Time to Laugh Romance Collection Read online

  Tabby bit down on her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She wasn’t sure she could do what Seth was asking, and she certainly didn’t want to make a fool of herself. She’d already done that a few times in Seth’s presence.

  “You can do this,” Seth urged. “Just give it a try.”

  Tabby opened her eyes and blew out the breath she’d been holding. “All r–right.” She stood up and carried Rosie and a chair across the room then placed the dummy down and returned to her own seat. “Hey, how come you put me way over here?” she made Rosie say in a childlike voice.

  “You’re in time-out.”

  “That’s not fair, I’m just a dummy. Dummies should never be in time-out.”

  “Oh, and why’s that?”

  “Dummies are too dumb to know how to behave.”

  Tabby opened her mouth, but Seth’s round of applause stopped her. She turned to look at him and was surprised when he gave her “thumbs-up.”

  “D–did I do o–okay?”

  He grinned from ear to ear. “It was more than ‘okay.’ It was fantastic, and you never stuttered once. I’m proud of you, Tabby.”

  Tabby could feel the warmth of a blush as it started at her neckline and crept upward. She wasn’t used to such compliments and was unsure how to respond.

  “In all the years I’ve been teaching ventriloquism, I don’t think I have ever met anyone who caught on as quickly as you,” Seth said sincerely. “You mastered the basics like they were nothing, and now this—it’s totally awesome!”

  “You really th–think so?”

  “I know so. Why, you—”

  Seth’s words were cut off when the shop door opened, jingling the bell. In walked Cheryl Stone, the attractive redhead who had demonstrated her talents at Seth’s beginning ventriloquism workshop, where Tabby first met him.

  Cheryl gave Seth a smile so bright Tabby was sure the sun must still be shining. “Hi, Seth, I was in the neighborhood and saw your lights on. I was wondering if you’ve finished that new granny figure for me yet?”

  Seth gave Tabby an apologetic look. “Sorry about the interruption,” he whispered. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else tonight, and I forgot to put the closed sign in my window.”

  “It’s o–okay,” Tabby murmured. “I’ll j–just w–wait overth–there with R–Rosie w–while you take c–care of b–business.” She was stuttering heavily again, and it made her uncomfortable.

  Seth nodded. “This will only take a minute.”

  Tabby moved quickly toward Rosie, hoping Cheryl wouldn’t stay long. She watched painfully as the vibrant young woman chatted nonstop and batted her eyelashes at Seth. She likes him, I can tell. I wonder if they’ve been seeing other socially.

  Tabby shook her head. It was none of her business who Seth chose to see. Besides, if she were being totally honest, she’d have to admit that Seth and Cheryl did make a striking pair. They were both redheads, had bubbling personalities, and could do ventriloquism. What more could Seth ask for in a woman?

  Chapter 10

  It was nearly half an hour later when Cheryl finally walked out the door. Seth gave Tabby an apologetic look. “Sorry about that. Guess she’s a little anxious to get her new dummy.” He offered Tabby one of the most beautiful smiles she’d ever seen. “Before we continue with your lesson, I’d like to ask you a question.”

  Her heart quickened. Why was he staring at her that way? She swallowed against the tightening in her throat. “What question?” she squeaked.

  Seth dropped into the seat beside her. “I have to go to Seattle tomorrow—to pick up an old dummy at the Dummy Depot. I was wondering if you’d like to go along.”

  Tabby’s mouth went dry. He was asking her to go to Seattle. Was this a date? No, it couldn’t be. Seth wouldn’t want to go out with someone as plain as her. Why didn’t he ask someone like cute Cheryl Stone? From the way the redhead kept flirting with him, Tabby was sure she would have jumped at the chance.

  “Tabby?” Seth’s deep voice cut into her thoughts.

  “H–huh?”

  “Are you busy tomorrow? Would you like to go to Seattle?”

  She blinked. “Really? You w–want m–me to go along?”

  He nodded. “I thought after I finish my business at the Dummy Depot we could go down by the waterfront. Maybe eat lunch at Ivar’s Fish Bar and check out some of the gift shops along the wharf. I think it would be fun, don’t you?”

