Lorie's Heart (27 page)

She had hoped that he would call, but he had disappeared. She supposed she deserved that considering how she left him before. But there was truly only one reason why he would walk out and not look back. He didn't feel the same way for her as she did for him.

Her first
Englisch
heartbreak.

She tried to tell herself that she would get over it, but she knew that healing would be a long time in coming.

“Thanks, Sadie,” she said, turning the letter over in her hands. The writing was unfamiliar though the return address was Dallas. Her name was written in a flowing script that was thin and elegant.

Without looking up, she slid into a booth and tore open the seal.

Lorie wiped away her tears and tucked the letter and the check back into the envelope.

“Are you okay, Sister?” Sadie slid into the booth opposite Lorie.

She nodded. “
Jah.
My grandmother died.”

“The lady that was here? The one who kept calling the gelatin dessert pudding?”

A small bark of laughter escaped Lorie, but she shook her head. “That's
Dat'
s
mudder,
this is my
mudder
's
mudder
.”

Sadie nodded.

“She left me a great deal of money,” she said in awe.

“That's
gut, jah?
”

“
Jah.
” She would never get to know Ellie Prescott, but Lorie wouldn't have to worry about anything for a long time.

“Lorie,”
Mamm
called from the door to the kitchen.

“There's a man on the phone. Said he was from the Sundale something or another home. Wants to talk to you about a job teaching the residents how to paint.”

 

 

“Well, here you are,” Luke said as he pulled her car in front of the Hillview Apartments.

“Aren't you coming in?” Lorie asked. Overwhelmed with the task of buying furniture and getting everything set up in the apartment, she hired a decorator to take care of the basics. It was a splurge, she knew, but the only one she'd indulged in since she had received her inheritance.

“Nah. Sissy is already waiting, and we've got to go meet her father at the track.”

“Oh.” Lorie did her best to hide the disappointment from her voice, but it was there all the same.

She supposed that was the way it would be. She was on her own now. Might as well get used to it. But alone didn't mean lonely. She was excited about the new adventure awaiting her. Tomorrow she would start her new job as art director at the Sundale Retirement and Assisted Living Center.

“Thanks for the ride.”

Luke nodded. “I'll leave your car right here.”

“For when I learn how to drive it.”

“You'll learn soon enough.”

Lorie dug her keys out of her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder.

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Of course.” She had a brand-new cell phone with all the important numbers plugged in for when she needed them.

She waved at Sissy and Luke as they sped off in her shiny convertible, then made her way down the sidewalk toward unit 6A.

She felt deliciously
Englisch
as she opened the door and let herself in.

The scent of roses met her as she dropped her purse in the chair by the door.

Large bouquets of flowers sat on every available surface, the coffee table, the end tables, the dining room table, even the kitchen cabinets. There were all colors from white to red and were mixed with other fragrant blooms. Ribbons, balloons, and a trail of petals led from the front door to the back of the apartment.

She was pretty certain she hadn't asked for any of this, but it had to be the decorator. No criminal would break in and leave flowers. Would they?

“Hello?”

“Hi.” Zach came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dishtowel and wearing an apron. “I wasn't expecting you for another hour.”

“What are you doing here?” She hadn't seen him since he had left her sister's wedding without a word. That had been three weeks ago.

“I'm welcoming you to your new home.” He took off the apron and tossed it onto the counter behind him. “I've got dinner in the oven and a couple of surprises for you.”

It was a surprise all right. “I don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything.” He took her by the arm and led her toward the camel-colored sofa. All her furniture was plain and solid colors, but she wanted to be able to add her own personal touches to the place as she found things that made her heart beat a little faster.

“I like the picture,” he said, nodding toward the canvas she had painted of him. Thankfully it had been in the stack of paintings that Lorie had left behind in Wells Landing, though now it hung in the greatest place of honor: above the fireplace mantel.

Heat filled Lorie's cheeks. “I didn't mean for you to see that.”

He settled on the sofa and patted the cushion next to him. “I like it.”

She eased down next to him and hid her trembling hands by tucking them under her legs. “Why are you here, Zach?” She wanted to believe that he had come because he loved her and wanted to give their relationship a second chance, but she couldn't allow those feelings to have their head.

“There are a few unresolved issues between us.”

“Like?”

“My father for one.”

Lorie managed to bite back the dozen or so questions that raced to the tip of her tongue. As patiently as she could, she waited for Zach to continue.

“I won't bore you with all the details of my childhood, but for the most part it was good enough. Until one day this stranger called the house. A woman. She sounded nice enough, but what she had to say . . .” He shook his head. “It seemed my father had two families, the one with me, Ashtyn, and Mom and another with this woman and three little girls.”

Lorie inhaled sharply, searching for something to say. “How old were you?”

“Eight. Ashtyn was twelve.” He took a deep breath as if gathering the courage he needed to continue. “Basically Mom told him he was going to have to choose, so he did. He chose them.”

Her heart broke for him. “I'm so sorry.”

