Bonnie and Vance need more everyday clothes and nice little Sunday outfits—a lacy white dress for Bonnie and a suit and shirt for Vance. You ought to have a few blouses and skirts, as well as something special for parties."
"Parties! I don't go to parties."
"You will this summer. In a couple of months it'll be time for the Fourth of July dance."
"I wouldn't be going to that."
"You will, too. I'll be big as a cow by then, and Luke will need someone to dance with. Who better than his sister? I won't have to feel jealous."
"Sarah, I can't accept such generosity."
To Julia's amazement, Sarah looked hurt. "But I want to. It's so much fun—I mean, I can't look good in anything nowadays. Whatever I make for myself will look like a bag, no matter what. I wanted to sew something pretty and have it look nice on you." She paused, gazing sad-eyed at Julia, and Julia was stabbed by guilt.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I hate for you to spend so much money on us, but if you want to... if it makes you happy..."
Sarah smiled. Three years of living with Luke had taught her how to handle the prickly Turner pride. "Yes, it will make me very happy. Come on, let's look at the material."
They sent the children outside to sit on the steps and eat their candy, and Sarah and Julia moved down to the cloth counter. They were soon engrossed in materials and colors, and they hardly noticed the other people who entered and left the store.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Turner." a male voice said behind them.
Julia froze. She knew that voice. Sarah turned.
"Dr. Banks! How nice to see you." Sarah's smile was stiff. Now, this was an awkward situation if ever there was one—Julia having to meet the man who had seduced and abandoned her years ago. Everything Sarah could think of to say seemed wrong.
"You look as if you're feeling well," James went on politely.
"Yes, I am, thank you."
His gaze flickered to Julia, half turned away from them, then back to Sarah. Almost immediately his eyes snapped back to Julia, and he stared. Sarah could have sworn that all the color left his face. "Julie!" The word was barely more than a whisper.
Julia turned toward him slowly, as if it hurt to move. She couldn't bear to look at him, yet she had to. "Ji—that is, ah—" What had Sarah called him? Dr. Banks. Of course, he had been studying to be a doctor. "Dr. Banks."
James pulled his eyes away from Julia. He tried to recapture the thread of his conversation with Sarah. "Are you feeling well?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Sarah replied, forebearing to mention that he'd already covered that topic.
Julia and James both looked at Sarah, but their eyes kept sneaking back to each other. The boy in James was gone, Julia thought. His face was older and tired, stamped with lines of experience. His expression was grave; the sparkle that had once lit up his dark eyes had vanished, and his mouth was set in firm, tight lines. Jimmy had never been one to tease and joke and charm, as Luke had, but Julia had the feeling that now he was not one to smile, either.
She was still beautiful. James thought. Not with that fresh, heart-stopping loveliness he remembered, but still delicately lovely. She was a woman now, with a woman's fuller, more rounded body. Her pale gold hair was done up in a tight twist, its full glory hidden. Her eyes held shadows, and there were faint lines around them. How fragile she was—he'd forgotten over the years. He thought angrily that Dobson was not taking good care of her. Her hands were rough and reddened. She needed more color in her cheeks, and she was too thin. Had she been ill?
"My sister-in-law and her children are staying with us," Sarah said, to fill in the awkward silence. "Julia's husband passed away a few weeks ago."
"Oh? My condolences." That explained the wanness, the faint air of sadness. Her husband had died, and she mourned him. The son of a bitch.
"Thank you."
James glanced at Julia again, then at Sarah. He didn't know what to say. He had never
"Parties! I don't go to parties."
"You will this summer. In a couple of months it'll be time for the Fourth of July dance."
"I wouldn't be going to that."
"You will, too. I'll be big as a cow by then, and Luke will need someone to dance with. Who better than his sister? I won't have to feel jealous."
"Sarah, I can't accept such generosity."
To Julia's amazement, Sarah looked hurt. "But I want to. It's so much fun—I mean, I can't look good in anything nowadays. Whatever I make for myself will look like a bag, no matter what. I wanted to sew something pretty and have it look nice on you." She paused, gazing sad-eyed at Julia, and Julia was stabbed by guilt.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I hate for you to spend so much money on us, but if you want to... if it makes you happy..."
Sarah smiled. Three years of living with Luke had taught her how to handle the prickly Turner pride. "Yes, it will make me very happy. Come on, let's look at the material."
They sent the children outside to sit on the steps and eat their candy, and Sarah and Julia moved down to the cloth counter. They were soon engrossed in materials and colors, and they hardly noticed the other people who entered and left the store.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Turner." a male voice said behind them.
Julia froze. She knew that voice. Sarah turned.
"Dr. Banks! How nice to see you." Sarah's smile was stiff. Now, this was an awkward situation if ever there was one—Julia having to meet the man who had seduced and abandoned her years ago. Everything Sarah could think of to say seemed wrong.
"You look as if you're feeling well," James went on politely.
"Yes, I am, thank you."
His gaze flickered to Julia, half turned away from them, then back to Sarah. Almost immediately his eyes snapped back to Julia, and he stared. Sarah could have sworn that all the color left his face. "Julie!" The word was barely more than a whisper.
Julia turned toward him slowly, as if it hurt to move. She couldn't bear to look at him, yet she had to. "Ji—that is, ah—" What had Sarah called him? Dr. Banks. Of course, he had been studying to be a doctor. "Dr. Banks."
James pulled his eyes away from Julia. He tried to recapture the thread of his conversation with Sarah. "Are you feeling well?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Sarah replied, forebearing to mention that he'd already covered that topic.
Julia and James both looked at Sarah, but their eyes kept sneaking back to each other. The boy in James was gone, Julia thought. His face was older and tired, stamped with lines of experience. His expression was grave; the sparkle that had once lit up his dark eyes had vanished, and his mouth was set in firm, tight lines. Jimmy had never been one to tease and joke and charm, as Luke had, but Julia had the feeling that now he was not one to smile, either.
She was still beautiful. James thought. Not with that fresh, heart-stopping loveliness he remembered, but still delicately lovely. She was a woman now, with a woman's fuller, more rounded body. Her pale gold hair was done up in a tight twist, its full glory hidden. Her eyes held shadows, and there were faint lines around them. How fragile she was—he'd forgotten over the years. He thought angrily that Dobson was not taking good care of her. Her hands were rough and reddened. She needed more color in her cheeks, and she was too thin. Had she been ill?
"My sister-in-law and her children are staying with us," Sarah said, to fill in the awkward silence. "Julia's husband passed away a few weeks ago."
"Oh? My condolences." That explained the wanness, the faint air of sadness. Her husband had died, and she mourned him. The son of a bitch.
"Thank you."
James glanced at Julia again, then at Sarah. He didn't know what to say. He had never
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