Sweet Surprise: Romance Collection

by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Kristin Billerbeck, Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Birdie L. Etchison, Pamela Griffin, Joyce Livingston, Tamela Hancock Murray

  He dropped the pizza to his plate, reached across the table, and took hold of her hand.

  She shivered involuntarily and averted her gaze to the table. “I wish you wouldn’t do that, either.”

  “Do what? This?” He made little circles on her hand with his index finger.

  She felt warmth travel up her neck and spread quickly to her cheeks. “The way you look at me, I almost feel—”

  “Like you’re a beautiful, desirable woman?” He leaned farther across the table. “You are, you know. And I don’t care about you being four years older than me. In fact, I think dating an older woman might have some advantages.”

  She pulled her hand away. “And what would those be?”

  He crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. “Let’s see now…You’d be more apt to see things from a mature point of view.”

  “And?”

  “Just a minute. I’m thinking.” Evan tapped the edge of his plate with his thumb. “Since you’re older, you’re most likely wiser.”

  She clicked her tongue. “Sorry I asked.”

  “Would you be willing to start dating me?” he asked with a hopeful expression.

  She shook her head. “I’m flattered you would ask, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  Something indefinable passed between them, but Lorna pushed it aside. “I have my heart set on finishing college, and nothing is going to stop me this time.”

  He gave her a quizzical look. “This time?”

  Lorna ended up telling him the story of how she’d sacrificed her own career and college degree to put her husband through school. She ended it by saying, “So, you see, for the first time in a long while, I’m finally getting what I want.”

  “That’s it? End of story?”

  She nodded. “It will be when I graduate and get a job teaching music in an elementary school.”

  “Why not teach at a junior or senior high?”

  “I like children—especially those young enough to be molded and refined.” She wrinkled her nose. “The older a child is, the harder to get through to his creativity.”

  “Does that mean I won’t be able to get through to your creative side?” he asked with a lopsided grin.

  “Could be.” She folded her napkin into a neat little square and lifted her chin. “I really need to get home. I’ve got a lot of homework to do, and I’ve wasted most of the day.”

  Evan’s sudden scowl told her she’d obviously hurt his feelings. “I didn’t mean wasted. It’s just that—”

  He held up his hand. “No explanations are necessary.” He stood, pulled a few coins from his back pocket, and dropped them on the table. “I hope that’s enough for a tip, ’cause it’s all the change I have.”

  She fumbled in her jacket pocket. “Maybe I have some ones I could add.”

  “Please don’t bother. This will be enough, and I sure don’t expect you to pay for the tip.”

  “I don’t mind helping out,” she insisted.

  “Thanks anyway, but I’ll take care of it.” With that, Evan turned and headed for the cash register.

  Lorna stood there with her ears burning and her heart pounding so hard she could hear it echoing in her ears. The day had started off so well. What had gone wrong, and how had it happened?

  Evan was already up front paying for the pizza, so Lorna dug into her pocket and pulled out a dollar bill, which she quickly dropped to the table. Maybe she’d made a mistake thinking she and Evan could be friends. He obviously wanted more, but she knew it was impossible. In fact, he was impossible. Impossible and poor.

  Evan said good-bye to Lorna outside in the parking lot. He was almost glad they had separate cars and he wouldn’t have to drive her home. He didn’t understand how a day that had started out fun and carefree could have ended on such a sour note. From all indications, he’d thought Lorna was enjoying their time together, but when she said she’d wasted most of the day, he felt deflated, even though he hadn’t admitted it to her. That, plus the fact that she seemed overly concerned about his not having enough tip money, had thrown cold water on their time together.

  What had turned things around? Had it been the discussion about their age difference? Children? Or maybe it was the money thing. Lorna might think he’d been too cheap to leave a decent tip. That could be why she’d climbed into her little red car with barely a wave and said nothing about hoping to see him again. Of course, he hadn’t made the first move on that account, either.

