He huffed out a deep breath. He wanted the best for Jennie, but sometimes he wasn’t sure what it even was. The uncertainty made him feel completely inadequate. Other people, even ones with no children, seemed to know instinctively what children needed. Images of Anne — hemming Jennie’s costume, rocking Lila’s great-granddaughter on Halloween, talking to Lexi and the color guard — suddenly popped into Brad’s head. These were followed by the warm memory of her sitting in the candlelight across from him at Falcone’s, chatting animatedly between bites of their shared zeppole.
Bills forgotten, he leaned back in his chair and gave himself over to the memory.
****
“Wake up, Daddy! It’s Saturday morning. I’m all dressed, and I already ate my cereal,” Jennie announced, bouncing on the edge of Brad’s mattress the next morning.
Brad opened his eyes. Sure enough, Jennie was dressed in the cute denim skirt and T-shirt his mother had bought her the previous weekend. He rolled over to glance at the alarm clock. Seven thirty? He’d hoped to sleep in for another hour or so. He smothered a groan.
“Okay, okay, Princess. I’m getting up,” he said, matching his actions to the words. “Just give me a few minutes to take a shower and get some coffee. Maybe eat a piece of toast, too. After all, the mall won’t open until ten. Okay?”
“All right, Daddy. I told Miss Anne we’d pick her up in front of the shop at nine thirty.”
Brad stopped in the midst of gathering clean clothes. He spun around to face his daughter. “Miss Anne? As in Anne from the quilt shop?”
Her blond curls bounced as she nodded, vigorously. “You said I could ask a friend to come with us.”
“And Miss Anne is your friend?”
“Sure. She hemmed my costume and fixed my hair and let me stay with her on the nights when you had band practice. I have lots of fun with her.”
Brad considered his daughter’s logic. “Yes, I suppose those things would make her your friend,” he conceded. “But, honey, her shop is open on Saturday, so Miss Anne has to work at The Stitching Post.”
“No, she doesn’t. She said she could come with us as long as she gets back by two o’clock so her helper can go home.”
“I suppose we can find everything you need by then,” Brad said. He paused with his hand on the bathroom door. “Jennie, how did you know Miss Anne’s phone number?”
She shrugged. “I took a card from the shop when I was there.”
“Took a card?” Brad knew Jennie would never steal anything but couldn’t think of what she meant. “What kind of card was it, honey?
“One of the little cards by the register, Daddy. They have the store’s name and phone number on them. I put one in my backpack in case I needed to call her sometime.”
Very enterprising. He glanced at the clock. “Well, if we’re going to pick her up on time, I’d better get my shower.”
****
I must have lost my mind! Anne stood inside The Stitching Post, wringing her hands nervously as she waited for Brad and Jennie to arrive.
She hadn’t heard a word from Brad since he’d dropped her off at her apartment door after their dessert at Falcone’s. It had been so pleasant sitting at a cozy, candlelit table, arguing good-naturedly over which sauce—chocolate or salted caramel—tasted better with their plate of Italian donuts. She’d let her guard down, a mistake she couldn’t afford to repeat. She’d made up her mind when she’d fled to this side of the state that she’d never get involved with a man again. So she’d prepared several excuses to use the next time he asked her out. But the days had passed without any further contact from him, so she’d been somewhat surprised when his number had popped up on the caller ID as she closed the shop last night.
However, it had been Jennie not Brad on the phone. Anne should have turned down the invitation. She could have used the shop as her excuse. But Jennie had sounded so desperate.
“Please, Miss Anne. I need to get a dress and shoes and underwear, and Daddy doesn’t understand about pretty dresses. And he can’t come into the fitting rooms, either. Since Mommy is in Heaven now, I’m scared he’ll just let one of the store ladies pick out my clothes. My grandma and Aunt Bonnie live too far away to help me, so please, will you come with us? Please?”
