Christy Miller Collection Vol 3 Read online

  “Weeds,” Jon answered simply. “Maybe he was trying to toss a bunch of weed seeds in my garden. I don't need them.”

  “So what do you do? Ignore them?”

  Jon looked at her as if she were young and had so much to learn. “If I ignore a bunch of weed seeds, they might take root and grow, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And I'm certainly not going to fertilize and water those kinds of seeds for the fun of seeing what they look like when they sprout.”

  Christy nodded.

  “So I pluck 'em and throw 'em away,” Jon said, using the appropriate hand motions. 'Weeds belong at the dump, not in my garden.”

  Christy thought about how unassuming Jon appeared. She never would have guessed that her boss, the manager of a pet store, would come up with such insights into life.

  Glancing at the clock behind the register, Jon said, “Its about time for your break. Why don't you take it now while your friend is here.”

  “Okay. And by the way, her name is Katie.”

  Pulling her backpack out from under the counter and looping it over her shoulder, Christy called out, “It's okay, Katie. He's on to you. You don't have to act like a customer anymore.”

  Katie was standing behind a tall wire rack loaded with paperback books. She stuck her head around the rack. Only her green eyes showed above the book in her hand, titled How to House-Train Your Rabbit in 20 Days.

  “Nice to meet you, Katie,” Jon called out as the girls scooted out of the shop.

  “You too,” Katie called over her shoulder.

  Giggling, Christy asked, “Did you hear that man who came in right before you and wanted the birdseed? Could you believe that guy?”

  “I think he was having a bad day.” Katie pulled Christy by the arm. “This way. We're going to the gift shop to find a card for Todd.”

  “Boy, between you and Jon, nothing in my life is a secret!” Christy teased.

  They entered the gift shop and walked down the greeting-card aisle.

  “Let me pick out the card, okay?” Christy said.

  “Of course,” Katie agreed, stopping in front of a display of humorous cards. “I'm only here to offer my support.”

  “And your opinion,” Christy added.

  “And my opinion. But only if you want it.” Katie lifted a card from the display and scanned it.

  “Look!” Katie practically shouted, holding up the card. “This is it! This is perfect. The search has ended. I've found the perfect card. Read it.”

  “Katie,” Christy scolded.

  “I know, I know. You only wanted my opinion. Well, in my opinion, this is perfect. Didn't you tell me that Todd has an orange surfboard?”

  Christy snatched the card from Katie's eager waving fist and looked it over. On the front was a drawing of a lone surfer on a bright orange board riding the crest of a huge wave and shouting, “Surfs up!” All the cartoon surfers on the beach were grabbing their boards and scrambling over each other in a muddled attempt to join the surfer.

  Christy opened the card. Inside it said, So, what's up in your end of the world?

  “Well,” Katie said eagerly, “for a guy who left civilization to surf all winter on Oahu's North Shore, is this the perfect card, or what? And can you believe it? It even has an orange surfboard! Now is that odd, or is that God?”

  Christy was laughing by now. “All right, you've convinced me. This is the perfect card for Todd. Let's pay for it, and then I'll treat you to a frozen yogurt next door. Remind me to ask you something.”

  A few minutes later, they were both scooping chocolate yogurt from their small cups and heading back to the pet store.

  “So, what did you want to ask me?” Katie said.

  “You never answered me at lunch today about what you want to do together. I thought maybe we could organize that yearly slumber party you were talking about a few weeks ago. I know it's October already, but we could still pretend it's a back-to-school party.”

  Katie shook her head. “I've tried at least three times to organize it, but it just isn't going to happen. I guess we've all grown up. Maybe high school juniorsare too old for sleep-overs. You know, our first party at Janelle's was the year we started sixth grade. Most of those girls aren't interested anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Some of them have moved. Most of them have boyfriends or they work. Nobody wanted to have one this year except me.”

