Sierra Jensen Collection, Vol 2

by Robin Jones Gunn

  “The lasagna should be out of the oven in five minutes,” Bob said, checking his watch as he came downstairs. “Anyone want to help me throw together a salad?”

  They all agreed to help and made their way into the kitchen while Katie chattered nonstop. Sierra was given the task of setting the table. Todd went to work with Christy tossing the salad in a big wooden bowl, but Bob kept finding new items in the refrigerator to add to the mix. Marti slipped out. Katie talked about her new job at a coffee bar inside an upscale bookstore.

  “If you guys want, I can whip up some killer cappuccinos for dessert. You still have that espresso machine around here, don’t you?”

  “It’s in the cupboard above the oven,” Bob said. He pulled cans of soda from the pantry and filled glasses with ice. “Cappuccinos sure sound good to me. I’d better get this garlic bread in the oven. Could you help me, Sierra?”

  Sierra took the long loaf of sourdough garlic bread from Bob and wrapped it loosely in foil. As she opened the oven door to slide in the bread, the whole kitchen filled with the mouthwatering aroma of lasagna. The tomato sauce along the edges of the huge pan bubbled over the sides.

  “Man, that smells good,” Todd said. He popped open a can of soda and leaned in to have a look at their dinner. “Did you make that, Bob?”

  “Sure did.”

  “You’ll have to teach Todd your secret recipe for tomato sauce, Uncle Bob,” Christy said. “He made some spaghetti last week at his dad’s and it was, well…” Christy gave Todd a tender look and didn’t finish her sentence.

  “It was out of a can,” Todd said, unaffected by Christy’s gentle criticism. “The only kind I know how to make.”

  “It’s all in the spices,” Bob said.

  The doorbell rang again. A minute later, Tawni and Jeremy entered the kitchen. Broad-shouldered, dark-haired Jeremy had a wide grin on his face and his arm around Tawni’s shoulder. They looked good together, even though Sierra was having a hard time adjusting to Tawni’s mahogany-colored hair.

  “Smells like we came to the right place,” Jeremy said. “Hi, Sierra. How’re you doing?” He came over and gave her a sideways hug. “Tawni said you had a good trip down. It’s nice to see you.”

  “It’s nice to see you, too.”

  Jeremy greeted the rest of them. Bob pulled out two more plates and added them to the stack at the end of the buffet serving line he had set up on the counter.

  “Any of the other guys coming?” Bob asked.

  “I think they’re all eating at Doug’s,” Jeremy said. “Tawni said you had enough for one more person.”

  “There’s always enough,” Bob said. “And you’re always welcome. Where’s my wife? We’re about ready to eat. Todd, why don’t you pull out the lasagna and let it cool a few minutes? I’ll go find Marti.”

  Todd obliged and placed the heavy pan on top of the stove. Sierra retrieved the warmed bread, and Christy turned off the oven. They lined up, ready to dig in.

  “She’ll be here in a minute. She’s on the phone,” Bob said, stepping back into the kitchen. “Shall we pray?”

  Todd reached for Christy’s hand and bowed his head. Jeremy took Tawni’s hand.

  “Why don’t we all hold hands?” Bob asked. “I like it when we do that.”

  He reached for Sierra’s left hand and Christy took her right. Then Bob prayed the most unique prayer Sierra had ever heard.

  “Will You just look at us here, God? You did all this. You brought us all together again, and I’m grateful to You for it. We have some food here, which, of course, You provided out of Your bountiful goodness to us. We appreciate that, too. Now we want to ask for something. Will You let Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it’s all planned out in heaven? That would be great. I’m asking this in the name of Christ Jesus.”

  Sierra kept her eyes closed, waiting for an “Amen.” There wasn’t one. Everyone leg go of hands and began to talk at once. A sweet closeness enfolded the group.

  Sierra felt close to Randy, Amy, and her other friends from school, but it wasn’t the same as this. Sierra’s relationships here somehow felt clearer and less complicated.

  “It’s so gooey!” Katie said as Todd tried to serve her a slab of the steaming lasagna.

  “The only kind of lasagna worth eating is gooey lasagna,” Jeremy said. “Better get your plate in here, Sierra, before Todd. I’ve seen that guy eat more than any human being should.”

