Second Chance Hero (18 page)

“Susanna got sick. And it was bad. Tuberculosis. She needed medical treatment that I couldn't afford to pay for. I tried every avenue I could, selling everything we owned that had any value, borrowing money until I was so far in debt it seemed I would never get out. And still it wasn't enough. I saw my little sister wasting away in front of my eyes. I thought, if I could just get her into a good sanatorium, one of those places that specialized in care for patients like her, then it would give her a fighting chance to get better.”

“So that's when you robbed the bank.” There was no question in her tone this time.

“I planned it all out, thought I had everything covered. Except I didn't plan for an off-duty policeman to walk into the bank just as I was making my getaway.”

“What happened to your sister?” she asked softly.

This was the most difficult part, the part that had haunted him every day of his incarceration. “Leena, bless her heart, did her best to look after Susanna. At least my sister wasn't completely alone. But her illness got progressively worse. And because of her connection to me, a convicted felon, most of the so-called friends we had left shunned her. About a year after I went to prison I received word that she passed away. And I wasn't even able to go to her funeral.” He clenched his jaw at the memory. “I know I got what I deserved, but Susanna deserved so much better.”

He realized he'd balled his hands into tight fists at some point during the story. He forced them open, allowing his hands to hang loosely at his sides. “So there you have it, the whole sordid story.” Had it made a difference? He couldn't tell.

“Thank you for sharing it with me.” Her voice was subdued, but not unkind. “It makes things a whole lot clearer.”

Regardless of how she now felt, there was one thing he had to ask of her. “I know I don't have the right to ask you this, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone my story.” He still had an obligation to protect Adam's reputation as best he could.

“I understand. And I assure you, I have many faults, but I don't gossip.” Then she brought her hand up to fiddle with her collar. “Just so you know, however, I have already spoken to Mr. Barr.”

He was hoping her mind wouldn't start down that path. “Adam? Whatever for?”

“I realized he had to already know your story since you and he were acquainted before you came here, and I wanted to confront him about it. He didn't give away any of your secrets, though. He merely told me to speak to you.”

So maybe she hadn't already guessed Adam's secret. He needed to get the focus off his friend and back onto him. “So now that you've heard my story, where does that leave us? I mean, if you prefer to have someone else play the piano for the church service and the children's practice sessions, I'll understand. I can quietly step down without there being any awkwardness.”

She'd started shaking her head before he'd even finished speaking. “I see no need for you to step down. You said you're here to start over, and I think you deserve that chance. Unless you do something to show me I'm wrong, I have no problem with proceeding as we'd planned.” She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “As for where that leaves us personally, I'd like to think we can remain friends.”

The slight emphasis she'd put on the word
friends
let him know there would be no repeat of that amazing kiss. But friendship was a start. He could be patient. Perhaps over time she would learn to trust him again.

She set Beans on the ground and stood, brushing her skirt. Then she glanced his way, a little frown wrinkle above her nose. “I have one more question for you, but don't feel like you have to answer it if you don't want to.”

He braced himself, not sure what to expect. “Ask away.”

“How did you end up as a saddler?”

That's
what she wanted to know? Relieved that she was showing an interest in him beyond his crime, he felt a little more of his tension ease. “In prison, they like to keep the inmates busy. And they also make money hiring out the prisoners to the locals in the area, money that supposedly goes into the upkeep of the place.” He gave a self-mocking smile. “Piano playing was not a very marketable skill, and I didn't know how to do much else of any real value. So I offered to work with a fellow prisoner who was a skilled leather worker. Mack taught me just about everything he knew about working with leather. And I found I enjoyed the work. Like with playing the piano, there is a real artistic component to the craft.”

It was a bit anticlimactic to be talking about such everyday things after the charged conversation they'd just had. Of more concern was the question of whether she was really comfortable with putting his less than stellar past behind them now.

It seemed, for now at least, that she was.

But could he live with that? He longed to take her hand again, to have her look at him with the soft admiration and warm feelings he'd seen in her gaze yesterday afternoon, to have her feel comfortable teasing and being teased by him.

To be able to wrap his arms around her to offer her comfort when she needed it, or something more.

He should be glad that their friendship was restored.

But he was greedy and wanted more.

A lot more.

