Tucking her purse under her arm, she swung around and headed for the door.
“You’re never going to bring Grace back,” Phil called after her. “You know that, don’t you?”
Zachary pressed the button that released the newly refurbished green-striped awning and began to roll down the shade over the Corner Market’s big windows. Though he had to get up at these early morning hours and he’d given up his vacation in order to help Jacob Jungemeyer out of a bad spot, he actually enjoyed running the little grocery store. Not only was it interesting to keep up with the constantly changing stock and to manage the flow of finances, but he liked the contact with all the folks who stopped by to purchase their groceries each day.
And in Ambleside, people didn’t do a week’s shopping all at once. They shopped every day.
The morning began with Ruby McCann arriving for her pint of fresh milk. Pretty soon, Ez dropped by to pick up a jar of mayonnaise or an extra can of coffee for the Nifty. Then the stay-at-home moms began to filter in with their preschoolers in tow. Zachary followed Boompah’s tradition of giving each child a lollipop.
At noon, people would wander into the market to pick up a newspaper or buy an apple to go with their sack lunch. Teenagers appeared shortly after school let out, and they’d purchase sodas, gum, sticks of beef jerky, and bags of potato chips. In the evening, the working people would make their stops for last-minute dinner needs—a can of peas, a head of lettuce, a carton of ice cream. And then it was time to roll up the awning, lock the doors, and head to the car.
But it was the visits with Boompah that probably meant the most, Zachary realized as he pushed the fresh-fruit cart out the front door. At first, the old man had focused on filling in his substitute on the details of running the market. Before long, however, their conversations had turned to telling stories, trading jokes, and reminiscing on the past. Zachary liked Boompah. Liked him a lot. And he was hoping his friend could get back on his feet before long.
“Umm, hi, Zachary.” The familiar voice caught him by surprise. He turned from the fruit cart to find Elizabeth Hayes standing in the pink light of post-dawn, her son at her side. “I … uhh … I was thinking about breakfast.”
“We want you to go to Dandy Donuts with us,” Nick clarified. “We want to talk to you about the plans for the town. It is not a date. And it is nothing to get excited about.”
Zachary smiled down at the little fellow with the shaggy black hair and broad grin. “Hey, Nick. Aren’t you going to school today?”
“We need to have breakfast first. I usually go over to Magunnery’s house and walk to school with her, but they all went to Texas because they think Magunnery’s mommy has cancer.”
Zachary glanced up at Elizabeth. “Cancer?”
“They just found out. It’s a brain tumor. She’s in Houston at M. D. Anderson, and it’s apparently pretty serious. Montgomery will be coming back here tomorrow to stay with us while Luke and Ellie are away. We’re looking forward to that, aren’t we, Nick?”
“Cancer can make you die,” the child said. “Is that right, Zachary?”
“Well, a lot of people are cured of cancer these days.”
“But you could die.”
“Yes, you could.”
Nick stared across the street, a forlorn expression on his face. Zachary felt his heart turn over. Losses. This little boy’s life had been filled with losses, and now another one loomed on the horizon.
“Dandy Donuts would hit the spot,” Zachary said in the most cheerful voice he could muster. “I’ll buy.”
“I’m buying breakfast,” she informed him. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“The mansion?”
“Duh,” Nick said.
“I was over at the barber shop visiting with Phil Fox a couple days ago,” Elizabeth continued, as they strolled toward the donut shop. “He told me about the plans for the town.”
“Yeah, I read that in the Herald. He wants to put a parking lot where the cannon is now. I don’t know about that idea. I think it really does a number on the symmetry of the town square.” He shook his head. “It wouldn’t even be a square anymore. It’d be an L.”
Elizabeth’s blue eyes widened, and the hint of a smile crossed her face. “That’s what I told Phil.”
“You mean we agree on something? We’d better call the Herald and have them put it in the headlines.”
“Seriously, Zachary, I think the parking lot is a terrible idea.”
“I don’t get the point of it either. The answer to the parking problems in Ambleside is obvious.”
“It is?”
