realized that he'd caught her staring at him, and she blushed and fixed her gaze on the goods behind the counter. Old Mr. Harper handed her the flour and sugar she had asked for, and she counted out her coins.
She gathered up her purchases and started for the door. She heard footsteps hurrying across the wooden floor behind her, and Jimmy suddenly went past and opened the door for her. She looked up at him, startled, and smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He followed her outside and fell in beside her. "You're Julia Turner, aren't you?"
"Why, yes."
Her surprise that he knew her name must have showed on her face because he grinned a little abashedly and said, "I asked Mr. Harper who you were. I'm sorry, but I didn't recognize you. The last time I saw you, you must have been only twelve."
Julia nodded. She wished she could say something clever— or even anything at all!—to keep him walking with her, but her mind was utterly blank.
"It's cold out today," he commented.
"Yes, it is.
"You aren't walking home, are you?"
"Yes."
"It's too cold for you to be out. Let me take you home. I'll get the buggy."
"Oh, no, that's too much trouble," she protested automatically, even as she prayed that he would insist. He did.
Julia returned to the store and waited for James to come back with the buggy. When he did, he politely helped her up into the vehicle, then took her to the little cafe on the square for a cup of hot chocolate. She was sure that everyone was staring at them. Imagine that she, Julia Turner, was sitting there bold as brass with Jimmy Banks! But Jimmy didn't seem to notice the other people.
Her hair was down, which wasn't really proper for a grown woman. She'd worn it that way because the weather was cold, and the fall of hair warmed her neck and shoulders. But no doubt people would say she was being brazen. Nervously her fingers went to her hair and pushed it back. She wished she could put it up or at least braid it, but she could hardly do her hair in public.
"Don't change it," Jimmy said quickly. "Your hair's beautiful."
She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to deal with a man like Jimmy Banks. It wasn't that she hadn't been around men. Zach Sloane had tried to kiss her a couple of times, and Bobby Ray Jenks kept asking her to walk out in the trees with him. Will Dobson had been courting her for months, but Will never said anything pretty. He was rough, hulking, and tongue-tied. Zach and Bobby Ray were too slick and practiced. None of them were like this handsome, well-dressed young man across the table from her, who gazed at her with admiration and gave her a compliment without a trace of a leer on his face.
Julia sat, as tongue-tied as Will Dobson ever was, her hands nervous in her lap, and simply looked at Jimmy. He asked her polite questions about herself and her family. She was sure she answered them clumsily. He chatted about the weather. Finally, Julia thought to ask him about his schooling, and he began to talk about college. New Orleans, and medical school. Julia listened with fascination, commenting or asking questions, unaware that her discomfort had vanished.
Jimmy wound down after a while and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry for running on like that. You must have been terribly bored,"
"Not at all!" she hastened to assure him, "It sounds wonderful to me, I can't imagine reading all those books and learning so much or actually living in a city* I wish I could see those places you talked about."
He smiled. "Maybe you will one day,"
She shook her head, her smile wistful. "No, I don't think so"
Maybe I'll take you there."
She glanced at him, startled. He seemed to realize the implications of what he'd said, and he looked away quickly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Perhaps I'd better take you home now."
The ride home in the buggy was wonderful. Julia stored it away like a treasure in her mind. They sat only inches apart, a heavy lap robe across their legs and
She gathered up her purchases and started for the door. She heard footsteps hurrying across the wooden floor behind her, and Jimmy suddenly went past and opened the door for her. She looked up at him, startled, and smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He followed her outside and fell in beside her. "You're Julia Turner, aren't you?"
"Why, yes."
Her surprise that he knew her name must have showed on her face because he grinned a little abashedly and said, "I asked Mr. Harper who you were. I'm sorry, but I didn't recognize you. The last time I saw you, you must have been only twelve."
Julia nodded. She wished she could say something clever— or even anything at all!—to keep him walking with her, but her mind was utterly blank.
"It's cold out today," he commented.
"Yes, it is.
"You aren't walking home, are you?"
"Yes."
"It's too cold for you to be out. Let me take you home. I'll get the buggy."
"Oh, no, that's too much trouble," she protested automatically, even as she prayed that he would insist. He did.
Julia returned to the store and waited for James to come back with the buggy. When he did, he politely helped her up into the vehicle, then took her to the little cafe on the square for a cup of hot chocolate. She was sure that everyone was staring at them. Imagine that she, Julia Turner, was sitting there bold as brass with Jimmy Banks! But Jimmy didn't seem to notice the other people.
Her hair was down, which wasn't really proper for a grown woman. She'd worn it that way because the weather was cold, and the fall of hair warmed her neck and shoulders. But no doubt people would say she was being brazen. Nervously her fingers went to her hair and pushed it back. She wished she could put it up or at least braid it, but she could hardly do her hair in public.
"Don't change it," Jimmy said quickly. "Your hair's beautiful."
She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to deal with a man like Jimmy Banks. It wasn't that she hadn't been around men. Zach Sloane had tried to kiss her a couple of times, and Bobby Ray Jenks kept asking her to walk out in the trees with him. Will Dobson had been courting her for months, but Will never said anything pretty. He was rough, hulking, and tongue-tied. Zach and Bobby Ray were too slick and practiced. None of them were like this handsome, well-dressed young man across the table from her, who gazed at her with admiration and gave her a compliment without a trace of a leer on his face.
Julia sat, as tongue-tied as Will Dobson ever was, her hands nervous in her lap, and simply looked at Jimmy. He asked her polite questions about herself and her family. She was sure she answered them clumsily. He chatted about the weather. Finally, Julia thought to ask him about his schooling, and he began to talk about college. New Orleans, and medical school. Julia listened with fascination, commenting or asking questions, unaware that her discomfort had vanished.
Jimmy wound down after a while and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry for running on like that. You must have been terribly bored,"
"Not at all!" she hastened to assure him, "It sounds wonderful to me, I can't imagine reading all those books and learning so much or actually living in a city* I wish I could see those places you talked about."
He smiled. "Maybe you will one day,"
She shook her head, her smile wistful. "No, I don't think so"
Maybe I'll take you there."
She glanced at him, startled. He seemed to realize the implications of what he'd said, and he looked away quickly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Perhaps I'd better take you home now."
The ride home in the buggy was wonderful. Julia stored it away like a treasure in her mind. They sat only inches apart, a heavy lap robe across their legs and
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