Deborah Camp (39 page)

“Thank heavens!” Regina released her breath and pressed a hand over her heart in relief. “Now I’m glad you have those engagements out of town. We couldn’t raise the money here.” She smiled. “You’ve decided to keep the boardinghouse open, then?”

“Yes, for at least another year. The people who came after Mr. Beck’s funeral today expressed their belief in my work and in this boardinghouse, and that made me feel as if we might eventually win the community’s support.”

“I believe we will, Mrs. Nation. Given enough time, Eureka Springs will see that the open saloons are the real danger. Not this place, and certainly not you or your work.”

“I hope so.” Mrs. Nation waved the letter. “But I had to make a choice.”

“To keep the boardinghouse open,” Regina said.

“Yes … no. Regina, dear, the taxes are also due on your house. You’ll just have to move into my place again.”

It seemed that the world stopped spinning and the sun stopped shining. Regina shook her head, denying what she knew she’d heard. “No. That can’t be. How much are the taxes?”

“Considerable. They’re due next month. Mr. Cooper wouldn’t be dissuaded or postponed.” Mrs. Nation shrugged. “I’m sorry, dear, but it won’t be so bad. My house is large enough for—”

“I’ll speak to Mr. Cooper myself,” Regina interrupted, grasping at straws.

“Go ahead, but he’s not a generous man, Regina. He said he’d be around in a few days to look over the property and prepare for the sale.” Mrs. Nation rested a hand on Regina’s shoulder. “I am sorry, dear, but you have a home with me. Pick any bedroom you want. Jebidiah can help you move your belongings over to my place.”

Regina stared at her shoes, expecting to see them disappear in quicksand. She felt as if she were sinking lower and lower, overtaken by elements beyond her control.

“A bake sale … the quilt we’re finishing up … we’ll sell it. Maybe that flapjack supper Bitsy’s been talking about.” Her vision cleared and she saw pity etched on Mrs. Nation’s face.

“Don’t you think I’ve thought of all those things?” Mrs. Nation asked. “We can’t raise that kind of money in thirty days, dear. Look on the bright side. You still have a roof over your head.”

“But … my house.” Her gaze drifted to the white two-story with its green shutters and brick chimney. “It’s the first real home I’ve ever had.”

“And someday you’ll have another. Why, I’ve had so many homes I can hardly count them.” Mrs. Nation patted her shoulder. “Besides, it’s a
thing
. What’s important is the work we do and the love we give, not possessions.”

Regina nodded, knowing that to be true, but knowing also that truth sometimes was little comfort. She found herself wanting Theodore’s quiet strength.

“Are you going to be all right, Regina?” Mrs. Nation asked.

“Yes.” Regina cleared her throat. “But I’m going for a stroll and think things through.”

“Don’t be gone long. It’ll be dark soon.”

Regina nodded, barely acknowledging Mrs. Nation’s words of caution. She took the shortcut through the woods and headed for town and Theodore. She’d ask him for advice. He’d know how to raise the money for the taxes or how to make Mr. Cooper postpone the real estate sale. Theo could do anything.

She reached one of the main streets and started in the direction of Theo’s office. When she crossed the street, she saw him in Guffy’s Café. She smiled and angled toward the café’s entrance, only to stumble to a halt when she saw that he wasn’t sitting alone at the table near the window. Irene Cooper was with him.

Regina retraced her steps to the opposite side of the street and watched Irene lean closer to hear Theo. Smiling, the other woman reached across the table to lay her hand on top of Theo’s. Theo returned her smile. Regina spun around, unable to watch any longer.

Well, that’s that, she thought. She couldn’t very well ask Theo’s advice about how to keep Irene’s father from snatching her house out from under her. Had he left her a couple of hours ago to meet
with Irene Cooper? Regina had assumed that Theo had stopped seeing Irene, or any other woman, for that matter. It seemed she’d assumed too much.

Her disappointment was frail in comparison to her sense of betrayal. She and Theo were lovers now. Wasn’t that special to him, or had she been fooling herself by thinking she shared more than his passion? He hadn’t made any verbal commitment to her, but he’d been her emotional rock the past couple of days while helping her and Lu prepare for Jack’s funeral and burial. It was natural that she’d think of him as hers and only hers. Maybe Theo wasn’t ready for that kind of oneness. Maybe she was headed for a broken heart by expecting too much of him.

