I had known Lewis most of my life. He was my brother Thomas’s best friend and had grown up down the block. They had both wanted to be policemen since they were young and were now employed with the Saint Paul Police Department.
But that begged the question, had Lewis become as corrupt as my brother Thomas? I had heard rumors about Thomas’s work with the Saint Paul Police from Ruth, though I didn’t know if any of them were true. I hoped and prayed they weren’t.
“Lewis!” Mother said as soon as we walked into the parlor. “What a wonderful surprise.”
“Hello, Mrs. Baldwin. Reverend Baldwin.”
“Come in,” Father said to Lewis, just as eager as Mother. We didn’t see him as often as we had when he and Thomas were younger, but he still came by on occasion.
“I can’t stay long,” he said as he glanced at me. He was tall and muscular, nothing like the skinny kid he had been in high school. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if you folks made it home safe from your trip.”
“Just this afternoon,” Mother said as she patted the sofa. “Have a seat.”
He moved across the room and sat next to Mother, offering her a smile. She took his hand in her own and squeezed it as she looked at him.
For years, he had been a fixture around our house, almost like another brother. Teasing me incessantly and bothering me to no end. At the age of twenty-four, I hoped his teasing days were behind him, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
“How did you like Europe?” Lewis asked, though he looked in my direction again.
“It was grand,” Mother said, letting go of his hand. “And did you hear that Reverend Baldwin will be giving a weekly international broadcast?”
“I did,” Lewis said. “I hope to listen in each Sunday night, sir.”
Father nodded his approval. “It would honor me if you attended the broadcast, Lewis.”
Lewis’s face lit up, and he nodded. “I will indeed.”
They spoke for some time about our trip, and Lewis told us what he had been doing since we saw him last winter.
“Do you have a special girl yet?” Mother asked, her eyes shining.
Lewis, who had never been shy one day in his life, suddenly looked a little uncomfortable as he played with his fedora. He glanced up and met my gaze and then said, “Not yet.”
“Well, she’ll be one fortunate young lady when you find her,” Mother said.
After a few more minutes, Lewis stood and said he needed to head home.
“I’ll walk you out,” I told him as I also stood to leave the room.
His smile was so sweet, it surprised me. Where was my childhood bully?
We walked into the foyer, and Lewis held the door open for me to step out onto the front porch.
The sun had set, and the stars were sparkling above the trees. Lights were on in the homes on our street, and the yards were quiet as all the children had been tucked in for the night.
“Thank you for stopping in,” I told Lewis. “This has been a surprisingly pleasant evening.”
He laughed, but there was a little hurt in his gaze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means. I used to dread when you came over. You teased me incessantly.”
“I didn’t tease you incessantly.”
“You did!”
He shook his head, his infectious smile making his face light up. “If I teased you, it was only to get your attention.”
“My attention?” I frowned. “By making my life miserable?”
