Dancing in the Rain by Amanda Harte Page B

either.” A fine mist was falling as they crossed the courtyard. “My granny always said a man was no better than a sand burr if he didn’t keep his word.”
    As she had hoped, her words brought a shadow of a smile to Dwight’s face. “I’m afraid that I’m not acquainted with sand burrs.”
    “For which you can be thankful. Now, are you going to renege on your promise of chocolate?”
    The smile broadened a bit, although it was still far short of a grin. “And risk being called a sand burr? No!”
    When they had ordered their drinks and a plate of the pastries that the shop in Goudot delivered each afternoon, Carolyn leaned forward. “What was bothering you?” Though Dwight seemed happier, his eyes still reflected concern.
    He shrugged, as if trying to minimize his worries. “This makes two weeks that I haven’t gotten a letter from Louise, and that’s not like her. She writes to me every Monday.”
    Carolyn kept a smile fixed on her face. She had heard about the schedule and had been surprised at the time. Carolyn doubted she would like a woman who didn’t enjoy surprises and who planned every aspect of her life. But of course, it didn’t matter whether she liked Louise. Carolyn would never meet her. It was Dwight who would spend the rest of his life with her. For her part, Carolyn couldn’t imagine having such a regimented life, and she most certainly could not understand picking out her own Christmas gifts. Where was the fun in that? Christmas morning was a time for shaking and sniffing and guessing the contents of a package before it was unwrapped. But she said nothing more than, “There must be a delay in the mail from the States.” She wouldn’t tell Dwight that her sisters’ letters arrived regularly.
    Furrows appeared between his eyes. “Unless something’s wrong. Perhaps she’s ill.” He shook his head, dismissing that thought. “Her mother would tell me if she were ill.”
    There had to be another reason for the delay. “Did Louise say anything unusual in her last letter?”
    Dwight was silent for a moment, appearing to consider her question. “Only that the Tin Lizzie needed another repair.”
    Carolyn couldn’t help it. She laughed. “That’s not unusual,” she told him. “My sister Emily spends half her time fixing ours.”
    For the first time since they’d started the conversation, Dwight’s face brightened. “Your sister works on automobiles?” he asked, clearly incredulous.
    Carolyn smiled, remembering her younger sister’s antics. “Emily always did whatever Theo did. You remember that they’re twins, don’t you?” When he nodded, she continued. “Emily wasn’t very good at baseball because the boys wouldn’t let her play on their team, but she’s even better than Theo at figuring out how things work.”
    “You’re an amazing family.” Dwight’s words were tinged with admiration.
    “The others are,” Carolyn corrected him. “Martha’s smart. She can teach anyone anything. Theo’s the most athletic person I’ve ever met, and I’ve told you Emily’s a mechanical genius.”
    Dwight looked only moderately impressed by the list of her siblings’ accomplishments. “What about you?”
    “Me?” Carolyn thought that was obvious. “Everyone in Canela calls me the decorative one.”
    Dwight nodded. “I can’t argue with their eyesight. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” There was no flattery in his words, only what appeared to be a statement of facts. For some reason, Carolyn was more pleased by that than she had been by any of the fulsome compliments she had received from men at home.
    “That’s the problem,” she told Dwight.
    This time there was no doubt that she had surprised him. “I don’t understand. I thought every woman wanted to be beautiful.”
    “I don’t! Not if it means that everyone thinks that’s all there is to me.” When Dwight didn’t seem startled by her outburst, she continued, “That’s one of the