I’ll miss you, Janie. Are you sure there’s not something else you can do?”
“I wish there was. But I’m scared, Leah.” Janie’s forehead wrinkled, and she bit her lip. “My rent is due in two days, and it would take nearly everything I have left to pay it.” Her pink-tipped fingers raked through her hair, and she shrugged her shoulders and smiled sadly. “The last job possibility I had in sight just flew the coop. And believe me, I’ve pounded the pavement every day.”
Leah took a sip of her tea and nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes. Me, too.” Leah gave her friend a commiserating smile. “But, Janie, you could live here until something opens up. I have an extra bedroom, you know.” Actually, she had been tossing around the idea of renting it out, but Janie didn’t have to know that. “So, how about it?”
Janie shook her head. “Thanks, honey. That’s sweet of you. But I need to go home while I have money for train fare.” She smiled brightly. “Anyway, Dad can always use help in the store.”
Leah sighed. “Don’t you hate change? Just think how it was a few short months ago. You and Susie and me. The Three Musketeers together forever.” She laughed sadly. “Now, Susie is going back to Dallas, and you to Missouri. I’m going to be so lonely.”
Janie cut her gaze to Leah, and her lips curved in a teasing smile. “Oh, I don’t think you’re going to be all that lonely. How are things going with the handsome headmaster? Susie told me you’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”
Leah felt warmth rise to her cheeks. She was going to clobber Susie.
“Really, Janie. Susie is jumping to conclusions. Of course, Max is here quite often because he’s spending time with Collin. It’s part of the Rosemont program, you know, the one I told you about.”
“Um-hmm. And the roses over there? Did Max send those to Collin? Are they part of the program also?” She lifted her eyebrows and grinned.
Leah burst out laughing. “Oh, you. All right. I suppose we have been seeing each other some. Actually, he took me to dinner a few nights ago.”
“Without Collin?”
“Yes, without Collin. But only because Collin was spending the night with a friend from his Sunday school class.”
Suddenly Leah frowned. “Janie, I’m a little bit bothered about something.”
Janie, ever the best friend, grew suddenly serious, her eyes alert. “What?”
“It’s probably nothing. After all, he has a right to his privacy.” Leah paused as anxiety arose as a knot in her stomach. “It’s just that every time I ask anything about his family or prior jobs or anything like that, he manages to change the subject.” She picked up her spoon and began to tap it against the rim of the saucer. “I’m sure it’s okay. After all, a prestigious school like Rosemont surely wouldn’t have hired him without a thorough investigation into his personal life. But …”
“Hmm. Maybe he’s just a private person. Or maybe he’s ashamed of his family.” Janie slammed her teacup down and snapped her fingers. “Oh, wait, I’ve got it. His father drinks, and his mother beats him.”
Leah exploded into laughter. She was going to miss Janie so much.
After they said tearful good-byes, Leah sat down in her rocker to mend some of Collin’s shirts. He’d become so happy and vibrant since Max had taken an interest in him. It was like he had suddenly come to life. There hadn’t been a lot of outdoor things they could do because of the cold March winds, but Max had promised fishing trips and baseball games in the spring and summer. In the meantime, he was teaching Collin to play tennis. It never would have occurred to Leah that Collin would be interested in tennis, but under Max’s tutelage, the boy was getting quite good at the game.
Still Leah felt she had to be careful where her son was concerned. If only she could be absolutely certain that Max was as upright and responsible as he seemed. It would break Collin’s heart if it proved otherwise. And Leah had to be honest with herself. It would just about break hers, too.
Max didn’t know what he was going to do about Leah. He was falling in love with her. He couldn’t get away from that fact. And she seemed to care for him, too. He hadn’t been able to resist pursuing a relationship with her that was fast becoming more than friendship. Yet he knew it was hopeless unless he got the situation concerning Claudia settled. Once and for all.
Leah was already asking questions that he couldn’t answer without revealing too much. He hadn’t even told her yet that his mother was heiress to the entire Rosemont holdings. He knew he had to at least come clean about that. He wished now he had told her from the beginning. It had been foolish to keep it from her.
He had hoped to speak to his brother by now, but Jake and Claudia were back in New Orleans again after traipsing all over the southern states. Apparently Claudia had been enjoying the antebellum mansions of Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama and had managed to somehow charm her way into southern society. Now, it seemed she was determined to take part in her first Mardi Gras experience.
Max’s lips twisted in a wry grin. Poor Jake. That sort of thing was so contrary to his nature. A picture of the young Jake appeared in Max’s mind. A picture of Jake shut up in the library with a stack of books on the floor beside him. Max could hardly ever get him outside long enough to go fishing or play a game of catch. His beloved books were always calling him. It was during a rare period of restlessness on Jake’s part that he had met Claudia and fallen hard.
Max had no doubt that his brother was smitten soundly. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. The brothers had been close once. But when Claudia entered the picture, Jake seemed blind to everything but her dubious charms. His eyes were almost certain to be opened one day, and Collin didn’t relish the thought of his younger brother getting hurt.
One Sunday in mid-April when he was driving over to pick up Leah and Collin for church, Max made a sudden decision to come clean about his family connections. He hoped Leah wouldn’t be too upset. After all, he hadn’t actually lied to her; he had just failed to mention a few things. Yeah, sure, Max, he thought. That’s going to impress her.
Leah came to the door looking like she had just stepped off the silver screen. She flashed him a million-dollar smile that nearly made him trip over his feet.
