As Love Blooms

by Lorna Seilstad

  His lips curved and his eyes sparkled like the sun off the water. He seemed to want to say something, but instead he inclined his head toward the lake. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

  She brushed away a twinge of disappointment and reminded herself to quit imagining things where they weren’t. They were friends—partners, even—but nothing more.

  Fairy dust? The way his heart was pounding, Reese would have sworn Tessa had sprinkled fairy dust all over him.

  Focus. Show her the park. Tomorrow they could get back to work on their garden. Back to normal. He didn’t need a relationship with someone like Tessa. He needed someone predictable, solid, normal.

  But why did “normal” hold so little appeal right now?

  Tessa seemed quieter than before. Had he offended her somehow? No, she’d said the day was perfect, and he’d have to agree. Tessa was effervescent—bubbling like the fountain. She delighted in everything she saw, and she made him look at things through fresh eyes.

  Maybe she was the kind of girl he needed after all. Carefree. Fun. Creative.

  Then again, maybe she wasn’t.

  He’d made a poor choice once before and allowed a girl to manipulate him, and he promised himself he’d never let that happen again.

  But Tessa wasn’t Laura.

  After a few minutes of walking, they reached Cozy Lake. Reese led them to a tall bamboo gate shaped like two conjoined capital Ts, which announced the entrance to the area. Reese explained the gate was called a torii gate. “Mr. Nussbaumer said that according to the Japanese, the gate divides our world from the spirit world.”

  Tessa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s peaceful here.”

  He had to agree. They turned a corner on the path and Tessa gasped. “The cherry trees are exploding with blossoms.”

  Reese pulled one of the pale pink blossoms down lower for her to sniff. “Haven’t you been to the Japanese Gardens before?”

  “Not when the trees were blooming.” She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Reese, this is beyond words.”

  “Don’t you want to see the rest?” When she didn’t follow him, he reached for her hand. The contact sent a jolt through him. He tightened his grasp and led her over the concrete footbridge. “When Dr. Schiffman attended the 1904 World’s Fair in Saint Louis, he fell in love with the Japanese tea garden. He arranged for the gardener to re-create the tea garden here. The gardener was from the Japanese Imperial Household. I wonder what he thought of our Minnesota winters.”

  “If he was lucky, he was back home before he endured one.”

  The path weaved through the unusual shrubs and plants that surrounded the small pond. He stopped at one of the large stone lanterns dotting the landscape. “These are lit most evenings.”

  “Oh, I’d love to see that. The light reflecting off the water would be so enchanting.”

  Enchanting. The word wrapped around his heart like a creeping vine and squeezed. That was the best word he had to describe Tessa. Of course, strong willed, overzealous, and stubborn were good words too, if he wanted to be honest with himself.

  But he didn’t.

  He smiled at her. “Maybe we can come back and see them later.”

  She glanced at the sun. “I’ll need to go home soon.”

  “What time is your driver coming?”

  “He’s not. I’m taking the streetcar.”

  “I can take you home.”

  “You have an automobile?”

  He shrugged. “Who needs a motorcar? I thought I could toss you in a wheelbarrow and push you home. Wouldn’t that be all right?”

  “Reese . . .”

  “Yes, Tessa.” He chuckled. “I have an automobile. It’s not brand new, but it will get you home.”

  “In that case, I accept your invitation.”

  Since they now had more time, they dallied in the Japanese Garden for a while before Reese persuaded Tessa to join him at one of his favorite spots—the lily pond.

  Her eyes grew wide. “Those are the biggest lilies I’ve ever seen.”

  Tessa’s reaction to the pond’s huge Victoria water platters did not disappoint him. “You’ve not been here either?”

  “I’ve mostly visited the park’s gardens. Sorry.”

  “These lilies are from the Amazon River. They get to be about four or five feet in diameter.”

  “How can they survive here in Minnesota? It’s not warm enough.”

  “The water is heated by huge boilers and piped in.”

  She moved closer to the water to smell the blooms, then grabbed Reese’s arm. “What are they doing with that little girl? Stop them!”

