Sunday's Child (16 page)

 

 

 

 

14

 

Cal picked Hattie up at four on Saturday afternoon, and whistled softly. “Look at you.”

She did a twirl. “You like?”

“I more than like.” He was bowled over by the way her shirt fitted, the way the skirt flowed around her ankles, showing off her matching sneakers. Even her sling matched. He kissed her gently. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you. So do you.”

Laurie appeared in the hallway. “You kids have fun.”

Cal grinned. “We will. And I promise I'll have her back by ten.”

“Or parked out the front by ten,” Hattie added, elbowing him.

His cheeks burned, the sensation worsening as Laurie laughed. “No parking outside my house,” she told them. She winked. “I know the two of you far too well.”

He cleared his throat. “I assure you my intentions are entirely honorable.”

“I'm glad to hear it. I'd hate to have to find my baseball bat.” She grinned and waved as she shut the front door.

“You told her about that?” Cal asked, mortified.

Hattie giggled. “I merely asked if she had one. She asked why and I said to make errant men behave themselves. How was I to know she would assume I meant you and not Uncle Reg?”

Cal chuckled and led Hattie over to his truck and opened the door for her. “Does Laurie ever quit with the teasing?”

“Nope.” She shook her head, her blonde hair spiraling around her face, showing off her neck and the ribbon fastened around it. “Especially if she likes or approves of someone.”

“I'm glad she approves. It makes seeing you so much easier.” He ran around the truck, got in and started the engine.

“How are the Edgemont's repairs coming on?”

“They're getting there. Another week should see them finished. It helps not being on call this week and only back up crew next week.”

“So we have to share you with the pager.” She rolled her eyes.

Cal mimicked the expression right back at her. “Are you dissing the pager?”

“No, no, I wouldn't dare to diss the pager.” She tried to keep a straight face and failed.

“Good. Because my pager is as important as say, your right arm is.” He grinned, knowing it was her left arm that was broken.

“Oh, funny ha ha. It's a good job I like you.”

“Like you too.” He concentrated on the driving for a moment, his brain whirling. If he were honest, he more than liked her and had long since stopped fighting it. “So, have you decided what you're going to do long term?”

“Stay here. Aunt Laurie said I can stay with her until I find a place of my own, and then said not to rush finding somewhere. I think she likes the company. I need a job, but not sure what. Maybe in a café or somewhere, and although there's no rush there either, it won't hurt to start looking and see what's around.”

“I'm sure something will crop up. God's timing is always perfect.”

“Yeah.”

He parked the truck and led her into the Palladium. The huge, decades old hall was surrounded by pillars holding up the gallery. A massive stage filled the front section and he could almost imagine the old time music hall performances that must have occurred here in years gone by. Tables and chairs set around the edge of the hall, the large floor in the middle cleared and ready for dancing. Lights glimmered overhead, the orchestra played quietly.

Cal handed in their coats and took the number in exchange. Taking hold of Hattie's hand, he led her over to the table which matched their number. He could tell by the huge grin on her face how much she enjoyed eating her sandwiches and cake off the bone china plates. Even the tea tasted different from the bone china cups.

She giggled and stuck out her little finger as if she were having tea with the Queen. And when they danced, it was as if they were floating on air. The lessons had paid off as he no longer trod on her toes. He was disappointed when the evening came to a close and it was time to take her home. He debated a late evening walk, but she looked shattered.

He escorted her to the door of her aunt's cottage.

“Thank you, Cal. I had a lovely time,” she said, trying to hide a yawn.

“So did I.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. “I'll see you tomorrow in church.”

“Count on it. Good night.” She let herself in, softly closing the door behind her.

He looked at the closed door for a moment then headed back to his truck. He wasn't sure where God was leading either of them; he just prayed that they were both going in the same direction.

 

****

 

Hattie found the next week flew by in a whirl of dancing lessons, volunteering at the shop and looking for work. She loved spending time with Cal and made excuses to drop by where he was working, bringing lunch and various cakes and nibbles from recipes she'd found stuffed in a folder at the back of one of Aunt Laurie's kitchen cupboards. Some of them she recognized as Nanna's.

She offered him the box of apple muffins and watched hesitantly as he bit into it. Barely able to wait while he chewed and swallowed, she asked, “Well?”

“You should sell these for a living.”

“Don't talk with your mouth full,” she quipped, doing the same thing she was accusing him of.

He swallowed. “Well, don't ask questions while I'm eating, then. And you can talk.”

She grinned. “That's do what I say, not do what I do.”

“Yes,
mum
.” He chuckled. “Being serious, you should sell these for a living. Or some of your desserts. Or both. Or open a patisserie or your own café or something.”

Hattie pointed her finger over the top of the cake at him. “That's rather a lot of ‘ors' in the same sentence.”

“Yes. Or you could open a guest house.”

“Or not.” She shoved the cake box under his nose and he took another one. “Maybe I just type up Aunt Laurie's unfinished book manuscript.”

“Laurie writes?” The look of incredulous amazement made her want to laugh.

“Not since Uncle Reg died, but she's a bestselling author. Have you heard of Lee Fredricks?”

“Yes. He writes naval action books. I have all of them at home. Why?”

“That's Aunt Laurie.”

Cal choked on the piece of cake. Hattie thumped him on the back and handed him a bottle of water. He chugged for a moment then looked up. “Wow. I never knew…she kept that one quiet. I honestly thought Lee Fredricks was a bloke.”

Hattie laughed. “It's her initials. Laurie Elizabeth Emily and Fredricks was her grandmother's maiden name.”

“Wow. That is going to take some getting used to. And you say that she's got a part written one?”

“Yeah. She stopped writing the day Uncle Reg died. Maybe if I type it up, she'll write the rest of it. She handwrites the first draft completely.”

