Tessa pulled out her notepad, jotted down a few notes about the house, and decided to return to the office. She would call Mrs. Steele and share with her the state of the house. Tessa already had ideas about how to bring light and shine back to Honeysuckle Hollow, and she hoped she would be able to encourage Mrs. Steele to repair a few of the minor problems before putting the house on the market. Tessa knew a few locals who might be willing to lend a hand to repair a home that had helped so many people.
Tessa parked the Great Pumpkin up the street from her office. She grabbed her purse and the house listings she’d tossed in the front seat. As she walked up the sidewalk, she passed by Scrambled just as Nell Foster exited the building with an armful of to-go bags. Nell’s rumpled clothes and frizzy red hair made her look as though she’d had the kind of day that made it easy to forget to brush her teeth or make sure her shoes matched, which was out of character for the flawless law clerk attire she wore during the week.
Tessa paused. “Hey, Nell. You need a hand getting those to your car?”
Nell glanced up at Tessa and blinked. Her brown eyes seemed to look straight through Tessa, focusing on nothing. Then her bottom lip trembled, and her body sagged forward like an empty paper bag.
Tessa hurried over and grabbed the bags from Nell’s arms. “Hey, are you okay?”
Purple smears arched beneath Nell’s tired eyes, and her lips were pinched as though she’d been eating lemons. She wiped at her watery eyes, smearing her eyeliner across her cheeks. She reached up to pull her fingers through her curly hair, but her fingers caught in snares of knotted curls. “I could really use a hot shower or a long soak in a tub or a ticket to Bermuda. Don’t suppose you have any of those handy?”
Tessa cradled the bags in her arms and grabbed Nell’s shirtsleeve with her hand. She tugged Nell down the sidewalk to a bench and they sat.
Tessa propped the bags beside her on the bench seat. “What’s happened?”
Nell released a shaky sigh. She swirled her hands in the air. “Oh, what hasn’t happened? We lost both our cars and our house and our clothes and our food in the flood, and we moved in with Liam’s mama who has a one-bedroom house. One bedroom. Can you imagine? Three adults and three children. It’s a nightmare. I’m a nightmare. Look at me. I look like the hobo version of Raggedy Ann, and the children are practically barefoot and wearing the same clothes they woke up in on Saturday—oh, I’ve washed them, of course, but it doesn’t matter. A few more days like this and they’ll probably call me an unfit mother, and they’d be right. I’m unraveling like a bad sweater. I yelled at Ava this morning for chewing her cereal too loudly. And the boys, they have so much energy that they’re bouncing off the walls. Literally. Liam knows I’m at the end of my short rope, so he’s ridden over the ridge to see if he can find us an extended-stay hotel room. I can’t keep living with his mama in that tiny house.” Nell closed her eyes and inhaled a shuddering breath before dropping her head toward her chest and crying.
Tessa put her hands on Nell’s arm. “Breathe, Nell.” Tessa had been throwing a pity party for herself for days, but here in front of her sat a woman who had lost more than Tessa had and who had nowhere to go. At least Tessa had the Borellis’ apartment to stay in until she found a place. She felt selfish for not having once thought about what the other townspeople might be going through because of the flood.
The wind swept down the street and ruffled the house listings half sticking out of Tessa’s purse. She glanced at them and thought of Honeysuckle Hollow and how it had helped people during their times of devastation and need. Tessa’s eyebrows rose.
“Nell? Where were you going with the food?”
Nell nodded toward the park at the end of the street. “The kids are with Liam’s mama. I’m bringing lunch.”
“I have an idea. Why don’t you go have lunch with them, and when you’re finished, see if his mama will watch the kids a little longer and you come to my office. I’m going to make a few calls to some of the landlords who have rental properties and see if I can find y’all a good deal on temporary housing.”
Nell’s brown eyes widened. Sunbeams reflected off her pale, pink cheeks. “Can you do that? Do you think you can find us a place in town?”
Tessa nodded. “I do. Come back and see me after lunch?”
