by Ciana Stone
How many days as a child had she played in the back room or watched her dad work, listening as he explained what he was doing? How many afternoons after school had she come into the shop to tell her parents about her day?
So much of her life was tied up in that place. She had not realized until this moment how much she missed it, missed this town. And him. Beau. God, she didn’t want to let her mind go there.
Grace had spent the last fourteen years fantasizing about Beau Legacy and mentally kicking herself for breaking up with him all those years ago. The what ifs had plagued her for years. The memories of his kisses and his touch haunted her, became the stuff of fantasy, secret thoughts she turned to during those moments of self-pleasure.
You’re pathetic. Grace was ashamed. She’d left Legacy determined to make something of herself, to get her education, and make a mark in this world. Instead, she’d dropped out of college after only two years to marry Tad and had become the next generation of a Stepford wife, the perfect wife, and a mother who stayed in the background and supported her husband and his career.
Beau Legacy wouldn’t even recognize the woman she was now. Hell, now that she’d walked away from Tad, she hardly recognized herself. Grace forced those thoughts from her mind and reached over to shake Sherri gently. “Almost there, punkin.”
Sherri blinked several times, opened her eyes, and looked out of the window. “Is this where Grandma lives?”
“Yes, this is Legacy.”
“That’s a funny name.”
“Well, I guess. But it’s where I grew up. Isn’t it pretty?”
“I guess. I like those lights on poles. Where does Grandma live?”
“Not far. Just on the other side of town.”
Grace glanced over at Sherri, who was watching the passing scenery. She remembered being eight and walking to her parents’ store after school. Her mother would give her enough money to buy a soda and a pack of cheese crackers from the local pharmacy, which boasted an actual counter and soda fountain.
She felt so grown-up sitting on that stool, eating her crackers and drinking her soda. Grace always had a book in her satchel and she would read, living in the pages of the book and dreaming of adventures she would one day have.
Those were good memories. She hoped she could help her children build some just as good.
They passed out of town and into the residential area. There were new housing developments now, leaving less open space. Grace was surprised at how many new homes there were.
Two miles out of town, the density of the homes started to thin. By the time she reached the road where her mother lived, the houses were spaced more widely apart, each dwelling occupying anywhere from a half of an acre to three acres.
Annie Rose Lane was the name of the street she’d grown up on, and where her mother still lived. As soon as she spotted it, she spoke up. “This is it. Annie Rose Lane.”
“This is where Grandma lives?”
“It is.” Grace made the turn onto Annie Rose Lane.
“Which house is hers, Mama?” Sherri was now sitting up straight, her face pressed close to the window.
“That one on the right down there. The yellow one with the white fence.”
“Oh, that’s a pretty house.” Sherri turned the other way in her seat to call to her brother. “Wake up, Theo. We’re almost at Grandma’s house.”
“Grandma?” Theo yawned, stretched, and then grunted as Paws climbed over the seat and onto him. “Get off, Paws. Where’s Grandma’s house?”
“Right here,” Grace said as she pulled into the driveway.
The house was exactly as she remembered. Wood siding painted a soft yellow with white shutters and trim. The wide wraparound porch on the ground level was the home of two porch swings, white wicker furniture with green and yellow cushions, and hanging plants overladen with blooms.
“Let me come around and get you out,” Grace said as she opened her car door.
The moment she stepped out of the car, it hit her. Peace. God, how long had it been since she’d felt that? It almost took the strength from her legs. She opened the front passenger door, helped Sherri out, and then opened the back-passenger door.
Theo had some competition trying to get out of the SUV. Both Paws and Brick were competing to be first to the door. Grace lifted Theo out and then let the pets jump out. There were no leash laws here, so they would be fine. They’d do their business and then come looking for their family.
“This is pretty, Mommy.” Theo took her one of her hands as she set him on his feet.
“This was Mama’s home when she was little,” Sherri said from the other side of Grace.
“This was your home, Mommy?” Theo looked up at her.
“It was, sweet pea.” Grace heard the front door of the house open and looked up to see her mother push the screen door wide. “And that’s my mama. Your Grandma. You remember her, don’t you?”
“I do.” Sherri tore her hand from Grace’s and ran up the sidewalk and steps and into her grandmother’s waiting arms.
“Oh, my goodness, you’ve gotten so big,” Ida said as she hugged Sherri. “And you’re pretty as a picture.”
Sherri giggled, clearly delighted with the praise. Ida released Sherri and stooped down to look at Theo as he stopped at the foot of the steps, still clutching Grace’s hand. “My goodness, that big boy can’t be Theo, can it? Why the last time I saw Theo he was just a little squirt.”
“I not a squirt,” Theo said.
“Well, no you’re sure not. So, you gonna come give your ol’ Gran a hug or what?”
That was all the encouragement it took to have Theo running into her arms. Grace saw the tears sparkling in her mother’s eyes and realized just how selfish she and Tad had been to keep the kids from seeing their grandparents more.
Ida stood and her gaze locked with Grace’s. “There’s my girl.”
