Seven

Heavy floral fragrances mingled with warm earth and the distant scent of the ocean. The muted sun hid beyond the ancient pines and cottages, leaving a shadowed walk, and around the bend, Alissa came upon the trickling water of a fountain. As they continued, she read the signs marking the gardens—herbs, succulents, and organic produce served in the lodge’s kitchen.

Alissa stopped beside a flower garden, admiring the clusters of colorful blossoms, almost as bright as her life had become since she’d met Ross. “I wish I had a camera.”

“I’d love to take your picture here,” Ross said, his eyes searching her face. “You look more relaxed and more beautiful than you have since I met you.”

Heat rose up her neck. “It’s the flush on my cheeks. You’re making me blush.”

“Then you should blush all the time.”

Her pulse skittered along her limbs and fluttered in her temples. Sensations she’d never felt before washed over her—contentment, comfort, joy, untold happiness—but as reality struck her, she feared being hurt. “You’re silly.”

“I’m being honest.”

He slipped his hand into hers, and she knew her pulse pounded against his palm. Alissa had no idea how to control the emotion she felt. She loved it and hated it because it made her feel out of control.

“You shouldn’t talk like this,” she said, hearing the breathless sound of her voice.

“Why?”

“Because it sounds romantic, and it can’t be.”

“I don’t understand, Alissa.”

“First, we barely know each other, and second, our worlds are in different places.”

Ross stopped beside a towering tree and drew her toward him so they stood face-to-face in the dappled sunlight. He lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest. “Can you feel this?”

She closed her eyes, and beneath her palm, his heart thumped in a steady rhythm. “I can feel your heartbeat.”

“As sure as my heart is beating, you have the same certainty of how much I care about you. I know we’ve only known each other a short time, but can we question how the Lord works? I didn’t want to go to Pacific Grove. I work long hours, and I’m antsy when I’m home without my work. I came here for my mother, as you know, but things have changed. Now I sense God guiding me in a direction I never thought possible.”

Alissa lowered her gaze, fearing she would be entrapped by his beautiful eyes. “I’m not saying we haven’t connected. I’d be lying if I did. I love your company. I think your mother is a wonderful woman. I hate thinking of your leaving because I know life will slip back into its usual rut. But—”

“Life doesn’t have to be a rut, Alissa. I’m not saying we’re ready for commitment, and yes, we have things to learn, but I want time to get to know you better. I don’t want to go back home and never see you again.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “I don’t want that either.”

“Then let’s agree we won’t let go of this great beginning.”

A ragged breath fluttered from her. “I’d like to get to know you better. I really would.”

He pulled her into his arms, and through her tear-filled eyes, she studied his face and knew he meant every word. As her gaze met his, she watched his lips lower to hers, a tender kiss that was there and gone in a heartbeat, but one she would remember forever.

She buried her head against his chest, thinking of his home and work in San Luis Obispo and hers in Pacific Grove—a hundred miles away. How could two hardworking people get to know each other with those circumstances?

Not wanting to think about the impossible, she straightened, and he slipped his arm around her waist and led her back toward the restaurant from a different direction. A few moments later she faltered, seeing a wishing well surrounded by another glorious flower bed. As they neared, Ross paused while her gaze shifted from the fairy-tale wishing well to his face.

“I don’t believe in wishing wells, do you?”

She managed a smile. “No.”

He touched her hand. “We both believe in prayer.”

Her pulse did a jig. “Yes.”

“Then let’s both pray, Alissa, that the Lord guides us in the path He has planned for us.”

“And that we can hear His wisdom, whatever it may be.”

Ross squeezed her hand. “Amen.” He pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it into the well. “God’s power is all we need, but tossing in a coin is still fun.”

“It’s like blowing out birthday candles. No matter what we do, God’s in charge.”

He sent her a gentle smile that lifted her beyond her doubts. Thank You, Lord, she thought, grasping his hand as they headed back to the car.

❧

Ross supported his mother’s arm as they followed the guide through the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Since he’d last visited the site, the butterflies had multiplied, and today they hung in heavy clusters on the pine and eucalyptus trees like dried leaves caught among the green branches. Whether he was a fan of butterflies or not, the image was an amazing sight, and it would only have been better if Alissa had been able to join them.

They paused as the young woman continued with her spiel. “As you know, the monarchs travel as far as two thousand miles, but you may not know they can cover a hundred miles a day at a height of up to ten thousand feet. Picture these fragile creatures being driven by instinct back to the same place their ancestors have come for years.”

