much in love with him. “They just asked me to say Mass and hear confessions here every day.” He had been alternating with Father Peter, but the older priest hadn't been well, and had just decided that he already had too much on his plate at St. Stephens. And Father Joe seemed to get on well with the nuns, so he asked him to take over for him. “You can tell me what you've figured out tomorrow morning.”
“It may take me a couple of days,” she said, and then she grinned at him mischievously, and he had a wild urge to remove the headpiece she wore, which concealed all but the front of her golden hair. He wanted to see how long it was, how much there was of it. He wanted to see more of her than he was allowed to, to hold her, to kiss her until they were both desperate for air. But he also knew that he couldn't keep her in the abandoned room forever, and in a minute he would have to let her go back to the others. But he hated to give her up, even for a few hours, until they were able to meet again.
“Maybe I should start hearing confessions here twice a day,” he said with a boyish smile, and feeling the same magnetic force pull them simultaneously, they kissed each other again, with increasing passion.
“I love you,” she whispered, wanting more of him than she dared.
“I love you too. I'd better let you go now. I'll see you tomorrow morning,” he said, kissing her yet again. “I hate to leave you.”
“You'd better. We can meet here again. No one ever comes here, and I know where Sister Emanuel keeps the keys to this office.”
“Be careful,” he warned her, “don't do anything crazy. I mean that.” He sounded very firm, and she laughed as she met his eyes again.
“Look who's talking. This is about as crazy as it gets.” But if they met outside these walls, they both knew it would get crazier yet.
“Are you mad at me for telling you, Gabbie?” He looked suddenly worried as he stood to his full height and faced her squarely. He had taken an enormous risk by telling her, but now he had put both of them in danger. But she looked as though she had no regrets. None whatsoever.
“How could I be angry at you, Joe? I love you.” And then with a shy smile, “I'm glad you told me.” But the situation was easier for her in some ways, she was only a postulant and had taken no final vows. She wasn't even a novice. Joe had been a priest for more than six years, and the consequences of what they had done were far more dramatic for him. His whole life was in jeopardy.
“I'm not sure what we should do now, Gabbie. I don't even know how I'd support you,” he said, looking worried.
“We'll see what happens. We can always work it out later.” There was a strength in her that she had never felt before, and in some ways, she seemed stronger than he was. “It's too soon to think about all that yet. Just know that I love you, Joe. That's enough for now.”
“That's all I wanted to hear. I thought you'd never speak to me again if I told you… I was so afraid…” She touched his lips with her fingers, and he kissed her hand. “Don't forget how much I love you,” he whispered, and forced himself to leave her. He stood in the doorway for one last moment, smiled at her, and then disappeared. She could hear his footsteps echoing in the hallway for a long time. She stood there, listening to them, and thinking of everything he had just said. She still couldn't believe it, didn't understand how this had happened to them. In so many ways, it seemed like an enormous blessing, in others, it was a dragon waiting to devour them. She wondered how long they could keep it a secret. Maybe for a long time. She knew they would have to, for a while at least, until they decided what to do about their future. And it was obvious to her that in spite of her delicate circumstances at St. Matthew's, it was Joe who had to make the biggest decision.
She looked through the rest of the dusty boxes, and only found one of the ledgers. But it would be enough to