Eden's jaw dropped.
Does he still think I'm some spoiled debutante after all this time? Haven't I shown him that money doesn't matter to me?
Even as the thought filled her head, she recalled her frequent shopping trips over the past year.
Additional tears filled her eyes, and Eden spun and ran back up the stairs.
* * *
"So,what's going on between you and Eden?"
Rudy froze at Scott's question. Kennedy must have put him up to this.
He snorted. "I don't know man. Skunks and stitches aside, she's pretty and fun to hang out with. We always have a good time, but I'm not sure I should set my heart on more than that."
Now, why did I say that? My heart is already set on so much more.
"Why not?" Scott said.
"It's beginning to feel like this is all bad timing."
He tried not to put any stock in Eden's fears about God not wanting them to be together, but he couldn't deny that bad stuff kept happening. That's why he'd backed off this week. He didn't want her to freak out over their relationship any more than she already was.
Rudy grunted as he continued his bench presses. "Marriage isn't really part of my life plans right now."
Another lie. Because he was definitely second guessing his life plans. He'd already imagined a dozen disastrous scenarios of asking Oliver DuPont for his blessing to propose to Eden. And wondered whether she'd mind living with his parents until he could build them a house. Both of those things caused more than a little anxiety.
But he couldn't bring himself to admit any of that to his brother who hid his emotions better than anyone Rudy knew.
"Besides, I'm not sure I can support her in the kind of lifestyle she's accustomed to."
And there was the real crux of his problem. His own freaking insecurities!
"Cut the crap, man!" Scott took the loaded barbell from Rudy's hands and set it in the rack on the bench press, then he circled around and sat on the low stool and waited for Rudy to sit up. "You like her, don't you?" He barely waited for Rudy to nod before continuing, "So what's holding you back?"
"I'm not sure I can support a woman with Eden's tastes. Besides, I'm not planning on getting married for at least another three years, and kids..." Rudy snorted. "They definitely aren't on the plan until after I get my house built."
"So what? You're going to let her walk out of your life just like what's her name did after high school? Because it doesn't fit into your 'ten-year plan'?" Scott made finger quotes when he said ten-year plan.
"Those weren't just my plans. Meredith and I made those plans together. We were going to go to collegetogetherand eventually get married. But she couldn't even wait for me to earn money for school by working a summer job. She took off three days after graduation and within three months, was married to some rich real estate developer."
"And you think Eden's the same as Meredith?"
"I don't know." Rudy let out a heavy sigh as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "She comes from a heck of a lot more money than Meredith did. So why should I think she'd be content sticking around this little town?"
"From what Kennedy tells me, Eden is pretty down to earth, despite coming from wealth."
"I know she is, but I still doubt Eden would be content to settle for this." He waved his arms in an arc, motioning to their parents' house.
"This," Scott mimicked Rudy's actions, "isn't all that bad. Yes, we lived modestly, but we were comfortable and happy. Shouldn't Eden be given a choice of whether she wants this?" He waved his arm again.
All the air whooshed from Rudy's lungs as Scott's final sentence hit him right in the chest, as swift as a punch.
His brother was right. Eden should be given the chance to choose this. But if she didn't choose him and this small town, was he willing to move to her world?
"What if..." He'd been thinking about this for a long time, so it shouldn't be so difficult to spit out. "What if she chooses me, but she doesn't choose Providence?"
"What do you mean?"
