“I asked him about his lady friend who he had been visiting last night. At first, he denied having any love interest in his life, but he finally admitted the truth.”
“I’m so glad the truth is out.”
She nodded. “I find it funny that she’s my school teacher, Mrs. Chadwick.”
Peter chuckled. “Now see, I didn’t even know her identity.”
Sighing, she stared into his eyes as her fingers weaved through his hair. He loved her touch.
“I’m happy that you’re happy,” he told her.
“Me, too.” She lifted on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away.
Her movements were so fast that he couldn’t stop her. He wouldn’t mind picking up where they’d left off last night. Then again, they both needed to be at work today.
“I’m almost ready to go. Give me a few minutes.” She turned and hurried up the stairs.
His heart swelled with love. She made him as giddy as a schoolboy, but that only added more excitement to the relationship.
During his wait, he strolled into the sitting room and looked at the loveseat where they had cuddled last night. Annette was a passionate woman, and he couldn’t wait for the next time they let passion take them away.
Her black leather satchel lying on the table drew his attention. A few typed pages were sticking out of the opening. He moved closer to arrange them so they wouldn’t fall out and get lost. He couldn’t count how many times that had happened to him.
As Peter adjusted them inside the satchel, a phrase on the page jumped out at him. Yours Truly: The Lovelorn.
Curious, he pulled out the paper to read what had been typed on it. There was the letter he’d mailed in yesterday… and the writer’s response. How did she get these pages, unless…
He dropped the page as if it was on fire. The realization hit him like a brick house falling on him. The writer was Annette!
No wonder she was so anxious to discover the identities of those who had written the letters. She wanted to see if they used her advice – and if it had actually worked. She’d been nearly giddy when she found out about Nellie. However, he wondered if Annette had known all along that he was Busy in St. Louis – or his latest letter – Hopelessly in Love. That could definitely explain why she had suddenly changed and was looking at him differently.
The clicking of her boots on the floor made him aware that she was coming toward him. When she turned into the room, she stopped suddenly. Her gaze dropped to the paper on the floor in front of him. Color left her face and her eyes widened.
She stepped toward him and reached for the paper. “Peter, I can explain—”
He quickly picked it up first. “I would hope so because this has me a little baffled.” He drew the paper back so she couldn’t snatch it from him. “Because from what I see, these are the Lovelorn’s responses that haven’t even been printed in the newspaper yet.”
“Yes, that’s what they are.”
“And in that case, you are the mysterious Lovelorn.”
She nodded. “I am.”
Anger rose inside him and he tossed the paper at her. She scrambled to get it before it hit the ground again. She stood still for several seconds, staring at the page as her eyes filled with tears.
“Why, Annette?” He swallowed, trying to loosen the tightness in his throat. “For a woman who had been hurt numerous times by men who couldn’t be honest, why did you withhold the truth from me?”
A tear slid down her cheek, but she remained silent.
“Do you know what this looks like to me?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “It looks as if you knew all along that I had written to the Lovelorn, and you used that as a way of somehow… trapping me.”
Her gaze snapped up to his in surprise. “You wrote one of those letters?”
Peter rolled his eyes. “Don’t play coy with me, Annette. You knew that I had… and you played me for a fool.” He shook his head. “I don’t like being made to look like a fool.”
She took a step toward him as she reached out a shaky hand and touched his arm. “Sweet Nublets, Peter. You are Match Made in Heaven, aren’t you?”
He frowned, feeling confused again. “Who?”
“You know, the man who suspected the Lovelorn was a woman and so made that marriage proposal.” She hiccupped a small laugh. “I should have realized that, especially when you told me last week that we think alike.”
As he studied her, he realized she had no idea that he was Busy in St. Louis. Had he been wrong about her? Had he started to fall in love with her because they were meant to be together – and not because of the Lovelorn’s column in the newspaper?
Gradually, the anger inside him lifted and his chest wasn’t as heavy. His heart was relieved and filled him with a new love for her.
He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked at him differently now and he figured it was because she was thinking of him as the guy who proposed marriage.
“No, Annette.” He cupped the side of her face. “I’m not that man. I didn’t write that letter.”
Her forehead creased and she frowned. “No?”
He shook his head. “I wrote as Busy in St. Louis. You told me to have a friend set me up with a woman, or to look at my close friends to see if I knew someone who might make me a good wife.”
She hitched a breath and her eyes grew even wider. “Is that why you started spending more time with me?”
