by Debby Mayne
By the time she pulled into the driveway, she’d made her decision. She was going to send David an e-mail and tell him she wanted to end—no, make that suspend—their engagement. They could discuss it when he returned.
She heard her phone ringing as she unlocked her door, but it stopped once she was inside. A glance at her caller ID let her know it was Brian.
He must have realized he couldn’t pull this thing off without help, she thought with a chuckle. She put her purse down and punched in his number.
“Want me to come help you get ready for this shindig?” she asked.
“Nope. Everything’s all set.”
“Why did you call?”
Kim heard some whispering in the background. “Who’s there?”
“Oh, just someone who stopped by for a little while. Oh, hold on a sec.” She heard Brian put his hand over the mouthpiece for a couple of seconds. “Why don’t you plan to get here right at seven?”
“That’s when it starts. Don’t you want me to come help you greet people?”
Brian laughed. “I think I can handle it by myself.”
Then it dawned on her. “You have someone else helping out, don’t you?”
“You might say that.”
“Oh, so there’s a mystery woman, huh?” At least something made sense. She forced a smile. “Okay, I’ll show up at seven.”
“Oh, and Kim, why don’t you wear that pearl necklace David gave you for Christmas.”
Kim let out a nervous laugh. “Why do you care what jewelry I wear? What’s going on, Brian?”
“I just think it’s really pretty on you. This is a dress-up party, remember?”
“Okay, whatever. I’ll be there,” she said, “wearing my pearl necklace if it makes you happy.”
“See you at seven. And not a minute before. In fact, it’s okay if you’re a couple of minutes late.”
“Are you sure you still want me to come? I’m thinking you might want to be alone with. . .your new lady.”
“There’ll be a lot of people here.” He snickered. “You’d better come—just not early, though.”
Kim changed into a jogging suit and lay down on the couch to watch some TV and rest before getting ready. She’d hung her new black dress on the closet door. She didn’t know what she’d been thinking when she let Mrs. Jenner talk her into buying it.
After alternately channel surfing and dozing, Kim finally got up and took the bubble bath Jazzy thought was so important. Then she carefully applied her makeup and got dressed. She looked at the clock on her dresser, and it was only six fifteen. If Brian hadn’t told her not to get there early, she would have gone ahead. Now she had to wait.
Time dragged until Kim felt safe to leave and not arrive before seven. As she turned the corner and drove up Brian’s street, everything seemed very still. There were a lot of familiar cars parked along the curb, but something seemed strange. Brian’s front door was closed, the blinds were pulled, and there was only one window showing a light on in the house.
She felt a gripping sensation. Something was wrong. Kim pulled into his driveway, threw her car into park, turned it off, and hopped out.
Kim ran up the front steps of his small, red-brick house and banged on the door. She needed to be there for him. He’d be so—
“Hello, sweetheart,” David said as he opened the door. “Surprised?”
Twelve
Kim suddenly froze to her spot on the porch, while David grinned back at her. A group of friends stood in the background, but she was in such a state of shock, all their faces were blurred.
“Hi, honey,” David said as he reached for her hand. “Come on in and join the party.”
This so wasn’t how she wanted to see David when he first came back. “Are you surprised?” Someone shouted from the other side of the room.
“Isn’t this exciting?”
“Hey, Kimberly! Looks like we really gotcha this time.”
One voice rang out after the other, but all Kim wanted to do was turn around and run. She felt oddly like she was in a bad fairy tale, with all the creepy characters staring at her as she walked through the forest of her nightmare.
David put his arm around her and pulled her close. “You’re shaking, Kimberly. Are you cold?”
She opened her mouth, but she still couldn’t talk. So she shook her head.
Brian suddenly appeared with a look of concern. “Find her a place to sit, David, and I’ll get her something to drink.” As he walked away, Kim overheard his voice as he softly told someone, “Maybe surprising Kim wasn’t such a good idea.”
No kidding.
Having a surprise welcome home party for David would have been awesome. After all, he would have known he was back, and it wouldn’t have been such a shock. But this was frightening. Terrifying, in fact. Kim wasn’t sure she’d ever get over the jolt of seeing David standing at Brian’s door.
Brian arrived with a glass of something with ice in it. “Take a sip of this ginger ale, Kim.”
David steadied her hand as she took her first sip. Some of the other people dispersed and talked among themselves, giving her a chance to recover. Finally, Kim felt that she was of sound enough mind to question what had happened.
“How long have you been back?” she asked.
He grinned. “Since last night.”
“Here?” Kim shot Brian a glare. “You’ve been staying with Brian?”
“No,” David’s mother said as she sneaked up from behind Brian. “He’s been with me.” Mrs. Jenner gave her a once-over. “That dress looks very nice on you. I was afraid you might not wear the one I picked out.”
David’s face showed joy. “Is this what you bought when the two of you spent the day together? I love it!”
Kim managed a half smile before looking at Brian as she touched her necklace. “I wore the pearls you asked me to.”
David turned her around to face his mother. “These are the pearls I gave her for Christmas.”
