Chapter 5

Hey, Kar?” Hailey yelled up the stairs. “Paige is on the phone. She says you’re supposed to come with us for lunch and then help paint afterward. She says you should call Jody and ask her to keep the kids.”

Karlee came to the top of the stairs with a basket of laundry. Laughing, she asked, “Does she also say what I should wear and what I should order for lunch?”

“I’ll ask.” She ran to the kitchen, then ran back, meeting Karlee in the dining room. “She said you should wear your best sweats and eat French onion soup!”

Rolling her eyes, Karlee said, “I suppose she’s going to video this for David!”

“I’ll ask!” Giggling, Hailey turned on her heels and ran back to the kitchen.

Karlee yelled to her back. “Tell her yes to everything but the soup! Tell her I’m saving my onion breath for her brother!”

❧

“Stay in the lines, you two!” Paige cried in mock exasperation, then glanced at her watch.

“Oh, lighten up.” Hailey laughed. “You’re stifling our creativity.”

“I think I should stick to quilting.” Karlee grinned. She looked over at the wavy edge of Hailey’s thornbush. “And you should stick to drawing blood!” The other two groaned loudly.

Paige had spent three days penciling in an African grassland scene on two walls of the employee break room, and now the three of them were filling it in with color.

Paige turned to Hailey. “Did you make a decision on your job here yet?”

Hailey paused. “I’ve. . .decided to work here. I’ll give my notice at the nursing home in a couple of weeks.”

“I eavesdropped on Robert and his son this morning—not on purpose, of course. They’re set on you being in charge of the intensive care nursery, but you’re still not sure, huh?” Waiting for an answer, Paige glanced at the door and then at her watch.

Hailey bent over her paint can, carefully dipping her brush into the brown paint. “Well, I—”

“Coffee, ladies?” Hailey’s brush slipped at the sound of Cody’s voice. He was carrying three Styrofoam cups. Handing one to Paige, he said, “Black,” then turned to Hailey. Holding out another cup, he winked and said, “Sweetened up a bit,” and then he turned to Karlee. “And you must be the future Mrs. Stern. Coffee?”

“No, thank you. I’m decaffeinated. Hailey will drink mine, though—she’s an addict.” Holding out her paint-smeared hand to Cody, Karlee laughed, then hid it behind her back. “I’m Karlee Merrick. You must be Dr. Worth the second.” She shot a smirking smile at Hailey, whose blush deepened.

“Call me Cody.” He looked over the room and nodded. “I’m impressed. This was a great idea, Paige—it’ll take away some of that institution atmosphere—make it more homey. Well, I’ve got to get back to my paint can. Keep up the good work.” He set the coffee cup on the stepladder and walked out.

Paige took a sip from her cup, then nodded toward the door. “You know, he’s been here every morning before seven, and it’s all voluntary. What a sweetheart.”

Karlee glanced quickly at her sister, who was carefully cleaning the brush handle that had fallen into the paint can, then turned to Paige. “Sounds like more than a passing interest. No wonder you’ve been staring at your watch all afternoon!”

“I have?” Paige laughed nervously. “I only met him a few days ago. He’s a bit too lawyer-ish for me, but he makes up for it in looks, doesn’t he? Who knows?”

Hailey was startled by her own reaction to Paige’s answer: a twinge that could only be labeled envy. Paige, with her short, glossy dark hair that swung over one eye and had to be brushed back constantly by long, artistic fingers; Paige, with her large blue-green eyes, quick smile, and petite figure, all combined with a personality that seemed oblivious to all these gifts; Paige, to whom any man would be bound to be attracted.

Hailey chastised herself. Karlee had offered to rent her house to Paige and Hailey after she and David were married; this was not the attitude to have toward a future roommate. She took a deep breath and forced enthusiasm into her voice. “How are plans coming for the open house?”

“I just took the invitations to the printer yesterday.” Paige swept out her hand in a motion that included the entire building. “So all of this had better get done on time!”

Karlee asked, “Are there doubts?”

“I guess I’m just worried about my part in this, but I think Robert and the CedarRidge contractors feel things are under control. As soon as the painting is done and the flooring down, it’s just a matter of moving everything in. Most of the equipment for the nurseries is already here, just waiting to be put in, and the kitchen is almost done. I’d like to get all the murals done before the carpeting goes in, but maybe that’s a bit ambitious. How are the quilts coming, Karlee?”

“We’ve finished all the crib quilts and about half of the rest of them. I’ve got some real dedicated people working some long hours.”

Since January, Karlee had gone back to teaching quilting classes at the woolen mill run by her best friend, Jody Hansen. Several of the classes had taken on the project of furnishing quilts for all of the cribs and beds in the Sparrow Center.

“I need some ideas for food. I’d planned on having the open house catered, but there really isn’t any money for that.”

“I’m sure we could ask the women’s fellowship group at the church to make finger sandwiches or something,” Karlee said. She smiled a little-girl smile. “Although I don’t think I’m going to be much earthly good after David gets home.”

Hailey shook her head and pointed to the blobs of bright green paint spattered across Karlee’s faded pink sweatshirt. “I’m not sure you’re much earthly good even now!”

Paige laughed, pulled her sleeve back away from her watch, then balanced her paintbrush on the top of her can. “I’m going to go. . .find some more rags,” she said.

She was back in ten minutes, grinning, looking flushed, and empty-handed. Hailey fought the rising green monster inside her as she heard Cody’s laugh ring out from a muffled conversation in the hallway. “Couldn’t find any rags?” she asked, with as little sarcasm as she could manage.

“Rags? Oh, no. We’ll have to use paper towels, I guess.” She reached for the roll that was sitting on the ladder. “So, Karlee, what do you hear from my brother these days?”

A quick shift, Hailey thought.

“I got more pictures yesterday. You’ll have to come and see them.”

“How long has he been gone now?”

Karlee bit her bottom lip as she concentrated on keeping her kelly green paint within the lines, but the answer didn’t take concentration. “One hundred and twenty-three days, and at least fourteen more to go.”

“Miss him quite a bit, don’t you?”

Karlee sighed. “Uh-huh.”

“Just what do you see in him, anyway?” Paige asked.

Karlee closed her eyes. “I see the kindest, most interesting, most Christlike man I’ve ever known—and on top of that I see the most handsome man I’ve ever met in my life, with the bluest eyes, and the sweetest, tenderest smile, and the strongest arms, and—”

“And you’d see him a lot better if you’d open your eyes!”

Karlee gasped and whirled toward the deep, familiar voice. “David!” Tears filled her eyes, but she was frozen to the spot. Paige stepped over and took the brush from her hand as Hailey grabbed the paint can from the other. Together they gave her a gentle shove, and she was wrapped in David’s arms, sobbing.

“Why? How? Why didn’t. . . Paige knew! This isn’t fair! I look so. . .”

David pulled away from her and covered her lips with his fingertips. “You look so beautiful, but you still talk too much!” Slowly, he raised his fingers, one at a time, then covered her lips with his mouth.

Hailey and Paige sighed wistfully in unison, then tactfully left the room. Smiling through her tears, Karlee took a half step back to stare at him. “I’m getting paint all over you!” she cried.

Staring down at the finger-streaks of blue and green on his white shirt sleeves, David said, “You just added to the masterpiece Paige started earlier when she first saw me.” He ran the back of his hand along her cheek, and Karlee watched his sapphire eyes fill with tears. Softly, he whispered, “I’ve always loved you in green,” and closed her in his arms again.