  “And me,” Christy added. “I admit I was too busy with Rick and my job and being on restriction and everything when school started. But I really want to have a slumber party now. Even if it's just the two of us.”

  Katie brightened. “Do you really? When? Any night is fine with me.”

  “How about tomorrow night? Could we pull it together that fast?” Christy asked.

  “Sure! I can make a few calls to some girls and pick up a few bags of chips, some TP, and M…M's. What time can you be there?”

  “I get off work at six, so if my parents say it's okay, I'll come right from work,” Christy suggested.

  “Perfect! I'll go home and clear a space in the freezer— you know, all the usual pre-party preparations.”

  “Why do you need to clear a space in the freezer?” Christy asked.

  “It's tradition to freeze someone's underwear. Whose did we do last year? We try not to get the same person two years in a row.”

  “I don't remember, but can we just say it was mine so they won't do it to me this year?”

  Katie laughed, and Christy knew that Katie was happy and excited about the party. It made Christy feel glad that they were going to do it. But it also made her feel bad that she had put Katie on hold so many times in the past.

  “I'll order the pizza at six,” Katie said, “so it'll be there when you arrive. This is going to be great!”

  The next afternoon, while Christy was at work, Katie called with an update on the party plans. Christy was in the back of the store marking prices on cans offish food, which made it convenient for her to keep working while she talked.

  “I have my sleeping bag and everything in the car,” Christy said. “My parents were super nice and said I could keep the car all night. I don't have to be home until after church tomorrow. The only thing is, they don't want me to drive tonight if we go out papering houses. I can only drive to your house and then to church in the morning.”

  “Sounds good,” Katie said. “I've called about fifteen girls. So far only three can come, but you never know. Some of them might show up later.”

  “Sure.” Christy tried to sound optimistic. “You never know who else might come. Who is definitely coming?”

  “You, me, andTeri.”

  Christy's heart sank when she realized that she and Katie were two of the three. Katie deserved better. She deserved a house full of adoring friends who appreciated her for the true friend she was.

  “Teri's coming? Really? That's great!” Christy said, covering up her disappointment. She had tried out for cheerleading with Teri last spring and had wanted a chance to get to know her better ever since.

  “Teri's coming for part of it, but she probably can't spend the night. You know, her dad is a pastor. He doesn't like his kids staying out late on Saturday nights because one time Teri's brother was up late and fell asleep in the front pew on Sunday morning. I guess he tumbled onto the floor or something and disrupted the whole service. Anyway, Teri said it's a family rule now that everyone has to be in bed by eleven on Saturday night.”

  “Ouch!” Christy said.

  “What happened?”

  “I was trying to open this shipping box, and I smashed my thumb. Oh no!” Christy started to laugh. “Katie, you're not going to believe this.”

  “What?”

  “Guess what's in the box?”

  “What?”

  “Birdseed! It's a huge box of birdseed, but someone wrote 'Fish Food' on the side of it. Just think, we could've satisfied that birdseed man last night after all. I have to tell Jo
n. I'll see you around six-thirty. We'll have a great time tonight. You'll see.”

  Christy hung up the phone and went to find Jon. Her coworker Beverly was standing behind the register helping a young boy. He was counting out his pennies to see if he had enough to buy a plastic treasure chest for his aquarium.

  “Is Jon around?” Christy asked her.

  “He should be right back. He went to return a shirt,” Beverly explained, her silver bracelets clinking on the counter as she helped to count out the pennies.

  “Didn't he return a shirt last week?”

  “I think that was a pair of pants. Haven't you noticed how Jdn shops? He buys stuff first and then decides if he likes it. He's the king of returns. All the department stores here at the mall have his credit card numbers memorized from seeing them so often, first when he buys the stuff, and then when he returns it.” Beverly turned to the boy and said, “Looks like you need 27 cents more.”

  The little boy's face fell. “That's all I have.”

  “Here,” Christy said, reaching for her backpack under the counter. “I'm sure I have a quarter and a couple of pennies. Go ahead and ring it up, Beverly.”

