“Yes, I really am. What’s not to be happy about?” She pauses then taking Ellen’s hands in hers, “I want this happiness for you. Growing up we used to dream about meeting our princes and raising our children together, on the lake. Remember?”
“How could I forget? You were going to marry… oh shoot, what was his name?”
“Apparently you have forgotten!” She chides, “Hank Howard until he decided that he would rather play for the other team in high school. Remember how devastated I was?”
She laughs, “Do I ever! You were so depressed that I thought you would sign up at a convent.”
“I’m glad I didn’t, or I would never have met the man of my dreams and now I’m having our first.” She rubs her non-existent bump to emphasize.
She claps her hands together, “I’m so excited for you. When are you due?”
“We only just found out and it’s so early in the pregnancy, I am not due until the end of July.” She stops then her eyes widen, “In fact, the baby is due on the 26th. Can you believe that?”
“Wow! That would make an awesome birthday present! My oldest and dearest friend having her baby on my birthday.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” She says asks shyly.
“Mind? Are you kidding? It will be a blessing whenever he’s born but, on my birthday, would be such an honor!”
“Hmm. I wonder what we are having. Scott claims he doesn’t want to know but I just don’t think I can stand the suspense.”
Ellen throws her hands in the air. “This is not my territory. But for whatever it’s worth, I don’t think that I could wait to find out either.”
Shaking her head, “I should just be patient but it’s so hard when you watch other couples have reveal parties and their nurseries are all set. But in the whole scheme of things, those are not the right reasons for hastening the grand surprise.”
As they see to the final changes, Ellen silently ponders whether she will ever find someone to be that happy with.
“Aack!” Amber blurts interrupting Ellen’s musings. “There’s that smell again!”
She stomps her feet on her way to the check stand then lights a fragrant candle smelling of red currant.
Ellen takes a whiff and instantly knows why Amber is in a huff, her nostrils are filled with the pungent aroma of coffee beans roasting. Ah, the new tenants next door must be in production.
“I’m glad for the new business to come to town but why did they have to set up right next to my shop? It’s ruining the vibe in here. This keeps up and I will go home smelling like an espresso drink every night.” She gasps, “Worse yet, my customers will be repulsed by the burnt smell and decide not to shop here!”
Ellen stifles a giggle as she watches her friend’s pretty face contort into an ugly scowl, “Amber, can’t you just get an air purifier or something that would push the air around?”
She stops pacing and looking at Ellen, “Or, maybe I should make Ben pay for my air remediation.”
“Ben?”
“Yes Ben! He should have thought about how it would affect his neighbors before putting in a roaster like that.”
Ellen tilts her head in confusion, “Are you saying the coffee roaster is Ben, as in my Ben?”
Her last comment got Ambers attention, “Your Ben is it?” She giggles, “Yes, it is your Ben that I am referring to. He has been working on opening that coffee shop for over a year now, all the way from Italy no less, but I think it’s finally open because all I can smell are the roasting beans and I’ve noticed an increase in activity up and down the street. I find it strange that he never had an official grand opening though. He probably didn’t want to call more attention to the stink than has already been created.” She says with agitation lacing her voice. “I mean one day he shows up saying he was here to take care of his mother and the next he’s polluting the town with his beans.”
“It all makes sense now, but I don’t understand why it has been a quiet opening. He asked me to coffee this week and asked me to meet him there but never mentioned that he is the owner. Are you certain?”
“Of course, I am!” she snaps her fingers, “In fact, he’s had many conversations with Scottie about the transformation of the space and how Ben would showcase his art there.”
“The plot thickens. It seems that he is not simply back just to take care of his mother as he led me believe.” Ellen says more to herself than to her friend who is now standing in front of the candle waving the scent toward her.
“Oh, there’s more, rumor is that after his wife left him, he’s been planning on moving back here permanently. With his mother’s illness he’s been here off and on for a couple of years now, anyway. As you know, she’s been sick for quite some time, but he’s increased his visits.”