“Yeah, me too. But it was a long time ago. I do my best to move on. Some days are easier than others, but the pain is always there.”

“Is that why you didn't want to talk about it?”

He nodded. “I don't like digging up the past. I don't like trying to figure out why I wasn't good enough for him to stay.”

“Oh, Zach.” She scooted a little closer to him and laid one hand on his cheek.

He covered it with his own, then lowered them both to his lap. His dazzling smile shone through his hurt. “But I didn't come here to talk about him. I came to talk about us.”

Lorie shook her head. “But I thought . . .”

“What?”

“I thought you wanted to take things slow.”

He nodded. “It's best, don't you think? I mean you just moved here and have a lot on your plate. I think you deserve some time to adjust a little before getting married.”

“W-what?” Had she heard him right?

“I don't want to rush you,” he said. “That's why I waited.”

“I don't understand.” She wanted to.

“I love you, Lorie. I have since the first time I saw you. But I couldn't persuade you to come here. You had to make that decision on your own. Staying away from you these last few weeks has been harder than you will ever know.”

He pushed to his feet and reached into his jeans pocket. Out came a little black box, and he was on his knee in a second.

Lorie sat there, stunned.

“I said I was going to do this after dinner, but I've waited three weeks for you to get here and all of my life to find you. No more waiting.” He opened the box to reveal a thin gold band with a clear diamond sparkling in its center. “Will you marry me?”

Lorie's heart soared as Zach shifted to both knees and wrapped her in his arms. He lowered his head and captured her mouth in a kiss so full of promise her head swam.

How had she gotten so blessed to have everything come together so fully? How could she have everything she could ever want and more?

Zach lifted his head, kissed the tip of her nose, and rested his forehead against hers. “I'll take that as a yes.”

“Yes,” she breathed.

“We'll take our time, okay? Maybe get married this time next year.”

“Okay.” She pulled him close for another lingering kiss.

He laughed a little, stirring the breath that separated them. “Maybe the summer would be better.”

Lorie nodded. “Summer,” she repeated. “Summer would definitely be better.”

“All right, everyone, grab the pop bottle and dip the bottom into your paint. The four points are going to be your flowers.”

Zach watched as the room full of seniors did as Lorie instructed.

Oh, how she had blossomed in the last few weeks. Her confidence had grown, her eyes sparkled, and in general she looked like she was deeply in love.

And he was the man she dreamed about. How lucky could one guy get?

“I thought we were going to paint Christmas presents.” Betty looked from the bottom of the bottle to the blank canvas, then back again.

“These are Christmas presents,” Lorie explained. “Once we're done, you can gift them to whoever you want.”

“But I wanted to paint a
present.
” She frowned.

“How about next week?” Lorie asked. “We can use them to decorate the halls. For the holidays.”

“Of course,” Betty murmured.

“Betty, quit asking questions and paint,” Stan grumbled.

“I was just wondering,” she shot back.

Fern pinned Stan with a fierce look for a woman who barely weighed eighty pounds. “Quit fussing at her.”

“Is there any orange paint?” Eugene looked skeptically at the pan of pink that sat between him and Linda. “I'd rather have orange.”

“No orange,” his sister said.

And the almost good-natured argument was under way.

Zach sent a small wave toward his fiancée and left the rec room. He could watch her paint all day, but for now he had a supply closet to organize and an order to put in. But soon he would join her and the rest of the seniors for lunch.

“Zach,” Carol called from the front of the Sundale Retirement and Assisted Living Center. “Can you help me please?”

He found Carol on the stepladder doing her best stretches but still unable to reach the very top of the Christmas tree.

“Let me,” Zach said, taking the top of the tree star from her as she descended the small ladder.

With ease, he clamped the star in place and stood back with Carol to admire the tree. Right after Lorie returned to Tulsa, Zach had quit his office job in favor of working at the living center and doing books on the side. So far his freelance venture had three steady clients—the Kauffman Family Restaurant, Sundale, and Cameron's father's concrete company. More clients were sure to come, but he was enjoying his full-time job at the living center more and more each day. Maybe because he could peek in and see his beautiful Lorie anytime he wanted.

“How's it look?” Carol asked, indicating the fully decorated tree with sparkling lights and deep red bows.

“Beautiful,” he said, but not as gorgeous as the woman he would marry next year or the tree she had put up at her apartment. For a girl who had never celebrated Christmas this way before, she embraced the concept fully, putting up a tree so tall the very top was bent over from lack of room.

“Merry Christmas,” Amber called as she walked through.

“Happy New Year,” Carol returned.

And it was—a merry and happy time. He and Lorie would get married sometime next June. As newly converted to the English world, she wanted to follow the custom of a June wedding, though he doubted she would cave in to all the frills and pomp that Ashtyn was trying to convince her to use. Knowing Lorie, she would be in full wedding dress, her long, blond hair a beautiful halo around her face, and cowboy boots on her feet. She was one of a kind for sure.

One of a kind and all his.

He sent up a small prayer of thanks. How blessed could one guy be?