Seth howled, and Tabby slapped him playfully on the arm. He tickled her under the chin. “The other day I heard my wife telling our neighbors I was a model husband. I felt pretty good about that until I looked up the word in a dictionary.”
“What did it say?” Lois asked, putting her elbows on the table and leaning forward.
“A model is a small imitation of the real thing.”
Another gale of laughter went around the table, but the waitress came then to take their order. Lois figured it was time to get serious, so she ordered a cup of herbal tea and a brownie. Tabby settled for coffee and a maple bar. Both men asked for coffee and hot-apple pie, topped with vanilla ice cream. While they waited for their orders, the joke telling continued.
“I’ve heard that marriage is comparable to twirling a baton, turning handsprings, or eating with chopsticks,” Joe said with a sly grin on his face. “It looks really easy till you try it.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m an old maid of twenty-two,” Lois interjected.
Joe bobbed his head up and down and chuckled. “Wow, that is pretty old.”
Tabby wrinkled her nose. “Not to be outdone—when Seth and I got married, it was for better or worse. I couldn’t do better, and he couldn’t do worse.”
Remembering the days of her sister’s low self-esteem, Lois quickly jumped in. “That’s not true, Tabby, and you know it.”
Tabby raised her eyebrows and looked at Lois. “I was only kidding.”
Joe nudged Lois gently in the ribs with his elbow. “Did you know this is National Clown Month?”
She shook her head.
“Yes, and as a clown I feel it’s my duty to make as many people laugh as possible.” Joe then tapped Lois on the shoulder. “Do you like to laugh?”
“Sure.”
“And do you enjoy making other people laugh?”
She shrugged. “I suppose so.”
“Then maybe you’ve got what it takes to be a clown.” Joe grinned. “Don’t mind me—I’m always trying to recruit others to become clowns.”
Lois wasn’t sure what to say in response, so she merely turned her head away and stared out the window. The idea of her becoming a clown seemed ridiculous. She studied her little green car sitting under the street light next to Seth’s black Bronco. If she could only come up with a legitimate excuse, she’d forget about her chocolate treat and head straight for home. Joe Richey was cute and funny, but at the moment he was making her feel rather uncomfortable.
Joe clenched his teeth and squished the napkin in his lap into a tight ball. I think I’ve blown it with this woman. I had her laughing one minute, and the next minute she’s giving me the silent treatment. What’d I say or do that turned her off?
“When will your next performance be, Joe?” Seth asked.
“Tonight was my last one for a while.”
“How come?” Tabby questioned. “I’d think a funny guy like you would be in high demand.”
“I guess I am, because I’ve been doing back-to-back programs all summer,” Joe said. “I’m in need of a break, though. Thought I might head for the beach or go up to Mt. Rainier to relax.”
Seth nodded. “Makes sense to me. All work and no play—well, you know the rest of that saying. Even Jesus needed to get away from the crowds once in a while. If you don’t take time for yourself, you’ll burn out like a candle in the wind.”
“How long have you been clowning?” Lois asked.
At least she’s speaking to me again. Joe turned his head and offered her his best smile. “Ever since I was a kid, but professionally for about two years.”
As Joe leaned even closer to Lois, his senses were assaulted by the subtle fragrance of peaches. It must be her shampoo. He wondered if her hair was as soft as it looked, and he fought the urge to reach out and touch the long golden tresses. “Do you live around here, Lois?” he asked.
“Tabby and I grew up in Olympia, and our folks still live there.” Lois smiled. “We both settled in Tacoma when we found jobs here.”
Joe tapped the edge of his water glass with one finger. “I’m from Olympia, too.”
“Really? What part of town?” Lois asked.
“The north side.”
“Lois drives to Olympia a couple of times a month,” Tabby said, smiling at Joe. “Maybe you two should get together sometime.”
Lois nearly choked on the sip of water she’d just taken. She had the distinct feeling she was being set up. Maybe her well-meaning sister had planned it so Joe would meet them at the coffee shop. It might be that the little schemer was trying to play matchmaker. Who knows? Tabby could have been behind that whole scenario at the church tonight. She may have asked Joe to single me out with the balloon bouquet and birthday song.
Lois resolved to have a little heart-to-heart talk with her sister. If she ever had another man in her life, she needed to do the picking. Tabby might have her best interests at heart, but she wasn’t Lois’s keeper. Besides, Lois wasn’t looking for a man now.
She gave Joe a sidelong glance, and he smiled, a slow, lazy grin that set her heart racing. He sure is cute. And he did fall into my lap. The waitress brought their desserts, which helped Lois force her thoughts off the man who was sitting much too close. She concentrated on the piece of chocolate decadence on her plate. A little sugar for her sweet tooth and some herbal tea to soothe her nerves, and she would be right as rain.
Chapter 4
Don’t keep me in suspense. Did he call or what?”
Lois glanced over her shoulder. Tabby had just entered the church office and was looking at her like an expectant child waiting to open her birthday presents.
“Did who call?”
“Joe Richey.”
“No, he didn’t call,” Lois answered as she shut down her computer for the day.
“You did give him your phone number, didn’t you? I thought I saw you hand him a slip of paper the other night when we were at the coffee shop.”
