A Bride at Last (6 page)

Nadine felt a softening. Trace had a gentle charm about him, and she was only a weak woman who felt guilty about using this man’s name. But the thought of hoodwinking not only her grandma but also the citizens of the town she lived in made her hesitate.

“If we actually went out together, you wouldn’t be lying to your grandmother. And dating a beautiful girl like you would hardly be a hardship for me.”
Trace stood up, his hands in his pockets. “I don’t mind, if you don’t.”

“No,” squeaked Nadine. “Not really.”

“Good. We can start off with dinner tonight at the Derwin Inn. You can fill me in on the town and its occupants.”

Nadine nodded, feeling once again as if someone was taking control of her life. But as she looked up at Trace’s handsome face, she didn’t mind.

“Great.” He reached out a hand, and automatically Nadine caught it. “It’s a deal, then. I’ll pick you up from your place tonight and we’ll celebrate our first official ‘date.’” He winked at her. “Where do you live?”

Nadine gave him her address, then he left and she stared at the closed door, feeling bemused, overwhelmed and oddly satisfied. Trace Bennet was a charming, fine-looking man. And the thought of spending an evening with him made her feel wanted.

Okay, Lord, was this it? Was this the answer to my prayer?
She smiled. She figured she would find out in time.

A
s Nadine poured herself some tea from a miniature silver pot she looked across the table at Trace, studying him as he stirred his coffee.

He glanced up at her and smiled. “And what is Nadine Laidlaw thinking of now?”

“Actually, I’m wondering why you wanted to take me out.” She stopped, realizing how that sounded, then added, “I mean, after what we did to you.”

“I’m lonely, I’m new in town and I want to get to know you better.” He set his cup down, lowering his voice to a more intimate level. “I’ve been wondering about you for a while.”

Nadine frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been subscribing to the paper for a while, reading your articles.” He covered her hand with his, twining his fingers through hers. “You are a very principled person. You’ve got strong values….”
He hesitated, squeezing her hand. “That comes out in your writing.” He leaned forward, holding her hand tightly now, as if he was afraid to let go. “I want to get to know you better. I think that little mistake your friend made wasn’t just a mistake. I think this meeting was meant to be.”

Nadine blinked, trying to absorb what he had just said. While his declaration had been pleasant, it created a feeling of discomfort she couldn’t put a finger on. Nadine carefully pulled her hand out of his.

He smiled then, easing the intensity of the moment. “I feel it is only right that we spend this evening getting to know each other better.” He lifted his coffee cup and took another sip. “Why don’t we start with you?”

“I don’t know,” she said slowly, gathering her thoughts. “There’s not much to tell.”

“Try me.”

Nadine lifted her hands and then, with a laugh, started. “I was born here in Derwin, went to school here, left for about a year to take some journalism classes, came back when my father died and my mother became ill. Got a job at the
Derwin Times,
moved from reporter to editor where I am now.”

“That was a concise résumé.”

“I’ve had a concise life.” Nadine shrugged. She took a sip of her tea as she looked past him, just in time to see Clint Fletcher get up from the table where he had been sitting. Did he come here all the time?

Clint glanced up and caught her gaze. Disconcerted,
she watched as he paused, then sauntered over.

“Hello, Nadine.” He turned to Trace, and Nadine had no choice but to introduce them.

“Trace, this is Clint Fletcher, my boss. Fletcher, this is Trace Bennet.” She forced a smile. “Trace is starting an implement dealership in town.”

Trace stood and held out a hand to Clint. “Pleased to meet you,” Trace said. “Would you like to join us?”

But to Nadine’s relief Clint shook his head. “No. I have to be on my way.” He looked back at Trace, his mouth curved in a polite smile. “Thanks for the offer, though.”

“I’ll have to make arrangements to talk to you sometime,” Trace said, sitting down again. “You can tell me all about Derwin.”

Clint glanced at Nadine. “Nadine has spent her entire life here and can probably fill you in better than I can on the goings-on of the town.”

Nadine bristled. He made it sound as if she had never been anywhere but Derwin and had no life whatsoever. “Not all of us have rich uncles who can afford to send us off to Europe, Fletcher,” she snapped.

“I realize that, Nadine.” He held her angry gaze, his own unflinching.

Nadine felt a moment of confusion at the understanding tone of his voice, the sympathy she saw reflected in his hazel eyes. Uncomfortable, she looked away.

Clint jingled the change in his pocket a moment “I hope you two have a pleasant evening.”

“And I hope it is to be the first of many,” said Trace, a touch of humor in his voice.

