A Groom Worth Waiting For

Chapter Three

Aunt Lila clasped her hands and smiled. “I’m glad to hear my prayers haven’t gone to waste. I have a hunch this arrangement is going to work out for both of us.”

Amy reached out to shake the older woman’s hand and was immediately pulled into a loose embrace. Though surprised by Lila’s enthusiasm, she appreciated the warm welcome. Still, for someone who’d refused to hire help, insisting she could make it on her own, Lila had quickly changed her mind. But that was a family matter, and Amy decided right then and there not to get caught up in the Wynn family business. She’d been hired to assist Aunt Lila and nothing more.

“I hope you’re right,” Amy agreed. “Finding a job and a place to live in one day is better than winning a sweepstakes. And I’m going to do everything I can to make your recovery as comfortable and easy as possible.”

“Oh, I have no doubt this arrangement is going to work out.” Though Lila appeared tired, a strange sparkle lit her eyes as if she knew a special secret. “And now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to lie down.”

“What can I do to help? Perhaps I could bring you a cup of hot tea? Or maybe you’d like me to run some water for a bath?” Amy asked, feeling like there was no time better than the present to get started.

“Oh, no,” Aunt Lila insisted. “I’m going to rest, and then after dinner we’ll discuss how you can best help me.”

“At least let me prepare dinner,” Amy offered.

Lila nodded with approval, then turning toward Matt said, “In the meantime, I’d like you to help Amy move her things into the south guest room and then take her on a tour of the property.”

Being a fast learner, Amy already knew better than to argue with Lila. However, she didn’t intend to spend the rest of the afternoon with Matt, and she was certain he’d feel the same way.

Amy and Matt both nodded as if in agreement, then waited until Lila had left the room before honestly facing one another.

“What was that about?” Amy asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Matt shrugged, as if to say he truly was clueless.

“That look in your aunt’s eye.”

“Oh, that,” Matt said, shaking his head. “There’s no telling what she’s dreaming up. Trust me, you’ll get used to seeing that sparkle. Aunt Lila’s always got a plan.”

“Like what kind of plan?”

“Let’s see. She’s always redesigning the gardens or remodeling the house. And if she’s not doing something to the house or barns, then she’s helping raise money for a favorite charity or she’s working on a church committee. Her specialty is weddings, and lucky for her, her nieces and nephews have kept her plenty busy recently.”

Amy noticed Matt’s wistful eyes, but because she wanted to avoid any talk of weddings she let the look pass without comment.

“I gather Aunt Lila’s a very active woman.”

Matt grinned. “That would be an understatement.”

“Sounds like I may be the one who has a hard time keeping up.” From the brief time she’d spent with Lila, she knew she was going to enjoy working for this woman. Lila possessed a zest for life that was contagious, and Amy already felt a sliver of the woman’s optimism taking root in her own heart.

“She’ll keep you busy,” Matt agreed. “But I really think you’ll be a great team. Otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested this arrangement in the first place.”

“And I want to thank you for introducing me to your aunt. Without this job and home, I might not have been able to stay in Lexington.”

“Well, you did get off to a rough start.”

When Matt looked at her, she shivered, suddenly feeling the same electric connection she’d felt between them during the hour she’d spent in his arms in the storeroom closet. And then the moment passed, leaving her face-to-face with a kind stranger. Disturbed by her fluctuating thoughts, Amy determined it was time to end the visit.

“I owe you a lot. And I promise I’ll take good care of your aunt.”

“I know you will.” Then, clasping his hands together as he looked toward the door, he said, “Let’s get your things moved in and take that tour.”

“Really, I don’t expect you to waste your afternoon. I don’t have much in the car, and I’m certainly capable of wandering around the property on my own. In fact, I’d enjoy it. So, please, don’t feel obligated. I know Aunt Lila only wanted to make sure I felt welcomed, and you must have more important things to do.” Even before she finished the long speech, Amy knew she wasn’t getting through to the man. Her words bounced off his grin as if they were made of rubber.

