by Robin Shope
“I always have counted on you. Thanks.” Mike then addressed the group. “My dad and I had a long talk over the holidays and I feel honored to stand in his stead as the head of The Turtle Creek Newspaper.”
“What an exciting start to the new year. We have a new manager.” Abe held up his cup. “Here’s to you, Mike!”
Everyone toasted Mike with orange juice and then clapped.
“What is your resolution, Margaret?” Abe asked.
“My resolution is letting Harold take his daily nap here at the office so I can get some work done around the house!” Margaret held up her coffee.
Everyone laughed and nodded their heads, agreeing with one another that would be the case.
“It’s time to toast Mike, new manager of The Turtle Creek Newspaper . May you live long, sleep peacefully, and always be surrounded by people who love you. And someday may you pass the legacy of this business to one of your children.” Lucy raised her cup high before heading to the sink to wash the plates.
“Lucy, that was lovely.” Margaret sidled up beside her daughter and gave her a hug. “I know you hoped the newspaper would go to you. If the truth be known, it should be yours.”
“It’s all right, Mom. I will be right here doing what I always do until Mike gets things under control. After that, maybe it’s time for something new in my life.”
“That gives me an idea!” Standing directly behind her, Ulilla gasped. “Lucy, you should start one of those lovelorn columns like the big newspapers do. You know how they go, ‘beautiful female looking for handsome male.’ You could be its first customer and write up your experiences.”
“I don’t think so.” Lucy protested.
Then Monica said, “Back to New Year’s resolutions. Lucy, what is yours?”
Lucy dried her hands on a towel and then turned to see all the faces in the room looking at her, waiting for her answer. “My resolution is to find a new editor for us. The ad just went out a few days ago.”
The bell over the front door jingled. Monica got up from the table and looked into the office. “Lucy! Your resolution is coming true first.”
“That’s great news!” Lucy squared her shoulders as she walked out. Seeing the man at the counter, she stumbled over her own feet. “What are you doing here?” Lucy grabbed a hold of the back of a chair.
“I have come about the editor position,” Joe answered. “Unless the position has already been filled? If it has, that would really be a shame because I come with top-notch credentials. You can check them out if you’d like.” His smile was infectious. For that moment, she didn’t care if he was betrothed to another woman. All she knew was she loved Joe. All that mattered was Joe was here. Impulsively, Lucy ran across the room and into his arms.
He grabbed a hold of her as though he would never let her go. Joe’s kisses were wild and passionate. And he kept them coming.
“You feel so good.” Joe ran his lips on her throat as she breathed in the scent that was purely Joe. “I have missed you!”
“Wait.” Lucy pressed her fingers to his lips. He bit them playfully and kissed her again.
“Joe.” Lucy wiggled out of his arms. “As glad as I am to see you, I can’t kiss you. Not anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” Joe tried to grab her wrist but Lucy backed away.
Lucy found she wasn’t mad at Joe. She would always love him no matter who he loved. It was then she realized that loving someone meant she accepted them unconditionally. “Why are you really here?”
“I already told you. I’ve come about the ad you placed in the paper.” Joe took out a paper and opened it. He began to read. “ Wanted-Editor who is good with words . I am very good with words, you told me that yourself. Ability to express oneself , do you realize you restated your first qualification? You only needed to pick one of those phrases—not both.” Joe pointed out. He placed the paper on the counter. “It also says to apply in person . Here I am.”
“Joe…”
“Don’t tell me it’s been filled.”
“No, it hasn’t been filled. In fact, you are the first applicant.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“As happy as I am to see you again, our problem is the chemistry between us. You walked right in here and kissed me.”
“I did. You kissed back, too.” Joe ran his fingers along her jaw line.
“The problem is,” Lucy started again, “that you are an engaged man.”
“Engaged?” Joe shook his head. “Am I missing something here?”
“Don’t pull an innocent act on me. You might as well know. I went to your office just after Christmas to see you. Angela intercepted me in time to show me the engagement ring you gave to her. She also told me about your partnership. So you can stop the charade.”
“You came all the way to Chicago to see me and allowed Angela to stop you?” Joe was irritated. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
“There was no point in seeing you after talking to her. I was humiliated enough as it was.”
Joe stepped toward Lucy and pulled her into him. She struggled to push him away but he locked his arms tightly around her. “Listen to me. From now on, when you need to know something about me, ask me first or our relationship is not going to work, do you hear me?”
Lucy stopped moving and looked into his eyes. “Did you say, ‘our relationship’?”
Joe nodded. “I did.”
