And then, inexplicably, it was over.
Kathleen had single-handedly stomped on all his hopes and dreams. A lesser man would have moved on, given up on her for good, but that wasn’t Ricky’s way. He prided himself on his tenacity. His plan was simple. He’d ease his way back into her life. She was living in Ohio with her parents, two people he found tiresome, but he had tolerated them for Kathleen’s sake. Her mother in particular was such a drag. Now residing in their home, Kathleen was reduced to the life of a teenager, walking their dog in the evening and taking their garbage down to the curb. One time he’d driven past and observed her helping her dad clean out the garage. Living with the old folks had to be a grind, which boded well for him. Soon enough, she’d be ready to be rescued.
He had noted a certain spring in her step on occasion, so he knew that even as a divorced woman, she was able to put on a brave front, giving the world her best smile and even joking around sometimes. Kathleen was never one to let her misery show.
Ricky began to send her greeting cards in a roundabout way—having a friend mail them from the town where he’d formerly lived so it didn’t have a local postmark, and using the friend’s return address. He kept his messages short and simple, saying he still missed her but was coping with the loss and had even started dating. He added that he’d love to hear how she was doing. Instinctively, he knew that a gentle approach was the way to go. Kathleen was so sensitive.
He’d hoped the reference to him dating would bother her. Certainly she’d realize over time what she’d given up. How could she not? Without him, her life had to be dreary. He waited and waited, but she never wrote back, and when he sent her flowers on her birthday, the florist called him to say she’d refused to accept them. He went and picked up the bouquet from the flower shop and then, the next day, gave them to one of the secretaries at work, the one he knew had a crush on him. She went gaga over them and over the next several days became even more solicitous toward him than usual, keeping his coffee mug topped up, complimenting his ties, and laughing at all his jokes. Now, that was a woman who knew how to act around men. Too bad she wasn’t Kathleen.
One good thing—Kathleen wasn’t dating anyone. That was in his favor. She had high standards and would never find someone who compared well to Ricky. That much he knew. The returned flowers were a setback, but he didn’t take it to heart. She just needed time. Someday they’d tell the story of their breakup to their children and grandchildren. He’d describe it as a silly phase when Kathleen just needed to take a step back before realizing that Ricky really was the one for her. Getting married again would be necessary, but they’d still count the time in between when they celebrated their anniversary. In the scheme of things, it would make their lengthy, devoted marriage seem all the more precious. He pictured taking hold of her hand while telling the kids and grandkids, “I wasn’t about to let this one get away.”
In return, she’d beam at him, love in her eyes.
Kathleen was not making this easy, but nothing worth having ever came easily. He knew she was making him fight for their love, and he was up to the challenge. Ricky was a winner. Always had been; always would be.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
1916
Attached to the side of the automobile was a bulb horn. Frank squeezed the bulb and laughed when the younger girls jumped at the noise. He did it twice more while making a point to grin at Alice as if she were in on the joke. Honk! Honk! It sounded loudly, making Mae cover her ears in alarm. Frank shouted, “Sounds like my granddad when he blows his nose!”
He turned off the engine, jumped out of the automobile, and bounded up the steps until he stood directly across from Alice, then pulled off his hat and held it to his chest. He wore a white shirt buttoned all the way to the top and breeches tucked into his boots. Pearl couldn’t help but notice the way Frank’s suspenders bulged over his muscular chest. So many times she’d tried to talk Frank up to Alice, citing his broad shoulders, sleek blond hair, deep voice, and baby-blue eyes, but Alice didn’t care. She just didn’t see him as a beau. Pearl thought Alice couldn’t afford to rule anyone out, much less Frank, who came from a well-to-do farming family. And he so clearly adored her. That kind of devotion didn’t come along every day.
Frank grinned broadly and said, “Whaddya think of my new chariot, Alice? It’s a two-seater. Now I can drive you to the picture show on Saturday night.” He spoke to her father. “With your permission, of course, sir. I can drive ahead of your wagon so you can keep an eye on us the whole time. I respect Alice. I wouldn’t want to ruin her reputation.”