But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep an eye on her, just to be sure she was safe and happy.
Chapter 12
Hey, Shan. Are you going out for lunch with Gary again today?”
Shannon cringed at Nanci’s question. In the last couple of weeks, she’d gone out with Gary almost every other day. She hadn’t realized it had become a topic of conversation among the other staff, although she hadn’t been trying to keep it a secret. Before she could tell Nanci she wasn’t going out today, Faye piped up.
“No, she went out with Gary for lunch yesterday. She’ll be staying here today because it’s Todd’s turn.”
Nanci drew in her breath sharply. “Wow. I wish I had your love life.”
Shannon steeled her nerve and turned toward Nanci. “It’s not like that at all. Todd and I are just friends. The same with Gary.”
She could tell from Nanci’s expression and the expressions of those around who were listening that no one believed her.
“It’s true,” she muttered, as she resumed her work.
Unfortunately, her words were truer than she wanted them to be. She didn’t have a love life. Gary was a ministry. Nothing more, nothing less. She wanted to keep things as they were now, which was the occasional lunch on a weekday and church on Sunday.
Shannon’s hands paused over the keyboard.
Church on Sunday.
Without Todd.
She couldn’t believe how much she missed him. Not that she really saw him any less—she saw him every day at work, plus she saw him for various reasons several times a week after working hours and on weekends. But she missed not being with him during the Sunday worship services. She’d been with him two Sunday mornings, first at her old church, then at her new one; yet now she felt the loss when the seat on the other side of her was empty, which had been the last two Sundays.
Shannon sighed. She deeply regretted telling him not to come with her. After two weeks of being with him during the service, and now two weeks of not having him there, she had to admit she missed him. She wanted to take back her words but didn’t know how.
Shannon glanced at the doorway leading to the dispatch office, where Todd was hard at work. He was still the same old Todd she’d always known, but at the same time, he was completely different. It didn’t make sense, but it was true.
The day of their big argument about Gary, Todd had let it slip that he liked her. She could tell from his face he hadn’t meant to say it out loud, which only emphasized he meant it.
She couldn’t help herself. After all this time, she liked him, too. She didn’t know when it happened, or why, but she found herself thinking about him often. If the man in question hadn’t been Todd Sanders, she would have wondered if this was what it was like to fall in love.
Shannon closed her eyes. The pressures of her job were becoming too much for her. Surely, she was going insane.
She glanced to the side, at Faye, hard at work.
The meeting she’d set up between Faye and Craig had gone well. Craig, being Craig, had convinced Faye to attend a church service again. In fact, she’d heard about her first visit back to church in over three years from Todd, who sat with them that morning. He’d been relieved Faye was over the crush she had on him and encouraged she had responded well to the pastor’s sermon.
She turned her head toward the doorway to the dispatch office.
She didn’t want Todd to sit with Faye and Craig at her old church. She wanted Todd to sit with her and Gary at her new church.
She looked back at her computer screen, which had gone blank from inactivity.
It was true she had gone out to lunch a number of times in the last couple of weeks with Gary. She’d enjoyed the time she spent with him. But Gary mentioned repeatedly he felt rushed while they talked, and he didn’t like it. Shannon felt the same way, as she had many things she wanted to say to him that couldn’t be limited to five or ten minutes.
She wasn’t sure when it started, but Gary began to ask, over and over, if they could go out in the evenings to talk. But the places he suggested weren’t what Shannon considered conducive to talking about opening one’s life to God. They were romantic getaways, places more expensive than she’d ever been. Even though Gary hadn’t said so out loud, Shannon suspected that if she agreed, just by the atmosphere and what went with it, more would be expected of the relationship than ministry.
Lately, Gary had also been inquiring about a boyfriend. When she finally gave in and told him she had no boyfriend, his questions started becoming more personal, even suggestive.
She didn’t want to cross that line or have that kind of relationship. At least, not with Gary.
Nanci’s words about her “love life” replayed in her mind. Despite what Gary was hinting at, he was a ministry. For all the time she spent with Todd, he was an old friend, now that she could call him a friend. The only love she had in her life was her Secret Admirer, a man she didn’t know. Or if she did know him, she didn’t know who he was. So he didn’t count.
Yet both Gary and Todd worked with her. In the months since she started receiving the notes, no other man in the office acted differently around her. Most of them barely noticed her at all; they only looked in her direction long enough to make sure their time cards landed in the right basket when they tossed them on her desk. Since she had no other candidates, either Gary or Todd could likely be the Secret Admirer.
Gary was a charmer. He knew what women liked, and women knew he knew. She could imagine Gary doing something romantic and fanciful to win the heart of a lady, especially because he was so aware that women soaked up his attentions. If pressed, Shannon had to admit she was not immune to Gary’s charm, either. His polished manners and the way he presented himself suited the role of a handsome and dashing suitor.
The other possibility was Todd. Todd was—
Shannon shook her head. Todd was not the Secret Admirer.
She resumed her work until Faye told her it was time for lunch break. Faye ended up sitting with someone else, so she found herself once again sitting with Todd, as Faye had predicted.