“Sure. The parallel spaces around the square are inefficient. What the town needs to do is convert to angled parking. It wouldn’t be hard. You’d need to eliminate the strip of grass that runs between the sidewalk and the curb, and then you’d have enough room to repave the streets and paint new parking lines.”
“You wouldn’t get rid of the sidewalks?”
“A small town has to have sidewalks. Hey, 90 percent of the customer traffic at the Corner Market is walk-in. You can’t have all those people roaming the streets. That strip of grass is impractical anyway—too narrow to mow easily. Why not get rid of it? You’d double the parking spaces, and you wouldn’t have all the cars running up onto the curb trying to parallel park. You ought to see Ruby McCann maneuvering that big De Soto of hers into one of those spaces. It’s a wonder she hasn’t run somebody down.”
As he opened the door to the donut shop, Zachary realized that Elizabeth’s face was lit up like a bonfire. Anyone would have thought he’d just offered her a million dollars. She waved happily at Viola, who ran the little bake shop, and then she practically bounced down onto the booth seat.
“Angled parking!” she said, scooting her son close beside her. “Of course!”
“I would like my usual, please,” Nick announced.
Viola scribbled onto her little pad. “How about you, Liz? Chocolate covered? I know, I know, they don’t have much—”
“Tradition,” Nick butted in. “You better give her two. My mom likes them a lot.”
“Two it is, and for you, Zachary?” Viola adjusted her enormous wire-framed glasses and peered down at him.
“Three donuts. Cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, and one surprise.”
“Your usual.” She laughed. “I’ll swan, you folks sure do make a good-lookin’ little family. I guess it’s true what everyone’s been saying. Well, I’ll be back in a minute.”
Elizabeth’s bonfire died out. “I don’t know why the people in this town have to gossip about things that are none of their business. What happened to the right of privacy?”
“Not operative in Ambleside.” Zachary winked at Viola as she brought their donuts, then poured their coffee and a half cup for Nick. “That’s the joy of a small town, you know? Things never change.”
Elizabeth stirred her coffee, and Zachary found himself enjoying the sight of her slender fingers. As she absently tucked Nick’s napkin into the collar of his shirt and moved his coffee cup away from the edge of the table, Zachary imagined what it would feel like to know this woman’s soft touch. She’d laid her hands on his arms once or twice, but her touch was only to push him away.
“Phil Fox showed me a diagram of Ambleside, and he says you drew it. So, did you?”
Zachary took a quick bite of donut. He didn’t have any idea what Elizabeth had been talking about. Lost in the image of her caress, he’d drifted off to a place of quiet and warmth, a place in which parking lots had no business.
What was it about Elizabeth that compelled him? Was it the fact that she was a good mother—tender, loving, gentle? He’d missed out on good mothering, so maybe that was all he was looking for. On the other hand, she was incredibly attractive …
“Zachary, are you listening to me?” She tapped the side of her spoon on the white coffee cup. “I asked you a question. Did you do that drawing Phil Fox has over at his barber shop?”
&nbs
p; He tried to focus. “Um, that day Nick and Montgomery came by … yeah, I gave Phil and the kids some paper to draw on. I was in the middle of a project, and I needed to keep them all busy until I finished my work. Why?”
“Then you didn’t erase Finders Keepers from Walnut Street?”
“Why would I do that?”
“To put in your office.”
“And lose you for a neighbor? No way.” He reflected on that afternoon. “Phil has a bunch of ideas about what he’d like to see happen in Ambleside. Computer stores and copy centers—that kind of thing. I don’t know. I didn’t give him a lot of attention, to tell you the truth.”
“You didn’t?” Her hand shot across the table and grabbed his. “Oh, Zachary! I’m so glad. I mean, I really believe we need a drugstore, even if Cleo Mueller is getting old. Viola relies on her income from the bakery to provide for her family. Her husband’s disabled, you know. And how would we function without the Corner Market?”
“Without the Corner Market? What are you talking about?”
“Phil wants to tear it down and put in a chain store.”
