How the Heart Runs

by Anne Marie Rodgers

  Picking up her handbag and the scarf for Livvy that she had laid beside it, Kate went out to her car and drove off.

  EMMALINE CAME OUT her front door the moment Kate pulled into the driveway. Wearing navy slacks with an ivory twinset, she came down the walkway with a spring in her step, looking as healthy as anyone Kate had ever met.

  Kate couldn’t ignore the obvious inconsistencies in Emmaline’s behavior. How could a person with a chronic illness look so healthy and energetic most of the time and not seem to suffer any lasting effects from her recent attacks? And perhaps even more important, why would Emmaline lead Kate to believe she had some type of heart trouble when the doctor had said she would be fine? What kind of sickness could make her so determined to protect her privacy that she would deliberately mislead Kate? The more Kate grew to like Emmaline, the more she cared about the woman’s well-being and felt afraid that Emmaline was hiding a painful secret.

  “Hello, hello,” Emmaline sang out as she climbed into the passenger seat.

  Kate laughed, setting aside the puzzle for later. “Hello. Someone’s in a good mood.”

  “Someone is.” Emmaline smiled. “It’s a beautiful day, I feel absolutely fantastic, and I’m going out to lunch with one of my new favorite people. Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood?”

  “You’re right. Why wouldn’t you?” Kate smiled as she backed out of the drive and started down the street. “Do you mind if we stop at the library before going to lunch? I have to drop off something.”

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  “By the way, Emmaline,” Kate began casually, “I tried to look you up online last night to read one of your articles—I mentioned it the other day, remember?—but I couldn’t find anything in the search results. Do you publish under a pen name?”

  Emmaline was silent for a moment. “No,” she said, “I use my own name.”

  “That’s weird,” Kate said, “because not a single thing came up.”

  “I guess I’m just not that famous,” Emmaline said, apparently unconcerned.

  Kate decided to let the matter drop but filed it away in her memory for another time. Authors of even the smallest works could be found on the Internet in today’s world. It seemed implausible that Emmaline wouldn’t be among them. Maybe, Kate thought with a touch of humor, she was a wildly successful famous author living incognito in Copper Mill.

  The two women talked a bit about their recent art endeavors as Kate drove south on Sweetwater and parked in the lot behind the library. When she opened her door, she said, “I’ll just be a moment.”

  But Emmaline had already opened her own door. “I’ve never been into the library,” she said. “Do you mind if I tag along?”

  The two women made their way up the steps and through the double-glass doors. “I believe you met my friend Livvy when she dropped off a meal for you this week,” Kate said to Emmaline. “She’s the head librarian.”

  “Actually, we didn’t meet,” Emmaline said. “I was napping and didn’t hear the doorbell, so she left the casserole on the porch and called me. I’ll have to thank her. It was delicious.”

  They entered the library. Livvy was behind the circulation desk, checking out a patron. She winked at them and held up one finger, and Kate grinned back. A moment later, the customer took his books and walked out, and Livvy came out from behind the counter.

  “Hey,” she said.

  Kate indicated the woman who accompanied her. “Livvy, this is Emmaline Ashford. Emmaline, Livvy Jenner.”

  Her two friends shook hands.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Emmaline said. “I wanted to thank you for the casserole. It was delicious.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Livvy said. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  Kate held out the scarf. “Here you go, Livvy. You’re going to look fabulous. Are you thinking of buying anything at the auction?”

  “An auction?” Emmaline interjected.

  Livvy explained the Humane Society’s fund-raising event to Emmaline. “So my husband and I are going, and I bought this black dress, but I realized it needed something. I remembered Kate had this scarf—”

  “So she called and begged,” Kate broke in.

  “I hope you weren’t planning to wear it,” Livvy said.

  Kate shook her head. “The only place Paul and I are planning to go anytime soon is back to the Bristol for brunch on Sunday. And I certainly won’t have any trouble finding something in my wardrobe that will work for church and brunch.”

  Both women laughed; Kate’s sophisticated “citified” wardrobe had been the object of discussion in town from time to time.

