Finding the Way Back (Book 1 in the Forgiving Hearts Trilogy)

Finding the Way Back:

Book One in the

Forgiving Hearts Trilogy

by

Erin Landy

©2014 Erin Landy

Photo courtesy of: coka

Used under license from Shutterstock.com

All rights reserved.  No part of this e-book can be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without the written permission of the author. This book is fiction and its characters are purely a manifestation of the imagination of the author.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, and events is entirely coincidental. (21)

All verse quotations are from the King James Version of The Holy Bible.

Other books by Erin Landy:

His Flower Girl

This book is dedicated to my parents

whose unconditional love showed

me the true meaning of forgiveness.

To err is human: to forgive, divine.

Alexander Pope

Chapter One

Laurel stood at the window, entranced by the view of tall pine trees stretching in a green wave toward the sparkling blue of the Atlantic Ocean. Her eyes darted from the play of sunlight on water to the ebb and flow of the ceaseless tides. A curious sense of freedom invaded her spirit. Had she thrown off her mantle of despair at last?

The clatter of shoes on steps tugged at her consciousness, bringing her reluctantly back to the present.
Where was Rose?
The cottage tours on Jekyll Island kept to a certain schedule; they wouldn’t wait for a couple of stragglers.

If her sister wasn’t texting Greg lines of poetry, she was getting lost. Rose had been married five years, but the honeymoon was still going strong. Laurel’s marriage had started similarly; it had ended in a storm of disillusionment and lost dreams.

“Here you are!” said a cheerful voice from the doorway. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“What do you mean, ‘looking all over’?” Laurel asked with a grin. “You told me to wait for you here.”

Rose giggled. “I lost track of time – again. Greg sent me another picture of a puppy. He’s working this ‘we need a dog’ thing from every angle.”

“You’ve got the house; a dog would be the next obvious thing. I think they’ve left us behind.” She pointed to the window through which a long line of people could be seen walking along the sidewalk.

“We better go, then.” Rose strolled through the door and turned to go down the stairs.

Laurel followed her. “I’ve been looking forward to learning about the history of this place. It would make a good field trip for my students.”

“You won’t miss anything if we hurry.”

Halfway down the stairs, something dark swooped from the ceiling. It was larger than any insect Laurel had ever seen. An involuntary scream escaped her lips as she swerved to get out of the way. In her haste, she missed the next step and went tumbling down the rest, narrowly avoiding her sister.

“Laurel!” Rose cried in dismay. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Laurel tried to ignore the stabbing pain in her ankle and concentrate on answering Rose. “Something flew at me. I think it was a bat.”

“Here, take my hand; I’ll help you up.”

The moment Laurel put weight on her left foot, a fresh swell of pain shot through her leg. She slowly sank down to the floor. “I can’t do it, Rose; it really hurts.”

“How are we going to get you to the car?”

Laurel was wondering the same thing. Navigating the long sidewalk to the parking lot didn’t seem possible.

At her silence, Rose made a decision. “I’ll call an ambulance.”

* * * *

Laurel surveyed the curtained-off cubicle where she and Rose waited for the doctor to give his verdict on her swollen appendage.
What was taking so long?
An impatient sigh escaped her; she disliked hospitals with their antiseptic smells and gloomy atmospheres. She also didn’t care for the beds. They were the most uncomfortable places to be when you were in pain.

“It shouldn’t be long now,” Rose assured her. “The doctor is probably looking at your x-rays as we speak.”

“Or flirting with the staff,” retorted Laurel.

Rose glanced at her quickly. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing. I wish he or she would hurry. This isn’t how I wanted to spend my last weekend before school starts.”

“I hate to admit this, but I’m starving. We passed a cafeteria on the way in. Do you mind if I get something to eat?”

“Go ahead. I’m not going anywhere.”

Not long after Rose’s departure, the nursing aide who’d taken Laurel to the x-ray department returned. “This is your lucky day. The doctor on call is an orthopedic surgeon.”

The half-smile on Laurel’s face faded. “I hope that doesn’t mean my foot requires surgery.”

