Ben scowled at his laptop. It was Wednesday. He’d sent Rebecca two or three emails a day and she hadn’t responded to any of them. Not all of them were frivolous, though he could admit that the trailer for the latest Star Wars movie probably didn’t merit her hitting reply. Was she even reading them? Some of the questions about the joint fundraiser were actually semi-time-sensitive. Sure, okay, she was doing the tourist thing with her parents this week, but hadn’t she said she’d have some time in the evenings?

He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. If he was honest, it wasn’t the email that was bothering him. He missed her. Sara was nice, and she certainly seemed to know about physical therapy, but she wasn’t Rebecca.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he punched her number into his phone and hit send. He was just confirming plans for lunch tomorrow. That was reasonable, right?

“Hey you. I was just thinking about calling you.” She sounded tired. And a little sad.

“Hey yourself. You okay?”

“Yeah. Just a long day.”

He chuckled. “Sightseeing can do that to you. See anything good?”

“We actually ended up at the mission today. All the usual day workers came down with the flu. Jerry’s goddaughter was the only person available to work in their day program for kids, and she’s in the late stages of leukemia and probably shouldn’t have been there with all those germs anyway. But she’s the sweetest, most wonderful girl and it doesn’t seem fair that the way things are going she’s not going to see Christmas.” Rebecca sniffled.

Ben closed his eyes. He ached to have his arms around her and let her lean on him the way she had after a bad day at camp. She hadn’t had many of those, having always been an upbeat person, but that just made the times when she needed to lean on him more memorable. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m just being silly. Honestly, Kira is like this shining beacon, taking it all in stride and simply resting in Jesus and I barely know her and I don’t want her to go. Mom was the same way.”

Ben furrowed his brow. “Is your mom sick?”

She gave a watery half-laugh. “No. Sorry. Mom went with me to the mission today. She fell in love with Kira, too. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“Ah. Fair...that’s one of those things...”

“I know, I know. Sorry. Like I said, most of this is exhaustion talking. I’m sure I’ll be better tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. So how has your week been going? Sara treating you well?”

“Sure. Though I’m not sure any of the torture you people devise and call physical therapy can be called nice treatment. Still, she seems to think the doctor will let me ditch the crutches next week. Then maybe I’ll be able to drive and start being a productive member of the workforce again.”

“Whoa there, Ben. Don’t rush things. How’s the range of motion?”

He chuckled. “Good. It’s good. I can bend and straighten almost like normal.”

“Any swelling?”

“Nope. And the pain’s basically gone too. Unless I push myself too hard.”

“I recommend not doing that.”

“Gosh, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Ben shook his head. At least she didn’t sound quite as sad anymore. “So...we still on for lunch tomorrow?”

“Can I ask you a random question?”

“Uh. Sure?”

“Do you keep up with celebrities at all?”

“Only when they’re in the news for something ridiculous. You know, the big stuff that hits the front page—like when that singer had a mental breakdown and started sewing clothes out of bubble gum wrappers? I knew about that. But otherwise? I’m really more of a video game kind of guy. Video games and baseball. Why?”

“Oh, no reason.”

Ben frowned. That wasn’t very convincing. No one just spit out a weird question like that without some kind of compelling reason. “Uh-huh. Wait, don’t tell me. You’re a physical therapist by day and a gossip blogger by night. You’re worried I’ll uncover your secret identity and accidentally share it with the world, making it impossible for you to use your adorable, unassuming manner to get any more of the ungettable interviews.”

“Please.”

“Hmm. Okay, not that. Then...oh, I know. You have a gossip column habit that you’re desperately trying to break and you needed to know that I’m not going to drag you down with my own inability to resist researching and discussing the latest scandal in detail.”

She snorted out a laugh. “Stop, okay? It was just a question.”

“Mmm. And it has to do with lunch tomorrow because...?”

“It doesn’t, all right?”

He grunted. “And now you’ve neatly sidestepped lunch twice. Should I be hobbling down to the kitchen to make sure we have peanut butter?”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll pick you up at ten-thirty.”

He grinned. “Perfect. See you tomorrow.”

Ben ended the call, stood, and stretched. He reached for his crutches and headed down the hall toward the living room. Jackson sat on the couch, flipping through the channels. Zach had books and papers spread out on the dining room table. Typical night...why had he been holed up in his room?

“Given any good F’s today?” Ben pulled out a chair at the table and sat, peering at the papers Zach was grading.

Zach grinned. “Not today, but I’m not finished yet, so there’s still a chance. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised at how good some of these are.”

“Good? They’re math problems. Aren’t they either right or wrong?”

“Usually, sure. But I assigned a poem.”

Ben put a finger in his ear and jiggled. “Come again? I swear I heard you say you asked your math class to write poetry. But I know that can’t be right.”

“Nope, you heard me. I’ve been reading some studies that suggest a connection between creative writing and mathematical ability. Figured it was worth a shot.”

“You want them to hate you, don’t you?” Ben crossed his arms and slouched in his seat, easing his knee straighter. He was trying to keep it bent for longer periods of time when he sat, but by the end of the day, the aches just weren’t worth the minimal progress that contribute to.

Zach shrugged. “It was extra credit. Still, almost everyone turned something in. Some of them are really quite good. Amy liked the idea.”

“Aha.” Jackson clicked off the TV and moved to join them at the table. “Now we get down to it. Impressing the girlfriend is always a good plan.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend. She’s just a friend.”

“Who happens to be a girl.” Jackson tossed out the words, an impish gleam in his eye as he turned to Ben. “Have you ever heard anyone deny a relationship as much as Zach?”

