“Thank you. We’ve been very blessed to have parents such as you and Papa. I hope that he would approve of what we—”
“Why, good day, ladies,” a voice from over Meagan’s shoulder interrupted.
Her mother smiled in recognition, but Meagan knew who it was even before she turned around to see. She’d know that voice anywhere—even if her pounding heart hadn’t recognized it. She smiled and said, “Good day, Mr. Brooks.”
“We’re treating ourselves to celebrate that I can stay at home and help my Meagan,” her mother added. “Thank you for making that possible, Mr. Brooks. Would you like to join us?”
Thank you, Mama. Meagan held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“Actually, I would like that, if you are sure?”
“Please do,” Meagan’s mother said. “We would like the company.”
He looked at Meagan for confirmation.
“Please do.” She sounded a little breathless to her own ears.
Nate smiled and took a seat. The waiter seemed to come out of nowhere with a menu. Nate brushed it away with a smile and said, “I’ll have the gentleman’s plate, please. And please add the ladies’ ticket to mine.”
“Oh, no!” Meagan said. “We can’t let you do that.”
“After the wonderful meals I’ve enjoyed at your home? I can’t join you if you won’t let me pay for your lunch.” He half stood before Meagan’s mother shook her head and chuckled.
“Please sit, Mr. Brooks. We’ll be honored to have lunch with you.”
“Good.” He sat back down and grinned at Meagan. “It’s not often I have the opportunity to have lunch with such lovely ladies.”
His glance captured Meagan’s, and she could feel the warm rush of color steal up her cheeks. The man had a way of making the blood race through her veins.
He smiled and took a sip from his water glass. “What brought you out and about besides your celebration?”
“We ordered some fabric, and we’re going to buy some trim and notions this afternoon. I need trim for the coat you’ve ordered for Natalie.”
“Natalie’s grandmother loved the new Sunday dress. I gave her your name and the address of your shop. I’m hoping she and Natalie’s aunt Abigail will spread the word about the shop. The women in their circle seem to have a new outfit every time I see them. I’ve also heard that one of the dressmakers in town is getting married, and everyone is worried that there just aren’t enough seamstresses in town. I’m getting word out as fast as I can.”
“Oh, thank you for telling me. I’ll give your friends a discount if they come in.”
Nate shook his head. “There is no need to do that.”
“But—”
“Most of these women can well afford your prices. Don’t worry about that.”
“All right, I’ll charge them what I charge you.”
Nate raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. “No. I have a feeling you are giving me a very good discount. You charge them the going rate.”
Meagan sighed. She did give him a discount from what she normally charged. How could she not? He was the reason she’d been able to start her shop in the first place. “All right, I will.”
“Good.”
The waiter brought their meals out and served them. Once he was gone, Nate asked, “May I ask a blessing?”
“Of course you may,” Meagan’s mother said, and they bowed their heads while he did.
Meagan couldn’t remember when she’d had a better time. Nate was attentive to her and her mother, and the conversation flowed smoothly. Of course, she gave the credit for that to her mother. They talked about the Crescent Hotel, which looked down over the town, and about what a beautiful addition it was to the landscape.
“It really is quite lovely on the inside. And the management is very dedicated to seeing that the guests are treated like royalty,” Meagan’s mother said.
“The opening gala is coming up soon. I’m sure it will be very lavish,” Nate said.
“Oh, it will be. They were planning it before I left.”
Meagan could only imagine what a gala at the hotel would be like. She’d heard it was by invitation only and was sure that only the richest and most influential people in town were invited—which certainly didn’t include her.
That Nate knew many people in town became obvious as they enjoyed their meal, because several diners came up to their table and spoke to him. He was diligent in introducing them—never failing to mention her dressmaking shop.
A nice-looking couple stopped at the table, and Nate introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Richardson.
“I’ve heard wonderful things about the quality of your work,” Mrs. Richardson said. “I do need a few things for this spring and summer. Would it be possible for me to make an appointment to see you later today?”
“Of course. I should be back at the shop by three o’clock,” Meagan said. “Could you come then?”
“I will be there. It was very nice to meet you and your mother,” Mrs. Richardson said. “I’ll call on you this afternoon, then.”
The couple took their leave, and Meagan smiled at Nate. “Thank you. Again.”
“You are very welcome. She’s a very nice woman, and I’m sure she will be very pleased with the work you do for her. She’ll also help spread the word.”
Meagan hated to see the meal end. It was the first time she’d spent any time in Nate’s company outside of the shop, besides at his bank and that one day at church. But that couldn’t even be counted because he’d only been introducing them. This was different somehow.
They said their farewells outside the hotel, and Meagan spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about Nate and what a very nice man he was.
