From Russia With Love

by Colleen Coble

  Irina’s eyes widened, and she put her thumb in her mouth. Her gaze shot to her mother’s as if to ask for permission, but Tatiana was still admiring the china dolls. Irina nodded slowly. He handed it to her. Her little arms crept around it, and she hugged it close. Running to her mother, she showed it to her.

  Tatiana searched his gaze with her sapphire one. “You must not spoil her,” she said softly.

  “I want to.” He discovered he would like to spoil Irina’s mother as well. Picking up a doll lavishly dressed in blue silk, he carried it toward the checkout.

  “Wait, you cannot.” Tatiana’s voice was bewildered.

  “It’s a peace offering,” he said. “Please don’t spoil my enjoyment.”

  She bit her lip, obviously torn by his plea. Inclining her head, she sighed. “As you wish. I shall prepare you a wonderful supper to say thank you. May I buy the ingredients I need?”

  “We’ll stop at the grocery on the way home.” He paid for the bear and the doll, then led them next door to The Francis Shoppe. When she saw he meant to enter, Tatiana held up a hand in protest. “No—no more gifts.”

  “This is a necessity,” he said. “I brought you to town to buy you and Irina new coats. We’ll buy yours first, then go across town to get Irina’s.”

  She stiffened her shoulders. “Our coats are fine. If you are ashamed of us, we can go home now.”

  “I’m not ashamed of you. But it’s cold, and I would feel better if Irina had a warmer one. You, too.” His mention of her daughter had the desired effect, for her glare softened.

  “For Irina then. I do not need one.”

  He reached out and touched her arm. “I need to ask a favor.”

  She scowled. “I want no coat.”

  “That’s not the favor.” He pulled them nearer the door and out of the wind. “Mother has been planning a dinner party for her seventieth birthday for months. It’s this Saturday. Would you be interested in working for us and preparing the food for the party? It would mean so much to Mother.”

  Her gaze searched his, and she seemed to see his sincerity. “I would be honored with this trust.”

  He smiled cajolingly. “So, you see, the coat could be just an advance on your salary.”

  Tatiana shook her head. “I would not spend my money so foolishly when Irina needs new clothes. Let us go to this place where we can find her a coat, and you may advance me money there for her.”

  So much for that idea. He knew when he was licked. “Let me show you the downtown first. All two blocks square of it.” Wabash still held its Victorian flavor with its tall storefronts. The Eagles Theater was one of the oldest. He would have to take her to a movie sometime. At the errant thought, he suppressed a sigh. His thoughts refused to stay corralled.

  Irina cried out and pointed to a kitten in the window of J & K Pet Store, but Tatiana refused to go in. “You do not need a kitten,” she said firmly. “You have a new bear.”

  Irina started to cry, and she rubbed her eyes tiredly. Gabe knelt beside her. “What’s your bear’s name?” he asked.

  Her tears stopped, and she considered his question carefully. “Pooh,” she said.

  “He’s not yellow.”

  “Pooh,” she repeated.

  “Okay, Pooh it is.” He held out his arms. “You’re tired. Want me to carry you?”

  She nodded, and he lifted her into his arms. “Let’s go buy you a new coat. Your mommy can’t complain about that.” He turned to smile at Tatiana, but his grin faltered at the tears in her eyes.

  “What did I say this time?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she whispered. “There are so many things Irina will never have. Never, never.” She turned and walked back to the Jeep, her erect carriage belying the pain he’d just seen in her eyes.

  His emotions in turmoil, he followed her to the Jeep. Irina was asleep by the time he fastened her into the seat belt. The air was stiff with Tatiana’s misery as he pulled out, then turned to go north to the children’s shop. “I’m sorry,” he said after a long pause. “Sorry for the pain you’ve had in your life, sorry you have no husband to share the burden with, sorry Irina has no father. But your Heavenly Father is always there for you.”

  Tatiana’s eyes narrowed. “Do not speak to me of a Heavenly Father,” she said with an angry toss of her head. “Irina lost her father because he was a Christian. Sergio, he think his faith is worth more than his child and his wife. Because of this religion, Irina and I live on bread and milk. I want nothing to do with your Jesus.”

