Part 32 (1/2)
258.
”WHERE ARE WE GOING?” Sabrina asked, Rylan leading the way but not saying much.
”You'll see.”
It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, warm but not hot, and Rylan had shown up at Jeanette's looking for Sabrina. He'd been cryptic about the fact that he was glad to see she'd changed her dress, and then asked her to come along. Too curious not to, Sabrina trailed him, laughing at his pleased smile and trying to get information from the first step.
”Your legs are too long,” Sabrina complained at one point, causing Rylan to slow a bit, but Sabrina wasn't done. ”Honestly, you're as excited as Franklin when he thinks he's going to fish.”
The words were no more out of Sabrina's mouth than she came to dead halt. Rylan stopped with her.
”Come along, Sabrina,” Rylan coaxed.
”That's it, isn't it?”
”What?” Rylan asked, working not to smile.
”You're going to teach me to fish.”
”Maybe.”
259 Sabrina laughed at the wide eyes he gave her and wasn't fooled at all.
”Do I have to touch worms, Rylan Jarvik? Because if that's the case, this little outing is going to be off to a bad start.”
”No worms,” he said.
Sabrina studied him to see if he was teasing and then slowly followed. He took her to a tree-lined section of creek, and she saw that he'd already been there. Fis.h.i.+ng equipment was set up, as was a quilt to sit on. Sabrina saw a small basket and a jug of tea. She looked at Rylan, who was watching her, and smiled.
”This is very nice.”
”What exactly?”
”Well, it looks as though you made a little picnic.”
”Just the tea,” he said. ”The basket is full of worms.”
Sabrina laughed as he hoped she would, and the next thing she knew he was showing her how to fish. He took care of the worms, and Sabrina looked the part in fairly short order, but Rylan was the only one to catch anything. An hour pa.s.sed, and she still had no fish. Eventually they washed their hands in the creek and sat and ate the food Rylan had brought, Sabrina peppering him with questions all the while.
”When did you learn to fish?”
”I can't remember exactly, maybe when I was five or six.” ”Who taught you?”
”My father and oldest brother.”
”I thought you only had one brother.”
”No I have two older brothers and an older sister.”
”You're the baby? I thought your sister was younger.” ”No, I'm the baby.”
”When was the last time you saw them?”
”Two years ago.”
”But you all write to each other.”
”I hear from my father or mother every week, and from my sister at least once a month.”
260 ”Your brothers?”
”Usually their wives.”
Sabrina nodded, trying to picture them all and wondering what kind of people they were to produce a son like Rylan. She stared at the water rippling along the creek for a while, watching the way it skipped along the rocks, and then looked back at Rylan.
”Does Sybil look like you?” Rylan asked.
”You can tell we're sisters, but her skin is very fair and her eyes are a darker blue.”
”Who's taller?”
”She is. She's almost six feet. I think I heard you say you're the tallest?”
”Yes,” Rylan smiled. ”They still call me their big little brother.” Sabrina smiled, wis.h.i.+ng she could meet his family, especially his mother and father.
”I never knew you would be beautiful,” Rylan suddenly said. ”What do you mean?”
”I was fairly certain G.o.d would bring you along, but I didn't know what you would look like. Your looks weren't important. But here you are, with just the right heart, and beautiful too.”
”Just the right heart?”
Rylan nodded but didn't try to explain. He didn't know if he could, and Sabrina didn't seem to need it. He put out his hand, and Sabrina reached as well. They sat in silence for awhile, giving Sabrina room for her thoughts.
If she'd been asked to describe Rylan before today, she would have said he was a big man with a handsome face and square jaw, dark brown hair and eyes, and a wonderful smile and heart. But now she would have to amend that. He didn't have just any heart, it was the right heart. She thought such a statement would be far truer of him than herself.
Sabrina looked down, realizing that he was not just holding her hand but touching her fingers. She watched him finger each one, brus.h.i.+ng his fingers along her smooth nails.
261 ”I didn't know anyone could have such perfect hands,” Rylan said almost to himself.
”They're a little smaller than yours,” Sabrina teased gently.
”Overall, but your fingers are long!” he said, pressing their palms together with studied concentration. With the bottoms of their hands lined up, Rylan could still curl his fingers over the tops of Sabrina's by almost an inch.
While Sabrina was still watching, he pressed a kiss into her palm and folded her fingers over it. He then looked into her eyes.
”I think you're going to have to kiss me, my sweet Sabrina. When the time is right.”
”Why is that?”
”I'm not trying to force you into leading, and we have to be careful with our thoughts and actions before we're married, but I want our kissing to be something you're comfortable with.”