Over the first couple of weeks in April, Meagan ran into Nate at several other places, and she liked him more each time. First, they saw each other at the post office, where they spoke for several minutes. He asked about her mother and sisters and told her how much Natalie was looking forward to her next fitting. The next time she ran into him was at Martin’s Dry Goods where she was picking up some thread and buttons and he was trying to select a doll for Natalie’s birthday.
“Is her birthday coming up soon?” Meagan asked.
“It is two weeks from this Saturday. She is so excited. I hope she likes this doll. Do you think she will?” He held it up for her inspection. The lovely doll had hair the color of Natalie’s and eyes the same shade as hers, too. She was dressed in the little girl’s favorite color and the latest style.
“Oh, I think she will love it. It is beautiful.”
“Good.” He smiled and nodded. “I trust your judgment. I’ll have it wrapped and sent to the house. My housekeeper, Mrs. Baker, will put it in my study.”
He was through with his transaction before she was, but he waited for her to finish and walked out of the store with her. “Would you have time for a soda? There is a soda shop just across the street by the Perry House Hotel.”
Meagan hesitated for only a moment. Her mother would be the first to encourage her to go. “I—I’d like that.”
He put a hand on her elbow while they crossed the street and went into the shop. It was fairly quiet this time of day, and most of the seats at the counter were free, as were the small round tables. Nate led her to one of those and pulled out a chair for her. She’d been in the shop several times, but it had been awhile, and she’d never been in there with a gentleman.
That’s exactly what Nate Brooks was—a very nice, gentle man. Yes, he was a banker, and she would always be thankful for all the ways he’d helped her and her family. But lately, she was seeing him as more than just a businessman. He was a wonderful father to Natalie, and he was easy to be around. Much too easy to be around, Meagan thought as he ordered their sodas and began telling her a funny story about Natalie.
She was laughing when their sodas were brought to the table.
Meagan felt more at ease around Nate each time she saw him, but this was the first time she’
d actually had any real time with him alone. Conversation flowed easily between them until a clock in the shop chimed the hour.
Meagan realized they’d been there for over an hour. “Oh, I must be getting home. Mama will be getting worried about me.”
Nate stood and pulled out her chair immediately. “I’ll accompany you home and explain.”
“Oh, no, that’s not necessary. She will understand. But I’m sure she’s beginning to wonder what has kept me so long.”
“Well, I’d better let you go, then. Thank you for joining me this afternoon. I quite enjoyed it.”
“You are welcome—so did I. Enjoy it, I mean. Thank you for treating me. Sodas are one of my very favorite things.”
“I’ll have to take you to the Crescent one of these days. I’ve been told that they have a wonderful soda shop there.”
Meagan’s heart felt all fluttery at the thought of him actually taking her to the Crescent. As they left the shop and she started home, however, she told herself it was time to quit daydreaming. Nate Brooks was a wonderful man, but they weren’t in the same social circles, and nice as he was to her, it didn’t mean that he was interested in her in any way other than seeing that her business was a success. I need to remember that. Just because I find myself dreaming about him day and night doesn’t mean he’s dreaming about me….
Nate went back to the bank for an hour before going home. He’d enjoyed the afternoon even more than the lunch he’d had with Meagan and her mother. He wished that Meagan had let him see her home. He hadn’t wanted the afternoon to end. It was always that way when he was with her.
From his observations, most of the women in his social circle visited with each other, entertained each other, and gossiped about each other. At times, he just wanted to leave the room … and often did. Meagan was so very different from them. It was refreshing just to be near her.
She was working to help her family, to keep her mother from working outside the home, and to give them all a future. He ventured to guess that none of the women he knew would handle the death of a parent and all the changes Meagan’s family had gone through since then with such grace. He admired her greatly, and he hoped that by seeing him outside of the bank or her shop, she would get to know him better.
He thought back over the afternoon as he had his runabout brought around and headed home. He really cared about Meagan Snow. She was the first woman since his Rose that had touched his heart. He hoped she might begin to feel the same way about him.
He traveled up Spring Street to his home and prayed as the sun set behind the hill. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to run into Meagan the way I have been lately. I pray that if it be Your will, she will see me as a man who would like to court her. And I pray that You help me find a way to ask her if she will allow me to. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
eight
“Aunt Abby and Grandmother, when are you going to visit Miss Meg’s shop and have her make something for you?” Natalie asked at Sunday dinner the next week. “She makes such lovely things, and she showed me a ball gown she’s making for someone. It is so beautiful.”
“I am beginning to hear very good things about her,” Abigail’s mother said, ladling gravy over the potatoes on the plate she was serving to Nate. “I’m thinking of asking her to make me a new summer walking dress.”
