Alaska Calling by Maryann Landers

Alaska Calling by Maryann Landers

Author:Maryann Landers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Maryann Landers


Chapter 13

I scanned the lunch menu up on the board at the Tasty Freeze. I tried not to notice when Rusty's coat brushed up against my arm. He must have been comfortable with how close we stood to one another.

"Do you know what you want?" His hazel eyes glanced over at mine.

"Yes, I think so."

Rusty motioned for me to go before him, and I placed my order. After he placed his, we walked to a back room full of booths filled with people pouring over their meal and their conversations. I was sure I stood out like a strobe light in the night with a repetitive blinking pattern: newcomer, newcomer.

Rusty paused at a table with a couple sitting across from one another. “Hi guys! Julie, I'd like you to meet Jane and Mike. Mike works at the radio station."

I reached out to shake Jane's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Julie." She looked from Rusty to me.

Before I could say anything, Rusty spoke up. “She's here to volunteer as a nurse."

"Ah, well, nice to have you. How long will you be here?"

"Until late December. I committed to three months."

Mike reached across the table and squeezed Jane's hand. "We came up shortly after our wedding for a short-term mission trip, and now we've been here ten years."

Jane laughed and then turned to me. "I'm sure we'll see you around."

We moved over to our own booth, and I settled in across from Rusty, who sat with his shoulders back and his chin high. Again, the familiarity of his personality struck me.

We started chatting about all kinds of things. Our conversation wasn't a struggle or an effort, and I laughed at his witty commentary.

While we waited for our food, he led me to a couple of more tables, approaching them with ease and introducing me to several other people. Did he know everyone in town? From their friendly responses, I got the impression he was well-liked.

After our lunch, we walked across the parking lot to Rusty's blue truck, which shone in the light. The clean exterior impressed me.

"What?" His question startled me. I realized I must have been staring.

"Your truck, it's so clean." I moved to the passenger side and opened my own door.

Rusty started the truck and rolled down his window halfway. "My Dad is an excellent teacher. He taught me to maintain my vehicles and treat them with respect."

The words hung in the air as we pulled out of the parking lot. “That quality was on the list I’d made before God of future-spouse qualities I was certain didn’t exist.” I longed to have a man who respected his folks. My parents and I had a close relationship, and I was an odd child who wanted to please them. I figured it would be near impossible to find someone who felt the same about his parents, even as an adult.

We stopped in at businesses and Rusty’s friends' homes as we toured the area. It was as though I'd walked into Rusty's world, watching everyone greet him with friendliness and genuine care.



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