“They’re lovely,” Mrs. Jenner said. “Now you need a pearl bracelet to go with it.”
“Oh, I don’t wear—”
Mrs. Jenner interrupted Kim. “I might have one that matches your necklace.”
“She doesn’t wear bracelets,” Brian said.
“What’s wrong with bracelets?” David’s mother glared at Brian before turning to Kim. “All girls wear bracelets.” She turned to David and patted his arm. “David loves to shower his women with jewelry, don’t you, son?”
Kim wondered how many women he’d showered with jewelry. He looked panicked.
“Working in a hair salon makes wearing bracelets difficult for Kimberly,” Brian explained. “I’m sure she likes them, don’t you?”
She saw his pleading expression, so she nodded. No doubt Brian had the best of intentions when he’d planned this party, and she didn’t want to ruin it for him. With that in mind, she made a quick decision.
Kimberly forced the biggest smile she could manage. “I’m sorry I acted like a grump. I was just so surprised to see you, David.”
“I knew you would be.” His eyebrows lifted as he took her hand and looked into her eyes. “I hope you’re as happy as I am.”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, of course I am. Very happy.”
Brian tapped Mrs. Jenner on the shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. “Let’s leave the happy couple alone for a few minutes so they can catch up.”
Once they were alone, David smiled at Kim and gently touched her cheek. “You’re as beautiful as ever, Kimberly. I’ve really missed you.”
She felt her heart soften a bit as her fiancé spoke to her with the sweetness she remembered, but she didn’t feel that heart-stopping romantic love she so wanted to have. Instead, she found herself wondering what Brian had been thinking. He knew she hated surprises. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”
“I thought a surprise would be more fun.”
“Maybe so, but I would have appreciated some war
ning.”
“Why?” he asked. “Would you have done anything different?”
“Probably not, but I wouldn’t have felt so lost when you opened the door.”
“The look on your face was priceless.” He held a lock of her hair between his fingers and twisted it before tucking it behind her ear. That simple, familiar gesture bugged her. “I hope someone got a picture.”
Kim pulled her hair away from him and scooted a few inches away from David on the sofa. “They better not have. I don’t want pictures of that moment.”
David gave her a mock pained look. “It’ll be fun to show our grandkids.”
That reminded her of one of their earlier conversations, and she felt a tinge of anger. “We have to have kids to have grandkids, and you said you didn’t want kids.”
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m not sure yet,” he said. “Do we have to discuss this now?”
“There are a lot of things we need to discuss.”
Now David’s frown was real. “Are you mad at me, Kimberly?”
Some of her anger dissipated, and she shook her head. “No, I’m not mad. But we do need to talk.”
“Okay, so talk.”
“Not here, David. Not now.” She studied his face as he looked her over. “Are you home for good?”
“The first part of the mission is over.” He pointed to his leg. “We’re not sure if we’ll have to go back, but if we do, my part in the plan depends on how quickly I heal.”
“What happened to your knee?”
He rubbed it. “That’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it later. I just hope it’s better soon so I can be ready if needed.”
“So you’re still not sure if you’re going back?”
David stroked her hair from her face. “Kimberly, hon, you know there are no guarantees in life.” As she started to look down, he cupped her chin and tilted her face toward his. “Let’s make the most of the time we have now.”
Slowly, she nodded. He was right. There were no guarantees. And now was all they had.
❧
Brian gripped the tray of drinks as he stood at the door watching David and Kimberly. He sensed the tension between them, and he had to use every ounce of self-restraint to hold back and not see if he could help.
“Don’t they look happy?” Kim’s mother said as she came up and took a cup from the tray. She stared at him until he looked her in the eye.
“Uh. . .yes, very happy.”
Mrs. Shaw blew out a breath of exasperation as she took the tray from him and put it on the breakfast bar. “You know good and well, I was just trying to get your attention, Brian.”
He blinked and cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
“My daughter looks absolutely miserable.”
Brian licked his lips as he turned back to see what Kim’s mother was talking about. David was still talking, and Kim was looking at him, but the chemistry between them seemed off.
“Something’s been bothering her lately,” Mrs. Shaw continued. “Has she spoken to you about what’s on her mind?”
“No, not really,” Brian replied. “But I think she’s still a little ticked about David not telling her he was planning to volunteer for this special mission in the Middle East.”
“Well, I can certainly understand that. I just hope they have a chance to work through some of these issues before they tie the knot.”
“Yes, me, too.”
Mrs. Shaw lovingly placed her hand on Brian’s shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. “I know you do. You and Kimberly have been close for so long, you’re almost like brother and sister.”
He forced a smile. “That’s right. Like brother and sister.” Not so much anymore.
The time seemed to drag for Brian. He thought the party would never end. Finally, all of his guests had thanked him, welcomed David back, and left him alone with what appeared to be a slightly unhappy couple.
“I don’t know how to thank you, man,” David said as he half-hugged Brian and shook his hand. “It was a bigger success than I ever dreamed.”
“Yeah,” Brian grunted and cut a glance toward Kim. She cast her eyes downward.
