Courting Miss Adelaide by Janet Dean

brother drank. If Sam hadn’t been in that barroom brawl, he’d be alive today. Sam had inherited the family legacy of bitterness, distrust and booze.
    Wiping his brow, Charles took in a gulp of air. He couldn’t change the past but he could leave it there, far from the present, far from everything he’d worked hard to gain.
    But images from that night popped up again and again, released by the reading of his father’s will and the insane hope he could have a normal life.
    Blocking thoughts of Addie, thoughts tempting him to indulge in the fantasy of a family, Charles pushed away from the brick and started inside. After dinner on Saturday, he’d make no more plans with Miss Crum. He wouldn’t open her to the pain and anguish of his past, wouldn’t taint her pretty world.
     
    From the shop window, Adelaide glanced at The Ledger. That simple act set her heart humming. She brushed her fingertips across her lips, reliving the almost-kiss in the haystack. Charles Graves had feelings for her, but only a foolish woman would believe those feelings involved a future. He didn’t want that any more than she did.
    For now, God had given her Emma, bringing joy into her life. She’d be the best mother she could be. And make sure Charles noticed at supper. If Frances couldn’t care for Emma, then surely Charles would support her with the committee.
    She turned away from the window and watched Emma roam the showroom, examining the array of adorned hats, captivated by the fruit, plumes and flowers.
    Adelaide joined her at the display. “Want to try on a hat?”
    Emma beamed. “Could I?”
    Adelaide lifted a bonnet from the stand, the one she’d visualized Emma wearing that day in the shop, the same day Laura had bullied her into placing an ad, bringing Charles into her life, and through him, Emma. I owe Laura a new hat. With damp eyes, she placed the bonnet on Emma’s head. “I designed this especially for a young lady like you.”
    Checking her reflection in the mirror, Emma’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, it’s pretty!”
    Amazing how the proper hat affected a female’s outlook, no matter her age. “It’s perfect for you.” Adelaide tied the pink ribbons under Emma’s chin. “You must have it.”
    “I don’t have any money.”
    Adelaide cupped Emma’s chin in her hand. “It’s a present.”
    Emma’s mouth drooped. “It’s not my birthday.”
    “The best presents are given for no reason.”
    “I can keep it, even when I go back to the Drummonds?”
    The reminder tinged the day with a touch of gray but Adelaide shook off the feeling. Emma wasn’t going back for days, maybe weeks. God had a plan. “Yes, and I’ll make a bonnet for Mrs. Drummond, too. Would you like to help?”
    “Yes!”
    Adelaide smiled and then checked the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late. That will have to wait until another day.”
    Emma folded her thin arms. “I don’t want to wait.”
    “You can help me fix dinner. Do you like fried chicken?”
    The little girl nodded, her petulance gone. “Yum!”
    The tension in Adelaide’s shoulders eased, relieved Emma’s stomach tempered her apparent strong will. She picked up the satchel and with Emma scampering up the stairs beside her, explained the shop hours.
    “I can sell lots of hats,” Emma predicted with confidence.
    “Perhaps, but you’ll have homework to do.”
    Emma wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like homework.”
    Adelaide’s stomach clenched. Would this be a daily battle? She’d always loved her lessons. “Is the work hard for you?”
    Emma’s gaze sought the floor. “Mama got sick and William and I didn’t go to school. The girls in my grade can read better than me, but I don’t care. Who needs to read anyway?”
    Adelaide tilted Emma’s chin. “If I couldn’t read, I couldn’t run the shop. You’ll catch up. I’ll help.”
    Taking her hand, Adelaide led Emma to what had been her mother’s room. A resplendent rainbow-hued quilt covered the double bed.