Tommy headed into the crowd moving along the sidewalk. “’Scuse me,” he said, tipping his hat as he shouldered a woman beside him.
He made eye contact with her. “Katherine!”
She pressed her hand to her chest. “Tommy. My God, you snuck up on me.”
They slid out of the crowd toward Lace and Notable Notions Boutique. Several men looked twice at her, even three times, making Tommy study her, still in awe of how much she’d changed in the past few years, noticing it most when he ran into her unexpectedly like just then. Though she was his twin and they resembled each other in many ways, he could objectively see how beautiful she was, how she never seemed to notice passersby staring at her. This made him worry how fragile she seemed despite her beauty, despite the strength he knew she carried within.
“Where you off to?” he asked.
“Errands for Miss Violet.” She waved a list.
“She’s always got a list, doesn’t she?”
“Sure does, but boy do I like her.” Katherine’s face brightened. She squeezed Tommy’s arm. “Don’t you adore her? Smart and worldly and so bold. A combination of how Mama used to be with this independent streak that I couldn’t have imagined until I met her. I mean, that big home and employees and her business. I’m hoping she might take me into her schooling with the other girls.”
Tommy agreed she was an impressive woman, but was less swept away by her. “’Course I like her. She’s letting out a whole house with gardens and a shed in the back to us, and . . . I like her all right. Lots of chores and errands and such. Lots of opportunity for us to make money—Mama could use it. I really want to contribute to that cottage she’s dreaming about. And our father . . . If I could help him get back here, then Mama could spend more time with her old friends and the women’s club and such. I want her to have what she used to, Katherine. I wish we could all just . . .”
“I know, I know.” Katherine looked at the book in Tommy’s hands. “What’s that?”
Tommy thought of the painting in the window. He wouldn’t tell Katherine about it; he didn’t want to hurt her. “Remember ours? Found this one at McCrady’s. Free, of all things.”
“For Yale?”
“No. Pearl.”
Katherine nodded, and a slow smile spread over her face.
“No, no. It’s just a thank-you.”
“You like her.” Katherine straightened, her pride in making this assertion clear.
“She’s a nice girl. Yes.”
“You like her. I know it.”
Tommy looked away, shy about the unexpected grin covering his face. “Move along, Katherine. Scratch off a few of the things on that list. Let’s keep Miss Violet happy with that baking and cooking of yours.”
Katherine stuffed the paper back into her pinafore. “Lots of cooking and baking. Yes.”
Tommy put his hand to his forehead. “That reminds me. A guest at the hotel is suffering with blocked belly something awful. I mentioned you might have a cure. Remember that awful thing you had me drink?”
She nodded. “Did the trick, though, didn’t it?”
“Did that, and more.”
“I’ll write the recipe down when I get back to Miss Violet’s. It’s in my book.”
The two of them ambled toward the next intersection where Tommy turned toward the post office and Katherine toward the grocer’s. In those sweet moments his loneliness slipped away, feeling normal again, much like he had before . . . He watched Katherine for a moment thinking how lucky it was they were in the same town once again. And he hoped with all his being, it was the end of all that had gone wrong.