was right. She belonged here in his arms and, as soon as he could, he would speak to her father.

Corrine was gaining control of herself and she shifted to move from Paul’s arms, but they only tightened around her.

“I won’t let go of you, Corrine.” She tipped her head back and looked into his face, and he went on.

“You belong here in my arms, and I’ll not be ordered from your life again. Nothing has changed. I still love you and want you for my wife. Your aunt said you were under the weather, but had I known how sick you were, nothing would have kept me away.”

“Oh, Paul, I’ve missed you so. I prayed every day you would come, but I knew in my heart you would respect my father’s wishes and stay away. He doesn’t understand, Paul, that you are the man I’ve prayed for all my life.”

Her words made Paul’s heart soar. He said nothing but just drew her close, holding her tenderly and thanking God for allowing them to be together as well as asking for strength to speak with Mr. Templeton.

Paul didn’t have long to wait. The Templetons entered a few minutes later to find Paul and Corrine embracing on the sofa. When Paul became aware of their presence, he released Corrine but stayed seated and took her hand.

“Mr. Templeton, Corrine and I want to be married. I love her and she loves me. I promise to cherish her all the days of our lives, and I’m asking for your blessing.”

Some emotion, unreadable and fleeting, passed over Hugh Templeton’s face. Then his eyes shifted to his wife who had taken a seat and sat with her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Paul thought a brief look of regret passed over his features as he then looked to his daughter.

“Is this really what you want, Corrine?”

Paul felt her head move near his shoulder in the affirmative and watched Mr. Templeton nod. He gave them no time to thank him but turned and walked from the room. Paul thought he looked like a man defeated and right then resolved to make him never regret that Paul Cameron was his son-in-law. God would give him and Corrine a good life, of that he was sure. They may not have many possessions, but Paul knew God would bless them and take care of them.

Corrine was still weak, and Paul found out what a woman of strength her mother was. She included Paul in every stage of the wedding plans, surprising and pleasing him when she told him how soon the wedding was to be. Immediately couldn’t be soon enough for Paul, so no one heard complaints from him.

Corrine was still not up to full strength as the day neared, and Paul was becoming concerned. He questioned her, and she told him it was a recurring illness she’d had since child-hood. She said it wasn’t unusual to go for months without a trace of pain, and then other times it seemed to come and stay on for a while.

Paul could see as she answered him that she was becoming anxious about him changing his mind, so he dropped the subject but prayed daily for God’s healing of the woman he loved. As he looked ahead on the days to come, even with Corrine sick, he knew he had never been happier. God was using him and now he was to have a wife by his side as he worked. Corrine had a heart for the people of Bayfield—he’d found that out the first time he had met her. Paul knew that together they could do anything God asked of them.

If Paul felt a little worried about Corrine’s illness, the moments were brief. God would heal her and use the two of them for His glory.