Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
S unshine filled the entirety of the grill the following morning as Ryan took chairs down off each of the tables. Though his sisters hadn’t responded the way he had hoped, Ryan felt peace over the matter. He had tried, and there was nothing more he could do other than continue praying for them.
“What’s good?” Steven asked as he came out from the kitchen with the cash register in his hands.
“The Lord.” Ryan smiled over at him as he set another chair down. He walked over to the counter as Steven slid the till into its slot in the register. “How are you, Steven?”
“Pretty good.” Stopping as he signed into the register, he looked up at Ryan and asked, “Could you go out back?”
“What? Why?”
Peering over, he looked at a sack of garbage by the kitchen door. “I need that trash taken out.”
“Sure.” Ryan shook his head as confusion swirled in his mind. It seemed odd for Steven to ask him to do it when he was completely capable and usually did it himself.
Trash in tow, Ryan pushed open the dingy metal door that led out into the alley.
Upon stepping out, he was surprised to see Emily standing there in the gravel wearing his favorite outfit of hers. A sunflower skirt, a white blouse, and a denim jacket.
He dropped the trash bag as his eyes welled with tears and joy filled him. “Emily?”
“Ryan . . .”
Closing the gap between them, he lifted her up into his arms and twirled her. An ecstasy of rightness, love, and joy surged through his veins. He set her back down on her feet.
“What are you doing? I thought you were in a hotel.”
“I was . . .” Tilting her head, she shook her head as tears trickled onto her cheeks. Her ocean-blue eyes were glassy as she looked into his soul. He could feel her love. “I couldn’t be without you any longer, Ryan. I don’t care if it’s in California, Washington, or even Waco, Texas. I just want to be with you .”
Grabbing both of her hands, he smiled as he nodded. “You could put us in a dumpster for all I care, and I’d be happy if it meant it was with you .”
She laughed. “I don’t know about that . . .”
Immediately thinking of Linda and her being at least part of why his wife ended up leaving, he knew there was no time to waste in being transparent and honest. “I have to tell you something about Linda.”
“What?” She looked intrigued for him to continue.
“That’s new. You look interested, not irritated.”
“I am.”
“Okay. Anyway, I gave Jason her number yesterday. He’s trying to figure some way to help her out in more of a long-term way. He thinks he might get her a job or something here in Cedarwood Creek. I don’t know about it. Kind of a long shot, but I want to be clear with you, totally honest. And I haven’t given her any more money. I can show you the bank statements right now.” He pulled his cellphone out from his pocket, but she stopped him with a hand on his hand.
“ Ryan . . . ”
Lifting his gaze to her, he lifted his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.
“You don’t have to do all this for me. I want you to help her. I think it’s good.”
Blinking rapidly, he shook his head. “But I don’t understand. You left?—”
“Yes, I didn’t like your helping her, but like I said all along, it was your dishonesty that bothered me most about it. Along with the excessive work hours.” She let out a sigh and placed a hand on her hip. “But truthfully, I shouldn’t have ever stopped you from helping in the first place. You wouldn’t have felt like you had to lie. You were trying to do what was right. Regardless, I do forgive you for lying to me.”
Excitement stirred in his soul as he grabbed her and hugged her tightly, kissing her deeply.
They released and he looked into her eyes. “I love you, Emily. I shouldn’t have lied and hidden things from you. I’m sorry.”
“I love you too and I’m sorry for leaving. I’m sorry that it took leaving for me to figure things out.”
Ryan tilted his head, smiling at her. “What changed, Em? Did something unique spark this decision?”
“I kept thinking you were changing because of what happened to your dad, but I realized you hadn’t changed in the one way that mattered most. You were still the crazy guy who would do what was right no matter who told you no. You have this incredible faith and trust in God that if you do what’s right, it’ll work out. It’s why I married you.”
Shaking his head, he rubbed his neck. “I sure don’t feel like that a lot of times.”
She leaned in and kissed him.
“Listen.” They released, and as they did, he grabbed her hands and smoothed his thumbs across the tops of her hands as he spoke. “I told the town I was going back to California. So, if you still want to do that, I’m okay with it. I have Steven and Jason set to take over the grill and everything. We can go back.”
Tilting her head, she crinkled her nose. “I was kind of hoping we could stay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. The kids want to stay too.”
Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her as he cheered all the way back to his house. Upon his arrival, his three kids were waiting in the front yard. They tackled him. As he fell into the grass and wrestled with them, he hugged and kissed each of them, feeling as if he hadn’t seen them in a million years, because to his heart, it had been that long.
As the day came to a close, Emily brewed a pot of tea for her and Ryan. Taking their steaming cups of tea out onto the patio, they sat down together on a blanket in the grass beneath the starry summer sky.
A shiver ran the length of Emily’s spine.
Lifting the red and black plaid blanket from beside him, Ryan wrapped it around her shoulders.
His warmth and love brought her a comfort she had missed. “You’re perfect for me, Ryan. Did you know that?”
“And you are for me. I’m glad you’re back.” He took a drink of his tea and set the mug down in the grass beside the blanket. “So, tell me about California. Tell me the good, because I can already guess the bad.”
She laughed knowing he was referring to her overbearing parents. “I think the Lord used this girl I met at a women’s Bible study. Her name was Brittany. Four kids and one on the way. Husband in jail and living in a homeless shelter.”
“What?” He leaned toward her. “What a messy situation!”
“Right. The kids and I went over to help her move, and she was so thankful.” Pausing, Emily kept herself from crying. “I just felt like God used me in that moment. Like I was the vessel He chose for that stitch in the tapestry of this gal’s life.”
Stopping short, her eyes were full of hot tears, threatening to spill out.
Touching her back, Ryan massaged in a circular motion. “He did use you, Em.”
Nodding quickly, she turned and looked over at him. “And He has been using you with Linda and Tiffany.” She shook her head as she continued and took a breath. “I didn’t see it until Brittany, but I see it so well now, Ryan. I see it!”
Smiling, Ryan wrapped his arms around her in a hug and then kissed her.
Wiping her eyes, she inquired of him, “What about you?”
Slowly nodding, he let out a sigh. “The misery of your absence, the kids being gone . . .” He let out a breath as he shook his head and dipped his chin. “I had no idea how much I took you all for granted until I didn’t have you in my life. Coming home to an empty house every day about killed me. No. It did kill me, over and over again. Each and every day. But God used that to teach me how important you are. How important the kids are.”
Leaning her head on his shoulder, she let the warmth of his love engulf her in the moment.
Remembering that Ryan was going to follow up with Jason in the afternoon about the job situation, she inquired. “Is Linda going to take that job?”
Ryan shook his head. “She’s not interested in office work. She liked her job at the diner.”
“What about the grill? A job there?”
Ryan nodded slowly. “That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to Jason and Steven about it tomorrow. I don’t know how we didn’t even think of that . . .”
Smiling, she lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him. “God doesn’t call us helpmates for no reason!”
“Amen to that. Now if she does take the job, it’ll be on to figuring out a place for her to live . . .”