“His wife left him? Gosh, I thought she would be joining him here in Thunder Valley.” Ellen asks while clumsily folding the step ladder with her bum arm hindering her progress.
Amber responds despite the clanking that Ellen is making while setting about putting bins back on shelves behind the curtain.
“I think originally that was the plan. I was talking to Darla Thorpe, you remember, debate team captain?” Ellen nods and Amber continues, “She said that he brought her back here in hopes she would fall in love with the Valley. His mom had already been ill for some time and he knew he would need to return here eventually to care for her when the time came. Problem was that his wife met and had an affair with a wine maker when Ben was away on one of his trips out here. In the end she ran off with the guy.”
“Wow, poor Ben. Just like that? What about their little girl?”
“You mean Franny?”
“Yes, that’s right. Did she just abandon her along with her husband?”
Amber softly snorts, “One would think she was a young teenage girl with the way she has been carrying on. Clearly, I don’t know the arrangements first-hand, but I’ve heard that the little girl is to live here during the school year then back to Italy for summers with her mother. Personally, I think it too confusing for a wee little girl like that.”
“I agree though children are resilient. Look at me for example. I had a rough go of it when my mother disappeared but…”
“But you had an entire valley raise you and Tim lucked out meeting Kathy. She was every bit the mother to you.”
Ellen nods, “You’ll have no disagreement there. She was and still is a wonderful mother.” She laments, “In fact I just got done reassuring her of that this morning.”
She wanders over to a rack of silk scarves and after selecting one with blue dragon flies set against a cream backdrop, she places it on the counter.
“Do you remember we used to catch dragonflies by the dozens and Kathy was so sad for the little creatures that she had my father make that cage out of chicken wire lined with mesh for us to keep them?”
“I sure do! She wouldn’t hear of us putting them in a glass Mason jar with holes poked in the lid. Didn’t you ever wonder though why they always would escape the cage by the next day?”
They laugh in unison, “If my suspicions are correct, it was Kathy playing animal rights activist or some such a thing.” Ellen laments as she pulls out her credit card.
“Ok, you have to admit we had an awesome childhood.” She eyes the scarf, “Present for someone?”
“Yes, I think Kathy will like this. It made me think of her.”
“In that case, I will throw in the Amber treatment and tie a ribbon around the bag handles.”
“That would be nice.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing, just because. I thought she might like a little pick-me-up. She seemed a little off this morning and this might cheer her.”
“Well that’s sweet of you. Now you must let me know how your coffee date goes with Ben. He’s on my list right now because of the stink but I hope it goes well.”
“It is not a date!” Ellen insists. “We are only meeting over coffee to catch up on life. In whi
ch case, I am glad you told me about his wife, now I won’t say or ask something stupid.”
Amber sighs while taking time to tie a light pink satin ribbon around the handles of the glossy white bag. “Yes, that would be good not to insult him on your first ‘meeting’.” She says making air quotes with her fingers.
As Ellen grabs the bag off the counter she stops and says, “I am so happy for you and Scott. Let me know if I can help you with anything and for goodness sake, stay off the ladder!”
Grabbing Ellen into a hug, Amber gushes her thanks then utter words of complaint about the roasting beans again.
Once outside, Ellen braces herself against the cold, pulling her collar up around her neck wishing that she had an umbrella to shield her against the rain that is still coming in sideways. The wind gusting and urging her, she looks both ways before she crosses the street to her car, her hair blowing in the wind and sticking to her face with a cluster of wet strands blocking her eyesight. As she has nearly reached her car, she suddenly feels a slamming force thrusting her several feet into the air, tossing her to the ground in a sickening and painful thud. The impact of the car and harsh landing on the pavement is causing her body to go into shock. Using the last bit of strength, she releases a piercing scream pleading for help. After the pleas escape her lips, she gasps and gulps for air while her body lies limp on the wet ground. As Ellen loses consciousness, the only thing that she hears are the crows crying as they are circling overhead and the screeching of tires on the slick road as the assailant makes his grand escape.