Driven by instinct. Ross understood that feeling. God had created man and woman so they didn’t have to live alone and so they could procreate and populate the earth. He’d given up on that idea years ago when his relationship with Audra had crumbled like dried clay. It left a mess with nothing good coming out of it. He’d never wanted to have that happen again, and every relationship he’d encountered tended to leave him with the dried-clay feeling. But Alissa. . . She was different.

The guide’s voice surged back into his consciousness. “Let’s head this way.” The woman beckoned them to follow and continued her talk. “When you think about the short life of a butterfly, you will realize no butterflies here today were here last year. They are guided totally by a genic message that triggers them to follow the same route as their ancestors to arrive here the same time each year. Some scientists think they may rely on the earth’s magnetic field and the position of the sun, but some believe it’s a gift.”

“A God-given gift,” his mother whispered.

Ross agreed. The Lord had ways to guide His creatures, from the most fragile butterfly to a husky forty-five-year-old like Ross Cahill, and Ross sensed that God had tucked a message in his heart.

“This way,” the guide said. “Be careful—the stone walkway is rough here.”

His mother paused and pointed down a connecting path. “Let’s sit there for a minute.”

Ross veered her toward the seat he saw in the distance beneath a large pine. As he neared, he eyed the amazing bench in the shape of a butterfly, its back the upper wings and its legs the lower wings with a cross piece that served as a seat. His mother sat, but Ross eyed the delicate sculpture and decided not to chance it.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“It’s amazing, Mom. Hard to believe those little things make their way here every year.”

“But can you blame them?” She grinned. “It is beautiful.”

“It’s very interesting, and since it’s their first time here, how do they know the way?”

“God created the little beings to know. Sometimes we know things, too. It’s in our hearts without facts or even common sense.”

Her words settled in his thoughts, and as she spoke, an orange and black monarch fluttered past, settled on the pine a moment, then spread its wings and flew off. Yesterday he’d seen Alissa spread her wings. Each day she grew more and more a part of his life until—

“How was your day yesterday?”

His mother’s voice intruded on his thoughts. He lowered his gaze. “Nice. Alissa enjoyed the packinghouse, and I took her for a ride into the orchard.”

“You got back very late.”

He tried not to smile. His mother’s grilling made him feel like a teenager again. “We stopped for dinner in Cambria.”

“Cambria?” Her eyes widened. “You came back on Highway 1?”

“Yes.”

“Ross, you know that’s a treacherous highway at night. You should never—”

“Mom, I drove it, so I know. I was careful. We decided to walk through the Cambria Pines Lodge gardens, and that took longer than I thought, so it was dusk when we left. I’m home, and I’m safe.”

“Yes, but it was pitch-dark when you drove through Big Sur, right?”

“Right.” No sense in arguing. He would bow to her lecture, and she was correct. It had been a dumb thing to do, and Alissa had been nervous, too; the kiss in the garden had been wonderful, though, so he didn’t regret the stop.

“Please promise me you’ll use your head next time.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I promise.”

“Thank you.” She tilted her head upward and grinned. “You like Alissa.”

“She’s a very nice woman.”

“I know that. She’s wonderful, but that’s not what I mean.”

He drew in a lengthy breath and shook his head. “No. I’m not going there.”

She rose and gave him one of her “mother’s always right” looks then started down the path. “Never mind. I already figured it out. I’ve never seen you so attentive to a woman. Not even Audra.”

Her words struck him as he stood to follow her. He’d blamed Audra for walking away from him, but perhaps he’d walked away from her emotionally. Her leaving had been a blessing. He’d realized that long ago. Marriage was forever, and his relationship with Audra wouldn’t have lasted.

“Look.” She pointed ahead.

He jerked from his thoughts and saw his mother hurrying ahead to view an astonishing cluster of monarchs in a nearby tree, their wings open wide, fluttering like petals of orange flowers in a breeze. As he watched her, Ross saw his mother stumble. He darted forward, feeling helpless as she lurched forward, reeling to catch her balance before she collapsed to the ground against a boulder along the path.

“Mom, are you okay?”

Her moan filled his ears, and when he looked at her face, he knew she wasn’t okay at all. His heart thundering, he knelt beside her. “Don’t move, Mom.” He rested his hand against her arm to keep her from shifting. “Where does it hurt?”

