“She’s got you thinking about things you might not have considered otherwise.”
“Such as?” he asked.
“Who you want to be when you grow up.”
He was right. One of the reasons Rhine had crossed the color line was his envy of men of power, because as a slave he’d had none. Men like his father, Carson Fontaine, and the other slave owners had the ability to alter lives, the freedom to come and go as they pleased, and the wealth to command respect. Viewing their way of life from the outside, he’d wanted that, craved it even, and was determined to be thought of in those terms instead of the insulting and degrading Constitutional designation as three-fifths of a man. For the past five years he’d achieved that status. Now? He was rethinking who he wanted to be, and yes, Eddy was the primary reason. He glanced at his very wise partner and friend. “Eat, King Solomon.”
Jim smiled and nodded. “Eating.”
Later that evening Rhine drove over to Sylvie’s with the legal papers needing her signature for the property sale, but he found only Eddy. She was in the kitchen.
“Sylvie and Doc Randolph left here about an hour ago,” she informed him. “They’ve gone to help Mrs.Singleton. Her baby’s on its way a month and a half early.”
Rhine knew the Singleton family. “I hope the babe will be okay.”
“I do, too.” She was seasoning chicken parts and placing them in a large roaster. It wasn’t an alluring task but he found her beautiful nonetheless. “Do you mind if we talk about the new diner for a few moments?”
She didn’t look up from working. “No. Sit if you want. What happened with the twins?” she asked, pausing to wait for his reply.
“Mary said the visit with the couple went well. She’s going to start the adoption process.”
“And how are you feeling?”
Appreciating her concern, he sat and shrugged. “I’ve resigned myself to the situation. As we discussed, this is what’s best for them and I want them to be happy.”
She nodded understandingly.
Not wanting to dwell on the heaviness still clouding his heart, he asked, “Any idea what kind of appliances you want for the diner? I’ll be doing the purchasing so I need to know your preferences.”
They began talking about stoves. She wanted a flat top that would allow her to cook with varying temperatures, and they discussed size and dimensions. They then moved onto cold boxes and china, flatware, pots and pans, and all the rest. He had to admit the longer he was with her the more he desired her, but he kept it in check so she wouldn’t toss him out on his ear. “Did you enjoy the concert Friday night?”
“I did.”
There was a tightness in her tone that gave him pause, so he asked, “Did Zeke do something to upset you?”
She replied quietly, “No. He was the perfect gentleman. I—I just won’t be seeing him anymore.”
“Why not?”
He watched her hesitate. When she finally looked him in the eyes she said simply, “Because of you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Zeke senses there’s something going on between us and asked me flat out if you’d kissed me.”
“And you told him the truth.”
“Yes, because I didn’t think lying was any way to start things between us.”
He thought about the lie he’d been living, though he’d be changing that soon.
She continued, “And I’d hoped he’d appreciate my honesty.”
“But he didn’t.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”