  Tabby gazed at the floor as she mulled this idea over. Tomorrow was Saturday. She wouldn’t be working, and she had no other plans. She hadn’t been to the Seattle waterfront in ages. Despite the amount of people usually there, it wasn’t closed in the way so many of the buildings in Seattle Center were. The waterfront was open and smelled salty like the sea. Besides, it was an opportunity to spend an entire day with Seth.

  “Tabby?”

  She looked up. “Y–yes. I’d l–like to go.”

  Tabby didn’t sleep well that night. Excitement over spending a whole day with Seth occupied her thoughts and kept her tossing and turning. She was sure Seth wouldn’t appreciate her taking Rosie to talk through, but she was concerned about her stuttering. Seth had told her several times that her speech impediment didn’t bother him. It bothered her, though—a lot. She’d have given nearly anything to be confident and capable like normal people.

  If only God hadn’t made me so different, she wrote in her journal before turning off the light by her bed.

  Tabby let her head fall back as she leaned into the pillow. Maybe it wasn’t God who made me different. It’s all Lois’s fault. If she just wasn’t so beautiful and confident—everything Mom and Dad want in a daughter—everything I’m not. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Guess I can’t really blame Lois, either. She can’t help being beautiful and confident. It would take a miracle to make Mom and Dad love me the way they do her. They think I’m a failure.

  The thrill of her upcoming date with Seth was overshadowed by pain. She needed to work on her attitude. It wasn’t a good Christian example, not even to herself. She released a shuddering sigh, whispered a short prayer asking God to help her accept things as they were, then drifted off to sleep.

  When Tabby entered the kitchen the following morning, she found Donna sitting at the table, sketching a black-and-white picture of a bowl of fruit.

  “All ready for your big date?”

  Tabby shrugged. “It’s not a real date.”

  “What would you call it?”

  “I’d call it a day in Seattle to—” She giggled. “Maybe it is kind of a date.”

  Donna laughed, too. “You came home last night all excited about going, and it sure sounded like a date to me. I’m kind of surprised, though.”

  “About what?”

  “I didn’t think you liked Seattle.”

  Tabby dropped into a chair. “I don’t like the Seattle Center, or shopping downtown, but we’re going to the waterfront. I love it there, even with all the people.”

  Donna grinned. “I think you’d go to the moon and back if Seth Beyers was going.”

  “Don’t even go there,” Tabby warned. “I’ve told you before, Seth and I are just friends.”

  Donna shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

  Tabby glanced at the clock above the refrigerator. “Seth will be here in an hour, and I still need to eat breakfast, shower, and find something to wear.” She reached for a banana from the fruit bowl in the center of the table.

  “Hey! You’re destroying my picture! Why don’t you fix a fried egg or something?”

  Tabby pulled the peel off the banana and took a bite. “Eggs have too much artery-clogging cholesterol. Fruit’s better for you.” She glanced at Donna’s drawing. “Besides, you’ve already got some bananas sketched, so you shouldn’t miss this one.”

  Donna puckered her lips. “You never worry about cholesterol when you’re chomping down a burger or some greasy fries.”

  Tabby gave her a silly grin. “Guess you’ve got me the
re.”

  “How’d the lesson go yesterday? You never really said,” Donna asked.

  Tabby was tempted to tell her about Cheryl’s interruption and how much it had bothered her to see the two redheads talking and laughing together. She knew it would only lead to further accusations about her being interested in Seth.

  She flicked an imaginary piece of lint from the sleeve of her robe and replied, “It went fine.”

  “Great. I’m glad.”

  Tabby felt a stab of guilt pierce her heart. She was lying to her best friend. Well, not lying exactly, just not telling the whole story. “Seth got an unexpected customer, and we were interrupted before we really got much done.”

  “But you continued on with the lesson after they left, didn’t you?”

  Tabby grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl and began to strip away the peel. “The customer was a redheaded woman named Cheryl. I think Seth likes her.”

  “But it’s you he invited to Seattle,” Donna reminded.

  “He probably feels sorry for me.”

  Donna dropped her pencil to the table. “Is there any hope for you at all?”

