Finding the Way Back (Book 1 in the Forgiving Hearts Trilogy) (7 page)

Back in his room, he handed it to her. “Don’t get too excited; he probably went through it and removed anything of value.”

“It only has makeup and clothes. My purse is in the safe in the manager’s office.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard so far. You can pick up your room key downstairs.”

Watching her walk swiftly toward the elevator, he sighed heavily. He had solved her problem for one night, but where was she going to stay the following night and the one after that?

* * * *

As Colton showered and shaved the next morning, he tried to forget the previous evening and focus on what he needed to do today. Taryn’s situation drew his compassion, but at the moment, he was unsure exactly what he could do for her. He couldn’t pay for her to stay at the hotel indefinitely. She needed a more permanent solution.

Since the final session of the day ran long, he opted to remain in the banquet room for dinner. He caught sight of Taryn making her way among the tables refilling water glasses. When she got close to him, she asked in a low voice, “Can you meet me in the lobby at nine? I need to talk to you.”

Knowing he had no practical answer to her housing problem, Colton nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Taryn had moved to the next table when Jacob slid into the chair beside him. “Flirting again? What would Laurel say?”

“She’d ask where you were yesterday.”

Jacob threw back his head and laughed. “My aunt and uncle live an hour from here. I haven’t seen them in years so I took a side trip to Clarksville and spent the day with them.”

“You didn’t miss much. Most of what I heard, I already knew.”

“That doesn’t surprise me; you were top of your class.”

“You could have been, too, if you hadn’t spent every waking moment with Juliet.”

“I have no regrets about that. Are you going to Dr. McMillian’s presentation? His research on the long-term effects of vitamin supplements and athletic performance looks promising.”

Colton looked at the conference program in his hand. “That’s scheduled for after lunch, isn’t it?”

“It’s at one-thirty. My flight leaves at seven.”

“You won’t get in until midnight.”

“Just in time to kiss my lovely wife goodnight.” Jacob stood up and pushed in his chair. “See you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

* * * *

When Colton arrived in the lobby a little before nine, Taryn was nowhere in sight. He sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace to wait. He hoped this meeting wasn’t going to take long. It had been a tiring day; he wanted to unwind and nothing could help him do that more quickly than talking to Laurel.

He was flipping through a magazine when Taryn strolled through the hotel entrance. Her look of elation should have reassured him; instead it sent warning bells ringing in his head.

“I’ve got fantastic news. I called Laurel and explained everything. You’ll never guess what she said.”

Colton smiled faintly. “Without knowing exactly what you told her, I can’t begin to guess what she said.”

“I told her about getting kicked out of my house and losing my job.”

“You lost your job here at the hotel?”

“The creep who tried to molest me went to the manager and complained. Anyway, Laurel suggested I come back to Charleston. She said she’d help me find a job and a place to live.”

His eyebrows rose. “Are you sure you understood her correctly?”

Taryn nodded. “She said she’ll talk to you about it tonight.”

Colton wasn’t sure what to make of this. “In that case, I better go have this talk with Laurel.”

Taryn looked at him, the joy fading from her face. “Did I do wrong to call her?”

“No, Taryn. I’m just tired and grumpy.”

“Should I wait for you here?”

“No need for that. Let’s go ahead and get you a room for tonight.”

“Oh, that’s okay. One of the other girls heard about me getting fired, and she offered to let me sleep on her couch.”

“Can you meet me here tomorrow around eleven? I’ll know more what we’re doing after I talk to Laurel.”

She threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Dr. Samuels.”

“No problem. I’ll see you in the morning.”

* * * *

Colton had to laugh as he pushed the elevator button for the fourth floor. Taryn couldn’t have turned to a better person than Laurel. She possessed the kindest heart of anyone he’d ever met. Nothing was too much trouble when she knew someone needed help. He just hoped that with Taryn, his intrepid wife hadn’t taken on more than she could handle.

When she answered the phone, he said, “Sweetheart, about this situation with Taryn...” He got no further.

“Can you believe that man tried to attack her? Thank goodness you were there. Did she tell you about her father? He’s an alcoholic and very abusive. If I’d known that before, I wouldn’t have encouraged her to go back home. At least in Charleston, she has people that are willing to help her.”

Colton smiled at the word “people” – evidently his cooperation in her latest project was taken for granted. “Laurel, slow down a minute. Where is she going to live? We don’t have an extra bedroom at our apartment.”

“Mom says she can stay in my old room.”

“That sounds great, but what about a job?”

“We’ll find something. That’s the least of our problems.”

He laughed shortly. “What are our other problems? I’d like to know the worst.”

“We have to figure out a way to get her here.”

“That’s easy. I’ll get her a plane ticket. She can fly back with me. I hope you realize what you’re getting into here.”

“How can we not help her, Colton? As Christians, aren’t we supposed to do something? She’s at the tipping point; we can’t let her end up in trouble when it’s in our power to prevent it.”

“You’re right; I’m being selfish.”

“Taryn thinks you’re the most wonderful man on earth.”

“I only care what you think,” he said softly.

“Do you need reminding? I love you – more than anything.”

“I just like to hear you say it.”

“I’ll never stop saying it. Be gentle with Taryn, Colton. The men in her life haven’t treated her very well.”

