Read Ellie's Advice (sweet romance) for Free Online

the cab because I was winded and cold, and this time when you understood and sympathized with the woman in the letter I told you about."
    She continued quickly, to answer his question. "Well, I bought up all the old newspapers I could find, so I could catch up with the new columnist. I hadn't realized you'd already hired someone, and wanted to see who I would be working opposite. I suppose that sounds vain, but I really was just curious, not trying to copy Mrs. Lawrence."
    He nodded. "It's perfectly understandable. I read our rival newspapers all the time," he assured her.
    She smile d her thanks for the kind words. "Well, I enjoyed reading the Mrs. Lawrence column, but I sometimes thought she — sorry, he — didn't take it perfectly seriously, as the letter writers do. Last week, there was a letter from a young girl who longed for a new hat for a high school dance. But her parents wouldn't buy it for her, and she didn't have the money herself. She wondered if it would be all right to ask her grandparents for a loan or an early birthday gift, because they're well-off, but she didn't want to seem like she was begging. She wrote asking for advice on how to do this, or if her family would be ashamed of her if she did."
    She took a deep breath. They rounded a corner in the park and came upon a lovely grove of trees all bursting with little leaves, translucent and bright green. Her steps faltered as she took in the sight, gasping in a little breath with renewed surprise of this beauty. He stopped as well, staring up at the trees with an arrested look on his face. She glanced at him and smiled; he returned it, and they continued walking.
    She picked up her story . "On the surface, that letter is rather simple and… and even childish. A new hat is not the most important thing in the world. But the heart of that girl shows, I think, a remarkable sensitivity. She clearly wanted to do the right thing.
    " Mrs. Lawrence answered rather glibly that if her grandparents wouldn't buy it for her, she should just do without. That was of course correct. The adult world is full of disappointments, and one cannot be shielded from them forever. But Mrs. Lawrence seemed to have no actual sympathy for the young woman, as if she herself had never longed desperately for something at that age, something that would make her fit in and feel good about herself, so that she could stand up proudly among her peers. That's terribly important to girls at that age, you know."
    She glanced at him, wondering suddenly where all of these words had come from, when she was normally so shy. Would he think her a hopeless chatterbox?
    But he was nodding slowly to her words, a thoughtful, intent look on his face. "I see what you mean. I didn't notice at the time, but you're right. Sympathy for the girl, as well as the advice, would have been more on the mark. Hmm." He ran a hand back through his hair.
    He was still holding his hat, she noticed, as if he had forgotten about it entirely. Would he leave it off the whole time? Surely etiquette didn't demand that. Not that she had gone walking with gentlemen enough to know what etiquette demanded.
    He glanced at her and smiled. "I think you 're very wise indeed, Miss Goldman."
    And somehow the warmth of his smile, and the gentle acceptance and regard of his voice, gave her the courage to quite boldly say, "Please, call me Ellie. Since we shall be working together, I think it would feel much more comfortable!"
    His smile grew wider. "I… I thank you." Now his cheeks were heating again. He was such a gentleman. She loved him for it in this moment, for being embarrassed by such a small thing as her name. "Ellie. In that case, will you do me the honor of calling me Shel?"
    She smiled back. "Thank you, Shel. I'd love to."
    They'd stopped walking once again, and stood staring at each other, their gazes bright and warm. Overhead, two birds began to sing what sounded like a love song. Ellie and Shel looked away from one another