Matt shook his head. “Your job’s going to be a whole lot easier if you learn from the start not to ignore Aunt Lila’s orders. I’ll never hear the end of it if I desert you now. Besides, it won’t take that long to see the property.”

Amy bit her lip in an attempt to stop the frown in progress. The same sparkle she’d seen in Aunt Lila’s eyes now simmered in Matt’s. While she didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her new employer, she wasn’t all that convinced Lila would really be upset if she took a rain check on the tour. If she hadn’t known better, she’d think Matt had his own reasons for wanting to stick around. Sighing, she realized he probably wanted to get to know her better. After all, he’d brought a stranger into his aunt’s home. He was probably having second thoughts and needed some assurance that he’d made a wise choice.

“Okay.” Amy gave in. “But just a quick tour.”

Then after dinner, she’d call her parents and assure them she was okay. In fact she was better than okay. As she met Matt’s gaze, she couldn’t help but feel her fresh start was going to be everything and more than she’d dreamed it would be.

As Matt carried the last suitcase into the grand foyer and up the wide, twisting stairway, he tried to see this house through Amy’s eyes. Was she intimidated by the high ceilings, Palladian windows, tapestry fabrics and miles of the finest polished mahogany? Or, despite the grandeur, did she feel the warmth, love and coziness that lingered from years gone by?

Matt set the suitcase next to a lopsided pile of boxes and bags. Amazingly, everything on the floor had been stuffed into the trunk of her mid-size car. And yet, considering she had just moved to Lexington, it wasn’t much at all.

“Is there anything else I can help you move?” he asked, thinking she might have left a rented moving trailer parked at the motel.

Amy shook her head, and as if she read the curiosity in his eyes said, “When I came to town two weeks ago on my scouting trip, I put the majority of my things in storage.”

“And that same trip you found a place to work and live?”

“Yeah, I thought I’d found the perfect job. I was going to be the leasing agent at a small apartment complex. Free rent was one of the perks. Not to mention the flexible hours and that I could have afforded to at least take a part-time load at the university this fall. But that all fell through this morning. There was a mix-up. Apparently, the man who hired me didn’t know the owner had already hired someone else.”

“Wasn’t there anything you could do?” Matt asked with great concern.

“Not really. The person they hired had already moved into the apartment. You know what they say about possession being nine-tenths of the law. The man who hired me claimed he tried to telephone me when he realized what happened, but I’d already left Ohio.” Amy rubbed her eyes and pushed her hand through her thick brown hair. “Even if I had a strong case, I don’t have the means nor the inclination to take them to court.”

Tilting his head and offering a wise smile, Matt said, “Things have a funny way of working out.”

Amy merely rolled her eyes and walked to the window. As she tentatively pushed aside the sheer drape, creating a small opening to peek through, Matt studied her profile for clues as to what she might be thinking and feeling. But her stoic countenance gave little away. Swallowing hard, he found himself at a sudden loss for words, wondering if he were crazy for bringing this woman into his aunt’s house. What on earth had possessed him? She was a stranger, and in this awkward, silent moment, he felt it profusely.

But she was a beautiful stranger.

While her eyes followed a restless black thorough-bred across a distant pasture, he watched her. He loved the way her silky dark brown hair graced the tops of her shoulders. And anyone with such fair skin certainly couldn’t spend endless hours in the summer sun. Instead, he imagined her sitting on his aunt’s veranda in the old rocking chair, sipping cold lemonade and nibbling on sugar cookies. With perspiration glistening on her slender neck, she would gently fan herself.

Matt turned away and took a deep breath. This was his loneliness talking. He’d always thought he’d be married by now. Instead, he had been best man to a string of cousins, and by the end of the summer he’d be the only unmarried Wynn cousin. And he didn’t even have a prospect in sight. That was, until he’d held Amy in his arms. Even though he’d been terrified during the life-threatening ordeal, he’d found a certain comfort in holding her close. It was as if his subconscious had taunted, This is what it would feel like to hold a woman you could love for a lifetime.