* * * *

Taryn’s transition to Charleston went smoother than Colton anticipated. Within a few weeks, she became as much a part of their lives as if she’d always been there. Laurel followed through on her offer to help Taryn find a job, but in the end it was Colton who recommended Taryn for a receptionist position in the x-ray department of the clinic where he worked. This solution also solved the transportation problem. It was during those daily commutes that Colton began to see Laurel’s influence on Taryn in everything from how she dressed to the way she talked.

As he waited for Taryn to finish her conversation with one of her coworkers, he marveled at the change in her from the girl who’d burst into his hotel room. Once again, Laurel’s instincts had been right on.

“Did your last patient cancel?” Taryn asked as came to a halt beside him. “You don’t usually get done before me.”

“No, I must have been more efficient today.” Colton smiled down at her as they walked toward the side door leading to the parking lot. “James seemed reluctant to let you leave.”

“He doesn’t seem to understand what ‘no’ means.”

“Well, he’s persistent if nothing else. Laurel and I are leaving right after school gets out tomorrow to visit some friends in Orlando. We’ll leave you her car so you have a ride home and of course, you can use it over the weekend for anything you want to do.”

“I won’t take it out any more than necessary, and hopefully it won’t be long before I have enough money to get my own car.”

As he opened the car door for her, he said, “My offer to help you with a down payment is still open.”

“You and Laurel have done enough for me already. I need to do this on my own.”

He threw her a teasing glance. “You can always get married. I’ve been asked enough questions about you at the clinic to know there are a few interested parties in addition to James.”

“I’ve had it with men. You’re the only one worth having, and you’re already taken.”

Colton laughed. “There’s someone out there for you, Taryn, and in the right time, God will bring him to you.” He pulled into his in-laws’ driveway. “Don’t wear yourself out planting tulips with Dad.”

“I won’t be doing the actual digging, but I have been given permission to suggest location. According to Laurel, that’s quite a concession on Dad’s part. Have a nice time in Orlando.” Taryn jumped out of the car and ran into the house.

Laurel was in the kitchen when he got home. He dropped a lingering kiss on her lips.

“Your dinner is in the microwave. We’ve got thirty minutes before we need to leave for the band concert.”

“I have a better idea,” he said as he lifted her hair away and kissed the back of her neck. “Let’s stay home.”

Laurel looked at him regretfully. “You know we can’t do that.”

Colton drew her into his arms. “I know, but it’s still fun to suggest the idea and then wait to see how long you consider it before you crush my hopes.”

She laughed. “I did more than consider it; I almost agreed to it. I’d much rather stay home with you, and you know it.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear.” With one last kiss, he let her go. “We had a wave of new interns start today. I don’t mind them coming, but until they get used to the routine, they do nothing but get in the way.”

“Not too long ago, you were an intern,’ Laurel pointed out.

“I wonder if I was this much of a nuisance.” Colton removed the take-out box from the microwave. “Is this what I think it is?” he asked hopefully.

“How can I say? I don’t know what you think it is.”

He opened the lid and grinned. “Sweet and sour pork. Okay, Laurel, time to confess. What horrible thing have you committed me to do?”

“You’re already doing it. It’s a ‘thank-you’ for coming with me tonight.”

A teasing glint entered his eyes. “I had something else in mind for that, but this is a nice start to the evening.”

Later when she sat beside Colton in the darkened auditorium, Laurel felt his hand reach for hers. His touch never failed to move her, never failed to make her aware of how blessed she was. She may have doubts about other things in life, but she was secure in his love. Sometimes she felt as if she hadn’t lived at all until Colton came into her life – that her first twenty-five years were insignificant when compared to the time she’d known him. She never dreamed she could be so happy.

* * * *

Six months later…

Colton glanced at the text message and frowned. One of the clinic doctors, who was supposed to be assisting with the presentation and also bringing the handouts for the attendees, wouldn’t be able to come after all. His wife had just gone into labor. This meant someone else would have to make the trip from Charleston to Myrtle Beach. If Colton hadn’t been in such a rush to get out of town, he could have picked them up from the printer and saved all this trouble.

It wasn’t until a few hours later that he found out who the ‘someone’ was. He took the box of papers from Leslie with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this. Have you had dinner? The least I can do is feed you before you
drive back.”

The intern he’d worked closely with for the past few months smiled widely. “I’d love that. Just give me a minute to make myself more presentable. I flew out of the office without even combing my hair.”

His eyes flicked over her briefly. “You look fine to me.”

Colton didn’t take Leslie to the hotel restaurant as he’d originally planned. Instead, he drove to a place situated on the ocean. Her delight in the view from their tableside window drew a reluctant smile from him. “You can look at the beach later. Right now, we need to order.”

“Can we take a walk after dinner?” she asked hopefully.

Colton hesitated and then said, “Don’t forget you have to drive back to Charleston tonight.”

“There’s plenty of time.”

* * * *

Laurel closed the trunk of the car with a happy sigh. By now, Colton should have found the note she tucked into his luggage hinting at her arrival. This was the perfect opportunity for them to get away together. Their schedules had been at cross-purposes for the last few weeks leaving them little time for each other. What could be more romantic than being together in Myrtle Beach, the town where they first met?

Her eyes grew dreamy thinking about Juliet’s rehearsal dinner and the walk on the pier that followed. She would never forget that magical evening. Hopefully, Colton could find time in his schedule to take her there again.

Finding someone to take her place on the youth trip to Orlando had been difficult, but all the trouble would be worth it when she saw Colton’s face. With no traffic delays, she should be with him before midnight.

* * * *

Colton watched as Leslie removed her sandals. “When I agreed to a walk on the beach, I didn’t mean literally in the water.”