  Pain squeezed his heart. He had begun to think he might keep an open mind about a relationship with Tatiana. But that was impossible if she wasn’t a believer. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said quietly. “Knowing Jesus is the only thing that has given me peace in many circumstances of my life.” His emotions rolled from the blow. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he was attracted to her.

  Tears squeezed from her lids. “What trouble could you have had, Mr. Salinger? You, who live in such luxury? Do you know what it is like to go to bed and hear your child whimper with hunger? What it is like to worry that you and your daughter will be thrown onto the street because you have no money to pay rent?”

  “No,” he said quietly, “but I know what it’s like to see my father die a lingering death from cancer. I know what it’s like to lose a sister who went swimming one day and didn’t come back. I know about loss, Tatiana. Money doesn’t make me exempt from pain.”

  Shame darkened her eyes, and she looked away. “You are right. I am sorry,” she whispered.

  He nodded. “Here we are.” He stopped the car outside Jack in the Box, a children’s clothing store. Unfastening the seat belt, he lifted the sleeping little girl into his arms and carried her inside. She didn’t stir. He could sense Tatiana’s remorse over her harsh words, but that didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t a Christian.

  They shopped in silence. Tatiana let him buy Irina a new coat, navy blue with gold buttons, and a blue and yellow Pooh scarf, as well as five sturdy play outfits and two dresses. The light in her eyes as they added the gaily colored clothing to their cart lifted his spirits. The shop also had a car seat, so he bought that, too. He handed Irina to Tatiana while he went to the Jeep and fastened it in place.

  “Now, let’s get those groceries and head for home,” he said after putting the sleeping child into the seat.

  Tatiana nodded and climbed into the Jeep. He drove south to Bechtol’s Grocery. Again, he unfastened Irina and carried her inside. This child stuff was wearing. Fasten her in; unfasten her. No wonder he saw mothers worn out when shopping with their children. Before today, he’d had no idea it was so hard. But it was also fun in some strange way.

  Irina was awake by the time they got inside the store. Her eyes were as big as her mother’s as they started down the aisles.

  “Never have I seen so much choice,” Tatiana marveled. “And so inexpensive.” She selected beef, vegetables, pasta, constantly checking prices. “I am ready.”

  He fished out his wallet, and she held up her hand. “You said I might buy the food.”

  “I didn’t say you could buy it. I said we’d stop at the store.” He shuddered to think how little money there was in her battered purse.

  “No, I insist.” She compressed her lips and marched toward the checkout line.

  He sighed and followed her. That pride of hers was unrelenting. But he admired her independence. Most women would have taken anything he offered.

  She carefully counted out her money and handed it to the clerk. Her smile was joyful as she carried Irina back to the car. “Wait until you taste the supper I shall prepare for you. Will Mike and your mother be there?”

  “Yes,” he assured her. “Especially when they hear you’re cooking a Russian meal. Do I get a hint of what you’re fixing?”

  “Nyet. You must be surprised with the rest.” She clapped her hands joyfully. “I love to cook when I can find such good ingredients. I must thank yo
ur mother for allowing me this chance to repay her kindness.”

  “We are the ones who are grateful. I would have hated to cancel the party. Mother’s old friend, Major MacGregor, is in town.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’ve had hopes they might make a match one of these days, but Mother is so stubborn and won’t see him unless it’s in a group. I know he has loved her for years.”

  Tatiana turned her wide eyes on him. “Not many sons would feel this way. Many would be jealous.”

  He shrugged. “I just want her to be happy. And, besides, maybe if she has a husband, she won’t be moaning so much about grandchildren.”

  The corners of Tatiana’s mouth quirked up. “It is a hard life for you,” she said cheekily.

  He laughed and parked the Jeep outside the house. “You carry Irina; I’ll get the groceries,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re in for with my mother. She’ll find you a husband, I can guarantee it.”

