Let Him Go, page 8
“I think you’re holding onto the sad memories of her and not the good. Let go of the pain and suffering and remember the love and laughter.”
He gave a slow nod.
“One more thing.” I spoke in a soothing tone. “You told me, ‘I love you with everything in me.’ As wonderful as that is for me to hear, the Lord desires that same kind of devotion from you.”
Chapter 10
I
spent the weekend like I’d spent most of my week—more time in God’s Word and prayer. To do this, I skipped a few meals. Several times I pleaded with the Lord for answers and direction. Finally, I surrendered to His will. The answer, I believed, lay in Blake doing what I’d shared with him on Friday evening. When he could honestly say he loved the Lord with everything in him, the Lord would welcome our relationship and give us the desires of our heart. My desire now was to marry Blake.
I struggled with him and Eliza spending time together. Tauni, during her wayward time, was tame compared to what I’d heard regarding Eliza. Blake knew I was waiting on God and why I couldn’t say yes to his proposal. I hoped he would wait for God’s timing and not give up on me.
~
Normally I leave for work at 7:30 a.m. to arrive a little before 8:00, my scheduled start time. However, on Monday morning at 7:00, my doorbell rang. To receive visitors at home that early in the morning was rare. I turned on my porch light and peeked out my front window. Why was Allison’s husband, Jim, here? My heart sank. Had something happened to Allison or Blake?
I opened the door. “Is everything okay?”
He assured me everyone was fine. “Blake asked me to deliver this to you. He didn’t think it would be wise to give it to you at the office.”
Jim held a single, lovely rose wrapped in a paper towel to keep it moist. He gave it to me along with a handwritten note from Blake. I thanked him, and he left.
This flower was a salmon color. The outer petals displayed a darker pinkish tint and the inner a softer orange. I remembered from our time in Albuquerque this color meant excitement. Exquisite. The note read: “You’ve become my one-and-only.”
He melts my heart. This gift brought me hope that Blake would wait for me.
When I arrived at the office, I knew the top item on my agenda for the week—make sure everything was ready for the executive team’s holiday party. Saturday was the big day. Beth was back in the office, and Tauni stepped in to take most of Alicia’s planning responsibilities. We met in the conference room to review all arrangements.
I took a seat at the table across from Beth and Tauni and asked Beth about her husband’s health.
“He’s much better. He had bronchitis and was in a lot of pain with all the coughing. Thanks again for your phone call.” She smiled. “Is Alicia still planning to take care of the bar?”
“I’ll check with her.” Tauni made a note on her pad. “That’s the only thing on her list. I’ll ask Mitch to help if she hasn’t followed through.”
“And I have everything ready to pick up on schedule,” Beth said.
I marked off the items on my checklist. “Great. Jenny and I verified with our church cooks, and all is well there too.”
I was interrupted by an intercom page to call the front desk. Walt was on the phone and upset. “Put him through. We’re in a meeting now planning the holiday party.” I placed the call on speaker and greeted Walt.
“Where’s Blake?” Short and snippy. “He didn’t answer his phone.”
“He’s out this morning. I believe he plans to be back by—”
“I didn’t ask when he’d be back. Where is he?”
Tauni glared at the phone and I rolled my eyes. Walt was never overly pleasant, but not usually this gruff either. “I wasn’t trying to avoid your question. Blake’s at—”
“Doesn’t matter. We need to change the holiday party.”
I glanced at Tauni and Beth. Four large eyes stared back at me. “Change it?”
“That’s what I said, Ms. Reynolds. Is something wrong with your hearing?”
“No. Sir. Why do we need to change the party?” I pressed my lips together. I was not fond of this man.
“Let’s plan for the following weekend.”
You must be kidding. “Three days before Christmas?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not for me, but people might already have plans for that weekend.” I shifted focus. “Why do we need to change the party?”
“I have to fly to Florida to visit my wife. She’s there with her mother who’s taken a turn for the worse. May not survive this time. I can’t have the party at my place. I won’t be there.”
