Sorrento Girl Page 14

  Twenty-Three

  Paul’s red Plymouth was out front. Ann watched from the upstairs window as he got out of the car and walked to the front door. The sun was just rising, and everyone else in the house was still sleeping. Ann grabbed her hat, purse, and shoes and tiptoed down the stairs as quietly as she could.

  “Good morning,” she whispered to Paul when she opened the front door.

  “Hello, beautiful. Are you ready?”

  Ann nodded. Closing the door behind her, she sat on the front step to put on her shoes.

  “I’ve got some coffee for you in the car,” Paul said.

  Not only did he have coffee, but there was also a bag of donuts on the front seat. Ann smiled and kissed Paul. They had a long day of driving ahead. The plan was to go to Portland, check out a few rental houses that Paul had found in classifieds, put down a deposit, and push back to Seattle. They wouldn’t return until late that night, but Ann was looking forward to spending the day with Paul. They’d have lots of time to talk.

  Paul drove along Madison and past the Sorrento—so lovely in the early morning light. Soon they were outside of the city, headed south on US Route 99. The dense forest surrounded both sides of the road.

  “I’m curious,” Ann said. “What was your connection to The Oregonian newspaper? What made you decide on Portland?”

  “My friend, Sam, is on staff there. He was the editor of the school newspaper when I first came to Seattle College, and he taught me a lot. He helped me get an interview,” Paul said.

  “Ah. That was nice.” Ann was determined to turn her feelings about moving to Portland around and make the best of the situation. Paul was, after all, doing his best, and that’s all anyone could do.

  An hour later, they drove through Olympia. Ann was thrilled that she could see the dome of the Legislative Building from the road. She had only seen it in pictures. It was much more impressive in real life.

  “I saw the house where my mother and my aunt grew up this week. It’s near Queen Ann Hill,” she said, trying to make conversation. “It’s vacant, I think. Sad. It’s a beautiful old mansion.”

  “Oh? Well, we won’t be looking at any mansions today, but hopefully, we’ll find something comfortable. Whatever we find today will be temporary,” Paul said.

  After a couple more hours of driving, they made it to Portland. A sign said, “Welcome to Portland, The Rose City.” They had made good time as it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

  Ann gazed out the window. A large mountain served as a backdrop over the city skyline. “Is that Mt. Hood in the distance?”

  “Yes, and that’s Jantzen Beach right there,” Paul said, as he pointed toward the biggest wooden roller coaster Ann had ever seen. “There’s a huge pool there too—and picnic grounds, more rides, and a dance pavilion. We could go there to celebrate the Fourth of July!”

  Ann smiled. That sounded like fun.

  They crossed a bridge over the Columbia River and drove into the downtown area. The city wasn’t as big as Seattle, but it was still larger than Wenatchee. Portland was a charming place, and there were, in fact, roses everywhere.

  Paul pulled over to the side of the road and parked. Pulling out a map and a piece of paper with some addresses scrawled on it, he turned to Ann. “How are you at navigating? Do you think you can help me find this first address? This one is an apartment.”

  Ann took the map and studied it. “I’ll do my best.” According to the map, the building was right around the corner. The Admiral apartment building was a five-story Tudor-style brick structure on Park Avenue. Paul and Ann walked together, holding hands, into the lobby. A grand curved marble staircase with a dark mahogany banister led to the upper floors. Paul checked his paper for the manager’s apartment number, discovering it was on the first floor. Finding the place, he knocked. An older woman of petite stature opened the door, peering at them expectantly.

  “Hello, I’m Paul Lewis. I’m here to see about renting an apartment. Are you Mrs. Nelson?”

  “Yes, I am. Good to meet you. Here, let me grab a key, and I’ll take you upstairs. I have one two-bedroom unit available. I’ll show you,” the woman said.