  “Except Doug,” Katie corrected him. “Nobody eats as much as Doug.”

  “Yeah, good ol’ Doug,” Todd said, giving Jeremy a mischievous look. “I wonder how the ol’ bachelor is doing about now?”

  “He’s fine now,” Jeremy said. “Try asking that question again around midnight.”

  The two guys exchanged knowing glances and chuckled. Sierra had no idea why Doug should be any different at midnight that he was right now. The wedding wasn’t until Friday, two days away.

  “Wonderful news!” Marti said, bursting into the kitchen and waving some papers above her head. “They’re still valid. I made the reservations for Sunday. It’s all set!”

  Everyone looked at Marti, then at each other, and finally at Bob for an explanation. Bob shook his head. He was as much in the dark about Marti’s exciting news as they were.

  “What’s all set?” Christy asked.

  “Switzerland!” Marti announced. “We’re going to Switzerland!”

  “Who’s going to Switzerland?” Christy asked cautiously.

  “Why, you, Todd, and me, of course.”

  Todd looked the most surprised of all. “What? When are we going?”

  “Sunday. Weren’t you listening?”

  “This Sunday?” Todd and Christy said in unison.

  “Yes, this Sunday! I’m cashing in our last three vouchers, and the travel agent is making the hotel reservations right now. Don’t look so shocked. We’ll only be gone for a week.”

  Todd looked at Christy and then back at Marti. “There’s one minor problem,” he said.

  “What’s that?” Marti asked.

  Todd stuck the spatula back into the lasagna and, without looking up, said calmly, “I can’t go.”

  “DON’T BE ABSURD,” Marti said. “Of course you can go! I’ve planned this whole trip so Christy can see the school and the orphanage. The least you can do, Todd Spencer, is show some support for Christy and come along so you can help her make this important decision.”

  Todd looked at Marti. It seemed to Sierra that his chin stuck out in a gesture of resolution. “Christy is capable of making decisions without my telling her what to do. God is the One who will help her make this choice, not me. I can’t take the time off from work. I’ve already used up my last time off for Doug’s wedding.”

  Marti looked stumped. “This is not what I expected you to say, Todd.”

  “I’ll go!” Katie volunteered.

  “Fine.” Marti slapped the three airline vouchers on the counter and dramatically held up her hands in surrender. “They’re all yours, Christina. Three seats on Sunday morning’s flight to Switzerland. Do with them as you will. You probably don’t even want me to go. That’s fine. It’s my gift to you.” Marti’s voice toned down a notch and some of the edge softened. “I know this has been a difficult decision for you. I remembered we had these free flight credits, so I thought it might help if you could see what the school was like. Then you would know if you wanted to go or not.”

  Christy put down her plate and stepped over to her aunt. Giving Marti a warm hug, Christy added a quick kiss on the cheek. Sierra had to admire Christy. It seemed more appropriate to shake the woman rather than hug her. Why hadn’t Marti asked anyone before plunging forward with her grand plan? And what about Bob? Why didn’t she plan for him to go on the trip?

  “I really appreciate it, Aunt Marti,” Christy said. “I know you meant well. But I don’t need to go. It’s okay. You can use these for another trip for you and Uncle Bob.”

  “No, I can’t
.” Marti sniffed and looked at Todd. “I’ve already transferred them to the Sunday flight. I won’t change my plans. You have no reason you can’t go next week, Christina. So there are the three tickets. One for you and two for whomever you wish to invite. You don’t have to include me in the trip if you don’t want.”

  “You know what?” Christy said. “I’d like to have some time to think about all this. Would it be okay if I let you know a little later?”

  Marti slowly picked up the vouchers. “I suppose. Let me know what you decide. The sooner the better.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Aunt Marti. I really appreciate it.”

  The crowd quietly carried their plates over to the kitchen table. Once they were seated, the noise level began to increase. Sierra sat next to Tawni and noticed Marti had left the kitchen, still wearing a hurt expression. In Sierra’s opinion, Christy deserved a medal for the way she handled the awkward situation. Sierra was certain she wouldn’t have been so gracious.