Lois slid her chair away from the desk and stood up. “Tabby Beyers, get a life!”
Tabby folded her arms across her chest and wrinkled her nose. “I have a life. I’m a wife, a day care worker, and a ventriloquist.”
Lois puckered her lips. “Then that ought to keep you busy enough so you can manage to mind your own business and not mine.”
Tabby stuck out her tongue. “For your information, I’m only interested in your welfare.”
“I appreciate that.” Lois smiled, her irritation lessening. “If you don’t mind, though, I think I can worry about my own welfare.”
Tabby shrugged. “Whatever you say. Starting next month I won’t be around much to meddle in your life, anyway.”
Lois drew her brows together. “What’s that supposed to mean? You and Seth aren’t planning to move, I hope.”
Tabby shook her head. “We’d never intentionally move from Tacoma. We like it here too much.” She fluttered her lashes. “It’s all that liquid sunshine, you know.”
Lois laughed and reached for her purse hanging on the coat tree by the door. “If you’re not moving, then why won’t you be around much?”
“We’re going on an evangelistic tour with several other Christian workers,” Tabby explained. “We’ll be traveling around the state of Washington and to a few places in Oregon and Idaho. Probably be gone at least a month. Maybe longer if we get a good response.”
“Is Slow-Joe the Clown going with you?” Lois asked. She didn’t know why, but she hoped he wasn’t. They’d only met a few nights ago, so she hardly knew the man. She’d never admit it to Tabby, but Joe had promised to call. She looked forward to it, because there was something about the goofy guy that stirred her interest, even if she had felt uncomfortable in his presence. She wasn’t sure if it was his silly antics and wisecracks, his hazel eyes with the gold flecks, or his mop of curly brown hair that made him so appealing.
“Lois, are you listening to me?”
Lois whirled around to face her sister. “Huh?”
>
“You asked if Joe Richey was going on tour with us, and I said no. But you’re standing there staring at your purse as if you’re in a world of your own.” Tabby wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure you didn’t hear a word I said.”
Lois laughed self-consciously. “I guess I was kind of in my own world.”
Tabby’s eyes narrowed. “Thinking about Joe, I’ll bet.”
Lois couldn’t deny it, so she asked another question. “If you’re going on tour for a month or longer, how will Donna manage the day care?”
Tabby waved her hand. “She already has that covered. Corrie, our helper, has a friend who has been taking some child development classes. Donna thought she’d give her a try.” She shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll quit the day care. Then Corrie can take my place.”
“Quit the day care?” Lois could hardly believe it. “But you love working with the kids. I can’t imagine your doing anything else.”
Tabby started for the door. “How about becoming a full-time mother?”
Lois’s mouth dropped open. “You’re pregnant?”
“Not yet, but I’m hopeful. Seth and I have been married two years, you know. We both think it’s time to start a family.”
Sudden envy surged through Lois, and she blinked several times to hold back tears that threatened to spill over. She loved children. That was why she was teaching a Sunday school class. How ironic. Tabby used to be jealous of me, and now I feel the same way toward her. Help me in this area, Lord.
Joe searched through his closet for the right clothes to take to the beach. It could be windy, cold, rainy, or sunny along the Washington coast, even during the month of August. He’d probably need to take a couple of sweatshirts, some shorts, one or two pairs of jeans and, of course, his most comfortable pair of sneakers.
His favorite thing to do at the ocean was beachcomb. The flower beds in his backyard gave evidence of that. Pieces of driftwood adorned nearly every bed, and scattered throughout the plants were shells of all sizes and shapes. Stationed beside his front door were two buoys he’d discovered after a winter storm one year, and a fishbowl full of beach agates was displayed on his fireplace mantel.
Joe wondered why he didn’t sell the old house he’d grown up in and buy a small cabin near the beach. He knew it would be more peaceful there. But then he’d be farther from the cities where he found most of his work.
As he packed his clothes into his suitcase, Joe noticed one of his clown suits lying on the floor. He’d forgotten to put it in the hamper.
Joseph Andrew Richey, you’re a slob! You need to learn to pick up after yourself. Joe could hear his mother’s sharp words, as if she were standing right there in his room.
She had always been a neat freak, unless she was in one of her down moods. Then she didn’t care what she or the house looked like. Joe could never understand how his mother could yell at her children one day to pick up their things and the next day sink into such despair that she’d need a bulldozer to clear the clutter off the kitchen table.
“No wonder Brian left home the day he turned eighteen,” Joe mumbled. He bent down to pick up the clown suit and shook his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if my little brother isn’t still running from job to job, trying to dodge his problems.”
His brother had a hot temper and had been fired from several positions because he couldn’t work well with others and didn’t want to take orders from his boss. Joe prayed for Brian regularly, but he’d given up trying to talk to him; their last discussion had ended in a horrible argument, and Joe figured he might never hear from his brother again.
Pushing thoughts of his brother aside, Joe dropped the clown suit into the hamper. Without warning, another one of his mother’s accusations pounded in his head.
You’re not going to wash that without checking the pockets, I hope.
Joe chuckled. “No, Mom. I wouldn’t dream of it.”
