“I just needed to be alone with my thoughts,” Connor said. “No offense.”
“None taken. You’ve been awfully quiet lately. That’s not like you,” the older man observed.
“I’m just tired. I’ve been working too hard, I suppose.” He winked at his grandfather. “You need to tell that wife of yours to go easy on me.”
Jennings chuckled. “As if she’d listen.”
“I need to get some sleep before the wedding tomorrow. It’s going to be a big day for our family.” What he wasn’t saying was that sleep had been elusive lately. More times than not, he tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning. All was not right within his soul.
“A joyful event. It’s just what we need after so many years of sorrow.”
For a moment they both settled into the silence. After all they had endured during the years when Sage was missing, a wedding truly was a blessed event.
Weeping may endure for a day, but joy cometh in the morning. The passage from Psalms resonated with him. It always reminded him of his family and what they’d been through. It was finally their time to experience unbridled joy.
“So, if you don’t mind my asking, what’s going on with you and Ella? I thought the two of you were on track to become Owl Creek’s next sweethearts.”
Connor made a face. “It never got off the ground. We were just too different, I suppose.” He didn’t want to tell his grandfather the nitty-gritty details that had prevented him from getting romantically involved with her.
“That’s a shame. She’s a fascinating woman.”
Connor turned toward his grandfather. “What do you mean? You barely know her.”
His grandfather chuckled. “I’m not just a bird-watcher, son. I’m a people watcher, too. I’ve only been in Ella’s presence a few times, but I came to the conclusion that she’s not as she appears to be.”
Connor let out a brittle laugh. “You’re way smarter than I am. It took me months to confirm it.”
Jennings narrowed his gaze as he looked at him. “And wha
t exactly did you deduce about Ella?”
“That she’s not a truthful person. I have no use for people I can’t trust.” He hated speaking badly about Ella, but he needed to be honest with his grandfather.
“Hmm. That’s not what I observed.”
“Don’t leave me hanging. I’d love to know your thoughts,” Connor said, folding his arms across his chest.
“I saw the pain beneath her beautiful exterior, along with a trace of fear. She tried to hide those things, but I recognized them. When I first met your grandmother, she radiated those same emotions. But, with time and patience, I broke through her tough exterior and found a sparkling diamond underneath.”
Connor couldn’t imagine two people being more different. His grandmother was as tough as an Alaskan winter on the tundra, while Ella reminded him of forget-me-nots—beautiful yet delicate. He didn’t quite see the resemblance.
“Why was grandmother in pain?” he asked.
“People come to us as they are. Beulah’s childhood was miserable. It’s one of the reasons she was so happy to join the North fold. She didn’t just emerge from the womb as the magnificent woman she is today. She grew and evolved over time. Imagine if I’d written her off back then?” Jennings had a contemplative expression on his face. “I would have missed out on so many wonderful moments.”
“You wouldn’t have lived out your amazing love story,” Connor said. “And I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Jennings nodded his head. “Amen. Connor, I’d like to ask you a question. Do you love her?”
The question was thrown at him like a curveball. All this time he’d been Ella’s friend. They’d never really moved past that stage. Did he love her? He’d never been in love before. Hadn’t even come close. He froze for a moment, overwhelmed by the reality of his situation. All of these emotions roiling around inside him added up to one thing. The realization hit him squarely in the chest. He was head over heels in love with Ella.
“Yes, I do. I love her more than I ever imagined I could love someone,” he confessed. Something told him that his grandfather already knew what he’d just admitted. He didn’t look at all surprised by Connor’s declaration.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“What can I do? Loving her doesn’t negate the fact that she won’t open up to me about her past. How can I move forward without complete honesty? Not to mention I have no idea if she loves me.”
“You have to ask yourself what’s worse. Living a life with unanswered questions or living a life without the woman that you love. And if you truly love her, you need to start putting the pieces together. Why would she have come to a remote Alaskan town? Why is she so skittish? Add up everything you know about her. Fill in the blanks. Do some digging on your own.”