A Home for Her Heart

by Janet Lee Barton

  “Yes, well, I’m sure you like enjoying the game, too, and I’m taking your attention off of it.”

  “I’m getting to see the game and teach you about it at the same time. I’m not going to miss anything important. I can watch the game and answer your questions at the same time.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  She smiled at him. “Good. Then maybe by next time, I’ll understand it well enough to let you watch in peace.”

  “Would you want to come again?”

  “Oh, yes! It’s quite exciting.”

  John grinned. “Well, there are still a lot of games left in the season. I’m sure we’ll come again—if you can tear yourself away from some of those wedding plans.”

  Elizabeth leaned out and nodded toward Kathleen and Luke, who sat on the other side of John. “It appears Kathleen’s enjoying it as much as I am. I think we’ll be able to work around ball games.”

  His smile shot straight to her heart and she could feel her face flush as she looked away just as the batter hit the second ball out of the ballpark.

  John jumped up and cheered with the others to watch the batter and the man on first make it all the way in to home base. She jumped up and cheered with him. He turned to her, pulled her closer, knocking her hat eschew, before he quickly dropped his arms. Elizabeth reached up to straighten her hat, color high in her face.

  “We’re up by two,” he said, smiling at Elizabeth. She couldn’t help but smile back.

  Elizabeth sat back down beside John, trying to get her racing pulse to slow down. She’d nearly been hugged by John, only he’d seemed to think better of it just seconds before both arms had enveloped her. She could tell from the look in his eyes, he’d been acting spontaneously in excitement of the game. Luke was hugging Kathleen and others around them did the same thing. Still, it wasn’t something one did in public unless they were engaged or married.

  But it had been an exciting moment in all kinds of ways. At least he hadn’t apologized, and she hoped that meant he wasn’t sorry. She, on the other hand, was sorry he stopped himself short of a full hug. She caught her breath. What was she thinking?

  She gave herself a little shake and forced her thoughts back to the ball game. Trying to ease any embarrassment John might feel and wanting to let him know she wasn’t upset at him, she began asking questions again and they eased back into the game together.

  A refreshment boy came around with his tray of cold lemonade and another one followed with freshly popped popcorn and a new snack called Cracker Jack that’d been introduced at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. It was a box of popped corn and peanuts coated with molasses.

  “Have you had these before?” John asked.

  “No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard they’re very good.”

  John bought a box of Cracker Jack, two drinks and a bag of popcorn for them to share. The sweet and tart drink went well with the salty treat. And the Cracker Jack snacks were every bit as good as she’d heard they were.

  Luke bought the same and they all shared with Ben, Julia, Millicent and Matt. The game ended with the Giants winning six to three.

  As they filed out of the polo field, they all tried to figure out where they’d eat dinner. Mrs. Heaton had let Gretchen and Maida have the evening off, as none of them would be there for dinner. She’d gone to spend the day with her children, who’d decided against going to the game. Violet didn’t feel up to it and Rebecca, who wasn’t a big fan of baseball, thought spending time with her grandmother would be best for Jenny.

  At Luke and Kathleen’s suggestion, they decided on going to an Italian restaurant they liked. It was still light out and a bit early for dinner, so they concluded it was a wonderful evening for a walk.

  The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere, with candles on each table, and they were seated at a huge round table that was just right for eight people.

  Kathleen and Luke told them about their favorite dishes, and Elizabeth decided on the spaghetti and meatballs at Kathleen’s recommendation. John ordered the same while several others ordered a dish called fettuccine burro e parmigiano.

  By the time their orders got there, the aroma in the place had them all so hungry, Elizabeth wondered if it would have mattered what they ate—but her dish was wonderful.

  “Mmm. This is delicious. I’ve never had Italian food before.”

  “Neither have I,” John said.

  “Luke brought me here one night before we became engaged,” Kathleen said. “It’s been one of our favorite places ever since.”

  “I can certainly see why.”

  “I love this place,” Millicent said. “I’ll have to write home about it. I’d love to get the recipe for this fettuccine dish.”

  For the rest of the evening, they all talked, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

  It’d been a wonderful day and Elizabeth hoped there would be more like it in the future. The chef did give the recipe to Millicent, but it was in Italian and they all chuckled as they said goodbye to the proprietors.

  They filed out of the restaurant and headed back to Heaton House.

  “I think I’ll catch a trolley if I can get one of you men to come with me,” Millicent said.

  “You mean you’re actually afraid to go by yourself?” Matt asked with a teasing grin on his face.

  “No, I don’t mean that and you know it. But I respect Mrs. Heaton’s rules, even if I don’t agree with them. Besides, if I took off by myself, one of you would probably tell her and—”

  “I’ll go with you. Mrs. Heaton’s rules are in place for good reason and we wouldn’t have let you go by yourself,” Matt said. “Anyone else want to get back quickly?”

  “I think I’ll go, too,” Julia said. “I need to press my dress for church tomorrow.”

