As You Wish (33 page)

Christy couldn't compete with that. She didn't want to.

“I talked to your uncle today,” Todd said. “Have you talked to him lately?”

“Not since Thanksgiving.”

“He said the pictures turned out great, and he's sending them to us. He also said Marti told him last night that she's not leaving.”

“Really? What did he say?”

“I guess she quit her art classes and told Bob she was willing to put the effort into working on their marriage as long as he was willing, too.”

“Do you think she'll go to church with him?”

“I don't know,” Todd said.

“Do you think they'll go to a marriage counselor?”

“I couldn't say.”

“I'm glad you told me. That's a big relief. I'm glad she decided to try to work things through. Don't you think that when you stayed with them it helped bring them back together because they had you as a mutual project to work on?”

“Possibly,” Todd said.

“I think that helped a lot.”

“Are you saying they should have a baby?”

Christy was surprised at Todd's suggestion. “They're too old, aren't they?”

Todd shrugged. “Don't ask me.”

There was a pause before Todd said, “How many kids do you want to have?”

Christy thought a moment. “I don't know. Sometimes I liked that there were only two of us, even though David and I weren't real close. When I was younger I thought I wanted to have a huge family with six or eight kids. Then I worked at the orphanage. I think two is good. Four maybe. I think even numbers are better.”

A wide grin spread across Todd's face. The afternoon sun was low in the December sky and came streaming in through the driver's window, illuminating his profile. “I want four,” he said soundly. “Two boys, two girls. But I'll take whatever God grants. And if they're healthy, so much the better.”

Christy was amazed they were talking so naturally about their family. Their future. Although she shouldn't be surprised. They had been having more conversations like this lately. Both of them spoke freely and openly, even though neither of them had yet used terms such as “our children”
or “whatever God grants
us.”
The understanding that they were discussing their life together was there, under the surface.

Todd reached over and took her hand in his. He glanced at her with a contented smile, then looked back at the road. Christy smoothed her finger across his hand, delicately tracing each scar.

“Do these hurt anymore?” she asked.

“Not really. A few of them are tender.”

“I love your hands.” Christy drew his hand to her lips and kissed it before pressing it against her cheek.

“You do?”

“Yes, I do.”

They both glanced at each other a little awkwardly and smiled. Christy's “I do” had prompted her, and apparently Todd, as well, to think of how those were the words they would one day say to each other at the altar.

Go ahead, say it, Todd. Say, “Will you marry me?” You know I'll say yes.

Todd didn't say anything. He pulled into the parking lot of The Dove's Nest, and Christy felt a mixture of bliss and impatience. If she had a single brazen cell in her body, she would construct a sentence that had the word “marry” in it that ended with a question mark. That would prompt Todd to speak up.

But in the secret place in her heart, Christy was at rest. She and Todd had come so far. They were so close. Everything was just about perfect. If Todd uttered his anticipated proposal to her in three minutes or in three days or in three years, she could wait.

As they walked hand in hand through the parking lot, Todd said, “Isn't that Baby Hummer?”

“Katie came?”

“That's good,” he said. “I'd hoped she would.”

“Did you say anything to her about it today?”

“No.”

Christy was proud of her friend. She must have thought it through and realized she would be happier spending Friday night with her friends than letting the couples part of the event bother her.

When Todd and Christy entered the contemporary-looking café, Christy was drawn to the fireplace, where the dancing golden flames waved to her and bid her come closer.

“Todd, they have a fireplace,” Christy said. She noticed Sierra, Paul, Randy, and Vicki all seated near the fire. They had pulled together two small, round tables and had collected a sufficient number of chairs.

“Christy!” Sierra waved to her. Paul, wearing a tweed cap, was seated next to Sierra. Christy had seen him only a few times before, but she hadn't remembered the round glasses perched on his straight nose.

“Have you seen Katie?” Christy asked after she greeted the four.

