Love Calling

by Janet Lee Barton

  He headed to his apartment and tried to get his mind off that kiss. The captain had been pleased with the information Emma had come up with. And he’d told Sam to be sure to attend any meetings at the Holloway house, just in case there was trouble there.

  “Many of these groups have begun to spread out from the larger meetings to the smaller ones, hoping to put a stop to more groups forming. I think these people are being paid by someone or by another group, and it’s very hard to find out who is really organizing it all,” the captain had said. “It’s possible that Frank Carson is the contact person for whoever that is, but it remains to be seen.”

  Sam prayed that none of those smaller groups decided to visit Mrs. Holloway’s meeting. He’d talk to Andrew and Jones about it to make sure they would watch out for any strangers casing the area. They’d do all they could to find these thugs, and he hoped they’d get information that would lead them to the real ringleaders.

  “Lord, please watch over the Holloway house and all of those in it, especially Emma. You already know how much I’ve come to love her, Father, and I pray that it’s Your will that she might love me back. But if not, please help me to deal with the hurt and go on. You’ve been with me through all kinds of loss—and I pray that Emma won’t be another one—but I know that You will be with me come what may. Please keep her safe. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

  ❧

  Emma woke with a smile on her face the next morning. Sam had kissed her last night, and he’d asked her to go to church with him. Surely that meant he cared about her more than just as a friend who would help out with his plan. Or did it? Maybe it only meant that he considered her a very good friend. And she wanted him to feel that way. She wanted his friendship as well.

  But something had changed between them last night, and it had started with that kiss. Brief as it might have been. It was tender and sweet, and Emma knew that all the warnings she’d given herself about falling in love with Sam had been for naught. Her heart was his whether he wanted it or not. Oh dear Lord, please let him want it. But if not, please help me to deal with it and find a way to remain friends with him.

  For now she tried to put thoughts of romance out of her mind as she got ready for work. She hurried down to breakfast and found that everyone else had beaten her down.

  “Running late today, Emma?” Grace asked. Grace was usually the last one down, as everyone else had to be at work before she needed to go.

  “I must be.” But she wasn’t going to let her little sister get on her nerves this morning. “Either that or you’re early.”

  “Emma dear, I’m so glad Sam has been coming to our meetings and will be at the next one. I’ve thought about canceling it but I really don’t think we’re in any danger, do you?”

  “I don’t know, Mrs. Holloway. I hope not. Maybe Sam can advise us about it.”

  “I don’t want to cancel it if we don’t need to. Hopefully the police will be somewhere around should we need them.”

  “I’m sure that Sam will make sure this place is watched the night of the meeting,” Andrew said.

  “I think so, too. Hopefully, those troublemakers will be somewhere else that night. Before they were talking about it being a ‘big’ meeting,” Emma said. “We aren’t that large a group. Surely they won’t target us.”

  “I’ll check with Sam and see what he thinks we should do. I certainly don’t want anyone who comes to a meeting here injured. But I don’t want to let thugs stop our cause either,” Mrs. Holloway said.

  “Sam will let us know what we should do,” Emma said, trusting his judgment. “He knows how important the movement is to us all. You can make your decision after you talk to him.”

  sixteen

  The rest of the week passed quickly and uneventfully. Emma heard no more calls from the two men to each other—at least not to the numbers she’d given Sam. And she was sure she’d recognize those two voices now even if they came from another telephone number. Sam had advised Mrs. Holloway not to change her plans unless that was what she wanted to do. He would be there and the house would be surrounded while the meeting was going on.

  But Emma had more on her mind than those callers or what might happen at the women’s suffrage meeting. Each day she became a little more nervous about meeting Sam’s late wife’s parents. And yet, she knew those two people were very important to Sam. He loved them, and whether he ever remarried or not, he would want his wife to care about them, too. He wouldn’t just desert them for the woman he loved, and it would make it hard on a marriage if she didn’t accept them as being part of his life. They were family to him.

  Of course, she was jumping way ahead of herself even thinking about it. Sam hadn’t given any indication that he was thinking of marrying again and certainly not to her. They’d shared a kiss, but that didn’t mean he was on the verge of asking to court her—much less asking her to marry him.

  But when Sunday arrived, she admitted to herself that was exactly what she wanted—she loved him. And while she did not want to come in second to Ann, she wanted a life with Sam. Dear Lord, please help me to accept it if that is not what Sam wants. And please let me know soon how he feels about me.

  She’d only told everyone she was attending church with Sam the evening before. And she’d tried to make it sound as casual as she could. Evidently she succeeded, because not even Grace questioned her about it, saying only, “Good. Maybe he’ll come with you one day.”

  Now as she headed downstairs her stomach felt as if a bevy of butterflies had been released, and she was glad she hadn’t eaten this morning.

  Sam had telephoned the evening before to let her know when to expect him, and he arrived right on time.

  They said their good-byes to everyone else and caught the trolley that would take them to Sam’s church. She hoped Sam couldn’t tell how anxious she was about meeting the Brisbanes.

