Mr. Wrong (17 page)

“Well, I’ve gone and had myself a heart attack.”
Larry grimaced for a second. “Thanks for coming. I don’t know if the Lord wants to help me or not.”

Archibald chuckled.
“The Lord is always willing, Brother Garrison. Do you know that? Do you know that our Savior reaches out to us all the time and all he wants is for us to reach back?”

Larry hesitated, looking intently at Bishop Archibald’s face.
When he finally answered his voice was tired. “I haven’t always lived the way I should.” His eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know if the Lord can bless me. My momma was really active when I was a boy. One thing she always told us is that if we weren’t doing our part—the Lord couldn’t do his part.” He cleared his throat and focused on the Bishop. “I don’t know how to do my part. But—I know I need His help.”

Bishop Archibald
took his friend’s hand in both of his own. “Larry, I can testify to you that the Lord loves you. He wants you to come unto him. He wants you to feel the love he has for you. And—you are worthy of a blessing. I know it. Don’t you feel it?”

The spirit was strong and
Sara shivered with goosebumps that lighted on her arms.

Archibald smiled, and
Sara noticed that relief washed over his face. “Let me give you a blessing, ya old goat. Let me give you a blessing and then we’ll talk more later about your part.”

Exhaling Larry nodded.
“Okay.”

Archibald got his oil out and looked at Beau.
“Do you want to help us, son?”

Beau hesitate
d then shook his head. “Not today, Bishop.”

Sara
detected Beau’s awkwardness as she bowed her head and folded her arms.

The blessing was a little long, as anything Archibald said would be a little long, but very specific and very comforting.
The spirit was strong, and Sara noticed Larry’s tears softly running down his cheeks. This nagging feeling pulled at the edges of Sara’s heart. Why wouldn’t he help give a blessing?

“I think you’ll be around for a while more my friend.”

Tearing up
, Larry grimaced in pain. He put his hand to his side and turned to Archibald. “Really, thank you.”

B
ishop squeezed his arm and then turned to the rest of them. “I’ve been this old buzzard’s home teacher for twenty-two years.”

“And he’s always asked me
what I needed, and I’ve always told him nothing . . . until today.” Larry smiled and laid his head back on the hospital bed.

“Well, I’m afraid it’s probably time for you all to leave.”
Martha fussed over Larry’s pillows. “I think he’s tired.”

“Can we take you back?”
Beau offered.

Martha scoffed.
“I’m not going anywhere. Nope. I put my toothbrush in my purse and there’s an extra bed over there. If it’s okay with Larry?” She looked at him affectionately.

Larry’s soft voice croaked out.
“If you can stand me, I would like that very much.” His cheeks reddened and Sara’s heart ached for him, but she was so happy to see this show of devotion on Martha’s part. Maybe now Larry would realize that he just needed to ask Martha to marry him and enjoy the time they had left together. It didn’t matter that they’d both loved other people. All that mattered was being able to love each other now.

“I’ll come by tomorrow to check on you guys.”
Sara hugged Martha and patted Larry’s arm.

Sara
and Beau walked out with Brother Archibald.

Bishop Archibald turned to them in the elevator, looking very self-satisfied.
“Will you be the next two I hear of engaged at the institute?”

Chapter 25

Genova stood behind Sara and watched her apply her second coat of mascara. “It’s not like you’re engaged—is it?”

Putting down the mascara
Sara laughed. “I have no idea—well, technically he hasn’t done anything official. Let’s go out into the front room.”

Genova
sat next to Kevin on the couch and nodded at Sara. “You do look amazing. Even though you don’t like formal dances.”

“Thanks.”
Sara smiled. “Her dress was on loan from Genova. The red silk and velvet was form-fitting to the waist and then flared out just below the knee. It was perfect for dancing.

Genova
searched her eyes.

Sara
heaved herself onto a chair dramatically. “Am I just hanging onto a dream of what I thought he was?”

“Give it time,
Sara.” Kevin smiled at her from across the room. “Returned missionaries take a while to reacclimatize so to speak.” He nodded at her with certainty.

Genova
patted her hand. “Just try to have a good time.”

**

The party was held in one of the union ballrooms. Sara walked in and noticed that there was a red carpet set up and the tables were beautifully decorated in red and black.

“This is
shwanky.” Jonathon looked around and nodded his head in approval. He stood taller than most of the people there and scanned the crowd for the basketball team, pointing to them.

“What is this event for?”
Sara didn’t realize so many people would be here.

Jonathon
started pulling her across the room. “It’s an alumni event with all the departments and different donors they are honoring. I’ll get to meet a lot of past players.” He glanced over at her. “Do you like that color of lip stick?”

Sara
flinched a little. It felt like he was disapproving. “What do you mean?”

“It just seems a little bright, that’s all.
But I really think you look great tonight. Did you say that’s Genova’s dress? It just doesn’t look like your style.” He squeezed her hand affectionately.

Sara
immediately felt annoyed, but she could see the basketball players gathered around a couple of large tables, and she put on her happy face. The coach stood and waved Jonathon over. “Let me introduce all of you to Jonathon Adler. He may be joining us after Christmas. He played one year for BYU Idaho, and now I’m trying to pull him over to the dark side.”

A couple of
the players laughed.

“We’re not so bad, Jon.”
One of the guys at the table called out. “Hmm—at least not when you play for us.”

