Chapter 19
“This is the easiest day I’ve had in a while,” Sean said from where he knelt next to a shelf, stocking it with automotive parts.
“It’s a bit boring,” Fred agreed. He’d rather be elbows deep inside a car, making it work properly.
“That’s not what I said.”
“Maybe not, but that’s what I heard.” Fred had his own box of things he was emptying onto a shelf while a crew of guys worked on installing the between-the-service-bays computers.
The shop was basically done and ready for training to start.
It just needed those computers configured and connected to the one at the service desk in the waiting area. “It looks good in here.”
“It’s the same as in Hatfield Falls, just smaller and cleaner.” Sean got up from the floor and started breaking down his box.
“That’ll change quickly enough.” A shop could only stay this clean until cars started rolling in, parts were replaced and oil was changed.
But Fred had to admit that he loved how the brand-new shop shone with potential.
If he stayed in Hatfield Falls, he’d like his new garage to look a bit like this shop did.
He took out his phone and took a couple of pictures.
“What are you doing?” Sean asked.
“Recording design ideas for my new garage if I stay in Hatfield Falls.” And he really did want to stay in Hatfield Falls. Marydale was fine, but it wasn’t home, and he wasn’t sure if it ever could be home.
“If you don’t want to move, don’t. Mr. Drummond isn’t going to force you to.”
“I know, but Esther’s there.” That was the issue.
A very big issue. One that he wasn’t sure he could or wanted to overcome.
He placed his phone on the shelf next to where he was still stocking supplies.
“I can’t imagine going to Friendly’s and seeing her and Steve and Maddie shopping together.
” The thought both broke his heart and made him angry.
“Yeah, that’d be bad,” Sean agreed.
That was an understatement.
“And awkward,” Sean continued. “It’s definitely one of the dangers of dating in a small town.”
“True, but Esther and I never dated.”
“Maybe not, but it’s the same thing. She was your Esther and now she’s Steve’s.” Sean shot him an apologetic look as he said the last part.
Fred rubbed the back of his neck. How he wanted to her to be his Esther again! But he wouldn’t force his way between her and what God had for her. Even if that was Steve. He closed his eyes and sighed.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Sean watching him with a puzzled look on his face.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
Sean shook his head. “Not really. I…” He pulled out his phone. “I installed that Bible app you mentioned, and then, started looking at stuff on it.” He tapped on his screen for a moment. “I read this yesterday.”
He handed his phone to Fred. The Bible app was open to a devotional plan that included an entry about the story of Abraham’s sacrifice.
“I think I get it now,” Sean said softly. “You know… why you would give up Esther.”
“Yeah?” Fred asked as he scrolled down the page, skimming the content.
“Yeah, you believe that God will provide the best for you. Maybe that’s Esther. Maybe that’s someone else.”
“Maybe it’s no one,” Fred added.
“Nah, I don’t believe that. I can’t see you being single forever.”
Fred looked at Sean in surprise. “You can’t?”
“Nope. You don’t fit the bachelor forever mold.”
Fred shook his head and chuckled. “Well, you’re not the first to say that – maybe not in those words, but similar ones. Perhaps, you’re right.”
“I know I am. But you’d give it all up for God, wouldn’t you?” Sean had taken back his phone. “Just like this guy did.”
Fred shook his head and shrugged. “I’d like to think I would, but honestly, giving up Esther and then, the worship team… it’s been hard. No… scratch that. It IS hard. I hate nearly every moment of it.”
“What part don’t you hate?” Sean’s curiosity had latched onto the tiniest bit of positivity in what Fred had said.
That was an easy answer. “I kind of like playing with Parker. That wouldn’t have happened if I was still doing the worship team.”
“Cool.” Sean stuffed his phone back in his pocket. “I don’t know much about the whole God thing yet, but that seems a bit like what happened in the story. God provided a ram for Abraham, and He provided Parker for you.”
Fred wasn’t sure that was an accurate comparison since one was the sacrifice and the other was what was left after a sacrifice, but he wasn’t about to deny that Sean had a point.
“So, if He can give you Parker,” Sean continued, “He could give you someone else to love.” He smiled as Fred’s phone vibrated on the shelf where he had placed it. “Or he could give you Esther back.”
There on Fred’s screen was Esther’s picture, and across it was a text message that made his breath catch in his chest:
I’ve never loved anything as much as I’ve loved being your friend.
