Bruce looked up into her crystal clear eyes and said, “Elizabeth, I’m glad you told me. Cole can be a tad persistent when he finds something he thinks is worth having.”

  “Oh.”

  “You’re not interested in Cole, are you?”

  “Not in the slightest.”

  “Is there someone you are interested in?”

  Tapping a finger to her lip, with a pondering look, she said, “There is this man that I met recently. He has been ever-present since we had the opportunity to work together. He’s kind and considerate. He loves his family and helps take care of others. He’s caring, and strong, handsome, and gentle, and I enjoy his company immensely. So I guess you could say that yeah, I am interested in someone.” She smiled hesitantly.

  “Bravo, bravo, that was very nice. You couldn’t have timed it better, if I do say so myself. I heard everything, and I completely agree with your assessment. I’m all those things and more, sugar. Just wait until I show you the rest.” Cole dropped back down into the booth and took a long, loud slurp from his milkshake.

  Bruce seethed. Elizabeth sat beside him shaking. At first he thought she was angry, but when a giggle escaped her lips and a pent-up flood of laughter began to bubble out of her, Bruce knew differently.

  Elizabeth laughed so hard tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Patrons of the ice cream establishment began to look at her like she was a crazed loon. She grabbed a napkin resting on the table and dabbed at her cheeks. A frown set on Cole’s face. It was so funny to her that she seemed unable to stop laughing. From Elizabeth of all people! This had to be hard on Cole’s ego.

  “Do you need to go to the little ladies’ room again?”

  “No, Cole. I’m fine.”

  “Humph, you could’ve fooled me. Looks like you were having some kind of psychotic episode.”

  “Why is that, dear brother? Because no woman has ever laughed at the idea of being interested in you?”

  Wiping tears from her eyes, Elizabeth said, “Gentlemen, please calm down. I think I need to explain.”

  They eased back their positions slightly, both giving her their undivided attention. She stuttered. It took her a few tries before the words began to roll out of her mouth in the correct order, and when they finally did, Bruce understood perfectly. “The laughter wasn’t directed at you, Cole, but at myself. Not that long ago, I was totally unattractive to everyone, and now it seems you are trying to get me to like you, and Bruce seems to like me. I guess I was a little overwhelmed with all the unwarranted attention.”

  “If you say so.” Cole didn’t want to let it go.

  Bruce couldn’t help but focus on the part where Elizabeth had said ‘Bruce seems to like me.’ Did she not know? Maybe the reason she didn’t know was because, quite frankly, he didn’t know how he really felt himself.

  Elizabeth looked down at her watch and gasped. “Bruce, I need to get home, if you don’t mind.”

  Cole waved them toward the door. “Go on and take your girl home, little bro. I’ll make sure Austin gets home to Julie.”

  “Thanks.” Settling into the car, they left. By the time they reached the townhouse, Elizabeth was biting her nails. Bruce cringed as she tore out of the vehicle without waiting for him. She was up to her door and on the other side before Bruce even had a chance to disembark. What was that all about?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When Elizabeth burst through her door, the phone rang. She took a quick breath before answering. This wasn’t good. They were sure to think something was wrong. She was out of breath, gasping and wheezing with exertion. Was it better than not answering the phone at all? The last time she’d missed their call, the police had come to her door. They’d come to ensure she was “safe and secure,” as they put it.

  “Hello,” Elizabeth said, in a huff of breathlessness.

  “Hello, little sis.”

  “Thomas, it’s you.”

  “Hmm…. You sound disappointed. Would you prefer one of the other brothers come to the phone?”

  “Oh, no, no—you’re fine. I guess I was expecting Mom or Dad, seeing as I haven’t returned Mom’s message.”

  “Ah, yes. They were kind of worried. They figured maybe you had plans or something. It was suggested that before they freaked out, they should call at the scheduled time and see if you answered.”

  “That was your idea, wasn’t it?”

  “Yep. What can I say? I know my little sister. At least, I think I do.”

  “I hear undertones, Thomas.”

  “Of course you hear undertones. Since when do you not return Mom’s calls? Since when do you keep secrets? Mrs. Campbell called today and said you cut your hair completely off! What in the world did you do that for?”

  “Thomas, I had to.”

  “Whatever for? You had to know that would worry Mom and Dad even more.”

  “Then I guess Mrs. C. should keep her nose out of what I am doing and stop worrying my parents!”

  Thomas was silent.

  Taking a breath, Elizabeth said, “Sorry.” Still Thomas said nothing. “You’re trying to wait me out, aren’t you?”

  “Yep. Is it working?”

  “Okay. Here it is in a nutshell: I had an accident in the subway. The only way most of my hair could be salvaged was to do it in this style. I didn’t answer today because I was at Bruce’s apartment having a cookout. Then we went to his nephew’s baseball game, then to the ice cream parlor, and now I’m on the phone with you! Do I need to add the number of times and locations I used the restroom?” Elizabeth spewed without even taking one breath.

  Thomas and Elizabeth had always been close. She’d shared things with him she would never share with their parents. Most of the information she’d given him just now was mundane. The only part that might catch his attention was that she’d been at Bruce’s apartment.