  “I thought she might be the one, Lord,” Evan mumbled as he opened the door to his Jeep. Remembering the look on Lorna’s face when she’d eaten the treat he’d given her earlier that day, he added, “Maybe I should have followed the recipe closer and added some chocolate chips to the top of those brownies.”

  Chapter 7

  T he following Monday morning in anatomy, Evan acted as though nothing were wrong. In fact, he surprised Lorna by presenting her with a wedge of apple pie he said he’d made the night before.

  “It’s a little mushy, and the crust’s kind of tough,” he admitted, “but I sampled a slice at breakfast, and it seemed sweet enough, at least.”

  Lorna smiled politely and took the plastic container with the pie in it. It was nice of Evan to think of her, but if he thought the dessert would give him an edge, he was mistaken. Lorna was fighting her attraction to Evan, and to lead him on would sooner or later cause one or both of them to get hurt.

  Probably me, she thought. I’m usually the one who makes all the sacrifices, then loses in the end. What good had come out of her putting Ron through college and med school? He’d been killed in a senseless accident, leaving Lorna with a broken heart, a mound of bills, and no career for herself. It was going to be different from now on, though. She finally had her life back on track.

  “You look kind of down in the mouth this morning,” Evan said, nudging her arm gently with his hand. “Everything okay?”

  She shrugged. “I’m just tired. I stayed up late last night trying to get all my homework done.”

  He pursed his lips. “Guess that’s my fault. If you hadn’t wasted your Saturday bike riding and having pizza with me, you’d have had lots more time to work on your assignments.”

  So Evan had been hurt by her comment about wasted time on Saturday. Lorna could see by the look in the man’s eyes that his pride was wounded. She felt a sense of guilt sweep over like a cascading waterfall. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. As a Christian, Lorna tried not to offend anyone, although she probably had fallen short many times since Ron’s death.

  “Evan,” she began sincerely, “I apologize for my offhanded remark the other day. I had a good time with you, and my day wasn’t wasted.”

  He grinned at her. “Really?”

  She nodded.

  “Would you be willing to go out with me again—as friends?”

  Lorna chewed on her lower lip as she contemplated his offer. “Well, maybe,” she finally conceded.

  “That’s great! How about this Saturday night, if you’ve got the evening off from working at Farmen’s.”

  “I only work on weeknights,” she said.

  “Good, then we can go bowling, out to dinner, to the movies…or all three.”

  She chuckled softly. “I think one of those would be sufficient, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I suppose so. Which one’s your choice?”

  “Why don’t you surprise me on Saturday night?”

  “Okay, I will.” Evan snapped his fingers. “Say, I’ll need your address so I can pick you up.”

  Lorna felt as though a glass of cold water had been dashed in her face. There was no way she could allow Evan to come by her in-laws’ and pick her up for what she was sure they would assume was a date. She couldn’t hurt Ann and Ed that way. It wouldn’t be fair to Ron’s memory. Maybe she should have told Evan she was busy on Saturday night. Maybe…

  “You gonna give me your address or not?”

  Lorna blinked.
“Uh—how about we meet somewhere, like we did last Saturday?”

  His forehead wrinkled. “Are you ashamed for your folks to meet me?”

  “I live with my in-laws, remember?”

  “So?”

  “They might not understand about my going out with you,” she explained. “They’re still not over the loss of their son.”

  Evan stared at her for several seconds but finally shrugged his shoulders. “Okay. If that’s how you want it, we can meet at Ivar’s along the waterfront. I’ve been wanting to try out their famous fish and chips ever since I came to Seattle.”

  Lorna licked her lips. “That does sound good.”

  Evan opened his mouth to say something more, but their professor walked into the room. “We’ll talk later,” he whispered.

  She nodded in response.

  Lorna entered the choir room a few minutes early, hoping to get her music organized before class began. She noticed Evan standing by the bulletin board across the room. She hated to admit it, but he was fun to be around. Could he be growing on her?

