A Heart's Blessing - Linda Ford Page 0,66

one of the children had come in, perhaps looking for him. But the kitchen was empty. Had he imagined the sound?

He looked around. Saw the picture of Mirabelle had been moved. Who would have done that? A curious child, perhaps.

Satisfied with his explanation he returned to the shop and his work. And his plans for the evening. He was going to ask the other ladies to watch the children and invite Delcie to walk with him.

But would she agree? She’d acted strangely last night. Was it something he had done or failed to do? He could think of nothing and put it down to the effect of the events of the past week.

The door opened and Miss Fisher entered.

He stood, knowing she would only come here if she had something of importance to relay. He gripped the edge of the worktable, preparing himself.

“What did you say to Delcie?” Her tone suggested he’d said something unkind, even cruel.

“You mean last night? I didn’t say anything that should have upset her.” Little did she know that he had gone over and over every word as he recalled them.

“No. A few minutes ago. She came over here to—well, never mind why—and returned all upset.”

“But she didn’t come here.” Unless… “Maybe she did. I heard the floor creak. But I didn’t even see her, let alone speak to her.”

“Then why was she so upset?”

“I don’t know.” Or did he? He rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the picture of Mirabelle. “I suppose she might have seen this, but why would that upset her?”

Miss Fisher took the photo and studied it. She read the inscription aloud. “She must have taken this to mean you still love her.” She set the picture down and stared at it.

He began to see how the picture would say something entirely different to Delcie than it did to him. “I suppose I do, in a way. She was my friend as well as my wife. She’s gone, part of my past, but I love Delcie today.”

“Perhaps you could tell her that.” Miss Fisher’s voice was gently chiding.

“I thought I should court her a while before I told her.” Wasn’t that what the ladies had suggested? He had bowed to their keener understanding of how the female mind worked.

“What I see here is two people who are hesitant to express their feelings.”

He scrubbed his hand over his hair. “If she believes I love Mirabelle in a way that leaves no room for new love, she isn’t going to agree to go walking with me.”

“No, I suppose not.” She tapped her finger on her chin for a moment. “I have an idea. Come over after the supper rush. Hilda and I will prepare a special supper just for the two of you. Wear your best clothes and bring some flowers. Pick them from our garden if you need to.”

“You think that will work?”

She chuckled. “Delcie just needs to be convinced of your feelings.” She hurried out.

Ryder stared after her. Delcie needed to be convinced of his feelings? Did that mean Miss Fisher knew Delcie’s feelings? Was she certain Delcie loved him?

It would seem so if she was prepared to go to such lengths.

He smiled. Then sprang into action. If he had more time, he would make her a special gift, but flowers would have to do. The gift would come later.

But how was he to get flowers without her seeing him?

He didn’t have time to plan anything more as his shop was suddenly busy and stayed that way all afternoon, allowing him only a moment or two to glance next door. Twice he watched Delcie taking clothes off the line. The children played in the yard with Tiger.

Ryder tried to ignore the knot that grabbed his insides, growing tighter throughout the afternoon.

“What are you doing?” Delcie protested as Laura pulled her toward the dining room. Her friends were being very mysterious. They had closed the dining room to customers early and shut the connecting door, forbidding Delcie to go in. They had fed the children but insisted they would eat later. They shooed the children out to play.

“Go amuse the kitten until bedtime,” Laura told them.

They had refused to answer any of Delcie’s questions except to say it was a surprise.

Her curiosity had been replaced with annoyance and now worry. She couldn’t imagine what they had planned. It wasn’t her birthday. Had they planned a celebration in honor of the children being safely rescued from the kidnappers and Alonzo being in jail?

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