Nell leaned over and pulled Tessa into a hug. “Thank you, thank you. With the kids in school here, it would be so much easier if we could find something in Mystic Water. I wasn’t even thinking about renting—well, to be honest, I haven’t been thinking coherently at all—but if we could find a place big enough for us…. Gosh, Tessa, thank you so much. Really, I’m going to cry again.” Tears pooled on her lids.
Tessa patted Nell’s arm. “Don’t cry. I don’t mind helping at all. It’s my job to find homes for people.”
Nell stood and struggled in vain to smooth the wrinkles from her clothes. “You’re a lifesaver.”
Tessa lifted the lunch bags from the bench and passed them to Nell. “I’ll see you soon then.”
Nell nodded and hurried down the sidewalk toward the park. Tessa smiled as she walked to her office. She thought, First, I’ll help Nell, and then, I’ll help Honeysuckle Hollow. Tessa’s smile widened.
As the swollen orange sun sank beneath the pine trees, Tessa closed down her computer at work. After spending an hour with Nell Foster and finding her family temporary housing, Tessa had written down all of the other people Nell knew on her street who needed help too. The insurance companies were dealing with so many clients that many of the people weren’t receiving adequate service. So, Tessa had spent the rest of the afternoon contacting the displaced homeowners and working with them and the landlords to find homes for everyone. So far, there was only one family who still needed a place to go, and Tessa felt confident that she’d find them a rental.
Tessa stood and stretched, glancing out the window at the streaks of copper coloring the buildings and streets. She reached into her purse and clasped her fingers around the keys to Honeysuckle Hollow. She stared at the keys in her palm. “I haven’t forgotten you,” she said. “After all you’ve done for others, we’ll get you fixed up.” She dropped the keys back into her purse. “Now if I could just figure out what I’m going to do for permanent living arrangements, that would be great.” Tessa sighed and locked up the office.
Once inside the apartment, Tessa changed out of her work clothes and pulled on a pair of loose soccer shorts and a T-shirt. She grabbed the listings she’d collected throughout the day, and she made notes on the positives and negatives about each house. While she sorted the papers into piles, she glanced at the copy of Guests of Honeysuckle Hollow on the coffee table. Tessa realized she had been comparing all of the listings to Honeysuckle Hollow—did the listing have the same size yard, was it located in an historic neighborhood, would anyone refer to it as a fairy tale house? Her cell rang, and she groaned when she saw it was Marty again, but then she decided it might be nice to have a conversation with someone who wouldn’t plague her about future plans or major decisions.
“Hey, Marty,” she said as she answered.
Marty burst into a conversation immediately, and she sat and listened for a while since he didn’t appear to need her responses. Guilt trickled into her chest the more Marty talked. He only wanted to check to make sure she was okay and to see if she needed anything. He’d heard about the residences around Jordan Pond, and he’d been worried about her for days.
Tessa and Marty had never been around each other except for the times she’d seen him in the butcher shop and on the one group date that had been arranged by his best friend’s wife. Marty was average-looking at his best, built like a grizzly bear with hands as big as vinyl records ending with fat, meaty fingers. His brown hair thinned across the top of his pale white scalp, and his glasses were too small for his wide, pudgy face. He wore ironed khakis, creased down the center of the pants legs, and a rotation of button-down shirts. His averageness wouldn’t have been so bad if he d
idn’t smell like a meat locker.
Even though Tessa hadn’t wanted to talk about her next plan of action concerning her life, it bothered her that after twenty minutes on the phone, Marty still hadn’t even asked her what she was going to do with herself. He never once inquired about her condo or how she was doing. Evidently, knowing she was alive and breathing was enough information for him.
Marty wanted her to meet him for dinner at Smiley’s Restaurant, Bar & Arcade over in the next town, and she was on the verge of agreeing, but first, she decided to mention Honeysuckle Hollow.
She cleared her throat. “Honeysuckle Hollow is going up for sale soon.”
Marty breathed into the phone. “That old hunk-a-junk on Dogwood? Old Dr. Hamilton’s place?”
“It’s not junk. It needs work, sure, but it’s salvageable. A woman out West inherited it. At first she wanted to tear it down, but I think I can convince her not to.”
