Miss Match (18 page)

"Kissed you?" Laney asks excitedly.

"Asked you out?" Lexi says in the same tone.

"Uh, no that was later." I twist uncomfortably in my seat.

"Good grief, Lauren, what did he do?" Laney bursts out.

"We just talked."

"About what?" Lexi demands.

Hannah. "Just stuff."

"And then?" Laney insists.

"I walked him out and he asked if we could go out sometime."

"And you said yes?"

Rather than joyful, I will describe Lexi's voice as a mixture of incredulous and curious.

I shrug. "Well, yeah."

"Why?" she asks, same tone.

"He's nice."

I watch Laney roll her eyes in the rearview mirror. "Lauren, for pity's
sake, just tell us how you really feel about this guy. I mean, are you sure
you're not dating him just to date someone?"

I pull into a parking spot at Smith Valley Barbecue. Turn of{ the car.
Shift to my sisters.

"No." My voice is quiet. "I really like him. He's funny and inventive
and sweet. He seems to have a genuine love for Christ that is really attractive. He has this great relationship with Ruby, and sometimes he gets
this protective look on his face when he's talking about her. He works
in construction, and he's not quite as tall as Brandon, but he's got these
huge shoulders. He's got a lot of callouses on his hands from working
with them all the time, but they are good hands, you know? And his eyes
are actually almost plain, until he smiles, and then they light up like a
little kid's."

I let out a breath. I didn't mean to say that much. Sometime between
Ryan being sweet and his eyes sparkling, my nerves calmed and I even
stopped planning my speech.

Oh land.

Lexi looks at me, smiling. "Oh, Sweetie. I'm so glad. Laney and I
have been praying for Ryan for years."

"I beg your pardon?" Nerves jump into hyperdrive.

"We have," Laney says. "Ever since you were about twelve, Lex and I
have been praying for your future husband."

"Okay, hold up," I say. "I'm not marrying him! Yet. If at all."

"Don't you love him?" Lexi asks.

I can't even answer for a second. "What?" I finally blurt.

"Of course she does," Laney answers. "Did you just hear that speech?
Sounds like love to me. Come on, girls. Junior is hungry and so am I.
And that barbecue smell coming in through the doors isn't helping."

Laney and Lexi hop out and walk to the front of the restaurant, chattering happily.

I follow dumbstruck, my mouth permanently glued into an expression of sheer shock.

Love? They think I love Ryan Palmer?

I barely know the guy!

I don't know his favorite color or his favorite book or favorite
movie.

Heck, I don't even know his middle name!

A massive headache descends from the doorway of the restaurant. I
believe it falls from the mistletoe still hanging there.

How tacky. It has now been a month since Christmas.

"Baby, what's the order under?"

"Laurie," I answer dumbly.

"Laurie," Lexi repeats to the twenty-something male who is salivating over her. She calmly taps the counter with her left hand, displaying
her very prominent diamond solitaire.

"One minute." He stares at the ring and turns away.

We are back in the car a moment later. I, still in a trancelike state,
buckle my seat belt.

"So when do we get to meet him?" Laney asks. They switched seats,
and now Laney is in the front.

"I'll make a deal." My wits begin to return. "I'll let you meet Ryan
when you tell Dad you're pregnant."

Laney rolls her eyes at me. "Hardy-har-har. It just so happens that
we're going to tell him today."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Lexi leans forward so she can see Laney. "It's true, Cakey. Why do
you keep putting it off?"

Laney gives Lexi a frustrated look. "You know Dad. He'll go ballistic. Remember when I was pregnant with the twins? He wouldn't let
me move from the time I began showing." She rubs her hands on her
stomach. "I just think the longer I prolong it, the better."

"Or the worse," I say. "Dad's feelings might be hurt if you keep putting it off and he finds out all of us know."

"Well, act surprised today, okay?"

Lexi gives me a look, but nods. "Okay, Cake."

