The Right Call (35 page)

Ethan slipped the ring on her finger, elated that it wasn’t too small, and pressed his lips to her hand. “I love you, Vanessa. I can’t imagine my future without you and Carter. We were meant to be together. We’ll know when the time is right.”

“If we have to wait a hundred years, I’ll marry you. I can’t believe I’m blubbering all over you. This is just so unexpected.”

“Not to your parents. I went to them and asked for your hand, and they gave us their blessing.”

Vanessa laughed and cried at the same time. “When did all this happen?”

“After church this morning—when you and Emily went to the nursery to get Carter.”

Ethan stood and pulled her into his arms. He held her face in his hands and tenderly pressed his lips to hers, then wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs.

“It’s so strange,” he said. “When I was little, I used to sit in my mother’s lap, twisting the ring around her finger, totally enthralled with the red stones. Who would have ever thought one day I would be giving this ring to the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with?”

Chapter 42

On
the following Friday morning, just before the first rays of sun peeked over the foothills, Ethan stood at the curb in front of the Jessups’ house, his car packed, his gas tank full, and his emotions fragile. His good-byes said, all he had to do now was force himself to drive away—but not until he had a few minutes alone with Vanessa to tell her his surprise.

“Are you going to let your hair get longer again?” Emily said.

“Probably. Mostly because I stay so busy studying that I don’t take the time to get a haircut.” He tugged the hem of her pajama top. “Don’t forget to text me and tell me how you like middle school.”

“Okay.”

Ryan Jessup caught a yawn, then made a fist and tapped Ethan’s bicep. “See you at Thanksgiving.”

I doubt I can stay away that long,
Ethan thought.

Brill put her arms around Ethan and kissed his cheek. “I’m going to talk to your mother about the Langleys and the Jessups all having Thanksgiving together. The time will pass quickly, and you’ll be back here before you know it.”

Kurt patted Ethan on the back and shook his hand. “Drive carefully. I know you have a lot on your mind.”

“Thanks, I will.”

Vanessa’s eyes glistened, and her lips trembled. She put Carter in Ethan’s arms, and he lifted the baby into the air, then gave him a longer-than-usual hug and handed him to Emily.

Finally Ethan and Vanessa were the only two left standing at the car.

Ethan pulled her into his arms and inhaled the sweet fragrance that he would intentionally recall every time he felt lonely.

“I’ll call you from the road,” he said. “I’ll never be more than a phone call away. And we can text each other a thousand times a day if we want.”

Vanessa nodded and sniffled.

“You do know that, once I’m out of here, you’re going to be fine? The good-bye is the hard part.”

“I know. I’m such a drama queen.”

Ethan gently rubbed her back. “Before I leave, I want to share something my dad and uncles told me last night. It was all I could do not to call you right then, but I didn’t want to wake you. I could hardly sleep, thinking about it.”

Vanessa pushed back and looked into his eyes. “What is it?”

“The three of them got their heads together: They want to give us the deed to Langley Manor for a wedding gift. Can you believe it?”

Vanessa stared at him like he’d told a joke that she didn’t get. Finally she said, “That’s generous of them. But what would we do with an old manor house?”

“That’s what I said, though I have to admit it’s exciting to think of owning a piece of my family’s history. There’s a second part to the gift. If we decide we want to restore the place, Uncle Richard and Aunt Becca will give us Drew’s trust fund to use toward the renovation. It won’t be enough, but it would make a respectable dent in the costs. And once we’re both out of college and working, we could get a loan for the rest. It’s something we could do little by little. It would take us years to finish, but it might be fun to resurrect something of my family’s past.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Vanessa said, “but then what? It can’t just sit there and fall into disrepair again. It’s not like we could afford to live in it.”

“Maybe it could be one of those historic old places that people pay to see.”

“Ethan, I’m not sure charging admission would bring in enough to pay for the upkeep. Sounds like the kind of place that should be made into a bed-and-breakfast. At least then it would generate enough income to pay for itself.”

