Time to Laugh Romance Collection

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  With his selection in hand, Todd headed toward the front of the store to check out. While he walked, he continued to survey the building and its contents, feeling more in awe with every table and shelf he passed. Finally, when he came to a table displaying a big yellow sign that announced everything on it was marked 70 percent off, his curiosity got the better of him. He stopped.

  The subject of most of the books centered on past holiday seasons. Some were works of fiction by authors he had never heard of before. When he saw one title that contained the word Bible he picked it up. He turned it over and started reading the back cover to discover the book was a work of fiction based on the life of one of the Old Testament prophets.

  Todd couldn’t remember the last time he read anything that wasn’t nonfiction or was longer than a magazine article. He opened the book and started to read the first page to see if he might like it when a voice piped up beside him.

  “Todd? What are you doing here?”

  He fumbled with the book, snapped it shut, and slipped it over the rhyming dictionary to hide the title.

  “Shannon,” he muttered, trying to keep his voice from cracking. “What are you doing here?”

  She glanced at the table, then at the two books in his hand. “The same thing as you, apparently.”

  Shannon, too, held a couple of books. From as far back as he knew her, he remembered her reading something. He shouldn’t have been surprised to find her in a bookstore.

  She lowered her head to look at his two books and tipped her head slightly. “What do you have? Anything interesting?”

  He pressed the two books tightly together, not offering her either one. “I guess. Maybe. I’m not sure. What do you have?” Not that he wanted to know specifically what she was reading. He only wanted to distract her from the books in his own hand. Especially the one on the bottom.

  Shannon had no such hesitations. She held out both books to him so he could plainly see the covers. “I have a couple of inspirational romance anthologies. I just love Christian fiction, and we have more to choose from now. It’s especially great to find them in a store like this. You know how much I love to read. I have to admit I’m a little surprised to see you here. I can’t say I’ve ever seen you with a book in your hand.”

  He grinned. For years, he’d teased her about being a bookworm. He’d only meant it as a compliment. He considered her diligence in reading to be a sign of intelligence. She always countered his teasing by calling him illiterate.

  Todd cleared his throat and straightened his smile. He pressed his hand to his chest, over his heart, and did his best to appear serious. “There’re a lot of things about me you don’t know. How about if I treat you to a coffee, and I’ll tell you about them?”

  She glanced at the coffee shop in the back of the store. “I don’t know.”

  “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Sure. Why not? I don’t have anything better to do or anywhere else to go.”

  He tried not to let her comment sting, but after the things he’d said to her in the past, he probably had it coming. The important thing was that she had accepted his invitation. For that he had to be happy or at least relieved she wasn’t holding a grudge. “How about if you get us a nice table, and I’ll be right back. I want to pay for these first.”

  “Pay? But—” Once again, she glanced over her shoulder to the coffee shop then back to him. “You don’t need to pay first. You’re allowed to take unpaid-for books to the tables. That’s how lots of people decide whether or not they’re going to buy the book.”

  “I’ve already decided, so I want to pay for them first. Then I won’t have to worry about forgetting.” Even if he kept the sale book on top of the rhyming dictionary, she might read the title from the spine. After he paid, the dictionary would be tucked inside the bag.

  She shrugged her shoulders again. “That doesn’t make sense, but if that’s what you want, I guess I can pay for mine, too.”

  He shook his head frantically. “No, I don’t want to rush you. How about if you go look at the desserts and pick something good for both of us. I’ll be right back.” Before she could protest, he turned and walked quickly to the checkout, leaving Shannon standing beside the sale table.

  Fortunately, there weren’t any lines. He soon joined Shannon at the coffee shop, where she was standing in front of the display with the desserts, eyeing a selection labeled TRIPLE CHOCOLATE DREAM. That didn’t surprise him. He almost commented on her choice but bit his tongue. He had promised himself he’d treat her with the respect she deserved and never tease her again. Besides, he didn’t want to do anything to associate his knowledge for her love of chocolate to the chocolate kisses he left her every day. One day he would tell her, but only when the time was right, which wasn’t now.

  Todd selected something else for himself and remained silent when the clerk put their order on a tray. He paid for everything, and they moved to a table.

  Shannon sipped her coffee then nibbled the chocolate piece off the top of her dessert. Todd knew the chocolate wasn’t as good a quality as the specialty kisses he’d been buying and wondered if she was comparing them. He held back his smile and drank his coffee slowly so she wouldn’t notice.

  After she finished the piece, she spoke. “I can’t believe we’ve been working together for nearly a month. The time sure has gone fast, hasn’t it?”

  Todd nodded. “It sure has. Do you know this is the first time we’ve had just to sit and talk? It’s almost funny we’re not at work.”

  “I know. But you’ve seen by now how busy it gets in that lunchroom.”

  “Yeah. It’s sometimes crowded in there.” He smiled wryly. Even though he didn’t sit with her during lunch, they often sat at the same table at coffee time, as part of a group. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was an improvement over his first week, when she wouldn’t go into the lunchroom at all when he was in there.