“Well, if it does, we have the best staff in Georgia. The doctor should be with you shortly.”

The nursing aide had only been gone a few minutes when the curtains parted again. Laurel glanced up and met the calm gaze of the man who’d come in.
This couldn’t be happening!
In desperation, she closed her eyes and opened them again. It didn’t help. He was still there - the husband she hadn’t seen in almost a year.

She could feel the heat rising in her face as resentment welled up inside her. How could Colton stand there looking so relaxed?
So normal?
He had to be as stunned as she was.

“What are
you
doing here?” she asked coldly.

He smiled crookedly. “I could ask the same of you. The last time you answered one of my phone calls, you were in Charleston.”

“Is that a criticism? A separation is just that, Colton. I don’t have to keep you updated on my movements.”

“That’s true; but the fact that I’m your husband gives me some right to know what you’re doing.”

Laurel grimaced in distaste. “My husband? That’s a role you put aside easily enough when it suited you.”

“There’s no denying that; but in the eyes of God and the state of South Carolina, we’re still married,” he added softly.

“I suppose we should do something about that. Our time apart hasn’t changed anything.”

His eyes fell to the metal clipboard held tightly in his hand. “I can’t speak for you, but many things have changed for me since we separated.”

She laughed bitterly. “I don’t want to hear the details.”

“Why not? Are you afraid you might be tempted to forgive me?”

“The damage is done.”

“You don’t believe in forgiveness? That’s a strange admission for someone who calls herself a Christian.”

Her blue eyes darkened with annoyance. “Don’t throw my beliefs in my face. Can you honestly stand there and tell me that if our situations were reversed, you’d feel any differently than I do?”

“I don’t know. All I know is you can’t hate or regret what I did more than I do.”

“This isn’t getting us anywhere. Can we get back to my foot, which is the reason I’m here?”

“Would you prefer to have someone else treat you?”

Laurel wanted to say yes. The sooner he was out of her sight the better. The word was forming on her lips when she realized that waiting for another doctor to become available could take hours. She just wanted this whole hospital thing to be over. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Okay, then. Let’s talk about your injury. The fall down the stairs sprained your ankle. I’m going to show you how to wrap it and then you’ll know how to do it when you’re home. You’ll have to wear the wrap for a day or so until the swelling goes down. Also, you need to apply an ice pack for 10 to 20 minutes every couple hours. If possible, you should try to elevate your ankle above the level of your heart for a few hours each day. If the pain bothers you, you can take whatever over-the-counter painkiller you have on hand.”

When he finished, Laurel realized she hadn’t heard much of what he said. Hopefully, they would give her some written instructions before she left. “I’m glad it’s only a sprain; I thought I broke something.”

He pulled a roll of elastic bandage from the deep pocket of his white coat. “This might hurt at first, but once it’s in place, it will keep your ankle immobile. That will in turn lessen your discomfort and make walking easier.”

When his fingers lightly skimmed her swollen skin, she gasped, though not wholly from pain. His touch elicited a swarm of memories – memories she had no desire to remember. Her eyes flew to his face.
Had he noticed her reaction?
There had been a time when they’d been able to read each other’s thoughts with ease. That day was long gone.

Colton looked up suddenly, and their glances met and clung. “Almost done,” he said after a few agonizing seconds.

Only when he moved away to write something on her chart did Laurel let out the breath she’d been holding. Her traitorous reaction to his touch appalled her.
Didn’t she have any self-respect?
This man had taken her love and tossed it aside like a piece of garbage.

He turned back toward the bed. “In answer to your earlier question, I moved here to be part of the orthopedic center.”

“So you’re here permanently? In Brunswick?”

He nodded. “I guess you’re visiting Rose.”

Not confirming or denying this, she said, “Please don’t bother her. My family doesn’t know the real reason we separated. They keep hoping for a reconciliation that isn’t going to happen.”

“You should tell them the truth. No one would blame you, and they wouldn’t be hoping for us to get back together.”

“It’s bad enough knowing I couldn’t manage to keep my husband happy; I don’t want everyone else to know it, too.”

Colton took a step closer and laid his hand on the rail of the bed. “There was never a question of you not making me happy, Laurel.”

