By eight-thirty the next morning, Sierra had all her things together and was lugging her bag downstairs when Amy called. Mom came into the entryway where Sierra had dumped her bag and handed her the phone.
“Hi,” Sierra said. “I was just leaving. I’m glad you caught me. So? Tell me everything really fast. Where did you go? What did you do? Did you have a good time?”
“I can say it all in a few words. I’m in love.” Amy sighed on the phone.
Sierra laughed. “Come on. Be serious.”
“I’m completely serious. Nathan is perfect for me. First he took me to dinner. It wasn’t fancy. Just a ’50s hamburger place off Belmont. Really cute. Then we went for a long walk in the park. He held my hand, and it was so romantic!”
“Sounds wonderful,” Sierra said.
“Oh, there’s more wonderful. We went on the swings at the park, and he pushed me for like half an hour. Then we went on the merry-go-round and down the slide together. I laughed so hard. Oh, and your skirt tore just a teeny, tiny bit. You can hardly see it. I’ll fix it.”
“How did that happen?” Sierra tried not to sound upset.
“It got caught on the slide. It’s not really noticeable. Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad. I was just asking.”
“Do you want to hear the rest or not?”
Sierra’s mom stepped into the entryway and looked over at Sierra where she was sitting on the bottom step. Mom tapped on her watch and gave Sierra a “let’s go” look.
“Yes. Talk fast.”
“We drove around went up to this place where you can see the lights all the way down to the river. It’s really beautiful. So peaceful. And then…Are you sure you want me to tell you?”
“Of course.”
“Well, first he kissed me, then I kissed him, and then we kissed some more and…”
“Amy!” Sierra squawked into the phone. “Are you serious? Why did you do that?”
“Relax, Sierra! Man! You scared me. All we did was kiss. There’s nothing wrong with that. It was really romantic. He had music on and—” Amy stopped and suddenly changed her tone of voice. “I can’t believe you just snapped at me like that. I know this was our first date, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with what we did. I don’t appreciate your trying to make it seem like I did something wrong.”
“Amy, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. But you guys just met. I think you should take it slower, that’s all.”
Amy didn’t say anything. Sierra could hear her breathing on the other end of the line.
“Look, Amy, I’ll call you when I come back Sunday night. Maybe we can get together and talk next Monday. Okay?”
“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about. I try to tell you about the most romantic night of my life, and you judge me. Why can’t you just be happy for me? I didn’t expect this kind of reaction from you, Sierra.”
Mrs. Jensen picked up Sierra’s bag and said in a firm voice, “Sierra, we need to go right now if you’re going to make your flight.”
Sierra nodded at her mom. “I have to go, Amy. I’ll see you in a couple of days. Don’t do anything…” Sierra wasn’t sure how to end that sentence.
“What? Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do?” Amy added sarcastically. “I’m not a nun, Sierra. But I’m not a sleaze, either. So don’t try to make me feel like one.”
“I wasn’t,” Sierra said. “I’ll call you when I get home. ’Bye.” She pushed the “off” button and stood to take the bag from her mom.
“Everything okay?” her mom asked.
“I guess so. I don’t know. Amy met this guy at work, and now suddenly she’s in love.” They walked down the front porch steps to the van. “Amy’s so impulsive. I worry about her sometimes.”
“I understand.” Mrs. Jensen got into the van and stuck the keys into the ignition. “Do you have your ticket?”
“Yes, in my backpack,” Sierra said, pulling her ever-faithful companion off her shoulder and unzipping the front pouch. “Right here.” She flipped it open and read the printed information. “It leaves at 10:12. We should make it with no problem.”
“And you have the gift?”
“In my bag. That’s why it’s so heavy. I hope it doesn’t get thrashed.”
Sierra sat back as Mrs. Jensen headed for the freeway that would take them to the Portland airport. Something about the words Sierra just said echoed in the back of her mind. The image of her beautiful wedding gift mangled with the bow squished and the corner torn wouldn’t go away. She thought of how embarrassed she would be to hand such a gift to her friends.
