Special Mission

by Debby Mayne

  “You are in such denial, girl. Trust me when I tell you what’s obvious to other people. You’re conflicted between Brian and David.”

  Kim hung her head and let her shoulders sag. “I don’t know why I feel the way I do.”

  Jasmine closed the distance between them. Kim leaned into her as she felt her caring friend’s arms envelop her. “David’s been gone for a while, and Brian’s always here, that’s why.”

  “So I need to keep praying for David’s overseas tour to end, and everything will be fine, right?” Kim looked into Jasmine’s eyes, hoping to see agreement. But she didn’t.

  “Who knows? Sometimes it’s not that easy dealing with matters of the heart.”

  “Have you ever felt torn like this?”

  Jasmine nodded. “Yes, several times.”

  “What did you do?”

  “When I was a teenager and in my early twenties, I played the field. But when I got older and realized that wasn’t good for anyone, I spent some time alone to figure out what I really wanted.”

  Kim snickered. “I’ve spent way too much time alone, and I think that’s part of my problem.”

  “Just remember what I keep saying—that you’re not married yet. After David returns, you can see how things go with him. The Lord will work this out in His own way. Try praying about it and leave the rest up to Him.”

  With a nod, Kim headed for the door. “You’re right. I need to stop trying to figure everything out by myself.”

  The timer at Jasmine’s station dinged. “I need to finish up with my client. We can talk later.”

  Shortly after that, Kim’s client arrived, and both hairdressers were busy for the remainder of the day. Jasmine’s husband came to pick her up because her car was at the shop.

  “Hi, Wayne. Jasmine’s in the back. She’ll be right out.”

  “Hey, Kimberly,” Wayne said as he plopped down in his wife’s chair. “You’re lookin’ good.”

  “Thanks,” Kim said. “So how’s everything at the auto shop?”

  “Going great! Business is better than ever now that people are hanging on to their cars longer.” When his wife came back, Kim noticed the spark between them.

  “I’ll finish up here,” Kim offered.

  “Don’t forget what I said.”

  “Trust me,” Kim replied. “I’ll be thinking about it all night.”

  After Jasmine and Wayne left, Kim swept the shop, put everything away, and headed home. As soon as she walked in, she sat down at the computer to check her e-mail. It had been a while since she’d heard from David, and she was surprised there was an e-mail from him.

  To: KShaw

  From: DJenner

  Subject: Thanks!

  Kimberly, sweetheart, Mom told me you spent the day with her. I’m so happy my favorite girls got to spend some time together. Remember I said you’d love her after you got to know her? I’m sure that over time you’ll become the best of friends.

  I’m counting the days until I come home. So far, the mission has been successful.

  Tell Brian I want to challenge him to a game of golf when I get back—that is, after my knee heals. I’ll tell you all about it later. But don’t worry. It’s nothing permanent.

  I love you, Kimberly. I know you’re probably eager to start with wedding plans. As soon as I know something, we can talk about it.

  Until next time.

  Love,

  David

  Kimberly sat back and reread the e-mail a couple more times. She wished David had been more concrete about when he was coming home, but not even an ounce of disappointment had broken through the shell of numbness that surrounded her. He’d mentioned his knee needing to heal, so she wondered about that.

  ❧

  Michelle was a very pretty woman, and she was nice enough, but Brian couldn’t see himself falling for her. After Kim left, he tried to force himself to focus on Michelle, but his mind kept wandering to the picnic with Kim at Magic Island.

  After he left the office, he stopped off at the store and picked up a few frozen dinners. He knew he should eat healthier, but he wasn’t motivated to cook full single meals. Besides, he had a big lunch, and he wasn’t even hungry yet.

  After unloading the groceries and putting them away, he checked his e-mail. He’d been expecting to hear back from David, who was obviously too busy to reply to his question about the details of the big homecoming.

  David’s e-mail popped up. Finally. It was about time.

  To: BEstep

  From: DJenner

  Subject: Our surprise

  Hey, Brian! How’s it going, buddy? Mom sent me a note letting me know she helped Kim pick out a pretty dress for my homecoming. I’m sure she’ll be gorgeous as usual.

  I just wanted to confirm my arrival. I’ll be at my mom’s place at 1800 hours on Friday night. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to go to my apartment until after the party, in case Kimberly drove by. Mom said Kim’s been moping around. What can I expect? I suppose my absence has been rough on her.

  Saturday morning I’ll swing by your place and help you with the finishing touches. I want this to be the best surprise ever for Kim.

  You don’t have to reply to this. I just wanted to confirm. See you soon.

  David

  Brian’s jaw tightened. So David’s big homecoming was actually going to happen. A shroud of disappointment fell over him. Then his phone rang.

  Eleven

  Brian glanced at his caller ID and saw Kim’s name and number. He stared at it for a second before answering.

  “So did you make plans with Michelle?” she asked, her voice light and lilting—and very unnatural sounding.

  “Um. . .no.”

  “Huh? I thought you two hit it off.”

  “She’s a very nice girl.”

  “But?”

  Brian cleared his throat. “She’s really not my type, Kim.”

