Meet Me in Galveston

© 2004 By Andrea Boeshaar

Did he forget?

A gust of early morning sea air tousled Jenny Wesphal’s champagne-blond hair as she stared off into the distance. A tall palm tree, gracing the front of The Victorian Inn, swayed in the wind while her hands gripped the white, wooden porch rail.

She remembered.

It had been the summer when Jenny was just seventeen. Tom Berwick had been the same age. Their families were vacationing in time-shares on the ocean here in Galveston and by the end of the week, Jenny and Tom professed their undying love for each other. Then they promised to meet five years later, on Valentine’s Day.

Today was that day.

Oh, Lord, she whispered on the warm breeze, Tom is Your child just as I am and our relationship is and always has been in Your hands. Help me to leave it there.

Her mind traveled back to end of that vacation. She and Tom had parted to opposite ends of the country, she to Wisconsin and he to Florida. But they wrote to each other often. Soon, however, the letters on his end became few and far between. Even so, Jenny trusted that Tom remembered their promise and year after year, her anticipation grew.

When they graduated from high school, they swapped class pictures. But during the three years past, while Jenny attended college and Tom drifted in and out of Florida State University, their communication dwindled, even with the convenience of email. Jenny never reminded him of their pledge, but she’d prayed as long and hard as she knew how. What’s more, she’d scrimped and saved every last penny for this long-awaited holiday to see him again.

Now, today was the test. Would Tom remember? Would he show up?

“Beautiful mornin’, isn’t it?”

Hearing the deep, masculine voice behind her, Jenny twirled with a start. She half-expected Tom to be standing there, but instead a tall man with broad shoulders, a ruddy complexion, and a tan Stetson on his head grinned back at her.

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” His grin all but captivated her. “Sorry.”

“Th-that’s okay.” She pushed out a nervous smile. “I guess I was just deep in thought.”

He pulled off his hat and inclined his head, then stuck out his right hand. “My name’s Cade McCormick.”

She shook it politely. “Jenny Westphal.”

“Well, Miss Westphal...or is it Mrs?”

“Miss.”

He smiled and...was that relief flickering in his hazel eyes? How strange, she thought as he donned the Stetson.

“Well, Miss Westphal,” he began again, “have you ever stayed at this bed-and-breakfast before?”

Jenny shook her head and lowered her gaze. She wasn’t accustomed to giving out personal information to strange men. Looking back at the cowboy, she warily searched his face. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, strong jaw line, aquiline nose, and hardy smile. But where had he come from? He could be an axe murderer for all she knew.

As if divining her thoughts, the man gave her an easy grin. “Guess I’ve been a bit forward.” His voice beheld that Texas twang Jenny was becoming accustomed to hearing. “I hope you’ll forgive me. I stay here a lot because Donna Littengrave, the owner of this place, is my aunt, and I saw you arrive yesterday afternoon. I’m just tryin’ to be friendly, is all.”

Jenny relaxed slightly. “Do you work here?”

“Nope. I actually work in Houston. I’m in real estate, it’s a family business. We’ve got some properties here in Galveston that I manage, so my work brings me here to see my dear, sweet auntie quite a bit.”

“And you’d best be smiling when you say that, Cade,” the feminine voice heralded from the front door.

Jenny looked over and saw Mrs. Littengrave’s willowy form leaning on the doorjamb. She didn’t miss the amusement glimmering in the older woman’s blue eyes.

Again, Cade dragged his Stetson off his head. Placing the hat over the expanse of his wide chest, he bowed dramatically. Jenny saw his thick, dark blond, rebellious curls, and it was then she noticed, too, that he was dressed in semi-professional fashion, a light-blue dress shirt and navy slacks.

Donna Littengrave clucked her tongue and smiled. “You are too charming for your own good, Cade. Well, come along, you two. Breakfast is ready.”

Entering the house, Jenny followed her hostess into the dining room and sat down at the dark, heavy, mission oak table. Cade took the seat across from her and Mrs. Littengrave seated herself on one end.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she began, “but we say grace before each meal.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Jenny bowed her head while Cade asked the blessing on their food. It was a personal, heartfelt prayer and Jenny sensed the man’s faith.

“Auntie, this meal looks good enough to eat!” Cade said facetiously, digging right in.

“Yes, it looks and smells delicious,” Jenny agreed, lifting her fork.

A pleased expression crossed Mrs. Littengrave’s face. “So, tell us about yourself, Miss Westphal.”

“Not much to tell. I’m working my way through college.”

“Which one?” Cade asked before biting into his cinnamon roll.

Jenny named her school. “It’s in Watertown, Wisconsin. Ever heard of it?”