He stared at her. “Tear down Boompah’s market? Is he nuts? He can’t tear down the market. It’s one of the cornerstones of this town. People rely on it. Boompah relies on it, and he’s not done-for yet.”
“Maybe Boompah has a brain tuber,” Nick said solemnly. “Maybe he will get sick like Magunnery’s mom.”
“Boompah doesn’t have cancer,” Zachary assured him. “He’s just feeling his age a little. He’ll be back. He’s been sitting up in his chair some, and he even hobbles around a little.”
Elizabeth’s fingers closed tightly around his. “Zachary, listen to yourself. You’re talking about the market the way I talk about the mansion. Both of them belong to Ambleside. Both of them need to stay.”
“Well, well, well, isn’t this a lovely sight?” Ruby McCann folded her hands at the wrist and smiled down at the three people in the booth. Her white hair glowed like a cloud above skin that reminded Zachary of the old leather binding of one of the books in her library. She was wearing a gray jacket buttoned to the throat and pinned with a large brooch of rhinestones and faux pearls.
“Mr. Chalmers, have you forgotten about my milk again this morning?” she asked.
Zachary glanced at his watch. “Whoops, gotta go.”
“You know, Grace Chalmers was never tardy with anything,” she said. “You certainly don’t take after her.”
“I guess not.” He stood and gave Nick’s head a tousle. “But then, I wouldn’t really know. I never met my aunt.”
“Oh yes you did,” Ruby said, turning to go. “You certainly did. On several occasions. And you loved her dearly.”
Zachary stared after the old woman. Had he heard her right? Or was she a little confused? Either way, they were going to have to have a talk.
SEVEN
Zachary hadn’t been a regular churchgoer for years, but a couple of visits to Ambleside Chapel had reminded him of a few things he had known as a teenager. Church was a good place to hang out if you wanted to be near a gal you had your eye on. Church people—for the most part—had kind hearts and would help you out if they weren’t too busy. And church was a great source of food.
Step into a Sunday school room, and you’d be surrounded by the rich aromas of hot cinnamon rolls and percolating coffee. Attend a Wednesday night prayer meeting, and you might be greeted by tables spread with hot casserole dishes containing the most tastebud-tickling treats imaginable. And then there were those church picnics.
Zachary lifted a cooler from the trunk of his car and walked across Mansion Street to the park. He had identified his goals for this Sunday afternoon, and they numbered three. First, eat as much good home cookin’ as possible. Second, track down Ruby McCann and get her to explain that comment she’d made on Friday about his Aunt Grace. He’d tried to pin the librarian on it Saturday morning at the market when she came to pick up her milk, but she wouldn’t budge an inch. Tight-lipped all the way.
And third, of course, hang around Elizabeth Hayes. At their previous encounter in the donut shop, something amazing had happened between them. They hadn’t argued. They hadn’t even disagreed. Instead, they’d laughed, discussed the town, chatted like old friends. And Elizabeth had held Zachary’s hand.
This chain of events needed to continue, Zachary had decided. He liked it a lot. Liked Elizabeth and her pretty blue eyes. Liked her spunk. Liked her spirit of dedication to a cause and her respect for her faith. And he liked Nick. That was one amazing little kid.
Spotting the boy headed for the swing set, Zachary trotted across the freshly mown grass of the decades-old park. “Hey, Nick!” he called. “How’s it going?”
The child’s green eyes lit up. He veered from his course toward the swings and raced to Zachary. “You came to the picnic!”
“I had to see you, buddy.”
Nick threw his arms around the man and gave him a loud smacking kiss on the arm. “Look, Magunnery came back from Texas! She’s staying with us. She sleeps on the couch in the living room.”
Zachary knelt. “How’s her mom?”
“The brain tuber is very bad. They’re going to do research tomorrow.”
“Surgery,” a gentle voice corrected. “Not research, Nick, surgery.”
Zachary looked up to find Elizabeth standing beside him, looking great in a pair of denim cutoffs and a simple blue T-shirt, with her hair caught up in a ponytail.
“Hey, Zachary,” she said.
She could have knocked him over with a breath. “Wow. This is not what you were wearing at church this morning.”
