Linda followed us into the hallway, her shoulder-length brown and gray hair brushing across her shoulders. “Thank you for coming. Your puppet show really boosted Amy’s spirits.”
“We didn’t do much, but I’m glad it helped,” I said.
“Speak for yourself,” Clay said, humor flickering in his eyes. “I did a pretty great dinosaur impression.”
“You absolutely did.” I bumped my shoulder playfully against his solid arm. “Best dinosaur impression I’ve ever seen.”
“You weren’t so bad yourself, my little lamb.” He winked, and my heart did a somersault.
I glanced over to find Callie watching us with a curious expression. She tore her eyes away from us and turned to Linda. “When do you expect them to release Amy?”
“The doctor said she can go home tomorrow if her breathing continues to improve.”
“How long has she had asthma?” I asked.
“She was diagnosed a year ago. She has an inhaler but they’re reassessing which inhalers will work best for her.”
“Well, keep us updated,” Callie said.
Linda smiled. “Will do. We’re so thankful for your prayers. She’s our miracle baby.”
“Oh, did you have her late in life?” I asked.
“No, we adopted, but God brought her into our lives at the right time.”
My eyes widened. “That’s awesome.” It almost seemed like a sign since I’d been thinking about adoption earlier at church. Most likely, it was just a coincidence, but I also knew there was no such thing as coincidences when the Lord was involved.
The three of us walked out to the hospital parking lot together. Clay had been quiet the entire time, content to listen to Callie and I talk.
“See you later,” I said, glancing at Clay. “I drove with Callie and her car is right over there.” I pointed to a spot not far away.
Clay rocked back on his heels and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “We were a pretty good team today.”
“Pretty good?” Callie asked. “You were excellent together.”
I felt my face warm and was glad the afternoon air was crisp. “I agree.”
Clay cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets. “What are you two doing next?”
“Callie is dropping me off at Hunter’s place. He said I could use his truck, remember?”
Clay nodded. “Right. I could drop you off if you want.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. I hadn’t expected him to offer, and I wanted to go with him, but I also didn’t want to be rude to Callie by ditching her.
“You should go,” Callie said, appearing to sense my hesitation. “I have a few errands I need to do, anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
She smiled. “Of course, I’m sure.” She gave me a side hug. “Thank you for coming with me. I think our visit cheered them up.”
“I’m glad we were able to go.”
We said our goodbyes, and I followed Clay to his vehicle. Once inside, I buckled up and then glanced over to find him watching me. “What?” I asked, half laughing.
“Are you in a hurry to get to Hunter’s place?”
“Not in particular. Why? What do you have in mind?”
“There’s an elderly man who used to go to our church. He’s homebound now because of his health, but a few of us from the church visit him on a regular basis. I promised I’d set up his Christmas tree and help decorate it.” He shrugged. “You can tag along if you want.” He glanced away, appearing uncertain. “But if you’d rather not I can take you to Hunter’s first.”
I swallowed hard. It wasn’t a good idea to spend the rest of the afternoon with him, but on the other hand, I wanted to help someone else. “I would love to. That’s generous of you to be of assistance to him.”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re a kind man, Clay. The more I get to know you, the more I see it.”
Chapter 5
Clay
I wanted so badly to reach over and take her hand as we drove to Ed Green’s house, but I resisted the urge. She’d made it clear she only wanted to be friends, and I had to respect that.
I was honoring her request, but that didn’t mean I’d given up. Jazmin liked me. It was there in her expression when I’d offered to bring her with me. My eyes weren’t playing tricks on me—I knew that much. Now I just had to figure out why she felt the need to pull away. Suddenly, it occurred to me that maybe she preferred her independence and didn’t want to change that anytime soon. An uneasy sensation made its way up my throat.
“Hey, Jaz, do you want to get married one day? I’m asking in general terms.”
One side of her mouth quirked up. “Jaz? You gave me a nickname?”
“If you don’t like it, I’ll just go back to calling you, Jazmin.”
“No, I like it. No one else calls me that, but it sounds nice coming from you.”
I glanced at her and then turned straight ahead towards the road. “That’s surprising that no one else has ever called you that. It’s common for people to shorten their names.”
“It’s not the first time someone has called me that.”
I frowned. “I thought—”
“It’s just the first time I’ve allowed it.” She smiled meaningfully. “You should feel special.”
My heart expanded in my chest. “Thank you for giving me that privilege.”
She hesitated for a long moment. “Guess I just like the way it sounds coming from you.”
I grinned and stared straight ahead. Yep, she definitely liked me. She might not be fully aware of how much, but I was willing to bet I’d win her over by the end of her two-week stay. “You didn’t answer my question. Do you want to get married one day?”
She fiddled