  Elizabeth was on pins and needles waiting for Thomas to speak, when he said, “Well okay. That sounds reasonable.”

  “You’re not going to tell Mom and Dad are you?”

  “Which part?”

  “All of it.”

  “I guess not. That is if you plan on telling them the reason you cut your hair. That’s the only part I really can’t keep from them.”

  “Fine. I’ll tell them.” Before Thomas could get in another word Elizabeth said, “Oh, no. I just ran out of Bruce’s car and didn’t even say good-bye. Or thanks for the ride or anything!”

  Thomas laughed. “I think if he’s as into you as you think he is, you’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, Thomas, be quiet. Look, I have to get off of here and go find him to apologize. Between trying to be a good daughter and a nice person, I’m messing up horribly.”

  “No problem. I’ll let Mom know you’re all right and you’ll call her back when you can.”

  “Thanks, Thomas.”

  “Take care of yourself, sis.”

  “I plan on it.”

  They said bye, and hung up the phone. Elizabeth walked quickly to the front door and pulled it open roughly. The first thing she spotted was Bruce sitting on her steps. Walking over, she plopped down beside him.

  “Sorry.”

  “Is everything okay? I started to come in after you except I was afraid it would scare you and you might try to shoot me or something. We hear all those stories about Southerners and their shotguns.” He grinned to let her know he wasn’t entirely serious.

  Elizabeth ran a hand through her shortened hair and sighed. How did her life get so complicated in just a matter of days? It all started with this new appearance. Was it worth it? When she took a look at Bruce, she knew it was definitely worth it.

  “I’m sorry about how I dashed out of the car and I didn’t tell you what I was doing. You see my parents call every Saturday at five o’clock. They believe I’ll always be at home at this time because I should be eating dinner.” Elizabeth sighed before continuing, “It wouldn’t have been a big deal to call them back later except I’d already missed one message from my mother. Really, I ignored the first call. And this time I didn’t want her to worry. Otherwise she might have called the police to check on me again.”

  “She did that?”

  “Yeah, she did that. So I try to make sure I’m close to answer the phone when she calls. Trust me, it’s easier that way.”

  Bruce slapped his forehead. “Dinner! We were going to grill out. I almost forgot!”

  “Hmm…. I did forget!” said Elizabeth.

  “How about we go out to dinner and a movie instead?”

  “That sounds nice. Do you have something in mind to watch?”

  “Yeah, I do. I’ll surprise you.”

  “Okay. Let me go grab my purse and my jacket, and I’ll be ready to go.”

  Elizabeth forgot her promise to return her mother’s call. She was going on a real date and nothing else mattered.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Dinner was at a quaint little Chinese restaurant. Bruce stared at Elizabeth before asking, “Did you mean all you said earlier?”

  “At the ice cream parlor?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, I did. I, well I, hope you weren’t too embarrassed that I described you that way.”

  “No, it was quite flattering. No woman has ever said such things about me.”

  “I hope I didn’t embarrass you when I said I was interested in you.”

  “Why would I be embarrassed that you are interested in me?”

  “Bruce, honestly. You’re you and well… I’m me.”

  “Hmm…yes, I know that. Why would that embarrass me?”

  “Oh, never mind. It doesn’t matter. How is your stir-fry?”

  “Very good. How is yours?”

  “Excellent.” Elizabeth smiled.

  After dinner, they walked a couple of blocks to a small theater. Some older movies were playing and Bruce led her inside.

  “Do you like love stories?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “I heard this is a love story. It’s called the Painted Lady. It’s about a girl that is unattractive, and she meets a man that turns her into a model. After he transforms her into a model, she falls in love with someone other than him.”

  “Sounds interesting. I guess it’s called the Painted Lady after the butterfly?”

  “Exactly. Just like a butterfly transforms from a caterpillar to a beautiful winged creature, the woman transforms into something of beauty as well.”

  They spent the next two hours in each other’s company. When they left the theater and walked outside to the car, some girls were behind them giggling.

  “Can you believe he’s with her? I mean, really!”

  Then another girl started in, “It is just like in the movies. He’s so hot and she’s so not. Just a plain Jane.”

  Elizabeth walked on. Bruce threaded his arm in hers as they walked through the throng of moviegoers so they wouldn’t be separated. He felt her tension as the girls followed them out of the theater and started talking. What was bothering her? Could it be what those girls were saying?

  “Elizabeth, what did you think of the movie?”

  “It was good.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  Bruce opened the car door and allowed her time to slide in. He’d been tempted to give Elizabeth a long kiss right there in front of the snooty girls, but he’d been afraid to embarrass her. He walked around to his side and slid into the driver’s seat. Placing both his hands on the wheel, Bruce sat there for a moment before finally saying, “Okay, I know something is wrong. Just tell me what I’ve done?”

  “There’s nothing wrong. It’s getting late, and I have church tomorrow, and I need to get home and go to bed.”

  “I didn’t mean to keep you out so late. I’ll get you home immediately.”

  As he turned the wheel and drove down the road he couldn’t help thinking about Elizabeth. She sat beside him, her spine stiff. She’d been so relaxed earlier in the day, he knew something was bothering her now.