“She's in the bookstore with Matt and Jenna.”

“Did anyone come with Katie?”

“I don't think so.”

“Are you guys going to order something to eat?” Todd asked.

“We already did,” Sierra said.

Just then a deep voice behind Christy and Todd said, “Did you say
food?”

They turned to see Doug and Tracy.

Christy laughed as they all hugged. “I should have
known you would show up when food was mentioned,” she said to Doug.

“Do you know what you want?” Todd asked Christy. “I'll order for us if you do.”

She hadn't seen a menu; how could she know what to order? How could she decide?

“Any kind of sandwich would be fine,” Christy said. “Roast beef, if they have it. If not, then whatever.”

Todd and Doug exchanged glances as if they were sharing a private insight into Christy's restaurant-ordering abilities.

“That had to be the quickest meal decision I've ever seen you make,” Doug said. He punched Todd's arm. “Looks like you two are having a good effect on each other.”

“Yeah,” Todd said, “she even talks me into putting gas in the car before the gauge registers in the red zone.”

“My point exactly,” Doug said. “What a team you two make!”

Tracy looked meaningfully at Christy, who read her married friend's expression to mean, “Has he asked you yet?”

Christy closed her eyes slowly and shook her head ever so slightly.

“We'll place the order,” Doug said to Tracy. “You might need to pull up another table or at least a few more chairs if all these already are spoken for.”

Christy and Tracy figured out how many were in their group and arranged the chairs accordingly. Christy took the seat closest to the fire and let the warmth seep through her jeans. She loved the café's ambience. The fireplace was draped with a fragrant evergreen swag decorated with tiny Christmas ornaments and bright red berries. Glowing white
Christmas lights lined the windows, and a large wreath hung on the front door.

The café reminded Christy of a coffee shop she and her friends used to go to in Basel. The amber-toned lights and dark wood tables, doors, and trim made the cafe feel homey. Christy liked the large windows and the deeply aromatic coffee.

What she liked most, though, was being with her friends. She noticed a bronze plaque inset on the side of the fireplace that read
Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire? C. S. Lewis.

Christy decided that when she lived in her dream house with Todd one day, they would have that quote engraved on a plaque and displayed by their fireplace.

When Katie, Matt, and Matt's date, Jenna, joined the group, Christy felt the circle was complete. And having the café decorated for Christmas made it magical. “I'm glad you came,” she quietly said to Katie. Katie sat down in the empty seat beside Christy. “What did you say?”

“I said, I'm glad you came.”

“Me too. You were right. This is where I belong.”

Christy smiled.

“Is it seven o'clock yet?” Randy asked, getting up.

“It's five after seven,” Tracy told him.

“I'm going to see if the manager is in yet. They said he was coming back at seven.”

As Randy walked away, Tracy said, “Why does he want to see the manager? Does he know him?”

“No,” Sierra explained. “He's in a band, and they want to play here sometime.”

Todd arrived at the table with napkins and silverware,
which he handed to Christy. He took the chair directly across from her.

“Do you want to sit next to Christy?” Katie asked.

“No, I'm happy to sit here and gaze into her killer eyes.”

Christy hadn't heard anyone refer to her as having “killer eyes” since high school. And that phrase had not come from Todd.

Todd leaned over to Matt, who was seated on his left, and using his hand to cover his mouth, Todd whispered something to Matt.

“No fair telling secrets,” Katie said.

“It wasn't a secret,” Todd said.

Matt didn't comment. He just left the table. Christy couldn't figure out what was going on. She decided not to try to wring out of Todd the un-secret he had told Matt, even though whatever it was had made Matt leave.

Christy was facing the door; the order window was behind her. She noticed that more people were arriving, and she was glad they had claimed their seats by the fire when they did.

“I ordered you some soup,” Todd said. “Beef barley.”

“Oh,” Christy said. “Did they have sandwiches?”

“Only turkey and ham. I figured the soup had beef in it. It comes with a roll.”

