smiled. “She is. But she would have let me go if it had turned out that way. She said that God must govern my life—not a wife.”
Christine remained silent. That was something else to think about.
They were thankful to climb from the car in front of Henry’s small house. The roads had gotten increasingly difficult. The last few miles of drifts caused concern, though Henry tried not to let on. He only had to get out the shovel once, but Christine felt that was once too often.
The first thing Henry did was to phone Amber. “We’re here—safe and sound. No . . . no, they weren’t too bad. A little tricky in spots. Is Danny sleeping? Give him a kiss for me. I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll drop by the shop. And I’ll bring Christine over later. Okay. Right. Sleep tight. Me too.”
Christine wondered what else would have been said had she not been waiting, suitcase in hand.
“She says to give you her love.” Henry turned from the phone and took the suitcase from Christine. “Right this way.”
“But this is your room,” Christine objected.
“I moved my stuff into the lean-to,” he said matter-of-factly.
“But it’ll be cold.”
“No, I put in a little heater. It gets too hot at times.”
Christine did not argue further.
“Want something to eat?”
“I ate loads of Aunt Mary’s sandwiches. I think I’ll just crawl in.”
“Me too. It’s been a long day. Anything you need, just holler.”
Henry was poking around in the potbellied stove. “Good. There’s still a bit of fire. I just have to bank it for the night or we’ll both be icicles in the morning.”
“Doesn’t the town have gas heat?”
“The town does. I don’t.”
Christine stifled a yawn. “You’ll call me?”
“For breakfast. Promise.”
“Good night, then.”
Christine moved to go, still yawning.
“Chrissy,” Henry called after her.
She turned slowly.
“It’s good to have you. I’ve looked forward to this.”
“Me too,” she answered with a smile. She had never meant anything more sincerely.
They shared a simple breakfast together. Then Henry rose and began to gather up his heavy coat and gloves. “I need to get down to the office. You’ll be okay?”
Christine nodded. “And you need to stop by the barbershop,” she teased him. “Don’t forget.”
Henry grinned. “I’m not likely to forget.”
“Is there anything you’d like me to do?”
“Nothing special. We’re going over to Amber’s for supper tonight. We’ll talk things over then. I thought you might like to walk over to the office about noon, and we’ll go for lunch at the café.”
“The café? That sounds like fun.”
“Well—it all depends how heavy Jessie’s gone on the spice can today.”
Henry flipped on his Stetson and turned to go.
“I’ll see you later, then,” called Christine as the door closed on his tall form.
If he weren’t my brother, I might fall for him, she mused with a smile. He was so good-looking in his uniform.
Christine busied herself washing up the breakfast dishes. There really wasn’t much in Henry’s small home that needed attention. He kept things remarkably orderly and clean for a bachelor. Christine did find a recent magazine she had not previously seen and loafed away the morning with some reading.
She kept one eye on the clock. At fifteen to twelve she wrapped up and took to the street. Henry had given careful directions to the office, only a few blocks away. Sure enough, the small building with its sign, Royal Canadian Mounted Police , soon came into sight. She had been familiar with such stations all her life, so she felt no trepidation as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her eyes roamed quickly over the interior. It was much like the offices her father had occupied— yet different in some way.
Three desks were scattered about the room. Only one was occupied—and that not by Henry. She looked beyond, where two doors led off the main room.
“You Christine?” a
Christine remained silent. That was something else to think about.
They were thankful to climb from the car in front of Henry’s small house. The roads had gotten increasingly difficult. The last few miles of drifts caused concern, though Henry tried not to let on. He only had to get out the shovel once, but Christine felt that was once too often.
The first thing Henry did was to phone Amber. “We’re here—safe and sound. No . . . no, they weren’t too bad. A little tricky in spots. Is Danny sleeping? Give him a kiss for me. I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll drop by the shop. And I’ll bring Christine over later. Okay. Right. Sleep tight. Me too.”
Christine wondered what else would have been said had she not been waiting, suitcase in hand.
“She says to give you her love.” Henry turned from the phone and took the suitcase from Christine. “Right this way.”
“But this is your room,” Christine objected.
“I moved my stuff into the lean-to,” he said matter-of-factly.
“But it’ll be cold.”
“No, I put in a little heater. It gets too hot at times.”
Christine did not argue further.
“Want something to eat?”
“I ate loads of Aunt Mary’s sandwiches. I think I’ll just crawl in.”
“Me too. It’s been a long day. Anything you need, just holler.”
Henry was poking around in the potbellied stove. “Good. There’s still a bit of fire. I just have to bank it for the night or we’ll both be icicles in the morning.”
“Doesn’t the town have gas heat?”
“The town does. I don’t.”
Christine stifled a yawn. “You’ll call me?”
“For breakfast. Promise.”
“Good night, then.”
Christine moved to go, still yawning.
“Chrissy,” Henry called after her.
She turned slowly.
“It’s good to have you. I’ve looked forward to this.”
“Me too,” she answered with a smile. She had never meant anything more sincerely.
They shared a simple breakfast together. Then Henry rose and began to gather up his heavy coat and gloves. “I need to get down to the office. You’ll be okay?”
Christine nodded. “And you need to stop by the barbershop,” she teased him. “Don’t forget.”
Henry grinned. “I’m not likely to forget.”
“Is there anything you’d like me to do?”
“Nothing special. We’re going over to Amber’s for supper tonight. We’ll talk things over then. I thought you might like to walk over to the office about noon, and we’ll go for lunch at the café.”
“The café? That sounds like fun.”
“Well—it all depends how heavy Jessie’s gone on the spice can today.”
Henry flipped on his Stetson and turned to go.
“I’ll see you later, then,” called Christine as the door closed on his tall form.
If he weren’t my brother, I might fall for him, she mused with a smile. He was so good-looking in his uniform.
Christine busied herself washing up the breakfast dishes. There really wasn’t much in Henry’s small home that needed attention. He kept things remarkably orderly and clean for a bachelor. Christine did find a recent magazine she had not previously seen and loafed away the morning with some reading.
She kept one eye on the clock. At fifteen to twelve she wrapped up and took to the street. Henry had given careful directions to the office, only a few blocks away. Sure enough, the small building with its sign, Royal Canadian Mounted Police , soon came into sight. She had been familiar with such stations all her life, so she felt no trepidation as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her eyes roamed quickly over the interior. It was much like the offices her father had occupied— yet different in some way.
Three desks were scattered about the room. Only one was occupied—and that not by Henry. She looked beyond, where two doors led off the main room.
“You Christine?” a
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