by Jenny Hale
The door to Heidi’s room was open to the hallway so Scarlett went inside.
“Want to talk?” Scarlett asked her younger cousin, as Heidi sulked on the bed.
“Do you ever feel like you’re in a low point all around?” Heidi asked, removing her AirPods and sitting up cross-legged, pulling a pillow into her lap.
Scarlett sat down beside her. “Definitely.”
Heidi fiddled with the edge of the pillowcase. “I ended things with Michael and he didn’t take it very well; I didn’t really break the news about college very well to Dad either; and then I messed up by telling Gran before we were all ready for her to hear. Nothing has gone right for me this Christmas.”
“We all go through things like that in life, and the good news, at least from what I’ve found, is that after the lows you notice the highs, and when you’re up there, it feels so good. Just hang on. It’s coming.”
“I guess…”
“Have you talked to your dad any more about your decision to go to college somewhere else?”
She shook her head.
“The one thing I know about Uncle Joe is that he’s really considerate of other people. I’m sure he understands that you aren’t the same person as he is and you might want something different. I think he just hoped you’d go to his alma mater. All you have to do is pull him aside and tell him how you feel.”
“I know. I just wish I could’ve done what he wanted me to do. He’s already put a deposit down on an apartment for me on the outskirts of campus at Johns Hopkins. I didn’t know he’d done that. It was going to be a surprise.” She sank down against the pillows miserably.
“But you can’t choose a university because your dad might lose a deposit. I’m sure he’d agree. Perhaps he, too, has to learn how to navigate things as they change—it’s all new for him as well. Maybe he’ll decide that he needs to check with you before making big decisions on your behalf. You’re a young adult now; you’ll be making your own choices. He’s probably not used to that.”
“She’s absolutely right.” Uncle Joe’s voice sailed in from the hallway. He walked into the room and sat down next to Scarlett. “Scarlett couldn’t have said it better. Yes, I’d have loved for you to go to my university, and I looked forward to reliving my good ol’ days through you, but that doesn’t mean that I’m disappointed about your choice. Only that I won’t get to eat the chocolate chip cookies at that little eatery off campus. I was really looking forward to that.” He grinned at her.
Heidi leaned across Scarlett to give her father a hug. “Thank you, Dad,” she said. “And I’m so sorry about Gran.”
“It’s all right. We shouldn’t have kept it from her anyway. It was terrible timing with the holiday, and we only wanted her to have a nice Christmas at White Oaks so she’d have good memories to take with her.”
“What’s gonna happen to White Oaks, Dad?” Heidi asked.
“I don’t know, honey. I really don’t know.”
“Has Gran relaxed at all?” Scarlett asked her uncle. Her grandmother had still been pretty wound up when she’d asked to be alone for a little while. They’d all given her the silent time she’d wanted, every one of them wishing they could give her more.
“She’s been in her room,” he said.
“Do you think I could talk to her? Or should I let her be?”
“I think we overwhelmed her. It’s a lot to take in. She’d probably really like it if she could have someone to bounce her thoughts off of, now that she’s had a bit of time to process it.”
“I’ll go check on her,” Scarlett said, getting up.
“Hey,” Heidi said, stopping Scarlett. “Thank you for listening.”
“Any time.”
Scarlett went down to Gran’s room and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Gran’s voice sounded small from the other side.
Scarlett opened the door and found Gran peering at the snow-covered back garden through the window, as she sat in the wingback chair in the corner with a box of tissues in her lap.
“This was the view that made the decision for us,” she said, without greeting Scarlett. “Your pappy and I fell in love with this place, but as we walked the grounds and then the house itself, it wasn’t until we stood at this window that we knew.” She set the tissue box on the side table with trembling hands and rose, her back to Scarlett and her face to the view. “We imagined our children playing in this yard. Beth, Joe, and your dad hadn’t even been born yet, but when I looked out here, I saw two boys and a girl. Then, over the years, as we had our children, and they fitted the image I’d created that day, we knew this was right. It was a good place to raise our children because they had the benefits of a small town with the advantage of meeting people from all over the world. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be a mother.”
