Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy Book 1) (21 page)

Chapter 26

When Jeff arrived at the airport in Santa Rosa, he’d expected to rent a car
to drive up to Bonita Creek. His plans changed when he glimpsed Robin standing in the visitor area. She was holding a hand-lettered sign, ‘I (heart) Jeff Clarke.’

He chuckled and walked briskly toward his lovely lady.
Soon to be fiancée, I hope.
He dropped his laptop bag and other hand luggage to the floor and drew her into an embrace. He felt her trembling and thought she was laughing. When he leaned back to look at her face he discovered tears flowing down her cheeks.

“I hope these are tears of joy.”

“They are. I, um, I-I’m just so glad you came back to me. I wasn’t sure until this moment if you really would return. I guess I need to work on building up my self-confidence.”

He leaned forward and spoke quietly into her ear. “I promise I will
never
abandon you, Robin. I love you so much.” Sometimes Jeff wished he could have a heart-to-heart talk with Mr. Thomas Bennett about the pain and damage he’d inflicted on this creature.

He felt Robin’s smile on his cheek as her body relaxed into his. “Let’s get going,” he said firmly. They collected his luggage and headed toward the parking lot.

“If you’re hungry we can stop for a bite to eat on the way to Bonita Creek. Otherwise, I fixed some of your favorite foods and tucked them into the fridge at my cottage.”

His eyes lit up as he said, “Thank you. I’ve definitely missed your delectable cooking. Let’s eat at home. Later on I can check into my room at the motel.”

As they travelled to Bonita Creek, she filled him in on the details of her job and church happenings. “Brian and Cindy from the church announced they’re expecting another baby. That’s four for them!”

Since she’d brought up the subject of children, he decided to ask her outright about her wishes for a family. “I love children, Robin. How do you feel about a large family?”

“Probably because I was an only child, I’ve always hoped the Lord would bless me with three or four children of my own. I thought it was the direction Thomas and I were heading until . . .”

“Hey now, we agreed not to let Thomas’s mistakes come between us. Let’s try not to let him nudge his way into what we’ve got going, agreed?”

“Agreed, and thanks for the reminder. You’ve been more than patient and understanding with me about my first marriage. I guess I need to retrain my mind even after all these years of negative thinking.”

“Let’s change the subject to something more positive. Which of my favorite foods did you cook for me?” he asked with a sly grin.

“You’ll just have to wait for another few minutes to find out, won’t you?” She smiled sweetly at him.

~*~

The time they spent together during Jeff’s visit flew by quickly. They attended church services and events together. They hiked around the lake and went window shopping in the little mountain towns near Bonita Creek. They visited the local museums and art galleries. Jeff grew more confident with each passing moment about proposing to Robin. They’d been getting along well and she hadn’t mentioned the ‘h’ word or doubted him in awhile.

Shortly after his arrival, Jeff decided to contact Jorie without Robin’s knowledge. He remembered about Jorie’s dream of opening her own catering business, so he telephoned Robin’s friend and presented his plan. He told her not to spare any expense. He left a lot of the decisions to Jorie’s discretion, but he shared with her some of the specific details he wanted her to include.

She enthusiastically agreed to do her part to make the plan a success. The two made the necessary arrangements and set a date for the plan’s implementation.  Jeff stressed this was a surprise and requested she not mention his plan to anyone, especially Robin. Jorie agreed to keep his secret.

~*~

The next day Jeff invited Robin to go to the Garden at the Coast on the Sunday afternoon before he had to return to Illinois. She enthusiastically agreed and offered to pack up a special picnic lunch for them to share. He playfully waved her off and mentioned casually he’d handle lunch.

Sunday arrived bright and beautiful. They returned to their respective homes to change clothes after church before Robin picked Jeff up and drove west to the coast. When they arrived at the Gardens, the couple hiked straight out to the ocean and sat side by side on a wooden bench. They spent a long time soaking in the magnificent view and the pleasant assault of smells and sounds.

Several seagulls were making a spectacle of themselves while screeching out their lonely call. Jeff inhaled the briny smell of seaweed languishing on the sandy shoreline. The power and rhythm of the waves rolling in and crashing against the rocks entranced him. He’d grown to love this particular spot as much as Robin. She smiled as he shared his thoughts with her. They talked about many things, and then returned to the car to pick up their lunch.

When Jeff removed the large vintage wicker picnic basket from his trunk Robin exclaimed, “You packed our picnic?”

“Not exactly,” he responded vaguely. “Lead the way to your favorite spot in the gardens.”

“The Dahlia Garden, of course. I do love the gazebo. I wonder if they’re having a wedding there today. If they are, we won’t be allowed to go into the garden area . . .”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Jeff said attempting not to sound too suspicious.

When they arrived at the Dahlia Garden’s entrance they found a wide rose-colored satin ribbon blocking the entrance. A hand-painted sign hanging from the ribbon read, “Area Closed for Private Event.”

“Oh, no. I guess we’ll have to find someplace else to eat our picnic. I’m so disappointed. This time of year is my favorite at the Dahlia Garden.”

“Go right on in, please.”

“You saw the sign as well as I did. The garden is closed to the public right now.”

“Actually, I’m the one who reserved the Dahlia Garden for today.”

“But, why? There are so many other places to eat in the garden . . .”

“Yes, but this happens to be your favorite spot, so I reserved it for the afternoon.”

