After the Rain

by Karen White

  “Thank you, Cassie. I know you would. But I don’t think I could face Joe every day of my life. He made it very clear that there’s no room in his life for me.”

  Cassie took her hand. “That’s not the way he feels, Suzanne. You two can work this out. I know you can.”

  Suzanne grabbed her backpack and hoisted it on her shoulder. “I think my job here in Walton is done. I’m calling the Lifetime people tomorrow to follow up on the letter I sent them last week. Hopefully, they’ll disqualify Charlie, and Maddie will win with her second-place entry. I still have the photograph that I made from the negative—maybe that will be enough proof for them. Then I’m getting on the nine-thirty bus and heading south.” She tried to smile but only halfway succeeded. “Things always seem to work out in the end, don’t they?”

  Cassie gave her husband a long look before turning back to Suzanne with a mischievous smile. “Yes, they do, don’t they?”

  Suzanne stood. “I guess you’re not going to say good-bye again, so I’ll do it for both of us.” She leaned across the table and kissed each of them on the cheek. “Good-bye, Cassie and Sam. I’m going to miss you. I’m going to miss you all.” She turned and fled from the diner before the tears came. It was one thing to be stranded between two busy lanes in the middle of the road and looking like a fool; it was another thing entirely to have witnesses.

  CHAPTER 25

  Suzanne smiled at Mr. Parker as she put her MoonPie and RC Cola bottle on the counter.

  “Well, hey there, Miz Paris. Didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

  “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be back so soon, either. Would you mind making change for me so I can buy my bus ticket?”

  As she slid her money across the counter, a loud commotion erupted from the front of the store. Amanda Warner, joined by Joey, Knoxie, and Sarah Frances, ran through the door and toward the candy aisle, not slowing down to call out a greeting.

  She turned back to Mr. Parker, a question on her lips, when a deep Southern voice spoke behind her. “Don’t they have leash laws in this state?”

  Her heart seemed to freeze in her chest. She turned around and saw the face that she had tried so hard to forget, but which always seemed to be permanently lodged in her memory. Harry, wearing cowboy boots, training pants, and nothing else, stood next to him, clutching Joe’s jeans. It was hard squeezing her voice out of her frozen chest. “What happened? Did Lucinda desert you again?”

  “Not exactly. She says she’s on strike until I come to my senses.”

  Suzanne spotted Maddie in the MoonPie aisle, trying to pretend she wasn’t listening.

  “Come to your senses?”

  “Yeah. She said something about me forgetting all about forgiveness and understanding somewhere back in preschool and that I needed to get a life. Or maybe that was Maddie who said that. Either way, they’re both right.”

  Her breath was coming in shallow gulps now. “They are?”

  He sighed, as if he’d been working up to this performance for a long time and wasn’t getting the audience reaction he’d anticipated.

  Finally, he said, simply, “Stay. Please. I know I’ve been a real ass, and I don’t deserve you to even ever talk to me again, but I want you to stay.” His warm brown-green eyes bored into hers, and she had the unlikely sensation of being torn from the wreckage of a highway collision by strong arms.

  She tried to straighten her shoulders, as was her old habit, only to find they were already straightened. With a tilt of her chin, she asked, “Why?”

  “Because I love you. Because I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  She continued to focus on breathing normally. “But we’re not anything alike.”

  Half of his mouth turned up in a grin. “That’s for sure.”

  “And I wear a toe ring that really seems to bother you.”

  “I’ll get one, too.”

  She tried to force back a smile as she crossed her arms in front of her. “What can I give you that you don’t already have?”

  “You.” He stepped closer, dragging Harry with him.

  It was then she noticed that the other children, with the exception of Maddie, had come to stand behind Joe. Amanda piped up, “Marry us, Suzanne.”

  Joe’s eyes were deep and solemn as he tilted his face down to hers. “She’s stealing my thunder, but the sentiment’s the same.”