“The first?” Clint asked. Nadine’s gaze flew up to his, then she looked away. He paused a moment, then turned and walked away.

She turned to Trace, who was watching her intently. “Your boss has quite a forceful presence, doesn’t he?” he remarked.

“When he wants to,” she said, her tone abrupt.

“Has he lived here long?”

“No. He moved here when he was in grade twelve and came to live with his uncle, Dory Strepchuk. My old boss. He used to own the paper, and Clint took over from him.” Nadine took a sip of her tea, now cool, and set it down with a grimace. She didn’t want to talk about her boss. She could still feel his eyes on her, assessing Trace. For some reason she didn’t want him to see her and Trace together.

“But you seem to know him well.”

“I should.” Nadine laughed shortly. “He went out with my older sister and flirted with the younger one.”

“You have sisters?”

Nadine spun her teacup. “Two. Sabrina and Leslie. Both tall, blond, gorgeous.”

“Why do you put yourself down like that?” he asked.

Nadine shrugged, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. “It’s not a put-down. Merely the facts.”

“Well, it sounded as if you were putting yourself down, as well.” He sounded displeased. “You’re a very attractive person.” His gaze was intent. “You have such beautiful deep brown eyes, and such lovely hair.” He paused as he looked her face over.

Nadine tried not to feel uncomfortable, tried not to let herself believe what he was telling her.

He sighed a moment. “You have an earthy beauty….”

“Wholesome.” Nadine couldn’t keep the dour note out of her voice as she said that, nor was she able to stop the faint flush that crept up her cheeks at his kind words. “You can stop now.”

“I will. For now.” He winked at her. “So now I know that you have two sisters and a grandma. How about your parents?” he prompted.

Nadine looked down at her tea, curving her fingers around the cup as if trying to warm it up. “My father was killed in a logging accident about six years ago. My mother died about six months ago.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Nadine lifted one shoulder negligently. “She had ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. It was better.” She looked up at him, anxious to change the subject. Her mother’s death wasn’t news, but lately it seemed to bring up sorrow and regrets that she didn’t want to deal with, not in front of a stranger, no matter how kind he might be.

Thankfully the waitress came with their food. Nadine automatically bent her head in prayer.

When she looked up, he was looking at her with a bemused expression. “I think that’s wonderful. Seeing someone who isn’t afraid to show what they believe.”

Nadine didn’t know what to say. Her belief was not something to take credit or be praised for.

“I’m glad that you aren’t afraid to pray in public,” he continued. He tilted his head as he looked at her, his gaze intent. “You are a very special person, Nadine. Your faith comes through in your writing, as well.”

Nadine couldn’t think of anything to say. His words spoke to her own longing for a soul mate, someone she could share her faith with. “I’ve been blessed with a believing family,” she said quietly. “I know I want the same for myself.”

“Not everyone gets that,” he said, his voice tinged with pain. Then with a shake of his head he dispelled the mood. “And you have been blessed.”

“And what about your family?”

And Trace told her about the Bennets. They still lived in the Fraser Valley and had a dairy farm. Trace had worked for a local implement dealer and from there had moved up. Now he was poised to start his own business. He had been scouting likely locations for the past year and had settled on Derwin.

“But I’ve been looking for more than just a place to build a dealership.” He winked at Nadine. “I sure
didn’t expect to find such a good-looking date this quickly.”

Nadine tried not to blush at how that had come about. It was still very embarrassing. “Let’s not talk about that one, okay?” she pleaded.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m really enjoying myself.” He shook his head. “Now you have to tell me more about yourself. What about your hopes, your dreams?”

Hopes and dreams? Had she even had an opportunity in the past years to articulate what she wanted, to figure it out?

“Stuck?” he prodded.

She shook her head. “It seems that I’ve spent so much time taking care of my mother and working that I don’t know if I’ve even had a chance lately to hope and dream.” She looked back at Trace and dismissed her melancholy with a light laugh. “I guess I have to believe that God put me here for a reason and I’ll find out what that is in His time.”

“God’s ways are mysterious, that’s for sure.” Trace smiled as they shared a moment of accord.

The rest of the evening went by far too quickly and soon it was time to go. As he pulled up to her building, Nadine noticed one light burning in the living room of her apartment. Grandma was waiting up.

They walked into the building and Trace stopped at the door to her apartment, spinning out their farewell.

“Will I be able to see you soon, next time I’m in
town?” Trace picked up her hand, playing with her fingers.

“Sure,” Nadine said, suppressing a trill of anticipation. “Thanks for a lovely evening. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”

The door creaked behind them as it opened slowly. “Nadine, are you still out there?”

