Page 70 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
“Not at all.” Henry pulled a glass out of the cupboard with a chuckle and filled it with tap water, unable to hide his lingering smile as he leaned back against the sink. “I haven’t heard anything from you in over two weeks. I leave town for one day, and now my office manager is congratulating me on my upcoming nuptials. That’s going to require some explaining.”
“Stop laughing. This is horrible.”
“I’m not laughing.”
“The sound you’re making sounds a lot like laughter.” And she didn’t realize how much she had missed it until now.
“Sorry. I’ll be serious.” He took a drink of water. “So it’s my job to plan the honeymoon, right?” He blocked the fist she directed at his abdomen. “Hey now. I hope you’re not this physical after we’re married.” He smiled. “Although on second thought—”
Edith tipped the bottom of his glass, dumping water down his shirt. “Whoops.”
Henry looked down at his chest for a moment, thenturned around to set his empty glass on the counter. “I see how it is.” In a flash, he spun with the spray handle, dousing the front of Edith’s shirt.
She gasped at the cold water flooding her chest. “Oh no you didn’t.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I did. Here.” Henry handed her a dish towel, then leaned against the counter and folded his arms.
“So where were you?” Edith asked, dabbing her shirt, hoping her voice sounded casual enough.
“Hmm?”
“You said you were out of town. Where’d you go?”
“Oh. Up to Chicago.”
“For your job?”
“Not exactly.” He rubbed a palm across the five-o’clock shadow on his jaw. “Had some personal things I needed to see to. Things that were long overdue.”
Edith continued patting her shirt dry, willing her hands not to shake. Or her voice. “And you just got back a little while ago?”
“Yeah. I had to swing by the office to grab some papers. Peg left me a note congratulating me on our upcoming winter wedding. I thought I better swing by here and see what was going on.”
“I see.”Dab. Dab. Dab.“So you haven’t been by your house yet? Haven’t, I don’t know, watered the plants? Checked the mail?”
His warm palm stilled her arm, then removed the dish towel from her hand. “I got your letter, Edith.” His voice was quiet, all teasing gone.
Shoot.She squeezed her eyes and spun in a slow circle, needing a second, maybe two, before she faced him again. “You weren’t supposed to get it.”
“You didn’t mail it?”
“No. I mean, yes. I mailed it. But then I realized I shouldn’t have mailed it. It’s why I went back to the post office this morning. To get it back. Then things took a really weird turn. How did you get it so quickly?”
“I must have just happened by the post office right after you mailed it. Mr. Walton flagged me down and hand-delivered it. Not even sure if that’s protocol.”
“Of course. Mr. Walton.”
Henry looked at his watch. “I just realized how late it is. Do you have to work tonight?”
“No. I’m done with the overnighters. All the regular staff is back from vacations, so Sharon has me filling in for just a few hours here and there now. Basically, I’m just killing time until my passport arrives. Should be any day now.” Edith folded her arms and lowered her gaze.
Henry didn’t say anything for several seconds. He refilled his water glass, took another drink, then dumped the rest down the sink. “When’s the next time you’re going in?” he finally asked.
“Monday evening.”
“Can I see you after you get off? I can grab some dinner, swing by, and pick you up.” He must have sensed the rebuttal clawing up her throat, because he lifted his hands to her shoulders. “I didn’t like how things ended between us the other week.”
To be honest, neither did Edith.