Then she thought of Amy. That’s why I reacted so strongly when Amy said she and Nathan had sat in his car and made out, Sierra realized. Only a few days earlier, Sierra had told her dad she saw herself as a present that she wanted to give to her future husband, and she wanted the wrapping to be perfect.
Maybe what Amy did with Nathan wasn’t wrong according to Amy’s standards or values. But how could her “wrapping” help but get messed up? Sierra wished she’d had more time to talk with her friend. She and Amy had never discussed their standards before. Maybe Amy didn’t have a creed like Sierra did. But would she even be willing to hear Sierra’s opinions?
At the departures lane of the airport, Sierra gave her mom a hug good-bye and checked her luggage. Since she had packed in such a hurry, she had taken more clothes than she needed. The thought comforted her, knowing that all the layers of clothing would serve as protective padding for the wedding present.
With her ticket in hand and backpack over her shoulder, Sierra hurried to the gate and arrived just as the passengers began boarding her flight. She got right on, and stuffed her backpack under the seat in front of her, and looked out the window.
Sierra decided the first thing she would do when she came back was call Amy. The only problem was that Amy might not want to hear what Sierra had to say.
STANDING WITH THE REST of the travelers, Sierra waited for the mob to move down the center aisle of the plane and head out the door into the airport. She knew Tawni would be waiting for her. Tawni was meticulous about many things. Being on time to pick up people was one of them.
Sure enough, as Sierra entered the baggage-claim area of the airport, the first person she laid eyes on was her stunning sister. Only, Sierra was startled to see that Tawni had colored her hair. Instead of her natural blond, Tawni’s hair was a rich mahogany. The brownish-red color made her look even more sophisticated and grown-up.
During Tawni’s months in California, she had landed a job modeling for a small local company. In every way, she looked like a model standing there waiting for Sierra.
“Were you at the back of the plane?” Tawni said, giving Sierra a less than exuberant hug.
“No, the middle.”
“Oh. It seemed to take so long for you to get here.”
“Can’t you say, ‘Hi, Sierra! I’m so glad to see you’? Why do you have to criticize me for taking too long to get off the plane?”
“I wasn’t criticizing you. Of course I’m glad to see you.”
They waited silently, side by side, for the baggage carousel to start moving. Finally, Sierra said, “I’m sorry, Tawni. I had some stuff on my mind, I guess. Your hair looks nice. How’s everything going?”
“Terrific. I have another offer for a catalog shoot, so that’s good. They pay pretty well. At least better than the jobs I’ve been getting this past month modeling in restaurants.”
“Modeling in restaurants?”
“I work for a boutique that’s next to a nice restaurant in Carlsbad. Every day for the lunch rush, I walk around the restaurant in different outfits from the boutique. I tell people about what I’m wearing and give out cards from the boutique. The money is okay. It’s not many hours, though.”
“I’ve never heard of that kind of modeling.”
“It’s popular here. The shoot for the Castle Clothes Catalog will be in La Jolla, which isn’t too far from where I
live. It’s four or five days of work. That should add up to some decent money.”
“How’s Jeremy?”
“Wonderful,” Tawni said, a contented smile curling her lips.
“Did Christy call you? I don’t know where I’m staying.”
“At Marti’s. Christy didn’t tell you?”
“You mean at Christy’s aunt and uncle’s house? Am I the only one staying there?” Sierra asked anxiously. She had been to the luxurious beach house before, and although it was a fantastic place, Sierra wasn’t too fond of Christy’s Aunt Marti. Tawni was, though, because Marti was the one who had encouraged Tawni to start a modeling career.
“Don’t worry. Christy and Katie are staying there too.”
“There’s my bag. I’ll get it.”
Sierra carefully lifted her bag from the carousel and followed Tawni out to the parking lot.
