Yours Truly

Ten

He dropped the page as if it was on fire. The realization hit him like a brick house falling on him. The writer was Annette!

No wonder she was so anxious to discover the identities of those who had written the letters. She wanted to see if they used her advice – and if it had actually worked. She'd been nearly giddy when she found out about Nellie. However, he wondered if Annette had known all along that he was Busy in St. Louis. That could definitely explain why she has suddenly changed and was looking at him differently.

The clicking of her boots on the floor made him aware that she was coming toward him. When she turned into the room, she stopped suddenly. Her gaze dropped to the paper in his hand. Color left her face and her eyes widened.

She stepped toward him and reached for the paper. "Peter, I can explain—"

"I would hope so because this has me a little baffled." He drew the paper back so she couldn't snatch it from him. "Because from what I see, these are the Lovelorn's responses that haven't even been printed yet."

"Yes, that's what they are."

"And in that case, you are the mysterious Lovelorn."

She nodded. "I am."

Anger rose inside him and he tossed the paper at her. She scrambled to get it before it hit the ground. She stood still for several seconds, staring at the page as her eyes filled with tears.

"Why, Annette?" He swallowed, trying to loosen his tight throat. "For a woman who had been hurt numerous times by men who couldn't be honest, why did you without the truth from me?"

A tear slid down her cheek, but she remained silent.

"Do you know what this looks like to me?" He didn't wait for her answer. "It looks as if you knew all along that I had written to the Lovelorn, and you used that as a way of somehow... trapping me."

Her gaze snapped up to his in surprise. "You wrote one of those letters?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "Don't play coy with me, Annette. You knew that I had... and you played me for a fool." He shook his head. "I don't like being made to look like a fool."

She took a step toward him as she reached out a shaky hand and touched his arm. "Sweet Nublets, Peter. You are Match Made in Heaven, aren't you?"

He frowned, feeling confused again. "Who?"

"You know, the man who suspected the Lovelorn was a woman and so made that marriage proposal." She hiccupped a small laugh. "I should have realized that, especially when you told me last week that we think alike."

As he studied her, he realized she had no idea that he was Busy in St. Louis. Had he been wrong about her? Had he started to fall in love with her because they were meant to be together – and not because of the Lovelorn's column in the newspaper?

Gradually, the anger inside him lifted and his chest wasn't as heavy. His heart even lightened, and love popped back inside him.

He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked at him differently now and he figured it was because she was thinking of him as the guy who proposed married.

"No, Annette." He cupped the side of her face. "I'm not that man. I didn't write that letter."

Her forehead creased and she frowned. "No?"

He shook his head. "I'm Busy in St. Louis. You told me to have a friend set me up with a woman, or to look at your close friends to see if I knew someone who might make me a good wife."

She hitched a breath and her eyes grew even wider. "Is that why you started spending more time with me?"

He chuckled. "I don't know how to answer that, only because I began noticing you as a real woman before I had written that letter. In fact, it was when we had that talk about why men lie when they are courting a woman."

Sighing, she relaxed against him, resting her hands on his chest. "That's when I started thinking differently about you, too."

"So, apparently, it wasn't the advice from the Lovelorn that put us together."

"I guess not." She shrugged. "Does that mean I don't have what it takes to give others advice?"

"No. In fact, I think you give out great advice. I'm just relieved that you didn't know it was me."

"I should have, especially after our outing in the park when you suggested I introduce you to one of my friends."

He laughed. "Yes, I nearly gave it away then."

Her attention dropped to his mouth for a moment before lifting back to his gaze. "I'm sorry I withheld the truth from you. Father didn't want me telling anyone, even though I was so happy that he allowed me to do this for the newspaper."

"Why didn't he want anyone to know?"

"He worried that he'd lose subscribers if they knew a woman wrote that article."

He kissed her forehead. "Your father is correct. Men are fickle, that's for sure."

She rested her cheek against his chest and sighed. "Tell me truthfully, Peter... Are you all right with me writing as the Lovelorn?"

He stroked her hair, smiling. "I couldn't be more pleased with your career decision. However, I'm wondering one thing."

"What's that?" Her fingers toyed with the lapels of his suit jacket.

"Will you be able to work as the Lovelorn and still be my wife and mother to our children?"

She gasped again, and this time when she looked up at him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but her mouth stretched into a smile. "You... want to marry me?"

He pushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes. "Isn't that what people do when they're in love?"

Her expression softened. "You love me?"

"More than I thought possible, especially when I never imagined falling in love."

"Oh, Peter, I'm so in love with you. I was afraid you didn't return my feelings."

He arched an eyebrow. "Even after last night's kiss?"

Her cheeks bloomed with color. "Well, I actually wondered if you did have feelings for me at that point."

He released her and knelt on one knee as he took her hold of her hands. "Annette Baldwin, will you complete my life by marrying me and making me the luckiest man in the world?"

She laughed and nodded. "Only if you'll make me the luckiest woman on earth."

He kissed her knuckles before standing and taking her back in his arms. "That can definitely be arranged."

Peter sealed the promise with a kiss that was going to make them late getting to work, but he was sure Malcolm would understand.