Page 69 of When I'm With You
It’d been a week since Ryder proposed. Since then, they’d gone to Boston to meet her parents. Ryder pulled Dad aside to ask for his blessing, which he gave. Mom thought Ryder hung the moon, and Jonathan said, “He’s okay. I’ll accept him as a brother.”
Last night, they’d dined at Ryder’s with his parents. He grilled kabobs and made his soon-to-be-famous chocolate cake. Or so Elizabeth claimed.
When his mom asked to see the ring, she said, “Oh, good, you found your great-aunt Georgia’s ring. I was afraid it’d been sold along with her estate when she died.” Mrs. Donovan turned to Elizabeth. “She never had children and was always partial to Ryder. A woman of faith too. Believed God moved in mysterious ways. I’m quite envious of that these days.”
Elizabeth exchanged a glance with Ryder. “You mean this ring belonged to your family?”
“Yes, but in all the hubbub of storing and selling, we thought we’d lost it. I was heartsick about it. Ryder, where’d you find it?”
“In the corner of the kitchen counter.” He winked at Elizabeth and covered her hand with his.
That moment, she began to truly believe in the love and mystery of God.
Today Elizabeth was executing the rest of her fall-in-love-move-to-Hearts-Bend plan. Dressed in a soft-gray suit with a white blouse and heels, she headed down to Granny’s kitchen.
“Look at you,” Granny said. “Dressed like a boss.”
“I have an interview.” She poured a cup of coffee to go.
“In town? Where? Does Will know?”
“Not yet.” Elizabeth snatched a slice of toast from the pile Granny had just buttered. “I’ll be home for dinner. Ryder is coming over.”
“Have you picked a wedding date? You know the Wedding Chapel is booked a year or more out.”
“We’ve talked to Taylor. She’ll fit us in. We can get married on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon.” Elizabeth kissed Granny, then headed for the mudroom exit. “I actually love living in a town where everyone knows my name. If not mine, someone in the family.”
Down River Road, with the radio playing softly, Elizabeth Dorsey whispered a prayer for the day, trying to talk to God a bit more.
At the next light, she turned left into Dorsey Furniture and parked in a visitor slot. Checking her appearance in the rearview mirror, she stepped out of her VW Bug with her messenger bag, résumé inside.
At the front desk, the receptionist, Harmony, greeted her with a quizzical look.
“Elizabeth? What are you doing here?”
“Is Will in?”
“In his office.”
Elizabeth knocked on his door.
“Hey, come in. You’re back from Boston. Did your dad give his blessing?” But he knew the answer. Pops had announced it in the family chat.
Elizabeth gently set her résumé on his desk. “I’d like to interview for the CFO job. For when Dan Harper retires.”
“I see.” Will picked up her résumé. “Okay, Miss Dorsey, have a seat.”
For the first time in her life, Elizabeth Dorsey understood how all the paths of her life had led her to this moment: to Ryder, to Hearts Bend, to who she was meant to be.