* * *

Verity, not wanting to talk to anyone, went outside to work in the garden when she returned home. Nate's story had broken her heart. He'd been through so much tragedy, so much heartache, and at such a young age. By her reckoning he'd spent nearly a third of his life behind bars. How had he managed to come out of that with his spirit intact?

No, the ends didn't justify the means, but he'd been desperate, and he did what he did not to save himself but his sister. She could understand such feelings. If it had been her and Joy in such a situation, there was very little she wouldn't do to somehow provide what her daughter needed to survive.

And, as Mr. Barr had pointed out, Nate had paid the price for what he'd done. Knowing what she knew now, she was certain they could return to their friendship and work together without any tension between them.

And perhaps, in time, they could be more than friends.

But she wouldn't rush it this time. She'd learned her lesson there, as well. Acting impulsively only led to disaster. Better to take slow, measured steps, to tamp down any temptation to be impulsive, just as she'd always done before Nate came along.

Because, yes, she was still very much attracted to him, but she also knew that simple attraction was not enough. There were certain qualities that she required of a husband for herself and father for Joy—qualities such as stability, reliability, caution.

Other things, such as how special he made her feel and how her pulse always quickened when he was near, were merely frivolous emotional trappings that were fleeting at best and that muddied the waters of how to build true, lasting relationships.

Relationships like the comfortable one she'd had with Arthur.

And if there was a piece of her heart that disagreed, that yearned for those frivolous emotional trappings, well, she'd just have to work harder to tamp that down, as well.

Chapter Seventeen

T
he Tuesday afternoon practice session with the children went well. She and Nate were able to work together without any awkwardness. If there was none of the shared glances and exchanges of banter that had crept into their conversations of the past few weeks, that didn't really affect the way they worked with the children.

And at the end of the session, she and Joy walked with Nate as far as his shop, just as they usually did. She even allowed Joy to go in and say hello to Beans, but cut the visit shorter than normal.

But she no longer went out of her way to see Nate between sessions. There were no invitations to lunch or supper, no taking Joy by to visit with Beans, no looking for chance opportunities to bump into him.

On Wednesday, when Verity delivered her latest millinery creation, Hazel confronted her. “Something's changed between you and Mr. Cooper. What happened?”

Now, what had brought that on? Verity wasn't even aware that Hazel had seen them together since Sunday, much less had an opportunity to watch them interact with each other. “I'm sure you're imagining things. Mr. Cooper and I are just what we've always been—friends. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“You might fool everyone else, Verity Magdalena Leggett, but not me. You and Mr. Cooper were well on your way to being something more interesting than friends up until this week. Now it seems like the two of you are merely colleagues.” Then her gaze sharpened. “Did he do something to you?”

“No!” Verity was shocked that anyone would think such a thing of Nate. Then she took a breath and elaborated more calmly. “I admit I was temporarily taken with Mr. Cooper, perhaps even imagined myself developing tender feelings for him. After all, he saved Joy's life and he is an attractive man. But that's all it was—a passing fancy. One doesn't build a lasting relationship on such surface things.”

Hazel crossed her arms. “I would hardly call his saving Joy a surface thing.”

“Of course not. But you know what I mean. He's a nice man, but
if
I were to ever marry again, it would be to a man of unquestionable character and integrity. A man who is steadfast and dependable. A man like—”

“Mercy me, Verity, you already had all of that with Arthur. Don't you want some excitement and romance in your life?”

Verity felt the tug of those words on her heart, but resolutely tamped it down. “We're not all like you, Hazel. Some people prefer to live quieter, more conservative lives.”

“Some people, perhaps, but you'll never convince me that in your heart of hearts, that's what
you
really want.”

Verity decided this was a good time to change the subject. “If you're finished trying to orchestrate my social life, there was another reason I came in here this afternoon.”

“Oh?”

“I've been thinking that I might want to open my own millinery shop one of these days.”

“Oh, I think that's a fabulous idea! It's something you should have done a long time ago. So what can I do to help?”

“First of all, I'm still in the thinking-about-it stage, so don't start planning my grand opening just yet.”

Hazel waved a hand airily. “I make no promises on that score.”