  Reese chuckled at the common sight. “The lilies can support her weight as long as she sits down.” The father of the girl, who was probably about five or six, gently lowered his daughter onto one of the platters. The girl clapped her hands.

  “By sitting, her weight is distributed over the whole platter. See?”

  “Look at her face. She is absolutely delighted.” Tessa turned to him. “I wish I were that little. I’d love to be on one of those. It’s like a magic carpet. Have you ever tried sitting on one?” She tipped her face up to him, the glint of a challenge in her eyes.

  “I can’t say I’ve ever considered it.”

  “Have you no imagination, Reese King?”

  Her words pricked him like a thorn. Unbeknownst to her, she’d pinpointed the truth. He knew it. His father knew it. And if he had to guess, Mr. Nussbaumer probably had suspected it as well. When it came to creativity, Reese was sorely lacking.

  Wait a minute. He might not be creative, but he was a good problem solver. An idea took shape in his mind, and he grabbed Tessa’s hands. “Will you stay here while I go get something? It’ll only take a few minutes, but I promise it will be worth it.”

  Waiting wasn’t one of Tessa’s strong suits. She stared at the path Reese bolted down after his rather obscure request. What was so important that he’d leave her like that?

  She sighed and sat down on a large rock. His sudden departure confirmed what she’d feared. Any spark between them was strictly the product of her ever-active imagination. She’d mistaken his polite company for the possibility of something budding between them.

  A boy tossed a rock into the pond, narrowly missing one of the platters. Lightning fast, his mother grabbed his earlobe and hauled him away from the edge, scolding in the process. Tessa giggled. She may have been in trouble more than her sisters, but her parents had never had to take her by the earlobe.

  “I’ve got a surprise for you,” Reese whispered into her ear.

  She jumped, then pressed a hand to her chest. “You scared the life out of me.”

  Reese came around so she could see him. He held up a square piece of wood and grinned.

  “What is that for?”

  “To make your wish come true.” He drummed the board with his fingers. The twinkle in his eyes made her stomach somersault. He took her hand and drew her to the water’s edge. “I’ll put the board on the water lily. It will distribute your weight so when you step on it, you won’t sink.”

  “I’m really going to do it?”

  “I certainly hope so. It’s not every day a handsome man offers you a magic carpet.” His lips curled in a crooked grin. “Now, let me put this board in place.” He stepped across several partially submerged stones until he selected a large lily. He crouched and gingerly placed the board on the plant’s center, then returned for Tessa.

  He held out his hand. “Careful. The rocks are slick.”

  When they reached the lily, she drew in a deep breath. “Do I simply step on?”

  “Unless you’d like to hop.” He chuckled. “Just step on the board’s center. Go ahead. I won’t let go.”

  If she slipped, this would not end well. And if Reese was wrong, this could prove disastrous. But a little water had never frightened her before.

  She lifted her right foot and held her breath. As soon as it made con
tact with the board, she brought her left foot alongside it. She wobbled, but Reese kept hold of her hand. She released her breath and looked around. With the sun dipping in the sky, the white, saucer-sized water lily blossoms opened, emitting an intoxicating pineapple-like fragrance.

  She squeezed Reese’s hand. “You can let go now.”

  To her surprise, he didn’t argue like she imagined most men would, but released his grip. She immediately wavered and the lily dipped, but she regained her balance. She glanced at the shore, where a cluster of people watched them. One woman looked mortified while her husband appeared to find the whole thing quite entertaining.

  Reese followed her gaze to the spectators. “Maybe it’s time for your magic carpet to land?” He held out his hand and she took it. “Easy.”

  She meant to move gently, but in order to get off the lily, she had to put a bit of bounce in her step. Her weight shifted and her foot slipped on a mossy stone. She gasped. Her arms flailed.

  Reese caught her around the waist and pulled her close, knocking her wide-brimmed hat off in the process.

  The hat plopped into the water, but she didn’t care. The warmth of his solid chest and his work-honed arms seeped through her dress and wrapped around her heart.

  “I’ve got you,” he breathed into her hair.

  Oh my, he most certainly did. But what if he didn’t share her feelings?

