Laying the Bible on the counter, Elizabeth stroked the warm, comforting leather. She had lost both her parents when she was almost the same age as Montgomery. Elizabeth’s grandmother had taken the orphan into her home and had done her best to fill the empty spaces in the lonely child’s heart. Montgomery would still have a father, but who would do all the ‘mommy’ things for the little girl? Who would braid her long red hair? Who would kiss her scraped knees? Who would listen as she poured out the joys and sorrows of a first love?
You can do that, Elizabeth.
The words caught her full force in the stomach and filled her heart with conviction. It was true. Montgomery already loved and trusted Elizabeth. Nick’s mom provided a safe place to play, lots of yummy snacks, and guidance when things went awry. Elizabeth could help Montgomery adjust to the changes in her young life. And though it might sap the last of her emotional reserves, she would.
Elizabeth let out a sigh as she turned her feather duster to the tea set in her window. She could see Pearlene out sweeping the sidewalks for the third time that day. It was almost closing time, and Pearlene would be expecting a visit from Elizabeth. After all, manners in Ambleside dictated a follow-up thank-you call or visit the day after a lovely dinner party.
No doubt Pearlene would have realized by now the hopelessness of her quest to marry off her neighbor to the new architect in town. Their opposing views on the mansion were clear, and Elizabeth’s gaffe the night before had certainly put a strain on even a comfortable friendship with Zachary.
How could she have been so blunt about that church in Jefferson City? On the other hand, how could Zachary have designed such a monstrosity? The building annoyed her every time she drove past it. It was ugly and out of place in the historic capital’s downtown. But did she have to lambaste it right in front of Zachary? He’d probably never speak to her again.
The thought of losing his presence in her life sent a curl of sadness through Elizabeth. She could recall how often she had wished that Zachary Chalmers had never moved to Ambleside. Now the possibility of never again looking deeply into those gray green eyes left a void she was unprepared to fill. In spite of their verbal jousting—or perhaps because of it—she had come to enjoy Zachary’s company. She liked the way he took Nick under his wing. He was intelligent, hardworking, and—despite that one hideous church—talented in his profession. She had been touched by his vocal prayer of surrender to the Lord’s leading in the Foxes’ living room last night.
If Zachary was so willing to suppress his personal desires in order to follow Christ, shouldn’t Elizabeth be equally submissive? After all, she was the regular churchgoer. She was the one who had made such a big deal of her commitment to God. And yet she held on to her own opinions and her own plans the way a drowning person clung to a life preserver.
What if she stopped trying to keep herself afloat? What if she let go and took the hand of Christ, relying on him to carry her through every stormy sea in her life? Would she drown? Surely not. She professed to have given her life to Christ many years ago. She had. She truly had. But why was it so hard to actively trust him with each day’s troubles?
Elizabeth inwardly winced as Pearlene caught her eye through the shop window and gave her a jaunty wave. No doubt her business neighbor would have an opinion on the previous evening’s events. And it looked like Elizabeth was going to have to hear it.
“Hey, there!” Pearlene breezed into Finders Keepers with a jingle of brass bells. “Phil says you-all had words last night while Nick and I were out in the garage with the puppies. Well, I could tell right off he was in quite a mood. Making all those comments about me visiting a plastic surgeon, I’ll swan. I’ve been married to that man for umpteen years, and I never do know what’s going to come out of his mouth. Anyhow, I’m sure you’re just mortified about what you said about that church Zachary designed in Jeff City, but I think the best thing you can do is just put it out of your mind. Just put it right out of your mind.”
“I agree,” Elizabeth said. She opened her cash register and began emptying the drawer for the day. “I’ve decided the most important thing for me right now is to support the Easton family.”
“Well, that is so good of you. You know that little girl is just going to be devastated when her mama passes on.”
“It’ll be rough, but Montgomery is a very resilient child. I think she’ll make it through.”
