Page 42 of A Secret Heart
Shuffling through the stack, she separated the items and ambled back to place all the bills on Mr. Sullivan’s desk. Too many bills. Mixed in amongst the other mail were a few letters for mail-order bride ads. None for Isaac. None for her.
She hadn’t slept a wink last night, thinking about what had happened.
Ed had kissed her.
She shouldn’t be thinking of it. Not after her proposal to Isaac in the last letter she’d sent.
But when she’d been in Ed’s arms, she hadn’t thought of Isaac once.
She’d not had another letter since writing her apology to him. She didn’t know what to do. The busywork wasn’t enough to distract her mind. She tapped the envelopes against the desk before moving to place them in the appropriate boxes.
Finished, she wandered back to her desk. Rebekah eased her chair back and began opening her desk drawers one by one, taking everything out of them, wiping them out, then replacing the items in a tidier manner. This place needed a good dose of organization. Mr. Sullivan had been gone so often lately. When he was here, he acted out of sorts. His usually organized desk was a mess. She’d caught the Late Notice stamp on more than one invoice.
At least he’d return to find her area in order. When she fumbled the bottom drawer open, all the memories of those hidden letters flashed back. If she hadn’t hidden them, Mr. Sullivan wouldn’t be so angry.
She shook the image of his frustration away. In its place, the replay of Ed’s encouragement flashed through her. He believed in her writing. Warmth crept up from her neck to flush her face. She placed both hands on her cheeks to cool them.
There had to be another way to occupy her time and push back her nerves. Slamming the drawer shut, she raised her head at the very moment Ed strode past the big window of the newspaper office. She stood, smoothing her skirt, her hands trembling, but for an entirely different reason.
Perhaps he had an errand in town taking him past her office. Once he reached the end of the window, he paced back to the door, moving his lips while mumbling to himself.
What was he doing? Why was he in town earlier than usual to take her home? He looked as conflicted as she felt.
He came back again, heading toward his destination—to see her?—with shoulders straight and determined.
The bell of the door to the newspaper office jangled, and her heart began to pound. One hand flew to tuck a loose strand of hair back in place.
Ed stepped inside. His hand tapped his hat, but he didn’t remove it, as if deciding whether to stay. His clear blue eyes locked with hers. A hint of a shadow darkened his cheekbone beneath one of his eyes.
“Morning, Rebekah.” His lips lifted in a sheepish sort of grin. One that made her heart leap in her chest. She wanted to see that smile all the time.
He removed his hat, then replaced it. His fingers trailed over the twine on the nearest stack of papers. She’d never seen him so unsettled.
“Morning.” That kiss from the other day clouded her thoughts and made her nerves worse.
“Do you have time for a walk?” The words rushed out of him faster than she’d ever heard him speak. Surely he hadn’t come to town early just to walk with her.
“I do.” She pushed the chair back as she stood, smoothing her skirt. She couldn’t bear to stay in the empty office a moment longer. A walk with Ed was the best distraction she could think of. This recent development in her own feelings left her more curious than all the flip-flopping her heart had done earlier.
“Actually, I need to—” Ed fumbled his hat. He stepped back to open the door, holding it for her. “The weather is fairly mild for a summer day.”
They’d taken a few steps down the boardwalk before she realized he was offering her his arm.
“It is a fine day.” Rebekah looped her arm through his extended one. For a moment she found herself holding her breath, his arm warm under her fingers. His muscles were tense.
The clomping of his boots filled the awkward silence. “I, um, did you get the paper all ready to go out?”
“They’re waiting for pickup.” She’d expected him to bring up the kiss. Hadn’t he said they shouldn’t have kissed? She didn’t want to hear him say it again. “How’s the family?”
When she tipped her head, she caught the way he worked his jaw.
“Any news from the marshal?” he asked.
She shook her head. He hadn’t answered her question.
“What about your aunt and uncle?” he asked before she could press him on it.
She leaned into his arm. “Are you anxious to be rid of me?”
