“And have your children. She’s even come up with their names. I feel sorry for you, Rick. She’s got your whole life planned out for you.”
With a wicked grin, he said, “Maybe she has some things planned, but she can’t plan everything.”
Looking intrigued, she asked, “What are you going to do?”
He wasn’t sure quite yet, but he also didn’t want to tell Vivian in case she let it slip that he would, indeed, give Sally the future she hoped for—a future he also wanted. But it wouldn’t do to just come out and tell her this. If Sally went through the trouble of getting him to pretend to like her under the pretense of getting him to sincerely care for her, then it only seemed fitting to make a plan of his own. Why let her hold all the cards? He could play the game just as well.
Turning his attention to Vivian, he grinned. “Let’s just say that I’m going to give Sally what she wants but in a roundabout way.”
She scrunched her eyebrows. “Huh?”
“You’ll find out. In the meantime,” he began as he gave her another coin, “don’t tell them I know, alright?”
She shrugged and put the coins in her pocket. “You have my word. Just promise me one thing?”
His eyebrows rose as she stood up. “What?”
“Promise me that you’ll give it to them good!”
Unable to resist the chuckle that rose up in his throat, he nodded. “I promise.”
“Good.” She started to head off but then snapped her fingers and returned to him. “Sally will be staying at my house for a few days.”
That was good to know. It would make his job much easier since he didn’t have to find a horse and buggy. Well, at least he wouldn’t need to find them to go to her family’s farm. He might, however, still need one, but that wasn’t going to be today. “Thank you, Vivian.”
Looking much happier than she had moments earlier, she ran for the mercantile, probably eager to use the money she’d just earned for telling him everything.
He stood up and checked his pocket watch. Perhaps in a couple of hours, he ought to pay Ethel Mae a visit. If Sally was going to be there, it might be a good idea to test things out, to make sure she wanted to be with him, as Vivian said. He slipped the pocket watch back in his pocket and, whistling, headed to his boarding house to get ready to see Sally.
***
The time between his supper and when he could see Sally seemed to take forever. As he adjusted his suit jacket and tie, he thought over the things he would say and do when he was at Ethel Mae’s. It was odd how confident he felt compared to how uncertain he’d been in the past.
He took a deep breath and studied his reflection. He wasn’t as polished as Samuel, but Sally saw something in him she liked, and that was good enough for him. Retrieving his hat, he left his room and went down the steps, his excitement propelling him to call out a greeting to the owner as he passed by her on the way out of the house.
Whistling, he made his way down the street and, on impulse, bought two baskets of flowers from a man selling them near the mercantile. He didn’t feel right showing up with flowers just for Sally. Besides, it wouldn’t be good to give himself away. Sally needed to believe she was still helping him get Ethel Mae, and he saw no reason to make her think otherwise. At least not yet.
When he reached Ethel Mae’s house, he saw Ethel Mae and Sally sitting together on the porch, talking and laughing. His steps slowed and he couldn’t help but think what clever schemers those two were, but it also pleased him to know that Sally had been attracted to him on the day they met. Clearing his throat, he quickened his pace and headed up the porch steps in time to see the two look in his direction.
“I heard Sally was in town and thought it appropriate to stop by with two baskets of flowers instead of one,” he said, noting how lovely Sally was with her golden hair resting softly on her shoulders.
Ethel Mae offered him a tentative smile. “You came by to see me?”
He saw the uncertainty in Sally’s eyes and wondered what she might think if he said yes. Would she be jealous if she thought he was still harboring feelings for her friend? But Sally’s plan was for him to “feign” interest in her instead of Ethel Mae, so he turned a wide smile in Sally’s direction. “Actually, I thought I’d see if Sally might like to go for a walk.”
Sally’s eyes lit up, and he knew for sure that Vivian had told him the truth. Sally was, indeed, interested in him. Feeling a bit smug at this knowledge, he presented the flowers to Sally then Ethel Mae.
“Would you mind if I stole your friend for a while so I can take her on a walk?” he asked Ethel Mae.
Ethel Mae glanced at Sally. “No, I don’t mind.”
“Sally?” he asked her.
“Sure.” Sally stood up and glanced at the basket of flowers in her hands. “Will you take care of these?” she asked her friend.
“I’ll be happy to.”
As Ethel Mae took the basket from her, Sally joined him and they headed down the porch steps.
“I hope you’re not upset with me for taking you away from your friend,” he said.
“No, I’m not upset. I am curious, though, why you wanted to walk with me instead of her.”
Taking note of her hopeful expression, he resisted the urge to give in and tell her the truth. Sally and Ethel Mae went through a lot of trouble to get him to fall in love with Sally and now that he had, the least he could do was oblige them by making them believe he still needed help.
“Actually, I was thinking of seeing her tomorrow, but I thought it was only right to make her jealous first. When I realized you were in town, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity before I ask if I can court her.” He noted the slight wince on her face. “Do you think she’ll say no?”
“Oh, um, I don’t know.”