  “Thanks,” the boy said, shooting Christy a big smile. “And if I change my mind, can I return it?”

  Beverly and Christy both laughed, and Beverly said, “If you do, make sure you ask for Jon. He's the king of returns around here.”

  Just then Jon walked in with a bag in each hand.

  “I thought you were going to return something,” Beverly teased.

  “I did. Now I'm trying to decide what to get my sister for her birthday.”

  He held up the bag in his right hand and said, “It's either a vase or—” holding up the bag in his left hand— “perfume.”

  Looking to Beverly and Christy for advice, he asked, “Which do you think would be best?”

  At the same moment, Christy answered, “Perfume,” and Beverly said, “The vase.”

  “You two are a lot of help.” Then, heading toward the back of the shop, Jon added, “Oh well, I don't have to mail it until next Friday. I should be able to decide by then. I'll just take the other one back.”

  “What did I tell you?” Beverly swished her long braid back to where it belonged, trailing down her back. “The king of returns.”

  Right then Christy caught a glimpse of a guy in the mall. He looked a lot like Rick.

  Making her way over to the front window, she pretended to work on the dog cage's latch while she scanned the mall for Rick. But she didn't see him anywhere.

  Maybe I have my own king of returns returning to my life. Rick said he wouldn't he back from college until Thanksgiving, but I wouldn't put it past him to secretly check up on me.

  Letting go of the latch on the dog cage, she realized her* hands were shaking. What's wrong with me? I shouldn't feel this way about seeing Rick. We live in the same town, so we're bound to run into each other. I have no regrets and nothing to hide.

  Christy clenched her fists, realizing she suddenly felt mad. Rick had had this strange power over her ever since she first met him, more than a year ago. As a matter of fact, it had been the night of Katie's slumber party. The girls had papered his house, and he chased Christy down the street. For a whole year he had pursued her. She finally dated him and then broke up with him. But obviously thinking about him still caused her stomach to flip-flop.

  Why am I like this? Is this normal? I hate this feeling. I never know when it's going to strike, and it's so hard to make it go away.

  “Christy,” Jon said, coming up behind her. What's this I hear about a box of birdseed?”

  Her feelings about Rick disappeared quickly. As Christy followed Jon into the back of the store to show him the box, everything switched from heart-pounding to normal in a matter of minutes.

  But that evening, after work, the sweaty-palm feeling hit again.

  on a bracelet you're holding for me,” Christy said to the salesclerk at the jewelry store.

  She stopped in every Saturday after work to pay off Todd's bracelet, which Rick had used as a down payment for a bracelet he had bought her. “It's under Miller. Christy Miller.”

  “Just a moment,” the tall blond woman replied. She made her way to the back of the store, where she spoke to the manager in hushed tones.

  The manager looked up and, recognizing Christy, picked up a box and came out to the counter.

  “Christy Miller,” the older man said with a toothy smile. “How are you?”

  “Fine, thanks. I just came in to make my weekly payment.” She couldn't figure out why he was being so friendly and grinning at her that way.

  “No need,” he said, holding out the box. “It's all yours. Paid in full.”

  “I-I-T don't understand,” Christy stammered. “I still have five more payments.”

  “Nope.” The man placed the long, slim box in her hand. “A certain party, who wishes to remain anonymous, has paid it off. You can take it with you today.”

  “Who? What certain party?”

  “Sorry. Can't tell you. He wishes to remain anonymous.”

  “He?” Christy whispered to herself. Not Rick. Rick would never have done this. Or would he? He knew how upset I was that he stole it. Is it possible Rick returned the silver bracelet he gave me to get my gold one back?

  “Go ahead,” the man said. “Put it on. I cleaned it for you this afternoon. No charge. It's a beautiful bracelet.”

  Christy couldn't believe she was getting Todd's bracelet back! She felt as though this was almost a sacred moment. It certainly wasn't one she wanted to share with the jewelry store manager.