“Why?” Marty asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to raze it and then let someone else rebuild?”
Tessa huffed. “It’s an historical home. You don’t just raze it.”
Marty made a noise in his throat. Tessa could picture the dull expression on his face.
“Would be easier, though,” he said.
“If I had the money, I’d rehab it myself,” she muttered, surprised at her own admission.
Marty snorted. “You? Tess, like my mama always says, ‘Stick with what you know.’ I know meat. You know real estate. No reason to get yourself all tied up with a termite’s paradise.”
Tessa sagged against the couch. Maybe Marty was right. What did she know about rehabbing old homes? Close to nothing. But the idea bounced around in her head like a pinball in high-scoring mode. She pulled out her notepad and wrote the question, Rehab project? She numbered down the side of the page, and beside the number one she added, Marty: No. Stick to what you know. Beside the number two she wrote, I could learn a new trade, couldn’t I?
“So whaddya say?” Marty asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Huh?”
“About dinner, Tess. Meet me in an hour? We can have a good time, and you can forget all about that dump of a house.”
Tessa frowned. But I don’t want to forget about it. I promised I would help it. “Eh, thanks, Marty, but it’s been a long day. Maybe some other time. I’ll talk to you later.” She didn’t wait for him to argue before she ended the call.
Tessa sighed again and fluttered the pages of house listings on the coffee table. She stood and opened the living room window to let in the breeze. Then she knelt down and rested her arms on the sill. She sighed, and the evening clouds scattered from the sky, revealing the first stars of the night. Melancholy settled around her, and she let it linger for a few minutes. She still didn’t have a plan, and she would need one soon.
Finally, her stomach growled and she shuffled into the kitchen. She grabbed her cell phone off the table and texted Anna two questions: Should I sell my home and can I learn a new trade? Within a minute, her cell beeped, and Anna’s return texts read, I think you’ve been offered a new opportunity to change your living arrangements. This could be an open window instead of a closed door. And it depends on the trade, I would think. You’re smart and capable. But you don’t want to become a chef, do you? Call me if you need to talk. At this point, Tessa didn’t even know what else to say. She had no definitive plans. The easiest choice at the moment was to find something to eat.
Tessa opened the fridge and saw the containers of food Cecilia and Harry had given her. She reached in and grabbed the home fries. She filled the kettle, set it on the stove, and waited for the water to boil. Tessa dumped the potatoes into a bowl and tossed them into the microwave. She walked into the living room and looked at the mint plant. The fat leaves were growing larger every day, stretching long tendrils across the apartment. Now its arms invaded Canada, the US’s Pacific coast, and Central America. She pulled off a handful of leaves, releasing the cool scent into the air. She inhaled, and the melancholy faded.
Tessa dropped the mint into the porcelain pot and poured hot water over the leaves. She filled her mug and inhaled again. Her shoulders relaxed, and she marveled at the mint’s ability to relax her. Then she heard Crazy Kate’s voice in her head saying, Sprinkle some thyme from the garden into your potatoes, and tell me you don’t know the rain is coming before everyone else knows. The microwave dinged, and Tessa stared at her mug of tea.
Whether it was because she was tired or because she was lonely without her family, friends, or a viable boyfriend around to console her, Tessa thought too long about Crazy Kate’s words. She thought so long about them that her tea became cold, and she wondered if the garden’s plants might have hidden abilities. Sneaking into the garden and nipping a bit of thyme suddenly sounded like a great idea.
Tessa slipped on a pair of flip-flops and grabbed a flashlight from the toolbox she found in the coat closet. She crept outside as though someone might be around to spot her, but the streets were quiet except for the evening wind rustling through the trees and crickets chirping in the shadows. Tessa swung the light across the plants, looking for thyme. She found it halfway down the side garden and knelt in front of it. She plucked off five sprigs, and before she allowed herself to feel completely ridiculous, she sprinted for the stairs and rushed into the apartment.
