Page 92 of His North Star
Mrs. Sheffield tapped her fingers on the table. “People and feelings can change over time, you know.”
“Why not tell him you love him instead?” Gloria asked. “Women don’t wait on men like they used to. Be brave and put yourself out there.”
“Why don’t we talk about one of your husbands instead?” I asked.
“What would you like to know?” Loretta asked tenderly.
Anything. Anything that would get my love life out of their minds. “How did you meet?”
She smiled a mile wide. “We met swing dancing. He was the most handsome gentleman I’d ever laid eyes on. And boy, could he dance.” Her eyes lost focus as if she’d faded away to the day she’d met her spouse.
“I’ve never been swing dancing,” I admitted. “It always looked like fun.” I enjoyed dancing with Ty though, even if it wasn’t the same kind of dancing my friends had done.
“It’s a downright shame that young people don’t dance like we used to,” Gloria said.
“You remember that assembly hall in Kalispell we’d drive down to every Friday night?” Mrs. Sheffield asked, a dreamy look in her eyes. “What I wouldn’t give to go back and have one more night there.”
“Why don’t we do a dance here at the community center?” I asked. “You can teach me.”
They snickered at me. “We don’t move like we used to. Our dances now are as pathetic as yours.”
“Hey,” I protested. “Not all our dances are lame.” Well, at least not line dancing. I couldn’t speak to anything else. But Ty and I had a fabulous time at the ranch we’d gone to.
“If that’s the lie you need to tell yourself, then so be it,” Mrs. Sheffield said.
“It’s a good thing I like you so much,” I teased. “You certainly know how to make a girl feel pretty low.”
“Oh, we don’t mean to make you feel bad. We just miss the good old days.” Gloria reached over to pat my arm.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Always,” Loretta answered.
I kept my gaze on the cards in my hand. “How did you know your husbands were the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?”
In unison, each woman swooned.
Mrs. Sheffield put a hand over her heart. “When I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I’d be grocery shopping and wonder what type of apples Gregory liked best. Or when I’d listen to the radio, I wanted to know if Gregory liked the song as much as I did. He made me feel so loved, so safe. So cared for. That’s how I knew.”
I already knew what kind of apples and music Ty liked. He always made me feel safe and loved. He obviously took care of me. The things she mentioned could be applied to any kind of relationship, not just a romantic one.
“My Henry.” Gloria’s voice shook. Tears pooled in her brown eyes. “He drove me crazy. Never let me settle for anything less than what he thought I deserved. For example, for Christmas one year, there was this teal Kirby vacuum I wanted. They were expensive, so I told Henry to get me the basic model. When I opened my present, he got me every attachment possible. He did his best to put my wants before his own.”
That was really sweet. “He sounds like a great guy.”
Her smile wobbled. “He was.”
“How about you, Loretta?” I asked.
“My Tommy made me laugh all the time.” She smiled wistfully. “He wasn’t loud or boisterous. In fact, most people didn’t even know he was funny because his comments were always whispered under his breath. I miss hearing his voice and deep laugh.”
“That’s incredibly sweet. Thank you all for sharing.”
Gloria pulled a tissue out of her shirtsleeve and dabbed at her eyes and nose. “I love talking about Henry. Anytime you want to know more, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Even if it means making you cry?” I asked with a slightly teasing tone.
“Even then,” Mrs. Sheffield answered.
