Kip flopped down on the couch. “You’ve obviously never tasted Vanessa’s cooking! Me? I’ll take the coffee and move the couch. I’ve tasted something she made once. Believe me, once was more than enough. It wasn’t fit for human consumption.”
“Hey!” Vanessa tossed the marker at him and headed into the kitchen. “Just because you don’t know dog food when you see it. . .”
“Dog food?” Nathan looked from Kip to Valene for an explanation.
A shy smile lit Valene’s face. “Van made special biscuits for Mrs. Culpepper’s poodle. She’s got heart problems and needs low sodium treats.”
“It was Valentine’s Day,” Kip groused. “How was I supposed to know they weren’t heart-shaped cookies? She had them on a plate!”
Van came back into the room. She balanced four mismatched holiday paper plates that held plastic forks and big, fragrant chunks of pastry.
Nathan happily swiped one, handed it to Valene, and took one for himself as Kip scrambled off the couch and dove for another. “Wow. I thought you were kidding when you said something about your granny’s recipe.”
“It’s not cinnamon; it’s her lemon cream cheese loaf,” Vanessa said.
Nathan took a bite. It melted in his mouth. He quickly licked a pastry crumb off his lip. “For this, I’ll even help move the couch.”
“Careful.” Kip gave a wary look around the boxes. “They’re bribing us. There’s got to be a catch somewhere.” His eyes narrowed. “Val, is your new condo an upstairs one?”
“Not a chance. By the time I get home from a four-mile run, I don’t want to have to jog up the stairs.”
Kip chuckled. “And I thought you were going to tell us Vanessa is afraid of heights.”
Nathan gulped down the last bite of pastry and shook his head. “Vanessa is fearless.”
She bumped into a stack of boxes and quoted, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
“Then why did you want us to come help you move all of this junk?”
The move only took the morning hours. Valene had everything organized and ready to go, and the men managed to wedge everything into the truck she’d rented. After a single trip, they’d hauled everything out and taken it into Val’s new place. The twins’ parents were out of town, but they called from their hotel and arranged for a local deli to furnish lunch. A four-foot submarine sandwich with all of the trimmings was delivered just as Nathan wheeled in a dolly with the last stack of boxes on it.
As they ate, Kip tossed a can of soda to Nathan and said, “We still have a spot for you on the team.”
“I’m not going to church.”
Vanessa startled at the vehemence of his tone.
Kip shrugged. “I didn’t invite you to church. Course you’re welcome if you wanna come, but I’m talking about home plate, not the offering plate.”
Aware he’d startled Vanessa and Valene, Nathan felt a niggling of guilt. He pushed it aside. There was nothing wrong with a man standing firm on an issue. Then again, there was nothing wrong with a guy playing ball, either. “Okay, here’s the deal: I’ll play. But don’t expect me to warm a pew.”
“We’re in business.”
“Business!” Vanessa glanced at her watch. “I have to mind the shop for a couple of hours. Jamie could only stay ’til two today. I’ll be back at about six to help you unpack the boxes, Val.” She hugged her sister, dashed for the door, and sang over her shoulder, “Thanks for lugging all of my sissy’s stuff, guys!”
❧
Vanessa sailed back through her sister’s door at a few minutes after six.
“Next time I get a great idea and decide to move,” Valene sighed as she plopped down on the couch, “shoot me.”
Vanessa stepped around a stack of towels, clung to a large roasting pan with oven mitts, and looked around the living room. “You’ve unpacked almost half of the boxes! We’ll finish up later. For now. . .”
Valene gave her a weary smile. “Supper. Whatever it is, I’ll eat it.”
“Here you are.” Vanessa set the roasting pan on the bare coffee table.
“Put the mitts under that! I don’t want the wood ruined!”
Vanessa ignored her twin and lifted the lid with a flourish. “Ta da!”
“What in the world?” Val leaned forward and stared at the pan. Nestled inside was a cell phone with a colorful rectangle of paper taped to the bottom. She lifted the phone, and Vanessa started to laugh as Valene tore off the coupon and read aloud, “Free pizza?”