Maybe it was all the stress of the past month or past years. Maybe it was because it had been so long since anyone had spoken to her with such kindness, or maybe it was the unconditional love she saw shining in her mama’s eyes. Whatever it was, it tore a sob loose from her chest and the next thing she knew, Grace was wrapped in her mother’s arms.
Less than a minute later, Sherri and Theo were on either side of her, arms around her and Ida in a big group hug. Brick roared up yipping and dancing, and even Paws joined in, winding around and around everyone’s legs.
“Welcome home, Gracie girl,” Ida whispered. “I sure have missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, Mama,” Grace replied through her tears. “It’s so good to be home.” And at that moment she realized, it was not just empty words. It really was good to be home. For the first time in years, she felt like she could breathe.
Chapter Six
Grace had to fight back the tears as she left the elementary school. Sherri had walked into her new classroom like a condemned man walking to the noose. Grace had never seen her daughter so lackluster, and it broke her heart.
Theo had simply walked into the classroom, turned to her and said, “I really don’t wanna do this, Mommy.”
Grace had nearly cried then and there, but she managed to kneel and give him a smile and a hug. “I bet you’ll have three new friends by the end of the day. Wanna bet?”
“No. I wanna go to Gran’s.”
“Well, I’ll be back to pick you up from school and take you straight back to Gran’s. I promise. Now you be a good boy and have fun, okay? Mama loves you.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
He seemed like a resigned little soldier marching off to the front lines. Grace hurried outside and cleared the door before the tears escaped. God, she’d never imagined this would all be so hard.
Damn Tad, anyway. Sure, they hadn’t been exactly happy as a couple, but their kids had been, and he’d gone and screwed it all six ways to hell. Grace swiped angrily at the tears and marched to her car. Well, more correctly, his car. But her name was on the title with his,
it was paid off and she intended to sell it. Today.
Just as she reached her car, parked along the sidewalk, she spotted an older woman headed her way. “Good morning, Mrs. Irene.” Grace greeted the woman.
“Well, goodness me, Grace Summerfield. Look at you. All grown up. My goodness, you turned out heavier than I figured. I heard you were back. Husband stepping out on you. Guess you didn’t keep that home fire hot enough. Well, it’s like I always—“
Grace had forgotten how much she disliked Irene Dodd. Despite Irene being a longtime friend of her mother’s, Grace just plain didn’t like her. She was catty and rude and rarely had a nice thing to say about anyone.
She’d always been respectful, but today she wasn’t in the mood for Irene’s crap so she politely cut her off. “I’d love to stay and chat but I have a lot to do. Have a nice day now, hear?”
With that, she got into the SUV, started it, and pulled off, headed for her destination and trying not to think about how many people in town Irene had gossiped to. By now, probably everyone knew that Tad had cheated on her.
Great.
Miller Motors was still open for business, although old Mr. Miller was no longer running it. Now his son, Tom, ran things. There were still a lot of used cars on the lot, but there was now a nice new showroom and plenty of new vehicles to choose from.
Grace found a place to park and walked inside. There was a grouping of chairs off to one side. Two older men were sitting there. She walked over and took a seat as well.
“Good morning,” she greeted the men.
“Morning, young lady.” The heavy-set man with not a hair on his head, but eyebrows as bushy as a squirrel’s tail, greeted her and raised his paper cup of coffee. “They just put on a fresh pot.”
“Thanks.”
“Say, aren’t you Ida Summerfield’s girl?” the tall skinny man with thick salt-and-pepper hair and a full beard asked.
“Why yes, I am. Grace.”
“Well, I’ll be. You’re the spitting image of your mama at your age. Yes sir, she was a looker, wasn’t she, Earl.”
“Ida Bloom?” Earl asked. “Whew, doggie. I tell you, the Lord outdid Himself when He created that one. Didn’t you try and court her for a minute, Ed?”
“I did, then Grayson Summerfield come home from the Vietnam war, and all bets were off.”
“Yep, yep,” Ed agreed. “You remember how surprised everyone was when he announced he built that greenhouse?”
“Oh, I do, I do indeed. Why we all figured he’d be lookin’ to get into wildcattin’, maybe getting on at the Legacy ranch or something dangerous seeing as how he was one of them Special Forces fellas. You coulda knocked most of us over with a feather when we heard he was building a greenhouse and planning on opening an apothecary business.”
Both men laughed. Grace smiled and listened as they continued to talk about her father and then other people in the town. She didn’t often think about her parents’ past, the young people they’d been. These gentlemen reminded her there was a lot more to her parents than simply being her mom and dad.
“Can I help you?” An attractive man with light brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard walked over to the seating area and addressed her. “Oh, my goodness, Grace Summerfield?”
“Oh, hello, yes. And it’s Finley. Are you— Oh my goodness, is that you, Tom Miller?”
“It is.” He smiled.
“Oh, my.” Grace stood and hugged him. “It’s been so long. And my goodness, you sure got tall. I don’t remember you being that tall when we graduated.”
“I shot up after that. Dad said I must’ve spent the summer standing in fertilizer.”
Grace chuckled. “How is your daddy?”
“Doing well, thanks. So, what brings you to Miller Motors?”
“Well, I have a car I’d like to trade.”
“Then you’ve come to the right place. What kind of car are you trading in today, Grace? And what are you looking for?”