  Tabby sighed. “I wish I knew. Sometimes I think there might be, and other times I’m so full of self-doubts.”

  “What makes you think Seth likes this redhead, anyway?” Donna asked.

  “She’s cute, talented, and outgoing. What guy wouldn’t like that?” Tabby wrinkled her nose. “They looked like a pair of matching bookends.”

  Donna snickered. “Well, there you have it! If Seth can look at this redheaded gal and see himself, then he’s bound to fall head over heels in love with her.”

  Tabby pushed away from the table. “Seth and Cheryl make a perfect couple, and I’m just a millstone around Seth’s neck.”

  “If he saw you as a millstone, he sure wouldn’t be asking you out. Normal people don’t go around asking millstones to accompany them to Seattle for the day.”

  Tabby stared off into space. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Seth arrived on time. Not wishing to give Donna the chance to say anything to him, Tabby raced out the front door and climbed into his Jeep before he even had a chance to get out.

  “I was planning to come in and get you,” Seth said as she slid into the passenger seat.

  She smiled shyly. “That’s okay. I was r–ready, so I f–figured I may as w–well s–save you the b–bother.”

  Seth smiled. “You look nice and comfortable.”

  Tabby glanced down at her faded blue jeans and peach-colored sweatshirt, wondering if she was dressed too casually. Maybe she should have chosen something else. She considered Seth for a moment. He was wearing a pair of perfectly pressed khaki-colored pants and a black polo shirt. His hair was combed neatly in place, parted on the left side. He looked way too good to be seen with someone as dowdy as her.

  “So, w–where exactly is th–this Dummy Depot, and w–what kind of d–dummy are you b–buying there?” she asked, hoping to drag her thoughts away from how great Seth looked today.

  Seth pulled away from the curb. “The Dummy Depot sells mostly used dummies. Harry Marks, the guy who runs the place, recently got one in that needs some repairs. He asked if I’d come get it, since his car isn’t running and he didn’t want to catch a bus to Tacoma. I thought it might be kind of nice to mix a little pleasure with business,” Seth said, giving Tabby another one of his heart-melting smiles.

  Tabby nodded. “Makes sense to me.” She leaned her head against the headrest and released a contented sigh. Maybe he really did want to be with her. Maybe there was a chance that …

  “Have you known Donna long?” Seth asked, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Huh?”

  “How long have you and Donna been friends?”

  “Ever since we w–were kids. Her folks m–moved next door to us when we were b–both two.”

  “Tell me a little about your family,” he pried.

  “There’s nothing m–much to tell.”

  “There has to be something.” Seth tapped the steering wheel with his long fingers. “Do your folks live nearby? Do you have any brothers and sisters?”

  Tabby swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her family. This was supposed to be a fun day, wasn’t it? “My—uh—p–parents live in Olympia, and I h–have one s–sister. She l–lives in a high-rise apartment in d–downtown Tacoma, and sh–she’s a secretary. There’s n–nothing m–more to tell.”

  “You’re lucky to have a sister,” Seth commented. “I grew up as an only child. My folks were killed in a car wreck when I was fourteen, and my grandparents took me in.”

  “I’m so s–sorry,” she murmured.

  “Grandma and Grandpa Beyers were good to me, though. They taught me about Christ and helped me learn to use my talents for Him.” Seth smiled. “I’ll never forget the day Grandpa informed me that when he and Grandma were gone, the house would be mine.”

  Tabby knew the house he was referring to was the one he lived in now. The basement had been converted into his ventriloquist shop. Seth had told her that much when she’d had her lesson the evening before. What he hadn’t told her was that the house had been his grandparents’, or that they’d passed away.

  “I’m s–sorry your g–grandparents aren’t l–living anymore. It must be h–hard not to h–have any family,” she said with feeling. As much as she disliked many of the things her own family said or did, she couldn’t imagine what it must have been like growing up as an only child or not having her parents around at all, even if they did make her feel like dirt most of the time.

  Seth chuckled. “Grandma and Grandpa aren’t dead yet.”

  “They’re n–not?”

  “No, they moved into a retirement home a few years ago. Said the old house was too much for them to handle.” Seth cast her a sidelong glance. “Grandpa thought the place would be well suited to my business, not to mention a great place to raise a bunch of kids someday.”