“I’m sure she will; it’s her daddy I’m worried about. Don’t you know Luke Easton just about worships the ground that wife of his walks on?”
“Their love is obvious to everyone.”
“And you know what I’ve been thinking would be the best thing for Luke? To get himself married again as quick as possible after Ellie dies. Just don’t even let a month go by. That way he and Montgomery can keep things going along the way they have without hardly a hiccup.”
“I doubt Luke will want to marry again anytime soon, Pearlene. He’s going to be grieving over Ellie for a long time.”
“Not if he finds the right woman. Somebody like you, Liz. Now don’t look so shocked. You know Luke thinks a lot of you, and you’re practically a second mother to Montgomery already. You could just move right on into their lives like a glove on a hand, don’t you know? That would make Nick and Montgomery brother and sister, and I can’t think of a prettier picture.”
Elizabeth tried to regain control of her heart rate.
“Pearlene,” she said firmly, “I consider Luke and Ellie my brother and sister in Christ.” She jammed the day’s earnings into her zippered bank bag. “Luke Easton is a nice man, but I’m not interested in marrying him. I’m not going to marry anyone, OK? This may be hard for you to understand, Pearlene, but I have my own life, and I’m very happy with it. God has given me a wonderful son and a successful business and plenty of things to fulfill me. I don’t need a husband. And I sure don’t need Zachary Chalmers!”
“Rats.” The voice from the front door ricocheted down Elizabeth’s spine as Zachary stepped into the shop. “I was hoping we could use the chapel this Saturday.”
Pearlene laughed. “Good gravy, it’s the man himself. How’d you know we were talking about you, Zachary? Have you got that psychotic energy like they talk about on TV?”
“I doubt it, Pearlene. I don’t have to have ESP to know one thing for sure. That roast beef dinner of yours last night was the tastiest I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
“Aren’t you the sweetest thing? Listen, I’m sorry Phil got your back up over that town charter he found. He’s such a man of vision, don’t you know? And he’s sure he is doing what’s best for Ambleside. This is a pretty town, but we’ve got to bring it into the twenty-first century, that’s what Phil says. Anyhow, he’s got that charter under lock and key, protecting it like a daddy bear with a cub. Do daddy bears protect their cubs, or is it the mama? Whatever, he says nobody’s going to pry that charter loose from him until he gets what he’s after.”
“What’s he really after, Pearlene?” Zachary asked.
She swallowed. “Well, I’ve probably said too much already. Me and my mouth running on and on. I’m sure glad you liked my roast beef, Zachary. Did you drop by just to tell me that? Aren’t you the sweetest thing?”
“That, and I needed to buy another teacup or two from Elizabeth. I realized I can’t have much of a tea party with just one cup.”
“Well, that’s right. It sure is, but I don’t know who you’re thinking of asking for tea. I hope it’s not Liz, because let me tell you, she’s not just free for the taking, Zachary. I mean there’s other men in this town who would be more than happy to snap her up. There are single men … and there are men who are about to be single, if you know what I mean.”
“Is Phil divorcing you?”
“Not Phil! Oh, you are a kidder, I’ll swan. I’m stuck with that man for better or worse—and let me tell you there’s times I think it can’t get much worse. Well, I’ll just leave you two to your socializing. See you around, Liz.
Don’t make yourself a stranger.”
Elizabeth followed her neighbor toward the shop door. “Pearlene, thank you so much for dinner last night. It was truly a wonderful roast.”
“I thought so myself,” Pearlene said with a wave over her shoulder. “A woman with a nice figure and a good hand in the kitchen is always a hot commodity—now don’t you forget that, honey. There’s more than one fish in the sea.”
Elizabeth stifled a growl of frustration and turned back into her shop. Now what? Why on earth had Zachary come to see her after the things she’d said to him the night before? And how could she apologize for her hasty words—but words she truly had meant?
“I like this one,” Zachary said, holding aloft a pink cup decorated with yellow roses and gold trim. “It has kind of a curlicue handle.”
