Brokenhearted Beauty(Divine Creek Ranch 19)(25)

Evelyn poked her head around the corner, spotted him, and then hastened down the hall to where they stood. She patted Presley Ann’s arm affectionately and said, “You go ahead, dear.”

Presley Ann smiled at him and nodded at Evelyn before continuing on her way.

Evelyn sighed as she turned her attention to James, smiling at the fragrant bouquet in his hands. Despite the large difference in their heights, he still felt like a boy when he talked to her. “Morning, ma’am.”

“Good morning, James. I’m very sorry you missed her.”

“I am, too.”

She looked into his eyes and he wondered at how much she could see there. Clasping one of his hands in both of hers she said, “Don’t give up, James. When I talk to her I’ll let her know I spoke with you.” She turned to go back down the hallway.

“Miss Evelyn, I thought she wasn’t leaving until tomorrow.”

She stopped and turned back to him, her expression a little sad. “She wasn’t. I tried to persuade her to wait until tomorrow but she insisted on leaving today. She seemed to have a lot on her mind. Maybe she just needed time to think.”

He thanked her and then looked down at the bouquet in his hands. “Miss Evelyn?”

“Yes?”

He held out the bouquet to her. “To thank you for the encouragement?”

She took the bouquet in her little hands and held it up to her nose and smiled at him. “I feel certain she will be sorry she missed you, James. Be safe on your job today.”

He tipped his straw Stetson to her. “Yes, ma’am.”

He walked out into the bright sunshine, wondering how it was that he could experience disappointment at finding she’d bolted a day early, as well as encouragement that hope was not all lost. He knew Vincent wouldn’t agree with his optimism but neither did he always agree with Vincent’s dominating behavior. Although, he didn’t like the thought of her doing her thinking in Abilene any more than Vincent would when he found out she’d already left.

With half his shift yet to work, he ate a quick lunch in his car and dialed in to his voice mail to listen to her message.

“Hi, James, it’s me. I’ve decided to head out today instead of in the morning. I haven’t taken a day off in a while and I could use a little time to think, to decompress. It’s not the kind of thing I’d normally do, which is probably another reason I should do it. My plan is to just head in the general direction of Abilene. Pretty scary to someone like me. I’ll find somewhere to stop before dark, to eat supper and spend the night. I had my oil changed and serviced a couple of weeks ago so my car will be fine.” She chuckled softly. “I’m telling you all that because I know you’ll worry otherwise. I want you to know I didn’t choose to make the trip to Abilene to be contrary, like Vincent probably thinks, or that I’m running away from my problems and grief, or going just because my dad is making me. I really need to examine this opportunity. But above and beyond all of that, I want you to know I care about you and your brother so much…so much. Please tell Vincent I’m sorry I upset him with my decision to still go to Abilene. I know he means well, even when he’s being a pushy, bossy…jerk-face. If I was there I would hug and kiss you both. Please be careful at work. Bye.” He could hear the way her voice changed throughout the message, attempting to be informative and perky at first but he’d also detected huskiness in her voice when she talked about her feelings. What spoke to him most was the way she rambled at the end as though she didn’t want to lose the connection. He’d miss her while she was gone but he had a smile on his face when the recording ended.

Even though it was doubtful he’d connect with her if she was driving, he dialed her number. The call rolled over to voice mail and her voice came on the line, asking him to leave a message.

“Honey, it’s James. I got your message. Yes, I would’ve worried about you stopping at a safe hour and about whether you’d taken your car in to be serviced. Knowing how much you appreciate structure, I can imagine this side trip is a stretch for you. Take all the time you need, honey. Find someplace with a pretty view and think and pray about it. Think it all through. If you choose to stay in Divine, I want you to be completely sure and not have any regrets. If you decide to move to Abilene, I want you to know that won’t make me give up. I’m a patient man. If your phone works wherever you stop for the night, give me a call before you go to bed. I’ll pass your message on to Vincent. If I was with you right now, I’d hug and kiss you, too. Don’t forget to remove your valuables from your car and lock it up. And lock and bolt your hotel room door tonight. And check and make sure the window is locked, too. Be safe, honey.”