Verity rolled her eyes, then turned serious. “I've always admired your business sense. You've built a successful seamstress business here and I figure the millinery business will be similar. So, I'd like to sit down and talk to you at some point about what sorts of things I will need to plan for and what the best way to go about setting this up will be. That will give me a better handle on when, or even if, I'll be ready to get started.”

“Absolutely. And I suggest you also speak to Adam Barr. He has both the financial and legal expertise to guide you in areas that I'm not so adept at.” Then she gave Verity an assessing look. “Do you have a place in mind to set up your shop?”

“Not yet. As I said, I'm still in the mulling-it-over stage.”

“Then I have my first piece of advice to give you—lease a corner of my dress shop. It'll be perfect—we will basically have the same customers and I could use some help around here, someone to cover for me when I have to be elsewhere.”

Verity had to admit it was a very tempting proposal. It would solve a lot of her worries about how to get started. And it would be fun to work with Hazel. At the same time, though, she didn't want to take advantage of her friend's generosity.

“That's a very magnanimous offer. But you haven't taken the time to think it through—”

Hazel waved away her concerns. “I don't need to think about it—it's the ideal solution. And I assure you I plan to get every bit as much out of this as you will.”

“Then thank you. That's definitely an idea to add to the list.” But if she followed through on it, she'd be certain she paid her friend a fair lease price.

“You have a list?” Hazel asked.

Verity grinned. “I plan to start one. Now, as I said, I'm not ready to do anything right this minute, so let's talk some more about it after the festival. I just thought it would be good to begin thinking about some of the possibilities and obstacles now.”

Hazel shook her head. “Obstacles are no fun. I plan to concentrate my efforts on the possibilities.” Then she gave Verity a pointed look. “Besides, I'm sure you'll do enough thinking about the obstacles for the both of us.”

Is that how Hazel saw her, as someone always looking at the negative side of things? That wasn't truly the way she was—was it?

Sure, she preferred cautious action over the impulsive, but that was how responsible people conducted their lives. That didn't mean she didn't know how to appreciate the positive aspect of things as well, though. Just look at the work she was doing with the children's choir, for example. She hadn't let any obstacles get in her way when she'd taken on that task.

Still, Hazel's comment stuck with her long after she'd left the dress shop.

* * *

“Very good, everyone.” Verity smiled at the members of the children's choir. “I think you all have the first two songs down really well. Let's take a little break, then we'll start to practice that last song.”

She glanced over to where Nate sat at the piano. The final song was to be sung a cappella, so he'd be helping her with the vocals rather than at the instrument.

Hazel's words from yesterday, about her needing some excitement and romance in her life, returned unbidden. Nate had been really good about respecting her wishes since Monday. He'd been polite and helpful but hadn't pressed her for anything more than friendship. Neither of them had made any mention of that kiss they'd shared Sunday.

And now they were going to sing together again.

Perhaps now that her feelings had changed, it would be different. Because singing was as much about emotion as it was about vocal skills.

But, just as before, singing with him was an incredibly moving experience. His singing voice seemed to resonate perfectly with something deep inside her, to fill up the empty places there, to complement and enhance her own voice. She couldn't help but meet his gaze as they sang. It was as if everything that stood between them melted away when they sang, as if the tight control she kept on her emotions, her very heart, were not proof against him when he sang.

When they finished, the last notes of the song seemed to hang in the air for a long moment as she felt powerless to look away from his gaze.

“I don't think we can sound like that, no matter how much we practice.”

Fern's words broke the spell. Verity blinked and then turned to face the children. “Nonsense. All it takes is a little bit of practice.” She could still feel Nate's gaze on her, could still feel that incredible tug of
rightness
she always felt when they sang together.

Please, let him look away so I can think. “Now we're going to break up into groups, just as we did for the first song, and Mr. Cooper will work with the first two groups and I will work with the other two groups. So find your corners.”

She turned a bright, impersonal smile his way. “Mr. Cooper, let's plan to get everyone back together in about thirty minutes.”

He nodded and turned away. And at last she felt free to breathe normally again.

* * *

Nate took Beans out for a walk after children's choir practice that afternoon. While the dog happily sniffed out various scents and fearlessly treed squirrels, Nate's thoughts turned to the subject that always seemed to be on his mind lately—Verity.

She had kept her word to consider him a friend—at least outwardly. He didn't imagine the casual observer would suspect anything had changed between them—including that kiss they'd shared, another thing he couldn't seem to get out of his mind.