“But of course. Home delivery. And observe, Mam’selle. . .” She pulled out a red-and-white-checkered plastic tablecloth, spread it on the coffee table, and topped it with matching paper plates and napkins she’d stuffed into the roasting pan. “You go ahead and call. I already arranged for them to bring a large pizza with the works, soda, and salad.”
“What? No dessert?”
Vanessa gave her a wounded look. “Have you ever known me to skimp on the essentials?” She pulled a small gold box of chocolate truffles from the roasting pan and set it in the center of the table with all due consideration.
“Perfect. How about if we eat those while we wait for the pizza?”
“Be still, my beating heart!” Vanessa patted her chest theatrically. “Is that my always-sensible twin sister suggesting something that decadent?”
“I am being sensible. If I turn my back, you’ll eat the hazelnut.” She leaned forward, lifted the foil box’s lid, and plucked out her favorite. After she called for the pizza, she crossed one leg beneath her on the sofa and made direct eye contact. “I want to talk to you for a minute about being sensible.”
“Uh-oh. You just pasted on your serious look.”
“I am serious. Van, Nathan is a troubled man. He’s really resistant to anything having to do with God.”
“I know.” She stared at her sister and sighed. “What kind of Christian would I be to reject him instead of coming alongside him? He’s mad at God. Really mad. I’ve been there too. Remember when Grandma died? I hurt so badly, I didn’t pray all summer.”
“Yeah, but from what Kip said, Nathan’s been bitter for years now.”
“Nathan hasn’t made any secret of it. God is patient, Val. I figure we can either push Nathan away, or we can draw him back to the Lord. It’s not something that will be fixed overnight. Baby steps—it’s a matter of baby steps. You heard him—he’ll join the team.”
“Don’t fall for him, Van. It’ll break your heart.”
Eight
Nathan peeked in on Jeff. His son was sprawled across the bed sideways, the pillow lay on the floor, and the puppy was curled up at the head of the bed where the pillow belonged. Letting out a sigh, Nathan crossed the hardwood floor. His footsteps made a solid sound, but he doubted a full-volume Sousa march would rouse Jeff. Licorice’s head lifted, and his tail made a rapid whump, whump, whump against the oak headboard.
“You don’t belong up here.” Nathan planned to scoop the puppy off the bed, place him on the floor, and have him trot out to the back door for one last pit stop. Once he reached for the dog, his plans altered.
Licorice’s tongue darted out and lapped at Nathan’s wrist. The speed of his tail wagging a drumbeat against the headboard doubled. Nathan picked him up, cradled him in his arms, and left the room. As he walked down the hall and reached the squeaky third step on the stairs, the puppy squirmed and snuffled until his little wet nose nudged at the base of Nathan’s throat.
Nathan stopped on the stairs and looked down. “I’m Granite Cliffs’s biggest pushover, you know. You’re the living proof of that. If you weren’t so cute, it would be downright embarrassing that I put up with you.”
The small metal tags on Lick’s collar jingled.
“Yeah. I know.” Nathan carried him down the rest of the stairs, through the living room, and out the kitchen door. He put down the pooch and sat out in the gazebo. It was too early to turn in, and he had too many thoughts running though his mind to bother trying to fol
low a plot of any television show.
He took up a piece of sandpaper and started to rub out a small ding on the right edge of the western bench in the gazebo. After a few passes, his action halted. He didn’t want to make that nick disappear.
Vanessa had been hammering trellis on the side of the gazebo, and her hammer slipped. She’d been upset about the blemish in the bench, but it was such a minor imperfection, Nathan knew he could sand it smooth. For now, he’d still leave that nick there—it was like a reminder of the golden afternoon when they’d constructed this.
Vanessa. He’d felt a spurt of emotion when Kip showed up at her apartment this morning to help with the move. Were they dating? The thought turned his stomach. He had no right to be jealous or possessive. None whatsoever. He and Vanessa were. . .what are we?
He couldn’t exactly answer that nagging question. When Kip said he hadn’t had any of Vanessa’s cooking other than the dog biscuits, that had made Nathan breathe a little easier. As they’d all worked together to carry things out to the moving truck and haul them into Valene’s new place, Nathan noticed Kip kept mixing up the sisters.
