A Path Toward Love Read Free Page A

and loosened his tie. “I doubt if I’d ever get acclimated to the heat.” He lifted off his bowler and placed it on his lap.
    Katherine tilted her head. “Of course you would. After a while even the unbearable seems normal.”
    He stared at her, slowly nodding.
    He was so happy to see Katherine again he couldn’t pull his gaze from her stunning face, even shadowed as it was with weariness. Obviously she hadn’t taken proper care of herself. But her smile was a beam of light. “Tell me, Andrew, what have you been doing since I left New York?” Katherine nibbled at the raspberry tart drizzled with melted chocolate.
    â€œMe? Exactly as you might expect. I’m an attorney. About four years ago I started working for your father at his railroad. It’s a challenging job, but very rewarding.”
    â€œMama never mentioned you worked for Papa.” Her delicate brow furrowed in confusion and she shook her head. “How odd.”
    Not truly odd, Andrew surmised. Best friends since girlhood, Katherine’s mother and his Aunt Georgia Clarke lived next door to each other in limestone mansions across the avenue from New York’s Central Park. After his parents died of influenza twenty years before, Andrew had moved in with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Randy. But the older women had always conspired to bring Katherine and Randy together, hoping to build on their friendship.
    Steepling his fingers, Andrew hesitated for a moment. “Katherine, if you don’t mind my curiosity, may I ask you a personal question?”
    â€œOf course, you can ask anything you wish.” But she didn’t sound quite as positive as her words indicated. “What would you like to know?” The wicker chair squeaked as she shifted her weight.
    â€œI often wondered why you didn’t come home after Charles passed away.”
    Her answer came so fast he wondered if she’d prepared it earlier. “Mama wanted me to move back to New York, but I decided to stay and see the groves thrive once again, just as they had in Charles’s father’s day. Unfortunately, Charles didn’t tend to business as well as he should have, so we’ve had some significant hurdles to cross. I wanted to restore the groves, and the business. It’s as simple as that.”
    Nothing was as simple as it appeared, and Andrew suspected Katherine’s explanation was only part of the story. Mr. Wainwright had heard from his Florida contacts that Charles Osborne had destroyed his business through poor stewardship, and he’d left Katherine with little money and a company in disarray.
    He cocked an eyebrow, unable to hide a sardonic grin. “Do you enjoy managing the citrus groves? Or doesn’t business suit you?”
    She flicked a dry smile. “I was trained to become a wife, a mother, and a hostess. I can put together a menu and organize a ball. But I quickly discovered I could do much more, here at Osborne Citrus Groves. I’m still learning more every day. I love much of it.”
    Andrew couldn’t help but admire such pluck. “But you don’t need to work.”
    Katherine smiled. “Not if I’d turn tail and head home to Mama. I suspect no one in my family wants me to do a man’s job . But I truly like to grow and harvest our fruit. I love working with people and selling a good product.” She laughed self-consciously at her enthusiasm. “Actually, it’s much more than that. When I first came to Buena Vista, Charles’s father was so welcoming, I loved him instantly. He passed on a year later, but I’ll always remember his zeal for the groves and his desire to bring them back to health. I’m partly doing this for him, at least as a memorial to him. Do you think me sentimental?”
    â€œNot at all.” Yet her answer left Andrew with a few questions. Katherine enjoyed the work and wanted to make the groves prosperous for