Snapdragon Way (Firefly Hollow Book 8)

by T. L. Haddix

  John lifted his mug in a salute. “It was a… unique shot. I have my doubts that it’ll work in the long run, but for the short term, it might.” He chuckled. “I can imagine your faces. ‘It’s expected,’” he said in a very close approximation of Noah’s terse response. He looked at Zanny. “Think that would work on him? Get him to start dating?”

  “I very much doubt it. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re trying to pair your brother up with someone,” she told Eli, leaning into his shoulder. “He has a friend he does things with occasionally, Summer, but he swears that’s all they are. Any suggestions?”

  Eli hugged her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Sophie’s the key. They both have feelings—albeit not entirely positive feelings—for each other still. Until those are out of the way, neither of them is going to be able to move on, I don’t think.”

  “That’s going to be hard to do with her living halfway across the country,” John said.

  “Not if I can convince her to come home. She needs to, anyhow. She has some ghosts she needs to deal with here.”

  “Erica’s parents?” Zanny asked softly.

  Eli blew out a breath. “I don’t know that it’s them so much as she needs to come to terms with everything that happened. And they don’t want anything to do with her. Harold’s nice enough when Renny’s not around, but Renny hates the very mention of her.”

  “That’s not a loss in my book,” John said as he straightened and put his mug in the sink. “But aren’t they the only family she has left?”

  “She has me,” Eli said quietly. “I care a lot for Sophie. She’s like a sister in a way. I’d like to add her to the Campbell fold, but then again, I’m barely back in the fold myself.”

  Zanny squeezed his arm. “There’s more than enough room for both of you, and you know it. With that said, you might want to get clearance from your grandfather for dinner tomorrow if Sophie’s planning to stay tonight. Don’t just spring her on him.”

  He nodded and glanced at his watch. “I’ll do that shortly. She said she’d be here between ten and eleven, and it’s nearly ten now.” He looked from his mother to his father. “Thanks for understanding about her, for letting her visit. I mean that.”

  John reached out a hand, and Eli took it. “We’ve always liked her. I meant that when I told you earlier. You know Noah won’t be happy, however. Right?”

  Eli’s mouth tightened. “I do. And I’m determined to break down that wall as gently as I can. They’re so damned perfect for each other. Of all the destruction Erica and I wrought, that they lost what they had weighs on me the heaviest. Well, that and what I did to you two.”

  John tightened his grip and cupped Eli’s hand with both of his. “You don’t owe us any apologies, not anymore. As far as we’re concerned, we resolved any issues we had after she died. So stop feeling guilty about things. Life’s too short to spend wasting it worrying about things you can’t change. Worry about enjoying your life, about being happy, and about what happens going forward.”

  Zanny leaned in and kissed his cheek. “What he said. Plus, forgive yourself. We did years ago. He’s serious about that.”

  Eli had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Thank you.”

  “Thank us by being happy,” John said in a low voice. “That’s all we’ve ever wanted for any of you kids. That you’re happy.”

  “I’ll do my best, Dad. That’s a promise.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  There was nothing like the quiet potential of a library, Haley thought as she walked through the door of the stone and concrete building in Hazard. And walking into this one, the new building that was airy and full of light and somehow still intimate, always felt like a homecoming of sorts to her.

  “Hi,” she said, greeting the girl behind the counter. She handed her the bag of books. “Here are these.”

  “Thanks.” The girl accepted the heavy plastic bag with a distracted smile. “Do you need this back?”

  “Nope.”

  By the time she’d cleared the desk, the girl had already forgotten her, Haley knew. And that was fine. She was there to browse, not to chat.

  A few minutes later, she was perusing the nonfiction books near the back of the library when the snippet of a conversation caught her attention.

  “I know it’s ridiculous, but I feel like I should be able to learn how to do it,” a woman said. “How hard can it be, really? You take yarn and twist it around, and it makes things. Pretty things. Look at these pictures, Owen. I’m determined I’ll make one of these potholders if it kills me.”

