© Copyright 2005
by Elizabeth Delayne




It occurred to Lucy that it probably hadn’t been a wise idea to try rollerblading her first day working on the list ... but not until she was heading down third avenue, flailing her arms out and praying for something to grab or someone to grab her. With the street on her left, and the sidewalk mostly empty, she still had to worry about cars passing by ... doors opening, trash cans, trees ....

And people watching.

She faltered, slipped and slid. Her arms flailed out and she managed to reach a light pole. There she prayed, holding onto the wooden pole with all her might as cool sweat prickled at the back of her neck.

Oh, Lord, get me out of this mess.

Don’t let anyone see me.

Don’t let me fall.

She opened her eyes and spotted a bench. Perfect. If she could just get to the bench, she could take off the awkward skates.

She could check off her list with a big, bold red mark.

She’d tried it.

That was all she had promised herself she would do. She didn’t need to like it, or become an expert. It was her list, after all, and she could make her own rules. She’d borrowed the inline skates, after all.

From a teenager ... who’d made it look effortless and promised her it was easy.

She stared at the bench, at freedom, and sighed. If only she didn’t have to let go of the pole to get there ... past the wide window of the local Starbucks.

Realizing she had a death grip on the wooden pole, she relaxed her fingers and tried to breath normally. She didn’t need to look afraid ... or as afraid.

She released one hand and ran it through her shoulder length blond hair.

The wheels moved. She grabbed back onto the pole. Held on with both hands.

She rolled her eyes. So much for bravado. Wasn’t that what the list was for? To challenge her to try something new, to do something out of her comfort zone that she’d always wanted to try?

Give me courage.

And don’t let me fall. Please don’t let me fall!

It took a few more deep breaths and some concentrated evaluating, but finally, she let go and carefully pushed away.

How she ended up going fast, she didn’t know, but the speed picked up.

Quickly.

The door opened and surprised her. She held out her hands and tried to stop. She squeeled as she saw the body and the hands that reached out. Her legs slid out from under her, even as she felt the hands grab her.

And they both tumbled to the ground with a squeal and a grunt.



Lucy sat on the ground, with her eyes closed in humiliation. She had vague images of the man grabbing on, of herself grabbing on with both hands, of her full force pulling them down.

And the very masculine groan.

He’d twisted, miraculously, and avoided landing on top of her, or under her ... or whatever painful way they could have ended up.

Instead he sat on the ground beside her and laughed. It was a gorgeous, kindred laugh.

The idiot.

“You okay?”

She forced herself to look up, meet his gaze. His eyes ... they were such a clear blue, framed in dark lashes. He sat on the ground beside her, facing her, his long legs bent in front of him. He rested his arms on his knees and waited.

For what?

“Oh—“ she remembered he’d been talking to her. “No ... I’m just ... mortified. Fine, but mortified.”

“Used inline skates before?”

“Huh ... oh, no.”

“Not the best place.”

“No ... I just thought with all the light poles and benches, it ... I didn’t think it would be so hard. Autumn said ... she’s my next door neighbor’s kid—she said it was easy. I see her here all the time—I ... didn’t think I’d be so bad. She can do it, why can’t ...”

She stopped herself. She was rambling, still sitting in the middle of the sidewalk in front of Starbuck’s with a stranger at her side.

His dark eyes were watching her, so steadily. For a moment, she forgot herself and just stared.

“I have a list.”

She heard herself say.

“Of what? Ways to run over strangers?”

“Huh?” Then she blushed. “No—are you all right? I should have asked. I didn’t think.”

“I’m fine. And what red blooded male would complain about being run over by a pretty, adventurous, girl?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh,” the laugh tumbled out of her as she waved a hand, “I’m not adventurous.”

She looked up as someone stepped around them and opened the door. “I guess I’d better get out of the way.”

She started to stand, and for a moment, forgot all about the inline skates. Her feet just moved back and forth via the wheels as she leaned back on her arms. She stared at them and sighed.

“I guess I need to get these off.”

He stood, brushed off his jeans, and reached down with both hands to help her up. She stared at his hands and blushed. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but with her luck, she’d make a bigger fool of herself trying.

Instead she scooted out of the way and leaned against the glass at her back, working the inline skates off from there. As she set one aside, then worked at the other, she saw him pick it up, sling it over his shoulder. When she finished, he held out his hand again.

This time, she accepted.

“I’ll walk you back to ... wherever. Protect the rest of the town from being mowed over.”

She looked at his in surprise, saw the laughter in his eyes.

And laughed herself.

“I’m Rob, but the way.”

“Lucy.” She shook his hand.

“Nice to be run over by you, Lucy.”