Since Courtney worked on Saturdays, Anne didn’t have a legitimate excuse to deny the child’s appeal. Besides, Anne would find it hard to say “no” to Jennie in any case. The adorable child was simply too irresistible. It would be fun to shop with her. A rare treat, nearly as good as going with a child of her own. They’d find the perfect dress and some pretty shoes.
Anne stopped, suddenly aware she’d been stroking her flat stomach. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and shook off the wishful thinking. She would enjoy this morning with Jennie, but she’d draw the line there. No more letting her guard down, no more imagining what might have been.
A familiar beige sedan pulled to a stop in front of the shop with Jennie waving excitedly from the back seat. Anne stepped outside and waved back at her young friend. She pulled up her jacket collar, bracing against the chill. She headed to the car just as Brad hurried from the driver’s side to open the passenger door for her. Her pace slowed in wonder. Anne remembered her grandfather holding doors for Grams before he died, but it was rare to have a man do it for her. Jeffrey certainly hadn’t, despite his ever-so-perfect upbringing.
Brad frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“Sorry,” she quickly replied and shook her head. “I was just wondering if I forgot to tell Courtney anything before I go. I probably worry too much.”
She slid into the car and settled herself in the passenger seat. Apparently, the answer satisfied Brad. He closed the door then walked around the front of the car to take his seat.
The mall was located on the southern edge of the city limits, a short drive from the older, downtown area where The Stitching Post was located. The cold night temperatures had left a layer of shimmery frost on the branches of the trees along the road. Most had already shed their colorful fall foliage, a sure sign of the approaching winter. Anne stared out the window, wondering if she should strike up a conversation.
How awkward to be sitting beside Brad. Maybe she should have slid into the back seat with Jennie. But that might have been even more awkward. Besides, Brad hadn’t given her a choice. He’d held the passenger door open for her.
“Thank you for coming with us today,” Brad began, suddenly breaking the silence. “I didn’t know Jennie had called you until this morning.”
“You didn’t know?” Anne asked as her stomach suddenly lurched. If Brad had known, would he still have let Jennie call her? Had their dinner together been merely a thank you as he’d suggested when he’d stopped by? Was it an obligation paid then forgotten? Her stomach tightened more when she asked herself why it mattered.
“I hope she wasn’t a pain about it. I know you usually work on Saturdays.”
“Heavens, no. Jennie was adorable. Besides, this will give me a chance to see what the stores are showing for the holidays. Hot colors, Trends, what seems to be popular,” she replied, striving for a nonchalant tone. “The Post doesn’t stock dress goods, but our customers like to work the season’s trendy colors into their home decor. I planned to make a trip but hadn’t gotten around to it yet, so this excursion gives me to chance to scope things out.”
She stopped, embarrassed to be babbling again. Why did she always jabber so much around Brad?
“Then we’re helping each other out,” He remarked, not sounding perturbed at all by her chatter. Relieved, Anne nodded.
“Miss Anne?”
“Yes, Jennie?” Anne turned so she could face the little girl in the back seat behind her.
“I saw a pretty burgundy dress last time I was at the mall. The lady in the store said it was velvet. Do you think it would be a good color for me?”
Surprised the little girl even knew the name of the shade or had the fashion sense to wonder if it would flatter her
coloring, Anne shot a quick glance toward her father.
He beamed. “Jennie is quite the little fashionista. Good thing she didn’t inherit my fashion sense.”
Anne took in his leather jacket, casual jeans and T-shirt and wanted to tell him he looked great to her. Instead, she turned back Jennie. “Burgundy is a beautiful color on most people, sweetie. We can definitely shop for a burgundy dress if you’d like.”
“Do you think we can find matching shoes? Mommy told me some colors are hard to find.”
“Well, if we can’t find matching shoes, we can probably find a cute black pair for you.”
“But Mommy— Oh, okay.” The young girl sat back in her seat, abruptly finished with the conversation.