“I’m sorry about your mother-in-law. Maybe Blake can host the party at his place.” I nodded at Beth and Tauni and brought my hands together. “You said he has a big house too. Do you think that’ll work?”
“Are you telling me you still haven’t been in his house?”
“Correct. I’ve never even seen a picture of his place.”
“Interesting.” He paused. “I heard you moved in with him.” He sounded like he didn’t believe me.
I placed my elbow on the table and rubbed my forehead. “A rumor, Walt. A disgusting rumor.” I shook my head. Lies. Lance? Miranda? Why?
“This will be the first holiday party I’ve missed. I’d rather postpone.”
“I’m sure you’ll be missed too.” Forgive me, Lord. I don’t believe that at all. I looked up and saw Tauni and Beth holding their hands over their mouths and nearly laughed myself.
“Go ahead and see if the executive team can use Blake’s place. He won’t like the idea of the bar. We usually have people who can’t drive home, and he’ll have to find them a ride or put them up for the night. But he’ll make a lot of enemies if he doesn’t have one. And he can’t afford to offend anyone with this indiscretion hanging over his head.”
I jerked my head up.
Beth waved her hands and mouthed, “Keep your cool. Don’t anger the Chairman.”
I took a deep, long breath. “I’ll ask him.”
I hung up and peered at Tauni and Beth. “Can you believe that man? Blake’s indiscretion? Since when is a little kiss an indiscretion? We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Tauni and Beth stood, walked to my side of the table, leaned over, and embraced me in a group hug. They prayed a sweet prayer over me too. Afterward, I told them that when I cleared the move in the location for the party with Blake, we would notify every one of the change. We ended our meeting thankful things were coming together well.
Blake arrived at 8:45 and appeared to be in a good mood.
“I love the rose,” I whispered. “The color is like an Albuquerque sunrise.”
“My gardener grows them in a greenhouse year-round.”
“Beautiful,” I said and told him about the call from Walt.
“Where can you have the party on such short notice?”
I winced. “I hoped since we’ll be there preparing food, we could use your place. I doubt I can find another location this close to the date.”
Blake cited the alcohol, clean-up, and not being able to leave early as reasons against being the party’s host. When I suggested we cancel everything, he agreed to have the bash at his place.
Eliza arrived to meet Blake for lunch at 11:30. When Blake introduced us, she acted like meeting me was an inconvenience. She grasped his arm and clung to him on their way out the door.
I met Wes in the lobby a few minutes later. Our lunch wasn’t as comfortable as those in the past—more than awkward. I kept my conversation upbeat and didn’t get personal concerning anything. I needed to be careful not to give him any false hope where the two of us were concerned.
~
By Friday, my confidence soared. The party would be a success. I would have been doomed if not for Beth and Tauni and their willingness to meet and work through the details during lunch every day except Monday. We made a good team and managed to add in fun and laughter to our workload.
Blake appeared stressed during the week. A couple of times, I saw him pace while on his cell. On Friday afternoon, I managed to find a few minutes to talk with him in his office.
When I entered, I sat across from him at his desk. His elbow rested on top of papers with his palm covering his eyes. “Headache? I have Advil.”
He jerked his head up. “No. I was trying to hide. I see it didn’t work.”
“Everything will work out.” I straightened papers on his desk. “What’s your biggest struggle right now?”
“Eliza. She calls me every day. She stops by the house. She thinks we’re a couple now.”
“After one lunch?”
He spoke in a grumpy tone. “I’m concerned about tomorrow night. She’s now the hostess at my house. Who knows what ideas that will put into her head? Would have been better to have this at Walt’s.”
~
Jenny came by Saturday morning at 9:00 to pick me up. When she entered my foyer, she acted like a young princess being invited to the king’s palace to meet her prince. “Remember how I loved to watch the Cinderella movies? Dad would sit with me and tell me I would always be his princess.” She rubbed her eyes. “He’d take me in his arms, let me stand on his feet, and dance with me all over the living room.” She imitated their dance steps.