He chuckled. “I don’t know how to answer that, only because I began noticing you as a real woman before I had written that letter. In fact, it was when we had that talk about why men lie when they are courting a woman.”
Sighing, she relaxed against him, resting her hands on his chest. “That’s when I started thinking differently about you, too.”
“So, apparently, it wasn’t the advice from the Lovelorn that put us together.”
“I guess not.” She shrugged. “Does that mean I don’t have what it takes to give others advice?”
“No. In fact, I think you give out great advice. I’m just relieved that you didn’t know it was me.”
“I should have, especially after our outing in the park when you suggested I introduce you to one of my friends.”
He laughed. “Yes, I nearly gave it away then.”
Her attention dropped to his mouth for a moment before lifting back to his gaze. “I’m sorry I withheld the truth from you. Father didn’t want me telling anyone, even though I was so happy that he allowed me to do this for the newspaper.”
“Why didn’t he want anyone to know?”
“He’s worried that he’d lose subscribers if they knew a woman wrote that article.”
He kissed her forehead. “Your father is correct. Men are fickle, that’s for sure.”
She rested her cheek against his chest and sighed. “Tell me truthfully, Peter… Are you all right with me writing as the Lovelorn?”
He stroked her hair, smiling. “I couldn’t be more pleased with your career decision. However, I’m wondering one thing.”
“What’s that?” Her fingers toyed with the lapels of his suit jacket.
“Will you be able to work as the Lovelorn and still be my wife and mother to our children?”
She gasped again, and this time when she looked up at him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but her mouth stretched into a smile. “You… want to marry me?”
He pushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes. “Isn’t that what people do when they’re in love?”
Her expression softened. “You love me?”
“More than I thought possible, especially when I never imagined falling in love.”
“Oh, Peter, I’m so in love with you. I was afraid you didn’t return my feelings.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Even after last night’s kiss?”
Her cheeks bloomed with color. “Well, I actually wondered if you did have feelings for me at that point.”
He released h
er and knelt on one knee as he took hold of her hands. “Annette Baldwin, will you complete my life by marrying me and making me the happiest man in the world?”
She laughed and nodded. “Only if you’ll make me the happiest woman on earth.”
He kissed her knuckles before standing and taking her back in his arms. “That can definitely be arranged.”
Peter sealed the promise with a kiss that was going to make them late getting to work, but he was sure Malcolm would understand.
EPILOGUE
Annette stared happily at the wedding ring on her finger. Being Mrs. Peter Fletcher was better than she could have ever imagined. She was happy that once they settled into wedded bliss, that their lives had only gotten better. Their offices were right next to each other, and they spent their lunch times together, and they returned home together. She was vastly relieved that her father didn’t try to keep Peter working late. Of course, her father was planning his own wedding with Christine Chadwick, and so working late wasn’t an option for him, either.
She opened the next batch of letters sent to the newspaper. It had been two full months of writing as the Lovelorn, and so far, her secret was safe. She finally felt like a true writer.
Dear Lovelorn,
I live in St. Louis, and I have been faithfully following your article. My minister father preaches of having a kind heart and loving soul, which I tried to have, but apparently, that’s not what men want. I have failed my father so many times and it’s hard to live up to his standards. I’ve become bitter toward God lately, and I don’t know what to do. I go through each day hiding my true feelings, and my anger is only getting worse. Do you have any advice?
Sincerely, Heartless.
Dear Heartless,
I’ll admit that I know your story well. It’s difficult to try and please your father as well as your heart. I’m wondering, however, if your bitterness comes from your feelings for your father instead of God. Forgive me if I sound preachy, but God gives us choices. It’s up to us to make them – wrong or right – and then go forward with the consequences. My advice to you, if you wish to accept it, is to put a distance between you and your father until you can clear your mind. People who follow their hearts will never fail.
Yours Truly: The Lovelorn.
Satisfied with that response, she moved to the other letter.
Dear Lovelorn,
I have been following your articles, and I must confess that I’m a disbeliever in love. I have been hurt too many times, and most of the men I meet aren’t completely truthful. Recently, a man who had once broken my heart has reentered my life. I don’t want to be around him and dredge up unwanted memories, and yet part of my heart is awakening to those happy times we’d once shared. I’m afraid of feeling that vulnerable again. I hold a secret that I don’t ever want him knowing because he’ll think differently about me. I need to protect my heart. Should I just let the past die as my heart had once done?
