Love Finds a Way (13 page)

Dwaine smiled from across the table. “You remind me of someone.”

“Who?”

He fingered the dimple in his chin. “I’m not sure. Shirley Temple, maybe.”

Sheila squinted her eyes. “Shirley Temple had blond hair, and mine’s black as midnight.”

“True, but her hair was a mass of curls, and so is yours.”

She reached up to touch the uncontrollable tendrils framing her face. Her hair had always been naturally curly, and when she was a child, she’d liked not having to do much with it. Now Sheila simply endured the nasty curls, envying others with straight, sleek hair.

He traced his fingers along the edge of the table. “Do you know what an original Shirley Temple doll is worth on today’s market?”

She shook her head.

“Several hundred dollars.”

“Wow. That’s impressive.”

“Your lost Bye-Lo baby’s going for a tidy sum, too.” “Really?”

He nodded. “I saw an eighteen-inch Bye-Lo listed in a doll collectors’ magazine several weeks ago, and it cost a thousand dollars.”

Sheila’s mouth fell open. “That’s a lot of money. I had no idea the doll was so valuable.”

“Actually, the eight-inch version, like your grandmother had, is only selling for five hundred dollars.”

“Only?”

“You see that as a bad thing?”

“It is for me, since I don’t have the doll or that kind of money lying around.”

“We’re going to find it,” Dwaine said with the voice of assurance, “and it might not cost as much as you think. If the doll’s still at my shop, I can sell her back to you for whatever Bill Summers paid your grandmother, which I’m sure wasn’t nearly as much as the doll is worth.”

Sheila’s heart hammered. Why should she be forced to buy something she was told she could have? Of course, Grandma hadn’t actually said Sheila could have the doll. It had been sold several months ago, and Grandma probably figured there were lots of other things in the attic Sheila could pick from.

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to ward off the threatening tears. It might be childish, but she wanted that doll and nothing else.

“You okay?”

Sheila felt Dwaine’s hand cover hers, and her eyes snapped open. “I–I’m fine. If you can find the doll, I’ll pay you whatever you think it’s worth.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Sheila studied Dwaine’s features—the prominent nose, velvet brown eyes, sandy-blond hair, and heavy dark eyebrows. He looked so sincere when he smiled. Hopefully he meant what he said about helping find the precious Bye-Lo baby. Maybe he wasn’t like Kevin, who’d offered her nothing but lies and broken promises.

“You mentioned earlier that your folks are missionaries in Brazil.”

“Yes. They’ve been living there for the past year.”

“That sounds exciting. My church sent a work and witness team to Argentina last summer. The group said it was a worthwhile experience.”

“Are you active in your church?” Sheila questioned.

He reached for his glass of water and grinned at her. “I teach a teen Sunday school class. Ever since I accepted the Lord as my Savior, I’ve wanted to work with young people.” He chuckled. “I was only fourteen at the time of my conversion, so I had to grow up and become an adult before they’d let me teach.”

Sheila relaxed against her seat.
Why couldn’t I meet someone as nice as you in Fresno?
She shook her head, hoping to get herself thinking straight again. Her vacation would be over in a week, and then she’d be going back to California. It might be some time before she returned to Casper for another visit. Dwaine Woods could be married by then.

“So if your folks live in Brazil and your brother lives in San Diego, what’s keeping you in Fresno?” Dwaine asked.

“My job, I guess.” Sheila fingered her napkin. What was taking their order so long?

“That’s all? Just a job?”

She nodded. “As I said earlier, I work as a receptionist at a chiropractor’s office.”

Dwaine leaned his elbows on the table and looked at her intently. “You’re so pretty, I figure there must be a man in your life.”

Sheila felt her face heat up. Was Dwaine flirting with her? He couldn’t be; they barely knew each other. “There is no man in my life.”
Not anymore
.

She was relieved when their waitress showed up. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her broken engagement to Kevin. She was trying to put the past to rest.

