Time to Laugh Romance Collection Read online

  “My name’s Rosie; what’s yours?”

  “Cheryl Stone, and my dummy, Oscar, is in there getting his mouth worked on.” Cheryl pointed toward the room where Seth had disappeared.

  Tabby smiled. She could hardly believe it, but Cheryl was actually talking to her dummy like it was real. Of course, Cheryl was a ventriloquist, and people who talked for two did seem to have the childlike ability to get into the whole dummy scene.

  “How long have you been doing ventriloquism?” little Rosie asked Cheryl.

  Cheryl smiled in response. “I learned the basics on my own a few years ago. Since I met Seth, he’s taught me several advanced techniques.”

  I wonder what else he’s taught you. Tabby opened Rosie’s mouth, actually planning to voice the question, but Seth entered the room in the nick of time.

  “I think Oscar’s good to go,” he said, handing the dummy to Cheryl.

  Cheryl jumped up. “How can I ever thank you, Seth?” She stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss right on Seth’s lips!

  Tabby wasn’t sure who was more surprised—she or Seth. He stood there for several seconds, face red and mouth hanging open. Finally, he grinned, embarrassed-like, then mumbled, “I’ll send you a bill.”

  Cheryl giggled and gave his arm a squeeze. “You’re so cute.” As she started for the door, she called over her shoulder, “See you on Saturday, Seth!” The door clicked shut, and Cheryl Stone was gone.

  Tabby wished she had the courage to ask Seth why he’d be seeing Cheryl on Saturday, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Besides, she had no claim on him, and if he chose to date someone else, who was she to ask questions?

  “Sorry about the interruption,” Seth said in a businesslike tone of voice. “We can begin now, if you’re ready.”

  Tabby swallowed hard. Cheryl was gone, but the image of her lovely face rolled around in Tabby’s mind. She’d been more than ready for a lesson when she came into Seth’s shop, but now, after seeing the interchange between Seth and Cheryl, the only thing she was ready for was home!

  Chapter 13

  Seth eased into a chair and leaned forward until his head was resting in his hands. He couldn’t believe how terrible Tabby’s lesson had gone. Beside the fact that there had been an air of tension between them ever since Cheryl left, Tabby seemed unable to stay focused. What had gone wrong? Was he failing as a teacher, or was she simply losing interest in ventriloquism? Did she have any personal feelings for him, or had he read more into their Seattle trip than there actually was? Tabby seemed so relaxed that day, and when he’d held her hand, she hadn’t pulled away. In fact, as near as he could tell, she’d enjoyed it as much as he had.

  Seth groaned and stood up again. He wasn’t sure how or even when it happened, but Tabitha Johnson definitely meant more to him than just someone to help. After seeing the way she was with her day care kids the other day, and after spending time with her in Seattle, he really was beginning to hope she was the woman he’d been waiting for. If he could only make Tabby see what potential she had. If she could just get past all that shyness and stuttering, he was sure she’d be perfect for him.

  He moved toward the telephone. Tabby wouldn’t be home yet. Maybe it was time for that talk with her friend.

  Donna answered on the second ring. Seth quickly related the reason for his call, and a few minutes later he hung up the phone, happy in the knowledge that he’d be meeting Donna for lunch tomorrow. Between the two of them, maybe Tabby could become a confident woman who would use all her abilities to serve the Lord.

  “I am so glad this is Friday,” Tabby murmured, as she prepared to eat her sack lunch at one of the small tables where the day care kids often sat.

  “Me, too,” Donna agreed. She grabbed her sweater and umbrella and started for the door. “See you later.”

  “Hey, wait a minute,” Tabby called. “Where are you going?”

  “Out to lunch, and I’d better hurry.”

  “Say, why don’t I join you?”

  “See you at one.” Donna waved and disappeared out the door before Tabby could say another word and without even answering her question.

  Tabby’s forehead wrinkled. Donna hardly ever went out to lunch on a weekday. When she did, she always arranged for one of their helpers to take over the day care so Tabby could come along. What was up, anyway?

