Twilight settled over the road like an old friend, caressing the picket fences decked with morning glories. Hints of intoxicating sweetness still hovered over them, though the blossoms were shut tight for the evening.
Shops stood on either side of the lane, storefronts as varied and eclectic as the goods they offered. Kayla’s cafe was on Darcy’s side of the street to the right, and an old-fashioned barber, complete with a revolving striped pole, stood directly in front of her. Squinting, she could barely see the yellow and purple bookstore down at the end of the block. From what she remembered, Ms. Travelsham changed the color every year. Once she’d chosen bubblegum pink. Darcy wasn’t sure about the other shops, she’d have to wander around to see which places had changed hands and which had remained the same.
Before closing the door, she glanced back at the wide, darkened staircase. I suppose I could have stayed in Gran’s apartment. I just can’t bear it yet. I’ll wait one more night. Tomorrow I’ll come back, and I’ll walk up those stairs. I need to do this a little at a time.
Back through the front yard, she picked her way down the cobblestone walk, which was overgrown with weeds. The bushes by the right fence rustled. She turned her head, expecting to see Linus.
Instead, a long metal stick with a net, fashioned from blue fabric, waved through the foliage. A straw hat followed, tipping back to reveal the wizened face of an elderly African-American woman. “Helloooo! I’m after a Nymphalis Anitopa, so I’ll have to meet you later. Have a good evening!” Hat and net disappeared behind the wood partition.
“Hello?” Darcy stumbled to the fence and looked over, but the only sign anyone had been there was the slight stirring of the vines.
Maybe the woman owns the shop on the other side. She would have to ask Kayla about her in the morning.
2 Ramsey
D arcy stood on the shop’s porch once again, her spirits sorted in much more organized stacks. Driving through town to the small hotel had brought more waves of memories with each familiar landmark. Once settled into bed, the forgotten lullaby of chuck-wills-willow birds had soothed her aching heart and helped her drift into much needed sleep. Even the glow from Jared’s unanswered texts hadn’t spoiled her night.
Today, she’d traded fancy clothes for jeans and tennis shoes. A foam cup of warm coffee was snuggled in her hand. Morning sun bathed weather-worn boards. This is how she’d wanted to start her new venture, not late in the evening and all crumpled from the plane.
I’ll pretend I arrived today and haven’t been in yet. Swinging the door open, she poked her head inside. “Linus? You hungry, kitty?”
An insistent yowl answered her from the top of the stairs.
“Hold your horses, I’m coming.” Putting her purse on the counter, she reached to open the cabinet door where Gran had always kept a bag of cat food. The shelf was empty. “Hang on. Kayla must have moved it. I’ll see if I can find her new hiding place.”
Linus bounded down the stairs and rubbed his head against her shin. He followed her as she opened cabinets and looked behind shelves, cell phone held high to shed light on the shadowed spaces. “I wonder if I could afford better lighting in here. Or perhaps I can lower some of the chandeliers.”
Darcy searched through another cupboard. “I don’t know, Linus. Maybe your food is upstairs.” Her shoulders sagged. I can’t put this off forever.
The rounded rail met her grasp like the touch of an old friend. She ran her finger along the smooth wood. How many hands had added to its polished sheen? The railing had been imported from another country. Norway? She rubbed her temples. Through the years, customers had offered Gran thousands of dollars to pull the banister right out of the wall. Gran had always chuckled when they’d left empty handed. “What will they ask for next? The teeth from my head?”
A knock sounded through the room and Darcy jumped. Turning from the stairs, she made her way through the shelves and tables to the back door.
Columns of morning glories tangled with Carolina jasmine sprawled across the door’s opening, leaving just enough room for Kayla, who held a plate of cinnamon rolls. “Good morning. Sorry I haven’t cleared these flowers. They’re so heavenly I hadn’t the heart to cut them back.”
“Oh, don’t worry about the vines.” Darcy waved her hand, the thudding of her heart slowing to a more normal pattern. “Gran could never clear them in the spring. We always had an influx of lizards, but they kept back the bugs, Gran said.”
