Nephew's Wife, The (9 page)

              “Would you like for me to pray for you, Ellen?”

Ellen nodded, her head still bowed.  Rand took her hand in his and bowed his head.

“Dear Heavenly Father, Ellen needs you now at this very moment. You know what is going on in her heart.  Please give her peace and healing.  Only you can help her get through this sad time, Dear Lord.  Only you can give her the strength and the courage she needs now.  We thank you, Lord, for all you’re doing in her life, for your care and mercy, for your love and protection, for your healing power and for your peace.  She’s been a faithful servant, Dear Father, by showing unselfish love toward Paul.  Please be with Ellen and give her rest, Dear Lord.  We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.” 

Ellen felt cheap and dirty.  Rand’s prayer had been so sincere and spoken with such faith and reverence. 

God forgive me for this.
Ellen couldn’t stand what she’d become. 

“I’m sorry, Rand—”

“You don’t have to be sorry for grieving, Ellen,” he cut in.  His low voice was full of compassion and admiration.  “I realize now that you loved Paul very much.  What happened to him must have hurt you deeply. Losing him won’t be easy for you to get over. We’re all here for you, Ellen.  We’ll help you anyway we can.  If you need some time away to deal with this, say the word.  Aunt Dolly and I will understand.  You’ve made so much progress in such a short amount of time. Aunt Dolly would be okay without you for a few days.”

“No,” Ellen straightened and pushed her hair off her tear-stained face. “I’m not going to leave Dolly.  That’s out of the question.  I appreciate all you’re doing, Rand, and your encouragement, but I’m going to be okay.  I just had a bad moment.”  She pleaded again.  “Please, don’t worry about me.  You have your business to run. You don’t need to focus on me. I’m going to be fine.”

Rand nodded, politely, but he wasn’t feeling her words. Something big was going on inside her. “Okay. Let’s go take care of your cut.”

“It’s nothing, Rand.  I have a first-aid kit in my room.  I’ll use it.”  She gave him a wobbly smile then stood.  Blood still oozed out of the gash.  She took some tissues and pressed them on the cut.  “That should work till I get upstairs.  I need to clean up the mess in the kitchen.”

“I’ll clean it up,” Rand said, rising.  “But first, I’m going to help you to your room.”

With one fluid motion, Rand swept Ellen up into his arms.

“Rand! Put me down.  I can walk!”

Rand ignored Ellen’s protests and carried her toward the stairs.  “If you keep hollering that way, you’ll wake Aunt Dolly.”  Humor laced his tone, but Ellen knew he was right.  She silenced her cries.  As he moved up the steps, Ellen leaned her head against Rand’s shoulder.  It felt good to be in his arms.  They were warm and protective.  She fit perfectly in them.  Her heart galloped away with a joy she didn’t deserve. 
Oh, Rand, I could love you for a lifetime and beyond.

Ellen lost herself in dreamy thoughts.  She wasn’t even aware that Rand was inside her bedroom until she heard a gasp slip from his throat.

Chapter 7

Ellen glanced around, horrified by the mess in her room.  Her bed covers were askew, pillows were scattered on the floor, and in the middle of them was the letter.  The place looked like a war zone.

Embarrassed, Ellen apologized.  “I’m sorry you have to see my room like this, Rand.  I guess I was having a worse time than I imagined.”

“I’ve made worse messes,” he said with a mix of concern and humor as he laid her gently across the crumpled bedspread.  He picked up a couple pillows from the floor and propped them beneath her head. 

Ellen went pale when she saw him turn and scoop up the letter.  Thankfully, he didn’t glance at it as he handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she managed, stuffing the letter inside the table drawer along with Vivian’s.  Rand’s presence was making her nervous. She wanted him out of her room, but he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Where’s your first-aid kit?” He asked.

“Under the sink in the bathroom, but you don’t need to do this, Rand—” Her words faded as Rand headed to the bathroom, ignoring her.  She heard cabinet doors opening and shutting then water running.  When he came back, he was loaded down.

“Stretch out your foot.”

Ellen obeyed.  Rand sat on the edge of the bed. He put a towel underneath Ellen’s foot then washed the cut with a damp wash- cloth.  He held her foot up to examine it carefully then pronounced it okay.

“I don’t think you need stitches.”

Ellen wanted to cry.  Rand was so good and tender with her, so nice and caring.  His touch was manly yet gentle.  She watched as he dabbed an ointment over her wound with a cotton ball then dressed it with a bandage.