Inside, Abigail fumed, but she tried not to show it. As if she didn’t hear enough about Meagan Snow from Natalie, now she was beginning to hear it from some of her friends and her mother. By all accounts the woman was a very good dressmaker—obviously word was getting around if her mother was thinking of doing business with her—but Abigail was sick of hearing her name.
“You should, Grandmother. She is making me one.”
It seemed that Natalie was a one-woman advertising agency for that Snow woman’s shop. One would think she was being paid, Abigail thought.
“I ran into Meagan and her mother having lunch the other day, and the Richardsons were there, too. Myla made an appointment to go see her.” Nate’s comment added to her irritation.
“Yes. Myla is having Miss Snow make her a new tea gown and a walking dress.”
Abigail didn’t much care—she just didn’t like Natalie talking about her all the time, and she especially didn’t like the fact that her niece saw so much of the woman. Suddenly, Abigail realized that if Natalie was going for fittings, unless the housekeeper was taking her, Nate was seeing an awful lot of Miss Snow, too.
“Does Mrs. Baker take Natalie to be fitted?”
“No.” Natalie answered the question that had been directed to Nate. “Papa takes me.”
“Oh, well, I know how busy you are, Nate. I’ll be glad to take Natalie in for her fittings.”
“Thank you, Abigail, but that won’t be necessary. Miss Snow is very good about scheduling the fittings for when it is convenient for me.”
“I see.” And she didn’t like what she was thinking. Not one bit.
“That’s very nice of her,” Abigail’s mother said, handing Abigail her plate. “I’ve heard she is just a lovely woman.”
Abigail made up her mind right then and there that it was time for her to get to know Miss Snow. And she would start tomorrow.
Meagan couldn’t be much happier with the way her business was growing. Mrs. Richardson had ordered several things from her, and through her word of mouth, two of her friends had come in and ordered new afternoon dresses. Occasionally, someone would see the sign outside and come in.
She was just finishing up the trim on a dinner dress she’d made for Mrs. Sinclair, one of the ladies who had come in the day of her opening, when she looked out the window and saw a woman approaching the shop. She came up the steps and around to the door. Meagan had a sinking feeling as she got up to greet her.
Abigail Connors swept into the shop as if she’d been coming for years. Meagan would know her anywhere. She saw her each Sunday, sitting on the same pew that Nate and Natalie used … often next to Nate. That she had a proprietary air toward Nate and Natalie was a big understatement. Now, here she was, in the one place Meagan had begun to weave dreams about herself and Nate.
Meagan forced a smile to her lips and held out her hand. “Good afternoon, Miss Connors. How nice to see you. How may I help you?”
“Thank you.” The expression on the woman’s face didn’t match the tone of her voice at all. “How do you know who I am?”
“I’ve seen you at church with Mr. Brooks and Natalie. I’ve been doing some sewing for her.”
“Ah, yes. I know,” she said in a dismissive tone. “I’ve been hearing about your work. I’d like to see some samples of it if you have any to show me. I might decide to place an order with you if I like what I see.”
Meagan could feel her face turn hot with indignation. How dare the woman take that tone with her? For a moment, Meagan thought she’d actually spoken aloud, and oh, how she wanted to. Instead, she silently prayed, asking for help not to lose her temper. This woman was Natalie’s aunt and the daughter of the man who owned the bank that gave her the money to start this business. She could not afford to make her angry.
“I’d be glad to show you some of my work.” She opened the wardrobe she and her mother had decided to put in the shop for just that reason. They used it to store some of the things Meagan had made for herself and other family members, rotating them with other outfits.
“Are you interested in anything in particular? An afternoon dress? Dinner dress?”
“Just show me what you have,” Abigail said, pulling off the gloves that matched her afternoon dress of blue taffeta trimmed in gold. Meagan knew it was of the very latest style and fabric.
Thankful that she could show Abigail several things that were of just as good quality as what she was wearing and in the latest styles, as well, she pulled out an afternoon dress to show her. It was made of red- and white-striped serge with matching red trim at the neck and wrists. A solid red overskirt gathered up and draped to the side.
Abigail turned it this way and that, looking closely at the stitching. “This is very nice,” she said. “What else do you have?”
Meagan showed one of her morning dresses and a walking dress that belonged to her mother. She also pulled out a dinner dress and a Sunday dress. Abigail went over each one as if she were buying them for herself or perhaps, given the way she was inspecting each one, the Queen of England! Meagan had never had her work scrutinized quite so thoroughly.
When she’d hung them all back, she turned to Abigail. “I hope you are satisfied that I do my best on each outfit I make, Miss Connors?”
Abigail rewarded her with a very slight nod. If Meagan had blinked, she would have missed it.
A Love For Keeps (Truly Yours Digital Editions) Page 6