As usual, Todd was in a happy mood, and soon, he had her laughing so hard she nearly choked on her salad.
Now was not the time to talk about Gary, about whom they had agreed to disagree. Before she could gather up her courage to ask Todd to join her and Gary the following Sunday morning, another employee appeared at their table to engage Todd in a conversation; one of the drivers had damaged a van.
While they talked, Shannon studied Todd. She would never have thought of him as responsible; yet he was a good fit in his position. He admitted the driver’s degree of fault, but he also pronounced a fair judgment and recommended against disciplinary action for a number of good and valid reasons. Shannon knew Todd would stick up for her in the same way if something happened. Because Craig knew she had been seeing a lot of Todd, her brother continued to give her updates on his progress with the Lord. Yet, for all the changes, he was still the same old Todd.
When they were finally alone again, Todd turned to her and sighed. “I have to ask you something. I’m having my mom over for dinner tomorrow. Do you know what I can cook her that’s good and healthy, too? Something with lots of vegetables. Remember it has to be easy, because I’m not very good in the kitchen.”
Shannon smiled. Yes, he was still the same old Todd Sanders. She remembered one day when Todd and Craig had set something on fire in her mother’s kitchen. Since it hadn’t been an oil-based fire, Todd had used the sprayer from beside the kitchen sink to extinguish the fire. Her parents had arrived before the smoke residue cleared completely, but fortunately, the rest of the mess was cleaned up, except for one slightly blackened area on the hood above the stove, which remained to this day.
“I can’t think of anything healthier than some nice stir-fried vegetables, maybe with cubed chicken and noodles. You can do that, can’t you?”
Todd’s eyebrows raised. “I don’t know how to stir-fry noodles
. I also don’t know how to cook vegetables unless they come out of a can.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “Canned vegetables are already cooked.”
“Really? Then I’m halfway there. Can I buy cooked noodles, too, and just mix them together?”
Shannon tipped her head to one side slightly. He looked on the verge of desperate. She didn’t know why cooking vegetables for his mother was so important, instead of just cooking her a nice meal, but she didn’t need to know. Something inside her wanted to help him. “I’m not doing anything tonight. If you want, we can go shopping together. I’ll show you what to buy, and I can tell you how to cook it.”
“I have a better idea. How about if I buy double of everything I need, you show me how to cook it, and then I’ll cook the second batch tomorrow by myself?”
She wanted to protest and tell him he wouldn’t enjoy the same thing two days in a row. But she often stir-fried a meal one day then enjoyed the leftovers more the next day when they were already cooked and all she had to do was reheat them.
More important, she needed a chance to be alone with Todd. It had been on her conscience for two weeks that she should apologize to him for the way she told him not to attend church with her when she took Gary. Also, she wanted to reinvite him and hope he accepted. She didn’t know what was wrong between Todd and Gary, but ever since they’d attended church together Shannon detected a strain between them. Not only did Gary tend to be more critical of Todd, Todd stopped joking when Gary entered the room. She didn’t want something she’d said or done to affect their working relationship, especially since Gary was Todd’s supervisor. But first, she had to find out what was wrong so she could deal with it.
“That sounds like a great idea. It’s time to get back to work. I’ll see you at 4:30.”
An afternoon never passed so slowly.
Every minute felt like an hour.
At 4:30 sharp, Shannon walked into the dispatch office, her purse slung over her shoulder. “Ready to go?”
Todd looked up at the clock. “Actually, no. I have to wait for Dave to call in and let me know he doesn’t need a helper. If he doesn’t, then I can go.”
“No problem. I’ll be at my desk. I can always find something to keep me busy.”
At 4:37, the radio beeped, signaling Dave’s call. After Dave confirmed he didn’t need a second man sent out, Todd packed up his paperwork and poked his head in Gary’s office. Gary was busy typing on his computer, but he acknowledged Todd with a nod.
“I’m gone for the day,” Todd said from the doorway, not stepping inside Gary’s office.
“I hear you’re doing something with Shannon.”
Todd stiffened from head to foot. What he did on his own time was none of Gary’s business. What he did with Shannon was especially none of Gary’s business. But he wasn’t going to hide the fact he spent time with her. Every day she didn’t go out to lunch with Gary, Todd made sure he took his break at the same time as Shannon. Everyone saw them together, including Gary, and Todd didn’t care. As far as everyone was concerned, they were old, childhood friends, and that was exactly what he wanted them to think. “That’s right.”
“She tells me she’s not currently dating anyone. I trust that includes you, too.”
Unfortunately, it did include him. In the time he’d spent with Shannon since he started leaving her the notes, the right moment had never come up to tell her how he felt. He rationalized the delay not by admitting his fear of rejection, but by telling himself she was still enjoying reading the notes every morning.
Todd crossed his arms and stretched himself to stand as tall as he could. “For now.”
Gary continued to type on his computer. “Just making sure my options are open.” Gary’s hands stilled, and he raised his eyes to stare at Todd intently as he spoke. “And that they stay open.”