He smiled.  “That should do. Just make sure to check it tomorrow and change the bandage.”

“Yes, doctor,” Ellen teased, admiring Rand’s handiwork.  

Rand glanced around the room.  When he saw the photos displayed around the room, curiosity moved him.  “Are these photos of your family?”

“Yes.” Ellen’s nerves went haywire as Rand walked over to peruse them.  She watched as he picked up one and studied it.

“These must be your parents,” he said, glancing at her. “You look just like your mother.  She was very beautiful.”  Realizing what he’d said, Rand put down the photo and quickly moved to the medals and the encased flag.

“You must be very proud of your father, dying for his country.  He was a brave man.  I’d thought of serving in the military like the men in my family, but I had Aunt Dolly to think of.  I was her only relative so I made the choice not to.”

Ellen sighed.  “I wonder sometimes what life would have been like if my father hadn’t died in that helicopter crash.  My mother seemed so lost after that.  She never really got over his death.  When she got sick, I truly believe she willed herself to die just so she could be with him.”

“Their love must have been deep.  They would have been very proud of the way you loved Paul till the end.”

Ellen lowered her gaze. 
You’re wrong, Rand. My parents would have been very disappointed by what I did to Paul.

“I’m sorry, Ellen,” Rand said, sincerely.  “I keep mentioning Paul when you’re having such a bad time now.  This must be very hard for you.”  The hurt look on his face tugged on Ellen. Rand moved away from the photos and stood in the center of the room with his hands in his pockets.  “God piled up the trials on you.  He must believe you’re a strong person.”

Ellen pulled herself up. “Sometimes, I wonder about the trials that make us who we become.  I wish mine had been different.  I’m not sure I turned out the way God intended.”  She sighed a lonesome sigh.  “None of my dreams came true, but I can live with that.  I think it’s selfish to want a perfect life where all your dreams have to come true.  Still, it makes me sad sometimes when I look back to when I was sixteen and remember the dreams I had. They seem so far away and long forgotten.”

“I know what you mean,” Rand said.  “Maybe we should make new dreams.”

Ellen smiled up at him with wet eyes.  “New dreams huh!  I like that.  Maybe that’s what I need. A whole new batch of dreams.”

“Dreams aren’t just for teenagers, Ellen.” A new dream formed in Rand’s heart at that very moment.  A life with Ellen.  He felt suddenly awkward and moved to the door, but not before casually glancing about the room one last time, soaking in all things Ellen.

Something felt odd.  Among photos of loved ones, there was none of Paul, the man she’d loved deeply.  Curious, Rand turned to ask Ellen about it, but she had fallen over on the bed and was fast asleep.  He stepped to the bed, turned her over gently then pulled the covers over her.

She looked like an angel to Rand.  Unable to control himself, he leaned over and brushed her forehead with his lips.  “Goodnight Ellen.”

Downstairs, Rand cleaned up the broken glass then returned to his office where he’d been working before startling Ellen in the kitchen.  He sat down to organize his papers, but visions of Ellen kept interrupting his plans.  Nothing else on earth seemed to matter.  His mind retraced the events of the afternoon starting with the letter Ellen received.  She’d taken it to her room, fell ill, missed dinner, then came down at two in the morning, looking so distraught and disheveled he’d hardly recognized her.  She’d been crying and was so jumpy she’d dropped the glass at the sound of her name.

Rand attributed it all to her grieving.  Something in the letter had probably triggered painful memories which could have prompted Ellen to hide Paul’s photos. 

Rand glanced at his watch.  It was now three in the morning.  The night had been very long and cumbersome.  He’d been worried about Ellen most of it, and by the looks of her, his worries had been justified.  Things would look different in the morning, he decided.  His growing need to protect Ellen was causing him to over analyze every little thing about her. 

Thank goodness he was planning a trip to Paris soon.  Separating himself from her might do him good.  He’d use the space to put things back into perspective.  Ellen was still grieving the loss of the man she loved more than anything.  That much was evident tonight.  He needed to reign in his emotions.  Rand left his papers scattered on his desk.  He’d have to finish organizing them in the morning.  He turned off the lights and headed upstairs to bed.

Ellen couldn’t remember having fallen asleep when she woke the next morning.  She looked at the clock and gasped.  Nine o’clock. 
Dolly!
Ellen jumped out of bed and scrambled into her ballerina flats which rubbed her bandage.  She looked worse than the night before, but she was late for work.  Showering and changing into fresh clothes would have to wait.  Dolly liked breakfast before eight.