  But as if he could read her mind, he covered one of her hands with his. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. They will love you, and I think you’ll feel the same about them. I hope you don’t mind, but they’ve asked us to come for Sunday dinner and I told them we would.”

  Emma bit her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure she was ready to meet Ann’s parents, let alone spend the afternoon with them.

  “I did tell them that we would as long as you didn’t have somewhere else to be. So we don’t have to, but. . .”

  Emma could tell he wanted to say more and she prodded, “But what?”

  “You are very special to me, Emma. And so are they. Whether any of you like each other or not, you will remain special to me and so will they. I just wanted you to meet each other. But we don’t have go to Sunday dinner if you’d rather not.”

  She couldn’t bring herself to say the words she wanted to. She couldn’t disappoint him. She turned her gloved hand over in his and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. “It’s all right. We’ll go to Sunday dinner.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Brisbane were waiting for them outside the church building. Emma could tell they were as nervous as she was. Meeting a woman friend of Sam’s and knowing he was getting on with his life couldn’t be easy for them, even if Sam said they were only friends. Her heart flooded with compassion for them, and she smiled as Sam made the introductions.

  “We’re so glad you could join us today, Miss Chapman.”

  “Thank you. Sam thinks so highly of you both, I’m glad to meet you. Thank you for your invitation to Sunday dinner, Mrs. Brisbane. That’s very nice of you.” Emma didn’t want her worrying all through church that she might have told Sam she didn’t want to go.

  The woman smiled at Emma and slipped an arm through hers. “Thank you, Miss Chapman. For being willing to come.”

  Emma suddenly knew they both understood that each of them cared for Sam and that everything was going to be all right. The invitation had been offered out of love for Sam. And it’d been accepted for the very same reason. They were going to get along just fine.

  She liked the churc
h, and the minister preached a good sermon on trust. Something she needed to hear. She had learned to trust Sam, and now she needed to trust that the Lord had both of their best interests at heart. Whatever happened between her and Sam, she needed to trust that He was in control and He’d be with them both.

  Mr. and Mrs. Brisbane introduced her to their many friends, and by the time they got to the Brisbane home, Emma knew that she would be made to feel comfortable there. But it was when she was helping Mrs. Brisbane with the dessert in the kitchen that she understood fully why Sam loved these two people as much as he did.

  Emma was dishing up ice cream to go along with the cherry pie she’d learned was Sam’s favorite. As Mrs. Brisbane put a huge slice on a plate, she said, “I’ll be glad to give you the recipe, dear.”

  “Why, thank you. I don’t do much cooking living with Mrs. Holloway. I suppose it’s something I should think about doing more though.”

  “Sam does like to eat,” Mrs. Holloway said with a twinkling eye. “So you might think about it before you get married.”

  “Married?”

  “Emma, if Sam asked you to come to meet us, he’s planning on marrying you. He wouldn’t have brought you here if that wasn’t the case.”

  Emma’s heart began to hammer against her chest, and she covered her mouth. “I—”

  “You love him very much, don’t you?” Mrs. Brisbane asked. “You don’t need to answer. I can see it in both of you—the way you look at each other. I just want you to know that we want you as part of this family.” Tears filled the woman’s eyes as she continued. “I only had one child, but I’d love to think I could have another daughter.”

  Emma wiped at her eyes. “Oh Mrs. Brisbane. You are right. I do love Sam. But I’m not totally sure how he feels about me. But I would be honored to be considered part of your family under any circumstances—whether Sam and I are just friends or more.”

  The two women hugged each other until Mr. Brisbane called out, “What’s holding up dessert? Do you need any help in there?”

  Both women wiped their tears and smiled at each other. “No, dear. We’re bringing it out now.”

  ❧

  Once she and Sam had taken a seat on the trolley, Sam turned to her. “Thank you. They like you very much. I could tell.”

  “I like them a lot, too. Thank you for taking me to meet them. I can see why you love them so much.”

  “They are very special to me. And so are you.”

  Emma’s heart slammed against her chest as she waited for him to continue. “I think I fell in love with them as much as I did Ann. And now I’ve loved them longer.”

  Emma’s heart broke all over again for Sam and the Brisbanes’ loss.

  “But I’ve known you longer than any of them, Emma, and I. . .I’ve come to care a great deal about the woman you’ve become. I’d like to court you if you think you might be—”

  “Sam, I would be glad to be courted by you.”

  He grinned. “Even though I’m a policeman?”

  She let out an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose. I seem to have gotten past my initial shock.”

  “I’m glad you have.”

  He grinned at her and looked at her in a way that set her pulse racing. “So am I.”

  “Should I ask permission of Mrs. Holloway?”

  “I don’t believe so. I’ll tell her you’ve asked to court me and I’ve said you may. She’ll be happy about it, I’m certain.”

  “What about Grace?”

  “I don’t need her permission, Sam.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “I certainly hope not. But do you think she’ll be happy?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I think she’s a little sweet on you herself, but she’ll come around. And actually, I think she’ll take credit for it.” Emma chuckled, her heart full of love for Sam.

