Above All Else (Sandy Cove Series Book 7) Read online

  Madison’s heart leapt when Luke’s face appeared on the screen of her cell phone. She immediately punched the accept button. “Hi stranger,” she said lightly.

  “Hey.” Luke’s voice sounded distant and tired.

  “You didn’t answer my text. What’s wrong?” Madison asked, hoping for a reassuring explanation.

  “Yeah. Sorry about that. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

  “Anything we should talk about?” Madison’s stomach tightened.

  “Hold on a sec,” he replied. Luke didn’t sound very happy. Maybe he was having second thoughts about the wedding, or even about getting married.

  She couldn’t blame him. Not really. Sure, she’d pulled her life together after a disastrous stint in high school. If only she would have known then what she knew now, she never would have gotten involved with Miles.

  But there was no going back. She’d given herself away to a boy who was just looking for a good time.

  Luke was different. They’d grown up loving each other. Not romantically, of course, until that brief stage when Madison was in junior high and he was in high school. But it wasn’t until after Madison’s relationship with Miles that Luke confessed his true feelings for her, feelings Maddie had tried to bury in her own heart.

  They’d thought about getting married while both were in college, but their parents had wisely steered them to focus on school first and then build their life together as a couple. It had been four long years of texting, phone calls, FaceTime, and vacations for courting. Now they were finished with college, Luke with a master’s degree in theology and Madison with a bachelor's in nursing. In one more week, Luke would be home for good!

  They’d been officially engaged since Christmas. When Luke had showed up that morning with a wrapped sweater box in hand, Madison’s heart sank. She’d hoped it would be a ring that he’d be bearing. As her hand caressed the soft, raspberry colored cashmere sweater inside, she noticed a small bulge.

  “What’s this?” she asked, digging under the soft wool and retrieving a small satin pouch.

  “Oh that? Just a little something to go with the sweater,” Luke replied casually.

  As she pulled it out and opened the drawstring ribbon, he slipped off the couch and onto one knee. A sparkling diamond ring fell into her hand. Looking at Luke, her eyes filled to the brim.

  “Madison Baron, would you do me the honor of being my wife?” Luke asked, while the whole family sat on the edge of their seats.

  “I will,” she managed through her tears, reaching out to him and pulling him into an embrace as the family cheered.

  Luke took the ring and slid it onto her finger then cupped her face in his hands as he kissed her right there in front of everyone.

  “Way to go, dude!” Maddie’s brother, seventeen-year-old Caleb, exclaimed. “Finally I’ll have a brother around here.”

  “Maddie, are you there?” Luke’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “Yeah.”

  “Sorry, that was the resident director reminding us of when we need to have our stuff out of the room,” he explained.

  “Are you excited?”

  “About?”

  “About coming home?” she asked, suddenly feeling nervous. Why was he sounding so short with her?

  “Oh. Yeah. It’ll be good to see everyone again.”

  Everyone? Really? She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. “I’ll bet you’ve missed your family.”

  “Listen, Mad, I’ve really gotta go. Pray for me this week, okay? My mind is going in a million directions.”

  “Okay. I will,” she replied. “See you Sunday afternoon?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. Love you,” she added.

  “Love you, too.”

  “We should probably make an appointment with the florist to finalize our order,” Michelle said to Madison the next day.

  “Maybe we should wait, Mom.”

  “Why? It’s one more thing we can cross off our list,” Michelle said as she held up a clipboard.

  “I’m not feeling that great,” Madison replied, her voice a little shaky.

  Michelle walked over and sat down on the bed beside her daughter. “What’s up?”

  “It’s just…I don’t know, Mom. Something’s not right.” Madison looked like she was about to cry.

  “What is it, honey?” Michelle asked as she draped an arm over Maddie’s shoulder. In an instant, Madison was in tears. Michelle drew her into her arms and held her close. “You aren’t having second thoughts, are you? I mean about getting married.”

  Madison shook her head as she pulled herself away. “No, but I think Luke might be.”

  “Why do you say that?” Michelle could feel her heart begin to race. Surely Luke was not backing out of the relationship after all this time?

  “He just sounded so distant when we talked yesterday. Like he barely had anything to say to me.” She grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and blew her nose. “And when I sent him that text from the bridal shop, he never answered it.”

  “Oh, Maddie. He’s got a lot on his mind right now. I’m sure he’s eager to see you again. Everything will be fine when he’s home. Trust me.”

  Madison studied her face but didn’t respond.

  “Maybe we should all go to a movie tonight,” Michelle suggested. “We can take a break on the wedding planning. Pretty soon, you’ll be out of the house and we won’t have any more family nights.”

  Madison gave her a sad smile. “Okay. Yeah. That sounds good.”

  “I’ll go talk to your brother and see if he’s up for a movie.”

  As Michelle stood, Madison grabbed her hand. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome, honey. And I mean it. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  Caleb’s door was ajar as Michelle approached it. She knocked lightly and pushed it open. Caleb was at his desk on his laptop, which he promptly shut before turning nervously to face her.

  Something didn’t feel right. What could he be up to? “Watcha doin', pal?” she asked.