  After they climbed three flights of stairs, they walked down a long hallway. The building had a faded, shabby sort of beauty, as if it had seen better days. Mrs. Nelson opened the door to Apartment 404 and let Paul and Ann inside. The rooms were surprisingly lovely. High ceilings and a large bay window made the small space feel more substantial. The walls were a little dingy, but that was nothing a little soap and water couldn’t fix. The empty space reminded Ann that they possessed no furniture. Would they be sleeping on the floor their first night there?

  “What do you think?” Paul asked.

  “It’s lovely,” Ann said.

  “Twenty-five dollars a month, first and last. I’ll waive the deposit for you two,” Mrs. Nelson said.

  “Can we let you know by the end of the day?” Paul asked.

  “Sure, no problem. But I can’t hold it any longer than that,” the woman said.

  Outside again, on the front steps, Paul raised his eyebrows and smiled at Ann. “I don’t know … how about we get some lunch and check out a couple more?”

  They found a cozy diner farther down the block and settled into a booth. After studying the menu, Ann decided on the soup with a turkey sandwich.

  “I liked the apartment, but it’s very far from Albany College. How would I get to school?” Ann asked.

  Paul put down his menu and focused on Ann. “Oh. I didn’t think of that. Did you want to start school this fall?”

  A waitress came over to the table just then. Ann used the time it took to place their orders to compose herself. She had told Paul many times how important it was for her to continue with school. She was irritated by his question. “Maybe I could learn to drive, and you could walk to work? Is your office close by?”

  “Hmm. That’s an idea.” He frowned. “But I’ll probably need my car to go out on assignments.”

  “Well, let’s see if we can find something closer to the school then.” Ann felt her anger rising, and it made her uncomfortable, so she changed the subject, bringing up another topic that had been on her mind. “What can we afford? Are we going to have enough money to get some furniture?”

  “Don’t you worry about that. I’ve got it handled.” Paul took a sip of his coffee. “I thought you’d want to take some time off, get settled first, and maybe then go back to school.”

  The waitress brought their food. Ann had been quite hungry a few minutes ago, but now, her appetite was gone. Were her expectations wrong in wanting to be a part of the decisions made in their marriage? She didn’t wish to have “everything handled” for her.

  “I’m not worried,” she said. “I want to know these things. I want to be a part of the decisions. And I don’t want to take any time off from school. The summer months are enough.”

  “Fine, fine” Paul said, raising his hands as if he was surrendering. “I don’t want to argue.” He leaned back in his seat and scowled, as though frustrated. “Don’t you trust me? I’ll show you the numbers sometime,” he said, brusquely.

  “Of course, I trust you,” Ann said.

  They ate the rest of the meal in silence. Ann was glad to leave the diner after Paul took care of the check. They went back to the car, and Paul pulled out the map once more.

  “This next house is only a couple of blocks away. Maybe we should walk?”

  By three o’clock, they had looked at two apartments and one house, all in the downtown area. None were close to Albany College. Ann was tired. The first apartment they’d seen was still the best one on the list.

  “Shall we go put a deposit on the one in the Admiral building?” Paul asked.

  “Okay, let’s do it,” Ann said.

  Mrs. Nelson seemed pleased to see the couple again when Paul knocked on her door. When they left, Paul had the key to Apartment 404 in his pocket. They’d done it. They had their first home. Now all
they had to do was furnish it.

  Ann tried to stay awake to keep Paul company on the drive back to Seattle, but eventually, the vibration of the tires on the road lulled her to sleep. Her head dropped and finally rested on Paul’s shoulder. He smelled so good—clean, like soap.

  When she woke up, they were driving through Tacoma. Dusk was beginning to settle in. “Hey, did you have a nice rest?” Paul asked. “I need to stop and put some more gas in the car. Are you hungry? I think there are a couple of donuts left in that bag on the back seat from this morning.”

  “Oh! I slept for a long time. Sorry about that. And yes, I’m starving,” Ann said as she reached for the donuts.

  “You’ll be up early in the morning, catching the train to Wenatchee. You need the rest. Here’s a gas station. I hope it’s still open ...” The gas station was closed, so Paul kept going. “Hmm … there’s still a little in the tank. Maybe we can make it. Keep your eyes open for a gas station. I’ll keep going toward Seattle.”