“Are you hungry?” Tawni asked. “Do you want to stop for lunch before I take you over to Bob and Marti’s? I took off the afternoon, and they’re not expecting you at a specific time anyway.”
Sierra noted this friendly gesture on Tawni’s part. It wasn’t often that Tawni volunteered to spend time socially with Sierra, so Sierra knew she had better take advantage of the offer.
“Sure. Where do you want to go? It’ll be my treat. I’ve been working like crazy all summer, and I have way too much money.”
Tawni raised her delicate eyebrows as she unlocked the car door. “Well, then I will let you pay. It’ll only be a matter of time, though, before you buy a car or move out. Then see how quickly money evaporates.”
They drove down to the beach and found a quiet little café a few blocks from the ocean. It was a garden restaurant, and entrance was through a white picket gate. Honeysuckle vines laced their long fingers in and out of the garden’s latticework and sprinkled their sweet fragrance over Tawni and Sierra as they entered.
“I saw this place a couple of weeks ago and thought it looked fun. I tried to talk Jeremy into taking me here, but he wasn’t too thrilled. I guess it’s more of a sisters kind of place.”
Tawni’s words warmed Sierra. We really must be growing up, she thought. Going to lunch together at a garden cottage restaurant was something women, not girls, did with their sisters.
The hostess ushered them to a round patio table under a pale yellow canvas umbrella and handed them menus printed on long sheets of paper with bright daisy borders. Everything was made fresh that day, according to the menu. The specialty of the house was, of course, garden salads.
For the next two hours, Sierra and Tawni talked and laughed and fully enjoyed each other’s company—Sierra loved hearing all about Tawni’s relationship with Jeremy. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t only because Jeremy was Paul’s brother. Hearing about Jeremy was, in a tiny way, like hearing about Paul.
When the bill came, Sierra was shocked to see that it totaled nearly forty dollars. She had brought twice that with her, so it wasn’t a problem paying. It was just hard to believe that two salads, an appetizer sampler tray, and two raspberry iced teas could add up to that much. She decided this must be the price of passing into womanhood. Times like this with her sister were worth it.
When they got back into Tawni’s car, Tawni said, “I noticed your new ring. I was waiting for you to tell me who gave it to you.”
“Oh,” Sierra said, fingering the gold band with her thumb. “Well, actually…” She didn’t know if she should tell the whole story about dinner with her dad and the ring he also had for Tawni, or if she should brush it off as nothing important.
“Did it come from a secret admirer?” Tawni asked with a tease in her voice. “Randy maybe?”
“No, it’s definitely not from Randy. It’s actually from Dad.”
“From Dad?”
Sierra nodded.
Tawni pulled her sedan out onto Pacific Coast Highway, her eyes wide with surprise. “Dad gave you a gold ring?”
“It was Wesley’s idea to get gold. Dad was going to buy me silver, but I think Wes wanted gold because he got one, too. It’s a purity ring. There’s a verse engraved inside, and it’s a reminder that I’ve promised God I’ll stay pure until marriage.”
Tawni didn’t say anything.
“Dad bought one for you, too,” Sierra said. “I don’t know if I was supposed to say anything. He asked if I wanted to bring it with me, and I said I thought he should give it to you. He’s going to figure out when he can come down. You could call him and tell him I told you, and he could just send it to you.”
“That’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”
Sierra got nervous when her sister said things like that. Tawni was the only one of the six Jensen kids who was adopted. Every now and then it seemed she saw herself as the outsider. Sierra knew it was possible that Tawni would feel that way now about the ring. She wished she would have realized how important it would be to bring the ring with her so she could give it to Tawni.
“A purity ring is a nice symbol for someone your age. I’m glad Dad got it for you.”
“I’m sorry, Tawni. I should have brought yours.”
“It doesn’t matter. Really.”
A thick silence enveloped them for a moment.