And he grinned.

* * *

“Shame on you, Robert.”

Rob looked over the counter as Barney handed over his morning double lotte. Barney had been around since he was a kid, first a friend of his dad’s and a security guard at the bank.

More recently, the owner and operator of the Westfield Starbucks.

“You did it on purpose.”

He pulled off the lid and breathed in the aroma, then took his first slow sip as he eyed his old friend. His hair was nearly gone, but he put effort into combing it back each morning. His white eyebrows were shaggy, but his eyes still held the same old glimmer.

“What?”

“I saw you watching that girl yesterday. You timed it to go out the door.”

“Just going out, Barney.”

“Sure. Pretty spectacular fall though. You underestimated her.”

Rob grinned, it was a quick flash. “She’s a spunky one.”

“You seeing her again?”

“As a matter of fact.”

“Figured.”

He flexed his arms, feeling the effects of vice grip. She did have a strong grip–it had surprised him, thrown him off.

But the benefit had overridden the ache.

“What’s the point of falling, if you don’t follow through?”

Barney laughed. “You’re just like your father—before he met your mother.”

The image came and went, and with it, the pang of sadness over the sweetness. Had it been a year? Not quite—the calculation of dates was automatic.

Man, he missed his dad. The days just hadn’t been the same since.

“So,” the door opened, and it must have been a regular, because Barney turned immediately and began fixing the mixed coffee. “You’ve already knocked her off her feet. What’s next?”

“She’s got a list of things she wants to try.” It was an odd list, a little random, but quirky enough that he thought it would be interesting on top of the pursuit. “I’m going to help her check it off.”

“And then?” Barney turned back, handed off the coffee, and accepted the money.

“And then we’ll see.”

* * *

Lucy stared down at the list. She’d written it in her journal and drawn boxes at the beginning of each one. But she’d ended up scratching them out instead. One by one over the last few months.

Rollerblading.

Not what she thought it would be—nearly everything she feared.

Though Rob promised it wasn’t so bad. He said they should go again, some place safer.

With padded walls.

She grinned. She liked his sense of humor. She liked him a lot.

It hadn’t been easy to find the time or arrange the things she had on her list. He traveled around the country and into Europe on business, so he was gone a good bit. And he liked to tease her that he wouldn’t want to over-sensitize her adventure radar. So they’d filled in the gaps with quiet dinners and long walks, with telephone calls, regular emails, and rambling talks over coffee.

He’d driven her over to Atlanta, where he’d passed by a parking lot carnival. The whole Ferris Wheel thing ... not what she’d hoped, either.

But she’d liked walking around with him, his hand holding onto hers.

Even though it was damp because she’d been so nervous.

...Sharing cotton candy under the stars ... and reaching the top of the spinning machine to find him looking at her. Just looking at her, with that smile on his face ... the hint of dimples and the hint of something more.

She’d crossed the Ferris Wheel out several times ... but drew a smiley face out to the side. At least the adventure had been worth it.

They’d gone for Sushi ... it hadn’t been bad, and Rob had certainly had a good time watching her. He’d been a natural.

It probably wasn’t something she would do again.

But it had been fun ... as much fun as the other six or seven things they’d tried together.

Today they were going fishing.

It was getting cool outside, so she wore her jeans and a fleecy pullover. Through the window, she saw him pull up in his jeep. She grabbed her backpack from the stool and headed out, but as she started to lock her front door he waved her back.

“Lewis and Sue’s kid got a bug or something. They called to cancel.”

“Oh—“ she opened the door as he reached her, the smiled when he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “Is he ... she, okay?”

“Yeah ... just a kid thing. Lewis wasn’t worried,” he took her hands after she shut the door. “Hey, don’t look so bummed.”

“I was looking forward to meeting them–seeing them together. You have a lot of stories about Lewis.”

“How bout we catch up with them next week? Sue’s got a fabulous lasagne. She buys it from the store, but it’s worth it over at their house.”

“Should we invite them ... over here? It seems odd to invite myself, or ourselves over to someone else’s house.”

He studied her, his lips slipping into an easy smile as his hands gently rubbed her arms. “You could. We could, depends on the kids. I don’t usually invite them both over to dinner, not to my place ... my cooking’s not that fab. Sue told me so.”

“That should be on the list. Try Rob’s cooking.”

“Defiantly an adventure. Where is it?”

She nodded toward the end table where she’d left it.

“We can see what else we can cross off since we have the day to spend together.” He walked over, picked it up. “You can fix me some lunch.”

She wrinkled her nose in mock distress. “We’ve already tried that adventure.”

He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “But it was worth repeating.”