“Sorry it took so long,” the middle-aged woman said as she set plates in front of them. “We’re short-handed in the kitchen tonight, and I’m doing double duty.” There were dark circles under her eyes, and several strands of gray hair crept out of the bun she wore at the back of her neck.

“We didn’t mind the wait,” Dwaine said. He smiled at Sheila and winked. “It gave me a chance to get better acquainted with this beautiful young woman.”

His comment made her cheeks feel warm, and she reached for her glass of water, hoping it might cool her down.

“Would you mind if I prayed before we eat?” he asked when the waitress walked away.

“Not at all.” Sheila bowed her head as Dwaine’s deep voice sought the Lord’s blessing on their meal and beseeched God for His help in finding her grandmother’s doll.

Maybe everything would work out all right after all.

Dwaine became more frustrated by the minute. They’d been back at his shop for more than an hour and had looked through every drawer and cubbyhole he could think of. There was no sign of any Bye-Lo doll or even a receipt to show there ever had been one.

“Maybe your grandmother took the doll to another antique shop,” he said to Sheila, who was searching through a manila envelope Dwaine had found in the bottom of his desk.

“She said she brought it here.”

“Maybe she forgot.”

Sheila sighed. “I suppose she could have. Grandma recently turned seventy-five, and her memory might be starting to fade.”

Dwaine looked at the antique clock on the wall across the room and grimaced. “It’s after nine. Maybe we should call it a night.”

She nodded and slipped the envelope back in the drawer. “You’re right. It is getting late, and I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

“I don’t mind,” Dwaine was quick to say. “This whole missing doll thing has piqued my interest. I’m in it till the end.”

“If there is an end.” Sheila scooted her chair away from the desk and stood. “Since you have no record of the doll ever being here, and we don’t know for sure if Grandma even brought it into this shop, I fear my Bye-Lo baby might never be found.”

The look of defeat on Sheila’s face tore at Dwaine’s heartstrings. She’d come all the way from California and used vacation time, and he hated to see her go home empty-handed. He took hold of her hand. “I’m not ready to give up yet. I can check with the other antique shops in town and see if they know anything about the doll.”

Her blue eyes brightened, although he noticed a few tears on her lashes. “You’d take that much time away from your business to look for my doll?”

“Searching for treasures is my job.” “Oh, that’s right.”

He squeezed her fingers. “Why don’t you go back to your grandmother’s and get a good night’s sleep? In the morning, you can come back here and we’ll search some more.”

She drew in a deep breath. “I’d like that, but I’m not staying with Grandma. I’m staying at a hotel.”

“How come?”

“Her apartment at the retirement center is too small. She only has one bedroom.”

“But you have other relatives in town, right?”

She nodded. “Jessica and Aunt Marlene. Jessica’s painting her kitchen right now, and I’m allergic to paint. And Aunt Marlene is out of town on a cruise.”

“Guess a hotel is the best bet for you, then, huh?”

“Yes, and since I’ll only be here a short time and got a good deal on the room, I’m fine with it.”

He grinned at her. “Great. I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow, then, Sheila.”

“Yes. Tomorrow.”

Sheila stood at her second-floor hotel window, staring at the parking lot. She’d slept better last night than she thought she would, going to bed with confidence that her doll would be found. Dwaine had assured her he would locate the missing doll, and for some reason, she believed him. The new owner of The Older the Better seemed honest and genuinely interested in helping her.

Sheila crammed her hands into the pockets of her fuzzy pink robe.
Of course, he could just be in it for the money. Dwaine did tell me the Bye-Lo baby is worth several hundred dollars
.

The telephone rang, and she jumped. Who would be calling her at nine o’clock in the morning? She grabbed the receiver on the next ring. “Hello.”

“Sheila, honey, it’s Grandma.”

“Oh, hi.”

“I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, I was up. Sorry I didn’t get by your place last night to drop off the house key. I’ll come by later today, okay?”

