Miss Match (22 page)

Adam leans next to my ear. "I could get some chores out of these kids
for the next eight months."

"You're a cruel man, Adam Knox."

"Runs in the family."

I roll my eyes. "Don't I know it. Look what your brother did to
me today."

I show them my bruise.

"Ouch," Laney says. "Get some ice on that, Lauren, it's swelling."

"I'm going to when I get home."

She raises her eyebrows.

Uh-oh. Dad.

I wince. "Then again, maybe not. Man. I want a minifridge/freezer
for my birthday, okay, Laney?"

"I'll remember that. Get some ice, Honey."

I stand. "Okay, well I'm going to go. Call Dad so that he knows
about the babies when I get home."

"Already did, Laur. I called everyone except you because you were at
lunch and I couldn't remember your cell number."

I open the freezer, fill a plastic bag with ice, and write my number on
her to-do list. "There you go."

"See you later!" Laney calls.

Dad is waiting when I get home. "Did you hear, Laurie-girl?" He clutches
the phone and grins as I throw my backpack in the general direction of
the stairs.

"About Laney?" I ask.

"Twins!"

"It's great." I smile sentimentally.

Dad lifts his eyebrows. "I hope she takes care of herself. Remember
how sick she was with the boys?"

I go to the kitchen, frowning. "She wasn't sick, Dad."

"Yes, she was. She threw up every time she ate."

"Morning sickness. She was done with that in like two weeks."

"And then she didn't move from the living room chair."

"You wouldn't let her, Dad."

"Of course I wouldn't! She didn't need to be moving." His eyes brighten. "You know, I was just reading an article about childbirth in my
magazine. Wait right here."

He disappears from the kitchen. I stir the chili that slowly simmers
on the stove. Medical Mysteries and Common Occurrences. Not only is the
title entirely too long, but the magazine also twists every decent doctor's
words into a vicious cocktail of horror, shock, disillusionment, and sheer
stupidity of medical staffs.

Dad returns holding it, the glossy cover displaying the picture of a
young woman holding a baby the size of her thumbnail.

He pulls one of the kitchen chairs out, sits, and flips through it.
"Here it is. `Pregnancy and Problems: The Bobbsey Twins of the TwentyFirst Century."'

Oh brother.

"`In a culture that idolizes medical knowledge, training, and
proper healthcare, there is a terrifying new culprit toward the obstetric
ward-the cold shoulder. In the doctors' quest for answers to diseases
that plague adults around the country, newborns often get the smallest
straw of the medical staff."'

Dad looks up, his eyes wide.

I stir the chili.

"`Deborah Kyle of Kentucky states that her experience with the
obstetrics was nothing less than horrible: "No one believed I was in labor.
I gave birth to Kylie two minutes later in the waiting room." Kylie died
later from lung failure due to the nurse not properly clearing out her
airway after birth."' Dad covers his mouth with his hand. "Oh my."

After sipping the chili, I add more chili powder. "Look, Dad, who
knows where they find these people. That's probably not even a true story.
I mean, who really names their child Kylie Kyle?"

He points to the magazine. "But it's written right here."

"People write things that aren't true."

"What decent person would do that?"

"Exactly."

We sit to chili a few minutes later. "Less than a month until our trip,
Laurie-girl. Are you excited?"

I nod, mouth full. "Yes. One whole month of nothing but relaxation,
seafood, scenery, and no human beings around save for my wonderful
father."

Dad waits until I put a big spoonful of chili in my mouth. "There
will be more people around."

I start hacking. "I beg your pardon?" I ask.

"We're staying in a cabin, Honey. Along the shoreline with a bunch
of other cabins."

"Oh." I wipe chili from my chin. "Well. I can deal with that. I'll just
avoid them."

Dad frowns disapprovingly. "You don't want to be rude, Laurie."

"I won't be rude. Just the silent stranger." I toss my hair over my
shoulder. "I'll be mysterious. Guys like that, I've heard."

Dad puts his spoon down. "Laurie-girl, I wish you wouldn't talk that
way. You promised you'll never marry."

"A promise I intend to keep, Dad."

"What if someone comes along and asks you to marry him?"
Dad frets.

"Well, I'll say no."

He blinks. "You can do that?"

"What?"

"You can say no to a man proposing?"

"Of course I can."

He picks up his spoon again, satisfied. "And all these years I thought
your mother married me because women weren't allowed to tell a
suitor no."

Friday morning Construction Sam walks into The Brandon Knox
Photography Studio two minutes after I do.

"Well, hi there." I drowsily tug my gloves off. It is thirty-two degrees
and overcast outside. I hate mornings like this. Mornings that are cold,
gray, and soggy are supposed to happen on the weekend or on a day off.
That way, you can sit in your favorite chair with a vanilla coffee and a
good book. With a roaring fire in the background. And your dog's head
resting on your feet.

Sigh.

It is going to be a long day. I'm going to have to work hard to keep
last night's verses in the forefront of my brain today. "Be very careful,
then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every
opportunity.

Ryan smiles and hands me a large coffee he's hiding behind his back.
"Thought you might need this today."

I grin. "How did you know?"

He looks at me pointedly. "You're Laurie."

I take the coffee and give him a one-armed hug. "I think I'll keep
you around." Coffee in one hand, I can easily make the most of every
opportunity.

His arm wraps around my waist. "That's the plan, right?"

