Truly Yours Contemporary Collection December 2014

by Joyce Livingston, Gail Sattler, Joyce Livingston

  He dropped his voice to a whisper so no one could hear, especially his granny. “Sorry to interrupt, Grace. I have to talk to you. It’s important. It’s Dale.”

  Before she could respond, Phil wrapped his fingers around her arm and gently led her from the room and into the hall so he could talk more freely.

  “What happened? I thought Dale was safe on top of the television.”

  “I thought so, too, but I was wrong. Neil’s brother came over tonight to watch the hockey game with Neil, and he brought his kids. Neil’s brother started teasing him about Dale being on top of the television while the game was on, and without telling me, they put Dale on the coffee table.”

  Grace visibly shuddered. “No. . . Not more coffee.”

  Phillip shook his head. “Worse. Neil’s nephews started playing with it. And one of them got gum in it.”

  “Oh, no!” Grace’s hands flew to her cheeks, which Phillip would have thought quite cute if it wasn’t for the gnawing in the pit of his stomach at the latest accident. “Gum is one of the hardest things to get out. Sometimes impossible!”

  “I know. That’s why I came now. I feel sick thinking about it. Maybe if we tackle it right away, we can get it out.”

  “What does Neil have to say about this?”

  “He feels significantly guilty, but that doesn’t do me any good. All I want is for Dale to be clean and back to normal. Help me, Grace. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Where’s Dale now?”

  “In the car.”

  “Okay, that’s good. You were right to want to start working on it immediately. This way we’ll have the best chance of success. I know my book has a part on removing gum, so we can do it at my place. Oh, by the way, I hope you don’t mind giving me a ride. I came with Elsie. I just have to go back in and pack up my stuff and tell her I’m not coming back.” She stopped talking, scrunched her brows for a second, then she broke out into a wide smile. Phillip found himself fascinated, watching the interplay of expression. He could almost see the lightbulb going on in her head.

  Grace raised one finger in the air. “I just got a great idea! I can tell everyone you’re here to give me a ride home, and you accidentally came early, so your granny won’t wonder why you came. You are giving me a ride, so it is the truth.”

  “Great idea. I’ll go wait in the car.”

  At Grace’s nod, Phillip walked outside, but he didn’t open the car door. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sit still. Once in the car, he would have nothing to amuse himself except for looking at poor Dale with the lump of gum stuck to his wing. However, what lay ahead would be worse.

  While they fixed Dale, he and Grace would be alone.

  He wasn’t sure that was advisable, but with Dale on the line, he had no alternative.

  As expected, he hadn’t been able to avoid spending time with Grace for the past week. In fact, he’d seen her every single day since he made his decision not to see so much of her. If he had to see a bright side, he’d been successful at keeping himself focused and at a safe distance because Neil had always been there. He’d even endured Neil’s teasing about his bad guitar playing because Neil’s presence kept his time with Grace centered on only the guitar lesson and not on personal issues. Tuesday Phillip had made supper, but he’d stayed in the kitchen while Neil and Grace remained in the living room. He’d tried not to be interested in what they were doing, but it still came as a great relief to hear Neil flipping channels looking for a show he never did find. He’d found it highly amusing to listen as Grace complained more and more every time Neil hit the button for the next channel.

  Wednesday night had been one of the rare times Neil didn’t have to work late. Therefore, they had attended the Bible study meeting as a threesome. Since most of the attendees were their age and single, he had been able to separate himself while they were allegedly together.

  But tonight, soon Grace would emerge from the church basement, alone. She would get into the car with him. They would go to her apartment. For the rest of the evening, it would be just the two of them.

  Phillip blew a puff of breath into the cold, evening air and watched the cloud slowly dissipate. The only thing between himself and Grace tonight would be Dale. For the moment, he didn’t need a Christmas angel to broadcast glad tidings. He needed a guardian angel to keep his heart safe.

  The church door creaked open and banged shut. Grace’s footsteps crunched in the snow as she cut across the grounds, taking the shortest way instead of keeping to the sidewalk.

  “I’m here. Where is she?”

  With shaking hands, Phillip finally opened the car door and pulled Dale out from behind his seat. Once he handed Dale to Grace, he pushed the car door closed to keep the heat inside.

  Grace shifted slightly to catch the light from the streetlight, then she turned Dale over and poked at the blob with one finger. “This isn’t too bad; it’s only one small spot. I had pictured strings of gum all over her.”

  “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I suppose it could be worse. Do you think we can get it out?”

  “It’s only the size of a quarter. I don’t see why not. Even if a little dark spot remains, it’s at the back where no one would see it once Dale is on top of the tree. But we can certainly try to get the whole thing out. My book has instructions for everything. I’m sure it will say how to get gum out. Between the two of us, I know we can do it.” Abruptly, she lowered Dale and dropped her voice to a whisper. “We had better get going. I don’t want any of the ladies, especially your granny, to see what we’ve got. If the reason you came was just to give me a ride, pretty soon they’re going to be wondering what we’re doing still standing here.”

  “You’re right.” Phillip turned his head to watch the church basement window to see if there were any faces peeking through at the same time as he reached toward the car door to open it for Grace. Instead of the cold metal of the handle, his fingers rested on warm skin.