  11

  Gravel crunched in the driveway. Sam closed her book and peeked at the clock. Tessa’s afternoon outing had extended into the evening. She glanced at Hannah, little Ellie, and Alice Ann, then rose and went to the window to see who had delivered her niece home at this hour.

  A young man came round to Tessa’s side of the white Model T Torpedo and helped her out. Unwilling to spy any longer, Sam returned to her seat.

  “Was that Tessa?” Hannah smoothed her sleeping daughter’s hair. “I thought she was taking the streetcar home. Did she catch a ride with someone?”

  How could she help this well-meaning older sister understand that Tessa was growing up? “Apparently a very handsome someone brought her home.”

  Alice Ann, Charlotte’s seven-year-old daughter, stood up behind the dollhouse in the corner. They’d had a delightful afternoon with the girl while Charlotte and Joel enjoyed a day to themselves. “A boy?”

  Aunt Sam smiled. “I’d say he was more of a man than a boy.”

  Alice Ann set a miniature table in the dollhouse’s parlor. “Is Aunt Tessa in trouble?”

  “No, honey.” Hannah eased her arm from beneath Ellie’s head, tucked the blanket around her daughter, and moved to one of the parlor’s winged chairs. She leaned in close to Aunt Sam. “Are you going to say something to her or should I?”

  “Neither. She has a right to her privacy.” Sam settled back into her chair and opened her book again. After a few seconds, she looked at Hannah and smiled. “It’s 1913, you know. Young ladies have more freedoms.”

  Hannah picked up a magazine from the side table. “Giving Tessa more freedom is a scary thought.”

  “True.” Sam laughed. “But she’s old enough that if she constantly bumps against a list of don’ts, I think she’ll stop trying to please anyone. Trust me on this, dear. She’s no longer a little girl. Tessa may push boundaries, but she has a good head on her shoulders and she knows how to use it.”

  “I only hope she does use her head.”

  “And not her heart?” The murmur of voices on the front porch stopped her. “Hannah, dear, where would you be if you’d followed that advice? I think the best matches come when a lady’s head and her heart come to an agreement. Don’t you?”

  “Yes, but we’re talking about Tessa. I don’t want her to make a mistake.”

  “Why not? In your law practice, haven’t you learned as much from your mistakes as your successes?”

  Hannah sighed. “How did you get to be so wise?”

  “By making a lot of mistakes.” Sam quirked a hint of a smile and watched the worry lines slip from Hannah’s brow. As the oldest child, she carried a great deal of responsibility for her sisters. “Relax. Tessa and I have few secrets.”

  Secrets. As soon as she said the word, Hannah’s brow creased again, and she pressed a hand to her stomach.

  Sam touched her arm and whispered, “You didn’t tell Charlotte yet?”

  “I will, but I need the right time.”

  “Don’t wait too long. This is hard on you and the baby. Besides, keeping things hidden tends to hurt families.” Guilt nudged Sam even as she said the words. But she wasn’t really keeping a secret. One outing—which she’d not yet taken—was hardly news.

  The front door creaked open, and Tessa stepped into the parlor. She held a limp and soggy ivory hat in her hands, its ostrich plume having lost all its bravado.

  “Tessa, what happened to your hat?” Hannah’s eyes darted to Sam. “Of course, you don’t have to tell me what happened if you don’t want to.”

  “It fell in the lily pond.” Tessa tilted her head. “Hannah, why are you and Ellie here? And why is Alice Ann here? Where’s Charlotte?”

  “Well, little sister, Lincoln is in the billiards room. We came for the afternoon. I offered to take Alice Ann so Charlotte and Joel could have an afternoon alone.” Hannah glanced at the clock. “I’d hoped to visit with my sister.”

  Sam scowled at her.

  Hannah seemed to catch on and smiled. “But instead, I spent time in Aunt Sam’s wise company. And what did you do this afternoon?”

  Tessa sat in the other wing chair and folded her hands. So different this young woman was than the girl of yesterday who would have plopped down without a second thought.