The guys all laughed and the coach smiled.
“Sit here, Jonathon.” He motioned to two chairs in the middle of another table.

Sara
planted a smile on her face and tried to make small talk with the others around them.

“I think you’re in my
entrepreneurship class.” One of the guys at the table leaned over to talk to Sara. “My name’s Sean.”

Sean appeared to be alone.
Sara squinted at him but didn’t think she recognized him.

“I sit in the back and keep quiet.
That guy is intense—amazing—but intense. I loved your wheelchair idea by the way. I think it sounds like it’ll work.”

Sara
felt like a million bricks had been lifted from her shoulders. “Do you think?”

“Oh yeah.
I was wondering what companies you’ve looked into for mass producing them? My father works for a medical supplies retailer, and I bet he could help you with some figures.”

Sara
fell into easy conversation with Sean over dinner about the business plans both of them were trying to write. Jonathon talked basketball with the players, and the coach swooped Jonathon away to introduce him to alumni after the big program. Sara moved with their table over to the dancing side of the ballroom.

Sean put his hand out to her.
“Want to dance?”

Sara
nodded, appreciating the fact she had someone next to her. “I would love to.”

Sean was a little jerky with the steps, but
Sara laughed with him and discovered she also had Accounting II with him.

Sara tried to keep from getting stepped on.
“How come I’ve never met you before?”

Sean nudged his head to the side and smiled.
“Because I’m a dumb jock, and you’re a serious student.”

She felt pity for Sean.
He didn’t seem to be a star on the court or in school. “Oh, whatever, your business plan sounds very solid.”

A new song came on
, and Sean asked her to dance again. She couldn’t even see Jonathon anywhere and agreed.

He leaned closer to her and peered deeply into her eyes.
“I wanted to sit by you, but you always rush in and out of class like you have a million things on your mind. I’ve watched you before.”

Sara was starting to feel a little unease being with Sean.
And she surely didn’t want to be trapped with him the rest of the evening. “Oh—well.” She scanned for someone she knew she could go talk to. Then she saw him looking at her out of the corner of his eye. His spikey hair and boots were a dead giveaway.

“You know,” she said, patting Sean on the shoulder, “I see Professor
Hennings, and I think I’m going to go ask him a question about my business plan.” She dashed away from him.

Beau
broke free of the group of professors he stood with and moved toward her. He smiled. “You couldn’t stay away from me?”

“Um—could we walk to the other side of the room for a minute and pretend like your my professor and I’m asking you a question.”

Beau frowned and then the side of his mouth curved into a smile. He walked with her. “I am your professor.”

Sara
let her breath out quickly and pointed at him, accusingly, “You always say you’re not a real professor.”

“True.” Beau looked at Sean and then turned back to her.
“I was noticing that Sean seems to have taken an interest in you this evening.” He glanced quickly at another part of the room. “It seems like the missionary is very occupied.”

They stopped next to a table filled with all sorts of desserts.
“The coach wants to introduce him around. He’s schmoozing him.”

Beau gave her a look.

“I know it sounds weird. Jonathon has an offer from the Y and UW.”

“Really?
So will your credits transfer if he chooses the Y?”

Sara
shrugged, trying not to feel miserable. “I don’t know.”

Beau fiddled with his red silk tie that hung loosely around his neck.
He looked like a student himself. “So, is the plan to get married at Christmas?” He gently ran his hand down her forearm and across her fingers.

“Beau.”
Sara frowned at him.

“I’m sorry.
You’re just—that dress . . .”

Sara
turned away and tried not to giggle. “Stop, you’ll get in trouble.”

He sighed. “Sara, if you didn’t notice—I don’t need this job.”

Sara saw Jonathon walking toward them with a strange look on his face.

Sara
felt like she’d been caught doing something wrong.

“Hey.”
Jonathon looked at Sara then to Beau.

Sara
didn’t even know what to say.

Beau smiled
stretching out his hand. “Beau Hennings. You must be the missionary.”

Sara
gave Beau a sharp look.

Jonathon smiled, looking satisfied.
“Yep, I guess everyone’s heard about me?” He beamed at Sara like he’d just won a prize.

Beau leaned back casually against the dessert table.
“So where did you serve?”

“Japan
.”

“I hear th
at’s a tough mission. How many did you baptize?”

Sara
couldn’t believe he’d asked that.

Jonathon didn’t flinch. “Eight.
The average is two. I figured that if missionaries couldn’t, at least, baptize once a quarter they were just useless. I told the mission president that too . . . when I was zone leader.”

Beau nodded, looking unimpressed, but polite.

“Where did you serve?”

“Mexico.”

“Oh man, you’re so lucky. How many did you baptize?”

Sara
couldn’t believe that Jonathon was acting like it had been a basketball game and they were tallying points.

Beau raised his eyebrows a little.
“How can the work of the Lord be measured in simple numbers?”

Sara
wanted to laugh because she knew Beau was messing with him.

“Very true,” Jonathon said, switching to a humble missionary demeanor.

“Beau!” An attractive, red-haired woman floated to his side.

Beau’s eyes opened wide
, and he pulled her into an embrace, laughing. “Candace? It’s so good to see you.”

She pulled away from him, her spaghetti strapped silver dress sparkling
. “Yeah. My dad’s always dragging me to these things.” She flashed a white smile at Sara and looked her up and down like she clearly considered her competition.