Your Heart's Desire Page 2

  “That way I get to have the car during the day,” Marjorie said.

  “That’s a handy setup.” Caroline studied the pretty tree-lined street. “I always took the bus to work.” One more thing she would not miss.

  “Well, if you get hired at MG, you can walk to work, too.” Rich slowed the car.

  “Do you really think I can get a job?” she asked him as he turned into the driveway of a pale yellow two-story stucco house.

  “They posted six openings on the assembly line, and that’s this past week alone.”

  “What a gorgeous house,” Caroline exclaimed as they all got out of the car. “I love the ironwork. It looks like we could be somewhere in Spain.”

  “Mediterranean,” Marjorie said as she set Lulu down on the grass. “Danny, you keep an eye on your sister while we unload Aunt Caroline’s things.”

  “Why don’t you ladies go inside,” Rich suggested. “The boys and I can handle this.”

  “Thanks,” Marjorie called out as Lulu took off running across the lawn. “Hopefully the meatloaf isn’t all dried out. I left it in the oven.”

  “I’ll grab my niece.” Caroline hurried to scoop up Lulu. “Are you going to show me your room, Lulu? I’ll bet it’s a pretty one.”

  “Rich’s dad has been helping me to paint. Everything was such dull, dreary colors.” Marjorie opened the front door.

  “How nice of him.” Caroline went inside.

  “He’s retired and says it gives him something to do. We’re not completely done yet, but it’s getting better. And the kids’ rooms are all set.”

  “What a lovely room!” Caroline looked around the spacious living room with its large front windows. There was a small brown couch against one wall and a well-worn easy chair against another.

  “It is lovely, but it desperately needs more furniture.” Marjorie waved her hand across the slightly barren space. “I can’t even imagine how I’ll begin to fill it up.”

  “One piece at a time.” Caroline set Lulu down.

  “You sound like Rich.” Marjorie made a pouting expression.

  “Well, as our mother likes to say, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’”

  “But it would be so nice to have some more pieces for people to sit on, don’t you think? I mean if we ever have guests. New Year’s Eve is just a few days away. It would’ve been fun to have a party. Not this year.”

  Caroline pointed to the lushly carpeted floor. “Get some big pillows. Let people sit on them Bohemian style.”

  “Really?” Marjorie looked skeptical. “I want to show you the rest of the place, but I need to check the meatloaf first.” She led them through a somewhat formal dining room with a metal chandelier. A small plastic-topped kitchen table and four metal chairs seemed slightly out of place, but Caroline didn’t plan to mention it.

  “Smells good,” Caroline said as she followed Marjorie into the kitchen.

  “I used Mom’s recipe—the one with mashed potatoes on top.”

  “Wonderful.” Caroline looked down at the green linoleum floor. “Especially after three days of train food.”

  “Three days of someone else doing the cooking sounds like a welcome vacation to me.” Marjorie checked the oven, then turned on the burner beneath a saucepan.

  “Your kitchen is very nice.” Caroline ran her hand over a white cabinet door. “It looks recently painted.”

  “Yes.” Marjorie pointed to the shell-pink wall. “But Rich doesn’t like the wall color. He says it looks too girlish.” She giggled. “Probably because it’s the same color I used to paint Lulu’s room. But it’s not like he spends much time in here anyway.”

  Marjorie continued the house tour. “This is the downstairs bathroom,” she said proudly. “I never dreamed I’d have a house with two bathrooms.” She opened the door to reveal a small bathroom. “Of course, it doesn’t have a tub or shower. The real estate agent called it a half-bath. I haven’t decided what color to paint it yet, but this boring beige has to go.”

  “Very handy.” Caroline nodded. “Especially for a big family.”

  Marjorie balanced Lulu on her hip as she led Caroline up the stairs. “This is Danny’s room.” She opened the door to reveal a bright blue room furnished with a neatly made bed and a small dresser, a bookshelf, toy chest, and child-sized wooden rocking chair. It was charming. The next bedroom was Lulu’s. Like the kitchen it was shell pink and very girlish looking with white ruffled curtains. Next she led them into a sparsely furnished, but larger, room. The walls were robin’s egg blue, giving it a peaceful feeling. “This is our bedroom,” Marjorie told her. “I painted it all by myself. I mixed leftover paint from Danny’s room with some white to make the color.”

