Wings of Promise by Bonnie Leon Page B

wait for the next day.
    After dropping Paul off at his hotel, Kate gratefully walked into her apartment. She dropped onto the sofa, unlaced her boots, and pulled them off. She wiggled her toes and considered going straight to bed. Instead, she ran a bath, stripped out of her clothes, and sank into steaming water.
    Resting her head against the back of the tub, she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth. Thoughts of the last two weeks drifted through her mind. Working with Paul hadn’t been what she’d expected. They’d spent a good deal of time together, but she still felt as if she knew very little about him.
    He was a kind and a highly skilled doctor, but why he’d left San Francisco remained a mystery. She wished he’d tell her about his life there and wondered why he kept so much of his past a secret. She closed her eyes. What if he’d done something so horrible he couldn’t speak about it?
    No. Not possible. Not Paul .
    After a good soak, Kate put on pajamas, added wood to the fire, and climbed into bed. She shivered between chilly sheets. Pulling wool blankets up under her chin, weariness engulfed her, and she fell asleep.
    Muted morning light greeted Kate as she forced her eyelids open. She gazed at the window. It was late. She rolled onto her side and looked at the clock on the bureau—ten o’clock. Reaching her arms over her head, she yawned and stretched, enjoying the luxury of not having to get up.
    She remembered the carnival and wondered when Paul wanted to go. They hadn’t decided on a time. The aroma of baking pastries made her mouth water, and hunger convinced her to get up.
    With a fire crackling in the woodstove, Kate stood at the window and marveled at fragments of light that were dispersed through an icy prism on the glass. She hummed “I’m in the Mood for Love.” Just the thought of Paul made her smile. Today would be fun.
    She splashed her face with water, brushed her teeth and hair, and stepped into clean clothes. Taking only a few moments for makeup, she headed for the store at the front of the building.
    Helen stood at the large window facing the street. She turned when Kate walked in. “Good morning. I thought you were going to sleep the day away.” She opened her arms and pulled Kate into a hug. “Nice to have you back. How was your trip?”
    “Good. No real problems. Paul’s a wonderful doctor.”
    “I’m not surprised.” Helen moved to a table set with breakfast goodies. “Would you like some coffee?”
    “Love some.” Kate gazed out onto the street congested with people. “I never expected such crowds for the winter carnival.”
    “Folks from all over the territory have been flooding in.” She handed Kate a cup of coffee along with a sweet roll. “Baked these just this morning.”
    “I could smell them from my room.” Kate took a bite, her tongue appreciating the mingled flavors of apples and cinnamon. She sipped her coffee. “I didn’t realize how hungry I am.” She took another bite of the roll. “Delicious,” she said around a mouthful.
    Helen filled another cup with coffee for herself. “Do you plan to join in the festivities?”
    “I’m supposed to pick Paul up at the hotel this morning, but we didn’t set a time. I’ll have to call him.” Kate watched a group of children dart back and forth across the street, tossing snowballs at one another.
    “Mike called this morning,” Helen said.
    “Mike? For me?”
    “Well, not exactly. He wondered if you’d already left for the carnival.”
    “Hmm. That’s strange.” Kate finished off her roll and sipped her coffee. “He said something about seeing us there, but I’m sure he doesn’t plan to join us.”
    “Sometimes it’s hard to shut off feelings . . . like love.” Helen joined Kate at the window. “Mike’s human, like the rest of us, and I suppose he hopes to see you around.”
    “He knows how things are between me and Paul.”
    Helen gazed out the window. “He’ll adjust. Give him