Page 52 of Hank and Elsie
But as she rearranged lace in the cabinet, she looked up to see him strolling into the dress shop, holding a bouquet of red roses. She froze.
He touched the brim of his Stetson, his brown eyes serious.
Her heart gave a huge thump and her stomach squeezed. She didn’t know whether to run toward him or run away.
Miss Taylor rescued her, bustling over. “Hank.” She touched a bloom. “Looks like the ones growing in the Cameron’s yard.”
His smile looked strained. “Might have had some help from Dr. Angus.”
Looking back and forth from Hank to Elsie, Miss Taylor directed a graceful wave toward the ceiling. “I’ll give you twoone half houralone to talk.” After that, I’m coming up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they chorused, but then carefully avoided looking at each other.
Once in the apartment, Hank hung up his Stetson, while Elsie bustled about, putting the roses in a vase. She wanted to draw out the task, but knowing they had a limited time, she made herself finish quickly before setting the vase in the middle of the table.
Taking a breath of the rose-scented air, she sat in one of the chairs at the table and gestured for Hank to sit across from her. She couldn’t bear to look at him but primly positioned herself with her lower limbs tight together and her hands clasped in her lap.
A heavy silence descended. Finally, Elsie looked up and met his gaze. “I didn’t give you a chance to talk or hear you out, and that was wrong. I should have listened to what you wanted to tell me.” She leaned forward. “But, Hank, I just felt so shocked and betrayed.”
“You weren’t the only one.” He smiled ruefully. “Your pa pounced on me like a barn cat on an unsuspecting mouse, and then picked me up in his fangs and carried me off, dropping me at your feet like some kind of matrimonial offering.”
The imagery brought out a ghost of a giggle.
“What really happened was…your father took me aside to probe…. I mentioned wanting to court you, andbefore I could tell himthat we weren’t in a hurry, that you had years in front of you to enjoy working in town, that…” Frowning, he held up a hand, as if swearing an oath to tell the truth. “If I hadknownwhat he intended, I would have put my foot down…no,dugin my heels, pulled him back, and said ‘Stop!’”
As she listened, Elsie started to relax and even feel a bit foolish—not at her reaction to her father’s matrimonial bolt from the blue but in her complete avoidance of Hank.
He set his forearms on the table. “I’d have told him, ‘I love your daughter, sir. But you and I arenottalking to Elsie aboutmarriage,notpressuring her. And she and I arecertainlynotabout to wed anytime soon.’”
Hank loves me?She sucked in a breath. Butterflies took wing in her stomach.
“‘Whenshe’sready—’” he looked intently at her “—you’reready, that will be different.”
“Oh, Hank!” She slid a hand halfway across the table but wasn’treadyto stretch farther.
“Might not be until you’re eighty-five, Elsie.” An eyebrow arched. “But I certainly hope you don’t make me wait that long because I would like children.”
Her fingers inched a bit closer to him. “I do want children,someday. But I also don’t want to give up my work. I have dresses I want to design and craft. I want to make women look and feel their best. Ilovehelping Miss Taylor create an outfit that gives a woman a good feeling about herself. That secret smile when she tries on a new dress and views herself in the mirror isspecial. Watching her face light up fills me with joy.”
He touched the back of her hand. “I don’t want you to give that up either. I love you, and your happiness would fillmewith joy. How about,someday, say when you’re eighty-five or so, living in town? I could buy some land and build a house.”
Her skin warmed under his touch. Elsie longed for the dream he described. But then came a wave of guilt for her selfishness. She pulled back her hand. “How can you give up living on Three Bend Lake? The natural beauty and the swans and Brian and Torin and sweet, sweet Jewel.”
“Because I’d have my sweet, sweet Elsie. And my honor and desire would be to make her happy.”
She sat back and crossed her arms, glaring at him.
“What have I just said that set you off?” He crossed his arms to mimic her posture.
“Itwouldn’tmake me happy for you to give up your home at Three Bend Lake. Youbelongthere. You said so yourself.” She blew out a long breath. “But it wouldn’t makemehappy to give up living in town, either.”
With a sigh, Hank leaned forward to put an elbow on the table and rub his chin. Then he straightened. “What Ireallymust give up is my own stubbornness and resentment.”
She sent him a questioning look.
Standing, he strode to the window, looking out for a moment.
Elsie waited for him to wrestle his thoughts into order.