  A low, male chuckle sounded. “I thought your focus was baby blankets.”

  The woman sighed. “I was until I started looking at all these books.”

  “You’ll figure it out, sweetheart. You always do. I’ll be in the genealogy room if you need me, all right?”

  “And I’ll be here.”

  Curious, Haley poked her head around the end of the bookshelves in time to see an older man bend down to kiss a silver-haired woman who was holding a knitting book. Before she could duck back, he’d straightened and was heading in her direction. With a shy smile, Haley nodded at him as he passed.

  Another sigh sounded, and unable to ignore the woman’s apparent distress, Haley slid the book she’d been considering back onto the shelf and approached.

  “Excuse me. I couldn’t help but overhear. Are you trying to learn to knit by any chance?”

  The woman looked up with an amused, if perplexed, smile. “I think that’s being a bit optimistic, but yes. I am. I’m Sarah.”

  “Haley. Do you mind if I sit?” she asked, indicating the vacant chair.

  “Please. Do you knit, Haley?”

  “I love to knit. I take it you’re not having a lot of luck finding what you need.”

  Sarah sat back in her chair and laid the book she’d been looking at on the table between them. “I have a true gift, or so my husband and our offspring like to tell me, for making a tangled mess out of what other people can turn into stunning creations.” She tapped the book. “It’s ridiculous that a woman my age can’t knit or crochet, but for some reason, I never learned how.”

  Haley smiled. “I don’t know that it’s ridiculous. There are a lot of people out there who don’t know one end of a knitting needle from another. What is it you want to make? Maybe I can help.”

  Eyes twinkling, Sarah laughed as she picked up a striped purse from beside her chair. “Don’t say that until you’ve seen what I can ‘do,’” she teased. “I initially wanted to use the knitting to push my grandchildren into the idea of finding mates and starting families. Well, the older ones, anyhow. But now that everyone in the family is teasing me about the knitting, I’m determined to figure it out.”

  The twisted, gnarled skein of pink and white yarn she handed Haley was a mess, and so was the knitting that was on the needle. As much as she tried not to, she couldn’t prevent a wince.

  “That’s… not terrible,” Haley said as she examined the stitches. “It looks like you managed a decent cast-on.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about offending me,” Sarah told her with a wave. “I know it’s hideous. I just don’t know how to make it not hideous. Do you think it can be saved?”

  Deciding a clean cut was the best option, Haley shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t. We need to start over. Do you have a few minutes?”

  “Oh, yes. Once Owen, my husband, gets started on his genealogy queries, he gets distracted and time flies. But what about you, dear? I don’t want to tie up your time.”

  Haley chuckled. “I’m more than happy to do what I can. Let’s start by getting this yarn untangled. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you wind it before you start working with it, at least until you have more experience,” she said as she unraveled the mess on th
e needles and laid them aside. “It helps keep the yarn from tangling.”

  “Ah, I see. How long have you knitted?”

  “Since my freshman year of college. A group of my friends and I learned as part of a charity mission for cancer patients.” Haley was making fast work of the yarn, her hands moving with practiced motion as she wound the yarn into a ball. “So pardon my nosiness, but you said you were trying to get your grandchildren paired off. You do not look old enough to have grown grandchildren.”

  It was true—Sarah’s face was mostly unlined, and she looked strong and healthy. At Haley’s words, a wide smile spread across her face.

  “Oh, Haley, you flatterer! I’m seventy-six. My oldest grandson, Noah, is thirty-two. Eli will be twenty-nine this week, Sydney just turned twenty-six—though she’s newly engaged so she’s off the market, thank goodness—and I have a handful of others who aren’t quite old enough to be matched yet. But they’re getting close—Molly’s twenty-two in October, Colin and Easton aren’t far behind… They’re growing up too fast.” She shook her head.