  Suzanne had the sudden picture in her head of her and Joe in the frozen food aisle of the Piggly Wiggly, and her heart seemed to leap in her chest. Yes, she thought, and then, “Yes,” she said out loud.

  Joe’s lips touched hers, and they were warm and soft and real. And then she heard a whoop from Maddie, and Joey saying, “I think I’m going to be sick,” and Harry buried his face in his father’s pants leg with a giggle.

  Suzanne sat with Joe on the porch swing at the Ladue house, the smell of wet grass and fresh paint strong in the air. Not that it would be called the Ladue house much longer. After the wedding, it would become the new Warner house, a place for new beginnings and fresh dreams—dreams Suzanne had finally allowed herself to have.

  The storm had remained unabated all during the graduation ceremony, but it hadn’t succeeded in dampening the spirits of seniors as they’d stood in the high school gymnasium in caps and gowns and received their diplomas. The freshly waxed floors of the gym, courtesy of Maddie’s community service for what she’d done to Charlie’s car, gleamed with the same brightness of the young people’s faces as they turned toward their futures.

  More people arriving for the post-graduation party at the house hurried up the stairs, huddling under wet umbrellas. After stacking them in the corner of the porch, Joe opened the door and let the guests in before rejoining Suzanne on the swing.

  Bill and Sweetpea Crandall emerged from the house just as Joe sat down. Bill came over and shook Joe’s hand as he stood up again. “Well, Mayor, congratulations on the annexation of that pine forest acreage. I don’t know how you managed it, but you did.”

  “Thanks, Bill. It wasn’t too hard, once the people of Walton knew what was at stake. Now our city limits have just expanded a bit.”

  “Heard ol’ Stinky Harden hightailed it on down to Mexico to hide from his creditors. Hated to see him go. The way he waddled in those seersucker suits was always good for a laugh.”

  Sweetpea moved to stand next to them and addressed Suzanne. “I just saw Maddie’s album, and it’s simply the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Crandall, although I can’t take full credit. It was Harriet’s idea, and she started it.”

  “Oh, I know. But it’s like you two worked together on it, you know? It was hard to tell where her part ended and yours began.”

  Joe squeezed Suzanne’s hand. “Yes,” she said. “I know.”

  Mrs. Crandall continued. “I loved that studio portrait you did of Cassie and the baby. I swear it belongs on a Pampers TV commercial.” She lowered her voice a notch. “You know, if you could make me that beautiful in a photograph, your studio will have more business than it could ever handle!”

  “She’s a photographer, Sweetpea. Not a miracle worker.” Bill Crandall winked broadly.

  Mrs. Crandall slapped her husband on the arm with her handbag. “Thanks so much for inviting us to the party. I got Maddie a waffle iron, but I’m not sure she’s going to need anything like that in San Francisco. Tell her I have the gift receipt from Target if she wants to return it for a sushi slicer or something.”

  “I will, Mrs. Crandall. Thank you.”

  Mr. Crandall opened the umbrella over their heads and pulled his wife closer with his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, dear, cuddle up tight, now. Sugar melts when it’s wet, and we can’t have you making a slippery mess all over the porch steps.” He kissed her temple and led her down the walk.

  Joe sat back down and turned to Suzanne. “Are you ready to go in yet?”

  She shook her head. “A few more minutes. All that you
thful energy pretty much wears me out. But Lucinda seems to be in her element—especially with the sheriff at her every beck and call.” She rested her head on Joe’s shoulder and stared out at the rain dripping from the lush and green mimosa tree. “Besides, I like sitting out here with you and listening to the rain. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.”

  They rocked in silence for a while longer until the front door opened again and Ed and Miss Lena came out. Joe stood again, always the Southern gentleman, as Ed helped his mother put on her pink sweater before approaching Suzanne.

  “Did you give it to her yet?” Miss Lena asked.

  Suzanne shook her head. “Not yet. I haven’t had the opportunity.”