“I remember it well.”
“Don’t be surprised if I take off spinning and twirling at Blake’s house. I’m expecting the night to be something out of a fairy tale.”
I wasn’t as excited as she was to see Blake’s house or to be further involved with this party. The thought made me nervous. First, I didn’t want to run into Eliza again. My goal was to get out of Blake’s house before that woman arrived. Knowing she put pressure on Blake, her need for them to be a couple, made my stomach curl.
Second, though I was confident we had everything well planned for the party, if something went wrong, I’d take the blame. That was a lot of pressure. I awaited 5:00 p.m. when I could leave.
Beth and Allison were at Blake’s when we arrived. Tauni came shortly after. Wes sent a text and said he was bringing breakfast snacks.
I stood in awe in the foyer and gaped. Blake’s entryway was more elegant than Walt’s. The stairway in front of me branched off to the right and left to a balcony overlooking the mammoth foyer. Ornate white pillars loomed along both sides of the staircase. A sitting room to the right of the front door and an open great room behind the stairway were richly decorated in the finest upholstery and window coverings. The rooms were aglow with morning light. Windows galore—stunning.
Allison led us to the kitchen by way of a short hallway to the left and past a formal dining room. Four ovens and a pantry the size of my kitchen stood to the left. The kitchen’s dining area sat to the right. Behind the seating area, a staircase led to the second floor and a door led to the backyard. The granite countertops looked like a contemporary painting. The array of colors swirled around in an elaborate design of bluish gray, deep green, light tan, and rust. God’s handiwork.
“I could fit ten of my kitchens in here. This is enormous and beautiful. This granite is amazing.”
“You could be mistress of all this,” Allison whispered.
“Have you heard what’s going on with us?”
“Dad assures me the situation’s temporary.”
I stared at the floor. “I hope you’re right.”
Allison linked her elbow with mine. “I’m going to do my best to keep her away from him as much as possible.”
“Are we talking about Eliza or Miranda?”
“Both.” She kept her voice low. “But Eliza is your biggest threat. I never understood why Mom chose her as a friend. She’s evil.”
Allison confirmed what Beth had told me weeks earlier.
I scanned the kitchen. “Where’s your dad this morning?”
“He’s running errands. He likes to stay busy on the weekends. He said he’d go by and visit Tim this afternoon too.”
“I look forward to meeting your son.”
“That would be great.” Allison scurried away and assisted one of the church ladies find the utensils she needed.
Wes arrived with pastries, breakfast biscuits, and muffins. I passed. He asked me if we were on for lunch again on Monday, and I confirmed.
The team worked all morning, moved furniture, set up tables and chairs, and decorated in festive colors of red and green. Fortunately, Allison and Jim came over the day before and put up four Christmas trees with all the trimmings.
Before lunch we prepared our dessert trays. Unlike me, Allison and Jenny had a flair for decorating food trays. Preparations were coming together well. I thanked each person for the help and time they’d put into making this a special evening.
I peeked at my watch—almost 4:30. We were on schedule, and I was ready to relax. Jenny and I planned to leave soon to go home, change, and take Nicki to the Grand Ole Opry. A great place to take my mind off Eliza, Blake, and the party.
I strolled over to the dining area of the kitchen to sit and rest. Before I pulled out a chair, I saw Blake.
He came down the set of stairs at the far edge of the kitchen. He was dressed in a black sports coat with a light gray, open collared shirt which complimented his salt and pepper gray hair. His eyes twinkled when he saw me. “Looks like things are coming along well.” He stepped closer. “How are you doing?” he whispered.
“I’m tired—been a long day.” I wrinkled my nose.
“I’m concerned about you.”
“Because I’m tired? I’m fine.”
“That and you’ve lost weight these past couple of weeks.” He eyed me, making me uncomfortable. “When was the last time you saw a doctor?”