“That’s Limoges. It’s very expensive. You might prefer one of these over here.”
“What’s the matter? You think I can’t afford an expensive teacup?” He set the cup down and leaned across the counter. “Or do you just want to foist one of those ugly ones on me?”
“No, of course I don’t—”
“You think I have bad taste, don’t you?”
She looked into his eyes and saw the teasing sparkle. “Not where teacups are concerned.”
“Just churches?”
“Oh, Zachary, I’m sorry I insulted your design.” She pushed the cup at him. “Here, take this. My apology gift.”
“You can’t buy your way out of this one, Elizabeth, my dear. You’re sunk deeper than the Titanic.”
“I told you how I felt about that church, and I’m sticking to my guns. I’m just sorry I was so blunt in front of you.”
“Better to criticize me behind my back?”
“Oh, take your cup and go!”
“No way. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. You criticized my handiwork. My opus. My masterpiece.”
“That church is your masterpiece?”
“As a matter of fact, the design won me a couple of awards and moved me into big-time contracts.”
She shook her head. “Why? It’s so … so …”
“Ugly, was the word I think you used. But let’s not forget that ugly is in the eye of the beholder. You see, I’m a businessman, and I listen to my clients. When I drew up my proposed designs, I knew the congregation of that church had a certain image they wanted to project. They didn’t want to blend in with all the quaint old buildings downtown. They wanted to tell people that their faith wasn’t something antiquated and passé. Instead, they hoped people would see them as modern, cutting edge, relevant.”
“Oh,” Elizabeth said softly. “I didn’t realize …”
“If your building looks old, they reasoned, then folks will think you stand for the old-time religion. Old hymns, old traditions, and lots of old people in your congregation. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion, but this church wanted to reach people of all ages with the new life, new hope, and new promises of Christ’s salvation. And they wanted their church building to reflect their aims.”
“Well, I didn’t think about it that way.”
“So why would I design some ancient-looking brick facade that blended right into the background? They wanted to stand out, make a statement.”
“They certainly accomplished that.”
“I’ve learned to design what my clients want—even if that isn’t necessarily my personal taste.”
Elizabeth glanced around at her shop. “All right, I concede your point. I don’t always stock antiques I’m crazy about either. Early primitive furnishings aren’t my cup of tea, but I know there’s a market for them. I have a whole room full of primitives through that door over there. I’m not particularly fond of ornate, dark Victorian furniture, either. And I’m filling three buildings in Jefferson City with it.”
“Aha! You’re a mercenary.”
“I’m a businesswoman.”
“And I’m a businessman, which is how that ugly church in Jeff City came to be.”
“Do you mean to tell me you don’t like the looks of that building any more than I do?”
“Actually, it’s a shining example of its style. But personally I prefer designs that fit their surroundings more closely, and I’m something of a traditionalist. On the other hand, the office I’m planning to build next door has the latest in modern conveniences.”
His eyes pinned her, willing her to argue. Elizabeth opened her mouth to do just that—and then she shut it again. How could she defy this man any longer? She had insulted and contradicted and fought with him ever since he set foot in Ambleside, and he hadn’t backed away one inch from his determination to raze the mansion. Or from his persistent pursuit of her.
If Zachary could surrender, so could she.
“I’d like to see your blueprints sometime,” she said.
“Good. Then why don’t you and Nick come over to my apartment this evening? We’ll have dinner and tea.” He grabbed another cup, this one an even more expensive Wedgwood. “Wrap these up for me, would you? You can bring them with you when you come to dinner. I’ve got to run by the Corner Market and see if Boompah has any fresh asparagus. Wait till you taste my pasta primavera.”
Giving her a wink, he breezed out of the shop. As the brass bells ceased their jingling, Elizabeth sank onto the stool behind the counter and shook her head in dismay.
“Boompah?” Elizabeth spotted her elderly friend on the sofa as Zachary opened the apartment door. “Did you come for dinner, too?”
