expected to see her again. Certainly, he hadn't expected to feel this rush of fierce, clashing emotions. It had been years. He had gotten over the hurt long ago. Or, at least, he thought he had. "I, uh, it was nice to see you again, Mrs. Turner. Mrs. Dobson."
It was hard to say her name. He couldn't remember what he had come into the store for. He turned and walked out the door.
Julia watched him leave. Her chest was so tight she could hardly breathe. She hadn't thought about this happening, even though it was only natural that eventually they would run into each other in a town this size. Why hadn't she realized that? Why hadn't she prepared herself to face it?
She looked at Sarah, who was studying the bolts of material again. She wondered if Sarah knew about her and Jimmy. Luke had known it; he'd practically forced her to tell him. But had he told his wife?
"I think the pale pink and the blue," Sarah said.
"What? Yes, of course, if you want."
"They'll look pretty on you. So would the red."
"Oh, no. Not the red." It was too vibrant, too blatant. She would feel like a—well, she guessed she was a fallen woman, even if she had saved her reputation somewhat by getting married, but she wasn't that sort. Not the kind to wear red.
"I guess not," Sarah agreed regretfully. It was too bold for a nice woman their age. That was too bad, because it would brighten up Julia's looks nicely.
"So Jimmy is a doctor, too?" Julia asked with great casualness.
Sarah shot her a sharp glance. "Yes. Old Dr. Banks died not long after Emily was born, and James took over his practice."
"They call him James now?"
Sarah nodded. She knew Julia wanted information about him, though she was probably embarrassed to ask. "I'm going to see him. He's the only doctor around for mites."
"No doubt he's a good one."
"That's what I hear." Sarah paused. "He lives in the house behind his office. His mother is still alive. He never married."
"Really?" Julia stared. She would have thought some woman would have snapped him up long ago.
"Not for lack of trying, you understand. Half the mothers in Willow Springs have thrown their daughters in his path."
"How odd," Julia murmured.
"People say he's married to his work."
"Oh."
Sarah wondered what had happened between Julia and James, exactly. Luke had said that James had refused to marry Julia. But Sarah had seen the look on his face when he recognized Julia, as if the building had tumbled down around his ears. And in the little time Sarah had spent with him, he hadn't impressed her as a callous man who would spurn a woman carrying his baby. He'd never married. She hadn't thought about it before, but now that she did, she realized that it was unusual for a man in his early thirties, a wealthy, handsome doctor like James Banks, to be unmarried. She wished she knew how he and Julia had parted. But she couldn't very well ask Julia.
"Well," Sarah said brightly, gathering up the cloth. "It's j about time to go."
"Yes, of course." '
Sarah purchased the material and the rest of her supplies, and Luke loaded them onto the wagon. Numbly Julia followed Sarah outside and climbed up into the wagon with the rest of them. Luke clucked to the mules, and the wagon began to roll. They passed through the town and out into the country, but Julia didn't see any of the scenery. Luke and Sarah talked beside her, but she was deaf to what they said.
Her mind had traveled back eleven years.
Chapter 5
H arper's store was where Jimmy Banks had first spoken to Julia. It was the week after Christmas, and she was wearing the cherry red knitted cap that Luke had given her. Julia cherished that cap, and she thought it made her pretty. When she glanced across the store and saw Jimmy standing at another counter, she was doubly glad she'd worn it. He looked unbelievably handsome to her. She wished, achingly, that he would see her and smile, maybe even say "hello."
As she stood there, dreaming, Jimmy turned and looked at her. Julia
It was hard to say her name. He couldn't remember what he had come into the store for. He turned and walked out the door.
Julia watched him leave. Her chest was so tight she could hardly breathe. She hadn't thought about this happening, even though it was only natural that eventually they would run into each other in a town this size. Why hadn't she realized that? Why hadn't she prepared herself to face it?
She looked at Sarah, who was studying the bolts of material again. She wondered if Sarah knew about her and Jimmy. Luke had known it; he'd practically forced her to tell him. But had he told his wife?
"I think the pale pink and the blue," Sarah said.
"What? Yes, of course, if you want."
"They'll look pretty on you. So would the red."
"Oh, no. Not the red." It was too vibrant, too blatant. She would feel like a—well, she guessed she was a fallen woman, even if she had saved her reputation somewhat by getting married, but she wasn't that sort. Not the kind to wear red.
"I guess not," Sarah agreed regretfully. It was too bold for a nice woman their age. That was too bad, because it would brighten up Julia's looks nicely.
"So Jimmy is a doctor, too?" Julia asked with great casualness.
Sarah shot her a sharp glance. "Yes. Old Dr. Banks died not long after Emily was born, and James took over his practice."
"They call him James now?"
Sarah nodded. She knew Julia wanted information about him, though she was probably embarrassed to ask. "I'm going to see him. He's the only doctor around for mites."
"No doubt he's a good one."
"That's what I hear." Sarah paused. "He lives in the house behind his office. His mother is still alive. He never married."
"Really?" Julia stared. She would have thought some woman would have snapped him up long ago.
"Not for lack of trying, you understand. Half the mothers in Willow Springs have thrown their daughters in his path."
"How odd," Julia murmured.
"People say he's married to his work."
"Oh."
Sarah wondered what had happened between Julia and James, exactly. Luke had said that James had refused to marry Julia. But Sarah had seen the look on his face when he recognized Julia, as if the building had tumbled down around his ears. And in the little time Sarah had spent with him, he hadn't impressed her as a callous man who would spurn a woman carrying his baby. He'd never married. She hadn't thought about it before, but now that she did, she realized that it was unusual for a man in his early thirties, a wealthy, handsome doctor like James Banks, to be unmarried. She wished she knew how he and Julia had parted. But she couldn't very well ask Julia.
"Well," Sarah said brightly, gathering up the cloth. "It's j about time to go."
"Yes, of course." '
Sarah purchased the material and the rest of her supplies, and Luke loaded them onto the wagon. Numbly Julia followed Sarah outside and climbed up into the wagon with the rest of them. Luke clucked to the mules, and the wagon began to roll. They passed through the town and out into the country, but Julia didn't see any of the scenery. Luke and Sarah talked beside her, but she was deaf to what they said.
Her mind had traveled back eleven years.
Chapter 5
H arper's store was where Jimmy Banks had first spoken to Julia. It was the week after Christmas, and she was wearing the cherry red knitted cap that Luke had given her. Julia cherished that cap, and she thought it made her pretty. When she glanced across the store and saw Jimmy standing at another counter, she was doubly glad she'd worn it. He looked unbelievably handsome to her. She wished, achingly, that he would see her and smile, maybe even say "hello."
As she stood there, dreaming, Jimmy turned and looked at her. Julia
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