  The old woman winked. “She’s going to love it.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Suzanne gave her a wistful smile.

  Miss Lena moved her face closer to Suzanne’s. “You don’t need it anymore, you know. You’ve found your own heart.”

  “I did, didn’t I?” She took Joe’s hand and held it close to her chest.

  Ed grinned broadly. “Mama tells me you’re going to Paris on your honeymoon.”

  Joe gave an exaggerated sigh. “That was Suzanne’s idea. She assures me I won’t starve to death if I don’t have grits and bacon for two weeks. I hope she’s right.”

  With a bright smile, Miss Lena said, “Which reminds me. I have something for you.” She dove into her oversized handbag and pulled out a thick novel entitled Desire. With a wicked gleam in her eye, she handed it to Suzanne. “For your honeymoon. I earmarked all the juicy bits.” She elbowed Joe in the ribs. “So glad to hear he’s having sex again. I just knew it would work out between the two of you.”

  Ed tugged on her arm. “Let’s go, Mama. You need to take your medicine.”

  Ed opened an umbrella and began escorting her away, and they listened to her protests as she was led down the walk. “I don’t need to take my medicine. My mind’s as sharp as a tack.” She turned around and winked at Suzanne before continuing her tirade. “Just because I mention the word ‘sex’ and I’m eighty-three years old, people think I’ve lost my mind.”

  Joe laughed out loud as he sat down again next to Suzanne. “Are you sure you want to stay here in Walton with me?”

  She kissed him lightly on the lips. “Absolutely. They make me feel perfectly normal.”

  He kissed her back, harder, and only stopped when Maddie came out of the house.

  “I was looking for you two. I guess I should have figured you’d be out here alone.”

  Suzanne moved over to make room for Maddie between her and Joe. “Come sit. I’ve been waiting to give you your graduation present.”

  “I already got the album. People are looking at it inside and going just gaga over it. Darlene Narpone is handing out business cards like they’re going out of style.”

  “No. This is something else.”

  Maddie held up her hand. “Hold that thought. I wanted to give you something first. I found this on my dresser this morning, and it wasn’t there last night. I asked Lucinda about it, but she’d never seen it before, either. She said it was a penny from heaven. So I decided to give it to you. As a sort of early wedding present for good luck.”

  Suzanne held out her hand and took the penny. Somehow she managed to control her voice. “Thank you.” She shifted in her seat so she could face Maddie, then reached behind her neck and unclasped the gold heart necklace.

  As she put it on Maddie and began fastening it, Suzanne said, “I want you to have this. My mother gave it to me when I most needed it, and now I’m giving it to you.”

  Suzanne looked at the gold charm again and saw all of a mother’s love, hopes, and dreams. She had found them all, and it was time to pass them on to Maddie.

  Maddie held the charm up and read the inscription out loud. “A life without rain is like the sun without shade.” She smiled brightly, belying the tears sparkling in her green eyes. “Your mother was right.”

  Maddie hugged her, and Suzanne rested her head on Maddie’s, blinking back her own tears. Things had changed. She had finally accepted her mother’s love, as well as her own need to love and be loved, and Joe and Maddie had come to terms with the loss of a beloved wife and mother. But they were the same people, really. That much hadn’t changed. Their paths had merely intersected at a crossroads, bringing them back to the starting place.

  “Wow, look at that.” Maddie pointed to the sky and stood to move toward the edge of the porch, and Suzanne joined her.

  It was then that Suzanne noticed that the rain had finally stopped and a bright rainbow was now straddling the sky as if illuminating the dark corners of the earth.

  Quietly Maddie said, “You have to get through the rain if you’re ever going to see a rainbow. It’s true, isn’t it?”

  Joe came to stand behind Suzanne and put his arms around her. He kissed the back of her head. “I imagine so.”