“Don’t worry.” I yawned and patted my cheeks. “Jenny and I need to leave by 5:00. I’ll sit and rest at the Opry. I hope everyone here has a good time.”
“Before you go, I want to tell you something important.” He got close to my ear. “I still love you with everything in me.”
“I love you too,” I whispered.
I felt spiritually stronger since I’d increased my praying and Bible reading, and I sensed the Lord’s presence more than ever. But my emotions were raw. I worked hard to keep tears at bay.
Jenny hurried over to us. “I heard from Carl. Nicki’s running a fever. She took a nap and woke up feeling sick with a temperature of 101 degrees.” Jenny wrung her hands. “We can’t go to the Opry tonight. Nicki’s back in bed.” Jenny looked at me. “We can stay and help.”
Concern etched Blake’s face. “You should both go home.”
Jenny smiled at Blake. “Carl’s taking care of her. We’ll celebrate tomorrow. She’ll miss out on Scotty though. She’ll be heartbroken.”
Blake shook his head. “Nope. Won’t let my little Nicki be heartbroken.” The corner of his eyes crinkled. “I’ll take care of this.”
Chapter 11
A
t 5:00 p.m., the doorbell announced the arrival of the first guest, or should I say, hostess. I was in the great room helping with food layout. Earlier, we placed the buffet tables along the left wall of the great room close to the kitchen. The wide staircase blocked a lot of the foyer, but from where I stood near the tables, I couldn’t miss her entrance. Although, I wish I had.
Eliza Walker entered with pizazz. She looked glamorous wearing a sparkling red dress that fell well below her knees. Some of that fabric would have been better used at her neckline. Her long, wavy, black hair curled over her shoulders. Her perfectly tanned skin and red lipstick that matched her dress added to her exquisite beauty.
Her exuberance in greeting Blake nearly knocked him over. She wasted no time in planting a big kiss on his lips.
“Smart man.” I muttered under my breath. “Don’t act like you enjoy that with me nearby.”
Allison stood next to me and snarled. “Your fairy tale now has a wicked witch.”
“I’m afraid we’re in for a long night.” I sighed and plodded back to the kitchen.
There, Jenny took me aside. “Do you want me to go home to grab a different outfit? I could go by your place, too, and pick something up for you. We’ll be confined to the kitchen in our jeans.” Her eyes darted around the room. “The others brought a change of clothes.”
“No problem for me to stay in the kitchen. I don’t want to see what’s going on out there. I’ve seen enough.” I padded to a chair. “I need to sit for a few minutes, though. I’m tired.”
“Let me get you something to eat. No arguing.” She pointed her finger at me like she was the mom. “You need strength to get through tonight.”
“I’m good. I don’t need anything.”
Jenny put her hands on her hips. “I hope Blake realizes soon what you’re doing for him. Denying yourself to pray for God to move in his heart and change him.”
“No, Jenny.” I chuckled at her dramatic pose. “Prayers for him to let go of his past and find love, acceptance, and forgiveness in the Lord.”
Allison strolled over to the table where we talked and placed a plate of smoked brisket, chicken, and sausage in front of me with all the trimmings. The aroma stirred up pangs of hunger.
My eyes met hers. “Nothing for me, thank you.”
She mimicked Jenny’s pose. “Two against one. Eat or I’ll drive you home.”
I picked up the fork and dove into the brisket. Jenny and Allison stood on each side of me. “Could I eat in private, please? Either that or sit.” I looked up and frowned. “You two make me nervous.”
Allison sat next to me while Jenny talked to Wes. “Dad’s a blessed man to have you in his life. Thanks for loving him so much.”
I placed my index finger in front of my lips. “Shh. We don’t want anyone to hear.”
Guests arrived and the increased noise level in the great room floated down the hallway to the kitchen. The serving team worked well together keeping the food replenished. Desserts were laid out, and the servers reported that everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. With Jenny and me relegated to the kitchen, we washed dishes and kept the area tidy.
