THE MAN I WILL MARRY by Elaine Charton/Elaine Joyce

Hello Readers-

This short story is sort of a prequel to my novel, The Pink Lady.  It's the story of how Leticia and Reginald, the ghosts who haunt the Pink Lady, first met. I hope you enjoy the story and will read the blurb for The Pink Lady that follows.

~Elaine Joyce

Leticia Greenwood looked at herself in the mirror. She had finally cut her  blonde hair, worn long for as long as she could remember. Now it was a stylish bob, set in soft waves that not quite reached her shoulders.  Tonight was her best friend's twenty first birthday party.

She wondered what it would be like to love someone as much as Penny loved her Tommy.

Her escort for tonight's party Walter Brace was nice but that was it, He took her to all the right places. Escorted her to parties, dinners, gave her nice presents but she did not want to spend the rest of her life with him. Her father had him to dinner one evening and he returned after that.  Her mother encouraged the relationship, wanting to see her daughter married. If only she could get her mother to realize that she would not marry Walter Brace.. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door and her maid came into the room.  “Miss, your mother sent me to tell you that Mr. Brace was downstairs waiting in the library.”

     “Thank you, Daisy. Please tell Mama I'll be right down.” She gave herself one last look in the mirror before grabbing her small purse and wrap.

   Downstairs her parents were talking with Walter in the library.  She ran over and hugged her parents before twirling around in front of Walter.  “Will I do?”

    “You look lovely dear,” her mother said.  Her father came over and kissed her cheek. “You know you do. Please pass our apologies again to the Weeks.”

    “ They understand.  Mama didn't expect to break a bone in her foot. Walter?” She asked, ."You haven't said how you like the dress?"

    “You know you look marvelous”  He glanced at his watch.  “We have to go or we'll be late.”

    She grabbed the present she had wrapped earlier for Penny and a second one from her parents before following him out the door.  They drove down Madison Avenue and parked in front of the building where Penny and her parents lived. They had been one of the first families to move into the luxury apartment building.

As he helped her out of the car Walter said, “I still do not know why they wanted to move into one of these apartments. I don't want anyone living above me.”

"Then it's a good thing you don't,”  Leticia said. He had a large brownstone  that she felt was far to big for one person. He told her that one day he hoped to see it filled with children.

“When I have the proper wife," he once explained to her.

She hoped that he didn't think she was that wife,  She liked Walter and they had fun at first but he was getting more and more staid. She couldn't see herself married to him. Maybe before he took her home tonight she would tell him how she felt.

 The Weeks' apartment took the entire first floor and their knock on the door was soon answered by the butler.  Penny and her parents stood in the foyer greeting their guests. A few people were gathered in the drawing room.  Leticia hurried over to her friend.

“Happy Birthday!” She hugged Penny and handed her the gifts.  As they were early there was time to open the gift. 

She handed one to her mother and opened the other. “Oh my,” Penny said and took the hair-combs out of the box. Gold with diamonds around it, they would peek out of her friends dark hair and look marvelous.  She knew that because they had tried them on one day when she and Leticia were out shopping. “You remembered.”

"Of course, silly. Why do you think I talked you out of buying them?”

The front door opened and more guests entered. “Come Leticia, let Penny greet her guests.” Walter steered her into the room. “I see the Steeles. Lets go talk to them.  I'm trying to get Patrick to let me handle his portfolio.”

    She stopped and pulled away from him. "Can we have one night off from business talk? This is a birthday party.”

    "Yes it is, my dear, and some of the most influential men are here.  There is not a better time for business talk. His wife is with him, you can talk with her and keep her occupied.”

    Marion Steele was older than her mother and she did not come to the party to spend time with her. Leticia looked around the room and found another of her friends by the punch bowl. “Fine, you talk business but I'm going to talk to Regina Weatherby.” She strode off before Walter could protest.

    “Good evening Regina.” She took a cup and held it out to her friend who promptly filled it.

    “I see Walter is still hanging around.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don't know what you see in him.”

   “Mother and father like him.”

   “That's not enough to marry someone.”  Regina led her friend across the room to chairs by the windows. They sat down and looked around the room.

   “I'm not going to marry him. He hasn't asked and if he did I’d say no.”

  “That's not what he's saying. My brother is a member of the same club as Walter and he heard Walter say you would soon be engaged.  He said your parents approve."

   “They may, but I can tell you right now we will never marry. I don't love him.”