  “Nothing. What’s up?” he replied hastily.

  “Madison and I were thinking about catching a movie tonight.”

  “Okay.”

  “Would you want to go? I mean, like the whole family,” she asked.

  “Uh…sure…I guess,” he answered, still feeling a little badly about how he’d talked to her earlier. “What movie?”

  “You and Maddie pick. Dad and I will be fine with whatever you two decide.”

  “Okay. Just tell her I’m in here. We can look the shows up online.”

  Michelle nodded. “Nothing with torture, okay?”

  “Okay, Mom. No torture. Got it,” he replied with a smile.

  After his mother left the room, Caleb opened his laptop again. A list of agencies popped up on the screen—search agencies for birth parents. Caleb knew his birthmother— a former student of his mother’s who’d gotten pregnant with him while she was an eighth grade student in Michelle’s class.

  Although he hadn’t met her until he was six years old, Amber Gamble had been a part of his life ever since. She would come up to Oregon to their home in Sandy Cove every couple of years to see him. And he’d been to her place in Arizona when they’d gone on a vacation to see the Grand Canyon.

  But Caleb wanted to meet his real father. And Amber was not cooperating with him. She refused to give him any information at all, other than saying the relationship was a big mistake and that the guy was older than her. Apparently he’d been in high school at the time.

  Caleb had been at the same campus for three years now. He’d be a senior this fall. He figured he was old enough to at least find out who the guy was. Maybe he still lived in Sandy Cove. It was possible Caleb had even seen him around town.

  Lately, it seemed like his other dad was always on him about something. “Cut your hair,” “Get that grade in science up,” “Better figure out what college you want to go to.” His dad was full of
directives. It wasn’t that Caleb didn’t love him or feel loved back. But he knew Steve wasn’t his flesh and blood. And for some reason, that mattered right now.

  Both of his parents had been great about Amber. They let him talk on the phone with her, write letters and emails, and hang out when she was in town. But whenever he mentioned anything about his birth father, everyone put up walls.

  How bad could the guy be?

  Caleb wanted to find out for himself. And nothing and no one was going to stop him.

  Glancing at the college brochures on his desk, he flashed back to a fight with his dad the day before. Steve had come in unannounced and handed him the flyers. “Time to start looking, bud,” he’d said.

  “I just got out for summer, Dad. Can I have a break here?” Caleb asked.

  “Not if you want to get into a good school,” his father retorted. “Competition’s stiff, especially if you want to do something like pre-law.”

  “Pre-law? Really, Dad?”

  “Would it be so bad to follow in your father’s footsteps?” Steve asked, his voice tinged with impatience. “You could walk right into a junior partnership here with me.”

  “Great,” Caleb replied.

  “Just think about it, son,” his dad replied in a much softer tone.

  “Yeah.”

  After Steve left his room, Caleb had tossed the brochures off to the side of his desk. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to go to college at all. Maybe he’d take a year off. He allowed his mind to wander to the possibilities. Maybe a road trip across the United States. Or learning to surf better and traveling down the coast to hang out with his Uncle Tim in Seal Beach, California. Yeah, that would be a blast.

  But first he wanted to find his real father. And see just what kind of guy he was.

  “Hey,” Madison said as she walked into her brother’s room. She noticed that he immediately shut his computer before turning to talk to her. “What are you doing on there?” she asked casually.

  “Nothing.”

  “You shut it awfully quickly for ‘nothing’,” she replied.

  “It’s nothing that concerns you,” Caleb said. “So Mom wants us to have a movie night,” he added, clearly wanting to change the subject.

  “Listen, Caleb, if you’re getting into something stupid on that computer, Mom and Dad will find out eventually, so you might as well come clean with me.”

  Her brother stared at her for a minute and then clapped his hands on his knees. “I’m just looking for someone, okay?”

  “Okay. Like who?” Madison asked.

  He hesitated before answering. “Promise you won’t say anything?”

  “Depends on who you’re looking for,” she teased.

  “Come on, Mad. I’m serious.”

  “Okay, okay. I promise.”

  Caleb took a deep breath and turned back to his computer, opening it to reveal the screen.

  “Finding a Birthparent” appeared in the search engine box. Madison walked over and skimmed the listing below. “You already know your birthmother,” she said.

  “Yeah. But not my father,” he replied, shutting the computer again.

  “Oh man, Caleb. Are you sure you want to do this?” Maddie asked. “I’m sure Amber would have told you if she thought you should know who he is.”

  “Amber doesn’t get to decide everything for me. And she probably lost touch with him a long time ago,” he said. “For all I know, he’s still living in Sandy Cove. Maybe he wonders about me, too.”

  Madison could see the earnestness in her brother’s eyes. This was really important to him. But it kind of creeped her out to think of him going to see some stranger and claiming he was the guy’s son.

  “Listen, Cale. I know I promised not to tell,” she began.

  “And you’d better not,” he jumped in, his tone warning her of his seriousness. “I mean it, Mad. I’ll never trust you again.”