  They talked and ate for almost an hour. First they consumed the lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. Then they indulged in Katie’s expertly prepared coffee beverages. The evening continued at a leisurely pace until Tawni noticed the time and suggested they leave for Tracy’s shower.

  Bob went to see if Marti was ready to go. Katie ran upstairs for her gift. Christy stepped into the family room to talk privately with Todd, and Tawni slipped out to use the restroom. Jeremy and Sierra were left alone to clear the table.

  “How has your summer been?” Jeremy asked.

  “It’s gone fast,” Sierra said.

  “I hear from my uncle that you’ve been doing amazing things with the kids at the Highland House. They sure are glad you’ve helped out.”

  “I really enjoy it,” Sierra said. “The kids seem to appreciate everything I do with them. Two weeks ago, a couple of the younger girls asked when I was going to tell them some more Bible stories. That was definitely a change from when I first went there.”

  “Paul told me your first few Bible story attempts didn’t go over so well.”

  The minute Sierra heard Jeremy mention Paul’s name, her heart began to beat wildly. She had wanted to ask about Paul earlier but hadn’t. She was surprised, though, at the way her heart pounded at the mere mention of his name.

  “I guess so. I mean, he’s right, they didn’t.” Sierra paused and swallowed hard as she lowered a stack of dishes into the sink. “H-how is your brother?”

  Since when did I start stuttering? And why did I say “your brother”? Is it so hard for me to use Paul’s name? What’s wrong with me?

  “My brother is doing extremely well, thanks. He’ll be glad to hear you’re doing well.”

  Sierra could feel Jeremy’s gaze on her. Was he trying to see if she was blushing? She kept her head down so he couldn’t see her face. She remembered how Jeremy and Tawni had rigged up a meeting between Paul and Sierra a few months ago, before he left for Scotland. That night, Paul had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in Sierra. Why was Jeremy looking for anything more from her? So he could tease her? I won’t give him the satisfaction, Sierra decided.

  Lifting her head and shaking back her wild blond curls, Sierra faced Jeremy and said, “And how about you? Have you had a good summer?”

  Jeremy hesitated slightly before heading back to the table to clear off the rest of the dishes. “It’s been great having Tawni down here. Did she tell you about the sailboat my friend bought? We’ve been out on it a couple of times. Tawni and I both really love sailing.”

  “Sounds fun,” Sierra said.

  Bob entered the kitchen and said, “Thanks, Sierra. I can take it from here. You’d better join the other women. I think they’re all ready to go.”

  “Thanks for a great dinner.” Sierra smiled at Bob and imagined that her smile showered him with encouragement. Encouragement was probably something this man didn’t receive a lot of from his wife.

  “Have a wonderful time,” Bob called after her as Sierra hurried to join the others.

  “Do you have the present?” Sierra asked Tawni.

  “Yes, it’s in the car. Let’s have everyone go in my car since parking might be a problem.”

  “I don’t think we’ll all fit,” Marti said. She had changed into a pair of wide-legged pants with a long, kaleidoscope-colored silk jacket. It appeared she had bounced back from the rift with Christy and was ready to be in control of something new. “Let’s all go in my car. It’s bigger.”

  No one argued. Tawni grabbed the gift from her car and joined them. She slid across the leather backseat of Marti’s new Lexus and balanced the large gift box on her lap.

  “What did we get her?” Sierra asked.

  Tawni gave a feathery laugh. “Oh, you’ll see.”

  Sierra wasn’t in the mood to play one of her sister’s guessing games, so she let it go. They drove the few short blocks to Tracy’s house. Marti slowly edged her car into the driveway and set the parking brake.

  Inside Tracy’s parents’ house, half a dozen women had already gathered. Light instrumental music played in the background. Sierra realized she was underdressed when she noticed the dining room table. On top of the lace tablecloth sat a silver tea service and china teacups. In the middle of the table, candles, flowers, silverware, and china cake plates surrounded the cake Tawni had brought earlier. It was white with light blue rippled frosting along the sides and was trimmed with real flowers.