Side note: Lexi has a thing about calling people by their real names.
She abstains from it like it would give her a rash. Ever since I can remember, I have been Honey, Baby, Sweetie, Butternut, or, my personal favorite, Doll-face. I have a vast array for Lexi to choose from.

Laney, on the other hand, has always been called Cake by Lexi. The
birth of the nickname occurred many years ago. The story goes that
Laney, then four, wanted to make our mom a cake for her birthday, and
since she couldn't read the recipe, she ended up with something resembling Play-Doh, except with chili powder. She's been Cake or Cakey ever
since.

We get back to the house with the food, and the boys do a grand job
of consuming everything in sight.

"Dad," Laney says after the kitchen is cleaned, "can you come into
the living room?"

We troop in.

"Okay." Laney is smiling with that maternal glow. She looks beautiful. Her brown-blonde hair is curling in gentle tendrils around her face,
and her gray eyes are sparkling with tears. Adam takes her hand.

"Daddy, I'm pregnant," she says softly.

I have known for about three weeks. And still, I start crying when she says it. So does Lexi, and the tears stop building up in Laney's eyes
and are allowed to free-fall. Then Dorie starts crying because her mom is,
and I)ad gets choked up as he pulls his firstborn into a huge hug.

We are a big, blubbery mess.

Then we start laughing. And we cry again. And laugh again.

They don't leave until about ten thirty, carrying sleepy kids out the door.
Laney and Lexi hug me, and Brandon gives me a wink.

I fall into bed that night exhausted and read a short chapter in
Ephesians. Rolling to my back, I stare up at the ceiling, looking at the
one remaining glow-in-the-dark star I glued up there in second grade.

Tomorrow is Sunday and the first day of February. Morning will
come swiftly, then the inevitable scramble, and then Bible study.

Small groups!

I sit straight up in bed. "Oh no!"

Junior high girls. Tuesday nights. Apostleship.

I'm supposed to have studied the first chapter by Monday so I can
talk over it with Ruby. All I've done so far is just briefly skim it.

I fall back in bed. Tomorrow's schedule is thus planned out.

Sunday school begins promptly at nine o'clock on Sunday mornings. I
slide into an empty chair on the left side of the room at 8:57, thoroughly
worn out. My alarm clock is on the fritz-again-and decided to go
off at 4:27.

I'm dressed nicely because I was raised to dress well for church. Dad
always, without fail, wears a tie, and since I sit next to him at the worship
service, I don't want to look like he took pity on a poor homeless kid. I
wear brown corduroys and a white top.

Just as Nick moves toward the front of the class, Ryan drops into the
seat beside me.

"Hey," he smiles.

"Wow, you clean up well, Construction Sam," I whisper, since Nick
is beginning his "welcome to class" speech.

"Same to you, Patty Photographer."

He does look good. Carpenter-style khakis, a button-down shirt,
and heavens! His hair is actually combed!

He winks and turns toward the front.

"Everyone, we're beginning a new book this week. Turn to Romans,
please."

Man. Either God really wants me to read Romans, or I am living in
a parallel universe.

"Romans 1," Nick continues. "`Paul, a servant,' and we'll stop there
for today." He looks up from the Bible, grinning.

Nick teaches for thirty minutes on those three words, and I find
myself taking notes furiously. Obviously, this is a book Nick adores like
a clown fish would a coral reef.

Here we go again.

"Paul, a servant," Nick finishes. "We need to consistently examine
our actions for signs of service. Ladies and gentlemen, we are at a time in
our lives when we have the greatest chance to really serve. And as such,
we have a responsibility to God for how we use this time. Service to
others or service to ourselves?" He closes his Bible. "Let's pray."

Class dismisses, and people begin to gather their Bibles, coats, gloves,
and hats. I stay where I am and so does Ryan.

"So." He lounges in his seat. "How was your family lunch
yesterday?"

"Good. Laney finally told Dad she's pregnant."

