“But you did.”
“Yes, I did.”
He grinned. “And now that we have?”
“Now . . . now I think it was very nice, and I might enjoy doing it again.”
He nodded, trying to look thoughtful. “We probably should just to make sure it wasn’t an accident. I mean, what if you were bending over to fix my pillow, and you fell and my lips caught you?”
“That would probably lead to any number of misunderstandings, and we wouldn’t want that,” she replied.
“Exactly. Kisses should be intentional.” He studied her eyes, the way her mouth twitched with a smile. Teasing her was so fun.
“I’m thinking that will probably be up to me, considering that you’re somewhat incapacitated right now,” she said.
“Yes, if you could see to the conducting of this experiment, I’d be very grateful.”
She nodded. “First, we should probably stare into each other’s eyes. I believe that’s the usual way.”
“Agreed.”
When their gazes connected, Gilbert had to take a moment to compose himself. He hadn’t realized the power that would flow back and forth between them. It was like being welcomed home, and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. He wasn’t prone to that sort of emotion, and it caught him off guard. Grace seemed a little rattled too, but she didn’t look away.
“Now I believe we move together very slowly.” She leaned forward again, and he held his breath. She was so beautiful—and she was wearing the pink dress that made her cheeks look like roses.
“And then?” he asked.
She smiled, said nothing, and kissed him again.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, ignoring the pain in his side when he raised his arm, and just breathed in the moment. This girl, these feelings—that was all he cared about. It’s all he wanted to care about for the rest of his life.
***
Grace could hardly concentrate during the next meal service. She didn’t make any mistakes because she knew her job so well, she could do it in her sleep, but she was afraid that’s exactly what she was doing—sleepwalking. She kept reliving those two kisses over and over again—the surprise, the wonder, how very right it felt, and how much she was starting to feel for this man who had come into her life like a hurricane.
She had wanted to stay longer, to talk to him, to try to figure out what it all meant, but she’d known that she was running out of time. They ate, she cleaned up, and then she left. All the while, a tangible thread of feeling ran between them, tying them together, and she could sense it even now.
“I think you’re a little distracted,” Sarah said to her as they were cleaning up after the meal.
“Just a little bit.” Grace set the stack of dishes she carried next to the washbasin and turned to her friend. “Your brother-in-law . . . he’s a very complex fellow.”
Sarah laughed. “How well I know. But you’ve been a good influence on him, Grace—whatever you’ve been doing, keep it up. I’ve never seen him so happy.”
“What if the thing I’ve been doing is kissing him?”
Sarah almost dropped the pie tin she held. “What?”
“Today. Just an hour ago, actually. We kissed. Twice. And I’m pretty sure we’ll do it again.” Grace didn’t know why it embarrassed her so much to say it. Kissing was normal in a courtship, wasn’t it? And everything had been completely appropriate—the door had been open, the doctor and his wife were in the house. Still, she was embarrassed.
“Then maybe you should keep kissing him,” Sarah replied after she recovered from her obvious shock. “I’m having a hard time seeing him as kissable, but you’ve spent more time with him recently than I have. And I’m married to his brother. That does change my perspective of things quite a bit.”
“It would, wouldn’t it?” Grace didn’t say anything else as the other girls bustled through, their arms full of linens and dishes. Once they’d carried the laundry outside, she said to Sarah, “Am I making a huge mistake if I let myself fall for him?”
“If he was the Gilbert from a year ago, I’d tell you to run away as fast as you could. Or shoot him. Either one would suit me just fine. But he’s done a lot of changing, all for the better, and I believe you’ve had a lot to do with that.” Sarah smiled. “Go with your heart, Grace. It will lead you right.”
“My heart’s confused, and it’s kind of whimpering right now,” Grace said. “Sort of like a little puppy curled up in a ball, not knowing what to do.”
Sarah laughed. “You’ll figure it out. I have no doubt.”
As Grace pinned tablecloths on the line, she asked herself what she really wanted. That was such a hard question. For years of her life, all she’d wanted was enough to eat and clothes to wear. Then she’d wanted her independence. Now . . . now she wanted love. She wanted to give her heart to a man who would love her and cherish her. And from what she’d seen in his eyes, that man was Gilbert Howard, of all people.
But she didn’t have to marry him just because he loved her, right? She had some say in the matter. She flung another cloth over the line and pinned down the edge. The wind had better stay under control or they’d be out here flipping dust off everything. How did she feel about Gilbert? There was no denying that kissing him had turned her knees to jelly and made her heart pound like thunder, but that wasn’t enough. There had to be more.
And there was. His humor, for one—he bantered back with her quite nicely, which was something she needed. She couldn’t picture herself living with a man who disliked humor. And his courage—he definitely had courage. Tenacity—it was difficult starting a new business in a new city. These were each traits she admired.
She had to know, though. She had to be sure. She didn’t want to end up like her mother.
As she had the thought, her hands stilled, and she realized why she’d been so apprehensive. Her mother had married for love, and she’d ended up begging on the street to support herself and her children. Grace was terrified of ending up the same way. She’d seen her mother struggle. She’d seen her cry when there was no wood for the fireplace and the night was cold. She didn’t want that for herself and for her children.