  Next to the table stood Tracy’s mom wearing a flowing summer dress. Sierra glanced down at her shorts and T-shirt. Even Katie had put a jean jacket on over her cotton shirt, and although she had pushed up the sleeves, the look was dressy. Sierra felt like a tomboy who had dropped out of her tree house into the neighbor’s yard and landed in the middle of a proper tea party.

  Slipping away from all the visiting women, Sierra found the bathroom down the hallway. She took one look in the mirror and groaned.

  “You have to grow up sometime, girl,” she scolded herself. “Next time you’re invited to a bridal shower, you could at least try brushing your hair before you go.”

  Using her fingers to untangle some of the wind-whipped snarls, Sierra tried to smooth her hair. She washed her face and brushed her teeth with her finger. Then, shaking out her T-shirt in an effort to scare away some of the wrinkles, Sierra looked at her reflection.

  “Why can’t you be like the others?” she muttered to herself. She didn’t like this uncomfortable feeling.

  What is my style? My image? she thought. At the dinner with Dad last week, I was uncomfortable being dressed up. Now I’m out of place because I feel underdressed. Where’s the middle ground? Who am I trying to be?

  As she joined the party, which had now swelled to nearly twenty-five women, Sierra told herself she was just being Sierra, and that was fine. She didn’t need to change inside, nor did she need to change her outfit.

  But then she saw Tracy, the star of the event. Tracy’s heart-shaped face absolutely glowed. She wore a cotton sundress and a gold cross on a necklace; her hair was cut shorter than Sierra had ever seen it. She looked older than Sierra remembered from their time together in England. Was it her hair? Or the knowledge that, in two days, she was going to become a married woman? Sierra felt her own confidence shatter. She would have been better off staying in her tree house.

  “There you are!” Tracy said as she came over to greet Sierra. “I’m so glad you came. I really appreciate it. Would you like some tea? I know the weather is kind of hot for tea, but I wanted to use my new silver teapot. Did you see it? It was my grandmother’s. She gave it to us as a wedding gift. Come over and meet my grandmother.”

  Sierra knew that Tracy was the kind of friend who looked at the inside. The shorts and T-shirt didn’t faze her a bit. That knowledge helped Sierra to hush the condemning inner voices that called her “unrefined” and “immature.”

  While meeting Tracy’s relatives, neighbors, and women from her church, Sierra found out this was Tracy’s third shower. Many
of the women here were ones who hadn’t been able to make it to either of the other two showers. She accepted a cup of tea from Tracy’s grandmother, who poured it with her wobbly hand. Thanking her, Sierra found a place to sit down.

  She carefully balanced the delicate china cup on the saucer and looked around the room. Everyone was so excited for Tracy.

  And they should be, Sierra thought, sipping her tea. Tracy held out for a hero and look who God gave her.

  The tea immediately warmed Sierra inside. Or was it the cozy, peaceful sensation that came from watching Tracy, her family, and her friends celebrate? The thought helped to redirect Sierra’s feelings of insecurity.

  Tins is how I want it to be when I get married. Granna Mae pouring the tea, all my friends laughing and hugging me. And I want to look just like Tracy. She’s so beautiful!

  Sierra glanced down at the fine china teacup and noticed that the gold band on her finger caught the glow of the candlelight from the end table next to her. It was a strong contrast to the silver bracelets on her arm. That was exactly how she felt in this room—like the silver among the gold.

  THE GIFT-OPENING PORTION of the shower was in full swing when Tracy lifted a small card from its envelope and announced, “This gift is from Tawni and Sierra.” She carefully pulled off the thick white ribbon and handed it to Christy, who was sitting next to her busily making a bouquet from a paper plate and the ribbons taken from Tracy’s gifts.

  “Almost broke that one,” Katie teased. She had announced earlier that every ribbon the bride broke represented a baby she would have. Katie predicted that Tracy would break nine ribbons.

  “I did not.” Tracy slipped her long thumbnail under the wrapping paper and smiled at her mom.

  Sierra mouthed the words, “What is it?” to her sister across the room. Tawni only smiled and nodded toward Tracy, indicating Sierra should watch and see. The gift box bore the name of the boutique Tawni modeled for in Carlsbad. Sierra guessed her sister had received a discount on whatever it was. And it had better be good for the twenty-two dollars I contributed, she thought.