Courting Emma (Little Hickman Creek Series #3) (43 page)

They both pushed apart at the same time. "And now I
have one more thing to give you."

"Oh no, I couldn't accept another thing. Really, this is too
much already."

Grace laughed and poked her hand into the trunk, feeling around until she produced the item she sought, a tiny, red
velvet box.

"But, what is this?"

"Open it and find out," she answered, shoving the box
precisely under her nose.

Emma looked from Grace to the precious little box, shaking with hesitancy. Without even looking, she knew something
priceless lay within the velvet confines. But what?

"Go ahead," Grace urged. "I'll explain after you open
it."

With trembling fingers, she took the tiny case. She used
her other hand to lift the lid, and when she did, she nearly
swooned at the sight. A gold pendant with three glistening
diamonds and hanging from a gold chain winked back at her.
She'd seen this piece before, had admired it countless tines
over, remembered commenting to its owner on how very pretty
it was, the way the diamonds swirled in that half-moon effect.

Eyes swimming, she felt her jaw drop nearly to her waist.
"I don't understand. This is...but how did you...? This once
belonged to Clara Abbott."

Grace smiled. "I know, honey. She wanted you to have it,
and so she mailed it to my mother before she died and asked
that she give it to you in due time. Before Mother passed, she
and I had a long talk-about a lot of things. She gave ne this
necklace and made me promise I would bring it to you."

"But-how would your mother know Miss Abbott?" Confusion wove its spindly fingers through Emma's mind.

"They were sisters."

"Oh." That information took a moment to settle.

Grace leaned forward and took a long breath. "This
necklace"-she put her hand on Eninia's arm and gently
squeezed, her eyes welling up with inexpressible eniotion-
"belonged to your grandmother-Ezra's birth mother."

Jon held to one of Ezra's arms and Luke the other as they
mounted the porch steps. "I'm plain tuckered," Ezra mumbled, breaths coming in wheezy intervals.

"I imagine you are. Going to church was quite a feat for
you," Jon said.

Wes and Elliott had stayed behind, finding folks to visit
with in the churchyard. Jon had thanked them profusely for
bringing Ezra to the service and, while neither had attended
church prior to today, the way folks had welcomed them, he
wouldn't be surprised to see them again.

Jon pulled open the screen door and ushered Ezra inside. A
woman he'd never seen before looked up from the settee in the
parlor and gave a bright smile, her eyes crinkling in the corners.
He peered at her for just a moment before returning a smile.
Emma, who sat in a chair across the room, gave a tentative nod
and made eye contact with Jon. The faint ticking of the grandfather clock mingled with a whistling teakettle. She leaped to
her feet at the teakettle's tune and disappeared into the kitchen,
leaving him to guess as to the newcomer's identity.

"You must be the Reverend Atkins," the woman said, rising
to her feet, her movements nimble as a practiced dancer, her
back as straight as the stem of a fresh picked daisy. Lovely was
about the only word that came to mind, that and regal.

"Yes. And you are...?"

She laughed, a winsome sound, and extended her hand.
"Grace. Grace Giles." Something he couldn't begin to discern
rippled through his chest. Grace Giles. The Grace Giles?

She had a wealth of golden brown hair tied back in a bun,
a good share of which escaped to fall haphazardly around her
oval face. A sprinkling of silver grew in at the temples, revealing a bit about her age. Her handshake was firm yet feminine,
her gaze penetrating yet warm.

"So nice to meet you, Reverend. I've heard about you."

"Really. All good, I hope. Call me Jon, by the way. And I've
heard about you."

She nodded and swept him with a twinkling gaze; for an
instant, lie felt her scrutiny, but just as quickly, she withdrew
her hand and looked at Luke. "And you are Luke."

Pulling back his rounded shoulders, Luke put on his best
smile. "Y-yes, ma'am."

She laughed again, the sound fairly floating on the air,
warm and rich. She took his outstretched hand. "Nice to meet
you, Luke."

Luke looked tickled that the stranger knew his name.
"Y-yore p-p-pretty," he said.

She brushed a hand over her throat. "Oh my, well, aren't
you a dapper gentleman, and a mighty handsome one at that."

The lad's iiiouth twisted downward. "D-dapper?"

"It means you're terribly smart looking," she said.

Luke tossed back his head and snorted as if she'd just said
the funniest thing. The hearty peal made Jon chortle to himself. What a charming woman. He liked her on sight.

Her eyes made their way to Ezra. Jon swiped him with a
sideways glance, waiting for a reaction, noting the tiny flicker
above his brows.

"Grace Giles?" he asked. When he faltered slightly, Jon
steadied him with a firm hand. "Yo're that one's been writin'
to my girl. You hail from Chicago, do you?"

If the woman was uncomfortable with the question, she
didn't let on.

"I do. My mother was your aunt Edith. Edith Fielding.
Therefore, you and I are cousins."

Ezra gave a slow nod before tilting his face in a suspicious
gaze. "Emma tol' nie."

"And she told you of my mother's passing, I presume."

He shifted on tired feet. Jon grew impatient to seat him
before he keeled over, but when he tried to guide him to a
chair, the fellow kept his feet planted firm. "She did. I'msorry to hear 'bout it. She was-a fine woman."

"Thank you." Teeth pinching down on her lower lip, Grace
leaned forward. "I want you to know she cared about you. She
saved every missive you ever sent her."