“Emma, do you have any questions?” she asked, turning to the girl she’d been training in how the hotel did its wash.
“No, I believe I’ve got it,” she said with a smile.
“You’ve done very well. Could you please finish hanging the things in this basket?”
“Of course.”
Grace took off her apron as she walked across the grass to Giselle, who was bent over the washtub working on a particularly hard stain. “I’m sorry, but I need to go for a minute,” she said.
“We’re fine here. Do whatever you need to,” Giselle replied.
Grace took off at a run. The doctor’s house wasn’t far, but it felt that way as her emotions burned inside her. As soon as she was let into the house, she ran down the hall, saw that Gilbert’s door was open, and dashed into the room, only coming to a stop when she reached the foot of his bed.
He looked up from the book he was reading. “Grace! What’s the matter?”
“Do you drink?” she blurted out.
He seemed confused. “You’re out of breath. Did you run all the way here?”
“Just answer me. Please.”
“No, I don’t drink. I’ve had a few whiskeys in my life, but I never saw the appeal.”
“Gambling?”
“Only in making business arrangements. Those are definitely a gamble.” He smiled, but then he must have seen she was serious. “I’ve played a few hands and I’ve lost my fair share in the past, but it’s not something I’ve continued with or have any desire to continue with.”
“And what if you had a wife and a house full of children and it was cold outside and there wasn’t any firewood and they were hungry? What would you do?”
Gilbert didn’t answer. Instead, he held out his hand. Grace came to his side and took it, and he said slowly an
d clearly, “If I had a wife and a house full of children, I would count myself the luckiest man in the world. And if it was cold outside and there wasn’t any firewood, I would take an ax and find a tree, and I would chop it down and keep my family warm. And they would never be hungry because no matter what our circumstances, I would work night and day to make sure of it. I would do whatever it took to provide for them.” He studied her eyes, and once again, she felt that pull toward him. “My wife would never have to beg on the street, Grace. Never.”
Grace’s heart felt as though it would burst, it was so full, and she bent over and laid her head on his arm as the tears flowed down her cheeks. He’d understood everything she was afraid of, everything that had been gnawing at her, even though she hadn’t understood it herself, and he had answered her deepest fear. She felt his other hand stroke her hair and realized it must hurt for him to reach across like that, but he was doing it anyway because he wanted to comfort her.
“I love you, Grace,” he whispered. “I love you, and I want to marry you. I want to chop down trees for you and build you a home and provide for you. I know it’s crazy because we’ve spent so little time together, but can you believe me when I say it?”
She lifted her head and looked at him. “I believe it because you’ve shown me in a million little ways. Saving my life was a pretty big way, actually. But there have been other ways too.”
He stroked the side of her cheek. “Do you still loathe me?”
She pretended to consider that. “I believe the loathing faded away somewhere between you stealing my food by the river and you throwing me against a building to save my life.”
“Oh, good. I’m very glad to hear that. And just what are you feeling now? Have we progressed to tolerance?”
The best way she could think of to put it was to lean forward and kiss him.
“Beyond tolerance, then,” he said, grinning, when she pulled away.
“I think that’s a safe guess,” she replied.
“Did you happen to hear the marriage proposal I threw in there? It was sort of tucked away behind some other things, so you might not have noticed it.”
“I did hear it.” She took a deep breath. “I definitely heard it.”
“I’m going to be laid up for a while longer,” he said, motioning to the bed. “Dr. Wayment says it will be several weeks. Would that give you time to plan a wedding? That is, if your answer is yes. I haven’t heard you say anything about it yet. In fact, I’m waiting, rather eagerly, for that answer. If you’d care to give it.”
“I will give it if you’d stop talking for a minute,” she retorted. “Yes, Gilbert, I will marry you, and several weeks is plenty of time.”
“I’m quite glad we got that settled. The uncertainty was quite bothersome. I believe that persons, like myself, who are injured and trying to heal should never be subjected to uncertainty or it might slow down their progress.”
“And that would be terrible,” Grace replied.
“Very, very terrible,” he agreed.
Chapter Seventeen
“That was the craziest meal service we’ve had in a long time,” Grace said, flopping down on one of the front porch chairs next to Nora. “I’m glad Giselle told us to take a minute before we clean up. My ears are still ringing from all the noise.”
“It was pretty overwhelming,” Nora replied. “I feel rather spoiled, sitting there on my stool and not having to deal with it directly.”
“Are you feeling all right? Is this arrangement helping?”
“It is, and Dr. Wayment seems pleased.” Nora looked over at Grace. “May I talk to you? I’ve been going back and forth, and I’m not sure what I should do.”
“Of course. What’s bothering you?” As soon as Grace said the words, she realized how foolish they were. No doubt Nora was thinking about the Osbournes.
“From the moment I learned I was expecting, I pictured myself raising the child alone with an imaginary dead father. I had resigned myself to that, and I’d decided that while it wasn’t what I’d planned, I could do it. Harriet visited with me and told me she could tend my baby during meal times, just like she takes care of Elizabeth’s, and that seemed like an excellent solution. But when the Osbournes came . . .” Nora sighed. “I hadn’t even considered giving my child up. The thought hadn’t entered my mind at all. Suddenly, I realized that I have other options, and to hear the longing in Olivia’s voice . . .”