  Haley stared at her, her mouth agape. “Oh, my goodness. You’re Eli Campbell’s grandmother, aren’t you?”

  Sarah tilted her head slightly. “I am. Do you know him?”

  It was too funny, she thought, as she nodded and laughed. “I’m his physical therapist. This is hilarious. He and Noah were mentioning the um, well, the matchmaking that tends to go on, when they were in Friday. And he also made the statement that he feels safe from those machinations because he’s the black sheep of the family.”

  The grin Sarah sent her was full of mischief, curiosity, and speculation. “Was he, now? We’ll see about that. How is Eli doing? Do you mind if I ask?”

  “Not at all, but I can’t tell you much because of privacy laws.” Haley finished winding the ball of yarn. “He’s strong and from what I’ve seen, strong-willed. And I think he can make an excellent recovery if that’s what he wants. Between his determination and mine, we’ll get him there. I can’t believe you’re his grandmother. His and Noah’s,” she added quickly. “They’re a very funny pair, you know.”

  A flash of sadness crossed Sarah’s face, quickly hidden. “They’re very good boys. Well, men, I guess you’d say, though to me, they’ll always be those sweet babies who toddled around the farm.”

  “I imagine there was no limit to the trouble they got into growing up.”

  Sarah nodded. “That’s an understatement. They built a raft when Noah was ten and Eli was seven. They commandeered the neighbor’s rooster, and they put that raft on the river and rode it a mile downstream the North Fork of the Kentucky River to Sydney. Luckily, they got caught before any real harm could be done, but it scared the dickens out of all of us.”

  Haley was horrified and amused. “You’re kidding.”

  “Oh, no. John, their father, demolished it with an axe in Emma’s backyard—she’s Sydney’s mother—to make a point. Of course, considering that he and Emma and Zanny—that’s John’s wife and the boys’ mother—used a plastic sled as a conveyance in a fast-moving branch of water on our property to make their own private water slide, it’s probably not a surprise that the boys pulled such a stunt. All our kids were involved in that one with the exception of Amelia, our youngest. She was too small and stayed home.”

  “That had to be horrifying for you as a parent,” Haley said, fascinated. She slid her shoes off and tucked her feet up underneath her in the chair. “How’d you find out about it?”

  “Pip’s a tattletale,” a voice said from nearby. “She was sad at being left behind. At least that’s what Dad always said. Hi, Haley. This is cozy.” Noah walked up, grinning down at them.

  “Hi. Fancy meeting you here.” Haley picked up one of the knitting needles, holding on to it with fingers that felt electrified. She hated that she wondered if Eli was nearby, but she couldn’t stop her mind from heading in that direction. “I hear you’re a master raft builder.”

  Noah scowled at his grandmother, though his lips were twitching. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, of course you don’t. Noah’s our driver today,” Sarah told Haley. “He’s a good boy. Most of the time.”

  He didn’t seem perturbed by her gentle teasing in the least as he pulled a chair over from a nearby seating arrangement. “I have my moments. So what are we doing today? Wait a minute. I recognize that,” he said, pointing at the yarn in Haley’s hand. He scowled. “Oh, now come on. Grandma…”

  Sarah reached out and smacked his knee with one of the magazines she’d had on the table. “Hush. This young lady is nice enough to offer to give me some assistance.”

  Haley snickered at their interaction as he turned the scowl on her. “Aiding and abetting, huh? I see how it is. So has she pulled you into her snare yet?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. I think you and I are going to have stunning babies, don’t you?” Haley asked, widening her eyes and blinking at him with deliberate innocence. “I’m already planning the wedding. It’ll be in the big church here on Main Street, and we’ll have a small shindig—maybe three hundred guests. We can decorate with pink and yellow carnations with bright purple and red ribbons. Don’t you think that’ll be lovely, Mrs. Campbell?”

  As Noah sputtered with stunned disbelief, Sarah laughed with glee. “Dear, call me Sarah. After all, we’re going to be family.”