Of course, she knew. He turned his attention to the sidewalk as they went in the direction of the park. “I figure that this plan of yours can only continue for so long. Sooner or later I need to see if Ethel Mae will let me court her, and it might as well be tomorrow.”
“Then we won’t see each other anymore. I mean, if she says no.”
Oh, they were still going to see each other but not the way she was thinking. But to play along, he said, “I suppose we’ll run into each other from time to time. We might be in the same store or walking down the same road. And if you happen to come to the courthouse, stop by and say hello.”
“Yes, I could do that,” she softly said.
He took her by the elbow and led her across the street that would take them to the park. “I have a feeling we’ll still talk.”
“You do?”
“Yes. Even if Ethel Mae says no, I see no reason to deny a chat with a friend, do you?”
“Well…no.”
“That’s the spirit. We’ll still see each other.”
She nodded, seeming content enough with that answer. He suspected she was already planning another way to gain his interest, if the thoughtful look on her face was an indication as to where her thoughts were going. He hid his smile. She was in for a surprise.
They followed the sidewalk that went into the park, and he scanned the area, trying to decide where they might have a sense of privacy. Children and adults were out, something he couldn’t blame them for since it was a nice evening, but he hoped for a spot where they could talk and not be easily noticed by others.
It wasn’t something he’d dream of doing with a woman as little as a week ago, but knowing he’d be marrying Sally soon enough emboldened him. He found a bench out of the way, so he steered Sally toward it.
“Are you sure it’s not too soon?” Sally asked.
“Too soon?” For a moment he thought she meant if it was too soon to get married but reminded himself that she had no idea he planned to marry her.
“Too soon to ask Ethel Mae if you can court her,” she replied.
“You think she’s going to say no.” Feigning a mournful sigh, he shrugged. “You’re probably right.”
> “Well, no. I didn’t say that. I meant that perhaps you ought to see her again and try to be romantic with her.”
Even as she said it, there was a slight cringe on her face, and he wondered why he hadn’t noticed that before. She must have been cringing whenever she suggested he do something to win over her friend in the past. “I suppose I could try to be romantic. What do I do? Bring her a cameo?”
“Actually, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Samuel brought her one.”
“What?” That was exactly what he thought Samuel would do, but there was no need to let her know this. “How did he know she liked cameos? Did you tell him?”
“Me? No! I didn’t even speak to him until today, and all I said was hello.”
He believed her on this count because of the way her eyes grew wide in surprise. “Then he must be good when it comes to knowing what women want. You’re right. It is too soon for me to confess my feelings to her. I can’t impress her with a gift. What can I do for her?”
He stopped at the bench and motioned for her to sit. As he sat beside her, he brushed a wavy lock of her hair over her shoulder; not because she needed it but because he wanted an excuse to touch her. Her face flushed a pretty shade of pink, and he wondered how he could have been so daft as to miss her subtle cues up to now?
“Did you think the basket of flowers was romantic?” he asked, considering the question more for her than about Ethel Mae.
“Flowers are always romantic,” she said, folding her hands and putting them in her lap.
“Yes, but I seem to recall you liked them more than she does.”
“But every woman still likes flowers, even if some like them more than others.”
He nodded, rested his arm on the back of the bench, and leaned toward her. “Sally, what does Ethel Mae like to talk about?”
She blinked as if she hadn’t expected the question. He mused it was their close proximity that distracted her. Being close to her certainly had an amorous effect on him.
She cleared her throat and shifted on the bench. “Ethel Mae enjoys humor. Do you know any good jokes?”
“I’m afraid humor isn’t my strength, unless you consider tripping on a crack in the sidewalk funny.”
A giggle escaped her throat. “I’m sorry, Rick.” She pressed her hand to her mouth and stopped laughing.
Glad his joke worked, he gently took her hand. “No need to cover up your laughter. It is funny. I’m afraid I’m not the most graceful man who’s ever lived.” He held onto her hand, noting how soft it was. “Perhaps I have some other attribute she might find romantic?”
She glanced at his hand which was still holding hers. “Oh, um… Let me think.”
He stroked her fingers with his thumb as he waited for her to speak. It was cute to see her struggle for something to say, especially considering she hadn’t had any trouble talking in the time he’d known her.
“I suppose you could tell her a good story,” Sally finally said. “She likes to read.”
“I don’t know. All I read are law books and the newspaper. That doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that would interest her.”
“She prefers fiction. Could you make something up?”
“You mean make up a news item I read in the paper?”
She giggled. “No. That would be silly.”
“You’re right. She’d end up hearing the true story from someone and find out I was a fraud.” He inched closer to her. “It wouldn’t be good for me to lose credibility with people since I’m a judge.”
She cleared her throat, and though she didn’t move away from him, he detected her nervous energy. The poor woman probably had no idea what to do. He was acting overtly romantic with her but talking about another woman.
He leaned forward and whispered, “I hate to admit it, but my creative prowess leaves a lot to be desired.”
She shivered against him.
