Page 29 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
His eyes darted to the ceiling. “You mean there’s a bunch of babies up there?”
Now she knew why she’d added that last part. Steve reacted to babies the way Edith reacted to blue cheese. He took a step back, scratching his neck. “Tell me when we can meet. I’m not leaving until you give me a place and a time.”
Edith’s cheeks burned and her hands shook in frustration. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I think you’re running away from something we could have together,” Steve said. “Plus I need you.”
“You do not need me, and I am not running away. I told you I’m moving on. I already have,” Edith said.
“What does that mean? Are you saying there’s someone else?”
Edith inhaled a deep breath. That wasn’t what she’d been saying at all, but sure. She blew out her breath. If that was the only way to make him see that there was no hope of a relationship between them, then fine. “Yeah, actually. I’ve met someone.”
“Who?” Steve demanded.
“Who? I don’t know who. I mean—I know who. Of course I know who. I just mean you don’t know who. Him. Him-who.” Edith shoved her bangs to the side. The teakettle began to whistle. “Just go away.”
“Not until you at least give me a name.”
“Ugh. You are so—” The whistle pierced louder. Edith spun toward the stove. Spun back to Steve. “No.”
“A name,” Steve said, blocking the door when she tried to close it. The teakettle screeched.
“Henry,” she blurted, unable to stand the sound a second longer. “His name is Henry, okay? Now go.” She pointed her finger out the door, then raced to take the kettle off the burner. The whistle disappeared, replaced by a gentle bubbling. So much better.
“How?”
Edith whipped around. “How what?”
“How did you meet thisHenry?”
“None of your business.” She sighed, seeing how he refused to budge until she gave an answer. “Fine. We met through a mutual acquaintance, okay? I’m staying at his house this summer. Happy?”
“You’re already living together?” The veins in Steve’s neck bulged.
That’s it. Edith was done. She pointed to the ceiling. “Do you want to wake the whole house? Because if you do, you are not leaving until you rock every one of those living creatures upstairs back to sleep.”
Steve’s face paled. Though now that she thought about it, his color hadn’t looked that great to begin with.
“I want to meet him,” Steve said. “You owe me that much. I want to know who this man is that you’re moving on with after my brother and shoving me aside for.”
Edith shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “His schedule is really busy.”
“I’ll wait. As long as it takes.” Steve gave her a challenging look. “Arrange a meeting. Otherwise I’m not going anywhere.”
Then he disappeared out the door into the darkness.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Henry stared at the ceiling. The same image that chased him to sleep last night greeted him first thing this morning.
Edith.
Like a stack of Polaroids, his mind flipped through every one of their interactions. The evening at the diner when he thought she looked like Goldie Hawn. The morning he spoke to her at the coffee shop. The rainy day in the cemetery. Last night in the banquet hall. Beneath a starlit sky. In his arms.
He groaned and rubbed his palms down the front of his face. Why didn’t he tell her who he was? He’d meant to. Wasn’t that why he’d followed her out to the golf course?
Okay, so maybe the hopes of getting that dance had sent him chasing after her as well. But who could blame him?That dress! No wonder half the town had stood in line to dance with her.