“It’s a picnic, silly.” She bent over and took Nick’s shoulders. “Why don’t you go play with Montgomery, sweetheart? She’s right over there.”
Nick frowned. “But now she’s swinging with Herod.”
“You can swing with both girls, can’t you?”
The boy shrugged. “Herod is not nice to me, but I will try to be her friend even if she calls me a bad name. And I promise I will not pinch her.”
As he ran off, Zachary stood. “Herod?”
“Heather. She’s in Nick’s class at school. Unlike Montgomery, she’s very conscious of Nick’s differences. She makes fun of his accent, and she teases him when he says something wrong.”
“Herod’s a good name for her. I don’t like her already.”
She smiled. “That’s life for Nick, you know. He’s going to have to learn to battle his way past the Herods of this world.”
“He will. He’s tough.”
“I’m afraid Montgomery’s the one to worry about. Her mom’s prognosis is bad. They’ll do surgery and radiation, but her dad told me the doctors think this is a fast-growing type of tumor. They don’t know if they can eliminate it.”
“How’s he holding up?”
“Not well.” Elizabeth stuck her hands in her back pockets and walked beside him to the picnic tables. “I think his faith is all that’s keeping him going. Luke is a deacon at Ambleside Chapel, and he’s one of the strongest Christians I know. Everyone at church has been praying for the family.”
Zachary set the cooler on a table. He had forgotten that this was yet another aspect of churchgoing. Though he’d heard about such loving care and support, he’d never personally known the touch of a church family. A circle of friends surrounded anyone who was hurting or in need. Prayers would be lifted up, meals brought in, children looked after.
Of course, if you were living in a foster home, wearing hand-me-downs and not bathing on a regular basis, you might find yourself in the same boat as Nick was with Herod. People in church would greet you at the door, maybe smile at you, but they weren’t likely to throw their arms around you and welcome you into their homes. You were too different.
“Montgomery’s father is a carpenter,” Elizabeth was saying. “Luke Easton is self-employed. He and Ellie are wonderful people, and so loving and accepting of Nick. Even though Ellie and I never have
become close friends, I’m very concerned about their future. They’re going to be in big trouble financially, no matter what happens to Ellie. But if she dies …”
“Changes.” He touched her arm, wishing he could take her into his. “They’re part of life, Elizabeth, remember?”
“Changes mean losses. Loss of your little yellow toy chicken. Loss of your family. Loss of Grace and my … and my grandmother.” She looked down, her lips pressed together tightly.
“You’ve never told me about your grandmother.”
“I loved her,” she said simply. “She and Grace were a lot alike. The other day when I went to visit Phil Fox, he said something I didn’t want to hear. It hurt me a lot, but it explained a few things.”
Zachary felt instantly protective, like an angry grizzly bear. “What did he say to you?”
“He told me I could never bring Grace back.” She shrugged. “He’s right. Saving the mansion won’t help me hold onto her. She’s gone, and I have to accept that.”
“Changes don’t always mean losses, though.”
She looked up, her blue eyes misty. “How can you say that?”
“Well … I’m here. Maybe it’s not the greatest trade-off. But when my aunt died, that brought me to Ambleside. I’m glad I came.”
“You two lovebirds!” Pearlene Fox exclaimed, clasping her hands in delight. “Liz, we’re going to have to start looking through bridal magazines for a dress for you. Phil said to me just the other day, he said, ‘Pearlene, why don’t you carry any wedding gowns?’ And you know, I’d never given it much thought. I mean, I carry a whole range of prom dresses. But wedding gowns? Well, most of the gals just go to Jeff City to buy their bridal outfits. I don’t know, though; maybe I should get some for Très Chic. What do you think?”
Zachary thought he’d like to run.
“I’m not in the market for a wedding gown, Pearlene,” Elizabeth said firmly. “And you can just tell Phil—”
“Where is Phil?” Zachary cut in, hoping to ward off a storm. “I was planning to talk to him. The other day I was over at the courthouse, and the deeds officer told me Phil had been in there doing some checking on my property.”
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