“Well, I’m trading in that black Lincoln Navigator out there.” She pointed in the direction of the SUV. “And I don’t really know what I want, but I always did like pickups, so maybe a truck. But I have two kids, so it needs to have room for them, and the younger one is five, so I guess a truck isn’t a good choice, huh?”
“Actually, a double cab might just do the trick. Why don’t we go have a look-see, and I’ll get the service department to pull your Lincoln in and give it the once-over and get us a price.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Grace fished out the key fob and handed it to Tom. She gave the older gentlemen a smile as she departed with Tom.
Two hours later, Grace drove off the lot in a shiny red double cab truck that was only a year old. She rolled down the windows and turned the volume of the radio up as she headed for the apothecary shop.
For the first time in years, she felt like a real adult. She’d made her own decision without having to ask for the permission of her husband, or what he would term “his input.” She’d picked out what she wanted and gotten it. And it had not cost her one thin dime, as her dad would have said.
Of course, the Navigator she’d traded in was less than six months old and fully loaded, so in terms of trade the dealership probably ended up holding the big end of the stick, but she didn’t care. She had a new red truck, and she loved it.
She found parking on the street, across and down the block from her mother’s store. As she started walking up the block, the smell of coffee drew her through the open double doors of what was labeled Annie’s Bakery on the window.
It was a small place with only six small tables and a counter, but the smells were enough to make her mouth water. Two other people were in line at the counter, so she stepped up behind them.
The dark-haired woman in front of her turned, and Grace felt her expression mirror that of the woman.
“Mysti?” Grace asked at the same moment the woman gasped out “Grace?”
They both laughed. “Oh, my gosh, you look fantastic.” Grace was the first to speak again. “Do you live here?”
“Well first, you look pretty damn great, yourself, Grace and yes, I do. It’s Richard now. Jean Paul and I have been married for nearly ten years. He’s the CFO of the family business, and right now I’m head of HR until we find someone to fill that position.”
“Wow, well, you really do look amazing. But I thought Legacy Ltd. was based in Houston?”
“It was, until recently. We decided to move it back here.”
“That must be a big change for everyone.”
“It’s been a challenge, but it’s all working out. But enough about that. Are you here visiting your mother?”
“Um, more like living with her for a while.”
“Oh? Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, did something happen to your husband?”
“Unfortunately, not.” Grace regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth. “Oh, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. We just—I mean, I—I left Tad.”
“I’m sorry, Grace.” Mysti put a hand on Grace’s arm. “I know from talking with your mother that you have children. They’re adorable, from the photos she has of them. How are they taking it?”
“It’s a—a challenge. But we’ll be fine. They love being with Mama, and you know how she is, she’ll have them spoiled rotten in no time.”
“She’s a good woman, your mother,” Mysti said. “She’s really missed you. I’m glad you’re here—oh shit, I’m not glad your marriage—well hell, let me see how many more times I can stick this foot in my mouth. What I mean to say is that it’s really good to see you and I hope we can get together and catch up. It’s been awhile.”
“I’d really like that.”
“Then give me your number.”
They exchanged phone numbers and chatted about the town and people from high school days who were still around as they placed their orders. The one person who was not mentioned was Beau, and Grace wondered why.
Back out on the street with coffee and two sw
eet rolls in a bag, Grace made her way straight to the apothecary shop. The moment she opened the door, all the familiar scents assailed her, carrying her back in time. These were the smells she’d known her whole life.
All that was missing was her dad. That thought brought tears to her eyes and she mentally cursed. It seemed like every time she turned around lately, she was tearing up over something.
“Well, hey there, baby girl. What you got there?”
“Something sweet for someone sweet.” Grace recited the words her mother had said to her hundreds of times in her life.
Ida smiled and came out from behind the counter carrying a thick mug. “Well, your timing couldn’t be better. I just made a fresh cup of tea. Let’s sit.”
They sat together at the little table in front of the window. Grace removed the sweet rolls and napkins and took a bite. “Oh, my gosh, this is good.”
“From Annie’s?”
“Umm,” Grace hummed around a mouthful. “I ran into Mysti Legacy—oops, Richard. She looks amazing.”
“Yes, she’s always been just stunning, and her husband is quite handsome.”
“It was good to see her. Oh! I traded Tad’s Lincoln for a truck. A red one. Double cab. The kids are going to love it, and it has plenty of room for bringing things from the greenhouse to the workshop here.”
“A truck?” Ida chuckled. “You always were a country gal at heart. And it sounds like you might be planning on sticking around a while?”
Grace grew serious. She’d not considered whether her mother would want her and the kids there. “Well, I—not if you don’t want me to, Mama. I don’t want to be an imposition, and I know it’s a lot having me and the kids suddenly—“
“Hush, Gracie, just hush. I love having you here and to tell the truth, you showing up now is a godsend. I was going to run an ad for help. I can’t manage the greenhouse and the store all on my own and your daddy would just be so sad if I let the business go.”
“I’ll help. I’d love to help.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. You know I love this place. And I want to learn about growing the plants and making the oils and tinctures, too. You know all that and I’d really like it if you taught me.”