  Tabby wasn’t sure how to respond to that statement. She’d always dreamed of having a big family herself, but the possibility didn’t seem very likely.

  “There sure is a l–lot of traffic on the f–freeway today, isn’t there?” she said, changing the subject again.

  Seth nodded. “Always is a steady flow of cars on I–5, but the weekends are even worse. Things will level off a bit once we get away from the city.”

  Tabby turned to look out the passenger window. They had just entered the freeway and were traveling over a new overpass. As busy as the freeway was here, she knew it would be even worse once they got closer to Seattle. It made her thankful Seth was driving. She’d be a ball of nerves if she were in the driver’s seat.

  “Mind if I put a cassette in the tape player?” Seth asked.

  “Go a–ahead.”

  When the soft strains of a familiar Christian song came on, Tabby smiled. Seth liked the same kind of music she did. She closed her eyes and felt her body begin to relax. She wasn’t sure if it was because of Seth’s rich baritone accompanying the tape, or simply the fact that she was with him today. Tabby was glad she’d accepted Seth’s invitation to go to Seattle.

  Seth glanced over at Tabby. Her eyes were shut, and she was sitting silent and still. He wished he could read her mind. Find out what thoughts were circling around in her head. She reminds me of a broken toy. She didn’t have much to say about her family. I wonder if something from her past is the reason for her terrible shyness. If she’s hurting, then maybe her heart can be mended. There’s even a chance she could actually be better than new.

  The only trouble was, Seth wasn’t sure how to find out what kind of pain from the past held Tabby in its grip. She was a mystery he wanted to solve. Since Tabby seemed so reserved and unable to communicate her feelings to him, maybe he should talk to Donna about it. Tabby said they’d been friends most of their lives. Surely Donna would know what made Tabitha Johnson tick. A little bit of insight might help him know what direction to ta
ke in making her over into his perfect woman.

  Seth hugged the knowledge to himself and smiled. As soon as I get the chance, I’ll get together with Donna and find out what gives.

  Chapter 11

  The Dummy Depot was located in downtown Seattle, in a small shop near the busy shopping area. While Seth talked business with the owner, Tabby walked around the room studying all the figures for sale. It didn’t take long to realize she could have bought a used dummy for half the price she’d paid for Rosie. She consoled herself with the fact that most of the figures looked well used and had lost their sparkle. Rosie, on the other hand, was brand new, without a scratch, dent, or paint chip on her entire little body. Besides, she’d purchased the dummy with the birthday gift certificate from Donna and her parents. They’d wanted her to have a new one or else they wouldn’t have given it to her.

  “Ready to go?” Seth asked suddenly.

  “Sure, if y–you are.”

  Holding the damaged dummy under one arm, Seth opened the shop door with his free hand. “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry. I think I can actually smell those fish-and-chips wafting up from the waterfront.”

  Tabby’s mouth watered at the mention of eating succulent cod, deep fried to perfection, and golden brown fries, dipped in tangy fry sauce. “Guess I’m kinda h–hungry too,” she admitted.

  Ten minutes later, they were parking in one of the huge lots near the waterfront. Seth reached for Tabby’s hand as they crossed the street with the light.

  Her hand tingled with his touch. This does feel like a date, she thought, though she didn’t have a whole lot to gauge it on, considering she’d only been on a couple of dates since she graduated from high school. Those had been set up by Donna, and none of the guys had held her hand or acted the least bit interested in her. Of course, she hadn’t said more than a few words, and those had come out in a mishmash of stammering and stuttering.

  Groups of people were milling about the waterfront. Tabby clung tightly to Seth’s hand, not wishing to get separated. As they headed down the sidewalk toward one of the fish bars, she spotted a young man walking a few feet ahead of them. He had two sizable holes in the back of his faded blue jeans, and long, scraggly brown hair hung halfway down the back of his discolored orange T-shirt. That was not what drew her attention to him, however. What made this man so unique was the colorful parrot sitting on his shoulder. With each step the man took, the parrot would either let out an ear-piercing squawk or imitate something someone had just said.