  “I’m… no. Oh, no. I’m going to go find Grandpa. You two…” Noah stood. He gently wagged a finger at Haley. “Don’t encourage her.”

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it wasn’t polite to point?” Haley asked sweetly, shaking her head at him. “When we have children, I won’t allow them to do that,” she assured Sarah.

  Noah’d had enough, and with a muttered grumble, he put the chair back where he’d gotten it and left. Haley was barely able to hold her laughter back until he’d gone.

  Sarah hadn’t even tried—she was wiping her cheeks from where she’d cried, she’d laughed so hard. “Oh, that boy. Haley, you have him pegged. That was perfect—priceless. I only wish Owen could have seen it.”

  “I shouldn’t have said that, but I couldn’t resist. He and Eli were so sure yesterday that they’d escaped the matchmaking.” She sighed. “I can show you some basics as it pertains to the knitting, but it’ll be a cursory lesson. I’m sorry. I wish it were more.”

  “Any lesson you want to give me is worlds beyond what I have. And you don’t have to show me anything, you know.”

  Haley smiled. “I have to repay you for the opportunity to tease your grandson. Now, if I can figure out how to add Eli into the mix…”

  Sarah’s responding smile was sad. “If you’d told me a couple of months ago I’d be discussing playing pranks on Eli and Noah at the same time, I’d have said you were dreaming. They’ve not had the easiest of times through the years. I’m afraid they inherited a good share of their obstinacy from their parents and grandparents.”

  “Eli mentioned that things aren’t the smoothest, but he said they’re working on fixing things.”

  Sarah nodded. “They are. They’re making a concerted effort to come to terms with each other as adults. Now that certain influences are out of the picture, I think they’ll be able to heal the wounds they inflicted on each other all those years ago.” She sighed. “It’s been a long journey for them both. But enough of that. Let’s see if you can teach this old dog some new tricks.”

  As Haley went over some of the basics of knitting with Sarah, they talked. While it was patently obvious that Sarah was a doting grandmother, Haley discovered that she was a fascinating woman, one she could happily have spent hours getting to know. The idea made her a little sad. She quietly handed Sarah the knitting she’d just demonstrated.

  “You’ll be knitting booties, blankets, and dishcloths in no time.”

/>   “What’s wrong, dear?” Sarah asked.

  Haley shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. I never knew my own grandmother, and my mind was wandering down that path. That’s all.”

  Sarah reached over and touched her hand. “I’m sorry. That’s a difficult situation. What about your grandfather, your parents?”

  “My mother left when I was a baby, and my father left before then. My grandfather raised me.” She rubbed her arms as she thought about Fred’s failing health. “He’s a hellion, but he’s frail.”

  “You don’t have any other family?” Sarah asked, frowning with concern.

  “Two uncles on my mother’s side, and they have families. But we’re not close. I suppose that sounds awful considering the kind of family you’re used to.”

  “We’re big, noisy, and boisterous. And we’re not without our struggles, internal and external,” Sarah conceded, “but all things considered, we’re very lucky to have one another and we know that. We don’t take it for granted. I’m sorry you don’t have something similar.”

  Noah walked up then with the older man Haley’d seen earlier. “What are you ladies doing over here?” he asked. “I hear you know my grandsons. I’m Owen Campbell.”

  Haley took the hand he offered her and returned his easy smile. “Haley Buchanan, sir. How do you do?” She tilted her head as she glanced from him to Noah. Without a shadow of a doubt, she knew what Noah would look like in fifty years. “Good lord, you two resemble each other.”

  Owen grinned. “Campbell genes are strong. He is a handsome devil, isn’t he?”

  Haley laughed when Noah groaned and blushed, turning away with a muttered imprecation about matchmaking grandparents. Resisting the urge to tease him called for too much willpower, and she told Owen pertly, “He won’t break any mirrors, I don’t think.”