  “It’s a beautiful shade of blue,” Caroline said. “And you did a good job. I never knew my sister was a painter.”

  “It’s really pretty easy. That reminds me—I saved some leftover paint in case you want to try your hand in the apartment.”

  “I’ve never really painted much, but it might be fun. And you’ve done such a great job in these rooms. You’re an inspiration.”

  Marjorie beamed at her. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here, Caroline. I’ve been just dying to show this house to my family. I’ve been working so hard on it. Our first home.”

  “And it’s all just wonderful.” Caroline smiled at her baby sister, remembering how Marjorie used to love playing with baby dolls and the dollhouse as a child. In some ways, she hadn’t changed much. “You’re very blessed, you know.”

  “I know.” Marjorie straightened her comb-and-brush set on the dresser. “It’s just so fun to share it with my family. Rich’s parents come over a lot, and they’ve been really helpful. But I’ve missed having my own family.” She showed Caroline the guest room. “It’s a mess with my sewing stuff, but I want to fix it all up for the folks…for when they come out. Mom said maybe by summer. Won’t that be great?”

  “It’s so nice you have all this space.” Caroline’s previous apartment had only one tiny bedroom that had been used by Joseph. She’d slept on the sofa bed. She was curious about the downstairs apartment, but knew the time would come to see it. “You have a lovely home and a lovely family, Marjorie. You’re truly blessed.”

  “I hear the boys coming in.” Marjorie opened another door. “The upstairs bathroom.” She stepped back to allow Caroline to enter. “Can you believe how roomy it is?”

  “It’s huge.” Caroline looked around the pale-green-tiled space in wonder. Not only did it have a generous-sized bathtub, but a separate shower as well. The sink vanity ran the length of the room, and the toilet had its own separate door. “I’ve never seen such an enormous bathroom.”

  “I guess they’re more common here in California,” Marjorie explained as she plucked up Lulu to keep her from climbing into the bathtub. The disgruntled child kicked and twisted in her arms. “At least in bigger homes anyway.”

  “Well, it’s all very, very nice,” Caroline proclaimed. “I’m so happy for you and Rich. You’re very fortunate.” Despite her cheerful words, Caroline felt a strange twinge inside of her. Something akin to jealousy, and that was disturbing. Because, really, she was happy for her younger sister. On closer examination, she decided this feeling was more like regret…or longing. Like a question that had been nesting in some recess of her mind. A question she never wanted to fully face. As they headed for the staircase, the troublesome question hit Caroline without warning: What would her life be like right now if Joe hadn’t been killed in the war?

  “Want to go to Aunt Caroline?” Marjorie held out the fussing toddler.

  Caroline reached for Lulu. “Come on, sweetie pie.” To her relief, Lulu outstretched her arms. “That’s the girl.” She ran her hand over Lulu’s thick auburn curls. Like Caroline, she must’ve inherited that from their grandmother’s side of the family.

  “I better get dinner on the table.” Marjorie led the way down the stairs.

  “Do you worry about Lulu falling on the stairs?
” Caroline asked.

  “Yes. I never let her out of my sight.” Marjorie stopped at the foot of the stairs. “I’ve seen those gates that keep toddlers away from the stairway. I think I’ll have to look into one soon. Especially with a new baby coming.”

  “Sounds like a very good idea.”

  Marjorie let out a loud sigh as she led them back to the kitchen. “I know Rich is working as hard as he can. And he’s even gotten a couple of raises. But it’s so hard to furnish a big house like this. His mom has offered to help, but Rich put his foot down. He says they’ve done enough and I’m not allowed to accept any more gifts from them.”

  Caroline nodded. “They have been very generous.”

  “Rich acts like he doesn’t care about material things. He keeps telling me to take it slowly. But I want it all.” She laughed. “And I want it right now.”

