CHAPTER EIGHT
Lee helped Blake carry the lawn chairs to the area where the others had gathered at the park. He enjoyed these leisurely moments with no pressure, just hanging out with his family.
His parents had maintained certain traditions growing up. Family devotions after supper each day. Sunday dinner together after church. And once a month, they’d had a family birthday dinner, usually with pizza and games.
Now, the adult children living in Serenity had begun their own traditions. Friday night pizza, and when the weather was nice, Sunday afternoons in the park for a picnic and volleyball.
Coming back to Serenity hadn’t been his first choice when he’d been laid off from his job at a veterinary hospital. But now that he had settled into life there, Lee was thinking it was probably the best place for him.
“I asked Rori to join us,” Charli said as Lee unfolded one of the lawn chairs.
He straightened and looked over to where his sister stood with Shiloh in her arms. “You did?”
“Yep. I thought maybe it would be nice to include her.”
“What did she say?” Lee glanced toward the road. “Is she coming?”
Charli frowned as she shook her head. “She’s going to be here at the park, but she declined to join us.”
“What?” Lee crossed his arms as he stared at his sister.
“She said she was coming to the park to take pictures in the garden,” Charli said, her expression turning contemplative. “You could always go see if she’s there. Invite her yourself.”
“Why do you think that would make a difference?”
“I think she refused my invitation because it didn’t come from you. You’re her co-worker. She probably thought it would be awkward for you if she just showed up.”
It made sense. However, that didn’t necessarily mean that he thought it was a good idea to extend the invitation himself.
Unfortunately, Charli seemed determined that he should at least try to convince Rori to join them. And Janessa generously contributed her two cents’ worth, which aligned perfectly with Charli’s. Big surprise there.
Though his mind said it was better to keep distant from her, his heart already cared for Rori. And because of that, he wanted to give her opportunities to be around people who could offer her friendship. If Charli was right about her refusing the invitation because it didn’t come from him, Lee felt like he needed to at least see if Rori did actually want to spend time with them.
“Okay. Fine.” He looked in the direction of the garden. “I’ll go see if she’s there.”
“And do your best to be persuasive,” Charli said.
“I’m not going to strong arm her into spending the afternoon with us,” Lee told her. “You know, it’s possible that some people might not want to hang out with us. We can be a bit much.”
“We’re amazing!” Janessa gave a huff as she waved her hand dismissively. “Everyone loves us.”
Lee chuckled at his sister, well aware that wasn’t exactly true. “If I do manage to convince her to join us, try not to overwhelm her. Okay?”
Charli held up her hand. “Promise.”
“I’ll be back in a few,” Lee said, then headed toward the garden.
Though a part of him—the practical part—hoped he couldn’t find her, there was a flutter of excitement in his stomach. He slipped his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts as he walked along the dirt path that led to the garden.
When he reached the entrance, he paused, glancing around as he tried to decide which direction to go in. The garden was multi-leveled and laid out with several paths that meandered through the large area, which contained sections of wildflowers as well as more landscaped sections of flowers.
It was a beautiful part of the park, and often the site of wedding photos. Because of the multi-levels, he couldn’t see all of the area by just standing in one place.
Lee stepped out of the way of a couple who had approached the entrance where he stood. After they’d chosen the path they wanted to take, Lee went down one of the others.
He didn’t linger along the way. His focus wasn’t on the beauty of his surroundings as he searched for Rori. He’d just about given up when he rounded a corner into an alcove area and spotted Rori bent over her camera, her attention on the display screen.
For a moment, Lee just stood and took in the sight of her. She wore a pair of cuffed denim capris and a short-sleeved light green T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, leaving her profile clear. The practical style he’d seen her wear at work appeared to be what she preferred outside of the clinic too.
As he watched, she shifted around to straddle the bench, then leaned forward to brace her elbows on the seat as she lifted her camera. She aimed the lens at a swath of colorful flowers on the far side of the bench.