“Hah, hah.” She dropped down on the sofa beside him and watched him read over the list. How many times had they sat like this ... just like this, so quiet and content with each other.

He’d added a few things. His favorite ice cream was Rocky Road—she’d never tried it, but now she had.

Pictures with Santa and Rob at the Mall.

They were waiting for Christmas to roll around.

Sledding.

As it didn’t snow often in Georgia, and even less with enough substance to go sledding, she wasn’t sure when or how that would happen. But he loved to sled ... and she’d never been.

She’d found that doing things with him took a whole lot less courage.

Because she trusted him?

Because she loved him?

Maybe.

She watched as he considered the list, then leaned to the side to pull a pen from his pocket. He tapped it to his lips.

“What are you getting me into now?”

He laughed. “Oh, you’re going to like this.”

She watched him write.

Take Lucy to meet mom.

She swallowed—and recognized the knot forming in her stomach. Why did those words worry her? Because she felt her feet fly out from under her like that first day, on inline skates?

“Should I be afraid?”

“No, why?”

“There’s an element of fear on everything on this list.”

He feigned surprise. “Not for you—it wouldn’t be. Mom will love you. But it is for me.”

“Why?”

“I ... don’t take girls to meet my mom. Not often. She starts to think about them, hope ... I don’t want to get her hopes up. Especially since my dad died. It would be hard ... to see her let down.”

“Then why me?”

“Because you’ve gotten my hopes up.”

“Rob—“

For a moment, he just stared at her ... and she let the warmth settle deep inside.

Then he looked back at the list. He tapped the pen to the paper and she saw his hand tremble. It startled her. What could he be afraid of?

“I guess if you’re going to meet my mom, there’s something we should add to the list.”

Her parents.

She’d told them about him, of course, shared all the little details of their adventures, but they lived out of state. She’d wondered if he would go with her for Thanksgiving, but that would mean leaving his mom alone.

But what he wrote had nothing to do with her parents.

Get engaged.

Lucy stared at the words for a long time, and wondered why they seemed so ... large.

Engaged?

To Rob?

She looked back at him then, saw him watching her. Rob ... she wanted to say ... and yes ... but the words seemed lodged in her throat.

“Oh ... I forgot the other thing.” He looked back, wrote again.

- - Tell Lucy that I love her.

- - Tell Lucy that I love her a lot.

- - Give Lucy beautiful ring.

- - Tell Lucy about door. Must be honest.

- - Get married.

“What about the door?”

“How ‘bout the ring?”

She grinned. “How about the ‘I love you?’”

“There is that,” he set the book aside and captured her face between his hands. “I love you, Lucy ... more then I ever thought I would. There’s your faith. It’s helped remind me of my own. I’d forgotten it, let it slip away when my dad died. You’ve shown me I don’t have to be sad. You’ve helped me to get pointed back to my joy ... I didn’t think I wanted to be in love, but I do. I love you. I love you.”

“Rob—“ she blinked back her tears as he kissed her, gently, then leaned back.

“You have something to say, I hope.”

“There is that.” She laughed again and brushed away the tears with the back of her hand, then she looked at him, found him waiting, but not impatient. He must know what was in her heart, though neither of them had shared it vocally.

“I do love you,” she reached out and brushed the corner of his lips ... of his easy smile, with her thumb. “I love that we can laugh together, that we can hope and dream together. I love that I can knock you over and you can handle yourself.”

“There is that ...” he grinned and shifted to the side again, to reach into his pocket. She watched him pull out the ring and hold it up between them.

“Then you’ll marry me?”

The princess cut was beautiful, and everything she had ever dreamed. It sparkled in the sunlight that streamed through her front windows.

“It’s on the list,” she said and grinned as he slid it over her finger. Then she looked at him. “Let’s cross it off the list.”

She watched him cross each thing off, then stop at the next to the last thing. He tapped the tip of his pen against the paper and glanced over sheepishly.

“What door?”

“You know the one at Starbucks?”

“Where we met?”

“I figured you would hear it from Barney anyway ... the thing is, I saw you—had been watching you for some time through the window—had thought about coming out to offer some ... assistance, but then you pushed off. I timed it.”

“You did it on purpose!”

“Sure,” he grinned, then laced his figures through hers and held up the ring, gently rocking her hand so the diamond glimmered. “I just didn’t expect you to be so ... enthusiastic ...”

“You better be careful. You never know what I might put on that list.”

“Whatever it is ...” He glanced over at her—winked. “We’ll do it together.”

She grinned. She couldn’t help it ...

They would do it together. Meet his mom, his friends, her friends, her parents ... everything ... Including fall. Like they’d fallen in love. Together. With both feet knocked out from under them.



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