    “Oh look, there's your brother Malachi.” Regina began fussing with her hair.

    Leticia smiled. Regina had such a crush on her brother and he hasn't figured it out yet. He strode across the room toward them, another man with him.  Leticia's heart stopped, he had to be the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Tall, slim, black hair neatly trimmed. His dinner jacket was obviously made for him.  She thought she knew all of Malachi's friends. She didn't know this one, but she would.

    “Letty!” Her brother came  over and took her hands before kissing  her cheek.  “You look lovely, as always." He turned to his friend. "Reginald Fairfax, may I present my sister Leticia.”

    “I am pleased to meet you Miss Greenwood. Your brother speaks highly of you.”  He took her hand and raised it to his lips. “He neglected to tell me how beautiful you were.”

    Letty blushed. He had a slight British accent which added to his appeal. “Thank you. May I present my friend, Regina Weatherby.”

    The four of them stood there talking but all to soon Walter came over. “Malachi, good to see you, Miss Weatherby. And you, sir, are?”

    “Sorry Walter, this is my friend, Reginald Fairfax. Reggie, this is Walter Brace, a friend of the family.”

    The two men nodded and Walter once again steered her away. "Come dear, Penny needs you to help her with something.” 

    Just before reaching the foyer, she turned to look back.  Regina and her brother were deep in conversation but Mr. Fairfax watched her intently. She blushed when he nodded and winked.

    “Here she is,” Walter said to Penny's parents.  “I'll see you at dinner, dear.” He kissed her on the cheek and went back to the drawing room.

    “Come dear, Penny decided she wanted to wear your gift tonight and would like you to help her with them.  She's in her dressing room.”

    Letty knew this apartment as well as she knew her house and hurried down the hall to her friend's room. Penny jumped up as she came in. “I'm so nervous.  Tommy came in and he and father immediately went into his study.”

    “Do you think? What else could they be talking about?”

    “I don't know. I'm almost afraid to hope.”

    “What else could it be? Your parents said you couldn't get engaged until you were twenty one."  She reached for her friend's hairbrush. “Lets fix your hair. Those diamonds will be the perfect thing to match your smile when your father announces your engagement.”

    It did not take her long and soon they were heading back to the drawing room.  Tommy was waiting in the foyer and Penny ran to him.  Letty slowed down a bit to give them time. When she reached them, the smile on her friend's face said it all.  “Congratulations!” She hugged the two of them. “You better treat her right, Tommy, or there will be trouble.”

    “No fear there, Leticia.” He put an arm around his fiancée and hugged her

    "Let's go in, you two. Father wants to make the announcement before dinner. He won't let Tommy give me my ring until he does.”

    “Then let's go.” She followed them in; just inside the drawing room, Walter stood waiting for her.

    “You two were a long time just fixing hair.”

    "Shh, " She watched her friend join her parents with her fiancée by her side. The room exploded in applause when the engagement was announced. She glanced across the room and saw Reginald Fairfax.  He may have been applauding the happy couple but he was looking at her.

    “I don't like that man, ”Walter whispered in her ear.

    She groaned. If his breath were any indication he'd already had more than one glass of whiskey. “Oh please , Walter. Mr. Fairfax is a friend of Malachi's.”

    “Still.” he took her hand. “Come with me. I want to talk to you for a minute. Everyone will be busy congratulating the happy couple.”

    She followed him out of the room and into the salon next door. This was where Mrs. Weeks received her close friends during the day.  It was hot in there and she opened the French doors to let some air in..

    “Leticia, come sit down. We need to talk.”

    She did, but immediately began chattering. She thought she knew what Walter wanted.  “I'm so happy for Penny.  She asked me to be her maid of honor if this happened. We're going to have fun shopping for gowns.”

    “Maybe you can do the same for her.””

    “We always intended to be each others maid of honor, but I'm not getting married any time soon. I have to love a man before I marry him.”

"Could I be that man?" He pulled her closer. “I love you, Leticia. I want to marry you. I'll be a good husband.”

He pulled her even closer. Before he kissed her he whispered, “I can make you love me.”

    “Walter, no!” She tried to push him away but couldn't.  His lips were cold and the smell of whiskey on his breath was making her sick.

    "Come on, Leticia, you know you love me.”

    His hands seemed to be everywhere and she was about to scream when she heard a welcome voice.  “ My sister said no, Brace.”