  When she took a seat at the piano and peeked over the stack of music, she saw Vanessa Brown step up beside Evan. “Are the names posted for the choir solos yet?” the vivacious redhead asked. “I sure hope I got the female lead.” She looked up at Evan and batted her lashes. “Maybe you’ll get the male lead, and then we can practice together. Our voices would blend beautifully, don’t you think?”

  Oh, please, Lorna groaned inwardly. The omelet she’d eaten for breakfast that morning had suddenly turned into a lump in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like the sly little grin Evan was wearing, either. He was up to something, and it probably meant someone was in for a double dose of his teasing.

  Evan stepped in front of Vanessa, blocking her view of the board. She let out a grunt and tugged on his shirtsleeve. “I can’t see. What’s it say?”

  Evan held his position, mumbling something Lorna couldn’t quite understand.

  “Well?” Vanessa shouted. “Are you going to tell me what it says or not?”

  He scratched the back of his head. “Hmm…”

  “What is it? Let me see!”

  Evan glanced over at Lorna, but she quickly averted her gaze, pretending to be absorbed in her music.

  When she lifted her head, Lorna saw Vanessa slide under Evan’s arm, until she was facing the bulletin board. She studied it for several seconds, but then her hands dropped to her hips, and she whirled around. “That just figures!” She marched across the room and stopped in front of the piano, shooting Lorna a look that could have stopped traffic on the busy Seattle freeway. “I hope you’re satisfied!”

  Lorna was bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

  “Professor Burrows chose you for the female solo!” Vanessa scowled at Lorna. “Just because you’re older than the rest of us and play the piano fairly well shouldn’t mean you get special privileges.”

  Lorna creased her forehead so hard she felt wrinkles form. “Why would you say such a thing?”

  “The professor doesn’t think you can do any wrong. She’s always telling the class how mature you are and how you’re the only one who ever follows directions.”

  Lorna opened her mouth to offer some kind of rebuttal, but before she got a word out, Evan’s deep voice cut her off. “Now wait a minute, Vanessa. Lorna got the lead part for only one reason.”

  Vanessa turned to face Evan, who stood at her side in front of the piano. “And that would be?”

  “This talented woman can not only play the piano, but she can sing. Beautifully, I might add.” He cast Lorna a sidelong glance, and she felt the heat of a blush warm her cheeks.

  Vanessa’s dark eyes narrowed. “Are you saying I can’t sing?”

  “I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Lorna interjected.

  Vanessa slapped her hand on the piano keys with such force that Lorna worried the Baldwin might never be the same. “Let the man speak for himself !” She whirled around to face Evan. “Or does the cute little blond have you so wrapped around her finger that you can’t even think straight? It’s obvious you’re smitten with her.”

  Evan opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but Vanessa cut him off. “Don’t try to deny it, Evan Bailey! I’ve seen the way you and Lorna look at each other.” She sniffed deeply. “Is she trying to rob from the cradle, or are you looking for a mother figure?”

  Evan’s face had turned crimson. “I think this discussion is over,” he said firmly.

  “That’s right, let’s drop it,” Lorna agreed.

  Vanessa glared at Evan. “Be a good boy now, and do what Mama Lorna says.”

  He drew in a deep breath. “I’m warning you, Vanessa…”

  “What are you going to do? Tell the teacher on me?” she taunted.

  Lorna cleared her throat a couple of times, and both Evan and Vanessa turned to look at her. “We’re all adults here, and if getting the lead part means so much to you, I’ll speak to the professor about it, Vanessa.”

  “I’ll fight my own battles, thank you very much!” Vanessa squared her shoulders. “Unlike some people in this class, I don’t need a mother to fix my boo-boos.” She turned on her heels and marched out of the room.

  Evan let out a low whistle. “What was that all about?”

  Lorna shook her head slowly. “You don’t know?”

  He shrugged. “Not really. She said she wanted the solo part, you offered to give it to her, and she’s still mad. Makes no sense to me.” He snickered. “But then I never was much good at understanding women. Even if I did grow up with two sisters.”

