Free The Jewel of His Heart by Maggie Brendan Page A

general store. The way his amber eyes pierced her had made her feel giddy, and she had hardly been able to concentrate on why she was there in the first place. He was several years older than she, and he probably thought she was just a child. Maybe he looked at all women the way he looked at her.
    She sighed wearily. What she really needed was to put him out of her mind. She couldn’t trust any man. Her father was a good example of that. She would make a living for herself and not be dependent on a man for anything. That’s what her mother had had to do, and Juliana would do the same. A man would not turn her life upside down the way her father had. She could be quite happy without a man. She had her books, her friend Marion, and her job, which would keep her plenty busy.
    The encounter with Wes today was still very unsettling to her. His aggressiveness made her feel uneasy. His outright flirting put her on the spot, and she wasn’t used to that.
    “Shouldn’t you be leaving now for your dinner date with Mark?” Albert paused over the printing press as he set the letters for tomorrow’s paper. He glanced in Juliana’s direction.
    Juliana felt her face flush. “It’s not a date—just supper. Matter of fact, I’m about to go. I was just looking over the column for tomorrow.” She rose, handing him her article. She waited while he skimmed through what she’d written.
    “Very good, Juliana. Now you go ahead and leave so you won’t be late. You’ve had a busy day. Your headline about the bank robbery was pretty good, but I changed it a bit. By the way, there’s a reward of five hundred dollars for the capture of the bandit.” Albert turned back to setting the presses.
    “I hope the sheriff catches him.” She wanted to stop by to see Helen with a couple of ideas she had about a fund-raiser, so she grabbed her coat and waved good-bye to Albert, then hurried down the sidewalk to Helen’s house. At the meeting, Helen had mentioned where she lived, in case Juliana had any questions concerning the project.
    Juliana lifted the wrought-iron gate latch, startling a fat gray cat snoozing on the broad steps leading up to the front porch. The cat skittered away as she approached the sidewalk. Juliana smiled. She loved cats, and once she was settled, she planned to have one to keep her company.
    She rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. Helen’s home was a sprawling yellow clapboard, its porch dotted with flowerpots, with a cozy swing at one end. Rich, green ferns sat on either side of the door in beautiful ceramic pots. Juliana had never lived in anything so grand, and likely never would. She wondered what Helen’s husband did for a living.
    A young girl about the age of fourteen answered the door. Her dark hair hung in perfect ringlets, setting off the starched pinafore over her blue gingham dress. “Hello.”
    “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I wonder if I could speak with your mother. I’m a reporter for the Gazette ,” Juliana said.
    “Well, I don’t know. She’s pretty busy right now. I’ll have to go ask. Could you wait right here?”
    “I can indeed. Tell her it’s Juliana. And you are . . . ?”
    “Marilee.” The young girl smiled up at her.
    “Nice to meet you, Marilee.” She had a peaches-and-cream complexion and big green eyes. Pretty eyes, Juliana thought.
    “I’ll be right back.” She left the door partially opened, and Juliana heard her call out for her mother.
    It wasn’t long before Helen stood before her, charming as usual. “Why, hello, dear. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
    “I’m sorry for an intrusion, Helen.”
    “Oh, no bother at all. Pardon my manners. Please do come in.”
    She followed Helen into the parlor gaily decorated with rose chintz fabric. A portly gentleman rose from his seat, placing a teacup next to his chair.
    “Harry, this is Juliana,” Helen said. “She’s doing a column on our Ladies Social Club for the Gazette .”
    “It’s