  He nodded. “She might just do that.”

  seventeen

  Jones opened the door for them, and they hurried to the parlor where they knew a warm fire awaited them. Everyone greeted them with enthusiasm, and Sam was glad to see Mr. Collins there also. Maybe he wouldn’t have to stand out in the cold to wait for the trolley tonight.

  Sam still couldn’t believe Emma had said he could court her. Of course, it didn’t mean that she’d say yes to a marriage proposal—only that he could pursue her, that they could spend more time together to see if that outcome were possible.

  He seemed to have her trust, but could he get her past her fear that something would happen to him? He prayed he could.

  “My, it must be cold out. Your faces are rosy as can be.”

  Sam and Emma both turned to face the fireplace, and he flashed a smile at her. Was it the cold or the fact that she’d agreed to let him court her that had their faces flushed even in front of the fire?

  “It is getting colder out. The fire feels real good.”

  “How was your afternoon?” Mrs. Holloway asked.

  “It was very enjoyable,” Emma said. “The Brisbanes are extremely nice and made me feel quite comfortable.”

  To Sam, it seemed Mrs. Holloway visibly relaxed. She’d probably worried about Emma all afternoon. That she loved the girls was obvious, and he was glad they had this woman in their lives. He was sure they loved her as much as he loved the Brisbanes.

  “Good. I’m glad you had a nice time.”

  “I believe it’s going to snow soon,” Sam said.

  “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised,” Andrew affirmed.

  “Pretty as it is though, I do dread working in it,” Sam said.

  “I wish you didn’t have to,” Emma said.

  He grinned down at her. “It’s not all that bad. And one benefit to it is that not a lot of criminals like to work in it either. Trudging around in the snow can leave footprints.”

  “I suppose I never thought of that,” Emma said.

  Sam leaned nearer. “Oh, I’m teasing you, Emma. But I would think before I got out in bad weather if I had a choice, but I suppose some criminals might think it’s the perfect time to commit a crime.”

  During Sunday night supper, Andrew and Esther reported on their visit at the orphanage.

  “You should have seen Margaret’s face when we told her we wanted to help her. Be a benefactor to her as Mrs. Holloway has been to me. We told her in Mrs. Robertson’s office. She was so happy, and we are so pleased to be able to help her,” Esther said.

  “And we hired Betsy as a receptionist,” Andrew said. “She’ll work part-time until school is out and then full-time.”

  “So, it seems they’ll all have jobs by this summer. That’s such a big relief. Now all we have to do is help them find places to live, and that shouldn’t be too hard,” Emma said, turning to Sam. “Your idea has already helped them so much, Sam!”

  “It couldn’t have happened without all of you. But it is encouraging—for us as well as for them.” And it was wonderful news, but tonight it came in second to the fact that the woman beside him said he could court her. Thank You, Lord.

  Mr. Collins did offer him a ride home, and as much as he wanted a few minutes with Emma, he knew she wouldn’t want him to turn down a ride home. However, it really didn’t hinder them having a moment alone because it seemed Mr. Collins and Mrs. Holloway wanted the same thing.

  Sam couldn’t help but grin when, just as they were about to leave, Mr. Collins said, “Oh Miriam, I forgot to get that book I wanted to borrow from you.”

  “I’m sorry. Come on into the study and I’ll get it for you.”

  Sam didn’t waste a moment as the couple turned and went in the other direction. He quickly pulled Emma into the dining room and looked down into her eyes. “I thought I wasn’t going to be able to talk to you alone before I left. I know we don’t have much time, but I have to know.”

  “Know what, Sam?”

  “Did you really say I could court you?”

  Her smile answered him before her words did. “I did do that, didn’t I?”

  “And
you meant it?”

  “I did. Is it all right if I tell everyone or—”

  “Since you didn’t say anything, I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

  “Oh no. I didn’t change my mind. I think I just wanted time to believe you want to court me. But we can go tell them now, if you like.” She pulled on his hand to lead him back to the parlor.

  He pulled her back into the dining room. “No, you tell them whenever you want and however you want. I just needed reassurance from you.”

  “You have it.” And then she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

  Only the footsteps he heard in the foyer kept Sam from pulling Emma into his arms and really kissing her. They eased out of the dining room just as Andrew and Esther reached the doorway.

  “Oh Sam, I’m glad you haven’t left yet,” Andrew said. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you something and was going to last Sunday night, but we were called out with baby Mandy.”

  “What is it, Andrew?”

  “I was wondering if you’d consider being my best man? I know it’s kind of late and all, but I’d really be honored if you’d stand up with me.”

  “I’ll be glad to stand with you, Andrew.” Sam grinned. It had been one great day. “I’m the one who is honored. Thank you for asking me.”

  Mrs. Holloway, Mr. Collins, and Grace all joined them in the foyer just as Esther said, “You’ll be Emma’s partner. She’s the maid of honor of course.”

  Sam’s glance slid to Emma, and he smiled. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be a partner with.”

  When she giggled, Esther asked, “Is there something you two wish to tell us?”

  “I don’t know.” Emma turned to him and grinned. “Is there, Sam?”