The Listening Heart — Natalie King

What should a girl do, Lucy Garret asked herself, when one of the two men in her life moved too fast and the other moved far too slow...?

New Girl in Town...

Shy, self-effacing Lucy Garrett might have stayed in the background forever if circumstance hadn't maneuvered her into the spotlight. First, Ethelle Shore, the owner of the hobby shop where Lucy worked, asked her to take over a crafts demonstration. To her surprise, Lucy found she not only could do it but she enjoyed it! Then the foster family she lived with told her they were moving out of the state. Lucy could have gone with them, but if she was ever going to prove what she could do on her own, now was the time. Forced to believe in herself, Lucy changed from a "plain," awkward girl to an attractive, confident one. But could she handle the transformation or had it happened too fast? How would it affect her long-standing "silent" romance with serious-minded Dana Pearsol, who she sensed couldn't quite accept it. And then she met Ron Norse, the dynamic "crown prince" of the hobby-craft industry, and began to wonder if Dana were the right man for the "new" Lucy after all.

Love's Dream...

Dana's arm lay across the back of the seat as he drove. Lucy, sitting as close as she dared, felt drowsily content. She shut her eyes and took a long deep breath.
"I had a wonderful time. I'm so glad you asked me, Dana."
"And I'm glad you came. I wanted everyone to meet you."
Not much to dream on, these casual words as he helped her out of the car, but Lucy hugged them to her heart: "I wanted everyone to meet you..."
Sleep claimed her, but her dreams were confused, full of double faces...first Dana, then Ron...

Hero: Dana Pearsol
Heroine: Lucy Garrett