Page 52 of An Uncertain Road

Before she’d had enough time, Beth joined her, looking flushed after spending time in the hot, crowded reception room. Flora offered her the closest thing to a smile she could manage, but Beth wasn’t fooled. Nor was she about to beat around the bush. “What’s going on between you and Jensen? Before yesterday, I was certain there was romance in the air. I saw him take your hand on several occasions. He looked at you like a man falling in love. What happened?”

Flora sighed. She’d been naïve to think she could escape Beth and Fred noticing anything going on, with them all being in such tight quarters for so long. “You’re right, I thought we were falling in love too. But then Sam said Jensen sabotaged us, that he jeopardized our chances of winning to protect himself. Jensen says Mr. Franklin tried to force him to do it, threatening to hurt the Harrisons with his secret about Gregory, but that he still didn’t go through with it. I don’t know who to believe.”

Beth chewed at her lower lip. “I have to believe Jensen. He’s been so concerned about keeping us all safe this entire time. He wouldn’t do anything that could harm us.”

“But quitting the tour—or being unable to finish because of damage to the car—would have meant we’d go back to our safe lives without continuing to risk anything.”

Tipping her head to one side, Beth thought that over. “I can see the logic in that. But I still don’t think Jensen would do it. He’s too good a man to go along with something so underhanded. Are you certain that’s what happened?”

Flora started pacing the narrow hall, her steps matching the rapid rhythm of questions that hadn’t stopped running through her mind since the day before. “I’m not certain of anything right now, Beth. Sam is a good man too. I don’t believe he’s lying. And Jensen admitted to keeping things from others, thinking he could protect himself and them. Look at how long he lived with the truth of his part in Gregory’s death, not telling a soul. He’s very capable of hiding things when he thinks it’s in someone’s best interest.”

Beth considered that. But then she straightened and gave Flora a soft smile. “Sometimes you have to trust the person you love. There are moments when it looks hopeless, when we feel so hurt by the behavior of someone we thought cared about us. It’s happened to me and Fred too. We’re all human with the flaws and sins that accompany that state. You’ll hurt him, too, break his trust, even. You may have already. The difference in a relationship that lasts is that each person is humble enough to realize that they’re just as broken and capable of causing hurt as the other. Neither person holds any regretted, confessed actions against the other. Part of commitment is choosing to offer forgiveness as God offers it to us.”

Beth went to Flora, and they wrapped their arms around each other. After a long embrace, she leaned back to look at Flora. “Don’t miss the chance to experience love with Jensen because you’re afraid of the hurt. Work through this with him instead of striving against him. It will be worth the effort.”

With one last encouraging smile, Beth left Flora alone in the hall and returned to the party. Flora still wasn’t in the mood to celebrate much of anything, but a tendril of hope wound its way through her heart. Could a decision to trust Jensen repair the damage from all the bad choices that had been made? It might be too simple to solve all of their problems, but perhaps it was the only way to start.

Jensen had noticed when the ladies slipped from the room, but he was confident following them wasn’t his best course of action, no matter how much he wanted to plead his case to Flora again.

He knew he’d made the right choice when Beth returned and headed straight toward him. Standing with her hands on her hips, she was clearly on a mission. “Jensen, did you sabotage the car?”

“No. Archie was trying to force me to, and the timing of our issues on the road made him and Sam believe I did. But I didn’t do it, I promise you.”

Beth relaxed, resting one hand on her stomach while the other pointed at the door. “Then you better figure out a way to prove your trustworthiness to Flora before it’s too late.”

“Too late?” Fred looked back and forth between them, blinking with a frown.

Beth gave her husband an indulgent pat on the arm. “They’re falling in love, Fred. And you know I couldn’t stand to see a good love story ruined by one stupid mistake and all this confusion.”

Jensen’s heartbeat started a racing staccato. “Falling in love?”

“Now, it isn’t my place to say things you two need to say to each other. Just find a way to prove it to her, Jensen. A gesture that means she can trust you with her heart, one she can’t deny. Now, Fred, I see cream puffs over there and must have one. Or a few. Let’s go.”

Stunned, Jensen watched the couple weave their way through the reveling teams with their arms entwined. In the background, he heard the announcement of the winner, Percy Pierce, who received more than twice the votes of any other driver. Mr. Pierce made his way to collect his trophy as Jensen sank into a nearby chair. Could Flora feel the same way he did? He was desperate to believe she might love him but hadn’t let himself even dream it with all that was standing between them.

If she did, Beth was right. He needed to prove himself to her. But how? How did a man make up for so many mistakes?

It was a question that plagued him the entire way back to Philadelphia the next day. The drive flew by without a hitch. Fred and Beth were cheerful, exclaiming over how glad they were to finish their visit with the Harrisons before returning home to prepare for the baby. Flora was quiet but not as cold to Jensen as she had been since talking to Sam at the hospital in Pittsfield. He even thought he caught her looking his way more than once.

But that could be wishful thinking.

As Flora drove them through Philadelphia toward Harrison Goods, Jensen’s mouth got drier and swallowing became all but impossible. By the time she parked the car at the edge of the street in front of the store, Jensen had never been both so relieved and so reluctant to step foot inside.

Fred and Beth went into the store as soon as Flora turned off the engine. But Jensen hesitated outside the door, visions of what might happen when he spoke to Mr. Harrison growing more dramatic in his mind by the minute.

A gentle hand on his arm reminded Jensen that Flora was still standing with him, bolstering his resolve. Her voice was soft when she spoke. “What’s wrong, Jensen?”

He examined her face, and there wasn’t anger in her eyes anymore. Had she decided he was telling the truth? Hope swelled in his chest, but there was still work to do. Beth was right. He had to make a gesture that would prove to Flora he was worthy of her love. He just hadn’t figured out what that was yet.

But he was awfully glad to have her by his side for what was ahead. “I’m wondering if there’s anything left for me in there. I’m sure Owen has stepped into Mr. Harrison’s place while I was gone. He’s much more capable of it than I ever was. And now I’m not even sure if there’s a relationship with Mr. Harrison for me to return to, once I tell him everything about Gregory. What if he blames me? Gets angry and makes me leave?”

Flora’s fingers rubbed his arm, sending a thrill through Jensen. He put his hand on top of hers as she spoke. “You won’t know until you try. Mr. Harrison is a reasonable man, and he loves you like his own children. I can’t see him holding your actions against you. He’ll forgive you as Fred did once you laid out the entire truth.”

He noticed she didn’t include herself in forgiving him, but that was a matter for later. Drawing and releasing a deep breath, Jensen led the way into the store and through the merchandise displays, which were noticeably neater and more interesting than he remembered. The new leadership at Harrison Goods was already an improvement. As they crossed the showroom, Owen nodded to acknowledge their return while helping a customer.

Jensen held the door that led to the offices open for Flora, appreciating the confident smile she sent his way as she passed him. They reached Mr. Harrison’s door as Fred and Beth emerged.

Fred patted Jensen’s shoulder, nodding in support. “You can do this, Jensen. We’ll all be better off with things out in the open. I’m going to take Beth to the house to get some rest and tell Mother the good news.”