“That’s up to Shannon now, isn’t it, Gary?” Before Gary could respond and before Todd said something he would regret later, he clamped his mouth shut. He spun around to leave and froze.
Shannon was standing in the doorway leading into the dispatch office.
Todd’s heart pounded. She was standing where Gary couldn’t see her. Since she hadn’t spoken, he didn’t know she was there. And Todd intended to keep it that way.
In two steps, he was at her side. Without speaking, he gently gripped her elbow, guided her so she turned around, and nudged her to start walking. She didn’t say a word until they were outside in the parking lot.
“What was that all about? What’s up to me?”
“Whether or not you decide to go out with him.”
“Go out with him?” Shannon sputtered. “Why are you discussing with Gary who I’m going out with?”
Todd rammed one hand in his pocket for his keys. As he did so, his fingers brushed the note he’d intended to leave in Shannon’s drawer but hadn’t because they’d exited the building together. “I wasn’t discussing anything. Gary brought it up, not me. I told him what you did is up to you. But I think you know by now how I feel about your seeing Gary.”
Her face tightened. “And you know by now how I feel about him. This is my decision, as you said.”
Todd’s stomach clenched. He’d watched Gary pour his seductive routine over Shannon for the past couple of weeks. From what he’d seen, she was falling for it because she wasn’t telling Gary to take a hike. She still went out with him for lunch about every other day. From the things Gary said to Bryan and Rick upon his return, he knew Shannon had omitted parts of the conversation when she recounted to him what was said. Not that she owed him an explanation. What she did and whom she chose to spend her time with was her decision. Regardless of how it hurt. “If you don’t mind, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Neither do I,” she replied tersely.
Todd clenched his teeth then began to pat his pockets, making it look as if he couldn’t find something. “I’ll be right back. Or if you want, I’ll meet you at my place. I have to go back inside for a minute.”
Shannon sighed loudly. “Did you lose your keys again? We go through this same routine at least a couple of times a week. I think I’m going to buy you one of those key-chain things with a voice-activated signal.”
He knew she thought he was a birdbrain, but if Shannon left at the same time he did, he wouldn’t get a chance to slip a new note in her drawer. She had started coming to work earlier in the morning, so he was no longer certain he would arrive before her. He had to make sure he left each new note when he went home at the end of the day.
“Very funny,” he grumbled, trying to make it sound as if he was annoyed. “I’ll be right back.”
No one was in the main office when he returned, making his mission fast and efficient. He was back in the parking lot at the same time Shannon’s car pulled up to the exit. While she waited for an opening in the traffic, she turned around, so he held his keys in the air and waved. She waved back to acknowledge that he had them then turned back to the traffic and pulled out as soon as she had an opening.
Todd hurried home, arriving only a minute behind her. She left her car in the visitor parking and hopped into his car to go to the supermarket, where he pretended he knew what she bought, when he had no clue what some of the strange things were called. Soon they were in his kitchen, ready to start cooking. She showed him how to cut the chicken into small pieces and cook it. Then they added cut-up vegetables while the noodles cooked in another pot.
“This would go so much easier if you had a wok.”
“I’m lucky to have this big frying pan. I just bought it a couple of weeks ago. I found it at a garage sale. I didn’t know this was going to be such a complicated thing with so much to do.”
“You said you wanted to make something that was mostly vegetables.”
Todd lifted the lid to the pan and tested a noodle to see if it was cooked. “I know. My mother doesn’t eat enough vegetables.”
Shannon smiled. “Usually, it’s the other way around. Mother
s telling their sons they don’t eat enough vegetables.”
Todd didn’t reply. Instead, he grunted so she would think he’d said something.
“How’s your mother doing anyway? My mom was asking about her again. Lately, I’ve been seeing you more than Craig. In fact, I don’t think you’ve done anything with Craig for a week, since he’s been seeing so much of Faye. So Mom asked me instead of Craig to ask you about your mom.”
“She’s doing better,” he mumbled.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was sick. You never talk about your mom.”
“There isn’t much to say,” he muttered as he replaced the lid. “I don’t think these are done yet.”
He flinched as Shannon’s fingers rested on his arm. Todd looked first at Shannon’s hand on his arm, then up at her face to see the saddest expression he’d ever seen.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with your mom. My mom has been asking me about her ever since we’ve been working together, so I know it’s not that she had the flu or something temporary. Todd, please tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing.”
Her grip tightened for a second as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Maybe there’s something I can do.”
He stiffened. “There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing anyone can do. Except Mom. When she decides herself.”
Todd lifted the lid again and watched the noodles in the boiling water. Even though he doubted much had changed in the last thirty seconds, he poked at them with the fork, about to taste another noodle, which forced Shannon to release his arm.
He didn’t want to talk to Shannon about his mother. Only a few people knew besides the social worker. Craig knew everything, but he’d said a few tidbits to Craig’s mother in a moment of weakness. At the time, it felt good to get some of it off his chest; but later, he regretted saying anything because she kept asking how things were going, and he never had anything good to report. The only other person who knew what was going on was his pastor, and Todd planned to keep it that way.
Time to Laugh Romance Collection Page 42