Tessa pulled all the leaves off the thyme and sprinkled them on the potatoes before reheating them. Then she sat at the table, staring at the steam rising from the wedges, thinking maybe she’d gone round the bend this time. She was actually listening to Crazy Kate, and she wondered if the old woman was somewhere laughing at Tessa’s naiveté until her stomach ached.
Tessa ate the potatoes and drank cold mint tea until both were gone. Then she sat at the table feeling nothing but exhaustion. As a last hope before bedtime, she opened the door to the apartment, stared up at the clear, starry sky, and felt nothing. No premonitions of impending rain, no thoughts of cloudy skies or sweltering heat. Nothing. A star twinkled at her, inviting her to make a wish, but Tessa felt sure that not even wishes could help her.
Tessa woke the next morning to find an oppressive humidity blanketing the apartment. She glanced at the alarm clock, and upon seeing the time, wondered why the bedroom was still full of deep shadows. When she crawled out of bed and opened the blinds, she saw dark, ominous clouds hovering over Mystic Water. A sliver of dread shot through her. Mystic Water didn’t need any more rain. But her anxiety snuffed out quickly, leaving Tessa feeling confused. Didn’t threatening storm clouds mean rain? No, a voice said.
She dressed and prepared for her workday with a cup of coffee and a banana. As she opened the door and stepped outside, the air clung to her skin like syrup. Storm clouds loomed overhead, and people on the streets scurried past with closed umbrellas and anxious gazes pointed skyward as though waiting for the imminent downpour. Again, Tessa felt a whisper of comfort in her mind, telling her the rain would not fall.
As she walked to the office, her cell rang. “Hello?” she answered.
“Good morning, Tessa, this is Mr. Jenkins. I got your message yesterday.”
“Yes, thank you for calling back. I’m looking for a contractor to help me with Honeysuckle Hollow.” She paused in between two buildings so she could talk.
Tessa proceeded to inform Mr. Jenkins about the property. He was her first option because she knew he’d restored the antebellum home on Anderson Ridge, and he’d remodeled parts of the Clarke House, another historical Victorian in Mystic Water, which was also Lily and Jakob’s home.
Unfortunately, Mr. Jenkins wasn’t available for three months. He told her he’d put in a call to Charlie Parker, who had trained beneath him. Tessa thanked Mr. Jenkins and told him she was in route to Honeysuckle Hollow this morning and she would be available throughout the day if Charlie was free that afternoon. Before Tessa could settle into her office, Mr. Jenkins called again and said Charlie could be there in an hour.
As Tessa climb
ed into the Great Pumpkin, a burst of wind rushed down the street and tangled her hair in her face. Thunder rumbled like an unhappy giant, vibrating the windows on Main Street. Shop owners lowered their awnings, preparing for the approaching storm, but Tessa rolled down her windows and drove to Honeysuckle Hollow, letting the outside air swirl inside the car, bringing with it the scent of crushed thyme.
Tessa parked on the curb in front of the house and called the exterminators and cleaners again. If she was going to put Honeysuckle Hollow on the market, it needed to be cleaned and free of animals. She spoke to both companies, and when she was finished, she debated rolling up the windows but again felt as though there was no need.
She hopped through the high weeds and scattered colonies of ladybugs hiding in the grass. Once inside Honeysuckle Hollow, she stood in the foyer and leaned one arm on the finial at the bottom of the staircase, wondering what life was like when the home sparkled with happiness and bloomed with beauty. A powerful feeling of homesickness swept over her, and she sat on the bottom stair.
“I’m lonely for a home.” She looked around at the covered furniture, the lacy cobwebs hugging corners, and the dust shrouding the house. “Maybe you’re lonely too,” she said to the house. Tessa inhaled slowly and exhaled a shaky breath. Before she allowed herself to crack apart, she stood and patted the finial. “I’ll get you all fixed up, and you’ll feel right again.” She wished someone would say the same to her.
Tessa wandered into the front living room, seeing the trails in the dust left behind by her earlier visit, and approached the fireplace with apprehension. She reached into her purse and pulled out a clear cylinder of body spray. If the bats attacked again, this time she would be ready. She hoped they were afraid of tangerine-scented mist.
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