He angles one eyebrow up. "How far along is she?"

"Seven weeks on Wednesday."

He nods. "Laney is the one with twins, right?"

"Wow, Ryan. You're good. What have you been doing,
researching?"

He grins. "Well, I figure I should know at least a little about my"-he
clears his throat-"future wife."

"I suppose I have no secrets left."

"Nope."

"You're making me look bad, Ryan." I turn slightly so I can see him
better. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Black."

I make a face. "Yuck."

"Deal with it."

"What's your middle name?"

"William."

I test it out. "Ryan William Palmer."

"That's the name."

"And it's a good, solid name." I look down at my hands. "Um, Laney
and Lexi want to meet you."

"Oh yeah?" He sounds amused. I glance up. His eyes are sparkling
with absolute glee.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

He covers the grin with his fist. A huge scab mars three of his
knuckles.

"Ryan!" I exclaim, grabbing his hand. "What happened?"

"It's nothing."

"It looks terrible. You need to put some peroxide on that." I touch
the scab gently.

"Thank you, Dr. Laurie."

"How did you do this?"

"I was being stupid and careless."

I give him a look. "Well, stop doing that. You're going to make me a
widow before I'm even a wife." I set his hand in his lap.

He smiles at me. "Have I mentioned how pretty you look, Miss
Holbrook?"

What is this? My cheeks start to burn.

He tips his head at me. "I like your hair like this."

"Curly?"

"Yeah. And long. You should keep your hair long."

I nod. "Will do."

Nick finishes chatting with Engaged Couple Number 3 and walks over to us. "Hey, guys." He looks from me to Ryan with a slight wrinkle
between his eyebrows.

"Hi, Nick." This is getting fun.

"Hey." Ryan oh-so-subtly slides his arm around the back of my
chair.

Nick's eyebrows rise slightly. "Did I miss something?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask innocently.

He points at both of us. "You two. Are you ... ?"

"Are we ... ?" Ryan copies Nick's tone. He is clearly not giving Nick
any help at all.

I like this guy more every minute.

"Dating?" Nick finishes.

"What?" I laugh.

"Well, it's just that you guys seem pretty ... uh, comfortable, with
each other."

"Oh, Nick," I protest.

Ryan shifts and looks at me. "That's not a bad idea, though."

I blink at him. "What? Dating?"

"Yeah. Do you want to go out with me?"

I fight every urge to look at Nick. "Seriously?"

"Sure. Why not? I like you. Maybe Wednesday?" Ryan's eyes are
twinkling, and a stubborn smirk curls his mouth.

Have I mentioned how cute he is when he smiles?

"Well ... I guess ... I guess I can do Wednesday. Before Bible
study."

He grins. "That's what I meant. Pick you up at five?"

"Uh, sure. Okay."

During this conversation, Ryan slips his arm off the back of my chair,
and it rests around my shoulders casually. I look up at Nick, who has the
expression of someone watching canned tuna play ring around the rosy.

"What were you saying, Nick?" I smile.

He blinks and jerks slightly. "Nothing. We should get to the service,
folks."

"Right behind you." Ryan watches Nick pick up his Bible and notebook, and leave.

The moment his hack is out of sight, I start giggling. "Ryan, that was
perfect!" I exclaim, smacking his arm.

"You're not a bad actress yourself, Laurie."

We stand and he picks up my Bible. "Want to go get something to
eat after the service and maybe plan out Wednesday night?"

I don't answer at first. Instead, I study him as we push through
throngs of people to get to the sanctuary.

Laney and Lexi are here today. They can meet him. Dad can put his
mind to rest that I am, in fact, dating a Christian.

Dating?

Are we even technically dating? The whole thing is a ploy.

But, spear me, I like the guy. He's carrying my Bible for me, for Pete's
sake!

"Sure," I tell him.

"Great. Think about where you want to go."

"Someplace with dessert. All this scheming is making me want
chocolate."