  “Thank you very much,” she said, tucking the unopened box into her backpack. “I really appreciate it. Thank you.” She backed up and quickly made her exit so she wouldn't feel forced to open the box in front of him and have him offer to help clasp the bracelet to her wrist.

  She hurried back to the pet store, where she planned to slip out the back door and into the parking lot. Jon was sitting at the card table in the back room, going through the day's mail.

  “Good night,” she called out as she breezed past him. “See you next week.”

  “Glad to have your bracelet finally?” Jon asked, without appearing to look up from his letters.

  Christy stopped and spun around, astounded. “How did you know?”

  Then it struck her that Jon knew she was making payments because the jewelry store manager had called him to check on her credit.

  “You didn't pay for this, did you? Because if you did, well, I was paying for it, and I'll pay you back.”

  Jon looked at her as if he didn't understand a word she was saying.

  “You can take it out of my paycheck—really—every week until it's paid off.” Christy caught her breath. “I appreciate it, but you didn't have to do it.”

  “Do what?” Jon looked amused at her ramblings.

  “You mean you weren't the one who paid off my bracelet?” Christy asked slowly. “Then how did you know?”

  Jon shook his head and smiled. “I saw the jewelry box sticking out of your backpack when you walked by. I knew you'd been making payments on a bracelet at the jewelry store. I figured that must be the one.”

  “Oh,” was all Christy could manage to say.

  “Have a good time at Katie's tonight.” Jon went back to his stack of bills.

  “I will. Thanks.” Christy reached for her keys in her purse and headed for her car.

  Wait a minute! How did Jon know I was going to Katie's?

  Deciding that her boss worked as an undercover detective in his spare time, Christy unlocked the door to the small blue car she shared with her mom and slid onto the seat.

  Inside the warm car, she held the bracelet box solemnly in her hand before opening it. At this moment it didn't matter who had paid off the balance. The gold ID bracelet was hers once more.

  “Father,” she whispered, “thank You. Thank You for letting me get my bracelet back, and thank You fo
r Todd. Please keep him safe in Hawaii. And please fix our relationship so I can feel like we're close friends again. Thank You that You always listen to me and You care about every little thing in my life. I love You, Lord!”

  Opening her eyes, Christy raised the lid on the jewelry box. The instant she saw the bracelet—perfect, shining, with its engraved “Forever”—she felt jubilant.

  Katie could hardly believe Christy's story a short time later when Christy proudly held out her right arm for Katie to inspect.

  “Do you think Rick paid for it?” Katie asked.

  “No, not really. I kind of think it might be my boss. He seems like the sort of person who would do something nice in secret.”

  “Well, whoever paid for it, I think it's a total God-thing. I hope you never, ever take it off again.”

  “I don't plan to,” Christy said with a confident smile. “So, where's Teri? Is she coming?”

  “No, she called about an hour ago. I guess her mom is sick, so she thinks she'd better stay home and help out. Looks like it's just you and me.”

  Katie pointed toward the kitchen table covered with snack food and said, “Do you think we'll have enough to eat?”

  “That's not all for us, is it?”

  “My mom said my brothers could eat whatever we left, but they're both out with my dad and probably won't be back till late. Go ahead and grab some pizza and something to drink. We can eat in the living room. I rented a couple of movies.

  Katie sounded like she was looking forward to their evening together, but Christy could tell she was disappointed that it was just the two of them.

  For the first two hours, they kicked back on the couch, eating and watching an old movie about a VW bug with a mind of its own. It was kind of funny, but not really.

  As soon as the film ended, Christy felt the sadness in Katie's voice again as she said, “Do you want to watch another video or play a game or what?”

  “Doesn't matter to me. What do you want to do?”

  “Are you hungry?” Katie asked. “There's lots more food.”

  Christy puffed out her cheeks and patted her stomach. “I'm so full I couldn't eat another chip if you forced me.”