  He had to take comfort in how far they’d come since then. She was now willingly sitting with him, alone, in a friendly, semiprivate atmosphere, although he wished it could have been from something more intimate than bumping into each other at the bookstore.

  “I’m actually glad to see you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. Do you mind?”

  Inwardly, he cringed. He had a bad feeling he knew what she was going to ask; only this time he couldn’t run away, since sitting together for coffee was his idea. He forced himself to smile. “No, go ahead.”

  She leaned closer across the table. Her eyes widened, and Todd immediately became lost in their depths. The mixture of olive green and brown in her hazel eyes always fascinated him, although up until now he would never have admitted it.

  “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but do you know if anyone at work has a crush on me?”

  His brain stalled. A little voice called for evasive maneuvers. “You mean, have I heard any of the guys talking?”

  She smiled. His heart went into overdrive. “Yes. I know you’re fairly new, but, well, you certainly must hear the men talk.”

  “I haven’t heard anyone say anything about you that isn’t work related, but I can try to listen if you want.”

  She reached toward him and rested her hand on his forearm. Her touch was gentle, even affectionate, although he knew his interpretation was probably only wishful thinking. Still, the warm contact made him hope he wouldn’t break out into a cold sweat.

  “That would be great. I know you think it’s a strange question, but I have to know.”

  He blinked to clear his mind. He didn’t think it was strange at all. What he did think strange was that no one else had managed to win her heart already. “Has somebody been making you nervous?”

  Shannon shook her head and withdrew her hand. He almost begged her to put it back. “No. Nothing like that.” She grinned and took a sip of her coffee then spoke over the top of the cup. “Actually, someone is being very sweet. I just wish I knew who it was.”<
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  He opened his mouth, about to blurt out he was the one, but she started talking before he could formulate the words.

  “In a way, it reminds me of when I was a kid and Tommy Banks had a crush on me. We were seven years old, and he bought me a chocolate bar out of his allowance; but he ate it on the way to school. Instead he made me a bookmark. I haven’t received a special gift from a guy since, except for my birthday and Christmas, of course. But I still have the bookmark. He drew little red and purple hearts all over it. Do you remember Tommy?”

  “Can’t say that I do.” What stuck in his mind, though, was not the bookmark, but her wistful comment that over the years no one else had given her anything she considered special. He’d met a few of the boys and young men she’d gone out with. He’d openly insulted every one of them, although not to their faces. She’d been angry with him every time, but he did notice that soon after he told her what he thought of her various dates and boyfriends, she broke up with them, probably because he was right. She deserved better.

  But the important thing was that not one of them had given her anything she considered special that wasn’t also attached to an obligatory occasion. Since she thought receiving the notes and chocolate kisses was sweet, that was reason enough for him to put his own desires aside and keep giving them to her instead of revealing himself so soon.

  Before they crossed the line into dangerous territory, where being evasive might transcend into actual lying, Todd changed the subject to the upcoming twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of his church. Craig had told him Shannon would be attending both the open house on Saturday and the service on Sunday, since she’d grown up in that church. He always went to church Sunday morning, but he hadn’t made up his mind about the open house Saturday night until he heard she was going. His clothes were already picked out, and he’d even ironed the pants.

  He hadn’t realized how much time had passed until an announcement echoed over the speakers asking shoppers to take their purchases to the checkout because the store was closing in five minutes.

  Todd stood in line with Shannon so she could pay for her books. He didn’t feel the least bit contrite when she teased him that he should have waited with his own purchase, since he was now standing in line a second time. In a way he found it oddly satisfying that for once she was teasing him instead of the other way around.

  In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much or felt so relaxed—once they stopped talking about work.

  Outside, he wished he could ask her to do something so they could spend more time together, but he couldn’t think of anything open at that hour on a weeknight except for the fast-food restaurants. They’d just spent the last two hours together over coffee and dessert, so she would think he was up to something if he suggested more food. Instead, he could only accompany her to her car, which was across the almost empty parking lot from his car.

  He watched as she inserted the key into the lock. The time they’d spent together was the closest thing to a date he’d ever had with Shannon. Every other time they’d been together outside work, they’d traded constant banter, even insults, and were always part of a threesome, with her brother, Craig, present.

  She swung the door open, tossed her purse and the bag containing the books onto the passenger seat, and started to step into the car. “I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow. ‘Bye, Todd.”

  Todd stepped closer as she bent more to get into the car. He didn’t know what they could do, but he didn’t want to part ways. “Shan! Wait!”

  At his words, Shannon retracted her foot, which had not yet touched the floor of the car, and backed up. “What?” she asked as she straightened. She obviously hadn’t known he had moved so close to the car, because when she turned around her eyes widened when she discovered they were now only inches apart.

  With the car behind her, Shannon couldn’t back up. Todd didn’t move. They were so close he could have simply lowered his head—and kissed her. He suddenly wanted to kiss her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life.

  “Well? Did you want something?”