Spiced steam from the platter curled into the air, making Darcy’s mouth water. She gestured to a small outdoor table and two chairs. “Want to sit out here and enjoy the sunshine? I’m hoping one of those rolls is for me.”
Kayla plunked down, and the seat rocked slightly before settling. “Help yourself.”
Darcy sank into the opposite chair, still damp from dew, and picked up a cinnamon roll. As she bit into the buttery, crisp bun, her eyes widened. “These are just like Gran used to make!” she said with her mouth full.
Kayla chuckled. “Of course, they are. It’s her recipe.”
Darcy finished her bite. “How did you pry it out of her? Her ingredients were top secret.”
“Yep.” Kayla leaned forward. “Most of the ladies here share things. You’ll see.”
“It’s almost . . . like having her back for a few minutes. She always made a batch of these for me at the beginning of summer.”
Kayla rested her chin in sleeve-covered hands. “You miss her a lot, huh?”
Darcy’s eyes watered and she nodded. “She taught me so much. Not like I learned in college, but things about life. She talked about God as though He’s with us, all the time.”
Kayla nodded. “She was a pretty inspirational person. She’d always pray with me when I had problems.”
Darcy rested her chin in her hands. “L.A. can be a cruel place. Especially in high school for a girl who’s a bit chubby and awkward. But Gran saw who I was inside, and loved that person. Not many other people have done that for me.”
“She was proud of you,” Kayla murmured. “Talked about you all the time.”
Darcy wiped her eyes with a napkin. “I should have come down to visit. But I got so caught up in school, and work, and then—the car accident. I was in the hospital after an emergency appendectomy and couldn’t make it to the funeral.”
“Wow, that must have been terrible.” Kayla traced the wrought-iron curls on the table top. “The ceremony was beautiful.”
Darcy just nodded. Her mother had decided on magnolias for the flowers, and her father had hired a string quartet. No one had asked for her opinion. Gran would have preferred sunflowers and a barn dance.
“I’m glad you’re here now. It makes me feel a little less sad.” Kayla stood and brushed crumbs off her flannel shirt. “I’d better get back to the bakery. Ida May is all right for a few minutes, but if I leave her too long she might get caught up in dreamland and burn down the place. She’s a writer, you know. Once I caught her lining up a row of gingerbread men to walk the plank into the coffee pot. But she’s the best barista I’ve ever had.” She shrugged and smiled. “Anyway, come by when you need a coffee fix. On good days, Ida does latte art.”
The insulated cup squeaked in Darcy’s hand. “Sorry, I didn’t even think about getting my cappuccino at your cafe.”
“Goodness, no need to apologize! But I guarantee we can whip you up a mug much faster than that chain place.”
“I stood in line for twenty minutes,” Darcy admitted. “I’m sure yours is better.” She rose and went to the door, but paused. “I forgot to ask. Where’s the cat food?”
“Upstairs,” Kayla’s voice floated back as she disappeared around the fence. “I had to put the bag in the fridge because Linus figured out how to open the cabinet downstairs. Now he likes it cold.”
“Of course, he does,” muttered Darcy as she went inside.
Once more, she found herself at the bottom of the stairs. She gripped the railing so hard her fingers ached. “I’m going t
o make it this time,” she said out loud. The stairs creaked beneath her feet, and she counted them on the way up, just as she always had when she was a child. Seventeen. As though the number would have changed.
The platform above was dark. Gran would always leave the light on, but the switch was only at the top of the stairs. Darcy fumbled for it and snapped it on. Peeling gold and green patterned wallpaper greeted her eyes.
The door at the landing wasn’t locked, and swung open easily.
Mulberry scent hit her full blast, much more than a hint. Sunlight filtered through lacy curtains, marking the same faded spots on the overstuffed sofa that it had created in the first place.
Then the tears came. They dripped down her chin, unheeded, as she walked through the room, taking in the familiar photographs and paintings.
