The Promise of Palm Grove (22 page)

A
little more than a month later, after delaying the inevitable for a good ten minutes, Zack wrapped the telephone cord around his fingers and made himself do what had to be done. “
Gut naught,
Leona,” he murmured. “Sleep well.”

“Good night, Zack. Will you call again tomorrow night?”

He smiled, because the anxiousness he heard in her voice sounded a lot like how he was feeling inside. A little desperate. “
Jah
. I will call,” he promised. Just like he'd done for the last eight nights in a row, and several weeks before that.

“
Gut
. Good night, then.”

“Bye, Le,” he murmured, then hung up before he found a way to extend their conversation yet another ten minutes.

When he finally put the receiver in the cradle, Zack sighed. Something was going to have to be done, the sooner the better. It had now been more than a month since she'd left Florida. If he didn't see Leona in person, he was going to start climbing the walls.

After that one day when he'd called and spoken to her
mother, then talked to Leona later that night, their conversations had gradually become longer and more frequent. He'd gone from having short, ten-minute conversations every other night to talks twice that long every evening.

Tonight, they'd been on the phone over an hour. It was getting a bit ridiculous. Expensive, too.

“Zack, you need to buy a bus ticket,” Violet said from the doorway.

He could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't teasing him. Turning to look at her, he nodded. “I know. I keep offering, but she doesn't want me to come see her yet.”

“Why on earth not?”

He shrugged. “She said she wanted me to wait a bit.” Actually, he was trying hard to not take her request wrong. If she hadn't kept refusing his offer, he knew he would already be in Walnut Creek.

“Is she still recovering from her breakup?”

“
Nee
. I mean, I don't think so. But maybe she is. She's just disrupted her whole life, you know.”

Violet tapped her foot. “Do you think her family is upset with her?”

“
Nee
. I know they aren't. She's put different family members on the phone to say hello.” He chuckled in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “I think she simply wants more time. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“I know. But it still seems a little strange.” Her eyes brightened. “I know! Maybe she's afraid to be too forward. Maybe you should go on up there and surprise her?”

He actually had been thinking about that, but then he remembered how Edmund had never listened to her. He didn't want to be that way, too.

“I don't think that a surprise visit is the way to go.”

“Sure? She might find it romantic.”

When a dreamy look appeared in her eyes, he laughed. “Believe me, I've thought about it. But I'm not going to pay her any surprise visits. See, I've been praying about this,” he confided. “I think the Lord is reminding me to have some patience. I've waited this long to find Leona, I can wait a little longer until she's ready.”

“You love her, don't you?”

“
Jah
. I really do love her,” he said, not even embarrassed to admit it. “And because I want her love, too, I'm willing to wait until she's ready to love me back.”

He just hoped she would come to her decision sooner than later.

“K
NOCK, KNOCK
.”

Glancing up from the letter she was attempting to write Zack, Leona frowned at the unwanted interruption. “
Jah,
Mamm?”

Without another word, her door opened. But, to her surprise, it wasn't her mother who had come to see her.

“Daed?”

“Don't act so surprised,” he said gruffly. “I, um, had a little bit of time this afternoon, so I thought maybe we could visit for a bit.”

“Is everything all right?” After flipping her letter over, she scrambled to the side of her neatly made bed just as he pulled over the chair from her desk.

“Everything is fine, I think,” he said.

She wasn't sure about that. Actually, she couldn't remember her father ever stepping into her room simply to chat. And,
judging by the way he was sitting—his hands practically holding his knees in a death grip—she was pretty sure he didn't have a simple chat on his mind.

When a full minute passed, Leona searched for something, anything, to say. “I was, uh, just writing Zack a letter.”

His shoulders eased. “I'm glad you brought that up. See, that's just what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“My letters to Zack?”

Looking at her intently, he said, “Leona, I'm thinking those need to stop.”

“What!?” Before he had a chance to answer, she shot off another question. “Why?” Foolishly, she felt tears fill her eyes. And wasn't that just the worst? It seemed all she'd been doing since she'd said goodbye to Zack in Pinecraft was attempt to hold her tears at bay.

“Calm down, Leona.” Looking at her with a tender expression, he added, “My word, you always did wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“Daed, I like writing Zack. I know we talk a lot on the phone, too, but I feel like I need to write him every day, too.”

“Leona, what I'm trying mighty hard to say—in between all of your interruptions—is that it's time to stop fussing around and start making plans to see him.”

He might as well have been speaking Greek. “Daed, you're saying you want me to go back to Pinecraft to see Zack?”

“Last time I checked, that's where he was. And, I might add, we all think he sounds just as miserable as you do on the phone.” While she gaped at him, his brown eyes—eyes which matched her own—filled with humor. “Leona, it's time you were happy, don't you think?”

“You . . . you don't think it's too soon?”

“Too soon for what?”

“You know, Daed. Too soon to fall in love again?”

She inhaled, waiting for some special words of wisdom that only her father could share. But instead of spouting out anything of worth, he tilted his head back and laughed.

She hopped off the bed. “Daed, I'm being serious.”

“Oh, daughter. Of course you are,” he murmured as he got to his feet as well, then promptly enfolded her into the warmest hug ever. After pressing his lips to her brow, he pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “But what you don't seem to understand is that you already have fallen in love again. It's done.”