“Now that’s a
great
idea.” He felt his cheeks stretch into a grin and then go limp again. “Not that either of us knows the first thing about how to do that. Once we got it renovated, we’d have to furnish it to fit the era, and we’d have to pay a decorator for that. And pay a caretaker to live there and manage the B and B. And we’d need a live-in maid. And groundskeeper. And someone to maintain the integrity of the historic structure. Maybe it’s too much work. It’s probably a bad idea. That’s why my dad and uncles haven’t wanted to fool with it.” Ethan sighed. “Oh, well. It was fun to think about being entrusted with a plantation house that’s been in my family for six generations.”

Vanessa tilted his chin. “Since when do you talk yourself out of something you want so easily? People do things like this all the time—just not long-distance. We’d almost have to live nearby to oversee the renovation.”

Ethan locked gazes with her. “We really haven’t talked about where we want to live after we’re married. Can you picture us living in bayou country?”

“I wouldn’t rule it out.” Vanessa seemed almost giddy. “Tell me again where this place is.”

“In the south central part of the state, not far from Lafayette. The manor house and a few acres of property still belong to the Langley family, but the cane fields were sold off decades ago. Maybe we could all drive over there on Christmas break and take a look.”

“I definitely think we should. What about
you?”
Vanessa asked, her blue eyes twinkling. “Would you ever consider living in Louisiana?”

“I wouldn’t rule it out either. Any place would be home as long as you’re with me. Once I’m out of grad school, I could take my counseling degree just about anywhere. Same with your teaching degree.”

Vanessa’s smile could’ve melted an iceberg. “Well, I do like adventure.
And I
love
Cajun food.”

“And I love
you.”
Ethan kissed her forehead and took a step back. “I should get going before I get any more caught up in this conversation. This is so exciting to think about. If I don’t get out of here fast, I’m liable to change my mind about leaving.”

“And I’m liable to let you. Go!”

Ethan ran around to the driver’s side and looked over the top of the car. “I’ll call you as soon as I get on the interstate. Don’t look so stunned. You’re not on candid camera.” He laughed. “And as long as we’re dreaming, why not think about us getting married next summer,
before
I start grad school? I can’t imagine three years of doing this. Think you could handle living in student housing, knowing we’re going to own a manor house someday?”

Vanessa put her hand over her heart, and the look on her face was all the answer he needed: She’d follow him to the moon, if it meant they would be together.

He took a mental snapshot of her expression and attached it to the wall of memories he hoped would sustain him in the months ahead. “I really have to go, honey. I love you with all my heart and soul. Tell Carter Daddy loves him and will see him on the webcam.”

Vanessa nodded and waved him on, her eyes brimming with tears.

Ethan got in the old Camry, hoping it would get him as far as Nashville before it needed water again. He started the engine and looked over at Vanessa one last time, blowing her a kiss, then pulled away from the curb and into the future—bursting with confidence that, whether they were living in student housing or in the shadow of Langley Manor, he and Vanessa would have the rest of their lives to thrive in the shelter of each other’s company.

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• A Note from the Author

• Discussion Guide

A Note from the Author

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

(Rom. 7:18)

Dear friends,

All human beings are born with a propensity to sin, and until we lay claim to the power of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we will never begin to experience the emancipation of our fleshly nature.

As long as we’re confined to these mortal bodies, the Enemy will fight to control us—body, mind, and spirit. And though many of us will never experience the devastating effects of a drug, alcohol, sex, or gambling addiction, how often do we fall victim to the more acceptable vices, such as overeating, overspending, overworking, overindulging?
Denial tends to be the first form of defense, and we ignore the problem until it gets a foothold. Then, rather than letting God’s Holy Spirit have the reins, we struggle to tame it in our own strength and realize we can’t—that we’ve become slaves rather than masters, overdoers rather than overcomers.

I admit I have a ways to go before I relinquish control of every area of my life and let the Master rule. But that’s the desire of my heart. Those of us who are called by His name do not have to be enslaved by the flesh but can live by the Spirit. It takes faith, discipline, and a burning desire to let go and let God. As odd as it seems, it’s only by letting Him take control that we’re set free—and able to find true joy and peace.

