Penny looked at Lucy, and her eyes were asking permission. In answer, Lucy snuggled up to Joe. “I have what I want right here.”
Penny took only seconds to make her decision. Looking as though she was finally going to get to do what she wanted to in her life, she got up, smoothed the front of her skirt, kissed Russell, then Jamie, then Clarissa on the forehead. She turned her back to them and started a slow, sedate walk toward the open limo. But when she got closer, she broke into a run. They saw her smile when she got to the door. She didn’t hesitate as she stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind her. The limo drove away.
The stunned silence of everyone made Jamie stir. He looked up and saw Russell, and smiled that he was still there.
“You gave me a fire engine,” he said and slipped his arms around Russell’s neck.
“I think we should go,” Russ said to Clarissa, and they stood up.
The others stayed seated on the cloth, looking up at them. Russell with the little boy clinging tightly about his neck, holding him in one arm while helping Clarissa with her bags with the other. It was impossible to believe that these people had just met that morning. If ever there were three people who were a family, it was them.
“So what are your plans?” Travis asked.
Clarissa looked up at Russell. As she folded a blanket, the big ring sparkled on her finger. “It’s a little early to say yet.”
Russell said, “I guess it depends on where I get a job.”
“All right, little brother,” Travis said, “we’re all waiting. What is your vocation?”
Russell smiled in a way that said he wasn’t telling.
Clarissa looked confused that these brothers didn’t know such an elemental thing about each other. “Russell is a Baptist minister.”
That silenced everyone.
Russell shrugged. “I trained to be, but I haven’t had much practice at it. I was told that I have some, uh, anger issues, and it was strongly suggested that I deal with them.”
Travis looked like he was about to laugh, but Kim gave him a look that warned him not to.
Kim spoke up. “You know, half of Edilean hasn?
?t forgiven our current pastor for stealing my brother’s girlfriend. Besides, he’s been there for years now and . . .” She let the rest of that hang in the air.
“What my dear wife-to-be is saying is that there may be an opening in Edilean for a minister.” Travis was looking at his brother with wide eyes, but he managed to recover himself. “I think we should talk about a camp I want to set up. There’s a place for you.”
“Gladly,” Russell said, “but first Clarissa is going to med school. She wants to be a doctor.”
“She’s a real Tristan,” Kim said, and they all laughed. She looked at everyone smiling, then up at Travis. At last she had what she’d wanted since she was eight years old.
“Ready to go?” Travis asked softly.
“Yes,” she said. “Always yes.”
Epilogue
It was late when Kim’s cell phone buzzed. She and Travis were in Paris on their honeymoon and she thought about not looking at the e-mail. But Travis heard it.
“Go on, see who it is. I’m hoping to hear from Mom and Joe.”
Kim clicked the phone and read in disbelief. “It’s from Sophie.”
“Who?”
“My other college roommate, besides Jecca.”
“Oh yeah, the blonde bombshell.”
As Kim kept reading, she collapsed on the bed.