  “So,” Kate said, “back to the auction. Are you hoping to find anything special?”

  “I would love to have a print in some sort of soft pastels for the downstairs bathroom,” Livvy said. “You know how boring that tan and brown theme is, and I want to redo it. I figure if I buy a print, I can talk Danny into painting the walls and maybe even get a new floor.”

  “Good idea,” Kate said. “The current color scheme could use a little spicing up, I must admit.”

  Livvy snorted. “Oh, stop being so tactful, Kate. It’s horrendous and you know it!” Both women laughed again.

  Emmaline said, “Kate and I are working on projects together.”

  It was an awkward segue, at best, and Kate stopped chuckling. “We are?”

  “Well, not working on the same one together,” Emmaline amended, “but we’ve been inspiring each other. Kate’s starting an iris panel in her stained glass after seeing a sketch I did of irises.”

  “Well, aren’t you feeling creative,” Livvy said to Kate. “What are you going to do with it?”

  “Oh, I’ll probably let Steve Smith put it up for sale.” She caught the gleam in Livvy’s eye. “Uh-oh. I recognize that look. What do you want me to do with it?”

  “Well,” said Livvy in her best sugary-sweet tone, “I would say donate it for the auction tomorrow night, but since it’s not finished, that’s a bit of a problem. So if you really wanted to be beneficent, you could donate it to the Friends of the Library for the raffle next spring at Sidewalk Sale Days. Something beautiful like that would really bump up ticket sales, I imagine.”

  “You,” said Kate, “are a con artist.”

  “You already knew that,” Livvy said, grinning.

  “You could donate something too,” Kate said to Emmaline. Her friend was turned toward the window, watching a group of teenagers cavort in the grassy courtyard.

  Emmaline hesitated. “Possibly,” she said in a distant tone. “If I’m still here.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause.

  “It’s a good idea,” Kate said hurriedly to Livvy, “and I’ll be happy to donate something. Do you want to mention it to the president of the group for me?”

  “Sure. I’ll let you know what she says next time we walk.”

  Livvy had to have noticed Emmaline’s fit of pique, or whatever it was, but she was taking her cue from Kate and ignoring it.

  “Speaking of which, when do you want to walk again? You’re the one with the busy schedule right now.”

  Livvy considered. “We could go after the library closes. Do you want me to come over after I get off?”

  “That would be great,” Kate said. “I haven’t walked in a couple of days, and I don’t want to let myself get out of the habit.”

  “See you later, then,” Livvy said. She smiled at Emmaline. “It was nice to meet you.”

  Emmaline had already begun to move away and must not have heard Livvy, because she didn’t answer.

  Kate sent a confused look Emmaline’s way, then said to Livvy, “We’re off to lunch. I’ll see you later. Enjoy the auction tomorrow.”

  KATE WALKED AFTER EMMALINE, who seemed in a hurry to return to the car. She was already seated on the passenger side with her seat belt fastened by the time Kate reached the driver’s side.

  As she slid behind the wheel, Kat
e said, “Let’s eat!”

  There was a silence. Then Emmaline said, “If you still want to go.” Her tone was sulky.

  Kate was so taken aback that all she could think was that Emmaline sounded like her daughters, Melissa and Rebecca, during their early adolescence.

  Finally, Kate said, “Excuse me?”

  “I didn’t know if you still wanted to go,” Emmaline said. “It seemed like you would rather have just stayed at the library with your friend.”

  Nothing to do but ignore it, Kate decided, although Emmaline’s apparent jealousy—was there another word for her attitude?—felt more than a little unsettling. Trying to mask her discomfort, Kate said, “Lunch will be fun. Did you have a place in mind?”

  Emmaline seemed to shake off some of her strange mood at the question. After weighing the options, they decided to drive over to Pine Ridge to a restaurant called Le Peau’s.