I love a happy ending! It was fun leaving Ethan and Vanessa filled with excitement and promise, especially after putting them through so many trials in Sophie Trace. But this isn’t the ending of their story. Join me for the Langley Manor Trilogy, set in the bayou country of Louisiana, where we’ll catch up with the Langleys and find out just what they decided to do with that deed to the manor house. But don’t let the chiming of wedding bells fool you—mystery and suspense abound!

I would love to hear from you. You’re welcome to join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kathy.herman, or feel free to drop by my Web site at www.kathyherman.com and leave your comments on my guest book. I read and respond to every email and greatly value your input.

In Him,

Kathy

Discussion Guide

1. In your own words, explain what you think 2 Peter 2:19b means: “A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” Stedman’s gambling and Trent’s smoking were strongholds that were easy to spot, but would you have thought of Richard’s and Ralph’s stubborn pride as something that they had become slaves to? Have you ever been involved in or been the victim of an ongoing feud that greatly affected your life? Was it satisfactorily resolved or is it still in progress? Were there deep wounds to be dealt with? Did you feel led to intervene? If so, was that a difficult position to be in?

2. As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. What is the difference between a peacekeeper and a peacemaker? Which role do you think is easier? Which of the two best describes Ethan’s role in his uncles’ feud? Had you been in Ethan’s place, what would you have done differently?

3. Do you think addictions are sins or sicknesses—or is it possible to make a distinction between the two? If a person is trapped in the cycle of addiction, should that person be absolved from taking responsibility for his or her actions? Did Stedman know right from wrong? Was he capable of choosing better? Why do you think he didn’t? If a person came to you with an addiction problem, what advice would you give him or her?

4. Do you think Stedman became addicted to gambling merely because he had a weakness for gambling, or were there other factors that might have contributed to his gambling obsession? How do you think a person becomes addicted to something? Do you think there might be fewer addiction problems if more people turned to God and allowed Him to fill their emptiness instead of depending on something else? If emptiness is the culprit that leads us down the path to addiction, how can we fill up with the right things? What are the right things?

5. Are you now or have you ever been guilty of any other excesses, such as overeating, overworking, overspending—overindulgence of any kind? Do you find that the longer you allow the bad habit to go unchecked, the harder it is to get back on track? Do you think this is true merely because it’s hard to break a bad habit—or is there something about trying to stop by sheer willpower that intensifies the battle? In your experience, how effective has it been for
you
to try to control the excesses in your life in your own strength?

6. Can you name some activities in our modern world that have become addictive for many people (for example, surfing the web, shopping online, texting)? Do you think that many loving and charitable actions are pushed aside because of such “web” addictions? If everyone cut one hour a week from these self-absorbing activities and did something nice for someone else, do you think it would dramatically affect our world?

7. Why do you think humans tend to do things in excess? It is said that self-control is a virtue, but true self-control is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. How capable do you think we are of controlling our carnal nature? Does that ability seem affected by how much we want something? For example, some of us can stay away from potato chips but can’t stop eating chocolate until it’s all gone. Others can say no to chocolate but can’t stop eating potato chips until the entire bag has been devoured. When we say we “can’t stop,” what do you think we’re really saying? Why is it so hard to say no to our appetites? What do you have a weakness for? At what point should a weakness be considered sinful? Is there anything we truly “can’t stop” doing?

8. Are children slaves to the flesh or is the behavior learned? Is it ever too early to teach our children to practice self-control? Why do you think self-control is something we must
practice?
Did you like Ethan’s advice to Emily on how to quit eavesdropping (chapter 39), or would you have given her different advice? Would Ethan’s advice apply to any number of bad habits?

9. Do you think living in a culture of instant gratification has made us almost oblivious to what we are or aren’t dependent on? Is it possible that we think we’re totally dependent on God, when the truth is we’re not being denied anything, so our dependence isn’t being tested? Is there any food, object, or activity that if it were taken from you would leave you feeling empty? Be honest.

10. How inclined do you think we would be to engage in excess if we took seriously 1 Corinthians 6:20, which says, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body”? Are there areas of your life that don’t measure up to this admonition?

11. If you could meet one of the characters, who would it be? What would you say to him or her? Was there an idea, thought, or principle you took away from this story?