  “I … uh …” Todd’s brain backfired. He couldn’t do it. Not only would she not have expected such a thing from him, but they were in the middle of an almost deserted parking lot. He stood there with his mouth hanging open.

  Shannon giggled. “What’s the matter? Does calling me Shan instead of Shan-nooze when we’re out of work short-circuit your vocal chords?” She raised her hands, rested her palms on his chest, and gave him a gentle nudge backward. “While I appreciate your not calling me that anymore, you’re standing so close I can’t focus properly. Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

  He wanted to tell her he loved her. He shook his head. “It’s not important. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Todd waited while Shannon got into her car and drove away, not moving until she’d left the lot.

  He could hardly wait for morning and the start of a new day at work.

  Just as the last drop dripped into the pot, Todd heard footsteps in the doorway. He peeked over his shoulder, hoping it was Shannon, but it was only Gary.

  “Good morning, Todd. You’re in early.”

  “Yeah. I left a little earlier than usual, and traffic was light.”

  “You have good timing. You know I’ve given Bryan the day off. Rick called me on my cell—he’s sick and won’t be in. I have to go out for a meeting with a couple of new accounts in an hour. I want you to pull one of the drivers in to help with the phones and reshuffle his route. I’ll see if I can get someone off the casual list to come in on short notice. Do you know where it is?”

  Todd glanced up at the clock. If he was to endure a testing period to see if he was worth his salary, today would be the day. He only hoped he’d learned enough in a month to meet Gary’s expectations. “I don’t know. Last I saw the list, Bryan had it. I don’t understand his filing system, but I can try to find it.”

  “Never mind. Shannon has a copy. I’ll use that one,” Gary said as he left the lunchroom.

  Todd poured his coffee then froze, nearly overflowing it until he realized what he was doing.

  Gary was going to get the list from Shannon. But Shannon wasn’t in yet.

  That meant Gary was going to get into Shannon’s desk.

  He couldn’t stop his supervisor from looking for something he legitimately needed, but Todd had his own good reasons for not wanting Gary to open her top drawer. Maybe he would only go through the bottom drawer where Shannon kept her files and nowhere else.

  But Todd couldn’t take the chance.

  He left his mug on the counter and dashed across the lunchroom to the office. “Hey, Gary,” he said, trying his best to quell the panic and sound casual as he entered the main office area. “I think I know where it is. I’ll be right back.”

  Just as Gary straightened, Todd heard the thud of a drawer closing. Because he was looking at the front of the desk, he couldn’t tell which drawer Gary had been in.

  “It’s okay,” Gary said, holding a paper in his hand. “Shannon is very organized. I found it. Let’s get busy. I have to be out of here soon.”

  Todd swallowed hard and returned to the lunchroom for his coffee. He had to tell himself that since Gary’s expression had been neutral, he hadn’t seen the new note Todd had left for Shannon this morning. If Gary had opened the top drawer, the stark white paper with the red ribbon and red foil wrapping of the chocolate kiss would have been impossible to miss.

  The phone started ringing at the same time he set his mug on the counter. He handled the call quickly then chose a driver to help him. While Gary made a few phone calls from his office, Todd called the foreman and talked to him about pulling the priority deliveries out of Bill’s truck and loading them into another. By the time Gary found a driver to replace Bill, Todd had everything under control. Or at least everything would be under control until the phones started ringing.

  Gary stood beside To
dd at the counter, checked the changes he’d made to the routing, and nodded. “Looks good. I have to go. Call my cell if you need me, but everything looks fine.”

  Todd forced himself to smile. “Yeah. See you sometime after lunch.”

  Chapter 6

  Shannon gritted her teeth as she watched a couple of the ladies from the accounts department yakking incessantly while standing in front of the lunchroom counter. She didn’t want to be rude, but the kettle had boiled, and she could now make her tea. Or at least she could if she barged between them and elbowed them out of the way, which was almost what Todd had done to poor Faye the other day. Normally, she wouldn’t even consider being so rude, but Shannon wanted to get to her desk.

  Not that she wanted to get to work so fast. She wanted to open her drawer to see the new note of the day.

  Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She walked forward and stepped between them to reach for the kettle, smiling politely while they stared at her in silence for interrupting them.

  She dunked and redunked her tea bag, wondering if it took this long every day or if she’d somehow picked a low-quality tea bag this morning.

  Even though the tea wasn’t as dark as she normally liked it, Shannon tossed the bag into the trash and walked to her desk as quickly as she could without spilling anything or making it look as if she was rushing. Todd had spilled his coffee the same day he’d barged in front of Faye, and she didn’t want to do the same. She had been impressed that he’d immediately wiped up his mess. Whenever the other dispatchers slopped coffee onto the floor, they let it dry, and the janitors got it when they washed the floor at night. Mostly, she didn’t want anyone to notice her.

  Shannon’s stomach fluttered as she opened the drawer. The same as every other day for over two weeks, a little white note, fastened with a red ribbon tied to a chocolate kiss, lay in the center of her pencil tray. Keeping the note low so no one could see what she was doing, Shannon pulled the ribbon off and set the kiss aside.