  “I was at Como Park. One of the gardeners I met there earlier offered to show me some of the park’s attractions.” Her eyes glittered as she spoke. “We had a pleasant afternoon together.”

  Hannah glanced at Sam, and they shared a knowing smile. “What is this gardener’s name?”

  “Reese King.” Tessa straightened. “His father is the superintendent of parks in Chicago, but he came here to make a name for himself—all on his own.”

  “And I saw he escorted you home.” Sam set her book on the table. “That was kind of him.”

  Alice Ann stood by the dollhouse with her hands clasped behind her. “Did he kiss you?” She swayed on her tiptoes as she spoke.

  Hannah spun in her niece’s direction. “Alice Ann!”

  Tessa’s cheeks turned crimson. “No, sweetheart, he didn’t. We’re friends.”

  The little girl crossed her arms over her chest and gave a firm nod. “Good. Boys are yucky.”

  “That isn’t kind.” Hannah’s tone still held a note of amusement. “And not all boys are yucky.”

  “Well . . .” Alice Ann scrunched her brow. “My daddy isn’t—and I like Uncle Lincoln, but Jimmy Wilson is as mean as a rattlesnake.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  Sam looked from Hannah to Tessa. Hannah shrugged. Apparently both were unaware of this boy.

  Tessa walked over to the dollhouse and knelt on the floor beside her niece. “What does Jimmy do to you? Pull your braids? Tease you?”

  “I can’t say. It’s a secret.”

  “That doesn’t sound like the good kind of secret.” Tessa wiped the tears from the girl’s cheeks. “You can tell us, honey. We’re your family. We love you no matter what.”

  “Momma won’t.”

  Hannah joined them and laid her hand on Alice Ann’s shoulder. “Your mother won’t love you? Why do you say that? Honey, please tell us. That’s the only way we can help.” She glanced at Sam. “Families share things. You shouldn’t carry burdens alone.”

  Alice Ann sniffed. “Jimmy says my real mother didn’t want me. He says Momma will get tired of me when she has a baby of her own, and then Daddy will send me back to the orphanage.”

  “Oh, honey.” Tessa pulled the little girl into her arms. “That would never happen. Your momma can love you and any new babies that come along just like
she loves me, Aunt Hannah, and Aunt Sam all at once. And your daddy would never send you back to the orphanage. Families don’t give up on you when you make a mistake. No one knows that better than me.”

  Alice Ann pulled back and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her dress. “Really?”

  Tessa grabbed her niece by the waist and tickled her ribs. “Absitively. Posilutely.”

  “Aunt Tessa, you’re silly.”

  “And being silly is one of my favoritest things.” She tickled her again. “So when does this nasty Jimmy bother you? At school?”

  “No, when I’m walking to school. He lives five houses away from mine.”

  “And is he ugly as a fence post?”

  “Tessa.” Hannah’s voice held a note of censure, but Alice Ann giggled.

  “He’s not ugly, Aunt Tessa, but he has ears that stick out like this.” She placed her hands by her ears and waved them.

  Tessa squeezed Alice Ann’s hand. “But you never tease him about that, do you, sweetie?”

  “No, Mommy says Jesus wouldn’t want me to do that.”

  “He certainly wouldn’t.” Tessa smiled at the little girl. “I want you to tell us if he bothers you anymore, okay?”

  Sam took in the scene before her. Her family. God had given her what she never thought she’d have. They probably deserved to know her undisclosed news, but what difference would it make? It wasn’t as if there were any understanding between James and her. Besides, she had a right to her privacy, in the same way Tessa had a right to hers.

  Stares didn’t bother Tessa, and it was a good thing. When she’d hopped on the streetcar wearing overalls, boots, and a straw hat this morning, more than one lady gave her a lecture with their eyes. Still, she wouldn’t let their disapproval bother her. She had something more important to do.

  Tessa stepped off the streetcar where Charlotte and Joel lived and walked down the sidewalk. As she neared their home, she counted five houses down and then leaned against a tree a short distance away and waited.

  It didn’t take long for a boy in knee pants to exit the home and skip down the steps. Alice Ann had described Jimmy’s ears quite well.