He angled the phone so that Sean could see it. “I don’t want to get my hopes up, but you might be right.” He certainly hoped Sean was right.
“Call her.”
Fred had tapped the call icon before Sean finished his two-word suggestion.
“What about Steve?” he asked when Esther answered.
“I broke up with him.”
Maybe God was giving him back his Esther. He smiled at the thought.
“What’d she say?” Sean whispered.
“You broke up with him?” Fred repeated what she had said both to answer Sean’s question and to make sure that he wasn’t hearing things.
“I did,” Esther answered, as Sean did a fists punching the air sort of victory dance. “Because I didn’t love him like I love you.”
Fred expelled a breath as if he had been punched by one of Sean’s dance moves. “You love me?” He still was having trouble believing what he was hearing. This repeat of what she said drew a whoop from Sean, which caused Esther to laugh.
“Is this a bad time to be calling?” Esther asked.
“No, not at all. Sean and I were just procrastinating on getting the final boxes of supplies unloaded at the new garage in Marydale.”
“Parker told me you were there.”
“You talked to Parker?” And how did Parker know he was at Marydale?
“Yeah, he replaced my wiper blade for me when I stopped there earlier, and then, I was on my way to talk to you there, but I hit a pothole. CAA is on their way with a tow truck.”
It was amazing how fast a fellow’s feelings could crash down to earth from their cloud nine position when the words “tow truck” were thrown into a conversation.
“Why is a tow truck on its way to you? What happened?”
Sean held out his hand. “Keys,” he demanded. “I’ll start the car.” Fred obliged and gave him his keys.
“The pothole took out my front passenger side tire. But I’m fine. I managed to keep myself out of the ditch, and I’m sitting in a warm car.”
“It’s going to be dark soon, especially with how cloudy it’s been today,” Fred said as he slipped one arm into his coat while holding his phone between his shoulder and chin. “Where are you?”
“On the Marydale road. A bit more than halfway to Marydale from Hatfield Falls. But seriously, Fred. I only called to let you know that I want to talk to you about us.”
Us. Was there a more beautiful word? At this moment, he couldn’t think of one.
“The tow truck might be here before you could get to where I am.”
“Well, if it does get to you first, then, let me know. I just need to let someone here know that I’m headed out for a bit, and then, I’ll be on my way to you.”
“No need,” Sean said. “I can make sure things keep rolling along and those last boxes get emptied – just as long as you come back to drive me home. Your car’s by the door.”
“I’ll be back,” Fred assured him before sprinting to the door. “Do you want to talk while I drive?” he asked Esther.
“I’d like that.”
“Okay, hold on.” Fred climbed into his car, put his phone on speaker, and secured it in its holder. “Ready.”
For the next several minutes, Esther told him about her realization that she’d been letting everyone but God guide her decisions when it came to who she wanted to love and date.
“I knew Mandy was behind your refusal to go on that hayride with me,” he said, after she confessed to him what Mandy had told her about not wanting to lose Esther’s friendship to him.
“You did?”
“Yeah, you seemed happy reading that note I left you – I was sure you would say yes, but then, after you’d had lunch with Mandy, your smile was gone, and I got a no.
” He could still picture the whole string of events from that day in his mind.
Some things were just too hard to forget – like the first time a guy got his heart broken but couldn’t let it show because he still hoped his best friend would someday change her mind.
He couldn’t have told her that he loved her then because that would have made him look desperate and put him on the creepy friend list – which was not where he wanted to be.
“I don’t know how long I have loved you, Esther, but I knew I was in love with you even then. ”
“You did?”
“Yeah. It’s always been you. I mean I tried going out with other girls, but none of them compared to you. Kinda sappy, huh?” He laughed to release his anxiety as he said it. He’d never cared what others thought about him – unless it was Esther.
“Wait? Are you nervous? You don’t laugh like that unless you are.
” He heard her sigh with frustration. “Oh, Fred. I’ve been so stupid!
How could I be so wrapped up in myself to not notice what I was doing to you?
” Again, she gave a sigh that sounded pained.
“I realized while I was talking with Parker today that you’ve been telling me you love me for years through the little things you do, but I was too stupid to hear it. ”
“Please stop calling yourself stupid. You are not that. At. All.”