afternoon for the East Coast Pastors’ Conference. Suppose I give one of his assistant pastors a call.”
Over the years Sarah had learned that the only thing worse than doing things on her own was doing them with the support of strangers. It always made her feel awkward and more lonely than just alone. “I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t really know any of them.”
Miriam’s worried frown suddenly changed back to a smile when she looked over at Kip who’d begun opening the crib’s packaging. “Kip, why don’t you take off and wait with Sarah?”
“Miriam, Kip probably has work,” Sarah protested.
Miriam propped her hands on her narrow hips. “Nonsense. There’s no point in being a partner in a business if you can’t make your own hours.”
Sarah’s cheeks felt as if they’d caught fire when Kip glared at his sister in obvious displeasure. She whirled to face Miriam again. “Kip’s done more than enough, Miriam. I told you, I’m used to being on my own. I’ll be fine.” She nearly said she preferred it that way but that would be a bald-faced lie. She could do it. Had done it all her life but the truth was she was sick to death of going it alone.
“No. It’s fine, Sarah,” she heard Kip say behind her. She pivoted to face him, surprised to find him looking at her with tenderness. “I’d really like to be there. What time did Prentice say you needed to get there? Six was the time of the surgery, right?”
She nodded. “About five or five-thirty. But really, you don’t need to do this.”
“Sarah, public transportation doesn’t start up till five. The train doesn’t get to our station till six and you need to be in the city before that. I’ll pick you up at quarter to five. That way, you can have lots of time with her before surgery.”
“Kip, are you sure? I could stay downtown tomorrow night. I don’t want you doing this because your sister embarrassed you into it.”
He grinned. “I haven’t let my sister embarrass me into doing anything since the first grade.”
“Oh, not this again,” Miriam all but wailed.
Kip grinned. “Ah ah ah. We’ll let Sarah judge,” Kip said, the smile in his voice making it plain that he enjoyed teasing his sister. “You see, I asked for a superhero lunch-box and Mom bought me one but it was a girl hero. Miriam talked me into carrying it so I wouldn’t hurt Mom’s feelings. I never lived it down.”
Caught up in the sibling banter, Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the sofa pretending to consider Kip’s childhood plight. She looked from one to the other then shook her head. “Miriam, for shame.”
Kip bowed comically. “I thank you, my lady.” Then he pointed at his sister. “Judged guilty by the fair Sarah.”
“I’ve been telling her for years it’s fear of getting a woman like one of his sisters that keeps the man single,” Gray shouted from the bedroom. “Kip, drag that crib on in here and we’ll get it set up. Shouldn’t those pizzas you two ordered be ready about now, darling. ”
“Don’t darling me, you traitor,” Miriam retorted over her shoulder. “And, yes, they should be. Sarah, are you sure you want to feed all of these guys? A moving van may have been cheaper.”
Sarah smiled and sighed happily. Kip was so lucky. He had the nicest family. “I’m very sure,” she said and went to find her purse.
Monday dawned rainy and cold, making Sarah more than simply grateful for the lift into the city. She already stood waiting for Kip under the overhang at the front of the garage when he pulled in. When she climbed into the passenger seat and sat next to him, Kip handed her a coffee. “Heavy on the cream and light on the sugar,” he told her.
Though he was careful not to let their fingers touch, he’d still remembered her preference. The thought warmed her though she told herself it meant nothing. Kip was just a nice man. A friend. Nothing more.
“Oh, bless you,” she said and took a
Over the years Sarah had learned that the only thing worse than doing things on her own was doing them with the support of strangers. It always made her feel awkward and more lonely than just alone. “I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t really know any of them.”
Miriam’s worried frown suddenly changed back to a smile when she looked over at Kip who’d begun opening the crib’s packaging. “Kip, why don’t you take off and wait with Sarah?”
“Miriam, Kip probably has work,” Sarah protested.
Miriam propped her hands on her narrow hips. “Nonsense. There’s no point in being a partner in a business if you can’t make your own hours.”
Sarah’s cheeks felt as if they’d caught fire when Kip glared at his sister in obvious displeasure. She whirled to face Miriam again. “Kip’s done more than enough, Miriam. I told you, I’m used to being on my own. I’ll be fine.” She nearly said she preferred it that way but that would be a bald-faced lie. She could do it. Had done it all her life but the truth was she was sick to death of going it alone.
“No. It’s fine, Sarah,” she heard Kip say behind her. She pivoted to face him, surprised to find him looking at her with tenderness. “I’d really like to be there. What time did Prentice say you needed to get there? Six was the time of the surgery, right?”
She nodded. “About five or five-thirty. But really, you don’t need to do this.”
“Sarah, public transportation doesn’t start up till five. The train doesn’t get to our station till six and you need to be in the city before that. I’ll pick you up at quarter to five. That way, you can have lots of time with her before surgery.”
“Kip, are you sure? I could stay downtown tomorrow night. I don’t want you doing this because your sister embarrassed you into it.”
He grinned. “I haven’t let my sister embarrass me into doing anything since the first grade.”
“Oh, not this again,” Miriam all but wailed.
Kip grinned. “Ah ah ah. We’ll let Sarah judge,” Kip said, the smile in his voice making it plain that he enjoyed teasing his sister. “You see, I asked for a superhero lunch-box and Mom bought me one but it was a girl hero. Miriam talked me into carrying it so I wouldn’t hurt Mom’s feelings. I never lived it down.”
Caught up in the sibling banter, Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the sofa pretending to consider Kip’s childhood plight. She looked from one to the other then shook her head. “Miriam, for shame.”
Kip bowed comically. “I thank you, my lady.” Then he pointed at his sister. “Judged guilty by the fair Sarah.”
“I’ve been telling her for years it’s fear of getting a woman like one of his sisters that keeps the man single,” Gray shouted from the bedroom. “Kip, drag that crib on in here and we’ll get it set up. Shouldn’t those pizzas you two ordered be ready about now, darling. ”
“Don’t darling me, you traitor,” Miriam retorted over her shoulder. “And, yes, they should be. Sarah, are you sure you want to feed all of these guys? A moving van may have been cheaper.”
Sarah smiled and sighed happily. Kip was so lucky. He had the nicest family. “I’m very sure,” she said and went to find her purse.
Monday dawned rainy and cold, making Sarah more than simply grateful for the lift into the city. She already stood waiting for Kip under the overhang at the front of the garage when he pulled in. When she climbed into the passenger seat and sat next to him, Kip handed her a coffee. “Heavy on the cream and light on the sugar,” he told her.
Though he was careful not to let their fingers touch, he’d still remembered her preference. The thought warmed her though she told herself it meant nothing. Kip was just a nice man. A friend. Nothing more.
“Oh, bless you,” she said and took a
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