Bringing herself up short before she melted into a pool of self-pity, Regina listened to the firm voice of reason that had been her savior for so many years.
The only one you can depend on is you
, the inner voice boomed. Regina nodded slowly and blinked back sudden, stinging tears.

The next day at dinner it became obvious that Joy Edwards was enormously happy about something. She didn’t even insist that her sons eat their vegetables, letting them leave the table before every green bean had disappeared.

Regina sat back and folded her arms, observing Joy’s shining eyes and bubbling demeanor. “All right, all right,” Regina said, looking from Joy to Bitsy, who also seemed more animated than usual. “I can’t stand it another moment. What’s going on with you, Joy Edwards?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Joy asked, sending Bitsy into giggles. “Oh, hush, Bitsy. They’ll think we’ve lost our minds.”

“I believe I know what’s going on,” Mrs. Nation said. “You two have been meaning to tell us some
news for a few days, but you’ve been waiting until after Mr. Beck’s funeral.”

“Well, we had to,” Joy said. “It wouldn’t be right talking about this with Lu and Regina so upset.”

“We don’t have to talk about it now, if y’all would rather not,” Bitsy said.

“Talk about what?” Lu asked with exasperation. “Do tell us.”

Joy released a quick breath. “Okay. I got my divorce decree yesterday and I’m moving out.”

“Moving out?” Regina said, that old sense of abandonment lurking near her heart. “Where to?”

“In town. We’re not moving out of Eureka Springs.” Joy glanced at Bitsy. “Bitsy’s moving out with me. Don’t look so sad, honey!” she said to Regina. “Be happy for me. Be happy for both of us.”

“How will you make ends meet?” Lu asked. “Have you found a job in town?”

“Yes, I’ll be working at the Basin Street Hotel as a chambermaid, but that’s not my big news.” When Joy looked at Bitsy, it seemed the two were about to burst. “Me and Bitsy are going to have a double wedding the first of September!”

“How grand!” Lu clapped her hands, her eyes bright with romance. “Don’t tell me. Let me guess.” She pointed to Joy. “Deputy Howard Ash.” Then to Bitsy, “Sheriff Boyd Stewart, commonly known as Stu.”

“Give the woman a blue ribbon,” Bitsy said, laughing. “Guess it doesn’t take much smarts to figure out, though. I haven’t been keeping any secrets about my feelings for the sheriff.”

“And everybody knows I’ve been sweet on Howie since I was a kid,” Joy said. “Even my two boys are nuts about him.”

“Congratulations, ladies,” Mrs. Nation said. “If
Eureka Springs doesn’t have anything else, it’s got some mighty fine men in it. With you two wedded to the law, maybe you can have an influence on it. Prohibition, ladies. Preach Prohibition to those badge-wearers.”

Regina laughed. “Leave it to Mrs. Nation to see how this can benefit all our sisters.”

“And our brothers and our children,” Lu added.

“She’s got nothing on me,” Joy said, placing an arm around Mrs. Nation’s shoulders. “I’ve already told Bitsy that we’ve got to get them men thinking straight about saloons. Our children are gonna grow up in this town and it’s up to us to make it a good place with high values.”

“A double wedding! Won’t that be fun?” Lu said.

“It was their idea,” Bitsy explained. “The men, I mean. They took us out to dinner last week and popped the question, then told us they wanted a double wedding. How about that? Those two have been plotting behind our backs.”

“They knew they had us good and hooked,” Joy said with a grim smile, but her eyes were alight with genuine humor. “This way they’ll save money, too, don’t forget. Those men have got something between their ears, I reckon.”

“It’s sweet of you to be glad for us,” Bitsy said to Lu. “You’ve been through the wringer lately, you poor thing.”

“Oh, don’t let my troubles ruin the most important times in your lives,” Lu admonished. “You must let me help with the wedding. I’m good with a needle and thread, as you know. Perhaps Regina and I could design your wedding dresses.”

“Lordy, that would be right nice, huh, Bitsy?”

Bitsy smiled and closed her eyes. “A wedding dress? Great gooses! I’ve never had one of those! I
got married in a plain, old dress last time. Didn’t even get a bouquet or wedding ring.”

“It will be different this time,” Mrs. Nation assured her. “You have your friends here to make sure of that.”

Regina opened her heart to the happiness around her and tried to shut out her sense of being left behind. She knew it stemmed from her childhood, when nothing was forever, tomorrow was to be feared, and no one could be depended on.

