A Path Toward Love Read Free

sharper point at her chin.
    Was the job of managing citrus groves too overwhelming for her? He’d find out over the course of the next week while he stayed at Buena Vista with Mr. Wainwright.
    â€œAndrew,” she called in her soft voice, “I can’t believe you’re here! I’m so happy to see you.” Her genuine joy warmed him.
    He swallowed hard. “It’s wonderful to see you too, Katherine.”
    They chatted for a few minutes before a maid opened the front door and Mr. Wainwright lumbered over the threshold. “If you wouldn’t mind, my princess, I’d like to go directly to my room, unpack, and take a short nap. It’s a strenuous journey down the East Coast, even in my own railcar.” He removed his bowler and waited for Etta Mae and Royce to bring in the trunks and valises. Together they hauled the luggage up the stairs. Katherine’s father followed more slowly.
    Once he made his way past the bend in the staircase, Katherine took Andrew’s hands and pressed them tightly. She flashed an amused smile. “If you could only see your face. You look as if I’m going to bite. Truly, I’m not.”
    He gave her a sheepish grin and shifted from one booted foot to the other. “I can see that now. But I wasn’t sure of my reception. After the way we left things, I didn’t know if you’d forgiven me.”
    Sadness flickered across her face and then vanished. “Andrew, I forgave you long ago.”
    Her eyes were as welcoming as the sunshine, and his anxiety slid away. “I was wrong to interfere in your life, Katherine, giving you unwanted advice about Charles.” He knew he had to apologize, but under similar circumstances, he’d probably repeat the offense. After all, how could he, in good conscience, let her run off with his disreputable college classmate without trying to warn her? “I’m sorry we parted on such a sour note.”
    Katherine nodded. “I’m sorry we didn’t part on friendlier terms too, but that’s water under the bridge. I accept your apology, of course. You should know I could never stay angry with you. We were best friends for too long.”
    He’d never quite forgiven himself for causing a breach between them. “Thank you. I’m relieved.” Certainly he should’ve employed more tact instead of spurting out the unvarnished truth. For the entire trip south, he’d feared a chilly welcome. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about your loss—of Charles. That must’ve been a terrible blow.”
    â€œIt was a dreadful shock,” she said.
    When she didn’t elaborate further, he suspected Charles’s death hurt too much to discuss—unless the marriage had turned out as horribly as he feared. He knew from society gossip that Charles had died within a week of contracting yellow fever.
    She turned back to him wearing a bright smile that shut down further conversation about her deceased husband. “You must be famished. Would you care to join me for a snack and a cup of tea?” she asked.
    â€œI’d like that.” He strolled beside her as they entered her cozy home styled with gingerbread trim, open porches, dormers, and half a dozen gables painted white. She rang for sweets from the kitchen along with afternoon tea. They wandered through sunny rooms until they arrived at the back veranda filled with potted plants and blooming red and yellow hibiscus. They dropped into wicker chairs set around a small table and waited only a few minutes for the cook to appear with an abundance of sponge cake, raspberry tarts, éclairs, and a silver pot of hot black tea.
    â€œWould you mind if I took off my suit coat?” he asked as perspiration seeped around the edges of his tight collar.
    â€œGo right ahead. Florida is dreadfully hot during the summer. It takes some getting used to.”
    He hung the jacket over the back of the chair