“I suppose I should tell you the plans, or at least the plans I know about, for the weekend,” Tawni said, smoothly changing the subject. “There’s a shower scheduled tonight for Tracy at her parents’ house, and the guys are having a party for Doug at his parents’ house. Tomorrow I have to work, and then I’ll be back up Friday afternoon right after work for the wedding, which is here in Newport Beach.”
“I just realized,” Sierra said, “I don’t have a gift for the shower.”
“You could split the cost with me on my gift if you want. It could be from both of us.”
“That’s a great idea. How much do you want for my half?”
“Just twenty-two dollars.”
Twenty-two dollars! I’m going through money like water! Sierra thought.
They pulled into Bob and Marti’s driveway. An old VW bus was parked in front of the house, looking out of place in the upscale neighborhood.
“What is that doing here, I wonder?” Sierra thought aloud.
“Didn’t you ever see ol’ Gus? That’s Todd’s bus. The last I heard, he was thinking of burying it for good. He must have found another burst of life in the guy.”
Tawni set the parking brake and popped open the trunk for Sierra.
When Sierra pulled out her bag and closed the trunk, Tawni was already at the front door, ringing the doorbell. Marti, a petite, well-groomed brunette, answered and greeted Tawni by kissing the air on each side of her cheeks.
When Marti saw Sierra, she graciously extended her manicured hand and said, “So nice to see you again.”
Sierra lumbered her way through the front door, trying hard not to bang her luggage on anything. They had barely closed the door behind them when Christy’s Uncle Bob came bursting in from the family room and gave each of the girls a hearty hug.
“Welcome, welcome,” he said. “Here, let me take that for you.”
Sierra found it hard not to stare at him. When she had first met Uncle Bob over Easter vacation, he had impressed her as an energetic, healthy man. Shorter and stockier than her father, Bob was tan, with thick, dark hair and a friendly twinkle in his eye. He was a good-looking man, not movie star material but definitely attractive. But that Easter break, he had been in a terrible accident when a gas barbeque exploded.
Now Sierra could see the extent of his burns. From his ear, now deformed, down the entire left side of his neck, Bob’s skin was red, shriveled, and scarred. Even though Sierra had been there when the accident happened, she had no idea how bad it was.
The trauma had deeply affected Bob. At the end of that week, he announced that he had given his life to Christ. The accident had made him realize how short life was and how he needed to make peace with God. Sierra had left Newport Beach at Easter thinking the accident had had a ha
ppy ending.
Now, seeing what Bob had to live with day in and day out for the rest of his life, Sierra wasn’t sure the ending was so great. Bob was headed for heaven, but for the rest of his life on earth he would be scarred.
Sierra’s thoughts flipped back to Amy. What if she kept going further and further with Nathan? Sierra shivered. Although something good can come from an “accident,” Sierra realized, somebody always ends up scarred for life.
“COME ON IN,” Bob said to the new arrivals. “Todd and Christy are out on the patio. Would you like something to drink? How about lunch? Are you hungry?”
“No thanks. We stopped on the way.” Tawni checked her watch. “I should get going. I’m supposed to pick up the cake for the shower tonight, and I’m not sure how long it’s going to take me to get it and drive to Tracy’s.”
“Go ahead,” Bob said on his way upstairs with Sierra’s bag. “Come back whenever you want. We have plans for dinner here, you know. The invitation is open to anyone who wants to come.”
“Thanks,” Tawni said. She turned to Marti. “If Jeremy calls, would you please let him know where I am? I’ll probably be back here at about five-thirty. He’s coming up with some of the guys from San Diego, but I don’t know how late they will arrive.”
“I’ll tell him,” Marti said. “Would you like to take my cell phone with you? That way you can check in if you need to.”
“That’s okay,” Tawni said.
“No, really. I insist.” Marti reached for her purse, which sat on a marble-top table by the staircase, and handed Tawni the phone. “Here. You have our number with you, don’t you? Call and check in.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll see you later, Sierra.” Tawni swished out the door with the phone in her hand, leaving Marti and Sierra alone in the entryway.
Sierra smiled.