“So is everyone meeting at church tomorrow?” David looked back and forth between Brian and Kim. “I thought we could make plans then.”
“Sure, that’s fine,” Brian said when he realized Kim wasn’t helping out.
When she looked at him, he glared at her. She rolled her eyes and smirked.
David reached for Kim’s hand. “C’mon, Kimberly, let me walk you to your car.” On their way to the door, he looked over his shoulder. “Thanks again, buddy. I owe you big-time.”
“No problem.”
Brian stood on the porch and waited until they took the last step off his porch before he went inside and closed the door. He left the light on for a few more minutes until he heard Kim’s car back out of the driveway. David had parked his car around the corner in the opposite direction from where Kimberly had come.
As he picked up the last of the plates and cups, he felt like kicking himself for contributing to Kim’s misery. He didn’t know what he’d been thinking when he agreed to spring this surprise on her. Kim hated surprises. Even back in high school when one of her best friends had arranged for a bunch of people to suddenly appear at a little birthday dinner, she’d gotten mad.
❧
So it was all a setup. Kim lifted her new dress over her head then carefully hung it on the padded hanger. No wonder everyone had been acting so strange lately. They all knew David was coming home. Jazzy, people from church, David’s mom, and even her parents had been there. And to think Brian had been the ringleader. She’d have to let him know what she really thought—but not in front of David. She had a special message for him.
Too bad she wasn’t sure what it was yet.
❧
Kimberly awoke Sunday morning to the sound of rain pelting her bedroom window. She got up and pulled back the curtain to see how bad the storm was. A bolt of lightning flickered across the sky, followed a few seconds later by a boom of thunder.
Ugh. The weather matched her mood.
After seeing David, there was no doubt she couldn’t marry him. The romantic, forever-and-ever kind of love just wasn’t there. And what was up with Brian? He should have known better. He’d been with her once before when she was the surprise guest of honor, and she let him know how much she hated it. Maybe he assumed that since David was officially the focus of the get-together, she’d be okay with it.
Kim was sick of thinking about everything. She went about her morning routine of coffee, toast, and a shower. Now, what to wear?
She didn’t want to ruin a good pair of shoes in the sloppy mess of the church parking lot, which ruled out half her wardrobe. Finally, after staring at the lineup of clothes, she settled on a gray skirt, a burgundy blouse, and a black sweater. That way she could wear her boots and have a somewhat pulled-together look.
David arrived at her door at precisely the time they’d agreed upon. He held the umbrella as he walked her to the car, held the door, and made sure she was safely inside. He was doing all the right things, but she was still irked.
“You look very pretty this morning,” David said. “I thought maybe we could go out after church—just the two of us—and grab a bite to eat.”
Of course he never consulted her. She stared straight ahead without a comment.
After a few moments of silence, David touched her arm. “You okay, sweetie?”
She edged away from his touch. “I’m fine.”
He blew out an exasperated sigh. “All right, what gives? Why are you acting so testy?”
Kim really didn’t want to discuss it now—not before church. But he’d cornered her, and she didn’t see that she had a choice. “Why do you always act like I should be happy with all of your decisions?”
“What?” His perplexed expression made her cringe, but she needed to be honest.
“You thought we could go
out for a bite to eat after church, but you never asked me what I wanted.”
“Well?” he said slowly as he drew his eyebrows together. “Do you want to go out for lunch after church?”
Her shoulders sagged. “Maybe. . .I guess so.”
“Something else is going on, I can tell.”
Kim squeezed her eyes shut and asked God for help. When she looked at David, she saw his clenched jaw and pulsing temples. He was annoyed, which bothered her even more.
“I’m not happy about the fact that everyone kept your homecoming a secret,” she blurted.
“But that was supposed to be a nice surprise.”
“A bouquet of flowers is a nice surprise. The musical trio you had at dinner the night we got engaged was a nice surprise. But something as significant as you coming back after not seeing you so long. . .” Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of how to word her thoughts. “It made me feel off-kilter.”
He laughed. “Your expression was pretty funny.”
Kim shot him a scowl. “It wasn’t funny to me. It was humiliating.”
David lifted a hand and let it slap back down on the steering wheel. “Okay, I won’t do that again. No more surprises—at least not any that will make you feel so—what did you call it? Off-kilter?”
She nodded. Kim knew she should be satisfied, but she still wasn’t. And she wouldn’t be until she had that talk with David. She had to be kind and sensitive, and the timing had to be just right.
They arrived at church a few minutes early, so they were able to get a good seat near their friends. The first thing Kim did was look for Brian. Once she spotted him, she relaxed. Even if she couldn’t have him, she liked knowing he was in sight.
David slipped his arm over Kim’s shoulder as the pastor began his sermon. And there it stayed until time to sing the next praise song. Kim felt like she was going through the motions of worship, and that made her feel even worse.
After church was over, they went down the hall to the multipurpose room, where David chatted with a few old friends who hadn’t been able to make it to his homecoming party. Kim smiled and nodded as everyone told her how happy she must be.