He smiled warmly back and reached for her hand.
“Hi, Max!” Collin scooted past his mother and grabbed the outstretched hand, giving it a hearty shake.
“Hey, sport. Good to see you.” Max sent a sideways smile toward Leah, who attempted to hide an amused grin as she headed toward the car.
The service was inspiring, and Max was pleased to notice that Leah seemed every bit as involved in it as he was. In the beginning, he had wondered at the way she seemed to hold herself back from entering in, but lately she seemed to enjoy the services more. They had even spent a few Sunday afternoons discussing the sermon they had just heard.
As Max and Leah stood in the vestibule visiting with a few people after church, Collin and his friend Tommy came hurrying up.
“Mom, is it okay if I go home with Tommy? His mom and dad say it’s okay with them.”
“And my dad even said he’ll take Collin home later if it’s okay with you, Mrs. Halliday,” Tommy chimed in.
“Well, I think so, but let me go talk to them first.” Leah smiled at the boys, and turning to Max, she excused herself, then headed over to where Tommy’s parents stood. After a short, reassuring conversation, she headed back to Max.
As Max watched her walking toward him, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity to have his talk with Leah. A few minutes later, as he opened the car door and waited for her to slide into the seat, he said, “If you don’t have plans for the afternoon, I’d like to take you out to dinner.”
“That would be lovely.”
“Oh!” He snapped his fingers. “Would you mind if I ran back inside for a moment? I need to make a fast telephone call.”
Leah looked at him in surprise but shook her head.
After making the phone call, he returned to the car and smiled as he slid in behind the steering wheel. “Sorry about that.”
As he passed by their usual restaurant without stopping, Leah threw him a surprised look.
He smiled. “I thought we’d go somewhere different today.”
When Max pulled the car into the drive of a very expensive restaurant, she looked at him in concern but didn’t say anything.
He gave his keys to the attendant and offered his arm to Leah.
An elderly doorman opened the door for them, and Max motioned for her to step inside.
She did so, but then turned to him with a decidedly worried look on her face. “Max!” she whispered. “You can’t—”
“Good evening, Mr. Reilly. It’s nice to see you again. It’s been too long.” The man who spoke was beaming from ear to ear. “Your table is ready. Please come this way.”
Leah sat in silence while Max placed their order. The cloth on the table was gleaming white linen, and the settings were silver, crystal, and fine china. Even though it was only noon, a small orchestra played behind palm trees at the end of the room. What was he thinking? She was sure dinner for two here would cost a small fortune. She didn’t want to embarrass him by saying anything about it, but …
“Max,” she said softly, “I wouldn’t have minded eating at our usual place. They have excellent food.”
“Yes, they do. But I have something to tell you, and I thought this would be the perfect setting. And, Leah, I promise I’m not going to be destitute for the next six months, so enjoy yourself and don’t worry about it.” He reached over and took her hand for a moment, his eyes warm and affectionate and alive with something else. Uncertainty perhaps?
The food was delicious, and Leah tried to enjoy it, but she was too nervous wondering what he wanted to talk to her about. They both declined dessert, and as they sat with coffee, Leah looked at Max questioningly.
He took a deep breath.
“Leah, I’m not sure how to begin, but I need to tell you who I am.”
She sat up stiffly. Uh-oh, here it came. She knew he was too good to be true.
“Do you mean you’re not Max Reilly?” she demanded.
A startled look crossed his face.
“Oh no! I am indeed Max Reilly. I suppose I should have said I need to tell you who my family is.” He took a nervous breath, then said quickly, “Leah, I’m a Rosemont on my mother’s side of the family.”
Leah sat waiting for him to go on. When he didn’t speak, she realized he was waiting for a response from her. “Do you mean as in Rosemont Industries, Rosemont Academy, Rosemont Gas and Oil?”
He nodded.
“So your mother is … what? A cousin or something?”
“Well, no, not exactly. As a matter of fact, my mother is Templeton Rosemont’s daughter.”
Leah opened her mouth and tried to speak, finally managing to choke the words out. “What? You’re Templeton Rosemont’s grandson, and you’re just now getting around to telling me?”
“Leah, I didn’t tell you in the beginning because there wasn’t really any reason to at the time, and I don’t like to spread it around. Then later … well, I wasn’t sure how to tell you, especially since my grandfather’s factory had let you go.”
Suddenly Leah felt a giggle rising up from her chest to her throat, and she coughed to try to cover it up, but to no avail. She chortled with glee while he sat and stared at her as though she had lost her mind.
Finally, she managed to get control of herself.
“Oh, Max, I’m sorry. It’s just such a relief. I knew you were holding something back, and I was afraid you had some deep, dark secret. And all the time, you were just afraid I’d be mad at you because your grandfather had fired me.”
“Well …”
“Don’t worry about it, Max. I don’t hold you responsible at all.”
They left the restaurant shortly afterward, and Max took her hand at the door and said good-bye, promising to see her on Tuesday after school when he and Collin had a tennis date.
Leah felt as though she were walking on clouds the rest of the day, and after Collin had gone to sleep that night, she sat in her grandmother’s old overstuffed chair and thought over the day.
Suddenly she closed her eyes.
“Father, I’m so sorry for all my doubts. Please forgive me, and help me not to ever fall into unbelief again. And, Lord, thank You so much for clearing this thing up about Max. Because I guess You know what I’ve not been admitting even to myself. I’ve fallen in love with him.”