She blinked. Then realized he was exactly right. All she'd been doing since she'd returned from Pinecraft was biding her time until she thought everyone else would be able to accept her new relationship. Her mind—and her heart—had already decided that Zack was the man for her. The right man for her.

“You're right,” she said.

Stepping away, he grinned. “I know I am. You can't stop love, child.”

Watching him walk out of her room, then close her door softly behind him, Leona repeated his words in her head.

Her father was now officially the smartest man she'd ever known. He was exactly right. No matter how hard she'd tried, she hadn't been able to stop love.

She hadn't even been able to slow it down.

Marching to the bed, she picked up her letter and tore it in half. She now had a far different letter to write. And after that, she had a bus ticket to buy.

L
eona held a bus ticket in one hand, a backpack on her shoulder, and a matching quilted duffel bag in her other hand. She was ready to return to Pinecraft.

Standing on either side of her were her two best friends in the world. And they were currently looking forlorn.

“I can't believe you're going back to Pinecraft without us,” Mattie exclaimed. “I'm so jealous.”

After sharing a smile with Mattie, Leona chuckled. “I bet you are. After all, one Daniel Brenneman is pining for you.”

“I wouldn't say he's
pining
. But in his last letter, he did say he wanted to come see me soon,” Mattie admitted.

“I hope you told him to get on the bus,” Sara said.

Mattie lifted her chin. “Of course I did. I'm not as stubborn as some people we know.”

“I haven't been stubborn. I just wanted to be sure I was making the right decision this time.”

Sara shook her head in exasperation. “Leona, you were sure from the moment you saw Zack in that tree.”

“This is true.”

“So, you're going to stay with Miss Beverly again?”

“
Jah,
though it's going to feel strange, staying in a regular guest room instead of our attic space.”

“You'll have to tell us all about it. Write fast!”

“I will.”

At her sisters' urging and her parents' blessing, she'd decided to spend two whole weeks in Pinecraft. She wanted to be able to spend as much time with Zack as possible, as well as have a real idea about what her life might be like living there.

She and Zack had talked about a lot of things during their many, many lengthy phone calls. They'd discussed their love for their families and their goals for the future. No matter where their conversations took them, though, they always ended up at the same place.

Both wanted to be with people who made them happy, who lifted them up. And, it seemed, they'd found these things in each other.

Neither of them had wanted to be coy about where their relationship was headed, especially not after she'd relayed her father's words of wisdom. Leona knew while she was in Pinecraft, she was going to be making plans with Zack about their future.

It felt so different than everything she'd done with Edmund, it was hardly worth comparing.

Suddenly, aware of everyone boarding the bus behind her, she hugged her girlfriends goodbye. “I love you both,” she whispered. “I would never have survived all of this without you two. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you.”

Mattie winked. “Don't worry, Le. I'm sure I'll be enough trouble soon enough. Sara, too.”

After hugging them again, Leona boarded the bus. She had brought some knitting, two books, and a pillow. She wasn't worried about how to pass the time.

She just wished she knew how to convince the driver to drive as fast as possible. Now that she was about to see Zack again, she could hardly wait.

S
IXTEEN HOURS LATER
, Zack was standing next to Beverly in the parking lot. Next to her was another man, Eric Wagler, who she'd introduced as the new owner of the inn. Zack had a feeling they weren't the best of friends, though they seemed to be getting along all right.

Beverly and Eric had kindly offered to take Leona's things back to the inn so Zack could be alone with her as soon as possible.

Practically everyone in the parking lot knew his and Leona's story. After sharing with his family much of what Leona had told him, his family had done what they did best—they'd told everyone they knew that love had bloomed and Leona was on her way.

Now, as he looked around, Zack was certain that only about half the people in the crowd were there to greet the newcomers on the bus. The other half were hoping to get an unobstructed view of his much anticipated reunion with Leona.

With the exception of Effie, who was still at school, his whole family was there, though they were standing off to the side. His mother had even taken the day off work, saying she had a welcome-home party to prepare for.

Yep, his family was hosting another party this evening, and chances were good half the town was going to be there again, all to welcome Leona back.

He was just considering going to chat with his brother and sister when the atmosphere in the parking lot changed. A couple of cheers rang out, and his heart started beating a little faster.

The bus had arrived.

He stood still as it pulled forward and parked, even as the doors opened. The occupants started descending the stairs, and around him, familiar scenes unfolded. Relatives hugged. Old friends greeted each other with handshakes and wide smiles.

And then he saw her.

Blond hair. Brown eyes. Pretty cheeks. Sweet smile.

His girl.

Without a thought for anyone else, he walked through the crowd and reached her just as her feet touched the pavement.

But that lasted only a second. Because he picked her up in his arms and twirled her around, much to the amusement of everyone.

Leona rested her hands on his shoulders as he held her, her eyes bright with happiness. “You were here waiting for me,” she said.

He knew she was talking about much more than just waiting for the bus, and she was exactly right. He had been.

After Zack set Leona down, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple. “I promised I would, Leona. Remember?”

“I remember,” she murmured. “I remember all of your promises, Zack.”

“Every one?” he teased.

“Every one. See, there are some promises that are just so special, just so right . . .”

“Just so right?” he prodded.

“That they become the promises a girl never forgets,” she finished at last.

Right before he smiled.

And then he twirled her around again . . . until her joyous laughter filled the air.

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