Free Collision of The Heart by Laurie Alice Eakes Page A

Genevieve sighed. “I thought maybe you were here to renew . . .” Her gaze strayed across the room to where Ayden poured coffee for a line of men and women.
    Mia flicked her attention to Charmaine, who was still positioned against the front wall like an ornamental bit of statuary. “That’s over and has been for a year and a half.” Her voice was cold, her heart frozen enough to hurt.
    “Ah, the perfect Charmaine. If she weren’t so kind, we’d all hate her.”
    “I don’t see what’s kind about standing by the door instead of helping.” Mia’s tone held an edge of asperity.
    Genevieve laughed. “Methinks you have a few claws still extended in that direction.” She slanted a look toward Ayden.
    “Not in the least. I only accepted the Goswells’ invitation to stay with them so others could use my room at the boardinghouse. But I have no intention of renewing any sort of relationship with Ayden Goswell.” She gestured around the room with the point of her pencil. “If this hadn’t happened, I would have avoided him.”
    “Avoided someone in Hillsdale?” Genevieve hugged Mia’s arm to her rather plump side, where once she had been slight.
    Mia gave her once-upon-a-time friend a narrow-eyed glance. No, Genevieve had not gained a great deal of weight, at least not the kind that would stay. Genevieve disguised her expectant motherhood beneath the shielding layers of a woolen gown, bulky coat, and oversized scarf.
    “Congratulations.” Mia’s throat tightened. “I thought you were going to continue to teach school.”
    “I was. I did. I find I prefer domesticity, though I do still tutor for the college.” Genevieve grinned. “Can’t let that education go to waste, as all the detractors of educating women say it will. Think how intelligent my children will be.”
    “Your children would be intelligent even if you’d never taken a class.” Mia glanced around the room again, wondering if she could leave by the church’s other door. She didn’t want to walk past the beauteous Miss Finney to leave.
    Not that she knew where to go next. She could go out to the wreck, but she didn’t want to walk all that way in the snow. Walking to the wreck alone was not a good idea. Ayden had been her escort. He, however, had relinquished his coffee-serving duties to the wife of a science professor, a woman known for her generosity in feeding students. He was heading straight for Charmaine Finney, whose face lit up at his approach.
    Mia turned her attention to Genevieve. “I think I would like to go to your house after all, if I may, if the invitation is still open.”
    “It is.” Genevieve winked. “We’ll slip out the back. Our house is almost directly behind the church.”
    Genevieve led Mia through the sanctuary to a narrow side door. Beyond it, a flight of steps led down to another door. The instant the first door closed behind them, the din inside the church diminished to a dull roar. Beyond the second door, the snow-clad world enveloped them in a calming hush.
    “That’s better.” Genevieve’s footfalls crunched on the ground. “Now tell me what you’re doing back here if not to see the Goswells and why you haven’t written to any of us even to tell us you were coming and what have you been doing with yourself—”
    “Enough.” Mia laughed. “One question at a time.” She kicked her feet through the powdery surface snow. “I’m here on assignment for the magazine I write for. If the editor likes my article, she’ll hire me as a full-time reporter.”
    “That’s exciting. Have you been writing all along, though?” Genevieve unlatched the gate in a fence across the lane.
    “I have. Quite a lot between periodicals in Boston and New York and even one article in a Philadelphia magazine.”
    “Godey’s?” Genevieve’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
    Mia shook her head. “I haven’t been that blessed yet. But this new magazine might end up even better than Godey’s . We want to show