  “What, exactly, is your type?” Kim sounded annoyed, but that was too bad; he was annoyed, too.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Then I’ll keep trying.”

  “Look, Kim, I appreciate what you’re doing, but if and when I decide it’s time to jump back into the dating pool, I can find my own women.”

  “That would be fine, Brian, but there’s just one problem.”

  So now she was going to tell him what was wrong with him? “And that is?”

  “If you want to meet someone new, you have to go places where the nice girls are.”

  Yeah, that was true. “Maybe someone new will show up at church.”

  “Maybe so, maybe not. What if I just happen to meet some really cute, single, Christian girl at the salon? Wouldn’t you rather I introduce you to her than leave you to wander around trying to figure it all out?”

  “Figure what out?” Brian asked. He couldn’t keep the grumpiness out of his voice.

  “How to meet girls. Isn’t that what we were talking about?”

  “That’s what you were talking about, Kim. I’m just the innocent bystander in this situation.”

  She laughed, which irked the daylights out of him. Brian found himself getting annoyed much more frequently these days.

  “Innocent bystander, huh?”

  “That’s what I said.” He felt his jaw tighten. “So why don’t we forget about fixing my love life for a while and talk about something else?”

  “Okay. Did you think of anything I can do to help you with this get-together Saturday night?”

  “Nothing. Everything’s all set.”

  “You have all the drinks and food? How about music and games?”

  Brian could tell she was hurt, so he quickly came up with something. “Why don’t you bring one of your group games?”

  “Okay!” she said. “See? I knew there was something you’d forgotten.”

  “Thanks, Kimberly. Now I really need to run.”

  “Oh, one more thing I almost forgot to tell you. I finally heard from David.”

&nbs
p; Brian tensed. “Anything I need to know about?”

  “Not really. He just said he wants to challenge you to a game of golf.”

  “Sounds like fun.” But it didn’t really.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” he replied. “I’ve just had a really long day.”

  “I guess I’d better let you go then. See you Saturday night?”

  “Yep. See ya then.”

  ❧

  Kim was tired of being in limbo. She was ready to get on with her life. And her moods were getting worse every day. She stormed into the salon the next morning. “I don’t get why David bothered getting engaged if he planned to go on special missions.”

  Jasmine had a quick answer for that. “I think he just wanted to stick that ring on your finger to let all the guys know you’re off-limits.”

  “All the guys, huh?” Kim snorted. “It’s not like I have a bunch of them standing in line.”

  “That’s your own fault. Why don’t you e-mail David and tell him you’re not going to wait around forever?”

  Kim tilted her head forward and gave Jasmine a hooded look. “The man is over in the Middle East fighting for peace, while I’m here in the cushy United States, complaining like a brat. How can I do something like that to him?”

  Jasmine rolled her eyes. “You’re not acting like a brat. He should have waited to propose. What he did to you was very unfair.”

  “He didn’t do anything to me,” Kim retorted. “I didn’t have to accept.”

  “Then tell me this. When he asked you to marry him, did he first tell you he was planning to request to be assigned to this. . .special mission?”

  “No.”

  “Would you have agreed to take his ring if you’d known?”

  Kim paused and lowered her gaze. “I’m not sure.”

  “There ya go. He withheld information, so I think you have good reason to break off the engagement—or at least postpone it.”

  Jazzy had a valid point. “Maybe so, but I don’t know about doing it via e-mail.”

  “How else can you do it?”

  Kim lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “That’s the problem. The only way we communicate is through e-mail.”

  “Maybe something will come up.” Jasmine quickly turned away.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps you’ll figure something out soon.”

  “Yeah,” Kim said with a snort. “I’ll just hop on a plane and have them fly me to the Middle East. Maybe I can stay at a luxury resort and make a vacation of it while I’m there.”

  Jasmine lifted an eyebrow and shook her head. “You don’t have to resort to sarcasm, Kimberly. It’s not becoming.”

  “Now you sound like my mother.”

  “Speaking of your mother, have you talked to her lately about all this?”

  “No.” Her mother loved both David and Brian, and Kim didn’t want to discuss her confusion until she had things sorted out in her own mind. But it would be nice to see her parents.

  “Your mother is a wise woman. Perhaps she’ll have some insight that might help.”

  “Maybe,” Kim said. The bell on the door jingled from the sound of Jasmine’s next client. A few minutes later, Kim’s appointment showed up.

  Between up-dos and blow-dries, Kim thought over what Jazzy had said. By the time the workday ended, she’d decided to stop off at her parents’ house and see if her mother had time to talk.

  Her parents had just sat down to dinner when she arrived. “There’s plenty of food,” her mother said. “Grab a plate and help yourself.”

  Kim soon joined her parents with a plate full of her mother’s fabulous chicken ziti.

  “This is good, Mom,” Kim said.

  Her mother smiled. “I’m glad you like it. Now what’s on your mind?”

  Kim cut her eyes over to her dad, who was busy shoveling food into his mouth, clearly oblivious to anything the women were saying. Some things never changed, and this time that was good.

  She turned back to her mother. “I’m getting really frustrated about my engagement.”