"It weren't that many."

She laid a hand on his arm. "She tried keeping track of you
through the years. She would be thrilled to hear the news that
you've committed your heart to the Lord. I know she prayed
long hours for it."

"It done took me awhile," Ezra said with a sniff.

No-name sauntered into the room to check things out, the
mangy critter resembling an old shoe with its tongue hanging
out. "Luke, why don't you take your dog to the backyard?" Jon
said. "He looks like he could use a long drink."

"'Kay," Luke said. "Union, you of m-mutt."

Grace watched the unlikely pair exit the room. "What a
lovely young nian."

A light breeze lifted the curtains and stole across the room.
Outside, passersby, on their routine Sunday strolls, conversed, competing with the chatter of overhead birds. "Yes, lie's quite
something," Jon conceded. "A favorite in the town."

Eninia entered at that precise moment, rubbing her hands
together in a nervous gesture. Something very important had
transpired between the women; Jon sensed it in his gut. He
tried to discern the look on her face but found it unreadable.

Lord, be at the center of this situation. Bring it to a peaceful
conclusion, whatever it may entail.

A knot of balled-up nerves rolled around in Emma's chest.
This was just too much to take in, she thought, the news that
Grace brought with her. Oh, she was plain thrilled that Grace
had come-no question there-and not all the news was bad,
but it'd caught her so off guard that her stomach felt queasy,
her nerves trampled upon.

Grace believed that Ezra deserved to know the truth about
his roots.

"What good could cone from learning the truth at this
stage in his life?" Enna had asked.

"In his final days, it might do him a world of good, lend
some closure to the whole question ofwhy the people he thought
were his parents treated him so badly," Grace had said.

"But that's the part I don't understand. He was the innocent party, and yet they treated him as if he were at fault."

A wave of compassion such as she'd never experienced
turned over in her heart, and the notion that she might finally
be able to eke out some forgiveness for her father parked itself
in the bottom of her soul.

She stole a glimpse at Jon and found him studying her, as
if trying to size up her turmoil. Another wave of nausea poked
at her gut. Did lie have to make her feel so vulnerable, staring at her like that through cobalt eyes, peering into her soul as if
it were transparent?

"I think niy father should sit," she said, averting her gaze
to Ezra and thinking he looked especially pale.

"Yes," Jon said, steering hint to the divan. The women
sought a place to sit while Jon situated Ezra then dropped into
the cushion next to him.

"Tell its about you, Mrs. Giles, or is it Miss?" Jon asked.

"Neither. It's simply Grace. Mind you, I'm a widow, but I
prefer not to be reminded of that, so hearing my first name
used keeps me feeling young."

He laughed. "All right then, Grace, what do you do with
yourself back in Chicago?"

Her lips curled up, and she clasped her hands together
in her lap. "My late husband started a restaurant several
years ago, which I've been maintaining ever since his passing. It's proved quite profitable, but I'm nearing the point of
selling out. As I was telling Emma, the city life is wearing on
ff
me.

"Why not come to Little Hickman and open a dining
establishment here? A fine eatery is sorely missing in this
town."

"The saloon serves food, but it ain't no good," Ezra put in.
"The stuff she serves over there is enough to choke a rat. Probably has, in fact. Ever hear o' beef liver soup?"

Grace wrinkled her nose. "Never."

"Wull, she serves it 'cause it's cheap, and I swear one bowl
of it turns a body green."

"Pa."

"It's true."

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Grace, you moving here," EYnma
said. "You could stay upstairs with me. I've plenty of room."

"Well, I wouldn't impose on you for long. I'd find my own
place in short order. Are there any vacant buildings in the
town, or any empty lots for erecting a two-story structure?
I could do what I've done in Chicago, live above my establishment. Oh, I can actually envision myself living out my
remaining years in this wonderful coniniunity."

It was clear she'd given thought to the idea long before
Jon's mention of it. Imagine her cousin living right here in
Hickman. A flutter of pleasure pushed past Emma's bundle of
nerves.

"It'd be a mighty big change for you," Jon said.

"We ain't no fancy city," Ezra said.

"But we're friendly," Emma inserted. "And like you said
earlier, nature abounds."

Grace laughed, giving Eninia an endearing smile. "You
don't need to convince me, honey. I've been thinking about
this for quite awhile."

Just as she'd thought.

Jon hauled one leg up by the ankle and propped it across
the other knee. "Hm," he said. "There aren't any vacant buildings that I know of, but there is that empty space at the end
of Main Street right across from the new church. Seems to me
that'd be an ideal location. You could talk to Clyde Winthrop,
who owns the property. Matter of fact, he might know of some
other spots around town if that one's not available. He owns a
good share of real estate in these parts. I'd be glad to talk to
him if you want."

"Oh, would you? It'd be nice to have you broach the subject with him first. Then I can follow up."

Jon's enthusiasm seemed to match that of Emma. "You'd
need to contract with a builder outside of Little Hickman,
though, probably go into Nicholasville or Lexington."

"I could do that," Grace said, eyes twinkling with
delight.

The three of then conversed for the next several minutes
while Ezra dozed.

At 1:15, Wes and Elliott rambled up the steps, all loud talk,
and walked through the door. Their jaws dropped, however, at
their first glimpse of the attractive female visitor.