Shaking his head, Matt physically tried to suppress the ridiculous thoughts. While it was true he felt an unexplainable bond with this woman, it wasn’t love. Love didn’t happen in a flash or even in an hour. Real love, like the kind his parents and grandparents shared, took time to grow and mature. Glancing at Amy, he promised himself he wouldn’t blow their newfound connection out of proportion. They had survived a dangerous moment together. It was only natural he should feel drawn to her.

Feeling more confident, Matt moved to Amy’s side. As they stared out the window in silence, he resisted the urge to casually drape his arm across her shoulders. When he turned his head, he found her studying him with curious eyes. He smiled, and when he did, her composure cracked, and he saw the distrust, confusion and sadness she tried to hide. In that moment, Matt could only wonder why God had brought this woman into his life.

“How about that tour?” he asked, suddenly anxious to stretch his legs and inhale the fragrant Kentucky air.

They hadn’t walked very far when Matt realized Amy skillfully redirected the conversation each time it headed her way. While Matt wasn’t trying to be nosy or rude, he did wonder what had brought her to Lexington and why such a beautiful woman would be content to work for his aunt for the summer.

There were so many things he wanted to ask her. But as he’d learned from his horses, patience was a virtue. Given enough time, she would tell him everything he needed to know.

As they left the formal rose garden and started to follow the trail that wound around a small hill behind the estate, Amy stopped to take one last look at the large two-story white farmhouse, the expansive lawn and the series of white barns.

“It’s postcard perfect,” she said, admiration showing in her eyes.

Matt inhaled deeply, pleased by her enthusiasm. Next to family and friends, there was nothing he loved more than this one hundred acres.

“No matter what season it is, the view from here is spectacular.” Matt shielded his eyes with his hand as he let his gaze shift from the horses in the pasture below to the main stable with the towering clock tower and chimes that could be heard across the property, and then finally to the huge shade trees surrounding the house. The wooden swings he and his cousins had played on as children still hung from the sturdy branches. Someday, his children would swing beneath those oaks.

He felt Amy’s gaze upon him like a warm shadow. “This farm means a lot to you,” she said. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he heard envy in her voice. And that made sense. His roots went deep, while she had yet to replant. It was as if she carried her heart and soul in a small container, transporting them from city to city, looking for the right place to dig in. Respecting her privacy, he resisted the urge to ask her what she was searching for.

“The land’s been in my family for five generations. It’s where I find my strength. It’s where I’ve learned who I am and what I’m going to be.” He hoped he didn’t sound lofty or arrogant. That wasn’t his nature. But it was hard to put into words how this place defined his life.

“This is where you meet God,” Amy wisely said.

“I never thought of it like that,” Matt said. But she was right. And suddenly a host of memories flooded him. He saw himself as a child walking this trail, wedged between his father and grandfather, listening as they talked of faith and hope and family loyalty. Things he was only beginning to truly understand.

“My grandfather always said, ‘You walk life out one day at a time.’ I guess I took him literally.”

Amy bit her tongue as if she were trying to gather her thoughts. “What if you didn’t have this land?”

“I can’t imagine that,” he said. He’d already told Aunt Lila that when she was ready to sell, he would purchase what still remained of the once thousand-acre horse farm. While everyone in the extended family loved the farm, no one else wanted the responsibility.

“No, that’s not what I mean. What if you didn’t have a place where you could come to God. Would you still be able to find Him?”

Matt started to answer quickly with a yes, but stopped himself when he realized her question must stem from her own search for God. This hill was where he came when he was troubled, when he needed to sort things out, when he wanted to draw closer to God. He glanced toward the top of the tree-covered hill and realized he couldn’t separate his relationship with God from this property. They were entwined like the ivy vines that covered the south side of the house.