  Lorna pinched the bridge of her nose. How could the man be so blind? “Vanessa is jealous.”

  “I know. She wants your part,” Evan said, dropping to the bench beside Lorna. “She can’t stand the fact that someone has a better singing voice than she does.”

  “I think the real reason Vanessa’s jealous is because she thinks you like me, and she’s attracted to you.”

  Evan looked at Lorna as though she’d lost her mind. “I’ve done nothing to make Vanessa think she and I might—”

  “That doesn’t matter. You make people laugh, and your manner is often flirtatious.”

  Evan rubbed his chin and frowned. “What can I say? I’m a friendly guy, but that doesn’t mean I’m after every woman I meet.”

  Lorna reached for a piece of music. “Tell that to Vanessa Brown.”

  Chapter 8

  E van moved away from the piano, wishing there were something he could say or do to make Lorna feel more comfortable about the part she’d gotten. The scene with Vanessa had been unreal, but the fact that Lorna was willing to give up the solo part she’d been offered was one more proof that she lived her Christianity and would make a good wife for some lucky man. It just probably wasn’t him.

  He took a seat in the chair he’d been assigned and studied Lorna. She was thumbing through a stack of music, her forehead wrinkled and her face looking pinched. Was she still thinking about the encounter with Vanessa, frustrated with Evan, or merely trying to concentrate on getting ready for their first choir number?

  Lorna was not only a beautiful, talented musician, but she had a sensitivity that drew Evan to her like a powerful magnet. Anyone willing to give up a favored part and not get riled when Vanessa attacked her with a vengeance made a hit with Evan. Lorna had done the Christian thing, even if Vanessa hadn’t. Now if he could only convince her to give their relationship a chance. Maybe their Saturday night date would turn the tide.

  Lorna had just slipped on her Farmen’s apron when Chris came up behind her. “How was school today?”

  “Don’t ask.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “You’ve been back in college for a couple of weeks. I thought you’d be getting used to the routine by now.”

  Lorna grabbed an order pad from the back of the counter and stuffed it in her apron pocket. “The routine’s no
t the problem.”

  Chris’s forehead wrinkled. “What is, then?”

  Lorna rubbed the back of her neck, trying to get the kinks out. “Never mind. It’s probably not worth mentioning.”

  “It doesn’t have anything to do with Evan Bailey, does it?”

  “No! Yes. Well, partially.”

  Chris glanced at the clock on the wall above the serving counter. “We’ve still got a few minutes until our shift starts. Let’s go to the ladies’ room, and you can tell me about it.”

  Lorna shook her head. “What’s the point? Talking won’t change anything.”

  Chris grabbed her arm and gave it a gentle tug. “Come on, friend. I know you’ll feel better once you’ve opened up and told me what’s bothering you.”

  “Oh, all right,” Lorna mumbled. “Let’s hurry, though. I don’t want to get docked any pay for starting late.”

  Lorna was glad to discover an empty ladies’ room when she and Chris arrived a few moments later. Chris dropped onto the small leather couch and motioned Lorna to do the same. “Okay, spill it!”

  Lorna curled up in one corner of the couch and let the whole story out, beginning with her entering the choir room that morning and ending with Vanessa’s juvenile tantrum and Evan’s response to it all.

  Chris folded her hands across her stomach and laughed. It wasn’t some weak, polite little giggle, like Lorna offered her customers. It was a genuine, full-blown belly laugh.

  Lorna didn’t see what was so funny. In fact, retelling the story had only upset her further. “This is no laughing matter, Chris. It’s serious business.”

  Her friend blinked a couple of times, and then burst into another round of laughter.

  Lorna started to get up. “Okay, fine! I shouldn’t have said anything to you, that’s obvious.”

  Chris reached over and grabbed hold of Lorna’s arm. “No, stay, please.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I hope you know I wasn’t laughing at you.”

  “Who?”

  “The whole scenario.” Chris clicked her tongue. “I just don’t get you, Lorna.”

  “What do you mean?”