buttercup blossom from the feathery greens. The delicate bold yellow petals reminded her of being a little girl running through the fields that would turn yellow with them this time of year. She tucked it behind her ear. “I know that look, Gran. You have someone else in mind.”
“I have a backup, it’s true. I had you meet the best one first, but this one has prospects, too.” Gran glowed with happiness as she worked, considering the possibilities. “His grandmother promises he’s a nice boy. He makes up with lots of good traits for what he lacks in other areas.”
“Oh, boy.” Not again. Eloise laughed. “I don’t want to go on another blind date. They’re too painful.”
“What you need, my girl, is more practice.” Gran patted the earth where she’d extracted a particularly long-rooted dandelion. “It’s not fair what happened to you. The accident. Spending all that time in a wheelchair—”
“I don’t like to think about that time and what I lost,” she interrupted. She could only take so much. The year she’d spent as a paraplegic had been the most difficult of her life. “I got through it, but it’s over now. I’m looking forward.”
“That’s wise, dear.” Gran swiped her brow and left a faint trace of dust on her forehead. “It was hard rebuilding your life. I watched you do it. You had to leaveso much behind. The skating you loved, the man you loved, everything.”
“I’m all right.” She swallowed hard, refusing to break the cage of denial she’d trapped all her feelings in. “That’s what matters. Please don’t set me up on another date.”
“Too late. I know what’s best for you.” Gran, as endearing as could be, reached across the row and patted Eloise’s hand.
All her life she’d looked up to her grandmother, ran shouting with joy up the front steps to be swept into Gran’s hug. The little girl she’d been still could not say no. Gran seemed so big to her, more special than anything on earth.
“I hope you have next Wednesday available.” Silver curls fluttered in the wind as she bent over her work. “If not, clear your calendar so you can meet Craig.”
“I’m afraid to ask what he does.” Eloise pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and shook it out.
“He’s a technician at one of those oil-changing places. Now before you think the worst, he’s in line for a promotion.”
Memories of George flitted into her mind as she gently brushed away the smudge of dirt on her grandmother’s forehead. “Goody.”
“That’s my girl.” Pride lit her up. “You’ll find your happiness, I promise you that. You can’t give up looking, and you can’t give up hope.”
“I’m not sure I want my happiness to depend on a man.” She thought of Gerald and how he hadn’t been as stalwart as she’d believed him to be. She would never forget the phone calls she’d made to him and the last messages she’d left on his voice mail. She’d been lonely for him and needed to hear the sound of his voice aftera tough day in physical therapy, and what had he been doing? Taking his new skating partner out to an intimate, romantic dinner. She’d been left waiting while his feelings had turned off for her and on for someone else. Almost a year had passed and it still stung.
“When it’s the right man, your happiness is assured.” Gran sat back on her heels, growing misty remembering. “When your grandfather was alive, my life was perfect. Love made it that way.”
“Gramps was great.” She couldn’t argue. “I’m not sure they make men like him anymore.”
“Sure they do. You just have to find him. Your perfect match. The man God means just for you.” Gran returned to her weeding, so sure of her view. “Faith, Eloise. You have to believe.”
“Of course.” Believe? She wanted to. It was a nice idea, but life wasn’t that simple and love was painfully complicated. “How about I take a break from believing and start up again, oh, say in five
“I have a backup, it’s true. I had you meet the best one first, but this one has prospects, too.” Gran glowed with happiness as she worked, considering the possibilities. “His grandmother promises he’s a nice boy. He makes up with lots of good traits for what he lacks in other areas.”
“Oh, boy.” Not again. Eloise laughed. “I don’t want to go on another blind date. They’re too painful.”
“What you need, my girl, is more practice.” Gran patted the earth where she’d extracted a particularly long-rooted dandelion. “It’s not fair what happened to you. The accident. Spending all that time in a wheelchair—”
“I don’t like to think about that time and what I lost,” she interrupted. She could only take so much. The year she’d spent as a paraplegic had been the most difficult of her life. “I got through it, but it’s over now. I’m looking forward.”
“That’s wise, dear.” Gran swiped her brow and left a faint trace of dust on her forehead. “It was hard rebuilding your life. I watched you do it. You had to leaveso much behind. The skating you loved, the man you loved, everything.”
“I’m all right.” She swallowed hard, refusing to break the cage of denial she’d trapped all her feelings in. “That’s what matters. Please don’t set me up on another date.”
“Too late. I know what’s best for you.” Gran, as endearing as could be, reached across the row and patted Eloise’s hand.
All her life she’d looked up to her grandmother, ran shouting with joy up the front steps to be swept into Gran’s hug. The little girl she’d been still could not say no. Gran seemed so big to her, more special than anything on earth.
“I hope you have next Wednesday available.” Silver curls fluttered in the wind as she bent over her work. “If not, clear your calendar so you can meet Craig.”
“I’m afraid to ask what he does.” Eloise pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and shook it out.
“He’s a technician at one of those oil-changing places. Now before you think the worst, he’s in line for a promotion.”
Memories of George flitted into her mind as she gently brushed away the smudge of dirt on her grandmother’s forehead. “Goody.”
“That’s my girl.” Pride lit her up. “You’ll find your happiness, I promise you that. You can’t give up looking, and you can’t give up hope.”
“I’m not sure I want my happiness to depend on a man.” She thought of Gerald and how he hadn’t been as stalwart as she’d believed him to be. She would never forget the phone calls she’d made to him and the last messages she’d left on his voice mail. She’d been lonely for him and needed to hear the sound of his voice aftera tough day in physical therapy, and what had he been doing? Taking his new skating partner out to an intimate, romantic dinner. She’d been left waiting while his feelings had turned off for her and on for someone else. Almost a year had passed and it still stung.
“When it’s the right man, your happiness is assured.” Gran sat back on her heels, growing misty remembering. “When your grandfather was alive, my life was perfect. Love made it that way.”
“Gramps was great.” She couldn’t argue. “I’m not sure they make men like him anymore.”
“Sure they do. You just have to find him. Your perfect match. The man God means just for you.” Gran returned to her weeding, so sure of her view. “Faith, Eloise. You have to believe.”
“Of course.” Believe? She wanted to. It was a nice idea, but life wasn’t that simple and love was painfully complicated. “How about I take a break from believing and start up again, oh, say in five
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