  “If you’re going, so am I,” Ben said. “I certainly don’t want to be the odd man here with two other couples.”

  “Well, we have to stay if you all are going. Kathleen and Luke have to have some supervision,” John teased.

  “Yeah, well, I’m not sure they’re the only ones. You all behave yourselves, you hear?” Ben said. He laughed and caught up with the others who’d reached the trolley stop.

  Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat. Was Ben insinuating she and John were a couple? He knew better. But...did he and the others see her and John that way? Would it be so bad if they did? She felt all fluttery at the very idea.

  * * *

  John was glad Elizabeth hadn’t insisted on going back with the others. He’d enjoyed the day and didn’t want it to come to an end just yet. He wouldn’t be seeing as much of her after tonight and he might as well enjoy each minute of the evening.

  “I’d like a little time with my fiancé, but if you two are willing to walk far enough behind that we can converse out of your hearing, I suppose you can tag along home with us,” Luke said.

  John chuckled and looked down at Elizabeth. “I don’t know. Think we should let them get that far ahead of us?”

  “Long as you keep us in sight, we should be good,” Luke said. “No need to hear our every word.”

  “I suppose they are right,” Elizabeth said. She motioned to the couple with her hands. “Shoo. Get along now.”

  John chuckled as the couple took off. “I guess we can’t blame them for wanting some privacy.”

  “No, we can’t. They don’t get much time to themselves living at Heaton House. Perhaps that’s not a bad thing, though.”

  “Perhaps. But I know I’d find it hard to have so little time with the woman I was engaged to.” He couldn’t help but feel envious of his friend, who was leaning close to hear whatever it was Kathleen was saying.

  Here the one woman who attracted him in ways he’d never experienced before had just let him know
she was wealthy and now he was more certain than ever that she was out of his league. And yet, she was still the same woman she’d been before she told him all that and he couldn’t turn his feelings on and off like a lightbulb.

  But there was no getting around the fact that she was wealthy. And he wasn’t. He could offer her nothing she couldn’t get for herself.

  “John, is everything all right?”

  “Yes, of course. It’s been a great day and I thank you for spending it with me.”

  She smiled up at him. “Thank you for asking me to. I loved being out in the open watching the baseball game. And while I may not understand it all, I understood enough to enjoy it, thanks to you. Did you mean it about going again? Because I’d really like to.”

  “I did mean it. We’ll do it again.” When he had his feelings for her more in control and thought of her as a good friend instead of longing for more. “You seemed to be more relaxed. How are you feeling after telling everyone?”

  “Freer than I ever have, I believe.”

  “And now you don’t have to worry about us finding out who you are, or how wealthy you are and—”

  “I do still worry that my wealth might affect some of my relationships, but I’ll have to deal with that if it happens. Does it—does it bother you?”

  “No.” Only that she’d never look to him to provide her with what she wanted. She’d never have to. “I do hope you don’t think all men you meet will be after your money, though.”

  “That might be difficult.”

  “Oh, Elizabeth, you aren’t the kind to—”

  “I’m afraid I am the kind of woman who has vowed never to trust my heart to another man.”

  “Another man?”

  She sighed and looked up at him. “John, I have more to tell you.”

  “More?”

  “Yes. There’s another reason why I didn’t want to go by my real name. I don’t think it’s anything I need to tell everyone, and I might not be telling you except you brought up the subject, and well, there’s really no reason you shouldn’t know.”

  “Please, go on.” He might not trust all women, but he felt he had to know why Elizabeth felt she couldn’t trust any man.

  “I was engaged once. With a man Papa thought was just right for me. But the night of our engagement party, I found out that he was only interested in my money and was really in love with another woman. And even though I decided then and there that I could never trust another man—I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t have to deal with that kind of thing again. Men like that seem to come out of the woodwork at the hint of a woman with money of her own.”

  He’d like to get ahold of that man who’d hurt her so badly and caused her to believe she couldn’t trust ever again. No wonder she’d had no callers. She hadn’t wanted any. “I am sorry that you had to deal with all of that, Elizabeth. I’m sorry those kind of men are out there. But surely you know we’re not all like that.”

  “I do know that. I just don’t know how I can tell if a man might find out who I am and try to present himself as something he’s not. Someone who cares only for me and not my money or who will profess he never knew—” She broke off and shook her head. “But you can see why I’m not excited about meeting another of Papa’s choices.”

  “I can.” He did, and it made him breathe a sigh of relief at the thought of her spending time at her aunt’s. The man would have to be very special to get past her mistrust. “What about me and Ben and the other men from Heaton House? Do you trust us at all?”

  She laughed. “Of course I do. But none of you have set your cap for me, so I have no reason not to.”

  He wanted to ask how she would feel if he told her he was interested in her, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear her answer. “I do understand, in a way. I set my cap for a young woman several years back. She was the daughter of my boss and was wealthy, although I was brash enough to think that one day I would be able to make enough money to take care of her. Her father even seemed to like me. Then some young reporter came to town and swept her off her feet.”

