“What? How do you think I landed Sean? Just promise me you’ll be careful and that you’ll think with your head instead of your heart. You deserve to be happy, Ellie, so the last thing I want is to see you get hurt again.”
“Thank you. You’re the one person I can always count on to be in my corner.” Ellie stepped forward and hugged Amelia. “And I promise I’ll think with my head instead of my heart. I’m a scientist, remember? Thinking is what I do best.”
“Speaking of thinking,” said Amelia, giving the outfit another look, “I wonder what Jack will think when he sees you in that dress?”
Ellie offered a mischievous smile. “I can only imagine.”
When Marie and Amelia were gone, Ellie slid the dress on over her shoulders, put on her heels, did her hair and makeup, and added a spritz of perfume on her wrists and neck. Lastly, she put on the pearl necklace as Amelia had suggested and stepped back to examine herself in the mirror. She couldn’t recall a time when she’d looked so good. After putting on her favorite red lipstick, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door.
The sun hung low in the western sky when she pulled up in front of Jack’s house.
Jack greeted her on the porch. His eyes traveled the length of her body and back again, ending at her eyes. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you,” she said, watching his lips curl into a smile. “So this is your new place?” Ellie took a moment and stared at the old mansion, its facade awash in golden sunlight.
“I bought it last November, just after the book started selling.”
He gave her the nickel tour of the grounds, then led her inside and lit a fire. “Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Wine?”
“Let’s start with tea and see how it goes,” she said, thinking the wine might lead somewhere she wasn’t ready to go.
While Jack poured the tea, Ellie eased into the living room, taking in the rest of the house. “Is this the original brickwork?”
“Yes, it is.” Jack brought her a glass of tea, then told her to make herself at home.
After checking out the rest of the main floor, Ellie joined Jack in the kitchen. “I’ve got to hand it to you. This place is incredible.”
“Thank you,” he said as he finished dicing the carrots and celery. “It predates the Civil War. It was in rough shape when I bought it, but it had good bones.”
Ellie leaned against the doorframe, sipping her tea, and watching Jack. “How’d you get your hands on it?”
Jack dropped the vegetables into the water and set the timer. “Funny story… I ran into this fella at the dock one day who had recently inherited this place from his uncle, who was recently deceased. He was from Wisconsin or Michigan or something. Anyway, we got to talking, and he said he had no interest in keeping the home and wanted to know if I knew anyone who might want to buy it. I played it cool of course, and after a little haggling, we struck a deal.”
Ellie shook her head. “Only to you can something like that happen.”
“Lucky, right? Anyway, I sold my place to this fella who was looking to make a fresh start, and here I am.”
Yes, here you are.“I almost can’t believe I’m standing here talking to you.”
He looked at her with wonder in his eyes. “Neither can I, but I’m glad you’re here. There are so many things I want to tell you.”
She watched him move about the kitchen with the ease of a French chef, grinding spices, filleting fish, and preparing a salad. Where had he learned all this? He had all the qualities of a worldly man, a traveler, someone who had seen and done things that exceeded her own experiences. Yet something about him felt comfortable, familiar.
He’d mentioned in his book traveling when his time in the service was over. He talked about London, Paris, and Lisbon, places she had only dreamed of seeing. And she marveled at the man he had become.
While waiting for supper, they moved their conversation into the living room, where they sat in front of the fire.
“Life is funny, isn’t it? A week ago, I had all but given up on ever seeing you again, and now…”
“I know what you mean. This time last week I was grading papers and wondering how I was going to spend my summer. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine a week later I’d be sitting here, talking to you.”
Jack smiled briefly before turning serious. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“If Clara hadn’t… That is to say, if she was still around, would you have come?”
His question surprised her, and she took a gulp of tea before answering. “Yes, at some point—at least I think so,” she said, conflicted. “After I read your book, I struggled with what to do. I considered writing or calling, but it seemed so impersonal. Plus I could never think of the right words to say.” She paused, taking a moment to think. “After reading what you wrote, I… It caught me by surprise, that’s all.”