“Oh, how romantic, Jeff. We’ll have the entire Dahlia Garden and the gazebo to ourselves,” she said excitedly.

“That’s the idea . . .” his voice trailed off.

They both stepped under the ribbon and were welcomed by a profusion of vibrant colors. The dahlias blooming on either side of the grassy aisle were a sight to behold. Robin expressed her awe of all of the colors, sizes, and shapes of flowers as they passed the vividly-colored borders. “This is unbelievable! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life?”

“Yes, and I’m looking at her right now.” He smiled as he winked at Robin.

“Oh, you. What am I going to do with you?”

“You’ll figure it out soon enough,” Jeff said under his breath. Robin didn’t hear him because she was already speed walking toward the gazebo.

When they arrived at the gazebo, they found a lovely table for two set with a robin’s egg blue linen tablecloth and matching cloth napkins. There was a cut crystal vase with an assortment of fresh dahlias gracing the center of the small round table.

“Oh, my goodness. Someone really went all out decorating this table. You did this for us?” Robin chattered on. “I’ve never seen a more perfect place for a picnic in all my life.”

Jeff smiled at her affectionately as he set down the picnic basket next to the table and began unpacking Jorie’s handiwork. There were crystal glasses and a bottle of chilled sparkling apple cider. There was silver flatware along with colorful vintage china plates and saucers. Robin’s eyes were wide with wonder as Jeff revealed the treasures packed in the basket one-by-one.

Jorie had done an exceptional job on the meal. There was crusty homemade bread, chilled grilled chicken breasts, jars of home-cured olives and pickles. She had included homemade potato salad, a fresh fruit salad, and a green salad with several small jars of various handmade salad dressings. There were deviled eggs and celery sticks stuffed with pimento and cheese. For dessert, Jorie had included her special homemade apple pie with thick slices of artisanal cheese for a topping. Robin didn’t speak until the basket was completely emptied.

“What a fabulous surprise! I’ll never forget this day in my entire life.”

“Probably not,” Jeff replied. “Let’s say our blessing so we can enjoy our picnic.”

As they ate, Robin commented she’d never seen the dahlias in the garden looking more lovely than today. Their view of the ocean from the gazebo was unsurpassed. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the fluffy white clouds passing overhead appeared surreal. Robin babbled on excitedly about the dahlias and other features of the garden.

Jeff was bursting with love for this woman and was thrilled in anticipation of his proposal. The inner joy he felt at making Robin so happy with the picnic’s setting and food gave him a feeling of satisfaction he’d never experienced before. With a start, he realized he’d never considered Robin would
not
accept his proposal of marriage. He had faith like a mountain this was the intended path for their lives.

The couple ate a portion of each item Jorie had prepared, and declared every morsel delectable. As they cleared the table and repacked the picnic basket, Jeff became quiet.

“You’ve got the look again. The look that tells me you’ve something to say. Is it something bad? Have I done something wrong?” She looked pensive and slightly anxious.

“No, Robin, you haven’t done anything wrong. Just relax. This is possibly the
best
thing ever . . .” He reached for her hand and lifted it so she would stand up with him. He guided her over to the railing of the gazebo so they were facing the ocean. As he looked deeply into her waiting eyes, his voice dropped lower and an air of anticipation surrounded them both. Robin inhaled a quick breath of the fresh, crisp ocean air and settled her eyes on her companion’s face.

Jeff began, “I’ve spent a lot of time in thought and prayer about our relationship.” He paused momentarily before continuing, “I love you very much. More than I ever thought possible, in fact. The past weeks of separation from you have been hard because I missed you tremendously. I feel like a whole man when we’re together. I found myself wanting to be here in Bonita Creek with you instead of being a lonely bachelor back in Illinois.”

As he reached for her other hand he continued, “I want to spend my life with you loving, learning, and growing together. With God’s blessing I’d like to raise our babies in light and love. I hope you feel the same way about me.” He’d thought about kneeling at this point, but he wanted to see Robin’s face when he asked her the age-old question, so he remained standing. “Will you marry me, Robin?”

She gasped softly in delight. Surprise and love sparkled in her eyes. “I love you, too, and I want to raise a family with you. Thank you for not holding my past against me and for accepting me for the woman God created me to be. I’d be honored to be your wife.”

“I’m a mathematical-logical-linear-thinking-no-nonsense forensic accountant kind of a guy, so give it to me straight, please. Are you saying yes?”

“Yes, of course it’s a yes! I
will
marry you!” she shouted.

“Thank you.” He reached for Robin and cupped her face lovingly in his hands. “This is the best day of my life so far, but I can think of at least one day that’ll surpass it. I hope our wedding day comes soon.”

He kissed her with all the love in his heart and reached into his front pocket to present her with the ring he’d chosen. Her face shone with pleasure when he handed her a uniquely-carved wooden box tied with a crisp bow.

“Go ahead and open it,” Jeff encouraged.

As Robin’s misty eyes focused on the gold ring, he related the story of the ring. “The ring’s creator made it over a century ago for his intended wife. I found it at a specialty store in rural Illinois.”

“I’m speechless . . . It is the most unique ring I’ve
ever
seen.”

“Read the inscription inside,” he prompted gently.

“I’ll love you forever,” Robin read reverently. Her eyes filled with fresh tears as she said, “I’ll treasure this ring forever as a reminder of how much I love you. Thank you.”