THE WAR BRIDE CLUB (39 page)

TODAY was the third day she’d met Luke for lunch. Betty sat in an over-size leather chair, hands clasped in her lap as she waited. There was a newspaper on the stand but she didn’t want to read.
 

      “Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?”

      Betty smiled at Luke’s assistant. “I’ll be fine, thank you for asking, Jean.”

      “He shouldn’t be long.”

      Betty went back to waiting. It was silly to have nerves, to want to run out the door one moment and jump up and down the next with excitement. But she didn’t know what to think. What it meant, him asking her to meet him like this.
       

      Was it just a friendly gesture? Wanting to make her feel comfortable?

      He hadn’t touched her again like that night in his office, not once. She was starting to wonder if she’d imagined it.
 

      “Betty, I’m so sorry.”

      She looked up.
Luke
.
 

      There was nothing she could do but grin at him. His hair was dishevelled, probably from running his hand through it like he did when he was stressed. He looked tired, and his tie was slightly too loose and off center.
 

      She rose and reached to adjust it, pushing the knot higher and wriggling it into place.
 

      “That’s better.” She spoke the words low, more to herself than to him.
 

      Then she looked up. Betty hadn’t realized how close she was standing to him. Her hands dropped from his tie and her eyes fell to the ground as she stumbled a step backward.
 

      Luke caught her around the elbow with his hand.
 

      They stared at one another, like two deer caught in the headlights of the other’s gaze.
 

      “Shall we go?”
 

      It was as if no one else existed, as if they were the only two people in the room.
 

      “Betty?”

      His voice was gruff, gravely, different than usual.
 

      “Yes,” she snapped out of it. “Lunch, yes, of course.”

      She spun around, but as his hand touched the small of her back to guide her, she wondered if everything had changed all over again. As if the rules had been altered. Or maybe they were now playing a new game entirely.
 

      Luke escorted her out the door and onto the street. The restaurant they went to was the one they’d first dined at together, and it was only a walk away.
 

      Betty had a feeling that something was about to change forever between them today.
 

      Today, maybe she’d know what it was between them. Maybe they’d both find out.
 

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

JUNE had never felt so exhilarated. All these months of learning to ride a horse and now she knew what all the fuss was about. She loved animals, all animals, but actually climbing on the back of one had never seemed that appealing to her. Riding here in America was something else entirely. She’d finally mastered the art of cantering, and she’d ridden alongside Eddie all the way down the valley, and then high up into the hills.
 

      Now they were looking down over the farm, their house a speck in the distance.
 

      “This is beautiful.”

      It truly was. So beautiful that it almost stole her breath away.
 

      “Almost as beautiful as you.”

      Eddie rode up beside her and reached for her hand. Even after all this time his words made her blush. She didn’t believe him, she never did. Not when he told her how lovely she looked or how much he loved her, because for some reason it still seemed too good to be true. Especially after everything her friends had gone through. Why was she the lucky one? Why had her new life here turned out so wonderful?

      “Are you happy here, June? Truly happy?”

      She adjusted her weight in the saddle so she could face her husband.
 

      “Eddie I love it here, you know I do.”

      He lifted her hand to kiss it. “Good. I want you to be happy here, darlin’.”

      She wanted so desperately to talk about children, to bring up the fact that she still wasn’t pregnant, but she didn’t want to ruin this. He was so patient with her, each month that she hadn’t gotten pregnant he’d been there for her, but she didn’t want to ruin this.
 

      And she wasn’t going to bring up adoption. Not yet. Not until she’d found out more about it.
 

      “When I was at war, I thought about this view.” He told her, looking down over the land. “And when I married you, I couldn’t wait for you to be here, to see this with me.”

      “Imagine our children growing up here, Eddie. Riding over the land, running up to see their grandparents every day.”

      He took her hand again, his smile making his eyes crinkle in the corners.
 

      “Speaking of family, I have a surprise for you.”

      “What is it?”      

      He made a face at her. “If I told you, how would it be a secret?”

      She hated secrets. And what could it have to do with family?

      “When do I get to find out?”

      He gathered up his reins and his horse backed up a few steps before turning around.
 

      “It’s waiting for you at home. Let’s go.”

June’s legs were killing her. Her calves were already starting to ache and her backside was numb, but she was desperate to find out what this surprise was about.
 

      “Slow down!”

      She looked back. Eddie was running behind her. He pushed her to the side and stood in front of the door.
 

      “Wait here a minute,” he said.

      June stomped her foot, but she was finding it difficult to act angry.
 

      He dropped a kiss to her protesting lips, and she kissed him back hungrily. But he wasn’t falling for her seduction. Eddie placed his hand on her chest and shoved her back an inch.
 

      “Wait here.”

      “Fine,” she mumbled.
 

      June waited. And grumbled to herself.
 

      Then she heard a shuffle of feet and a noise that she couldn’t place – a high-pitched noise and then a curse from Eddie.
 