  Tabby snapped her fingers. “Maybe Donna has a date and doesn’t want me to know about it. I’ll bet there’s a mystery man in my friend’s life.”

  “Who are you talking to, teacher?”

  Tabby jerked her head at the sound of four-year-old Mary Steven’s sweet voice.

  “I—uh—was kind of talking to myself.”

  Mary grinned. “Like you do when you use Roscoe or little Rosie?”

  Tabby nodded. “Something like that.” She patted the child on top of her curly blond head. “What are you doing up, missy? It’s nap time, you know.”

  The child nodded soberly. “I’m not sleepy.”

  “Maybe not, but you need to rest your eyes.” Tabby placed her ham sandwich back inside its plastic wrapper and stood up. “Come on, sweetie, I’ll walk you back to your sleeping mat.”

  Seth tapped the edge of his water glass with the tip of his spoon, as he waited impatiently for Donna to show up. She’d promised to meet him at Garrison’s Deli shortly after noon. It was only a few doors down from the church where she and Tabby ran their day care center. It shouldn’t take her more than a few minutes to get here.

  He glanced at his watch again. Twelve twenty. Where was she anyway? Maybe she’d forgotten. Maybe she’d changed her mind. He was just about to leave the table and go to the counter to place his order when he saw Donna come rushing into the deli.

  She waved then hurried toward his table. Her face was flushed, and her dark curls looked windblown. “Sorry I’m late,” she panted. “Just as I was leaving the day care, Tabby started plying me with all sorts of questions about where I was having lunch, and she even suggested she come along. I chose to ignore her and hurried out of the room. Then I got detained a few more minutes on my way out of the church.”

  Seth gave her a questioning look as she took the seat directly across from him.

  “One of the kids’ parents came to pick him up early. She stopped me on the steps to say Bobby had a dental appointment and she’d forgotten to tell us about it,” Donna explained.

  Seth nodded toward the counter. “I was about to order. Do you know what you want, or do you need a few minutes to look at the menu?”

  “Chicken salad in pita bread and a glass of iced tea sounds good to me,” she replied.

  “I’ll be right back,” Seth said, pushing away from the table. He placed Donna’s order first then ordered a turkey club sandwich on whole wheat with a glass of apple juice for himself. When he returned to the table, he found Donna staring out the window.

  “Looks like it could rain again,” he noted.

  She held up the umbrella she’d placed on one end of the table. “I came prepared.”

  Seth decided there was no point in wasting time talking about the weather. “I was wondering if we could discuss Tabby,” he blurted out. “That day you came into my shop to get the gift certificate for Tabby’s dummy, we agreed that we’d work together to help her. I’ve really been trying, but to tell you the truth, I kind of feel like a salmon swimming upstream.”

  Donna giggled. “How can I help?”

  “I have a few questions for you,” he answered.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “I’ve never met anyone quite as shy as Tabby,” he said. “Can you tell me why that is and what makes her stutter?”

  Donna drew in a deep breath and exhaled it with such force that her napkin blew off the table. “Whew … that’s kind of a long story.” She bent down to retrieve the napkin then glanced at her watch. “This will have to be a scaled down version, because I have to be back at work by one.”

  Seth leaned forward with his elbows on t
he table. “I’m all ears.”

  “I’ve known Tabby ever since we were little tykes,” Donna began. “Up until she turned six, Tabby was a fun-loving, outgoing child.”

  “What happened when she turned six?”

  “Her sister was born.” Donna grimaced. “Tabby’s dad favored Lois right from the start. I can’t explain why, but he started giving Tabby put-downs and harsh words. She turned inward, became introverted, and began to lack confidence in most areas of her life.” She drummed her fingers along the edge of the table. “That’s when she began stuttering.”

  Seth was about to reply, but their order was being called. He excused himself to pick up their food. When he returned to the table, Seth offered a word of prayer, and they both grabbed their sandwiches. “Do you think you can eat and talk at the same time?” he asked.

  “Oh, sure, I’ve had lots of practice,” Donna mumbled around her pita bread.