    He let her go and she ran to her brother. He stood at the French doors with Reginald Fairfax standing behind him. Malachi put his arms around his sister, “Did he hurt you ?”

    She shook her head. “I just want him to leave.”

    Reginald stepped out and stood next to them.  “You best do as the lady requested, Brace.”

    “That lady is my fiancée, I just asked her to marry me. This has nothing to do with you.”

    "But she is my sister."  Malachi said.  "I believe it has everything to do with me.

    Leticia pulled away from her brother and walked over to Walter.  She gave him a resounding slap across his cheek.  “I will never marry you.”

    “You heard my sister. You better leave. I'll be sure she gets home. I'm sure my parents, especially my father, will be very interested in  what happened here tonight.”

    “Fine." He turned on his heels and strode out the room slamming the door forcefully behind him.

   Malachi held her at arms length and looked her up and down, “Now little sister. He didn't hurt you?”

    Leticia shook her head.  “Can you get Penny for me?”

    Reginald said, “Allow me, please, Miss Greenwood. I think you'd feel better if your brother stays with you.”

    She nodded and reached out to touch his arm. "Thank you, Mr. Fairfax. Just tell her I am unwell. I do not want her party ruined.”

    “Of course.”

    Once it was just her and her brother she started shaking all over.  Malachi lead her over  to a chair  and pulled his jacket off to wrap around her before pouring her a  glass of brandy.  “Here, little sister. Drink this.” He sat on the arm of the chair and put an arm around her.

    "Thank God, you were here, Malachi. I don't know what mother and father will say."

    Before he could reply Penny came in followed by her mother.

    “Letty, are you hurt?”  Penny and her mother asked at the same time. "What happened?"         

    She shook her head.  "It was horrible.  She told them what had happened. "Luckily, Malachi and Mr. Fairfax were outside and stopped him."

    “We were outside having a cigar and we heard voices here.  We came to investigate and it's a good thing we did."

    “Yes, it is, Thank you.” Mrs. Week smiled at both the men.  “Do you want to go home, Letty? You're welcome to stay in Penny's room. We'll just tell people you were sick. No one has to know a thing. I am sure that it will be all over town soon enough. “
             “What will people think of me?” Leticia asked.

    Reginald said, “If they have any sense they'll be happy for you to be rid of that idiot.”

"That's for sure,"  Penny said. "I heard father tell someone they only invite him because of you.”

Mrs. Weeks rang the bell and a maid soon entered the room.  “Kathleen, please bring Miss Greenwood  to Miss Penny’s room. She's spending the night and she's not feeling well.”

“Yes Ma'am.” She bobbed a curtsy.

Leticia stood and hugged her brother. before returning his jacket to him..  “Will you explain to mother and father??”

He nodded,  "When father finds out, I pity Walter. I'll have mother send a carriage for you tomorrow with a change of clothes.”

"Thank you." She turned to Reginald. “And thank you, Mr. Fairfax. I only wish your first visit had been a little less eventful.”

He took her hand in his and raised it to his kips. “Not to worry, Miss Leticia. I am sure we will meet again. Especially as I will be working with your brother at the newspaper.”

She smiled and followed the maid out. Penny promised to join her as soon as she could.

In the bedroom the maid helped Leticia undress and get into one of  Penny's night gowns. “It's a good thing you and Miss Penny are just about the same size.”

Katherine helped her into bed, promising to come back with a cup of tea and some toast.   

"That will be lovely. It will help my headache.”

She sat in bed and replayed the scene in her mind, trying to think if she could have done anything different.  In a way he had done her a favor. She was glad Mr. Fairfax had been there.  If not Malachi and Walter may have gotten into a fight.  Walter was too much of a stickler to start a fight in someone's house. Malachi had no such qualms. 

Her mind went back to Reginald Fairfax, the way he looked at her, the way he looked at Walter. Given half a chance she'd bet her would have socked him in the nose. 

She loved the sound of his voice, especially when he said her name; his lovely accent and the way he made her skin tingle.  No other man had ever done that before, definitely not Walter. She managed to stay awake until Penny came up.  

“Good, you're still awake.”  She had  a plate with two pieces of birthday cake. She placed them on the bedside table before sitting next to Leticia.

“Is it over all ready?”

“No, Tommy and my mother both told me to get up here. I was driving them both crazy.”

Leticia smiled and took a bite of cake. '"Yum. Mrs Johnson's chocolate cake.”