He stuffed his hand inside one deep pocket and withdrew three red pencil balloons and one green apple balloon. “Whew! Wouldn’t want to put these babies in the washing machine.”
Joe plunged his hand into the other pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “Hmm—what’s this? Somebody’s phone number?” He sank to the edge of his bed and stared at the paper. Who’d recently given him a number, and why hadn’t he been smart enough to jot down a name to go with it?
Joe grimaced. He’d probably forget his own name if it weren’t on his driver’s license.
“Think hard, Joe. Whose number is on this piece of paper?”
Lord, if this phone number is important, help me remember.
Still nothing.
Joe stretched out across the bed, and within a matter of minutes he was asleep. Several hours later he awoke, feeling more refreshed than he had all day.
Sitting up, he noticed the slip of paper lying on the bed. He looked intently at the phone number, and a wide grin spread across his face. “Lois Johnson! Tabby’s sister gave me her number when we met at the coffee shop the other night.”
Feeling as if he’d been handed an Oscar, Joe grabbed the telephone off the small table by his bed. He punched in the numbers and waited for Lois to pick up, but only a recorded message answered. He hated talking to machines so he didn’t leave a message.
“Guess there’s no hurry,” he assured himself. “I’ll call her after I get back from the beach.”
Chapter 5
Joe set his suitcase inside the front door, plodded to the living room, and sank wearily to the couch. Two weeks at the beach should have revived him. But they hadn’t. His body felt rested, but he had a sense of unrest deep within his soul. Maybe he would feel better once he started working again. That’s what he needed—a few more crusades or a couple of birthday parties to get him back on his feet.
Joe forced himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. He hoped to find at least one job opportunity waiting for him on his answering machine. He didn’t want to start hunting for programs. He had never been good at promoting himself, and so far he hadn’t needed to. Word of mouth had served him well.
Among the messages, he heard five requests for his clown routine. Two were for church rallies, and the other three involved birthday parties. Even though the parties were mainly for entertainment, he still felt as if he were doing something worthwhile by providing children with good, clean fun. He usually gave some kind of moral lesson with his balloon animals, so at least the children were being exposed to admirable virtues and not merely being entertained.
Feeling a surge of energy, Joe returned the calls, lined up each program, and wrote the dates and times on his appointment calendar. The business end of Joe’s clowning was important, and he tried to stay organized with his programs, even if he weren’t always structured at home. It wouldn’t do to forget or arrive late for an engagement. In fact, it could cost him jobs if he did it too often.
He was heading upstairs to unpack his suitcase when he spotted the slip of paper with Lois Johnson’s number on it. He dialed but reached her answering machine, as he had two weeks ago.
“Isn’t that woman ever at home?” Joe muttered. He hung up the phone without leaving a message. “I’ll try again after I unpack and see if there’s anything in the refrigerator to eat.”
Pastor Hanson had insisted Lois take off early from work today so she decided to explore some of the new stores at the Tacoma Mall. She didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but she knew how to shop for bargains. If a store was having a good deal on something, she’d be sure to find it. Besides, Tabby and Seth had left the day before, and she was feeling lonely. A little shopping would help take her mind off her troubles. At least it would be a temporary diversion.
Lois parked her car in the lot on the north side of the mall then slipped off her navy blue pumps and replaced them with a pair of comfortable walking shoes. It might not look fashionable to shop in an ankle-length navy blue dress and a pair of black sneakers, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t likely she’d see anyone she kn
ew at the mall.
Lois grabbed her purse, hopped out of the car, and jogged to the mall’s closest entrance. Her first stop was a women’s clothing store where she found two blouses for under ten dollars and a pair of shorts that had been marked down to five dollars because summer was nearly over.
Next she entered a bed and bath store in hopes of finding a new shower curtain. Her old one had water stains and was beginning to tear. The clerk showed her several, but they cost too much. Lois was about to give up when she noticed a man heading her way. She stood frozen in her tracks, her body trembling.
Lois glanced around for something to hide behind, but it was too late. Michael Yehley was striding toward her, an arrogant smile on his face. Feelings of the old hurt and humiliation knifed through her, and she fought to keep from dashing out of the store.
“Well, well, if it isn’t my beautiful ex-fiancée,” Michael drawled. He was dressed in a dark brown business suit, white shirt, and olive-green tie with tan pinstripes. He had never projected a flashy image, but he did carry about him an air of superiority. His dark hair, parted on the side, his aristocratic nose, and his metal-framed glasses gave him a distinguished appearance Lois had once found attractive.
She took a step back as he reached for her hand. “H–hello, Michael. I’m surprised to see you here.”
“My mother’s birthday is coming up, and I thought I’d get something for her newly redecorated bath.” He grinned at her. “She’s going with an oriental theme this time.”
This time? How many other times has your mother redecorated her bathroom? Lois feigned a smile. “I’m sure she’ll like whatever you choose. You always did have impeccable taste.”
Michael looked directly at her. “I thought so when I chose you.” He wrinkled his nose, as though some foul odor had suddenly permeated the room. “Of course, that was before you flipped out and went religious on me.”
Time to Laugh Romance Collection Page 18