Nadine stiffened at the sound of her grandmother’s voice. “Yes, Grandma.”

“Well, come in, right now.” Grandma pushed the door open and stepped out into the hallway, wrapping her fleece robe tightly around her. “It’s late.”

Nadine glanced back at Trace, who, thankfully, hadn’t changed expression at the sight of this diminutive woman.

“Trace, this is my Grandma Laidlaw. Grandma, this is Trace Bennet.”

Grandma kept her hands around her waist and only nodded in acknowledgment. “So I finally get to meet you, Mr. Bennet.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Trace held out his hand to Grandma. She took it begrudgingly and quickly shook it. “And please call me Trace.”

“I will.” She looked him over once and then turned away as if he wasn’t worth any more of her time. “I want you to come in, Nadine. It’s late and I’m sure both you and Mr. Bennet have an early day at work tomorrow.”

“I’ll be in shortly, Grandma,” Nadine replied in a warning tone.

Danielle was unrepentant. She glanced once more
in Trace’s general direction. “Nice to meet you,” she said abruptly, her tone conveying anything but. As she left, Nadine turned apologetically to Trace.

“Sorry about her. She takes notions. And the notion she has in her grip tonight is that she refuses to like anyone she hasn’t picked for me herself.”

“That’s okay.” Trace slid his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders. “But I still want to see you again.” He winked at her and straightened. For a moment Nadine thought he was going to kiss her, but he only touched her cheek with one finger. “I’ll call,” he said softly. Then, turning, he left.

Nadine watched him go, a sigh lifting her shoulders. She walked to the glass doors and watched as he drove away.

After she’d dropped Jack and come back to Derwin, she hadn’t had time to date. Since her mother’s illness she hadn’t gone on a real date until tonight.

Nadine wrinkled her nose and laughed shortly. And even that date had been manufactured.

“Special delivery for you, Nadine.” Sharlene breezed into Nadine’s office two days later carrying a huge bouquet of white roses.

Nadine reached for the flowers, surprised, pleased. Flowers. “Who are they from?”

“That’s what I’d like to know. Here, this came with.” Sharlene handed Nadine an envelope. Nadine opened it and pulled out the small card, then smiled. Trace.

She went off in search of a vase, carrying the flowers with her. She found a jar and was returning to her office, her nose buried in the bouquet, when she literally bumped into Clint Fletcher.

He caught her by the elbows and steadied her, his eyes on the flowers.

“A secret admirer?” he said, his expression serious.

“This one’s not a secret,” she said with a smile. “They came from Trace.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her, still not smiling. “The boyfriend?”

Nadine didn’t like the ironic tone of his voice. “Yes. They were delivered here this morning,” she answered.

“Well. He’s certainly expressing his affection in an atypical fashion.” Clint flicked a finger at the flowers. “I always labored under the impression that red roses were the flower of choice in a romance.”

Where does he haul out that language? thought Nadine. “Well, labor no more, Fletcher. These days anything goes.” Nadine took a noisy sniff of her flowers, her eyes on Clint.

“It would seem that way,” Clint said dryly.

“Clint, can you come here a moment?” Wally, the other reporter, called out from the end of the hallway.

She turned and watched him go, puzzled at his comment and his attitude.

Shrugging off Clint’s reaction, she returned to her
office. She had a few calls to make, some follow-up work to do and had to go over her mail.

And it was Clint’s and her turn to “Face Off.”

The weekly column was Dory Strepchuk’s legacy. Each week two of the staff of any of the three sister papers would take an opposing view on a controversial topic. This week, by some twist of fate, she and Clint had to go head-to-head on the topic “Should the Government Bail Out Large Companies?” Thankfully Clint had chosen the “yes” side.

And that would be okay with her.

Her phone was ringing as she stepped into her office. It was Trace.

“Get my flowers?” he asked.

“I did. Thanks so much. They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you are.” Trace chuckled. “I know that’s a pretty corny line, but it’s true. And you’re simply supposed to say thank-you.”

Nadine tried not to take his compliment seriously. “Thanks, Trace. They are very lovely.”

“Got them just because. I miss you, you know.”

“Now I know you’re laying it on thick. We only met two days ago.”

“I don’t feel like that, Nadine,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. “I feel like we’ve met years ago…like I’ve been waiting for someone like you….”

For once, Nadine didn’t know what to say. Trace almost seemed too good to be true.

“I’m coming back to town on Thursday. I know there’s a new movie showing in Eastbar. I thought
we could go out for supper and then hit the movie. Just like we did last week.” He laughed. “Is that okay with you?”