  “Okay. Fine. I won’t say anything. But I need you to promise to keep me updated on your search. Please, whatever you do, do not go see anyone without letting me know. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Feeling at least a little reassured, Madison remembered the reason she’d come in to his room in the first place. “Mom wants us to pick a movie for tonight,” she said.

  “Yeah. Right.” Caleb once again opened his laptop and navigated to the theater page. Soon they were perusing their choices.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The week had dragged by, and Madison was getting more and more nervous as Luke’s return hastened. Every phone conversation between them seemed strained, and Luke often let over an hour go by before responding to her texts. The pediatrician’s office had called twice to see about her interest in the part time nursing position. She’d thought she should discuss it with Luke first in person, but maybe she should just go ahead and take it.

  “What are you looking so serious about?” Madison’s father asked one evening.

  “Just stuff,” she replied, standing to walk out of the room.

  “Hey, hold on for a second. Can’t you give your old man a few minutes?” he asked. “Soon you’ll be married and out of here, and I won’t have you around.”

  Madison relented. “Okay, Dad,” she replied, walking over and sitting on the arm of his chair.

  “So Luke comes home tomorrow, right?” Steve asked.

  “Yep.”

  Her father looked at her intently. “You don’t sound very excited about that.”

  “I guess I’m a little nervous,” she admitted.

  “Come here, princess,” Steve replied, pulling her to her feet and then into his lap. “I still have room for you here,” he added, shifting in his chair to accommodate her.

  Madison rested in his arms, suddenly feeling very small.

  “So why are you nervous, honey? Is it all the wedding stuff? I know you’ve been under pressure to make a lot of decisions lately.”

  She sighed. “No, it’s not that.” Hesitating, she finally added, “It’s Luke. There’s something different about him.”

  Steve shifted again, this time to make eye contact with her. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean he’s acting funny, Dad. Like something’s bothering him,” she began. “And he takes forever to answer my texts. It’s almost like he’s avoiding me.”

  “That doesn’t sound like him,” Steve replied. “He must have a lot on his mind, Maddie.”

  “I guess.”

  “Don’t jump to any conclusions, sweetheart. Luke loves you. We all know it.” Steve drew her close again. “There’s a lot on a man’s mind when he’s about to get married,” he added. “I remember suddenly feeling a new weight of responsibility on my shoulders about a month before your mother and I took the plunge.”

  “Really, Daddy?” she asked.

  “Really. Even though I knew your mom wanted to become a teacher, I still felt like the role of breadwinner and provider was going to be on me.” He paused for a moment and then said with a chuckle, “I guess it’s wired into us males—to want to take care of our women.”

  Madison smiled. “So you think that’s what’s bothering Luke?”

  “Maybe. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “You don’t think he’s having second thoughts?” she asked.

  “About marrying you?”

  “Yeah.”

  Steve hugged her close. “I’m sure it’s not that. Don’t go down that rabbit hole.”

  She was quiet for a minute. Then she sat upright. “Thanks, Dad. Thanks for listening. I hope you’re right.” She stood up, kissed his cheek, and walked out of the room. “And, Dad?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think I should take the position at Dr. Kramer’s office?”

  “It sounds like a solid offer to me. When do you need to let him know?” he asked.

  “The other nurse is going part time in a month and then she’ll be off for maternity leave around Christmas.”

  “What does Luke say?”

&nb
sp; “I haven’t had a chance to discuss it with him yet,” she replied. “Guess I should do that first.”

  “If you’re asking me, I’d say yes, you should. You two need to start making your decisions and plans together now.”

  “Yeah,” she replied with a nod. “Thanks, Dad.” She gave him a hug and then started walking away.

  Steve watched her go, saying a quick prayer for wisdom and confidence for his only daughter.

  “I’m concerned about Madison,” Michelle said tentatively, as she and Steve were getting ready for bed that night. She didn’t want to worry him, but Madison’s reluctance to press forward with the wedding arrangements had her stumped.

  “Me, too,” he replied. “We had a little talk this afternoon. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but she seems suddenly insecure about her relationship with Luke.”

  “I know. I just don’t get it.”

  “Do you think I should talk to Luke?” Steve asked. “I mean man-to-man, and see if the signals Madison thinks she’s picking up are valid? She says he’s not responding to her texts, at least not in the timeframe she expects, and that he’s been distant on the phone.”

  “She told me the same thing,” Michelle replied. “I’m not sure about you talking to Luke, though. It seems like something Maddie has to do herself.”

  “Yeah. I guess. I just don’t want her heart broken by him.”

  “By Luke? Really? He’s crazy about her. And he’s not the type to lead someone on.”

  “Yeah.” Steve sank down onto the bed beside her. “Maybe you should talk to her and remind her of that.”

  Michelle nodded. “Sometimes I think she never completely outgrew that insecurity she felt in high school. She’s like two different people these days—self assured and confident in her nursing skills, but still wavering in her footing as a future wife.”

  “Well, I didn’t say this to her, but a guy doesn’t want to be battling his wife’s insecurities all his life. At some point, Madison needs to realize that Luke loves her and start resting in that truth. Otherwise, there could be problems.”