“Wow.”

Hattie nodded. He still had that awed look on his face. “So I take it you're a huge fan.”

“She has to be one of, if not my all time, favorite author. She has been for years. I might just have to ask for her autograph when I take you home.”

“You will not. She'll kill me for telling you her secret.”

He grinned and took another cake. “Have you heard from Steve yet?”

“No.”

“You need to call him.”

“Not yet. I'm hoping Markus didn't tell him after all; else he'd have been here by now. Or he's just biding his time to catch me off guard.”

“Speaking of Markus and his ongoing marriage proposals…”

She sighed. At least Cal hadn't been judgmental when she'd told him. “I haven't seen him all week which has actually been really nice as he seemed to be stalking me. Not in a creepy way, just kept appearing almost everywhere I was for a day or two. He's away on business or something. No doubt as soon as he gets back, he'll ask again.”

“What will you say?”

“Same as always.” She held his gaze. “I don't want to marry him. End of. Now can we please talk about something else?”

“Sure.” He gripped her hand tightly, his gaze making her feel like she was the only girl on the planet. Something that Markus never did.

And let's face it. Markus has taken you out twice, First time you almost drowned and the second time it was lunch. He hasn't kissed you, held you, laughed with you…

“Hattie, can I ask you something?” His voice was low and serious. Had she done something to upset him?

“Sure.”

“Would you go out with me?”

“We are out. And we've been out most nights since I've been here.”

He ran his hand down her cheek, setting her skin ablaze where he touched her. “No, I mean date properly. Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Yes.” A tsunami of joy overwhelmed her. His lips claimed hers and she lost herself in the sensations and emotions flooding her soul.

He broke off and leaned his forehead against hers. “Maybe you should just stay here with me.”

She frowned slightly, her joy tempered. “What do you mean?”

“Stay here with me,” he repeated.

“I won't live with you.” Heat flamed in her cheeks. “I can't. It wouldn't be right.”

“I'm not asking you to live with me. I'm asking you to marry me.”

“Marry?” Shock ran through her. He'd only just asked her to be his girlfriend and now he was proposing?

“Yes, marry me. I don't need an answer right now. Think it over. Take as long as you need.” His fingers moved slowly through her hair. “I love you, Hattie.”

He kissed her, long and slow, until she lost all sense of who she was.

When he broke off, she smiled. “Is that an incentive for me to say yes?”

He grinned. “It can't hurt. I—I don't give my heart easily or often, but you… I fell for you the day I first walked into your guest house.”

“Steve's guest house,” she corrected.

“OK, Steve's guest house. And when I left I never thought I'd see you again. You coming here must be a God-thing.”

She waved the empty cake box under his nose. “And my cooking has nothing to do with it? Or Aunt Laurie being your favorite author?”

Cal grinned. “Nope. I know this is sudden, especially with Markus asking you as well. I'm not doing it to annoy him or to compete. I just didn't want you to marry him—without letting you know how I felt.”

“Shut up.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry?”

“I said shut up.” She kissed him lightly. “You can't propose in one breath and talk about Markus proposing in the next. I'll let you know next week or so. If that's OK?”

“More than OK. Take as much time as you need. I'm not going anywhere.”

She nodded, half surprised she wasn't floating, she felt so light and giddy. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and although her gut instinct was to say yes, she had to wonder if it was what God had planned for her.

 

 

 

 

 

15

 

Hattie sat at breakfast with what she knew was a stupid grin on her face, but she had no wish to change it. She spread a thick layer of marmalade on her toast.

“You look happy,” Aunt Laurie commented. “Happier than you have for a while.”

“Cal proposed last night.”

“He what?”

Hattie grinned. “I told him I'd think about it.”

“What about Markus? Hasn't he also proposed?”

“Markus?” Hattie shot elbows to the table. “He's rich, but he's… He's just a friend. And Steve's friend at that. But, Cal?” She paused, chewing on the toast, images of her tall, dark man in uniform dancing in her mind's eye. “They're complete opposites. Cal makes me feel alive. His kisses are like honey and fireworks. I spend every minute thinking about him and wanting to be with him, and when I am time just flies by.”

Aunt Laurie smiled. “Cal isn't exactly poor, either.”

Hattie looked at the toast in her hand and caught a stray chunk of marmalade with her finger. “No, but he doesn't flaunt it like Markus does. Besides, between you and me, Markus gives me the creeps at times. He suddenly sneaks up on me from nowhere.”

“Sounds to me like you've made your decision.”

“I told Cal to give me a week or so and he said take as long as I need. I mean he only asked me to be his girlfriend last night.”

Aunt Laurie winked. “Before or after he proposed.”

“Before he proposed. But admittedly that was after I discovered his favorite author is Lee Fredricks.”

Aunt Laurie raised an eyebrow. “You didn't tell him, did you?”

“It might have slipped out. He was well impressed. The thing is,” she continued, changing the subject quickly. “I don't want to rush into anything and find out ten years down the line that I made the wrong decision. Want my head to catch up with my heart and end up on the same page. I also want to pray it over, make sure God thinks it's the right thing to do.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

She chewed for a moment. “When did you know Uncle Reg was the right man for you?”

Aunt Laurie drank half her coffee before she answered. “I just knew. But what sealed it was when he climbed a tree in my grandmother's garden to rescue her cat Snowball. In the rain.”

Hattie laughed. “Oh, sweet.”

“Only Snowball didn't want to be rescued and jumped from the tree to the windowsill and went back inside the house. So your uncle sat on the branch and launched into a version of
Singing in the Rain
which he made up on the spot.” She smiled. “I knew then.”

“You miss him, don't you?”

“Every day.”

Hattie smiled. “You should finish the book, dedicate it to him. Even rename the hero after him.”