  “But it won’t be you,” Tatiana said flatly.

  His smile faded. “No, it won’t be me.”

  six

  Tatiana put the china doll on her dresser and smiled into its painted face. She had always wanted a doll like this, but the closest she’d ever come was a cloth doll her mother had made for her when she was two. Gabe was a kind and generous man. Why did he refuse to consider the idea of a life with her? She was no great beauty, but she was fairly attractive. Maybe he didn’t like blonds. Sighing, she pulled her hair back and went to prepare supper. On the way, she peeked into Irina’s room and saw her playing happily with her new bear.

  Gabe had put the groceries away by the time she got there. Pouring a cup of coffee, he didn’t notice her in the doorway. She was able to stand and just look at him. Why did he draw her the way he did? Mike looked just like him, same gray eyes that reminded her of the sea on a stormy day, same broad shoulders and slender fingers, same square jaw. But being around Mike didn’t make her catch her breath; he didn’t cause her heart to pound the way it was right now. She shook her head slightly to clear it, and Gabe turned.

  He eyed her scraped-back hair but didn’t remark on it. “I suppose you’re going to tell me I have to leave the kitchen so you can cook,” he said.

  The wistful tone in his voice tugged at her heartstrings. He was like a little boy who was told to leave the swing set and go to bed. Smiling, she shook her head. “If you really wish to help, I will let you.”

  His eyes brightened, and he took a swig of coffee. “I love to cook, but Martha never lets me. She grew up in the days when it was shameful for a man to be in the kitchen. This is my favorite room, but she never lets me stay long. Want me to fix the salad?”

  Her smile widened at the eagerness in his voice. “One does not sharpen the axes after the right time. First, you may cut up chunks of chicken breast for me.” She went to the refrigerator and pulled out the ingredients. “I will chop the vegetables.”

  Gabe rummaged until he found a couple of chopping boards and knives. They worked in companionable silence for several minutes. Sergio had never been interested in cooking, and Tatiana found it refreshing to have a man in her kitchen.

  “What is this bread you made this morning?” Gabe asked. “I’ve been wanting a piece since I saw it.”

  “Russian black bread,” she said. “Full of flavor and chewy. I think you will like it.”

  “Sounds good.” He stared at it longingly, then turned back to his chicken. “I think that’s done. What now?”

  “Find me a pot to cook the stew in.” She used the knife to move the vegetables together on the chopping board. “Have you a—a thing that squeezes the juice from these?” She couldn’t think of the English word for the tool or the vegetable.

  “Garlic press,” he said. “I’m sure we do.” He sifted through the drawers and found what she needed. Hovering at her elbow, he watched her press the garlic and combine the ingredients in the pot. “Don’t you think I deserve to know what this is we’re cooking?”

  She found his nearness distracting. What would it be like to have such a strong and kind man as a husband? Suppressing a sigh, she smiled. “It is called Midnight Chicken. You may put many different things in it, depending on what is in your refrigerator at midnight when unexpected guests stop in.”

  He chuckled and moved closer to the stove, which meant he also moved closer to her. Her mouth went dry, and she longed to lean back against his broad chest. Biting her lip, she moved away a few inches.

  He took the spoon and stirred the stew. “What else?”

  “This is put over rice noodles. We must prepare a salad, and maybe an Armenian cheese roll for an appetizer. I will prepare Russian Pryaniks—maybe you call them honey cakes—for dessert and also lemon tarts with blueberry sauce.”

  Gabe stopped stirring a moment. “You must be quite a cook,” he said softly.

  The warmth in his gaze disconcerted her a moment. “It is something I enjoy.” She could see the admiration in his eyes. Why would he not admit it? It was beyond her understanding.

  Gabe seemed to realize how close he was, for his gray eyes lost their light, and he moved away. His tone became brisk and impersonal. “You ready for that salad now?”

  “Not yet. It must be fresh. Maybe you could check on Irina while I make the dessert?”

  “Maybe that would be best,” he said gravely.

