Smitten Book Club (26 page)

The women got their drinks and settled across from one another at the table.

“This weather is crazy. At least they got the streets cleaned off,” Heather said as she took off her coat, settled into her chair, then covered an enormous yawn.

“Yeah, I know, it’s early,” Molly said. “But you had to get up for work anyway. Might as well meet your best buds for coffee.”

Everyone agreed, though Abby seemed a tad reluctant. She must have been up late reading the book group’s pick.

“Joey had to postpone his flight until this evening. He had planned on leaving Saturday,” Lia said.

“Well, he’s lucky to be going, that’s all I can say.” Abby slumped in her chair. “This cold weather wears me out. Give me the tropics!”

A sharp light caught Lia’s attention, and she gasped.

“Abby! Are you engaged?” She reached for Abby’s left hand while her friend sat there, smiling mischievously.

Heather let out a squeal.

The girls oohed and aahed over the beautiful ring and congratulated their friend.

“Wyatt will make a great husband,” Molly said.

“Goodness, first Heather, now you. Who’s next?” The moment the words left her lips, Lia wished she hadn’t spoken. The girls all looked at her.

“Uh, so maybe now you’ll get to go to Hawaii, for your honeymoon,” Heather said, taking the heat off Lia.

“We haven’t gotten that far. We haven’t even settled on a date yet.”

They talked a little longer about weddings and honeymoons before Molly took a slurp from her frappe and reminded them that she couldn’t stay long, so they’d better get to business.

Lia felt heat flush her cheeks. She pulled out the book, and the friends exchanged a glance.

“Okay, it’s like this,” she said. “There may be nothing to this at all. I told you I’m no good at puzzles, but as I was reading this last night I found something that piqued my interest.”

“Well, what is it? You’ve got us all curious,” Molly said.

Lia looked down at the book and read the section she had marked. “‘A gentlewoman longs for a kindly gentleman to sweep her into his arms and offer her the world. At the heart of it all, of course, is her innate desire to have a home and family.
For true treasure is found in the heart of the home
,’” she finished. “That last line is underlined. I got to thinking it could mean something.” She looked up at the others.

Heather fell back into her chair. “Wow. I know there’s some silly stuff in that book, but that actually makes sense. It’s not just the guy that matters, it’s the promise of home, of family, of establishing something meaningful and lasting.”

Lia thought of Joey and Grace and her own desire to have them close at Christmas. The book had described what she wanted, it was true. But could Joey offer her that world?

“But that’s not the point, Heather. What if the gold is actually at Molly’s house? At the ‘heart of her home’?” Lia said.

“Oh,” Heather said. “You may be onto something.”

Lia felt her shoulders relax a little.

“What do you think, Molly?” Abby asked.

Molly fidgeted with the straw in her cup. “It’s something to consider. But I can’t imagine where it would be.”

“Let’s all think on that while we go our separate ways. ‘The heart of the home.’ What that could mean in terms of a hiding place,” Lia said.

“Oh, I love a good mystery,” Heather said.

They talked a little longer about the possibilities, then
parted ways. Lia hoped Molly would find the treasure. It could change everything.

No sooner had Lia gotten back from coffee with the girls when her doorbell rang. Her mother had already gone to breakfast with Anna.

Joey smiled from the porch. “Can we come in a moment?”

Lia looked down at a sleepy Grace, holding her favorite doll and standing close to her daddy.

“Suzie was supposed to watch Grace today, but something came up. I have some errands to run before we leave for our flight. Could I talk you into keeping Grace for me? Please, please, please?” He gave the grin that curled her toes.

Lia thought of all the things she had planned to do, then she looked down at Grace, and they exchanged a smile. “Of course I’ll watch her. But I do have some errands of my own, if you don’t mind her going with me?”

“That’s fine. How about I call you when I’m ready to pick her up? If you’re out, we can meet somewhere.”

“Sounds good.”

Grace went into the living room and sat on the sofa, leaving them at the door.

“You’re the best friend in the world,” Joey said. Then without skipping a beat, he bent down and kissed her right on the lips! Short, sweet, to the point, but it was a kiss. From Joey Oliver.

“See you soon,” he said, waving as he headed down the porch.

Obviously, the kiss meant nothing to him, but Lia felt as though she were frozen in time. And it had nothing to do with the cold wind blowing through her front door.

One last errand and Lia could take Grace home for hot chocolate and thawing out. She could hardly wait. She was wearing out fast, and she still had the Christmas Eve service tonight. She might have to take a nap.

She had to go to University Mall in Burlington. Their Kohl’s store had the curtains her mother had wanted for her upstairs apartment. Knowing she would be moving back up there soon, Lia had ordered them right after her mother had showed them to her online. Once Lia picked the curtains up, her shopping would be done.