  Caroline chuckled. That sounded like the baby sister she’d grown up with. Marjorie had always been impatient. And perhaps a bit spoiled, too. But she was basically good-hearted. Caroline remembered when Marjorie had insisted on coming out to California. She was so certain that she’d be discovered as the next Ginger Rogers. As soon as she’d turned eighteen, she had taken off. And, although the movie star thing never worked out, it hadn’t turned out too badly for her. Not at all. And, really, Caroline was happy for her.

  Chapter 3

  Caroline would never say so, but Marjorie’s meatloaf was nothing like their mother’s. To be fair, it was probably Caroline’s fault—since dinner had been delayed by the trip to the train station. “Let me clear,” Caroline offered as they finished up dinner.

  “But you’re the guest,” Marjorie argued. “And you already helped put Lulu to bed for me.”

  “I’m also your sister,” Caroline reminded her. “And remember Mom’s rules. The cook shouldn’t have to clean up.”

  Marjorie laughed as she handed Caroline her plate. “Fine. You win, Sis.”

  Caroline pointed to Joseph now. “Has Danny shown you his room yet?”

  Joseph just shrugged.

  “He had some interesting-looking toy planes,” Caroline said enticingly.

  “Come on, Joseph,” Danny urged. “Come see my room. We can play.”

  As Joseph reluctantly followed his cousin, Caroline finished clearing the table. With a load of dishes in her hands, she grinned at her sister and Rich. “Looks like it’s just the two of you for a bit. Better enjoy it.”

  Rich chuckled. “What a novelty.”

  Caroline was glad to busy herself in the kitchen. Her plan was to quickly finish in here, then to get downstairs to see that apartment. Rich had already put their things down there, but she was eager to get her and Joseph settled. Anxious to see their new home, she figured that if the basement was anything like the rest of this house, it would be a huge improvement.

  “You’re quick,” Marjorie said when she came in to see Caroline putting the last of the clean dishes in the cupboard. “Rich wants some coffee to go with dessert.”

  “Dessert?” Caroline looked around the kitchen.

  Marjorie chuckled. “Actually, I didn’t make dessert. But we always have chocolate tucked somewhere.” She opened a high cupboard, removing a plain-looking box. “Employees are allowed to buy seconds for wholesale.” She opened the box to show Caroline.

  “Seconds? They look perfectly fine.”

  “It has to do with the swirls and markings on the tops of the chocolates. I haven’t figured it all out yet, but each design signifies different fillings. If the swirls aren’t perfect, they wind up in the reject boxes—becoming seconds.”

  “Interesting.” Caroline closed the dish cupboard.

  “Would you like coffee, too?”

  “That sounds good, but do you mind if I go take a peek at the apartment first?”

  Marjorie slapped her forehead. “I’m sorry—I forgot you hadn’t seen it.”

  “It’s okay. I’m just curious. And I’d like to start unpacking.”

  “Of course.” She set down the coffeepot. “Let me take you—”

  “You go ahead and make coffee. Just point the way.”

  “Certainly.” Marjorie led Caroline through the laundry room and opened a door. “This is one way to get down there. And there’s an outside entrance as well—that’s the door Rich and Joseph used to put your things inside. Go ahead and check it out. And my apologies that it’s not in better shape. I’ve been so busy with the rest of the house and the children…well, hopefully it’s not too bad down there.” She flipped a light switch to illuminate a rather steep-looking wooden staircase.

  Caroline thanked her and carefully proceeded down, and finding another light switch at the foot of the stairs, she clicked it on to reveal a small kitchen and connected living area. Like her sister had said, it was partially furnished, but the few furnishings looked old and dusty, and besides a worn sofa and wooden rocker, the rest would probably be better off in a junkyard.

  Still, with a thorough cleaning and some fresh air, the space should be fine. And perhaps she could make a slipcover for the sofa. Marjorie wasn’t the only one who could sew. In fact, between the two of them—when they were growing up—Caroline was the one who really knew her way around a needle and thread.

  She went into the kitchen, turning on the overhead light. The cabinets were a dull shade of yellow—although on closer inspection, they simply appeared to be dirty. Perhaps some elbow grease and a good scrub would revive them a bit. She continued inspecting the dreary space, shaking her head over things that should’ve been thrown out after the last tenant left…whenever that was.