The shelves were crowded with items, including a wall of early 20th century campaign collectables that had belonged to her grandpa. Gran couldn’t bear to part with a single button or postcard, though she’d said the collection was worth at least enough money to fund a trip to Paris.
Can’t believe Mom didn’t want anything. She’d come to visit Darcy in the hospital after Gran’s funeral. “Nothing matches the decor in the townhouse,” she’d explained. “It belongs in the home.”
Darcy touched the button tag on a genuine Steiff Pooh bear. Nope. None of these things would fit in their lives. Must have been why they never came with me for visits.
Gran had always asked after her mother, her chin trembling a little. Darcy had never understood the rift between the two women. Perhaps it had been trenched out over time, and not by some sudden disaster. Whatever caused it, she hadn’t dared to ask, so it had remained a mystery. It’s probably better that way, especially now Gran is gone.
Leather-bound books with proud golden titles lined the shelf above the fireplace. A stack of board games filled a wooden TV tray. Topping the pile was a wooden Labyrinth game. She picked it up and blew the dust off. How many times had she tried to send the tiny metal ball to the end of the maze, just to get stuck on the last corner. Maybe I’ll have time to finally solve it.
The sunflower and daisy decor beckoned to her from the kitchen. When she checked the pantry, only a few cans of peas and a box of crackers met her eyes. In the next few days she’d have to go shopping. If I rely on the fast food joints around town for meals I’ll gain a million pounds.
The fridge hummed a greeting. She pulled out the bag of cat food and poured it into the same porcelain bowl Linus had been using seven years ago.
He appeared out of nowhere and threaded through her legs to his meal, purring his thanks.
“Your life is pretty simple, isn’t it? All you care about is being fed on time.”
He pulled his head back and glared, eyes slanted.
“Aw, I didn’t mean that.” She rubbed his head. “You miss her too.” Gran had found the cat, wet and bedraggled, out in the street during a summer rain storm. He’d been as devoted to her as his feline nature would allow.
The hall to the bedrooms was narrow and dark, and a tiny shiver of fear went down her spine like it always did. As a little girl, she imagined a ghost haunting the building. She laughed out loud. Darcy Norman, not only are you twenty-four years old, but you’re going to live in this place all alone. Better not frighten yourself out of your plan.
Pausing in front of Gran’s bedroom door, she twisted the knob but didn’t push it open. I wonder if she left the secret door unlocked, or maybe the key is out on a dresser. The same curiosity she’d had every summer was driving her crazy, but stepping into the room would be too much for the first day. Instead she turned left and entered the guest bedroom, the one she’d always called her own.
Her twin bed with the green and brown double wedding ring quilt looked as if it hadn’t been touched in seven years, though she was sure other people had visited and made use of it while she’d been away. Her bookshelf remained just as she’d left it, full of treasures found at the store down the street.
She sat down at her old desk, the seat pressing into her back like a comforting hand. Why didn’t I come back? What was so important? The years had unfolded so quickly, and she’d worked so hard to finish college, to make Gran proud.
“Hey, there.”
The voice was sudden, so not belonging to the time and place that she jumped out of the chair, pushing against the desk as though she were hiding something.
Ramsey peered around the door.
Darcy’s pulse raced, and not just from fright. Yes, it must be him, though he was several inches taller now, and his once smooth face boasted a thin goatee. His straight, dark brown hair was too short for the ponytail he’d insisted on all through high school, but strands still fell over his forehead.
Ramsey brushed his hair back and smiled, eyes tracing her face until they rested in her gaze. “Hi, Darcy. How’ve you been?”
She sank back against the desk. “I was fine until you gave me a heart attack. Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”
“Sorry. I did knock, and yelled too. The door was wide open. When you didn’t come, I got worried. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“That’s all right.” She stood a little straighter and fought the impulse to pat her hair back into place. “What brings you by?”
Ramsey put his hands in his pockets and slouched against the door. “I always come to the cafe on Thursdays for Kayla’s sweet rolls. Heard you were in town, so I thought I’d come see how the fancy L.A. girl was doing.”