“Of course. She wasn't letting any one else make my birthday cake. She also insist she is making the wedding cake she put her plate down and said, “Now, Leticia, tell me everything.”

So she did, and surprised herself by not falling apart. Instead she got angry all over again and her friend joined her in that anger.  “How dare he!”

“If  it wasn't for Malachi and his friend, who knows what might have happened.”

“That's for sure, have you met Mr. Fairfax before tonight?”

Leticia shook her head.  “I hadn't even heard of him before tonight. Apparently he is working with Malachi at the newspaper. They were at Harvard together.”

“Well, I heard some gossip downstairs, apparently he's the son of some earl but he was born on the wrong side of the blanket. He was sent to school and when he graduated he was given money to emigrate here, and go to Harvard.”

    “Really?”

    “Yes, apparently he's very smart and according to my father a good reporter.  Someone said something derogatory about him and your brother defended him.”

    “I would expect nothing else from Malachi. Mr. Fairfax is handsome, isn't he?”

    “Not as handsome as my Tommy. Though he certainly seemed worried about you.”

 "Probably because Malachi is his friend. He does seem rather nice."

  “Leticia Greenwood, are already interested in someone else?”

  “Come, Penny. We know I was never really interested in Walter. I only kept company  with him to keep my mother from bothering me."                    “What do you think she'd say about Mr. Fairfax?”

“She better like him, I may end up marrying him."

THE END

© 2014 Elaine Charton ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

THE PINK LADY Blurb:

“Old Ghosts are good for business but dead bodies are not. “
The Pink Lady is a venerable Victorian home located near Cape Cod, in Massachusetts.
Anna Murray inherits the home from her uncle and decides to turn it into a bed and breakfast with the help of the two resident ghosts, Reggie and Leticia Farnsworth and BJ Kent, a contractor who specializes in Victorian restorations.
As Anna and BJ peel back the layers of grime, the layers of time reveal the truth behind the death of the Farnsworths so many years ago. Their present day situation has parellels to the Farnsworths, can Anna and BJ solve the mystery before it reaches the same sinister conclusions?

Kiss of The Ghostbuster by Diana McCollum

     The damn ghost had kept Shelby wide-awake most of the night.  Its quiet litany of sing-song indistinguishable words, and the fleeting cold air that crept into her room had been tolerable, but two nights ago when vases and knickknacks started flying off the shelves, the spirit was more of a nuisance than she was willing to put up with.
     This ghost wasn’t like O’Henry, the jolly ghost that had co-habited with Aunt Maggie all those years ago.  Shelby and Cousin Anna used to set food out for him in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive spirit.  They never saw O’Henry, just heard his footsteps.  Aunt Maggie had always reassured them that he was a friendly old sea captain and wouldn’t harm them.
     The uniqueness of having her own singing ghost had dissolved with the shattered pottery.  Today she was calling for help.
It’s not that she was scared of the entity, she wasn’t.  She’d lived with it since moving to Bend, OR, last month and purchasing the more than one-hundred and fifty year old house.  But enough was enough already.  She had a demanding job as a nurse in the ICU at the hospital.  She needed her rest.
“Okay Misty” Shelby said.  She’d given the ghost a pet name as it had only showed itself to her in the form of mist, “The time has come that you’ve over stayed your welcome.”
She put on her bathrobe and pounded down the stairs to the kitchen.  The smell of the freshly brewed pot of coffee met her as she rounded the kitchen counter.  Sliding a mug over to the automatic coffee pot, she poured the hot, black liquid into her cup.  After several swallows, she pulled the phone book over and thumbed through the pages.
So I wonder if there is a Ghost Buster in town.  What should I look under, exterminator, ghost buster…?  Well, well this looks promising: Huntley’s Spectral Mediator.
She dialed the number and waited, counting the rings.  Two, three, four and the answering machine picked up.
“You’ve reached the voice mail for “Huntley’s Spectral Mediator”, L.C. Huntley speaking.  If you have an unwanted entity or ghost you have dialed the correct number.  We work hard at customer satisfaction.  You and your ghost both deserve a satisfying resolution.  Remember, ghosts are people too.  Leave your name, number and a brief description of your unwanted guest.  We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”


