Your Heart's Desire Read Online Free PDF Page A

Marjorie’s shoulder. “You’re a good mom.”
    “Really?” Her blue eyes grew big. “You think so?”
    “I know so.”
      
    As Caroline walked down the tree-lined street, she could feel a bounce in her step. It was hard to fully grasp everything, but it felt as if she were in the right place at the right time—and it felt good. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the sun was shining, or that she’d fled the land of winter to arrive in the land of springtime. Besides that, she had a happy anticipation for what lay ahead today.
    She’d dressed relatively casually for her errands. Not trousers, although she’d wanted to, but being new in town—and new to California life—she felt she should dress for the occasion. And a work suit seemed a bit over the top. So she’d worn a dress she’d made for herself last summer. The first new thing she’d had since the war began. It was only a simple shirtwaist dress in a practical gray-and-white-checked fabric, with a little white collar. Over her shoulders, she’d draped a gray cashmere sweater (a thoughtful Christmas gift from her parents) not because she was cold, but simply because it was almost January and to go without outerwear seemed shocking. Besides, the soft sweater felt luxurious.
    She had numerous items on her list, and doubted she could accomplish everything today, but determined to try. Mostly she was grateful for the ground beneath her feet (not the rumbling train) and she was eager to get acquainted with Golden Oaks. She knew from what Marjorie had told her that the population was just under twenty thousand. Very small compared to what she was used to, but big enough to have some interesting businesses. And because it was a bedroom city to Los Angeles, she suspected Golden Oaks was much more cosmopolitan than a town of similar size in Minnesota. She wanted to walk around and imagine what it would feel like to be a real citizen here.
    It was interesting to see the tidy little town in the morning light. And staggering to see that flowerpots were in full bloom! Most of the buildings seemed relatively new, as if this town had sprouted up in the twentieth century. The chocolate company appeared to be one of the oldest ones, and the brass sign in front said: COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1903—FACTORY BUILT IN 1913 . She peered in the front window of the factory, but it looked dark and quiet inside. Even the cute little retail shop next to it was closed. She read the sign on the door, discovering that, like most of the other shops and stores, it didn’t open until ten on Saturdays.
    And since it was barely past nine, she decided to buy a newspaper from the newsstand and try out Dee Dee’s Coffee Shop. Dee Dee’s was just one block down from the chocolate factory, and judging from the traffic going in and out, it was a busy place. She waited her turn to order her coffee and butterhorn, then carried them to the only unoccupied table. Proceeding to make herself comfortable, she opened her paper and read the front page, then skimmed the following pages, before finally settling into the employment section of the classified ads. With a pencil handy to circle anything of interest, she studied the first ad with care. It was for an accountant, and although she’d had one bookkeeping class in secretarial school, she did not feel it was her strong suit.
    “Excuse me,” a male voice said.
    She looked up to see an attractive dark-haired man smiling down on her. Dressed casually in tan trousers and a dark blue knit shirt, it was his disarming smile that made her catch her breath. “Yes?”
    “Do you mind if I sit here for a bit?” He nodded to where the rest of the small coffee shop was packed full. “Until another table opens up.”
    “Not at all.” She gave him a polite but slightly nervous smile. “I felt a little guilty taking this big table all to myself, but it was the only one left. Please, make yourself at home.”
    “Thank you.” He sat down in the chair to her