Miss Match: a Lauren Holbrook novel

by Erynn Mangum

  Their backs are to me. His arm curls comfortably around her shoulders, and her head leans against his chest as they study a poster stapled to the wall.

  Do I interrupt? Do I clear my throat and make them see me? Or do I try to slip past unnoticed?

  I purse my lips as I debate the pros and cons, the stack in my arms getting heavier by the moment.

  Nick leans over and kisses the top of Ruby’s head, then lays his cheek there.

  I am definitely going to sneak past unnoticed.

  Here’s what I am: A Klutz to the Kore.

  I have one foot carefully around the corner, my back rubbing up against it, when my notebook slides out from the middle of the stack and my coffee shudders.

  I knew I should have bought the texture-covered notebook. It wouldn’t have slid so easily.

  I grab for the coffee and catch it.

  The problem is that in the midst of catching the coffee and saving the church a carpet cleaning bill, I drop the books and they crash to the floor with an unearthly loud boom.

  I detect an echo. And yet our church does not have a basement.

  Or so I thought.

  Like most churches, we have a newcomer’s class for the people who are on the church hop and trying to see what we’re all about. My church puts their pictures up on a bulletin board outside the sanctuary’s door.

  And yet never once have I seen any of those people around on Sundays.

  How would the apostle Paul put it?

  “I became convinced that what I once thought, that the newcomers went to a different service time, was not true; in my flesh, I assumed all men, in particular our senior pastor, had the best interests at heart for the newcomers, and yet now I see clearly that all men, in particular our senior pastor, are sinful, fleshly creatures who have only their own interests in sight, not the interests of others.”

  In other words, I think my senior pastor is hiding the poor souls who go to the newcomer’s class in a hidden basement and making them physically act out the five points of Calvinism.

  But I digress.

  Nick and Ruby whirl when they hear my books.

  “Laurie.” Ruby breathes, hand to heart. “Good night. I thought someone was trying to break in.”

  “You said to be early.” I sheepishly gather my stuff.

  “Yes, I did,” Ruby says and nods.

  I stand back up, once again precariously balanced. Nick hasn’t let go of Ruby. They’ve just turned in one accord, like Siamese twins.

  It is cute in a disturbing way.

  “Hi, Laurie,” he says.

  “Hey, Nick,” I answer.

  “Excited about tonight?”

  “A little confused,” I say.

  “About what?” he asks.

  “Why am I teaching if I’m leaving in less than two weeks?”

  Ruby smiles. “Acclimation, Laur. Didn’t we already cover this?”

  “I wanted to hear it from Nick.”

  “Acclimation, Laur. Didn’t you two already cover this?” He grins cheekily.

  I shake my head. “What classroom?”

  “Third on the right,” Nick directs while Ruby’s phone starts ringing.

  She pulls it out of the pocket of her jeans, reads the caller ID, smiles, and answers it. “Hey, Honey.”

  Nick shoots me a look. “Who’s she talking to?”

  I shrug casually. “Oh, it’s probably just Trevor.”

  He frowns. “Who?”

  “Trevor. She hasn’t told you about Trevor? Old flame. Comes by every couple of days or so.”

  Ruby waves her hand, glares at me, and says to the phone, “Hold on, Sweetheart, she’s right here.” Passes me the phone and a doctored Scripture: “Six things the Lord hates, seven the Lord detests: A lying tongue being one of the top.”

  I take the phone from her and smile sweetly to Nick. “Hi, Honey.”

  “An endearment? Her true feelings come to light!” Ryan shouts.

  I grin. “What’s up?”

  “I tried calling your cell phone.”

  “I turned it off, seeing as how I’m at a Bible study.” A subtle way of saying, Why are you calling me?

  “Not for another thirteen minutes.”

  I walk into the classroom, again precariously balanced. “True,” I say, putting my Bible and notebook on the table in the middle of the classroom and sipping my coffee.

  “So you leave for your fishing trip in a week and a half,” Ryan starts.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, before that time we should hang out.” He clears his throat. “A month is a long time.”

  “Yeah, it is.” My voice is quiet. I change the subject. “Hey, your sister is letting a strange man put his arm around her,” I tattle.