“It’s easiest for me to find God here,” Matt finally said. “But God is in my heart. He goes wherever I go. Maybe it would take some time to relearn how to talk to Him if I didn’t have this outdoor sanctuary, but I would find a way to reach Him.”

Amy nodded, as if she were storing away each word for later retrieval. “I admire your confidence.”

In that split second, she caused him to reexamine his faith. Because he had been raised in a Christian family and surrounded by a loving extended family, believing in the power of God had come naturally. He witnessed it constantly when he walked barefoot through dewy bluegrass, when he inhaled the sweet fragrance of a cherry blossom or when he felt the rush of the spring wind against his face and neck as he rode his favorite mare across the meadow. And now he had to ask if he’d taken this heritage for granted. Maybe if he’d come from a different background, as this woman obviously had, he might not have found God so easily as a child.

Matt pursed his lips, then spoke with a grin. “Why don’t you give this hilltop a try and see what you find.”

Amy smiled back. “You’d share your special place with me?”

Enjoying the playful moment, Matt admitted, “It’s kind of like sneaking a girl into the boys-only tree house, but I think there’s room for us both on this hilltop. In fact, I’ll race you to the top.”

Before he finished issuing the challenge, Matt began the sprint up the steep but wide dirt trail. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Amy at his heels. Then within seconds, she reached his side, her breath even and strong. “You didn’t tell me you jogged.”

She smiled as she rushed past him to the top.

Even before she reached the top, Amy heard Matt’s footsteps slow. She took the few minutes of privacy he offered without question.

Shutting her eyes, she tilted her head back, letting the warm sunshine and breeze cleanse her. When she opened her eyes, the view from the small plateau was breathtaking. She could see for miles in all directions. Underneath the puffy blue sky, highways and housing developments crisscrossed horse pastures and meadows as the old and the new merged into one landscape. In the distance, she recognized the downtown Lexington skyline.

Though Amy couldn’t see Matt, she knew when he approached by the scent of his cologne. It was the same woodsy essence he’d worn when they’d been trapped in the closet, and she would forever associate it with the safety of his arms. So when his arm brushed against her shoulder as he stood behind her and pointed to the horizon, she didn’t flinch.

“See that row of trees?” he asked.

Amy nodded.

“That’s the original property boundary. If you follow it, you’ll be able to trace the original tract of land.”

With his free hand on Amy’s shoulder, they slowly rotated together. While she looked everywhere he directed, nodding at just the right moments as he pointed out the meandering stream, the rolling pastures and his prize thoroughbreds, her focus remained on him.

He spoke directly into her ear, so low and soft that his words resonated throughout her body. His breath caressed her neck like a gentle mist, while the spring breeze blew his scent as if it were made of silk, twisting around her body until she couldn’t move.

When he pointed out the housing development that now occupied nearly a third of the old homestead, his frustration and despair vibrated through her body.

“The developer actually did a great job of blending the homes into the landscape. He kept as many of the native trees as he could, he designed around the natural contour of the land and he even dug a pond and installed a natural stone fountain as the architectural centerpiece of the development.”

Even from the plateau, Amy could see the water spray high into the air. And she thought if she listened hard enough, she might hear the beads splash against the surface.

However, the admiration in his voice surprised her. “I thought you’d be bitter. I mean, I barely know you, and yet it’s obvious how much this family home means to you.”

“Yeah, I wish my grandfather and uncle could have held on to the entire tract of land, but I understand the economic reasons behind their need to sell off parcels. I probably would have made the same decision they did.”

“But it still upsets you,” she said. She hadn’t imagined his frustration.

He paused while his gaze perused row after row of houses. “I think what bothers me most is that this is a change that can’t be undone. The clock can’t be turned back on this development. The natural beauty, the innocence of the land is gone forever.”