  “I’ve noticed that Tabby stutters more at certain times, and other times she hardly stutters at all.”

  Donna nodded. “It has to do with how well she knows you, and how comfortable she feels in your presence.”

  “So, if Tabby felt more confident and had more self-esteem, she probably wouldn’t stutter as much—or at all.”

  Donna shrugged. “Could be. Tabby’s worst stuttering takes place when she’s around her family. They intimidate her, and she’s never learned to stand up for herself.”

  Seth took a swallow of apple juice, and his eyebrows furrowed. “Tabby doesn’t stutter at all when she does ventriloquism. It’s almost like she’s a different person when she’s speaking through her dummy.”

  Donna shrugged. “In a way, I guess she is.”

  “Just when I think I’ve got her figured out, she does something to muddle my brain.”

  “Like what?”

  “Last night was a good example,” Seth answered. “Tabby arrived at my shop for another lesson, and I thought she was in a good mood, ready to learn and all excited about it.”

  “She was excited,” Donna agreed. “She’s been enthusiastic about everything since the two of you went to Seattle.”

  Seth brightened some. “Really? I thought she’d had a good time, but I wasn’t sure.”

  Donna grinned. “Tabby was on cloud nine when she came home that night.” Her hand went quickly to her mouth. “Oops … Guess I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

  Seth felt his face flush. That was the trouble with being fair skinned and redheaded. He flushed way too easily. Tabby must have some feelings for me. At least she did until …

  “Tell me what happened last night to make you wonder about Tabby,” Donna said, interrupting his thoughts.

  He took a bite of his sandwich then washed it down with more juice before answering. “As I said before, Tabby was in a good mood when she first came in.”

  “And?”

  “Then an unexpected customer showed up, and after she left, Tabby closed up like a razor clam.”

  “Hmm …”

  “Hmm … what?”

  Donna frowned. “Tabby was in kind of a sour mood when she came home last night. I asked her what was wrong, and she mumbled something about not being able to compete with Cheryl.” She eyed Seth speculatively. “Cheryl wouldn’t happen to be that unexpected customer, would she?”

  “Afraid so. Cheryl Stone is a confident young woman with lots of talent as a ventriloquist.”

  “Is she pretty?”

  He nodded. Cheryl was beautiful, vivacious, and talented. That perfect woman you’ve been looking for, a little voice taunted. If Cheryl is perfect, then why do I think I need to remake Tabby?

  “Will you be seeing Tabby again?” Donna asked.

  He swallowed hard, searching for the right words. Did he love her? Did she love him? He enjoyed being with her, that much he knew. Was it love he was feeling, though? It was probably too soon to tell.

  “I—I don’t know if we’ll see each other again,” he finally answered. “Guess that all depends on Tabby.”

  “On whether she wants more lessons?” Donna pried.

  Seth shrugged. “That and a few other things.”

  Donna didn’t pry, and he was glad. He wasn’t in the mood to try and explain his feelings for Tabitha Johnson, or this compelling need he felt to make her into the woman he thought he needed.

  “Well,” Donna said a few minutes later, “I really do need to get back to work.” She finished her iced tea and stood up. “Thanks for lunch, Seth. I hope some of the things we’ve talked about have been helpful. Tabby’s my best friend, and I care a lot about her.” She looked at him pointedly. “She carries a lot of pain from the past. I don’t want to see her hurt anymore.”

  Seth stood up too. “My car’s parked right out front. I’ll walk you out,” he said, making no reference to the possibility that he might add further hurt to Tabby’s already battered mental state. He was so confused about everything right now, and some things were better left unsaid. Especially when he hadn’t fully sorted out his feelings for her and didn’t have a clue how she really felt about him.

  With a bag of trash in her arms, Tabby left Gail, their eighteen-year-old helper, in charge of the day care kids while she carried the garbage out to the curb. The garbage truck always came around three on Friday afternoons, which meant she still had enough time to get one more bag put out.

  Tabby stepped up beside the two cans by the curb and had just opened the lid of one, when she heard voices coming from down the street. She turned her head to the right and froze in place, one hand holding the garbage can lid, the other clutching the plastic garbage bag.