She didn’t answer for a moment. “My upper leg. Maybe my hip.”

The pain in her eyes cued him. Her injury was worse than he wanted to think. “Let me run back, Mom, and get help. Please don’t move.”

The unnecessary request struck him. Horrendous pain registered on her face. He gave her a pat while fear gripped him. Ross pulled out his cell and dialed 911, praying the fall wasn’t as bad as he knew it was.

❧

Alissa checked the time again. Ross and Maggie had left early, and she’d thought they’d be back in the afternoon. She’d made more lemon bars, and since they hadn’t arrived, she kept a plateful in the kitchen so Ross would be sure to get some.

Trying to distract herself, she checked the buffet one more time then wandered into the sitting room where a husband and wife were relaxing. “How was your day?”

“Wonderful,” the woman said. “We spent a couple of hours at the sanctuary, and then we went to the wharf for lunch.”

“I’ll do anything to keep her from shopping,” the husband said and chuckled.

“Most husbands don’t like—” The telephone jarred her thought. Alissa gave them an apologetic shrug and turned toward the call. “Butterfly Trees Inn. May I help you?”

“Alissa, this is Ross.”

Hairs prickled on her neck at the sound of his tense voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Mom fell at the sanctuary.”

“Fell?” Her pulse escalated. “Is she hurt?”

“We’re in the emergency at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.”

“Emergency?” Her mind filled with questions. “What did the doctors say?”

“Probably surgery. They think it’s her hip, but they needed to do X-rays before they know how bad. I’m in the waiting room.”

Surgery. Hip. She turned her back on the couple seated nearby, not wanting them to see the tears forming in her eyes. “What can I do?” She knew what she wanted to do. Be with him.

“Pray. That’s what I’m doing.”

“I’m sending up prayers now, Ross. Was she conscious?”

“Yes, but in a lot of pain. Mom didn’t know which hurt worse—her hip or her leg.”

Alissa grimaced. “How did it happen?”

“We stopped so she could sit on a bench while the docent went on ahead with the group, and then when we started again, she saw a beautiful cluster of monarchs nearby and dashed off but apparently tripped over a rock or something. She was in a lot of pain, and I called 911. It broke my heart to see Mom in so much pain. She’s always so healthy and—”

“Healthy’s the key. If she’s in good health, then we can hope she’ll heal quickly if anything’s broken.” If Alissa had to choose a break, she’d wish for a broken leg. They healed more quickly. She didn’t even want to think of a hip fracture. “When did it happen?”

“Around eleven thirty. We were about ready to leave for lunch, and she wanted to go to the museum afterward. ”

“You must be miserable, Ross. Keep me posted, okay?”

“I’ll call you as soon as I hear something. I’d better let you go, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“I’m pleased you called. I was beginning to wonder, and know that I’m praying.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep you informed.”

She heard a click ending their conversation, and she struggled to keep the sadness from her face as she turned back to the guests. “Enjoy the treats.” She gave them a smile and headed back into the kitchen.

Once she was through the door, tears rolled down her cheeks. Maggie had become a dear friend, almost like a mother figure, and Alissa couldn’t bear to think of her in pain. She paced the kitchen, trying to think of what to do. She eyed the clock again. Surgery would take so long if Maggie needed it, and Ross was alone.

Alissa knew what she had to do—what she wanted to do. She grasped the kitchen phone and punched Memory One. She clenched her lips together, praying Fern would answer, and when she did, Alissa got herself under control.

“Is there any way you could come over and work tonight?”

“Another date?”

Alissa weighed the sound of the words, trying to decipher between envy, sarcasm, or acceptance. She chose the latter. “Wish it were. Maggie—you remember Ross’s mother—fell at the butterfly sanctuary, and she’s in emergency in Monterey.”

“I’m sorry. Is it serious?”

“Ross is waiting to hear. They took her up for X-rays. I guess it’s her hip. I’m praying it’s not a break.”

“You want to go up there?”

“If you can come. I’m miserable here, knowing he’s alone and wondering what’s happening.”

“I can be there in a few minutes. Get ready.”

“Thanks, Fern. This means so much to me.”

“That’s nice to hear, Alissa. I’ll be there in a flash.”

Alissa hung up the receiver with Fern’s words ringing in her ears. That’s nice to hear. She thought back, trying to remember how many times she’d never properly thanked Fern or ever said how much her help meant. People wanted to know they were doing a good job.