“Fancy? I wouldn’t say that.” Darcy laughed, glad again that she’d worn jeans. “How’s your wife? Did she come with you today?”
Ramsey’s easy smile hardened into a frown. He walked over to one of the windows and touched a small, stained glass butterfly hanging there. “Didn’t work out. We broke up a few months before the wedding. Hey, remember when we made these in vacation Bible school?” He spun the butterfly on its string, sending colors to dance around the room.
“Yep. Same summer I broke my arm riding down Devil’s Hill on your brother’s ten speed.” Darcy floundered for words. “Sorry about your, um . . . wedding.”
Ramsey’s eyes narrowed, but he shrugged. “It’s been a long time. Water under the bridge.”
Darcy’s thoughts suddenly flew to Jared. She hadn’t spoken to him since the couch incident. Are we over? I think so. Her breath caught in her throat, and she stilled herself. Her heart thudded dully in her chest. I don’t miss him at all.
“You okay?” Ramsey’s piercing blue eyes searched hers. “You have that look on your face. The deep-thoughts look.”
“You remember that?” Darcy hoped her voice didn’t betray her nerves, which were as jumbled as the piles of baling wire out by the corner fence.
“Of course, I do.” He reached out, and she thought he was going to touch her cheek. She reddened and shifted over a few inches. He pulled a red ribbon from the wall behind her.
“Second place for July 4th parade float.” He laughed. “We’d have won if the Peterson kids’ grandpa hadn’t ridden in on that real longhorn.”
“Wow, your mind is like a steel trap, as Gran used to say.” Darcy gave the breeziest smile she could muster, went to the bedroom door, and glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, I need to get downstairs and start working. I have tons to do and haven’t the slightest idea where to begin.”
After holding the door for her, Ramsey followed her through the hall and down the stairs. “Yep, I’d better get to work myself. Everybody’s been bringing their cars by for check-ups before summer vacation.”
“You’re working in your dad’s shop. Like you always wanted.”
Ramsey leaned against the counter and peered down into the display case. “Business is great. I’ve always loved it.” He poked at the glass. “Boy, some of this stuff was in here seven years ago.”
“I remember you fixing Gran’s car a few times. You were what, twelve?” She tilted back and squinted at him in the dim light of the shop. “I’m
glad you’re happy.”
Ramsey shrugged. “I get by.” He paused for a long time, and his eyes lingered on her face.
He keeps searching . . . what is he looking for? Have I changed that much?
Finally, he looked away. “You going to be all right with the shop?”
Hairs suddenly bristled on the back of her neck. “What, you don’t think I’m capable of running this place?”
Ramsey put up his hands. “Just wondering if you needed help moving stuff. I know some of these things are super heavy, and I’m sure even you couldn’t lift that two-ton china cabinet by yourself.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Her cheeks burned. Why do I have to get offended so quickly? Ramsey’s not being rude or demeaning. Not all guys think women are only good as accessories. “I haven’t really decided where to put everything yet.”
Pulling a business card from his pocket, he wrote something on the back. “Call me. I might be able to rustle up some friends if you need help rearranging.” He glanced up and smiled, the quick, easy smile that made him look like a kid again. “The folks would love to see you too. I’ll see if we can go out there for supper sometime.”
“Oh?” Darcy fumbled for a response. Is he asking me on a date? Of course not, he just wants me to feel welcome.
“Well? You want me to check with my mom?”
“Uh, of course.” Heat crept up Darcy’s neck. “I would love to see your parents. They still have the farm, right?”
“Can’t imagine them anywhere else.”
He walked out the front door, and she couldn’t help wishing he would stay. He was so familiar, so safe. And even more handsome than the day he’d kissed her. The final day of her seventeenth summer, right before she’d boarded the plane.
3 The secret Door
T he scent of fresh sawdust mingled with the usual smells of musty books, tattered fabrics, and of course, the always present mulberries. In her rummaging, Darcy found a stash of Gran’s favorite candles. She lit one each morning before she started work.
Tangled in Time, (Miss Main Street Book 1) Page 2