  Lunch was pleasant. Under a steady stream of questions, Kate spent much of the meal telling Emmaline about her life in San Antonio and Paul’s desire to make a drastic change in his ministry that led them to Copper Mill. Emmaline talked a little about her grandmother and what she remembered of the town from her childhood visits, but Kate noticed she seemed much more interested in asking the questions than in answering them.

  Afterward, Kate drove back to Emmaline’s house.

  “Would you like to come in?” Emmaline asked when Kate pulled into the driveway.

  Kate smiled. “Thank you, but I had better pass. There are a few things I want to get done around the house this afternoon.”

  “But you have time to go walking with Livvy,” Emmaline said. The words had an almost accusatory ring. They verged on being outright sarcastic.

  “Well, yes,” Kate said, taking a deep breath. “I try to build some exercise into my schedule several days a week.”

  “Okay. Well, don’t have too much fun without me,” Emmaline said with a wink as she climbed out of the car.

  She may have meant the comment as a joke, completely innocent banter. If Livvy had uttered the words, Kate never would have given it a second thought. But in light of Emmaline’s earlier behavior and the seeming accusation a moment before, Emmaline’s words sounded more like a warning than a jest.

  As Kate waved and drove off, she shook her head. Emmaline appeared to have made Kate her new best friend, although Kate hadn’t realized it until that afternoon. Gracious, they hadn’t even known each other a full week! Perhaps it would be good to back off a little, let Emmaline develop friendships with some other people rather than becoming so attached to Kate so quickly.

  Chapter Eight

  Hello, Pastor.” A quiet voice behind Paul caught his attention, and he turned to see Frank Miller standing nearby. Paul and Kate were in the Faith Briar foyer mingling with parishioners before the Sunday service began.

  Frank held little Anna in one arm, and with his other hand, he held his son Adam’s hand firmly. Stephanie’s mother trailed behind him, carrying the baby. The group was dressed nicely, and it seemed half the congregation was cooing over the infant’s tiny dress.

  “Hello, Frank. How are you?” Paul asked.

  “Fine, thanks.”

  “And Stephanie?”

  “Still in the hospital,” Frank said, twisting the corner of his mouth in obvious disappointment. “But she’s doing better. The doctor is talking about releasing her in a few more days, as long as we can promise that she won’t overdo it once she gets home.” He smiled, although there were two vertical grooves of worry lining his forehead. “Easier said than done with these three.”

  Kate stepped forward and waved two fingers at the little girl Frank was holding.

  “Hi, Kate,” Frank said, smiling. “Thanks for being willing to come over again this Tuesday. I guess these little hooligans weren’t too terrible then?”

  “They weren’t terrible at all,” Kate told him. “We had a wonderful time.” She smiled down at Adam, and then blew a kiss to Anna. To Paul’s surprise, the tot lunged toward Kate, nearly falling from her perch on her father’s arm.

  Kate reached out reflexively as Paul leaped forward, doing the same. Little Anna landed squarely in Kate’s embrace, and Paul looked at Kate, chuckling.

  “Well, hello,” Kate said, looking down to smile at the child. “Shall I come and play with you this week?”

  Anna said “Yesh” and snuggled against her.

  Paul felt a surge of tenderness for his wife. Kate had always possessed some quality that babies and children found appealing. She could calm a cranky infant when no one else had any luck. Seeing her with a child snuggled against her made him remember fondly the years they had spent raising their own children.

  Frank said to Kate, “Stephanie and I both want to thank you so very much for everything you’ve done: the babysitting arrangements, the meals—”

  “All I did was make a few phone calls,” Kate said. “Other people stepped in and took care of the details. Faith Briar is such a supportive church family.”

  “It is, indeed,” Frank said, nodding. He reached out his arms and took Anna back from Kate. “We’ll see you on Tuesday.”

  “I’ll be there,” Paul heard Kate promise before she went to join the choir. As she walked away, he noticed that she paused to greet several people, leaving a trail of smiling faces in her wake.

  DURING THE SERMON, Paul offered the first in a five-part series on “The Five G’s of Discipleship.” The first sermon was titled “Grace,” and it was preceded by a brief overview of the series.