  I can hear his smile. “What should I do?”

  “What any good brother should do. Come over here, take him outside, and knock his lights out.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  I finish my coffee and toss the cup in the trash can. “And I’ll cheer from the sidelines and Ruby will gasp dramatically and then when Nick gets a swing in on you, I’ll nurse you back to health.”

  “That part sounds nice, but what happens to Ruby and Nick?”

  “They move to Alaska. Raise five kids on a fishing boat and teach them all how to crab.”

  “A crabbing boat,” he says.

  “What?”

  “It would be called a crabbing boat.”

  I frown. “I didn’t know ‘crabbing’ was a word.”

  “I saw a special on National Geographic. They’re called crabbing boats.”

  Long pause. “Hey, Ryan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You have way too much time on your hands.”

  He starts laughing. “Says the woman who can quote Pride and Prejudice verbatim.”

  “But I can do that with an English accent.”

  “So?”

  “So National Geographic has the same man doing all the voice-overs.” I make a face. “A man with a really boring monotone. You’d put me to sleep if you quoted National Geographic.”

  “Wow. Compliment.”

  I distinctly hear kids in the hall.

  “I’d love to keep the compliments coming, Ry, but my doom approaches.”

  He laughs. “Laurie, you’re going to have a blast and you know it.”

  “I’m nervous.”

  “Relax. It’ll be fine. I’ll give you a call later on.”

  I smile tightly. “Bye, Ryan.”

  “Bye, Laur.”

  I close the phone, leave my stuff, and walk into the hallway. A dozen or so girls mill around, talking, laughing, sitting, smiling.

  I hand the phone to Ruby and look around. “I can do this,” I mutter quietly, gathering my courage.

  She grins at me.

  Faster than you can say, “Uncle Walleye ate my trout,” thirteen big-eyed junior high girls sit in a circle, with Ruby and me at one side of it.

  “I think the first thing to do would be to introduce ourselves. I’m Ruby Palmer. I’m a photographer along with my friend Laurie here, who will introduce herself now.”

  I clear my throat. “Right. So. Uh, I’m Laurie, like Ruby just said. Um.” Might as well be honest. “And I’m a little nervous because I’ve never taught anything before.”

  The girls smile together.

  A little Hispanic girl with gorgeous brown eyes raises her hand. Ruby nods to her.

  “I’m Tawnya. And I’m just wondering what you guys think about predestination and election. My mom said those are big topics in Romans.”

  I start blinking. This class might be deep.

  Ruby nods. “They are big topics, Tawnya. We’ll be covering that as we go along. Particularly how they relate to God’s sovereignty.” She stops and looks at the group. “Who knows what sovereignty means?”

  A dark-haired girl who is built like a soccer player answers. “Doesn’t it mean, like, God’s in control over everything?”

  Ruby looks at
me and I start nodding. “Mm-hmm, that’s right. Good, bad, ugly, God has ordained all of it.” I see a few frowns. “Ordained means designed, basically.” I look at Tawnya. “Does that answer your question?”

  She nods.

  I let out a small breath of relief.

  Ruby and I take turns teaching on apostleship, and after we pray, smile, and dismiss, I have to admit it went better than I could have hoped.

  Ruby nudges my knee with her foot as the girls leave to go find the chocolate chip cookies someone brought.

  “Good job.” She replaces the cap on her pen.

  I close my Bible. “Same to you. I think it went well. This should be a good year. The girls are really cute!”

  “Confidence restored?” She grins at me.

  “For the most part. Predestination?”

  She stands and stretches. “They grow up younger now. We’ll have to be on top of our game.”

  I stand as well. “Guess I know what I’ll be doing on my trip.”

  “Studying?”

  “You got it.” I start gathering my belongings. “So, heading home?”

  She nods. “Probably.”

  We step outside and Nick catches Ruby’s arm. “Hey.”

  She dimples. “Hi.”

  “Want to go get dinner with me on Friday?”

  She stares into his eyes for a moment before answering. She must have seen something because she ducks her head, blushes, and nods.

  “Good,” Nick says softly.

