Page 19 of Landing Love

She realized with a start that these two had quickly become a sort of surrogate family for her. If she had siblings, she imagined they would have done exactly the same for her. It was a special thing to be part of the O’Donnell family. She couldn’t help envying the mutual support and camaraderie they seemed to enjoy.

“That was a darling apartment. How long did you live there?” Mary asked as they bumped along Broadway in traffic.

“About a year and a half. We moved in when we got married. We’d only been there six months when the war started. Roger signed up right away, so it’s mostly been just me in that apartment.”

“Sounds lonely.” Bill glanced at her with a sympathetic smile that made her heart lurch.

Did she dare admit how lonesome it had been while Roger was away? “It was at times, but my mother visited me a lot. And I had friends.”

Bill frowned. “Had? What happened?”

An excellent question. The people she’d thought were her friends had all abandoned her in her hour of need. “At first, they were very sympathetic, but when I began to run out of money, they all somehow disappeared.”

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. “It makes me so angry that they left you all alone to fend for yourself.”

“Well, you have better friends now.” Mary patted her hand. “Can I come visit you when you’re settled into your new home? I don’t want today to be goodbye.”

Ann hadn’t even thought of that. After this move, neither of them had any reason to visit. “Of course! I consider you a very dear friend after all you’ve done. I hope to see you often.”

“And what about me?” Bill nudged her shoulder with his own. “Am I a dear friend too?”

Ann hardly knew how to respond to that. She swallowed hard and stared at the produce truck in front of them, willing the sudden heat in her flushed cheeks to abate.

“Bill,” Mary warned. Ann suspected that if Mary was sitting next to him, she would have elbowed him.

“Yes, you are a dear friend too, Bill,” Ann said at last, her voice coming out oddly breathy. She kissed Junior on his head, needing to hide her burning cheeks.

He glanced at her and beamed, which only flustered her more. How much longer was this ride?

They sat in silence for several minutes, then Bill began to hum as they approached the Queensboro Bridge. He had a rich and mellow baritone that made her heart thump faster.

Wait a moment. She recognized that song. “Is that ‘I’m Always Chasing Rainbows’?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. I suppose it is. Songs get stuck in my head sometimes.”

“I love that song.” It was one of her favorites, truth be told. “Whenever I hear it on the radio, I can’t help humming along. I’d love to hear you sing it.”

He laughed. “Only if you sing with me.”

She laughed out loud at his suggestion. Was she really contemplating singing a duet with Bill? She hesitated for a moment, unable to come up with an excuse to refuse.

“All right,” she said at last. It had been a long time since she’d sung anywhere but at church. She hadn’t been in the mood. But somehow, the fresh morning air and the excellent company were tempting her to foolishness.

“You too, Mary.” Bill glanced across at his sister.

“What, me?” Mary pressed her hand to her chest, eyebrows raised. “No, you don’t want me to sing. It’ll upset the baby. Much better if it’s just the two of you.”

“Don’t believe her.” Bill leaned toward Ann, conspiratorially. “She sings like an angel when she thinks no one’s listening.”

“A tone-deaf angel,” Mary grumbled.

“All right, all right. If you don’t want to sing, then don’t. Ann and I can have all the fun. Ready?”

No, but she’d agreed to this nonsense, and she wasn’t about to back out.

When he started to croon, “I’m always chasing rainbows, watching the clouds go drifting by,” she summoned her courage and joined him.

As they sang, their voice blended and resonated together. They breathed together at each pause. There was a unique intimacy to singing together, and she felt a new connection form between them, note by note. When they finished, she sighed happily. The baby giggled against her.