  The thought of running out of gas before they reached Seattle filled Ann with anxiety. She didn’t want to be stuck on the side of the road at this time of night. They passed a few more roadside stations, but each one was closed.

  The car was still moving along okay when they reached the outskirts of Seattle. Ann thought about what Paul had asked her earlier in the diner. Do you trust me? He was her sweetheart. He was charming, handsome, and funny. Paul was amazing. He treated her with such kindness. But did she trust him?

  The car could run out of gas at any minute because they hadn’t planned very well when they left. The immediate fear of running out of gas mingled with the broader concerns that she had been pushing down throughout their whole engagement. Were they ready to get married? Was Paul the kind of man who would treat her as an equal partner in their marriage?

  Ann felt relieved when they finally reached the Delzer’s home. She didn’t say anything about what she had been thinking, and she was tired, so she didn’t trust her thoughts. She couldn’t wait to go home and see her father in the morning.

  “I’ll see you in a few days. I’m glad we made it back okay. Good night. I love you,” Ann leaned over and gave Paul a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “I love you too. I hope you have a good trip. I’ll miss you.” Paul turned off the car and walked around to open the door for Ann. He walked her up the front steps to the house.

  Billy opened the front door. “Hi, Ann. Hi, Paul! Did you find a good house today?”

  Paul grinned. “Hey, Billy! Yes, we found a house. What did you do today?”

  “Played baseball with my friends.”

  “Ah, well, that sounds fun. I’ll see you around!” Paul gave a quick wave, then headed back to his vehicle.

  Ann waved goodbye and went into the house. She was sad that it would be her last night with the Delzer family. She was going to miss them.

  Twenty-Four

  The red Plymouth was still parked outside the Delzer’s home the next morning when Ann opened the front door, suitcase in hand. Mr. Delzer had offered to take Ann to the station. David and Billy were coming along, too, to say goodbye to their favorite auntie.

  “Isn’t that Paul’s car?” Mr. Delzer asked.

  “Yes, it is … we almost ran out of gas on the way back from Portland. I wonder if he couldn’t get it started again after he dropped me off?” There was no sign of Paul. He must have called a cab. Why hadn’t he just knocked on the door and asked for help?

  “I would have been happy to have given him a ride home,” Mr. Delzer said.

  Not wanting to ask for help seemed to be a characteristic of Paul, something Ann was noticing more often.

  “What’s Wenatchee like?” David asked.

  “There are lots of orchards there, and it’s a small town. It’s the kind of place where you know almost everyone. It’s pretty—nestled in the foothills of the Cascades, with the Columbia River running alongside it,” Ann said.

  “Are you going to come back and visit us?” Billy asked.

  “Definitely! I will.”

  They had reached King Street Station. Mr. Delzer parked the car and got Ann’s suitcase from the trunk, then Ann kissed both little boys on the tops of their heads and said goodbye. She hugged Mr. Delzer. “Thank you for everything. I’ll keep in touch. Goodbye.” Ann waved as the car pulled away from the curb, then she turned toward the giant clock tower and noted that it was almost 7:00 a.m. Her train would be leaving soon. Ann hurried through the lobby area and out toward the platforms, finding hers quickly.

  The train pulled away from the station, and Ann settled comfortably into her seat by the window. She relaxed, knowing she would soon be home. She couldn’t wait to see her father.

  Feeling reflective, Ann thought about everything that had happened over the past year. She was grateful for her year at Seattle College, for the friends she had met, and for the confidence gained as she learned to navigate life on her own. And now, she was getting married.

  The diamond ring on her finger sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the window. It was an extravagant ring, a reminder that her new life with Paul would be very different from what she’d known for most of her life. She hadn’t intended to fall in love. Finding a man to marry at college wasn’t the reason she’d gone, but now, Ann had to admit that there wasn’t much difference between herself and those girls she’d scoffed at when she’d first arrived in Seattle.