They both wore blue jeans and old, faded red Whiskers, Wings, and Wags T-shirts. Other than that, Kip must have been hit in the head with one too many wild pitches if he thought Van and Val were interchangeable. Val was a pretty young woman; Van was ravishingly beautiful. She just plain sparkled. Her moves carried an exuberance and grace that captivated Nathan.
They didn’t even smell alike. Val wore something from one of those fancy bottles she’d carried into her new place in a basket; Vanessa would have given Carmen Miranda stiff competition in the fruit bowl category. Her hair smelled of strawberry shampoo, she chewed watermelon bubble gum, and when she sat beside him in the truck, she’d slicked peach gloss on her lips.
If all else failed, Kip could have just glanced down and seen that Amber shadowed Vanessa everywhere she went. Well, maybe that isn’t entirely true, Nathan admitted to himself. Amber stays with Valene when Vanessa is on the ball diamond.
Licorice woofed softly. He’d grown appreciably in the past month. He’d barely been able to make it up a step that first day. Now, he undulated like a playful dolphin as he bounded up the four risers into the gazebo. Nathan groaned.
“Lick, is that mud on your nose and paws?”
Licorice skidded to a halt, leaving telltale streaks in his wake.
“What did you dig up this time?”
The puppy sank down, buried his muzzle in his paws, and made a pitiful, guilty whimper.
“Looks like I’m going to have to consult with Vanessa about what to do with a naughty little digger.” Nathan leaned down and petted Lick’s sleek black coat. In truth, he wasn’t overly upset. It provided another good excuse to be with Vanessa again.
❧
“Do you have time for a puppy consultation?”
Vanessa clamped the receiver between her ear and her shoulder as she considered Nathan’s question. She had her hands full, but she didn’t want to miss what he had to say. “Uh-oh. What’s Lick up to now?”
“Outsmarting me.”
She didn’t try to muffle her laughter. “Again?”
Silence on his end of the line might have meant he was offended, but when he spoke, his voice sounded more like he was chuckling than chiding. “You could be a little more sympathetic.”
“Actually, I’m thinking how fortunate you are. Obviously Lick is a highly intelligent dog, so once he’s trained, he’s going to be a dream boat.”
“Right about now, I’d settle for a leaky canoe.”
“Well, he’s a puppy, so I can guarantee he’s still leaky.”
“You did warn me that you’d been class clown,” Nathan muttered wryly.
“Let me put Nero down so I can hold the phone.” She set aside the receiver, placed the black Lab puppy she’d just groomed into an enclosure, and came back. “Thanks for waiting.”
“Let me get this straight,” Nathan said with a tinge of amusement. “You’re fiddling with Nero while my Rome is burning.”
“That’s about the size of it. He and Lick are from the same litter. The family who took him didn’t check with their landlord, and they’ve been told they’ll be evicted if they keep him.”
“And I thought I had problems.”
“It’s really no problem at all. Valene is a little lonely. She’s used to me and a dog, so I’ve decided to give Nero to her.”
“She doesn’t have a yard.”
“No, she doesn’t. For just about anyone else, I’d encourage them to have a smaller dog if it’s going to be a house pet. Val loves to walk and jog. If anything, Nero will get plenty of exercise and provide an extra measure of safety for Val. Anyway, enough about Nero and Val. What do you need?”
“Help. I’m desperate. I tell you what: Jeff and I will bring Lick to baseball practice tonight. We’ll snag some Picnicin’ Chicken on the way. If we get to your shop right as it closes, we can eat in the park, and you can give me some pointers on what to do with the puppy.”
“Sounds great. Feed Lick before you come—otherwise, he’s going to want people food.”
“Okay. Gotcha. Good tactic. See you later.”
❧
Van and Amber were standing outside the pet shop when Nathan drove up. He drew alongside the curb and parked.
“There they are!” Jeff scrambled out of his seat belt and twisted to unlatch Lick from his puppy seat belt. The windows were rolled down, and he shouted, “We brought chicken and hot cherry flipovers for dessert!”