“Sure. I knew a guy at school who had attended that university for a while.” He shot an alluring grin in her direction. “I graduated from a large Christian college in Florida two years ago.”

“Florida.” The word stirred up a wistfulness inside of Jenny as thoughts of Tom flittered through her mind.

“Yep, Florida.” Cade paused, chewing his food. “I enjoyed school and campus life, but the highlight of my education was a missions trip I took the summer of my junior year. Several of us students went to Brazil. I’ll never forget it. We saw a host of folks come to know Christ as Savior while we were there.”

“Excellent.” So he’s a believer. Jenny let down her guard a little more.

“What’s your major, Miss Westphal?” Mrs. Littengrave wanted to know.

“Please, call me Jenny and...don’t laugh, okay?” She peered sheepishly at Cade. “Business professionals usually find my major amusing, to say the least.”

He lifted his hands in surrender. “You have my word as a gentleman that I won’t laugh.”

“It’s home economics.”

True to his promise, Cade didn’t even smirk. In fact, an almost troubled-looking frown creased his blond brows. His eyes shifted to his aunt before he met Jenny’s gaze again. “Home ec, eh? That’s a fine major for a woman, I think.”

He cleared his throat, appearing quite chagrined, and Jenny noticed her hostess’ obvious discomfort also.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no...not at all,” Cade assured her.

A few moments of silence ensued while Jenny ate and wondered what the big deal was with her major.

“Are you here in Galveston on business, then?” Mrs. Littengrave soon inquired. “It’s a bit early for Spring Break.”

Jenny debated whether to tell the whole truth and finally decided it couldn’t hurt. “I took a few days off from school. I’m actually here in hopes of meeting a...a friend of mine. We first met five years ago and promised each other we’d meet in Galveston on Valentine’s Day – this Valentine’s Day.” She picked at her hash browns. “The only trouble is, I have a hunch he’s not going to show.”

“The day’s not over yet.” Mrs. Littengrave sent Jenny a smile.

“Did you call and remind him?” Cade wanted to know. “I mean, five years...that’s long time.”

“We’ve corresponded, but, no, I never reminded him.” For some odd reason, Jenny couldn’t help the challenging stare she threw at cowboy sitting across the table. “I wanted to see if my friend took his promise seriously. After all, I did.”

Cade arched his brows.

“Well, this is all very interesting,” Mrs. Liitengrave said.

Jenny gazed at her half-eaten meal and a knot of discomfort tugged at her stomach. Perhaps in some round about way Cade and his aunt were indeed mocking her major – and her.

“I suppose I should get going.” She slid her chair back and stood.

Cade rose in a mannerly way, while Jenny thanked Mrs. Littengrave for the breakfast.

“And I’ve got you down for staying over tonight too,” the older woman added. “Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

After a few more pleasantries, Jenny left the dining room and climbed the wide, elegant staircase to her rented room. Gathering her purse and a sweater, she departed, locking the door behind her. She’d gotten only to the first landing, when Cade nearly plowed her over as he ran up the stairs two at a time.

“Oh, pardon me.” An apology rang in his voice as he grabbed hold of Jenny’s elbow so her backside wouldn’t hit the step. They pirouetted on the landing, before Cade finished his ascent.

Jenny couldn’t stifle the giggle that passed her lips and, hearing it, Cade looked over his shoulder and smiled.

He is something, she mused as she walked outside. Too charming for his own good...yes, his aunt was right.

The sunshine warmed her arms and face. Back in Wisconsin, she’d left a snow storm. Jenny inhaled the sea air. Oh, to have warm sunny weather forever. And then Cade’s face surfaced in her mind’s eye. The stereo-typical Texan, enchanting, gallant, and she soon found herself wondering if he was married. She hadn’t noticed a wedding band on his left finger, but that didn’t mean anything these days.

Chastening herself for the way her thoughts had strayed, Jenny tried to concentrate on where Tom might be. At seventeen, they’d never thought to prearrange a meeting place, so Jenny decided to go back to where they’d met, at the time-share on Seawall Boulevard.

She strolled passed houses lining the beach and recalled the hand-in-hand walks along the ocean she’d taken with Tom that summer so long ago. He’d helped her gather a seashell collection which she’d taken back to Wisconsin.

Hours went by as Jenny searched for Tom in neighboring hotels. She checked with a number of bed-and breakfasts too. No reservations had been made in his name.

He forgot.

An overwhelming sense of foolhardiness enveloped Jenny. She’d saved her money for this? For nothing?

By mid-afternoon, Jenny felt exhausted. Worse, her feet hurt from all the walking she’d done and she still had to get back to the bed-and-breakfast.