The hospital room with the blinding white walls and glaring lights is becoming an all-too-familiar scene. Wincing from the pain wracking her entire body, she slowly opens her eyes yielding to the sting of the stark, unrelenting lights.
“She’s awake! Nurse!” He bellows.
“Shhhh! Tim you can be such an oaf sometimes! You’ll startle her!” Kathy’s voice chastises while Ellen’s eyes are still adjusting.
Ellen tries to speak but her voice is craggy, so she clears her throat loudly.
“What are you trying to say dear? Here let me give you some water!” Kathy says while snatching a clear water bottle with the hospital logo imprinted on the side in blue. As Ellen’s eyes continue to adjust, she wraps her dry crusty lips around the straw feeling her lips cracking under protest. Sighing from the added pain she gratefully sips at the quenching liquid.
“Thank you!” She croaks.
As the room fills with hospital staff, Ellen focuses on Tim’s face, “Dad, what happened? Why am I in the hospital—again?”
Moving around the other side of the bed he makes way for the nurse who is fussing with the machines around Ellen’s right side.
Leaning in closer he says in a quiet voice, “You don’t remember what happened?”
“No, I don’t. What day is it?”
He speaks but is interrupted by the doctor who has just entered the room.
“Ah, the patient is awake. Good, let’s look at your vitals and then we can discuss your rehabilitation.” The older man with graying bushy brows takes the chart from the nurse before she exits the room. Nodding to himself, he places the chart on the wheeled table next to him, turning his attention to Ellen and her parents.
“Please tell me how I came to be in the hospital! Why am I here?” Ellen pleads.
“I was about to kiddo.” Tim pauses, “Someone struck you down by a car outside Amber’s shop. We know little else as there were no witnesses, not even Amber. She was in her shop and didn’t see a thing.”
“So, what’s the damage.” She chokes with tears streaming down her face.
The kindly doctor chuckles, “You really lucked out with only a few broken bones and severe contusions, head to toe. It could have been much worse though. We had to place a few pins in your left arm and did a lot of cleanup work; that arm received the most damage. You’ll notice you have a new cast. You keep that in a sling longer that the first round otherwise it won’t heal properly. Once the cast is removed, it will require a fair amount of rehabilitative work, but you should make a full recovery and have full use in a reasonable amount of time… say a few months up to a year.”
She blinks back the tears flooding her eyes while the kindly doctor continues.
“We have been watching the brain swelling but so far it presents as a typical concussion… nothing sustaining, you should be able to resume memorizing and delivering your lines soon.” He laughs again.
Ellen musters a smile, but work is probably the farthest thing from her mind.
“In fact, I hate to uh… well I hate to bother you, but I hoped that I could convince you to allow me a picture taken with you?” He pauses but quickly continues when she doesn’t respond immediately, “My grown son has a crush on you and he would love a picture of you with himself, but I wouldn’t dream of imposing.” He glances quickly at her parents then back at her with a raise of his bushy brows, eyes peering through the wire-rimmed glasses precariously perched near the end of his generous nose.
Forcing herself not to respond with a roll of her eyes, “When I am rid of the scrapes and bruises on my face I would be happy to meet your son and take a picture with him.”
Looking like he is about to jump out of his starched white lab coat. He excitedly throws his hands in the air, “Well! Thank you so much, you do not understand how happy that will make him.” He looks at Kathy as she silently nods her approval. “I have other patients to tend to. Take it easy for a while longer and providing all goes well, we will get you set up with your walking papers in less than a week. Just in time for your holiday festivities.”
“Right, we have a lot to be thankful for this year.” Tim says with a serious look on his face. He looks at Ellen in the hospital bed he reaches over and picking up her bruised hand, he appears to be fighting back a choke of emotion.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Kathy says just as he exits through the heavy door.