Lee waited until she’d straightened back up before approaching, not even attempting to keep his steps quiet. Immediately, she looked over her shoulder, her eyes going wide when she spotted him.
She turned, lowering the camera to her lap. “Lee?”
“Hey.” He gave her a smile as he joined her on the bench. “Taking lots of pictures?”
Her gaze lowered briefly to her camera before looking up at him again. “Yes. The flowers here are beautiful.”
“Are you almost done?”
Her brow furrowed. “I don’t really have a set goal in mind. I figured I’d just take pictures until I didn’t see anything else I wanted to shoot.”
“Charli said she invited you to the picnic we’re having,” he said.
Rori bit her lip as her gaze dropped to her camera for a moment. “Uh… yes. She did.”
“She’d still really like to have you join us,” he told her. “That’s why she sent me to find you. She thought maybe you’d say yes to me since we know each other better.”
“I didn’t want to intrude on a family outing.”
“Oh, it’s far from just family there. There are friends of the family too.”
“I’m not that either,” she said, her voice soft.
“Sure you are,” Lee assured her, his heart hurting just a bit that she didn’t think they considered her a friend.
“But none of you know me that well.”
“Friendships have to start somewhere. Right?”
“Yes. I suppose that’s true,” she agreed with a nod of her head.
“So come to the picnic.” He gave her another smile. “And turn this beginner friendship into something more.”
Rori stared straight ahead, her lower lip caught between her teeth once again. Lee wished he could read her mind, because he really wanted to know what she was thinking.
“If you really don’t want to come, I’m not going to force you,” Lee said. “But just know that Charli will probably continue to invite you.”
“So you think I should just bite the bullet and join you?”
“Only if you actually want to. Just say the word, and I’ll tell Charli to back off.”
Lee really didn’t want Rori to feel forced into something. But if she was open to friendships, she could do a whole lot worse than Charli.
“Have you had lunch already?” Lee asked.
Rori patted the small backpack that sat on the ground beside her camera bag. “I brought something.”
“We have plenty of food, if you want more,” Lee said. “A Halverson gathering will always include lots to eat. It may not be fancy, but it will always be plentiful.”
Rori gave him a quick smile before looking down at her camera. Lee let his gaze linger on her for a moment before looking out over the garden. There were trees in amongst the flowers that cast shadows over parts of the garden, including the cement bench they were sitting on.
A breeze ruffled through the leaves of the tree behind them, accompanied by the sound of children’s laughter and the soft rumble of car engines in the distance. It was peaceful and serene, and Lee took a deep breath, appreciating the beauty of the moment.
The beauty of nature, but also the beauty of the woman sitting next to him. Hers was a subtle, gentle beauty that normally wouldn’t have caught his eye. However, in all his interactions with her, he’d come to appreciate her understated beauty.
Maybe it was because of the turmoil of his previous relationship. Or maybe it was because of the complexity of his feelings regarding his search for his biological parents.
Whatever the case, Lee felt calm and settled in her presence.
“Are you really sure it won’t matter to the people who are there if I come?”
The question was spoken in a soft, uncertain voice, leaving Lee to wonder why she was so tentative about her welcome.
“I’m absolutely positive,” Lee told her. “Why don’t you come for a few minutes, and if you decide you’d rather not stay, you can leave. If you come, you can meet Elsa. She loved to meet new friends.”
“She’s here?”
“Yep. The kids wanted her to come.”
“Okay. As long as you’re sure…”
“I am.”
“I just need to pack up my camera,” Rori said as she removed the lens from her camera, then bent to carefully tuck the pieces into the bag.
Once she was done, she got to her feet and picked up both the camera bag and her backpack.
“Can I carry the camera bag for you?” Lee asked, since it looked like the heavier and bulkier of the two.
“Sure.” She held it out to him, her fingers brushing his as he took the handle from her. “Thank you.”
“We’re not too far from here,” Lee said as they walked along the path to the exit of the garden.