“Turnovers, Sport.” Nathan identified with Jeff’s eager scramble to get out of the car. Clearly, if he and Vanessa did decide to pursue a relationship, he wouldn’t have to worry whether Jeff liked her. Nathan got out of the car, grabbed the rustling plastic bag holding their supper, and snatched his mitt from the dashboard.
“All set?” Vanessa stooped and paid generous attention to Lick.
“You betcha.” Jeff gawked around. “Dad said you gots another dog just like mine. Where is he?”
“I do have another puppy that’s Licorice’s brother. I left him in the shop, and I want to keep him a big surprise. I’m giving him to Valene after the game tonight. Can you keep it a secret?”
“Yep!” Jeff hopped in place.
Nathan tilted his head and slanted his eyes toward the clouds as he shrugged, hoping Vanessa would understand his meaning. Six-year-old boys weren’t exactly reliable when it came to keeping confidences.
Vanessa’s eyes twinkled with understanding. She rose and lifted an electric blue athletic bag.
“I’ll take that.” Nathan reached for it.
“Then put your glove inside. No use carrying a bunch of loose gear.” She unzipped it and opened the flaps.
Nathan made a show of leaning forward and peering inside the bag. “You don’t have a python in there that’ll eat my all-time favorite mitt, do you?”
She let out a theatrical sigh. “I knew I forgot something!”
“Good thing. You’d be in big trouble if anything happened to my glove. I worked at a Christmas-tree lot my sophomore year of high school so I could earn enough money for it.”
“Ah, yes.” She gave him a pert smile. “The old sweeter-’cuz-I-earned-it item. Val and I shared our biggie, but I suppose that wouldn’t come as any surprise.”
“As different as you are from one another, it is. So tell me—what did the two of you want so badly?”
“A sound system for our bedroom. When we moved to our apartment, it was the only thing in the living room.”
He dropped his mitt inside. As she zipped up the bag, he mused, “It didn’t occur to me until now, but you don’t have any snakes in the shop.”
“Snakes are icky,” Jeff declared.
“Val and my mom agree with you. The day I signed the papers for this shop, they made a point of telling me not to count on their help if I kept a single snake on the premises.”
As he lifted the bag of gear, Na
than asked, “It’s not much of a sacrifice, is it? You already offer a wide array of animals.”
“I couldn’t possibly handle snakes. They don’t have wings or whiskers, and they don’t wag. Are we ready to go?”
“Ready!” Jeff and Nathan declared in unison.
Jeff trotted ahead with Lick sort of trying to stay at heel. The two of them tangled about every third step, but that rated as a definite improvement.
Nathan stood to Van’s right so Amber could walk at heel. With the supper bag in one hand and the athletic bag over the opposite shoulder, he didn’t have a free hand. For a fleeting moment, he considered switching the picnic to his right hand so his left hand would be free to hold hers, but he dismissed that concept as soon as it flashed though his mind. He wasn’t ready to jump into anything deep yet, and she seemed comfortable with matters as they stood. Most of him accepted that fact, but he still felt a twinge. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d become until he’d met Vanessa.
Laughter bubbled out of her as she watched Jeff and Lick. That sound acted like a breeze, shoving away his gloomy clouds of thoughts. Nathan started to do something he hadn’t done in years.
Nine
As they strolled down the street, Nathan started to whistle. It felt right, just puckering up and letting loose a stream of notes. It wasn’t until they were waiting at the light that he realized what tune he’d chosen.
Vanessa said the title just as his own awareness dawned. “ ‘How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?’ ”
He gave her a sheepish look. “I guess I’d better be careful not to give away the secret, either.”
Jeff took his hand before they crossed the street. “I ’membered to look both ways.”
“Good going.”
“Dad, did you tell on Lick?”
He squeezed Jeff’s hand. “Vanessa needs to know what Licorice is doing so she can help us make him a better puppy. She’s not going to stop liking him just because he did something bad.”
“Like the way you still love me, even when I done wrong?”
“Do wrong. And yes, just like I will always love you, no matter what you do. Still, that’s not an excuse for you to do bad things. When you love someone, you try your hardest to do things that please them.”
Love Is Patient Page 5