“If I can’t win her over with my humor or by telling riveting stories, what else can I do?” he pressed, his breath gracing her ear.
“You could kiss her,” she softly replied.
He hadn’t expected her to be bold enough to come out and say such a thing. He’d been working up a way to kiss her, and while this gave him the advantage, he hadn’t seen it coming. However, he wasn’t going to let something like that deter him from following through. With what he hoped was a charming smile, he said, “Now that I could do.” He watched her, wondering if she’d encourage him to kiss her or shy away.
Her face grew a lovely shade of pink before she spoke the words he secretly willed her to say. “I could help you with the kissing. I mean, if you want to be sure you’re kissing her right when you do it. Not that I’m implying you can’t kiss. I have no idea if you can or not. I, for one, have little experience in this area, but I still think I can tell if she would enjoy the kiss or not.”
His lips curled up. She’d gone from being speechless to rambling. She was, without a doubt, utterly charming. Despite his apprehension that she might actually find his kiss lacking, he leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. He hesitated for a moment before he brought his lips back to hers and lingered there until he didn’t dare press his luck further.
When he pulled away from her, he noted the slight smile on her lips. She opened her eyes and he asked, “Was that adequate?”
He didn’t think it was possible, but her face flushed even more. She cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes. It’ll do.”
He frowned. He thought for sure he did better than a “it’ll do” from her. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No. You did nothing wrong.”
“But…?”
With a shrug, she said, “I think it might be nice to do another kiss. For practice.”
“Oh.” He immediately felt better. For a moment there, he worried she really didn’t like his kiss, but since she was working in a way to get another one, he was delighted to know she found him more than adequate. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to practice.”
He leaned toward her and kissed her again, this time not as hesitant as before. Her lips were soft and warm, just the kind of thing that could stir a man’s blood. He wanted nothing more than to keep kissing her but knew it wouldn’t be right to take too many liberties with her until they married. Even if they were pretty much hidden from onlookers, he felt no need to risk someone spotting them and putting it into a penny paper to delight the busybodies.
This time when he ended the kiss, he smiled. “That was a wonderful kiss.” He stood up and offered her his arm. “I don’t think it’d be right if we lingered here too long. Ethel Mae will be wondering where you are.”
She got up and stared at him. “I don’t know if I should be so familiar with you.” She motioned to his arm. “It doesn’t seem right, what with you being interested in her and all.” After a pause, she added, “You are interested in her, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course. I’m interested in you, too. You’re a good friend.”
He noted the slight falter in her smile before it widened. “Some of the best things start out as friendships.”
Finding her choice of words rather pleasing, he nodded and took her by the elbow so he could lead her down the rest of the path in the park. “Yes, they can.” And he looked forward to proving that to her soon enough.
Chapter Twelve
Sally alternated between extreme happiness and utter despair. She much preferred kissing Rick to Michael. Too bad Rick was only practicing. She didn’t know whether to kick herself or congratulate herself for coming up with the idea of him kissing her. It was something she wanted to do more than just about anything else, but she had hoped it would get him to think of her in a more romantic light.
She spent the entire night thinking of little else but Rick and the way he’d touched and kissed her while at the park. If she didn’t know any better, she’d believe he really did want to be with her. She really hoped he came around to understanding that he needed to be with her instead of Et
hel Mae because she couldn’t imagine her life with anyone but him.
The next morning during breakfast, Vivian told her parents about another dastardly thing Hugh had done to her that morning. Sally glanced at Ethel Mae and rolled her eyes while Vivian wasn’t looking in her direction. Seriously, there was only so much anyone could take of how Hugh was ruining her life. Ethel Mae’s lips turned up into a smile, but she held her tongue.
After breakfast, Sally and Ethel Mae left the house and took a walk through the park. Unable to resist the urge, Sally pointed to the bench where she and Rick had been sitting the evening before. “That’s where he kissed me.”
Ethel Mae giggled. “And you think he doesn’t prefer you to me.”
Sally groaned. “Yes, but he did it because he wanted to practice on me so he’d be a good kisser when he kissed you.”
“That’s ridiculous! He wouldn’t even suggest kissing you if he didn’t want to do it with you in the first place.”
“Well, that’s just it,” she admitted, her cheeks growing warm. “I was the one who suggested it.”
Her friend’s eyes grew wide. “You didn’t!”
“I did. I thought maybe he’d kiss me and fall in love with me. You know, thinking that kissing me would force him to think of me in a more romantic way.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“I know.”
Ethel Mae offered her an understanding smile as they continued to walk down the path. “I don’t think he would have kissed you if he didn’t want to kiss you.”
“I’d like to think you’re right.”
“Of course, I am. Why, Rick hasn’t even been by to see me. He’s been spending all of his time with you.”
“To talk about you.”
“You’re telling me he spends two to three hours at your parents’ house, and all you two talk about is me the entire time?”
Sally smiled. “No, we don’t.”
“See?”
She bit her lower lip.
“And who did he spend an hour with yesterday?”
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