  Ping! Ping! Ping! My brain screams.

  I look to the left of the two of them and there it is. Big, neon lights.

  CUPID WINS!

  I watch Nick kiss her cheek softly and then go back to his pastoral duties. Ruby stares after him, twisting her bare ring finger.

  Friday.

  Nick is going to propose Friday night.

  Do I scream? Jump up and down? Dance the Hokey Pokey?

  “Excuse me for a second,” I mutter to no one in particular. I walk into the empty women’s bathroom and pull my cell phone from my pocket. Bee-bee-beeee-beeeee! it sings as I turn it on.

  I dial quickly. “Ry?”

  He laughs. “I was wondering how long it would take. Forty-five minutes? Come on, Laur. You could have done better than that,” he chides.

  “Nick asked you?” I’m fidgeting and my heart is racing with excitement.

  I can now officially hang up my matchmaking cap. My work here is done. Besides, God is sovereign. He can orchestrate events much better than I can.

  “He asked forty-five minutes ago,” Ryan says. “Why are you echoing?”

  “I’m in the bathroom.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause I didn’t want Ruby to hear. He asked you? If he could propose?” I am shrieking.

  “Yep. Forty-five minutes ago.”

  “Will you get off that?” I pace the length of the three sinks, grinning like an idiot. My nose itches and I can’t decide if I should burst into tears or laughter. Lord, this is so amazing!

  “He’s asking her Friday,” Ryan says.

  I wave my hand. “I already knew that.”

  “How?”

  “Nick asked Ruby in front of me.”

  I can almost hear Ryan shaking his head. “You’d think the man would be brighter than that by now. Maybe I should’ve said no.”

  “Do you know where he’s taking her?”

  “Halia’s?” he drawls.

  “Funny.”

  “He said something about the restaurant at the Marriott. The Land Down Under, or something like that.”

  “It’s The Golden Sea, Ryan.” I giggle. “What are the odds?”

  “Of what?”

  “Him proposing in a room called The Golden Sea right before I go fishing for a month?”

  Ryan clicks his tongue. “It’s a sign.”

  “I’m telling you.” I wait for a second. Ryan doesn’t say anything. “So,” I start. “Are you going to ask me or do I have to invite myself?”

  “To what?”

  “Ryan! The Golden Sea? Friday night?”

  He pauses. “You . . . cannot . . . be . . . serious,” he stutters.

  “I am very serious! I helped arrange this marriage! I want to be there when he proposes.” Call it finishing what you start.

  “You’re kidding!”

  “I assure you, dear man, I am not.” I wave my hand to my reflection in the mirror. “I was there when Nate proposed to Lexi, and I helped arrange that marriage. It would hurt my track record if I weren’t at Ruby and Nick’s engagement.”

  “You are the most devious, conniving little meddler I have ever met!”

  I grin. “Well, thank you.”

  He groans.

  “Oh good grief, Ryan. We’ll be invisible! That’s a huge room.”

  “You’ve been there before?” His voice is incredulous.

  “Sure.” I am matter-of-fact. “That’s where Nate proposed.”

  “I can’t win,” he mutters.

  “No, you really can’t. So either ask or I’ll go by my lonesome, but I’ll be there regardless.”

  He sighs loudly. “Laurie.”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Do you want to go to The Golden Sea on Friday?”

  “Sure! I’d love to. Thanks, Ryan.” I grin.

  “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

  I laugh. “Bye, Ryan.”

  I hang up and lean over the counter, grinning at myself in the mirror.

  God’s sovereign. Divine ordination of everything. Even my matchmaking tendencies. Wow, Lord, this is so neat!

  Nick and Ruby. Definitely a physical show of His sovereignty.

  Friday morning dawns bright and sunny. A perfect day for an engagement.

  I skip down the stairs and kiss Dad on the top of his head. “Morning, Dad.”

  He looks up at me, smiling ear to ear. “Excited about the fishing trip, Honey? Me too.”

  I pour my coffee and join him at the table. A yellow legal pad is in front of him, a pen in his hand. “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “Checking off supplies. I think I got them all.”

  I nod, sipping. “Good.”