  Her mother put down her fork, blotted her lips with her napkin, and leaned toward Kim. “I think that’s normal. A lot of brides-to-be have sort of a. . .what do you call it? Buyer’s remorse?”

  Was that what she had? Maybe, but she didn’t think so.

  Kim shrugged. “I don’t hear from him for days, and I find myself wondering if we really should get married, then I get an e-mail like. . .” She lifted her hands as her voice trailed off.

  “Honey, I’m sure everything will be just fine between the two of you. This separation has been extremely stressful, not only on you, but on David, too, I’m sure.”

  “Why do you think he proposed before he left, knowing he was about to go?” Kim asked.

  Her mother pursed her lips as she thought about it; then she smiled. “David loves you, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. I think he felt that this was the best way of letting you know his intentions.”

  Kim stood and carried her plate to the sink. “He could have just told me what was on his mind.”

  “True, but would it have been as powerful as a proposal?”

  Her mother had a point. “Probably not.”

  “There ya go. David doesn’t do anything halfway. You’ll be glad about that later—after you’ve been married a few years and have children.”

  “Maybe.” Kim shrugged and turned away.

  “Sweetheart.” Her mother placed her hand on Kim’s shoulder and turned her around. “I wish I could do something to make everything better, but this is something I can’t fix. If you love David and still want to marry him, you’ll have to wait until he comes back. But if you’re having real second thoughts, perhaps you need to rethink your engagement.”

  A lump formed in Kim’s throat as she nodded. “Thanks, Mom. Right now, all I need is a listening ear.”

  Kim helped her mother clean the kitchen while her dad went to make a business call to California. As they cleared the table, they talked about everything they’d been doing.

  Then Kim brought up the get-together at Brian’s on Saturday. She noticed that her mother almost dropped the plate she’d been holding.

  “Are you okay, Mom?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” Her mother put down the plate and cleared her throat as she turned to face Kim. “I can finish up here. Why don’t you go on home and get some rest?”

  “But—”

  Her dad arrived in the kitchen. “Sorry to interrupt your girl talk, but I need to see your mother,” he said to Kim. Then he looked at his wife. “Barb, do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you about this trip we have planned.”

  “Trip?” Kim turned to face her parents. “Y’all are going on a trip?”

  “We’re thinking about it.”

  “When?” Kim asked.

  Her mother looked at her father, who spoke. “That’s what I wanted to discuss.”

  Kim wiped her hands on the dish towel. “Okay, I can take a hint. The two of you want to be alone. Call me tomorrow and tell me more about your trip.”

  “Okay, honey,” her mother replied. “And stop trying to overthink your engagement. David will be home very soon, I’m sure, and you’ll wonder why you worried so much.”

  “Thanks.” Kim left her parents’ house wondering what had just happened. For the first time in her life, they’d nearly pushed her out the door.

  Everyone continued to act strange. Saturday morning, Kim noticed that her schedule ended at noon. Her standing early afternoon appointment had canceled.

  “This is odd,” she said as she looked over the appointment book. “I’m generally busy all day on Saturday.”

  Jasmine continued combing her client’s hair and didn’t look up. “Sometimes it just works out that way. No big deal. Why don’t you call it a day and go on home?”

  “I can stick around here and help you,” she said.

  “No
.” Jasmine stopped what she was doing and looked Kim in the eye. “You have that thing at Brian’s place tonight. Go home, take a long bubble bath, and pamper yourself a little. You’ll have more fun if you’re rested.”

  Kim chuckled. “It’s just a little get-together. Brian has some harebrained notion that he needs to throw a sophisticated party with fancy food. He even wants his guests to dress up.”

  “All the more reason to do a little primping.” She made a shooing gesture. “Now go on; get out of here.”

  “Okay, okay,” Kim said as she swept the last of the hair into the dustpan. “Just promise to call me if you get a walk-in. I really don’t mind coming back if you get swamped.”

  “I’ll be just fine,” Jasmine said with a self-satisfied smile.

  On her way home, Kim’s thoughts wandered back over the past several days, and she reflected on how secretive everyone was. And the tension was growing.

  It wasn’t her birthday, so no one was planning to surprise her. She couldn’t think of any reason for people to keep a secret from her.

  Kim thought about her parents and how they practically pushed her out the door. They were planning a trip. Without her. It shouldn’t have bothered her, but with David out of the country, she felt left out of everyone’s lives. No one understood that she needed to be part of something as much as ever.

  Maybe her problem was that she was standing still watching the world move forward without her. And as long as David was overseas, she’d be this way. She didn’t know what to make of her feelings for Brian. She’d always loved him, but as her romantic thoughts about him increased, she felt like she was sinking deeper into unknown territory—something that frightened her. If she acted on her feelings now, she not only risked hurting David, but she was afraid Brian would freak out.

  And then her annoyance annoyed her. When David had proposed, she loved him—or at least she thought she did. But now, as she looked back at the way he’d kept his plans to volunteer for the mission a secret, she wished she’d given him back his ring and told him they’d wait for his return to be officially engaged.

  She could still do that, but it meant e-mailing him. Was that bad form? But then again, he’d proposed without letting her know his plans. What if he did that kind of thing after they said their vows? Could she go through life with someone like that?