to Alice. “On your account?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“And now for you, Miss Bannister.”
“Oh, please, call me Belle.”
“Yes. Indeed. I’m thinking perhaps you ladies could continue on your travels and I will do a little experimental mixing. Stop by here before you head back to the inn, and you can see what you think.”
“Oh my,” said Belle. “You’d do that for me?”
He smiled. “Certainly.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to try what you put together,” she said.
“We’ll see you later then,” said Alice.
“Everyone is so nice in this town,” said Belle as they continued walking. “I feel so at home already.”
“What did you think of Wilhelm?” asked Alice.
“He seemed very nice. And he’s a really neat dresser. That jacket looked like Armani to me. Not that I’m an expert when it comes to fashion, but it looked expensive and Italian.”
“So, do you think Wilhelm could possibly be the one?” asked Alice.
“Maybe, but I suppose he’s older than what I had in mind.”
“I think he’s about the same age as Rev. Thompson,” said Alice.
“Really? Well, that makes me wonder if I may be wrong about the age factor. I don’t really think it should matter too much. What should matter is finding the rightman, the man that God has chosen for me.” She looked up at Alice with big blue eyes. “Don’t you think that’s what’s important?”
“I wouldn’t really know,” Alice sighed. “I’ve never been married myself.”
“Oh, I know I must seem silly, Alice,” said Belle. “You’re so smart, a nurse and all. I wish I could be more like you and your sisters. You all seem to have such sensible heads upon your shoulders.”
“No, no,” Alice firmly shook her head. “It’s better to be yourself. If I’ve learned anything in my sixty years, it’s that. But I’ll admit that all this dream business and looking for Mr. Right is a little hard for me to grasp. Still, if it works for you, well, I firmly believe God moves in mysterious ways.”
“And my dream is rather mysterious.”
Alice pointed over to the florist shop. “That’s Wild Things,” she told Belle. “The owner of that shop is also a bachelor, and a good friend of Jane’s.”
Belle laughed. “It sounds as if Jane is good friends with all the bachelors, Alice. I’m surprised she isn’t married. She seems the kind of woman that fellows would admire. I’ll bet she’s turned most of them down.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that,” said Alice as she pushed open the door, although she did know that part ofwhat Belle said was true. Jane did have a good rapport with a number of the single men in town.
“Oh my,” said Belle. “This is a beautiful shop.”
“Yes.” Alice nodded. “Craig is very talented.”
“Do I hear someone singing my praises?” asked Craig as he emerged with an armful of purple irises. He beamed at Alice. “How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you.”
“And how is my buddy Jane doing?”
“Much better now that the sun is shining.”
“I know what you mean,” said Craig as he put the irises into a flower bin. “I was considering a trip to the Bahamas.” He pushed back a lock of sandy brown hair that had fallen across his forehead, giving him a boyish look. He smiled warmly at the two women.
“Really?” Craig was more Jane’s friend than Alice’s, but Alice liked the young man, and she knew he was doing a great job with his business.
“Well, it was an impractical idea, but with this weather I was actually thinking about it.” He glanced over at Belle. “Who is your lovely friend, Alice?”
“Forgive my manners,” said Alice. “This is Belle Bannister. Belle, this is Craig Tracy, owner of Wild Things and the best florist in these parts.”
“Pleased to meet you, Belle.” Craig politely shook herhand. He was only a few inches taller than Belle, and Alice had to admit, if only to herself, the two would make a cute couple.
“It’s a pleasure to meet
“Yes, thank you.”
“And now for you, Miss Bannister.”
“Oh, please, call me Belle.”
“Yes. Indeed. I’m thinking perhaps you ladies could continue on your travels and I will do a little experimental mixing. Stop by here before you head back to the inn, and you can see what you think.”
“Oh my,” said Belle. “You’d do that for me?”
He smiled. “Certainly.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to try what you put together,” she said.
“We’ll see you later then,” said Alice.
“Everyone is so nice in this town,” said Belle as they continued walking. “I feel so at home already.”
“What did you think of Wilhelm?” asked Alice.
“He seemed very nice. And he’s a really neat dresser. That jacket looked like Armani to me. Not that I’m an expert when it comes to fashion, but it looked expensive and Italian.”
“So, do you think Wilhelm could possibly be the one?” asked Alice.
“Maybe, but I suppose he’s older than what I had in mind.”
“I think he’s about the same age as Rev. Thompson,” said Alice.
“Really? Well, that makes me wonder if I may be wrong about the age factor. I don’t really think it should matter too much. What should matter is finding the rightman, the man that God has chosen for me.” She looked up at Alice with big blue eyes. “Don’t you think that’s what’s important?”
“I wouldn’t really know,” Alice sighed. “I’ve never been married myself.”
“Oh, I know I must seem silly, Alice,” said Belle. “You’re so smart, a nurse and all. I wish I could be more like you and your sisters. You all seem to have such sensible heads upon your shoulders.”
“No, no,” Alice firmly shook her head. “It’s better to be yourself. If I’ve learned anything in my sixty years, it’s that. But I’ll admit that all this dream business and looking for Mr. Right is a little hard for me to grasp. Still, if it works for you, well, I firmly believe God moves in mysterious ways.”
“And my dream is rather mysterious.”
Alice pointed over to the florist shop. “That’s Wild Things,” she told Belle. “The owner of that shop is also a bachelor, and a good friend of Jane’s.”
Belle laughed. “It sounds as if Jane is good friends with all the bachelors, Alice. I’m surprised she isn’t married. She seems the kind of woman that fellows would admire. I’ll bet she’s turned most of them down.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that,” said Alice as she pushed open the door, although she did know that part ofwhat Belle said was true. Jane did have a good rapport with a number of the single men in town.
“Oh my,” said Belle. “This is a beautiful shop.”
“Yes.” Alice nodded. “Craig is very talented.”
“Do I hear someone singing my praises?” asked Craig as he emerged with an armful of purple irises. He beamed at Alice. “How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you.”
“And how is my buddy Jane doing?”
“Much better now that the sun is shining.”
“I know what you mean,” said Craig as he put the irises into a flower bin. “I was considering a trip to the Bahamas.” He pushed back a lock of sandy brown hair that had fallen across his forehead, giving him a boyish look. He smiled warmly at the two women.
“Really?” Craig was more Jane’s friend than Alice’s, but Alice liked the young man, and she knew he was doing a great job with his business.
“Well, it was an impractical idea, but with this weather I was actually thinking about it.” He glanced over at Belle. “Who is your lovely friend, Alice?”
“Forgive my manners,” said Alice. “This is Belle Bannister. Belle, this is Craig Tracy, owner of Wild Things and the best florist in these parts.”
“Pleased to meet you, Belle.” Craig politely shook herhand. He was only a few inches taller than Belle, and Alice had to admit, if only to herself, the two would make a cute couple.
“It’s a pleasure to meet
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