  Unable to stop himself, Phillip wrapped his fingers around Grace’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I was going to do that for you.”

  Phillip knew he was going to regret it, but he couldn’t stop himself. He closed his fingers around Grace’s delicate hand and rubbed his thumb into her wrist as he gently pulled her hand off the door handle. Not releasing her hand, he reached over with his free hand and opened the door for her.

  He smiled, gave her hand one more gentle squeeze, and let go when he had the door open all the way. “M’Lady,” he said as he closed his eyes for a second and bowed his head slightly as a signal for her to slide into the car. “Your chariot awaits.”

  At first she didn’t move, and then she was in the car so quickly he barely had time to blink before she pulled the door closed.

  Phillip walked around the car, slid in behind the wheel, and they were on their way.

  “So what was everybody doing today? Were you using all those eyes and noses you bought on the weekend?”

  Grace stared out the window, not looking at him as she spoke. “Yes. Everyone is making one bear, and we’re going to donate them all to a children’s charity the weekend after next.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt you. I know you enjoy making stuff like that, plus it’s for a worthy cause.”

  “It’s okay. We were just cutting the bears out and putting on the eyes and noses. We all have to take the pieces home anyway to sew them together. Next week we’re going to stuff them.”

  Grace rambled on about making bears and other stuffed toys for the remainder of the drive to her apartment. Phillip didn’t mind. In fact, he was glad to have her stare out the window, talking nonstop and refusing to look at him. That meant she couldn’t see the smile that he couldn’t wipe off his face.

  He’d rattled her. That said a lot, because he was rattled, too. Ever since the first time Dale needed to be fixed and he’d run over to her apartment, something about Grace affected him like no woman before her. He’d never experienced anything like the in
stant bond that continued to grow like an out-of-control forest fire with every passing day. The bond was such that he didn’t even have to be specifically with her or talk to her to feel it. Just knowing she was in the same room or the same building, knowing he could go find her at any moment, gave him peace and comfort at the same time as an inner excitement. The emotions shouldn’t have mixed, but they did. When they were actually together, side-by-side, the rush he felt was even more intense. Being with Grace made his mind race and his heart pound. Her smile made him think all things were possible, just because she believed in him.

  And now he knew that he wasn’t the only one affected.

  Phillip could no longer deny it. He had fallen in love with his best friend’s girlfriend.

  However, Phillip couldn’t tell what was going on between Neil and Grace. Nor did he know exactly how she felt about him, only that he had somehow disquieted her today, along with himself. Whatever had just passed between them confirmed that whatever was happening had crossed some kind of line he couldn’t quite define.

  But, there was a catch, and it was a huge one. Grace’s relationship with Neil could not be ignored. Phillip had talked to Grace enough to know that she was ready to settle down. Whether that would be with Neil still remained to be seen.

  Phillip wished he could find out the level of commitment on both sides of that relationship. Then, once he knew, he would make a choice. Even though it would be the hardest thing he ever would have to do in his life, if it was God’s will for Grace to be with Neil, he would step back. But if God wanted Phillip to be Grace’s life partner, that would make him the happiest man on Earth.

  Phillip had never been good at waiting, God’s timing or not. Most often he became impatient and took matters into his own hands and made things happen. In this case, even though it felt like it could kill him, he couldn’t take the chance. This time he had to sit back and wait for God’s direction or some sign indicating what he should do, whether or not it was what he wanted to happen. The only thing he knew for sure was he would be spending a lot of time in prayer. Either that or go insane.

  As he parked the car in the visitor parking area, Grace fished her keys out of her purse. “I think we’ve got a better chance at getting this gum out because it hasn’t dried yet. I’ll take our injured angel, and you take that bag of bear parts, and let’s get moving. We can’t waste any time because it’s starting to dry out already.”

  Phillip nodded and followed Grace inside.

  thirteen

  Grace paged through the book, trying to ignore Phil’s breath on her cheek as he read over her shoulder, even though his presence sent tingles up and down her spine.

  She rested her finger on the page. “It says to rub ice on the gum to harden it, then chip it away with a dull knife. After that, dab with grease solvent, then launder with regular detergent. What’s grease solvent?”

  “That’s what you use to clean your hands after working on the motor in the car or fixing the lawn mower. I’ve got some in the garage. But I can’t see putting that on Dale. It stinks. I would think that the solvent is oil based, too, because it leaves a stain on the rags.”

  Grace closed the book, stepped forward, and turned around, more so to put some distance between herself and Phil than needing to look at him as she spoke. “That would be why it says to wash it after you use the solvent, to prevent a stain after the gum is gone. I have an idea. Why don’t you go home and get the solvent, and I’ll start right away with the ice part. I don’t want to delay any longer, in case it sets or something. I’ve never had to take gum out of anything before; I only heard that it’s hard.”

  “That makes sense.” Phil checked his watch. “It’s probably quicker to go home and get the can out of the garage than go to the store and buy some new stuff. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

  He didn’t wait for her to see him to the door, but let himself out.