Was Verity softening toward him? There'd been a moment, when they were singing together, that he'd seen something in her eyes when she looked at him. But it could just as easily have been his imagination.

The thing was, he couldn't blame her. After what he'd done, and how he'd let down his sister, he couldn't really expect a woman like Verity, or any good woman for that matter, to want him as part of her family.

But he was determined now to stay here and fight for his place in this community. He might have lost his chance to win her affection, but he could still find a home for himself here.

And if that was the best he could do, then it was much more than he'd had just a few months ago.

Besides, there
was
one woman he could help.

Calling Beans back to his side, he directed his steps toward the boardinghouse.

For a change, luck was on his side. He found Belva sitting alone on the boardinghouse porch, writing what appeared to be a letter. She looked up when he started up the steps and set down her pencil.

“Nate. What an unexpected surprise.”

She made as if to rise but he waved her down. “Please don't get up.”

She settled back down and he leaned his hip against a nearby support column. Beans trotted over to sniff at her shoes and she reached under the table to scratch his ears.

“I suppose I can guess as to why you're here. You've made a decision about my offer.”

He nodded. “While I truly feel honored that you'd trust me to handle this job for you, I'm not going to take you up on your offer.”

She leaned back with a resigned expression. “I'm more than a little disappointed, but I can't say as I'm all that surprised. It's pretty obvious that you've started forming ties here. I hope Verity knows how lucky she is.”

Surprised by her comment, he had to smother a grimace. He decided it would be best to just let it pass. “There
is
something else I'll do for you, however, if you like.”

Her demeanor perked up. “What's that?”

“I'll travel with you to your new home when you get ready to move in, and I'll go with you to meet with the solicitors and help you take care of whatever business is entailed with claiming your inheritance. I'll also stick around to help you interview candidates for that caretaker position and I won't leave until you and I are both satisfied that you have the right man for the job.”

She gave him a look that was a mix of surprise and hope. “Are you sure? That's going to take a lot of time away from your business here.”

“I'm sure.” It was what he would have liked for someone to have done for his sister if she'd been placed in a similar situation.

Belva grinned. “I sure as Christmas morning don't aim to talk you out of it. I accept.” Then she held up a cautionary hand. “But I do have one condition.”

“Which is?”

“That you let me pay you for your time.”

“I don't want—”

She lifted her chin. “I insist. It would be the same wage I plan to pay the caretaker I eventually hire. As far as I'm concerned, you're temporarily serving in that capacity.”

Realizing how important this was to her, he nodded. “In that case, I agree.”

She offered him her hand to seal the deal.

He shook her hand, then reached down to rub Beans's head. “Have you told your aunt Eunice yet? Or are you waiting until your birthday?” She'd confided to him that, according to the terms of her aunt Imogene's will, she was to take possession of her inheritance on her twentieth birthday. And she was to tell none of her relatives about her good fortune until one month before the happy event.

Belva glanced toward the house, as if worried her aunt Eunice might suddenly appear. “I'm going to tell her right after the festival. It'll give her a couple of days to get used to the idea before my birthday rolls around.”

“And how soon do you plan to leave?”

“My birthday is on Tuesday. I'd like to leave on Wednesday but can postpone it a bit if that doesn't fit your schedule.”

“Assuming a replacement church pianist can be found, I can make that work.” He would wait until after the children's performance on Saturday to tell Verity. Would she miss him at all? Or would she be glad to have him gone for a while?

Belva rubbed her chin. “As much as I'm looking forward to being on my own and starting fresh, I think I'm going to miss the folks here in Turnabout. Everyone has been so kind to me. It's been especially nice since I joined the choir.”

He couldn't argue with her there. The town, and its residents, had lived up to everything Adam had said it would. And he had a particular fondness for the choir, as well. But he gave her a reassuring smile. “I'm sure the place you're moving to will welcome you just as warmly.” Then he raised a brow. “And you can always come back to visit from time to time.”

“Maybe I will,” she said archly. “Especially if I had the right kind of incentive. Such as attending someone's wedding.”

He ducked his head, ostensibly to scratch Beans behind the ears again. Hopefully she hadn't noticed any telltale sign of just how sharply that innocent comment of hers had cut him.