Amy held her breath as he talked, thinking for a minute that he spoke about her. But that was impossible. He didn’t know how Garry had betrayed her days before their wedding. He didn’t know how Garry had humiliated and deceived her. In one careless moment, Garry had stripped her of her self-confidence and her trust in God and left her with a broken spirit. And like the land below, she would never be the same trusting, easy spirit she’d once been.

The wind picked up, swirling dust around Amy’s feet. She inhaled deeply, and for the first time since she’d left Ohio she felt a tingle of hope. Hope that here in Kentucky she could rebuild her life. And hope that on this hilltop she’d find her way back to God again.

“You’re awful quiet,” Matt said.

Amy pressed her lips into a half smile. She knew what Matt was really saying. I’ve told you a little about myself, now it’s your turn.

“I was just thinking about how different this farm is from the small town where I grew up.” She proceeded with caution, not certain how much she would tell Matt.

“In Ohio,” he said, without looking at her.

Maybe it was because he gave her the space she needed, or maybe it was because she needed to release pent-up emotions, but either way she decided to tell him enough to satisfy his curiosity.

“Just north of Cincinnati,” she said.

“And you have family or friends in the Lexington area?” he asked.

“No, in fact, I’d never been here until two weeks ago when I came to see if I could find an apartment and a job.”

“And when you did, or at least when you thought you had, you loaded up and moved here.”

“What?” she said, thinking she’d mistakenly read a mix of astonishment and admiration in his blue eyes.

“That takes a lot of guts to pack up and move to a new city.”

“Sometimes life doesn’t give you much of a choice.” As soon as she’d spoken, she felt like she’d been tricked, as if he’d somehow forced her to admit the truth.

When he didn’t immediately probe, but instead let the silence stretch between them like a taut rubber band, she felt compelled to ease the tension. “I’m not running away.” She wanted to be clear on that. She could have stayed in Ohio.

“You don’t strike me as the type who would run away.”

She looked at him for a minute, making sure his eyes reflected the confidence in her that he claimed to have. “There’s a difference between running away and running to something.” Until this moment, she really hadn’t seen it that way herself. “I knew that if I’d stayed, my anger and resentment would have destroyed me. And I couldn’t let that happen.”

“So how did you end up in Lexington?”

Amy smiled as if she were about to share great wisdom. “I tacked a map to the wall and played pin the tail on the city. And ta-da!”

Matt reached out and smoothed a strand of hair behind Amy’s ear. “I don’t care how you came to Lexington, I’m just glad you’re here.”

“You are?”

Instantly, Matt’s smile became wider as if to hide his true feelings. “Sure, you’re the perfect companion for Aunt Lila. You don’t know how worried the whole family was about finding help she’d accept.”

“Right,” Amy said. “And this is the perfect arrangement for me, too.”

Turning slightly away from him, she closed her eyes and listened to the distant cries of restless birds, the thrashing of squirrels jumping from tree to tree and a lone plane slicing through the puffy clouds. Even though she felt out of sync with God, she believed with all her heart that He’d brought her to this piece of heaven to heal her broken heart. She didn’t care how long it took. She wanted to rid her heart of the anger and resentment and hurt that still lingered. She wanted to feel whole again. And someday, she hoped she’d be able to love again.

Matt’s woodsy scent grew stronger, and she realized they stood back to back. In the quiet moment, she flashed back to the time they’d spent in the closet. It was funny how she felt closest to him when they shared the silence.

Matt cleared his throat. “Um. Just so you can mark your calendar, my cousin Susy is marrying Dave in less than three weeks from today. You’ll get to meet most of the family then, as well as my parents. I expect they’ll drive down from Louisville for the day.”

Amy would have laughed if it hadn’t hurt so much. Just when she was feeling a glimmer of hope, he had to go and ruin a perfectly lovely afternoon with the mention of a wedding.

“Oh, my gosh,” Amy exclaimed. “I had no idea how late it was getting. I promised Aunt Lila I’d fix dinner.”

Before Matt could respond, Amy started down the hill. All the way to the house, she waited for his woodsy scent to catch up with her, but it never did.