“Well, I am relieved you have just a few more days here and then back home to convalesce. I never imagined you escaping LA would land you in the hospital nearly your entire stay here. Aside from the obvious physical trauma I imagine this is doing a number on your head… you have really been beat up.” Kathy laments more to herself than the other occupants of the stark room.
Ellen releases a soft snort as she allows her eyes to flutter shut. Locking out the sterile atmosphere she imagines herself in a row boat, floating along the lake with one leg dangling in the water as the sun kisses the top of her head and the tip of her nose.
“Shh. I think she is resting. Let’s go so she can sleep. I have a lot of shopping to get done so when she comes home I won’t have to leave her.” Kathy pauses, “Tim, I’m worried, someone really tried to kill her… there were no skid marks.”
His deep voice is little more than a hushed whisper, “I know I am worried too.”
Chapter Nine
A week later, “Merry Christmas!” Tim and Kathy sing-song as Ellen shrinks back from their collective exuberance.
She quietly replies, “Merry Christmas to you too,” pushing herself to sound more excited than she is feeling.
Tim hands Ellen a green shiny foil-wrapped package in the shape of a perfect square. Intrigued, she accepts the gift with a crooked smile on her face. Looking up at Tim she gently rips at the wrapping.
“Go on! Put a little oomph into that, none of us are getting any younger here!” He says in an exacerbated tone.
“Cool it Tim, she’ll get there!” Kathy scolds.
“It’s just a bit tough to do when one of my arms is in a full cast.”
“Ellie, your fingers seem to work just fine.” He lobs back.
Gingerly, she works on removing the paper from the box when she finally reveals a cardboard box that has an auto parts company logo on the side. The top of the box has been taped so much that she can’t break through.
“Geeze are you sure that you actually want me to open the box or just amuse yourself watching me strugg
le with the whole roll of tape holding this together?” She says in a teasing tone.
Letting out a loud snort, “Okay, okay. That was me. It just kept puckering up as I was taping it and I wanted it to be a perfect square not with the ends sticking up. Just hand it to me and I’ll open it for you.”
Snatching the box out of her clutches, he takes both of his hands and tugs at the sides to break the seal of the massive mound of packing tape. With no success, he tries again this time he grunts and groans in a most undignified manner causing the ladies to laugh at his sad masculine display.
He says with a smile on his face, “Oh you think this is funny, do you?” He reaches into his pocket producing a pocket knife. In one quick swipe, the box pops open which then a smile spreads across his face while he hands the box back to the rightful recipient.
Ellen accepts the box from him then balancing it on her lap, she reaches in to pull out a smaller box swathed in bubble wrap.
She looks up at Tim then with her lopsided grin she says quietly, “Um… more tape.”
“My gosh Tim! No wonder I had to buy more packing tape! You used a whole roll just on this gift alone!”
He chuckles then breaks the seal of the tape with his knife again. Stepping back the look of anticipation written all over his face.
Looking back to the bubble wrapped parcel she allows the plastic to fall away exposing an ebony black miniature chest that she instantly recognizes as having been her mother Melody’s.
A light gasp escapes from her lips as she lifts the lid to release the song contained inside the box. As the song plays, she strains to recognize the melody. It’s a haunting tune, just like the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance.
“What song is that? I just can’t place it?” Ellen asks as she fights the tears that threaten to surface.
“It’s ‘Unchained Melody’ you know, by the Righteous Brothers.”
Ellen shakes her head not recognizing the group.
Tim sighs, “It was Melody’s song, she was a huge fan of the group and that was probably her favorite song. I gave her the box our first Christmas after we got married. I figured I have had it in storage so many years that it was time to let you enjoy it.” He points at the box on her lap, “Go through the box. It’s probably been too long for you to remember the contents, but I imagine it will be fun to go through it now. Kathy tucked a little something special in there for you too.” He clears his throat of a lump that was forming, “This is from both of us.”
Secrets of Thunder Valley- The Locket Page 8