Scarlett walked up beside Gran and put her hand on her grandmother’s shoulder, the story creating new perspective. “One thing I hadn’t considered before now,” Scarlett said, “was that maybe this house is ready for another family. What if there’s another mother who needs this view?”
Gran turned toward her, considering the idea. “How can we be sure?”
Scarlett shrugged, helplessness taking over again, but she had to be strong for Gran. “We aren’t ever sure about anything in life, are we? But it all seems to work out.” The truth was that Scarlett had no idea if it would actually work out, and she feared the worst, but the only way to get through it was to hold on to the hope that something magnificent would happen. If she let that go, she might not recover.
Scarlett received a text from Charlie, asking her to meet him in town at the lookout by the bakery. She had no idea what he was up to, but after talking with Gran, she’d spent the rest of the day fighting the complete panic that rose in her chest every time she faced anyone at White Oaks. She’d sat by the fire with her dad, which was a totally regular thing to do, but all she could think about was how this would be the last time she’d ever smell those particular embers mixed with Gran’s vanilla candles, the last time she’d sit in that chair in that very room. And then she’d gone to see how Heidi was doing. Her cousin had been in the library, thumbing through antique design books, when Scarlett nearly broke down in tears. Who would acquire this library? It was original to the house and had been added to by its owners over the centuries.
So when Charlie texted, Scarlett nearly bolted from the house.
She pulled up to the lookout in Blue’s truck, and saw Charlie standing next to an old car she didn’t recognize. She got out and walked over to the silver 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage. It was in good condition, given its age.
“What do you think?” he asked, when she met him on the sidewalk next to the car. He opened the door to allow her to peer inside.
“About?” she asked, confused.
“Have a seat.” He gestured toward the passenger seat.
Scarlett got into the car. It smelled like her old school bus from elementary school mixed with orange spice. Charlie walked around to the driver’s side, closing himself in.
“Surprisingly, it only has 103,000 miles on it. I drove it around town for the last hour or so and it runs really well.”
The complete confusion the situation caused her made her laugh. What were they doing in this car? “What is this?” she asked.
“It’s Janie Farmer’s new car.” He put his hands on the wheel and straightened his back. Then he turned to her. “I bought it at the used dealership down the road. It was the best they had on the lot. The maintenance check came back clean, and the engine’s in good condition. She could get another fifty to a hundred thousand miles out of this.”
“You bought her a car?” Scarlett said, not hiding her delight.
“Anything I can do to help.” Then he pointed to the backseat. “I got Trevor’s car seat from her old car. I swung by the police department and they told me where I could find it. I explained what I was doing and, while they weren’t really supposed to let me take s
omething out of the car, they’d already checked the vehicle and there was no open investigation, so they let me have the seat. They helped me get it out and then install it in the new car properly.”
“She’s going to be so happy,” Scarlett said.
“I wish I could do more. All I have left is the renovation money, but I’d use it to help her if I knew the best way. Without a job, she’ll run through it and then be in the same situation she’s in now.”
“Maybe we could ask her how she’d use the money,” Scarlett suggested. “Although that would leave you without funds to renovate Amos’s cottage, and I’ve seen the work it needs. The roof is fixed now, but what will come next? You’ll need something to manage the upkeep.”
“I’ll figure it out. Right now, Janie needs it more than I do.” He started the engine. “Could I ask you a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Would you follow me to the inn in your father’s truck? I’ll drop the car off for Ms. Farmer, and then you can take me back to the dealership to get my car.”
“Yes,” she said, still thrilled with the gesture. “I can’t wait to see her face when she gets this. I’ll text Dad to tell her to wait at the back door to the private lot for us.”
