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Chapter 38

As the Hansom cab neared the lumber store, Scarlett spotted a café called Sally's Sips and Sweets and thought a brief interlude from reality would suit her just fine right about now.

"I do remember that café serves the most delightful cup of coffee and cinnamon sugar donuts. Steven, would you mind terribly if we stopped in here and rested a spell before we go back to the store?" Scarlett asked him excitedly, pleading with her eyes for him to say yes as she pointed her dainty finger towards the quaint little establishment with a whimsical coffee pot shaped sign hanging in the window.

"Not at all, Scarlett," he replied immediately. "A steaming cup of coffee with lots of cream and a warm, fluffy donut to dunk in it sounds rather heavenly right about now," he responded with enthusiasm. The thought of extending his time alone with Scarlett actually sounded even more heavenly to him as he steered the carriage to the front of the café.

As Steven helped her our out of the cab, Scarlett felt relieved to be in his company, even if it was for only a little while. She wasn't contemplating any romantic notions toward him, but it felt good to be around a man close to her age who was a gentle soul and whom she knew wasn't going to make any underhanded comments like she'd come to expect most of the time with Rhett.

A matronly looking waitress, wearing a dark pink dress and a white apron embroidered with festive designs of coffee cups and pastries, greeted them warmly as they entered the café and Scarlett asked her for a table in the back so she and Steven could have some privacy. Steven ordered for them right away and the waitress departed dutifully towards the kitchen to prepare their refreshments.

"Scarlett, I was so sorry when I saw you come out of the station without Rhett. You must be broken hearted," Steven said as he stared at her compassionately. "Begging your pardon if I am intruding, but might I ask what happened back there?"

"When he saw me, he was very caustic and wanted to know why I'd come."

"Did you tell him it was because you wanted to see if the two of you could resolve your differences?"

"With another man, I might have. But you see, Steven, I'd tried doing that the last time he told me he was leaving. He just scolded me and told me that I was wasting my time begging him and said I needed to quit acting so desperate or there'd be absolutely no dignity left from our marriage. I swore I would never, ever beg him to stay with me again. How could I have been such a fool to ever think we could reunite and or to even think about giving him a second chance?" she muttered with self-disgust.

"When we're in love with someone it's never foolish to fight to keep what we have. I wish I'd had another chance to fight for Verona."

Scarlett reached across the table to give his strong, bronze toned hand a tender squeeze and softly replied, "I know, Steven. I was so sorry when I heard from Chandler that you'd lost your wife. I was only too happy to be able to give you a job at the mill. I know it would have been very difficult for you to continue to work at your father's company since that's where you first met Verona."

"I was very grateful when you let me come to work for you, Scarlett. It made my life a little easier. I couldn't have stood going into Breckinridge Designs and seeing her empty chair, knowing that's where we met and where we got to spend every day together. Most husbands and wives only see each other a few hours a day, but we were together from the moment we woke up 'til the moment we said good night. Maybe someday I'll be ready to go back to work for my father, but I don't think it'll be for a while. I hope you've been happy with my work, Scarlett."

"I've been very happy with your work, Steven. After Rhett left me it was such a blessing to have you and Ashley running things at the mill and not worrying about things falling apart after I went to Tara."

"Do you think you'll be returning to Tara soon?" he asked anxiously, trying to hide his longing for her to remain in Atlanta.

"I suppose I will, but I haven't made up my mind completely," she replied as she let out a despondent sigh. "You may not know this, but Chandler is courting my sister Sue Ellen and my other sister, Careen met a young man when were staying at the Meriwether Inn just outside of Clayton County so I would imagine that since he helps his family run the business he'd want her to live there and since Chandler lives in Atlanta he'd want Sue Ellen to come here. It might get very lonely at Tara, but still all the same I am happy that both of them found someone at the same time."

"It is good you're thinking ahead. At least if you come back to Atlanta, you'll have Chandler and Sue Ellen living here and of course you'll also have the friendships of Ashley and me and Mammy and Mable Rose. Most of all, you'll have likely have more choices for husbands than you would in Clayton County."

"Oh fiddle-dee-dee!" she exclaimed. "I am just so tired of men right about now. My first two husbands passed away and now I am about to have a divorce under my belt. I doubt most men would consider me a catch," she lamented. On the one hand she was terrified of being lonely, but on the other hand she relished the thought of being free and not being beholden to any man.

"Scarlett, I think there are probably many men out there who would meet you and be relieved to discover you didn't belong to somebody else," Steven said sincerely as he cast a thoughtful expression in her direction.

Scarlett gazed back into his sensuous molasses colored eyes and felt a wind blow through her soul as she realized maybe he was talking about himself. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and decided it was best to deflect any sort of conversation that might encourage him. At least for now.