  “We leave in a week, so in six days I’ll get the food for the drive over.”

  “Sounds good.” As long as there are M&Ms, anyway. I look over at Dad eating his organic whole-grain cereal. Probably won’t be M&Ms. The last trip we took he brought candies — and I use that term loosely — made from all-natural ingredients and vitamin-fortified. They tasted like grainy cough drops.

  He’s still talking. “I called the cabin rental place, and they’ve got us ready and confirmed.”

  “Swell.”

  “Oh, Laurie, this will be so much fun.” Dad smiles, his eyes lighting in a way that I haven’t seen since before Mom died. Maybe Dad needed a trip like this all along.

  I squeeze his hand. “Yeah, it will.”

  Ryan rings the doorbell at a few minutes before six. If you’re male, The Golden Sea won’t let you in without a jacket and tie. If you’re female, a dress and some major heels are required or I’ve heard they’ll feed you to the piranhas in one of the fish displays.

  I recycled the dress from Lexi’s wedding.

  Ironed, of course.

  I open the door and Ryan’s eyebrows go up. “Wow, Laur. You clean up nice.”

  “Same to you, stud. You mean you’ve had a comb this whole time?” I feel my eyebrows climb on my head. He’s wearing khakis, a white button-down, a navy blazer, and a tie that I’d bet money he bought today.

  He fingers his combed-down hair and grins. “I think I used too much mousse. Feels like plastic wrap on my head.”

  He walks me to the car, opens the door, shoves my dress in, and goes around. “So I’ve done a pretty bad thing.” He turns the key.

  “Time for confession?” Mentally I’m reviewing my list of things to confess: I arranged the disastrous blind dates; the shoes I’m wearing are Lexi’s and I borro
wed them three years ago; I hid M&Ms in my pillow case.

  Ryan keeps talking. “I invited Brandon and Hannah to go with us.” He winces. Smacks his forehead. “I think I suffered a momentary lapse in judgment.”

  I grin. “I think it’s great. Really? Brandon’s coming? And Hannah?”

  “Well, I figured my excuse to Ruby will be that the four of us are doing some kind of send-off before your trip.”

  I pause. “Won’t she wonder why she wasn’t invited?”

  Ryan nods. “Yeah.” He clears his throat and grins sheepishly. “Which is why I’m going to do this.”

  He pulls his cell phone out of his pants pocket and dials, one hand on the steering wheel. “Hey, Sis. It’s me. Uh, it’s about two thirty or so, and I guess you’re in with a client or something. Anyway, Hannah, Brandon, and I are taking Laur out for a nice dinner tonight before she has to eat bass for a month, and we were hoping you and Nick could come. So give me a call back. Love ya.” He hangs up.

  I shake my head slowly at him. “You sad little liar, you.” I smirk. “Wait a second, you’re taking me out to a seafood restaurant before I have to eat bass for a month?”

  “Pitiful, huh?” He parks in front of the Marriott, looks over at me, and grins. “You were right, Laurie.”

  “Yeah, I know. About what?”

  He rolls his eyes. “Funny girl. About this. It’ll be interesting to watch my sister get engaged.”

  I stare out the windshield, feeling sappy. “A June wedding.”

  “You don’t know that she’ll get married in June.”

  “Sure, she will. I’ll help coordinate the wedding.”

  Brandon’s car pulls into the parking lot and we watch as he goes around and helps Hannah out. Brandon’s all spiffed up in a navy suit. Hannah gets out and I feel my jaw drop slightly. She looks amazing in a powder blue long drapey dress. Her hair curls gently down her back. Even from this far away, I can see that Brandon is completely smitten.

  He opened her door, for Pete’s sake!

  “Hey, Ryan?” I say slowly, a smile spreading on my face. Forget whatever I said about hanging up my matchmaking hat.

  “Yeah?” He looks over at me, follows my gaze, and immediately starts shaking his head. “No, Laurie. Resist it.”

  I point. “Brandon and Hannah look really cute together.”

  “Just say no, Laurie.”

  I tip my head, watching her hold his arm as they walk across the parking lot. “How could we get them engaged?”