Sincerely, Secretive in Sacramento
Dear Secretive in Sacramento,
I have experienced some of the same doubts as you, but giving up on love isn’t the answer. However, if you loved this man completely, you owe it to yourself to find answers about your past instead of letting them die. But please tread carefully, because withholding secrets will only hurt those you love. My advice to you is to search your heart first to see if he is a changed man. If you believe you have changed as well, then confront him. You’ll feel much better once the past has been closed for good.
Yours Truly: The Lovelorn
Annette smiled as she read over this last letter. She hoped Secretive in Sacramento finds someone to share their life with. It would be nice if they would write her back and let her know, but she didn’t dare hold her breath for that to happen.
She took a drink of her lemonade and picked up another letter.
Dear Lovelorn,
I read your article in a newspaper that I found. Can you help me? I owe my landlord money and he is letting me pay the debt off by working for him… well, slaving for him is more like it. The debt was not mine. I was tricked into coming here, and then deceived once I arrived. I have no money or family now and I’m working such long hours that I can’t make friends. I need to leave this place as soon as I repay the money owed. Is it terrible being so alone? What would you suggest I do?
Lost in Laramie.
Annette studied this letter several times. This was a different type of letter, and yet, her heart went out to the person who is obviously distraught and alone. The response didn’t come as easily, but Annette was determined to give Lost in Laramie the best advice she could.
A man’s masculine cologne filled the room, disrupting her thoughts. She smiled lovingly. She didn’t need to look to see who it was. Peter’s gentle hands rested on her shoulders and gently rubbed.
“Have you found anything interesting?”
She glanced up at him. “All of these letters are interesting, but I stumbled upon one that might take me a little while to answer. But it doesn’t matter. I really enjoy doing this.”
He bent and kissed her cheek. “And you’re very good at it, too.”
She pointed to the letter she’d just written a response for. “This one came from California.” She pointed to the one from Laramie. “And this one is from Wyoming.” She chuckled. “It’s hard for me to believe Father’s newspaper is going out all over the United States.”
“I’m not surprised. You’ve done something nobody else has thought of doing. People have told their friends and relatives, and soon the different states are signed up to get our newspaper. It’s a miracle, really.”
She caressed his arm. “Well, I’ll cherish this time I have, because one never knows how long before people just don’t care about the Lovelorn.”
“What will you do after that?”
“Spend more time with my husband and children, because I’m sure we’ll have a good dozen by then.”
He laughed and caressed her forehead. “I’m quite certain we will.”
“Let me finish a few more letters and we’ll have lunch. I have a special picnic prepared for us.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “How intriguing. I can’t wait.”
He kissed her briefly on the lips before leaving the office. She couldn’t wait to share her surprise with him, which was the reason for the special luncheon. Apparently, starting their family would come sooner than expected. But she was up for the challenge. Being a mother would just give her more people to love and care for. There wasn’t much more she could wish for than being happily married with a house full of children… and answering Lovelorn letters, of course.
THE END
Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Series
Readers – look for these books in this series:
5/5 – Brilliant in Boston by Lynn Donovan
5/12 – Secretive in Sacramento by Marie Higgins
5/19 – Lost in Laramie by Margaret Tanner
5/26 – Confused in Colorado by Cat Cahill
6/2 – Torn in Toronto by Wendy May Andrews
6/9 – Deserted in Dodge by Patricia PacJac Carroll
6/16 – Obsessed in Oregon by Marlene Wilson Bierworth
6/23 – Overwhelmed in Oklahoma by Elissa Strati
6/30 – Wistful in Wisconsin by Marisa Masterson
7/7 – Desperate in Delaware by Caroline Clemmons
7/14 – Vexed in Vermont by Marie Higgins
7/21 – Kissless in Kansas by Elissa Strati
7/28 – Dejected in Denver by Cat Cahill
8/4 – Alone in Austin by Patricia PacJac Carroll
8/11 – Miserable in Montana by Cheryl Wright
8/18 – Widowed in Wyoming by Christine Sterling
To find the Facebook reading group of this series (and many others), join Chat, Sip, and Read - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChatSipandRead/
Other published stories by Marie Higgins
https://www.authormariehiggins.com/books
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Author’s Bio
Marie Higgins is an award-winning, best-selling author of clean romance novels that melt your heart and have you falling in love over and over again. Since 2010, she’s published over 80 heartwarming, on-the-edge-of-your-seat romances. She’s broadened her readership by writing mystery/suspense, humor, time-travel, paranormal, along with her love for historical romances. Her readers have dubbed her “Queen of Tease” because of all her twists and unexpected endings.
Website – https://www.authormariehiggins.com
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Dear Lovelorn Page 7