Scarlett texted Blue and then got out of the car and into her own. She followed Charlie down the winding road leading to White Oaks, pulling up behind him at the back of the main house. “Shall I go get her?” she asked, once they’d parked and gotten out of their vehicles.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll wait here.”
On her way to the door, Janie stepped onto the porch. “What’s going on?” she asked, looking over Scarlett’s shoulder at the old car.
Charlie stepped up the stairs to join them. “I left the engine running for you in case you’d like to take it for a spin.” He moved to the side to give her a clear view. “It’s the best I could do for now, but this car is yours. Consider it a late Christmas present.”
Janie clapped a hand over her mouth.
“It’s in great condition and gets pretty good gas mileage. I filled it up for you and put Trevor’s seat in the back.”
Janie stared at Charlie, her eyes filling with tears of gratitude. “I’m so thankful,” she said. But there was something more lurking there.
“Are you okay?” Scarlett asked.
Janie nodded but didn’t look any more convincing.
“Tell me, is something wrong? Is it anything to do with the car?”
Janie shook her head, more tears surfacing. She dragged her fingers under her eyes as tears spilled over them.
“You’ve been wonderful,” she said, and then turned to Charlie. “And I’d have never thought you were capable of something this amazing.” She sniffled. “I can’t thank you enough… But the problem is…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, emotion overcoming her.
Scarlett and Charlie both waited quietly for her sobs to subside. Scarlett put her hand on Janie’s arm to soothe her.
Finally, Janie said, “The thing is, I have this great car, but I don’t have anywhere to go.” Janie closed her eyes, more tears sliding down her cheeks. She folded her arms around herself and then looked at them both vulnerably. “I can’t go back to waitressing,” she said, shaking her head and squeezing her eyes shut again. “I should be thankful for any job, but it’s so hard on me. I can’t be the mother Trevor needs when I’m working such sporadic hours, and when I do come home, I’m so exhausted. But even if I could manage it, no one will hire me in my town. We were staying with a friend on her sofa, but I can’t do that forever…”
“Is there anything I can do to help you with that?” Charlie asked, visibly concerned. “Where do you live? Can I help you get a different job? Perhaps I can fund a nanny…”
“I was evicted from my apartment. I don’t have a place to live.”
“You can stay here as long as you need to,” Scarlett offered. She’d at least be able to give Janie a room while they prepared the inn for sale. After that, they’d have to work out another arrangement, but there was no sense in upsetting Janie with that now. At this minute, she just wanted Janie to feel safe and cared for.
Janie wiped her eyes.
“We’ll find a solution,” Charlie promised, although Scarlett had no idea how. They could certainly help, but they couldn’t work miracles. “Have a look at the car,” Charlie urged her.
Charlie walked beside Janie as she moved through the snow to the car, making sure she didn’t slip on the icy walk. He opened the driver’s-side door and slowly, Janie lowered herself inside. She put her hands on the wheel, amazement visibly washing over her. She ran her hand down the center console admiringly. The car was clearly a younger model than the one she’d had before, and she seemed overwhelmed that something like this now belonged to her.
While Janie was sitting in the driver’s seat, Aunt Beth came out all dressed up in heels, wearing her dangly earrings that she always saved for parties and weddings. “Oh! What are you two doing out here?” she asked.
“Giving Janie a new car,” Scarlett said, nodding toward the Mirage. “Charlie got it for her.”
“That’s fantastic!” she said, putting her hand over her heart. “Hey, when you get a chance, will you go in and help Gran? She wouldn’t let me help her because I’m going to meet Sean. She’s trying to get the party dishes put away and she can’t reach the top shelf. She’s on the step stool but it’s still quite a stretch for her, and Blue and Joe have taken Heidi and your Aunt Alice to go shopping at the mall a few towns over. Heidi’s overjoyed at the prospect of free Wi-Fi.”
