Find Wonder In All Things (17 page)

Laurel got the hint, and to be honest, it was fine with her to stay and play nursemaid to Virginia. It would have been much more difficult to sit at a dinner table with James when he seemed so disinterested in her. “I’ll stay with her. It’s not a problem.”

“Oh man, that would be great. I hate to ask you because you don’t get to go out that much.” He stopped short, looking awkward and a little embarrassed by his last remark. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded . . . ”

“I don’t mind. If Virginia’s fine with it, I’m fine. Just bring me a slice of cheesecake, would you?”

“Sure, sure, I’ll do that. Thanks a million, Laurel. I know it’s just morning sickness, and it’s normal, but it’s unusual for her to be sick, and this is all still uncharted territory for me.”

He paused. “Umm, this situation isn’t too weird for you is it — I mean James being here? I know you guys dated for a while back in school, but it was a long time ago, so . . . ”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” she said lightly, turning away. “I better go let Virginia in on the plan for tonight.”

“What’s going on?” Carrie asked.

Stuart walked over to them. “Virginia’s not feeling well. I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, James, but we’re expecting.”

“Oh!” James’s voice showed his surprise. “Well then, congratulations.” He set down his beer, shook Stuart’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“She’s okay, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she’s okay — just that morning sickness thing. Or I guess evening sickness in this case. Laurel’s going to stay with her.”

The way the four of them turned and looked at Laurel as a unit made her feel like she was on display in a glass case. She gave them a weak smile.

“Aww,” Carrie whined, “Laurel, that’s too bad.” She turned to James. “We love getting together with Laurel. She always has such interesting stories to tell about life in the mountains.”

“Oh?” James answered nonchalantly, looking over at Laurel’s flushed face.

Heather interjected. “But maybe you’ll have some interesting California stories for us. Have you ever met any celebrities?”

“A few, a very few,” he smiled in a self-deprecating way. “I’m sure my stories aren’t all that exciting.”

“Oh, I’m sure they are,” Heather gushed. “You’ve done so many things and been so many places.”

Stuart rolled his eyes and took a swig of his beer. “Damn, girls. Don’t scare him off on his first day here. We’ll never get him to come back if you put him on the spot like that. Don’t worry, James; they do this to everybody.”

Heather and Carrie giggled.

Laurel looked past them and caught James staring at her closely. After a second, he spoke up. “You’re sure you don’t mind staying?”

“No, it’s fine. Stuart’s bringing me a great dessert.” She smiled. “I’ll just go get Ginny some saltines and a glass of water. You all have fun, okay?” She left the room a little abruptly then, but she didn’t trust her expression to stay neutral much longer.

* * *

Stu, James and the girls arrived back at the house about 10:30. Laurel heard the car door slam, and laughter drifted in the open door as they made their way up the stairs to the great room. She and Ginny smiled at each other and shook their heads.

“Hush you two. Ginny’s probably sleeping,” Stuart admonished.

The Pendleton sisters clapped their hands over their mouths to stifle their giggles.

“Oops, sorry.” Carrie lowered her voice as she led them into the room. “Oh, there she is. She’s not asleep at all. How are you feeling, Ginny?”

“Better. I think I was just tired.” Ginny put down her magazine. “Did you have a good time?”

“Great time, wasn’t it, James?” Heather gave him an admiring smile.

“Yeah, good time.” He directed his attention to Laurel. “My sister was sorry she missed meeting you — and seeing Virginia again, of course. She hopes maybe you two will be able to get together with her another time.”

“Oh, okay.”

“She’s a fan of yours, as it turns out. She went on and on about your pottery.”

“I see.”

“And she wanted to talk to you about it. So . . . maybe some other time.”

“I’d like that.”

Virginia stood up and stretched. “I think I’m turning in,” she began, then stopped suddenly when the phone rang. “Who could that be this time of night?”

Laurel watched as Ginny answered the kitchen phone and then plopped down on the stool at the counter. When she looked back around, she found James watching her again.

Quickly, he looked away and said to Stuart, “I’m pretty tired from the drive down here. It won’t offend you if I turn in a little early will it?”

“Oh no, not in the least,” Carrie replied. Her face told the whole story: She was completely besotted with James Marshall.

Ginny covered the receiver with her hand and beckoned her sister. “Laurel, come talk to her.” Her impatience came through loud and clear.

“Who?”

“It’s Spring. When she found out you were here, she only wanted you.”

Laurel moved to take the phone, and Ginny rejoined the group in the living room. Laurel spoke to her sister in soft, soothing tones, and after a few minutes, she hung up and made her way to the couch.

“Everything okay?” James asked.

She nodded, careful not to meet his gaze. “Mama’s . . . ” She paused. “She’s not feeling well.” She turned to her sister. “You know how it upsets Spring when she gets like that.”

Ginny just sighed and gave Stuart a resigned look.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine tomorrow,” Laurel cut in. “I’ll stop in on my way home and check on them.”

James cleared his throat. “Well . . . good night, I guess.”

“Night,” Heather and Carrie chorused.

“See you in the morning,” Stuart answered. He reached for Ginny’s hand and led her out of the room.

After they left, the sisters plopped down on either side of Laurel, alternating excited whispers between them.

“He’s the cutest thing!” Heather began.

“I’ll second that,” Carrie added. “Not a drop of geek in him.”

“He told us all about California and all the things he’s done there — hiking and sky-diving and touring Napa Valley.”

“And he told us about living in Nashville before he went to California. Why didn’t you tell us that? He said you knew about it.”

“Um, I don’t know. It didn’t occur to me, I guess. It was so long ago . . . wasn’t it?”

