A Home for Her Heart

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“Thank you for agreeing to it, Elizabeth. I truly appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s talk about your wedding. Have you decided on the wedding dress you want?”

“I have narrowed it down to three. I wanted Colleen’s opinion on them also. Violet has offered to make it for me, isn’t that nice of her?”

“It is. She is a wonderful seamstress and I’m sure Butterick is going to hate to lose her. Has she given notice, do you know?”

“I think so. But she’s going to work a few more months until they can find someone to replace her.”

“Mrs. Heaton is thrilled. To have her daughter back with a grandchild she didn’t know she had, and a new one on the way with Violet and Michael. I think I’m happiest of all for her.”

“So am I.” Kathleen sighed. “I don’t know what Colleen and I would have done without her help and yours and the others at Heaton House.”

“And it continues with you and Colleen. How is she liking being in charge of a Ladies’ Aide day-care home?”

“She loves it. The boys love it. It’s been a blessing to be sure.”

“And is Officer O’Malley still calling on her?”

“He is. After all she’s been through it’s hard for me to believe she might trust another man with her heart, but it appears she might be ready to.”

Elizabeth wondered how she could, too—Colleen’s husband had tried to kill her after all! But she hoped she would find happiness. “He seems to be a good man.”

“He does. And Luke says he’ll treat her with care and won’t make a move until she’s ready, but it won’t surprise me if he asks her to marry him soon.”

All this talk of marriage and love had Elizabeth wondering if she was going to make it through all the wedding planning. It left her with conflicting feelings—happy for her friends but longing for something she’d never have. She’d have to get over it. She’d promised Kathleen she’d help her in any way and she intended to keep that promise, no matter how much it brought long-buried dreams to life again. She sent up a silent prayer asking the Lord to give her peace about her future and she prayed to be able to concentrate on helping her friend.

But she was more than a little relieved to arrive at Colleen’s. She’d let her boys stay up a little later so they could see their aunt Kathleen and their happiness at the change in their lives was contagious. So much so, that after they were put to bed and the women began their wedding planning, she found she could concentrate on Kathleen’s happiness and trust hers to the Lord.

* * *

When Luke came to escort them home, Elizabeth was more than a little surprised to find John with him. She figured he was hard at work on a new article.

“Two escorts? What a pleasant surprise,” Kathleen said, taking her fiancé’s arm.

“It’s such a nice night, we thought you two might like to stop at the Bailey’s Soda Shop before going home,” Luke said. “Sound good to you?”

“It does,” Kathleen said.

“What about you, Elizabeth? Want to have a soda?” John asked. “You deserve one after this afternoon.”

“Yes, I think I would.”

“Good.” He offered his arm to Elizabeth and she hesitated only a moment before taking it. She never used to think about taking his arm and wasn’t sure why she did now, or why her pulse began to race when she did.

Luke and Kathleen had their heads close together, talking quietly as they took the lead.

“Wonder what those two are whispering about?” John leaned his head down and whispered in her ear, causing her pulse to speed up.

What was going on with her? This was John—a friend at most—and sometimes not. This was the man who thought her writing wasn’t as important as his own. Who irritated her as often as he made her laugh. “Any number of things, I would imagine,” she whispered back. “Did you get your article written?”

“Not all of it. I think we’re going to do one a week to start with. Boss wants to see how it goes over. And since we have no names to investigate yet, that might be the best idea.”

“I meant to give my film to Millicent and ask her to develop it for us. I’ll ask her when we get back to Heaton House, or first thing in the morning.”

“That will be fine. I’m sure she’ll get to it as soon as she can.”

“I just hope there’s something worth developing in them.” Elizabeth wasn’t even going to pretend she was as good a photographer as Millicent.

“There will be.”

She didn’t know why he was being so...nice. Maybe, like her, he realized working together would be easier if they weren’t always in competition with each other.

“What are you two whispering about back there?” Luke asked.

“Oh, this and that.” John chuckled. “We just didn’t want to disturb you two lovebirds’ conversation.”

Luke seemed to pull Kathleen a little closer and smiled down at her. “Nice of you to be so considerate.”

They’d reached the crowded soda shop and were glad to find one empty table. “If it’s this busy so early in the season, think what it’s going to be like midsummer,” John said, pulling out a chair for Elizabeth.

The men asked what they wanted and went to the counter to order.

“It was nice of the guys to think of this, wasn’t it?” Kathleen asked, watching Luke and John make their way to the counter.

“It was.”

“I’m glad John came along,” Kathleen said.

Elizabeth wondered whose idea it was for him to come along. Not that it really mattered, but she thought it must have been Luke’s.

“He doesn’t always have a chance to do fun things—or hasn’t up until lately. He’s not covering the society doings as much as he used to, is he?” Kathleen asked.

“I don’t think so.” Which would be a good thing. Elizabeth always worried when she was with her aunt at one or another charity function that she might run into him and he’d find out who she really was. Although, lately she almost wished he would. It would force her to get things out in the open. If she weren’t so afraid of losing the friendship of those closest to her, she would have made a point to try to run into him.

“Hopefully these articles he’s doing about the tenements will help get him a better position at the Tribune.”

“So do I.” And she really did. She just didn’t always like that it seemed to be all he thought about.

The men came back to the table just then and John set her chocolate soda down in front of her before taking his seat next to her. He’d bought the same for himself. Luke had bought a vanilla one for himself and a chocolate one for Kathleen.

As they all took the first sip from their straws, a collective sigh was heard around the table.

“Hmm, this is wonderful,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you, Luke, for thinking of this.”

“Actually it was John’s idea,” Luke said.

John shrugged. “I noticed it the other day and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I’m glad you ladies agreed to come with us.”

Lately the man never failed to surprise her. One minute he was focused only on work and the next he did something like this that made her wonder once again if there was more to him than she knew. And why was he just now showing that side?

* * *

John couldn’t help but see the surprise on Elizabeth’s face when she found out this outing was his idea. Why did she seem so surprised? Probably because he rarely found time to enjoy himself. Since coming to New York City, he’d been so busy trying to get to the same status he’d enjoyed in Natchez that he’d had little time to do anything else.