Scarlett laughed. “We’ll go in right now,” she said, waving to Janie, who now had the car door shut and had put the window down to hear her. “We’re heading in!” Scarlett called.
“All right! I’ll be there in a few more minutes. Trevor is napping and I need to check on him. I just want to enjoy a car that has working heating for a little while longer.”
When Scarlett and Charlie got to the kitchen, Gran was standing beside a stack of dishes on the counter, the cabinet doors open wide.
“I can’t get these plates up there,” she said, frustrated. “I’ve always put them away by myself, but this year they’re just too heavy for me to lift over my head.”
Charlie picked up the stack and placed them onto the shelf above Gran while she eyed him guardedly.
When all the dishes were put away, Gran sat down in one of the chairs around the table, looking exhausted. “I’m not sure how to break the news to your father and uncle,” she said to Scarlett, as she and Charlie joined her at the table, “but I’ve decided I’m not selling White Oaks. Like the captain of a cruise liner, if I have to, I’m going down with the ship.”
It wasn’t surprising that Gran would dig her heels in. On top of her emotional stake in the inn, she was stubborn as a mule when she wanted to be. “That’s no way to gamble with your future, Gran.”
Gran straightened the already-straight place mat. “For me, giving up the inn would be more of a gamble.”
Scarlett turned to Charlie, powerless. “Do you know anyone who would be interested in the inn—someone who would keep it the same?”
“I don’t care if he does!” Gran said. “I’m not selling. I’ll drain my savings if that’s what it takes to keep it running. And I’m sorry, Charles, but I don’t want your help.”
“I wish I could buy it, but I’m not in the position to do so anymore,” he said kindly, despite Gran’s abrasive comment. “And I could ask around with area developers, but I don’t know any offhand that are looking specifically for historical property. I’d worry that they’d buy to acquire the land only.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Bryant, I don’t want to have anything to do with people in your circles,” Gran said, her shoulders rising with tension. “When it comes to White Oaks, I make the decisions. No one else.”
Scarlett didn’t voice her thought that it was Gran’s decisions that were running it into the ground.
> “Ms. Bailey,” Charlie said carefully, that familiar hint of vulnerability in his look, “I don’t operate the same way that I used to. I’d never steer you toward anyone who would undermine your vision for White Oaks. I’d love to help in some way, even if only to lend my experience—”
“Thank you, Mr. Bryant,” she interjected, cutting him off. “But I’ve gotten this far by listening to my intuition, and right now, it’s telling me that I should work this out on my own.”
“Charlie might have insight that we don’t have, Gran,” Scarlett said.
“I have plenty of years under my belt to handle this,” Gran returned, standing up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish putting dishes away.” And just like that, the conversation was over.
Charlie eyed Scarlett and quietly he mouthed, “I’ve got an idea.” Then he nodded toward the hallway leading to the front entrance. “Walk me out?” he asked.
“Do you need me, Gran?” Scarlett asked.
“No, thank you. I’ve got it on my own,” she answered, her thoughts clearly heavy.
Then the two of them left Gran in the kitchen.
“Let’s drive into town to get my car, and then I’d like you to come back to my cottage…” he said quietly, once they were in the hallway. He seemed as though he were distracted by something. “I need to put some things together, but I have an idea that might help White Oaks. Will you come with me?”
“Of course.” Scarlett felt hope surge in her veins like rocket fuel. She was almost afraid to trust it, but she knew Charlie wouldn’t let her down. If he had an idea, it would definitely be worth listening to.
Nineteen
Charlie unwrapped the cheeseburgers they’d grabbed from the tavern in town on the way back to his cottage and put them on plates, along with a few fries. “I’ve got beer or milk,” he said, peering into his refrigerator. “I probably should’ve thought that one through while we were picking up dinner…”
“Beer is fine,” Scarlett said from the sofa, where Charlie had placed a stack of papers in file folders. He’d gotten them and then made a fire in the old stone hearth before digging into the takeout bags that held their dinner.