“Long enough, I suppose,” Heather went on. “You know, he said he wouldn’t have known you, Laurel, if he met you on the street. He said you’d changed that much.”

“He did? I don’t think I look that different.”

“A little older maybe,” Carrie said soothingly.

Ouch, that hurt!
Laurel knew Carrie wasn’t trying to insult her. She just said thoughtless things sometimes. She had gotten to know the Pendleton girls fairly well, especially since Stuart had married her sister, and for the most part, she liked them. Sometimes, though, they just acted . . . young.

“Well,” — Laurel put her hands on her knees and stood up — “I guess I’ll head back up to my cabin in the hills.”

“Don’t forget your cheesecake,” Heather said helpfully. She handed Laurel the box.

“Thanks. I’ll see you all. Have fun at the lake. Don’t hound the company too much.”

“Good night, Laurel,” they said in unison.

Laurel walked out to her old Jeep sitting in the driveway. She felt a little prickle on the back of her neck as if she was being watched. When she turned around and glanced up at the house, she expected to see Heather or Carrie there, but there was no one — only the movement of a curtain from one of the guest bedroom windows.

Chapter 14

Over the next few days, Laurel and James were often in each other’s company. The culmination of the week found them all on the Pendleton family houseboat cruising around the lake to dock at the state park picnic grounds for a cookout. Laurel had staked out a spot on the roof where the wind could drown out the sound of girlish laughter and James’s easy-going speech below. He was charming the pants off the Pendleton girls — well, Laurel hoped not literally for their sakes. What would happen to sisterly affection if he showed an interest in one of them over the other or, heaven forbid, both of them at the same time? Laurel clung to the little bit of resentment that thought produced. It would do her no good to let herself become enamored of James again. She was a great believer in karma and timing, and her time — her chance for a future with James Marshall — had come and gone.

As if summoned by her thoughts, James’s head popped over the edge of the roof. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the Ray-Ban Aviators he wore, but he stopped and his body stiffened.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was up here.”

She started to reply, but he cut her off.

“I was just looking for a quiet place to read. I’ll go somewhere else though.” And then, he disappeared down the ladder.

It was obvious he was avoiding her. What she didn’t know was why. He couldn’t still be angry after all that time, so it must be indifference. Maybe it was just too awkward to socialize with an old flame. Maybe he was congratulating himself on escaping and not tying himself down. After all, his life apparently turned out better without her, just as she predicted. Would he ever have gone to California if she had been with him? Would he ever have gone back to school or had the time to start EMP? Now he probably saw what he’d gained by going on alone.

Seeing him in person confirmed what she’d presumed after reading about him. He had become a fascinating, amazing guy. It was to his credit that he’d managed to pull himself up from nothing. A self-made man like him was a rarity in that day and age.
No, Laurel,
she berated herself,
stop thinking about how much you admire him; you’re supposed to be indifferent to him — the way he’s indifferent to you.

They arrived at the picnic grounds in the late afternoon. Stuart and Laurel built a fire while the rest of the party carried coolers of food off the boat and over to the picnic table. James volunteered to start the charcoal grill, and Ginny arranged chairs around the campfire.

“I’m glad they have the grill here,” James said as he lit the coals. “I wouldn’t want to try cooking on the open fire pit.”

Laurel smiled. “I’ve done it both ways. The grill’s much easier though.” She fished a beer out of the cooler and headed over to the fire to tend the flames.

“Sit here, James.” Carrie patted the chair between her and Heather. “We want to ask you about earthquakes in California.” He grinned smugly and plopped down while Laurel smirked into her beer.

That was a little lame, Carrie.

It seemed the sisters were trying to outdo each other for James’s attention. She took a chair beside Ginny and Stu and stretched her long legs out in front of her. James’s comment the other night had stung a bit, so she had dressed a little younger in cut-off jeans and a tank top, and she’d painted her toenails a dark red that clashed with her hair — just to be rebellious.

James sat between the two girls, grinning like the Cheshire cat, and Laurel couldn’t blame him for being flattered by the attention. Although he had matured into a very handsome man, he had spent most of his youth in the shadow of Stuart, who was worldly, charming, and rich by middle-class standards. James had always had his own brand of charm, but he’d never garnered the level of female interest that Stu did with his Ken-doll looks and his sports car.

He was trying to explain the Richter scale to the girls, when Stuart finally had enough of their foolishness and interrupted.

“So, what are your plans now, James? Are you going to continue working on the EMP now that it’s been bought out?”

James took a sip of beer and set it on his knee, staring into the fire for a second before he answered.

“No, the EMP project is over for me. Belenos Music & Media bought it, and they can do what they want with it. I suspect what they want is to shelve it. I can’t develop any competing software for five years at least, so most companies aren’t interested in hiring me. I’m at a crossroads I guess. My friend Eric seems to think it’s time for me to settle down . . . ” The thought trailed off awkwardly, and James let out a half-hearted chuckle. “I might go back to playing music for a while or designing some other type of software. I don’t know.”

“Laurel said you were a professional guitarist in Nashville.”

“Miss Elliot exaggerates my talent,” he said in a formal manner. “It would be more accurate to say I was a factory worker who played around on the guitar on nights and weekends.”

“But you brought your guitar with you, right? Will you play for us a little later?”

He shrugged. “If you want. Do any of you play? Or sing?”

“Laurel does both,” Carrie piped up. “She sings at her dad’s restaurant sometimes and plays the acoustic guitar.”

Laurel’s eyes went wide. “Just accompaniment chords — nothing spectacular.”

“It was spectacular enough for Brian Fisher.” Heather waggled her eyebrows.