  Certainly, it was dismal, but with a little work and imagination, she could probably change that. She opened the door to the grimy bathroom and almost fell over from the smell. Fine, make that a lot of work!

  Fortunately, the small bedrooms—and to her delight there were two of them—were in better shape. Each one contained a twin bed—and the mattresses appeared to be brand new. That was a huge relief. Caroline went to look through the bags that Rich had stacked by the door. Unless she was mistaken, one of these cases contained bedding. It was reassuring to know that she and Joseph would at least have a fairly comfortable place to sleep. That was something.

  Hearing her sister calling that dessert was ready, Caroline hurried back up the steep staircase to join them.

  “The boys are playing so nicely upstairs that I decided not to bother them,” Marjorie said as she set a plate of chocolates on the table where their coffee cups and saucers were already waiting.

  “How did you like the apartment?” Rich asked as Marjorie went back for the coffeepot. Caroline could tell by his expression that he was concerned.

  “I think it has good potential,” Caroline said carefully. “Will you mind if I don’t use all the furnishings?”

  “Not at all. You pick out what you want to use, and the rest can go to the dump.”

  “And I was really pleased to see that the mattresses in the bedrooms are new.”

  “The ones that were here before looked awful.” He lowered his voice. “Stein’s Furniture had a sale right after Christmas and I thought it was the least I could do.”

  “What did you do?” Marjorie asked as she filled up Caroline’s coffee cup with arched brows.

  “I, uh, I got new mattresses for the apartment.”

  Marjorie stopped pouring to stare at him. “But I thought you said we couldn’t afford to buy any—”

  “The mattresses down there were absolutely horrible, Marjorie. You couldn’t expect a dog to—”

  “I know, but you said—”

  “Did you really expect Caroline and Joseph to sleep on them?” His voice grew louder.

  Marjorie glared at him. “Well, you could’ve at least told me. It’s not as if I—”

  “Why don’t you let me pay you for them?” Caroline offered. “Since they’re for Joseph and me. It seems only fair.”

  Rich frowned. “That wasn’t what I intended.”


  “Please.” Caroline smiled warmly at him. “I want to pay for them. I have a small budget for getting the apartment set up. And it’s wonderful you were able to find them at a reduced price. Very helpful.”

  Rich held up his hands as if to surrender. “How about if I let you sisters figure these things out from now on?”

  “Good thinking.” Marjorie filled his cup and then her own.

  “I really do appreciate that you’re both welcoming me into your home,” Caroline said pleasantly. “And I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and make that apartment a home for Joseph and me.”

  Marjorie scrunched her nose as she passed the chocolate plate to Caroline. “I hope you weren’t too discouraged by the condition of the place.”

  “It didn’t seem like anything that some soap and water couldn’t fix.” Caroline took a chocolate. “And until I get myself a real job, I’ll consider getting that apartment cleaned up as Job One.”

  “Just make sure you get your application in at MG as soon as possible,” Rich warned her. “The more that people hear about the benefits and great working conditions there, the more competitive it gets.”

  “I plan to go in first thing on Monday,” she assured him.

  “That’s New Year’s Eve,” Marjorie pointed out. “Are they open?”

  “Of course,” Rich told her. “This is MG’s biggest season ever. We’re getting so many orders for Valentine’s Day that Mr. Gordon is considering staying in production on Saturdays, too.”

  “Does that mean you, too?” Marjorie looked worried.

  He grinned. “Now that I’m only driving the California circuit, I probably won’t ever have to work on Saturday. At least for the most part.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “Do you like driving a delivery truck?” Caroline asked hesitantly. She knew it was probably nosy to inquire, but her parents had been curious about this for some time. Rich was the only son of a very wealthy family, and he’d been halfway through college when he’d given it all up.

  “I love driving and being on the road. It feels like real freedom. Sort of like being a cowboy. And, yeah, I’m aware that some people scratch their heads over it…they think I should strive for something more. But the truth is I was never a bookish guy. Not even in college. I couldn’t wait to quit school so I could join the Flying Tigers. My folks thought I was being a hero.”