Ellen raced to Dolly’s room and threw open the door.

“Dolly, I’m so sor—” She froze.

Rand and Dolly were having breakfast together.  Their stunned expressions at Ellen’s frazzled appearance made Ellen blush.  Especially when Rand didn’t have a hair out of place.  As usual, he was dressed impeccably.  He wore a white, starched shirt, red-striped tie, and dark pants.  A matching jacket draped the back of a chair.  Ellen wanted to die on the spot.

“Come in dear.”  Dolly beckoned her closer.  Ellen obeyed, keeping her eyes on Rand who didn’t look happy.

“I’m sorry for running late, Dolly.  I overslept.”

“I brought her breakfast,” Rand said.  “I was just telling Aunt Dolly about my travel plans to Paris.”

Dolly’s wrinkles jiggled. “Imagine my joy when Randolph brought me my breakfast this morning.  That hasn’t happened in a while.”

Rand smiled at Dolly.  “We should do this more often.”

“One day, I’ll come downstairs like I used to, and we’ll eat in the sun room or on the patio on warm mornings.”

“I’d like that Aunt Dolly.”  Rand took Dolly’s hand and kissed it.

Ellen felt like a fifth wheel. She started to take the tray, but Dolly brushed her away.

“Go get dressed for the day, Ellen, and take your time.” Dolly’s tone was kind and patient.  “Randolph and I are going to chat before he leaves for work.  The owner of the company can be late occasionally,” she added when Ellen gave them bewildered looks.

Ellen returned to her room, deflated and mad at herself. She’d let her emotions get in the way of her job, a job she was being paid very well to do.  Last night’s absence at dinner had been excused because she’d called ahead, but missing Dolly’s breakfast without a word was deplorable. 

After quickly making her bed, Ellen jumped into the shower, wishing she could scrub away her shame and frustration.  Despite what Dolly had told her, Ellen hurried through her routine, which included changing the bandage on the side of her foot.  She blew dry her hair, shook it out, slapped some blush and lipstick on then slipped into a turquoise sundress with matching, lightweight sweater.  Because of her sore foot, Ellen had to forego her usual ballerina flats for slip on sandals. 

Rand was still with Dolly when Ellen returned to Dolly’s room.  He stood when Ellen entered and smiled. His heart melted at the sight of her.

“You look lovely as ever, Ellen,” Dolly said, cheerfully. 

Rand silently agreed.

“Thank you, Dolly.” Ellen walked to the bed.  Her purposeful steps shook the fragrance from her hair and skin.  Rand’s lungs tingled with her clean, floral scent. 

“I’d like to formally apologize for being late this morning.” Ellen directed her words at both Dolly and Rand.

Dolly put a hand to her heart.  “That won’t be necessary, Ellen.” She exchanged a knowing glance with Rand.  “Randolph and I have been talking and we’ve come to the conclusion that we’ve worked you too hard.  You’ve been here five weeks without a day off.  I’ve worn you down.”

“No, you haven’t, Dolly,” Ellen insisted.  “I enjoy my work here.  Every day seems like a day off.”  Her eyes misted with fresh tears. 

Rand picked up the tray.  “I’d like to speak with Ellen, Aunt Dolly, before I leave for work.  I won’t keep her long.” He turned to Ellen. “Do you mind walking with me to the kitchen?”

In the hallway, Rand said.  “I told Aunt Dolly about last night, how upset you were and the broken glass. How is your cut by the way?”  He glanced down at her foot.

“Never mind my foot.” Ellen flared, crossing her arms over her mid-section.  “I was hoping you wouldn’t say anything to Dolly about my breakdown.  I don’t want to worry her.” 

Ellen’s defiant spirit caught Rand off guard.  He’d not seen that side of her.  He liked her bravado.  If challenged, she’d be no pushover.

“That’s all well and good, Ellen, but the fact remains. You did have a breakdown.  I can’t just ignore what I saw last night.”

His reasoning softened Ellen.  She dropped her arms to her sides.

“I’m not trying to be difficult, Rand.  I’m only thinking of Dolly.  She has to have confidence in me.  She has to know I can be strong for her especially while you’re away.”

Rand wished he had more time to spend with Ellen.  There was so much he wanted to say and so little time before his trip.  “Can we continue this conversation later, Ellen?”