“Does this mean you are not really engaged to Angela?” The corners of her mouth curled up.
“That’s quite correct. I also resigned from my private practice. I need a job, Lucy Collins. Are you going to hire me back or what?”
Lucy sighed with relief. He looked so adorable. How easy it would be to kiss and make up, which was what she really wanted to do. “You’ll have to fill out another application. Your information may have changed and we need to keep current.” Lucy walked around the counter and pulled out an application. With a smile she couldn’t hide, she handed him a pen. “I have also started something new here. You will have to sign a two year contract.”
Joe smiled back, taking the application and pen from her before taking a seat. “No problem. I’ll sign anything.”
“It’s nice to know you are a compliant employee. You’ll also have to…”
“Write an editorial, I know. I remember.” He scratched his head above his ear.
“No, I wasn’t going to say that.”
Joe looked hopeful. He set down the application and walked around the counter until he stood face-to-face with her. “You’re too cute.” He pushed the curls falling across her brow behind her ears. “What were you going to say?”
“I was going to tell you that if we decide to hire you, you’ll have to sit at the old desk in the corner where the light is really bad.” Lucy focused on his lips.
Joe smiled. “I’ve already thought about that.” He reached into the box he had brought with him and took out a small lamp. “I brought my own light this time. My own paper, too. Pencils, pens, pencil sharpener. If I have forgotten anything, I’ll go to the store.”
“They’re building an office supply place a few towns away,” Lucy told him moving closer to him.
“Perfect. I imagine the pay for this position is still the same?”
“Yes, and it also still comes with a garage apartment,” she quickly pointed out.
“Then I’ll be able to be close to you.” Joe touched the end of her nose. “I’ve missed that blue towel that hangs on the bathroom rack.”
“It’s missed you, too.” Lucy felt Joe’s breath on her face. She closed her eyes and leaned in for another spectacular kiss. But just as their lips were to meet, they heard laughter. Lucy opened her eyes and turned to see the newspaper staff ogling them.
“Look at you two,” Ulilla sighed. “Add a couple of red sweaters and a cocker spaniel and you have yourself next year’s Christmas card.”
“Come on,” Joe coaxed. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk in pri
vate.”
Joe drove them to town in his SUV. When they walked into Ma’s Diner, they sat in the back booth.
“Hot chocolate for two and don’t spare the whipped cream,” Joe happily ordered.
“Joe, I can’t believe you’re back.” Lucy kept blinking her eyes. By now she had smiled so much her jaws were starting to ache.
“Why wouldn’t I come back?”
“For one thing, I accused you of betrayal right in front of everyone.” Lucy’s heart rate increased just thinking about it.
“That you did,” Joe agreed.
“If I had to do it all over again, I would do it much differently.”
“Tell me what that would look like.” He folded his arms on the table.
“I would be cool and professional. Don’t laugh.” Lucy smiled at Joe again. “I would ask you to please step into my office. Behind closed doors…”
“You’d kiss me!”
“Not when I was mad, I wouldn’t.”
“See, there you have gone wrong. If I was called into your office and then you closed the door, I would imagine it was because you wanted to be kissed. So I may not wait for you to kiss me. I would kiss you.”
“You sure are in a happy mood today, aren’t you?” Lucy noted.
The waitress set down their drinks in front of them and Joe took a sip.
“Hot chocolate does it to me every time.” Joe drank more. He wiped the cream mustache from his lip. “Go on, tell me how you should have berated and humiliated me in another manner.”
“So you admit what I did was hurtful. I should have talked to you privately and waited to hear what you had to say before jumping to conclusions.” Lucy placed her hands into her lap.
“Let me see.” Joe began to count the points out on his fingers. “I schemed behind your back to sell out you and your family-run business to your competition. Actually, under the circumstances, I think you took the news fairly well. I don’t know anyone who would have taken the news calmly.”
“Stop it. I know that isn’t the real truth.” Lucy went to touch the cross at her neckline and then remembered it wasn’t there. “But here we sit together in Ma’s Diner again.”
“And now you know the truth about me?” He looked intently into her eyes.
“Yes, I do know the truth. Ryan Oliver came to the office right after Christmas. He told me how you had persuaded them to go elsewhere to build their business.”
Joe nodded. “Ryan got a hold of me a few days ago. He told me he had been to the paper to see me. I am glad he told you the situation when he was there. Since the facts came from him, I came off looking better in your eyes, I bet.”
Lucy reached across the table and took his hand. “Will you ever forgive me? I am so sorry about what I did and how I hurt you.”