  And the world continued to spin on its axis, bringing rain and sun, joys and sorrows. Suzanne realized that life had always been this way, and probably always would be. But now she’d found her place in the great vastness of the world, and Joe’s arms held her to it. She looked up again at the bright hues of the rainbow, almost believing that she could feel the turning of the earth. A journey come full circle.

  Maddie stepped off the porch and moved away from them, intent on her own thoughts. Joe turned Suzanne around to face him and kissed her. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For what you’ve done for Maddie. For what you’ve done for me. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how thankful I am.”

  She put his face in her hands. “I think it’s the other way around, but I’m willing to let you try.”

  He kissed her again and then led her into the house, letting the door close behind them.

  It began to rain again, the drops splattering against the roof and windows, but the sun continued to shine, its bright light casting hope in the shades of a rainbow across the fathomless Georgia sky.

  Photo by Lee Siebert

  Karen White is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen previous books. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband and two children near Atlanta, Georgia.

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  CONVERSATION GUIDE

  after

  the

  rain

  KAREN WHITE

  This Conversation Guide is intended to enrich the individual reading experience, as well as encourage us to explore these topics together—because books,and life, are meant for sharing.

  QUESTIONS

  FOR DISCUSSION

  1. After the Rain is a sequel to the author’s earlier work Falling Home. If you’ve read Falling Home, do you remember these characters? How have they changed? Is it a pleasurable experience to reunite with them? Did you have any suspicions about Suzanne’s true identity?

  2. How does the author create such a vivid sense of place? How would you describe Walton? Do you recognize your own hometown in this special corner of the world?

  3. The women of Walton keep the community strong, and literally are the caretakers of memories (as with Maddie’s scrapbook). In what other ways are women the soul of the town?

  4. How have Harriet’s children dealt with the loss of their mother? How have the adults?

  5. Does Suzanne do the right thing by prolonging her exit from Walton, even as it begins to put Joe’s career in jeopardy?

  6. What prevents Suzanne and Joe from moving forward in a romantic relationship? How does Harriet’s presence still inhabit the day-to-day lives of her family and home?

  7. Why do you think Maddie chooses to confide in Suzanne, a stranger to town, over her own family, and especially Cassie? How is Suzanne safe or more objective? How does she help in the situation?

  8. Had you heard of “pennies from heaven” before? Do you think such a phenomenon is real? Or have
you experienced it?

  9. Do you think Harriet would have (or does) give her blessing to Joe to move on? Would you want your loved one to find love again after you pass on?

  10. Could you have destroyed the negative? What do you think you would have done in this situation? How does Suzanne attempt to make up the loss to Maddie?

  11. Do you think Cassie’s objections, and guarded behavior, to Suzanne were justified? Are Joe’s personal life and affairs really her business? Does Cassie see a little of herself in Suzanne?

  12. “She remembered cradling Maddie that night on her porch, and the tight feeling in her chest she’d experienced while watching Harry sleep in his crib. And even the need to make the hurt go away when Sarah Frances had been sick with chicken pox.” Do you find this description accurately paints “maternal feelings”? Would you add any others? Do you think Suzanne is ready to assume a maternal role?

  13. Where do you see the main characters of this book in five years? In thirty?

  Read on for a preview of

  Karen White’s next novel,

  the time between

  Available in hardcover from

  New American Library in June 2013.

  CHAPTER 1

  Eleanor

  The first time I died was the summer I turned seventeen. I remember the air being so hot, you could smell the pluff mud baking in the sun, the scent sulfur-sweet and strong enough to curl your toes, the tall stems of sweetgrass listless, their tips bowed in submission. Blood sat like melted copper in my open mouth as I rose above my broken body splayed like a rag doll beside the dirt road. Let me go, I thought as I hovered, weightless. But I felt the pull of a gossamer thread of conscience and retribution that tethered me to this earth. Before I heard the screams of the sirens and my mother’s wailing, I knew I wouldn’t stay dead for long.