“Is your whole family there?”
“No. Four of my siblings don’t live in Serenity at the moment. I’m not sure if everyone who lives here is coming either. But don’t worry about remembering names. If you forget, just ask me.”
“Do your parents live here too?” she asked as they followed the road to where the group had gathered.
“Yes, they do, but they’re not here right now, though they’ll be home soon. They travel a lot, offering their medical expertise to clinics and orphanages around the world. Right now, they’re at an orphanage in Thailand with one of my brothers.”
“They’re doctors?”
“Yep. They were doctors at the clinic here, but now some of my siblings have taken over running it.”
As they neared the picnic area, the kids spotted them and came running over with Elsa.
“Rori, you’ve met Layla and Amelia already, but this is my nephew Peyton.”
The kids smiled at Rori as they exchanged greetings, then Peyton picked Elsa up. “This is Uncle Lee’s dog, Elsa. We love her.”
Rori reached out and let Elsa sniff her hand before giving her some scratches behind her ears. “She’s beautiful.”
“She does some neat tricks,” Layla said. “She’s so smart.”
“Why don’t we go back to your parents, and you can show Rori what Elsa can do?”
Peyton put Elsa back down, and holding her leash, he and the girls ran toward their group.
“She really is beautiful,” Rori said.
“Maybe you should get a dog.”
She gave a little huff of laughter. “I think if I got a pet, it would probably be a cat. Hopefully, one that actually likes me, unlike Queenie. I want one who purrs for me.”
“Cats can definitely be stand-off-ish,” Lee said with a chuckle. The memory of their first meeting was a fond one for him. “But if you get one from the shelter, you’ll get the chance to see what the cat is like with you before taking it home.”
“I have to wait until I get an actual bed. I don’t think cats and air mattresses mix well.”
“You don’t have a bed?” Lee asked as they neared the group. Her steps slowed, so Lee shortened his strides to keep pace with her.
“My apartment in Denver was fully furnished, so when I moved here, I had to start over. It made the move easy, not having to worry about furniture, but now I have to make some decisions, and I’ve just been putting it off.”
“Well, if you need help with transporting anything, let me know. I don’t have a truck myself, but I know several people who do, and I can borrow one from them.”
Rori was silent for a moment before she said, “Thank you. I appreciate you being willing to do that.”
“Of course. I’m happy to help.” And he was. However, something told him she wasn’t going to ask for that help.
As they approached the group gathered around the picnic table, he said, “Remember, everyone knows you’ll need time to learn names.”
She glanced up at him, and when their gazes met, she nodded.
“Rori!” Charli hurried over to meet them. “I’m so glad you decided to join us.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t accept your invitation at church.”
Charli smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. I figured you might be more comfortable with Lee asking you. And it looks like I was right. Point Charli.”
“I didn’t realize it was a competition,” Lee said. “But since it is, I should win because I was the one who actually got Rori to join us.”
“We’ll call it a draw,” Charli suggested. “For now.”
Lee rolled his eyes at her, then turned to Rori. “Let’s put your bags on the blanket, then I’ll introduce you to the others.”
When they joined the people at the picnic table, Lee noticed that more had arrived while he had been talking to Rori. He hoped she wouldn’t get too overwhelmed, but he planned to stick close by until she seemed comfortable with the group.
After quick introductions had been made, Hudson said a prayer for the meal, then the kids began to pile food onto their plates. Rori hung back, so Lee grabbed plates for them both and handed one to her.
“Come get food, Rori,” Charli said.
“I feel bad that I didn’t bring anything to contribute.”
“Don’t worry about that. As you can see, we have lots of food, so eat up. Plus, not everyone who comes brings food. Right, Jackson?”
The man in question just grinned. “I figure bringing myself is good enough.”
As everyone laughed at Jackson’s response, Lee motioned for Rori to go ahead and get her food. She began building a sandwich, choosing a little from each container. While she didn’t take as much as Lee did, what she had on her plate looked to be more than she usually ate at lunch when they were at work.