Anne turned a curious glance toward Brad, whose expression said he’d noticed it as well. He glanced in the rearview mirror and gave his daughter an encouraging smile. “Mommy what, Princess?”
Jennie glanced at Anne then back at her dad before replying, “Well, Mommy said black shoes should only be worn when you’re wearing all black, otherwise you’re just being lazy. Grandma Barb said it wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”
The honest answer shocked Anne slightly. She had been raised with a far different sense of values and didn’t know how to respond to such a comment. Her grandparents had been hardworking, practical people and had passed on their values to her. Even her ex-mother-in-law, who had an enviable wardrobe, didn’t own shoes in every color of the rainbow. No one did. Well, maybe Imelda Marcos might have, but certainly not anyone Anne knew. She glanced down at her tennis shoes, grateful she’d chosen to wear them with her jeans and sweater instead of her all-purpose black flats.
“It’s good you remembered what Grandma said,” Brad commented. “It’s important not to say things that might hurt people’s feelings.”
Brilliant! He had praised his daughter for understanding the importance of respecting people’s feelings, yet he didn’t directly contradict what her mother had said. Anne’s opinion of his parenting skills went up another notch. Although she already thought he made a pretty awesome father.
When they turned on RiverTown Parkway, cars crowded several lanes of traffic. Brad joined the traffic flowing slowly toward the mall and focused on the road. Jennie leaned forward in her booster and quietly watched through the windshield for the distinctive signs at the mall’s entrances. Anne didn’t have a lot of experience with children Jennie’s age, but she found the child’s reserve rather surprising. The girl had always exhibited beautiful manners, but Anne thought most kids her age would be bouncing up and down or asking a million questions. Where had the child learned this nearly grown-up reserve? Surely not from Brad. He seemed more the type to engage in horseplay and laughter.
As if to prove her point, he gave a whoop of laughter then called “All aboard the Shop-Till-We-Drop Express” as he turned into the mall lot.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The usual Saturday shoppers filled the big, two-story mall. Most swarmed in and out of stores, barely noticing the massive holiday decorations suspended overhead. Groups of teens congregated in the food court chatting; others checked out the latest fashions offered by Aeropostale, Hollister and shops catering specifically to their fashion tastes. Families hurried in and out of the five national department stores located at the ends of the concourses. Couples of all ages browsed in specialty shops to inspect the gourmet cookware, fashions for the home, or designer handbags and luggage being offered. Cell phone providers manned competing kiosks, offering deals to entice customers into making the switch to them. Other kiosks in the aisles displayed jewelry, scarves, sunglasses, and various impulse items to tempt the hundreds of shoppers. Scenting the air was a blend of fragrances from candle and spa shops combined with mouth-watering aromas wafting up from the restaurants in the food court and the gourmet food stands tucked among the retail shops.
However, none of the sights and smells distracted Jennie. The youngster was on a mission. Holding tight to Anne’s hand, she marched right past the various temptations and headed straight to her favorite shop on RiverTown’s upper level. The brightly lit dress shop catered exclusively to young girls through their tween years. It was where Jennie had seen the dress she’d mentioned. Now, she hurried to the dress section, followed by Brad and Anne.
“Daddy, they still have my dress,” she exclaimed and tugged his sleeve with excitement.
Sure enough, a circular rack filled with holiday outfits in lush velvets and rich satins stood in the main display area. Several different burgundy dresses hung among the festive garments.
“Which one is it?” he asked, and Jennie responded by pointed to one with a velvet bodice and long skirt. Brad picked up the garment she indicated and checked the tag.
“We’re in luck. This one is Jennie’s size,” he told Anne. “I’ll just take it to the register—”
“Daddy, ladies should always try on clothes before buying them,” his daughter informed him. She took off her coat and gave it to him to hold. “It’s the only way you can make sure you like how something fits you. Right, Miss Anne?”
Jennie had a point, but once again, her adult logic amazed Anne. She turned to Brad and reached for the dress he still held. “I think I just heard my cue to take Princess Jennie to the fitting room.”