“You shouldn’t make this decision based on someone else’s feelings,” Grace interjected. “You should do what’s best for you and the child first and foremost.”
“I know, but it did comfort me to know that the baby would be loved and cared for,” Nora explained. “I can’t guarantee that I’d always be able to provide for it.”
“You do have a home here,” Grace reminded her. “We would all help you—you’ve seen that.”
“And I couldn’t be more grateful.” Nora sighed again. “Then I started to think about what my dreams were before this all happened. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to see New York. There were things that excited me, that I’d daydream about, and now they’ve all been taken away. If the Osbournes adopted my child, I could see about doing some of those things. I wouldn’t have to give them up.”
Grace nodded. “That’s true too.”
Nora gave her an exasperated look. “Are you going to agree with everything I say? How is that helpful?”
“Well, you’re saying very reasonable things,” Grace said with a laugh. “If I were you, I’d take a little more time to think about it. What would you miss if you let them adopt the baby? What would you gain? This will be hard, no matter what you choose, and you’re the only one who knows what sort of hard you can endure.”
Nora looked out across the yard toward the road for a moment before she said, “You’re right. I can’t rush this decision, even though I’d like to have it decided. Thank you, Grace. Maybe you’re not as unhelpful as I thought.”
“Oh, that’s a very high compliment indeed,” Grace replied, and both girls laughed.
***
“And with that signature, we’re in business,” Stephen said, giving a nod.
Gilbert sat back and smiled. “We’re in business. That’s a mighty satisfactory thing to say.”
“It’s a mighty satisfactory thing to do. I haven’t liked working for someone else—I grew used to being the boss’s son and having more autonomy. Thank you for turning my world upside down.”
“Any time.” Gilbert smiled at his brother and glanced around the dining room. He’d been able to move back into the hotel a few days before, no longer needing to be under the doctor’s constant care. It felt good to move around, albeit carefully, and it felt very good to see Grace multiple times a day. She came to him with wedding details and cake flavors and asked his opinion. He gave it, but in truth, he didn’t care what flowers she held—he just wanted her to be his wife.
“Looking for that fiancée of yours?” Stephen teased.
“Always, but actually, any waitress would be helpful. I thought we’d have some celebratory pie.”
“I’ll take care of that. I happen to know the cook quite well.” Stephen rose from the table and went into the kitchen, returning a moment later with two plates.
“To Howard Shipping,” Gilbert said, holding his plate aloft as though toasting with a wine glass.
“To Howard Shipping,” Stephen replied. After they’d each taken a bite, he said, “And now on to your next adventure. Are you ready to be a married man?”
“I’m more than ready. The little cottage you helped me find is perfect for us to start out in, and I hired a woman to come in and clean it and hang some new curtains and whatnot. All that’s left is for the day to arrive.” Gilbert couldn’t help but grin at the thought.
“You’ve made a good match. Grace is a wonderful girl.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
***
It was quite ridiculous to get ready for a wedding i
n an attic room, so Elizabeth said, so she’d told Grace to use room three instead. Now Grace stood in front of the mirror, nervous and excited and flustered all at the same time as Giselle helped with her veil.
“You look beautiful,” Nora said from where she sat on the bed.
“Like an angel. Or a princess,” Ruth added.
Sarah fluffed up the bottom of the skirt and then handed Grace her bouquet. “Are you ready to become my sister-in-law?”
“Oh, no,” Grace said, feigning horror. “I hadn’t realized that I’d be marrying you too.”
Sarah laughed. “Hush. Are you ready?”
“I am. At least, as ready as I can be.”
Sarah opened the door and led the way down the stairs. Tom had hitched up Mr. Brody’s carriage, and Posy held Grace’s skirt out of the way as she climbed inside. Then all the girls piled into either the carriage or the wagon, and it was off to the church. Emma stayed behind just in case any of the guests had an emergency. She had volunteered to do it so that none of the girls who knew Grace better would miss the ceremony, and Grace appreciated her for it.
The chapel was moderately full, as Grace had lived in Topeka long enough to make a number of friends. Mr. Brody stood at the head of the aisle and held out his arm when she entered. “Shall we?” he asked in a low voice, and she nodded, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow.
She had invited her parents to come, but she had known they wouldn’t. A quick glance around confirmed it. For the smallest moment, that made her sad, but she was quickly comforted as she looked into the smiling faces of the other waitresses and felt the comfort of Mr. Brody’s arm beneath her fingers. They were her family, and she could depend on them for anything.
Gilbert stood up taller as she approached, and she could see the admiration in his eyes. She must have chosen her dress pattern well. He still walked and breathed a bit gingerly, but Dr. Wayment was pleased with his progress and felt that in another few weeks, it would be as though he’d never been injured at all.
His mother hadn’t been able to make it either, as she was recovering from tumbling down the stairs in her home, but she had sent her best wishes, and an invitation for them to visit as soon as they were able.
An Unspoken Dream (Kansas Crossroads Book 13) Page 10