Once they had their food, Lee took her to the cooler that held an assortment of drinks. She reached first for a bottle of water, then paused and took a can of soda instead.
After Lee grabbed one for himself, they went to sit on the blanket where they’d put her bags. As soon as Rori sat down, Layla and Amelia scooted closer to them.
“Are you Uncle Lee’s girlfriend?” Amelia asked as she lifted a pickle from the pile on her plate.
Lee glanced at Rori in time to see her eyes widen and her mouth drop open for a moment. “Uh… no. We work together.”
“Uncle Jay and Aunt Misha work together, and they’re married,” Layla said, as if wanting to point out that working together didn’t prevent a romantic relationship.
“Not everyone has to be dating,” Lee told the girls, since Rori seemed at a loss as to how to respond. “Sometimes people are just friends.”
Right then, Elsa came sniffing around them, distracting the girls. Lee decided not to address the comments, and he was relieved when Janessa and Kayleigh sat down near them and struck up a conversation with Rori.
“Would you take pictures of me and Elsa when we’re done eating?” Layla asked.
“Yep, I can do that,” Rori agreed readily.
“Me, too,” Amelia said.
“Me, three,” Peyton said with a grin.
Rori laughed, her smile lighting up her face. “Sure, we can do all of you. I like taking pictures, so we can take as many as you want.”
That got the kids chatting excitedly, and though Rori didn’t take part in the conversation, she seemed pleased by it. Elsa had settled on the grass next to Lee. Every once in awhile she’d shift her eyes at him as if to ask for a piece of food.
He rarely fed her table scraps, but carrots and cheese were among her favorite foods, so he handed her a piece of the cheese he’d put on his sandwich. And when she’d inhaled that, he gave her a carrot to chew on.
Once they’d finished eating, Lee gathered up their plates, along with the kids’, then left Rori to unpack her camera while he threw everything away.
“Are you going to play volleyball with us?” Jay asked.
Lee’s gaze went to Rori. “I’m not sure.”
“Is there something you’d like to tell us?” Gareth asked as he stood there with his son, Timothy, in his arms.
The eldest of the family, Gareth had finally started a family of his own, embracing the role of husband and father with ease. It was nice to see.
“No. Nothing to tell you,” Lee said, well aware that his denial would mean absolutely nothing to his siblings. “And I’ll think about playing.”
“We can always use another bad player to even out the skill balance,” Jay told him.
“Way to feed a guy’s ego,” Lee retorted with a laugh. “I’m not bad.”
“You’re not as good as Jay,” Jackson said. “Which automatically means you’re bad.”
Lee wasn’t bad at volleyball at all. In high school, he hadn’t been that great when he’d had to play it in gym class. But during college and the past few years, he’d been part of a group of guys who’d gotten together at least once a week to play one sport or another. Volleyball was the one they’d played the most.
“Well, let’s play,” Lee said. “And see who’s the best of the worst.”
As the guys organized themselves, Lee went to where Rori was helping the kids pose with Elsa so she could photograph them.
At his approach, she looked up, a smile on her face. Her joy made him happy in a way perhaps it shouldn’t have. But his heart clearly didn’t care about why his previous relationship had ended, and why he should wait before getting emotionally involved with another woman.
“You okay hanging with the kids?” he asked. “The guys are bugging me to play volleyball with them.”
“Yep. I’m fine. Have fun.”
“If you want to play later, some of the ladies usually join us for a game or two.”
“Uh… nope. I haven’t played since high school gym, and I sucked so bad.”
“Well, if you change your mind…”
“Not gonna happen. Embarrassing myself is something I try to avoid doing.”
Jay yelled for him to get over to the net, so Lee left Rori and the kids and jogged over to the guys. He’d always enjoyed their Sunday afternoons at the park, but that afternoon felt just a bit more special.
Which likely should have alarmed him more than it did.