Her thoughts drifted to Mr. Henderson, as she took a sip of water. He seemed like a nice man. A friendly smile, good teeth. She laughed. Why she noticed his teeth, she had no idea. More relaxed, she wondered about him. Certainly a good looking man. Tall, brown wavy hair, hazel eyes. Clean shaven, with a stubble of a beard already showing. She’d noticed his hands when he wrote on the pad, and tapped his pencil. Strong fingers, with neatly trimmed nails. Was he married? Engaged?
She chided herself. Mr. Henderson had offered her a job, nothing more. She wanted to present a good impression so she could succeed. What he looked like, and whether he had a wife or fiancée, didn’t matter.
Honey brought her soup, four large crackers and a piece of apple pie. “The pie is my present to you for your new position.” She winked as she placed the steaming bowl and small plate in front of her.
“Thank you, Honey. I should be giving you a present for telling me about the job.”
The waitress shook her head. “No. I just let you know. You did the rest.” She placed her hand on one hip and grinned at her. “When do you start?”
Heidi closed her eyes in pleasure as she took a sip of the thick, delicious soup. “Tomorrow.”
Another diner signaled for Honey. “I gotta go. Good luck tomorrow. Stop in and let me know how your day goes.”
“I will. Thanks.”
She returned to her meal. The soup warmed her, and the unexpected treat of the apple pie provided a nice ending to a wonderful day. With the tension of the day over, and her belly full, she had to stifle a yawn. The five block walk to Mrs. Wilson’s house suddenly seemed far. The quicker she could reach home, the better. She’d been told for years night air would trigger a breathing attack.
She waved to Honey and paid her check with the cashier. Tomorrow she would be doing a similar job, collecting money from customers. Her coat buttoned, hat snugly tied under her chin, and a plaid wool scarf tucked securely around her neck, Heidi stepped into the cold night air.
After a half a block her breathing became labored. Stay calm, don’t panic. She slowed her gait and repeated the words. Kept her mind occupied with happy things. Her new job, her new independence. The happy thoughts weren’t working, and anger surfaced. The breathing illness would not come. She would not succumb to it.
By the end of the first block, she’d broken out into a sweat. Please let me reach home and lie down.
The wheezing got louder, her air more elusive. Slow and steady steps. People were looking at her strangely. A few more steps. She stopped, took shallow breaths. Halfway through the second block, she reached out for a light post, and clung to it, bent over, gasping for breath. Black dots danced in her eyes. Oh no, don’t faint.
“Miss Lester?” A warm, f
amiliar voice came from a distance. Heidi turned her head, and the dark dots merged into one large one, right before she collapsed into the arms of her new employer.
Chapter Two
Michael couldn’t have been more surprised to find Miss Lester in his arms than if he’d found her standing naked on Main Street. He almost went to his knees when she fell into him, but he quickly recovered and held her up. Frantically, he looked around, as if the answer to his dilemma would stroll by.
“Miss Lester?” He held her with one arm and tapped her face lightly with his fingers. She opened her eyes and he noticed her difficulty with breathing. In fact, she fought for every breath she took.
“Are you choking?”
She shook her head. “Can’t…catch my breath.” She panted the words.
Michael stood her upright, and pulled her hands high over her head. “Keeping your hands up will help open your airways. Also, try to calm yourself.”
After a minute her breathing seemed to ease a bit. Michael took a deep breath himself. “Isn’t Mrs. Wilson’s house about three more blocks?”
Still gasping, she nodded.
“All right. I don’t want to leave you here while I fetch my buggy, so we’ll walk slowly the rest of the way.”
Michael removed her scarf from her neck, and wound the plaid wool loosely around the lower part of her face, covering her mouth and nose. He slid his arm around her shoulders and they started off.
“How long have you had this condition?”
When she turned to reply, Michael stopped her. “Never mind, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t speak while you’re walking. We can talk later.”
Michael encouraged her to take slower steps until they arrived at her front door. “I’ll see you inside. I’d like a word with Mrs. Wilson before I leave you.”
Heidi pushed on the doorbell. From the glow of the street light, her face still lacked any color, and although slightly improved, her breathing remained labored.
“Mr. Henderson, what brings you to my door?” Mrs. Wilson glanced from him to Heidi. “Oh dear, Miss Lester, what’s wrong? You look dreadful.”