  All was silent as Grace stared at the door, the book still in her hands.

  She didn’t know what was happening, but it had to stop.

  Grace didn’t want her knees to shake or her throat to go dry whenever Phil came close to her. She didn’t want to tremble at his touch, especially when it was accidental, and he didn’t necessarily mean anything by it. At the car, his brief, but gentle ministrations set her quivering all over. His touch felt like the touch of a lover, gentle and soothing, yet at the same time giving the hint of more. Grace knew that Phil hadn’t meant it that way. They were friends, nothing more.

  She couldn’t deny that in the short space of time since they’d really started seeing each other, either despite Neil’s presence or maybe even because of it, she and Phil had grown quite close. They could talk about anything, and they understood each other. Phil was fun to be with. He made her laugh, and she knew she made him laugh.

  Even Tiger liked him.

  Grace thumped the book on the table. She didn’t want to think about Phil. The reason she was home and not still at craft night was to work on Dale.

  Quickly, she removed two ice cubes from the freezer, fetched a couple of washcloths with which to hold the ice so she wouldn’t freeze her fingers, then she set to work rubbing the ice on the gum. By the time Phil returned, she’d managed to chip some of the gum away, but not all.

  “How’s it going?”

  Grace laid the ice and washcloths on the table and held Dale up for Phil to see, welcoming the break. The washcloths had protected her fingers somewhat from the chill of the ice, but not completely.

  “It’s going pretty good, but not as fast as I hoped.”

  “How are your hands? If your fingers are getting a little numb from holding that ice so long, I can take a turn. After all, it’s my problem, really.”

  “I’m not going to argue with that.”

  Phil dragged the other chair so they angled together, then sat so they were knee-to-knee at about a forty-five-degree angle. He took Dale from her and set to work with the ice.While Phil rubbed at the gum with an ice cube on each side of the wing, Grace blew on her hands, then crossed her arms and tucked her fingers under her armpits to get some feeling and her circulation back.

  “You know what I was thinking? Maybe you should put Dale in a box in the closet until you actually set up your tree. Your living room doesn’t seem to be a very safe place.”

  Phil rested one of the cloth-covered ice cubes on the table, shook his fingers in the air, blew on them, picked at the lump with the knife, then resumed his task with the ice. “It’s not my living room that’s doing it. This all has been centering around the television. I only have to get Dale away from the television, and I think we’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe it’s not the television; it’s all the hockey that seems to always be on.”

  Phil’s rhythm faltered for just a second. “You know, Neil is much better company before hockey season.”

  Grace stared at Phil, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t, nor did he raise his head. He merely continued to rub the ice on the gum.

  “Neil told me there are two games on Saturday, a doubleheader. I think he wants to stay home and watch both of them, back-to-back. I don’t mind hockey, but I’m really not interested enough to sit and watch two whole games.”

  “I know what you mean. I like hockey, and I can’t sit for two whole games. At least not until the play-offs. I think I got off the last hunk of gum possible. Do you think it’s time to try the solvent on the rest?”

  Grace blinked to let her mind catch up to his quick change of subjects. She leaned toward Phil and touched the spot while he held Dale out. Some gum still remained stuck to the threads, but she knew they’d never be able to scrape off every single bit. “I guess that’s as good as we’re going to get. The instructions don’t say at what point to give up on the ice and go on to the next step. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to get any more off with the ice. How do you use solvent?”

  “I just pour it on my hands and wipe it off with a rag, a
nd the grease comes off onto the rag. I don’t know how much we should rub Dale; after all, he’s only made of thread.” Phil opened the cap and was about to pour some directly on the spot, but Grace raised one palm in the air to stop him.

  “Just a minute. I’ll go get a cloth from under the sink. The instructions in the book said to dab it with the solvent. I think that means to pour some on a cloth and work it from there, not to pour it directly on the gum.”

  “Yeah. I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  Grace soaked a piece of a cloth with the solvent, then began the process of gently dabbing the spot. “It’s working! Praise the Lord!”

  Phil’s relief was almost tangible as he sagged in the chair. In silence, she continued to dab at the remainder until all of the gum residue really did come off.

  “Now let’s get her into the sink to wash off the solvent. Then all we’ll have to do is starch her again.”

  Phil let out an exaggerated groan, at which Grace couldn’t help but smile. “Stop it. You know this is good news.”

  They stood simultaneously, but with the placement of the chairs, neither could move away. They stood face-to-face, inches apart, with only the bedraggled Dale between them.

  Phil’s hands rose and drifted up until he cupped her cheeks with his palms. His voice came out low-pitched and rough, not like Phil at all. “Thank you, Grace. I don’t know what to say. I know this sounds corny, but you’re wonderful. I really mean that.”

  Very slowly, Grace felt Phil’s rough thumbs gently pressing into her cheeks. The soft pressure of his touch electrified her. She knew she should have moved away, but she couldn’t. All she could do was look up at him, into his fascinating eyes. The color had darkened to almost a dark gray, all traces of the green were gone.

  Just like another time that burned into her memory, she thought he was going to kiss her. Only this time, she had no doubt about what she wanted to happen. This time, she did want him to kiss her.