“Not unless they were running for office.” Ben laughed at Jackson’s expression while Zach raised his hand for a high five.

“Low blow.” Jackson shook his head. “Just for that, maybe I won’t invite you to dinner on Friday at Paige’s. Even if she has a new ravioli dish that she wants us to try.”

Ben’s stomach gurgled. How long had it been since he’d had good ravioli? Too long. “That’s just mean. You know ravioli is my favorite.”

Jackson shrugged.

“Don’t worry, Ben. If the overly sensitive lobbyist won’t invite us, we’ll go on our own and sit in the dining room. Let him swelter in the kitchen by himself.” Zach lifted the stack of papers and tapped it on the table, neatening the edges, before setting it aside.

That might not be too bad. Maybe he could ask Rebecca along...though he’d really rather their first date be alone. Doing things with a group was fun, but he was itching for some time with just the two of them sans knee exercises. Had she said when her parents were leaving? He’d have to ask at lunch. “That’s a plan. Or at least the start of one.”

“Come on, you know I’d never leave you two hanging. I was kidding.” Jackson drummed his fingers on the table. “Can I get your opinions on something?”

“It’s better to ask if we’ll withhold our opinions when you don’t want them. You know that, right?” Ben rubbed his knee absently.

“What he said.” Zach flipped open another file folder full of papers. “Let’s hear it.”

Jackson swallowed and dipped his hand into his pocket, tossing a small velvet box into the middle of the table.

Ben eyed it then looked over at his friend. “Is that what I think it is?”

Jackson nodded.

“Wow.” Ben ran his tongue over his teeth. “How long have you had this?”

“I went shopping this afternoon on my way home from work.” Jackson stood and paced. “You still think it’s too soon, don’t you?”

Zach reached for the box and pried open the lid. Ben’s eyebrows shot up and he let out a low whistle at the sparkling diamond. Celtic knots formed the sides of the ring with bands of pave diamonds continuing the sparkle all around. “Dude.”

“What?” Jackson threw himself back into a chair. “I thought I was unique but still mostly traditional. And the knots are Trinity knots, so kind of referencing the cord of three strands thing...”

Zach held up his hand. “Stop. It’s gorgeous. I can’t think of a woman who wouldn’t love to wear it. Are you sure it’s the right size?”

“Mostly. I asked her dad to dig around a little, see if he could figure it out. This is what he told me.” Jackson’s shoulders relaxed. “You’re sure it’s okay?”

“Better than okay.” Ben drew the box closer and eyed the decorative details. He’d always been a fan of the simple gold band with a stone at the top, but this might have him rethinking when the time came. “Is that white gold or platinum?”

“Platinum. It’ll stand up to washing better. She washes her hands a lot. And that’s why the diamond isn’t up high, but fairly inset. I thought maybe there was a chance she’d be able to wear it when she worked.” Jackson shrugged. “Maybe not. But she certainly wasn’t going to be able to wear something with a high prong setting. It’d collect all kinds of food and stuff.”

“When are you going to ask her?” Zach filched the box and ran a finger down the side of the ring before snapping the lid closed and sliding it back across the table.

Jackson caught it and clutched it with both hands. “Not sure. Maybe Sunday? I know it’s fast. But it’s right. I want her in my life forever. Even if she wants to be engaged for a long time to give us more time to get to know each other, I’m okay with that, as long as we’re moving forward.”

Ben tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m assuming since you asked her dad about the ring size, he knows what’s going on?”

Jackson nodded. “He and her mom are excited about the idea. Honestly, that’s why I went ahead and looked at rings today. I hadn’t actually planned to buy something, I haven’t done nearly as much research as I normally would for a purchase this big but this one...it whispered her name. With them in the know, I’m not sure how long I can hold off before they spill the beans.”

“You don’t think she’s expecting it?” Zach leaned back in his chair, absently pushing aside the papers in front of him.

“I don’t know. Eventually, sure. We talk about being married all the time. But the timing of it is nebulous. Still, it’s understood between us, I think.” Jackson puffed out his cheeks. “You think...”

“No, I don’t. I was wondering. That’s all.” One corner of Zach’s mouth lifted. “Chill. Sounds like you’ve got it covered.”

Ben nodded. “I agree. She’s lucky to have you. And you her. We still get to come over to your house and eat though, right? Even when you have kids running around the table wreaking havoc?”

Jackson laughed, his death-grip on the ring box loosening. “Of course. The kids will look forward to their meals with Uncle Ben and Aunt Rebecca.”

Zach snickered. “I’m kind of surprised you’re not asking where he got it and what else they have.”

“Har-har. We haven’t even been on an official date yet. You might be rushing things a tiny bit.” Though he had made a note of the jeweler, that wasn’t something he planned to share anytime soon. “Besides, Zach’s the one holding out on us. How many of his late ‘faculty meetings’ are really dates with Amy?”

Red crept up Zach’s neck and onto his face but he kept silent.

“I rest my case.” Ben shook his head. “Not even the tiniest denial. Which makes me suppose they’re all dates. What is that, two, three a week? And your best friends and roommates haven’t even met her yet.”

“What’s up with that?” Jackson frowned across the table at Zach. “You know what? We’re having a triple date on Sunday. Ben, tell Rebecca. Zach, tell Amy. No excuses.”

“I’m not sure she’ll be free...” Zach trailed off when Jackson nailed him with a look. He hunched his shoulders. “I’ll ask.”

Jackson looked at Ben, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll see if she can swing by. But I’m not calling it a date.”

“I don’t care what you call it. Just make sure she’s here.” Jackson stood, tucking the ring back in his pocket before striding down the hall.

Ben glanced at Zach. “He’s gotten bossy, hasn’t he?”