For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (42 page)

After several minutes, Luke spoke once more.
“
Mibs,
”

“
Luke, will you please tell me what Mibs is all about?
”

“
Will you regret me telling you when you’re well?
”

“
Nah. I was about to Google it while we were talking, but then I got in a snit over something I didn’t even understand at the time, and forgot.
”

“
Well, Google would definitely give it away.
”
Luke’s chuckle warmed her heart, and she knew he saw it.
“
Aggie… what is an aggie?
”

“
Short for my real name?
”

“
Which is?
”
His tone told her he hadn’t noticed it. Mail came to her, the court documents he’d read so carefully had her name all over them, but he’d never truly seen it.

“
I’m not telling. This is your revelation, not mine.
”

“
Oh, well then!
”
he joked.
“
Ok, other than short for your really ambiguous real name, what are aggies?
”
At her shrug, he shook his head.
“
I should have known a
girl
wouldn’t even know the toy with her name on them.
”

“
Aggies
--
marbles.
”

“
Yep.
”

“
So… what does that have to do with Mibs?
”

Luke nudged her shoulder gently.
“
Mibs are marbles too. They’re the targets in a game. They used to be made of clay. I always think of you as a marble that God fashioned exactly how He wants you to be.
”

“
He’s the Potter, after all.
”
She scratched a pock on her arm absently until Luke moved her hand.
“
Or, are you just saying that I’m going to lose my marbles.
”

“
It’s just a private little reminder that you’re exactly where God wants you, and He’s making you into exactly
who
He wants you to be.
”

Her eyes dropped to her lap.
“
And here,
”
she joked,
“
I thought it was something personal. I thought you were teasing me. Alas, you’re just trying to keep me from picking up my marbles and going home.
”

“
Oh, Mibs. If you only knew…
”

Hours but very few words later, Aggie waved goodbye and went inside the house. She was drowsy, but an idea grew as she saw her laptop, so she flipped it open. Luke wouldn’t be home, but that didn’t matter. The messenger popped up and showed Luke online, but that wasn’t possible. He’d left the minute she closed out their last conversation. That information was amazing to her.

Mibs says:
Hey, just wanted to thank you again. I’ll wear my moniker proudly.

Mibs says:
Sleep in. The basement will wait. You want to be fresh for your inspection.

Mibs says:
Luke… thanks. Really. Thanks.

Imaginationally Challenged

Thursday, September 11
^th

“
Aggie?
”

Tired, Aggie didn’t even open her eyes.
“
Hmm?
”

“
Do you think you’ll be feeling better by Sunday?
”

“
Probably, why?
”

Tina played with a ring on her right pinkie finger.
“
I just thought maybe, well, with me having to be in class on Monday afternoon, we could invite William and Luke over for dinner on Sunday
--
kind of a ‘back to school, new home-school, the pox are winding down’ celebration. Is it rude to invite people over for dinner when you have chicken pox if both have been in the house of their own free will?
”

“
I don’t think it’s rude at all, but why invite them?
”
Ignoring her protesting itchy body, Aggie pushed herself up off the couch and tried to concentrate on her friend.

“
I just thought it’d be nice…
”

“
Tina… that sounds deliberately ambiguous.
”

The petite blonde sat cross-legged and leaned against the coffee table.
“
Ok, fine. I wanted a chance to get to know William a bit better
--
see who he is. Every time he is here, there’s a reason
--
an agenda. I want to know if he’s really interested in you or if he just has overactive protective genes.
”

“
I can tell you that. The latter. We’ve discussed it.
”

“
You have? Really?
”
Tina seemed stunned by that revelation.

“
Yep. I was telling Vannie that I thought William just didn’t know how to be ‘just friends’ with a girl so he keeps trying to do the ‘boyfriend thing.’
”

“
That makes sense
--
sort of. I’ve known guys like that.
”

A memory teased Aggie’s mind.
“
But Luke warned me about him, I think.
”

“
Really?
”

“
Luke overheard Vannie and me talking, and told me that I was wrong. He said that some guys could be just friends with girls while waiting for more. Mom and I thought he was trying to let us know that William really is interested or something, but now I disagree. We’ve talked. I don’t think William knows how to lie or be deceitful like that.
”

Tina rested her chin on her knees.
“
So, I take it you don’t want to do dinner.
”

“
No, if you want to do a dinner, we can do that. Of course, with the kids around, who knows what it’ll be like…
”

“
I thought we could feed them first, and then send them to the library for movies, and Ellie, Laird and Tavish could watch something on your laptop in his room or in my room, and we eat after that.
”

“
Ok, then,
”
it was hard for Aggie to show any enthusiasm, but she tried,
“
what do we want to have for dinner?
”

“
Guys like beef, right? Can we do a roast or something on the grill?
”

“
Roast works. The grill is too iffy. We don’t want to be in a house with two hunger-crazed men.
”

Before Aggie could offer any other beef dishes, Mrs. Dyke knocked on the door.
“
I brought snicker doodles!
”

Tina jumped up and went to help the woman carry a turkey platter loaded with the cinnamony sugar cookies. When she returned, Aggie was asleep on the couch. Mrs
.
Dyke took one look at her and shook her head.
“
The poor little woman has so much on her plate, and now this. How long do you think she can continue to do this before she burns out?
”

Anger flooded Tina’s face until she realized the neighbor was truly concerned rather than issuing a condemnation of her friend.
“
She’ll do it until the kids are grown or the Lord takes her home. That’s just who Aggie is.
”

~*~*~*~

The gentle rap on her screen door was a familiar one.
“
William?
”

“
Can I come in?
”
Why he asked when he was half in before he finished asking the question, Aggie didn’t know.

“
Sure. I wouldn’t have asked you to stop by if I didn’t want you to come in, too.
”
Her attempt at a light hearted joke fell flatter than a cake in a malfunctioning oven.
“
Have you heard anything about Douglas Stuart?
”

“
All I know is that he’s home. I guess he has been since that day. Why Mrs. Stuart didn’t call and tell us, I don’t know. If I hadn’t put out a call to the police in towns around the loop, I wouldn’t have known.
”
He peered closer.
“
I think you’re getting a few new ones.
”

“
Just what every girl wants to hear. Flatterer.
”

William laughed.
“
Even sick, you can make me laugh.
”

“
I actually called you over to see if you wanted to come to dinner on Sunday. Tina has hatched a plan to keep the kids occupied in other rooms while we eat and talk.
”

“
You and me?
”
He blanched.
“
I thought
--
are you saying
--”

“
I’m saying that Tina and I are inviting you and Luke to dinner on Sunday.
”

“
Luke and Tina? Is this some kind of double date?
”

“
It’s more like a couple of girls who want to have dinner with a couple of guys they know.
”
She fidgeted with the throw pillow and then blurted,
“
I think she’s nervous about going back to school without really getting to know you well.
”