Sitting around Mrs. Nation’s dining room table, they drank coffee and talked about wedding ceremonies. Once in a while, Regina could see the children through the back door screen. They were playing outside—Joy’s two and Lu’s one—and Regina guessed they were capturing fireflies to put in a jar. She’d done the same thing at their ages. Some things didn’t change, she thought. But most things did. Within a few weeks she’d be living in Mrs. Nation’s house, and Joy and Bitsy would be newly married. Regina looked at her sister-in-law. Would Lu be next, leaving Regina all alone—again?

Jebidiah poked his head around the corner. “Miz Rose?”

“Jebidiah! Come in and have some coffee with us,” Regina said, jumping up to hold out a chair for him.

“Thanks, but Miz Rose, Mr. Dane is out on the front porch wantin’ for to see you.”

“You should have invited him in, Jebidiah,” Mrs. Nation scolded.

“I did, Miz Nation, but he says he wants a
private
talk with Miz Rose.”

“Oh-ho!” Joy laughed and motioned for Jebidiah to sit down with them. “Regina, go on now. That good-looking man wants some
privacy
with you.”

The others giggled—even Mrs. Nation and Jebidiah—as Regina left them to meet with Theodore. He sat on the porch swing, but stood up when she opened the front door and stepped outside. Warmth enveloped her when she looked at him, so handsome in the suit he’d worn at Mrs. Nation’s hearing. It made him appear to her like a golden image of masculinity. His gingery hair was carefully combed, his smile radiant.

“Good evening. You look lovely tonight.”

“Good evening, Theodore.”

“I would have been by earlier, but I just now left the office. Business is booming.” He motioned to the porch swing. “Sit down with me.”

She did, but kept a few inches of space between them. It didn’t last long. Theo swayed sideways and his breath tickled her ear.

“I want to be with you, Regina.” He shifted, turning her to face him. “All I’ve been able to think about is you. I’m sorry about Jack, but damn it all, Regina, I want to be with you again.” His gaze drifted to her lips and he moistened his with the tip of his tongue.

“Theo, we can’t. Not here. Not now.”

“And what’s wrong with here and now?”

She started to deny him, but it was useless to protest, for his mouth was already swooping to hers like a starving bird of prey. Before she knew it, her hands were roaming over his back and her lips were open to the boldness of his tongue. When he ended the kiss, she tipped her forehead against his chin and struggled for breath and her earlier resolve to keep her feelings in check around him.

“Oh, what you do to me, Theodore. You make me forget all my troubles and think only of the pleasure that’s waiting for me at the end of your fingertips.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Let’s go over to your house and get more comfortable.” He stroked her hair and she felt him kiss her temple.

“Theo, so much has happened lately. No, I can’t … I can’t even think straight. Theo. Theo!” She made him stop kissing her neck and look her in the eye. “I’m losing my home.”

He seemed stumped for a moment. “Why? How?”

“Back taxes.” She sighed. “Mrs. Nation can pay hers, but not mine, and there’s no time to raise the money. Mr. Cooper is breathing down our necks. I have thirty days to vacate.”

“Son of a bitch.”

She glanced at him in surprise. “Theodore! I know you like Mr. Cooper, so you don’t have to pretend otherwise around me.”

“Who said I liked him?”

“Well, you like his daughter, so I assume you like him.” Assume, she thought. There’s that word again. She’d have to quit assuming so much about Theodore Dane.

“I like Irene, but her father leaves me cold. His heart is made of stone.”

“Yes, I know you like Irene.”

He eyed her. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“No.” She averted her gaze to watch the blinking fireflies. “I saw you in town yesterday with her.”

“Yesterday.”

“Early evening,” she added. “At Guffy’s.”

“What were you doing at Guffy’s?”

“I wasn’t there. I was outside looking in.” That puts it in a nutshell, she thought. Outside, looking in. It seemed she’d done a lot of that in her life.

“That’s right. She wanted to talk to me about something.”

“And I wanted to talk to you about something, too.”

“What?”

“The back taxes. I thought you might have some ideas on how to raise the money or postpone Mr. Cooper’s actions.” She shrugged. “But I realized I shouldn’t burden you. Besides, you get paid for such advice and I certainly don’t have the money to pay your fees.”

“You’re joshing with me, right?”

She looked at him. “No.”

Anger blazed in his eyes. “What gives you the idea I’d charge you for advice? What’s going on, Regina? You saw me at Guffy’s with Irene Cooper, so now I’m a stranger to you?”