“It’s over this way,” Jennie said, leading the way past rack after rack of delightful fashions.
A bright-eyed clerk, who seemed nearly young enough to be a customer herself, unlocked one of the fitting rooms for them. Anne carried the velvet dress inside and hung it on the wall hook then turned to help Jennie get undressed.
“Thank you for coming with me today, Miss Anne. I wore a dress to make it easier to change, but I can’t reach the zippers by myself.”
“I’m very happy you asked me to join you. Why don’t we pretend I’m the lady-in-waiting to Princess Jennie?”
“What’s a lady-in-waiting?”
“Like a helper.”
“Okay. That would be fun,” Jennie said, eyeing the new dress with excitement.
Anne hung Jennie’s clothes on a second wall hook then took down the holiday garment. She lifted the dress over Jennie’s head and tried to zip it shut. The garment was much too tight, and it was at least two inches too short.
“How long has it been since your dad bought you a dress, Jennie?”
The little girl thought about it for a moment then shrugged. “I don’t remember. Usually Grandma takes me shopping for clothes. Or Aunt Bonnie does.”
“Well, you’ve definitely grown since the last time he shopped for you.” She helped Jennie take off the dress then hung it back on the hanger. “You sit down on the bench and wait for me, and I’ll be right back with a larger size.”
Taking the small dress with her, Anne exited the fitting room and found Brad waiting near the door. “Good thing we tried it on. Your daughter grew when you weren’t looking. We need to find the next size.”
But it proved to be easier said than done. Anne and Brad searched the rack—even got a helpful clerk involved—but the store didn’t have the dress in the correct size. Returning to the fitting room, Anne gave Jennie the bad news. “Why don’t you get dressed then we can go around the shop and find another dress you might like.”
“All right, but I really wanted a burgundy dress,” Jessie said in a disappointed little voice.
“Well, if we don’t find something you think is just as pretty at this store, there are plenty of other places in the mall to shop. We’re sure to find a dress you’ll love in one of them, sweetheart.”
“But if we have to go to a lot of other stores, you might be late getting back to work,” Jennie protested.
“Don’t worry about that. We have plenty of time before I have to be back to The Stitching Post. Besides, Courtney said she could work longer if I need her to stay. I can just call and let her know. So, let’s start on your royal quest, Princess Jennie.”
“It can be a royal dress quest,” the litt
le girl suggested with a soft giggle.
When Jennie laughed, Anne glimpsed the adorable pixie with mischievous eyes who lurked behind the child’s serious demeanor. She held out her hand toward Jennie. “Shall we find King Brad and be off on our royal dress quest then?”
The hunt took them to several other children’s shops with no better luck than they’d had at the first. Finally, Anne suggested they visit the girls’ section of the department store in this wing of the mall. Jennie pursed her lips and cast a dubious glance at the storefront.
“I’ve never gotten any clothes there. Do they have dresses in my size?”
“Absolutely. My grandparents used to buy all my dresses from one of their stores when I was your age. I remember how hard it was to choose, because they had so many pretty ones.”
“Why didn’t your mother take you shopping?” Jennie asked with childlike innocence.
When Anne hesitated for a split second, debating how to answer, Brad made a move as if to intervene. Anne shook her head slightly then stooped down until she was on a level with Jennie. “I didn’t have a mom to take me, sweetie. Or a dad either. I lived with my grandparents on their farm.”
“I’m sorry,” Jennie said and softly touched Anne’s cheek.
“Thank you,” Anne replied, moved by the child’s gesture but determined not to put a damper on their day. Instead, she pointed to the department store. “Shall we go inside and see if they still have pretty dresses?”
Jennie appeared a bit dubious still, but she agreed they could at least check. However, a few steps into the children’s department, the youngster’s doubt turned to excitement. “Miss Anne, you were right. They do have pretty dresses!” she exclaimed and gestured down the aisle.
The Friendship Star Quilt Page 16