“Your conduct tells another story. I thought we had something special – something lasting. I was foolish enough to believe in happily ever after.”

He glanced away from her. “Does one error in judgment wipe out everything else?”

Her mouth twisted into a cynical smile. “Error in judgment? That doesn’t begin to cover it. What would have happened if I hadn’t arrived when I did? How long would I have lived in happy ignorance of what you were doing?”

A spasm of pain crossed his face. “I know I hurt you terribly; I’m sorry.”

“Words are easy to say.”

“Then I must hope my future actions will be more convincing.” He hesitated for a second, a look of uncertainty settling on his handsome face. “I know I’m the last person you want to hear this from, but it was great to see you.”

She watched the curtains part and his broad back disappear from view. Only then did her composure crack.
Why did this have to happen now? Hadn’t she suffered enough?
Her head slumped back against the pillow, and the tears she’d refused to shed in front of Colton trickled down her cheek.

The irony of her situation might have been funny if it hadn’t been so tragic. Her desperate attempt to escape all the reminders of a failed marriage had come to nothing. The move from Charleston hadn’t taken her away from Colton; it had brought her to him. How could she build a new life for herself now?

Chapter Two

Three years earlier…

Laurel walked into her friend’s room and sank down on the bed. “If you don’t quit messing with your hair, you’re going to be late for your own wedding rehearsal.”

The young woman sitting at the dressing table turned around. “You haven’t lost your obsession with being on time, have you? Well, in spite of you rushing me through everything today, I’m glad you came. I can’t imagine getting married without my best friend.”

“I would have come no matter how far I had to go.”

“We’ll only be in Myrtle Beach for another year. Once Jacob finishes his residency, I don’t know where we’ll be living.”

“That’s what comes with falling in love with a doctor, Juliet.”

“Speaking of falling in love, how are things with you and Chase?”

Laurel laughed. “Chase and I are a thing of the past. I knew dating someone who wasn’t a Christian was a bad idea. He went from being tolerant of my beliefs to openly critical within a few weeks.”

Juliet stood up and reached for her purse. “I hate to say ‘I told you so’, but I did warn you about this very thing. You can’t make someone share your faith.”

“Or your morals. I thought he was different, but he and I aren’t even on the same planet when it comes to relationships.”

“You could have saved yourself all that wasted time by listening to me.”

Glancing at her watch, Laurel rose to her feet. “We’re both wasting time. Let’s forget my dating problems and get you to the church.”

Juliet led the way to the car. “I know you hate my matchmaking tendencies, but I think you’ll like Jacob’s friend, Phillip Chapman. He’s one of the groomsmen, and he’s got the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s also tall enough that you might be able to wear high heels. Let’s face it; there aren’t too many men around I can say that about.”

“You make me sound like a giraffe.”

“Compared to my five feet two, what else could you be?”

Laurel laughed. “I can’t help it that you stopped growing in the fifth grade.”

* * * *

A smiling Jacob met them at the door of the church. “Did you forget you’re getting married tomorrow?”

Juliet stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “Forget? I’ve been talking of nothing else all day.”

“I can vouch for that; I’ve had to listen to your perfections for hours,” Laurel added.

Jacob took Juliet’s hand and drew her into the sanctuary. “Everyone’s here except Colton. He’s running late.”

“He’s known about this for weeks. Why didn’t he plan things better?” she asked with a slight frown.

“Something must have come up that was beyond his control. He’s not doing this on purpose, Juliet.”

“I know. I just don’t want anything to go wrong.”

A small crowd of people were gathered at the front of the church. With Juliet’s arrival, things got moving quickly. One of Jacob’s cousins was enlisted to stand in for the missing best man, and the rehearsal was underway. An hour later, they were back outside in the parking lot. Juliet came up to Laurel with a smug grin.

“Jacob rode over with Phillip. Do you mind if we switch passengers for the trip to the restaurant?”

Laurel accepted the inevitable. She was used to Juliet’s harmless, but sometimes embarrassingly obvious schemes. “It’s okay with me, if Phillip doesn’t mind.”