“It looks that way, Elizabeth.”
The old man started to rise, but Nick skipped over and gently lowered him back to the couch. “Don’t get up, Boompah,” Nick said. “It’s just mom and me. We’ve come to eat dinner with Zachary, but we’re not going to talk about Zachary being my daddy. That’s off lemons.”
“Off-limits,” Elizabeth said, giving Zachary a sheepish glance. Her son had no filter between his brain and his mouth. If something was on his mind, the whole world soon would know about it. “Nick, why don’t you sit down by Boompah and tell him about summer school? You’ve been doing so well with your reading.”
“Oh, yes,” Nick said. “I’m a very good reader. I read to Mrs. Wrinkles all the time.”
Zachary motioned from the kitchen area of his small apartment. “Come taste this. Tell me if it needs more salt.”
Feeling awkward and uncertain, Elizabeth approached the narrow galley kitchen. Though the alcove was open to the living area, it felt somehow intimate to step into Zachary’s private realm. But as he lifted a wooden spoon draped with noodles, she pinpointed the right word the moment inspired. It was homey. Homey to stand with a man in his kitchen. Homey to lean close to him and sample from the spoon in his hand. Homey to smell the spice bottles open on his counters and to see the suit coat he had casually tossed over the back of a chair.
“I had one foster mom who could cook like nobody’s business,” Zachary said after Elizabeth had properly oohed and aahed over the pasta. “This lady would have put me into the grave with a blocked artery if I’d stayed with her very long. Everything was butter. Butter, butter, butter. And eggs, too. For breakfast we’d eat sausages, bacon, a couple of eggs fried in butter, and a stack of toast slathered with more butter. At lunch I was on the free-meal program at school. But dinner would be fried pork chops or chickenfried steak.”
Elizabeth watched him stir the saucepan. “How long were you with her?”
“A few months, I guess. About average. Not long enough to form any real attachments. If you want to know the truth, I can’t even remember her name. But I did love to eat her cooking.”
He opened a narrow pantry and began rooting around in a basketful of linens. Elizabeth felt her heart contract in sorrow. Zachary had been ejected from his birth family and passed through so many foster homes he couldn’t even recall the families’ names. It was no wonder he had never married or formed any close relationships. It also helped explain his driving determination to possess the le
gacy of his Aunt Grace. Even though he wasn’t aware of his own need for connectedness, he wanted roots.
“Aha. Napkins.” He emerged from the pantry and held up a handful of mismatched cloths. “No paper towels for this dinner party.”
“Here, let me set up.” She took the napkins to the nearby table. “I’m so glad you invited Boompah.”
“I thought I might as well make it a foursome.”
“This is a lot more comfortable for me. People won’t do much speculating about us if Boompah and Nick are here.”
“Don’t kid yourself. Ruby McCann was at the market when I went in for the asparagus.”
“Uh-oh.”
He laughed. “I ran into Phil Fox, too. He was buying the Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A good city councilman has to keep up with the current news, don’t you know.”
“Well, I’ll swan.”
Chuckling, she caught his eye and realized that for the second time, they were united. “Phil and Pearlene ambushed us last night,” she said. “There’s no question about that.”
“I think Pearlene’s innocent except for her matchmaking. It’s Phil who’s got the agenda.”
“What do you think he’s up to?”
Zachary passed her a handful of silverware. “It’s pretty clear. He wants the mansion.”
“But why? He’s never said a positive word about it. In fact, he was originally on your side.”
“My side, your side, Phil’s side.” He set the pasta bowl in the center of the table. “You want to know the truth? I’m tired of playing these games. If Phil tries to hold up the probate proceedings by using that town charter against me, I’m going to take him to court.”
Elizabeth straightened. “Are you serious?”
“Why not?”
“Well, people in Ambleside just don’t … we don’t really solve problems that way.”
“No wonder Sawyer-the-lawyer spends most of his afternoons asleep on his desk.”
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