“Seems to me I already have forgiven you. I don’t drink hot chocolate with just anyone.” He winked taking a large gulp. “Hey, if you’re not going to drink yours, can I have it?”
Lucy pushed the cup across the table toward Joe.
“But you still don’t know the real reason I have come back,” he told her.
Lucy frowned and asked, “You mean you really don’t want to work at the paper? I am confused.” Fear began to eat away Lucy’s happiness.
“Hold on. My reapplication is a sincere one. There is nothing more I want to do with my life at this moment than to live here in Turtle Creek and be close to you.”
“Oh good. That’s what I want, too.” Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ve come twice now to Turtle Creek to give you something, something that belongs to you.” He let go of her hands.
“Oh?” Lucy asked as she watched Joe reach into his pocket. “Well, whatever it is, I don’t care. Just as long as you are here with me, that’s all that matters.”
“You may care when you see these.” Joe held the love letters, bundled together by the fat rubber band. He laid them on the Formica table in front of her.
Lucy looked up into Joe’s face quizzically and then back down to the letters. With shaky fingers, she touched them.
“You and I are connected in a way you are not aware of—these letters.” He tapped the envelopes. “They are yours.”
“I know whose letters they are,” Lucy nearly snapped. “I am wondering how you got them.” She felt nearly paralyzed seeing them again.
“They’re not going to reach out and bite you,” Joe said.
“Are you sure?” Lucy was serious. Finally, she slid the rubber band off. Lucy picked up the top letter and turned it over in her hand. Her pulse ran hard as she opened it. After reading the first few lines, she put it back down. “These are the letters I wrote to my fiancé Steve Hudson. How did you get them?”
The waitress returned with the check. “Anything else?”
Joe shook his head. “We need some serious privacy. Like an hour’s worth.”
The waitress nodded and left.
“How did you get them?” Lucy’s asked again as her voice shook.
“I was the head psychiatrist on the psych ward at the veteran’s hospital when Steve Hudson was brought in with several other men from his army unit. All of them were shell-shocked. None were responsive but Steve was by far the worst. Along with our daily sessions, I began treating them with drug therapy. They all showed rapid signs of improvement. Initially, Steve did the best. Just as quickly he became paranoid. The onset was acute.”
Lucy gasped and covered her face with her hands. It was painful to listen to Joe’s words. Steve’s horrible death had haunted her for years. Joe had brought it all up again by returning the letters.
“I can stop if you’d like,” Joe responded.
“No, I need to hear this. Maybe I will be able to finally find peace.”
“All right.” Joe leaned back into the booth. “I withdrew his medication slowly so not to cause a radical imbalance as I tried to decide if one of the meds made him irrational or if it was the result of his condition.” Joe ran his fingers through his hair.
Lucy stared down at the letters. She needed to hear everything. “Go on.”
Nervous, Joe started fiddling with the spoon. “Since the letters were already opened and read by Steve, I decided to read them. They helped me get a sense of the man he used to be so I could better connect with him. Then one night, Steve became extremely agitated. I was off duty at the time. Somehow he was able to sneak out of his room and up to the roof. You know the rest.”
“He jumped.” Lucy sobbed.
“I know he was the love of your life.” Joe hung his head. “That is why it’s been so hard for me. Maybe it will make you feel better if you know I don’t think he knew what he was doing. He wasn’t in his right mind. Lucy, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for him,” he reached across the table for her and she sat back.
“Please don’t touch me. Not right now.”
Joe honored her request and stopped pushing. “That’s why I can’t sleep a lot of the time. I toss and turn wondering what I could have done differently for him.”
“And sometimes when you can’t sleep you come here to sit and figure things out. You replay it over and over in your mind, wondering what you might have done differently.”
“That’s right but how did you know?”
“I have had my share of restless nights over this, too,” Lucy admitted.
“I am sleepless from guilt and you are sleepless from missing him. It’s important for you to know I did my best for him. Please believe me, Lucy.”
“I do believe you, Joe,” she softly whispered.
“I failed him and I failed you. I took his death personally. I was a wreck over it so I took some time off. I even started seeing a psychiatrist myself. In the beginning of treating Steve, the goal of reading the letters was to get to know him so I could help him more effectively. Instead I got to know you. I found myself falling in love with his girl. I fell in love with you, Lucy Collins.”
“How could you possibly fall i
n love with me through letters?” she asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. “There is no way you could have gotten to know me.”
“Your words came from your heart. Many letters were poetic and loving. Others were funny, even cheeky at times. But they all had personality and such passion.” Joe spread the letters out until they completely covered the top of the table.