  With an aching heart, she watched him leave. If she felt like this after only two days, what would the rest of the ninety days bring? Likely heartache. The thought didn’t frighten her. She’d faced heartache before. If it came, it came. At least Irina was safe and warm for now.

  §

  Grace returned around four o’clock. Her face lined with strain, she dropped into the chair at the kitchen table and kicked off her shoes. “Poor Martha. She will be laid up for at least two or three months. I shall have to try to find some help from the temp agency in town.” Looking around the kitchen, she smiled. “But it looks like you have everything under control for now. You didn’t have to cook supper. We could have gone out.”

  “I did not want you to have to go to the village when you would be tired,” Tatiana said, pouring Grace a cup of coffee. “Besides, I love to cook.” She sat beside her at the table and propped her chin in her hand. “I would like to work for you while I am here, if you would allow it.”

  “You mean, take Martha’s place?” Gabe’s mother’s gray look lightened a bit. “Why didn’t I think of that? Are you sure you’re up to it? This is a large house.”

  “I am stronger than I look,” Tatiana said. “Since I must return to Russia, it would give me the opportunity to earn some money before I go.”

  Grace shook her head. “We’ll find you a husband. You’ll see. But that’s a splendid idea about acting as our housekeeper and cook. You’ll stay in your present rooms, of course. That will be much more convenient than having you across the estate in the guest cottage. Besides, it will give Gabe a chance to get to know you better.”

  Heat spread up Tatiana’s cheeks. “You would wish this?”

  Grace was silent a moment. “I already like you, Tatiana. But I don’t know you well enough yet to determine if you are the one God has chosen for my Gabe. We haven’t talked about your faith or anything else important. But I know we all must learn more about one another. Only time will tell about any future relationship.”

  Tatiana dropped her head so Grace would not see how her words had affected her. What should she say about faith? She couldn’t lie. Could these people really take it so seriously? “I do not think Gabe wishes to get to know me better,” she said.

  Grace clicked her tongue. “How would he know that yet? All we can do is pray that God would show us the right thing to do as we learn about one another.”

  God again. Why did the subject seem to follow her everywhere she went, like a—a stray cat? Tatiana clenched her hands in the folds of her skirt. A tide of rebellion choked her. Did all Christians try to force their views on everyone? She was sick of i
t. Why couldn’t they leave her alone? She just wanted a place for Irina and herself, not a sermon.

  Grace took her silence for agreement. Patting her hand, she rose. “I think I’ll shower before supper. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Gabe already helped me. Everything is in order. The stew will be ready around six. Is that acceptable?”

  “Wonderful.” She paused at the doorway. “How is our girl today? You are very fortunate to have such a wonderful daughter. I shall enjoy having her around. Tomorrow I would like to take you both shopping. My treat, of course.”

  “I beat you to it, Mother.” Gabe dropped a kiss on his mother’s cheek, then strode into the kitchen and sat on a bar stool at the island.

  Grace cast a bewildered look from Gabe to Tatiana. “You went shopping? You?”

  He shrugged. “I do occasionally have to go in a store, you know.”

  “Yes, but you hate shopping.”

  “I found it rather enjoyable today,” he said.

  Tatiana was conscious of his thoughtful gaze and hurriedly went to the stove to stir the stew. “He purchased for Irina some clothing and a coat as well as a bear. For me, he also purchased a doll.” She turned and smiled. No one had ever bought her such a frivolous present before. She found she liked being frivolous.

  Gabe flushed at her smile of gratitude. “Maybe Tatiana will let you buy her a coat. She wouldn’t let me.”

  “I see,” Grace said faintly. “Well, I shall see what I can do tomorrow. We’ll stop and check on Martha, then I’ll take you to lunch and to Fort Wayne to shop.”

  “Thank you,” Tatiana said. “I would love to spend the time with you.” And it would get her away from Gabe. She needed to catch her breath a bit and marshal her defenses against his magnetism.

  The front door slammed. “Mike is home,” Grace said. “I must speak with him a moment.” She gave Gabe and Tatiana a slight wave and hurried from the room.