A voice spoke from behind them. “Why would I mind?”

As they walked toward his car, Laurel asked, “Are you a doctor, too?”

Phillip laughed shortly. “I’m a medical school dropout. I decided I’d rather design buildings than do surgery. Colton is a doctor.”

“Oh, the missing best man. I hope he makes it for the wedding.”

“He will; he got a late start from Charleston. That’s where he’s doing his residency.”

“Really? I live in Charleston.” She wondered why Juliet hadn’t mentioned that coincidence before.

“Well, the two of you will have something to talk about.”

Phillip swung the car off the highway onto a gravel road. Through the low-lying trees, she could see glimpses of blue.

“Is the restaurant on the water?”

He nodded. “They have the best seafood for miles around.”

Once inside, the hostess led them to a private dining room. Laurel found the place card with her elegantly written name and glanced on either side to see who she would be sitting with during dinner. She half expected Phillip’s name to be on one of the cards since Juliet was so determined to get them together.
When would her friend learn these things couldn’t be manufactured?
Neither of the cards bore his name. Instead, she was to have Juliet’s aunt on her left and the still-absent best man on her right.

Meal orders had been taken and baskets of the restaurant’s famous corn fritters were being offered when she became aware of movement on her right. She finished her conversation with the bridesmaid across from her and turned to see if the best man had finally made his appearance.

A dark-haired man was giving his order to the waitress. Laurel couldn’t see his face, but his voice was attractively deep and quiet – the perfect voice for a doctor.
What patient wouldn’t want him talking to them?

The waitress departed, and the man turned his head enough to catch sight of her. He immediately smiled, and she couldn’t help smiling back. The face looking into hers didn’t possess the movie-star looks of Phillip, but it was definitely attractive. Laurel especially liked his light brown eyes set off by dark lashes thick enough to be the envy of any woman.

“Hello. I’m Colton Samuels, the best man. Juliet told me I’d be sitting next to the maid of honor, but she didn’t tell me your name.”

“I’m Laurel Mills; it’s nice to finally meet you.”

He grinned wryly as he stirred cream into his coffee. “I wonder if Juliet will ever forgive me for missing the rehearsal.”

“After tomorrow, she won’t be worrying about such trivial things.”

He laughed in agreement. Like his voice, his laugh was warm and infectious. “I can’t say that I blame her. Getting married must rank near the top of the best things in life.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

“No, but I’m looking forward to it.”

“Phillip told me you drove from Charleston. I live there, too.”

“Really? I’ve been doing a residency in orthopedics there. I’m originally from Hilton Head.”

Before she could ask any more questions, their food arrived. As she ate and conversed with the other members of the bridal party, Laurel found herself listening for Colton’s voice. He didn’t talk as much as the others, but when he did, it was with a level of interest she found appealing. She kept thinking he would be an easy person to confide and put your trust in – an admirable trait in general and one very advantageous for his chosen occupation.

Just as she was wondering if Phillip would be giving her a ride back to Juliet’s house, Colton spoke close to her ear. “I don’t know about you, but I’m suddenly wide awake. Would you like to take a drive? I promise to have you back to wherever you’re staying by midnight.”

“I’d love to. I need to tell Juliet not to expect me for a while.”

When she came to her feet, Colton hid his surprise. As he watched her navigate a path through the groups of people, he laughed inwardly. What had he put down on that silly “wish list” at his brother’s bachelor party? Blonde hair, blue eyes, nice figure, and oh, yeah, long legs. He couldn’t have described Laurel more accurately if he’d had her picture in front of him when he wrote the list. The ironic thing was the list was pure fiction. Colton had no particular preferences when it came to what a woman looked like.

* * * *

When she finally worked her way through the circle of family surrounding Juliet, Laurel found her friend making preparations to leave.

“Jacob and I are going to see his grandmother. She wasn’t able to come tonight. So if you want to go somewhere with Phillip, there’s nothing stopping you.”

Laurel chuckled. “I’m actually going for a drive with Colton.”

Juliet made a face. “Why do you want to do that?”

“Because he asked me.”

“Can’t you get out of it? Phillip’s more your type.”

