Wishes by Jude Deveraux

quickly.
    She stepped right into Miss Emily, a tall, thin, very proper older woman who ran Miss Emily’s Tea Shop. Miss Emily’s packages went scattering about the boardwalk.
    “I’m so sorry,” Nellie began, angry at herself for seeming never to do anything right. She stooped and started gathering packages.
    Miss Emily remained standing and looked down at the two young people gathering her packages. She could have let the shop deliver her purchases for her, but she found that when a woman of her age walked about town carrying bundles some very interesting things happened.
    “Well, Nellie,” Miss Emily said when they were standing. The young man was holding her packages and beaming at Nellie as though he were the cat that had eaten the cream. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your young man?”
    “Mr. Montgomery isn’t…I mean, we aren’t…” Nellie stammered, flushing.
    Jace grinned, making Miss Emily blink. He was a splendid-looking young man. “I may not be yet, but I mean to be her young man,” he said slowly. “I’m Jace Montgomery.”
    “Emily,” she answered, “or Miss Emily, if you prefer.” She gave a hard, shrewd look at Jace. “I must say, young man, that you look pleased with yourself.”
    “I am.” He looked at Nellie, whose face was still pink. “What man wouldn’t be when escorting such a beautiful woman?”
    Nellie again felt like looking behind her to see whom he meant, but she could see that he was smiling down at her.
    “Well, well, well,” Miss Emily said. “At last there’s a man in this town with some sense. Nellie is a fine young woman, quite, quite fine, and you’ll do very well to hang on to her.”
    Jace took Nellie’s hand and slipped her arm through his. “I think I might do that,” he said, smiling at Miss Emily.
    “Come to my shop for tea,” Miss Emily said.
    “I’m sorry, but I have to return home and—”
    “We’ll be there,” Jace said as Miss Emily took her packages and started walking.
    Jace began walking in the opposite direction, Nellie’s arm held securely in his.
    “Mr. Montgomery,” Nellie began, “you really can’t say things like that.”
    “Say things like what?”
    “That I…I am beautiful, and that you are my young man. You will give people the wrong impression about us.”
    It never crossed Jace’s mind that Nellie didn’t know she was beautiful. It was his experience that beautiful women often complained about their lack of looks, and he knew that when they did, it was because they wanted compliments. He wasn’t ready to yet give extravagant compliments to Nellie. He wanted his hands to be on her body when he told her how beautiful she was. “What would be the right impression about us?”
    “That you work for my father, and that, as his hostess, I feel I should…” Should what, she thought. She’d never gone walking with any of her father’s other employees.
    “Should introduce me to the citizenry of Chandler,” he finished for her. “Which is why I think we should go to Miss Emily’s shop.” Abruptly, he stopped and looked down at her. His face was quite serious, as he’d just had an awful thought. “You don’t dislike me, do you, Nellie? Maybe you’d rather not be seen with me. Maybe I’m not—well—appealing to you.”
    Nellie could only look up at him; she was capable of saying nothing. Dislike him? Unappealing? He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen in her life. He was kind, thoughtful, warm, funny, and charming. “I like you,” she whispered.
    “Good.” He tucked her arm in his more securely and started walking again. “Now, tell me about this town.”
    Nellie tried to relax somewhat, but it was difficult. She didn’t understand him because he was different from any man she’d ever met. Most men looked her up and down then ignored her. A few men had shown some interest in her, but it was usually for her cooking and her housekeeping skills. Four years ago a widower with five children