After she and Grace stopped for lunch, she finally pulled up to the mall. She hesitated. Surely Joey wouldn’t mind if she took Grace into Kohl’s. It wouldn’t actually be going inside the mall—they’d just be entering a single store from the outside entrance.

“All right, Grace, grab your doll bag and let’s go. This is our last stop, sweetie.”

Grace smiled and grabbed her things.

Holding hands, they walked through the entrance, and Lia looked at all the last-minute shoppers. “Guess we’re not the only ones,” she said to Grace with a smile.

Christmas displays still flashed, and the loudspeaker announced special deals as shoppers milled around. Lia took Grace to Customer Service, where she picked up her package
of curtains. As they made their way back through the store, Lia watched Grace closely. She seemed perfectly fine.

Can we
look
at
the
toys, Ms. Burton?
she signed.

“Sure.” Lia took her over to the toy section, where Grace reveled in the selection of dolls and playthings.

After a while Grace had had her fill. She looked up at Lia and signed,
Cocoa, with extra marshmallows?

Lia agreed with a smile and they headed for the door. Just as they were going out to the parking lot, they met Joey coming in. His face turned from shock to anger.

“What are you doing here?”

“I told you I had errands to run.”

“This is a mall, Elliana. Don’t you care about Grace at all?”

“Joey, of course I do! We just went in and out of Kohl’s—we didn’t go into the actual mall, so I thought it was okay.”

He pulled a wide-eyed Grace to him. “Well, you thought wrong. I thought I could trust you with Grace.”

She didn’t appreciate how small he made her feel. Incapable. Which also made her furious. “You have no right to talk to me this way. Parents entrust their children to me every day. Grace and I had a great time, actually. And now you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“It may not be a big deal to you, but it’s all about trust. I need to be able to trust you with my daughter. It’s a deal breaker for me.” With that he stomped toward the parking lot with Grace, while Lia watched after them open-mouthed. She hardly knew what had just happened.

The windows on his truck fogged up while Joey sat behind the driving wheel and stewed. The shock on Elliana’s face haunted him. What was he thinking? There was no harm done. Grace didn’t even seem to notice she was in a mall. So why had he overreacted? And with the woman he knew now that he loved. He’d blown it. Big time.

Grace sat sniffling quietly while he drove home. Tiny snowflakes fell on the windshield, and he had to turn on the wipers. He’d go home, get their bags, and they’d head to Burlington for their flight. Maybe the time apart from Elliana would do some good. Still, he couldn’t go away with her thinking he didn’t want to talk to her anymore. He had to make things right.

If only there was time.

A gentlewoman must be patient in order for love to take root.

P
EARL
C
HAMBERS
,
The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship

CHAPTER EIGHT

L
ia tried to stop the tears. She should have thought it through. She knew Joey didn’t want Grace at the mall. She shouldn’t have rationalized. Had she lost Joey forever?

She couldn’t help thinking that the rule was more for him, but then, what was he doing there? When he had asked her to watch Grace, she was glad to help. But he could hardly have expected her to stay home when she had so much to do. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and the tears dried up. By the time she got to Smitten Expeditions, Molly’s store, she had pulled herself together. But one step inside, and she knew she’d never get Molly alone to talk. What was she thinking? This was Christmas Eve, after all.

“Lia, hi. What are you doing here?” Molly’s ponytail bounced with every step.

“I shouldn’t have come. You’re so busy.”

Molly grabbed her arm. “Something’s wrong. What is it? Let’s go into my office for a sec.”

Lia followed her, wishing she hadn’t bothered her at such a busy time.

“Molly, are these boots still 30 percent off?” a salesperson asked.

“Yes, the sale is good through today.”

They stepped through the door of Molly’s office, and Molly turned to Lia. “Now, what’s going on?”

Lia told her what happened with Joey.

“Oh, Lia, I’m so sorry.” She hugged her friend. “He’ll come around. It was just the shock of it all that made him react that way.”

“I guess. I shouldn’t have been so stupid. What if I’ve lost him forever?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s a man in love.”

“Oh, I so want to believe it.”

Molly pulled a couple of tissues from her box on the desk and handed them to Lia.

“It’s just that he’s leaving for Florida and I won’t see him for ten days. I’ll go crazy wondering what he’s thinking, wondering if he’ll meet someone else—”

“Now you stop right there. Just give it some time. I know what it’s like for him. He’s lost his spouse, and he’s raising his kid alone, just like me. It’s confusing and overwhelming sometimes. Joey knows you weren’t purposely trying to hurt Grace. He’ll come around.”

Lia let out a long breath, feeling the tension leave with
it. “Thanks, Molly. I’m going to let you get back to work now. Thanks for the pep talk.”

“Keep the faith, girlfriend. It will all work out.” They walked out the door together, and Lia prayed Molly was right.