The doorbell jarred Shelby awake.  She sat up on the couch and rubbed the kink in her neck.  She had only meant to close her eyes for a moment.  Peeking out the window, she saw a small, boxy, neon green car, a Honda Element to be exact.  The shrink-wrap advertisement on the side read Let us put your spirit to rest.
Hopefully this isn’t a quack.  She opened the door to reveal a man about thirtyish years old, with thick, dark-brown curly hair, wearing designer sunglasses and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the company slogan Ghosts are people too!
He looked up from his clipboard and did a double take.  Sliding his glasses down his nose apparently for a better look he said “Shelby?  Shelby Sawyer?”
She noted his blue-gray eyes and the quizzical look he gave her.  “Yes…no, I mean I was Shelby Sawyer, but one marriage and divorce later I’m Shelby Stein.  You don’t look familiar, do I know you?”
He chuckled, slipped his sunglasses off and stuck them in his shirt pocket.  “You don’t remember your senior ball at Rancho Vega High School?  I invited you and you kept me hanging till the last minute and then turned me down.”
“I don’t know any L.C. Huntley.  Wait,  L.C., are you Lester Huntley?”  Oh, God, this was awkward.
“That would be me in the flesh and blood.”  He had a cocky smile plastered on his face and he winked.
Her senior year her boyfriend of three years broke up with her right before the senior ball.  Lester, the class geek, had stepped up to the plate and asked her to be his date.  She put off answering him in the hopes Bill would come to his senses, which he eventually did.  At that time in her life the last person she wanted to be seen with was the class geek, with his thick glasses and unruly curly hair.  Back then, it was all about looks and cliques.  She hated her old self for being so shallow.
“Please come in.”  Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad hiring him, after all they were adults now.
As he walked through the open door, he grabbed a pen from the top of his clipboard and began writing.
“Tell me about the spirit haunting your house.  On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worse possible scenario, where does your ghost land?”
“Up until last night, I’d have said two.  Then the activity escalated to throwing vases.  I’d say eight now.”
Lester drew a graph on his paper.  “And where has it manifested itself?”
Shelby walked to the stairwell. “It’s a mist that glides down the stairs and in front of this bare wall in the hallway.  When it passes by me the temperature drops about twenty degrees.   I can’t really make out the words, but it’s singing.  I named it Misty, because it looks like mist.”
“Sounds like the ghost knows you can hear it.  Not everyone could.  That’s probably why the entity has started to escalate its behavior.  Its got unfinished business before it can rest in peace.”  His forehead puckered.  “I’ll need to set up my equipment during the time the entity is most active.  And that would be…?”  He glanced up.
“Between ten pm and two am and what kind of equipment are we talking about?”  She tilted her head to one side.  Lester had definitely changed from the shy geeky teenager she remembered.  He wasn’t handsome, but good looking in a rugged sort of way.  Same curly brown hair, growing past his ears, and his thick glasses were gone so he must have gotten contacts.
“Oh, the usual, tri-pod, lazer-grid machine, temp gauge, and an EMF and EM field output gauge and recorder.   We want to get a picture of your ghost and figure out who we’re dealing with.”  He looked directly at her with laughing eyes. “Are you available for the next few evenings?”
“Yes I am.  I just got off my shift.  I work four, ten hour days and then I’m off for three days.”  A shiver raced up her spine.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to confront an angry ghost.  “So I’ll be your assistant?”
“More or less.  The ghost is attached to your house and therefore attached to you.  There have been cases where once attached, the spirit follows the host to another location.  The spirit knows and uses the energy from a person with mediumistic qualities.”  He tapped his pencil on the tablet.  “Most spirits have either experienced a violent death, or have unresolved issues here on earth.”
“What are you saying?  I have mediumistic qualities?”  She wasn’t even sure what that meant.
“Could be, considering the last owners never saw the ghost.”
“How do you know that?”
“I always do research before taking on a new client.”
“Then we have a deal?  You’ll get rid of the ghost?”  She couldn’t believe she was hiring Lester, the geek, the guy she stood up in high school.
“We’ll help the ghost move on.  You and me, teamwork.”  He stuck out his hand and they shook on it.