  “No one,” said Paul, “can be a perfect disciple. But every new day brings an opportunity, presents a chance for you to decide to follow Christ’s teachings and embrace his way of living.”

  As Kate listened, a thought suddenly struck her, and she felt terribly remiss. She hadn’t invited Emmaline to church. What had she been thinking? Perhaps it was more that she hadn’t been thinking. Even if Emmaline was a bit clingy, Kate should have shared her faith with her.

  Kate resolved to extend an invitation to worship at Faith Briar the very next time she visited Emmaline. In addition to offering her an opportunity to experience comfort and peace in the presence of the Lord, it would be an opportunity for Emmaline to make some new friends, a move Kate wholeheartedly supported.

  As the more vigorous strains of a lively postlude began, Kate made her way to Paul’s side at the entrance of the little church. Together, they exchanged greetings and thoughts with the members of the congregation as they filed out.

  When the parade of parishioners had ended, Paul placed an arm around Kate and squeezed her shoulders. “Shall we go to the Bristol again and have our meal?”

  “That would be wonderful,” Kate said.

  As they made the short drive to the hotel, Kate was struck by how different the landscape looked from the way it had one short week ago. It had been windy off and on throughout the previous week, and many of the brilliantly colored leaves had fallen from the trees. Leaves were ankle-deep in some places, and as Paul and Kate leisurely made their way toward the restaurant, their feet made a pleasant rustling sound amid the leaves.

  Kate thought of Emmaline as they walked. How could she not? The previous week, they had come to the Bristol, only to find themselves supporting players in a medical drama within minutes of their arrival. She fervently hoped this week would not be as exciting. She was starving!

  They entered the hotel and walked over to the restaurant off the foyer. The hostess took them to a table in the Bristol’s main dining room, very close to where they had been seated the previous week. Both of them decided to have the brunch buffet, and as soon as their server left to bring their drinks, they rose and made their way to the buffet line.

  Sunday brunch buffets at the Bristol were extravagant affairs. The first station contained a variety of fruit, while a salad bar, with items such as Waldorf salad with apples and walnuts and spinach salad with a warm egg-and-bacon dressing, lay just beyond it. There was an entire secti
on of side dishes, such as home-baked macaroni and cheese, succotash, and yams drizzled in a brown sugar glaze. Among the selections of main dishes were seafood pasta, herb-stuffed chicken breasts, vegetable-stuffed portobello mushrooms, and a mouthwatering prime-rib roast served au jus in thin slices. An entire table laden with desserts, including red velvet cake, key lime pie, peach cobbler, and several additional confections, many with chocolate, lay just beyond the main entrée area.

  Kate groaned as she carried her plate back to the table. “I’m going to try my best to save room for dessert, but everything looked so good!”

  “I know.” Paul set down his loaded plate ruefully. “Eli’s been after me to eat a balanced diet to get my body in top shape for this race. If he saw this, he’d have a fit.”

  Kate couldn’t quite imagine soft-spoken, gentle Eli having a fit. She chuckled. “Tomorrow we’ll make an effort to get back to healthy meals, I promise.”

  The couple plunged into their extravagant meal with gusto. Kate particularly enjoyed the seafood pasta, while Paul went back for a second helping of the tender prime rib.

  Before Paul returned to their table, Kate was surprised to see Emmaline Ashford appear in the doorway of the dining room. She took a look around, then her face lit up when she saw Kate. She said something to the hostess and made a beeline across the dining room.

  “Hello, hello!” she called to Kate as she drew near. Kate recognized the enthusiastic trill as Emmaline’s stock greeting.

  “Hello,” Kate said, taking a deep breath.

  “May I join you?” Emmaline didn’t wait for an answer, but simply slipped the strap of her handbag over the back of the chair to Kate’s left and plopped into the seat. A waitress appeared instantly.

  “I’d like a glass of ice water, and also hot tea with lemon, please,” she told the server. “And I’ll have the buffet.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” The girl nodded and hurried off.

  As the waitress moved away, Kate saw Paul returning. Puzzlement registered on his face.