  The lush landscape of the west side of the state was gradually changing from the tall, jagged, forested peaks of the Cascades to the softer grass-covered foothills of Central Washington as the train reached closer to home. Outside, Ann watched as the train chugged on the tracks through Cashmere. The raging rapids of the Wenatchee River ran beside the tracks. Well-tended orchards stretched out from the banks of the river and up into the hills.

  The whoosh of the brakes and the screech of the train’s whistle announced the train’s arrival in Wenatchee. Ann could see her father outside on the platform waiting for her. He was alone. When she exited her car, his face lit up with a bright smile. Ann ran to him and gave him a big hug.

  “Hey, bug!” he said. He hadn’t called her that in years. She liked it. “Did you have a good trip?”

  “Yes, I did. The dining car was full the whole time, though. Let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry!” She hadn’t had anything more than a cup of coffee yet that day. Her father pulled an apple out of his pocket and handed it to Ann, just like old times. The old Model T her father drove was the only car in the lot. When Ann saw it, she thought of something.

  “Hey, Father, do you think you could teach me how to drive while I’m here this week?”

  “Of course! It would be a pleasure,” her father said as he opened the door for his daughter.

  Ann was surprised to see that her father had painted the little house on Hawthorne Street since she’d last seen it. Instead of being white, as it had always been, it was now blue. “The house looks great!” Ann said. “Did you paint all of it by yourself?”

  “Thank you. I did. Just trying to keep busy, you know.”

  Ann was used to everything in Wenatchee staying the same. The new color was nice, but she wasn’t sure if she liked the change. It was unsettling. As soon as Ann opened the front door, Noel showed up with her tail wagging, eager to greet the arrivals. The dog excitedly sniffed the suitcase Ann held.

  “Noel! Hey, sweet doggy.” Ann had missed the old dog, but she was glad that Noel and her father had each other to keep company with these days.

  Her dad took Ann’s suitcase back to her childhood room and placed it on the bed. Her room was just as she’d left it. A pink floral quilt covered the comfortable bed in the center of the room.

  A sturdy wood desk stood with a stack of books and a gooseneck lamp under a lace curtain framed window, and in the corner, sat a rattan rocking chair. Ann plopped onto the bed next to the suitcase and sighed with happiness. The familiarity of it all was a comfort.

  “I’l
l go fry up some bacon and eggs. Is it too late for breakfast?” her father asked.

  “That sounds perfect. Thank you! Do you mind if I make another pot of coffee to go with them?”

  After they prepared the meal, and father and daughter sat at the kitchen table with breakfast in front of them, Ann told him about the apartment in Portland.

  “It’s a cute little place on the fourth floor, overlooking downtown,” Ann said.

  “Oh? That’s great. I hope you’ll be very happy there.”

  “How are you doing, Father? You’re not just working all the time, are you?” Ann had spotted a box of heart-shaped cookies in the kitchen. On the outside of the box, someone had signed, Love, Sophia. Ann was smiling. She didn’t like the thought of her father being alone, and now, she wanted to know more about the mysterious cookie maker. But her father, close-lipped as always, didn’t take the bait.

  “I’m doing fine,” he said, smothering a piece of toast with strawberry jam. “Just hired some new guys to help with spraying the orchards.”

  There was no point in beating around the bush with this guy. Ann would have to come out with it and ask. “So, who’s Sophia?” .

  He couldn’t hide the tiny smile that flickered for a moment at that question. “Sophia? Oh. She’s a friend. Just moved in next door. A widow. From Chelan.”

  “May I meet her?”

  “Sure. But I don’t think Sophia is home right now. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days. Must be out of town. I’ll introduce you if we see her.”

  “I want to know more. Why is she making you heart-shaped cookies? What’s she like?” Ann pressed on, enjoying the moment. She knew her father well enough to understand, without words, that whoever this Sophia lady was, she was making her father happy. That was enough. But she couldn’t help giving him a little bit of a hard time.