Two nights later Lester was feeling pretty good, ghost or no ghost.  Misty was a no-show, but that was fine by him.  He adjusted the tri-pod and red grid lines splayed across the wall.  When Shelbylious brought him a second cup of coffee, their hands brushed and attraction sizzled between them.  Maybe the universe was giving him a second chance with Shelby.
“Any significant other in your life right now?”  He asked.  He took a sip of coffee.
“No.  After the divorce last year I took a leave from the dating scene, not ready for that.”
      Shelby fingered a strand of hair that had escaped her pony tail.  She hadn’t changed much physically, but she wasn’t so egotistical and more down to earth.  He liked this new Shelby.  They had chatted and caught up over the last few nights.
She grabbed his arm. “Misty’s coming!”
An uncanny feeling came over him.  He set the mug down.  “Steady, be quiet.”  He aimed the EMF recorder towards the mist gliding down the stairs and sucked in his breath as it gathered at the bottom.  The sing-song voice started and the form drifted over in front of the wall.  The grid machine put the mist into a three-D image projected on the wall.
“The ghost’s a woman.”  Shelby whispered in his ear.
“This footage will be awesome!”  Lester whispered back.
The woman worked her hands in a rubbing motion, continuing in her sing-song voice, her attire was from the eighteen hundreds and her hair was pulled back in a severe bun.
The cold air engulfed them and he glanced at Shelby just in time to see her eyes roll back in her head.  He caught her before she hit the floor.
He tapped the button on the voice recorder and cradled Shelby up against him.
She started coming around and he lowered her to the wooden chair.  Another entity entered the grid lines, a man brandishing a club in a threatening manner. He whacked the woman on the head.  He yelled something at the crumpled form of the woman.  Before leaving the ghost knocked over a lamp.  With incredible speed the entity glided over to Lester and gave a soundless, open mouth scream right in Lester’s face.
Shelby jumped when the lamp hit the floor.  He reached down pulling her up gathering her into his embrace. She clutched hold of his shirt burying her face against his chest.  He breathed in the smell of her hair.  It was like a spring day, all warm and flowery. Surely she could hear the loud drumming in his heart.  His voice husky he said, “That was some show.”  Slowly he undid her hands and walked over to flip on the light switch.
“Misty died a violent death.”  He said.  “I’ll take the voice recorder back to my lab and see what she was singing.  That might give us an idea how to help her.”  He paused.  “The second entity, a poltergeist is the one with violent tendencies.”
“Two ghosts?”  Shelby’s voice went an octave higher.  “Can I go with you?  I don’t want to stay here.”  Her voice trembled.
“You can come, but I have an assignment for you.  In the morning I want you to go to the library and see what you can find out about the residents of this house in the eighteen hundreds.”


The next day Shelby waited anxiously for Lester to arrive.  She had really gotten to know Lester over the last few days, and she liked him a lot.  Last night at his lab he had reassured her that they would rid the house of the spirits, both of them.  And, gosh, he had kissed her and it felt so good.
She heard his car and ran to open the door.
He was already leaning on the door frame with a lopsided grin on his face.           “What did you find out?”
“I think the woman is Ella Frantz, a servant who after miscarrying her baby was accused of stealing, and killed.  The wife suspected the baby was her husbands and his name was…”
“Edward Coultan.”  He finished for her.
“How…”
“After you left I ran the tapes through a high density filter.  Ella was singing a song she made up.  I think by that point she was insane from heartbreak.  The song told of Edward forcing himself on her and kicking her in the stomach when she told him she was carrying his child.  When she lost the baby, Ella decided to tell Edward’s wife the truth. He murdered her.  She was buried in a prison graveyard.”
“So how do we make this right?”
“We find her grave and have it moved into the church graveyard with the respectable dead.”  He spoke as if this was an everyday occurrence.  “Edward will have no choice but to cross over to Hell without Ella here to relive the tragedy with him every night.”


Shelby felt so good.  Lester had rid the house of the ghosts!  Last night was the best sleep she had had in a couple of weeks.  He’d be here anytime for his check, payment for a job well done.  This afternoon she had baked a pan of brownies for him as a tip.  He had told her during one of their late night conversations, that brownies were his favorite dessert.
The doorbell rang and she pulled the door open. Lester stood there with a bunch of lilies tied with a purple ribbon in one arm, a bouquet of roses in the other, and a silly looking grin on his face.
“Two bouquets?”  She quizzed.
“I thought maybe you’d go with me to see Ella and put the lilies on her grave.”  He took a deep breath, and his forehead puckered.  “The roses are for you.  Will you have dinner with me?”
“Yes, but only if we can come back here for dessert.”  She accepted the roses.
“You bet!”  He pulled her close with his free arm and kissed her thoroughly.
      Shelby hoped dessert would be more than the pan of brownies sitting on the counter.


                                                       The End

© 2012 Diana McCollum