  He let out a deep breath. She might as well know it all. “I caught him kissing her and pulled him off her. I thought he was taking advantage. Turned out he wasn’t and she blamed the fight on me. Her father fired me and...” He shrugged. “With no good character reference coming from him, I came here and started from scratch.”

  “Oh, John. I’m so sorry—”

  “She was just playing with me and probably him, too, until someone who could take care of her in the manner she was accustomed to came along. But I decided then and there never to fall for another woman—especially a wealthy one.”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

  “We are.”

  “Thank you for opening up to me. I know it must not have been easy.”

  He smiled down at her. “I knew you’d understand. I figured if you could open up to me, I could do the same. Think we’ll ever learn to trust again?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “That is the question, isn’t it? We can only hope so.”

  Hope filled his heart. If they could, was it possible that he and Elizabeth could ever be more than friends?

  Chapter Seventeen

  John finally came to his senses two days later. Who was he kidding about he and Elizabeth becoming more than friends? He had only his heart to offer her. And he didn’t think that would be enough for any woman, much less one like her. He’d gotten carried away over the past week, letting his dreams interfere with reality. He’d always felt Elizabeth was out of his reach and he’d been right.

  He’d promised her they’d remain friends, but could he keep to that when he truly wanted much more? Could he stay at Heaton House, seeing her every day? And what if she did decide to trust again? What if she even decided she could during the coming weekend? What if the man her father wanted her to meet was just right for her? The very thought of it sickened him.

  But even if Elizabeth didn’t find her father’s choice appealing, it wouldn’t matter if John ever told her how he felt. How could she trust that he wasn’t after her money like her fiancé had been?

  John didn’t care about her money. He knew that to be true because his feelings for Elizabeth had begun growing when he thought she was just like the rest of them—working to get by, to make a good life for herself. He wished a million times he’d told her how much he’d begun to care about her before she’d revealed she was wealthy. But would she have believed him, or thought he’d found out and been keeping quiet about it?

  He expelled a huge sigh. None of that really mattered because, even if the impossible happened and she cared about him, her father would never agree to let her marry him. Not a mere reporter.

  He had to stop all these thoughts. It was getting him nowhere. He had a job to do and that had to be his first priority now. His goal was to find out who owned those buildings and get something done about them. He needed to distance himself from Elizabeth.

  He hurried up to breakfast, hoping to be gone before Elizabeth came downstairs. He didn’t want to see her, didn’t want to—

  “Good morning, John.”

  She was at the table with a few others, looking fresh and ready for the day. Obviously, she hadn’t tossed and turned as he had. “Good morning. You’re down early.”

  “I woke up early.”

  “Mmm, so did I.” He filled his plate at the sideboard and told himself he’d have to get used to being around her without giving his feelings away.

  “Must have been the nice weekend we all had,” Kathleen said. “I woke early this morning, too.”

  John wasn’t sure he’d even slept but he wasn’t about to say so. “Mmm,” he said, noncommittally. He took his seat beside Elizabeth and put all his attention on his meal.

  “You seem a bi
t out of sorts this morning, John,” Ben said from across the table.

  “Perhaps he just didn’t sleep well,” Elizabeth said.

  “I’m fine. Sorry, I’ve been thinking about all I need to do this week. If I’m not here for dinner, Mrs. Heaton, please don’t worry.”

  “I won’t. But I will have Gretchen save you a plate.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “Are you going to city hall today?” Elizabeth asked.

  “I am. I’m determined to find out who owns those buildings we’ve been looking into.”

  “Is there any way I can help?”

  “Thank you, but not really. It’s just tedious work, but it will be worth it in the end. I’ll let you know what I find out though. Don’t worry about that.” He knew he sounded curt. He would love nothing more than for her to go with him, but that would only compound his problem where Elizabeth was concerned.

  “I wasn’t worried. I know you’ll keep me up-to-date.”

  But she sounded hurt and that was the last thing John had intended to do. “I’ll be glad to. We’re in this together, remember?”

  She smiled then and his heart slammed against his chest as he wondered how he was going to manage to distance himself enough in the next week to be able to resume working with Elizabeth on these investigations and also keep his promise that they would always be friends.

  “I do remember.”

  Only friends. He’d do well to keep reminding himself of that fact in the coming days. John finished his breakfast, barely chewing each bite, then pushed back from the table. “I’d better get to work so I have something to share. Have a good day, everyone.”

  With that he hurried out of the dining room and grabbed his hat from the rack in the foyer. It was going to be a very long week.

  * * *

  Something was wrong. John wasn’t himself at all. Was he having second thoughts about all she’d told him? Maybe he’d changed his mind about staying friends. Elizabeth’s heart twisted at the very thought. It was going to be difficult enough to keep from caring more for him than she already did, much less think about losing his friendship.