  She could see a man and woman standing outside Garrison’s Deli. She’d have recognized them anywhere—Seth for his red hair; Donna for her high-pitched laugh. What were they doing together? Tabby’s mouth dropped open like a broken hinge on a screen door. Her body began to sway. She blinked rapidly, hoping her eyes had deceived her. Seth was actually hugging her best friend!

  Chapter 14

  Tabby dropped the garbage sack into the can, slammed the lid down, whirled around, and bolted for the church. She didn’t want Donna or Seth to see her. She had to think … to decide the best way to handle this little matter. Would it be better to come right out and ask Donna what she was doing with Seth, or should she merely ply her with a few questions, hoping the answers would come voluntarily?

  Tabby returned to the day care center with a heavy heart. Were Seth and Donna seeing each other socially? Was he Donna’s lunch date? Was he the mystery man in her best friend’s life? As much as the truth might hurt, she had to know.

  Tabby was setting out small tubs of modeling clay when Donna sauntered into the room humming “Jesus Loves Me.” She looked about as blissful as a kitten with a ball of string, and not the least bit guilty, either.

  “How was lunch?” Tabby asked after Donna had put her purse and umbrella in the desk drawer.

  “It was good. I had pita bread stuffed with chicken salad.”

  “What did your date have?”

  Donna spun around, and her eyebrows shot up. “My date?”

  “Yeah, the person you met for lunch.”

  “Did I say I was meeting someone?”

  Tabby shrugged. “Not in so many words, but you acted kind of secretive. Are you seeing some guy you don’t want me to know about?”

  Donna lowered herself into one of the kiddie chairs, keeping her eyes averted from Tabby’s penetrating gaze. “Let’s just say I’m checking him out. I need to see how well we get along. I want to find out what he’s really like.”

  Tabby opened one of the clay lids and slapped it down on the table. “Why didn’t you just ask me? I know exactly what he’s like!”

  Donna’s forehead wrinkled, and she pursed her lips. “Since when do you have the inside scoop on our pastor’s son?”

  “Who?”

  “Alex Hanson.”

  “Alex? What’s Alex got to do with this?”

  “I
had lunch with Alex the Saturday you and Seth went to Seattle,” Donna explained.

  Tabby’s insides began to quiver. What was going on here, anyway? “That’s fine. I’m happy you finally agreed to go out with Alex, but what about today? Did you or did you not have lunch with someone over at Garrison’s Deli?”

  Donna’s face grew red, and little beads of perspiration gathered on her forehead. “Well, I—”

  “You don’t have to hem and haw or beat around the bush with me,” Tabby grunted. “I know perfectly well who you had lunch with today.”

  “You do?”

  Tabby nodded. “I took some garbage outside a little while ago. I heard voices, and when I looked down the street, there stood Seth—with his arms around my best friend!” She flopped into a chair and buried her face in her hands.

  Donna reached over and laid a hand on Tabby’s trembling shoulder, but Tabby jerked it away. “How could you go behind my back like that?”

  “You’re wrong. Things aren’t the way they appear.”

  Tabby snapped her head up. “Are you going to deny having had lunch with Seth?”

  “No, but—”

  “Was it you and Seth standing in front of the deli?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “You can’t argue the fact that he was hugging you, either, can you?”

  Donna shook her head. “No, I can’t deny any of those things, but I’m not the least bit interested in Seth. We’ve been through all this before, Tabby, and—”

  “Just how do you explain the secret lunch … or that tender little embrace?”

  Donna’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t want you to know I was meeting Seth, because I didn’t want you to think we were ganging up on you.”

  Tabby bit her bottom lip, sucking it inside her mouth when she tasted blood. “In what way are you ganging up on me?”

  “Can’t we talk about this later? The kids will be up from their naps soon,” Donna said, glancing toward the adjoining room.

  Tabby lifted her arm then held it so her watch was a few inches from Donna’s face. “We still have three minutes. I think you can answer my question in that amount of time, don’t you?”