“No hurry, dear. You’ll be here a week and might want to visit the old place again.”

Sheila’s gaze went to the Bible Dwaine had found. She’d set it on the nightstand by her bed. “Grandma, Dwaine found a Bible on top of the piano yesterday. Would you like me to bring that by when I drop off the key?”

“An
old
Bible?”

“Yes, it’s black and kind of tattered.” “That belonged to your grandpa. Guess it didn’t get packed. Would you like to have it, Sheila?” “Don’t you want to keep it?”

“Since you haven’t been able to locate the Bye-Lo doll, I’d like you to have the Bible.”

“I’d be honored to have Grandpa’s Bible, but I’m still going to keep looking for the doll.”

“That’s fine, dear. Speaking of the doll … What did you and that nice young man find out yesterday?” Grandma asked. “Did you find a receipt?”

Sheila blanched. How did Grandma know she and Dwaine had spent time together searching for anything that might give some clue as to what had happened to her Bye-Lo baby?

“Sheila, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here.” Sheila licked her lips. “How did you know I was looking for the doll with the owner of The Older the Better?”

“He called me yesterday afternoon. Said the two of you were going through some papers in his shop.”

“It must have been while he was in the back room,” Sheila said. “I never heard him call you.”

Grandma sneezed and coughed a few times, and Sheila felt immediate concern. “Are you okay? You aren’t coming down with a cold, I hope.”

She could hear Grandma blowing her nose. “I’m fine. Just my allergies acting up. I think I’m allergic to the new carpet in my apartment here.”

Sheila’s heart twisted. Grandma shouldn’t have been forced to leave the home she loved and move to some cold apartment in a retirement center where the carpet made her sneeze.

“Why don’t you come back to Fresno with me for a while?” Sheila suggested. “I live all alone in Mom and Dad’s big old house, and if you like it there, you can stay permanently.”

“Oh no! I could never move from Casper.” There was a pause. “It’s kind of you to offer though.”

Sheila understood why Grandma had declined. Her roots went deep, as she’d been born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. She had married and brought her children up here as well. Besides, Grandma probably wouldn’t be able to adjust to the heat in California, especially during the summer months.

“I understand,” Sheila said, “but please feel free to come visit anytime you like.”

“Yes, I will.” Another pause. “Now back to that young man who’s helping you look for my old doll …”

“What did Dwaine want when he called you?” Sheila asked.

“Dwaine?”

“The new owner of The Older the Better.” “Oh. I think he did tell me his name, but I must have forgotten it.”

Sheila dropped to the bed. So Grandma
was
getting forgetful. Maybe she had taken the doll to some other place. Or maybe Bye-Lo was still in her grandmother’s possession.

“How come Dwaine phoned you?” Sheila asked again.

Grandma cleared her throat. “He said you and he were going to eat supper together.”

“He called to tell you that?”

“Where did you go, dear?”

“To Casper’s Café. It’s near his shop.”

“How nice. I was hoping you would get out and have a little fun while you’re here.”

Sheila stifled a yawn. “Grandma, I didn’t come back to Casper to have fun. I came to choose something from your attic, remember?”

“Yes, of course, but you’re twenty-six years old and don’t even have a serious boyfriend.” Grandma clucked her tongue. “Why, when I was your age, I was already married and had three children.”

“Grandma, I’m fine. I enjoy being single.”
Liar. I almost married Kevin and was looking forward to raising a family someday
.

Sheila gripped the phone cord in her right hand. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone, but the Lord hasn’t brought the right man into my life.”
And maybe He never will
.

“You might be too fussy,” Grandma said. “Did you ever think about that?”

Sheila swallowed hard. Maybe she was. She’d had many dates over the years, but except for Kevin, she’d had no serious relationships.

She shook her head, trying to clear away the troubling thoughts. “Grandma, why did Dwaine really phone? I’m sure it wasn’t to inform you that he and I planned to grab a bite of dinner at Casper’s Café.”