“Okay.” Christy should have remembered how logically challenged Todd became when he was sent shopping. Actually, the soup was perfect; better than what she had requested. It would warm her up. Todd knew. She slid her leg under the table until she found his foot, and then she rubbed her foot against his ankle.

“Katie, are you trying to play footsie with me under the table?” Todd asked.

“Why would I do that?” Katie spouted.

Christy gave Todd an exasperated look and kicked him playfully. He gave her a slight wink. Either that or he was winking at someone behind her.

A booming voice behind Katie announced, “Hey, your hair is like a flock . . .”

Katie and Christy turned around at the same time and gasped.

Katie was the first to find her voice. “Rick?”

“Katie?”

Rick's voice faltered only for a moment before finishing his line, as if someone had paid him to say it to her. A wide grin spread across his face as he stated loudly, “Your hair is like a flock of goats. Will you go out with me?”

Everyone but Katie and Christy broke into delighted laughter. That had been Katie's wish, her exact words, in fact, when she had said she wanted a stranger to ask her out using the crazy compliment. Only, the tall, broad-shouldered man with dark, wavy hair who was scanning Katie's every detail with his chocolate brown eyes was no stranger to Christy or to Katie.

Katie slowly rose, and he greeted her with a hug. “Okay,” she declared wildly. “I'll go out with you since you asked so nicely.”

Rick laughed. “Look at you!” He pulled away and examined Katie even more closely. “Wow, when did you grow up?”

“It's my hair. I got it cut.”

“Some guy named Matt told me to come over and say your hair was like a flock of goats, but I didn't know it was you. And it's not, you know. I mean it's you, but your hair isn't goat-like at all.”

Christy had never seen Rick Doyle fumble his words. He seemed more like a kid than the snobby football star he had been in high school.

Rick pulled his gaze from Katie to see who else was at the table.

“Hi, Rick,” Christy said warmly.

“Christy.” Rick stooped to hug her around the neck. “It's so great to see you guys. When Todd and Doug walked up to the register, I couldn't believe it. Todd told me you two are . . .” Rick looked at Todd.

Christy looked at Todd.

Todd's expression remained steady.

“Todd told me you two are closer than ever,” Rick said. “I'm glad for you. I really am. That's so great.”

“I think it's pretty great, too.” Christy was glad to know she could sit there and talk to Rick Doyle and know that nothing awkward remained between them from the up-and-down season they had while dating in high school.

Matt returned to his seat, and Katie gave him a hard time for talking Rick into playing a joke on her when really the joke turned out to be on Rick.

“He made me do it.” Matt pointed to Todd.

Todd put on his best innocent look and turned to Doug as if it had been his bright idea.

“Don't look at me,” Doug said.

Christy realized at that moment that every guy she had ever cared for seriously or deeply in her life was gathered at this table. And none of them was anything like Todd. Her heart turned up another notch in its steady devotion to Todd Spencer. No guy would ever compare.

“Do you want to eat with us?” Katie asked after all the introductions had been made.

“I have to get back to my office. They told me a guy's waiting to talk to me about his band playing here.”

“He's with us,” Sierra said. “It's Randy.”

“Your office?” Katie asked.

“I'm the manager here. Didn't Doug tell you?”

“No, Doug didn't say anything. You're the manager?”

Rick nodded. “My dad bought the place and put me to work. Come with me. I'll show you around.” The invitation clearly was for Katie only.

As Katie began to follow him, Christy heard her say, “Have you ever considered serving any gourmet herbal teas here?”

Christy turned to Todd, her eyes wide. “Should I be in shock?”

“Not when God is doing God-things,” Todd said smugly.

“With a little help from His friends,” Tracy added.

“With a little help from His friends,” Todd repeated.

Then the food arrived. The group joined hands around the table, and Doug prayed aloud. When he ended the prayer, Christy and Todd said softly in unison, “As you wish.”