“Stop being mysterious, Juliet. Is there something I should know about Colton? Does he have a wife and ten children hidden away somewhere?”

“In order to have a wife, you have to make an effort to date. I don’t think he’s been out with a woman in years. When Jacob asked him why, he said there isn’t anyone he’s interested in.”

“What’s wrong with that? Maybe he’s particular about who he spends time with.”

“There’s something wrong when a man with his kind of looks can’t find someone to date.”

“So you admit he’s nice looking.”

Juliet rolled her eyes. “You’re missing the point, but I can see I’m wasting my time. Go ahead; take your drive with Colton. I can assure you nothing will happen. He probably doesn’t even remember how to kiss a girl.”

“That’s just as well; I don’t kiss on the first date. See you later.”

Laurel made her way back to Colton. He turned in her direction with a faint smile. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, I received permission to go.”

His smile grew. “That’s a relief. Let’s get out of here.” He escorted her to a dark gray convertible waiting all alone at the rear of the parking lot. “I’m sorry for the long walk; I should have picked you up at the entrance.”

“It was probably crowded when you arrived.”

He shook his head. “Actually, it wasn’t. I bought this car last week, and I’m still in the ‘don’t want to get a scratch on it’ phase. It will wear off soon enough.”

As he opened the passenger door, she looked the car over with appreciation. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. I’ve been promising myself a new car since I started med school, but I couldn’t justify getting rid of my old one. Two weeks ago, a teenager ran a red light and plowed into me. Fortunately, neither of us was hurt, but our vehicles didn’t fare too well.”

“At least something good came out of it.”

“I like to think there’s something good in every situation.

“Me, too; though many times the good isn’t obvious at first.”

Colton started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “It’s funny we both drove from Charleston. If I’d known, I could have given you a ride. But then you’d have missed the rehearsal, too.”

“I was thinking the same thing earlier when Phillip told me where you were coming from.”

“What do you do in Charleston?”

“I teach American History at Kendlewood High School.”

His glance swerved in her direction. “I wish I’d had a teacher in high school that looked like you. I might have paid more attention in class.”

Laurel hid a smile.
He may not have been out with anyone in a while, but he certainly knew what to say.

“How did you meet Juliet?” he asked after a moment.

“We were roommates in college. She graduated a year ahead of me, but we’ve kept in touch. I’m happy for her; she and Jacob appear to have been made for each other.”

“I’ve only met her a few times, but I like what I’ve seen. There’s a pier along here somewhere. We can get out and stretch our legs a little if you’re interested.”

“That would be nice; all I’ve done since I got here is eat. You seem to know the area. Do you come here often?”

Colton grinned. “Not anymore. A few years ago, I dated Jacob’s sister, and I used to come here on the weekends. That’s how I met him.”

“You dated Britany?”

“Sure did. Do you know her?”

“I met her at the couple’s shower. She’s stunning. How’d you let her get away?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out. She broke up with me.”

Laurel looked at him speculatively. “I wonder why.”

He smiled boyishly. “I do, too. I’m a nice guy.”

“I can see that.”

He groaned. “Did I really just say that? This is what happens when a man isn’t around a woman for a long time. He forgets how to converse.”

“It must be difficult to have a relationship when you’re in medical school. You probably don’t have a lot of free time.”

“I’d make time for the right person.”

So much for Juliet’s theory.
She found herself studying him with more interest. Colton sounded like someone who had his priorities in order.

He exited the highway and pulled onto a narrow, dirt road leading to the pier. “It looks like we’re going to have the place to ourselves. I thought there would be a few people around. Are you comfortable with just me? I mean, you don’t know me, and it’s kind of isolated out here.”

Laurel couldn’t hide her surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that before.”

“A woman can’t be too careful these days.”

“I’ll be fine with a friend of Jacob’s.”

* * * *

Colton was out of the car and opening her door by the time Laurel slipped on the sweater she’d brought along to cover her bare arms. As soon as her feet hit the ground, a strong gust of wind coming off the ocean quickly undid the elaborate topknot Juliet had spent an hour pinning into place.