      “Honey, what’s going on?” she called out.
 

      Eddie reappeared, a blanket in his arms.
 

      “What the… oh my gosh!”

      Eddie’s arms were moving and the blanket half fell away. In his arms, wriggling with all its might, was a pint-sized puppy. A ball of golden fluff that was itching to escape.
 

      “Eddie!”

      Her husband had a grin on his face that stretched from ear to ear.
 

      “I know you want a family June, and I thought this was a great place to start.”

      Her eyes filled with tears. She reached forward to take the puppy, its wet nose stroking her cheek, tongue flapping to lick her chin.
 

      “I love him. Oh, I love him!”

      She cuddled the puppy tight against her and leaned forward to kiss Eddie. The puppy clambered between them, trying to nip them as their lips met.
 

      “
He
is actually a
she
. A golden retriever.”
 

      Betty snuggled the puppy against her face again, inhaling its sweet baby smell.
 

      “A girl,” she said aloud, more to the puppy than to Eddie. “A wee girl.” 
      Eddie put his arm around her shoulders.
 

      “I thought we’d call her Ruby.”

      “Ruby,” she repeated, holding the pup up so she could inspect her. “I think Ruby suits you just fine.”

      
She still wanted a baby, desperately, but a puppy was a good place to start. She could deal with a puppy.
 

CHAPTER FORTY

BETTY placed her knife and fork together on the plate and used her napkin to dab at the corners of her mouth. They had eaten fast, not talking a great deal, other than to cover the weather and talk about an important policy that Luke was putting together.
 

      She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, why he’d asked her.
 

      “Do you care for dessert?”

      Betty patted her stomach. “Oh no, I couldn’t fit another thing in here.”

      She smiled as he laughed, like the ice had finally broken. They’d both been awkward since that moment earlier in his office, but the barrier was finally starting to fall away.
 

      “We could always share something.” he suggested, pushing his chair back from the table slightly. “Or coffee, perhaps?”

      Betty shook her head again. “Lunch was lovely, but no sweets for me. Just coffee, if you’re having one.”

      He raised his hand to beckon the waiter. “Two coffees with cream please.”

      Betty studied him as his face was turned: the profile of his jaw, the thickness of his hair.
Everything about him.
 

      She dropped her eyes as he looked back. He’d known she was watching him, of course he had, but she didn’t care. She was feeling brave, braver than normal at least, and it was empowering.
 

      “Betty, I’ve been meaning to say this for the last few days, but we always get so busy talking that I never get around to it.”

      She pressed her lips together. What was it? What did he have to tell her? That first time they’d had lunch, she thought he might have ulterior motives, but he’d never said. Now she was sure he was worried about something, had words he needed to get off his chest.
 

      “It’s been so wonderful having you and William to stay. Having you in my life.”

      
Oh no.
This was his way of telling her it was time to move on. He’d brought her to lunch more than once, to tell her, and he hadn’t known how to say it.
 

      “Luke please, there’s no need for you to continue. If you want your home to yourself again, I’ll arrange somewhere else to go.”

      He looked confused, then angry.
 

      “Want you gone?”
 

      There was no point in kidding herself. Just because she had certain feelings didn’t mean he shared them.
 

      “Isn’t that what you wanted to tell me?”

      “No.” He looked dejected. Deflated even. “No, it wasn’t.”

      She waited. Confused.

      “This is very difficult to say. In fact I’m not entirely sure what I’m saying, but…”

      She held her breath.
 

      “I feel like something inappropriate is developing between us. Something that I’m not comfortable with.” He pulled at his tie, the same tie she’d so carefully put into place for him, and loosened the knot. Like he couldn’t breathe. “I want you and William to feel at home in my house, but to jeopardize our relationship would be, well, foolish and irresponsible of me.”

      What did that mean? Was he trying to tell her he had feelings for her? She didn’t understand why he was saying this, why he’d even brought it up.

      Betty forced her chin up, made herself look him straight in the eye.
 

      “I think I feel the same. I mean, I know it wasn’t long ago that I lost Charlie, but the way I feel for you, well…”

      He pushed his chair back with such force the table shuddered, cutting her off.
 

      “I have to go.”

      Betty looked up at him, humiliated. The look on his face said it all. That he was disgusted in her. That she should have kept her words to herself. That he’d known how she felt and he didn’t feel the same.

      “Luke.” She reached out her hand but he pulled away. “Luke, please,” she whispered, “I’m sorry, I thought you felt the same.”

      She didn’t know what his face was telling her, but his eyes were flashing wildly.
 

      “I’ll be away on business for the next week or so. Take the car home. I’m going back to the office.”

      
No
. No! What had she done? What had just happened?
 

      The waiter arrived at their table and placed her coffee in front of her, but she couldn’t even bring herself to acknowledge it. Instead she turned to watch Luke hurry through the restaurant, pausing only to pay the check.