  Shooting a glance her way, he attempted to read her expression, but it was hopeless. She could have been thinking about anything from the food they ate to the premise of the movie.

  Tightening his grip on the wheel, he wondered if perhaps she was dwelling on Cole. As much as he hated it, his brother had been a big part of their day. Maybe she was thinking about the movie plot and relating it to Cole. Bruce knew there was no way Cole would have given her a second glance before she changed her appearance. Could she be thinking about that now?

  He would have to make sure she knew that he’d been intrigued by her from the very beginning. From the moment they met in the promenade he’d found her fascinating. The beauty within her had shone through the overly large clothing and the fuzzy hair. One of these days, he was going to make sure he told her this.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  There had been hurt in Bruce’s voice, causing Elizabeth to regret her tone. He had done nothing. She was coming to realize that he was too good-looking, too smart, too wealthy, too everything for her. She would never fit in his world. Since she’d known him, they’d spent almost every waking moment together. She wished that their relationship would never end, but Elizabeth knew she couldn’t be so lucky.

  Elizabeth’s parents had tried to tell her that she was as good as anyone else, that everyone was special in God’s sight. Right now, she was having a hard time sitting next to the one the whole world considered a hottie when she was plain Jane. How could she explain this to him? Bruce would blow it off and say there was nothing wrong with her. She was good enough for him, blah, blah, blah.

  She sighed. She didn’t want Bruce to feel bad. This was going nowhere. He started the engine, and they drove home in silence. When they reached the parking spot in front of their townhouses, neither moved. Elizabeth couldn’t allow herself to leave him while he thought he’d done something to upset her. It was purely an internal problem.

  Placing a hand on his arm, she took a deep breath preparing herself to tell as much truth as she possibly could. “Bruce, I’m not upset we stayed out. I had a wonderful time in your company.”

  “Okay. Then what is it?”

  Licking her dry lips Elizabeth said, “Bruce, I’m going to tell you the truth. I like you. I like you a lot. You have to admit those girls at the movies were right. You’re too good for me. I know we aren’t getting married or anything like that, but one of these days, you’ll probably look back and laugh that you dated someone as plain as me.”

  Bruce looked forward before slowly turning to face her. “You sure aren’t giving me a lot of credit, are you? Just to let you know, I think you’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. Beauty is more than just outward appearance. I’ve never seen someone give so freely of their time to others. Someone who worries about other people’s feelings. Who goes out of their way to make a little boy feel good when he has so much going on in his young life. Someone who invites strangers to church and prays with little boys before baseball games. I like you. I like you a lot. And regardless of what anyone else thinks, I’m determined we get to know one another better. Kapeesh?”

  Elizabeth stared at him mouth agape. “Hmm, I don’t know if I can argue with that.”

  “Good. Now let’s get you inside.”

  Elizabeth left Bruce in good spirits. That was until she went inside and heard the phone ringing off the hook.

  “I guess I should let you go.”

  “Bruce, why don’t you come in and wait a few minutes?”

  “I have a feeling it’s going to be more than a few minutes. You need to talk to your parents. Just get it over with. I probably have some messages of my own.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I would like to see you in the morning to walk to church together. If you don’t mind.”

  “No, that would be great.” Bruce turned and went down the steps, turning at the bottom for one final wave. Elizabeth raised her voice to say, “See you in the morning.”

  Closing the door, Elizabeth walked toward the phone. The ringing had stopped. Wonder if she had time to put on her pajamas before the ringing started again? Elizabeth took one step toward the foyer, and the ringing began again in earnest.

  Elizabeth picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Elizabeth Ann, this is your mother speaking.”

  “Hello, Mother.”

  “Where have you been?”

  “I went to dinner and a movie.”

  “Did you go with that Bruce character again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Isn’t this guy your boss? What are you getting yourself into? Thomas said you went with him to a baseball game. And some crazy thing about you cutting your hair because of a subway accident. What is going on with you? Your dad and I are ready to get in the car and drive up there to bring you home!”

  “Mom, please. Calm down. Bruce is my boss, and we’re also friends. I went with him to his nephew’s little league game. Then we went to dinner and a movie. It’s no big deal.”

  “No big deal? Of course it’s a big deal. You’ve been working late with him every day for three weeks. And now you’re spending all your free time with him, too. Even the time we have scheduled to talk to you on the phone, you’re with him. Do you have to go out at that time of day? Haven’t you thought about the consequences?” There was a silence on the line, and then her mother added, “What if it’s not safe?”

  Elizabeth took a couple of deep breaths before answering. “Mom, if I’m going out to dinner, then I’ll probably be out at our phone time. But I should’ve called and let you know. I’m sorry.”

  “She’s sorry! Do you hear that Paul? She’s sorry!”

  Elizabeth heard her father in the background vying for the phone. “June, give me the phone.”

  When it was handed over, Elizabeth heard her father’s calm voice over the line. “Hello, honey. How are you?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’m sorry, baby girl. But you can understand our concern. You’re our only daughter. And we’re a tad overprotective.”