As she sat alone outside a café sipping iced cappuccino, she thought about the inspirational romance novel she’s purchased. It would have to keep her company tonight, as real life romance had obviously not kept his half of the promise!

Well, Lord, I asked You to lead and You have. Now I shouldn’t complain. But, of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t over yet!

A red sports car slowed to a halt and honked, startling Jenny so she nearly spilled her coffee. With an annoyed frown, she glanced at the offender, only to see Cade McCormick climbing out of the double-parked vehicle.

“Want a lift back to the inn?”

“I’d love one.”

Jenny stood and walked to his car. Cade opened the door for her and she slid into the front seat.

“So...any sign of your, um, friend?”

“No, not yet.”

“Yet? The day’s almost done.” Wearing a mischievous grin, Cade cast a sidelong glance in her direction. “Are you giving this guy until sundown, or what?”

Jenny shrugged, her disappointment resurfacing.

Cade must have sensed it. “Aw, now, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I was trying to make you laugh.”

Jenny said nothing. She didn’t feel like laughing at the moment. Quite the opposite.

They reached the bed-and-breakfast and Jenny hopped out of Cade’s expensive car.

“I offended you and I apologize,” Cade reiterated, coming around the shiny auto and standing on the curb beside her.

“It’s okay. You didn’t say anything I didn’t already think of myself.” She gazed up at a looming palm tree, willing away the hot tears collecting in the backs of her eyes.

“Well, if your friend doesn’t show up, I’d sure like to take you to dinner. I mean, it is Valentine’s Day. No sense in both of us sitting around alone tonight when we could enjoy each other’s company. What do you say?”

Blinking away her disillusionment, she turned to Cade. “That’s a nice offer, but--”

“But nothing. We’ll have fun.” He flashed a winning smile. “And you’ve got to eat anyhow, right? Why not let me pay for it?”

The broke college student in her emerged. “You’ve got a point there…”

Much later, Jenny dressed for her dinner date with Cade. She wore the black dress and pearl necklace with which she had planned to impress Tom. But any lingering hopes of meeting up with him disappeared with the setting sun.

“Can I tell you something really stupid?” Cade asked after they’d enjoyed a wonderful meal at a wharf-side restaurant.

“Sure.” Holding her coffee cup between both hands, Jenny was hard-pressed to contain a laugh. Cade somehow had that effect on her. They had been doing a lot of talking since late this afternoon and Jenny discovered that when he said something would sound “really stupid,” he meant it!

“For years my siblings, bless their hearts, have been trying to find me a nice Christian woman to settle down with. But I always tell them, I know just who I’m looking for, I’ve seen her a thousand times in my mind.”

“Oh, yeah? And what, may I ask, does this phantom look like?”

Cade leaned forward, his sudden ardent expression illuminated by the candlelight glowing in the center of their table. “She looks exactly like you.”

“Right.” Jenny laughed to cover her shock and embarrassment.

He sat back. “I told you it sounded stupid…except it’s the truth. The woman I’ve envisioned for years is a serious Christian, has white-blond hair, the color of the sand beneath the hot sun. Her eyes are as blue as a cloudless sky, and...” He fixed his gaze on her. “And has a home ec major. Jenny, I feel like I’ve dreamed you into existence.”

She wanted to somehow refute his words, but Cade’s features were drawn in earnestness and all she could do was lose herself in the depths of his stare. This man was serious.

Shifting uncomfortably, Jenny tore her gaze from his.

“Everyone told me I’d never find a woman like you,” Cade continued. “Even Aunt Donna who has been a second mother to me. She said women are too liberated these days to be family minded and when you mentioned your college major, I think she almost fell off her chair.”

Forcing herself to sip her coffee, Jenny now understood the reason for this morning’s undercurrent. Still, she couldn’t see herself getting romantically involved with Cade McCormick, even if it would be very easy to fall in love with him.

“I’m flattered you think I measure up to your fantasy woman, but one long distance affair d’coeur is one too many for me,” she said, thinking of Tom. But she gave Cade a polite smile. “Thanks anyhow.”

Cade didn’t seem put off in the least. “Well, I reckon I’ll just have to change your mind.”

*   *   *   *

One year later, Jenny reverently fingered the pearly-lace bodice of her wedding gown. Donna Littengrave, an expert seamstress, had sewn it especially for her and this glorious day; however, Jenny could scarcely believe it was happening. She was about to marry Cade McCormick. In the past twelve months, he’d changed her mind, all right, and left her head fairly spinning in the process.

Jenny expelled a wistful sigh. Cade said he had met the woman of his dreams in Galveston and, likewise, she’d met the man with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

As for Tom...Jenny invited him to the wedding. J

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