A Home for Her Heart. Janet Barton Lee

this and that.” John chuckled. “We just didn’t want to disturb you two lovebirds’ conversation.”

      Luke seemed to pull Kathleen a little closer and smiled down at her. “Nice of you to be so considerate.”

      They’d reached the crowded soda shop and were glad to find one empty table. “If it’s this busy so early in the season, think what it’s going to be like midsummer,” John said, pulling out a chair for Elizabeth.

      The men asked what they wanted and went to the counter to order.

      “It was nice of the guys to think of this, wasn’t it?” Kathleen asked, watching Luke and John make their way to the counter.

      “It was.”

      “I’m glad John came along,” Kathleen said.

      Elizabeth wondered whose idea it was for him to come along. Not that it really mattered, but she thought it must have been Luke’s.

      “He doesn’t always have a chance to do fun things—or hasn’t up until lately. He’s not covering the society doings as much as he used to, is he?” Kathleen asked.

      “I don’t think so.” Which would be a good thing. Elizabeth always worried when she was with her aunt at one or another charity function that she might run into him and he’d find out who she really was. Although, lately she almost wished he would. It would force her to get things out in the open. If she weren’t so afraid of losing the friendship of those closest to her, she would have made a point to try to run into him.

      “Hopefully these articles he’s doing about the tenements will help get him a better position at the Tribune.”

      “So do I.” And she really did. She just didn’t always like that it seemed to be all he thought about.

      The men came back to the table just then and John set her chocolate soda down in front of her before taking his seat next to her. He’d bought the same for himself. Luke had bought a vanilla one for himself and a chocolate one for Kathleen.

      As they all took the first sip from their straws, a collective sigh was heard around the table.

      “Hmm, this is wonderful,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you, Luke, for thinking of this.”

      “Actually it was John’s idea,” Luke said.

      John shrugged. “I noticed it the other day and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I’m glad you ladies agreed to come with us.”

      Lately the man never failed to surprise her. One minute he was focused only on work and the next he did something like this that made her wonder once again if there was more to him than she knew. And why was he just now showing that side?

      * * *

      John couldn’t help but see the surprise on Elizabeth’s face when she found out this outing was his idea. Why did she seem so surprised? Probably because he rarely found time to enjoy himself. Since coming to New York City, he’d been so busy trying to get to the same status he’d enjoyed in Natchez that he’d had little time to do anything else.