I sip the coffee. "You even put sugar in." A sappy, sticky feeling
blooms in my chest.

"And milk." He points to the coffee.

"You gave me coffee with milk and sugar in it."

He looks at his boots. "Uh, yeah."

I notice something. "Hey! Where's your coffee?"

"I drank it on the way over."

"So you're not staying?"

"There's a thing called work, Laurie."

"You know, I've heard of it."

He glances around at the dark studio. "You the only one here?"

"Well, unless Ty and Newton have evolved into night vision goggles,
then yep, I guess so." I sip and smile at him. "This is really good coffee,
Ryan. You put just the right amount of condiments in."

He raises his eyebrows. "Condiments?"

"Yes. Sugar, milk, and ketchup."

Ryan laughs. "I came over here for a reason."

"You didn't just come to see me?" I stick my bottom lip out.

"Sadly, no."

"And bring me legal addictive stimulants?" I wave my coffee in
his face.

"Most definitely no."

"What's up?"

His brown eyes sparkle in the adorable little-kid smirk. "Do you
want to go get dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sure."

He grins. "Really?"

"No, wait a minute. Let me think." Long swig from the coffee. "I
don't know, Ryan. I mean, when was the last time you had your driver's
license revoked?"

He frowns in thought. "Four months ago?"

"For?"

"Yeah, four."

"No, I meant, why did you have it revoked?"

"Drug possession, intoxicating a minor, knocking off a bank."

"Oh, you're a funny boy."

He leans against Hannah's desk. "Can you still come?"

"I don't know. My dad might get mad."

He tips his head. "Wasn't that a line in a song? Like a Christmas
song, maybe?"

I lean beside him. "I'll come."

He smiles at me. "I'm glad." 'Men he reaches over and pats my shoulder. Awkwardly. Like he is petting a crocodile at one of those farms. I've
done it. I know what it looks like.

I start laughing. "What was that?"

"What?"

I pat his shoulder. "I'm so sorry that your pet cat died, Ryan."

He turns toward me. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. But we can't keep this facade up if you pat my shoulder after you ask me out." I pat his shoulder again for emphasis.

"Sorry, I'm new at this whole fake-dating thing."

"Well, me too, but I still know enough that you don't pat someone's
shoulder after asking her out!"

"Will you get off the patting?"

"Is oo a cute wittle puppy?"

"Laurie!" He twists away from my hand. "Good grief, woman, I'd
better get a reward for this."

"I'm sure you will get several jewels in your heavenly crown."

He exhales quite loudly and dramatically.

Long pause as he looks at me. "Can I hug you?"

"Honey, you brought me coffee this morning. Do you have to ask?"

I set my coffee on the desk and he gives me a hug.

It is actually a nice hug-no patting involved.

Be still my heart!

"Much better," I smile after we pull away.

He winks and turns. "Have a good day at work, Laurie."

"Bye, Fido."

"Ha ha ha." He holds the door for Hannah on his way out.

She walks in with eyebrows raised. "Soooo," she draws the word
out. "I see we had a little early morning rendezvous with Mister
Ryan Palmer."

I glare.

She looks behind me on the desk. "With coffee, I see." Pulls her coat
off while I search the available air for words.

"He was in the neighborhood."

Ouch. Never, never in my dullest dreams have I ever resorted to an
excuse so lame. I shall curse this moment forever.

Hannah stares at me like I just said fish sticks come from fish.

"Laurie, please," she says, groaning. "that's a Mr. Rogers
comment."

"Okay, bad. I know. I have cursed this moment."

She sits behind her desk and clutches her hands together in anticipation. "So? Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"

"What? What? What?"

"What happened?"

I try playing dumb. "When?"

"Just now, idiot."

"He brought me coffee."

"How sweet!"

"Yeah." I smile, sappy as ever. Drill a hole in my side, syrup
is coming.

Hannah steeples her fingers on the desk while I sit in one of the
chairs. "Any particular reason? I noticed there is none for Ruby, Ty,
Newton, Brandon, or me."

"Well, he is a poor construction worker." I take a long sip in front of
her face, just to slightly rub it in. "Maybe he could only afford two cups
of coffee."

"And dinner?"

Nosy, that Hannah.

I haughtily ignore her. "I believe I have a nine o'clock appointment
today."

"You're avoiding the subject!" Hannah sticks a finger in my face.

Ruby walks in, shaking her curls and shivering. "It's snowing,
girls."

I groan.

"I thought you loved snow," Hannah says.

"I do. From my house. With a fire roaring in the background and
hot chocolate in my hands and my favorite book open in front of me and
a blanket in my lap."

Ruby giggles. "And your dog's head on your feet."

"Hey, that's it exactly!"

"You've got coffee." She gestures to the cup.

"Guess where it came from," Hannah sing-songs.

Ruby pulls her scarf off and looks closely at the cup. "Looks
like ... Merson's? What's Merson's?"

"Little restaurant. Good coffee. Nice owner."

"From Ryyyyy-an," Hannah finishes her song.

Ruby blinks. "Ryan brought you coffee?"

"Yeah, well, he just dropped by to uh ... yeah. Anyway, my nine
o'clock appointment is late, I guess, but that's good because I need to set
up the studio." I'm making a run for it.

"Ryan brought you coffee," Ruby repeats.

I stop halfway to Studio One. "Yes," I reiterate.

Ruby smiles, nostalgic. "He brought you coffee. You know what that
means, right, Laurie?"